1997 v25 i22

The Student Newspaper of Worcester Polytechnic Institute

I n This I ssu e . . .

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Weekly sports update .......3 Music reviews ............. ,...4 SGA candidate letters ....8

Volume Twenty-five, Number Twenty-two

Tuesday, November 18, 1997

WPI’s Pfizer undergraduate fellows

by Mary Devlin, Emma Palmacci and Timothy Iskra, Class o f ‘98 This past summer, three WPI students had the opportunity to work as Pfizer Un­ dergraduate Fellows in various fields of scientific research. Pfizer’s summer Fellow­ ship program aims to increase students’ educational opportunities and extend their realm of knowledge with hands on experi­ ence in an on-campus laboratory. Each applicant developed an original research project with the guidance of a faculty mem­ ber and submitted their project proposal to Pfizer for evaluation. W PI’s Mary Devlin, Timothy Iskra and Emma Palmacci were among the thirty Fellows chosen from colleges and u n iversities around the United States to partake in summer re­ search.

The three worked in laboratories on campus during the summer and were in­ vited to Pfizer Central Research in Groton Connecticut on Friday, September 26th to share their findings in a poster session along with the other awardees. The day included presentations made by Pfizer em­ ployees on their current research projects and a tour of Pfizer’s research facilities. The students’ poster session took place in the afternoon, and employees were given the chance to learn about the work completed over the summer. Students were also able to hear about the fresh and original re­ search emerging from other universities.

by Dave Smiley Class o f ‘98 Recently th ere’s been a great deal of press about the tragic results o f college students indulging in alcohol. Incidents such as the deaths at LSU and UMass have left indelible marks on the public’s percep­ tion of college drinking and the image of Fraternities and Sororities. The further tragic death of Scott Krueger at MIT and Fraternity brothers caught purchasing a keg underage has caused many people at WPI to wonder “are we next”. On behalf of the strong Greek system that we enjoy here at WPI, I would like to emphatically state “not if we can help it”.

Stepping up to the challenge o f improv­ P H O T O BY R O G E R R il.E Y ing the Fraternity system and protecting its Three W PI Students were am ong thirty fellow s recently chosen from colleges and universities members and the WPI community, members around the US to partake in sum m er research. of the IFC and Panhel came up with several solutions. This year’s bid signing was on November 7,h and the IFC proactively passed Mary Devlin is a senior majoring in Bio­ cells. Mary's site-directed mutagenesis a resolution to make bid signing weekend a and enzymatic studies indicate that an chemistry. Her project investigated the struc­ dry affair. To help facilitate this, events were tural importance of two conserved amino acid oxygen in glutamine 923 plays a functional planned for that Friday night and they went residues in cation binding and transport in role in cation binding and transport. off with smashing success. Beginning with Mary’s project mentor Dr. Jose Arguello, the Na.K-ATPase. The gradients produced a scavenger hunt the new members were then an assistant professor in chemistry and by this ubiquitous eukaryotic cell membrane presented with tons of food and a comedian enzyme maintain cellular homeostasis and biochemistry, has studied the structureto provide alcohol free entertainment. The See Pfizer, continued to page 2 generate action potential in nerve and muscle comedian never quite struck a chord with the audience but the goal was achieved. This year's bid weekend was alcohol and incident free!

Continuing with this positive trend, the celebration began at noon with an excel­ IFC and Panhel have organized a number of lent performance by Simple Harmonic Mo­ events for this week. Nationally the week ol tion. W P I’s talented all male a cappella November 17lhthrough 2 1"1is Alcohol Aware­ group. C ookies, cake and punch were ness week and it began at WPI with Rahn served. The library also provided gifts for Fleming speaking in Fuller on Monday night. its visitors: small black and red boxes con­ To encourage future generations of WPI taining white flashlight keychains (batter­ Greeks to responsibly use alcohol, all new ies included!) sporting the Two Towers members were required to attend the presen­ logo and “WPI Gordon Library” . The open tation. To mix in some fun, Wednesday night, house was a delightful event that I'd defi­ the “Blues Brothers” movie is playing in nitely recommend attending next year.

Fuller at 8pm. For anyone who went to hear PH O TO C O U R TESY O F W PI V IRTUA L TO UR The George C. Gordon Library was dedicated on October 28,1967, a couple of years after its primarily by the George C. Gordon Trust Fund. the presentation on Monday, admission is George Crompton Gordon was an electrical free, otherwise its two dollars. Bryant Col­ initial planning. Before the library building was completed, each department maintained its own engineer and a WPI alumnus from the class of lege Peer Educators are presenting on Thurs­ 1895, who bequeathed $5 million to the school day evening in Newell Hall (Atwater Kent library, and the school’s main library was when he passed on in 1964. You can learn more 116). Their presentation is about all facets of housed in the basement of Alden Hall. Fund­ ing for the new library building was provided about him, about the history of the library, or relationship rape and should provide enlight­ about WPI in 1967 from the library’s open house ening information for any WPI student or ---------- .------------display cases (which were still up as of 11 -14). faculty. Friday at midnight there will be 3 on Or check out the library’s homepage: http:// 3 basketball games played in Harrington and Co ntents teams can signup in the mailroom Monday www.wpi.edu/Academics/IMS/ljbrary/ Editorial................................. .................... 9 This Newspeak staffer would like to con­ and Tuesday. tetters to the Editor .............. ............. 9, 10 IFC and Panhel encourage everyone to gratulate the library on a successful open International House ........... ................. 11 take advantage o f Alcohol Awareness week.

Club Corner .......................... ................. 12 house, and on thirty years of dedicated ser­ 12, 13 Announcements................... vice to the WPI community. Many thanks As a Greek system wc would like to see ev­ West Street House ................. ................. 14 to the awesome members o f the library’s eryone treat alcohol responsibly and have a Classifieds .............................. ................. 15 great time too. staff!

Gordon Library celebrated 30th Anniversary

by Sally K. House Newspeak Staff The George C. Gordon Library hosted its third annual open house on Wednesday, November 12, between 12:00 and 3:()()pm.

This year the open house celebrated the thirtieth anniversary o f the library’s estab­ lishment in 1967. The open house featured a photo exhibit on the third floor, with a contest allowing attendees to vote for their fa v o rite p h o to s; a triv ia c o n test w ith prizes; and a used book sale with profits going to Library Director Helen Shuster’s bail fund for the M uscular Dystrophy As­ sociation Jail & Bail fundraiser. But what birthday party would be complete without presents, refreshments, and music? The

Table

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Sports............................. ..............................3 Arts & Entertainment ......................... 4 ,5 Computing .................. .............................. 6 Writing Center ............ ..............................6 Student Government.. ................ 8, 10, 11 Ask President Parrish ........................ X, 10

An alcoholfree Greek Bid Week

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Chemical Engineering goes global at national AIChE conference Sarah Walkowiak Assistant News Editor While the majority of us spent a cold, wintry weekend in Worcester, members o f the WPI AIChE Student Chapter were basking in the Los Angeles sunshine.

AIChE members from all over the coun­ try attended the National AIChE confer­ ence in Los Angeles, California. On Sun­ day, November 16, four AIChE Officers presented one o f six Student C hapter Workshops. The Workshop was entitled “Projects and Global Opportunities for Chemical Engineers”. It was inspired by W PI’s IGSD program and the WPI plan.

AIChE officers Christopher Milici (Presi­ dent), Leanne Stackpole (Vice President), Laura Pare (Secretary) and Amanda Piper (T reasurer) gave presentations at the Conference. During the Workshop, the

WPI plan was presented along with sev­ eral global projects.

In addition to the w orkshop, Tyler Lupien ‘97 and Stephen Connelly ‘97 pre­ sented their MQP entitled “Supported Pal­ ladium Membranes for H2Separation” in a National Paper Competition. Their original research was given an award last spring in the Regional Conference at Northeastern University. The competition took place on Monday.

Before the conference, AIChE members also participated in “Guppy Night”, an an­ nual event given by the Boston section of the American Institute of Chemical Engi­ neers. Also known as the Boston Ichthy­ ologists, they sponsored a Student Awards Banquet and Plant Tour. WPI sent 11 stu­ dents to the event. At press time, the award winners had not yet been determined.

W o r l d N ews

MidEast heats up, war feared Compiled by Eric Wilhelm Graphics Editor Standoff in the Middle East The United Nations pulled out the re­ maining sixty-eight weapons inspectors in Iraq on Friday, after six American inspec­ tors were thrown out of the country on Thursday. In response, a resolution was passed by the UN Security Council which condemned Iraq “in the strongest possible terms.” Flights by U-2 surveillance planes, which Iraq has threatened to shoot down, will continue. The Iraqi decision to expel the Americans prompted US ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson to warn that the move was unacceptable and would have “grave consequences.” The Iraqi govern­ ment first announced expulsion plans on October 29; the mandate was only enforced after the UN Security Council condemned Iraq for the move, imposed a travel ban on Iraqi officials and warned of “further mea­ sures.”

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf on Saturday accused the United States o f manipulating world opinion and of trying to “topple the independent patri­ otic political system of Iraq.”

New s shorts

• Last Wednesday, four American busi­ nessmen were ambushed and killed in Pakistan. The reason for the attack was thought to be revenge for the convic­ tion o f a Pakistani man accused of kill­ ing two CIA agents in the United States.

The same group is also threatening that President Clinton will die if he follows through with a planned visit to Pakistan in the coming weeks.

• Jury selection for una-bomber suspect T heodore K razinsky began last Wednesday, over nineteen years after the first bomb was received. A total of sixteen bombs have killed three people since then, with over fifteen more in­

jured. Mental sanity is expected to be an issue in the case. The FBI spent over $5.1 million tracking him, only to be tipped off by his brother.

• Congress adjourned for the year on Fri­ day.

• In another embarrassment for the Jus­ tice Department, the FBI has admitted overlooking key information dating back to 1991 about possible Chinese influ­ ence in US elections.

• IBM plans to lay off hundreds of em­ ployees as part of its North American sales and distribution operations.

• On Thursday, North Korea agreed to re­ sume four-way talks this week, and is ready to begin formal peace talks next month in Geneva. Talks will be aimed at reaching a formal agreement to replace the 1953 armistice that ended the Ko­ rean War. Sources this week include Public Ra­ dio International news, WBZ news radio 1030, and CNN’s online web pages.

Become a Newspeak Correspondent Writer Today! email: newspeak@wpi.edu for details

WPI and Higgins Armory join forces each responsible for raising h alf the amount. Current scheduling calls for the position to be filled by January, 1999.

In m aking the announcem ent, WPI president Edward Parish and the Higgins A rm o ry M useum p re sid e n t R o b ert Bachelder stated that “the new joint cu­ ratorial/adjunct faculty position will have a mutually beneficial impact on both WPI and the Museum. It will continue the intellectual dialogue already in place be­ tween the two organizations, and encour­ age expanded collaborative program s.

Furthermore, it will put into place signifi­ cant cost-savings and efficiencies at both institutions.”

The Higgins Armory Museum is the only institution in the Western Hemisphere solely dedicated to arms, armor and reLted artifacts and the cultural impact that they have had on the world today.

by Jason Craley Newspeak Correspondant Trustees of WPI and the Higgins Ar­ mory Museum have announced the forma­ tion of a joint curatorial/adjunct faculty position which will serve both institutions.

The person ultimately selected to fill the new post will act as head of the Museum’s curatorial department and will be a non­ tenured faculty member of the WPI Hu­ manities and Arts Department. Duties of the new position will include working with WPI students in the preparation of tempo­ rary exhibits, teaching within the WPI Hu­ manities and Arts department and creat­ ing seminar, internship and project pro­ grams for WPI students.

The new position will be funded through the establishment of a one million dollar endowment, with WPI and the Museum

Pfizer: Lab research opportunity Continued from page / function relationship of the Na,K-ATPase for nearly 10 years. Mary and other mem­ bers of Professor Arguello’s laboratory continue to examine these and many other residues believed to be required for Na.KATPase function.

Timothy Iskra is a Biotechnology and Biochemistry senior. His project revolved around the b io sy n th etic pathw ay o f artemisinin, an antitumor and aniimalarial drug produced in the plant Artem isia annua. The project’s aim is to understand the last few enzymatic processes of the pathway since the last four major steps are not well understood. Tim’s work has fo­ cused of the possible interaction of a cy­ tochrome P450 in one of these final enzy­ matic steps and current results have indi­ cated that a P450 may indeed play a role.

Tim’s mentor, Dr. Pamela Weathers an associate professor in biology and biotech­ nology, has been actively researching artemisinin and all possible methods of in­ creasing its production for the last several years. Tim’s project was one piece in the puzzle that hopefully will result in an un­ derstanding of how A. annua produces this medicinally important compound. Re­ sults for his project have lead him to the

University of Kentucky where he is cur­ rently using molecular biology to still probe further into the unknown.

Emma Palmacci is a senior chemistry ma­ jor concentrating in medicinal chemistry.

Her project this summer dealt with re­ searching and developing a method for the synthesis o f Huperzine B for use in treat­ ing Alzheimer's Disease. Huperzine B is a natural product found in Chinese herbs and its synthetic production could alleviate memory loss in the 4 million Americans af­ fected by the disease.

Her faculty mentor for this project was James P. Dittami, the current head of the chemistry department. Professor Dittami's laboratory has been doing extensive work in re searc h in g the p o ssib ilitie s for Huperzine B synthesis over the past few years and Emma’s research this summer will be vital for successfully synthesizing ana­ logs o f Huperzine B. Professor Dittami has participated in this program before, and says o f the visit to Pfizer, “It was the liveli­ est and most stimulating gathering in my memory o f these meetings...There was sig­ nificant involvement of Pfizer staff that pro­ vided excellent input to students on their research projects and career goals.”

The Order of Omega is proud to announce that the A-term recipient of the “Greek of the Term Award” is

John Casill a member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity (see article, page 12)

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Sp o r t s

Weekly sports update: Results from November 7th to 13th Football (3-6) The Engineers were on the road last week to play first place Coast Guard with the Field hockey (9-11, hopes o f pulling off an final) upset. It wasn’t to be T he field hockey as the Bears controlled team closed its 1997 sea­ the line of scrimmage son on a winning note enroute to a 44-0 win. after winning the Coast Guard got off MAIAW Tournament to a fast start as they which was held over scored on their first play three days due to bad from scrimmage. A 62weather. They defeated yard touchdown pass Westfield State 2-1 in and the Bears were up the semifinals and then 7-0. Two WPI turnovers beat Simmons in the led to two more scores championship game 3for Coast Guard as the N E W SPEA K STA FF PH O TO / ADAM YOUNG 1. first quarter came to an In the win over West­ W PI won Saturday’s football game against end with the Bears lead­ field State, WPI led 1-0 Plymouth State, 9-7. ing 17-0. at halftime on a goal by Coast Guard would Marissa Mertzic (Barre, MA) which was as­ score on their first possession of the second sisted by Lindsay Voss (N. Brookfield, MA). quarter to increase their lead to 24-0. They In the second half Brooke Clark (Jefferson, would add a late touchdown to go into halfMA) gave the Engineers a 2-0 lead with 16 time up 30-0. minutes remaining. Westfield would add a The Bears would put up two more touch­ late goal for the 2-1 final as WPI would ad­ downs on their first two drives of the third vance to the title game. WPI goalkeeper Deb quarter and shut down WPI for the rest of Vandenburgh was magnificent in goal. She the game for the 44-0 final. ended up with four saves in the game, two The one bright spot for the Engineers saves on penalty strokes, the second of on the day was Matt Surette’s (Spencer, which was with less than one minute to play.

MA) 9 receptions for 75 yards.

Last Monday because of the field con­ ditions at Nichols College the champion­ Men’s/women’s cross country ship game was moved to WPI. WPI would The men’s and women’s cross country jum p out to an early 1-0 lead on an unas­ teams ran at the ECAC Championships sisted goal by Alison McFarland. Simmons hosted by Westfield State on the 8th. The would come right back four minutes later men finished 24th and the women finished to tie the game at 1-1. Mertzic would give the Engineers the lead back 2-1 when she deflected a Rachel Maltais (Westport, MA) shot. Clark added an insurance goal in the second half to give WPI the 3-1 win.

Clark was named to the All-Tournament team along with Vandenburgh and senior co­ captains Jade Gaudreau (Rehoboth, MA) and Carolyn LaCamera (Lakeville, MA).

by G eoff Hassard Sports Information Director

22nd. Junior Don Wallace (Brunswick, ME) was the first finisher for WPI at 112th place overall follow ed by Liam K elly (Shrewsbury, MA) in 122nd place and Keith Levesque (Nashua, NH) in 124th place. Sue Shorrock (N. Smithfield, RI) had an outstanding race for the women as she placed 34th overall in the field.

Women’s swimming (0-0) The women’s swim team kicked o ff their 1997-98 season at the Betty Spears Relays hosted by Wellesley College on the 8th.

The women finished the day with 10 points and sixth place. The three relay teams that scored for WPI were the 500-yard freestyle team, 400-yard individual medley relay team and the 400-yard freestyle relay team.

The 500 and 400 freestyle foursome was Becky Thibeault (Ashland, NH), Tina Casamassina (Dingmans Ferry, PA), Diane Kavanagh (Warwick, RI) and co-captain Patty Linden (Highland, IN). Kavanagh, Casamassina and Linden added Jen Wright (Keene, NH) to their team for the 400 indi­ vidual medley relay.

In last Saturday’s game against Plym outh State, Matt Surette (#41), had the game winning touchdown reception, and tied the N CA A season record for receptions by a tight end.

Ever feel like everyone else knows where they’re going?

BOOKS for STUDENTS & SCHOLARS Used* Out-of-Print* Rare Come Visit Us! W orcester

■ Ben Franklin Antiquarian I Bookstore Book Center 21 SALEM ST., WORC. 753-8685 Opposite the Public Library on the Consortium bus stop

Stop by the MAJORS FAIR and talk to Professors and Students from every department on campus!!

Learn about Projects, Course Selection and Jobs offered by each department.

MAJORS FAIR Wednesday, November 19th Lower Wedge 11:00 -1:00 p.m.

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Alumnus conducts free jazz clinic this Friday

by Troy Nielson _____________ Class o f ’91_____________ Troy Nielsen ( ’91 ME) will be conduct­ ing a “ Blues in Jazz” clinic on Friday No­ vember 21 st at 4:30 pm in the lower level o f Alden Hall. The clinic is free and open to all students and the general public.

The WPI Jazz Ensemble, directed by Ri­ chard Falco, will be participating in the direct application o f the concepts presented by Nielsen during the clinic. Topics to be cov­ ered in the clinic include a historical discus-

sion of blues in jazz during the late 1950s and early 1960s, a myriad of blues improvisational techniques as they apply in a jazz format, and the presentation of an original composi­ tion by Troy Nielsen for the Jazz Ensemble to play. “I’m really glad that Rich gave me this opportunity to give something back from my post-WPI music experiences. It’s crucial that beneficiaries such as myself invest some time and energy into perpetuating the interest and enthusiasm for jazz music in America. As far as the clinic goes, musicians from all styles should be able to get something out it.”

Concert Listings Avalon (Boston,MA)

Mamma Kin (Boston, MA)

11/22 - KM FDM /Ogre/Skinny Puppy 11/26 - Toad The Wet Sprocket/ Summercamp 1 1 /2 9 -T h e Sundays 12/2 - W BCN XMAS Rave Everclear/ Catherine Wheel/Ben Folds Five -SOLD OUT! 12/3 - Patti Smith 1 2/9-B ob Dylan

11/20-G ilbey Clarke 12/2 - WBCN XMAS Rave Tonic/Veruca Salt/Days O f The New/B link 182/ Boy Wonder -SOLD OUT!

Axis (Boston, MA) 11/19 - M onster M agnct/Pist-O n/F u Man chu 11/20 - Creed/Cellophane/Subrosa 11/25 - Lords O f Acid/Jack O ff Jill 12/2 - WBCN XMAS Rave Spiritualized/ Longpigs/Crystal Method 12/10 - M oby/Juno Reactor

Berklee Performance Center (Boston, MA) 11/21 - Gregg Allman & friends -SOLD OUT! 11/29 - M ary Black/Andy W hite

Beverly High School Field House (Beverly, MA) 12/3-T he Wallflowers

Bill’s Bar and Lounge (Boston,M A) 12/2 - W B CN X M A S Rave Sm ash M outh/Amazing Royal Crowns -SOLD OUT!

The Middle East (Cambridge, MA) 11/19-Buffalo Tom 11/22 - Atari Teenage Riot 11/26 - M ary Lou Lord 12/2 - WBCN XMAS Rave Downstairs The S p e c ia ls /G o ld fin g e r/ Skavoovie & The Epitones 12/2 - W B C N X M AS Rave U pstairs D andy W arhols/Stereophonies

Orphuem Theater (Boston, M A) 11/21 - Pat Metheny Group 12/2 - W BCN XMAS Rave The Cure/ Tanya Donelly/Tara M acLean 12/14-Indigo Girls

The Paradise Rock Club (AUston. MA) 11/18 - Gus Gus/Comershop 11/21 - Jackopierce 11/22-R ic Ocasek 11/28 - Todd Rundgren 12/2 - W BCN XMAS Rave G . Love & Special Sauce/Ben Harper/Space M onkeys-SO L D OUT! 12/13 - F ro g w in g s fe atu rin g B utch Trucks, Marc Quinones and Oteil Burbridge

Somerville Theatre (Somerville, MA) Centrum (Worcester, MA) 11/28,29,30-Phish 11/31 - Mighty M ighty Bosstones/Letters To C leo/B im Skala Bim / A m azing R oyalC ro w n s/D ro p Kick Murphys

11/19 - Joe Jackson 11 /2 0 -Hot Tuna

The Strand (Providence, RI) 11/28 - Blues Traveler/Johnny Lang

T.T. the Bear’s Place (Cambridge.MA) Fleet Center (Boston, MA) 12/30 - Aerosmith/Talk Show 12/31 - Aerosmith/Talk Show -SOLD OUT!

12/2 - W BCN XMAS Rave Jen Trynin/ Love Spit Love/M istle Thrush 12/4- M ike Peters

House of Blues (Boston, M A)

Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel

12/2 - WBCN XMAS Rave Letters To Cleo/Ric Ocasek

(Providence, RI) 11/19 - G. Love & Special Sauce 11/21 - The Pietasters/Amazing Royal Crowns 11/22 - Pennywise/M urphy’s Law 11/23 - Buju Banton 11/28 - Deftones 11/29 - Paula Cole/Jen Trynin 12/12- Rupaul

Lowell Memorial Auditorium (Lowell, MA) 11/22 - M orrissey/The Smoking Popes

Shubert Theatre 11/25 - Harry Connick, Jr.

Involved in the Stage Band, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Workshop (’87-’91), Nielsen per­ formed on guitar, bass, and trombone. Since graduation, he has continued exploring jazz music mostly on guitar and bass, with WPI Jazz Director Richard Falco as his mentor, in­ spiration, and teacher from the onset. “What Rich brings to the table as a jazz musician, teacher, and director is phenomenal. He could very easily be teaching at Berklee or New England Conservatory given his skills and experience. The fact that he wanted to be Worcester-based is a true blessing for WPI and the Worcester community.”

After graduation, Nielsen held the gui­ tar chair for the southern central M assa­ chusetts big band “M ilestones”. After a year o f “chunking away” in the rhythm section, Nielsen pursued a higher level of jazz education and performance through another one of R ich’s groups, the Clemente

G uitar Ensemble. Not affiliated with WPI, the Clemente Guitar Ensemble is an all gui­ tar group that perform s classical and jazz concerts. In addition to performing, the group meets for a weekly clinic session taught by Rich at Clemente Music Studio in downtown Worcester.

Starting in 1994, Nielsen became involved in his own guitar and bass duets and began performing jazz in the New England area. Also in 1994, Nielsen traveled and performed on bass with the WPI Music Department to the Czech Republic and Austria for a series of concerts. Currently Nielsen performs in 3 different settings: “Ten String Swing”, a gui­ tar/bass duet and sometimes trio o f guitar/ bass/drums, the Clemente Guitar Ensemble and as a solo jazz guitarist. Also, he works as a Manufacturing Development Engineer at Hewlett Packard Company in Andover, Mass.

CD Review: Swift’s Mountain Car

By John Millard Newspeak Staff Every so often, an album is released that is cunningly original, brilliantly explorative, practically reeking o f genius.

By God, I wish I were reviewing an al­ bum like that. I am, unfortunately, review­ ing an album for which "reeking” is the only adjective that seems applicable. Kim Swift, with his album, “Mountain Car,” has given to the world further proof that one need not conform to mainstream ideas such as talent in order to record music.

“Mountain C ar" is certainly somewhat unique. It has distinctly amateurish cover art (apparently, Mr. Swift isn’t much of a visual artist, cither), and very enthusiastic descriptions of the songs, no doubt writ­ ten by Swift himself. “Groovetronics,” for example, “ gets you in the groove with a driving beat and spicy marimba solo.”

What Swift describes as “Electro-Jazz” is, basically, less-than-stunning im provi­ sations on various instruments played over computer accompaniment. “Carousel,” the album s first track, is pretty random ; it sounds alm ost like a Prozac version of “Speak To Me” (the instrumental second track on Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side o f the Moon,” an album I’m almost afraid to men­ tion in the sam e sentence as the album currently being reviewed).

Most o f the album falls far below what one would expect from professional m usi­ cians (which is why it is fortunate that Swift d o e s, in d e e d , hav e a day jo b ).

“G roovetronics” and “ R ocktricity” both have uninspiring drum lines; the difference is th at “ G ro o v e tro n ic s ” also h a s an uninspiring (and often off-rhythm) marimba track mixed badly on top.

'T h e High M ountains” is a the one piece on the album that didn’t make me cringe.

It, well, it w asn’t half bad. One has to won­ der if this is a fluke, or proof that Kim Swift could have worked a lot harder on the rest of his album and com e up with something interesting.

The most entertaining track o f all. how­ ever, is the final one, “Au Claire De La Lune,” which is, literally, a recording o f a music box playing a portion o f that same song. I had to laugh when I heard Swift bump the microphone against the music box. Several times.

I could review this album for hours; it’s fun. And really, listening to the album is good for som e belly laughs (“T h a t’s a piano solo? H ah a h ah a ...” ). Let me sum up, though: you’d have to special order the album from C olorado to get a copy, which is in my opinion an effort by the forces o f the U niverse to save m usic lov­ ers from the m ediocre clutches o f “M oun­ tain Car.”

WPI/BU joint concert Christopher B. Stank Newspeak Circulation Manger On Sunday November 9th the WPI Men’s Glee Club hosted Boston University’s Cho­ ral Society in a joint concert. The concert was held at Trinity Lutheran Church at 4pm.

The concert opened up with the ‘T e Deum”,

by Flor Peeters, under the direction of Prof.

Louis Curran. Then the Boston University Choral Society and Chambers Singers, un­ der the direction of Matt Ettore (W PI ‘95) with Accompanist Reiko Akasaka, performed many assorted works. After both o f the Bos-

ton University groups were done perform­ ing the WPI Chamber Choir, Alden Voices and Glee Club each performed. For the clos­ ing song WPI and B.U. joined together and sang the “Magnificat”, by Flor Peeters, un­ der the d irectio n o f M att E ttore (W PI ‘95).Matt Ettore took the position o f Director of the Boston University Choral Society in the Fall o f 1996. Prof. Louis Curran has been the director o f the WPI Men’s Glee Club since 1966. This joint concert was the first time that both groups had sung together, and this concert will quite possibly lead to future joint concerts. —

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Thanksgiving choral collaboration Northwestern University in Evanston, Illi­ nois. In addition, she has done graduate w o rk a t R u tg e rs U n iv e rs ity an d Westminister Choir College. A former mem­ ber o f the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Slade is the founder and music director o f Princ­ eton Pro M usica, a choral-orchestra orga­ nization that performs in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The group was recently designated as a D istinguished Arts O rganization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. With Princeton Pro Muscia and Voorhees Choir she has pre­ sented works by contemporary women art­ ists such as Libby Larsen and Judith Lang Zaimont. She has also conducted over 60 major works with orchestras in addition to a large repertoire o f shorter w orks, and has prepared choruses for professional orchestras nationally and internationally.

So please enrich your w eekend with the in sp irin g sounds o f the W PI G lee C lub, Sim ple H arm onic M otion and the V oorhees C hoir o f R utgers U niversity.

The concert starts at 3:00 p.m. on Sun­ day, N ovem ber 23rd. We hope to see you at A lden Hall for this free. Thanksgiving C oncert.

By Jeffrey Alderson Glee Club Public Relations A nother sp ectacular display o f m usi­ cal prow ess by the choral groups o f W PI is soon to happen. On N ovem ber 23 the W PI G lee C lub and Sim ple H arm onic M otion will be jo in ed by the Voorhees C hoir o f D ouglass C ollege. Alden H all will once again be filled w ith the uplift­ ing sounds o f m en and w om en’s voices.

This T hanksgiving concert is absolutely free to the general public, and prom ises to be one o f the best choral concerts o f the year.

This will be the first concert where the men from WPI have joined musical forces with the women from Rutgers University.

Both o f the groups have a rich heritage in choral-orchestral perform ances - at their home colleges as well as abroad. The m u­ sical talent o f these groups is sure to cre­ ate a picturesque representation o f the com poser’s lyrical intentions.

Frances Fow ler Slade, Director o f the V oorhees C h o ir o f D ouglass C o lleg e, Rutgers U niversity, holds degrees from Wellesley College in M assachusetts and

MEDEA/media presented by Masque

by Alison Keach Features Editor On N ovem ber 20 to 22 W P I’s theater group, M asque, will be performing their BTerm show entitled MEDEA/media. This p la y is a n ew in te r p r e ta tio n o f the Euripides’ classic Greek tragedy, Medea.

The play was first perform ed in A then’s in 431 B.C., and has been revived and re-in­ terpreted ever since. Euripides’ plot cen­ ters on M edea, a barbarian princess, who sacrificed everything to help her lover, Ja­ son, steal the Golden Fleece from her fa­ ther. At the start o f the play, although M edea has been his wife for many years, Jason has a rra n g e d to m arry C reusa, daughter o f Creon, King o f Corinth. Fear­ ing M edea’s revenge, Creon banishes her.

Madea does take her revenge, which pro­ vides the action o f the play.

The WPI production has been re-writ­ ten and is staged by Professor Susan Vick

to include a contemporary interpretation o f the classic Greek chorus. Designed by Dean O ’Donnell, MEDEA/media brings in the cutting edge technology which Vick and O ’Donnell have developed with stu­ dents studying theater technology at W PI. Elements o f the production will feature vir­ tual reality in the theater employing two computer projectors, as well as other high tech com ponents including projections, videography, advanced audio, video, and scenographic techniques. The production leaves in tact the classic story o f Jason and M edea while exploring the choral ele­ ments w ithin the play through m odern technology. Twenty five student perform ­ ers and nearly a hundred student design­ ers, technologist, staff and crew members are participating in the production.

M ED EA /m edia perform s Nov 20-22, 1997, 8pm in Alden Hall. For further in­ form ation or for reservations, telephone 831-5946.

Jars of Clay: Much Afraid kind o f music that everyone else is playing now. I couldn’t really separate it from M atchbox 20 or the Verve Pipe in order to be able to criticize the workmanship. Don’t get me wrong you’ll definitely enjoy the CD, and I would recommend you getting it if you enjoy that type o f music, but there isn’t anything original about the CD. Judge it for yourself. You may like it; you may not; but realize that there is no uniqueness to it.

By Jessica Morgan Newspeak Staff If you like M atchbox 20 and the Verve Pipe, you’ll definitely enjoy this new CD from Jars o f Clay. Jars o f Clay has a good combination o f wonderful voices and wellused instrum ents. Though I thoroughly enjoyed their CD Much Afraid, I had a rath er hard tim e saying anything new about it because it is basically the same

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Systems Analysts Internet Developers WANG PACE Programmers Project Managers Application System Managers

See The Hartford for an on campus interview on December %and 3 L o o k fo r T h e H a rtfo rd on c a m p u s an d set-up yo u r interview w ith T h e H a rtfo rd th ro u g h y o u r C are er Services D e p a rtm e n t.

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T u e sd a y , N o vem ber 18, 1997

N ew speak

P ag e 6

C o m p u t in g

Open house at Multimedia Resource Lab, Help Desk by o ebbie Dexter Computer Trainer Through the generosity o f the Class of 1956, the Instructional Media Center, in co­ operation with the Library, Hum anities & Arts Dept, and Electrical & Com puter En­ gineering Dept., established the M ultim e­ dia Resource Lab (a.k.a. the movie lab).

Com e join us on Monday, Novem ber 24th from 1:00pm - 3:00pm to officially open this prem ier teaching facility to the entire WPI community. Brief presentations will be made at 1:30pm and 2:30pm. And while you are in the neighborhood, stop by and visit the NEW and IMPROVED CCC Help Desk and CCC Training Lab. Refreshments will be available!

Help Desk normal hours are: M onday -

Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday - 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM The Training Lab schedule is available on the web at http://www.wpi.edu/~training

Updates The follow ing m essage is a courtesy copy o f an article that has been posted to wpi.ccc as well. Netscape 4.04 has been installed on CCC Alphas for testing. This is the first version o f Netscape 4.X which has been released (and actually functions) under Digital UNIX. For testing purposes, the command to use the new version is netscape4. If no major problems are found in the next week, this version will replace both the netscape and netscape_gold versions. Please report

any problems to helpdesk@ w pi.edu.

Mapping your UNIX home directory Have this problem before? You try to map your UNIX user home directory on a W indows 95 pc and you get an error m es­ sage “The account is not authorized to lo­ gin from this station” or “ invalid pass­ word” . A fter running some o f the recent patches from Microsoft, Microsoft “broke” some things. Please try the instructions at: ftp ://s a m b a .a n u .e d u .a u /p u b /s a m b a / d o c s /W in 9 5 .tx t or, fo r NT: ftp :// s a m b a .a n u .e d u .a u /p u b /s a m b a /d o c s / WinNT.txt Please look at the CCC InfoPages for more information at: http://www.wpi.edu/ -training/News/newsletter.html

Oral Presentation Workshop to prepare applicants for the President'sJ2F Awards Com­ petition twill be held Wednes­ day, flooember 19,1 9 9 7 , in Kinnicutt Hall at ii30 p.m.

Please call Barbara ‘McCarthy at ext. 5939 for more informa­ tion,

W r it in g C e n ter

Interview with a Writing Center Tutor

by Matthew M. Lug Newspeak staff The following interview report was origi­ nally written for the Peer Tutor Training course which is required in order to be­ come a tutor in the Writing Center. I am currently working in the Writing Center, and I have found that most of what I describe is similar with all o f the tutors there.

Paul Yeaman never really decided to be­ come a peer tutor in the W riting Center, it ju st happened. He was invited to take the training course, and afterwards becoming a peer tutor seemed like a good idea.

From the tutoring experience, he has greatly improved his own writing ability.

Prior to his work in the Writing Center he was unable to concentrate on revising his writing. He would usually just write som e­ thing through completely, and leave it at that. By examining other people's writing, he enhanced his ability to critically exam ­ ine his own writing, allowing him to apply what he had learned from tutoring. The tutoring experience also helped him to gain more confidence while working with other people. He felt a little intimidated in his first tutoring sessions, due to the nature o f the task at hand. He felt slightly over­ whelmed by the responsibility o f guiding someone e lse 's writing. The diversity of subjects that the papers covered, as well as the degree o f specialization and com ­ plexity found in projects and graduate work made him feel uncom fortable and underqualified, but he soon found that a basic examination o f the writing by som e­ one not entirely familiar with the subject matter could help to break even the most complex project down into something more manageable.

From his tutoring experience, Paul has found that most people who go to the Writ­ ing Center are willing to put a serious ef­ fort into improving their writing. Some people have trouble at first, d o n ’t know what to do, and almost expect the tutor to do all the work on the assignment. They often aren't trying to get out o f doing any work, since they have show n up at the Writing Center in the first place, but in­

stead they have a limited knowledge of how a tutoring session works. Paul has found that this problem is rather easy to over­ come, and usually only requires the tutor to get the student talking about the assign­ ment. The purpose of the tutor is only to guide the student, and the student will usually understand this after the tutor ini­ tiates a conversation in which the student provides most o f the information. H ow ­ ever, when th e student d o esn 't under­ stand the assignm ent well enough to talk about it, Paul recom m ends that the stu ­ dent ask the professor for help, since the professor is m ost qualified to help in this situation.

Some o f the more difficult situations that Paul has en countered in tu to rin g have been w hen the student was an ESL (English as a Second Language) student who knew w hat to say, but had difficulty figuring out how to say it. He has found that com m unication is very im portant in these situations, as it is in a situation where the student d o e sn 't know what to

say. T hese situations require good com ­ m unication skills, which a tutor enhances through the tutoring experience.

Paul uses a rather sim ple m ethod with his tutoring sessions. He first sits next to the student, so both he and the stu ­ dent can work from the sam e copy o f the paper. He has found that this arrange­ ment can be more com fortable for the stu­ dent, since it im plies a kind o f equality betw een tutor and student, and m akes conversation easier. Paul also tries to keep the student from being intim idated by not using a red pen. He prefers to just use w hatever pen he has near him, and at the time o f the interview he was holding a pen that belonged to a student, which he d id n 't even realize until I asked about red pens.

Once the tutoring session is set up, Paul begins by looking ov er the paper quickly as a whole, and learning what the topic o f the paper is. He then reads the p ap er o u t loud sen ten ce by sen ten ce, and points out small gram m atical errors

while the student is follow ing along. He looks at the structure, and w atches the content o f the paper. A fter this, he b e­ gins to critique the paper as a w hole, in term s o f content and overall structure.

He so m etim es has to m odify this a p ­ proach based on the size o f the paper, or how much the student has w orked on the paper.

Paul Yeaman is one o f several tutors who w ork in the W riting C enter. T he Writing Center is open from 9am to 12pm and 12:30pm to 3:30pm on Monday, Tues­ day, T hursday and Friday, and 12:30pm to 3:30pm on W ednesday. I f you w ant help w ith a paper or project, sign up for an appointm ent at the door, o r ju st w alk in if the tutor isn ’t busy. B ring as m uch as you have o f your paper or project w ith you, as well as any related m aterials that might be necessary. For m ore inform a­ tion, go to the W riting C enter’s web page at h ttp ://w w w .w p i.e d u /A c a d e m ic s / D e p ts /H U A /W C / o r se n d e -m a il to w rc@ w pi.edu.

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T u e sd a y , N ovember 18, 1997

N ew speak

P age 7

T u e sd a y , N o vem ber 18, 1997

N e w sp e a k

Pa g e 8

Student G overnm ent

Where the senatorial candidates stand WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

S-G-A' STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

Tim Adams I'm Tim Adam s, and I want to tell you a little about what I have done during my 2 years in SGA. Most recently, I have initiated the bus trips to Boston, which provide WPI students with a really inexpen­ sive way to get to a spot filled with stuff to do. I also participated in a m eeting on N ovem ber 5th with DAKA Joe and DAKA Bob which w as aim ed at im p le m e n tin g changes in Dining Services that will impact our cam pus. I have also gotten Janet Richardson o f Stu­ d ent Life to donate a term inal, which will be put in the mailroom or in Daniels for students to check their email. I am part o f the SGA team which has been pushing for

the construction of a cam pus cen­ ter. If you would like to ask me any questions, please stop by my o f­ fice hours in SGA on Tuesday at 2:30 pm. Vote for me, I get things done.

John Bird Hello, my name is John Bird, and I am running for SGA Senator. I am a sophom ore here at WPI, m ajor­ ing in M anagem ent Inform ation Systems. I am a m ember o f the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and a m em ber o f the pilot class in the Leadership Education and Practice program known as LEA P I feel I am a good candidate for Senator because I have a strong desire to make W PI a better place for us all.

I will join the fight for the Cam pus Center and I will push for a W W PI radio tower, for which I feel they are long overdue.

I look forward to the opportu­ nity to help run this school that I call my home, and I hope you, as voter, will give me that opportunity.

Heidi Carreiro Hi my name is Heidi Carreiro. I currently serve as a Senator on Student Government. I will be run­ ning again for Senator, and I would greatly appreciate your support.

SGA’s main objective is to unite the campus. For the effort, I sent out a general letter to all clubs, organi­ zations, and activities stating what our goals are and to offer any help to anyone who needs it. I will fur­ ther continue doing this if you vote me in for a SGA Senator.

Tara Carrie SG A needs strong leadership now more than ever. Having been a senator for two years and cochairing the Committee on Student Life Issues 1 know I can take an activ e role. I have previously worked on getting the change ma­ chine put in Gom pei’s, the stamp m achine in the bookstore, and the campus center. I am currently look­ ing into such things as cab ser­

v ic e s fo r s tu d e n ts and b e tte r DAKA food. If students have any suggestions I would love to hear them. If you want someone who’s committed and has experience in SGA then I’m that person. So, when you vote, remember me, Tara Carrie, for a senatorial position.

Carlo Cioffi I, Carlo C ioffi, am trying to be­ com e a Senator in the SGA. I’m a ju n io r chem ical engineer who is currently a brother o f Lam bda Chi Alpha, and the vice-president o f the WPI club soccer. I ’m an Ital­ ian fo re ig n stu d e n t and have se e n th r o u g h o u t th e s e th re e years how the cam pus is being run. I have been involved with several clu b s and a sso c ia tio n s that dealt with activities on cam ­ pus, consequently I have a good idea on what needs to change and w hat is w orking well. K now ing lots o f m ulticultural students on cam pus I believe I can bring all

See Elections, cont'd to page 10

The Judicial Board: WPI Policies and Procedures

by Janel Evans 98 and Janet Richardson, Assistant Dean o f Student Life Have you ever thought to your­ self, “Geez, I wonder what kind of th in g s W PI d o es to uphold its m oral and academ ic p o licies?”

How about, “ W hat are the aca­ demic and moral policies at W PI?” M ost people d on’t know. Yet there is a Judicial Review System that is a very active and integral part of this college community, as well as a set o f standard policies and pro­ cedures to which every student has easy access.

Rem em ber those planners you got at the beginning o f school?

The back o f those books have a full description of all o f W P I’s aca­ demic and social policies (see, you leam something every day). It also explains how to voice a complaint or report any violations o f these p o licies and gives ex am ples of sanctions, or punishments, for cer­ tain infractions. A fter being re­ ported, a complaint can follow sev­ eral routes, including resolving a conflict in a department, through the residence hall, through a Greek assembly, or through the Judicial Board.

The Judicial Board is a group of students, faculty, and staff that is elected in the Spring for either one or tw o year terms. Janet Begin

Q u e s t io n s t o th e P r e s id e n t

Ask President Parrish Why isn ’t there a course in Java?

Some time ago, Newspeak for­ warded this question to President Parrish. He felt it would better be answered by Prof. Lee Becker who he c o n sid ers to be “one o f the [Computer Science] Department’s experts on com puter language is­ su es.”

Question: Why doesn’t W PI, a school that prides itself on being on the cutting edge o f technology, teach courses in the com puter lan­ guage Java which is an industry standard and is overtaking the lan­ guage C in dominance, usefulness, and versatility?

Response: You’ve asked a good question. Java is certainly a lan­ guage o f growing importance, and the CS faculty has been actively considering the place of Java in its curriculum . It’s im portant to real­ ize that the CS Department does not offer any courses w hose pri­ mary goal is to teach a language.

We try to teach concepts of C om ­ puter Science which will be useful for a career of learning and change.

O f course, most o f our courses re­ quire programming, and we choose the languages to be used based both on which language is best for

See Java, cont’d to page 10

Richardson serves as the Case Of­ ficer and Professor Dan Gibson serves as the C hief Justice. The jo b o f the Judicial Board is to re­ view cases based on “preponder­ ance o f evidence” and follow ba­ sic due process w hich includes notification o f charges, opportu­ nity to respond to a charges to a third party and an opportunity for appeal.

The following are examples of W PI policy. For the entire list of infractions, refer to your Student

Planner.

1. Don’t be academically dis­ honest. This means don’t cheat, copy, hand in your older brother’s MQP, plagiarize etc. Not too bad, right?

2. Don’t consume alcohol if you are under 21. Don’t consume alco­ hol in public places. (In the resi­ dence halls alcohol is allowed in room s of students over 21 but is not allowed in any common areas.)

3. Don’t harass anyone, sexu­ ally or otherwise. This means no stalking, following, prank calling, or otherwise extensively annoying or offending another member of the WPI community.

4. (Serious issue. Shouldn’t be presented lightly.)

5. Don’t haze anyone. I am sure everyone has heard o f the Hazing Act a billion times.

6. Don’t destroy WPI property.

For example, don’t graffiti build­ ings, d on’t dism antle your resi­ dence hall room (or your next door neighbor’s), don’t put a virus in the CCC computers.

The Planner explains the pro­ cess when someone wants to bring another community member up on charges. The first stop should be the Student Life Office for a meet­ ing with the Case Officer. The case may proceed from there to the Campus Hearing Board which is a body made up o f students, faculty, and staff. They will hear the evi­ dence and render a decision, in­ cluding a penalty if they decide the student is guilty.

Cases that involve academic dis­ honesty (80% o f all cases last aca­ demic year) may be handled at the academic departm ent level if the student pleads guilty. If not, then the case would go to the Campus H earing B oard like any other.

There is always an appeal allowed if the student requests one. The sa n c tio n s fo r c h e a tin g have ranged from receiving a “0” for the exam to suspension or expulsion depending on the circumstances.

O ther c h arg e s and san ctio n s given this past year include: un­ derage consum ption o f alcohol warning, com m unity service; pos­ session o f d ru g s - su sp en sio n ; harassment - suspension; misuse o f email account - suspension; and impairing the well being o f another - probation, com m unity service.

S tudents should m ake th em ­ selves aware o f the policies and procedures that exist for their pro­ tection. Students are also encour­ aged to se rv e on th e H e arin g Board. Elections are scheduled in the Spring. Watch for details in

Newspeak.

N e w spe a k ®lje &tubrnt iSetotfpaper of U>orcpstrr JSolpterbnic Untftitute c/o Student Activities Office 100 Institute Road Worcester, MA 01609 Phone: (508) 831-5464 Fax: (508) 831-5721 Email: newspeak@wpi.edu Homepage: http://www.wpi. edu/~newspeak Co-Editors in Chief Lisa Bartee Edward J. Cameron Jr. News Editor Justin ureenough

Assistant News Editor Sarah Walkowiak

Features Editor Alison Reach

Sports Editor Heather Mazzaccaro

Advertising Manager Brandoni Ngo

Business Manager Ken French

Graphics Editor Eric Wilhelm

Office Manager Ben Fischer Photography Editor

Adam Young Circulation Manager Christopher 0. Stank

Web Development troy Thompson Josh Huber Jeff Ouellette ist ary Devlin ng Janelle ilfe Evans Ken Gagne Stacey Leisenfelder Matthew Lug Joshua Millard Adam Ross N. Wolf Winset Graphics Staff Ken French Jessica Morgan Peter Recore

Jenifer cooper Josh Millard Fredrick Tan Jess Weathers Graduate Advisor

N. Wolf Winset— Faculty Advisor John Trimbur

P age 9

N e w sp e a k

T u e sd a y , N ovem ber 1 8 ,1 9 9 7

Ed it o r ia l

Regarding the return to electronic events Newspeak has recieved several Letters to the Editor re­ garding the demise o f electronic Events. I would like to address this issue once again. Since the installation o f the Bboard, knowledge of campus events seems to have gone down. It’s harder to use than Events was - 1 still haven’t com pletely figured out which arrow key you have to hit to follow a link. When you hit the wrong key, it takes you com pletely out o f Bboard and you have to start all over.

And for some reason, mine refuses to update which ar­ ticles I have read, so I have to delete them over and over.

The Bboard system also takes m ore time to read. I realize that the effort required to load the Bboard program and read the messages pertaining to me doesn’t take that long, but it sure takes a lot longer than it did to read Events.

Even including the time it took to delete the events about

“lost keys” and “car for sale”, it takes longer.

I know for a fact that I post many fewer Bboard m es­ sages than I did Events (and yes, mine were REAL events, not “buy this book” messages). I’m not sure why this is, maybe because I’m too set in my ways to learn how. Maybe because no one I know actually reads the Bboard. Maybe it’s because I’m irritated that they took away Events. But whatever the reason, I really don’t think that I am too ex ­ ceptional in my lack of use of the Bboard system.

I live off-campus and I used to rely on Events to keep me informed o f on-campus activities. I can’t tell you the num ­ ber o f times I attended something just because I saw an Event posted about it right before hand. Having nothing better to do, I often went. O r maybe the activity was som e­ thing that I had planned to go to, but had forgotten about.

Now, it’s a good week if I check the Bboard once. I know I’m probably missing things going on on cam pus, but it’s just a pain to read the Bboard over my modem.

There are several possible solutions here. The first is to make people read the Bboard - have it load automatically when you log in. But that would make it just like the Event program that we just killed and people would once again remove it from their .login files. Another solution would be to bring Events back and have them moderated. The oppo­ sition to this idea says that it would take too long and be an inefficient use of CCC manpower. My favorite solution is to bring back Events just the way they were. People who don’t want to read them d on’t have to. People who want to have that option. And it really doesn’t take that long to delete those “roommate wanted” messages.

L e tte rs t o th e Ed it o r

Discerning the difference between true commentary and the ridiculous Former Editor-inChief speaks out To the Editor: O fte n N e w sp e a k m ak es m e cringe, but I let it go. I’m afraid I c a n ’t do that this time.

H as th e N e w sp eak e d ito ria l s ta f f fo rg o tte n th at d iffe re n c e betw een an intelligent discussion w orthy o f the Editorial page and a play for print space? Has the s ta ff lost the ab ility to discern true com m entary from the ridicu­ lous? I m ake referen ce to the ‘'L etter To The E ditor” in the N o­ v e m b e r 4 is s u e . I p u t th o s e w o rd s in q u o te s , b e c a u se th e piece in question was only m ar­ ginally a letter, and certainly not to th e e d ito r. H as N e w sp e a k changed so m uch in the 4+ years since I was on the staff that the student “new s” paper is reduced to prin tin g ransom letters and passing it o ff as som ething w or­ thy o f d iscu ssio n ? H as N ew s­ peak changed so much in the tim e since I left that the editors have forgotten that you are supposed to be re s p o n s ib le fo r p a ssin g along new sw orthy item s o f in ­ terest on the Editorial pages?

O ur editorial staff spent a lot o f tim e trying to convince people that N ew speak was a quality pub­ lication deserving o f their atten ­ tion, a publication that w orked hard to get real news, and p ro ­

vide real insight. I ’m sure this editorial staff know s as w ell as ours did that it is difficult to get the new spaper to be taken seri­ ously on an engineering cam pus.

Items like that “ letter” certainly do not help m atters.

N ew speak is a lot o f w ork for very little rew ard, and I know that a good jo k e helps break the mo­ notony. However, this type o f ma­ terial, w hich consists m ostly o f what seem s to be an inside joke, is far m ore suited to the classi­ fied ad section, or the April Fools Day edition. You will never be taken seriously by the cam pus, or other publications, if you con­ tinue to include item s like this in spaces reserved for com m entary an d d is c u s s io n .

N ew speak proudly prin ts every w eek that “ Letters deem ed... irrelevant to the W PI com m unity will not be p u b lis h e d .” T h a t m ea n s you d o n ’t h av e to p rin t e v ery th in g that com es to you labeled as a “L etter To The E ditor.” Focus on those things that have som e rel­ evance to the com m unity: letters about the C am pus Center, letters about random violence on cam ­ pus. W hat relevance can a ran­ som note for a stuffed m onkey possibly have to the W PI com ­ m unity as a w hole?

I hope that you will begin to take your positions, and your re ­ sponsibilities a little m ore seri­ ously in the future. D o n ’t be

afraid to decide what is and isn ’t relevant. D on’t be afraid to say “This really belongs som ew here else.” Use your head. T here is a place for this type o f m aterial, but the Letters To The Editor section isn’t it.

Joe Parker Former Editor-In-Chief Class o f ’93

Newspeak response Dear Mr. Parker, As the newly elected News Edi­ tor o f Newspeak, I take great con­ cern in your letter. My Co-Editor and I have been working extremely hard to increase the amount o f per­ tinent campus-wide news that the paper prints each week. Allow me to highlight a few of the projects and cam paigns that we are cur­ rently in the process o f introduc­ ing: The addition o f a National Col­ lege News section was made pos­ sible through an alliance with the Uwire college newspaper consor­ tium. Through this consortium ef­ fort, Newspeak is able to print sto­ ries from other college and univer­

sity papers around the country and these m em ber papers will, in turn, be able to publish various stories written by our staff here at W PI. This not only gives WPI and News­ peak a more global perspective, but allows our Student Com m unity to keep up with what’s going on out­ side o f our small community.

In addition to the Uwire initia­ tive, our ad staff has been in the midst o f a fund-raising cam paign to purchase membership to a pro­ fessional News Wire service so that we will be able print national headlines from such prestigious papers as the New York Tim es and LA Post.

O ur latest and potentially most beneficial improvement is the de­ velopm ent of a cam pus-w ide net­ work o f “News Spies” and corre­ spondents. Through this network o f outside sources and w riters, we hope to provide a supplem ent our hard-working, yet small staff. In essence, we hope to be ab le to cover more stories per issue, by e n lis tin g the h elp o f o u ts id e sources.

In response to your com m ents about the “monkey articles” , I can

only say that you make some good points and I don’t believe we will be running any further articles o f that type.

Perhaps the greatest thing that you’ve pointed out is that News­ peak has become less o f a place o f meaningful discussion on campus.

Perhaps this is due to a decline in our readership. Perhaps it’s some­ thing else. However, I ’d like to as­ sure you that the staff is aware o f the situation and is working on so­ lutions that will be evident in the near future. T he projects m en­ tioned above are only the tip of the iceberg as far as improvements to the paper.

I ask o f you to take confidence in our dedicated staff and I prom ­ ise th a t y o u r w o rrie s w ill b e ea sed soon. N ew sp eak is n o t going to the w olves but in fact is on the brink o f a new horizon.

However, it w ill take some tim e and d e d ic a tio n to a c c o m p lish this. I hope that you and m any o th ers will jo in us, as faith fu l readers, in our journey.

Sincerely, Justin D. Greenough News Editor

Communication problems really do exist Dear Editor, I want to thank Newspeak for your November 4th editorial en­ titled “Com m unication problems abound on cam pus.” I realize I have begun to sound like a broken record, but I believe this issue is important enough to continue writ­ ing. Perhaps someone o f author­ ity will eventually start listening to us and agree that we have a prob­ lem.

As your editorial pointed out, students simply do not seem as in­ formed anymore. For a while, I honestly began to believe I was just dreaming up this lack of aware­ ness, but finally I have found some statistical evidence to support my claim.

As a consultant to the Student G overnm ent, I have acted as the ad m inistrator for the “ sg av o te” program for the past several elec­ tions. I have known for a while that SGA elections have never had huge turnouts, but the electronic voting program has done great things to expand the num ber of students voting. For exam ple in the last four elections (w hich all took advantage o f the events post­ ing system), the electronic voting turnout has been in the range of 2 5% -30% o f the student body.

This year however without the help of events postings the electronic turnout was drastically down: only barely clearing the 10% level. A pathetic turnout!

Opponents m ight argue that the election w asn’t exciting, or that nobody cares about SGA, but they cannot disprove the correlation between the lack o f events and the lack o f voters. People who used to read events, simply do not read the Bboard.

Something that bothers me even m ore than the fact that people don’t read the Bboard, is the trend o f event sponsors not even post­ ing to the B B oard anym ore. It seem s that since event sponsors have realized that “nobody reads the B B oard,” w hy should th ey post to it? F or exam ple, w hen events used to ex ist the S ocial Committee advertised nearly every

See Events, continued to page 10

P age 10

T u e sd a y , N ovem ber 18, 1997

N e w sp e a k

S t u d e n t G o v e r n m e n t A s s o c ia t io n

Elections: Who’s who in the B-term senatorial races Continued from page 8 o f their outlooks on the problem s around cam pus and vote for a better legislation that will satisfy all. I want to try to cre­ ate a stronger unity betw een the clubs and the SGA so that we can all have a better tim e at W PI.

Ryan Fournier My name is Ryan Fournier. I’m in the fraternity o f Phi Gamma Delta where I’m on the Rush council. I was an Orientation Leader this year and I play on the M en’s Varsity Soccer and Basketball teams. I’m running for a position in the SGA because I want to be involved and help make impor­ tant decisions that will help benefit the stu­ dent body and the WPI community.

Kenneth Mair My nam e is K enneth M air and I am a first year student at WPI. T hroughout my life, I have been actively involved in many leadership and executive positions both in my high school and the surround­ ing com m unity. In high school, I was the vice-president o f my class for all four y ears and w as a m em ber o f my high

school p rin cip al's advisor board. In a d ­ dition, my com m unity involvem ent in­ clu d e d e x e c u tiv e p o sitio n s in ju n io r achievem ent and the local YMCA. I pos­ sess a challenging and inquiring perso n ­ ality that causes me to question ev e ry ­ thing and find the best possibilities in all situations. Based on my experiences and my personality, I feel that I have the ab ili­ ties to be a successful senator at W PI.

Angela Malaquias WPI is a school that doesn't have the same characteristics as most universities in the country. For the students, you may think that proper representation is difficult to achieve. O ur student governm ent is growing more every day and we need the right kind o f students to speak up for what they believe in and what they won’t stand for. As one o f those students I plan to give you an enthusiastic and fresh view through this important position in SGA. Please vote for Angela Malaquias for offcampus senator.

Jesse Mattern A senator in SGA is the glue that keeps

L e tte rs t o th e Ed it o r

Events: Students are not informed Continued from page 9 event electronically. Now, however, I can’t think o f the last time I saw a SocCom event on the BBoard. They might be using the Social Web, but I honestly d o n ’t have time to check two different places for upcoming events.

In closing, I want to reiterate that this year I simply don’t feel informed about what is

going on at WPI. As a Resident Advisor who receives flyers and information about lots of events, I still feel like I’m missing lots of announcements. Maybe, I’m not. Maybe, there really is nothing going on at WPI this year! But if that is true then perhaps we have even a bigger problem to deal with!

this campus connected. W hether you see it or not. there arc senators working to help make your experience, and environment at WPI better. Support SGA, we are trying to help you. I have been a senator since the election in C-term. and would now like to represent you as a senator once again. I am a m em ber o f an off-campus fraternity, and using that as well as my experience in SGA in the past, would make me a good candidate. So please consider me, Jesse Mattern, for your vote on Friday.

Amber McMillan Howdy! I’m Amber McMillan from San Antonio, Texas. Currently, I’m a transfer/ freshman EE major. I attended Lamar Uni­ versity the last two years as part o f the Texas Academy for Leadership in the Hu­ manities. This let me attend college and earn my high school diploma. While at Lamar I was the treasurer for the Political S cience A sso c ia tio n , an S G A -L am ar Sophomore Senator, and vice-chairman of the SGA Academic Affairs Committee to name a few accomplishments.

Here at WPI, I have become an active member of SocComm, IEEE, ACM, SFS (Sci­ ence Fiction Society), SMAS (Society for Medieval Arts and Sciences), SW E (Soci­ ety for Women Engineers), WECE (Women in ECE), SHPE (Society for Hispanic Pro­ fessional Engineers). I have also been an appointed senator in SGA since early Sep­

tember. I live in Daniels and have a workstudy job at the library. I enjoy reading a good book and making mail, medieval ar­ mor.

Now that you know more about me, I hope you will elect me to represent you.

Jeff Moore Hello. My name is Jeff Moore and I am running for the Student Government A s­ sociation position of Senator. I am a mem ­ ber o f the class o f 2001 and besides being a Senator for A term, I am a member of the Varsity Basketball team.

I am running for Senator again because I would like to represent my class’ interests and ideas. I feel with me as a Senator, my class can get the best representation pos­ sible. I will gladly take their ideas and present them to the entire SGA and help improve all areas o f our great college.

Chris Neumaier Hello. My nam e is Chris N eum aier and I am running for the position o f Student G overnm ent senator. I have been a sena­ tor this past A term and w ould like to continue for the rest o f the year. I am a senior this year and some activities I am involved with on cam pus are: I am a S tu ­ dent Hall D irector, a brother o f Lam bda Chi Alpha fraternity, a m ember o f ASCE,

See SGA, continued to page II

ATA

Alpha Gamma Delta Pledge Class o f 1997-98

Respectfully, Gregory R. Snow'98

-A m a ra l S ric a z f a f o n t

Q u e s t io n s t o th e P r e s id e n t

Java: Useful, but not universal Continued from page 8 teaching the relevant concepts and which language would be most useful in the im­ mediate future on the jo b and for getting a job.

Java was designed for network program­ ming to provide portability and mobility over the web. Although its use has been growing, it is currently far from dominant for non-network applications, and the ex­ tent that it ever will be dominant is unclear.

Right now some standardization issues are outstanding, as evidenced by the current dispute between Sun and M icrosoft as well as by ISO rejection of Sun’s first bid for a global standard. Certainly in this area, the number o f existing jobs where program ­ mers need to know C/C++ is far greater than Java. The CS faculty believes that the top­ ics o f pointers and memory management, which are raised in C/C++, but not in Java, are still very important and are a major rea­ son that at the current time C/C++ is used in the in tro d u c to ry c la sse s, C S 1 0 0 5 / CS2005. Currently Java is contrasted to C++ and other object-oriented languages

in C S 2 136, Paradigms o f Computation. Java is also one o f the languages that will be used for projects in CS 4241, Webware: Com putational Technology for Network Information System T h e J a v a W h ite P a p e r from Sun M icrosystem s says that Java was designed to be simple and familiar and that for some­ one with a knowledge o f C/C++ it should be learnable with a couple o f days o f ef­ fort. M ost CS majors and minors will have an opportunity to learn some Java in the course o f their studies, and all graduating CS majors and minors will have the ability to quickly master Java. In this regard it should be noted that Java was used in six o f the tw enty-nine CS MQPs completed last year.

You can be assured that your CS de­ partm ent closely m onitors developm ents in p ro g ra m m in g la n g u a g e s, in d u stry trends, and CS pedagogy, and that we will continue to give Java a more prom i­ nent role in the curriculum as it makes sense to do so. Thank you for your con­ cern.

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T u e sd a y , N ovember 18, 1997

SGA

P age 11

N e w sp e a k

In t e r n a t io n a l H o u s e

Continued from page 10 a m em ber o f the Student-T rustee M en­ tor program , and a throw er for the m en’s track team . I am very active on cam pus and am well inform ed about the workings o f the school so I will be a good repre­ sentativ e o f the student body. Thank you and please vote for me.

Doug Olsen My name is Doug Olsen and I am run­ ning for an off-cam pus Senator position.

I am a ju n io r here at WPI. I am currently serving as an off-cam pus S en ato r and have been since D-Term o f last year.

D uring my tim e as Senator I have seen the S tudent G overnm ent com e a long way. I feel that our image on cam pus has im proved in the tim e that I have been in­ volved w ith Student G overnm ent. We have also ju st started a program in which each Senator is responsible for acting as a liaison to one organization on cam pus.

I feel that this is a great way for the Stu­ dent G overnm ent to becom e m ore in­ volved with the student body and to help bring the cam pus together. I am excited to continue and extend this new program .

A m ajor goal o f the Student G overnm ent has been to increase cam pus unity. T his is som ething that I feel strongly about and hope to accom plish as a m em ber o f the Student G overnm ent. All in all, I want to see the progress that the S tu ­ dent G overnm ent has made continue and I would really like to be a part o f it.

Maureen Upton My name is Maureen Upton and I am announcing that I am running for the posi­ tion of on campus senator. As senator I hope to fairly and accurately represent the student body and to serve as a link be­ tween students and the SGA. I am involved in campus activities such as Social Com ­ mittee, Newman Club, and Pathways. This fall I was appointed senator, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience in SGA. I would like to continue it through the up­ coming year. As a senator I serve on the Comm ittee for Academic Issues and act as a liaison to the literary magazine Pathways.

I am a dedicated student ready to serve WPI.

Speros Venios My name is Speros Venios and I am a candidate for the position o f Student G ov­ ernm ent A ssociation Senator. I am a sophomore management major and a mem­ ber o f the Lam bda Chi Alpha Fraternity, in which I serve as its representative to the IFC Judiciary Board. Since September, I have held an appointed SGA Senatorial position and have learned a lot about its structure and purposes. Now, I would like to continue my experience through an elected senatorial position.

Once elected, I would like to continue the current SGA efforts to unify the cam ­ pus and rem ain a vocal advocate o f the student.

P lease c o n sid e r me as o n e o f yo u r choices for an Off-Campus Senatorial Po­ sition.

ISC’s new academic initiative com ing students?

Sashe: The new initiative is for every­ body but we are focusing on first year stu­ dents.

BDM: Who is going to help you do this?

Sashe: M yself, I am a peer-learning as­ sistant in the math departm ent and Anu [Kama] who is a math major. I sent out email and got responses some graduate stu­ dents. One from Pedro [Soria-Rodriqez], w ho’s going to help out in EE and another from Naod [Kebede], w ho’s going to help out in Chemistry. We also have somebody who can com e out and help with the phys­ ics.... We are getting volunteers these days.

BDM: How will students learn that there is help outside the regular WPI help ses­ sions?

Sashe: First there is e-m ail. And at the ISC meetings, we will let them know. We want to develop an open house concept at International House, so that people will feel free to come in and hang out and get some help that way. Sometimes people feel shy to come and ask for help. Maybe they can

by Billy D. McGowan International Student Council First year student Panananda “M ek” Tasanai once com m ented that new stu­ dents were a bit shy to seek out help in the help sessions organized by the depart­ ments. But the International Student Coun­ cil is again com ing to the academic rescue.

ISC President Sashe Kanapathi voiced this concerned in a brief interview in my office on Thursday, “Students need a big brother or big sister. The mentoring programs will give them someone to relate to, someone whom they know...to help them .” The fol­ lowing are excerpts from that interview: BD M : How is this new academic initia­ tive started by the ISC different from the one that I interview Alp Arslan regarding a couple months ago?

Sashe: There’s a misconception that all international students always do well. This doesn’t have to be true. This new aca­ demic initiative is geared to incoming in­ ternational student. The ISC wants to play a role more than in a social sense. W e’ve been doing a lot o f social activities but we want to have a more serious role. There are cases when an international student might not feel comfortable going to a help session. In these help sessions, these in­ ternational students may not speak up. It might be more helpful for them to come a couple hours to the house [International House] and work with people they have already seen. They might feel more com ­ fortable.

BDM : Is the focus of this initiative in­

just come and take a look around and get coffee first. The meetings will be here at International House downstairs.

BDM: What is the schedule o f m eet­ ings?

Sashe: We will meet Mondays from 5 to 6:30 PM. BDM: So once a week.

Sashe: Yes.

Notices of other up-coming events spon­ sored by Internationa] House: The India Week Exhibition, on the 2nd floor o f International House, has been ex­ tended through November 21,1997.

The International Bazaar to be held on the Upper Wedge on December 2, 1997, is still accepting applications for vendors for any space available. Contact Janice at ext.

6030 for information.

The International Dinner tickets go on sale this week. The annual event is sched­ uled for December 6,1997, in Alden Hall at 6:30. Ticket prices are $6 for ISC members and $7 for non-members. Contact ISC mem­ bers and Janice at ext 6030.

Feeling out of touch with campus life?

Join the Neivspeak Staff, and get involved!

As a member of the newspaper staff, you will be gathering the new s as it happens.

Opportunities are available in news writing, graphics, business, photography and sports.

Contact newspeak@wpi.edu or call 831-5464 for details.

m

m

O p rM fe

Orientation Session Tuesday, November 18 Perreault Hall 6:30 PM •Gain significant hands-on experience!

•Learn about the Summer Internships Program.

•Get the nuts and bolts on how to expand your summer job search.

•Open for ALL students (freshmen to graduates)

P age 12

T u e sd a y , N o vem ber 18, 1997

N ew spe a k

C lub C o r n e r Alden Voices Hey, 1 know things have been fast and furious lately, but such is the life o f a seri­ ous singing group. It was a nice change of pace to sing with the Glee Club and BU even if the music...well, we all have our own opinions on that subject. N ext on the agenda, a holiday concert on Dec. 4th fol­ low ed by the H oliday Pops C oncert at M echanics Hall on Dec. 12 and 13th. That should be quite a show with various re­ gional musical talent lending their services.

Other than that, keep an eye out for Alden Voices bagels on Thursdays and candy grams to be sold in the near future. Later.

BiLaGA Hi everyone. I hope you all went out and gaily frolicked in the snow this week­ end. We had a great lunch meeting last Tuesday. E veryone w ho d id n ’t com e should be sorry the missed it because Bi­ LaGA paid! We are still planning great events for later in the year, so if you have ideas let us know. O ur regularly sched­ uled Thursday meeting will be taking place, as usual, on Thursday. We will meet in the Wedge at 7pm and move to the Secret Meet­ ing Place. If you are planning on being late, email us and we’ll tell you where it will be. Once again, here is our contact info: emaill - bilaga@ wpi.edu; snail mail - bilaga c/o student activities.

Chinese Student Association Hey guys! Welcome back from vacation!

Well, here is a brief announcement o f this year’s events. In the beginning o f this term we will be all heading to the Worcester Skat­ ing Rink to ice skate. And within the middle o f this term we will be celebrating with ISC and their International Dinner. Finally we will end the term with a Karaoke night! Also, the intramural sports CSA will be partici­ pating in are bowling, basketball, and PingPong so please do sign up! So please join us for the events coming up for this term.

For m o re in fo rm a tio n c h eck out o u r homepage at http://www.wpi.edu/~dragon.

studying too hard for midterms, and good luck on them this next week.

This week do make an effort to come to FNF at 7:00 Friday night Morgan A. On Tuesday night you can pray to God dur­ ing Tuesday N ight Prayer. Bible studies have also started, if you are not in one and w o u ld lik e to be, you can e-m ail cbf@ wpi.edu for information. Also, a be­ lated congratulations goes out to Tom Par­ ent, the winner of our bike raffle. Tom loves his new bike and has been riding it to classes every day.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Be­ ginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water o f life.” Revelation 21:6 (NIV) It was God who created the earth. He was here before anything else was, and will be here in the end. He is eternal. When God says, “to him who is thirsty,” He is referring to the people who seek His will and believe in His name. W hen He says “I will give drink without cost” he is saying He will give the “water o f life” to these believers. As Jesus told the woman by the well, those who drink this w ater will never be thirsty again. This living water is the Holy Spirit. Drink this water, and enter the blessings o f eternal life with our Savior.

Glee Club Attention Fools. God, I just had a Bob Flashback. G reat Job with the concert at Trinity last weekend! We got a lot o f com­ pliments on our performance from the au­ dience and also from the BU choir. I think everyone would agree that they were ex­ c e lle n t, b o th m u sic a lly and so cially.

T hey’re definitely a group to pursue fur­ ther relations with, (no, FRESHMEN, that's not what I mean.) This weekend, w e’ll be singing with the Rutgers Choir. Unfortu­ nately, they’re not very interested in stay­ ing around W orcester for much o f anything besides rehearsals and the concert, but if you’ve got the $, they would like some of us to go into Boston with them, so please make the effort to show them that we’re not as Anti-social as they are, and that The Engineers are a hell o f a lot more fun than we’re made out to be. All for now. End Transmission.

Christian Bible Fellowship Hello, did you enjoy the snow that we had the other day? Hopefully you aren’t

M asque H ey e v e ry o n e !

I t ’s M e d e a /M e d ia

tim e....The show ’s going up this T hurs­ d a y !!! I c a n ’t b e lie v e how fa st it cam e.....and what a show it’s going to be.

The set is spectacular, the virtual reality is mind numbing, and the concept o f it is like nothing you’ve ever imagined. I seriously can ’t see how anyone w ould m iss this play....so what are you waiting for? Get your tickets! They are $4, and the play starts at 8pm, this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Alden Hall.

The C-Term show is slowly sneaking up on us....start looking for those fliers....and ladies and gentlemen: THE PLAY IS A MU­ SICAL!!! So w e’re not only looking for people who like to act anymore. Anyone who wants to try their voice out to size, don’t hesitate to audition. T hey’re com ­ ing up in December....

As usual: Masque meeting, this Friday, 4:30, green room, Alden Hall. Be there!

Muslim Student Association As-Salamu Alaikum. Last Saturday, the MSA enjoyed the first Biweekly luncheon of B-term, featuring a video presentation on C henchnya and the Chechens. Start­ ing 1:00pm at the Collegiate Religious Cen­ ter, usually winding up by 3:30pm. the bi­ weekly luncheons provide an informal op­ portunity to meet and eat pizza. Each bi­ weekly highlights a theme, often with an accom panying video. If you have sugges­ tions for a biweekly theme, please contact m sa@ wpi.edu. Note your calenders for the General Body Meeting 6:00pm Wednesday, December 3rd at the Gordon Library Semi­ nar Room (3rd Floor). All are invited, and we look forward to a successful meeting insha’Allah. Daily Dhuhr’ and ‘Asr prayers are organized at the Collegiate Religious Center at 12:00pm (noon) and 3:30pm re­ spectively. The Car-Pool for Friday prayers departs the CRC at 12:15pm. Our homepage is scheduled for renovation, please check o u t th e c u rre n t h o m e p ag e at h ttp :// www.wpi.edu/~msa/ and e-mail us sugges­ tions. For more information, or to join our mailing list contact m sa@ w pi.edu.

give a ten to fifteen dollars gift, no more than that, feel free to e-m ail C h ris at m atignon@ wpi.edu for a tag with the in­ formation.

This Friday night, Nov. 21 s t , we are hav­ ing our video and pasta night beginning at 5:30 PM in the Religious Center. A ll of the W PI Community are welcome to come to the supper or video or both. M aureen U and Joyann B. will make sure that our new chefs do a good job.

O ur p ray e r/d isc u ssio n g ro u p , w hich m eets on W ednesday nights at 7:00 PM in the Religious Center, is going very well.

Please feel free to jo in us. Several par­ ents and their prospective W PI student stopped at the R eligious Center last week inquiring about the N ew m an presence on cam pus. So m aybe we have som e new m em bers already lined up for next year.

You should hear Fr. S. telling them about W PI . M aybe he should be part o f the adm ission team given his sales pitch for the school.

Pugwash This Wednesday, N ovem ber 19, Student Pugwash will be hosting the movie ‘T h e Day After” in Newell Hall (A K 116) at 7pm.

“The Day After”, one o f the m ost popular made-for-TV movies o f the 1980s, deals with issues in a small town in M issouri the day after a nuclear strike against the USA. This movie is the first in a series of events Student Pugwash is sponsoring to “ Re­ think Nuclear Technologies.”

Come see the movie everybody will be talking about Thursday...

Student Government Association

C hris W elch, our presid en t, has the names and ages of the children at Youville House who are going to be recipients of our giving tree. If you wish to help and

This week senatorial elections are tak­ ing place. To vote just type <sgavote> at your telnet prompt until Thursday or pa­ per ballot vote in the mailroom on Friday.

The new executive board members are Jen Reese, President; Rob Seneres, Vice Presi­ dent; A nne-M arie Chouinard, Secretary; Chad Tino, Treasurer.

The next bus trip to Boston will be Sat­ urday the 22nd. The cost o f the bus trip will be $3. Sign up in the wedge on Wednes­ day or in the SGA office the rest o f the week. The next SGA meeting will be tonight at 6:00pm, everyone is welcome. Hope to see you there.

As a Hoop Dreams volunteer on cam ­ pus last year, John devoted two days to teaching young children basketball funda­ mentals and the importance o f staying in school. He also is currently the soccer club treasurer and the chairman for the Excel­ lence in Mathematics and Sciences Program here at WPI. In addition to being active on cam pus, John currently holds the rush chairm an position for the A lpha C hi Rho F raternity and is a m em ber o f the Inter Fraternity Council judicial board. John is not only an active person at W PI, but he carries out all o f these activities while

m aintaining a grade-point-average well above the cam pus average.

The Order of O m ega is proud to present The Greek o f the Term Award to a young man who truly is deserving o f such a dis­ tinction. W hether in the fraternity house, on the campus, or in the community, John has dem onstrated that he is a leader in all aspects o f college life.

F or in fo rm a tio n c o n c e rn in g fu tu re G reek o f the Term A w ards, in cluding nom ination form s, please contact A ndrea Dorow in the Student A ctivities O ffice or a chapter president.

Newman Club

An n o u n cem en ts

Order of Omega’s Greek of the term

By Eric F. Pauly Corresponding Secretary fo r Order o f Omega The W PI chapter o f The Order of Omega is proud to recognize John Casill, a m em ­ ber of the Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity as the first quarter Greek o f the Term Award re­ cipient.

The O rder o f Omega (the national greek honor society) developed the Greek o f the Term Award earlier this year to honor ex­ ceptional members o f the WPI greek com ­ munity. These candidates are evaluated

based on com m unity service activities, scholastic achievem ent, as well as campus and chapter involvement.

John Casill is a currently sophomore elec­ trical engineering student at WPI who has exemplified the values behind the Greek of the Term Award. He is thoroughly in­ volved in all aspects the community as well as within the greek system. As a coun­ cilor, John spends his summers volunteer­ ing at a Christian Outreach Cam p for chil­ dren back in his hometown, and his spare time at W PI organizing renovation projects for his fraternity house.

T u e sd a y , N ovem ber 18, 1997

N e w sp e a k

P age 13

Announcem ents

Phoebe Eng to speak at WPI about America’s effect on world culture

by Sean Dunn Class o f ‘98 What are the effects o f American media on the world’s population? In coming years, MTV, CNN, and other fountains of American culture will be viewable via television on a global scale. Sloganeering principles o f con­ sumerism, meterialism, cultural identity, and American ideas of sex, race, freedom and power are already beginning to find new fol­ lowers around the world.

This Thursday, author and lecturer Phoebe Eng will be making her appearance on the WPI cam pus to give a talk on these very issues, with a visual presentation that will provide an eye-opening experience into the global adaptation of American culture.

Phoebe Eng is a media developer and author o f “Warrior Lessons”, a book about women and empowerment, to be published this year by Simon & Schuster. She is cur­ rently the director o f The DM I M edia Group, a New York-based media company

specializing in projects which prom ote cross-cultural communication and social change.

Eng has been regarded as a pioneering voice o f her generation. She has been fea­ tured on “CN N ”, “The New York Tim es”, ‘T h e Wall St. Journal”, “NBC” , “ABC”,

“National Public Radio”, and “PBS” for her enlightened and provocative views on con­ temporary culture and race dynamics.

The lecture will start at 7:30pm on Novem­ ber 20, and will take place in Perreault Hall, in WPI’s Fuller Laboratories. It is being spon­ sored by the SocComm Arts Committee.

The WPI Student Speaker and Special Presentation Fund Courtesy o f the Student Activities Office The WPI Student Speaker & Special Pre­ sentation Fund was established in 1992 as a programming resource for the WPI commu­ nity. This special funding source generally provides awards of up to $ 1,000 for educa­ tional programs produced by WPI students, faculty, staff, departments or organizations.

While lectures are a primary focus, propos­ als are also accepted for programs utilizing panel discussions, debates, films and dem­ onstrations Requests are reviewed based on the fol­ lowing criteria: 1. Topical content: This funding source was established to encourage programs on contemporary issues. Programs of this nature are given strong consideration.

Other topical considerations include: Appeal: The program should have broad appeal to all members of the WPI commu­ nity.

Uniqueness: Programs similar in topical con­ tent to ones recently presented stand less o f a chance of receiving funding.

2. Matching funding: This funding source m ay not serve as the sole m onetary source for a specific program. It is ex­

pected that any program seeking support will secure funding from at least one other source. Programs with multiple sponsors are highly encouraged.

3. Preparedness: Another goal o f this spe­ cial funding source is to encourage more responsible program m ing. Requests should demonstrate an understanding o f effective planning and promoting of the program.

The Student Speaker Fund & Special Pre­ sentation Review Committee is comprised o f students, staff and faculty. Requests are sent to the committee (via electronic mail) within two days o f submission of a completed form.

The committee usually renders a decision within ten days of the request being received.

In certain situations, the sponsor may be asked to submit more information prior to a decision being rendered. Awards may be paid either directly to a presenter or into a departmental or organizational account from which the presenter’s expenses will be taken.

The Student Activities Office serves as the contact point for all correspondence re­ garding the Student Speaker & Special Pre­ sentation Fund. Completed applications should be returned to the Student Activities Office via the SSF Web page, located at: http:/ /www. wpi.edu/Admin/Depts/SL/SSF-form.

A m e r i c a n H e a r t A s s o c i a t io n

“M y wife, K athy, d ied real su d d e n ly from a b ra in a n e u ry sm .

S h e w as 29 y e a rs old. T h e re w as no w a rn in g . W e had not discu ssed o rgan a n d tissue d o n a tio n . I w ish w e had talk ed ab o u t it because I d id n ’t know if I w as doing w h at she w anted. I O r g a n & T i s s u e th o u g h t w e w ere y o u n g and had a lot o f y ears in front o f us. But Shareyour life. Shareyour decision" w e d id n 't.” For y o u r free brochure about organ and tissue donation, l!l!l call 1-800-355-SHARE. (find Coalition on Donation

T u e sd a y , N ovem ber 18, 1997

N e w sp e a k

P ag e 14

W e s t Street H o u se

Mood control 101

by Charlie Morse Student Development and Counseling Center I’m feeling pretty anxious right now. I put o ff writing this article until the last m inute and now I have to work under pres­ sure. I'll never get this done! This m akes me mad...I can’t believe they expect me to get this done by the end o f the day. It’s ju st not fair. Sure, I’ve known for a month that I had to write this article, but it’s frus­ trating; I should have started writing a week ago. Everyone else gets their work done ahead of time; I’m sure th ey ’re shaking their heads behind my back. This is so em barrassing.

You might say I’m in a lousy mood be­ cause I’m stuck writing this article under pressure. Or, maybe it’s because w inter’s here again and I had to scrape my car this morning. Any and all o f these events can and do influence the way I feel right now.

But the fact is, it’s my thought and atti­ tudes about these events that make me feel lousy. This is good news; like most hu­ mans I haven’t figured out a way to make uncomfortable feelings go away. But I know I can alter my m oods by changing my thoughts.

Most o f us are relatively unaware o f the variety o f thoughts and beliefs that occur in relation to our feelings. We all experi­ ence “automatic thoughts” which occur out o f our awareness and influence our reac­ tions to the events o f our lives. An im por­ tant step in increasing your control over your moods is improving your ability to identify and alter these automatic thoughts.

If you develop the habit o f paying closer attention to your thoughts when you are

experiencing more intense feelings, you’ll see how they are related to that particular feeling. You may also discover that these thoughts are often distorted or unrealistic.

Becoming more familiar with your thoughts and rationally challenging some common patterns o f thought can significantly im ­ prove your ability to change the way you feel.

If you review the opening o f this article you’ll see that every one o f the negative feelings I was experiencing was associated with a particular kind of thought. This is true o f all feelings, for example: Anxiety - thoughts o f danger or threat Anger - thoughts o f being treated un­ fairly Frustration - thoughts associated with unfulfilled expectations Sadness - thoughts about loss Guilt - thoughts that are bad Inadequacy - thoughts that you’re not good enough compared with others Being aware o f these connections be­ tw een th o u g h ts and feelin g s can help greatly in identifying the reason for your mood. Changing and adding more con­ structive thoughts can be the first step to breaking out of a bad mood.

You’ll also see som e com m on types o f distorted thinking in the beginning o f this piece. I’ll want to look at each of these statements and try to rationally evaluate their accuracy. For example: “I’ll never get this done” - (exaggera­ tion) O f course I’ll get it done!

“I should have started writing a week ago” - (should statem ent) I could have, but I didn’t.

“T hey’re shaking their heads behind my back” - (mind reading) I don’t know that.

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actually they’re probably too busy to worry about my work.

Other types o f distorted thinking include “all or nothing” (seeing things black or w h ite), “ sele c tiv e a tte n tio n ” (g iv in g greater attention to negative vs. positive), and “fortune telling” (assum ing the worst will come true). To one degree or another we all engage in unrealistic thinking and, whether w e’re conscious o f it or not, this type o f thinking does impact on our moods.

Am I suggesting that we should go on a

crusade to eliminate our negative feelings by e x e rtin g m ore c o n tro l o v e r o u r thoughts? Absolutely not. This would be neither possible nor advisable. There are many situations we don’t take the time to look at our thinking in a rational, construc­ tive way, and the result is the sense that our feelings are out o f control, that we are victims to our moods. We can change the way we feel by becoming better acquainted with the way our thoughts and feelings interact.

Jtudenl Government Senatorial Election/ N o v e m b e r 1 6 t o N o v e m b e r 21

Electronic voting will be available during this time.

To vote, go to your login prompt and type s g a v o te and follow the instructions on your screen.

Paper voting will take Place on Friday, November 21 in the Mailroom of Daniels.

Let your voice be heard and vote!

See letters from the candidates on pages 8, 10 and 11.

Announcing Newspeak’s

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SEASONAL POSITIONS AVAILABLE! FULL & PART-TIME

Super Banana coloring contest!

Now it is your turn to help Super Banana fight injustice and evil wrong-doers around the world!

Super Banana has finally met his match in the steaming caves of Plantainland, home of the infamous Bad Apple and others. Your mission: color in Super Banana in the appropriate colors, and insert next to him your vision of the evil perpetrator our hero has come to fight. The entry with the best coloring job and enemy will have their character included in an upcoming Super Banana!

Note: Newspeak staff members are not eligible to win.

Apply in person, Monday through Saturday from 9am to 7pm at one of the following locations: FRAMINGHAM

26 Whittier Street

AUBURN

777 Washington Street

WESTBORO

222 Turnpike Road (Route 9)

Bea HolidayHelper for BJ’s, and you’ll findout that holidaywishes reallydocome true!

You'll enjoythe rewards our seasonal helpers receive, including great wages and a fun, festive environment. And, as one of the fastest growing wholesale club chains inthe Northeast, BJ’s WholesaleClub, Inc., operates morethan 85wholesale clubs in12states, fromMainetoFlorida.

At BJ's, we value diversity in our organization, and we are an equal opportunity employer. BJ's supports a drug-free environment.

'T is th e s e a s o n f o r B J's!

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T u e sd a y , N ovem ber 18, 1997

C l a s s if ie d s www.surfandsuntours.com TRAVEL

**SPRING BREAK ‘98** Free food and drinks! Cancun, Bahamas, Jamaica, and Florida just $399. Organize a small group and travel FREE! Highest com­ missions and lowest prices guar­ anteed. Call Surf & Sun Tours to become a campus representa­ tive (800)574-7577. Web address:

Earn money and free trips!!

Absolute Best Spring Break Packages available!! Individu­ als, student organizations, or small groups wanted!! Call Inter-Campus Programsat 1-800327-6013 or www.icpt.com

Spring Break ’98 Guaranteed Best Prices to Cancun, Jamaica,

Bahamas, & Florida. Group Discounts & Daily Free Drink Parties! Sell Trips, Earn Cash & Go Free! 1-800-234-7007. www.endlesssummeiUiurs.com

*** EARN FREE TRIPS & CASH! *** CLA SS TRAVEL needs students to promote Spring Break 1998!

Sell 15 trips & travel free!

Highly motivated students can earn a free trip & over $10,000! Choose Cancun, Bahamas, Mazatian, Jamaica or Florida! North America’s largest student tour operator!

Call Now! 1-800-838-6411 *** A c t N ow ! C all L e is u re to u rs fo r Spring Break packages to South

P adre, C ancun, Jam aica, and Florida. Reps. Needed ...T r a v e l fre e and e a rn com m issions. Group Dis­ c o u n ts f o r 6 o r m o re peorple. 800-838-8203 or w w w.leisuretours.com

___ HELP WANTED

Newspeak will run classifieds free for all WPI students, faculty, and staff Free classifieds are limited to six (6) lines. Ads of a commercial nature and ads longer than six lines must be paid for at the off campus/commercial rate of $5.00 forthe first six lines and 50 cents per additional line.

Classified ads must be paid for in advance.

No information which, in the opinion of the Newspeak editors, would identify an individual to the community will be printed in a personal ad. The editors reserve the right to refuse any ad deemed to be in bad taste or many ads from one group or individual on one subject.

The deadline for ads is noon on the Friday before publication.

All classified ads must be on individual sheets of paper and must be accompanied by the writer's name, address and phone number

Nam e ________________________________________

W o rcester Real E sta te Title Company seeks highly m otiv ated in d iv id u al for part-time real estate title ex­ amining position. This po­ sition offers flexible hours, is w alking distance from cam pus, and offers $8.00/ hour to start. Mail resum e to P.O. Box 832, Fram ing­ ham, MA 01701 or fax to 508-820-3015.

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EXECUTIVE KEVIECO COfAhlTTEE

IT'S NOT AUTOMATIC. THE APPLICATION 1\UST be : a p p r o v e d b y the :

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EXECUTIVE REVIEW COM M ITTEE.

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49 Requests 35 Newspaper (slang) 52 Heckler 37 School of whales 54 Fairy tale monster 39 Concerning 55 Ban 40 Pad 5 6 Lupino 42 Fuel 57 Fish eggs 44 Craggy 59 Japanese coin 46 Baby carriage 60 19th Greek letter 48 Food 63 Musical note 50 Russian newspaper 51 Hit 53 Congeals 55 Larger 58 Full of conceit 61 Summer drink 62 Derived from the sun 64 Edu. group (abbr.)

65 Mole 66 Josh 67 African antelope

COMPLIMENTS ARE AN ENTITLEMENT

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Fri9~Sat8&10:30

Whafs Happening: November 18-23 18 6pm - APO Service Auction, Lower Wedge 6:30pm - Summer Opportunities Orientation Session, Perreault Hall.

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19 E scap e CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL Downtown Wore Opposite Courthouse & Police Station

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CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S EVE With LAUGHTER i i i i i in

18+ CLUB PP

ADMISSION ALL SHOWS with school ID or This AD void special events

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11am - Colloquium, Good Taste in Research: Molecular Genetics of Marine Shrimp, Joseph Bagshaw, Goddard Hall 311.

11 am to 1:00pm - M ajors Fair, Lower Wedge.

3pm and 8pm - Film, Portrait o f a Lady, Holy Cross Kimball Theater.

4:30pm - Workshop, Oral Presentation W orkshop for President’s 1QP Awards, Kinnicut Hall.

am - WAAF Cam pus Assault, Quad (end 1pm ) 7:30pm - Fine Arts, Phoebe Eng Lecture, Perreault.

8pm - Theater, MEDEA/media, Alden

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9am - Employee Craft Fair, UMASS MED Medical School Lobby 5:30pm - W omen’s Basketball. W orcester City 7pm - The Muntu Dance Theater of Chicago, Worcester State Sullivan Auditorium 8pm - CoffeeHouse, 5 O ’Clock Shadow with Simple Harmonic Motion, Riley 8pm - Theater, MEDEA/media, Alden

I j l j 9 a m - Wrestling at Springfield 1:30pm - Men and W omen’s Swimming, WNEC at Clark 3pm - M en’s Basketball at Nichols 5:30pm - W omen’s Basketball, Tip O ff Tournement 7:30pm - Concert, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Worcester State Sullivan Auditorium 8nm - Theater. M EDEA/media, Alden

23

:30am - Alden 6 pm - Founders - Catholic Mass 3pm - Concert, Glee Club w/ D ouglas College, Alden 6:30 and 9:30pm - Film, Men in Black, Perreault

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A nd E u r g e r K in g

The Grille on the Hill and Burger King are proud to announce that they will be donating 250 to the United Way for every Whopper purchased from No­ vember 10, 1997 to November 24, 1997. Help us support a great cause and enjoy a delicious Whopper.