STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSIT Y IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 Still searching for a Halloween costume? Columnist Allie Wieczorek urges us to move beyond those last-minute sports costumes. Page 7.
Are the editors censors? Well...maybe. Editor Zach Goodwin voices his opposition to censoring profanity in Forum. Page 6.
VOLUME 127, NO. 26
Did $45 million buy us a better library? Senior David Weintraub doesn’t think so. Find out why inside. Page 5.
Check out our Halloween weekend Pulse calendar, plus Bauhaus dos and don’ts and an eerie Halloween playlist in Friday’s features.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2005
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WU skirts fire safety suggestions By Elizabeth Lewis Staff Reporter Despite fi re hazard notices sent to the University last year that recommended the installation of sprinkler systems in several buildings on the South 40, such action has not been taken. According to the Washington University Police Department’s Web site, all of the new residential buildings built since 1995 and four renovated buildings have automated sprinkler systems. Old dorms including Rubelmann, Umrath, Beaumont, Lee, Hitzeman, Hurd, Shanedling, Dauten, Rutledge, Liggett, and Myers, however, are currently
without sprinkler systems. “One by one, [the old dorms] are going away,” said Dean of Students Justin Carroll. “I don’t believe sprinkler systems have been added because the older buildings do not have to change. The newer ones do have sprinkler systems.” Koenig Hall, formerly on the fi re hazard list, was torn down and replaced with the new Koenig House. Carroll added that there are other fi re safety initiatives that decrease the chance of injury. “A requirement for freshman floor meetings is to go over basic fi re safety, and fi re drills are also part of the fi re
safety education,” he said. Carroll also noted the fi re safety postings in dorm hallways and on bulletin boards. Additionally, students can contact Paul Landgraf, a University health and safety professional, if they have questions about fi re safety. “There are improvements made in fi re safety programs on a continual basis at Washington University,” Landgraf wrote in an email to Student Life. “This year Residential Life and Environmental Health and Safety implemented an interactive fi re training presentation for the 118 residential advisors. Residential Life, Washington University Police Department and Envi-
Contributing Reporter As students walked to class yesterday, they passed an immense display of approximately 2,000 white cardboard tombstones, each bearing the name of a fallen U.S. soldier and an Iraqi civilian. The tombstones, which covered the grassy expanse between Graham Chapel and the Women’s Building (west of Olin Library), were on display from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. yesterday not only to honor fallen soldiers and innocent civilians but also to remind people of the enormous impact of war on human lives. Graduate student Adam Shriver conceived of the idea for the display and organized the event. Junior Samantha White, Professor of Philosophy Marilyn Friedman, and several other students worked the information tables surrounding the display throughout the day. “Myself and some other students recognized that many on campus have been opposed to the war, but there haven’t really been any huge displays of activism, so we decided [to do this],” said Shriver. “There are also lots of people who don’t think the war is a huge deal. Two thousand sounds like a very abstract number, but when you see a visual display, it
hits home more. We want to honor the fallen soldiers and raise awareness about what a huge impact the war has really had.” Shriver has also advocated for the formation of a new Peace and Justice Group on the Washington University campus. He envisions the group as a forum to educate people about what war is like and stated that the group would probably “invite veterans to campus to speak about experiences or have people who have been in war zones describe what goes on there.” The ultimate goal of such a group would be to raise awareness about accurate descriptions of war. “Students need to get out there and be active,” said Shriver. “To get a serious movement going, people have to be willing to join groups or vigils or public displays of their dissatisfaction. People must make their opinions known to put pressure on others to change.” He recommended that interested students become involved with the “Instead of War Coalition” (w w w.insteadofwar.org), a very active group that hosts numerous events in the St. Louis community, including a vigil each Sunday night.
DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE
This display of tombstones on Hilltop Campus was put on yesterday by members of the University community to raise awareness about the loss of life that has occurred in Iraq. Each tombstone bears the name of a deceased United States soldier and an Iraqi civilian. The tombstones were also used in a similar protest Wednesday night at Saint Louis University downtown.
over all of the buildings on the South 40, and they often conduct fi re safety inspections of the buildings on the South 40 and Hilltop campus. They have sent the University several notices since last December that include a recommendation to install sprinklers in the older dorms, but cannot force the University to install sprinklers in these buildings because they were erected under a different code. In addition, some of the older University-owned apartments do not have fi re alarms. “While the older apartment buildings do not have fi re alarm systems, because
they were not required when built, these buildings are all in compliance with the University City fi re codes,” wrote Landgraf. Jim LaVenture, assistant fi re chief and CFD fi re marshal, affi rmed that whether or not the buildings comply with fi re codes depends on when they were erected. “It depends on when they were built,” said LaVenture. “All of the new buildings have sprinklers. If you changed the occupancy, then building sprinklers might apply. For example, if a building goes from business to mercantile—if the use [of the build-
See FIRE, page 3
CANDLES BURNING BRIGHT
Tombstones honor the fallen in Iraq By Mackenzie Leonard
ronmental Health and Safety established in August 2005 a new poster program unique to public safety.” Landgraf noted that the posters are being placed in lounges and other common areas on the South 40, and will address different issues throughout the year. Ed Comeau, a nationally recognized fi re safety expert and activist, explained that fi re safety remains a critical issue on many campuses. “Sprinklers are not a common feature [on college campuses], but it is getting better. The majority do not have sprinklers,” said Comeau. The Clayton Fire Department (CFD) has jurisdiction
ALWYN LOH | STUDENT LIFE
Students participate in a candlelight vigil Wednesday night in Bowles Plaza to honor the 2,000 American troops that have died during the war in Iraq. The vigil, organized by Amnesty International, was part of a national movement to honor both U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians that have died during the war.
COMMENTARY
One on one with David Ader By Ben Sales Contributing Reporter The responsibilities of a student government president are numerous. As David Ader continues through his second term as Student Union president, Student Life examines how well he has met his own expectations, as well as those of the University community at large. Ader has incorporated “his own values, personality, expertise and leadership style to guide and lead the student government,” said Jill Carnaghi, assistant vice chancellor for students, who advises the Student Union (SU) Executive Council weekly. Ader, who was elected by a margin of 42 votes in the spring of 2004, previously served as an SU senator and as the Senate Chair of Academic Affairs. He ran unopposed for SU president his second term. “I think I’ve done a good job,” said Ader. He added that he needs improvement on “day-to-day things,” but said, “I’ve got tons of great people around me. Our team has done a great job.” Ader is the seventh SU president Carnaghi has worked with. “David’s second term is really different from his first,” she said. “From spring two years before up until fall of last year, Student Union was really consumed in planning the presidential debate. They
did way more since ended. He also than just be inoversaw the renovavolved in the tion of SU’s Internet debate—they acactivity, redesigntually provided ing the Web site— a variety of powhich Ader called litical forums to “a resource for stueducate student dents and student voters on the groups to get things various issues. done”—and sending They did an exout a weekly email ceptional job to students. from the start “We wanted to… DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE of the school David Ader get things settled year through in-house and make the election.” sure we could handle them Ader also sees the 2004 in an efficient manner. We’re debate as an inspiring poised to do that,” he said. event. Pamela Bookbinder, who “It was amazing to see the ran against Ader during his campus get so energized,” 2004 campaign and who now said Ader. “Everyone was ral- serves as SU’s vice president, lying around the debates.” agreed that SU has been tryAder saw the coordination ing to stay more connected of the events surrounding with the student groups it the debates as one of that represents. week’s highlights. “A lot of “We’ve been working to student groups were getting make SU more personable,” together” to plan events, he said Bookbinder, who chairs said, adding that most of the the Outreach, Retention and students participated in the Improvement committee. programs “whether interest- “We’ve kept in touch with ed in politics or not.” students as to how to get inAder feels that the retool- volved.” ing of SU has been one of his Ader attributes much of greatest accomplishments SU’s streamlining to the while in office. separation of the Senate and “We want [a Student the Treasury. Enacted three Union] that students feel years ago, the split allowed represents them, that they them to “focus on student feel comfortable going to groups and their needs,” he share concerns,” said Ader. said. He continued that effiAlthough the reorganiciency is “always a tough is- zation made the Senate a sue.” In order to make SU and more “political” body, as the student groups it repre- most financial concerns are sents more effective, Ader brought before the Treasury, placed a moratorium on new Ader said he tries to keep groups in 2004, which has things out of the scope of
politics. “SU is not a governing body, but a service organization,” he said. “We’re not here to tell people what to do. I think of SU more as a business. When politics are a huge part [of the process], nothing ever gets done.” Yet some see the emphasis on organization as a deterrent from SU’s other functions. Junior Aaron Keyak, a former senator who currently serves as the treasurer of the College Democrats, would like to see SU function more as a representative of the student body’s views and concerns than as a service organization. “Our student government should go out there more actively,” said Keyak. “Student government should be an aggressive advocate for the student voice. [Right now] the government is more of a bureaucracy than a representative of the student voice.” He added, however, that SU has run more efficiently since Ader’s election. “People appreciate the changes. And a treasurer and a senator, it has improved by leaps and bounds,” said Keyak. “Ader and the rest of the board are very accessible to talk about things.” Nonetheless, Keyak believes SU is not doing the best job of reaching out to its constituency. “They should find out what the student interest is,”
See ADER, page 3