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THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSIT Y IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 The government’s turn to Orwellian warfare, SU Treasury’s continued foibles and all the news we found unfit to print—inside Forum. Page 6.

What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial? Our Sports staffers share their favorites inside. Page 5.

VOLUME 127, NO. 49

It can be tough to get a first date on this campus, much less score a second one.

We’ve got tips for doing both. Page 7.

The Scene staf taff takes to the streets in an ef effort to find the coolest neighb hborhoods in St. Louis. See ee Page 10.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006

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Music downloading service en route

By Josh Hantz Associate Reporter Washington University may only be a few more steps away from providing students with the means to legally download movies and music.

Once it reaches an agreement with Ruckus, a digital network based in Virginia, the wait will be over.

“We are still reviewing the contract and technical specifications,” said Matt Arthur, director of Residential Technology Services. “Once Wash.

U. has made the decision and signed the contract, the actual time to implement it ac-

cording to Ruckus would be relatively short.”

Developed specifically for universities, Ruckus offers 1.5 million music tracks, 45 movies that are rotated weekly and a section that features student-made content.

Students can also use the company’s community features that allow users to connect with others that share their tastes in music and movies.

The University held a digital expo last year where many companies showcased their offers. Students gave their feedback and, from their fi ve favorites Ruckus was chosen

by a committee made up of Student Union and Congress of the South 40 representatives, as well as Arthur and Dean James McLeod.

“One of the goals of the committee was to assure that whatever was decided would be the best step for the student population,” said Arthur. “That is why the various student leadership organizations have been involved from the beginning.”

Student Union President David Ader recognizes the progress the University has made since the music fair.

“We’re moving as quickly as possible,” he said. “And

Village housing BLOC program welcomes new interest groups

By Jon Bremer Contributing Reporter Common rooms, additional funding and an easier application process are some of the incentives luring students to the Village and Lopata Houses next year.

BLOCs, the name used for groups consisting of four to 24 students, can receive funding to pursue common interests and goals from within a wide variety of topics.

Once established, the group must conduct programs in accordance with their stated purpose. After submitting a budget request for review, the group will receive funds based upon its level of community involvement and influence.

“If it is working with the purpose of the BLOC, the money is there…as long as it is reasonable,” said Resident Advisor Harsh Agarwal, who helped conceive of the new system.

Current BLOCs include “Islamic Lifestyles,” “Spanish House” and “Cooking and Booking” along with a “Connections” group dedicated to the promotion of diverse worldviews around campus.

“There is an intellectual component [in the BLOC system], but it doesn’t necessarily have to be an academic

one,” said Village Director Cheryll Stephens.

“Virtually any idea can become a BLOC,” reads the brochure for BLOC housing.

The brochure goes on to note several areas of focus for interested groups, including movies, comedy, cultures, leadership and music.

Next year, groups of 12 or more will be able to apply for their own common room with specific swipe card access. These large groups can request additional amenities for their room such as DVD players and pieces of artwork.

The application process itself has also been made easier with a shorter written application and an eager faculty willing to work with students on their proposals.

“If you have a concept or a group of people, we make it work,” said Agarwal.

Sophomore Larkin Dennis is awaiting approval for her proposed Carpe Diem Society BLOC. “It sounds like a good plan, to live with a bunch of your friends and to get some funds to pursue your interests and have a good time,” said Dennis.

The Carpe Diem Society encourages any interested students to join and aims to

See VILLAGE BLOCS, page 2

we’re fi nally working with just this one company.”

Ruckus should come as a welcome necessity for students who can’t download because of the copyright laws upheld by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Although illegal downloading on campus does exist, the rate is said to be relatively low.

“In communications with [RIAA] and its staff, we have been commended for the work done both for and with our student population concerning copyright issues,” said Arthur.

Ruckus recently changed

its structure regarding downloading, and students can now buy music with a license to own the song. Without buying, however, they can only listen to it for 30 days until the license expires.

Although some students might welcome the new Ruckus, others doubt that a University-sponsored service would be embraced by all.

“It’s better than not having anything at all,” said senior Sarah Weiss. “Some would pay and others would fi nd ways to do it for free by going off campus.”

Freshman Dave Shapiro says he wouldn’t use the ser-

BLACK ANTHOLOGY RAISES AWARENESS IN EDISON

ALWYN LOH | STUDENT LIFE

Performers take stage in the annual production of Black Anthology in Edison Theater Friday night. This year’s production was entitled “Lest We Forget” and focused on minority issues within the University setting. See page 3 for more photo coverage of Black Anthology.

Center Court attendance stagnant

By Troy Rumans Staff Reporter Center Court continues to contend with decreased business, as attendance this semester has remained lower than in previous years.

“It’s pretty much maintained the same traffic flow, but it’s considerably lower from what it used to be years ago,” said Marc

Foley, the manager for Center Court.

This year, fewer and fewer students have gone for the buffet-style dining offered by Center Court.

Nightly attendance at the Wohl Center eatery has fallen steadily since Bear’s Den opened downstairs, and has since plateaued at about 600 students per night.

As Foley explained, the reason for Center Court’s failure to attract as many students this year might lie in students’ eating habits rather than in the food itself.

“I think part of the reason is not because of the quality of the food or sheer value,” said Foley. “But I think most students…don’t want to just stay in this one room. They want

Entrepreneurship talk is big business at the University

By Troy Rumans Staff Reporter At the outset of the fall semester, Chancellor Wrighton stressed that Washington University would be strongly emphasizing an entrepreneurial zeal in the coming years.

Of course, proclamation and action do not always stride hand in hand. So amidst all the previous year’s discussion and planning, what has been achieved?

Teddy Purnomo, the founder and president of the Foundation for Undergraduate Student Entrepreneurs (FUSE), has an answer.

“I think we are evolving into the most expansive, integrated entrepreneurial campus in the country,” said Purnomo.

Purnomo and his organization, which concentrates on offering entrepreneurial workshops

and competitions to undergraduates, has been one of the key players in the University’s recent push towards a heightened focus on entrepreneurship.

The latest manifestation of this growing interest will be seen tomorrow at a talk sponsored by four separate organizations from various parts of the University community and its neighbors.

The talk features panelists from the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), a worldwide organization of entrepreneurs that created companies which are now worth more than $1 million.

This particular group features members who are all under the age of 40, many of whom started completely from scratch.

“The unique thing about them is that they got big, but not necessarily with equity financing.

See FUSE PANEL, page 4

vice at all.

“I have other ways of getting music, like fi le-sharing or just buying CDs—but who does that anymore?” he said. “But people who use iTunes, there’s no reason they wouldn’t use something else.”

Ruckus would presumably decrease illegal downloading, but no one can predict that for sure.

For the University, the main issue is keeping the problem to a minimum.

“Illegal downloading is a problem nationwide,” said Ader. “The University must do all it can.”

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE

A Center Court worker awaits students at the beginning of dinner hours. Center Court attendance has fallen in recent years since the renovation of Bear’s Den.

something they can buy and just leave. That’s what Bear’s Den offers to them.”

“I’ve been working here for four to five years,” he added.

“When Center Court was first opened, we were doing over 1,000 coverage every single night. It’s almost like kids have forgotten Center Court is up here.”

Center Court has tried using student feedback to encourage attendance, but Bon Appétit’s Director of Operations Rick Turner has yet to see much benefit from these activities.

“Student feedback was that they wanted to have it open later. Hours from 5-6 were very low, so we moved them from 69,” said Turner. “[The attendance numbers] haven’t increased this year; they’ve decreased,” added Turner. One of the things is that students feel that it takes longer to eat at Center Court than at a Bear’s Den situation.

Also, Bear’s Den seems to be a more social environment that students would rather dine at because of the aesthetics and fresh design.”

Foley also noted that students seem to have a tendency to frequent Center Court less and less as the year goes on.

“What typically happens… usually first semester it’s right up there, but second semester students have fallen into a pattern and numbers drop by about 100 or so,” said Foley.

As for the future of Center Court, Turner is uncertain.

“I expect some type of change in the future,” said Turner. “I wouldn’t want to speculate the change…we’ve been in contact

See CENTER COURT, page 4

2 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

Senior News Editors / Kristin McGrath and Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2006

STUDENT LIFE One Brookings Drive #1039 #42 Women’s Building Saint Louis, MO 63130-4899 News: (314) 935-5995 Advertising: (314) 935-6713 Fax: (314) 935-5938 email: editor@studlife.com www.studlife.com Copyright 2006 Editor in Chief: Margaret Bauer Associate Editor: Liz Neukirch Managing Editor: David Tabor Senior News Editors: Kristin McGrath, Liz Neukirch 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 News Editors: Mandy Silver, Caroline Wekselbaum Forum Editors: Daniel Milstein, Jeff Stepp, Matt Shapiro, Joshua Trein Cadenza Editors: Adam Summerville, Jordan Deam, Robbie Gross Scene Editors: Sarah Klein, Erin Fults Sports Editor:Joe Ciolli Photo Editors: David Hartstein, Pam Buzzetta, Meghan Luecke Online Editor: Dan Daranciang Design Chief: Laura McLean Copy Editors: Allie McKay, Nina Perlman, Kelly Donahue, Erin Fults, Rebecca Emshwiller, hannah draper, Julian Beattie, Mallory Wilder, Paige Creo Designers: Ellen Lo, Anna Dinndorf, Jamie Reed, Andy Gavinski, Elizabeth Kaufman, Kate Ehrlich General Manager: Andrew O’Dell Advertising Manager: Sara Judd Copyright 2006 Washington University Student Media, Inc. (WUSMI). Student Life is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper serving the Washington University community. First copy of each publication is free; all additional copies are 50 cents. Subscriptions may be purchased for $80.00 by calling (314) 935-6713.

Student Life is a publication of WUSMI and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the Washington University administration, faculty or students. All Student Life articles, photos and graphics are the property of WUSMI and may not be reproduced or published without the express written consent of the General Manager. Pictures and graphics printed in Student Life are available for purchase; e-mail editor@ studlife.com for more information. Student Life reserves the right to edit all submissions for style, grammar, length and accuracy. The intent of submissions will not be altered. Student Life reserves the right not to publish all submissions.

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NATIONAL

has violated this claim, all of the fantasy baseball leagues that aren’t licensed by the MLB would be closed. Other possibilities include the leagues being run on free sites or replacing the players’ names with their numbers. Nevertheless, the MLB plans on fi nding a way to receive some of the profit by starting its own fantasy league or by licensing leagues to certain individuals. The jury trial for the case is set for later this year.

Alcohol-free fraternity houses on the rise The number of dry fraternity houses is increasing nationally as part of a push to eliminate the “Animal House” image and binge drinking, according to the Cincinati Post. Eleven out of 70 national fraternities already ban alcohol, and 20 percent of fraternity members live in dry housing accord i n g to the Association of Fraternity Advisors. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said alcohol is linked to more than 1,700 student deaths with 44 percent of students doing binge drinking. Many recent crackdowns on drinking have been led by universities, a third of which now have official anti-problem drinking policies. Most fraternities still oppose direct drinking bans, arguing that education is better than prohibition.

Alito splits with conservatives on Missouri death penalty New Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito split with the conservatives on Wednesday night by refusing to let Missouri execute death row inmate Michael Taylor by lethal injection later that night.

Taylor had won a stay from an appeals court earlier that day.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Antonin Scalia had supported lifting the stay to have the execution take place that night, but Alito sided with the other five members in denying Missouri’s last-minute request to carry out a midnight execution.

Troubled times for fantasy sports leagues?

Fantasy sports leagues are at risk due to the ongoing case involving CBC Distribution, Major League Baseball (MLB), and the Major League Baseball Players Assocation. After CBC, a company that provides fantasy sports leagues, sued MLB to gain the rights to use players’ names and statistics in the online leagues, the Players Association stepped in to enforce the players’ rights to control this information. Now the MLB and the Players Association have fi led counterclaims for using the names and the statistics, invoking the “right of publicity” claim, which prevents someone from using another person’s name or identity for profit without fi rst getting consent. If the court decides that the CBC

LOCAL East St. Louis to get a new view of the Gateway Arch East St. Louis will receive a beautiful site when the Malcolm W. Martin Memo- r i a l Park is completed. The project is expected to be completed in 2-3 years and to cost a few million dollars. The park will feature a multilevel overlook that will allow observers to have a full view of the St. Louis Gateway Arch. The focal point of the park will be the 11-year-old Gateway Geyser, and the park will also feature a terraced amphitheater, a cultural interpretive center and a lot of green space, complete with nature trails.

CAMPUS There’s no such thing as a “creative” gene, says Wash.

U. researcher Everyone can be creative, according to a book recently released by Washington University’s Dr. R. Keith Sawyer. The book, entitled “Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation,” examines and debunks many of the myths surrounding creative people. Sawyer, an associate professor of education and psychology and an expert on creativity, insists that everyone is capable of being highly creative.

The fi rst myth that the book addresses is society’s concept that creativity is a trait that some people are born with. According to Sawyer, creativity is based on brain processes that we all share and use on a daily basis. In addition, the book addresses the assumption that creative people are lone geniuses or mentally ill.

Sawyer’s research has shown that highly creative people often spend a great deal of time interacting with others, an activity that serves as inspiration. In Sawyer’s opinion, the secret to creativity lies in hard work and work habits. For example, creative people structure their work habits with a combination of hard work and idle time off, and they often work on several related long-term projects at once, allowing helpful analogies to arise.

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Companies discriminate upon the basis of voice, study finds You might lose the chance of getting a job the second you say “hello” to a potential employer on the phone, according to a recent study by Dr. John Baugh, director of African and African American Studies at Washington University. In the study, researchers called potential employers, real estate agents and service providers, first using an AfricanAmerican dialect, then a Mexican-style Spanish-English dialect and finally a dialect most people regard as Standard English. The study found that some companies treated the callers differently, telling callers with ethnic dialects that a position was no longer available, for example, while telling the Standard English speaker that the position was still open.

VILLAGE BLOCS v FROM PAGE 1 take advantage of the many St. Louis area attractions such as the Art Museum and the Zoo. Juniors Mary Vaughan and Sara Dieffenbach are current members of the Cooking and Booking BLOC and have been living in the Village for two years.

“We really wanted to live in a six-person suite,” said Dieffenbach. “But our [housing lottery] numbers weren’t good enough so we got moved to the Village, and it really worked out for the better.”

Although the BLOC housing options are relatively new, the intellectual and social foundation of the Village remains the same.

“The idea of trying to get a college atmosphere within a university is probably a national movement; when universities get very big, they can get very impersonal,” said Faculty Associate and former English Department Chair Dan Shea.

Shea explained that interdisciplinary communication is an important idea in research and teaching, and that he hoped more would be done in the context of housing to foster similar exchanges.

The application deadline for new BLOCS is Feb. 23, and notification of acceptance occurs as early as March 7—three weeks before the start of the regular room selection process. BLOCS will be co-ed only within the groups themselves and not within the many four-person suites of singles.

In the past the Village has been a somewhat unpopular housing location, often a final resort for students unable to find housing elsewhere. Those involved with the BLOC program hope to change that.

“I think it is going to take off—it is just a matter of time,” said Agarwal.

Senior News Editors / Kristin McGrath and Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2006

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Senior News Editors / Kristin McGrath and Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com

CENTER COURT v FROM PAGE 1

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2006

WU groups give U. City schools the technology hook-up

By David Song Contributing Reporter

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE

A Bon Appétit employee prepares pizzas for the Center Court ovens. Attendance at the upstairs Wohl eatery has fallen from about 1,000 students per night before the Bear’s Den renovation to about 600 students per night currently. with the committee and with students about what students really want.”

One concern that arises from this reduced attendance comes from the amount of food wasted

by Center Court on slow nights.

Turner and Foley both note, however, that this is rarely a problem.

“Lowered attendance doesn’t lead to waste,” said Tuner. “We have a lot of missions, shelters such as operation food search,

and a couple of other organizations that pick up the leftovers that we have.”

“For the most part, we try not to have an excessive amount of food. We do a lot of fresh cooking,” added Foley.

In the end, the future of Center Court comes down to the students.

Junior Ben Jarret used to eat at Center Court at least once a week, often more. Now he never goes.

“I used to eat brunch there a lot,” said Jarrett. “Now I have to work at 9 a.m. on Sundays. I just have too much stuff I need to do.”

Still, despite the low attendance, those who operate it remain committed.

“It’s still the best value, I feel, on campus,” said Foley. “Whether students want to actually take the time and have a meal there is their decision.”

The Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School in University City, with the support of the Association of Information Technology Professionals, will be opening its fi rst computer lab next week The development of technology in the school will serve as a considerable advantage for both students and the school, and Principal Sandra Bell said she is, “excited to get [the computer lab] up and running.”

The elementary school, formerly known as the Daniel Boone Elementary School, was renamed after Barbara Jordan, an African-American congresswoman and professor, in order to establish a sense of empowerment to the predominantly African-American local community.

For a community service project, the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), in partnership with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) on the Washington University cam-

pus, worked with the University to provide educational support for a local school through technology.

With a donation of over 20 computers from the University’s Medical School, the Association worked with University City educational officials to create a computer lab to benefit students and adults in the community.

Making use of two vacant classrooms, the AITP began construction of the lab in September and October 2005 and set the computers up in November.

According to Bell, the work is, “now in the fi nal stages,” with the networking to be fi nished by next week.

AITP Vice President Rebel Saffold explained that students at Barbara Jordan formerly had access to no more than a few computers in a room, but classwork will now be facilitated with a lab with over 20 workstations.

Especially notable is Tungsten, a new program designed to test the reading, math and science skills of students; with

the lab, such testing can be done more effectively.

And while the new computers at Barbara Jordan will utilize Linux instead of the more common Windows, Saffold notes that there is essentially “no difference between” these operating systems as far as their potential uses are concerned.

Students will not be the only people benefitting from the computer lab, as parents and teachers in the community can improve their technological literacy and learn new software. Meanwhile, the NSBE has begun enhancing the school program by working with sixth graders on skills such as keyboarding and Web exploration.

The computer lab will include 20 new computers, two printers, one scanner and a teacher’s station. Saffold says this will be a “very large step” for Barbara Jordan Elementary School.

An open house event is in the works that will show students working in the lab.

FUSE PANEL v FROM PAGE 1 That’s what the whole talk is about,” said Purnomo. “Classes don’t always talk so much about this aspect, so it’s good to see it being done here.”

Purnomo noted how much a student looking to start his own business could gain from hearing about an often overlooked business concept in academia.

“In [students’] ideas, they sometimes are a lot bigger or smaller than we’d expect, and if you go into equity financing early you may lose a lot of the

value of your company,” said Purnomo. “You realize later on that giving up half ownership may not have been a good idea.”

More important than this event in particular, however, are the people involved. The event is sponsored by FUSE, EO, The Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Student Entrepreneurial Program (SEP), a new organization formed through the school of Arts & Sciences.

Purnomo was quick to point out just how rapidly integration has spread throughout the campus.

“At first, we have Skandalaris reaching out to increase awareness. Faculty participation has increased from four to almost 100. There is also the emergence of the student entrepreneurial program that has been pushing a lot of collaboration between SEP, FUSE, and the Skandalaris center,” said Purnomo. “There are more channels

being opened.”

Future integration is also planned. One major thing Purnomo mentioned was the possibility of unification of the student-run businesses on campus and SEP. “A number of student business owners have been talking with SEP about integrating student business and SEP into one unified organization,” said Purnomo.

As for FUSE itself, Purnomo noted that they have many

plans this semester meant to foster student involvement, the foremost being competitions at the undergraduate level.

“Ultimately, at least for FUSE, we were gearing towards being able to create an environment with our events that lets students apply what they learned in class in the business world and see it through while they are still here,” said Purnomo.

“There are often a few points where you must fine-tune what you learned in a business set-

ting.”

In the end, Purnomo is ecstatic about the cooperation and growth throughout the University. He just hopes that it is more than a flash in the pan, especially for his own creation.

“We’ve created a club with a great idea and value proposition. After creating the organization, we have to see how sustainable it is,” said Purnomo. “The true success of FUSE is seeing if that’s true 10 years from now.”

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

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2006

STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

5

SPORTS Track and ďŹ eld The top 10 Super Bowl excels on site at commercials of the year Bloomington

By Alex Schwartz and Justin Davidson Sports Staff

By Joe Ciolli Sports Editor

The Washington University men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled to Bloomington, Ill. this past Saturday to compete in the Illinois Wesleyan Titan Open. The women’s team performed well, finishing second out of 11 squads at the competition. The men performed well enough to earn fourth-place honors out of a slightly larger field of 14 teams. The second-place finish marked the first meet this season that the women’s team has not won. The men had placed third at their two previous competitions.

Junior Eliza Davis started out the meet with a strong finish in the women’s 5,000meter run. Davis’ time of 19:16.00 was good enough to garner her fourth-place honors in the event. Sophomore Danielle Wadlington competed in the 55-meter hurdles next and was also able to pick up a fourth-place finish, an impressive feat given the size of the competing field.

Later in the day, Wadlington ran a 27.01 in the finals of the 200-meter dash competition, which was good enough for second place overall.

The Bears also picked up a fifth-place finish in the 55meter dash courtesy of se-

nior Julie McDermitt. Senior Laura Ehret also helped propel the Bears to their secondplace finish with a fifth-place time in the 400 meter dash.

Ehret put up a time of 59.48 and was followed by fellow senior Michelle McCully, who finished 10th in the event.

Near the end of the day, the women’s 4x400 meter relay received first-place points for a time of 3:57.51 in the finals.

On the men’s side, the Bears received an enormous contribution to their overall score from senior David Skiba, who finished first overall in the 55-meter hurdles.

Sophomore Jeff Bayers also chipped in a second place finish in the 5,000-meter run.

The Bears picked up thirdplace points as junior Kevin Gale turned in a 4:26.99 time in the mile run. Fellow junior Joe Guinness was not far behind as he finished sixth overall. In the men’s shot put, senior Drew Martin threw for a distance of 14.95 meters and finished first overall.

Both of the Bears’ squads will be back in action next weekend as the men’s team will travel to Jacksonville, Ill. to compete in the Illinois College Blue Classic, while the women will be in Ames, Iowa to run in the Iowa State Classic.

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Super Bowl XL was a mediocre game for the most part, and the lack of inspired and exciting play was not bailed out by an abundance of high-quality bathroom break entertainment advertising.

Nevertheless, there were several standoutsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; mostly on the shoulders of Budweiser and Ameriquestâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; proving that maybe this whole advertising thing isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as easy as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cracked up to be. We worked hard to bring you our personal favorites from Super Bowl XL. One ďŹ nal thought from two humble journalists: bring back the Bud Bowl!

10. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the number for God?â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;If this commercial, featuring Kurt Warner narrating the life and death of a young man while quoting Bible passages, was intended as a comedic respite from the on-ďŹ eld brutality witnessed in Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super Bowl XL, its marginal success in an otherwise weak ďŹ eld warrants a place on our prestigious Top 10 list. However, if, as we suspect, this was not the case, and Kurt Warner doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mess around when heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talking about our spiritual placement after death in the universe, well, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really know what to say. Athletes4Jesus.org really needs to devote more money to their advertising campaign in coming years. In hindsight, this ad really deserves no place on this coveted list.

9. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to Disney

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Worldâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Joey Porter is tough.

Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to Disney World.

Why? You try stopping him.

This wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the greatest or funniest commercial of the bunch, but it was a nicely executed performance by Steeler and Seahawk stars showing their acting versatility and determination to go to the Promised Land: Disney World.

8. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Power of Beerâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Not since the creation of St. Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basilica has the world been witness to such beauty, grace, and thirst-quenching-ness as was packed into Budweiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial showing an assembled crowd enacting the revealing, opening, pouring, and drinking of the perfect beer.

While the artistic capabilities displayed in the commercial clearly are far beyond the capabilities of most partially-intoxicated and screaming groups of 80,000 fans, this group was a special bunch, and Budweiser deserves a place on our Top 10 list for their original and aesthetically pleasing ad.

7. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eagle-Eyed Machete Enthusiast Recognizes a Little Druid Networking Under the Stairsâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Excellent Newsmen are amazed. Well done, Emerald Nuts.

6. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modern Medicineâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;In an utmost tactful manner, in a scene ďŹ t for the critically acclaimed sitcom â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scrubs,â&#x20AC;? a nottoo-intelligent doctor attempts to kill a horseďŹ&#x201A;y with the always comedic deďŹ brillator. In a moment of self-satisfaction, he

proclaims â&#x20AC;&#x153;That killed him,â&#x20AC;? to the shock and horror of mom and daughter. Nothing breaks the ice quite like thinking your loved one has been murdered by a wandering band of crazy doctors. Ameriquest ďŹ nished off strong by laying out the message that they are the insurance company to count on.

5. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lord of the Fliesâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;The very ďŹ rst commercial after kickoff set the bar high for a great day of Super Bowl advertisements with Bud Lightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst spot. Watching a work-casual environment erupt into chaos and savagery in the presence of Bud Light continued Budweiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long tradition of creating comedic genius under the guise of advertising. Palefaced Granny wrestling with the summer intern for some ice cold suds, coupled with the boss getting decked by a Troy Polamalu-like hit from the mail-room clerk made this commercial memorable.

4. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Monkeying Aroundâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Telling chimps to stop gyrating is as useless as telling Britney Spears to stop soiling her reputation. Chimps wearing swanky suits, burning money, drinking champagne, and listening to the quintessential â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;80s song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come on Feel the Noise,â&#x20AC;? places this commercial squarely in our top ďŹ ve. Careerbuilder.com chose to overlook our strong protests from last year, however, and still refuses to recognize the beauty that is the Linnean Taxonomic system, referring to chimps as

monkeys instead of the Great Apes that they are.

3. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Crime Deterrentâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Cell phone projectiles are usually found only past midnight at a drunken frat party, but Sprint proved us all wrong with its witty usage of the ancient sport of cell phone assault. Sprint did an excellent job in describing the ninja-esque power of its network and services, clearly sending its message of superiority to competitors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Can you hear me now, bitches?â&#x20AC;?

2. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Light Beer, Dark Comedyâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Any commercial that preaches the values of Title IX by placing women on the same gridiron as men in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendlyâ&#x20AC;? game of touch football is okay in these reportersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eyes. If Michelob can knock the living daylights out of the cute, ďŹ&#x201A;irty girl as well, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not to love?

Kudos.

1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Magic Fridgeâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x153;Guys, hurry up, the magic fridge is back!â&#x20AC;? Watching a group of four guys praying for the safe return of a fridge ďŹ lled with Bud Light is reminiscent of a college dorm room before a Beer Run. The revolving door, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dude, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a genius,â&#x20AC;? and the incoming, beer-thieving friends makes this commercial both universally true and universally hilarious at the same time.

The lengths that people go toâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; be it old-fashioned American ingenuity or even older-fashioned prayerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;speak volumes about what people truly want: Bud Light.

6 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

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

MONDAY | JANUARY 30, 2006

Our daily Forum editors:

FORUM

Monday: Jeff Stepp jsstepp@wustl.edu

Wednesday: Daniel Milstein daniel.milstein@wustl.edu

Friday: Joshua Trein jctrein@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

Fear, our lord Music downloading—almost! and savior L M ast spring, the University held a campus-wide fair featuring different media downloading services; students were supposed to pick their favorites from among these services, after which the University would continue its stated commitment since the demise of Direct Connect to select a music downloading service the entire campus could use. Such a service would seem to be a perfect solution to the problem of file sharing on campus. Unfortunately, the way the University and Student Union have handled this process since last year’s fair is in itself incredibly problematic.

The choice that was recently made regarding a specific down-

loading service, Ruckus, seems to be a solid enough decision.

But a number of problems lie in how this process has been handled as a campus issue.

Despite the initial openness of the process, when students were openly invited to take part in deciding upon a new solution, students have received no updates in a year from either the University or Student Union about future downloading options. Though Student Union claims to be moving “as quickly as possible,” it seems like a year should be more than enough time to pick a company, work out an agreement and have a new source for movies and music on campus up and running. If

that’s not the case, the University could at least keep its students informed about what exactly has been taking so long.

Furthermore, the fact that a specific service has just been picked seems to be only a preliminary step—and after a year of alleged progress, that’s just not enough. Especially in an area involving technology, where services and programs can evolve so quickly, a year might even be long enough to make taking another look at potential downloading programs worthwhile—last year’s choice might already be obsolete.

The main stated issue throughout this process has been the desire to minimize

illegal downloading among students. That is a commendable goal. But the longer the University takes to find a campus-wide program, the more creative students will be in attempting to find other, more legally dubious online sources for their music and movies. This is incredibly frustrating to watch, because the University and SU had a legal alternative to file sharing within their grasp—and yet they’re letting it slip away by failing to find a fully realized solution in a timely manner. It is our sincere hope that SU and the University will soon find a way to implement this program—and if they are unable to do so, we hope they’ll let us know why.

So...you’ve got a hankering for ‘news’?

By Bill Maas Forum Columnist

I

n reply to everyone’s complaints that Student Life does not cover enough relevant and important news stories, I decided to take charge and do it myself, with a little help from the Internet. You may notice that this is not on the front page, but hey, you’re still getting your news.

A portrait of Alan Greenspan was sold for $150,400 on eBay on Friday (source: Reuters). The painter, Erin Crowe, sold her previous most expensive work for $12,000. All I know is that if I had a portrait of Alan Greenspan hanging on my wall, I’d pay at least $150,400 to have it immolated. And, that’s without an interest hike.

A 29-year-old Belfast man was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of killing his buddy with a samurai sword on May 16, 2004 (source: The Daily Ireland). Apparently they had both been drinking and had been under the influence of quite a few drugs. This

should be example number one why the University needs to limit concealed samurai swords. When equipped with a sword, it is obvious that you have a loss of good judgment and motor control. I mean, come on—who would attack their buddy in a regular nonsamurai environment?

The former president of the Make-A-Wish foundation was charged on Friday with creating fake cases of terminally ill children and then using the money for herself (source: Centre Daily Times).

She probably just misunderstood her role as president.

Instead of making wishes come true for children, she actually thought that she was supposed to make her own wishes come true. Ironically, she didn’t make any of her wishes come true. She instead made a wish come true for her future roommate at the lovely Pennsylvania resort she’s headed to.

Also, if you are still looking for a restaurant to take your special someone to for Valentine’s Day, look no further than White Castle. Sadly, reservations are required (you can call the St. Louis

restaurant at (314) 535-7430), but if you can jump that hurdle, they will treat you to a candlelight dinner, hostess seating and your very own server. If a girl will fall head over heels for a Crave Case, then you KNOW you’ve got a winner. You’ll also be reminded the next day.

A man in Alberta tried to evade paying taxes by claiming he had no name (source: CBC Calgary). He said that his name was only assigned to him by his birth certificate issued years ago. He now claims no debts or obligations for this “name,” which he refuses to use. He wants people to know that they are constantly being brainwashed by believing that their birth certificate forces them to obey the Crown. Even though people call him by his name and he responds, he still doesn’t think that makes it his legal name. He asks if his name should be “Meow,” because that is what his aunt’s cats call him. While he does bring up a good point, I think he forgot what most of the world calls him—“a huge idiot.”

Attention: If you have a big

ass, Jamie Foxx wants to take you to the Oscars (source: The Sun Online). He has always been a fan of big bottoms and said not to worry if you are a little thick, because he likes thickness. It all goes back to his times playing hide-andseek in Texas. He says he always found the round girl, and he liked that, big-boned women. Hopefully Foxx fi nds a date soon, so he’s not forced to call one of the girls found in the ads at the back of “Big Butts Monthly.”

I know it’s a Monday and there is much more news to be divulged this week, but I hope most of your need for outside news was satisfied through my column. If you still aren’t satisfied and want our bastion of awesomeness to give you even more important news from around the world, well, I don’t care.

“Iz simple, two words: keep it real ... Don’t be a spannah, we all know it ain’t a real word, it’s short for innit, innit?”

– Ali G Bill Maas is a junior in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at bill.maas@gmail. com.

“at war” with another nation r. Orwell, welcome forever, even if the enemy nato the new perpetual tion changes. The benefits of war. this idea for the government In last Saturday’s are constant civilian solidarity Washington Post, reporter toward the cause, emiAnn Scott Tyson’s nent fear of destrucarticle detailed the tion from the enemy Pentagon’s new plan country and thus the to wage a so-called public’s resistance to a “long war”—a change in government.

20-year plan for We hear this echoed secret troop deployeveryday in Republican ments in “dozens of rhetoric: Democrats countries at once to cannot protect us from fight terrorism and Jeff Stepp the terrorists that are other nontraditional plotting to kill every citizen of threats.” The strategy comes the United States, therefore you from the Quadrennial Defense must support the Republicans.

Review (QDR), a review of deRepublicans have successfully fense policies that occurs every waved the bloody shirt of 9/11 four years. since the attacks, and they And you thought we might seem content to continue. be finished in Iraq, within, say, Support for the war on terfive, 10 or even 15 years. Sadly, ror seems to be waning, howsuch thinking is too logical. In ever slowly. As power increasa move to stretch even thinner ingly corrupts the Republican our current troop and armor party, more people are willing levels (the report calls for no to question the judgments that net increases in troop levels or are made by the administraweapon systems), the Pentagon, via Donald Rumsfeld, envisions tion. Democrats, while not yet the clear alternative, have bea bold new world in which our military has a presence in every come increasingly popular due possible hostile nation, ready to to the other party’s negligence.

Enter the 20-year war plan, a strike at a moment’s notice. plan that may prove to be a The report reads like a Tom brilliant foundation for continClancy novel: “[Special Opued Republican domination, erations Forces] will have the capacity to operate in dozens of or else a catastrophic failure countries simultaneously,” and and consequential drowning will gain “an expanded organic of our international reputation. ability to locate, tag and track Rumsfeld is counting on the dangerous individuals and former for the new war just as other high-value targets globhe counted on it for the old one. ally.” This truth, however, is no And we know how that turns fiction. The Pentagon is intent out. on changing the face of the U.S. What stumps me most about military and, in their mind, this announcement is not its the world. The United States clear impracticality, but the fact will become the international that someone seems to think saboteur, hitman and bountythis will actually work, and that hunter. Diplomacy? That’s for the American people will rethe sissies who believe in the spond well to it. For four years Geneva Convention. we have endured domestic budAs with most plans origiget cuts and the loss of health nating from this government, care, jobs, rights, liberties, it is full of unknowns. Even pensions, soldiers, education Principal Deputy Undersecreand various other necessities tary of Defense for Policy (what Bush seems to think we can a job title!) Ryan Henry admits, live without, all in the name of “Things get very fuzzy past the our lord and savior, Fear. But 20 five-year point.” years? Conceited doesn’t begin The DOD admits that there to describe Rumsfeld’s vision. is no way to know what the Nor does frightened begin to world will look like in five, 10 describe mine. or 20 years, but they are gambling that Clancy, like Orwell, Jeff is a senior in Arts & Sciences will prove a venerable predictor and a Forum editor. He can be of how war operates. reached via e-mail at forum@ Georgle Orwell’s basic idea studlife.com. of perpetual war is that one nation declares itself to be

SU Treasury gives the financial finger to student groups

By James Wang Op-ed Submission

M

ost Washington University student groups are horrified even at the prospect of appealing for funds from the SU Treasury. In addition to endless hours of boring motions and periodic finger-snapping frenzies, student group treasurers must stand before rows of SU treasurers who will judge the validity of their programs.

Offering pizza and social time for students after organic chemistry exams (AXE’s Pi-Bonding)?

Absolutely absurd! The Treasury certainly cannot be responsible for supporting programs that offer mental solace to hundreds of students after potentially traumatic exams. SU agrees that the $200 cost of that event would be better spent on 24pound glossy invitation cards to SU-member-only events.

Last Tuesday evening, ArtSci Council appealed to have Jonathon Kozol, a well-known and respected proponent of education, speak at the Feb. 22 Assembly Series lecture. ArtSci Council had been in touch with the Treasury about this year’s lecture since last spring and submitted an official appeal on Dec. 3, asking for $22,500 (the asking price for high-profile speakers). Before the appeal, however, we had to book Kozol early by signing a contract.

After corresponding with the Speaker of the Treasury, the coordinator of the Assembly Series assured us we would receive at least $12,500, since the Treasury reserves $50,000 for lecture purposes and has the power to grant additional money through appeals. We were not scheduled to present our case to the Treasury, however, until Jan. 31. After ArtSci Council argued its case at the start of the meet-

ing that night, a decision was postponed until two hours later, when the Treasury awarded ArtSci Council nothing.

The Treasury felt ArtSci Council “cornered” them by coming into the meeting with a signed contract, assuming we were being presumptuous. But we could not have waited until three weeks before the event to confirm our speaker. Furthermore, if we had been allowed to appeal in December, this would not have been an issue.

The Treasury also informed us that SU had already contributed money to the Assembly Series.

I thought this odd since the Treasury has known ArtSci Council was sponsoring a lecturer since last year. After conversing with the Speaker of the Treasury, we were under the impression there was money reserved for us. Now, because Treasury members’ egos were damaged by a signed contract,

unconfirmed Assembly Series speakers for the spring may have to be cancelled since their funding will need to be reallocated to Kozol.

The last argument the Treasury gave was that since ArtSci Council has a budget of $25,000, we should be able to pay for our own speaker.

First, ArtSci Council is a school council. That budget is paltry, considering three fifths of all undergraduates—more than 3,800 students—are in the College of Arts & Sciences. Second, ArtSci Council is responsible for other programming besides the Assembly Series lecture, including trips to the Gateway Arch, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Art Museum, the Botanical Gardens and the new Harry Potter film at the Moolah Theater. We publish our own interdisciplinary journal, Apex, and sponsor Jazz at the Bistro.

To assume we would spend

our entire budget on one event is unreasonable. Members of ArtSci Council work tirelessly to bring these events to students, just as other groups work tirelessly to bring their events to students.

SU has acted as a barrier to the success of many campus groups. In fact, SU has turned many people off of student government in general. For example, how many students actually voted for their representatives?

How many people actually ran for positions? With last year’s SU Treasury scandal (see Student Life, Dec. 9, 2005), SU seems more an insider group than a real representation of students.

There are neither parallel organizations nor set systems to check their power over $1.7 million of your student activities fee.

Too often, student group leaders are humiliated in front of the Treasury. The president

of the chemistry fraternity left a meeting almost in tears because their major Pi-Bonding event was suddenly reduced to nothing. Black Anthology, in which students invest countless hours, was also given the big boot.

If Washington University wishes to encourage student initiative and improve student life, then the system must change.

The feeling of intimidation elicited by the Treasury is unacceptable. I propose the Treasury give up its jurisdiction over specific school council budgets, which would allow at least some organizations to run fully independent of the hefty SU bureaucracy. Only then can some groups plan engaging activities without suffering through conceited and needlessly convoluted Treasury sessions.

James is a senior in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at jywanga@wustl.edu.

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

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Senior Scene Editor / Sarah Baicker / scene@studlife.com

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2006

STUDENT LIFE | SCENE

7

Romance 101 On first dates... ...and a calculated approach to scoring a second one During my senior year of high school, I agreed to go on a date with a guy I had met a couple of times through mutual friends. We decided to meet for burgers at a restaurant during our lunch periods. About 15 minutes into the date, he was throwing tater tots across the restaurant, stuffing as many ketchup packets into his pockets as he could fit and telling me that girls in bikinis are really hot. I said my thanks that schools have limited lunch periods so I would not be stuck on the date for all eternity. Needless to say, it was our only date.

Unfortunately, mine is not a unique experience. Many of us have been there: You take as many bathroom breaks as is conceivable for a healthy person, you calculate the number of steps it would take to run through the door, you

try to make desperate-yet-subtle motions to the waiter to bring the bill. You are on the first date from Hell.

Why do first dates take this unfortunate turn? How do we make sure what could be a nice dinner does not turn into an awkward nightmare? What is the equation for a great first date and a guaranteed second?

Though many first dates may not be terrible, things still go wrong. There are awkward conversations, unpleasant situations and confusion about the goodnight kiss. How do we ensure a successful first date?

It’s a simple game of addition and subtraction.

Let’s begin with the basics.

Where should you go on the first date? Brian Stojak, a second-year senior, said, “I usually attempt to go the informal, quirky way, like picking pumpkins. Something

that you have to pull different than the up every three steps. classic dinner-movie. I Once your panel of figure, if you can’t get friends picks out the along in that environright outfit for you, ment, you don’t have a be confident wearchance.” ing it. Don’t mentally A casual first date question whether you is usually a good bet should have worn your because both people Laura Alexander fancy jeans while he’s can feel comfortable, telling you about his which stimulates better post-college plans. conversation. But make sure it’s Subtract over-analysis. As something that you would both Wash. U. students, we have be interested in. Steer clear of been taught to consider everythe “Rocky” marathon if she thing and think critically about exclusively watches chick flicks. everything. Leave this lesson at Add appearance. Though home. Instead, actually enjoy there are many elements that yourself on the date. If you are play into attraction, looks are an genuinely listening to your date, undeniable part. I agree with the you’ll probably find a common classic , “If you look good, you’ll interest you can talk about. Don’t feel good.” Make sure, however, that you dress appropriately for calculate your next joke, just let the date. If you are going for a it happen. And don’t underestitwilight walk through Forest mate the power of a smile. Not a Park, don’t wear a low-cut top creepy one that never leaves your

face the whole night, but a reassuring one that tells your date that you are genuinely interested in what s/he is talking about.

Add you. The person sitting across the table from you at Kayak’s is interested in you, so don’t transform into a new person who you think they might like even more. You can’t begin a relationship as a fraud. The lie will surface eventually.

“My best advice for increasing your chances of having a good date is to just be yourself,” said Dean Darla Dale. “I know it is a cliché, but it is sometimes really tempting to impress someone when we like them and this, based on my own experiences, can turn out badly. Be yourself and if the person is into you— great. If not—too bad for them!”

Add or subtract the goodnight kiss. This is an unknown variable that is either positive or

OUT

THE GRATEFUL INN

STEPPING

By Matt Kauf Kaufman and Ryan Jacobson We went truckin’ through the nearby neighborhood of Maplewood in search of a new restaurant to try. We noticed the Grateful Inn’s neon-lit façade and decided to give it a shot. We eagerly strolled into the Grateful Inn and, fi nding it emptier than a St. Louis Blues home game, we gladly helped ourselves to one of the many open tables.

As we took our fi rst look around, it was clear that the Grateful Inn was more of a bar than a restaurant, but after a quick glace at the menu, we decided to stick around. The restaurant was laid out in a very traditional manner; a line of tables spans one side of the restaurant while an impressive bar dominates the opposite side.

The restaurant takes its name from the legendary Grateful Dead, and the restaurant is decorated accordingly.

Portraits of Jerry Garcia and the rest of the crew adorn the walls and are joined by album covers and memorabilia from other rock ‘n’ roll legends. The tables appeared clean and the menu was printed on modest placemats. A paper napkin and simple, plastic utensils flanked the placemats.

We were immediately approached by the bartender, who asked us what we would

like to drink. The underage member of our writing duo chose a Diet Coke, but Matt, newly 21, was able to peruse the impressive drink menu.

After some hesitation, he decided on a drink called simply, “The Grateful Dead.”

This beverage contained a mix of several clear alcohols with white cranberry juice and Sprite. The Grateful Dead proved to be a very refreshing drink. The blend of flavors was interesting: the alcohol, cranberry and Sprite seemed to hit the taste buds at separate times, making the drink a bit more exciting. Overall, the drink was an intriguing novelty but not something we would order again. Fortunately, the menu offers many different specialty drinks to keep even the most daredevil drinker occupied for many visits.

We were then approached by our friendly waitress and our order was taken. For an appetizer, we settled on the Five Spiced Grilled Chicken Wings, served in a soy-ginger sauce. East met West in this tasty appetizer, and the flavor and texture of these chicken wings were right on: they had a tangy zing and were nice and moist.

While the taste was satisfying, we would have been even

more contented had the wings been a bit meatier. Despite this drawback, the appetizer was a nice change from the typical deep-fried wings found at most bars. We were able to enjoy a tasty, messy treat without feeling like complete fat bastards afterwards.

For one of our entrees, we chose the Smoked Turkey, Pepper Bacon and Avocado Quesadilla. We both agreed that this quesadilla was a step above Bear’s Den. The pepper bacon added an especially unique flare. The turkey, meanwhile, did not add to the dish. It lacked a fresh flavor, and this is one part of the quesadilla that did not soar above our on-campus eating options. In sum, the quesadilla brought some diverse ingredients together with a novel result.

Our other entree was the Black and Blue Steak Sandwich. This sandwich piled skirt steak, A1 sauce and bleu cheese on top of one another then served them on three White Castle-sized buns. The A1 sauce and bleu cheese were a potent combination that gave the sandwich a pungent kick. The steak itself was unexceptional; it was lean but not especially tender. The highlight of this plate of food was the helping of potato wedges that accompanied

NEIGHBORHOODS v FROM PAGE 10

negative depending on the date.

Don’t fret about it all night long.

When the moment comes, it will probably be obvious what should happen. Don’t force it. To be on the safe side, don’t expect it and don’t attempt it, then you’ll either be pleasantly surprised, or you’ll have that alluring mystery to explore on a second date.

This simple equation equals a second date. There may be complicated situations that arise, but just calm down and adjust the equation to fit the problem. If you pull off a good first date, the next numbers you’ll encounter will be the digits of your date’s phone number popping up on your cell phone. And one new voice message: “Had a great time the other night. Want to do it again sometime?”

One great date plus one phone call equals two happy people planning the second.

The Grateful Inn 7336 Manchester Road Maplewood Price Range: $8-12

MATT KAUFMAN AND RYAN JACOBSON | STUDENT LIFE

The Grateful Inn in Maplewood offers a drink menu that will never leave you bored. the sandwich. These potatoes were cooked just right—crispy on the outside but soft within.

As we left the Grateful Inn, we came to the decision that if we were to return, it would have to be on a Friday or Saturday night, and hopefully with a bigger group of people.

The food was, of course, a nice change from the fare on cam-

pus and the selections found at most bars.

The Grateful Inn features no deep-fried products whatsoever, and several selections are actually cooked in hemp oil—defi nitely appropriate for a Grateful Dead-themed establishment. We think that the premise is successful and makes for a festive

atmosphere that could be a fun change for students on a weekend night.

Impressively, the Grateful Inn is able to boast live music seven nights a week. So get your band together (or just a group of friends) and rock on over to the Grateful Inn for a distinctive atmosphere and menu.

Destination: Dogtown

By Willie Mendelson Scene Reporter How to get there: By foot or by car, take Big Bend to Clayton Rd. Turn left on Clayton Rd., then right on Clayton Ave. Make a slight left onto Oakland Ave. I’ve heard of many different towns and neighborhoods, but none with a name quite like this neighborhood located just south of Forest Park. Dogtown is, in fact, actually made up of three different areas: Clayton-Tamm, Franz Park and Hi-Point. After researching some of the local restaurants, I found a few interesting dining spots and set off with my traveling companion, Britten. Destination: Dogtown.

Taking a cab to Dogtown is relatively cheap and easy. It’s only about 10 minutes away and the fare is approximately 10 dollars each way. When we got to Dogtown, we decided to eat at Michael’s Bar and Grill, located at 7101 Manchester Road. Don’t be fooled by the outside of this place; although it looks a little sketchy from the outside, the food is good, the staff is friendly and the service is relatively fast.

If you bring your own car, there is a spacious parking lot located across the street from the restaurant. Two levels make up the restaurant: the bottom level is a no-smoking section and the top is where the main restaurant and bar are located, along with a big TV.

The restaurant was packed with customers, even in the late afternoon. We even witnessed a birthday celebration for some senior citizens. The menu features both lunch and dinner entrees, with the dinner entrees ranging from $15-35. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries for only $5, though, and it turned out to be extremely good. Britten ordered a house specialty, the pastitsio, which is pasta with ground beef topped by a delicious, semisweet sauce. By the time we were finished with our meal we were both very full. Still, we couldn’t resist passing up dessert. We ordered cheesecake, which, we both agreed, was some of the best cheesecake that we had ever had. All considered, our lunch was $22—relatively cheap for a good deal of delicious food.

Before we left the restaurant, we checked out the bathrooms, as a bathroom tells a great deal about the restaurant. The results: they were clean, nice and well-maintained.

This place is highly recommended, but there are also many other good restaurants and bars nearby. Some popular spots include Arena’s Bar and Grill (5760 West Park Avenue), Pat’s Bar and Grill (6400 Oakland Avenue) and Spaghetteria “Mamma Mia,” (1227 Tamm Ave). If you’re looking for some fast food, Steak ‘n Shake, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Subway are all located in Dogtown as well. If you’re in the mood for some good Chinese

cuisine, there’s Chinese Express (7022 Clayton Ave.), as well as China Wok Express (6544 Manchester). For you studiers, there are a few popular places to study and grab some java, too: Cairdeas Coffee (1136 Tamm Ave.) and The Coffee House (6319 Clayton Ave.).

Dogtown is primarily a residential area with few shopping opportunities. However, one of the more popular shops is the Dogtown Gallery and Frame Shop (1206 Tamm Ave.). Need that special photograph or art piece framed? This is a perfect place to do it. Also, conveniently located right near Michael’s Bar is a Walgreen’s.

Of the three neighborhoods that make up Dogtown, Clayton-Tamm is renowned for its large Irish population of St. Louis. Another antiquated name for Dogtown is Cheltenham, and in the late 19th century it was known for its large coal and clay mining community.

Although the overall town of Dogtown is not extremely attractive, and some parts are run-down, it is a decent place to go if you are looking for some good bars and restaurants. If you are in the mood for good shopping or entertainment, though, this is not quite the place. Still, the town has a homey feel to it that makes it a perfect lunch or dinner spot for Wash. U. students, as it very close by and relatively cheap.

For more information please call the Army ROTC Department at 314-935-5521, 5537 or 5546.

You may also visit our web-site at rotc.wustl.edu

8 STUDENT LIFE | SCENE

Senior Scene Editor / Sarah Baicker / scene@studlife.com

SPIRITUALITY

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2006

on campus

By Mike Duncan Scene Reporter What was your life like before you were a Christian?

Self-absorbed, mostly. It was very much about me getting as much credit for myself as possible, or feeling as good about myself as possible by getting attention from others or drinking a lot or smoking pot, whatever.

It was just all about me in a lot of ways.

What happened? Obviously, you are now a Christian. What was that like?

In the midst of everything being about me, I was never left fulfilled or satisfied or happy.

So, there was this aching feeling in me that there is something

-Justin Stringer -Senior -Christian

more to life than temporary, self-indulgent happiness. I avoided scary questions like, “What is the meaning of life?”

“Is there a God?” and “Where do I stand in relation to that God?” If I ever did start thinking about it, I would stuff it down inside by hanging out with people or drinking.

Then, the summer after freshman year, my grandfather died. [His] death forced me to examine questions like, “What do I want my life to be about?

Do I want to be 30 and still going to frat parties, or is there a God?” As I struggled through the hard questions of life I came to know some core truths that I needed to base my life around or I felt that my life wouldn’t make sense.

MIKE DUNCAN | STUDENT LIFE

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What has your life been like after that?

It’s a stereotype about Christians that they are all fake, happy, plastic people, and I wish I could say my life has been perfect after I became a Christian, but that is not the case. The reality is that going to Wash. U. and dealing with the stresses of school, relationships with people and dealing with my selfishness have all been hard things. But now there is meaning in the midst of difficulty and purpose in the midst of a difficult life. I don’t want to say [it’s been] easier, but it has been more meaningful and more full of peace and purpose.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

That is a good question because I think a lot of people would think that it means to go to church, read your Bible and follow the Ten Commandments.

That is part of it, but what it means to be a Christian is to have a relationship with God. The way you have that relationship is by accepting the gift of His son, which is essentially to reconcile our relationship with God because Jesus has died in our place because of our imperfections.

I have seen you doing spiritual surveys on campus. What are those all about?

I feel that [often] people on our campus hold spiritual beliefs and think about God but they’re not willing to talk about it. I don’t know why. The spiritual surveys are an attempt to start spiritual conversations with people who I normally would not talk to about spiritual things. The reality is that my spirituality is the single most important thing about my life and I love talking about it with people.

What do find when you go out and give the surveys?

As a kid who wasn’t spiritual at all freshman year and then became spiritual afterwards, I assumed that people who took their spirituality seriously were few and far between. I felt like I was the weird one who thought about issues like the meaning of life and the existence of God. Yet, what I have found is that our campus is indeed very spiritual. People want to know if there is a purpose to their life or if there is more than the emptiness they feel now.

You said that your spirituality is the most important part of your life. How has that changed the direction of your life?

It has literally changed everything about my life. It has changed the way that I live, the way I think about things and the way I view people. I used to view people from an incredibly self-centered perspective.

People were means to an end and that end was more prestige or more happiness for me. It has changed what I want to do with my life. I used to think of my career as a means to get money and money as the means to get happiness. But now, while money is still important, it is not the primary thing in my life. It is hard for me to fully describe how my life has changed, but it has changed everything.

Do you struggle with doubts?

Yeah, and it goes back to the fake, plastic Christian thing.

I can’t believe that any honest person or Christian would tell you that they don’t struggle with doubts. I mean there were times today that I struggled with doubts, like when I was reading about the Puritans choosing to impose their culture on American Indians. I struggle with doubts all the time but I have to go back to what I have experienced and read and seen to be true about God which I base my life on. I basically go back to those core truths.

If I was interested in becoming a Christian, what would you say to me?

I would take you to the basic truths about God I have found to be true for me. It is not about living up to a religious standard, but about you realizing that you need God, that you can’t reach him on your own power and [you need to accept] God’s gift of reaching down to you with His son. So that is basically what Christians call the Gospel and that is what I would explain to you. It is not about an external set of things you have to follow or intellectual agreeing with some ideas; it is about trusting God, who loves you, with your life, and believing that those truths about life I [described] earlier are indeed true.

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2006

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10 STUDENT LIFE | SCENE

Senior Scene Editor / Sarah Baicker / scene@studlife.com

MONDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2006

SCENE

Exploring St. Louis neighborhoods In this first part of a two-part series, Scene reporters get off campus and explore some of St. Louis’ neighborhoods.

Gettin’ down in downtown St. Louis

By Christine Costa Scene Reporter How to get there: Take the Metro to the Market Street stop. By car, take any of the downtown exits from Interstate 64 East.

At the turn of the 20th century, Washington Avenue was a bustling corridor crowded with an eclectic mix of locals and visitors shopping the famous garment district and working in the city’s powerful printing center. A century later, the sad sight of abandoned factories and empty sidewalks inspired the Washington Avenue Streetscape Project, one of the city’s fi rst steps toward the incredible urban renewal that has taken place over the past four years.

Today, Washington Avenue, dubbed the “Loft District,” is home to a chic mid-20s and 30s crowd that has capitalized on the urban lifestyle. Frequenting the many restaurants, coffee shops, bars and art galleries that have burst onto the scene, city dwellers and young socialites have established the avenue as the place to see and be seen. Nestled downtown between

Grand and Broadway, the Loft District includes the area along Washington Avenue and Locust Street.

Deciding where to eat is one of the toughest questions. Kitchen K (1000 Washington Avenue) was one of the fi rst new eateries to open its doors in this part of town. A group of loft dwellers tell me it is the place to be Thursdays during happy hour.

Just across the street from Kitchen K is Mosaic (1101 Lucas Avenue), a “small-plate restaurant” boasting inventive world flavors and cutting edge décor. It has been voted “Best New Restaurant of 2005” by the Riverfront Times, as well as 2005’s “Best Fusion.” The chef prides himself on cooking with organic meats and vegetables.

Try the Rabbit Pot Pie, Herb Gnocchi and Bermuda Onion Rings (oversized onions with a horseradish sauce), which I claimed for myself.

The brand new Copia Urban Winery (1122 Washington Avenue) offers home-style meals such as smoked barbeque ribs, brick-oven pizzas and crab cakes, along with over 280 different bottles of wine.

The atmosphere is warm—rich with Tuscan colors and a beautiful glassed-in wine cellar that separates the restaurant from the bar.

Lucas Park Grille and Market draws the 25-to-30-something professional crowd and is the place to be once work lets out. If a brief escape from campus life is what you crave, this restaurant is for you, and the high table stools make perfect perches for peoplewatching.

Just around the corner is Sen Thai Bistro (1221 Locust Street), which was awarded a “Readers’ Choice Award” by Sauce Magazine for Best Thai in 2005. Also check out Red Moon, Asian cuisine with a French twist, and Ipanema, a Brazilian steakhouse that is soon to open at 1210 Washington Avenue.

If happy hour is what you want, start with Mosaic’s Martini Madness Happy Hour, Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. For those who are seeking the fashionable lounge atmosphere, Pepper Lounge (2005 Locust Street) has happy hour Wednesday through Friday from 47 p.m. and is decked out with retro flair and plenty of desserts. Its neighbor, Nectar, comes complete

with VIP lounges, a European bottle-service and signature cocktails.

Here the party keeps going until 3 a.m. Also check out the Indigo Bar and Rue 13 as the night gets later.

There are tons of art galleries in the area, including Washington University’s very own Des Lee Gallery (1627 Washington Avenue).

Everyone is invited to attend the fashion students’ annual Gowns in the Gallery, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Rumor has it there will be a chocolate fountain sharing the stage with the designers’ cutting-edge dresses.

A great time to check out the vibrant art community that thrives in St. Louis is at the First Friday Gallery Walks. March 5 from 5-10 p.m. is the next date when the galleries will stay open late and welcome all kinds of visitors. The City Museum (which has a bar open late on weekends) will host the Wall Ball on Saturday, Feb. 18, featuring the live art of over 45 St. Louis painters, potters and sculptors. There will be a full bar, food, music and dancing.

The Grand Center, in and around the corner of Grand and Washington Avenue, is home to the

Fox Theater, the Sheldon Concert Hall, Jazz St. Louis, the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, all of which contribute to the city’s cultural revitalization. Jazz St. Louis is a nonprofit organization, which pulls great musicians from all over the world into St. Louis. The Contemporary Art Museum is currently showing three young emerging St. Louis artists in the Great Rivers Biennial. The museum puts on many vibrant events including Budweiser Select Nights, which are the fi rst Thursday of every month. There is always music, dollar drinks and huge crowds from 6-9 p.m., but you must be 21 to enter.

Want to check it out for yourself? The Metro drops off on Market Street, just a few blocks south of the area, and a cab will only put you out about $8. Split the fare with a friend and the ride is as cheap as gas. Washington Avenue and the Grand Center are asserting downtown’s place as a cultural hot spot—a melting pot of professionals, hipsters, artists and sports fans—and the area is worthy of its growing attention.

Italian adventures on the Hill

By Indu Chandrasekhar Scene Reporter How to get there: Take Interstate 64 East to the Kingshighway South exit, and turn west on Shaw.

INDU CHANDRASEKHAR | STUDENT LIFE

Lou Boccardi’s is just one of the tasty Italian restaurants found on the Hill.

We drove down Kingshighway and up Grand, past Arsenal and Southwest and tons of little streets with names like Magnolia and Marconi, and seeing as we had no idea where we were, we started crying out, “We’ve made it!” every time the road rose a few feet. But then we would be wrong again, because the streets always sloped back down and left us at the same elevation as the rest of St. Louis.

Suddenly, after meandering a few streets over and up, past a donut shop that could have been a 1950s hotspot and a convenience store called Cheapy Smokes, we found ourselves surrounded by tricolor fire hydrants and lampposts that lit the storefronts and houses of the Hill.

The Hill is a historic Italian neighborhood, located between Hampton Avenue and Kingshighway. It is comprised of 50 square blocks of restaurants, delis, antique stores and even a traditional Bocce

Club. The food, though, is the true treasure of the Hill.

The Food Network’s Mario Batali calls the Hill one of the nation’s best “Little Italy” neighborhoods for its authentic Northern Italian fare.

Restaurants like Favazza’s, Guido’s Pizzaria and Tapas and Bartolino’s Restaurant are just a few of the excellent and fun-to-say eateries in the neighborhood.

The Hill has bragging rights to much more—baseball personalities Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra grew up in the St. Louis neighborhood and the picturesque Italian homes were the backdrop in a recent independent film.

Despite the neighborhood’s high critical acclaim, the residents still live as they always have, which definitely contributes to the quaint, comfortable charm of the area.

Most of the people who now live in the Hill grew up in the area and almost all of the businesses have stayed with the same families for generations.

The close-knit character of the Hill is made visually stunning by shotgun houses and fire hydrants painted red, white and green, in honor of the Italian flag. The residents have managed to preserve

their staunch Italian identity, and it shows. The Hill maintains that beautiful old-time feel, which other, more modern neighborhoods merely attempt—in vain—to simulate.

Even the more modern businesses of the Hill blend right in; perhaps that is because nearly every building is probably more than 50 years old. The Hill is unique in that it looks aged but it is never stuffy or stale. Those restaurants are filled with people who have happily spent their entire lives giving people like us a little taste of what makes their part of the world unique.

My roommate, her sister and I finally made it to a pleasant restaurant lit with twinkle lights and candles called Lou Boccardi’s. There, we admired the murals on the walls and were wowed by the food, which included a 12-inch pizza that one of us easily finished (she will remain nameless). The restaurant couldn’t have been more typically Italian, but it was right in St. Louis.

The next time you’re looking for an adventure in an unfamiliar place that will feed you extremely well, take a drive down to the Hill.

But don’t try to find it by looking for a hill. It will most likely find you.

Lots to see in the CWE

By Archana Varma Scene Reporter How to get there: By shuttle, take the Gold Line. By car, go east on Forsyth.

Take a left on Skinker and get into the right lane. Take a right on Lindell and go for about one and a half miles.

Make a left on Euclid. By Metro, take the MetroLink to the Central West End Station.

The Central West End is rich with history, shops and restaurants. For those without cars or anyone wanting to pop the Wash. U. bubble without driving too far, it is conveniently close to campus, near Forest Park and the Medical School.

The Central West End was once home to playwright and University alum Tennessee Williams (4633 Westminster Place), writer Kate Chopin (4297 McPherson Avenue), writer William Burroughs (4664 Pershing Avenue) and poet T.S. Eliot’s family, whose grandfather founded the University (4446 Westminster Place).

The 227-foot domed Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, or “New Cathedral” (4431 Lindell Blvd), contains the world’s largest collection of mosaic art spanning more than 41 million pieces of tile in over 7,000 colors.

The CWE also has a cosmopolitan commercial district primarily along Euclid Avenue between Forest Park and Delmar, the heart of which is the Euclid/McPherson area, sometimes compared to Greenwich Village because of its ambience. Highlights of this area are Left Bank Books (399 N. Euclid), and Heffalump’s of

St. Louis (387 N. Euclid). Restaurants and outdoor cafés are clustered along Euclid/McPherson, Maryland Plaza and Euclid/Laclede.

International cuisine can be enjoyed in several local restaurants, some of the best being the Vietnamese restaurant Little Saigon Café (10 N. Euclid), St. Louis Coffee Oasis & Mediterranean Café (8 S. Euclid), Tortillaria (8 ½ Euclid) and Cha Yoon Sushi & Elixir Tea Bar (4 N. Euclid).

The Welsh pub Dressel’s (419 N. Euclid) and Tom’s Bar and Grill (20 S. Euclid) are hotspots for dinner and drinks, while The Drunken Fish (1 Maryland Plaza) is a pricey sushi lounge that features DJs spinning techno, house and jungle music nightly.

Bissinger’s (4742 McPherson) sells savory fine French chocolates and was the first Bissinger’s store to be opened in the U.S. after Karl Bissinger, whose family’s chocolates were enjoyed by King Louis XIV and Napolean Bonaparte, came to America. His son opened the shop on McPherson in 1927 and today it retains all of its original chandeliers and furniture.

For anyone who wants to walk around and burn some calories after stuffing themselves with delightful cuisine, antiques can be browsed at Geronimo’s Cadillac (4733 McPherson) and West End Antiques (4732 McPherson), while those looking to give to others or even themselves can visit Celadon (401 N. Euclid), which offers an eclectic assortment of candles, soaps, pottery, art and jewelry.

The Central West End is a perfect spot for students who wish to get off campus without traveling too far.

The weather is warming up, so don’t forget to take advantage of our backyard in Forest Park, which is 500 acres larger than New York’s Central Park. Take a field trip to the Zoo, Missouri History Museum, the Science Center or the Art Museum, or take

on the golf course, seven-mile trail for running, cycling and skating, or the lake by renting a paddleboat or rowboat. A word to the wise, though: paddleboats are not as easy as they seem. Bring an extra buddy or two to be subs and share paddling duty.

ARCHANA VARMA | STUDENT LIFE

You can have a picnic afterwards and revel in the knowledge that you did something productive during the weekend and it was actually fun.

See NEIGHBORHOODS, page 7