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STUDENT LIFE T H E I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y I N S T. L O U I S S I N C E 1 8 7 8

INSIDE

Tuition tops $31 K

Total undergraduate cost approaches $43,000 mark

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By Liz Neukirch Senior News Editor

Do you have a resolution for the New Year? Cadenza has a few. Among them: grow a beard; knit an article of clothing; and, of course, create campus controversy.

PAGES 10

Undergraduates who plan to take advantage of new housing and full meal plans at Washington University next year can expect to pay $1,862 more for their stay: tuition, room and board for the 2005-2006 school year will be $41,854, up 4.6 percent from this year’s $39,992. More specifically, undergraduate tuition rose $1,400 (4.7 percent) to a new total of $31,100, while room-andboard charges will be $462 (4.5 percent) more than this year’s charge of $10,292 for newer housing and a full meal plan. Graduate students in the schools of Arts & Sciences, Architecture, and Engineering & Applied Sciences face identical increases and totals in tuition fees. Graduate stu-

dents in the schools of Art, Law, and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work can expect to pay between $1,098 and $1,710 more for next year’s tuition. The increase in tuition for the M.D. degree at the School of Medicine will be determined in March. This year, the undergraduate price tag on attending the University was higher than Ivy-Leaguers Harvard ($39,880) and Yale ($38,850)—but Chief Financial Officer Barbara Feiner says Washington University’s cost of attendance is, in actuality, in the middle range of other schools to which University students apply. “As long as I’ve been at the University, our tuition has really been right in the middle—actually a little lower than the middle—of all the universities with which

UP, UP & AWAY

$29,700

Costs of 2005-2006 Academic Year: Tuition - $31,100 Full meal plan and new dorm housing - $10,754 Student activity fee - $311 Student health fee - $631

$28,300

$26,900

Total cost - $42,796 $25,700

$24,500 $23,400

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01-02

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See TUITION, page 3

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JONATHAN GREENBERGER | STUDENT LIFE

Two speeches at the University’s celebration of Martin Luther King were particularly insightful, writes the editorial board in Forum.

Planning for new University Center resumes

PAGE 4

By Sarah Kliff News Editor

tems will ultimately be installed in all the dorms on campus, as well as Greenway and Rosedale, with the exception of the freshman dorms earmarked for destruction in coming years. Jim Severine, associate director of Building Services, said that the implementation is a result of several different issues, but that security concerns are definitely part of the equation. “Keys can be duplicated,” said Severine.

With the approval of the Board of Trustees, the University has commenced with the planning of a new University Center. The center will primarily serve as a resource for students by creating more meeting spaces as well as housing important student resources. The board of trustee’s approval allows the University to start determining what resources, ranging from financial needs to space on campus, the center will need. Although the center is currently in preliminary stages of planning, McLeod noted that a space west of Mallinckrodt Center as a potential site for the building. McLeod also mentioned that the building would likely have an appearance similar to the gothic architecture of most campus structures rather than the more modern look of Mallinckrodt. The most important aspect of the center’s design, says McLeod, is that it fits into the context of surrounding buildings. “It’s going to be next to Mallinckrodt, next to Umrath Hall, next to Simon Hall, and it has to fit within that context,” said McLeod. Mallinckrodt would still serve its current role as home to the bookstore, food court, and many performance art spaces. The new University Center will add additional, student-focused space. “I think it’s important to have meeting space, to have a place for students to come and relax hang out have fun,” said McLeod. “It’s important to have some space for student organizations to use. I think it’s important to have the career center. We should have things that students need to use and to do there. Figuring out what those are.” The new University Center may also serve as a solution to University parking problems. In response to needs for

See DORMS, page 2

See UNIVERSITY CENTER, page 2

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE

The University is contemplating to replace regular key locks on dorm rooms with card swipe locks like those used on building entrances.

Cards may replace keys in ResLife dorms By Angela Markle Contributing Reporter

Cadenza takes the opportunity to introduce you to the “House of Flying” everything.

Starting this summer, many students will have one fewer key to keep track of. Over the next five or six years, all dorms, excluding the freshman buildings tagged for demolition, will switch their mode of entry from key to card-swipe access. The card-access conversion will begin this summer with Millbrook, Phase 4, Shepley, Wheeler and Danforth, and sys-

Bill Clinton a model for new B-School dean?

PAGE 7 The Sports staff– plus a couple of other, random people–give their thoughts on who will win the AFC and NFC Championship games this weekend.

PAGE 5 INDEX News Forum Sports Cadenza

$31,100

1-3 4 5 6-10

By Dan Daranciang Bill Clinton: former President of the United States—and new dean of the Washington University Olin School of Business? The University committee in charge of finding a replacement for outgoing Dean Stuart Greenbaum tossed around the former president’s name as a example of the kind of dean they hope to hire. Another name that came up was industry leader Jack Welsh, chief executive officer of GE, said Kenneth Bardach, associate dean of non-degree executive education. In December the University contacted executive search firm Korn/Ferry International to help propose, research and then narrow a list of potential candidates for the deanship. John E. Simon Professor of Finance Anjan Thakor, the

chair of the search committee, described Korn/Ferry as the “largest executive search firm in the world.” “Korn/Ferry does a lot of searches, so they have names. They augment the pool… They are the primary point of contact with the pool we want to contact. They speak first to the candidates and find out whether they have an interest. They work with us to set up meetings with these people. They also do background checks,” Thakor said. The search committee started the process with a list of approximately 200 names, which they hope to reduce to three to six candidates who will be invited to campus. Thakor would not quantify exactly how many names remain. He said the names of the candidates would not be disclosed until a successor to Dean Greenbaum was named “because a number

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of these people insist on being anonymous.” When Dean Stuart Greenbaum announced in September his intent to retire, he also expressed a willingness to remain in the position past the end of the 2004-2005 school year until a proper successor was ready to assume the post. Thakor said that Greenbaum’s stance has not changed since then. “There is a larger group of qualified and interested people than I thought we would have, personally,” said Bardach. “I think that speaks very well of the quality of the reputation of Washington University.”

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President Clinton has been mentioned as a possible model candidate for dean of the Olin School of Business. Editor: editor@studlife.com News: news@studlife.com Calendar: calendar@studlife.com

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2 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2004

UNIVERSITY CENTER n FROM PAGE 1

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INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

Group guarantees a 4.0—or a $100 check

French parents can choose to give children mother’s last name

President Bush inaugurated in snowy D.C.

The Society of Black Engineers is sponsoring a program that offers students an opportunity to receive a 4.0 G.P.A.—and they’re willing to guarantee it. The consulting firm, Guaranteed 4.0, is designed to give students the necessary skills to master engineering coursework and score high grades on exams. If students don’t make the grade, the company will pay them $100 dollars for their trouble. The group will present a free seminar and a workshop. The program will be held Sunday, Jan. 23 in Cupples II 217. Pizza and refreshments will be served.

In France, mothers can now pass on their last names to their children, thanks to a new law which gives parents the option to choose the last name of their children. Now, French parents can choose from either the mother’s or father’s last name, or both names in any order. France is not the first country that has started to allow women to give their last names to their children. Germany passed a similar law in 1976, though only 1 percent of women have actually used it. The law is designed to allow single mothers to pass on their names without the heat of social stigma. Those parents that wish to change their last name can do it if their children are under the age of 13 by filing a formal petition, but all siblings must have the same last name.

increased parking space, the new center may also include an underground parking lot. The University is also considering other plans, including expanding the parking complex on Snow Way. Plans for a new University Center began in 1997, but have been put on hold while other large-scale University projects were completed. “You have a number of capital projects the University is trying to do; it’s just a matter of making sure you can do all of those projects,” said James McLeod, Dean of Students. “It was just a part of the planning. We can never do all of the things we want to do. We always have more ideas than we have space, time and money.” At the time, the University was putting funds towards the building of new student housing, the Sam Fox Arts Center, and a new addition to the psychology building. Budgetary concerns also halted the University Center’s project. “We tried to design building to a certain budget,” said Ralph Thaman, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Facilities. “We could not get the building designed and built for the money we thought we could spend. The cost was too much. We knew we had to back up and think about how we would do this.” With the original University Center budget still in place, Thaman and others involved in planning are determining how best to allocate the resources available. “The budget is actually a little smaller. We’re trying to determine what will be included,” Thaman said.

More than 10,000 people watched President George W. Bush’s inaugural ceremony in Washington, D.C., yesterday, as Bush embarked upon his second term as president. Following Vice President Dick Cheney’s inauguration, President Bush was sworn in by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. Bush’s inaugural speech focused on preserving liberty and freedom worldwide. His speech did not directly mention U.S. military involvement in Iraq, nor Afghanistan. Bush began the day by attending a morning service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, accompanied by First Lady Laura Bush and his twin daughters. Following the inaugural address, the president attended a luncheon on Capitol Hill and participated in the traditional parade along Pennsylvania Avenue. Earlier that day, anti-war protestors gathered around John Marshall Plaza to demonstrate against Bush’s decision to enter war in Iraq. Among the protesters was formal Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

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DORMS n FROM PAGE 1 “And with that in mind, eliminating the keys is going to eliminate the duplication.” The “campus lock” designed by Ingersoll will be installed in all suite and bedroom doors, allowing only the key-card holder to access those rooms. The student ID card will still allow students access to the common spaces within dorms as it does now. So far, no decision has been made on whether to use the student ID card, or a separate, less easily identifiable card. Severine explained the pros and cons of each. “With the ID card, if a student loses it, and it is found by someone who knows that student, they instantly have access to the students’ room, whereas, with a card that lacks a photo ID, that won’t be an issue,” said Severine. Don Strom, chief of police at WUPD, is also backing the plan. “I’ve always been a proponent of a system like that [particularly for off-campus properties],” said Strom.

He said that having a key-card would greatly improve the school’s ability to control who has access to certain areas. “During the summer there are conferences and programs,” said Strom. “One of the biggest benefits is going to be the ability to do a better job of controlling keys.” Students are starting to weigh in on the change. “I think it would make the dorms have more of a hotel atmosphere, but I guess it would make life a little easier,” said freshman Aaron Apple. As in a hotel, if a student loses a key, a replacement can be obtained and the lock reprogrammed to accept the new key instead of the old, erasing worries about lost keys floating around campus. Severine indicated that the cost for a replacement card would be only $5, much less than the $60 -plus that students currently pay to have the cores in their doors replaced. Students seemed to have mixed feelings

on the subject, however. “Why not just make the doors lock behind you? My door in Millbrook does that,” said Dan Hirsh, a fifth year senior. He also noted that if you lock your card inside you room, it’s the same hassle as if you lock your key in. Sophomore Nikolas Hornback felt similarly unimpressed with the plan. “I don’t understand the perks of a key card over a key,” he said. “If the issue is people breaking into others’ rooms, then we should just switch the doors to an automatic locking system.” The other major concern was cost. Students’ apprehension about increasing tuition and room & board costs was apparent. Senior Chris Brimmage thought the idea was worthwhile, but was wary of how expensive it sounded. “I doubt the school will allow us to pay less,” he said, “They just keep increasing tuition as it is.”

But not everyone was quite so cynical. Alex Feldman, a sophomore living in the Village, was optimistic. “I think it’s a really cool idea,” she said. “It’ll be easier to keep track of a card than a key.” Nicole Sussman, a freshman, agreed, saying, “It would be so much better because you wouldn’t have to worry about lost keys.” Severine and Strom see the switch as a measure of increased convenience, both for the school, which will be able to ensure the security of dormitories more easily, and for students, who will have less hassle with multiple keys and cheaper replacements.

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Visualizing Women’s Health in Contemporary Art Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum Steinberg Hall January 21–April 24, 2005

Opening Events

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January 21, 2005

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Panel Discussion Art, Politics and the Body: A Conversation with Artists Orlan, Katherine Sherwood, and Tran, T. Kim-Trang Moderator: Janine Mileaf, guest-curator Inside Out Loud, assistant professor of Art History, Swarthmore College

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Opening Reception All events are free and open to all Major funding for Inside Out Loud was provided by Helen Kornblum and the Friends of IOL. Additional funding was provided by Elizabeth A. Sackler Museum Educational Trust; Marlene Nathan Meyerson Family Foundation; Siteman Cancer Center; Sonnenschein, Nath, and Rosenthal LLP; Missouri Arts Council; Regional Arts Commission; Arts and Education Council; Washington University’s School of Arts and Sciences, School of Medicine, and Academic Women’s Network; Hortense Lewin Art Fund; and individual contributors to the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum. The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum student docent program is funded in part by the Women’s Society of Washington University. The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum is a part of the Sam Fox Arts Center. Image: Orlan, OMNIPRÉSENCE (CLOSE-UP OF LAUGHTER DURING THE OPERATION) , Seventh Surgery-Performance, New York, November 21, 1993. Cibachrome print in Diasec mount, 43 1/3 x 65”. Courtesy of the artist. © 2004 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.

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News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2004

By Laura Geggel Staff Reporter

CLEM MURRAY | KRT CAMPUS

President Bush acknowledges a spectator as he and First Lady Laura Bush walk the last block of the parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue during Thursday’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. (see brief, page 2).

we have overlapping applications,” Feiner said. Washington University is among the first universities to announce a new tuition, Feiner went on to explain, so immediate comparisons for next year may be hard to make. However, disbelievers are welcome to attend an upcoming tuition forum early next month. “We actually show to [the forum] group all of the universities and what their tuition levels were,” Feiner said. In a letter to parents and students, Executive Vice Chancellor Ed Macias said that things “well beyond” the University’s control were partly to blame for the increase. “The cost of doing business has escalated for the University… including significant increases in the cost of employee health benefits, utilities, library books and periodicals, and the challenge of attracting and retaining the very best faculty,” Macias wrote. “Each of these areas rises in cost at a rate significantly greater than the annual inflation.”

Junior James Parker said maintaining benefits for University employees is an understandable reason for the cost increase. “It’s a necessary evil. Assuming that what they say is correct—that this increase is necessitated by rising health care benefits—I definitely support that,” he said. Other students, however, were not so easily swayed. Junior Solomon Woldu believes incoming freshmen are misled into thinking that tuition costs will rise at the rate of inflation. “I think it’s bullshit. The costs have risen each year more than the economy warrants. Now we are stuck with paying increasing rates, and we can’t get out of it because we want to graduate,” he said. Bill Witbrodt, director of Student Financial Services at the University, noted that students’ financial aid packages will cover the increase, so long as all other financial resources in their families remain the same. “The cost is one of two components in creating a financial aid award, all other things being equal,” he said. The increase in tuition, therefore, necessitates to a certain degree that

3

Fewer foreigners apply to be graduate students

A HAPPY COUPLE

TUITION n FROM PAGE 1

STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

the University award more financial aid. Full and half-tuition scholarships, for instance, will increase at the same rate as the tuition. “I think as long as the money is going towards our education and our time on campus is dramatically enhanced, it’s money well-spent… presuming this increase is reflected in financial aid packages,” said sophomore Matt Jones. Both Witbrodt and Feiner noted that, in any given year, students’ tuition does not reflect the entire cost of their tuition. “Tuition is the main source of revenue for all of the schools on the Hilltop Campus,” Feiner said. “[But it] doesn’t pay for everything—we also have gifts and endowment pay. The main thing [tuition] pays for is the compensation of all of the people who work within those schools.” In his letter, Macias also noted that while “tuition is the largest single source of revenue for operating expenses, considerable funds from gifts, endowment and grants offset what would otherwise be charged in tuition.”

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Following a nationwide trend, many of Washington University’s graduate schools are experiencing a sudden downturn in applications from foreign students. This year 1,350 international students enrolled at the University. “It’s probably the highest it’s [ever] been,” said Kathy Steiner-Lang, director of the International Office. However, while more international students are attending the University, fewer are applying. “My impression was that while we have fewer applicants, we are admitting more international students,” said Steiner-Lang. The decline in international applications has also affected the Olin School of Business graduate school. Joe Fox, the associate dean of the MBA program, has seen a drop of approximately 30 -50 percent in applications from abroad in the past two to three years. “The number of applicants across the board has declined in previous years; it’s just one of the cycles that we go through,” Fox said. He noted, however, that the current drop has exceeded application decreases that Olin has experienced in previous years. “We’re fortunate, we bring in a pretty small class,” Fox said, noting that roughly one third of each graduate class is composed of international students. The decrease in applications has not yet severely affected the admissions process; of the foreign students that do apply, admissions is still able to find more than enough qualified students who would like to attend the University. Anticipating a further dip in applications, admissions is continually working on recruiting programs. “We’ve got to double our efforts to recreate the interest in [international] enthusiasm. We certainly need to have a significantly big enough group to maintain our pool,” Fox explained. Not all of the University’s graduate schools have experienced fluctuations in their application numbers, however. The graduate program at the School of Art, according to Assistant Dean and

Registrar Crystal Baldwin, has yet to notice any numerical difference in foreign applications. “We are closely watching the situation,” Baldwin said, attributing the lack of change to the small population of 1215 percent of international students in the graduate art program. The University’s School of Medicine also reports no significant change in the number of international applicants. A survey released in early November by the Council of Graduate Schools reported that seven out of ten graduate schools experienced a decrease in applications from new international graduate students. Visa delays, tougher security, and competition from universities in other countries have led many international students to rethink which country they would like to study in for graduate school. The survey also reported that Chinese applications fell 45 percent and Indian applications dropped 28 percent. Actual enrollments, however, only decreased 8 percent for the Chinese and 4 percent for students from India. The survey represented 450 institutions nationwide. “Some students who want to study abroad are not looking at the United States as a destination, but are saying, ‘Well, I might have visa problems, so I’ll go to Canada, or Australia, or New Zealand…’ All of those countries are reaping the benefits of the tightening of the process of getting a visa,” said Martha Turner, the associate director at the International Office. She continued, noting that although Washington University has been receiving fewer applications from international students in the past three years and cannot guarantee students will get visas with no trouble along the way, “the reputation of Washington University helps students in the visa process.”

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4 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

Forum Editor / Roman Goldstein / forum@studlife.com

FORUM

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2005

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS Write a letter to the editor letters@studlife.com or Campus Box 1039 Submit an opinion column forum@studlife.com or Campus Box 1039

STAFF EDITORIAL

Honoring Dr. King

T

his past Monday in Graham Chapel Washington University held its annual event to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The event featured a prelude by the Vashon High School Drumline, the YMCA Boys’ Choir, SLAM poetry and several speeches. While many of the speeches and performances focused on King and celebrating his life, two speeches stood out for challenging and suggesting new interpretations of King’s legacy. Professor Leslie Brown, from the history and American culture

studies departments, suggested that we need to remember that, in his time, King was not accepted as a universal or revered symbol. Instead many people, including government leaders, saw him as a radical who was dangerous to the social order; J. Edgar Hoover thought King was the most dangerous man in America. She later remarked that MLK celebrations tend to focus on his success but do not address his struggle, which Brown sees as his greatest strength. “We like his hopes; we don’t like his criticisms,” she said.

While Brown focused on a different interpretation of King’s life, she also complimented student speaker Pushkar Sharma for applying King’s principles to current issues. Sharma argued that civil rights, peace and poverty issues for which King fought are still alive today in the debates over the use of the American military and gay marriage. He later said he hopes and believes that gay rights will soon become as big an issue today as the civil rights movement was in the 1960s.

While many MLK celebrations focus on King’s life and retelling the “I have a dream” speech, it is equally important to avoid isolating King as a historical artifact. As Brown said, to remember that change does not come easily, one often has to be “dangerous” as well. Sharma’s avoidance of clichés about “keeping the dream alive,” instead focusing on real issues facing us today, made for a refreshing and much needed message for University students and for everyone.

BRIAN SOTAK | EDITORIAL CARTOON

FORUM POLICIES

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Standardized tests give the wealthy an I advantage

Special to Student Life

Re: “Emphasize AP scores in college admissions” [Jan. 19, 2005] High AP and IB scores are not only gained by hard work, but also through very expensive prep courses or private tutoring—not to mention that AP and IB courses are offered far more often in private schools or by exclusive public schools in wealthy districts than they are elsewhere. They also require substantial amounts of time that might not be available to students who have to work jobs after school. The solution to the problem of grade infl ation affecting college admissions is not heavier reliance upon standardized tests. The admissions department can already pick out for themselves grade inflation among high schools; it’s as simple as asking schools for the average grades of a class of their students along with the applicant’s transcript. Standardized testing in the United States is a multi-billion dollar business. It’s just foolish to say that diminishing the value of the SAT would make this a proposal that would be balanced for prospective students from a poorer household because no one can afford multiple test prep courses or books. It just makes becoming an effective applicant to an elite university like ours even more inaccessible to people who aren’t stratospherically wealthy. Companies like the Educational Testing Service, which operates the AP and the SAT, and other companies like Kaplan and the Princeton Review ply their trade through test prep literature and classes that have a vested interest in making sure that as many people as possible learn how to circle in bubbles correctly. They don’t need any help. I agree that if a student is both hard working and sufficiently wealthy to afford additional tutoring, they will score higher on a standardized exam than a lazy, rich student, but I know that an average student who can afford additional help will do far better on one of the more common standardized exams if he has outside help than one who does not. -John Hewitt Class of 2008

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was fl ipping through channels as I sat in the spacious and plush Gregg Hall lobby when I came across a very interesting story. As a senior I barely knew of the history of Washington University. I heard about the ROTC building being burnt down and I lived in the “riot-proof” dorm of Lee. To my surprise, this news story was about Washington University. After the famed Kent State riots, many other college students began rioting on other campuses across the nation. Washington University was no innocent bystander to this political maelstrom. Sit-ins and protests were ordered including in the Air Force ROTC building. The FBI kept record of certain students who were disrupting classes and were cited for general disorder. One of these people, a Washington University senior named Howard Mechanic, was on police records. When Howard Mechanic fi rst became aware of the plot to burn the ROTC building he could not stay away. He knew the Feds were cracking down and that he was on top of the Wash U student list, but he decided to take the risk. His decision making would ultimately do him in. The building was set on fi re and quickly turned into a conflagration. University City Police officers and the Fire Department were dispatched to suppress the fi re and restore order. Unfortunately for the University, the protesters were strongly resolved in their mission. Firecrackers and cherry bombs were being thrown at police and fi refighters. The government forces were compelled to retreat and let the building burn down. The large protest would lead the University to take legal action against a handful of students. One of these students was Howard Mechanic. He was present at the riot but had not planned or took part in burning the building. What crime had he committed? A new law was written which had stated that during emergencies a governmental official cannot be interfered with. The court alleged that Howard Mechanic threw a cherry bomb at a police officer while he was trying to perform his duty. Soon after he graduated, Mechanic was brought to court in St. Louis. Out of 18 eyewitness testimonies only one member mentioned he saw a cherry bomb come “from the body of Howard Mechanic.” He also recognized that

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Uncovered: one of the last prisoners of the Vietnam War

By Steven Champaloux

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the cherry bomb could have come two to three feet behind him. It appeared that this evidence was not enough for the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. However, Howard described the jury as members from an older generation that seemed to want to convict him. Based on this single eyewitness report, he was found guilty of the crime and the judge sentenced him to the maximum of five years in prison. After 11 months of serving his sentence, Mechanic was up for bail. During his court proceedings he had been freed. A judge turned down his last attempt to leave prison. Howard took it upon himself to leave, and the night before he was supposed to report back to the courthouse, Howard made a run for it. He sold his old records at the University campus to build up enough money for his “legal proceedings.” Instead, he used the money to flee St. Louis. For 30 years, Howard Mechanic had evaded the police. In 2000, Gary Tredway ran for city council of Scarsdale, AZ. During an interview, the reporter mentioned that she would be performing background checks on him. Suddenly he got very nervous and went silent. In a follow-up interview, Gary Tredway admitted to the reporter that he was a fugitive of the law for a crime he had not committed. He told the reporter not to tell anybody and that he was a positive member of society. The reporter ended up printing a story uncovering the candidate as a fraud. Soon after, the Feds traced him back to Washington University and Howard Mechanic. After being on the run for over 30 years, Howard Mechanic was caught. Additional charges were fi led against him and he began to serve his jail sentence. He could only be helped by a presidential pardon. Fortunately for Howard, Bill Clinton pardoned him. This story may not have any relevance to the non-rioting, obedient students at Washington University today however this story breaths new life into a school that I have always known to be politically apathetic (except during election time). I have a new respect for the people that have come before me and the rich history that Washington University offers. Steven is a senior in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at swchampa@artsci.wustl.edu.

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.


Sports Editor / Mary Bruce / sports@studlife.com

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2005

STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

5

SPORTS Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons

New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Fourth time is the charm for Donovan McNabb and the Eagles. The Falcons defense will have a very tough task in stopping McNabb’s top ten offense. Although Jim Mora’s Falcons handed the Rams a 30-point loss last week, Michael Vick and company won’t be able to break Philly’s defense, which is led by pass rusher Jevon Kearse. Prediction: Eagles 24-17

Bill Belichick is 8-1 in the post-season and hasn’t lost a playoff game in nearly three years. Even though “Big” Ben Roethlisberger ended their unbeaten streak earlier in the year, his thumb injury will play a factor and will buckle at Belichick’s defensive schemes. Prediction: Patriots 27-13

Scott Kaufman-Ross

Forget the Benjamins, it’s all about Michael Vick, baby! When asked whether he would rather be the fi rst overall pick or win a championship, Vick answered the latter. When he was asked which he would rather have, $130 million or a championship ring, Vick chose the former. Looks like he has his head on straight. Vick has way too much “Vickness,” for lack of a better word, for Eagles defense to slow him down. On the other side of the ball, the Falcons’ speed on the line, led by high energy players like Rod Coleman and Patrick Kerney, should be enough to contain Donovan McNabb during his frequent forays out of the pocket. The athleticism of cornerback DeAngelo Hall should keep him from being burned by the likes of Freddy “Hollywood” Mitchell and Brian Westbrook. Look for Vick to become the NFC’s next problem. Prediction: Falcons 24-17

With flashy Terrell Owens out, the Eagles lost their go-to-guy, and unless receivers Brian Westbrook and Todd Pinkston can step up in the game, it’s going to be hard to get past the Atlanta defense that held the Rams at 17 points last week. The Michael Vick-Warrick Dunn combo highlights what can be done when you have great play calling by rookie coach Jim Mora and two guys who have bionic legs. Vick’s arm has been put into question, but with his speed and ability to get out of the pocket, he’ll allow his receivers to get open where he can connect. The Eagles defense needs to do what they can to stop the explosive Vick from making big yard plays. If Philly can get Vick to act like a quarterback rather than a runner, the Eagles will move on. And since the Philly forecast for Sunday calls for a 90% chance of snow, which equals the destruction of the rushing game, Vick will be forced to do just that. Despite Terrell Owens’ injury, the Eagle receivers will prove to be better than the Falcons’, and the Eagles will make their way to Florida, much to my dismay. Prediction: Eagles 17-13

Donovan McNabb will start his fourth consecutive NFC Championship game, while Falcons’ phenom Michael Vick makes his debut in the big game. Don’t expect the Falcons’ rushing success of last week to be repeated in snowy Lincoln Financial Field with the terrific Eagles linebackers led by pro bowler Jeremiah Trotter. The Eagles had little difficulty moving the ball last week against the weak Vikings defense, but the Falcons’ front four will prove to be a much tougher test for McNabb. This game will most likely come down to two key factors. Michael Vick must throw the ball downfield well, as the Philly linebackers will not allow the Falcons the same success on the ground. For the Eagles, Donovan McNabb will be under constant pressure and must make more plays on the run. If Vick throws the ball well, the outcome could be different, but McNabb is hungry for this game and will do it alone if he must. Expect this to be the year the Eagles fi nally advance. Prediction: Eagles 31-21

presents a guide to places of worship in the WU community

Dan Novack

Justin Davidson

Derek Winters

The Steelers won the last meeting between the two powerhouses earlier this season, but they are now facing a different Patriots team. Superstar Corey Dillon is back at halfback, which should go a long way toward helping Tara Reid’s ex-boy toy, a.k.a. Tom Brady, move the chains. But the key is the matchup between Pittsburgh’s offense and the injury-depleted Patriots’ defense. If Ben Roethlisberger can come up with a better performance than his mediocre effort against the Jets, the game is the Steelers’ to lose. Does Bill Bellechick have enough savvy to stop the quarterback who is on pace to never lose a game? Let’s hope not—I pick the Steelers in my pool. Prediction: Steelers 30-27

If Peyton Manning and his 49 season TDs can’t even get a TD against the Patriot defense, I can’t foresee rookie Ben Roethlisberger defeating the defending Superbowl champs, even if he did win the last 15 games. Last week Roethlisberger did everything he could to give the Jets the game, but the Steelers’ stellar defense just wouldn’t let him do that. Although Roethlisberger won’t repeat all his rookie mistakes this week against the Pats, it’s going to be tough against the hard-hitting Patriot defense and Tedy Brischi. Let’s just forget about Tom Brady’s guest role as Computer Geek #1 in the critically acclaimed comedy “Stuck on You” and focus on the fact that for the past three years Brady has been unstoppable in the playoffs, winning the Pats two Superbowls. On top of that, the addition of tailback Corey Dillon to the roster has given the Pats added depth in the backfield. Playing in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers are undefeated, will make the Pats earn their trip to the show. Nevertheless, Tom Brady will officially prove to the world that the state of Massachusetts sold its soul to the devil to get their pro sports teams to their respective championship games. Next up, Boston Celtics. Prediction: Patriots 21-20 These two teams both feature outstanding defenses and rushing attacks, making for excellent matchups when each team has the ball. Although the Steelers dominated their regular season matchup 34-20, the Patriots were minus star runningback Corey Dillon and therefore were held to a dismal five yards rushing on just six carries. I expect that number to increase dramatically, especially with snow in the forecast, inhibiting the passing game. The key in this game will be how well the Patriots linebacking corps can slow down Jerome “The Bus” Bettis and the AFC’s top rushing offense. If the Pats cannot stop the bus from rolling, then we might see the Steelers in Jacksonville. However, I predict Bill Belicheck to have his defense ready, and as always, they will respond. I would love to see Ben Rothlisberger complete his storybook rookie season with a victory over the World Champions, but this Patriots team is just too good, too experienced, and too well coached. A game with two physical teams like these will most likely come down to the wire, so who do you want leading your fi nal drive, Rookie Rothlisberger or Tom Brady? Prediction: Patriots 20-16

Religious Directory For advertising information, call (314) 935-6713 or email advertising@studlife.com

All Saints Catholic Church Corner of Westgate & Clemens (One block North of the Loop)

Catholic Student Center ...a “home away from home” tostudy, relax and pray... Everyone is welcome!

Sunday Mass: 11am & 9pm 6352 Forsyth • 935-9191 www.washucsc.org

Wash U Students and Staff Welcome!

Shabbat at Hillel Fridays, 5:45 p.m. - Services (Reform, Conservative & Orthodox)

6:45 p.m. - Kosher Dinner Cost: $9.50 points or cash $8.50 pts. or cash w/Kosher meal plan RSVP required by Noon each Wed. washukosher@hotmail.com - 935-7098 6300 Forsyth Blvd. (314) 935-9040 hillel@restech.wustl.edu www.stlouishillel.org

• 24 Hour Vehicle Drop Off and Vehicle Pick-up

BIG BEND

HANLEY

CLAYTON

• 24 Hour Food Store and Snacks - 7 days a Week • 24 Hour Gas - 7 Days a Week

Cooper Tires - Delco Batteries Shocks - Struts - Oil - Inspections and all your car care needs.

AFFIRMING HUMAN WORTH

All Saints Catholic Church

(314) 721-6403

SERVING THE WASH U NEIGHBORHOOD FOR OVER 50 YEARS - SINCE 1948

• 24 Hour Road Service and Towing Available

Wash U Students and Staff Welcome!

Sunday Morning Mass 8am & 10:45am

7360 Forsyth Blvd. • (314) 725-7558

FORSYTH

(314) 721-6403 Young Adult Mass Sunday 6pm

Full Service Repair Facility

West Campus

Young Adult Mass • Sunday 6pm Sunday Morning Mass • 8am & 10:45am

Corner of Westgate & Clemens (One block North of the Loop)

WOODARD'S BP AMOCO

Learning, Loving, Living in the Spirit of Christ

www.lcmstl.org Lutheran Campus Ministry

LCM

7019 Forsyth Blvd St. Louis, MO 63105 863.8140 lcm@restech.wustl.edu

The Ethical Society is a community of people united in the belief that an ethical life creates a more just, loving and sustainable world for all.

"Closest Campus Drugstore" Corner of Forest Park Pkwy and Big Bend

7010 Pershing Ave • (314) 727-4854

Join us on Sunday mornings for the 9:45 Forum and 11:00 Platform Address. Children's Sunday School meets 10am-noon Ethical Society of St. Louis (1/4 mile west of the Galleria) 9001 Clayton Rd. (314) 991-0955 www.ethicalstl.org

A church you can relate to...

Vineyard Church Sundays at 10 am in the Esquire Theater 6706 Clayton Rd. For more info call (314)221-4823 or www.stlvineyard.com

WILLIAMS PHARMACY Serving Wash U Students, Faculty & Health Service for Over 45 Years

Your Ad HERE Advertise your place of worship for $16 per week.

• Most National Insurance Accepted • Delivery Available • Student Discount on Prescriptions • 1-Day Film Developing • Soda, Snacks, Beer & Wine • Cosmetics

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6 STUDENT LIFE | CADENZA

Cadenza Editor / Matt Simonton / cadenza@studlife.com

The Flipside of Pop Culture

Joanna Newsom The Milk Eyed Mender Drag City For fans of: Devendra Banhart, Cat Power Grade: A-

By Tyler Weaver

Final word: Literate songwriting for the intellectual music lover. Download these tracks: “Inflammatory Wit,” “Peach, Plum, Pear”

The Passion of Ashlee Simpson

An indie angel poetess (with a harp to boot) By Robbie Gross In many ways, Joanna Newsom’s fi rst album, “The Milk Eyed Mender,” is difficult to place within the current pop music canon. As an “indie rock” album it at once embraces the genre’s unconventional leanings while pulling it back from the populist threats of Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand. Compared to just about all the recently touted indie musicians, Newsom is by far the least accessible. Her lyrics, whimsical and full of largely nature imagery (see album’s title), are quite literary and often challenging. The instrumentation is equally outside the norm. Newsom is a classically trained harpist, and it is her harp and little else besides a piano that accompanies her throughout “Mender.” Similar to The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy, Newsom’s striking vocals—some would call them child-like—are matched by language that would often send even the most learned college listener to the dictionary. Yet, if her language is abstruse it’s never for its own sake, but rather part of her lyrical talents. On “Bridges and Balloons” she sings, “Catenaries and dirigibles brace and buoy the livingroom—a loom of metal, warp-woof-wimble. And a thimblesworth of milky moon can touch hearts larger than a thimble.” Her lyrical playfulness melts into a nearly perfect, unique and bizarre harmony with her vocals and harp. And the highlights of the album, “Inflammatory Writ” and “Peach, Plum, Pear,” are singled out for their whimsicality. In one of the more adorable lines to grace a track in recent times, she sings on “Writ” that “Even mollusks have weddings, though solemn and leaden.” Her tendencies toward the esoteric are what separate her from the bulk of pop music, and place her closer to a more literary, if not philosophical, genre. On these academic matters Newsom proves to be no slouch. Singing in “This Side of the Blue” of postmodern linguistics and existential all-stars, she proves to be a truly delightful listen for the intellectual music lover—the college student.

The Reigning Sound Too Much Guitar In the Red Records For fans of: The Hives, The Von Bondies, The Deadly Snakes Grade: B Final word: When does much guitar become too much guitar? Download these tracks: “Your Love is a Fine Thing,” “Funny Thing”

A touch too much guitar By Matt Simonton Can there be such a thing as too much guitar? For Memphis quartet the Reigning Sound, the answer is actually yes. The band, fronted by Greg Cartwright (née Greg Oblivian of the seminal Memphis punk band the Oblivians), ended up on several critics’ 2004 short lists for this foundations-shaking blast of garage rock worship. Unfortunately, their nearly religious devotion to all things garage can sometimes get in the way of important factors, like, say, listenability. Just check out the opening cut, “We Repel Each Other,” which buries Cartwright’s vocals in a trebly mess of guitars and cymbals. Other similarly strong tunes receive the same strangling treatment, all in an attempt to sound “purist.” One gets the feeling, though, that these hymns to teenage lust would kick ass in a live setting. “Your Love is a Fine Thing,” “When You Touch Me” and “I’ll Cry” are tailor-made for sweaty, dance floor workouts, but confi ned to disc they’re slightly frustrating. The best moments happen when the vocals come through clear and the songwriting is strong, as on “If You Can’t Give Me Everything” and the slower ballad “Funny Thing.” As always, the Sound pick out some choice covers as well, ranging from the Sam and Dave rave-up “You Got Me Hummin’” to “Uptight Tonight,” a crash-bang frat anthem by obscure Memphis group Flash and the Casuals that gives “Too Much Guitar” its noisy aesthetic. If you can get past the “lo-fi” problem, you’ve still got another great album from one of the most sincere, enthusiastic garage bands around. Cartwright, ever the sexually frustrated adolescent (even in his mid-30s), has two singing styles, howl and growl, which he milks for all they’re worth. And his able bandmates, Jeremy Scott and Greg Roberson, will transport you back to some reluctant Memphis couple’s two-car garage circa 1964. The only question is, can you handle that much guitar?

EDITOR’S PICK

BOOK REVIEW

Symphony on strike, but classical scene still thriving

Old School

By Laura Vilines With slim pocketbooks and an even smaller knowledge of local cultural events, trips to the symphony are perhaps one of the only ways in which Washington University students experience the fi ner arts here in St. Louis. With student rush tickets available for a discounted price, students have often taken the opportunity to increase their cultural awareness or impress their girlfriend with a ritzy night out by taking in a Friday night at Powell Hall with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. But since the orchestra members went on strike in early January, it seems that students and a significant portion of the St. Louis community will have to fi nd another means of taking in their favorite sonata or scoring bonus points with their significant other. However, despite the absence of this very popular venue, other opportunities exist nearby that are pleasing to the ear and to your dwindling bank account. On Jan. 24, the Washington University Chamber Orchestra will present a concert entitled “Viva Vivaldi.” The concert will feature several small concertos and the composer’s most well-known work, “Four Seasons.” The concert will be held in Umrath Lounge at 8 p.m. and the cost is free. Then, On Jan. 29, the Kingsbury Ensemble, featuring forte pianist Seth Carlin, a professor of music here at the University, will present “The Splendor of Vienna” in Umrath Lounge. The Kingsbury Ensemble, which specializes in pieces from the Baroque and Classical periods, will be performing works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. After the performance the audience is invited to a reception given by the Austrian Society of St. Louis where they will be offered Viennese pastries and coffee. The performance begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are only $5 for students. Tickets are available through the Edison Theater box office or can be purchased at the door.

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2005

For the third time in as many months, I fi nd myself compelled to write about Ashlee Simpson. This is likely as dismaying to you readers as it is to my sense of originality, and you’d think that a month-long break would cultivate at least one new topic in my addled brain, but the Trojans and Sooners had to go and play a championship game, and the smaller Simpson had to go and perform during its halftime show. Never mind that whoever put together the concert’s roster doesn’t appear to have even a minute grasp on football-fan mentality (Trace Adkins, the initial performer, makes sense, but Ashlee and Kelly Clarkson? While we’re at it, let’s bring in Scissor Sisters for the Stanley Cup and Barbra for the NFC Championship.); never mind that the Simpson song in question—“La La”—is about as false and atrocious as its predecessor—”Pieces of Me”—was sprightly and winning. What quickly became of consequence was Ashlee’s horrendous vocal histrionics, complete with a climactic “you make me wanna SCREAM” that became rife with ironic self-fulfi llment. Scream did Ashlee, all the way through “La La,” somehow making lyrics like “I’m like an alley cat/ Drink the milk up, I want more” less ridiculous than their manner of delivery. Simpson was greeted with a healthy chorus of boos from the 50,000-strong stadium, and days subsequent brought a predictable bitchstorm of media criticism. Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser, whose “Pardon the Interruption” remains one of very few reasonable outlets for entertaining sports commentary, pronounced with lusty enthusiasm the end of Ashlee’s young career. Now, I’m not stupid. I’m not tone-deaf either, although some of my Cadenza co-writers might claim otherwise in between shifts at their Wilco altars. Ashlee’s Orange Bowl debacle was just that, and any attempt to reconcile the actual performance would be somewhere along the lines of accepting as honest Barry Bonds’ “Steroids? What steroids?” alibi. The girl couldn’t have dug her grave deeper if she’d reprised her infamous “SNL” tango, complete with wayward vocal tape and awkward two-step. At least people wouldn’t have heard her voice. But guess what. I’m not gonna retreat from the girl’s corner, ludicrous laundromat video aside. Never have I claimed that Ashlee Simpson will prove anything but a pleasing, fleeting lark on the pop-music horizon, and certainly never would I never rank her work high on a list of actual, reasonable, quote-unquote good music. The face-slapping, geegawed shock that resulted from her latest public pratfall, though, is far less a justified expression of disappointment than yet another example of how sick-hungry our culture is for celebrity fi let. How could everyone be so upset about a singer they’d long prior decided they loathed? They couldn’t, of course; they just wanted a punchline, someone to poke at, like some junior high clique that doesn’t bother to acknowledge the human nature of their target. Ironically, Ashlee’s foray into larynx-shredding may have been her fi rst actual moment of “punk” authenticity—not having the chops to, say, sing the way everyone would like—and yet it only ended up stoking the lame fi re of so many people with so little else to talk about. Seriously. Give it a goddamn rest. (Even you, Tony and Mike.) It’s a razor as age-old as the medium it references: if you don’t like the music, then change the station. Or the mp3. Whatever. Everybody put their iPods on shuffle and go back to whatever it was you were listening to and enjoying and leave anyone who wants to give Ashlee Simpson the time of day to their personal taste. The girl’s not gonna ruin Franz Ferdinand; she’s not gonna disband the Arcade Fire; she’s not (sadly) going to prevent Wilco’s next disaster from hitting the shelves. She’s just going to make some people happy, probably preteens, but who cares. I said it before; I’ll say it again. Shut up.

By Nick Loyal No one doubts the fact that Tom Wolfe is one of the greatest Americans ever to put pen to page. Hell, this is the man who can tell you all the things about hippies and hallucinogens that your parents swept under the rug for all those years. Despite these gifts, though, Mr. Wolfe has one major problem: He’s 73 years old. So to balance out his life as a septuagenarian, Mr. Wolfe did what any sane person would obviously do in this situation—he wrote a book about college. This book, “I Am Charlotte Simmons” is a masterpiece of failed dichotomy. On one hand, Wolfe’s delicious prose makes the nearly 700 pages as easy and appetizing as an R.L Stine novel. But at the same time, his look-down-the-nose attitude toward undergraduates makes the reader feel (for most of the novel) that their father is telling them to turn down that damn music and stop driving so fast. As far as plot goes, the story centers around the book’s eponymous character and her freshman year at fictional Dupont University (that is so close to an unnamed school in Durham, North Carolina, that there really is no point in covering it up). At Dupont, the girls are trashy, the frat boys are alcoholics and no one seems to actually do any learning, especially not the God-like athletes. What may be the book’s biggest flaw is his blatant stereotyping of everything that goes on in a college setting. The geeks want nothing more than Rhodes scholarships, the jocks are dimwits with engorged muscles, and the boys of the Saint Ray fraternity throw wild parties where consumption of liquor and messy sex are described in some of the fi nest English you’ll ever read. The worst stereotype of all, though, may be Charlotte herself. I don’t care if you’ve lived in a cave for 18 years—there is nobody this naïve. In truth, Charlotte’s innocence is more of a metaphor for a time far gone, but the scene in which she gets a rundown of basic sexual terminology while sexiled by her roommate is almost painful to read. Everyone knows someone who has held onto every shred of his or her innocence until move-in day. But Charlotte’s sainthood makes the novel seem almost like a joke. In defense, Wolfe did do his research. Several scenes of general revelry resemble the parties that he observed at the University of Michigan. But even with consulting help from current students, the book feels like it was written by an old man looking in at a world that has passed him by. Wolfe is a great writer—but if you want to really see it, let him tell you about LSD instead.


Cadenza Editor / Matt Simonton / cadenza@studlife.com

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2005

EDITOR’S PICK

River North Chicago Dance Company

STUDENT LIFE | CADENZA

7

House of Flying… well, everything

By Laura Vilines On Jan. 21-23, Dance St. Louis will bring yet another exciting modern company to the Edison stage. Over the past 15 years, The River North Chicago Dance Company, whose repertoire features both jazz and modern influences, has become one of the Midwest’s fi nest professional touring companies and is best known for its short, eclectic works. They will present works from a wide variety of choreographers, including artistic director emeritus Sherry Zunker and the current artistic director Frank Chaves, whose collaborative works include a 2003 piece entitled “The Sweetest Sounds—A Tribute to Richard Rogers.” Performances will begin at 8 p.m. on the 21 and 22 and at 2 p.m. on the 23. Tickets are $18 for students and can be purchased at the Edison Theater box office.

By Nick Loyal

www.ethicofservice.wustl.edu

Sesquicentennial Ethic of Service Award Do you know someone who inspires compassion and action in others?

Okay, let’s get a few things out of the way really quick: Everyone in the Tang dynasty had superpowers, House of Flying Daggers there is a lot of bamboo in China and Zhang Ziyi is so ridiculously hot that men will battle over the right Directed By: Zhnag Yimou to ravish her until the end of time. Starring: Zhang Ziyi. Takeshi Kaneshiro, Got it? Once you cope with these Andy Lau three things, you’ll fi nd that Zhang Yimou’s latest fi lm, “House of Flying Grade: B Daggers” is a fun ride that makes up Final Word: A visually spectacular instrucfor a slight lack of substance with its tion in the art of kung fu ass-kicking. superior stylings. The story is treading on pretty familiar ground. Due to the travesties of the Chinese Empire, a rebel sect called the House of Flying Daggers has risen up to fight and is slowly gaining support of the people. In hopes of uncovering their leaders, a detective (Kaneshiro) rescues a blind girl from her harem so she will lead him to information. Oh yeah, and there’s also ass-kicking, lots and lots of beautiful ass-kicking. Even in the pivotal scenes where characters are simply talking about who will be the next to ravish Ziyi, you know that ass-kicking is not too far away. The story itself is probably “Daggers”’s weakest point. The fi lm simply fails to hit new ground by relying too much on cliché. In the past, “Crouching Tiger” pretty much ran the gamut on love triangles, and “Hero” hit every angle of betrayal that you can possibly imagine. Yimou’s fi lm is a mash-up of the two, but one that still comes off better than an arbitrary combination of Jay-Z and Linkin Park. For all the story’s faults, though, the action is mind-boggling. Ziyi continues to cause an amount of destruction disproportionate to her size, and both Kaneshiro and Lau have set pieces devoted to how much they rule at the martial arts. In fact, it is these set pieces that give the fi lm its heart and soul. From the trademark bamboo forest battle to a dramatic jailbreak to a nail-biting Mexican standoff in the middle of a snowstorm, Siu-Tung Ching has choreographed action sequences that are well worth the price of admission. Wire fighting is here, but it’s done tastefully and only when necessary (which is more than can be said for “Hero,” where every six seconds Jet Li was flying like Superman). All fi lms of this type require some suspension of belief, but “Daggers” at least makes the job easy. Yimou has proved himself a capable director many times, but here he almost outdoes himself. The environments are spectacular, the special effects are well placed and not over the top, and the cinematography continues to be some of the best outside of Hollywood. Although many may be too busy with the subtitles to get a lot of the acting, all of the players put in good, believable performances. Ziyi even spends most of the movie actually making you believe she is blind—without relying on Ray Charles-like sunglasses. “House of Flying Daggers” is not the best fi lm of the year. It may not even be the best foreign fi lm of the year. But despite its lackadaisical story, the fi lm has enough action to bring you in and reaffi rm the fact that Hollywood knows very little about kicking ass.

We're looking for 5 or 6 students willing to take on the challenge of being an

Someone who is selfless and dedicated to serving the community?

Someone who exudes passion for a social, cultural, or economic issue in St. Louis?

Or perhaps someone who aspires to all these things?

APPRENTICE We're looking for energetic, creative and outgoing people to join our business & advertising sales team. As part of this new "Apprentice"-like program, you'll be part of a team of 5-6 students responsible for the entire business and advertising operations of Student Life.

You'll use your problem solving skills to develop revenue streams for the newspaper. You'll also be charged with developing a marketing campaign to promote the newspaper throughout campus. Other projects may include market research, conducting focus groups and evaluating other aspects of the operational structure of Student Life.

What better experience for your resume than running the largest and oldest student-run business on campus? Compensation consists of a base salary, and a bonus plan to reward performance.

THIS IS A JOB - NOT A STUDENT ACTIVITY.

Honor this person by submitting a nomination for the Ethic of Service Award!

Nomination Deadline: February 11, 2005 Any member of the WU community, past or current, who resides in and serves the St. Louis community is eligible to receive the award.

www.ethicofservice.wustl.edu

Candidates MUST be able to work 15 hours per week during the hours of 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday. Reliable transportation is a plus. Do you fit the bill? If so, go online to download an application! All applications are due January 27th at noon.

www.studlife.com/adjobs


8 STUDENT LIFE | CLASSIFIEDS

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2005

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AUTOS BABYSITTER NEEDED. BABYSITTER needed for Saturday evenings to watch 5 and 3-year-old children at home in U City. Must have own car and prior sitting experience. Pays $10/hr. Would also consider 2 Saturdays a month. Please call Sarah, 727-7569 or 935 -8760 if interested. HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANT. ENERGETIC individual to assist WU professor and family with child-care, light cleaning, meal preparation and household organization / errands. Walking distance from WU, 15 -20hrs/wk. $10/ hr. Non-smoker, cell phone and car required. Call Anna at 314.749.5409. MAKE $75 TAKING SURVEYS online and two fully paid airline tickets. www.GetPaidToThink.com SUMMER JOB? MONEY driven college students needed to sell Pest Control services. $4,000 -$10,000/mo. Call Tyler @ 636 -299-7828.

STUDIOS, ONE & TWO bedroom apartments for rent from $395, $495 & $650 respectively. Ten minutes from Wash U. Free heat, hot water and cooking gas. Apts include 24 hour laundry, covered parking, elevator, ample closets, dishwasher, A/C and w/w carpeting. Short term lease and furnished units available. One block from Metro, bus-line, restaurants and shopping. Please call 314- 421-5511.

2ND SEMESTER SUBLET: COMFORTABLE studio for $530/month. Central heating/air, dishwasher, furnished. Near medical campus. Contact 314497-9730 if interested. SUBLEASE IN CWE available now for $410/mo including utilities. Contact nyamada@wustl.edu.

3 BEDROOM 1.5 BATH APARTMENT. Half block from RED line shuttle. Many amenities! For more info www.homeandapartmentre ntals.com Tom 314.409.2733 BEAUTIFUL BRENTWOOD FOREST condo. 2 BR/updated kitchen and bath. Available immediately. Excellent for residents and grad students. Call Dave 314-393- 4072. CONDO IN BRENTWOOD Forest. 2 bedroom, great community, updated interior, washer/dryer, deck. Call Diana 504-3600. ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS starting at $395! Newly renovated! Centrally Located, New appliances, huge walk-in closets, cable ready, spacious eat-in kitchens, 24 hour laundry on-site, off street parking. Within walking distance to new Sam’s and Wal-Mart. Call (314) 644- 0732.

1999 CHEVY MALIBU. 106K miles, good condition. Power windows, locks, dual airbag, cassette, cruise, a/c. $2900 OBO. 314-721-9651

ENGLISH TUTOR WANTED $11/hour. Please contact medici_ fountain @yahoo.com

HOUSECLEAN ING. OVER 10 YEARS experience. References available. Call 314-780 - 4932.

CHEAPEST 2005 SPRING BREAK. $499 all-inclusive, all drinks, all food, all parties! www. needspringbreak.com 1 - 8 6 6 - 6 6 8 - 9 0 3 7. GET CHEAP TEXTBOOKS! Search 24 bookstores with 1 click! Compare new and used book pricing. Shipping and taxes automatically calculated. http://www.bookhq.com MICROWAVE FOR SALE. Sanyo EM-P414W. Fingertouch cook control panel. 1480W, 1.1 cu ft with 10” turntable. Only $20. 314-7814943. SIX FOOT FUTON for sale. Only four months old. Durable black steel frame with large black cushion. Only $150. Contact Kleinjo@olin.wustl.edu SMOKESTACKS AND PROGRESSIVES (Stradling) $20. Better price than bookstore. 314- 479-5051.

SPRING BREAK 2005 WITH STS, America’s #1 Student Tour Operator. Hiring campus reps. Call for group discounts. Info/ Reservations 1-800 - 6484849 www.ststravel.com.

ANNOUNCING $600 GROUP FUNDRAISER SCHEDULING Bonus. 4 hours of your group’s time PLUS our free (yes, free) fundraising solutions EQUALS $1,000 -$2,000 in earnings for your group. Call TODAY for a $600 bonus when you schedule your non-sales fundraiser with CampusFundraiser. Contact CampusFundraiser, (888) 923-3238 or visit www. campusfundraiser.com JUST THE FACTS. REAL. Actual. Truth. Factoid. www.justthefacts.wustl. edu.

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Your Horoscope for Friday, January 21, 2005 By Linda C. Black, Tribune Media Services Today’s Birthday (01-21-05). While you’re falling in love, keep in mind the goals you want to accomplish. Choose a partner who’s a good worker over one who’s more talk than action. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is an 8. Get assistance from people who know the skills you’re practicing. They’ll encourage you, even if you turn out to be more talented than they are. Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 5. Follow through on the projects that you’ve already begun. Don’t start any more. You may want to take off in a new direction. Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 10. Conditions have changed in your favor, again. You’re lucky in love

and with dreams. Don’t let a small disagreement stifle your enthusiasm. Compromise. Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 6. Do a little networking behind the scenes and find just what you’ve been wanting for your home, and a marvelous deal. It’s out there. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 7. For the next several weeks, you’ll find more and more tasks that you can assign to others. Delegation and holding people accountable are two keys to your success. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7. Postpone the chores at home until later. Mingle with people who might turn out to be important to your career. But do call and let the family know, if they’re waiting. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 9. The conversation opens up, so ask important questions. You may not like all the answers you get, but it’s always better than not knowing.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 5. There’s no need for you to pay the full retail price. Once you’ve found what you want, ask around until you find the sweetest deal. It’s out there. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is an 8. Your partner’s urging you to try something you may think is impossible. Just because it’s never been done, doesn’t mean it never can. You’re in a good position. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 5. You provide a valuable service, but you’ll have to concentrate to avoid being distracted. Make sure the job gets done right.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 9. A bit of a controversy could break out, but you’re not directly involved. You get to be the objective observer and give the good advice. Enjoy. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) _ Today is a 5 _ You’re advancing to


Cadenza Editor / Matt Simonton / cadenza@studlife.com

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2005

STUDENT LIFE | CADENZA

Various Artists “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” Original Soundtrack Hollywood Records For fans of: David Bowie, Seu Jorge Grade: AFinal Word: An excellent soundtrack that is able to stand alone from the fi lm. Download these songs: “Starman,” “Let Me Tell You About My Boat,” “Queen Bitch”

Another perfect mix for a Wes Anderson movie By Michelle Lawrence Wes Anderson has been known for great movies, but music enthusiasts are also familiar with his ability to perfectly score his fi lms (check out “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Rushmore” for evidence of this). This soundtrack is no different; Anderson again collaborates with Mark Mothersbaugh, as well as Norwegian composer Sven Libaek, for excellent original songs. Those of us who have seen the movie probably noticed that Pele dos Santos occasionally performs, and those songs are included; Seu Jorge, a Brazilian musician, portrayed this character and actually adapted 11 David Bowie songs into acoustic Portuguese versions. Anderson’s liner notes provide some insight into the creation of the soundtrack. A short but sweet Sven Libaek composition begins the album, followed by the fi rst of Mark Mothersbaugh’s songs. These have a bouncy quality, due in part to their “Casio-esque” sound. They fit with the movie’s imagery seamlessly and provide memorable melodies. The fi rst David Bowie/Seu Jorge songs come next. Jorge’s covers are refreshing and unexpected interpretations of classic Bowie. His voice is excellent and he lends the songs a new, soaring spirit in a wonderfully minimalist way. Devo’s “Gut Feeling” and Iggy and the Stooges’ “Search and Destroy” provide a dose of raw rock, Joan Baez’s “Here to You” provides a nice soft moment and Paco de Lucia’s “La Nina de Puerta Oscura” is an exciting burst of Spanish flair. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, this soundtrack is a sonic adventure on which you should embark, especially if you are a fan of David Bowie. The Jorge covers are excellent, and the soundtrack would be incredible with nothing but his songs. Luckily, though, Anderson collected some other gems, and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” soundtrack is the great result.

Joseph Arthur Our Shadows Will Remain Vector Records For fans of: Elliott Smith, Beck Grade: AFinal word: Something so beautiful and depressing can’t stay underground long. Download these tracks: “Can’t Exist,” “Devil’s Broom,” “Puppets,” “A Smile that Explodes”

King Joseph Arthur reigns under the radar By Susannah Cahalan Joseph Arthur’s haunting fourth album, “Our Shadows Will Remain,” is his most ambitious. Discovered in the mid-‘90s by Peter Gabriel, Arthur’s folk- and country-infused rock has remained largely unnoticed. That is, until he created “Our Shadows Will Remain,” where his sophisticated lyrics and unusual sound combine to create a masterpiece. His vocals are a strange hybrid of Jeff Buckley-esque fragility and the grit of the Eels’ Mark Everett. Couple this with Beck’s idiosyncratic lyrics and Elliott Smith’s penchant for the depressing and the result is Joseph Arthur. There are so many depressing, yet strangely uplifting, moments on “Our Shadows Will Remain” that it’s hard to pin down the best. The album begins with a hymn, “In Ohio,” and transitions to the upbeat alt-country “Can’t Exist,” the most optimistic and forceful song on the album. He sings, “A thousand times or more/ I’ve walked away alive/ On my feet again,” amid electric guitars and a heavy drumbeat. The hopefulness felt in “Can’t Exist” is in stark contrast with “Devil’s Broom.” This coarse, bluesy song seems to denounce all hope. The audience is in intimate contact with Arthur’s general sense of deep loss. He sings, “Waking up in the sun face down on the pavement/ Everything I own in a garbage bag.” His straining vocals compel the audience to share his beautiful suffering. Arthur’s successful attempt at ‘80s pop is seen in “Puppets.” The looped drums and the odd muted, background chorus make for an energizing dance song. Yet under the smiling tempo is an obvious irony—the song is about suicide. The chorus is: “I cut myself/ But no blood came/ And no one helped.” Maybe it’s not the best song to play at your next fraternity party. By far the best song on the album is the evocative “A Smile that Explodes,” in which Arthur is at his most poetic and devastating. With only the sound of distant feedback, an acoustic guitar, and a few notes of a piano, he tells the story of unthinkable suffering through alcoholism and heartbreak. The song is so intimate that it’s almost hard to listen to. He sings in a duet with an angelic female voice, “‘Cuz it ain’t easier/ Waking up at dawn/ To fi nd I’ve lost my crown/ If I found you there with flowers in your hair/ I’d hold you in my arms.” “Our Shadows Will Remain” brings the audience face-to-face with human suffering. In all of his songs, even at his most optimistic, there is an unnamed, gnawing hurt. Arthur has cast his shadow on the music industry and he will not be kept in the darkness for much longer.

Sonic Reduction By Matt Simonton

Record store therapy “So, what’s been troubling you?” “Well, Doc, it’s like this. I just got done working for a music store back home. I worked there over the summer, too. It’s a great place—not exactly independent, but not huge and corporate or anything. Think Streetside Records, not Vintage Vinyl. Basically, my illusions were shattered. I’ve been shopping for music for a long time, and the music store clerk always seemed like a slightly arrogant, untouchable individual. They have to know everything—the release date for the new Beck album, who penned some old Stax single, the rhythm guitar player from Thin Lizzy. I thought they were these high and mighty music snobs. I mean, did you ever see ‘High Fidelity’?” “The last John Cusack movie I saw was ‘Better Off Dead’ during my undergraduate years at UCLA.” “Well, it only reinforced my stereotype. I imagined music clerks spent their time ridiculing others’ taste and making lists of their favorite Elvis Costello songs. But the truth is, they’re really cool people. They’re friendly and helpful and tend to like a lot of stuff I never would have expected. Because when you think about it, not many people come into record stores hoping to buy the latest Bright Eyes single or the Arcade Fire album. They want current pop and hip-hop, and the older crowd wants to hear classic soul, Americana, maybe the new Willie Nelson record. And so that’s what you tend to play in the store, and that’s what you end up liking.” “And this disturbs you?” “Like I said, it shattered my illusions. When I fi rst started working there, I wanted to play the new Hives album, or Modest Mouse—you know, Indie Rock 101 type stuff. But after a while, I wanted to hear more R&B, even more (God forbid) FM radio pop. For instance, have you heard the new Gwen Stefani album?” “I can’t say that I’m familiar with her work.” “She was the old lead singer for No Doubt. Now she’s on this Madonna/Britney Spears kick where she works with all these hip-hop producers, making dance music. At fi rst I dismissed it as fluff, but it’s actually really catchy and clever. On this one track, ‘Rich Girl,’ she samples ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ even down to the ‘ya ha deedle deedle dum’ bit. It’s pretty cool. Or Gavin DeGraw, another guy you probably haven’t heard of, he’s got a great set of pipes. One of the better voices in the music industry today. His songwriting could use a little work, but he’s got this one song, ‘Belief,’ that goes, ‘Tonight you arrested my mind, when you came to my defense/ With a knife, in the shape of your mouth, in the form of your body.’ God, I love that line.” “Have you considered that this fi xation possibly has something to do with your frustrated sexual unconscious?” “We’ll talk about that another time. How about Anthony Hamilton? You know, ‘Baby I’ll be/ Sittin’ here waitin’ on you to come home again.’ It’s great. His whole record, ‘Comin’ From Where I’m From,’ is one of the best R&B albums I’ve heard outside of my Marvin Gaye collection. The voice, the lyrics, the smooth production—he’s really top-notch. And there’s Allison Krauss, someone who might be right up your alley. Who knew I could like contemporary bluegrass so much?” “Very interesting.” “And that’s just the beginning. The point is, working at a record store actually makes you less of a snob. You learn to appreciate so many different styles. And the other clerks are the same way. Sure, they might have their own personal obsession with Bruce Springsteen, or ‘80s hair metal, or their boyfriend might be in a local punk band, but they’re all pretty open-minded, too. You have to be, when the clientele is asking for the latest Lil’ Jon album every day. So I guess I’m actually really pleased about the whole situation. Wow, I feel much better! Thanks, Doc.” “No problem. Now, that’ll be 300 dollars. Oh, and could you bring me the new Snoop Dogg the next time we meet? The missus and I just love to drop it like it’s hot.”

cadenza@studlife.com

ALL REAL NUMBERS

By David Freeman

9


10 STUDENT LIFE | CADENZA

Cadenza Editor / Matt Simonton / cadenza@studlife.com

CADENZ A

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21, 2005

n. a technically brilliant sometimes improvised solo passage toward the close of a concerto, an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic work

arts & entertainment

New Year’s Resolutions 2005 By Matt Simonton

Listen to more local music This one ain’t difficult, folks. Just pick up your weekly concert calendar of choice and choose a show. There are plenty of options open to you. For instance, this Saturday at the Hi-Pointe you can catch local rockers Gassoff and the Dead Celebrities, perfect for fans of douse-yourself-in-beer rock ‘n’ roll. Other local favs include progressive metal band Riddle of Steel, Traindodge and the Maxtone Four. And don’t forget to support campus bands!

1

There is nothing so mind-numbingly banal as the New Year’s Resolution. These yearly half-goals and soon-forgotten promises typically involve shedding certain quantities of unseemly fat from your physique or abstaining from some otherwise fun leisurely activity. (Why more people don’t take up drinking is beyond us.) Thankfully, you’ve got the inimitable Cadenza crew at your side to recommend fun, original and decidedly obtainable objectives. Now, reach out and achieve!

Grow a beard Create a campus controversy

St. Louis’s recent arctic blasts of cold air should encourage all you fellas out there to consider the safe, natural way to protect your face from the elements. Growing facial hair involves absolutely no active involvement, although you may feel the sting of social ostracism if your beard is unkempt or “patchy.” No worries, though, as increased hair length will cause the curls to grow over your unsightly bald spots. Plus, the many styles to choose from, such as the Grizzly Adams “mountain man” look or the ever-popular “pervy seventh grade gym coach stash,” only increase the fun. And ladies, don’t think we’ve forgotten you! For those who don’t or physically can’t do faces, there’s always the ability to sport shaggy, Hobbit-like, natural legwarmers around the feet and ankles. Now everybody stays warm.

2

This one involves a bit more planning and motivation, but let’s face it: Why should Columbia and Harvard have all the fun with their on-campus quarrels? We are (were, at least) a top-ten school, according to U.S. News and World Report, so let’s start acting like one! And that means exacerbating student/ faculty relations, accusing our professors of bias and hate speech and generally complaining about topics other than Bon Appetit and Student Union elections. How about picketing the next Wednesday Speaker Series, even if the topic is “The Ecological Systems of Indigenous South American Tree Frogs,” or demanding SU funding for groups like “Students for HATE (Harboring Animosity Towards Everyone).” It’s not hard, people! Harvard does this stuff daily.

3

Knit at least one article of your own clothing Along with the beard resolution, this goal teaches you to be a more independent, complete individual. Why drop 30 dollars on a Gap scarf when you can create your own source of warmth out of a ball of yarn and two needles? Many are simply intimidated by this revered, ancient form of clothing manufacture, but it’s really quite easy. First, make a slip knot on one needle. Place this in your left hand. Insert your righthand needle into the knot under the left needle. While holding both needles with your left hand, use your right index fi nger to bring the yarn under, then over, the right needle. Now, draw the yarn through the stitch with the right point. Then draw the point of the left needle through the new stitch, removing the right needle. Pull the yarn to tighten the stitch on the needle. Congratulations, you have made your fi rst stitch! Now repeat this process 26 more times until you have a total of 28 stitches on the left needle. This completes the fi rst cast-on row. You’re well on your way to a warm, luxurious garment! (Much thanks and credit to Howtoknit.com.)

4

Privatize your Social Security account There is an imminent economic crisis facing the nation. Government-run Social Security will begin to pay out more benefits than it makes in revenues beginning in the year 2018. By 2042, the agency will be completely insolvent. Act now to guarantee your Social Security checks and those of our beloved senior citizens; campaign to create individual, privatized accounts that can benefit from our rapidly strengthening market economy. Don’t be misled by quack economic theorists. Avoid contradictory fi ndings from supposed “experts” and just believe us. If we don’t act now, citizens young and old will run screaming through the scorched, blood-drenched streets, while impoverished mothers hold their sickly babes to their barren breasts and cry, “Why, why didn’t I privatize my account?!” The earth will grow dry and infertile and refuse to yield crops. A plague of locusts will descend upon the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Death to everyone!

6

Make iPod mixes for unconventional occasions Sure, you’ve got your “rainy day mix” and your “workout mix” and your “romantic evening mix.” You and my grandmother both! What you need is some variety in your 40 gigabytes of superfluous hard drive space. How about a mix for the anniversaries of important political events? Nothing says “original” like a mix commemorating Azerbaijan’s Independence Day (Aug. 30). Or perhaps you would do well with a playlist for the day of your appendectomy or malignant mole removal. Better yet, create a collection of songs for those special times when you sit down to make a new mix on your iPod. It’s an infi nite regress of fun!

8

Read less Pitchforkmedia.com For those who haven’t noticed, this uberhip indie music website is frequented on a quarter-hourly basis by kids at Olin Library. (Not to mention roughly 80 percent of the Cadenza staff.) It’s become the opiate of the hipster masses. Well, it’s time to tell the dictators of cool at Pitchfork that we don’t need their New York noise-rock bands or import-only Norwegian psychedelic pop records anymore! Why not try Metacritic, which links to dozens of other equally good music review sites? Or just good, old-fashioned Allmusic, which can be more fun than an hour playing connect-thefriends on the Facebook. In the words of the Who (and President Bush), “We won’t get fooled again!”

5

Take up a quirky musical instrument like the theramin Who needs another guitar player strumming John Mayer tunes? Why not try something with a little more originality, like the recorder, clavichord, didgeridoo, Jew’s harp or mellotron? But most of all, the theramin is the true instrument of the future. It makes those weird “ooh-weeooh” sounds from science fiction movies! You only need your hand to control it! And how many bands can boast of having a real theramin player on board? You can take 20-minute solos during your concerts. Fame and fortune are in your future.

7

Buy your Ph.D. from a bogus diploma mill Here are your options. (1) Remain in school for another grueling decade, slavishly writing your pathetic doctoral dissertation while working a part-time job at Applebee’s. (2) Pay a measly $3,600 for a Ph.D. from prestigious Hamilton University, where you can work at a leisurely pace in one of their “self-based external programs.” All you need is the money, the time to take online courses and a 2,000-word thesis. Plenty of diploma mills, or “correspondence schools,” exist, ranging from Hamilton, a converted Motel 6 in Wyoming, to Adam Smith University, which operates out of a hostel in Monrovia, Liberia, to Stanford University (of Arkansas). Sure, many of these institutes of higher learning have been discredited as fraudulent, but hey, if you can pull the wool over the eyes of some corporate interviewer using a degree you purchased for three months’ pay at Blockbuster Video, what’s stopping you? Earn your Ph.D. in 2005!

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