STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSIT Y IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 Baseball hit off the season with a double win against Fontbonne, while women’s hoops won their 10th game before the NCAAs. Page 6.
The shuttle system, ex-gay conference protesters, the Sex Issue and controversial cartoons are all at issue in Forum. Page 5.
VOLUME 127, NO. 58
Scene has the scoop on Thursday night clubbing, cheating, parental moves, and financial planning for the 20-something set. Page 7.
Learn how to make money, the WU way. See Page 10.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2006
Protest at ‘ex-gay’ conference brings out students, community
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
WU alumnus set to compete on ‘The Apprentice’ By Helen Rhee Staff Reporter
v Crowd of 500 gathers for a peaceful protest By Austen Faggen and Kristin McGrath News Staff Protesters had been standing in the cold for nearly nine hours when a man in a massive, red, glitter-covered Mardi Gras hat drove by. Slowing down in front of the First Evangelical Free Church, where the demonstrators were stationed, he gave them a piece of his mind before driving on. “Hey,” said one protester. “Was that guy in a red-sequined hat calling us queer?” Moments like these were the highlights of “Love Needs No Cure,” the peaceful protest that took place on Saturday, when Focus on the Family held its traveling “Love Won Out” conference in the suburbs of west St. Louis County. The all-day conference focused on Exodus, an organization that promotes therapy as a cure for homosexuality. Coming from 28 states, 1,780 attendees made this conference the largest of the 37 held so far in the U.S., according to the event’s organizers. Families, ministers and gay people both averse to and immersed in the therapy process came from as far as Hawaii to hear testimonies of former gays and a speech by Bill Maier, a psychologist and Focus on Family’s vice president. Roadside Rally While the conference attendees were inside, protesters braved cold temperatures and the wind, which one protester dubbed the “real gay basher” as
DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE
Wash. U. students participate in the protest Saturday afternoon. More than 50 people from the University community came out to support the demonstration. For further coverage, see our photo spread on pages 2 and 3. it ripped his sign in half. For St. Louis resident Steve Houldsworth, who helped with security during the protest, standing in the cold starting at 5:45 a.m. was worth it, given the importance of the protesters’ message. “I believe that the statements being made in the conference about medical and scientific evidence that homosexuality is a disease are false,” said Houldsworth. “I’m standing for truth in the face of that lie. Homosexuality is a variation of normal and not a disease.” Nearby, Adam Rosen was representing Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), a national organization that provides support and education for families and
friends of gays and lesbians. His sign, he explained, carried “one of the most defiant” messages: “Be who U R—there are no exceptions to God’s love.” “I think this is what this whole misunderstanding is all about,” said Rosen about his sign. “It’s interesting to see the different mind-states that people are in as they’re driving by. This sign seemed to get a lot of attention. People [driving by] have been more supportive than I’d imagined or assumed, gauging by the honking.” Most of the drivers on Carman Road that day seemed to be supportive of the protesters and their signs bearing rainbow-colored messages like “God made me Gay!” and “You can’t cure what God created!”
When the driver of a Harley Davidson motorcycle wearing an American Flag bandana saluted the protesters, the crowd erupted in cheers. Some of the conference attendees were also supportive of the protesters even though they didn’t agree with their message, providing coffee and sandwiches to the protesters who had arrived before the church doors opened at 7 a.m. Others, however, were more vocal about their disapproval of the protest. Protester Rob Morgan recalled a particularly memorable encounter that had taken place at 7:30 that morning. “This woman slowed down
Washington University graduate Michael Laungani will compete against 18 contestants to become Donald Trump’s next “Apprentice” in the fifth season of the hit NBC show, which premieres tonight at 8 p.m. Laungani is not the fi rst Washington University alumnus to appear on this type of show. Last year, David Karandish appeared on Martha Stewart’s version of “The Apprentice.” Laungani could not be reached for comment, although he is currently listed as a mergers and acquisitions consultant for one of the largest professional companies in the nation. NBC’s Web site notes that Michael is a 29-year-old from Manhattan. He graduated from the United Nations International School (UNIS) in New York City, where he studied economics and three languages. After earning a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration from Washington University, where he majored in fi nance and marketing, Laungani worked as a fi nancial and operational management consultant for Arthur Andersen Business Consulting in Chicago, which provides business consulting to Fortune 500 companies. Mahendra R. Gupta, dean of the John M. Olin School of Business, remarked that he was very pleased that Olin’s talent is being recognized through the show.
Deborah F. Booker, associate dean and director of external relations at Olin, was involved in organizing the casting call for “The Apprentice” in February 2005 and noted that Luangani’s appearance will be good publicity for the school. “I was involved when they came on campus,” said Booker. “I think students were interested and excited being involved in the whole process. I think in that respect it was really good for the school and the show felt that this was a good place for them to come and look for candidates. I think that was a positive thing.” Judson Clark, president of Washington University’s chapter of Beta Theta Pi, Laungani’s fraternity, is looking forward to seeing his fraternity brother appear on the show. “We are very proud of our brother,” said Clark. “I am not surprised that he is on the show. But it is always a welcome surprise, especially when someone you know is in the national spotlight. We are proud to see one of our founding fathers on ‘The Apprentice.’ We [Beta] are here through what he did as an undergraduate. We owe him a lot. We are very glad to see him through the show.” According to the Beta Theta Pi Alumni Chair Spencer Toder, Laungani was one of the original two students responsible for restoring Beta Theta Pi fraternity at the University after it had been suspended. His name is listed as Arinash M. Laungani on the Beta alumni list, although on “The Apprentice” Web site he is simply listed as Michael.
SU reaches out to students Student Life Students can ‘check via WUTV names Kliff out’ new librarian ‘Fireless Chats’ 2006-2007 on the Facebook editor in chief By Kristin McGrath Senior News Editor
Junior Sarah Kliff has been named editor in chief of Student Life for the 2006-2007 school year, announced the newspaper’s publisher, Washington University Student Media, Inc., at its annual banquet Friday night. Kliff, who served as senior news editor last semester, is currently studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. “I’m really, really excited,” said Kliff. “I look forward to returning to campus, and [Student Life] is one of the main reasons for that. I’ve loved being involved in Student Life for the past three years, and I’m excited to be involved next year.” Being in Scotland for the rest of the semester will present unique challenges for Kliff when the transition to next year’s staff occurs at the beginning of April. The first editor in chief to be chosen while abroad, Kliff plans to work closely with current staff members up to and during the transition and has set up a phone number with a St. Louis area code to increase her ability to quickly address the staff’s questions and concerns. She also hopes to return to St. Louis over the summer if her finances and commitments allow it. As editor in chief, Kliff will be responsible for hiring next year’s staff, overseeing the newspaper’s production and making the final decisions about the paper’s content before it is printed. WUSMI’s Board of Directors interviewed
See KLIFF, page 4
See PROTEST, page 4
By Ben Sales
By Brittany Farb Contributing Reporter A librarian on the Facebook? Students can now friend Joy Weese Moll, who was recently hired by Washington University’s Olin Library to communicate with students in the way that students communicate with each other: via the Facebook, AOL Instant Messenger and LiveJournal. As Olin Library continues to become more technologically advanced, the need for a Web Services librarian has become apparent. Shirley Baker, the dean of University Libraries, said that hiring a Web guru with librarian skills was a necessity as the dependence on the Internet continues to increase. “The Web is such a part of how we deliver services now,” said Baker. “It is an alternate universe. Most of us have modest skills, we were looking for someone to bring traditional skills and CAROLYN GOLDSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE also technology skills to the job.” New librarian Joy Weese Moll, a Washington University Moll’s background in computer science and library science made alum, aims to reach out to students electronically her a perfect fit of the job. There through the Facebook, LiveJournal and AOL Instant was, however, a considerable gap Messenger. in time between Moll’s acquisition of a computer science degree to go to library school.” and the completion of her master’s degree Although computer scientists, entreprein library science. Prior to attending library neurs and librarians require different skill school, Moll was an entrepreneur, but began sets, Moll’s position here at Washington Unito grow frustrated. versity incorporates a wide variety of her “I didn’t make any money so I had to do something else,” said Moll. “I then decided See NEW LIBRARIAN, page 4
Staff Reporter As part of its recent initiative to reach out to students, Student Union has launched a television show where its executives debate issues and discuss upcoming events. The program, “SU Fireless Chat at 11-ish,” airs on WUTV every Monday night around 11 p.m. During the show, Student Union (SU) executives and members discuss issues facing the student body and take calls from students who want to air their grievances with the student government. After airing two episodes, WUTV General Manager Jonah Sobol thinks the show is a success. “Considering that we have only done two episodes, the show has done fantastic so far,” said Sobol, who produces “Fireless Chat.” “It has done exactly what it set out to do.” SU President David Ader said he appreciates the connection that the show creates between SU and its constituents. “We like it because it gives us a chance to have that direct link to the students,” said Ader, who has appeared in both episodes. “It is one more way of reaching out to students and letting them know what is going on in SU.” Sobol seconded Ader’s comments, and said that he sees students taking advantage of the
resource that the new program offers. “[WUTV is] always looking for ways to be a forum for campus discussion,” said Sobol. “We have gotten a lot of feedback. People are calling in with serious concerns and questions that they have.” The show might also help students who feel cut off from the inner workings of SU become more familiar with the organization. “[The show] is a way for the student body that is disconnected from SU, that does not necessarily know what is going on, to access [SU],” said Sobol. “It is a way for them to come together and talk about what is on their minds.” In addition to being a discussion forum, the show functions as a time during which SU can inform the student body about happenings on campus. This past week, in addition to debating the recent tuition increase and fielding questions about the funding controversy regarding Jonathan Kozol, the SU executives invited Todd Schiller, the chairman of the Engineering Council’s EnWeek, to talk about upcoming events. “We want to mix it up,” said Ader. “It all depends on the issue that we are doing. Depending on what we are talking about, it may warrant bringing someone in.”
See FIRELESS CHAT, page 4