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STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 VOLUME 129, NO. 15
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2007
New WILD policies cause mixed reactions
Hosts of ‘08 Pres. debates to be announced BY MARK DUDLEY CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
LIONEL SOBEHART | STUDENT LIFE
Students fill the Quad during last year’s Spring W.I.L.D. This year’s W.I.L.D., set for Saturday night, will feature DJ Unk and headliner Lupe Fiasco. BY EDWARD LAZZARIN CONTRIBUTING REPORTER This Saturday at W.I.L.D., some students will be able to actually walk in and lie down, as the name suggests, but no one will be able to walk in and take photos. The annual concert has recently undergone various changes, which have been met with both excited and lukewarm responses. For this semester’s W.I.L.D., Team 31 is bringing couches back to the Quad, as well as placing a ban on still cameras. New inflatable couches, subsidized by the Campus Bookstore, will be available for all attendees to use on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“The problem is that there’s like eight [couches], so like 20 people will have a great time,” said Team 31 Co-chair Pehr Hovey. “It’ll be something fun and we’re trying it out. If it goes over well, we might do more couches.” While attendees have been allowed for years to bring their own couches in compliance with the deadline and rules outlined on W.I.L.D.’s Web site, the tradition has petered out. The vast majority of students interviewed were unaware of this privilege, though a fair portion knew it had been done in past years. While students were initially excited about the inflatable couches provided by Team 31,
they expressed disappointment at the limited number of couches provided. “How are you supposed to get a seat at one?” asked sophomore Fiona Turett. “I think there’ll be people piling on them which would be kind of interesting considering they’re inflatable and not very strong,” said junior Aarthi Arunachalam. Along with the inflatable couches, the other new change causing concern is the ban on still cameras at this semester’s W.I.L.D., by request of headliner Lupe Fiasco. It is uncertain whether this policy will apply next semester as well. “We were told no cameras at
all, and that comes from Lupe Fiasco, because the headliner gets to dictate that,” said Hovey. Students were generally disappointed with this policy. “That’s kind of ridiculous. I want to take photos with my friends,” said senior Joe Karasek. “That sucks,” said freshman Kelson Hedderich. “But we have to respect Mr. Fiasco’s rights.” Other new additions to W.I.L.D. include a fourth act and an extended opening act. The opener, Kid Beyond, a San Francisco-based beatboxer, will be playing for one hour rather than the usual half-hour.
By the end of next month, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) will announce the four host institutions for the 2008 Presidential Debates. Washington University, which hosted debates in 1992, 2000 and 2004, is one of nineteen institutions in contention. “We have expressed great enthusiasm for hosting a presidential debate,” said Rob Wild, assistant to the Chancellor. “It is a great honor to be in the running for such an important national event.” The Commission, a bipartisan organization charged with selecting the host locations for presidential debates, has selected the University four times since 1992—more than any other institution. The 1996 debate, which was awarded to the University, was later cancelled. Two main factors—logistical feasibility and host integration—influenced the Commission’s decision. Issues of logistical feasibility necessitate established telecommunications centers, access to major transportation hubs and sufficient space to hold the event. This summer, members of the Commission came to the University to inspect whether or not the University can fulfill these requirements. “We put our best foot forward to accommodate every request of the Commission,” said Wild. The proposed debate site, the Athletic Complex, has many systems in place to host such an event. Phone lines and telecommunications wiring are permanently installed into the center, as well as plans for converting the gymnasium into a fully functioning debate hall. The Athletic Complex has hosted previous debates at the
University. In addition, recent campus improvements, such as the construction of new buildings and parking facilities, and the incorporation of MetroLink have greatly increased the accessibility of the University. “We are hopeful that these improvements will be a great addition to our campus infrastructure,” said Wild. Should the University be selected, student life will change during the time around the debate—media, political figures, protestors, supporters and curious spectators from all over the world will be present on campus. Wild, however, remains optimistic about this effect. “A challenge will be [to adjust] this impact, but the feeling is that the benefits to the students, as well as the faculty, outweigh the short-term costs of the event,” he said. These benefits will offer a real-life educational experience to students, faculty and staff. “Hosting a presidential debate would give the students a first-hand look at what encompasses an election campaign,” said Melanie Springer, assistant professor of political science and an expert on American voting behavior. “Having the debate is a way to make us all feel closer to a national moment.” In addition to simply bringing the election to the University, the debates will help students gain a wider perspective on the political process as a whole. “Young people are all too often disenfranchised by national politics,” said junior Adam Schneider. “This [will be] our chance to let the nation know that we at Washington University are enthused by political
See DEBATES, page 2
PANDA BEAR CAPTURED
See WILD, page 2
Students add to Burns documentary BY JOHN SCOTT CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Today’s college students, and most Americans, have never experienced anything approaching World War II. Now, with the help of some Washington University students, a Ken Burns documentary featuring stories from those who experienced World War II could provide valuable insight into how all Americans were impacted by the war. The documentary, titled “The War,” is currently airing on PBS. The documentary focuses on how the war affected four American towns. As part of the documentary, Burns asked people to submit stories about their World War II experiences. Burns, a three-time Emmy award-winning documentary producer, is most famous for his Emmy award-winning “The Civil War.” The response was much greater than anticipated. According to Barbara Liebmann, administrative assistant at the Center for the Humanities, the University was contacted by St. Louis Public Television, KETC, to see if students would be interested in helping with the project and examining accounts.
“People were sending in so much information that they needed help from the students to sort out what would be actual experiences,” said Liebmann. The History department and the Program in Film and Media Studies both had students interested in examining the submissions. By examining these submissions, the students are helping preserve the record of a critical time in American and world history. Senior Traci Horner, one of the students working on the project, said that the concept of the project is very interesting because it collects personal histories before they are lost forever. “The idea I think that Ken Burns had was he heard some statistic that so many World War II veterans are dying every day, and that statistic inspired him, so he started [the project] and everyone realized that it’s important to get these people’s voices and get their stories recorded in some form or another,” said Horner. Horner, a history major, said that she was contacted by the History department about an internship associated with “The War.” She is working with KETC
Of Robots and race cars Vertigo dance floors? Rock ‘um, Sock ‘um Robots? Check out what those wacky engineers are building in their free time. Scene, Page 8
to sort through the submitted documents. “We’re getting letters, books, interviews and oral histories that people have written down and are sending in. It’s basically all types of media,” said Horner. Horner has gone through various types of documents ranging from a memoir to a pamphlet, both written by people who lived during the war. According to Horner, recorded phone conversations and television interviews are also included in the collection of primary documents. All of the documents that Horner deals with are from people with some sort of connection to the St. Louis area. According to Horner, St. Louis has received a third of all submissions. In addition to Horner and the other students from the University, students from St. Louis University are also helping with the project, and there are people working all over the country to examine the documents. Horner said that her aunt is working on the same project in Houston, Texas. “Everyone has their story and it’s really special to the individual people and they want to be heard. Everything is being col-
lected and sent to the Missouri Historical Society after we deal with it, so it’s still going to be on record,” said Horner. According to Horner, some of the documents include personal letters written to people serving during the war. She said that it was unexpected that people would be willing to share such personal accounts. “That’s a really personal thing that someone is willing to share,” said Horner. “It’s been a shock to the people who work there. They didn’t expect so many people to want to talk about it. I’ve read a story from a person from Greece who watched his village get burned when he was ten.” Horner said that she had not been interested specifically in World War II history, nor had she done much with it personally before this project. “I’ve kind of shied away from it because I felt it was a topic that everyone covered, but now I’m realizing why everyone covers it,” she said. Horner said that it is important to listen to the stories because others can relate to them. “It’s really cool to hear these
See BURNS, page 2
Good eats in trendy Clayton Looking for fancy dining on a budget? Our Stepping Out team takes you on a bistro adventure at Pomme Café & Wine Bar. Scene, Page 8
SCOTT BRESSLER | STUDENT LIFE
Members of KARL Improv capture and escort a wild panda that was loose on campus on Thursday. The group was advertising their improv comedy show Thursday night.
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