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STUDENT LIFE

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSIT Y IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 Today’s Forum is almost exclusively devoted to discussion and debate surrounding the Katz homophobia controversy. More inside. Page 6.

In Sports, columnist Jordan Katz explains what we can expect to see in the upcoming NHL season. Page 10.

VOLUME 127, NO. 15

Columnist Allie Wieczorek digs into the controversy surrounding Title IX legislation inside Sports. Page 8.

This week, Cadenza takes its turn on the stage for our Friday features section.

Page 5.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

WWW.STUDLIFE.COM

University Center plans unveiled

By Jonathan Kim

ect.

Contributing Reporter

“Those things that are very important priorities for us now, those things that students need to raise the level of the experience—one of them is food,” said McLeod. We think that the food court is insufficient even for our present day and by 2009 it will be even more insufficient.”

McLeod emphasized the importance of providing both structured and unstructured space for students to meet.

“We need more meeting space for student groups,” he said. “We need more hang-out space. We want to have to pathways and the outsides and insides as such that they are places for students to hang out. I think that one of the things we forget is that the majority of our students live off campus. So having a place where you can go other than Holmes Lounge will be important.

“The third area is student organizations,” continued McLeod.

“Leadership is a big deal for us, so we are preparing for Student Union and student organizations to have a place in the building where they can meet, some offices and workspace for all students, and enough meeting space so that we do not have to be squatters for rooms.”

The University plans on building an underground parking lot below the University Center that

A wine bar, a Grand Hall, and a 3,000-space underground parking garage are among features discussed in the latest plans for the new University Center, which is slated to break ground in summer 2006. The center, located between Simon Hall and Mallinckrodt Center, will span approximately 90,000-95,000 gross square feet.

A rough layout of the current University Center plans includes main areas revolving around expanded food and dining services, with one venue tentatively planning to serve alcohol, as well as meeting places for students to congregate, student organization offices and workplaces, and enough additional workspace to fulfi ll other student groups’ needs. Additionally, the University Center could become home to the Career Center and student media groups, including KWUR, WUTV, and Student Life.

Dean of Students James McLeod, who presented the plans at a Student Union (SU) Senate meeting on Wednesday night, stressed that while the University continues to revise and refi ne its conceptual plans, he felt it was important to give students an update on the progress of the design and planning of the proj-

Greeks to parade on the Loop

will serve as the structure’s foundation. The parking lot will be situated beneath where Prince Hall currently stands and will extend below Mudd Field to accommodate 3,000 cars, at completion.

“One of the problems we have is that we have to provide parking today for buildings and activities that will come later,” said McLeod. “If we don’t prepare this space now, we will never be able to prepare this.”

The fi rst phase of the underground parking garage should be completed in 2007, after which Mudd Field will again be available for use. The construction should begin in the summer of 2006 and end in 2009, though that timetable is subject to change. Prince Hall will be torn down during the coming summer to accommodate the new structure.

The concept of the University Center started around 1998, but experienced setbacks due to stock market drops after September 11, 2001. Since the original design phase, the University has changed architecture fi rms from Zimmer Gunsul Frasca to Tsoi/ Kobus & Associates in order to provide a different conceptual approach to the project.

“We got to the point where we had a different concept and wanted a different way of doing

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF TSOI/KOBUS & ASSOCIATES

This illustration of a tentative plan for the new University Center shows the proposed building on the site of what is now Prince Hall, between Simon and Umrath Halls. An underground parking facility will be located beneath the University Center and Mudd Field. Prince Hall will be demolished next summer.

See U. CENTER, page 4

WU alum ‘steels’ the show at City Museum

THE NEXT BIG DING

By Margy Levinson Contributing Reporter On Saturday, the 17th annual Loop in Motion parade will be held in University City. It will be the first parade to feature a float made by members of the Washington University Greek community.

Greeks in Motion is a series of events that celebrate the Greek community. The festivities began on Wednesday with Grand Chapter, a motivational lecture for all Greeks, and continued yesterday with the Greek community sponsoring CPC happy hour at the Gargoyle. The week continues today with a Greek BBQ and a float construction on Frat row for tomorrow’s parade.

The parade will be the culmination of Greeks in Motion, which was formerly known as Greek Week. In years past, Greek Week has included Olympic-type competitions. But this year, the competitions will be friendlier, featuring contests challenging people to raise or donate the most money.

The Greek community will team up to build one float with a children’s theme. One representative from each chapter will ride on the float in the parade, each wearing his or her Greek letters. The float itself will be themed with children’s artwork to reflect the cause in which the money is going.

“We are hoping to build a long term relationship with the [U City and Clayton] community” said Nicole Soussan, the president of the Pan-Hellenic Association.

Following the parade in the morning, the Greeks will set up booths with games and activities geared towards children, working in teams of two fraternities and one sorority.

The money raised during the parade will help to benefit University City East, an organization that runs a summer program for underprivileged kids, and has struggled recently to find funding.

“Because we are so huge, we thought we could throw support and resources towards them,” said Eli Zimmerman, president of the Interfraternity Council. “[The Greeks] really do incred-

COURTESY OF DON BEHRENS

The steel duo pictured above is one of several sculptural works created by University alumnus Don Behrens that are currently on display at the City Museum in downtown St. Louis.

By Ben Sales Contributing Reporter

RACHIT PATEL | STUDENT LIFE

The Olin School of Business recieved the gift of a “Big Ding” on Thursday, Sept. 29 from a group of alumni of the school’s MBA program in Shanghai to represent a commitment to further collaboration in the future. Dings are Chinese ceremonial bronze vessels, which in ancient times were given as symbols of authority from one aristocrat to another. Olin’s ding is a replica of the Da Ke Ding in the Shanghai Museum, and weighs 1,500 pounds. ible work.”

Zimmerman is hoping that “the Greek community is very much a united one, united in our ties to each other and also united in our desire to improve the broader world in which we live in.”

He encouraged non-Greeks to come out and enjoy the festivities. “Everyone is invited to the parade because it will be fun and a great way to have a positive impact on the lives of the children of U City,” he said.

The events of Greek Week usually encompass about 1,500 members of the student body, and Greeks are hoping to draw a larger number this year. “This is the first year that it’s been done in this format, usually it’s just Greek Week. [We’re] trying it out this year, to not just isolate the Greek community” said Ana Bailey, a junior in Kappa Kappa Gamma.

“We are having a parade to hopefully draw a lot of the community around U City and Clayton, as well as Wash. U. students.”

After 43 years of practicing medicine in the St. Louis area, Washington University alumnus Donald Behrens put down his scalpel and picked up sculpting. Twenty years later, he’s exhibiting his work at a current City Museum exhibit entitled “Parent and Child.” The exhibit mainly consists of stainless steel sculptures, which will be on display through November.

“One of the main ingredients in my work is imag-

ination,” said Behrens. “I try to do something different instead of repeating things that have been done so often.”

The City Museum, known for its hands-on galleries and avant-garde designs, describes “Parent and Child” as “[a depiction of] parenthood as a central element of life through the interactions of various birds and beasts…in City Museum style.”

Like most of Behrens’ art, the pieces are wrought from “found objects,” or objects used in everyday life. Museum curator Bob

Rocca noted that Behrens has not completely strayed from his medical roots. Rather, he uses medical objects within his art to, as Rocca notes, the surprise of many female viewers.

“A lot of the instruments he put together are instruments that an OBGYN would use,” he said.

Rocca is pleased to give Behrens, who already has a few sculptures on display at the City Museum, his own exhibit.

“He’s been coming to the museum for years, and we promised him a show,” said Rocca.

Rocca described the exhibit as a display in “two or three different fashions” of sculpture. Most of the show consists of “whimsical” bird sculptures and the featured “Parent and Child series,” which also contains bird structures commingled with statues of other animals.

Although “ninety percent of his work is representational,” said Rocca, the exhibit includes a small section of abstract art.

“What I’m trying to do is [meld] things I myself like to look at. I like the subject of the parents and children,” said Behrens.

See ARTIST ALUM, page 4

Bike thefts afflict campus

By Mandy Silver Contributing Editor Over the week of Sept.

18 and 24, an unusually high number of bike thefts occurred across the University campus. Of the five bikes stolen over the past week, most were parked on the north side of campus.

So far, officers have not been able to establish a pattern for the day or time the thefts occurred. Although the thefts appear to be random, University Chief of Police Don Strom noted that the “most common targets were unlocked bikes

or bikes with lightweight cables.”

While this rash of bike thefts is still under investigation, officers have intercepted two juveniles who tampered with several bicycles on campus. The suspects were referred to juvenile authorities. For now, Strom recommends that bike riders obtain a Kryptonite bicycle lock and make sure to secure their bikes properly. Kryptonite bike locks can be obtained from the University’s police department by contacting the Crime Prevention Officer at (314) 935-5084.

RACHIT PATEL | STUDENT LIFE

Due to the recent increase in bike thefts, University Chief of Police Don Strom has recommended that students use Kryptonite bike locks, rather than chain or cable locks like the one shown above.

2 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

News: (314) 935-5995 Advertising: (314) 935-6713 Fax: (314) 935-5938 E-mail: editor@studlife.com www.studlife.com Copyright 2005 Editor in Chief: Margaret Bauer Associate Editor: Liz Neukirch Managing Editor: David Tabor Senior News Editor: Sarah Kliff Senior Forum Editor: Molly Antos Senior Cadenza Editor: Laura Vilines Senior Scene Editor: Sarah Baicker Senior Sports Editor: Justin Davidson Senior Photo Editor: David Brody Senior Graphics Editor: Brian Sotak News Editors: Laura Geggel, Brad Nelson Contributing Editor: Mandy Silver Forum Editors: Zach Goodwin, Daniel Milstein, Jeff Stepp, Brian Schroeder, Matt Shapiro Cadenza Editors: Adam Summerville, Jordan Deam, Robbie Gross Scene Editors: Kristin McGrath, Sarah Klein Sports Editor: Joe Ciolli Photo Editors: David Hartstein, Pam Buzzetta, Oliver Hulland Online Editor: Dan Daranciang Copy Editors: Allie McKay, Nina Perlman, Kelly Donahue, Erin Fults, Rebecca Emshwiller, Hannah Draper, Julian Beattie, Mallory Wilder, Jess Trieber Designers: Ellen Lo, Laura McLean, Anna Dinndorf, Andy Gavinski, Jamie Reed, Elizabeth Kaufman, Jonathan Kim

Compiled by Eric Seelig and Brad Nelson Scene and News Staff

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Senior News Editor / Sarah Kliff / news@studlife.com

General Manager: Andrew O’Dell Copyright 2005 Washington University Student Media, Inc. (WUSMI). Student Life is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper serving the Washington University community. First copy of each publication is free; all additional copies are 50 cents. Subscriptions may be purchased for $80.00 by calling (314) 935-6713.

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The Pulse is your guide to some of the most offbeat and entertaining events you can find happening this weekend in St. Louis.

Get out and enjoy the night!

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

F R I D AY, S E P T. 3 0 - S U N D AY, O C T. 2

F R I D AY, S E P T. 3 0

You can get your geek on at Archon 29, a four-day sci-fi extravaganza. Among the many programs, it will feature three video rooms (two of which are open around the clock), a pool party, and their fi rst annual Amateur Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing Contest. If that’s not enough to get you to cross state borders into Collinsville, Ill., Archon 29 will also feature a robowar competition, with custom fighting machines duking it out against their worthy opponents.

Get out of the Steinberg Gallery bubble and head on over to the Cecille R. Hunt Gallery for their opening of “Feels Like a Natural Woman.” Displaying the art of Whitney Lee and Allyson Mitchell, it opens this Friday and will remain on display through Oct. 28.

Archon 29 Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, 2005 One Gateway Center Collinsville, Ill. 62234 1-800-289-2388 (618) 345-8998 If you missed Ozomatli or Live at WILDs of years past, you can catch them at this weekend’s Taste of St. Louis.

They will perform alongside the Roots, Neville Brothers, Rob Swift, Radiators, World Leader Pretend, CC Adcock, Dan Dyer, American Princes, and Rory Lowe. The food from 30 St. Louis area restaurants should give you a good chance to figure out a good Parent’s Weekend restaurant.

Oct. 1 and 2, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Gateway Market 9th and Market www.tastestl.com Greeks will be getting their groove on at the 19th annual Loop in Motion, a visual and performing arts festival that lines the sidewalks and streets of Delmar. Alongside the Greek community’s debut in the Loop in Motion parade on Saturday will also be a Friday Art Walk with over 20 locations and dance performances from 6-9 p.m. A St. Louis “Battle of the Karaoke Bars” will go down during Saturday festivities.

Oct. 1, 6-9 p.m., Oct. 2, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Loop in Motion Delmar Boulevard (314) 727-8000

Opening Reception 6-8 p.m.

Free The Cecille R. Hunt Gallery 8342 Big Bend St. Louis, Mo. (314) 968-7171 The Free Form Film Festival will swing through St. Louis to present “The Human Story,” a multi-sensory experience with dual projects and spastic rhythms. As if a dual video mixing and live musical performance weren’t enough, the whole experience will be projected onto large inflatable globes. The 70 minutes of video footage come from short films shot around the world.

8 p.m. $7 Mad Art Gallery 2727 S 12th St St Louis, Mo. 63118 (314) 771-8230 Like food? Like techno music? Like charity benefits?

The Rave to Raise, sponsored by Mosaic Restaurant and Sauce Magazine, is bringing all three eclectic interests together in a food rave to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. Those with V.I.P.tickets will receive not only entrance to the event outside with tantalizing food and wine selections, but also access to the private Hip Sips Lounge.

6 p.m.

General access is $20 and V.I.P. access is $30.

Mosaic Pavilion 1101 Lucas Avenue (314) 367-8954

S AT U R D AY, O C T. 1

S U N D AY, O C T. 2

Formula is the new name/identity of Club Isis—it underwent a redesign, and is now more a general dance club than just a hip-hop club, and looks to be having its grand opening this weekend. And yes, Boy George will definitely be DJing there this weekend.

Put your dukes up at the Panda Athletic Club’s Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser. Steve Smith, of Royale and Hoosierweight Boxing fame, is hosting the meal to benefit up-and-coming boxers training at the Athletic Club.

$15, 21+ 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Formula 1204 Washington Ave (314) 436-0600

4-7 p.m.

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HOURS You may work at as many sites as your schedule will permit. There are 12 project sites with staggering times. The following is a listof scheduled times from which you may select: Monday & Wednesday: 2:30-4:00pm or 3:00-4:30pm Tuesday & Thursday: 2:30-4:00pm or 4:00-5:30pm Monday and Friday: 3:00-4:30pm or 4:00-5:30pm

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Senior News Editor / Sarah Kliff / news@studlife.com

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

3

Dean of the Week

Briefs

Trudy Palmer Dean of Arts and Sciences Academic Advising

NATIONAL Roberts sworn in as chief justice With his wife reading holding a Bible, and Justice John Paul Stevens reading the oath, John Roberts was sworn in Thursday as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Roberts, who succeeds the late William Rehnquist, is the youngest chief justice in two decades.

He was nominated just in time for the start of the Court’s new term, which opens Monday. The Senate confirmed Roberts by a 78-22 margin. He told the Associated Press that he would try to “pass on to my children’s generation a charter of self-government as strong and as vibrant as the one that Chief Justice Rehnquist passed on to us.�

Tell us about your background— where you were born, where you grew up, your family, and your education.

CHUCK KENNEDY | KRT CAMPUS

John Roberts testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the last day of his confirmation hearings. Roberts was confirmed as the next chief justice of the Supreme Court yesterday, September 28.

I was born in Chicago and lived there most of my life, until high school. During high school, I lived in St. Louis. I have one brother, who lives in Virginia. Neither of my parents is alive.

Did you attend college and/or job training? Where?

DeLay indicted in Texas CAMPUS election scandal; resigns University trustee as Majority Leader Magrath passes away

I took a lot of time off in the course of completing my undergraduate degree. Eventually, I ďŹ nished at UCLA with a B.A. in English.

From there, I went to Stanford for my M.A. and Ph.D. in English and American literature.

Senate Majority Leader Tom DeLay resigned his position on Wednesday after he was indicted for violating election laws in his home state of Texas. Roy Blunt of Missouri will take on DeLay’s duties. The indictment claims that DeLay violated a

What was your mascot? In a fight, who would win: the mascot from your alma mater or the Wash. U. Bear?

state law that bans political candidates from accepting campaign contributions from corporations. According to the indictment, corporate contributions were funneled through the Republican Party and distributed to candidates. DeLay categorically denied all charges. Republican rules require Senators in leadership positions who have been indicted to resign their post.

Katherine Magrath, a University trustee and alumna, died last Friday after battling breast cancer for many years.

Magrath received an undergraduate business degree in 1963 and went on to be selected as a Sloan Fellow by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned her master’s degree. She entered financial asset management and began the first female investment manager of a major mutual fund. She was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1996 and served until her death.

If I remember correctly, UCLA’s mascot is a bear as well. Who knows who will win when two bears duke it out.

What brought you to Wash. U.?

My job in the College OfďŹ ce.

What is your favorite memory of working as dean of Arts & Sciences?

Being invited to dinner at the Wash. U. apartment shared by three of my advisees. It was a great evening and a delicious meal.

What did you do before you became a dean?

Before Wash. U., I worked in magazine publishing. Before that, I taught in the English department at Tufts University.

What was your favorite subject during college?

English.

What was your most memorable project while attending college?

My favorite activity was working as a writing tutor for low-income students at UCLA. WhatĘźs the best thing about your job? WhatĘźs the most challenging part?

I enjoy helping students reach their potential. The hardest part is getting students to cut down on their commitments so that they have time to breathe.

What are you most proud of in your life?

the dream of adopting a child until that dream ďŹ nally came true.

Is there a guiding principle in your life?

Yes, I believe God’s goodness is inďŹ nite. As I understand that better, I see more of God’s goodness in action in my life and the lives of others.

Can you name some of your past works and achievements?

I had a supporting role in a James Baldwin play during graduate school. I received an award for my work, on behalf of foster children in Boston. Earlier this year, I bought a car on eBay, which was quite an accomplishment for a techno-dinosaur like me.

What is your favorite book/movie? “Beloved� by Toni Morrison. It’s a brilliant book.

Something interesting that many people donĘźt know about you is...?

I’m a mountain goat at heart.

What do you hope to accomplish in the coming year?

I’d like to get a personal essay published, and I hope to survive living with a 13-year-old.

Holding on (for 17 years) to

presents a guide to places of worship in the WU community

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

Deloran Muransky Happy Birthday to someone whose always had style.

We love you, Mom, Dad,Eddie & Doni

AFFIRMING HUMAN WORTH ...a “home away from home� to study, relax and pray...

Everyone is welcome!

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

Join us on Sunday mornings for the 9:45 Forum and 11:00 Platform Address.

Children's Sunday School meets 10am-noon

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Historic Church Living Mission Sunday Bible Study 9:30am Worship 10:40am

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Third Baptist Church 620 N. Grand Blvd. www.third-baptist.org (314) 369-3238

Lutheran Campus Ministry

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

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4 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS AND SPORTS

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

U. CENTER v FROM PAGE 1 said Jill Carnaghi, the assistant vice chancellor for students, and director of campus life.

When the project first started, the University gathered a lot of data from student forums about students’ ideas for the University Center. “We got a lot of that student data, but we have to check to make sure what stayed the same and what has changed based upon so many other new buildings and spaces being on campus,� said Carnaghi.

Carnaghi believed that the Student Union Senate reaction was engaged and atten-

tive, which helped expand the ideas about the building. “From my vantage point, the more student involvement and input the better,� said Carnaghi. “How can we make it this exciting and dynamic place for the campus?

Where can anybody walk in and find some environment or place, be it large or small, formal in formal, and say, ‘I can sit here and feel comfortable.’?�

While Carnaghi and McLeod emphasized the importance of enhancing student experience, representatives of the Performing Arts Department attending the

Senate meeting voiced concerns that the University Center would not provide them with enough resources to address their current space limitations. Carnaghi noted that the center will not serve as an answer to all student concerns. “All of our dreams, hopes, and expectations are not going to fit in this building.

Are we going to be too overly ambitious and try to squeeze everything in, or are we going to say, ‘Less is more,’ and do we have enough common space so that it doesn’t turn into another office building or a place where you have to

ARTIST ALUM v FROM PAGE 1 “He enjoys the process of metalworking,� said Rocca. “His abstractions start out as nothing more than welding pieces of steel.�

Rocca said that the “biggest reaction� elicited from audiences comes from the birds. “More people than not are intrigued by the craft as opposed

to the intent,� he said. “Dr. Behrens has a strong intent of parent-child emotion. He’s very successful in giving the warm and fuzzy feeling. It’s truly aweinspiring.�

Behren’s ability impressed Rocca, especially since Behrens is “not a trained artist.� Originally hailing from Mount Olive,

have a purpose to go there?� she added.

McLeod emphasized that although the University Center “will have a number of meeting rooms that can be used for practice, rehearsals, and other things‌we should not pretend that it solves the problems of the academic departments that are attached for performing arts.â€?

After seven years of discussing the possibility of a University Center, current SU president David Ader is glad to see plans move ahead to a concrete form. “I am excited that there are plans and we are talking

about real structures here and not just concepts,� said Ader. “I think we are still really early in the designs, but I am really excited. They really want to make this a successful addition to our campus.�

SU vice president Pamela Bookbinder echoed Ader’s view. “It is going to be really great for our student groups, there are going to be meeting spaces in there and performance space,� said Bookbinder. “I think it really has the potential to be a central location where students can go during the day.�

TITLE IX v FROM PAGE 8 Ill., Behrens graduated with an M.D. from the University’s Medical School in 1948. After retiring from medicine in 1985, he began to sculpt, working primarily with steel.

Over the course of a two-decade career, Behrens has won several awards, including the 1988 “Reinhardt Prize� from

the St. Louis Artists’ Guild, a prize from the St. Louis Medical Society Art show, and a ďŹ rst prize from the Alton Art and History Museum Show in 2000.

In addition, Behrens’ work has been displayed at the Missouri Botanical Gardens and around the city.

COURTESY OF DON BEHRENS

Birds of steel: University alumnus Donald Behrens created these avian creatures by making use of a variety of “found� steel materials.

SUPER STUDENT SPECIALS!

that football is the monetary lifeline for many athletic departments.

In 1995, a study found that of the nation’s big-time college football programs, 67% of them do not cover their own expenses, let alone pay for other sports. In addition, 35 percent of these big-time programs run with an average annual deficit of $1.1 million. The colleges should stop crying over how the women are ruining their schools and commit more funds to smaller sports, and less money to the deficit-ridden football programs they care so much about.

The past 32 years have been filled with numerous successes and achievements for women. More women are in college and in the work force than ever before, but not all of the goals have been fulfilled. Women make up half of the labor market, but are still underrepresented in jobs in the scientific fields, which is where success lies in the information age. While women have reached milestones in equal education and in labor force involvement, women still earn 80% or less in pay compared to males with the same education. Title IX needs to stay intact to achieve these goals.

It has done so much in such a little amount of time, but there is much more to be accomplished.

one would dare suggest that individual female scholars should therefore have fewer opportunities to pursue that discipline.�

Just because men have held a monopoly over sports for centuries, does not mean that women are not interested or inclined to participate in sports. Women suffer from a lack of opportunity and encouragement and not from a lack of interest. A recent study shows that women who participate in athletics are less likely to use drugs or alcohol, become pregnant, or drop out of school. It is apparent that sports have positive effects on the participating athletes and such benefits should not be closed off to women.

The real problem lies in big-time college sports, another major issue in itself.

Football accounts for most of the gender inequities that exist today. While a pro football roster holds 53 players, Division I college football teams give out 85 scholarships and consist of 100 uniformed players. In addition, college football teams spend an average of $192,400 a year on recruitment and put players in expensive hotels the night before home games.

This excess spending could be better used for other sports with less available funds, like wrestling. Instead college officials blame women for the shutting down of “smaller� men’s teams. The college officials justify the excessive spending by stating

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BIG BEND

things, so we went back out again. We restarted to see if that is what we wanted to do,� said McLeod.

The University met with different student groups, departments, faculty and staff to see what they thought was needed on campus. “We are meeting with those individual student groups that we think will be important. For example, meeting with Student Union and talking with the Senate tonight.

We are meeting with the student media groups, and then once we get some schematic designs, we are going to meet with lots of student groups,�

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Senior Cadenza Editor / Laura Vilines / cadenza@studlife.com

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

STUDENT LIFE | CADENZA

n. a technically brilliant, sometimes improvised solo

CADENZ ADEN Z A

passage toward the close of a concerto, an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic work

arts & entertainment

5

This marks week two of our new Friday features section. Scene and Cadenza will share this space, appearing on alternate Fridays throughout the year.

A salute to all cable—but mostly FX

By Adam Summerville Movie Editor The culture of American television is at an interesting crossroads. On the one hand, standards and practices are cracking down on sex more and more, while networks want the edgy new show that will be a darling of both critics and the people (like “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City” or just about anything else from HBO). In these confusing times, network television struggles: they are the ones most closely watched; they have to be entertaining, clever and witty while still remaining mostly safe and benign. A few shows manage to do this (“Lost,” “Arrested Development,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Gilmore Girls”), but despite the fact that their ranks are growing, three of the shows listed were new last season. They are still very much the exception and not the rule.

As the FCC imposes harsher standards on the major networks and the almost networks

of the WB and UPN, it seems to be turning a blind eye to the channels on basic cable. Some networks pounced on this early, such as Comedy Central, which has had such successes as “The Daily Show,” “South Park” and “The Chappelle Show”—shows that could only flourish in this less stringent environment.

A recent addition to this growing family of cable channels relishing in this freedom is FX. Originally started by Fox, seemingly as a way to show “M*A*S*H,” “Cops” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” reruns 24 hours a day, the station was a wasteland; recently, however, the network has become the place to turn for some of the smartest and edgiest shows this side of HBO. The turn around happened with a show called “Nip/Tuck” (and to a lesser extent “The Shield”). “Nip/Tuck” combines sexy people, their sexy albeit messed-up lives, and their messed-up albeit sexily disgusting cosmetic surgery outfit. Taking advantage of

their newly gotten freedom and the drought of good television in the summer, “Nip/Tuck” found an audience and ignited a creative spark within FX. The second year of programming brought another superb drama in the form of “Rescue Me.” Following the always complicated life of Tommy Gavin (in what is perhaps Dennis Leary’s greatest role), “Rescue Me” recently finished its second season and is below only “The Sopranos” and “Lost” in quality dramas currently being shown.

This summer brought numerous new shows of merit in the form of “30 Days” and “Starved.” “30 Days” is a documentary created by “Super Size Me” star and creator, Morgan Spurlock. Following the same basic idea as “Super Size Me,” the show has a person drastically change their lifestyle for a month and grants us the voyeuristic pleasure of watching. Some of the highlights of the first season were watching Morgan and his girlfriend live in poverty; a corn-fed, con-

servative, white boy practice Islam with a Muslim family in a predominantly Muslim community; and a middle-aged mother follow the ways of her bingedrinking daughter.

“Starved” is another socially conscious show, but in a very different way than “30 Days.”

“Starved” follows the lives of four friends and a seemingly cliché premise. But from this staid beginning comes something new, funny and disturbing. The binding tie between the four friends is that all have eating disorders (including anorexia, binge-eating/bulimia, compulsive over-eating/narcissism and compulsive over-eating) and attend a caustic support group. The show has some very unsettling acts, such as eating Comet-covered chocolate cakes, induced vomiting on a homeless man and pubic hair trimming that goes horribly wrong. But the true drawing point of the show is the wonderful characters that are present. The lead character, Sam (Eric Schaeffer), is a wonderful, horribly vain,

ego-centric character, the likes of which is almost never the lead of anything, let alone a sitcom. The supporting characters of Billy (Laura Benanti), Adam (Sterling K. Brown) and Dan (Del Pentecost) are also fascinating, terribly conflicted people who get almost as much face time as Sam and have just as interesting storylines. “30 Days” has already been renewed but won’t be back for another year, and

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Baseball and sexuality

OK Go: ‘Oh No’

By Adam Summerville Movie Editor

By Robbie Gross Theatre Editor There was once a different era of major league baseball, of days before steroid scandals and Red Sox championships. That land before time was not without its own share of controver-

sies, however, with perhaps the most persistent being homosexuality in the locker room. Almost every year there were the rumors of big name catchers and smalltime prospects. Written in this context was Richard Greenberg’s “Take Me Out,” a play about the beauty of

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baseball and the sexual politics that can undermine it.

After the New York Empires’ star player reveals he is gay, the world of baseball is turned upside down. When a flame-throwing, bigoted closer is called up—the John Rocker comparisons are evident—the drama only intensifies. Greenberg’s 2003 play went on to win a Tony Award for Best New Play, and it now has arrived at the St. Louis Repertory’s Off-Ramp series at the Grandel Theater.

With less than a week left before the Cardinals begin their postseason run, and only two weekends before “Take Me Out” ends its run, St. Louis appears ready to defend its title as America’s best baseball city.

“Oh No” is the second major release to come from OK Go, and it shows a bit of the awkwardness of a band trying to find itself. The band, which started out as a quirky mix of the Pixies and Weezer, had a hit with the insanely catchy “Get Over It.” This time around the band has teamed up with producer Tore Johansson, who also happened to work with Franz Ferdinand, which is perhaps why the band has shifted toward more of dance-rock sound on a lot of their songs.

Songs such as “Invincible,” “Here It Goes Again” and “It’s a Disaster” demonstrate this move to catchy, quasi-witty pop lyrics and bouncing guitars.

However, the band doesn’t keep this upbeat sound going for too long. From these high-energy tunes, the band goes into weird, mildly creepy songs like “Oh

Lately It’s So Quiet,” a very odd quasi-love pop song, which seems to be about a ghost, or the quiet and mellow “Let It Rain.” Both styles work and are mildly compelling, but the lack of cohesion works against the album. It seems like the band wasn’t sure if they wanted to go more of a quirky, indie route or the more currently popular style, and, instead of just picking one, decided to do both.

The band has a tight sound, with crunchy guitars, a steady bass and thoroughly entertaining drums, but the results seem a bit too planned and calculated. Gone is the “We only have one take so make it good” urgency that was present on their last album, and with it goes some of their charm.

Also gone from this album is the punk-esque caterwauling of lead singer Damian Kulash, replaced with a toned down Damon Albarn-meets-Beck kind of vocalization with the

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NT LIF E hopefully FX will bring back “Starved” as well, because it is one of the greatest shows currently on television. FX has made great headway and is rapidly becoming one of the biggest forces in the world of innovative programming.

occasional punk flourish. This sound works, but it seems as if the band has lost some of their creativity and drive. “Oh No” is very catchy and likeable despite being a bit derivative and uninspired, and it’s worth a listen for anyone looking for a bit more Franz Ferdinand.

For fans of: Franz Ferdinand, Weezer Grade: 3.5/5 stars Bottom Line: Definitely above average and worth a listen, but a bit unsure of itself

Coheed and Cambria:‘Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV’

By Adam Summerville Movie Editor In recent years, prog has made a sudden and unexpected comeback, with the likes of Coheed and Cambria and The Mars Volta leading the push. Some were probably happy to see it die off after such highlights as 1981’s “Moving Pictures,” the seminal Rush album, but for those that missed science fiction-themed lyrics, high-pitched vocals, and songs that last half an hour, this boom is certainly welcome. “Good Apollo” furthers the four-part space-opera epic that Coheed and Cambria has been building over their past two albums, and it shows the progression of the band into more and more of a progressive

rock sound.

After starting with an emoish and slightly progressive sound, mainly because of lead singer Claudio Sanchez‘s channeling of the not yet dead Geddy Lee’s soul, Coheed and Cambria has become increasingly obsessed with sweeping guitar solos and odd instrumentation.

This obviously worked for them given the success of “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth,” and it continues to do the band well.

Instrumentally, this is the same Coheed and Cambria that people have come to expect, with clean guitars, cymbal-heavy drums and lots of falsetto.

The album starts off slowly with gentle violins playing the theme last heard in “The Ring in Return,” moving into the soft

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and sweet “Always & Never,” which is so bubbly that there are even baby noises in the background. From there the album kicks into full speed on “Welcome Home” and is quite unrelenting from that point on. The songs flow nicely from one to another and manage to avoid getting stale, which can be a bit of a problem when the average length of a song is a little under five minutes. The album ends with a four-part song that is essentially a subplot within the larger context of the album, which will just be candy for already sated prog fans. The album never becomes something spectacular because it just continues the path that Coheed and Cambria has already been following, but given the style and

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6 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

Senior Forum Editor / Molly Antos / forum@studlife.com

FORUM

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

Our daily forum editors: Monday: Jeff Stepp Wednesday: Daniel Milstein Friday: Zach Goodwin jsstepp@wustl.edu daniel.milstein@wustl.edu goodwin@wustl.edu To ensure that we have time to fully evaluate your submissions, guest columns should be e-mailed to the next issue’s editor or forwarded to forum@studlife.com by no later than 5 p.m. two days before publication.

Late pieces will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

We welcome your submissions, and thank you for your consideration.

STAFF EDITORIAL

DMITRI JACKSON | EDITORIAL CARTOON

Return victims’ tuition to Tulane

I

mmediately after the Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Washington University scrambled to help the storm’s victims. According to the head of financial services, the University “jumped right into action.”

Well, of course they did.

The combined tuition of the 69 undergraduates and 19 graduate students who have enrolled here as a result of the hurricane means that the University can buy a few more plasma-screen TVs for the Cornerstone lobby, or perhaps an informational kiosk or two. In many ways, the University operates like a business, and it would be hard to turn down an opportunity like this—not only does the University get great P.R. for taking in hurricane victims, but it also gains thousands of dollars in tuition from these students.

Since the University was not planning on receiving this money prior to the misfortune of the hurricane, it seems self-

ish and unnecessary to keep it. Needless to say, Tulane has suffered great losses in the past month; in this time of need, the University should be returning at least some, if not all of the visiting students’ tuition money to the institution they originally planned to attend.

Some might argue that the University has operating costs of its own to take into consideration. But taking on a few more students would not raise costs that significantly. It’s disgraceful and exploitative for the University to keep tuition money borne of such sorrow and loss. If the University won’t return the tuition collected to Tulane, it should at very least donate the money to the Red Cross or another charity to help those in need.

The bottom line is that the University does not need this money. This school should seize the opportunity to provide genuine care to those in need, rather than exploiting them.

End homophobia with discourse, not coercion

New Orleans: Fact and foolishness

By Lawrence Wiseman

By David Brody Op-Ed Submission

I

was appalled to read the headline of Wednesday’s staff editorial, “End tolerance of homophobia now.” Student Life has disgraced the Fourth Estate by advocating the silencing of a point of view. When combatting bigotry, to end one’s tolerance of a disagreeable or even blatantly offensive opinion is to prematurely admit defeat. Tolerating the ideas of the intolerant is essential for social progress.

Our goal should be to end homophobia, not tolerance of homophobia. Some might say that in order to hurry along the demise of discrimination, opinions such as Professor Katz’s should not be voiced or hosted by a progressive university such as ours. This course of action tries to cut corners and take shortcuts which will ultimately hamper the very movement it is advocating.

Fighting homophobia and disseminating Katz’s views are not mutually exclusive.

Bigotry stems from ig-

norance. By not listening to Katz and others who have distasteful views, one limits the knowledge of the community and thus increases

“If professors are shushed, their beliefs will become much harder to discern, and substantiating discrimination claims will be more difficult.” ignorance. Consequently, bigotry increases in one form or another. Intolerance of bigots is nasty, hypocritical and counterproductive. Instead of silencing Katz’s view, those interested in change should broadcast it loud enough so that everyone understands his argument.

Then it should be discussed and compared with other arguments as well as factual data. In the end, everyone

should be able to come to their own conclusion about homophobia and hopefully see that it is misguided.

To this effect, I call on Safe Zones and Spectrum Alliance to make themselves heard and debunk the theories of homophobia.

So far these groups seem to be impotent at catalyzing change on campus; here is their chance to redeem themselves. A forum should be held at which Katz, his supporters and his opponents all have the opportunity to present their views and arguments in a civil, moderated environment. I am confident that when one is knowledgeable of all the facts and theories, one will be able to make the right choice.

Those who want Katz and others gagged out of fear of classroom discrimination or intimidation need to rethink their position as well. I am also in Katz’s Physics 107 class and I have never heard him bring his own personal views into the classroom.

Taking a professor’s beliefs out of the public sphere will

not change the mind of the professor and will not affect whether or not that professor chooses to discriminate.

If professors are shushed, their beliefs will become much harder to discern, and substantiating discrimination claims will be more difficult. It is in the students’ best interest for a professor’s views to be out in the open.

When professors wear their beliefs on their sleeves, one can easily grab on and hold them accountable.

Both newspapers and educational institutions should allow every subject and opinion full consideration in all forums. The University and community should respond to Katz with Voltaire: “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

David is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences and the senior photo editor. He can be reached via e-mail at drbrody@wustl.edu.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

To Katz: keep your hate at home Dear Editor: Professor Jonathan Katz is bigoted and misinformed. The year is 2005, and the fallacious notion that AIDS is a “gay disease” died in the 1980s with the Reagan administration and leg-warmers.

AIDS is an epidemic that affects everybody—heterosexuals and homosexuals, blacks and whites, rich and poor—and it is a farreaching question of medicine, science and humanity. Katz’s unwarranted spew of homophobia is not only offensive to homosexuals and those who have been touched

by AIDS, but it also insults the intelligence of the responsible individual who considers complex-

ity and ambiguity in lieu of essentialism. This is not a question of “right and wrong,” Professor Katz, it is a question of ignorance.

A University-sponsored Web site is an inappropriate venue for such pseudo-intellectual diarrhea, and hyperbolic sentimentalities of “homosexual blood-guilt” are as ridiculous as they are prejudiced.

Katz’s self-righteous defense of free speech rings hollow: this is an academic setting, and although one might have the right to post such abhorrent views on one’s Web site, the inflammatory nature of this diatribe threatens the rights of students to learn in a safe environment. Stick to the subjects you know, Professor Katz—I

guess that would be physics—and keep your hate at home.

-Laura Binder Class of 2007

Students equally guilty of intolerance Dear Editor: I find it unfortunate that recent contributors to Student Life make the same mistakes as Professor Katz. As a scientist, Katz is erroneous in accepting any correlation between homosexuality and HIV as causation.

His views are discriminatory and hopefully they will be relegated to the margins of history. However, students advocating Katz’s censor are equally guilty of intolerance. The University setting is designed to foster and protect radical opinions, including those opinions that incriminate the institution. In this fashion, a diversity of views is preserved and furnished to society for the education of policy. Katz, not unlike linguist turned activist Noam Chomsky (MIT), is within his rights to exploit his public position. If we remove Katz’s Web site we’re also obligated to

Op-Ed Submission

S

ince before the year 2000, we’ve known that New Orleans was sinking at the rate of three feet per century.

This came after studies that demonstrated that by manipulating water pathways entering the Gulf, we had created an unnatural and unstable situation. Before that, we knew that the existing soil in New Orleans was far softer than would be desirable for creating stable structures.

We also knew that hurricane strength operates on a 20 to 40-year cycle. And long before this, we knew that the Gulf is annually battered by powerful hurricanes.

And yet—we stayed.

Nobody seemed to care that it was a patently dangerous place to build a city and that the underprivileged would inevitably be trapped amid rising floodwaters.

When House Speaker Dennis Hastert suggested that it would be foolhardy to rebuild New Orleans, he drew flak from every corner of the political spectrum.

Of course, there are significant cultural concerns.

New Orleans is a beautiful city with a rich and vibrant heritage. Do those cultural concerns justify condemning thousands of underprivileged people to death every time the city floods?

New Orleans contributes significantly to the economy, and to remove it would cause serious disruptions domestically and internationally. Is it wise to route our oil and shipping through a city that is inevitably going to be flooded again? What about the $260 billion dollars in aid and rebuilding costs that the U.S. will have to find every time the city floods?

Building bigger levees and creating more sophisticated flood-warning and evacuation systems might protect the city. Bigger levees take exponentially more maintenance, cost more money, are more likely to have structural flaws and create larger floods when they fail. Complicated floodwarning and evacuation systems would inevitably neglect the underprivileged, and would probably be mobilized as quickly as FEMA. This organization was designed to respond to national disasters, but proved fatally inefficient with its evacuation and rescue operations.

“Nobody seemed to care that [New Orleans] was a patently dangerous place to build a city.”

Not rebuilding New Orleans would displace millions of people and cause a disruption in housing markets around the country.

Nobody wants to ask people to abandon their homes, but these are homes which will be washed away again in less than 50 years. It is a hard decision, but unless we want to pay this price every 20 to 40 years, we need to stop thinking with our hearts and make the decision about New Orleans based on facts.

The costs are too high and the result is inevitable; don’t rebuild this city.

Lawrence is a junior in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at lwiseman@wustl.edu.

See LETTERS, page 7

YOUR VOICE: LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS

OUR VOICE: EDITORIAL BOARD

OUR WEB POLICY

Student Life welcomes letters to the editor and op-ed submissions from readers.

Editorials are written by the forum editors and reflect the consensus of the editorial board. The editorial board operates independently of the newsroom.

Once an article has been published on www.studlife.com, our Web site, it will remain there permanently. We do not remove articles from the site, nor do we remove authors’ names from articles already published on the Web, unless an agreement was reached prior to July 1, 2005.

Letters to the Editor One Brookings Drive #1039 Saint Louis, MO 63130-4899

News: (314) 935-5995 Fax: (314) 935-5938 email: letters@studlife.com

All submissions must include the writer’s name, class, address and phone number for verification. Student Life reserves the right to edit all letters for style, length, libel considerations and grammar. Letters should be no longer than 350 words in length. Readers may also submit longer articles of up to 750 words as guest columns. Student Life reserves the right to print any submission as a letter or guest column.

Editor in Chief: Margaret Bauer Associate Editor: Liz Neukirch Managing Editor: David Tabor Senior News Editor: Sarah Kliff

Senior Forum Editor: Molly Antos Forum Editors: Zach Goodwin, Daniel Milstein, Jeff Stepp, Brian Schroeder, Matt Shapiro

Why do we do this? Because Google and other search engines cache our Web site on a regular basis. Our thought is this: once an article has been published online, it’s too late to take back. It is irrevocably part of the public sphere. As such, removing an article from our site would serve no purpose.

Senior Forum Editor / Molly Antos / forum@studlife.com

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

‘End tolerance?’

By Annabelle Burnum Op-Ed Submission

W

hile browsing Student Life the past few days, I’ve noticed a definite theme regarding the extent of free speech. On one hand we have the student reaction to David Horowitz, whose Sept.

14 Assembly Series appearance provoked responses from both the left and right. Horowitz, as you may know, wrote the “Academic Bill of Rights” in an effort to provide students with a politics-free classroom. What everyone’s so upset about is that Horowitz’s goal seems to be to censor liberal professors so they won’t influence young, impressionable scholars, since the American university institution is pretty far left to begin with.

Then there’s Professor Jonathan Katz’s article, “In Defense of Homophobia,” which, despite having been an issue since I was a freshman (three and a half years ago now), spurred at least one rowdy discussion in Whispers Café over whether the University had the right or responsibility to take disciplinary action against Katz (ranging from removing the article from University Web space to firing him outright.) In the Forum section on Wednesday, Sept. 28, the staff editorial was titled “End tolerance of homophobia now.”

I have to admit, that stopped me in my tracks. “End tolerance?” I asked myself. How will that solve anything? Reading on, I discovered many points with which I agreed: Katz’s article might cause a student or faculty member to feel uncomfortable or even threatened, which is wrong. Discrimination

is wrong. These things I can stand beside with pride.

But “End tolerance?” The First Amendment is pretty much unconditional. The right to free speech is inalienable.

How can we, as members of an institute of learning, in the age of the Internet and freeware and global access to information (not to mention the Internet Wayback Machine!) condone censorship of any person’s opinions and ideas? Dissonant beliefs are vital to the growth of society, whether in terms of its culture, its economy or simply its body of knowledge.

“End tolerance,” this week of all weeks!

That’s right, it’s Banned Books Week—that week of the year when we stand proud and admit that we’ve read all those books our self-designated moral superiors don’t want us to read. That week that we thank the Light we’re in a capitalist society where publishers will keep selling books as long as people keep buying them. That week that we stand up against intolerance, censorship and conformity and read something that broadens our perspectives.

That week where—well, I’ll just let the American Library Association tell you about it. The Banned Books Week Web site is www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek. htm, and it is well worth checking out.

Back to my point. I as a person have the right and responsibility to make choices like whether or not to refuse to take a class taught by a professor whose published opinions make my fellows feel unsafe.

I as a person have the right and responsibility to choose whether or not to pay tuition to a school that employs an

By Alex Silversmith Op-Ed Submission

W

TEMU BROWN | STUDENT LIFE

overwhelmingly liberal faculty.

I have made those choices, and you probably have too. But our government, as an institution, does not have the right and responsibility to make these choices for me or anyone.

Neither, in my opinion, does Washington University, regardless of its status as a public or private institution.

My sister attends Vanderbilt University. While I was on the phone with her Monday night, she told me how much she wants to go to Washington University. She is tired of the conservative bias of her political science professors and her fellow students. “How could anyone say they think that disrespecting a person’s religion is okay just because they’re foreign militants?” she wailed, referring to a class discussion on the use of torture by Americans overseas. The only way I could think to console her was

-Scott Rowe Class of 2007

To Katz: come out and discuss views Dear Editor: Professor Katz, I, along with many members of the University community, strongly disagree with your views. Instead of trading petty and unsupported barbs through the newspaper, let’s bring this discussion into a more suitable format. I invite you to meet me for a public discussion of these issues.

I propose the following format: a brief opening statement by each of us, followed by a moderated exchange of questions. After that, we should open the floor to questions and statements from the rest of the community. I’m certain that we can agree on an impartial moderator, and a time and place for the discussion.

I respect anyone who is willing to defend their opinion with credible facts and logical reasoning, and I’m certain that as a university professor you will not shirk that responsibility.

You placed your opinions in the public domain, and it’s time for you to defend them.

sleep with their wives, possibly transmitting any number of STDs. It’s because of people like you that men are afraid to go to their own doctors for an HIV test, missing the diagnosis until full-blown AIDS has developed, and potentially infecting dozens of people without even knowing it. It’s because of people like you—people who espouse hatred, condemnation, and ridiculously misguided religious dogma—that the AIDS epidemic is growing dramatically in women.

Because of the relentless focus on gay men with AIDS, many think that only homosexuals can get infected. I hate to burst your bubble, but AIDS is no longer a disease of gay, American men, Dr. Katz. According to the CDC, 14 percent of those living with AIDS in 1992 were female. By 2003, this percentage had grown to 22 percent. Furthermore, according to the Global Health Council, 96 percent of all people with HIV live in Sub-Saharan Africa and an additional 45 million people in impoverished countries could become infected with HIV in the next five years.

It’s about time you stop blaming me and start taking responsibility for fostering a society that allowed this to happen.

You’re the reason we’re dying of AIDS Dear Editor: Hi, Dr. Katz. My name is Tom, and I’m gay. As a gay man, I feel as though it is my personal duty to let you know that you are part of the problem. You are part of the reason as to why so many gay or bisexual men in America are dying of AIDS and are passing HIV onto unsuspecting spouses and children.

Yes—you. You defend homophobia vehemently in the article posted on your website, perhaps blissfully unaware of the effect that those words and ideas have on closeted men at this university and all over the world. It’s because of people like you that many gay men in this country—especially minorities— are forced to be on the “down low,” horrified of their sexuality, but unwilling to live celibately.

They have unprotected sex with men in private and go home to

-Matt Zinter Class of 2007

Katz: I will not surrender my right to free speech Dear Editor:

-Tom Giarla Class of 2007

Katz’ logical fallacies are transparent Dear Editor:

-Lawrence Wiseman Class of 2007

ing at its own absurd claims. I’m sure Mr. Katz hates all Germans because the Germans were responsible for the Holocaust.

He must loathe all Christians for their involvement in the Crusades, and, without a doubt, he despises Americans for their slaughter of countless Native Americans, Japanese, and Iraqis, not to mention their systematic institutionalization of slavery and racism in this great nation.

Wow, Mr. Katz, that’s a lot to hate.

The logical fallacies you present are as transparent as your credentials for social commentary. You cannot focus your hatred for the actions of a group into hatred for the individual.

Try to see the good in people. Do not judge people by the actions of those who came before them, or you may be surprised at how quickly those passing judgment come to be judged themselves.

Mr. Katz’s poorly-developed condemnations are embarrassing to the academic and social dialogue of this university. Not only are his ideas supported by a weak base of reason, but his failure to distinguish group members from the whole of a group is a surprising misstep for a Washington University professor. Please consider the following.

Mr. Katz urges us to “discriminate between right and wrong,” then cites that AIDS has killed over 500,000 people, clearly his proof that homosexuals are “wrong.” Were only homosexuals responsible for spreading AIDS, then these 500,000 would be nearly all homosexuals, and rest assured Mr. Katz would have no problem. The spread of HIV/ AIDS is a global epidemic blind to race, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status.

Mr. Katz further argues that homosexuals should not be absolved of their “blood-guilt for the deaths of the victims of AIDS” because, well, these deaths are obviously their fault.

This rhetoric is so backwards it’s staring itself in the face laugh-

In a democracy, if one disagrees with someone, one doesn’t try to censor him.

Rather, one presents one’s own arguments, and tries to convince the reader that one is right. Censorship is the tool of those who fear they are wrong.

Student Life has this week (Sept. 26 and 28) presented four letters, articles or editorials advocating censorship of my web page, “In Defense of Homophobia.” The editors, in particular, should know better. But none of these writers explained why they disagree. Perhaps they actually agree with me, but are frightened of the truth. If you think I’m wrong, explain why, and try to convince the undecided. If you don’t do that I (and they) will conclude that your arguments are too weak to stand examination.

I didn’t surrender my right of free speech when I accepted a professorship here, and I won’t surrender it now.

-Jonathan Katz Professor of Physics

How can you hate my Uncle John?

Dear Editor: This debate regarding Professor Katz’s “In Defense of

7

The Renaissance man: a forsaken university hero

to say, “At least you hear things you’re not already thinking. It’s not good to have people agree with you all day long. You hear things that make you think, that make you passionate.

That’s a good thing.”

Embrace dissonance. Tolerance does not entail endorsement. You’re not allowed to cut off your roommate’s nose (or switch roommates, for that matter) just because his snoring wakes you up, but tolerating his snoring is not the same thing as wanting to listen to him snore. What you are allowed to do is pick up that copy of “The Catcher in the Rye” and read until you fall asleep again. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and I hope you take advantage of it.

Annabelle is a senior in Arts & Sciences. She can be reached via e-mail at alburnum@wustl.edu.

LETTERS v FROM PAGE 6 close University forums open to pro-gay rights faculty. Silencing one professor’s voice is akin to silencing all faculty speech, a scary proposition indeed.

STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

Homophobia” essay just makes me incredibly sad. I don’t know how else to put it.

To me, the controversy created by this essay isn’t an issue of freedom of speech, or of conservative vs. liberal perspectives. This is a matter of pure hatred. And when I am reminded that such hatred exists, even on our campus, it makes me sick.

One of the people in this world whom I love the most is a gay man. He is my mom’s best friend, my godfather. I have known him literally for my entire life. And in these 21 years, practically no one has loved me and supported me and my family as much as this wonderful man, my “Uncle” John, has.

When I was in high school, Uncle John was “wed” to his long time partner, Patrick, in a beautiful, loving commitment ceremony outside Philadelphia.

It was more genuine and meaningful than any wedding I’ve witnessed. John and Patrick have been in a monogamous relationship for as long as I can remember. Neither of them have AIDS, nor will they ever contribute to the spread of the disease.

My dictionary describes homophobia as “fear or contempt” for lesbians and gays, and the subsequent “behavior based on such a feeling.” Never mind whether or not Mr. Katz’s essay is well-argued or wields accurate statistics—it’s still very much based in the idea of contempt.

This is simply apparent in Katz’s statement, “I am a homophobe, and proud.”

Mr. Katz, how can you hate my Uncle John?

Sarah Baicker Senior Scene Editor Class of 2006

Katz’ online ‘Mein Kampf’ puzzling Dear Editor: I would like to applaud Jeff Stepp for having the courage to write an editorial criticizing his professor’s views on gays and lesbians. Mr. Stepp risked a lot to bring this issue to the attention of the university community, and I for one am grateful that he chose to do so.

After perusing Dr. Katz’s university-sponsored “Mein Kampf,” I found myself wondering why he chooses to remain in such an oppressive politically correct environment. I’m sure that he could easily find an appointment at a university that lacks a non-discrimination policy for gays and lesbians where his views would be celebrated. I’m sure Bob Jones University would be thrilled to have him in their

hat was Martha Jefferson thinking, as she was lying alone under her covers, while her husband, Thomas, was having sex with her half-sister?

What was Deborah thinking in her well appointed Philadelphia home, as Benjamin winked his way to Paris? Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin remain quintessential Renaissance men.

Described as revolutionaries and patriots, they are revered for their part in building a proud America. Their private lives are one more facet of their diverse personalities, respected for their respective accomplishments in the arts, the sciences and the alleys in-between. Why, then, is a major or specific expertise highly stressed at institutions that prize the multi-faceted nature of these heroes?

Jefferson was a principal author of the Declaration of Independence, the first American secretary of state, the second vice president and the third president of the United States.

Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod, helped draft the Constitution and wrote the Silence Dogood letters at 16.

Benjamin Franklin’s passion for print and notoriety as a scientist led him into politics. Thomas Jefferson is distinguished not for his progress in architecture, naturalism and linguistics, but for his political career. Both are unequivocally accomplished in numerous directions. A well diversified education is available, but pigeonholing pressures abound.

Some call it a lack of direction. Others call it the sevenyear plan. When many hear of an undecided major, they exclaim that exploring is the way college should be. Though, statistically, most of these people fall under the majority of students at Wash. U. who are pre-meds—that is, they have an idea of what they will be doing for the next decade.

Why do I need to know what I want to do with my life right now? Indecision is often associated with vagabonds—wanderers without a goal or plan. I neither have a plan, nor do I share their aimlessness. Many University students too soon succumb to a pre-professional plan. The childhood hobby of

physics department. I hear they don’t even allow interracial dating.

-Peter Cabrera Ph.D. candidate

Good approach to Scientology Dear Editor: Re: “Is Scientology full of it?”

Given what I’d heard and read about the doctrines of the Church of Scientology—alternative psychotherapy, evil galactic warlords, past lives, and founder L. Ron Hubbard himself (“99 percent of what my father ever wrote or said about himself is totally untrue,” said Hubbard, Jr.)—I felt a bit justified in feeling that the St. Louis Church of Scientology next to campus is slightly…creepy. Surely the presence of such a controversial new religious movement next to Washington University, this bastion of academia and truth, I figured, was the result of some elaborate joke, or, at worst, an unhappy coincidence.

I didn’t expect to have any epiphany about Scientology before reading the article in Monday’s paper, “Is Scientology full of it?” And I didn’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have good things to say. It’s not too much surprise that the Church would be pushing its own products and programs, or its members should demonstrate their psychotherapeutic devices of questionable legitimacy, but that’s not necessarily an excuse to see what Scientology, from the words of Scientologists, is about.

No, Sarah and Jake have dared to side with neither trendiness (“Oh, well, if Tom Cruise endorses it…”) nor precipitate criticism (“Good God, what the hell were we thinking?”). I shouldn’t be surprised that Scientologists

star-gazing is too easily lost in classes unrelated to astronomy.

The need for concrete direction stems from personality type, upbringing and personal goals.

Rather than well-rounded goals, many students are wary of a diverse schedule because diluting their education with unrelated classes could inhibit their full potential in their chosen concentration.

Granted, one hopes to benefit from the close professor relationships and detailed knowledge achievable in concentrations. Preoccupation with a concentration is both desirable and beneficial, but often results in the triage effect. Those classes that are not part of the major or required for a future career are sliced away. Had Jefferson and Franklin funneled through this system, they could have been different people. Franklin’s interest in electricity might have locked him inside the lab sciences building, preventing him from the valuable connections he forged in the printing business. “What if”—this question of modern Renaissance men in college—is being tested.

At the Deep Springs College, on a ranch in the California town of the same name, 26 college men inhabit a selfsustaining center of learning.

Every year the students choose what classes are taught, which professors teach them, and to maintain the rules that prohibit drugs, alcohol and off-campus trips. The students grow their own food, milk their own cows and adhere to the egalitarian principles of democracy that Franklin and Jefferson did so much to promote. The students spend two years at the school and make a commitment to a life of service.

The outcome of these Renaissance men is unknown—partly because education is not enough, and partly because history is needed to truly evaluate these men and their service. At Deep Springs, the only pressure to concentrate is the pressure to concentrate on life.

Indecision is replaced by a life-long mission statement. So it isn’t necessary to have a major or concrete direction, because like Franklin or Jefferson, ideas and studies can take us from adolescence to renaissance.

Alex is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at asilvers@wustl.edu.

would be, apparently, friendly and inviting—these are still human beings, of course, not caricatures of slick-talking snake oil salesmen or hooded acolytes chanting cryptic phrases from the Necronomicon—despite the wide consensus that they are a cult that has, it seems, done less for its members than it would purport.

I won’t be an apologist for the Church of Scientology. Scientology and Hubbard have yet to be validated by most. But nowadays, when religious views so often seem to lie at those frightening extremes of hard-line dogmatism, condemnation of faith, or outright apathy, it’s nice to see that we can still venture into the shady lands of new practices and religions—and even those of old ones—bearing open minds, ready to try to understand the things we’re quick to ridicule.

-David Song Class of 2009

The ‘infamous’ Katz’s Deli?

Dear Editor: Re: “Kopperman’s,” Stepping Out, Sept. 26, 2005.

Katz’s Deli is described as “infamous.” I question this adjective as a description of a deli that serves “great” corned beef and “fresh kosher” rye. “Infamous” immediately creates a shady or bad reputation perception.

Roget’s offers: Infamous, shameful, abominable, disgraceful, unspeakable, contemptible, heinous, base, atrocious, discreditable. Do any of the above relate to Katz’s Deli? If so, I shall refrain from patronizing the “infamous” Katz’s Deli.

-John Keeney Richmond Heights

8 STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

Senior Sports Editor / Justin Davidson / sports@studlife.com

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

It’s been an exciting NBA off-season Caught up in the start of football and end of baseball seasons, sports fans seem to have completely overlooked what has been a rather intense NBA off-season, both in terms of player transactions and changes in coaching.

After Phil Jackson left the Lakers two years ago, he said he would never coach again.

And yet here he is back to coach the Lakers—the Shaq-less, Rick Fox-less, Derek Fisher-less, Gary Payton-less, Karl Maloneless Lakers—who manage to hold on to one of the things that pushed Jackson away in the first place, Kobe Bryant. But hey, at least they have Kwame Brown now…

Speaking of returning coaches, Maurice Cheeks is back in Philly. But this time, he’s in charge. Cheeks played for the Sixers for eleven years and was an assistant coach there for seven. Allen Iverson couldn’t be more thrilled to be playing for him.

But I know what you’re thinking: Who could possibly care about Cheeks’ homecoming or Iverson’s happiness? We all know that the best thing

that the Sixers have going for them right now is that the suckers just signed ex-Dukie and rookie free agent Shavlik Randolph. At least somebody took him—saves us Duke fans some shame and embarrassment.

As many of you know, Larry Brown said goodbye to the Pistons this summer. I’m not going to lie—I thought for a second (okay, more than a second) that he was gong to take that Cavs GM position. But instead, Brown agreed to take on the big failures of the the New York Knicks. Although, with Brown in charge and their recent Kurt Thomas for Quentin Richardson transaction with Phoenix, they might have a prayer at making a dent in the Eastern Conference this season. Former Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders will take over for Brown in Detroit.

Those of you who really have been sleeping through the NBA off-season might be wishing you were awake when the biggest trade in NBA history went down. Five teams. Thirteen players. Bear with me while I catch you up: Boston sent Antoine Walker

Michael Finley and to the Miami Heat in Nick Van Exel both exchange for Qyntel joined the defending Woods, the rights to champions in San AnSpain’s Albert Mitonio. The Cavaliers ralles and two secondpicked up quite the round draft picks. In support staff for LeBother words, Miami ron James in Larry got Walker virtually Hughes, Damon Jones, for free. The Heat also Allie and Donyell Marshall. acquired James Posey, Doug Christie signed Jason Williams, and Wieczorek with the Mavericks, Andre Emmett from the Memphis Grizzlies, who in Joe Johnson with the Atlanta turn got Eddie Jones from them. Hawks, Sam Cassell with the Miami also acquired the rights LA Clippers, Chucky Atkins to Spain’s Roberto Duenas from and Caron Butler with the Wizthe New Orleans Hornets. The ards, and Juan Dixon with the Hornets then picked up Rasual Portland Trail Blazers.

And since the Miami Heat Butler from Miami and Kirk Snyder and from the Utah Jazz, haven’t quite reached Yankeewho lost Curtis Borchardt to caliber domination, they deBoston and Raul Lopez to the cided to get a hold of the player Grizzlies, from whom they re- who gets into your head like no ceived Greg Ostertag. one else can and who would be Outside this outlandish, more than thrilled to reunite overwhelming five-franchise with Shaq: “The Glove” himtrade, many other notable, un- self—Gary Payton. aforementioned transactions But as we all know, off-seahave taken place. The Sacra- sons aren’t just about moving mento Kings traded Bobby players and coaches around. So Jackson to the Grizzlies in ex- many other significant events change for Bonzi Wells. The occur and issues arise. During Kings also picked up Shareef this off-season, Vlade Divac, Abdur-Rahim while Memphis most recently a Laker, decided also got Damon Stoudamire. to retire after fifteen seasons

and hopes to take on an assistant coaching or scouting position with LA. Also, Hubie Brown—current ANC commentator and former coach for the Hawks, the Knicks, and the Grizzlies—has been summoned to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Ron Artest has finally served his suspension and returns this season, likely pissed off enough to cause even more damage than opponents are used to. And Latrell Sprewell and Eddy Curry remain in the crowd of unsigned free agents, though Curry will likely sign with the Bulls once both parties understand the severity of his heart condition.

Perhaps the biggest news of the NBA off-season—sorry, freshmen—is the age requirement that officials have finally established. A player must now be of at least nineteen years of age before entering the NBA. Ladies and gentlemen, all of our problems have now been solved. No more complaining about players entering the big leagues prematurely and consequently sacrificing their education and a chance to play in an environment where it’s not

about the money.

If they can’t play professionally until age 19, they can experience at least one year of college and college basketball.

Now the basketball prodigies of the world will give a whole year of their talent and skill to some lucky college program before ditching his team and his teammates for the bigger and better things: fame, fortune, and the NBA. So while you’ve been focusing on the Red Sox-Yankees battle for the AL East division title, or whether the Chicago White Sox will follow the rest of their city’s teams’ lead and choke just in time to lose a spot in the post-season, and on all of the exhilaration and anticipation concerning the start of the NFL and the college football season alike, you’ve missed out on some huge events that will make this NBA season dramatically different from last year’s.

The bottom line is that we should be giving at least a few clicks of a mouse to the NBA section of ESPN.com every now and then—even amidst all the excitement surrounding the other parts of the sports world.

Who’s afraid of Title IX? “I am a Golden God”

By Steven Hollander Contributing Reporter

Winning a $290 pot with 5-4 suit is akin to watching “The Day After Tomorrow.”

Yeah, you’re a little embarrassed to be there, and maybe you don’t want your friends to know w h a t you’re doing, but if you need to scratch that overdramat i z e d Alex ac t ion Schwartz m o v i e itch featuring all-time overrated actor Dennis Quaid, then there’s nothing quite like it.

Suited connectors are the same way. Maybe you shouldn’t play them, maybe you should, but when you go to showdown and you see your opponent flip over aces and a flopped set to your 5-4 and a rivered straight, you feel a little guilty. That is, until you snap out of it and realize that you get to rake in enough money to pay your way through college for the next few months.

You throw a few of these hands together—hands that maybe you shouldn’t win frequently—and all of a sudden you’re looking at a pretty substantial run.

There is no feeling quite like making $1,500 in 42 minutes. Repeatedly. In my last article, I wrote about my how time away from the game, and my subsequent troubles getting back into it after a four-month layoff, made me respect the game more than I ever have in the past. While my respect for the subtleties of the game continues to grow, my problems with readjusting have disappeared.

My last three weeks of poker play have been as automatic as they come. I’m playing about as well as I can, the cards are falling my way, and most importantly, I’m averaging over $300 an hour, which has equated to my winnings of more than $13,000 since September 7th. Every time I sit down to play, it feels like I can’t be beat, and every session that passes without losing only verifies that belief. In the words of the character Russell Hammond in “Almost Famous,” I am a golden god.

Do I really think that I’m unbeatable? The answer isn’t as simple as it seems.

Probability, which is the Bible of any serious player, dictates that, at some point, I’m going to lose money. A lot of money.

The fact is, even if you’re a great player, you can never outrun the inevitable downswing that accompanies a huge upswing. It

just happens. However, in order to maintain the edge that makes you the type of player you want to be, you need to believe that no matter where you sit down, no matter whom you’re playing with, and no matter how much money is at stake on the table, you are the best player that has ever lived.

Maybe you recognize somebody at the table whose talents you respect, but simply by knowing that they have certain skills, you’re displaying your ability to read people. Maybe you just lost a big hand to a suck out on the river, but the fact that he sucked out on the river meant that he was behind on the turn, and most importantly, you should have won.

So, yes, every time I sit down, I believe that I am the best player at that table, and that’s why I win.

That’s not the only reason I win—there is still a huge element of number crunching and people watching that is crucial to long-term success—but it is the only reason I win as much as I do. It’s why I’m not scared to push high-risk/high-reward hands to their limit in order to add a few pennies to my bottom line. I am confident enough in my abilities so that I never worry about running into someone better than me.

It just doesn’t cross my mind.

Of course, I’m not as good as I think I am. Whether it’s at poker, or anything else for that matter, we all have a tendency to overestimate our abilities and attribute all the good results to personal skill and all the bad to poor luck. But the second any of us let doubt creep into our thoughts, whether it’s in poker, athletics, or academics, we cannot perform up to our potential.

Wednesday night I played a marathon session into the wee hours of the morning and ended up down $400.

It marked my first losing day in over a month. What made this session different was obvious—the cards weren’t falling as probability would dictate, and as a result, I was overplaying my hands and ending up in bad spots. It didn’t take much thinking to figure it out, and after a few hours of breakeven play, I decided to call it quits.

As I slipped beneath my covers, still angry at my losing session, and even angrier at the rays of light beginning to seep in through my blinds, I could only think about another quote from Russell Hammond in Almost Famous: “I never said I was a golden god...or did I?”

In the summer of 1999, a group of twenty women captured the attention and minds of a country as they battled for the World Cup title. People of all shapes and sizes were glued to their television sets as the United States women’s soccer team steamrolled over the competition en route to Gold. That year’s World Cup victory was not due to Mia Hamm’s leg or Brandi Chastain’s clutch penalty shot; the game’s real MVP was none other than Richard Millhouse Nixon.

Twenty-seven years earlier, it was Nixon who signed Title IX into law as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. Beginning on June 23, 1972, all educational programs that received federal assistance were obligated to offer equal opportunities to both men and women. Title IX is not just about sports, but the athletic aspect of it seems to generate the most controversy. It might be a good time now to sit back and consider why. Why should this be a problem? Shouldn’t men and women be afforded the same opportunities in all areas of life? Of course it is more complicated than that, but doesn’t it essentially boil down to what is fair and what isn’t?

According to Title IX, if an institution sponsors an athletic program, it is obligated to: 1) effectively accommodate the athletic interest and abilities of men and women to the extent necessary to provide equal athletic opportunities; 2) provide athletic scholarship dollars in proportion to the percentage of men and women in the intercollegiate athletics program; and

3) comply with the eleven other program areas, including equipment and supplies, recruitment, and coaching.

As a result of opening up opportunities for women, many feel that this is closing doors for men, however. In order to fulfill the proportionality requirement and reach the necessary quotas of the three-part test of having equal representation and resources for both genders, colleges are reducing the number of men in sports by cutting smaller and lower-revenue teams, such as men’s wrestling, gymnastics, and hockey. Some men then lose the opportunity to participate in athletics in college, and many others lose potential scholarships.

Some people feel that, in a sense, the legislation only helps white suburban females, while discriminating against innercity black males, who, for many, were depending on these scholarship opportunities. It seems that the legislation is achieving its goals through “addition by subtraction”.

At this time it is important to remember that Title IX is not only opening up doors in athletics, but in all educational endeavors. It is with this in mind that the true benefits of Title IX come to fruition. College enrollment among female high school graduates went from 43% to 63% between 1973 and 1994. In 1971, 18% of young women and 26% of young men completed four or more years of college, while now the percentage of men and women earning a bachelors degree is equal at 27%.

The successes of Title IX flow over to graduate and professional degrees as well. Women now

receive 38% of medical diplomas, versus 9% in 1972. Thirty-eight percent of all dental degrees go to women now, while only 1% were earned by women in 1972.

In 1972 women accounted for 7% of law degrees and now women receive 43% of law degrees. In 1993-1994, 45% of doctoral degrees went to woman, up from 25% in 1977.

As much as Title IX has helped level the academic playing field, the strides it has created in terms of athletic opportunities for women cannot be ignored.

In 1971, 25,000 women participated in intercollegiate athletics, now 100,000 women participate.

In 1995, 37% of college-athlete students were female, compared

to 15% in 1972. In 1971, only 300,000 high school girls participated in sports, 7.5 % of all high-school athletes. Currently, over 2.4 million high school girls represent 39% of all high school athletes.

Despite all this, gender inequalities abound still today.

The long held fallacy that women are less interested in sports than men can no longer be used as an argument.

“The argument that men are more inclined towards sports is irrelevant,” said freshman David Straszheim. “Statistically men are more inclined towards mechanical engineering, but no

See TITLE IX, page 4

PAM BUZZETTA | STUDENT LIFE

Title IX has given these women the opportunity to represent their school as the No. 1 ranked volleyball team in the nation. Currently, two WU women’s teams are ranked No. 1 in the nation.

In the minds of Boston Red Sox fans v How has 2004 affected the fans’ view of 2005?

By Andrew Nackman Sports Reporter Can one World Series championship really turn around the fortune of a franchise? Can this one glorious year alter fans’ psyches and convince them that they’ve entered a new generation, one void of the heart-breaking moments that have characterized the Boston Red Sox fandom experience?

In 2004 the Boston Red Sox finally won the World Series.

Between the years of 1903 and 1918, the Red Sox captured five championships, but it took 86 years for the team to bring home number six.

The franchise’s struggles from 1918 to 2003 have been well-documented. The team has reached the championship round in four separate years but lost in a decisive 7th game each time. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Red Sox in 1946 and 1967. The Cincinnati Reds took home the hardware in 1975, despite Sox catcher Carlton Fisk’s heroic extra-inning homer that forced game seven. And no Boston fan will forget the loss to the New York Mets in 1986, highlighted by Bill Buckner’s error

in the 10th inning of Game six, costing them the game.

Aside from David Ortiz now being the most eligible bachelor in Boston, how has the 2004 World Championship transformed the expectations of a Boston Red Sox fan?

“I always had a lot of faith even before they won the World Series, but I think for most people, including myself, the championship has increased it because they finally proved that they can beat the Yankees and not choke in critical situations,” said sophomore Alex Sakowitz, from Needham, MA. Do Boston fans have more confidence in their team or is there is still an element of distrust, the lingering anticipation of disappointment? Freshman Alex Tannenbaum, from Newton, MA, answered that question defiantly.

“I don’t expect a complete meltdown anymore,” said Tannenbaum.

Sophomore Miles Bellman, from Wayland, MA, agrees.

“I’ve seen them comeback,” said Bellman. “Now I know they can do anything.”

But not all Red Sox fans are able to turn the page on 86 years

of frustration. Junior April Seligman, from Sherborn, MA, said, “Trends don’t just change that quickly. I hope with all my heart that they will win and will cry [in happiness] when the season comes to an end, but somewhere inside of me I do expect them to lose, despite my undying hopefulness.”

The 2005 regular season culminates this weekend with a Boston-New York three-game series at Fenway Park, with the division crown and remaining American League playoff berths still at stake. Trailing the Yankees by one game, and tied for the wild card lead with the Cleveland Indians as of Thursday, how do fans think the Red Sox will finish this season?

Senior Josh Lubatkin, from Worcester, MA, has complete confidence in his team. “[We’ll win the] World Series.

Our pitching is questionable at best, but nobody’s [pitching is] really that good, and no staff can keep our bats down,” boasted Lubatkin.

Others are not so sure.

“I’m not confident. I guess we’ll lose in the World Series. Actually, I have no prediction on it,” said Bellman.

And what about the hated rival New York Yankees? Has interest/hatred towards the ‘Evil Empire’ diminished since their comeback against them last year and World Series victory? The answer would be a resounding no.

“I have never been one to fear them,” said Seligman. “But I don’t really have any respect for them, and probably never will.”

Sakowitz said, “I follow the Yankees just as much [as the Red Sox] and I take just as much pleasure in their losing as I used to. We don’t really care about them anymore in a sense, even though we obviously want to beat them.”

With an 86-year curse finally eclipsed, the results of the 2005 season will be very telling for what fans should expect from the team in the near future. Was 2004 the start of a new dynasty, or a hiccup in their history of futility?

“I love the Sox more than I could ever love any inhuman thing, and honestly the goal is always to win and we should never have lower standards just because we won the year before,” crisply concluded Seligman.

FRIIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

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10 STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

Senior Sports Editor / Justin Davidson / sports@studlife.com

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

SPORTS

NFL Week 4: WU do you pick?

Student Life Sports Staff Each week the Student Life Sports Staff takes on a new member of the WU community to see who is the best Swami out there. This week, we match up against the famed and heralded Wrap Guys of Mallinckrodt. After work, Kevin and Sean team up to fight crime and bring justice to the world.

vs.

The Wrap Guys

VS. Joe Ciolli

Jordan Katz

Derek Winters

Scott Kaufman-Ross

Alex Schwartz

Justin Davidson

Andrew Nackman

The Wrap Guys

Buffalo Jacksonville Tampa Bay Cincinnati Indianapolis New England Seattle NY Giants Baltimore Oakland Atlanta Philadelphia Arizona Green Bay

New Orleans Jacksonville Tampa Bay Cincinnati Indianapolis New England Seattle NY Giants Baltimore Oakland Atlanta Kansas City San Francisco Carolina

New Orleans Denver Tampa Bay Houston Indianapolis New England Seattle St. Louis Baltimore Oakland Atlanta Philadelphia San Francisco Carolina

Buffalo @ New Orleans Denver @ Jacksonville Detroit @ Tampa Bay Houston @ Cincinnati Indianapolis @ Tennessee San Diego @ New England Seattle @ Washington St. Louis @ NY Giants NY Jets @ Baltimore Dallas @ Oakland Minnesota @ Atlanta Philadelphia @ Kansas City San Francisco @ Arizona Green Bay @ Carolina

Buffalo Jacksonville Detroit Cincinnati Indianapolis New England Seattle St. Louis Baltimore Oakland Minnesota Philadelphia Arizona Carolina

Buffalo Jacksonville Tampa Bay Cincinnati Indianapolis New England Seattle NY Giants Baltimore Dallas Atlanta Philadelphia Arizona Carolina

Buffalo Denver Tampa Bay Cincinnati Indianapolis New England Seattle St. Louis Baltimore Oakland Atlanta Philadelphia San Francisco Carolina

Buffalo Jacksonville Tampa Bay Cincinnati Indianapolis New England Seattle NY Giants Baltimore Oakland Atlanta Kansas City Arizona Carolina

Buffalo Jacksonville Tampa Bay Cincinnati Indianapolis New England Seattle NY Giants Baltimore Oakland Atlanta Philadelphia Arizona Carolina

Game of the Week:

NY Jets @ Baltimore

Houston @ Cincinnati

Philadelphia @ Kansas City

Dallas @ Oakland

St. Louis @ NY Giants

Last Week

18-4

9-5

9-5

11-3

9-5

8-6

10-4

Season Record

28-18

21-25

22-24

28-18

25-21

19-27

27-19

Philadelphia @ Kansas City 7-7 (past week’s opponent) 24-22

Derek:

Jordan:

Alex:

Even with the Eagles drama of David Akers and Donny McNabb’s injuries, the Eagles with TO and their tough defense will prevail over the “Rode hard, put away wet” Chiefs. Even though this game is at Arrowhead, a very tough place to win, many KC players are starting to play past their prime.

The Bengals, a good team? Yes, you heard it here first.

Well, maybe you heard it from those obnoxious Bengals fans always saying “Who Dey!”, whatever the hell that means. But, yes, the Bengals, at a 3-0 start, have the look of a pretty good team. Led by Carson Palmer, Chad and Rudi Johnson and an acceptable defense, the Bengals have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this year. The Texans, on the other hand just fired Chris Palmer as O-coordinator and have really struggled this year. Anyway, here’s a prediction, from me to you, that the Bengals will be 4-0 for the first time since, well, you get where I’m going with this. Nullus.

Week four’s Game of the Week features the still playoffbound New York Football Giants versus the hometown favorite St. Louis Rams. Marc Bulger should put up some gaudy numbers against the sieve-like Giants pass defense, but tailback Stephen Jackson will find no holes going up against the staunch run defense which was noticeably absent against Ladanian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers. Ultimately, Eli Manning’s continued progress, coupled with a strong performance from Pro Bowler Tiki Barber, will allow Big Blue to control the clock and the tempo of the game, and a few costly Bulger turnovers should prove the difference in the home victory.

NY Giants 31, St. Louis 21

Philadelphia 27 Kansas City 20

Cincinnati 30 Houston 17

Scott:

Andrew:

The Raiders are off to a disappointing start, but look to pick their first win this week when America’s Team comes to town. Oakland has had three very difficult matchups thus far this year, losing to both Super Bowl teams and also falling short against the high powered Chiefs. The key for the Raiders, as it will be every week, is getting the ball to Randy Moss. Moss has just 15 receptions this year, granted for 343 yards and two TDs. Kerry Collins must find a way to get the ball to #18 more often, as his big play potential is the reason Al Davis brought him over. However, the Cowboys come in 2-1, thanks to a tremendous comeback last week against the 49ers. The Cowboys are a solid, well coached football team, but showed its vulnerability last week when mighty Tim Rattay tossed for 269 yards and three scores. If Rattay and the 49ers can put up those numbers against Dallas’ pass defense, it could be a very, very long day against Randy Moss. Look for Oakland to get their first win of the year, and Moss to show why he is the NFL’s best talent.

The Eagles enter this game 2-1 after having escaped with a win over the Raiders last week. McNabb is playing through a bruised chest, and now he vows to still remain in the lineup despite an abdominal strain that will require surgery after the season. But he’s as tough as they come and should be his old self in this interconference tilt. The Chiefs come into the game after having been thoroughly embarrassed in Denver on Monday night. They will come out with intensity and a regained toughness that they lacked last Monday night. Is Kansas City the better team? No. But there’s no way they lose at Arrowhead Stadium a week after the Mile High no-show. The Chiefs offense will come out firing on all cylinders, expect a heavy dose of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson, and the Eagles will have no answer on this day.

Joe: With starter Chad Pennington likely out for the season with a torn rotator cuff and back-up Jay Fiedler out indefinitely because he sucks (or shoulder problems or something), look for the Jets to struggle against Baltimore. But don’t fear, Jets fans, 42-year-old antique Vinny Testaverde is coming out of retirement. I’m now taking bets as to whose arm will fall off first.

Baltimore 24, NY Jets 3

Kansas City 34, Philadelphia 20

Randy Moss 35, Dallas 21

The ‘05-’06 NHL season: what to expect

By Jordan Katz Sports Columnist In my previous hockey article, I think I estimated that there were about 12 fans on campus.

After the ridiculous NHL lockout that cancelled the entire 20042005 hockey season, I believe that number has probably been halved.

But, for you six loyal fans, the looming NHL season is sure to be as exciting as being a substitute pre-school teacher if you’re Michael Jackson. Well, at least I know I’m that excited, and besides, he did Thriller, so, that removes MJ from any guilt in my mind.

Nevertheless, I digress. The last time I watched hockey, it was game seven of the 2003-04 Stanley Cup Finals that pitted Tampa Bay against Calgary. In case you forgot, Tampa Bay won, further proving that God hates Canadians, in a manner of speaking.

The last Canadian team to hoist the Cup was the Montreal Canadians in 1993, and, I guess, since they’re from Montreal and

don’t want to be part of Canada anyway, it doesn’t count. But since that last game played in 2004, a lot has changed; this is no longer the hockey that the seven of us grew up with.

Realizing that Americans don’t like low-scoring contests that can end in ties, the NHL has changed some rules that alleviate these problems. Think about it; soccer has never caught on in the U.S. of A., so, other than the allure of fighting during games, hockey had limited appeal in the States with low scoring and the possibility of ties. Here are some of the changes that the league has enacted in hopes of exciting the fan base about the fastest game on ice once again: •Limited Contact: Referees are going to be much more stringent when calling penalties this year. This change will lead to two outcomes that will both increase scoring. The first is that players will be able to skate more freely without worrying about being decked. The second outcome is that there will be more penalties, leading to more power plays,

which lead to more goals.

•Increased ‘Flow’ Rules: First of all, two line passes have been eliminated altogether. This rule previously caused a stoppage in play and prevented long, breakaway-causing passes. Next, offsides will be enforced with a ‘tag up’ rule where the offsides player can skate into the neutral zone, ‘tag up’ and then go attack on offense.

•Icing: Teams that ice the puck used this option to get the puck out of their zone, stop the play and switch lines. However, this year, the team that ices the puck will not be able to switch lines, making icing a less attractive incentive and increasing the continuity of game play.

•Shootouts: Americans love the concept of winners and losers; USA vs. the Nazis, USA vs. the Russians, American Idol, etc.

This is probably the most exciting rule change for me as I would always feel very unfulfilled when hockey games used to end in ties.

The overtime structure is as follows: teams will play a five-minute 4-on-4 sudden death overtime

period at the end of regulation.

If no one scores, each team will pick three skaters to take two shots each in a shootout. If the score is still tied after this, there will be a sudden death shootout in which the first goal ends the game. Imagine watching a shootout in game seven of a playoff series; you can bet you’ll see a lot more fans wearing Depends in the stands if you really looked that closely.

In addition to the on-ice rule changes, the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has also changed drastically since we last saw NHL action.

•Salary Cap: This was the biggest problem the Player’s Association had with the new CBA, and it’s no wonder. Most players had to take significant pay cuts in order to be able to play this year. As it stands for this season, the CBA dictates a minimum team salary of $21.5 million and a maximum of $39 million. This floor and ceiling salary cap structure was designed to increase parity between teams and, hence, even the playing field for ‘less fortunate’

teams.

Already, in the first few weeks of the new CBA, there has been significant player movement due to teams not being able to resign their players from before the lockout. Here are some formerly crappy teams that may actually be pretty good this year.

•Pittsburgh Penguins: The past few months has been a Penguins fans’ own personal Fantasy Island. The Pens not only won the Sidney Crosby lottery, they were also able to sign marquee free agents John LeClair, Sergei Gonchar, Zigmund Palffy and acquire goalie Jocelyn Thibault by trade.

And let’s not forget they still have that guy named Mario Lemieux playing for them.

•Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers have lost players like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier over the years due to lack of finances.

Now that has all changed. The Oilers went out and snatched Chris Pronger out from St. Louis and defensive forward extraordinaire Michael Peca from the Islanders.

This Oilers team, along with that ridonkulously huge mall they got

up there, should make Edmonton an exciting city—for the very first time!

•Chicago Blackhawks: Most Chicagoans probably forgot they even had a hockey team, what with the resurgence of the Bulls, Steve Bartman, and the overachieving White Sox. That should quickly change this year though.

The Blackhawks went out and signed premier netminder Nikolai Khabibulin, defender Adrian Aucoin and forward Martin Lapointe. For everybody’s sanity, let’s hope the Blackhawks are good this year so we don’t have to hear about how lousy the Bears are or how the Cubs can never catch a break.

Well, that’s it, my little tribute to the sport that comes from the country whose sole purpose is to keep the USA from crashing into the North Pole. Hockey season begins on October 5th, and last I checked, there aren’t any Steven Seagal movies premiering on that night, so I know I have no excuse not to watch. And neither do you.