SGA debates bring candidate’s views to the forefront by M ike Caprio Associate Editor Last Tuesday in Riley Commons, the Student Government Association held its second annual open to the public candidate’s debate. Elections, which started electronically last thursday at midnight, are being held for the rest of the term for all executive positions and for three senator-at-large positions. Attendance was not impressive, much to several senator’s dismay. There was also an unexpected turn of events that led to changes in the structure of the upcoming elections. The structure of the debates was largely informal. After opening state ments, questions were addressed in a random, predetermined order. Candi dates addressed were allowed a minute and a half to answer, while remaining candidates were given a thirty second rebuttal. In cases where there were no competing candidates, rebuttals were discarded. After questions and rebut tals, the audience was given the oppor tunity to address the candidates, after which closing statements were made.
same thing, as well as working to assist the president in any way necessary. Laydon agreed with both Abrams and Fairbanks, and added that the vicepresident must also act as a link for the entire SGA structure. Laydon was then asked how he would increase communication be tween SGA and the faculty sen ate, to which he replied “We Vice-President T h e first q u estio n a sk e d d isc u sse d "a d iver need to show that we are on the The first debate was for sity o f needs a n d in te re sts" (hat SG A m ust same play ing field... faculty has the office o f vice-president; represent... a great impact on students.” the students running for the He stated that he was unsure position are (in the order pre about having voting status on sented by the committee): the faculty senate - but he insisted that was indeed a lack of communication Fiona Abrams, Nat Fairbanks, and Jo more communication was necessary. between the committees and SGA, and seph Laydon. Abrams opened the de Abrams’ rebuttal expressed the same that a new rapport needed to be estab bates by stating that the reason for her intentions, while Fairbanks stated that lished. Laydon agreed with Fairbanks’s running stemmed mostly from how much "Faculty and administration see stu sentiments. she enjoyed working with SGA, fol dents as a token membership,” and that When asked how each candidate in lowed by Fairbanks who claimed to it was necessary to change that view. terpreted the duties of vice-president, “know extensively the workings of SGA” Abrams responded that she believed as a result o f three years of experience. Senator-At-Large the position was intended to work with Joe Laydon stated that he had worked The next candidates brought forward the academic committees referred to in with SGA for several terms, and touted were for the senator-at-large positions. the first question, as well as to coordi a desire to make SGA “...a more cohe Since there are three positions to be nate effort in the office. Fairbanks sive body for the students”. filled and three students are running, no quoted the duties of the office from the The first question was this: “It has rebuttals were taken. The candidates constitution, which were basically the been suggested SGA needs to take a
Questions were presented by the SGA elections committee, drawn from a pool of submissions from both the senate and the general public. The debates were moderated by Newspeak staff member Joe Schaffer, this reporter, and Senator Pat Mcmanus of the elections commit tee.
more assertive role with regards to its representatives on academic commit tees. Do you think this it true, and if so, how do we go about it?” Abrams an swered that she was not aware of which committees the question was referring to. Fairbanks’s rebuttal was that there
running are Jason Macierowski. Jason Mickey, and Lucie Laskowski. Some of the topics brought up were the campus center, diversity issues, and the role of the SGA senators. Treasurer The candidates running for treasurer are Don Socha and Frank Adam Adams. In his opening statement, Socha stated that he had worked with appropriations in the past and worked with OCFC as an assitant treasurer for Class III organiza tions. Adams also stated his experience in working with large budgets in the past to the amount of $2.5 million, as well as having the ability to devote time to the position. The issue of the 5% increase in dis tributable funds and the efficiency and fairness of the consequent 5% cap on budgets was discussed. Socha felt that this was indeed both equitable and effi cient, that budgets were able to go through OCFC much more quickly. Adams agreed and added that he would have held the cap back more than 5%, perhaps at 3 or 4%, to promote more use Continued to page 7
The Student Newspaper of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Tuesday, February 22, 1994
Money available for overseas environmental studies by J e n n x Yambert Newspeak S ta ff There are many American Liberal Arts students that study abroad each year, and the U.S. is now looking to increase the number of technically oriented exchanges that occur. As a result, two of W PI’s professors have been awarded $21,000 to use in pro viding financial stipends for students to pursue environm ental studies abroad next year. Prof. Schachterle and Prof. O ’Shaughnessy will be awarding financial stipends o f $3,000 to a student staying abroad for a full year, or $1,500 to students staying
abroad for six months. The Depart ment of Education has provided them with this grant for next year only, so anyone who is interested should take advantage o f the opportunity now, it may not be renewed. Students will have the choice of studying in Limer ick, Ireland: Eindhoven. Holland: or Darmstadt, Germany. Students plan ning to study in Germany must speak German, but courses will be offered in English at both the Ireland and Hol land locations. Environmentally ori ented classes may be taken in techni cal fields, social sciences, or the hu manities. Prof. Schachterle and Prof. O ’Shaughnessy are looking in particu
lar for students who will be juniors next year and wish to complete their IQP’s while abroad, but this opportu nity is in no way limited to students meeting those criteria. The one crite rion that must be met is that students going abroad through this program must pursue environmentally related stud ies. There will be a meeting for all interested students on Monday, Feb ruary 28 at 4pm in SL 121. If you would like more information about this opportunity, but cannot make it to the meeting, you can contact Prof. Schachterle in his office in the Project Center, or look up Prof. O ’Shaughnessy in Kaven Hall.
Masque triumphs with JCS At left, J esu s, p layed b y K y le S t e p h e n s , C lass o f '95, scream s in pain at the continual beggin g o f lepers and to rm en to rs d uring a scen e in T h e T em ple in J e s u s C h rist S u p ersta r. J e s u s C h rist S u p ersta r, w a s p e r f o r m e d by W PI M a sq u e to sold o u t a u d ie n c e s la s t w eek en d . A d d itional p hoto, p a g e 3.
Professor Cornel West speaks to WPI community by M ike Caprio Associate Editor Last W ednesday, thanks largely to Rev. Steve Brown of Campus Minis try, Professor Cornel West came to WPI to lecture on the subject o f diver sity and American culture. In atten dance were a large number of faculty, students, and community members who filled Newell Lecture Hall near ly to capacity. Also attending were Provost Diran Apelian, who spoke briefly before introducing Prof. West, and Dean of Multi-Cultural Affairs Ron Macon, as well as a num ber of members from the Pluralism Plan ning Committee. Dr. West is a professor of religion and director of Afro-American studies at Princeton University, and the author of Race Matters and Prophetic Frag ments: he was also recently appointed to a teaching position at Harvard Uni versity. The content of his lecture related mainly to what he writes about in Race Matters, including the “spiri tual impoverishment” of American culture in general, and African-Amer ican culture in specific. He also built upon the words of such authors and thinkers asT.S. Eliot, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Plato, illustrating the ongoing tra
dition of struggles for freedom, and celebrating the radical democratic tra dition and its mechanisms for ques tioning authority and determining the proper path to follow. Prof. W est ended his one-hour lec ture with a renewed call for a return to “non-market values,” concepts such as love, caring, concern, and commu
Dr. Cornel West, professor of religion and director of Afro-American studies at Princeton University, signs copies of his book. Race M atters, after delivering an impassioned speech on race relations to a WPI audience in Newell Hall last Wednesday.
by E ric Craft, Associate E ditor and J e n n x Yambert, Newspeak S ta ff M asque’s most energetic under taking in a long time, Jesus Christ Superstar came off wonderfully. As the lights came up and the orchestra began to play, the audience was taken in by Judas (Lee Guthrie) o p en in g the perform ance w ith “Heaven On Their Minds.” Ju d as’ voice conveyed all the emotion of his role with conviction and beauty. This production contained ev erything that could be expected in a musical: music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, choreographed dancing se quences, and excellent lighting and special effects. The orchestra, made up of twenty different players, was conducted by Jeff Rocha. The cho reographer was G ilda Madeiras, who designed the dances to excel lently complement the music. So many little aspects were tak en into account in the production of this musical, that the performance
came off as both professional and moving. Thanks to the Director and Producer, Chad Council, and M usi cal Director, Dawn Varrachi, no detail was left unpolished. There were several excellent uses of light ing and special effects. An example of this is the scene in which Jesus is surrounded by lep ers cra w lin g around his legs and their combined shadows are reflected on the back wall. The special effects were also excellent, forexam ple, Judas’ hang ing and Jesus’ crucifixion both ap peared extremely real to the audi ence. The entire cast performed very well, but special mention should be given to the leads of the production. Jesus played by Kyle Stephens, Mary played by Lea Deschenes, and Judas all sang and performed beautifully. A standing ovation should go out to all those involved in the production of Jesus Christ Superstar because it was indeed a play for any theater group to be proud of. Congratula tions on a job well done!
Table o f Contents
The week in photos
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nity, and a challenge to stop running away from public life - a practice that has created the “chocolate cities and vanilla suburbs” that are so common today. After the lecture ended, listen ers were then invited to meet with the professor at an informal reception in the Fuller basement lounge.
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N e w s ............................................................................................2 Week in P h o to s..........................................................................3 C om m unity U pdate................................................................... 4 A n n o u n cem en ts.........................................................................4 Diversity - O p in io n ................................................................... 5 Newspeak H u m o r ......................................................................5 Com m entary................................................................................6
Letter to the E d ito r ....................................................................6 Student Government A sso cia tio n .......................................... 7 Club C o rn er................................................................................8 Greek C o rn er..............................................................................9 C lassifieds.................................................................................11 Police L o g .................................................................................12 W hat's H appening.................................................................. 12