Student Life Archives

In the Friday, August 24 article entitled “ResTech tests wireless internet,” it was incorrectly reported that Residential Technology Services is heading up the new wirless internet tested on campus. Network Technology Services (NTS) is responsible for the effect. According to NTS, an individual’s email username and password must provide access to the university modem bank, which is used for modem connections, to access the system.

This isn’t easy.”

“Well of course it isn’t easy, man! Whoever said it was going to be easy? This is college, not finger painting. Don’t forget the shower shoes.”

“Oh yeah, thanks. Damn, these things are getting nasty.”

“Welcome to the wonderful world of wearing footwear whilst you cleanse.”

“I want to go back to my own world. The one with bare-footed showers and my cat.”

“You and that cat. Look around you man! There are women for miles! Living next door to you, for God’s sake! You’re living in a Pois-on video! Let the feline dependency go for a while!”

“Whatever. I miss my cat.”

“Grab the soap, will you?”

“I’m sorry, man, it’s just hard, you know, it’s difficult. Suddenly I’m floundering in this all-new world, with all-new people, without just about anything or anybody I know.”

“You brought a picture of the damn cat, didn`t you?”

“I just feel so disoriented, that’s all; like I don’t know where I’m going and I certainly don’t know where I am. It’s terrifying.”

“Dude. It’s your second week. Chill. You’re sounding like Dawson here.”

“Hey, I like that show.”

“Yes, I know, so do I. Remember, that’s the thing we’re not telling people…”

“I don’t wana wait…for our lives to be over…I want to know right now, what will it be…”

“Oh my GOD, shut UP. These are communal showers, you know.”

“Well, people are going to know we went to Catholic school.”

“Shut up.”

“Augh! What is that on the floor?”

“It’s somebody else’s hair. That’s what happens when you share a shower with a couple dozen, you know, other people.”

“Eugh…let’s just hurry up and get out of here.”

“Fine by me. You’re the one with the cloth.”

“So, where do you want to grab dinner tonight?”

“Well, there’s that `great buffet place on top of the-‘ what was it you called it? The `Wool Center?'”

“Hey, it was good at first.”

“It sure was, wasn’t it. Delectable. Magnificent, even.”

“Achem. Whose idea was it to hit on the `no way she’s not a junior’ junior? Whose brilliant plan of action was that again?”

“Shut up.”

“You even asked her what her major was. The kiss of friggin’ death. Ouch.”

“Shut it.”

“`You’re a freshman, aren’t you?’ Ooh, what a priceless moment. Frame-worthy, really.”

“You can’t frame a moment, fool.”

“Solid comeback, sport. Pass the towel.”

“Wait, you’re giving me orders? The one who wants to spend half our time on Instant Messenger? You?”

“Hey, champ, in case you hadn’t noticed, wasting precious hours on AIM is practically a collegiate pastime. Way to be up with the times.”

“Okay, this has gone too far. This is a kid who thought it might be wise to sit in the front row of the first class, despite total and utter exhaustion.”

“Hey, you’re the one who fell asleep.”

“That was both of us.”

“Okay, fine.”

“But anyway, you should most certainly not be taking shots at me. I’m your social game, little boy! You’d be holed up in that tiny room cycling Sarah McLachlan records if it weren’t for me!”

“Only because you’d have ostracized me from everything and everyone with your bridesmaid-like beer-guzzling habits.”

“Hey, that’s a battle you’ve won. Not a drink so far.”

“I know, we should keep it that way.”

“Perhaps.”

“Crap. I dropped the towel on the floor.”

“Well done, HAL. Let’s dry ourselves off with stagnant foot water, eh?”

“Eugh. I miss my cat.”

“Yes, we know.”

“I miss my family. I miss everything. Somebody give me a phone.”

“Typically they don’t keep those in the bathroom, champ. Come on, let’s go.”

“But…but…”

“Dude. Chill. We’re going to be okay. Trust me.”

For those who have wandered the neo-gothic shadows of Washington University for the last week without appreciating the significance of dishware, I wish to convey the ecstasy I experienced at receiving into my sweaty palm the soft fibers of a Chinet plate from a familiar Bon Appetit staff member last Wednesday in Holmes Lounge.

Why should paper plates arouse me, you wonder? Because Bon Appetit’s conversion from use of number six plastic dishware to paper plates confirms that WU students can influence our community to consume less natural resources.

But before your hormones get out of control and your heart aflutters, I must be honest and recall the disappointment I faced when, having finished my focaccia, I was forced to dispose of that finely pressed piece of tree pulp in the garbage can. Indeed the irony of Bon Appetit’s conversion from non-recyclable and slowly decomposing plastics to non-recyclable quickly biodegradable fiber ware is an apt analogy for the ebb and flow of environmental developments on campus, which have been the source of both pride and consternation.

Catalyzed by last semester’s student-authored account of resource efficiency on campus, the environmentalist community at WU has made significant strides in improving resource utilization on campus. Recently, WU hired alum Nate Dewart as Recycling Coordinator, Professor Richard Smith of the Anthropology Department spoke to an “extremely receptive” Board of Trustees regarding non-sustainable global consumption, and Chancellor Wrighton’s office hired Kyle Thomas as a part-time summer intern to research the environmental activities of WU’s local and national academic competitors. Coupled with the formation of a Committee on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the hiring of new staff has certainly improved the administrative infrastructure that deals with issues of resource efficiency. But a deeper look into the “environmentally friendly” steps taken on campus reveal that this custom-crafted administrative machine is still lacking.

Student patrons of the WU meal plan may have noticed that their culinary contract includes a reusable beverage mug emblazoned with a new brand, “Dining Services.” This year’s mugs differ from last year’s in two important respects: Bon Appetit distributed them at no additional charge and increased the incentive to reuse from fifty cents to sixty cents. However, the improvement in mug distribution was largely due to the volunteer efforts of Samir Luther and Nate Dewart during the summer. While both are members of the CEQ, they pursued the mug strategy on their own initiative before Nate was formally employed as Recycling Coordinator. In addition, the mugs were donated in good faith only after Bon Appetit deleted – rather than provide to environmental activists – statistical information regarding the frequency with which students used their mugs.

So what? Well, what purports to be an “environmentally friendly” step was made based on intuition regarding cost and resource efficiency in response to the efforts of self-motivated students. Could it be that the constant insinuations that students are not contributing their part to the efficiency effort are as unbalanced as Bon Appetit balance sheets?

Do not misinterpret this opinion as an attempt to mock the administration’s efforts. I am mostly pleased and proud. But, as Assistant to the Chancellor Steve Givens noted in an August 21st article, “this campus [administration] is decentralized.” The existence of administrative committees does not guarantee progress. Believe it or not, freshmen were denied the opportunity of entering a campus not only blanketed with fresh flowers, but also recycling containers, because of an administrative debate over the preferred aesthetic of the recycling receptacles intended for public spaces. At least I am comforted by the knowledge that the containers, when they arrive, will match the future library fa‡ade!

So how can we efficiently marry the machinations of administrators and motivations of students while keeping the trash cans pretty? I believe that through more informal cooperation, research, and articulation of ideas we can progress from “environmentally friendly” steps to resource-efficient hops. I suggest administrators (after being invited) sit in on student meetings of Green Action and the Sierra Club, the administration empower activists with the authority to open trash bags and analyze what is not getting recycled and where, the Chancellor release Kyle Thomas’ 50 page report to the public, and the CEQ buy the head of the Facilities department a subscription to Environmental Science and Engineering Magazine. As students, we must continue to look at ourselves as resources and not bystanders.

I was wrangling with wolves, skinning rattlers, and eating geckos last week when I thought of today; or rather the day when people would ask me what I did this summer. It was one of those big-haired dudes (Einstein with his theory of general relativity?) who made some comment to the effect that something is lost in the conversion from the micro to the macro. I faced a similar problem with how to share what has been my life for the past three months in 200 words or less. Often I find myself numbed by the enormity of opening questions or, perhaps, the dry redundancy.

“So, like, what classes are you taking?”

“Do you have a lot of work?”

At parties.I have heard this repeated at parties! I know I’ve done it, and so have you-but think of how, well, lame it is to chew on stress at parties. There is something else less drab, less grinding, and more fulfilling that we all have in common other than summers and stress. That is why I have decided to conduct an examination into the conversational foreplay here at Washington U. with hopes of making small talk more meaningful or, at least, a tad more entertaining.

It is plain pretentious and negligent to glaze over the many exquisite individuals that we encounter daily by spewing out surface questions that reveal more of one’s situation rather than one’s self. Engaging a person’s tastes, history, and character will undoubtedly allow you to forge bonds of substance rather than perpetual `hello and goodbye’ relationships.

Establishing a common ground is clutch in dispelling this all-too-common underestimation of our peers, which is the reason why the humdrum subjects of school and stress are overused. To provide alternatives I tried to discern what fuses us, Washington University students, into a cohesive community. Big Ten schools have their sports and the University of Colorado at Boulder has its drugs, but a first look at WU only emphasizes our diversity. This is bad in the sense that the focus is on differences rather than similarities, but good in the sense that we have more stories to tell and more to learn. We didn’t choose WU solely for the city or the revelry, but rather to satiate our passionate intellectual curiosity. So, when the situation allows, appeal to that and attack the core of a stranger’s belief system. You sure won’t forget the name of one who denies the existence of the number 0, dark matter, or Oprah’s book club.

If the purpose of the conversation is more for entertainment or bawdy banter, then there are alternative segues into a stranger’s psyche that are more innocuous because of their reliability. If you can name the “heroes in a half-shell” than you are a product of the 80’s. It is quite obvious that those who favor Leonardo are leaders, those who side with Donatello are the intellectuals, Raphael fans are California hippies, and Michelangelo sympathizers are plain party dudes. The fact is, every one of us watched Saturday morning cartoons and I can determine much from an individual who sides with Garfield over Heathcliff, or who thinks Gambit could whoop Wolverine (which he could.) When I find a fellow Fragglerock fan, my connection with them is stronger than it ever was with either of my first two wives. Be innovative with your small talk by using subjects like cartoons, dirty jokes, or favorite children’s books that are general enough for us all to have in common, comfortable enough to discuss with a stranger, and that actually draw from a person’s personal taste. This will hopefully deter uncomfortable dead-ends brought about by a frantic search for similarities and will yield a tastier, more substantial conversation-with half the nuisance calories. As a general rule, remember that general questions beg for general responses so unless you expect a one-word response, don’t be too lazy to make your question specific. Ask for a particular story from one’s summer or a couple of buzz words that would describe it if the person is a bad orator. Just don’t trivialize someone else’s experiences by forcing them to oversimplify their life.

While conversation is not as complex or structured as organic chemistry, it can be as painful and unrewarding if we allow stale talk to continue unchecked because of our need for formal pleasantries. So, please, if you run into me at a party, don’t ask me about schoolwork because I would rather you tell me about what you are learning, about what excites you. Don’t be afraid to share part of yourself with a stranger. If you don’t give or take anything in the course of a conversation, you’re probably just trying to get into a person’s pants – otherwise, why would you waste your breath or strain your ears?

Newspapers lie (see the correction below.) They deceive and misrepresent. A student who blindly accepts the “facts” from a front-page story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch or The New York Times performs not only a disservice to themselves, but often, when they choose to publicize their ill-informed opinion, to the larger Washington University community.

The above statements are not controversial. Many college students would agree with my unfavorable assessment of American journalism. But few of us, including those cognizant of mass media’s faults, actually allow our criticisms to color our beliefs. Rather than acknowledging our ignorance, we often embrace the snapshot -the singular news story we happened to come across – as the be all and end all, the ultimate truth. In matters we can know little about, we continue to spout our opinions with increasing steadfastness, resolve, and intensity.

Take the case of my comparative politics class last Wednesday. Asked by the professor to discuss an issue of international import, a student responded with commentary on the Arab-Israeli conflict. He mentioned Israel’s crackdown in the West Bank, the recent use of military force by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians, and American provision of military supplies to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF.) Whether the student understood the one-sided nature of this “objective” news story remains to be seen. I believe he merely wished to demonstrate that he had completed the professor’s assignment. Either way, his comments did not suggest a familiarity of the context in which the picture was taken. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict must be understood within the larger, centuries-old Arab-Israeli conflict, the history of the State of Israel, and the recent Palestinian uprisings, or intifadas. The specific claims made by the student (which were factually correct), must also be understood within the contemporary Israeli psyche.

Israel’s crackdown in the West Bank is a response to increased terrorist activity. The most basic function of any state is the defense of its citizenry, and the steps taken by the IDF – often reluctantly – are adopted in the hope of preventing increasingly common terrorist attacks. Simply put, they’re meant to save lives. Similarly, soldiers’ use of force, however undesirable, has been a byproduct of conflict for centuries, and will, unfortunately, continue in the Middle East. Police cannot overcome terror with defensive measures alone. Finally, the article’s focus on American support of the IDF omits an equally troubling concern for Israelis, American support for Palestinian terror. Provisions within recent peace accords call upon the international community to financially support the Palestinian Authority (PA), including the Palestinian police. Over the past couple months, evidence has come to light suggesting that resources allocated to the PA are funding attacks against Israel. When current and former Palestinian policemen terrorize Israel, public sentiment for peace wanes in the Jewish state.

These arguments are but a few of the ones I heard during a recent one-week tour of Israel coordinated by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL.) Traveling as part of a group of campus newspaper editors, I met with and had the pleasure of interviewing numerous high-level government and military officials, peace negotiators, ambassadors, anti-terrorism specialists, senior Israeli, American and Palestinian journalists, and leaders of numerous religions, communities and minorities within the State of Israel. At the trip’s conclusion, the ADL’s Director of Higher Education Affairs, Jeffrey Ross, suggested that before visiting Israel, most people end their sentences with exclamation points, but after touring the country, they end their sentences with question marks. So it was for me.

Despite my basic familiarity with the country and its struggles, the trip to Israel prompted more questions than answers. While I continue to hold certain opinions (eg. Arafat must crack down on terrorists, if not with 100% results, at least with 110% effort) I am no longer so certain in my convictions. I recognize Jewish settlements in the West Bank as inflammatory and offensive to Palestinians, and accept the desires of the Palestinian people for a state to call their own. Previously black and white photographs have become many shades of gray.

I am aware of the inherent irony of this article; an opinion editor suggesting students be less forthcoming and resolute with their opinions. And I cannot claim that this piece is without bias. I continue to wear Israeli dog tags (sold to me by WU AIPAC) and call for the return of kidnapped Israeli soldiers. I am a product of the country in which I was born and the religion I grew up into. But I have come to recognize that my opinions, and everybody else’s, are based upon snapshots of reality. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but to adequately address the Arab-Israeli conflict, I’d need at least a million, as would a staff writer. Next time you read a news story, read critically, ask questions, and when you’ve finished the article, read another. Don’t frame the picture as your own, take another.

Police are out to help students
To the Editor:

On the 28th of August Mr. John Gels had published here a letter to the editor which indicated that the non-campus police are biased against college students. I feel that there are two sides to this. Firstly, it must be pointed out that there are a lot of disruptive college students here at Washington University. That is a basic part of human nature. Any large body of people is going to have its antisocial element, and college students are especially problematic. As Mr. Gels wrote, all you have to do is look at the Police Beat. Who do you think is committing the crime, the vandalism, disturbing the peace, and petty theft? Many of the criminals are students. A drunk student will do a lot that a sober one will not, and increased police patrols on Friday and Saturday nights make a lot of sense.
As for Mr. Gels’ problems with the Clayton Police, I might suggest that he is unfairly extrapolating from his personal bad experience. Lots of people have had bad experiences with the police; no organization, police or otherwise, can be expected to be perfect, and some citizens will be more unlucky than others. As a student patrol and escort worker for the Campus Police I will freely admit that I am a supporter of the police in general.
However, I will not support discriminatory practices by them in any way. Mr. Gels is letting his cynicism and feelings of persecution give rise to unfounded accusations of bias because his limited experience has not been good. I suggest that the next time he feels “unprotected” he go to the Loop and wave at the cops. He might be surprised at how many of them wave back.

M. Alan Thomas II
English
Class of 2004

New parking garage is deathtrap
To the Editor:

The new parking garage behind Fraternity Row is an accident waiting to happen at best and a deathtrap at worst. Considering the lengthy amount of time that was necessary to complete this structure, I am shocked to see how poorly designed it is. There are significant design flaws. The first is the unsafe amount of actual driving space. There is hardly enough room for two cars to pass each other without swiping a parked car. Secondly, the turns are extremely dangerous. There are numerous blind spots that may be overlooked and a collision is imminent. I find it hard to believe that “Compact Cars Only” signs will actually keep SUV’s from parking in these corner spots. A simple addition of mirrors would easily alleviate this problem. I’d also suggest a yellow line be painted to separate oncoming traffic. Furthermore, there is no pedestrian walkway on levels 1-3. So in addition to cars coming out of a blind spot, you must also watch out for people walking to and from their cars. All of this pales in comparison to the design of the garage entrance. It is IMPOSSIBLE for a car to enter and another car to exit at the same time. To make matters worse, it is also impossible to see into the garage from Snow Way. It is very likely that a car will turn into the garage without seeing a car that is exiting. This garage is dangerous to drive in, life-threatening to walk through and miserable to live near. Maybe we should put all of the University administrators’ parking spaces on the 4th level of this garage so that they can experience each of the 5 hairpin turns. Or maybe our $325 parking fee should also cover the insurance deductible when we are hit head-on by another driver. Either way, I find it appalling that Washington University has spent $5.28 million (as reported in Student Life, 2/18/2001), or $12,000 per space, on this poor excuse for a parking garage.

Adam Schulman
Engineering
Class of 2002
Support for freshman bonding
To the editor:

I am responding to Marc Dobrow’s opinion essay on freshman transition. The essay reminded me of my own pre-freshman days 3 years ago. I joined a “Step Ahead Program” designed for international freshmen and took two classes over the summer as an incoming freshman.
The program helped me to learn the ropes and meet with friends that last. I believe that similar programs should be re-introduced to the Class of 2006.
Class of 2005 is quite frightening. In Cantonese, 2 means easy or change. In Chinese, 5 means fight. At Washington University, we need to call 5-5555 if there is a fire or a fight. And my intuition tells me that there are quite a few fighters in the class of 2005. Also, the year 2005 would be a year we all have to watch – a year of tough peace-keeping.
Also, what does Marc and Dobrow mean? Remember names in vain.

Ho Simon Wang
Arts & Sciences
Class of 2002