Student Life Archives

The Student Life staff wishes all of you a wonderful holiday season. We will resume publication next semester on Wednesday, January 21.

COURTESY PHOTO

An interactive bunny suit and 12 tubs of margarine may have more in common than one thinks. Both appeared in the “Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey” art show Dec. 5-6, sponsored by the Washington University School of Art.

The show displayed the work of 26 sculpture and 4 ceramics majors. The exhibited projects used everything from clothing to video to food as mediums.

Senior Amanda Thatch, one of the event’s organizers, saw the show as a chance for students to see what the School of Art has been up to for the past semester.

“It’s a way to get involved with the art school, which can be somewhat inclusive,” said Thatch.

Thatch believes that one of the strongest points of the show is the variety among the displayed pieces.

“All of the pieces represent different ways of making and thinking,” said Thatch.

The title “Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey,” was an invention of senior Katy Scoggin, referring to the commonly used rule for screws.

“I was sitting around with some other sculpture majors and spouting out potential names for the show,” said Scoggin. “I came up with ‘Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey,’ but I meant it more as a joke than as a viable show title. Other people seemed to really like it, though, and the group voted on it as a final title. Despite its frivolity, [screws are] perhaps one of the most useful things for a three-dimensional artist to know.”

Scoggin displayed her piece, “Montage with Margarine,” at the show. The video, divided into two segments, shows the artist’s various interactions with margarine. The second half of the video shows the artist buried in margarine-a feat that took 12 tubs of Country Crock Margarine to accomplish.

Scoggin’s intention with this piece was to look at the larger implications of fat in our society.

“I’m interested in fat not only in its literal sense, but as an entire social paradigm,” said Scoggin. “I feel we are currently experiencing the Age of Fat-this has to do not only with our bodies, many of which are expanding into obesity, but also our lifestyles. Thus when I talk about ‘fat’ in my work, I’m also talking about our excessive obsessions with our bodies, and lifestyles.”

Senior Morgan Matens displayed her interactive piece “Bunny Family Portrait,” which allowed patrons to put on a bunny suit and get their photograph taken with a bunny family of four.

Matens credits her grandmother with the inspiration for her piece.

“My grandmother really wanted me to get a boyfriend during my senior year and I didn’t,” said Matens. “It got me interested in what it’s like to be expected to join a breeding population, and since bunnies are so efficient, I thought they would be a good medium.”

SARAH LAAFF

At home, Leonard Green has only been able to keep pet snakes due to his daughter’s allergies. But what Green lacks in animals domestically, he makes up for at work.

A professor in the Department of Psychology, Green works extensively with animals. The department has a long history of animal research, spanning from mice and hamsters to wolves, and has even worked with bats that were kept in a free flight room.

Currently, Green works with rodents and humans and is overseeing undergraduate work with pigeons.

“Our research is mostly involved in models of choice behavior,” said Green. “We investigate different variables of reward influence in decision making.”

Pigeon number 84 demonstrated the influence of food rewards on its behavior. The pigeon was taken from its pristine cage and placed by undergraduate assistants in a metal box referred to as the “experimental chamber.”

The box, according to Green, is “highly modal,” meaning that it can be configured in many different ways to serve a variety of experimental purposes. Panes can be removed, levers added and buttons installed in just a matter of seconds. In this case, the students slid two levers into place so that number 84 could flaunt his skills.

It took a few tries, but once the white pigeon realized that pressing on the right-hand lever resulted in reward, he was hooked. In this case, mixed grains were the reward. Other times, sucrose water, flavored food pellets, root beer and even Tom Collins Mix (“without the alcohol,” noted Green) serve as the prize.

Located on the third floor of the psychology building, Green’s laboratory is spotless. It shines with cleaning solution, as the lab is cleaned regularly by a crew of trained and certified individuals.

The room is brightly lit overhead. In the “non-animal area” there isn’t a trace-not even a hint-of a smell to suggest that animals are present. The animals rest peacefully in their individual cubicles and containers that are stacked on shelves and hidden behind doors. All of the animals, from the psychology department’s pigeons and mice to the biology department’s turtles, reside in their own areas. The temperature and humidity are fixed to the comfort of the individual species and other specifications are also followed that vary from animal to animal.

The amount of space that the individual animals receive is regulated. Pigeons are allowed 0.8 square feet of floor space each and an unspecified height, while larger animals, such as rabbits, are promised 1.5 square feet of floor space and 14 inches in height.

The rigidity and amount of control used in the lab, coupled with its immaculate, gleaming nature scream compliance with standards. As Green noted, “[Compliance is the] only way.”

All animal research must observe the federal standards and regulations set by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Researchers can choose to be accredited by other organizations, including the AAALAC, (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care) which has accredited Green and his lab. This is dually enforced by the University, where any animal testing, “creates a culture of compliance to ensure adherence to all Federal regulations and University policies and procedures regarding the judicious and humane use of animals in research,” as a statement released to all faculty and staff members reads.

Green understands and obeys. All of his animals have been procured through a certified registered supplier and approved through a special department.

All of these precautions are taken with the research in mind. Green said that the first reason for performing his work is “to establish a whole behavioral model of self-control.” He hopes this model will lead to the treatment of self-control problems in humans. He used obesity and diabetes as examples of diseases that can hinge on self-control.

“Our research can also help us understand basic evolution, to recognize what’s similar and different across the evolutionary spectrum,” said Green.

Green also related that some researchers are genuinely interested in the animals themselves. Research is conducted to design better environments for the animals and develop improved drugs and treatments.

Green noted that researchers have been known to become personally attached to their subjects. This happened a few years ago when researchers in the lab were working with rats. Normally the animals are simply labeled in an alphabetic or numeric sequence. However, this researcher chose to give each rat the name of a famous feminist. One rat was named “Bella” after Bella Abzug, who is remembered for her forceful approach to women’s rights.

Of course, there are people who are against animal testing, and Green knows this. Groups like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and those who are proponents of animal rights tend to have qualms with the use of animals in research.

“I absolutely cannot believe that there is animal testing done on campus,” said one emphatic student who wished to remain anonymous. “It is completely morally and ethically wrong to subject these creatures who have caused us no harm to graphic and inhumane research.”

Green has his own view. He said that because they follow all required regulations, treat the animals in humane, civil ways and do not practice “invasive intervention,” there shouldn’t be much to argue about.

“I don’t think we engender serious problems, although [I understand that] some are opposed to any animal use,” said Green.

COURTESY PHOTO

Student transports to the hospital due to alcohol consumption have risen in the past year from seven students in the 2002-2003 school year to 22 thus far this fall.

In Thursday night’s alcohol forum at Ursa’s Fireside, University administrators addressed this issue, discussing alcohol policies and issues on campus, including the newly revised policy for student group events.

The forum was a Senate project organized by freshman Lindsey Grossman. She said that the goal was to “facilitate communication and dialogue between the administration and students regarding alcohol at Washington University.”

University administrators participating in the forum included Assistant Vice Chancellor for Students Jill Carnaghi, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Students Justin Carroll, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Students Karen Coburn, Director of Greek Life Karin Johnes, Office of Student Activities Coordinator Jen Conti, Associate Director of Residential Life Rob Wild, Residential College Director Rob Boyle, and Vice Chancellor of Students and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences James McLeod.

Much of the forum focused on the new student group alcohol policy, which was implemented this year during WILD, Bauhaus and Vertigo. The new measures include wristbands to identify 21-year -olds and those students under 21 years of age at large student events. The changes also require student groups to have a third-party vendor to provide any alcohol and allowing only one guest per student to campus events.

Conti said that the alcohol policy change was for student group events only, and was not intended to strip students of all opportunities to drink on campus.

“The end goal here is not to make this a dry campus, it’s to make it a safe campus,” said Conti.

Carroll said that he did not foresee the University becoming dry.

“I’m not sure what it means to be a dry campus-I’ve never been to one,” said Carroll.

The student audience asked questions about the effects of the new student group event policy. One student challenged the policy, saying that students might have been more likely to engage in binge drinking before WILD instead of moderately drinking during the event if alcohol had been allowed.

“That perception was unfounded [on] the evening of WILD,” said Carnaghi. “Yes, people were intoxicated-drinking-but [judging by the overall] tenor of that crowd…it worked.”

Of much concern to the administrators, though, was the increase in students transported to the hospital as a result of alcohol.

“This year there have been more cases that are really, really scary, messages in the middle of the night saying that we’re not sure if the student’s going to make it,” said Coburn.

Coburn also said that of the 22 transports, 8 students were intubated.

“The piece that concerns me the most has to do [with the fact] that everyone transported was around other people,” said Carnaghi. “How can we prevent it from getting that far?”

The administration believed that multiple factors led to the increase in transports, but that students were reacting through the proper channels.

“The 22 transports to the hospital emergency room are disturbing, but on the other hand we’re glad students call EST,” said Coburn.

Carrol was hopeful that students know the right procedures in these situations.

“Are more students drinking excessively? We’re not sure, but more students are responding to our resources,” said Carroll.

The panel also took the time to talk about some of the concerns students have expressed and about recent alcohol-related goings-on around campus.

Boyle, who is in charge of the University’s social norming campaign that began three years ago, said that it was not implemented because of campus alcohol issues.

“Our participation in the social norms campaign is completely separate from the new alcohol policy,” said Boyle.

The campaign is in its third and final year, while the new alcohol policy was only developed over a year ago.

Additionally, the forum cleared up rumors about the closure of the Rat.

“The Rat was run by Food Services, which couldn’t turn it without a loss,” said Carroll. “It was purely a financial decision.”

Carnaghi confirmed that the Rat’s closure was a function of waning business.

“One night, after it had been raided by campus police, sales were $4.20 for the entire night,” said Carnaghi. “It could still be in operation, but students just stopped coming.”

Bernell Dorrough

Washington University Board of Trustees member Michael Sears was fired last week from his post as Chief Financial Officer of Boeing for unethical conduct. Sears’ position on the Board of Trustees remains unchanged for now.

According to Boeing, Sears engaged in improper conversations with then-U.S. Air Force official Darleen Druyun over a $20 billion contract to produce 767 refueling tanker jets for the Air Force. Druyun allegedly provided Sears with details of a lower bid from European competitor Airbus, while Sears discussed hiring Mrs. Druyun as a Boeing executive.

Sears has denied any wrongdoing, saying that he was “deeply disappointed” in the actions his company took.

“At no time did I engage in conduct which I believed to be in violation of any company policy,” said Sears in a statement issued through his lawyers.

The University trustees, who held the second of their four annual meetings this past Friday, did not discuss Sears’ situation. Sears was not present at the meeting and was unavailable for comment.

“[Sears’] situation at Boeing doesn’t automatically have any affect on his membership as a board member here,” said Chancellor Mark Wrighton.

Wrighton added that the Board is responsive, however, to problems that may arise.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear in recent years,” the Chancellor added, “that when people’s circumstances change it is appropriate to [re]consider their board association.”

Wrighton explained that if Sears was asked to resign his post it would come upon recommendation of the board nominating committee, which reviews board member performance on the basis of attendance, participation and involvement with the University. The next meeting of this committee is scheduled for March 4, 2004.

In addition to serving on the board, Sears serves on the boards of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, the Private Sector Council, World Business Chicago and Chicago’s Field Museum. Sears is also the National Director of the March of Dimes.

Since Sears was fired, Boeing Chairman Phil Condit has resigned. U.S. Senators John McCain of Arizona and Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois have also asked Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield to reconsider the contract awarded to Boeing.