WEDNESDAY FEB. 23, 2005 Vol. 126, No. 55
Chilly
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INSIDE
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
Metro’s edict: No parking n The cost of progress: Administrators, students protest surprise decision to eliminate parking along U. Drive; WU promises affected students free permits By Rachel Streitfeld Contributing Editor
Riding its way to victory: the WU Equestrian Team team placed second overall in its home competition this weekend. Learn all about the team in today’s Sports.
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A discrepancy over parking rights put the University at odds with the St. Louis transportation company Metro this week. Students living on a stretch of University Drive learned last week that they could not park on the street for the next month while Metro moves in heavy construction supplies. As of early yesterday afternoon, Washington University officials knew nothing about the restriction. “There has been little to no communication between Metro and the University, and it’s really not fair to students,” said Assistant Director of Building Services Jim Severine. By yesterday evening, Severine had obtained a 24-hour reprieve from Metro to deal with the situation, but he said that deliveries would start up again on Thursday. Only the street space in front of 6639 to 6811 University Drive will be affected by construction deliveries, which Metro will bring in from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students will still be allowed to park on the street on weekends and after 4 p.m. on weekdays. Severine said yesterday that students living in the affected area would be given temporary green parking permits, which would allow them to park in Lot #4, east of Brookings. Students can pick up the passes—usually reserved for University employees—this
morning in the Village office. A spokesman for Metro explained that the transportation company in fact controls the rights to the road. “That portion of the street there is actually privately owned,” said Cathie Farroll, the project communications manager for MetroLink Cross County. “Metro obtained a construction easement, which gives us the right to use that property anytime we need to.” Farroll said Metro, which paid for the easement, would try to limit the restriction to only 30 business days. If they fi nish sooner, she said, they will lift the parking restriction. Severine said he doesn’t expect the company to fi nish early. “I kind of take that with a grain of salt,” said Severine. “[Bad weather] could delay some of it. And you’ve seen how construction has been so far,” he said, alluding to numerous setbacks in the MetroLink expansion project, which is set for completion by May 2006. As for students, disregarding the warning could prove hazardous to their vehicles. “The contractor may have vehicles towed away because it won’t be safe for the vehicle to park there,” said Farroll. “Or they’ll attempt to do the work there, and the vehicle will be in danger of being crushed.” Students learned about the prohibition
STUDENT LIFE ARCHIVES
Due to the continued construction of the MetroLink extension, students living along University Drive learned recently that they will not be allowed to park in front of their apartments for at least a month. Students and University administrators say the move caught them by See PARKING, page 4 surprise.
Home from
War One soldier’s tale of life in Iraq— and his journey back to St. Louis
Homosexuality and religion came together Monday night in a forum led by campus religious representatives. News reviews the discussion.
EMILY TOBIAS | STUDENT LIFE
PAGE 4 By Sarah Ulrey Senior Scene Editor
More than a year after it began, the Environmental Initiative has failed to bring systematic change to the Hilltop Campus, writes the Editorial Board in Forum.
PAGE 6 INDEX News Forum Classifieds Crossword Sports
1-5 6-7 8 8 9-10
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orporal Hugh Tychsen trained his weapon on a vehicle being inspected at a highway checkpoint eight miles outside of Fallujah. He looked like he was talking to himself, but he was actually recounting his day to a tape recorder tucked in his shirt. Back on base, he sent the tape to his girlfriend, Margaret Ryan, a preschool teacher in Webster Groves. During the 10 months Tychsen spent in the Sunni Triangle, he recorded countless hours of his experiences with the Marines. Word of roadside bombs, encounters with insurgents and the mushroom clouds from not-sodistant mortar shells all reached home in self-edited versions via tapes, letters and phone calls. Everyone from his platoon, a group of 30-40 soldiers, came home alive, and he was never injured, but he consciously held back discussing the more troublesome realities of modern warfare. “I’m kind of elusive about talking about everything,” Tychsen said. “War
Tychsen poses with an Iraqi family that is waiting for news about an injured family member who was being operated on by Marines.
Tychsen mans a .50 caliber machine gun turret just before leaving on a patrol.
HUGH TYCHSEN | COURTESY PHOTOS
See WAR, page 3
‘In the Works’ to showcase Latino culture By Shweta Murthi Contributing Reporter Washington University’s first student-organized Latino symposium will showcase works submitted by recipients of the Annika Rodriguez scholarship tomorrow night from 7–9 p.m. in Whitaker Hall. Theatrical performances and live Mariachi music will also be showcased during the program, which is titled “In the Works: An Exhibition of Latino Contributions.” The symposium, cosponsored by the Annika Rodriguez Scholars program and the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS), hopes to attract members from around the University community to celebrate Latino culture. “We’re really excited to have it at the University to show all the neat work that students are doing and to highlight Latino contributions in general Latin American studies,” said Julia Macias, coordinator for the Annika Rodriguez Scholars program. “We are giving the University a chance to look at some of these issues in a different way and bring all parts of campus together to celebrate these works.” Students from all schools in the University were invited to submit works that represented Latino contributions. “Any student was eligible,” said Macias. “We accepted anything from multimedia to biology research, from an engineering project to a play.” The symposium received over 20 submissions for display this year, ranging from thesis papers to architecture projects. The diverse group of submissions was evaluated based on the contribution each submission made to the Latino community. The 22 submissions selected for the symposium include oil-on-canvas paintings, children’s books, media mixed with Greek mythology and a presentation on Latino representations in film. Ilan Stavans, a professor of Spanish and political science at Amherst College, will deliver the keynote address at the event. He works with issues including Latin America, Latinos in the U.S. and Judaism in South America. Planning for the symposium began over a year ago in the Annika Rodriguez Scholars program, which has traditionally provided scholarships to Hispanic students who show outstanding involvement in leadership and the community. Although the Scholars program recognized the students’ achievements, the program was looking for a way to exhibit those accomplishments to the University. “The symposium was an idea that started over a year ago,” said Macias. “We are part of the Rodriguez scholarship, so we wanted a way to display or share some of the neat projects that the students are
See IN THE WORKS, page 5
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2 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
Senior News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
INTERNATIONAL
LOCAL
NATO to help U.S. train Iraqi soldiers
St. Louis ranked among worst cities for people with asthma
In Brussels, Belgium, after meeting with President Bush, leaders of NATO agreed Tuesday to help the U.S. train Iraqi security forces. Training Iraqi soldiers would allow the U.S. to reduce its 150,00 soldiers currently serving in Iraq. The NATO summit brought together 26 nations, including France, which has refused to participate in NATO training missions in Iraq, but agreed to help train soldiers outside the region. Many NATO members have already sent personnel or financial support to help train Iraqi security forces.
the WUrld
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked St. Louis the seventh worst city for people living with asthma in the U.S. The ranking was based on the following indicators: asthma-related deaths, annual pollen level, annual air quality, public smoking laws, number of asthma specialists, school asthma-inhaler access laws, uninsured rate and poverty rate. Knoxville, Tenn. ranked number one on the list of the 100 metropolitan cities considered in the study, while Washington, D.C. jumped in ranking from number 50 last year to number five in this year’s list. Florida is apparently the place to be for asthma sufferers: six cities in the state were among those most asthma-friendly. According to researchers, more than 20 million Americans live with asthma related allergies, which are aggravated by the exposure to allergens like pollen, dust mites and mold.
Compiled by Erin Harkless
POLICE BEAT Tuesday, Feb. 15 12:22 p.m. PARKING VIOLATION, PARKING LOT #2 - Transportation employee found a fraudulent daily permit on a vehicle parked on lot #2. The permit was seized and the vehicle was towed by Hartman’s to their lot. Disposition: Cleared. 5:11 p.m. TRESPASSING, OLIN LIBRARY - Suspicious person, later identified and confi rmed as being banned from campus, was issued a summons for trespassing. He was released without further incident. Disposition: Cleared. 11:43 p.m. PROPERTY DAMAGE, SMALL GROUP HOUSING - Student office worker stated that numerous subjects reported that suspect(s) unknown had broken out a lower window in Seigle Commons Dining Room D. Disposition: Under investigation. Wednesday, Feb. 16 12:40 p.m. PROPERTY DAMAGE, EARTH & PLANETARY SCIENCE - Building manager for Earth and Planetary Sciences reported unknown person(s) had vandalized the second floor men’s bathroom with graffiti. Occurred between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Suspect used some type of marker. Unknown at this time if there is any cost related to cleanup. Disposition: Pending. 3:57 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, REBSTOCK HALL - Victim stated that after returning to her desk from lunch at 12:30 p.m., she placed her purse inside of a fi le cabinet under her desk. At approximately 4 p.m. she discovered that unknown person(s) had stolen the purse. Disposition: Under investigation. 5:25 p.m. LOST ARTICLE, SOUTH 40 RESIDENCE - Complainant reports losing a Samsung camera phone somewhere on campus on 2/14/05. Disposition: Pending. Thursday, Feb. 17 9:40 a.m. LARCENY-THEFT, WOMENS BUILDING - Building Manager for the Women’s Building reported unknown person(s) stole a chandelier from the foyer area in front of the south main entry to the building. Theft occurred between 10:30 p.m. hours on 2/16/ 05 and 9 a.m. on 2/17/05. Disposition: Under investigation.
10:49 a.m. LARCENY-THEFT, LIEN RESIDENCE HALL - Coke machine was broken in to and all products and money were taken. Inspection of Coke machine by officer showed no signs of tampering. Disposition: Under investigation. 2:34 p.m. WARRANT ARREST, FUGITIVE ARREST, MALLINCKRODT CENTER - Suspicious person stopped and record check indicated wanted by St. Louis City PD. Subject arrested and conveyed to St. Louis County Intake. Disposition: Cleared by arrest. 5:37 p.m. BURGLARY, NO FORCE, PARK HOUSE DORM - A student stated that sometime between 2/14/05 (11 p.m.) and 2/17/ 05 (4:40 p.m.) some unknown person or persons removed her iPod player from the top of her dresser, located in the northwest corner of her bedroom . No signs of forced entry. Disposition: Under investigation. Friday, Feb. 18 1:38 a.m. ASSAULT, SNOWWAY GARAGE Victim stated that while traveling eastbound on Snow Way Drive he observed a large piece of concrete in the roadway. When leaving campus a short time later he found the westbound roadway blocked by additional pieces of concrete from a retaining wall. Student stated he witnessed an unidentified male throwing the concrete into the roadway and questioned his actions. Suspect then assaulted the reporting party. When the victim alerted the suspect of the fact that he had called police, the suspect ran up the hill toward Fraternity Row where he lost sight of him. Disposition: Under investigation. 1:30 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, ANHEUSER BUSCH HALL OF LAW - A student reports the theft of her laptop and a tri-fold wallet. Items were left unattended on a bench in the 2nd floor hallway of A-B from 12:50 – 1 p.m. No suspects, loss approximately $1500.00. Disposition: Under investigation. 5:55 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, MALLINCKRODT CENTER - Victim stated he left his jacket unattended on the couch on the lower level lobby in Mallinckrodt from 4:15-4:50 p.m. The jacket contained a cell phone and wallet. Disposition: Under investigation. Sunday, Feb. 20
The Week Ahead WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23
2:14 a.m. MEDICAL, MILLBROOK #4 - Sick case. 6:23 a.m. PROPERTY DAMAGE, BEAUMONT DORM - Witnesses reported two individuals breaking computers at Beaumont. Damage was found at both Wheeler and Beaumont Dorms. Suspects were later identified and questioned. Disposition: Referred to JA. 4:04 p.m. PROPERTY DAMAGE, PARKING LOT #55 - Officer added: Person(s) unknown damaged hood of victim’s vehicle between 1 a.m. and 10 a.m. Disposition: Pending.
CAMPUS
Monday, Feb. 21 8:05 a.m. AUTO ACCIDENT, SNOW WAY Two vehicles, no visible injuries. Disposition: Cleared. 9:36 a.m. PROPERTY DAMAGE - THETA XI - A contractor reports someone started the “skyjack” that was being used for tuckpointing at #4 Fraternity row. The boom was raised, and evidently struck the downspout on the North side of the building. The skyjack was started by an unknown manner and now will not start or run. Occurred between 2:15 p.m. on 2/18/05, and 9 a.m. on 2/21/05. Disposition: Under investigation. 11:54 a.m. LOST OR STOLEN PROPERTY, BROOKINGS - Subject lost his cell phone between class and lab. Disposition: Pending. 2:56 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, OLIN LIBRARY - Student reported that her wallet was stolen from her unattended bag in Olin Library on Sunday, 2/20/05 between 9 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Disposition: Under investigation. 3:25 PARKING INCIDENT, EARTH & PLANETARY SCIENCE - Transportation recovered a permit from a vehicle that had been reported lost or stolen. Disposition: Cleared. 4:30 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, MCMILLAN HALL - Victim stated that on 02/14/05 at approximately 8:30 p.m. she left her bag with her cell phone in it, in a fi rst floor lecture room of McMillan. Upon locating the bag today, she discovered that the cell phone had been stolen by unknown person(s). Disposition: Under investigation.
- Compiled by John Hewitt
Police and Parking Services to provide free vehicle inspection The Washington University Police and Parking Services, in partnership with Hartmann’s Towing, are sponsoring a free Traveler’s Vehicle Inspection service this Saturday to students, faculty and staff. Persons anticipating traveling by car for spring break can bring their vehicle to the parking lot outside the Police/Parking Office on the South 40 between noon and 3 p.m. for a free inspection. Staff will check tire pressure, fluid levels, wipers and head and taillights. Local businesses have also donated oil and windshield washer fluid for topping off fluids before traveling.
WU med school to receive $5.5 million bequest The University’s School of Medicine will get a $5.5 million bequest Friday from the estate of Hilda Niess of Trenton, Ill., in Clinton County. The trust names five medical specialties as beneficiaries, including the Center for the Study of Nervous System Injury, which will get nearly $1.5 million, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, which will get $1 million of the bequest. The U.S. Bank Private Client Group overseeing the trust said that Niess wanted to give the gift to the School of Medicine after her own experience with cancer and because of family and friends diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Niess, who died in 2003 at age 99, was from a family that included 14 physicians. Her father-in-law graduated from the University’s medical school in 1912, and her late husband, Leonard, was an alumnus of the University.
Opportunities
Interviewing Skills 101 Workshop @ 5:00 p.m. at The Career Center
Below are just a few opportunities that are available for Washington University students. To apply to any of these and other opportunities, log on to Career Options at www.careers.wustl.edu. Questions? Call us at 935-5930.
Should I Apply to Graduate School? @ 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. in 205 S. Brookings
INTERNSHIPS
Information Session: Campaign to Save the Environment Open House - Stop by between 1:30 - 8:00 p.m. in Prince 6
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Sophomore Saturday @ 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. in Ursa's Cafe Freshman Fiesta @ 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. in Friedman Lounge Summer Opportunities Fair @ 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. in Ursa's Fireside Lounge
TUESDAY, MARCH 1 Information Session: Washington Center: Internship Program @ 5:00 p.m. in Lambert Lounge Information Session: Miller Brewing Company: Sales Internship @ 6:15 p.m. in Lambert Lounge
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 Information Session: General Mills: Summer 2006 Internship @ 5:30 p.m. at The Career Center
To RSVP for an event, log on to Career Options at www.careers.wustl.edu.
2005 INTERNSHIP BOOK Looking for an internship? Stop by The Career Center, 157 Karl Umrath Hall, to pick up a copy of the 2005 Internship Book, which is full of a variety of internship opportunities in different industries. This book is a great tool to explore the wide range of internships available. Stop by The Career Center today to get your copy!
FLEISHMAN-HILLARD is accepting applications for public relations interns. While at Fleishman-Hillard, interns have the opportunity to work with staff members to develop and execute media campaigns; write news releases, research papers, media pitch letters, and other correspondence; participate in new business opportunities; and coordinate events. Applicants must have completed their junior year and have at least a 3.0 GPA. Application Deadline - March 15 MILLER BREWING COMPANY is looking for summer interns to join the National Sales Team. As sales interns, students will be exposed to many aspects of the company, which is the second largest brewer in the world. Applicants must be 21-years-old. This is a paid internship located in St. Louis. Application Deadline - March 25 Information Session - March 1 @ 6:15 p.m. in Lambert Lounge JMR ENERGY is a small commodity trading company focusing on the energy sector. Interns will be paid $800 per week/$20 per hour. JMR Energy is located in West Orange, NJ. Interviews will be conducted on campus on Friday, March 18, 2005, by invitation only. Students must be a junior and must have completed the On-Campus Recruiting Approval process. Applications will be accepted on-line through Career Options through March 4.
ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS MCKINSEY & COMPANY is currently accepting applications for its travel and logistics (T&L) practice research analyst position. The T&L research analyst would serve as consultants' first point of contact for the travel and logistics industry and would be responsible for researching and analyzing companies, products and issues in the industry. This position is located in Atlanta, GA. Application Deadline - March 1 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION'S (FDIC) Division of Insurance and Research is seeking candidates for an economic assistant in the Research Fellows Program. A background in economics and/or statistics/accounting/calculus is desired. This position is located in Washington, D.C. Application Deadline - March 10
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
Senior News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com
STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
WAR n FROM PAGE 1 is a horrible thing, and I feel like in our society nobody understands that. The more you talk about it the more you glorify it, even if you’re telling a bad story.” Ryan said he was the same way while he was in Iraq. “He was censoring things and making it seem like he was just hanging out,” she said. “He was honest with me, but he didn’t want me to be scared.” Tychsen, 24, is a radio operator for the Marines, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine regiment, 1st Marine Division. He’s also a senior at Washington University and a DJ for Club Velvet on St. Louis’s Washington Avenue. He will graduate in May with a political science major, and plans to spend the summer interning with a company that throws parties around the Midwest for celebrities such as Chingy, Nelly and J-Kwon. Tychsen tries to avoid thinking about the end of the year, when he will likely return to Iraq when his batallion is called back to active duty. “It’s hard because I can’t just say, ‘That was a time in my life and I’m going to put it behind me,’” he said. “I’m probably going to go back.”
T
ychsen is one of 10 University students who have been called into active duty since the spring of 2003, said Deborah Fields of the Office of Student Records. Approximately 50 students and faculty are members of the armed services. That number, however, includes dependants. These 50 people have either completed services or are on reserve and utilizing veterans’ benefits. Tychsen knows only two people at the University who are in the armed forces: one undergrad in the Air Force and a professor in the Marines. He laments the lack of awareness about the war on campus. “Ever since I came back to Wash U it’s like there is no war going on,” Tychsen said. “It seems like we’re over there getting shot at with mortar and rocket attacks all the time, and that people here have no idea.” Tychsen joined the
“War is a horrible thing, and I feel like in our society nobody understands that. The more you talk about it the more you glorify it, even if you’re telling a bad story.” -Hugh Tychsen Marines in 1999 after graduating from high school. When his training ended in April 2000, he felt changed from an unmotivated kid who only wanted to get away from home, into an adult who was eager to go to college. “I couldn’t wait to go to school,” Tychsen said. “The Marines changed me. It made me have a lot more responsibility for my actions. It gave me leadership skills and taught me what it was to be an upstanding citizen.” He enrolled at the University of Missouri and transferred to Washington University after two years. In 2003 he started dating Ryan. They had known each other since 8th grade, but had only been dating nine months when he was called to active duty. They kept in contact while he was gone, and both say that now they are closer than before. The tapes they sent back and forth played a big part in that. “We grew together even though we were apart,” said Ryan. Neither Ryan nor Tychsen has listened to the tapes now that he is home. “They just bring back too many emotions,” Tychsen said. His unit was called up for the first invasion of Iraq, but didn’t end up deploying until the second wave. “That was a big letdown,” he said. “It was kind of like training for the Superbowl for four or five years then sitting on the sideline while everyone else plays.” But after the army took over occupation, things began heating up in the Sunni triangle and the Marines were called back in. After a seven-day cross-country drive, he arrived at the base about nine miles outside of Fallujah. There he worked a checkpoint on highway Michigan, which was used mainly by Iraqi contractors who were working on the U.S. base. His battalion patrolled, detained terrorists, peformed convoy security and swept for roadside bombs. “We were hoping that by the end of our mission, we would have gotten all the bad guys and it would be peaceful and stable,” Tychsen said. “We realized once we got there it wasn’t one set group of bad guys we were chasing around. They had completely infiltrated the civilian community.” He saw drastic differences between the people they passed on the road through southern Iraq, mainly Shiite, and the people in the largely Sunni area of Fallujah. “You’d go into a town in the Sunni Triangle and they’d be scared of you,” he said. “You could tell they weren’t going to attack, but they weren’t going to give you any information on the guys that were shooting mortars from their backyard last night either. In the south, they’ll be like, ‘This guy over here,’ and we’d just go get him.” Despite the hostility, Tychsen said the Marines were careful to respect the people they encountered. They didn’t look at the women, and made sure to wave even though no one ever waved back. And some of his civilian encounters were pleasant. In his stack of pictures, Tychsen points out one father and little boy who were constantly passing through his checkpoint. In another photo he captured the surprised face of an Iraqi boy chewing his first piece of Spearmint gum. The kid’s eyes are wide as he fans his mouth with his hands. Other pictures show Tychen striking poses or standing with friends. In one picture he even sports a mustache.
Others aren’t as fun. Many photos show the dark clouds of mortar shells exploding. One picture is of a burning car. Another photograph is of a graveyard of military vehicles, mangled by roadside bombs. “Every base has a graveyard like this,” Tychsen said, “and they all have a story.” Much of Tychsen’s time was spent at that particular checkpoint, which functioned as an information center, medical center and even insurance agency. If an Iraqi citizen brought in photographic proof of property destroyed by the U.S. Military, and the dates matched U.S. operations in the area, the citizen could take home cash compensation. Tychsen remembers one man redeeming $8,000 U.S. for a car worth far less. Citizens also came to search for missing family members. “They got $5,000 if one of their loved ones died,” Tychsen said. Tychsen estimates that mortar attacks came every three days, and that he was physically shot at once every two weeks. But the main way Americans died, he said, was by roadside bombings. Everything was stressful at first, Tychsen said. But gradually, he adapted. “After awhile you just have to act like it is normal everyday stuff,” he said.
A
fter seven months, Tychsen’s battalion was sent home but he volunteered to stay on for two more months. During this time he was in Ramadi with the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine regiment, 1st Marine division. There he worked mainly convoy security. Once the tenth month approached, he was given a flight date, and decided it was time to go home. Tychsen admits his experiences are still fresh in his mind, but he said he is more relaxed now than he was before he went. Life is easy in St. Louis. “I don’t wake up screaming at night or anything,” he said. “Although, I think everybody that comes back from Iraq brings some of it home.” Tychsen will likely return to Iraq in December.
news@studlife.com
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4 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
Senior News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
Religious leaders: Campus groups accommodate GLBT students By John Hewitt Contributing Reporter Campus religious representatives met with students Monday to discuss how their faiths approach gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. The Catholic, Episcopal, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist and Muslim faiths were represented in the discussion, which was moderated by Andrew Rehfeld, assistant professor of political science. Each representative gave a short presentation summarizing his or her position, followed by an extended question and answer session. The event was organized by Jewish Student Union, Spectrum Alliance and Safe Zones. “I think that people tend to see, especially in our political climate, that religion and homosexuality are at odds,” said Daria Pelech, co-director of Safe Zones, about why the meeting was organized. The overwhelming theme of the questions asked of the representatives was fear of whether sexual and/or gender identity could prevent some people from being a part of a religious community. All of the participants acknowledged controversy within their religions on the subject of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) membership, but each representative communicated that their campus communities accommo-
date students of all sexual and gender identities. Conflicts over differing interpretations of religious texts and laws were also discussed. Rabbi Avi Orlow of St. Louis Hillel used the example of biblical prohibitions against cross-dressing to illustrate the conflict, and Rev. John Lottes of the Lutheran Campus Ministry discussed the literal interpretations of the bible of his faith. Rich Hillesheim, president of the Muslim Students Association, discussed the varying behavioral regulations in Islam and how they relate to cultural realities. Homophobia in religious communities was also addresed. Hillesheim talked about cultural biases against homosexuals abroad, but he noted that within the Muslim Students Association on campus homophobia “isn’t really an issue.” Rev. Melanie Briscoe of the Wesley Fellowship Campus Ministry, Rev. Mike Kinman of the Episcopal Campus Ministry and Andrew Burkes of the Catholic Student Center also outlined conflicts in their national and international religious communities over homosexuality.
news@studlife.com
PARKING n FROM PAGE 1
This is a portion of Metro’s announcement to students that their parking spaces would soon vanish. after Metro posted signs, both in apartments and on the street, and stuck flyers in the windshields of cars parked on University Drive. “I expect that students aren’t going to be too happy about it,” said Severine. “But I think they also understand that this is not a University project, and they would be a victim of this if they were non-University residents.” During the day, the “beep-beep-beep” of a dump truck in reverse echoes through the neighborhood. On rainy days, the dust in the street turns to muck. Now, students say, they’ll have nowhere to park. “I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” said Rumana Hussain, an R.A. who lives in the affected area. “Each building has four spots behind it, and for the entire street to be restricted from parking just doesn’t make any sense.” University Drive resident Becky Bernard agreed that the restriction is “ridiculous” and said there were rarely parking spaces left in the lot behind her apartment. “We have like a little tiny dirt lot behind our place, but a lot of times it’s full so we park on the street,” she said. Bernard said she generally always parks in the same spot out in front of her apartment. “There’s not any space out on University Drive,” said Bernard. “It’s such a long road, and it’s usually fi lled with cars every day.” She said she would defi nitely pick up a temporary parking permit when the University offered it. Parking spots behind the apartments will be in high demand, said Severine, and will go fi rst-come, fi rst-served. Farroll said students could choose to park on the street “at their own risk.” “We understand that if it’s where you normally park, it’s inconvenient,” she said. “But having the side of your vehicle crushed is also inconvenient.”
news@studlife.com
DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE
Reverend John Lottes speaks to a packed Mudd Multipurpose Room about the Lutheran position on homosexuality. A panel of Western religious leaders spoke to students on Monday night about their faiths’ views of homosexuality.
News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
5
Student Life names Bauer new editor in chief
FLAMINGOS CELEBRATE ENWEEK
By Cory Schneider Associate Editor
EMILY TO BIAS | STUDENT LIFE
As part of this year’s EnWeek festivities, plastic flamingoes have flocked to various perches on campus. Today, EnWeek will present a marathon of “The Simpsons” at 7 p.m. in Ursa’s. And as usual, students can line up for Cheap Lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Lopata.
On Friday, Margaret Bauer was named editor in chief of Student Life for the 2005–2006 school year by the Board of Directors of Washington University Student Media, Inc., the newspaper’s publisher. Bauer is a junior who works as the online editor for Student Life. She will take control of the paper at the beginning of April after next year’s staff has been hired. “It’s not something I expected to be doing senior year,” said Bauer. “I wasn’t hoping for something that high, so to have gotten it is really a great thing.” Bauer began working for Student Life as a staff writer for the news section in her freshman year. Last year she assumed the position of copy chief. Bauer is enthusiastic about her new position and has an optimistic view about the future of Student Life. “I hope to improve the general quality of the paper,” said Bauer. “What I’d like to do is keep us on a kind of even keel and continue the success we’ve had in the past year with investigative reporting. One thing I’d really like to do is improve the paper’s diversity as far as ideas and the general cultural and religious backgrounds of the staff are concerned.” The current Student Life leadership expressed confidence in Bauer’s selection.
“I have every expectation that Margaret will be very successful in leading Student Life over the coming year,” said current Editor in Chief Jonathan Greenberger, a senior. “I am sure she will do many exciting things with the paper, and readers will benefit from her tenure.” The board interviewed Bauer on Friday before making its fi nal decision based upon her application, interview and the recommendation of the staff. The editor in chief hires the editorial staff, ultimately oversees the entire production of the newspaper and makes all fi nal editorial decisions. Student Life is staffed by Washington University students and is editorially and fi nancially independent from the University. “I’m excited because I feel like we have good people, we have a good staff and it’s a good place to be,” said Bauer. “We can continue the good things we’ve been doing this year.” In addition to selecting Bauer, the board also recognized two graduating staff members for their achievements over the past four years. Editor in Chief Greenberger received the Gregory M. Freeman Award for Career Achievement. In addition, Contributing Editor Rachel Streitfeld received the Gregory M. Freeman Award for Excellence in Journalism.
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IN THE WORKS n FROM PAGE 1 doing. The students themselves said they would love to have a way to exhibit all their contributions. The symposium was decided on by a student committee that then reviewed all the submissions.” Sophomore Denise Umpierrez, a member of ALAS, was one of several students that coordinated the symposium. Her own work, an information manual on diabetes for Spanish speakers, will be on display. She hopes that the show will not only showcase Latino involvement on campus but also fight racial stereotypes. “We’re welcoming anybody. We’ve invited Hispanic youth from the south side of St. Louis to see the exhibit and hear the speaker. We’ve reached out a lot to professors to come and support us,” says Umpierrez.
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6 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM
Senior Forum Editor / Roman Goldstein / forum@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
FORUM
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
What happened to the Environmental Initiative? C
ongratulations are in order to the University for getting the new Earth and Planetary Sciences building LEED certified. LEED certification means that the building has a much smaller environmental footprint than other buildings. Certification is cheap, costing only a few thousand dollars, and the energy efficiency of the EPS building further decreases its upkeep cost. Unfortunately, the EPS building is pretty much the only major environmental project undertaken in the year since the conclusion of the Sesquicentennial Environmental Initiative. The Initiative—much touted last year—was supposed to “shape the University’s educational programs, research and operations as they relate to the environment and become one of the defining interdisciplinary programs at the Washington University.” There was a year of environ-
mental colloquia and prominent speakers. In sum, it generated lots of talk but little action. The University installed some new recycling bins outside, but without much publicity, meaning many students aren’t taking advantage of the bins and others are contaminating them with unrecyclable items. Meanwhile, Dining Services has increased waste by bagging brownies, cookies, and other treats. This is in addition to the tons of solid waste created every year because campus eateries mainly use disposable plates and cutlery. The University needs to start implementing plans that will reduce its environmental footprint. Let’s start small, by replacing the recycling bins—which are awfully similar to the trashcans—with receptacles more readily identifiable as recycling bins. Next, ERes needs to be scrapped, since it
results in students printing out two or three copies of each archived article. It is far less wasteful to print a coursepack that students won’t lose, or better yet, charge students a per-page printing fee to penalize wasteful printing. Also, cutting down a bit on Admissions’ copious promotional mailings would save trees. More ambitious steps would involve implementing some of the principles used in the EPS building elsewhere on campus. The EPS building, for example, utilizes hardy plants that don’t need to be watered. Every spring, the University uses countless liters of water shoring up its manicured green spaces for visiting students. Hardier plants could dramatically cut water consumption, saving the University money while saving the environment. On the same vein, retrofitting existing buildings with efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems like the EPS’ would cut energy
use. Ultimately, eco-friendliness will require a cultural makeover. The University needs to move away from a culture of consumption. Reusable plates, cups and silverware should replace the disposable varieties in all central eateries: Bear’s Den, the Village and Mallinckrodt. When the Metrolink expansion is finished, the University should negotiate unlimited ride passes for students to encourage them to use mass transit rather than drive. Finally, the University could provide incentives for driving more fuel-efficient cars, further promoting a culture of environmental responsibility. A modest step along these lines would be giving free parking to staff, students and faculty who drive hybrids.
BRIAN SOTAK | EDITORIAL CARTOON
FORUM POLICIES v
OPINION COLUMN (OP-ED): A bylined essay of between 500 and 650 words that reflects only the opinion of the author. It should include the name, class, position (if applicable), major (if applicable), and phone number of the author. E-mail forum@studlife.com to submit.
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LETTER: A piece of writing under 300 words in length, directed v to the Student Life opinion editors, that may or may not respond directly to content printed previously in Student Life. It should include the name, class, position (if applicable), and v phone number of the author. E-mail letters@studlife.com to submit.
STAFF EDITORIAL: An opinion that reflects the consensus of the editorial board. It is written by the Forum editors. FORUM FLASHBACK: A summary of an article previously published in Forum, followed by an analysis or update to the opinion.
Dinner on main campus: beyond Subway By Anna Dinndorf Staff columnist
W
alk into the Subway on main campus any night of the week and you will fi nd a line that winds halfway around the store. Do Wash U students just really love to eat fresh? Or is there something else going on here? I eat lunch at Subway at least twice a week, in the peak lunch hours of 12 to 1 p.m., and the line is rarely as ridiculously long as it is around 7 o’clock at night. So what is the difference? Why is Subway so much more popular at night? As someone whose various endeavors leave her on main campus during the night, I have noticed what probably many of you have noticed: after 3 p.m. both Holmes Lounge Café and Mallinckrodt’s food court close, leaving Subway as the only option for dinner on main campus. I have nothing
STUDENT LIFE Editor in Chief Associate Editor Senior News Editor Senior Forum Editor Senior Cadenza Editor Senior Scene Editor Senior Sports Editor
Jonathan Greenberger Cory Schneider Liz Neukirch Roman Goldstein Matt Simonton Sarah Ulrey Mary Bruce
against Subway, but when it has a monopoly on our appetites after the sun goes down, there tends to be trouble. As I mentioned before, lines at Subway can grow to unbearable length. To avoid this, many hungry students who are at the library or working somewhere on main campus bypass actual meals in favor of crois-
We need more places to eat dinner on main campus. sants or muffi ns from Whispers Café or Hilltop Bakery. This choice, while convenient, is high in fat and low in nutrition. Whispers also offers “grab and go” sandwiches and other prepackaged food. Again, convenience is a bonus here, but unfortunately for the consumer, another very important factor is being sacrificed: taste. Some students just
Senior Graphics Editors Brian Sotak, Emily Tobias News Editors Doug Main, Sarah Kliff Contributing Editors Erin Harkless, Rachel Streitfeld, Forum Editors Cadenza Editors Scene Editors Sports Editor Photo Editors
don’t eat, which is even worse than eating unappetizing or unhealthy food. I don’t know if you’ve tried studying on an empty stomach, but it’s highly distracting and difficult to do. Your brain needs the fuel that can only come from a full, nutritious meal. So what can be done to alleviate this problem? With the number of students on main campus in the evenings, it just doesn’t make sense to only have one place they can go for a healthy dinner. The logical thing to do would be to give students more options of places to eat without having to walk too far. This would make for happier students, who waste less time waiting in line, and happier Subway employees, who won’t have to deal with the nightly rush. Keeping the Mallinckrodt food court open until 9 p.m. or so would be the cheapest and simplest way of offering more dinner options to those of us who need to be on main campus at night for one reason or another. Even just leaving open a few of the stations would help. A long-term, and
Online Editor Margaret Bauer Copy Editors Kelly Donahue, Allie McKay,
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Nina Perlman, Shannon Petry, TJ Plunk, Jonathon Repinecz Anna Dinndorf, Ellen Lo, Laura McLean, Jamie Reed, Camila Salvisberg Andrew O’Dell Christopher Kiggins
more costly, solution would be to open new dining facilities elsewhere on main campus. One possibility would be opening something similar to Ursa’s in the new University Center when it is built, which could serve as a place to eat as well as a place to hang out closer to main campus. With all the time I’ve spent on main campus at night, I’ve become more than a little frustrated with the dining situation, or lack thereof. Walk into Subway at night and look at all those people waiting in line. I’m sure each and every one of them has something better they could be doing rather than waiting half an hour for a sandwich they’re going to devour in two minutes. For the sake of efficiency, as well as the sanity of all, we need more places to eat dinner on main campus. Anna is a freshman in Arts & Sciences. She can be reached via email at aldinndo@artsc i.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.
Senior Forum Editor / Roman Goldstein / forum@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
STUDENT LIFE | FORUM
7
Have some fun, SU W
ell, it looks like we freshmen have done it again. Our class council barely did anything in the fi rst semester. It may be too late to replace them for this year, but next year…No one should vote for them next year. But is simply condemning the Freshman Class Council really the right thing to do? Yes, it is bad that they did not put on lots of events for the freshman class, but there is a much deeper problem than that. What’s worse: not putting on events, or putting on events without having people there? The likelihood of freshmen going to events held by the FCC is not exactly high. I asked some of my classmates the simple question, “Would you go to an event held by the
Daniel Milstein
Freshman Class Council?” The answer was a resounding no. Geoff Schaefer responded, “Doubtful…Unless it involved sexual favors from hot naked chicks. Or Johnny Depp.” No one said that they would go to an event sponsored by the FCC, especially since the FCC-sponsored poker tournaments have been deemed illegal under Missouri state law by Student Union. Isn’t this more of a dilemma than not holding events? The problem may be with the FCC’s image. Freshmen strongly associate the FCC with SU, which is no surprise. But the words “Student Union” and “fun” just don’t go together for many freshmen. One of my friends even said that going to a Student Union event is like playing a drinking game in Beaumont. I know people in FCC and SU, and they’re not boring people. But they need to bring that quality over to SU. They need to transform SU’s reputation from one of a purely legislative body to something that can actually excite people. Student Union can easily prove that it is indeed fun. They can do that this semester just by showing that they have a sense of humor.
Maybe for Easter, they can hide eggs around campus, and have students bring those eggs to the Bunny to win prizes. Or they can take a cue from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, except instead of dropping the entire value of the student budget in pennies on the ground, as Madison did, SU could drop the value of the tuition increase or even the whole tuition if it’s economically feasible, in pennies in front of
Going to a Student Union event is like playing a drinking game in Beaumont. Brookings. Students can be given 30 seconds to see how much of it they could recoup. It wouldn’t be the most original idea, but originality doesn’t have to be the foremost concern yet. The FCC, meanwhile, has shown signs of life in the spring semester’s infancy. They offered free songs on iTunes, as well as the chance to
win an iPod Shuffle, for freshmen who joined the Spark calendar. This was a very smart move, as many freshmen, myself included, did not know about the Spark calendar, and it gave us an incentive to join it. There is also a skiing trip this weekend, and supposedly there are more events in the works. But how well attended these events are remain to be seen. It might be a bad sign that the FCC sent out an e-mail on the last day tickets were available for the ski trip, reminding freshmen that it was the last day to get tickets. If freshmen were clamoring for events from the FCC, shouldn’t tickets have sold out before the last day? The problem goes beyond the FCC. SU should just cough up the money and try to have some fun. If SU doesn’t try to lighten up, then they might be better off just taking some money from FCC. That money could be wasted anyway. Daniel is a freshman in Arts & Sciences and a Forum Editor. He can be reached via email at daniel.milstein@wustl.edu.
The Karaoke Revolution manifesto By Geoffrey Schaefer Op-ed submission
O
ur generation has a plethora of problems on our plate: global warming, an overly sensitive sense of political correctness, a domination of American sports by Boston teams, Pauly Shore, etc. The even scarier part is that we will do nothing about it. Why, you ask? Because we are stifled from change due to two even greater problems: a lack of revolutionary urges and really crappy music. Don’t believe me? Well, you obviously are just blinded by your own role in this sad situation surrounding you so much so that you don’t even know it! I mean, c’mon, we’ve
If I don’t see some hootenanny going on soon, I might have to bang some sucka’s heads. got two supposedly “riot-proof” dorms on the South 40, yet no one has tried to prove this label incorrect. No one has yet to say, “Hey, I know I could stage a riot if I really wanted to, even without any legitimate reason other than proving this foolhardiness wrong!” This is not just lazy, this is downright irresponsible on our part, and gosh darn it, something must be done. So I have a proposition: The Karaoke Revolution. It is by far the simplest solution available to us to mend these problems. If it wasn’t for the musical recreation of the
crucifi xion that is embodied by such “artists” as Modest Mouse, The White Stripes or Wilco, it might not be necessary. However, the time is ripe to pick the rotten fruit from the diseased tree that was once music. It’s nullifying our generation’s emotional and rational sensibilities. Therefore, the Karaoke Revolution. What is the Karaoke Revolution, you ask? I don’t think anyone can truly explain what the Karaoke Revolution is. It’s spawned from those drunken 2:00 a.m. Bear’s Den runs and random orgies in people’s rooms. It’s something to shout at the top of your lungs like you’re Pancho Villa (or Jorge Posada). It’s something that is so intrinsically in your blood and soul that you can’t keep from joining in the march of those oppressed by college-type complacency in musicallityness. Yes, that’s a word. More importantly, we need to prove that our generation isn’t the bunch of apathetic slackers that we are stereotypically seen as. Not that we need to emulate the sixties or anything, I mean, we need to retain some credibility. So here be the call, men (or women. Damn it! There I go with that PC BS again. I feel like my testicles have shrunk). We need to take up arms, fight the power, steal from the rich, give to the poor and make baby Jesus cry! If I don’t see some hootenanny going on soon, oh ho ho, I might have to bang some sucka’s heads. Or I’ll just sit on my ass and do nothing. Damn cultural instinctiveness… Now, you’re probably wondering about the monster sea-men from the moon. Well, if you haven’t figured that one out already, there’s nothing I can do for you. Or can I…
Wash U plays conservative on GLBTQA issues L et’s start with the bad news: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, asexual and allied interests are sorely neglected on campus. In large part, this is due to a conservative culture when it comes to GLBTQA issues. For example, Residential Life refused to allow a transgender student to live with friends of his own gender, according to Spectrum Alliance President Kristen Chopra. The student in question was a biological female who identified as male, and wanted to live with other guys in sophomore housing. Rob Wild, associate director of Residential Life, said legal concerns kept him from confi rming the existence of such a case, though he said that Residential Life typically assigns housing based on biological sex. A transgender student wanting to live with others of the same gender would have to get an administrative assignment. To his credit, Wild said, “We’d be open to looking at that request.” The problem isn’t confi ned to an individual, though. The problem is the policy, which Wash U is delaying formulating. Concerning implementing a transgender housing policy, Wild said that Residential Life was looking at what other schools, like MIT, are doing in this area. “We’ve been talking about this at Wash U for the last three years,” he said. According to leaders in the sexual minority community, the campus as a whole is ill-equipped to handle GLBTQA issues. “Residential Life, Student Health Services, and Student Admissions don’t have enough support staff to field GLBT questions and that is not acceptable,” said Safe Zones Director Daria Pelech [Jan. 28, 2005]. Pelech insightfully pointed out that the problem starts before students even get to campus, with Admissions. Indeed, the Admissions Web site on campus life makes no mention of GLBTQA groups, though it covers “multicultural opportunities,” “the Greek experience,” “politics and social justice” and nearly every other type of student group. That’s not right, both in the sense of accurately portraying what groups exist on campus as well as the moral sense. It’s also hard for sexual minorities to identify themselves as such. Rob Stolworthy, a former senior Forum editor, called coming out a “terrifying” experience. In a
Roman Goldstein
RACHEL TEPPER | STUDENT LIFE
Geoffrey is a freshman in engineering. He can be reached via email at gls2@cec.wustl.edu.
Nov. 8, 2002 column, Stolworthy, who is openly gay, said that open homosexuals are an “extremely narrow portion of the gay population at this school.” The difficulty of coming out makes closet homosexuals practice riskier sex, like “cruising” in campus bathrooms, said former Spectrum President Andrew Ross [Nov. 1, 2002]. These statements were part of an outcry from the GLBTQA community following the release of a survey that found that 20 percent of RAs believed homosexuality was a sin. Chopra believes that coming out is still difficult, so we clearly haven’t made sufficient progress on GLBTQA issues in the last two years. Now, the good news: responding to this crisis, the Student Union Senate urged the administration to investigate GLBTQA issues. The chancellor duly appointed such a task force, which is now looking into hiring a resource director for the GLBTQA groups on campus. Reports from SU officials suggest the chancellor was receptive to this idea, which is encouraging. Wash U urgently needs that center and corresponding director to supplement the resources offered to GLBTQA students. Having a resource director will allow the GLBTQA community to preserve institutional knowledge despite constant turnover of students, much like ethnic minorities do with Lamara Warren, coordinator for multicultural student groups. The solution to creating a more welcoming community for sexual minorities, though, truly begins with Admissions. For starters, they should admit to GLBTQA groups’ existence on campus. Furthermore, just as Admissions grants affi rmative action to racial or ethnic minorities to enhance the quality of the student body by making it more diverse, so should they implement and publicize a policy to actively recruit GLBTQA students. Why not make it easy and have a self-identification check box, like some grad school apps? We need to send a message to prospective students that sexual minorities are more than tolerated on campus; they are valued for the different perspective they bring. That’s what this debate is ultimately about—seeing sexual minorities as an asset to the campus, not as a looming Gordian knot. Rather than waiting for other universities to figure out that they are, indeed, an asset to diversity and then jumping on the bandwagon, Wash U should be a leader in embracing the GLBTQA community. Roman is a senior in Arts & Sciences and the Senior Forum Editor. He can be reached via email at rgoldstein@studlife.com.
OPPOSABLES St. Louis singles scene At least for men, the odds are good. But are the goods odd?
Rolling keg parties Winthrop University students decided to have a keg in the back of a truck because all the clubs and bars were closed. Now that’s an innovative party.
Virgins on campus 44 percent of students claim they haven’t had sex. Bill Clinton claimed the same thing.
Larry Summers Offering a whole bunch of speculation on a charged topic without any real scientific evidence is irresponsible.
The Oscars As Chris Rock pointed out, “I really don’t know any straight men who aren’t in show business that have ever watched the Oscars.”
- Compiled by Roman Goldstein
8 STUDENT LIFE | CLASSIFIEDS
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
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--SUMMER HELP -Apartment leasing/ clerical, or maintenance/ clean-up/fix-up for W.U. area apartment management company. 725 -5757. BABY SITTER NEEDED. Tuesday evenings and an occasional weekend evening.Two children, 5 and 7. Located on Forsyth. Call 314-580 -3898. BOOKKEEPER WANTED ASAP for friendly Judaica store on Olive Blvd in Creve Coeur. Flexible hrs/days, long-term potential, guaranteed on time pay. Call 314567-1925 or e-mail Avi @ sourcejudaica.com. COMEDY CLUB AUDITIONING performers. Laughs on the Landing, St. Louis’ newest comedy club, is seeking improvisers, actors and comedians to join an ensemble cast for weekly improvised performances. Auditions will be held on Saturday, February 26th from 2:00 to 4:00, and Tuesday, March 1st from 7:30 pm to 9:00 at Laughs on the Landing, 801 North Second Street, Laclede’s Landing, St. Louis. Improvisation experience is a bonus but not a must. Headshots and resumes are not required, but please bring them if you have them. No need to bring prepared material. First rehearsal will be Wed., March 2nd. For more information: 314-241-5233 or LaughsOnT heLanding@hotmail.com. EARN EXTRA CASH selling real estate. Set your own schedule. No experience neded. Sign On Bonus $250.00. For more information, email studentrealty@h otmail.com. HELP WANTED: MAKE $75 taking surveys online. www.GetPaidToThink.com. MAKE MONEY TAKING online surveys. Earn $10 $125 for surveys. Earn $25 - $250 for focus groups. Visit www.cash4students. com/ mowu. PART-TIME MATH TUTOR wanted. Math degree (Bachelors or Masters). 8-10 hours/week. Available Wed. afternoons & Saturday mornings. Child-friendly. Call 314863-2266 anytime.
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TIRED OF WAITING tables or working retail? Come gain real world experience working for the largest student business on campus--Student Life. We’re looking for a few good people to work in the business & advertising office. Send your resume to: advertising@studlife.com to apply or for more details. WANT WEEKENDS AND EVENINGS off? Summer day camp located in St. Louis seeks counselors for the following activities: sports, outdoor recreation, arts & crafts, cheerleading, performing arts, first grade and kindergarten. Contact Kashanna at 314-878-1883 or kluttrell@ andrewsacademy.com
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. 5316 PERSHING LARGE 1 BR Apartment, secured entry, offstreet parking, C/A, balconies, laundry, equipped kitchen, near Wash U, hospitals, park. 383- 6656. 7211 A TULANE UNIVERSITY City. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. $690.00/month including garage space. Approximately 2 miles from Washington University. Manor Real Estate 314- 647- 6611. 7234 AMHERST APTS. 1E AND 2W. University City. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. $690.00/ month including garage space. Approximately 2 miles from Washington University. Manor Real Estate 314- 647- 6611. CLAYTON, U. CITY Loop, CWE and Dogtown. Beautiful studios, 1, 2 bedrooms. Quiet buildings. $350 -$750. Call 725 -5757.
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ROOMMATE NEEDED IMMEDIATELY. Off Midland & Tulane. Walking distance to Wash U on greenline shuttle route. Spacious Spanish style split house. Hardwood floors, fireplace, fully furnished, brand new appliances. Cheap utilities. Male or Female. $400. Contact me on 314-973-8932 or qboyle @hotmail.com. ROOMMATE WANTED. LEASE negotiable, $435/mo. Bills est. $75/mo. Demun area, bedroom w/ sunroom, parking spot, large kitchen, mature persons only. email at makeesha18@hotmail.com
FREE: FRESHWATER FISH: 4 Rasboras, 3 Corydoras, 2 Otocinclus, 1 male Betta. SALE: Two 2.5 gal. tanks ($10) and ne 10 gal tank w/stand ($40). All with lids, plants, decor. Call or email for info: 314- 479-5051 or viveret tem @ wustl.edu. SONY VAIO COMPUTER, 2.40 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB HD, DVD-RW/CD-RW, $350. 17” Sony LCD monitor, new, $300. rltaylor@wustl.edu
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CONVERSATION PARTNER IS needed, in exchange, I can help you with math problems. Contact Bo at b z h a o @ a r t s c i .w u s t l . e d u or 323- 0217.
ANNOUNCING JUST THE FACTS. BE enlightened at www.j us t thefac ts.wus tl.edu.
Your Horoscope for Wednesday, February 23, 2005 By Linda C. Black, Tribune Media Services Today’s Birthday (02-23-05). An unusual assignment pays well, and helps you develop the skills that lead to the perfect career for you. Have faith, and take control. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
yourself a treat every once in a while, but don’t spend so much that you have to take an extra job to pay for it. (Not unless it’s something you really want!)
about to be held accountable for every little thing you’ve said or done in the past few weeks. Stand up for the truth, and you’re fine.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 7. You’ll have to focus more attention on work for a while. The more you do, the more you make, and that is a good plan.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 6. Indulge in something to help you get more exercise while you’re in your own home. You’ll get a good deal, or maybe find it in your own attic or garage.
Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is an 8. A moment of perfect bliss is marred by a choice you have to make. Will it be caffeinated or decaf? Mocha or latte? You can do this.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 6. You’ll be on a neatness rampage for the next couple of days. Be careful not to make a bigger mess than you had when you started.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 6. Once you get the deal settled, you’ll have more time to relax. Don’t do that before the check clears, however. There’ll be last-minute complications.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 7. The main way to get your creative Muse to show up is to tell a joke. Your sense of humor helps you find the answer to a tough question.
Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is an 8. While you’re in the mood, learn how to be more practical. You can fix up your place yourself, and save a lot of money. Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 6 . It’s good to get
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 7. Conditions are not easy for romance, but it does seem to be that you could get a job that pays more. Is a move required? Only go if you must. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is a 7. You’re
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 7. A brilliant insight propels you and your team in the right direction. You may not have had the original idea, but you’re the one who makes it happen. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 6. Accept the applause for a job well done, and then learn to delegate. A chore you find extremely tedious will be fun for someone else. (c) 2005, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.
Senior Sports Editor / Mary Bruce / sports@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
EQUESTRIAN n FROM PAGE 10 mented. “At our first meeting with all the new riders, I couldn’t even tell people where we were riding because I didn’t know.” Although University funding helps the team pay for hotels, gas, and competition entry fees, the riders have to cover the rest of their expenses out of pocket and through fundraising efforts. A large financial hurdle is the cost of training, which totals close to $3,000 a semester, only $200 of which is covered by the University. Although the Washington University team is small and faces
many difficulties, not all teams have the same troubles. Kansas State University (KSU), one of the competing teams this weekend, has a well-funded varsity team with four official coaches. They also have their own barn right on campus, making practicing exponentially easier. Before this tournament, the KSU team had not lost an intercollegiate competition in the two years that WU has been competing. Beating KSU was a pipe dream for the WU Equestrian team, but it was accomplished this weekend. “Basically, it seemed entirely impossible up until the moment they handed us our trophy yesterday,” said Prager. “They’re a varsity NCAA team that recruits riders and is currently in the process of building a $21 million facility, and we’re a self-organized club team that rides once a week and pays for our shows by selling cookies.” Wash U’s victory this weekend is truly remarkable, and a culmination of the hard work of the captains and riders. “I am extremely proud to have founded a team that was built from nothing and is now well-established; I envision that the team will be a legacy. People will come to Wash U hoping to ride on the equestrian team,” said Mosley. The team’s other co-founder, Amy Reahard, graduated from WU, but was in attendance to support the team during their shining moment. Two WU students, juniors Ryan Malleus and David Fleishman, announced the show and kept the audience laughing throughout the competition. The team is still looking for more riders and hopes to increase interest in the team. With the success of the two “walk trot” riders, which is the lowest competitive level, the team now needs new riders. The two pervious riders have moved up a level, and the team is looking for devoted COURTESY OF WU EQUESTRIAN TEAM WEBSITE The WU Equestrian Team practices at Baskin Farms, located 35 minutes outside of the riders to be the newest part of what they hope will continue to be a winning team.
city.
To be or not to be (an NBA or NCAA fan)? As the excitement of the NBA All-Star weekend comes to an end and with a couple of weeks to go before the start of March Madness, what better time to bring up the age-old debate of which basketball association is the superior: the NBA or the NCAA? It’s a hot topic, and you’re sure to find people who won’t hesitate to make a case for one side of the squabble. Contributing Reporter Jordan Katz argues in favor of the NBA’s excellence, while Staff Columnist Allie Wieczorek defends her NCAA obsession in point-counterpoint format. NBA vs. NCAA. Playing for millions vs. playing for free (well, mostly). Professional vs. amateur. Which form of basketball is better? In the world of sports, this is becoming a legendary debate. However, judging by most people’s opinions of the respective associations, I will be playing the devil’s advocate here. The NBA is better, hands down. There, I said it. In a oneon-one game between the NBA and the NCAA, from a purely technical and objective standpoint, the NBA easily wins. My fi rst problem is with rules in college basketball like the 35-second shot clock and the lack of a defensive three-second rule in the key, both of which provide for much slower game play. Just imagine if NBA centers like Shaq or Yao Ming could stay in the key as long as they like on defense. You could say goodbye to inside plays from smaller guys like Allen Iverson or Jason Kidd. Another problem I have with the NCAA is that there is no team continuity. At the very most, college basketball teams stay together for four years, whereas in the NBA, teams can stay together for much longer. I fi nd it so difficult to keep up with the ever-changing carousel of NCAA players from year to year. Furthermore, the kill level in both leagues cannot even be compared. If you watched the All-Star game festivities this past weekend like I did, there can be no doubt in your mind that the players in the NBA are far and away the best in the world. Just look at LeBron James, Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady’s jawdropping dunks...or how about Steve Nash’s supernatural passing skills? Simply put, even the top players in college couldn’t hold a candle to what an NBAer can do. I don’t know why, but for some reason I have a real problem with NCAA players who wear undershirts. To me, it seems like basketball players who wear undershirts just aren’t manly. Picture Ben Wallace wearing an undershirt during a game; he wouldn’t seem quite as intimidating in the post, now would he? Wearing an undershirt in basketball is like using training wheels when competing in the Tour de France. No matter how good you are, you’ll never get the street cred. The overall entertainment a fan experiences by going to an NBA game far exceeds that of the NCAA. While ticket prices for NBA games are shooting through the roof, think about how much $50 for a nosebleed seat will buy you. You get mascot antics, thoroughly entertaining fi rework and light shows that rival LSD trips and those damn fi ne cheerleaders doing their risqué dance routines during game breaks. What do you get at an NCAA game, you ask? A marching band? Cheerleaders that seem like Puritan spinsters compared to their NBA counterparts? I am easily entertained by watching infomercials, yet an NCAA game puts me to sleep faster than 151 and Nyquil. More than just the in-game highlights, NBA players masterfully channel their artistic abilities into media besides basketball. For example, take the NBA stars that have turned into rappers, like Shaq and Allen Iverson. Lyrics like “don’t need the drink crooked I juice to get loose / my favorite cartoon is Bullwinkle the Moose” (ShaqDiesel) would make Tupac or Biggie jealous (may they rest in peace) and are far out of the intellectual reach of any collegiate basketball player. And what about the commercials, movies and TV shows starring NBA players? Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird have all made insane shots while betting for Big Macs in a pitch for McDonald’s; Darius Miles had a moving performance in “The Perfect Score.” Let’s not forget Kendall Gill’s inspirational role in the short-lived Nickelodeon show “My Brother and Me.” These laudable performances can only be expected of NCAA players after they have graduated to the big league, the superior league—the NBA. Being from Cleveland, I’ve never been a fan of college basketball mostly because there are no good teams to follow. Now with King James tearing up the hardwood every night, I fi nd it even harder to get into college basketball. Call me biased, but I think my case for the NBA speaks for itself.
Jordan Katz
Okay, since my end of this argument needs no introduction, all I’m going to say is to prepare yourselves to agree with everything I say. If we we’re discussing who would win in a one-on-one matchup between the players in the NBA and the men in the NCAA, we wouldn’t be writing this article. Considering the NBA draft consists predominantly of college basketball players, it is clear that the skill is greater in the NBA—that’s why it’s the step after college play. I will not try to argue that Duke’s Shelden Williams could school Shaquille O’Neal. That’s why he’s in a lower, unprofessional league. But he will be in the NBA one day, and Shaq may still be better then, but now we’re talking about individuals and not leagues. The real question here is which association is better. And anyone who truly understands and appreciates sports for sports knows the answer to that. Guess what? We don’t need to worry about Shaq and Yao hanging around in the key for as long as they please—they’re in the NBA. Besides, the “little” guys in college make plenty of inside plays. And I cannot understand how a person who calls himself an NBA fan can watch a professional game and watch a college game and honestly tell me there is slower game play in college. And if we’re going to talk about actual speed then you surely cannot tell me that Shaq is faster than any college center. If the flow of the game is slower, then why do I drop whatever I’m doing for a good two and half hours to watch a college basketball game while I prefer to just check the NBA scores on ESPN.com? The answer is because NBA games are less exciting. Okay—for most people who aren’t Reggie Love, college is only four years. And the new trend to opt out of college early for the NBA doesn’t help the team continuity my colleague speaks of. But whether or not the opportunity is there, you very rarely see an NBA team stay together for anything close to or more than four years. Trades are constantly happening and players are constantly adjusting to and trying to create new team chemistry whether or not a few of the best players stay together. So I guess it’s time for me to admit that I did not exactly watch the All-Star weekend festivities. I do enjoy the Slam Dunk Contest and Rookie Challenge and read about them in depth, but the actual All-Star game just wasn’t going to do it for me. Instead, I watched one of the best college basketball games I’ve ever watched. I was planning on turning on the All-Star game when Duke finished whooping Wake Forest, but then I saw a commercial for what was on FSN after the Duke game. Don’t tell me you’d expect me to watch the NBA AllStar game over “Beyond the Glory: Mike Krzyzewski” (That’s Duke’s Coach K for anyone who didn’t learn how to spell his name before her own). I don’t understand this problem with undershirts that my colleague discusses; basketball players don’t have to be manly to be good. And some people have damn good reasons for their undershirts (e.g. J.J. Redick’s back-ne), but there are rumors that he’s gay, so I guess he’s not manly enough for you anyway. Besides, his undershirt doesn’t change the fact that he can pop a beautiful threepointer from far beyond the arc his opponents are guarding. I’d say there’s something intimidating about that. I’m more comfortable comparing training wheels in the Tour de France to magic shoes like those worn by Lil’ Bow Wow in “Like Mike”—now that qualifies as cheating. So the NBA has a lot of money and they can entertain. I don’t mind going to games myself. But what do you get from going to a college basketball game? I couldn’t tell you because I’ve never been, but I dream about it every night. It gives you amazing live basketball. I don’t believe a person could come close to falling asleep during a live college game. But shouldn’t sports fans get annoyed with all of that bullshit entertainment and just want to watch some basketball? Please never look me in the eyes and tell me any NBA game would be better than going to your first game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. And I know that that holds true for people without my Blue Devils obsession. It’s like telling me you’d rather see a better baseball team play than see a game played at Wrigley Field, especially if you’ve never been there. Maybe you haven’t been watching enough TV lately, but college players and coaches are quite the thespians themselves. That commercial with Christian Laettner’s famous shot (don’t pull the “Laettner’s in the NBA” card—we all know he’s a college player) and Coach K coming out of the bushes cracks me up every time. Maybe they’re few and far between, but college basketball isn’t about media attention and commercial gigs. Let’s not forget that college basketball players play basketball. And whether or not under-the-table financial transactions actually take place, college basketball players don’t play for money. Never would an NCAA star go into the stands and physically abuse a fan…unless he jumped into the crowd out of excitement to celebrate and accidentally knocked someone over. Maybe the NBA is the “big” league, and maybe it’s superior in terms of the talent that’s there, but it is not superior in any other way. It’s less pure. It’s less fun. It’s less nice. And it’s more corrupted. I know it’s cheap at this point to bring up the NCAA tournament, but I’m going to anyway. If that’s not excitement, what the hell is? Why else would I spend days working on my bracket, hours trying to decipher R.P.I.’s and Lunardi’s bracketology and weeks watching even the first-round games? Growing up as a Duke fan got me into college basketball, but we cannot forget that I also grew up in Chicago in the ‘90s. Who remembers Michael Jordan? I’ve been in one of his old cars and played a pick-up game with his youngest son at their country club. Scottie Pippen ran over my sister’s toe when we chased him into his car trying to get the last signature of the 1992 Bulls on the basketball we got my dad for his 40th birthday. I love the NBA. I love the Bulls. But I believe the NCAA is a better league that shows the best sport in the best light. Why do parents like their kids better before they’re old enough to talk back? Same reason I like my basketball games and basketball players uncorrupted by fame and fortune.
Allie Wieczorek
STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS
9
The best and worst of the NBA’s first half Well, the All-Star break has come to an end, and it’s about that time when all of my idolized sports writers and analysts dish out their NBA midseason reports. Although a midseason report doesn’t quite qualify as a “column,” I’m doing it anyway.
Midseason MVP Steve Nash. Without question, this man has turned the Phoenix Suns completely around. MVP stands for Most Valuable Player, not Most Points in a Game. Despite their unbelievably impressive statistics, Tim Duncan, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett are not ranked first in the NBA for assists per game—Nash is. And if one statistic should contribute most in determining an MVP, it’s assists per game. This is not to say that Nash’s other statistics are anything embarrassing. He is ranked sixth for assists/turnovers ratio, seventh for free throw percentage, and eighth for three-point field goal percentage. In all fairness, an MVP is a player who can improve his team as a whole and make his individual teammates better. He is the player who the team cannot win without. When Nash was injured, he missed five games, and the Suns’ record went from 31–4 to 31–9. Since Nash joined the Suns, Amare Stoudemire’s points per game went from 20.6 to 26.2. Where last season the Suns were 18–36 after 54 games and didn’t make the play-offs, they’re currently 41–13, ranked second in the Western Conference, and will be one of the top contenders for the National Championship.
Rookie of the Year
Emeka Okafor. Although I’m a Bulls fan and feel somewhat partial to Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, this category clearly only belongs to Okafor or Dwight Howard. I’m going with Okafor because he has all of the strengths that Howard has, only he’s stronger. Okafor averages 14.8 points per game (4.3 more than Howard), 11 rebounds per game (1.2 more than Howard) and 1.48 blocks per game (just .12 less than Howard). In case you didn’t read that closely enough, that means Emeka Okafor, a rookie, is averaging a double double. He has had a total of 27 so far this season—that’s 10 more than Dwight Howard has had. In this particular case, the numbers say it all. Biggest Surprise Team Da Bulls. This is not just a Chicago fan talking—it’s the whole world. There is no doubt that this team has soared above and beyond everyone’s expectations of them…except for mine, of course. All I have to say is that GM John Paxson and Head Coach Scott Skiles really know what they are doing. Have you ever seen a draft go better for a team? You know they did something right when their second-round pick is more often than not in the starting lineup. The team may be young, but, if anything, their youth has only added to the passion and hard work with which they play. There is no question that Skiles has done a brilliant job with these guys in helping them to establish the roles they play as individuals for the team. All four rookies have raised lots of eyebrows. Luol Deng and Chris Duhon both bring a work ethic and defensive talent to the team that only former Blue Devils can. They have both adjusted to the pros much more smoothly than expected and will only get better as the weeks go on. Argentina’s Andres Nocioni brings forth a physical, sometimes dubbed “irritating” defensive presence that drives opponents crazy. And last but not least of the rookies: Ben Gordon. Averaging 13.8 points per game but slightly lacking on D, this shrimpy yet super-skilled former UConn Husky has been and will continue to be a huge asset to this team, especially as his defensive skills develop. Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler have been subject to a lot of criticism since the Bulls took them right out of high school. They did not quite live up to expectations, and yet they are now absolutely indispensable to this team. It took some of Skiles’ changes in the lineup to teach them their individual places on the team and allow them to perform to their full potential in each game. Curry is in much better physical shape, Chandler is focusing on his defense and they are both improving every day. Othella Harrington has joined Curry as an integral presence at the post. And Antonio Davis has played the veteran role surprisingly well and is hands-down the leader of this team and a huge reason for their recent success. I actually went to a game while I was home over winter break and I have to say that the Bulls really are still Da Bulls. I can’t say I don’t miss Michael, but the games are still fun, the players are still characters and you still get “that feeling” when you’re in the United Center. Besides, we have a winning record and a very significant chance at making the play-offs. And if I remember correctly, the Bulls are usually pretty dangerous in the post-season. But, what else can I say? We’re back.
Allie Wieczorek
Biggest Disappointment Minnesota Timberwolves. I really thought this was a unique opinion until I started looking up statistics to support my claim. My search discovered a whole bunch of columns and articles saying everything I figured I would say in this one. Whether or not it’s the same opinion everyone else has or just my own, it’s the right one. There is no reason why a group of guys with this caliber of talent and experience should have to struggle—and I mean really struggle—through the second half of the season in order to fill the last possible spot in the play-off standings. I actually remember almost putting money on the Wolves making it to the Championship game before this season started. They were supposed to be sick. So what happened? Well, for starters, neither Latrell Sprewell nor Sam Cassell got the contract extension they were hoping for. So that explains some of the bitterness and lack of motivation in two individual players, but in truth, there is no one player, no one injury and no one thing that could possibly explain why a team with so much potential has become such a disappointment this season. It’s a whole conglomeration of things: bad attitudes, laziness and no motivation. This team just does not perform. They seem to have no defensive mindset whatsoever. They always look tired and almost distraught. There is little to no team chemistry and absolutely none of the excitement every basketball team has an obligation to show their fans. Perhaps in this second half of their season, Kevin McHale—former Wolves vice president of basketball operations who just fired head coach Flip Saunders in order to take the position himself—will help the Wolves pick up the pace and get their act together. Or maybe McHale’s selfish move was just all too characteristic of this franchise.
10 STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS
Senior Sports Editor / Mary Bruce / sports@studlife.com
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 23, 2005
IN BRIEF: Senior Kacie Cook of women’s tennis and fresh-
man Morgen Leonard-Fleckman of women’s track and field garnered University Athletic Association (UAA) Athlete of the Week honors yesterday. Cook posted a perfect 6-0 record at last weekend’s Principia College Invitational in Elsah, Ill., while LeonardFleckman broke the WU record in the indoor pole vault last Friday at the University of Iowa Open with a height of 3.51 meters.
WU Equestrian Team rides its way to victory By Scott Kaufman-Ross Contributing Reporter This past weekend the Washington University Equestrian Team hosted an Intercollegiate Horse Show at their home barn, Baskin Farms. Didn’t know Wash U had an equestrian team? Well after this weekend’s success, Wash U students should start paying closer attention. During the two day competition the Wash U riders placed reserve high point, or second overall, on Saturday and finished with the highest point total on Sunday, bringing home first place. In addition to team victory, many of the outstanding individual riders had tremendous success. Senior captain Joanna Prager led all the riders at the competition on Sunday, taking home the title of individual high-point rider. In addition, four riders at the competition competed in a “ride-off” to determine who would win reserve high point. Two of the four riders were Wash U students, freshman Erin Fishman and sophomore Deborah Zickler, who won the prestigious distinction. “Winning the show was amazing because we started out this year with only one full year of competing under our belts and ended up ranking first above nine other colleges at our most recent competition,” said team co-founder Melissa Mosley. These impressive results are even more incredible when you consider the experience of the Wash U team. The team was started just three years ago by students Amy Reahard and Melissa Mosley. With limited funding and with the only available barn located 35 minutes away, founding the team presented a tremendous challenge to potential Wash U riders. Despite these difficulties, the determined riders managed to compete in their first inter-collegiate competition in the spring of 2003, even though their roster only contained four people. The team has grown significantly and its roster now includes 15 devoted members. Many of these challenges remain, however, as the team continues to establish itself. Due to limited availability, riders practice once a week, meeting with their coach, Susan Baginski, on differing days in groups of three. Just earlier this year, the team changed barns. “We just switched barns in September,” Mosley com
The WU Equestrian Team took home first place at an intercollegiate meet this past weekend.
COURTESY OF WU EQUESTRIAN TEAM WEBSITE
See EQUESTRIAN, page 9
Jose Canseco on steroids: C’mon,
everyone’s doing it By Andrew Nackman Contributing Reporter Whether he intended to or not, Jose Canseco’s book entitled “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big,” released on Mon., Feb. 14, has greatly helped the game of baseball. In his book the former major league slugger claims that 80 percent of major league players have taken steroids and calls out former teammates, including Ivan Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and St. Louis’s own Mark McGwire. While there is no way to know if all of his claims are in fact truth, (he also strongly believes that Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and Bret Boone, among others, are steroids users) these allegations bring further attention to the issue that threatens the credibility of the sport, while forcing major league baseball owners and the players’ union to lay down strict rules for the future. In the past two weeks, Canseco has been interviewed by Mike Wallace on CBS’s popular news magazine “60 Minutes,” his allegations have been featured on ESPN’s “Sportscenter,” and the book itself fi nished third on Amazon.com’s best-seller’s list on its fi rst day. The book and its accusations are adding to the negative image already overshadowing the Major League. This offseason, Major League Baseball has been hit hard by the BALCO investigations, which revealed separate testimonies from Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds in which they admitted to taking forms of anabolic steroids. Subsequently, the owners and players’ union agreed to a more stringent steroid policy, suspending all fi rst-time offenders for ten days and implementing year-round random testing. Despite these marginal improvements, more can be done. Thus far, baseball commissioner Bud Selig has refused to comment publicly on the accounts contained in the book and all of the players implicated by Canseco have either vehemently denied the accusations or declined to speak. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who was not mentioned by Canseco in the book, thinks the public fi nger pointing is unfair. He has been quoted as saying, “This is a time, obviously, [when] baseball is in a negative light and Jose is not helping out. In terms of his accusations, the only people that know are him and whoever he is accusing. The unfortunate thing is, if it’s not true, you’re looking at guys having to defend themselves over something they haven’t done.” Can Jose Canseco be trusted? These
steroid indictments, while almost all plausible, have no hard proof to back them up. Furthermore, early reviews of his book have revealed some factual inaccuracies in many of his claims. For example, he recounts an instance during a spring training game in 2000 while playing for the Anaheim Angels when he had a conversation with Mariners All-Star second baseman Bret Boone, who admitted at the time to taking steroids. But this situation never happened according to baseball record books, which indicate that Canseco never reached second base in any of the five exhibition games between the two teams. Canseco also alleges in his book that he struck out pinch-hitting in a crucial situation in game six of the 2000 World Series while playing for the Yankees (the Yankees actually won the World Series in four games), and vividly describes a monster home run that he hit during his rookie season against Detroit in Tiger Stadium, though records show that this also never occurred. Therefore, can we believe anything that he’s saying? Some of his most outrageous assertions include providing Sammy Sosa with his fi rst corked bat, roughing up Kevin Costner because he was making a pass at Cal Ripken’s wife and maintaining that Major League Baseball allowed Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser to scuff the baseball during the 1988 World Series because they did not want the Latin and black players on Canseco’s Athletics to win. If this book is, in fact, a web of lies and personal attacks on former acquaintances, what are his motives? Many people, including his former manager, Tony La Russa, argue that this book is simply a means for Canseco to earn cash quick, and, judging by the book’s early success, this goal most likely will be attained. Or maybe Canseco realizes that his career was not Hall-ofFame-worthy and, in anger, wants to take down many other superstar sluggers with him? But either way, it does not matter. Whether his stories and recollections are true or not, the book is quickly gaining enough publicity to become something which Major League Baseball has to tackle. If his steroid accusations continue to pick up steam in the press, Selig will no longer be able to ignore them. Jose Canseco may have been the most significant contributor to the introduction of steroids to baseball players but also may end up playing a substantial role in eliminating them as well.
Jose Canseco’s recent book is causing a stir in Major League Baseball.