03-23-05 full

WEDNESDAY MAR. 23, 2005 Vol. 126, No. 62

Light rain 48° / 36° w w w. s t u d l i f e . c o m

INSIDE

STUDENT LIFE T H E I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y I N S T. L O U I S S I N C E 1 8 7 8

Alpha Phi kicked out of City Museum

By Sarah Kliff News Editor

Sports takes a look at the WU softball team, which has started the year 17-1 and is gunning for a national title.

PAGE 8

Alpha Phi’s formal at the City Museum came to an abrupt end Friday night when the museum’s management shut down the formal and demanded the entire sorority leave the building.

The museum said it asked Alpha Phi to leave at 11:00 p.m. on Friday because multiple members of the sorority were publicly intoxicated, posing what the museum called a safety threat to the sorority members and other City Museum guests.

Nicholas Lyter, the evening manager at the City Museum, said that several problems led to the museum’s request for the group to leave. He cited a few specific incidents, including a sorority member who passed out in the public women’s bathroom on the first floor—a claim the sorority denies—as well as three members of the sorority vomiting in trashcans located in areas that were open to the public.

Lyter also said that another member of Alpha Phi passed out by herself at a table in the museum’s café, in front of a group of Girl Scouts and their chaperones. All of these incidents, said Lyter, created a safety hazard for members of the public who happened to be at the museum.

“Our concern was with regard to the sorority and their guests as a whole,” said Lyter.

Junior Jessica Schaffner, president of Alpha Phi, said that the City Museum misrepresented some of the incidents.

She claimed that no member passed out in a bathroom.

Melissa Miller gives a second look to some of the posters around campus, and she writes in Forum that she doesn’t like what she sees.

DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE

At their formal last Friday, members of the Alpha Phi sorority were reportedly publicly intoxicated at the City Museum. A manager at the museum claims that sisters were vomiting in trashcans and passing out in the museum.

“I was present at that situation, and there was someone who was sick but did not pass out,” said Schaffner.

Schaffner further explained that the incident involving a member passing

out in the café “had not been reported by the many competent sober contacts.”

Lyter said some members were already drunk when they arrived at the

By Troy Rumans Contributing Reporter

DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE

PAGE 4 WEATHER FORECAST Thursday High: 58º | Low: 43º Light rain

Friday High: 57º | Low: 42º Light rain

Saturday High: 55º | Low: 39º Chance of showers

INDEX News Forum Classifieds Sports

1-2 4-5 6 7-8

See ALPHA PHI, page 3

WU fundraising lower than peer schools

SCARFS AND HUGS FOR CANCER

PAGE 5 The Bell has now been booted.

But did SWA really succeed?

The editorial board examines the issue in Forum.

museum, and it was this pre-partying that caused problems rather than members’ alcohol consumption at the City Museum.

“They did have the event catered, and they did have an open bar for those who were of age, which wasn’t an issue,” said Lyter. “The big concern was that a lot of them were intoxicated when they got here, which is a serious issue concerning the museum and the guests.”

This incident, according to Lyter, will have a serious impact on the relationship between the City Museum and the University.

“City Museum will never host a Washington University sorority or fraternity again,” said Lyter.

Lyter later revised his stance on the issue, stating, “It’s not to say that we won’t [ever host a sorority or fraternity].

We’re going to have to seriously evaluate future groups. It has definitely steered us away from hosting those groups.”

In a written statement, Schaffner apologized for the detrimental effects that specific members’ behavior could have caused, noting that individuals’ choices are not representative of the entire organization.

“The events of last Friday night were regrettable and inappropriate, but they are not accurately representative of Alpha Phi and our mission,” wrote Schaffner. “Unfortunately, individual incidences can reflect negatively on an entire organization. While we are not trying to justify or pass blame, there were additional factors beyond our control that contributed to these events.”

Five-year-old Billy Bryson makes his mom a scarf Monday night at Help Us Give Support (HUGS), a group for children whose loved ones are dealing with breast cancer. The event was a joint effort between the Siteman Cancer Center and MedPIC, through the Arts as Healing program.

Although Washington University fundraising increased by 12.7 percent to $121 million in 2004, a recent report issued by the Council for Aid to Education found that the University did not rank among the top 20 fundraising schools.

Harvard topped the list with $540 million raised, followed by Stanford University at $524 million. Overall university fundraising increased by 3.4 percent in 2004. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill held the bottom spot on the 20-university list with $186 million.

David Blasingame, executive director of the Campaign for Washington Univeristy and executive vice chancellor for alumni and development, noted that the University has lagged behind many schools considered our peers over the past

year. As the University’s academic rankings have jumped, fundraising numbers have not seen the same dramatic increases.

“To be sure, Washington University’s fundraising totals are lower than the top tier of fund-raising institutions—Harvard, Stanford and Penn, for example,” said Blasingame. “We are now ranked with those institutions, rather than with a number of other institutions that were long considered by many to be our peers; for example, Rochester, Case Western and Tulane.”

Comparing the University to its peer group and looking at fundraising increases, said Blasingame, shows the true vitality of fundraising efforts. A recent study, preformed by the University, investigated fundraising increases between 1996 and 2004. The study used the top 20 ranked institu

Real World and Road Rules casts to visit Admissions Office will observe new SATs

By Veronica Woolley Contributing Reporter

The Campus Programming Council (CPC) is bringing four former cast members from MTV’s popular television shows the Real World and Road Rules to campus to speak with students about their unique experiences.

This Friday two Road Rulers—Abram of South Pacific and Rachel of Campus Crawl—will come to Washington University along with Real World cast members MJ of last year’s Real World Philadelphia and Cameran of Real World San Diego.

The show, which will be held in the Gargoyle, is free for University students.

Doors are scheduled to open at 3:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 4 p.m.

Following the fi lming and airing of their seasons, most Real World and Road Rules alumni tour the country, making small group appearances and giving talks at hundreds of schools and clubs across the nation to discuss their experiences. However, they also talk about the deeper issues they encounter during their time as cast members, such as adaptation to new environments, diversity, confl ict resolution, AIDS awareness and the formation of relationships.

According to Worldwide Talent Group, the managing agency for the former cast members, their experiences are especially relevant for college students because their time on the shows involves much of the same orientation and adaptation

STUDENT LIFE

processes as going to college and preparing for post-college life. Because of the immense popularity of Real World and Road Rules among college-age students, such events typically draw large crowds.

A visit last semester by Real World’s Cyrus and Road Rules’ Rachel to nearby Saint Louis University brought an audience of over 200.

This will not be the fi rst time stars of reality MTV have visited Washington University. Cara Kahn of Real World Chicago graduated from the University in 2002 and has since returned to speak on campus, and a few years ago former cast member Puck Rainey of Real World San Francisco came for an event similar to the event being held on campus Friday.

Puck, known in the world of reality MTV for his wild and brash personality, upheld this reputation during his visit to Washington University, making several tactless remarks during the show. This time around, CPC was sure to pick cast members they felt students would be able to relate to.

“We picked these four because they’re from more recent casts,” said sophomore Shilpa Rupani, one of CPC’s Large Events Co-Chairs. “They’re well-known among people who watch the shows, are younger and are also known to be easy-going, laid-back and fun people. We’re expecting it to be a really good time.”

Students who plan to attend should

One Brookings Drive #1039 #42 Women’s Building St. Louis, MO 63130

See MTV, page 3

By Angela Markle Staff Reporter If current Washington University students compared SAT scores with a high school student who took the popular standardized text within the last few months, many would be shocked at how paltry their 1400, 1500, or even perfect 1600 would look in comparison. In March, a new version of the SAT went into effect, and it has some significant changes.

Now scored out of 2400 points, the exam is even more of a behemoth than in past years.

It takes between three and a half and four hours to administer and some of the sections have been changed.

Nanette Tarbouni, the University’s director of undergraduate admissions, isn’t ready to pass judgment on the new exam, however, until she and her colleagues have a better chance to study it.

“We know what the College Board is telling us about it being a better test, but we will have to go through the next year to see if we agree,” she said.

Newsroom: (314) 935-5995 Advertising: (314) 935-6713 Fax: (314) 935-5938

See FUNDRAISING, page 3

Analogies and quantitative comparisons have been removed from the exam, and a writing section, similar to the SAT II: Writing, which no longer exists, has been added. There are also additional short reading passages, as well as new math topics including absolute values and negative and fractional exponents.

The official Web site for the College Board, which writes and administers all SAT I, PSAT and SAT II subject tests touts the revamped exam as being, “better aligned with current curriculum and institutional practices in high school and college.”

Its new emphasis on writing, in addition to the verbal—now called critical reading—and math sections, is meant to “reinforce the importance of writing throughout a student’s education,” and the College Board’s hope is that it will help colleges make more informed admissions decisions.

In 1994, when the SAT was last revised, the College Board considered adding a writing

Editor: editor@studlife.com News: news@studlife.com Calendar: calendar@studlife.com

See NEW SATS, page 3

Please Recycle

News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com

WEDNESDAY | MARCH 23, 2005

OFF CAMPUS

ON CAMPUS

Pick up Friday’s copy of Student Life to check out Cadenza’s complete guide to the weekend

‘Citizen Ruth’ takes on abortion

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEKEND AHEAD

THE PULSE

Brought to you by the Cadenza staff

2 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

Japan f ilm ‘Nobody Knows’ at the Tivoli

These days, it’s important to remember that the “culture of life” doesn’t just have to do with Terri Schiavo. Before the religious community descended upon the Florida feeding tube case as the latest battle front for the “culture war,” there was good ol’ abortion. Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne (“Sideways,” “About Schmidt,” “Election”) examined the issue in his 1996 satire “Citizen Ruth.” The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will screen the film in Steinberg Auditorium on Friday at 7:00 pm.

The Ruth in question, played by Laura Dern, is an unemployed, gluehuffing lowlife who discovers she is pregnant for the fifth time. When a judge says he will lessen her sentence if she aborts her child, the apolitical Ruth is caught up in a bidding war between rabid pro-lifers and prochoicers. Newcomer Payne, exercising his caustic directing hand for the first time, delights in showing the sleaze and corruption involved in both sides of the political spectrum. At the center is Ruth, the ultimate antihero, who decides to take a decidedly amoral approach and sell herself to the highest bidder. It’s the story of a sly pragmatist versus hypocritical do-gooders where no one is spared.

The film comes as part of the ongoing exhibit “Inside Out Loud: Visualizing Women’s Health in Contemporary Art.”

For one week only beginning Friday, the Tivoli Theater on Delmar will be showing the acclaimed Japanese film “Nobody Knows,” written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda.

“Nobody Knows” presents the story of four children who are abandoned and left to fend for their own in a Tokyo apartment building, the oldest being only 12 years old. The children struggle to survive, creating rules for their unnoticed little universe and learning about the hostile outside world.

Director Koreeda utilized documentary techniques in the filming of “Nobody Knows,” creating a personal, intimate atmosphere for his young actors. He filmed them for extended periods of time over a span of a year, allowing them to actually grow and mature as actors and human beings as well as film characters. The boy who plays the eldest, Yuya Yagira, even won the award for Best Actor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Critics have universally praised this touching story of youthful innocence and gradual maturity. Slate Magazine’s David Edelstein pronounces it “pure and universal,” and Roger Ebert claims that “there are moments in Yagira’s performance that will break your heart.” Come see this highly praised piece of cinema while it lasts.

-Matt Simonton

-Matt Simonton

CONCERTS CONCERTS Jazz at Holmes presents the Willie Akins Quartet Thursday 8:00 pm—Holmes Lounge Local saxophonist Akins brings his hard bop to the weekly series Jazz at Holmes.

FILM SCREENINGS Reel Deal Film Series presents “Grave of the Fireflies” (1988) Thursday 8:00 pm—Ursa’s This animated Japanese film tells the moving story of two children orphaned during World War II who struggle to survive in their war-torn country.

The St. Louis Italian Film Festival Presents “La Meglio Gioventu” (2003) Friday 7:30 pm—Brown Hall, room 100 First installment of this highly acclaimed, six-hour film about two brothers growing up in turbulent Italy.

EVENTS Take Back the Night Thursday 7:00 pm—Brookings Quad This annual event hopes to raise awareness about women’s safety and combat sexual aggression. Come rally and march in the quad.

Guitar Wolf with the International Playboys, Ded Bug, Corbeta Corbata, and the Electric Wednesday 7:00 pm, $10 for 21 and up, $12 under 21—Creepy Crawl Japanese punk rockers and zombie film stars Guitar Wolf take to the stage to deliver their selfproclaimed “loudest music on earth.”

Alicia Keys and John Legend Wednesday 8:00 pm, $37.50-$87.50—Fox Theatre Two of the finest in contemporary R&B flex their piano and vocal skills at the fabulous Fox. Black Mountain with Crystal Skulls Sunday 8:00 pm, $6—Hi-Pointe Black Mountain, a six-piece Canadian rock group, combine the heavy psychedelic tendencies of bands like Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Blue Cheer.

STAGE PERFORMANCES Jim Butz and Tarah Flanagan in “Lobby Hero” Friday 8:00 pm, Saturday 5:00 PM, $44—The Repertory Theater of St. Louis Jeff drifts through his evenings as a security guard in a Manhattan high-rise, trying to get lucky with Dawn, a police officer who works his shift. After becoming involved in a murder case, Jeff must learn to do the right thing.

The Non-Prophets present The Militant Propaganda Bingo Machine Thursday 8:00 pm, $5-$8—Hi-Pointe The Non-Prophets continue their much-lauded sketch comedy show.

FILM SCREENINGS “Gunner Palace” (2005) Opens Friday, $8—Tivoli Theatre Documentary by filmmaker Michael Tucker explores the lives of American soldiers living in occupied Iraq in 2004.

News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com

WEDNESDAY | MARCH 23, 2005

STAFF/FACULTY PROFILE

STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

3

ALPHA PHI n FROM PAGE 1

Tom Harmon Clifford W. Murphy Professor of Civil Engineering

Schaffner continued to say that the sorority is currently dealing with the problems internally and has speciďŹ c plans of action. According the Karin Johnes, director of the Greek Life OfďŹ ce (GLO), Alpha Phi contacted her about the formal and has thus far worked with GLO to come up with ways to deal with the problems that occurred. “They are wanting to take a proactive, reactive stance themselves, and they’re very concerned with what happened,â€? said Johnes.

The Greek Life OfďŹ ce is not currently taking any action against Alpha Phi since the sorority did not violate any Greek policies. Many of the problems, said Johnes, were out of the sorority’s control. “At this point, it seems like what happened was there were several members who made poor decisions prior to even getting to the event,â€? said Johnes. “At this point, I don’t see any policy violations. It’s not like they were serving hard alcohol at the event.â€?

Originally from: St. Louis Did you attend college and/or job training? Where?

Undergraduate at Washington University; Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

What was your mascot? In a ďŹ ght, who would win: the mascot from your alma matter or the Wash U Bear?

I believe MIT’s mascot is a beaver. I am sure that the WU Bear would make lunch of the MIT Beaver.

What brought you to Wash U? I needed a job. The real estate development company I was working for went out of business when the prime interest rate reached 21 percent in 1982. If I had applied a day later, the job at WU would have been gone.

What is your favorite book?

Mechanics of Deformable Bodies by Beer and Johnston

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

My son Richard would say that there is absolutely nothing about me that is interesting. I grew up outside of a very small town in the Ozark hills. My father was an artist and raised goats. I ran a marathon in under 4 hours. I am good at racket ball and minesweeper.

Johnes noted that the events were unfortunate but did not object to the museum’s actions. “City Museum is a pretty classy establishment ,so I don’t blame them for what they did,� said Johnes. “Obviously, it’s embarrassing for the University.

I’m not going to petition them to change their stance.�

Junior Nicole Soussan, president of the Pan-Hellenic Association, said that the association would not take action until the facts of the situation were elucidated. “Right now we need more information so we’re not relying on hearsay and rumors,� said Soussan.

Soussan did note that Alpha Phi’s actions could have a negative impact on the entire Greek community. “When chapters do good things or bad things, it reect on the entire community,â€? said Soussan. “I think that’s something that Alpha Phi has realized on their own.â€?

news@studlife.com

NEW SATS n FROM PAGE 1

—compiled by Helen Rhee

FUNDRAISING n FROM PAGE 1

POLICE BEAT Wednesday, March 16 5:33 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, PARKING LOT #4 - Victim stated that between the hours of 8: 15 p.m. and 4:50 p.m., an unknown suspect broke into his vehicle, rummaged through the glove compartment and stole his book bag from the trunk of the vehicle. Disposition: Under investigation.

6:19 p.m. ASSAULT, SMALL GROUP HOUSING - Student reported being assaulted and threatened by an ex-partner from a previous relationship while in Snow Way garage. The victim refused to prosecute the suspect, therefore, contact was made with the suspect to warn that any further contact with the victim would result in prosecution for harassment and any further trips to this campus would result in a trespassing arrest. Disposition: Cleared.

11:52 p.m. ALARM, MILL-

section, but at the time large-scale essay scoring was not possible. Now, scanners and Web-based distribution make grading far easier.

The first students to be affected by the new system will be those applying for the graduating class of 2009. Tarbouni said that for “students who are applying for admission to the freshman class in the fall of 2006‌Washington University will accept either the old SAT I or the new one,â€? while all later students will be required to use the new version of the SAT. While she stressed the fact that the SAT I is “not the most important aspect of a student’s application,â€? it is a useful tool. The College Board claims on its Web site that the SAT II: Writing was the single best indicator of what a college freshman’s

BROOK #1 - False ďŹ re alarm.

Disposition: Pending.

Thursday, March 17 11:41 a.m. LARCENY-THEFT, ATHLETIC COMPLEX - Complainant had his wallet and keys stolen from his pants that he had left outside the racketball court while he played racketball in the AC. Disposition: Under investigation.

12:08 p.m.

MEDICAL, MALLINCKRODT CENTER Accidental injury. Disposition: Cleared.

Friday, March 18 2:25 a.m. ALARM, SM HOUSE #1 - Fire alarm pulled by unknown student who set off a ďŹ re extinguisher in the hallway of the second oor, no description available per fraternity president. Alarm reset by maintenance. Disposition: Pending.

-compiled by John Hewitt

tions in the U.S. News & World Report Rankings as a peer group. “Using that comparison group and that time frame, Washington University was second only to Johns Hopkins University in fundraising improvement,� said Blasingame. “The percentage of alumni who support Washington University has been improving at a rate exceeding that of our peers.�

Blasingame also noted that the University alumni network is also not as extensive as top fundraising schools. Harvard, for example, boasts an alumni population two to three times that of the University.

Junior Jessica Jones, treasurer of Student Union, agreed that the University’s fundraising efforts should not be understood only in terms of the numbers. Other important information, she said, could have an impact on

how to correctly interpret the fundraising of each school. “As a student, I think it’s most important that we understand what reasonable expectations of our University are and do not make a judgment on statistics without all the pertinent information,� said Jones.

Blasingame emphasized that the increase in University fundraising, rather than comparisons to other institutions, are indicative of pertinent fundraising trends. “Washington University fund raising is certainly not trending down,� he said. “The University has great momentum in all areas—in the excellence of its educational programs, the quality of its research, its growing national and international reputation, the increasing number of applications from prospective students for both undergraduate and graduate admission, and in its success in fund raising.�

bring questions to ask the cast members and are encouraged to bring items for them to sign as well. According to CPC members, there will mostly likely be time after the show to meet and have pictures taken with them as well.

news@studlife.com

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MTV n FROM PAGE 1

news@studlife.com

Campus Special

GPA would be.

The University is already on collegeboard.com’s list of schools that already requires an SAT-like exam (the SAT or the ACT), as well as a writing sample in addition to the admissions essay.

While this requirement used to be fulfilled with the SAT II, it will now be completed with just one exam.

Tarbouni seemed optimistic about the new exam’s potential, but plans to give it all the critical attention it deserves. “We are using the coming year as one of transition - to observe the new tests,� she said. “We’re not sure what to expect or what it means, but we expect an interesting year.�

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4 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

Forum Editor / Roman Goldstein / forum@studlife.com

FORUM

WEDNESDAY | MARCH 23, 2005

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS Write a letter to the editor letters@studlife.com or Campus Box 1039 Submit an opinion column forum@studlife.com or Campus Box 1039

STAFF EDITORIAL

SWA needs to target Wash U’s wallet

R

ecently the Coalition of Immokalee Workers forced Taco Bell and its parent company, Yum! Brands, to agree to a one-cent increase in the wage for its tomato pickers, which almost doubles the pay rate per bucket. The coalition, which worked with students (including Washington University’s Student Worker Alliance), faith-based groups and farm labor unions, showed true power in numbers to force the change.

According to sophomore SWA member Nikhil Kothegal, 22 other universities had already gotten Taco Bell removed from their campuses before Yum! Brands agreed to the wage increase. This was very fortunate for SWA, because the recent campuswide food

survey showed just 15.9 percent of students willing to boycott Taco Bell out of concern for the Immokalee workers.

The national coalition effectively employed hunger strikes, rallies, information sessions and students from across the country who gave up their spring break to travel with the campaign. Kothegal explained that our campus was just one of many campaign stops.

Ironically, now that Taco Bell has reformed its labor practices, SWA cannot encourage students to reward the chain with their patronage; Taco Bell will be replaced on campus after next year following the food survey that SWA pushed for. Hopefully, SWA will use its influence to encourage another

socially responsible chain to replace Taco Bell.

While the SWA has seen great success as part of the coalition and other national partnerships, progress on campus has been less fruitful. The living wage campaign forced the chancellor to appoint a task force to explore the issue but as of yet has not changed wages on campus. To its credit, SWA plans to use new tactics in the future to continue to fight the issue, hoping to frame the issue in comparison to recent tuition increases and using an SWA Week to focus attention on the issue of living wage.

But it seems that what really worked for the Taco Bell campaign was a national coalition that not only raised public awareness

but also created bad press and economic pressure on the company to force change.

Unless SWA plans on boycotting all University food, cleaning and landscape services, it seems unlikely that its living wage campaign will be as successful as the “Boot the Bell” campaign.

Hopefully, members will learn from their own success instead of changing tactics in the face of an impressive victory. SWA has shown it can raise awareness of an issue; setting up a system of economic incentives for organizations to have responsible social practices, Washington University included, is the next step.

BRIAN SOTAK | EDITORIAL CARTOON

FORUM POLICIES

STAFF EDITORIAL

Media policy is hardly Saddam-esque

P

hysics Professor Jonathan Katz proposed a measure to the Arts and Sciences Faculty Council affi rming that students and faculty can talk to the media without approval from the Office of Public Affairs. He told Student Life that the current policy “is the sort of thing you might expect to happen in Iraq—Saddam’s Iraq, not postwar Iraq, not a in a free country,” going further to characterize the policy as “crazy.”

That’s a fascinating claim given the fact that the University’s media guidelines say almost exactly what Katz wants them to say. A quick jaunt to Public Affairs’ Web site reveals the following: “Washington University faculty and students have the right to speak with news media without the presence or permission of University officials.”

The University publishes a searchable online faculty directory to make it easy for reporters to fi nd an expert source for their stories; no call to Public Affairs is needed to use these directories. The University-wide directory also lets reporters contact virtually anybody affi liated with the University without going through Public Affairs. Additionally, reporters have access to public areas of the Hilltop Campus without needing permission. And Public Affairs explicitly encourages students and faculty to talk to the media, advising them to fully answer reporters’ questions and promptly respond to media inquiries.

STUDENT LIFE Editor in Chief Associate Editor Senior News Editor Senior Forum Editor Senior Cadenza Editor Senior Scene Editor Senior Sports Editor

Jonathan Greenberger Cory Schneider Liz Neukirch Roman Goldstein Matt Simonton Sarah Ulrey Mary Bruce

It’s worth noting that there are no media policies, only media guidelines. Technically, no journalist is required to follow the guidelines, said Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Fred Volkmann. The idea behind the guidelines is to ensure that journalists respect students’ and professors’ privacy, he added.

The suggested restrictions on reporters’ freedoms don’t corroborate Katz’s claim that the University is the enemy of a free press. The biggest restriction—access to the medical school—is virtually mandated by federal laws guaranteeing patient privacy. The right to medical privacy is also a good thing independently of federal law. The second big restriction is that residential areas on campus are not open to the media. Given that there are plenty of students on the Hilltop, that’s a sensible balance between reporters’ need to get student sources and respecting students’ privacy. Finally, TV journalists are significantly impaired by not being able to shoot or transmit video footage. A more relaxed policy is needed in this area, but that still leaves print and radio journalists with nearly unlimited freedom to gather the news on Hilltop.

Katz’s accusations are gratuitous. The University is a far, far cry from a totalitarian regime in its media guidelines.

Senior Graphics Editors Brian Sotak, Emily Tobias News Editors Doug Main, Sarah Kliff Contributing Editors Erin Harkless, Rachel Streitfeld, Forum Editors Cadenza Editors Scene Editors Sports Editor Photo Editors

OPINION COLUMN (OP-ED): A bylined essay of between 500 and 750 words that reflects only the opinion of the author. It should include the name, class, position (if applicable), major (if applicable) and phone number of the author. E-mail forum@studlife.com to submit.

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LETTER: A piece of writing under 300 words in length, directed to the Student Life Forum editors, that may or may not respond directly to content printed previously in Student Life. It should include the name, class, position (if applicable) and phone number of the author.

E-mail letters@studlife.com to submit.

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STAFF EDITORIAL: An opinion that reflects the consensus of the editorial board. It is written by the Forum editors.

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FORUM FLASHBACK: A summary of an article previously published in Forum, followed by an analysis or update to the opinion.

Just the Facts - compiled by Roman Goldstein

Former Rep. Dick Gephardt is the namesake for the new Institute for Public Service. What other big names is Wash U courting for its various programs?

1.

2.

3.

4.

Online Editor Margaret Bauer Copy Editors Kelly Donahue, Allie McKay,

David Tabor Daniel Milstein, Brian Schroeder, Designers Aaron Seligman, Justin Ward Laura Vilines, Tyler Weaver Sarah Baicker, Kristen McGrath General Manager Justin Davidson Ad Manager David Brody, Pam Buzzetta

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Nina Perlman, Shannon Petry, TJ Plunk, Jonathon Repinecz Anna Dinndorf, Ellen Lo, Laura McLean, Jamie Reed, Camila Salvisberg Andrew O’Dell Christopher Kiggins

Tom DeLay, for the growing Center for the Study of Ethics and Human Values. Nobody, nobody, knows ethics like DeLay. Dr. Bill Frist, for the medical school’s Department of Neurology. Anybody who can make medical diagnoses (as in the case of Terri Schiavo) from a videotape has to be really good.

Some black or Hispanic woman, for some position.

Wash U needs token minorities for its public relations brochures.

Mark McGwire, to coach the baseball team. The team wouldn’t mind a “performance enhancing measure”— wink, wink.

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

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Forum Editor / Roman Goldstein / forum@studlife.com

WEDNESDAY | MARCH 23, 2005

STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

5

Stop, collaborate and listen

I

have two questions that are really bugging me. One: what the hell has Sister Hazel done since 1997? Two: why was a one-hit wonder picked to play at WILD? Robert Randolph and the Family Band was a great choice

by Team 31. I don’t like them, but I know lots of people who do. There are people who would probably give a kidney to see Randolph. But Sister Hazel? What’s next, Hootie and the Blowfish?

If Sister Hazel is the type of band that Team 31 will book for WILD, then they need some serious selection help. This is especially true,

Daniel Milstein

since Sister Hazel seems like the latest offense, with having Live and Better Than Ezra in the past. A good solution for Team 31 would be to use KWUR to help select acts for future WILDs. In the interests of full disclosure: I am a KWUR DJ. And playing such nostalgic bands like Sister Hazel is always good for kicks. But it’s always better to play little known bands, and let other people (if lots of people listened, anyway) listen to good music that they may not have known before. This is a modus operandi of KWUR, and a very noble one. Being able to brag that you knew a good band before they got popular is a great feeling. Allowing KWUR DJs to help choose bands for WILD will help spread this feeling, which is certainly better than feeling like you are in seventh grade again.

Furthermore, letting KWUR help with WILD will promote KWUR. Not nearly enough people know about KWUR, and even fewer people listen, despite the best efforts of KWUR’s promotion committee. Aside from the fact that listen-

ing to KWUR helps people get the new music discovery feeling, we all pay for KWUR. Granted, that money is now a sunk cost, but it really isn’t much of a hardship to listen to KWUR. All people have to do is go to the Web site and click “listen.” That doesn’t seem too difficult to me.

One drawback to letting KWUR help with the WILD selection process is the possibility

What’s next, Hootie and the Blowfish? that the shroud of secrecy will start to disappear, and some of the prospective performers at WILD will be leaked if more people are brought into the process. But I don’t think that would be a problem. KWUR DJs can be trusted, and it would be worse to have a bad choice like Sister Hazel be a surprise than to have a good choice

be leaked. Moreover, KWUR has already shown the ability to throw a successful concert with KWUR Week attracting large audiences. Why not give KWUR a chance to put on an even larger concert?

To make my proposal even more successful, more people need to listen to KWUR. If that happens, listeners can give the DJ an idea of what they like. And in turn, if KWUR is commissioned to help choose who plays at WILD, an act that is liked by more students could be chosen.

If Team 31 would rather keep bringing us childhood flashbacks instead of newer acts, I have one fi nal suggestion. Next year, have Vanilla Ice be the headliner for fall WILD. At least that would have comedic value.

Daniel is a freshman in Arts & Sciences and a Forum editor. He can be reached via email at forum@studlife.com.

Sexist flyers fill posting space. Give SU some credit

By Melissa Miller Staff columnist

A

ccording to the ResLife posting policy: “No sexist or discriminatory materials allowed.” Unfortunately, this policy is not being followed.

I don’t want to set out in this article to lambaste specific groups because I feel that many groups at Wash U are guilty of sexist and discriminatory advertising. In most cases, I truly don’t remember the groups who sponsored these posters, just the fact that they offended people. So while avoiding naming names, here are some examples of sexist and discriminatory advertisements that have shown up in residential and public areas in the past year or so.

Flyers for parties tend to be big offenders: the Partygras flyer with the topless woman (the word “Partygras” appropriately placed); the one for the CEO and Secretary Hos party; the party flyer that said, “You like (Dick) Cheney.

We like George (Bush);” the “Chimps and Crows” party flyer that replaced the “Pimps and Hos” flyer of years past.

There’s also a flyer in my hallway right now that advertises an event with topless DJs that has an objectifying drawing of two women making out. The DJ advertisement seems to depict what will actually go on at the event, but neither the poster nor the event should objectify women.

Other recent flyers include ones put up by an a cappella group whose poster campaign had pictures of women accompanied by the descriptions, “Bitch,” “Tease” and “Easy,”

while pictures of men had descriptions like “Boss” and “Player.” If you didn’t realize that the group was trying to satirize soap opera stereotypes, seeing these posters could have upset you.

Some of the Student Life kiosks have an advertisement for the “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle” DVD that features the disembodied torso of a naked woman who loves the Harold and Kumar DVDs so much that those are all she’s wearing. The sign reads, “Either way, you score.”

ResLife should enforce its rules against discriminatory advertising.

Even a recycling campaign had a flyer with a pin-up drawing and a message that said, “Go topless.” It was asking Wash U students to take the tops off bottles to recycle them.

Most of these posters and flyers assume that everyone attending the party is heterosexual—a la (Dick) Cheney and George (Bush). Many of them seem to place sexual expectations or labels on partygoers. If you go to the Pimps and Hos party, does that make you either a pimp or a ho, or require you to behave as such? If I go to Partygras, am I expected to take off my top like the woman in the picture?

If I don’t emulate the woman in the picture, am I a prude? If I do, am I a slut?

Many of these signs objectify women. The Student Life kiosks promote an unrealistic female body image (that upsets many women I know who struggle with eating disorders). Furthermore, how can you “score” with this woman in the picture? She has no head! No brain with which to tell you, “yes.”

So how am I, and other women on this campus, supposed to study when we are bombarded every day by flyers and signs every time we return to our dorms or every time we go to eat in Mallinckrodt? I know some women who can ignore it, but many are upset, and some are overwhelmed by these flyers. I know many men who are upset, too.

I should hope that at Wash U we can still be sexy, have sexy events and have sex without being sexist.

We can be provocative without being bigoted. Getting rid of sexism does not mean getting rid of the fun. Maintaining an atmosphere that is sexual but not sexist requires more consideration, creativity and originality. Wash U students have demonstrated their capacity to exhibit these qualities, so I don’t think making a change would be hard.

But while students should work to make better advertisements, ResLife should also enforce its rules against discriminatory ones. The ResLife Web page states: “Violations of this policy will result in materials being removed and sponsoring organizations being subject to disciplinary action.” Interestingly and unfortunately, the Student Life kiosks are not subject to the ResLife rules because they are commercial advertisements. Apparently, commercial vendors, entrepreneurs and businesses that come to campus are allowed to put up nearly any kind of advertisement.

Student groups, however, are subject to the ResLife policy. But as far as I can tell, they have not been punished or asked to stop. Please, stop.

Melissa is a junior in Arts & Sciences. She can be reached via email at mjmiller@artsci.wustl.edu.

By David Ader Student Union President

W

ith the much appreciated increased coverage of Student Union in Student Life this year, as well as of the recent discussion about Student Union’s ability to outreach and plan “fun” events, I would just like to take a moment to respond to a few comments as well as further explain all that Student Union does and wishes to do.

To begin, Student Union is much more than your stereotypical student government. While we do represent student concerns to the administration as most do, we also work with our $1.7 million budget to fund and manage 200-plus student groups as well as plan major campus-wide events. We have over 100 of the most dedicated volunteers imaginable, who rarely receive any credit for their dedication to making this a better university for us all. They do it because they love what they’re doing: serving you.

While all SU representatives are undergraduate students, we cannot truly serve the student body unless we know the problems faced by all students on this campus. To that end, we have undertaken numerous ways of trying to further our outreach, including assigning senators to individual constituencies and allowing them to access students directly, sending out school-wide emails with information regarding our meeting times and contact information, and started an e-newsletter that is widely read. We have begun meeting with every student group to both get a better sense of what they provide to the campus as well as answer any questions or concerns they have, continually offer to attend individual student group meetings and even held a forum at which any student group member could come voice their concerns or get their questions answered. We are always

We do try to make a positive impact on this campus, be it through programming or otherwise. looking for new and innovative ways to reach out to students (while being mindful not to be too overbearing), so if you have suggestions on ways to improve, we’d love to hear from you.

In regards to Daniel Milstein’s concern that SU doesn’t do enough “fun” programming [Feb. 23, 2005], I feel that much of the concern is grounded in a misunderstanding about what all Student Union actually does. Besides the legislative branch, Student Union also is comprised of the class councils, school councils and various executive committees. A sampling of their events include: Happy Hour, Senior Week, Bauhaus, WILD, symphony trips, club nights, Casino Night and Vertigo, just to name a few. When asked who planned what for the semester, we usually defer to where credit seems most due, with the incredible class of capable leaders who we are privileged to have as part of our organization deserving much of the credit.

I’ll go out on a limb and say that you will most likely not see programming involving getting sexual favors from naked women or Johnny Depp, as Geoff Schaefer said he would attend in Milstein’s column, but we do try to make a positive impact on this campus, be it through programming or otherwise.

With that in mind, I would also like to inform everyone that elections are right around the corner. Packets are available in the SU office, at the Wohl and Mallinckrodt information desks as well as our Web site, and petitions are due March 25. If you want to make a difference in how large scale campus events are coordinated and planned, how student groups are funded or even what issues to take to the administration, this is your chance. If not, I encourage you to examine what we do, know who is running and make an informed decision in elections on April 5 and 6. It’s your vote; make it count.

David is a junior in the Olin School of Business. He can be reached via email at president@su.wustl.edu.

RACHEL TEPPER | STUDENT LIFE

Cancer metaphor very real

T

his past Saturday was the third annual Relay for Life on Francis Field to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The event took place from 6 p.m. on Saturday and lasted until 6 a.m. on Sunday. The event began with the emotional opening ceremonies, where several students shared their personal stories fighting cancer themselves or in their families.

During the ceremony, the Relay volunteers explained the reason for the timing of the event. The 12-hour span represents the struggle of a cancer patient, with things getting dark and cold but then hopefully getting better at the end. Eerily, the experience at Relay seemed a little too metaphoric to the cancer struggle.

As the Relay leaders said, the event started out well. There was plenty of food, friends came to visit, it wasn’t too cold, and there were a lot of other activities to keep participants entertained. Most important, the walk-

Aaron Seligman

ing around the track was fun and different from a normal Saturday night.

After working on a thesis and spring break it was a great chance to catch up with friends.

The event brought people together.

Around 10 p.m. was the Lumanaria ceremony. The lights around the track represented the honor and memory of cancer fighters. The lights also spelled out the words “hope” and “cure” in the stands of the stadium. We also heard more moving stories and testimonials.

Taking a lap in quiet reflection was defi nitely a spiritual experience.

Then things got a little harder. The food and hot drinks ran out quickly. The night only got colder and darker after midnight. While I was glad to have made it to the halfway point in relative comfort, I realized that I was in no way close to the halfway point physically.

Not only were my legs starting to feel heavy, but I recognized how incredibly tired I was. I started thinking of the NCAA tournament games I was missing; my warm bed was calling me from just a few hundred yards away.

My friends and roommates who were not participating were not going to come drop by and visit from 2 to 4 a.m. Many other participants took advantage of the wristband which allowed us to leave, but didn’t come back.

Though I didn’t leave, I didn’t exactly brave the whole experience. I fell asleep in my tent during what was for me the most difficult time: 3 to 5 a.m. When I woke up, I heard some energetic people still running around, though most were packing up tents and supplies. Most importantly, there were far, far fewer people than there had been a few hours

Relay reinforced not only the broad goal of curing cancer, but the sheer intensity of the struggle for an individual with the disease. earlier.

As I sat during the closing ceremonies, listening to another heartbreaking testimonial, I felt incredibly guilty. I realized that I had essentially taken an easy route out after only nine hours. Thousands of cancer patients fighting their battles each year do not have the option of simply taking a nap and warming up in a sleeping bag and then getting back to full strength.

It was during those last few moments that the cancer metaphor really hit home for me.

Each year far fewer people survive the battle with cancer than begin it. The lesson I took away from Relay for Life was not that spending a night on the track can be done or can be fun. Relay reinforced not only the broad goal of curing cancer, but the sheer intensity of the struggle for an individual with the disease.

I realized how incredibly valuable having friends and visitors can be, especially when it’s getting late. Having food and other comforts to approximate normal daily life seems simple, but they mean much more. Cancer can bring families together initially, but the reality of fighting, and potentially losing the battle can drain much more than the energy to walk on a track.

Mostly, I was thankful that at 6 a.m., I could go to sleep. I woke up and my life was all back to the way it was before. The NCAA tournament was on, my fridge was full and the heat in my apartment worked fi ne. The image of a much emptier grandstand at 6 a.m. than at 6 or 10 p.m. still haunted me. I hope the image stays with me, and stays with all of us should the unfortunate occur and cancer strikes.

Aaron is a senior in Arts & Sciences and a Forum editor. He can be reached via email at forum@studlife.com.

6 STUDENT LIFE | CLASSIFIEDS

WEDNESDAY | MARCH 23, 2005

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Your Horoscope for Wednesday, March 23, 2005

By Linda C. Black, Tribune Media Services Today’s Birthday (03-23-05). Focus on providing the best service you can this year. It’ll be fun, and even the competition will respect you. That’s worth a lot.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 6. You may have to scramble to keep a promise. If you don’t really know how to do it, find an author who does. Staying up all night reading will be well worth the effort.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is an 8. It would be pretty easy to spend more money now than you’ve got. Don’t create a conflict with a loved one by doing that. Leave the credit cards at home.

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 7. For the next several weeks, you’ll be more compassionate, less adversarial.

This is good, because there’s a huge job to be done. You need all the help you can get.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 6. You’re particularly good with details for the next couple of days. Take on a chore that requires concentration and accuracy. It’ll be fun, almost.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 6. It might be hard to find the time for romance, but it’s worth the effort. When you get the chance, dance. a Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 7. Having people over to your house isn’t a bad idea, but cleaning it up before they get there could be a daunting prospect. Get a Virgo to help.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is a 7. You may feel under bit of pressure to be as perfect as you can. Take extra time with the details and nobody will be disappointed.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 7. The odds are

good that you’re doing too many things at the same time.

Others may counsel you to slow down, but you don’t have to listen. You work well under pressure.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is an 8. Although you’d rather run and play, responsibilities call. Don’t simply ignore them, at least take a number and promise to call back.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 6. Travel beckons, but it’s not a great idea to go. Complications are predicted.

Wait `til next week if you can. That goes for mailing things, too.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 7. It’s not a good time to take risks with money, yours or anyone else’s. Even a great offer from a friend is liable to backfire. Wait.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 6. You’re glad to be available during working hours, but it’s up to you to set limits. Protect your own private time.

Sports Editor / Mary Bruce / sports@studlife.com

WEDNESDAY | MARCH 23, 2005

What you need to know about low seed teams I spent my first day of the NCAA tournament just like the rest of you—plopped in front of the TV. The only difference is that while you were all watching CBS, I was watching a bunch of famous baseball players convince a bunch of politicians and whoever was lame enough to be watching the hearings that they don’t do and never did do steroids.

I know you’re asking yourself why such a college b-ball guru such as myself wasn’t watching the NCAA tournament. Well, aside from the fact that it was actually on on my friend’s computer a few feet away, the games were boring! The last Day 1 game ended and I couldn’t believe that this tournament, which I thought would be one of the best ever was turning out to be so dull.

Then, all of sudden, Days 2, 3 and 4 happened. And now only six of the Sweet 16 teams are 6-seeds or below. Some of them won’t make it to our beloved city, but some very well could. Here’s what the lower seeds have to offer, but will it be enough?

Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12) Though the Panthers have great players in Ed McCants and Joah Tucker who average 17.5 and 15.6 points per game, respectively, and a great overall record (26-5), the most exciting aspect of their game against the Fighting Illini is the gossip. The Panthers’ head coach, Bruce Pearl, recorded conversations Illinois coaches had with former recruit Dean Thomas. Pearl proceeded to turn them in on a recruiting violation and we’ll see tomorrow if he’s been forgiven or if this will make Dee Brown and company even more determined to annihilate Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As much as I’d like to see Illinois lose in the Sweet 16, this Cinderella story might be short-winded. But they have my blessing.

Allie Wieczorek

NC State (10) My guess is that my bracket and those of other ACC-biased fans were among the few predicting the upset over UConn.

Head coach Herb Sendek has done a wonderful job with Julius Hodge and the rest of the Wolfpack, especially considering all of the injuries they have dealt with this season. Though they lost to Washington and West Virginia early on in the regular season, they fared well in the ACC and finished 21-13 overall.

During conference play, they defeated Georgia Tech twice, Maryland twice and Wake Forest (minus Chris Paul) once by 16 points. I know my anti-Big 10 mentality is playing into this, but I truthfully find Wisconsin overrated despite their 11th strongest schedule and victories over Alabama and Michigan State (in one of two meetings). This time, my money’s on the Wolfpack and the highly deserving Hodge and Sendek.

West Virginia (7) After a too-close-for-comfort win over Creighton, the Mountaineers redeemed themselves by upsetting the 2-seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons. They’re hot right now, what can I say.

They entered the Big Dance after defeating Boston College and Villanova—both teams they lost to in the regular season—and finishing second in the Big East Tournament. Coach John Beilein has three great players in Tyrone Sally, Mike Gansey, and everyone’s favorite, Kevin Pittsnogle. Their 23-10 overall and 8-8 Big East records, however, both illustrate and emphasize their biggest weakness—inconsistency. If they’re on their A-game tomorrow, The General better watch out, but if they’re off, Bob Knight and his Texas Tech Raiders won’t be throwing any chairs, at least not out of anger or disappointment. Knight will do all he can to prevent his team from ruining his fi rst Sweet 16 appearance in eleven years. Tech is also coming off of two hot wins against UCLA and 3-seeded Gonzaga. It should be a great game, but I’m going with Tech this time.

The 6-seeds The 6-seeds have really been taking over this tournament, but do they have Final Four potential? Texas Tech might even have a tough time beating West Virginia. And if they do in fact succeed, they face the winner of the Washington-Louisville game, which won’t be easy. I say they’re out in the Elite Eight.

Wisconsin shouldn’t even get that far. Sendek’s Wolfpack is ready to show the world why they belong on Tobacco Road. I have no doubt that they can beat the Badgers. Utah, I recently discovered, has a lot more than just Andrew Bogut going for them right now. While he is absolutely fantastic, we saw in the Oklahoma game that the Utes are a team—and a great one at that. They have the second highest field goal percentage in the country (52.1%) and a 13-1 conference record. On the other hand, the Mountain West Conference is not exactly the most competitive and they have previously lost to Washington and Arizona. But Kentucky has consistently failed to impress me over the last few years, so I’ve got the Utes over the Wildcats.

And of the three remaining 6-seeds, Utah is the only one I see Final Four potential in.

In this time of dying brackets and broken hearts, all we can do is pray for the underdogs (unless our top seed favorites are still in it).

STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

7

LAW AND BASKETBALL n FROM PAGE 8 articles a month.

“The people who do it enjoy doing it,” said Seigel.

Writers are given money to attend games or tournaments, but most of them do it for fun anyway. A lot of the writers “just love basketball,” he said.

Some of the reporters are professionals who like to write about their favorite college teams, and others are college journalism majors looking for experience or résumé and portfolio material.

“For the younger people, it’s a chance for them to make some real money down the road,” said Seigel.

The site also turns a profit by not spending money on advertising. “First-time visitors find us through search engines,” explained Seigel, who thinks the key is to have links to his site on as many other Web sites as possible. So when people look up anything having to do with college basketball, colleghoopsnet.com is one of the first to pop up.

Aside from the 20 people who help with the writing, Siegel does everything himself. He designs, copy edits and writes press releases, articles and everything else all on his own.

Last summer Siegel spent eight to ten hours per day on the site, but for most of the year he spends less than two hours a day on it. He spent his entire Spring Break on the site and said he worked “eight days in a row, nonstop.”

Since he returned from break, however, two hours a day is hardly enough. As most know, this is not the quietest time for college basketball. Siegel said that right now he is spending around four hours per day on the site. “My parents read it and think I don’t do any schoolwork,” he said.

Siegel described his current stress level as “ten times higher” than it was during his undergraduate experience and explained that managing the Web site takes up most of his relaxation time. But unlike most law students, he contends that he is “able to keep sane” by not spending too much time on his work.

In addition to managing CHN, Siegel also runs Njhoopsnet.com and PrepsUSA.com and freelances for various magazines and other Web sites. After taking last year off to spend a lot of time writing, Siegel said that “being a sports writer would be really great.”

An interesting aspect of Siegel’s site is its focus on the mid-major schools. Part of the reasoning behind this is that smaller schools more readily give credentials. “They are looking for all the exposure they can get,” said Siegel. But he also looks down upon the more mainstream sports journalists who only pay attention to the big-time teams. “All they know about is Duke,” he said.

For those of you filling out second-chance brackets, Siegel had a few things to say about this year’s tournament.

Although after its slow start he thought it would be a “useless tournament,” it became “more fun when the big teams started losing.” But he made the good point that teams like Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Bucknell might not make for the best Final Four game.

“Besides, then no one would be checking my Web site,” he said.

Much to his chagrin, Siegel still thinks Illinois “will win it all.”

Take his advice if you wish. After all, he has experienced some pretty sweet success in his own life.

I will not pee until I make $1,300

By Alex Schwartz Staff Reporter I take a huge swig of Diet Coke as I watch another $100+ pot move towards my opponent. The night starts off well enough— I am up about $200 in the fi rst 15 minutes—but it quickly deteriorates into the worst session I’ve ever experienced. In three hours, I lose $1500, putting me at a -$1300 on the night. Wow. I look behind me at the clock above my bed and see that it’s 4:15 a.m. I make the decision to head to the bathroom, freshen up, and go to sleep. As I play a fi nal hand before getting up, I see pocket kings, the second-best starting hand in Texas Hold’em. The hand is played, and when all the cards are face up on the table, I end up raking in a $109 pot.

Suddenly, a moment of clarity descends upon me. In this fit of brilliance, I achieve the one true moment of genius I will ever know: I will not pee until I make $1300 back. I understand how Einstein felt as he scribbled the simple equation that would become the Theory of Relativity. Barring a burst bladder, no urine will escape my body until I earn back every penny I have lost. With newfound physical and emotional determination, I prepare for a long, painful night.

To be perfectly honest, the hands are a blur as they come and go. Even the pots begin to lose their value as the discomfort escalates to near-epic proportions. Around 6:40 a.m., I make the switch from open-legged stance to a more feminine cross-legged position to escape the searing sensation emanating from my mid-section. At 7:55 a.m., I resort to standing in

front of my computer as I struggle to restrain myself.

Finally, at 8:26 a.m., pocket nines turn into three of a kind on the flop, I net $70 on the pot, and I fi nd myself at +$6 on the night. Within a matter of seconds, my pants are around my ankles as I rush towards the bathroom.

The purpose of this story is not to disgust you. It is to inform you of how absolutely insane you need to be in order to deal with the losses and gains you will have if you play any upper-level online poker. There will be nights where you lose a lot of money, and you have to be a plant not to let it affect you, but as soon as you begin to blame yourself, terrible things will happen. Did I actually think that not relieving myself would start me on a winning streak? Absolutely not, but it was something I did to force myself to play until I made the money back.

Beginning players sometimes internalize the bad beats they initially suffer, chalking it up to bad play and poor decisionmaking. They lose confidence in their ability to play tight, aggressive poker and end up loosening up and losing even more money. The key to the game is realizing that the bad swings are going to happen, and if you put in enough hands (and you’re an overall winner), you will make the money back.

Whether you need to deprive yourself of basic human necessities in order to sit down long enough to earn back your losses is your decision, but make sure that you do not lose any of the raw ability and knowledge that makes you a winning player.

Steroids and Milli Vanilli: Gotta love ’em?

I imagine I grew up in a household similar to yours. You know, the standard guidelines that parents of our generation try to instill in their progeny: honor your parents, respect your elders, fear God and take everything Jose Canseco says as absolute truth. No questions asked, right? At this point in time, I think the Jose Canseco commandment is the most important to adhere to in this, the era of steroids.

Hell, I didn’t even read Canseco’s book, but when a player like leadoff hitter Brady Anderson hits 50 home runs in 1996 after having hit only 72 in the previous eight seasons, it doesn’t take a book to make it clear that there has been rampant steroid use in Major League Baseball for years.

This brings me to my point: steroids, while harmful to one’s body and detrimental to your sex life, are not as bad as people make them out to be.

I’m an idiot, you say? Well, chew on this for a second: In 1994, during the strike-shortened season, total attendance for the season was right around 60 million. In the years following the strike, baseball had a very hard time recovering, with attendance levels mired in the lower 60 millions.

Then 1998 rolled around. You all remember 1998, don’t you?

Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hit a combined 136 home runs and, coincidentally, attendance shot up to 73 million! Sure, this could have been completely random, but during this same period, 1994-1998, the number of average home runs hit per game also increased significantly, on the order of 1.02 per game in 1994 to 1.17 per game in 1998. In fact, it turns out there is a very high correlation between how many times Chris Berman shouts “back, back, back” per night and how many fans pack America’s baseball stadiums.

If this isn’t making too much sense to you, try to look at this from a simple analogy. Let’s say you are really into early 90’s pop music. Why? I don’t know, but just go along with me for argument’s sake. One day you hear this new group called Milli Vanilli. These two guys are horrible. Sure they can dance, and they’ve got the hair and everything else, but, when you hear them sing, you wish someone would give you a lobotomy. So what does Milli Vanilli do to win the hearts of the American consumers? They hit the metaphorical home run. Milli Vanilli gets

Jordan Katz

three singers with good voices and no stage presence to record their songs for them. Then, all the two talentless schmucks have to do is dance and look good while they lip-synch over good voices. In this particular case, Milli Vanilli went on to sell millions of records and eventually won a Grammy.

This seems a good point to recap—Milli Vanilli sucks; very limited record sales. Milli Vanilli cheats; millions of records sold. This looks kind of like the current situation in baseball, does it not? Steroids provide players with an unfair competitive advantage in terms of strength, stamina and resistance to injury. A baseball player who uses steroids has a much greater chance of exceeding his natural talent (more hits, more power, etc.), and a baseball player who excels is going to get a hell of a lot more money and be held dear in the hearts of his fans. So, at this point, everything is going okay, right?

Wrong! Sure, Milli Vanilli makes a ton of money, cultivates quite a following and eventually wins a Grammy. Get ready for the backlash though. The dreadlocked wonder boys are caught lip-synching on the stage of the Grammys right after they win (“girl you know it’s… girl you know it’s… girl you know it’s…”).

They’re screwed, ain’t no wrigglin’ out of this one. Milli Vanilli’s accomplishments are forever tarnished; they have the proverbial asterisk next to their names. Well, that’s exactly what we are experiencing in baseball now, the “asterisk stamping” period.

Asterisks next to *Caminiti, *Giambi, *McGwire, *Bonds and *Sosa.

So, what are we, as avid baseball aficionados, supposed to do now? Well, let me fi nish. After the Grammy is given back, Milli Vanilli is cast out from the musical world, banished from the industry that once provided them with riches and accomplishments well beyond their natural talent levels. What did American music consumers do after the fiasco? They went out a few years later and bought the computer manipulated crap coming out of J. Lo or Ashlee Simpson’s mouths. Lesson learned? Not hardly.

After following that example, what are we as baseball fans going to do after pooh-poohing players like Giambi, Bonds and Caminiti for using steroids? Well, we are going to fall in love all over again with the new crop of players with giant muscles, whoever they may be. With that being said, fans are always going to flock to the baseball stadiums as long as the players are excelling and hitting homeruns into the nose-bleed sections.

In a sense, we fans are encouraging steroids by continuing to support this type of cheating. How can something we publicly encourage be so bad?

8 STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

Sports Editor / Mary Bruce / sports@studlife.com

WEDNESDAY | MARCH 23, 2005

SPORTS

Softball looks for a national title, game by game Team starts season 17–1 with a ninth-spot national ranking

By Derek Winters Staff Reporter

toria “Tori” Ramsey has pitched a 6–0 record and only given ponents because of their powerful 7–8–9 batters who are all batting around .300, giving any part of the lineup the potenup one earned run. tial to score runs.

“Obviously, the ultimate goal is to win Winning isn’t anything new to the Washington University “We’re dangerous one nationals,” said Ramsey. “We softball team. Coming off through nine and have a very have to play ‘Bear’ softball of a very impressive 33–5 deep bench,” said Zelinsky. every game to achieve our record last year, the team “Our pitching is the same goals.” looks to improve this seaway, and we have four very “Bear” softball is an eleson. good pitchers.” ment that Coach Zelinsky So far the team has won Leading the way offensivepreaches in every practice the University Athletic Asly is junior Monica Hanono, and game. The concept is to sociation (UAA) Championsenior Liz Swary and freshplay every game like it were a ships and went 17–1 before man Amy Vukovich, who have championship game. This sealosing to number-eight played in all 18 games and are son 90 percent of the team’s Augustana College by one batting well over .400. Pitchgames are regional games that run. ing is very deep, and Zelinsky determine who gets a national Head Coach Cindy Zehas four solid pitchers to bid—so every one counts. linsky is very optimistic choose from. Ramsey, freshSenior cocaptain Jackie about the remainder of the man Kaylyn Eash and sophoBurgdorf has started in every season. mores Abby Morgan and Laugame that she’s played in and “We have to take one rel Sagartz have combined for carries a .400 slugging pergame at a time,” said Zelina stunning 17–1 record and centage. sky. “We can’t get ahead of only eight earned runs in 18 “One of our goals and one ourselves.” games. of our biggest challenges for Over Spring Break the “Our team is very fundathe rest of the season is to team traveled to Orlando, mentally sound, our field keep getting better every day, Fla., where they were at percentage is around .970 no matter how many wins we a perfect 6–0 record and and we are very powerful have or how many runs we’re outscored opposing teams offensively,” said Zelinsky. winning by,” said Burgdorf.

51–6 before traveling to Al“I hope students come out “We haven’t played as well as tamonte Springs, Fla., for and support their extremely we can yet. We’re still work- Senior first basemen Liz Swary fields a pop fly in the UAA Championships. skilled classmates.” ing toward playing the kind Saturday’s doubleheader against Clarke College and They came out with a per- Senior pitcher Victoria Ramsey shows her stuff in fect 8–0 and outscored op- Saturday’s 2-0 victory against Clarke College. Ramsey of ball that’s going to win us a Central College. Over the two games, Swary went 3pitched a complete game one-hitter, while striking national championship.” posing teams 65–2. for-8 for the Bears.

The Bears are a threat to opCaptain and senior Vic- out eight and walking one on the day.

Law and basketball: founder of CHN finds time for law school

By Allie Wieczorek

Web site, Siegel said, “It’s definitely equivalent to what someone makes just out of college.”

It’s amazing what can come out of a love for sports With such a lucrative business, one might ask what on earth he’s doing in law school. Seemand a summer interningly unashamed, Siegel admitted, “I don’t have the guts to ship. Washington Unicompletely do this all of the time.” Siegel only started the versity graduate and first-year law student Shawn Siegel site three years ago, and when he graduated from Wash U, explained that he has “always been a huge basketball fan.” he did not expect it would do so well.

After his freshman year of college, Siegel took an intern“I’ve always wanted to do something with sports,” said ship with the New Jersey Nets, and, although he had had no Siegel, who decided to go to law school with hopes of eventechnical training of any kind, he was asked to help with tually going into sports law or management. He admitted, their Web site. And there he found his niche. however, that he wouldn’t be “crazy” to think this might be Shortly after his internship, Siegel started a Web site something he could do for the rest of his life. of his own about the Nets. He said that once he saw that So what is the point of spending so much time and he “actually had visitors,” he began writing about college working so hard on CHN if Siegel doesn’t necessarily see basketball. What started out as “just for fun” became a future in it? collegehoopsnet.com—known to many as CHN, the largest “It’s a serious source of income as long as I have the deindependent college basketball Web site on the Internet. sire to keep it going,” he explained.

“I never thought it would be a business,” said Siegel, now And if he ever gets tired of it, Siegel said he would ask just 23 years old. “It just sort of grew from a little hobby.” one of his writers to take it over. “But at this point,” he said, “it’s making too much money for me to even consider Until his internship with the Nets, Siegel had no experience giving it up.” building Web sites.

The site has made great progress since its inception in To fund the site, Siegel arranges advertising deals with 2002. This month an average of 15,000 people read the site ticket sellers, sports apparel companies and others. Reluc- First-year law student Shawn Siegel runs collegehoopsnet.com, one of the each day. The page view count is up to 45,000, which Siegel tant to disclose exactly how much profit he makes from the largest independent college basketball Web sites on the Internet. said is four times the amount per day from last year and 20 times that of the year before. The day after Selection Sunday, there were 30,000 people reading through the site.

Part of the reason Siegel is able to profit from the site is that many of his writers do not get paid. About 20 writers contribute to the Web site, each of whom are expected to submit two

Staff Columnist

20 QUESTIONS

By Mary Bruce Senior Sports Editor

Senior roommates Shaul Yecheskel, a tennis player, and Jared Joiner, a lacrosse player, talk deeply about being WU athletes, living together and the art of spooning.

When and why did you start playing?

Shaul: When I was ten. I saw my dad playing. And I don’t know, I had nothing else to do. It got me out of swim practice so I liked it.

Jared: Eighth grade, because I was really, really bad at baseball.

Shaul: Actually, he probably started playing because he has really bad hand-eye coordination.

Jared: Awww!!

Shaul: I wanted to quit, though. I lost my fi rst match 6–0; 6–0 and I was like, “This sport sucks.” And the guy was like an hour late! I should have won by default!

Shaul, you took some time off from the tennis team last year, why?

Shaul: I tore cartilage in my knee and then I wanted to go to China [second semester]. There was no point in my playing just fall semester. Plus, I needed some time to reevaluate. I was really burnt out on playing tennis.

Shaul Yecheskel

What has it been like to come back? Was it hard to get back into shape and into the swing of things?

Shaul: When I came back from China I was 25 pounds underweight. I thought I would break in half if I played tennis. Then, I went running and broke my foot! I got a stress fracture. Two weeks later I thought I was ready to play, then bam! Pneumonia.

But after that I went on a workout regiment of eating as much as possible and not doing anything, and I’ve gained back 20 pounds.

Then over Christmas Break I started working out and playing more and preparing myself for the intense pain that would transpire. Tennis is a bitch on the joints!

How do you deal with the time commitment of playing tennis? Is it worth it?

Shaul: Tough question. I think before I didn’t appreciate it when I played freshman and sophomore year. I thought it kept me from doing other things, but now I appreciate it more for what it is.

But don’t ask me what tennis really is…I don’t know.

See LAW AND BASKETBALL, page 7

Does living with another University athlete affect your athletic career?

Jared: Yeah, he makes me question my athletic ability. He’s a very goal-oriented person, and at times I’m not, and he reminds me of what I want to achieve. Plus he teaches me to win over my opponents with love and tenderness. He also kept me up talking last night until 4 a.m., and now I’m tired!

If tennis and lacrosse had to battle it out, which sport would win?

Shaul: The tennis team would win with love… oh, that’s so good!

Jared: We would win with our overcompensation…our bigger sticks and harder balls.

What are the best perks of being a WU athlete?

Jared: Playing on a field that doesn’t reduce the risk of concussion.

Shaul: The unexcused absences.

Jared: The chicks!

Shaul: The van rides! [to the games] Do you think that you will encourage your children to play sports?

Jared: Yes, but not lacrosse—my son will be a long-snapper because it’s the easiest way into the NFL. Shaul: I’m going to make my kid into the Super Kid. Not only will he be a genetically engineered athlete of 8 feet, 350 pounds, but he’ll also play the flute, the trumpet and the piano.

Jared: He only wants him to play the flute ‘cause I used to play.

Are you going to continue to play lacrosse and tennis once you graduate?

Shaul: Right now tennis is not in my five- to ten-year plan.

Jared: No, I just want to pass the torch on to my kids.

Jared Joiner Last question: what is the best and worst thing about living together?

Jared: The best is the spooning. The worst is that I think about spooning all the time.

Shaul: Good answer, honey (said in a really awkward low voice). The worst is that his big stick gets in the way…No! I mean when I get in his car, his lacrosse gear is always in the way!

Jared: I take it back, the worst thing is that he plays Chinese girl pop music.

Shaul: Yeah, I blast that shit. I got that shit straight memorized!