STUDENT LIFE
F R I D A Y OCT. 17, 2003 Vo l . 1 2 5 , N o . 2 3
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T H E I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y I N S T. L O U I S S I N C E 1 8 7 8
INSIDE
eet me i n St . Loui s M
SIZING IT UP
A guide to Parents Weekend
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t’s Parents Weekend: A time to visit with mom and dad, to introduce them to friends and to give them a taste of St. Louis. For some, entertaining parents for two or three days is not an easy or anticipated task. But fear not, daughters and sons, there are plenty of things you can do to survive–and possibly even enjoy–Parents Weekend.
More like a Twix Bar or a Mounds? Making WUpee columnist Jill Ringold tackles the age-old question of just what size is “normal.” Also, see Matt Simonton’s unstoppable reviewing technique in action as he looks at the three best kung fu movies available to rent.
PAGE 5 FOOTBALL PREVIEW
Ready for homecoming weekend? Reporter Aaron Wolfson examines the X’s and O’s as the Bears face off against Chicago with UAA bragging rights on the line.
by Sarah Baicker
a
Soulard Market, one of The City Museum, located only 15 minutes from the last remaining outdoor campus, is a truly unique markets in St. Louis, can also experience. Not really a muse- be a fun experience. Soulard um, it is instead a huge build- is a large farmers’ market, ing filled with plenty of ways to selling everything from prorevert back to childhood: arts duce and flowers to clothes, and crafts, live demonstrations, carpets and jewelry. It’ll give circus and a large playground students an opportunity to pick up fresh fruits called “Monstro and veggies they City,” to name a might not be able few features. The to get on campus. City Museum also Then, of course, offers a number of there is The Arch. special activities on If students have yet weekends and is open to experience this past midnight on Satfamed attraction in urdays. downtown St. Louis, Our hometown hocknow is the time. In ey team, the St. Louis addition to The Arch Blues, will be taking on itself, there is an underthe Washington Capitals ground Lewis and Clark this Saturday night. The museum featuring wax Blues are consistently highfigures and educational ranked and are an exciting movies. “Journey to the team to watch. Tickets are Top” offers an opportunity relatively inexpensive and Visit studlife.com to take a trip in a tram inare still available. v for directions to locations listed side The Arch to its peak, Practically around the an exhilarating height of corner from campus is the St. Louis Zoo. The Zoo’s newest exhibit, “Penguin 630 feet, where visitors can get a completely and Puffin Coast,” promises an “astonishing new view of the city. But if mom’s afraid of look” at oceanic birds. An added bonus: ad- heights, maybe it’s best just to admire it from the ground. mission is free. It might also be fun to take parents to Ted The Anheuser-Busch Brewery offers tours of its facilities to the public. If students or their Drewes. Though both students and parents parents are Budweiser fans, or are just curious have most likely tasted the frozen custard on about how beer is made, this might be a fun campus at some point, going to the actual shop way to spend the afternoon. A trip to the Brew- will offer the opportunity to enjoy the custard ery just might provide an opportune time for fresh, rather than re-frozen. mom and dad to discuss the pros and cons of social drinking. See WEEKEND, page 3
By Liz Neukirch q Contributing Reporter
STUDENT SNAPSHOT you excited for your Q: Are parents to come visit for Parents Weekend?
entire world. If only they could live in my common room. B. Sort of. My parents may be a little crazy, but at least I’ll get good food and a free trip to Target. C. No. It takes a lot of effort to hide my beer and that vibrator I bought on Wednesday. D. My parents aren’t coming. They disowned me after the mashed potato “incident” at last year’s Thanksgiving dinner.
Cast your vote at studlife.com
INDEX Cadenza Forum Calendar Sports
pages 5-6 pages 7-8 page 9 pages 11-12
DANA KUHN
(Top) The Central West End neighborhood is close to campus and has many good restaurants, retail shops and other sites. (Bottom) The St. Louis History Museum is a good way to brush up on the history of the Missouri Compromise. (Left) Brrrr! It might be cold, but the St. Louis Zoo’s Penguin and Puffin exhibits are a hot attraction.
Blood drives under fire
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parents are my A: A.veryYes.bestMyfriends in the
DANA KUHN
Website offers mental health info Ulifeline.org capitalizes on anonymity to offer counseling
Blood drives on college campuses have been the target of controversy in recent months, as students and gaystraight alliances—most recently at the University of Kansas—have accused their schools of violating discrimination policies by providing funding for the drives, which exclude gay men who have had sex with another man any time since 1977. This exclusion, which is often viewed as discriminatory against sexual orientation, may not be in violation of the Policy on Discrimination at Washington University. According to the official policy, the University “administers all programs without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status or disability.”
The blood drives on campus, however, are not operated, or even sponsored, by the University itself. According to Stephanie Kurtzman, who has coordinated blood drives at the University since 1999, co-sponsoring a blood drive is open to anyone on campus, from student groups to residential colleges. After Kurtzman sets three dates for the donations each semester, the groups attend a meeting to learn about co-sponsorship and decide on a blood collection agency, as well as which other groups they would like to collaborate with. Currently, Kurtzman serves as a liaison with both the Community Blood Center of St. Louis and American Red Cross. “All of the marketing materials come from the agencies,” said Kurtzman, addressing how the blood drives are publicized. “I don’t think our groups pick up
See BLOOD DRIVE, page 4
By Kristin McGrath q Contributing Reporter Within just six months, Ron Gibori lost two of his fraternity brothers to suicide while attending the University of Arizona. “Both my friends were showing signs of being severely depressed, and I just didn’t know,” said Gibori. “I found out that suicide was one of the leading causes of death among young people, and I had no idea at the time.” Now, five years later, Gibori is the executive director of Ulifeline.org, a website he founded with the parents of Jed Satow, one of the suicide victims. The site, which provides mental health information and guides to resources specific to member schools, is now available through Washington University’s Health and Counseling Services. Gibori feels that Ulifeline’s focus on college students’ needs makes it unique among mental health websites. “We took into account what kind of information students would be looking for and how they want to get it instead of just asking doctors what students need,” said Gibori. He explained that feedback from college students and school counseling departments plays a significant role in determining the information included on the site.
See SITE, page 4
STUDENT LIFE
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EMILY TOBIAS
Red Cross technician Sally Witz takes student Austin Senseman’s blood at a blood drive in Friedman Lounge Thursday. On some campuses blood drives have come under scrutiny for excluding gays. Newsroom: (314) 935-5995 Advertising: (314) 935-6713 Fax: (314) 935-5938
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