VOL. 160, ISSUE 28 FEBRUARY 10, 2012 Indiana’s Oldest College Newspaper Gavin DeGraw and David Nail to play in Lilly on March 17. Please see story on page 3. By MATTHEW CECIL [email protected]Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robin- son made great strides for Civil Rights, but Ohio State University professor Hasan Jeffries says social movements take more than just a great indi- vidual. “When you fo- cus on an individual or an individual organization, you miss a lot more that’s going on,” Jeffries said. The his- tory professor visited De- Pauw Wednes- day afternoon to deliver a lecture stemming from his doctoral dissertation on the intersection of the 1966 elections and start of the Black Power movement in Lowndes County, Alabama. John Ditma, a former DePauw University history professor who introduced Jeffries, said the young professor is on the “cutting edge” of a “new wave of Civil Rights history.” But Jeffries said he doesn’t think he has discovered anything new. “It’s not about cre- ating new history,” he said. “It’s about reem- phasizing the history we do have and whose voice is heard.” Jeffries began his lecture, “Life is not a spectator sport: The fightfor freedom rights in the borough of Brooklyn to the Black Belt of Alabama,” focusing on Jackie Robinson, the first African-American baseball player to break into the major leagues. Jeffries said that Robinson’s mantra, “life is not a spectator sport,” guided and in- formed the lives of ordinary people in the Civil Rights movement. “The grandstands of life and the American experience aren’t filled solely with individuals with miraculous and sensational individual accomplishments,” Jeffries said. “The grand- stands of life in American history, when we think about the African-American experience, are filled with ordinary people.” Ordinary people like those in Lowndes County, Alabama defined the social move- ments of the Civil Rights era, Jeffries said. Located just to the west of Montgomery, Alabama, “Bloody Lowndes” was a breeding ground for racial discrimination. Of the 5,122 African-American residents of the county eli- gible to vote in 1965, none were registered. With the help of Stokely Carmichael and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Com- mittee, local African-Americans started the Lowndes County Freedom Organization and chose a snarling black panther as their Party symbol. Four years later, the county elected its first African-Americansheriff and the black pan- ther soon became a national symbol for the ‘New wave’ Civil Rights historian shares untold past Hasan Jeffries spoke Wednesday afternoon about the essential role “ordinary” African-Americans played in the Civil Rights era. “BLOODY LOWNDES” ALABAMA PHOTO AND ILLUSTRATION BY MARGARET DISTLER Rights | continued on page 2 By ABBY MARGULIS [email protected]A recent university alcohol report says pregaming contributes to a danger- ous drinking culture, but students view it as just another part of their social life. Cindy Babington, vice president for student services, believes that hard alco- hol is at the root of many alcohol related issues on campus. “The hard alcohol use scares me,” Babington said. “I feel like that is what has changed over the past five years — the increased use of hard alcohol.” However, students believe the con- trary. Freshmen view pregaming as a social opportunity to congregate before going out and to gain some liquid cour- age. “It puts me in the mood,” one fresh- man woman, who is under the legal drinking age and preferred to remain unnamed, said. “I’m an awkward person and a shot takes the edge off. It helps me relax and have a good time.” Another freshman woman agreed. “I do it because it is a fun way to bond with people before going out and it lowers the level of awkwardness at frats.” For most, pregaming is a simply another step in getting ready to go out on a Saturday night. Many freshmen wait to go out until the fraternities until later on in the night when the party is in full swing, but want to get the party started. Their solution to this problem is to begin their partying early on with pregaming activities. “I pregame because it is a social activity and part of going out,” a fresh- man male said. “It makes everyone have a good time by loosening people up.” Fraternity members, similarly to freshman, view pregaming as a social bonding activity. “Guys in frats generally like to pregame because it gives them a chance to chill and hangout together before the party gets going at which point it’s their job to entertain guest,” a fraternity Pregaming at the root of campus drinking Pregame | contd. on page 2 ILLUSTRATION BY MARGARET DISTLER AND BECCA STANEK SURVEY SAYS Results from the National College Health Improvement Project Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking Students report having FIVE drinks when pre-gaming before they go out to party. 5 6 Average DePauw student reports drinking FIVE to SIX drinks during a single drinking occasion. On campus, there were 22 hospital transports for potential alcohol poisoning last academic year. 22 UNION BOARD CONCERT
Transcript
VOL. 160, ISSUE 28FEBRUARY 10, 2012 Indiana’s Oldest College Newspaper
Gavin DeGraw and David Nail to play in Lilly on March 17.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robin-son made great strides for Civil Rights, but
Ohio State University professor Hasan Jeffries says social
movements take more than just a great indi-vidual.
“When you fo-cus on an individual or an individual organization, you miss a lot more that’s going on,” Jeffries said.
The his-tory professor visited De-
Pauw Wednes-day afternoon to deliver a lecture
stemming from his doctoral dissertation on the intersection of the 1966 elections and start of the Black Power movement in Lowndes County, Alabama.
John Ditma, a former DePauw University history professor who introduced Jeffries, said the young professor is on the “cutting edge” of a “new wave of Civil Rights history.”
But Jeffries said he doesn’t think he has discovered anything new. “It’s not about cre-ating new history,” he said. “It’s about reem-phasizing the history we do have and whose voice is heard.”
Jeffries began his lecture, “Life is not a spectator sport: The fightfor freedom rights in the borough of Brooklyn to the Black Belt of Alabama,” focusing on Jackie Robinson, the first African-American baseball player to break into the major leagues.
Jeffries said that Robinson’s mantra, “life is not a spectator sport,” guided and in-formed the lives of ordinary people in the Civil Rights movement.
“The grandstands of life and the American experience aren’t filled solely with individuals
with miraculous and sensational individual accomplishments,” Jeffries said. “The grand-stands of life in American history, when we think about the African-American experience, are filled with ordinary people.”
Ordinary people like those in Lowndes County, Alabama defined the social move-ments of the Civil Rights era, Jeffries said.
Located just to the west of Montgomery, Alabama, “Bloody Lowndes” was a breeding ground for racial discrimination. Of the 5,122 African-American residents of the county eli-gible to vote in 1965, none were registered.
With the help of Stokely Carmichael and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Com-mittee, local African-Americans started the Lowndes County Freedom Organization and chose a snarling black panther as their Party symbol.
Four years later, the county elected its first African-Americansheriff and the black pan-ther soon became a national symbol for the
‘New wave’ Civil Rights historian shares untold past
Hasan Jeffries spoke Wednesday
afternoon about the essential role “ordinary” African-Americans played in the Civil Rights era.
“BLOODY LOWNDES” ALABAMA
PHOTO AND ILLUSTRATION BY MARGARET DISTLER Rights | continued on page 2
A recent university alcohol report says pregaming contributes to a danger-ous drinking culture, but students view it as just another part of their social life.
Cindy Babington, vice president for student services, believes that hard alco-hol is at the root of many alcohol related issues on campus.
“The hard alcohol use scares me,” Babington said. “I feel like that is what has changed over the past five years — the increased use of hard alcohol.”
However, students believe the con-trary. Freshmen view pregaming as a social opportunity to congregate before
going out and to gain some liquid cour-age.
“It puts me in the mood,” one fresh-man woman, who is under the legal drinking age and preferred to remain unnamed, said. “I’m an awkward person and a shot takes the edge off. It helps me relax and have a good time.”
Another freshman woman agreed. “I do it because it is a fun way to bond with people before going out and it lowers the level of awkwardness at frats.”
For most, pregaming is a simply another step in getting ready to go out on a Saturday night. Many freshmen wait to go out until the fraternities until later on in the night when the party is in full swing, but want to get the party
started. Their solution to this problem is to begin their partying early on with pregaming activities.
“I pregame because it is a social activity and part of going out,” a fresh-man male said. “It makes everyone have a good time by loosening people up.”
Fraternity members, similarly to freshman, view pregaming as a social bonding activity.
“Guys in frats generally like to pregame because it gives them a chance to chill and hangout together before the party gets going at which point it’s their job to entertain guest,” a fraternity
Pregaming at the root of campus drinking
Pregame | contd. on page 2ILLUSTRATION BY MARGARET DISTLER AND BECCA STANEK
SURVEY SAYS Results from the National College Health ImprovementProject Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking
Students report having FIVE drinks when pre-gaming
before they go out to party.5
6Average DePauw student reports
drinking FIVE to SIX drinks during a single drinking occasion.
On campus, there were 22 hospital transports for
potential alcohol poisoning last academic year.
22
UNION BOARD CONCERT
the depauw FEBRUARY 10, 2012
campus news
PAGE 2
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012VOL. 160, ISSUE 28
THE DEPAUW: (USPS 150-120) is a tabloid published most Tuesdays and Fridays of the school year by the DePauw University Board of Control of Student Publications. The DePauw is delivered free of charge around campus. Paid circulation is limited to mailed copies of the newspaper.
THE HISTORY: In its 160th year, The DePauw is Indiana’s oldest college newspaper, founded in 1852 under the name Asbury Notes. The DePauw is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is fully staffed by students.
THE BUSINESS: The DePauw reserves the right to edit, alter or reject any advertising. No specific positions in the newspaper are sold, but every effort will be made to accommodate advertisers. For the Tuesday edition, advertising copy must be in the hands of The DePauw by 5 p.m. the preceding Sunday; for the Friday edition, the copy deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The DePauw Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media 609 S. Locust St., Greencastle, IN 46135
Journalist, essayist, memoirist, travel and nature writer and acclaimed humorist Ian Frazier returned to DePauw on Monday as the 2012 Mary Rogers Field Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing.
Frazier will be on campus for two weeks teach-ing two master classes, giving craft talks to English majors, visiting writing and literature classes and do-ing a public reading of his own work.
Throughout his career, Frazier has written eight books including “Great Plains,” “Family, Gone to New York” and “Travels in Siberia,” his latest work. He has been a contributor to “The New Yorker” since 1974, where he has written feature articles, humorous sketches and pieces for “The Talk of the Town” section.
“Ian was on campus last year and he was very well received,” said Peter Graham, associate profes-sor and associate chair of the English department. “We are thrilled to have him here.”
Frazier gave his first talk yesterday afternoon, speaking on “Making a Living as a Writer.” He spoke
on his own career and offered advice for upcoming student writers.
He emphasized the importance of students writ-ing according to their interests, individual personal-ity and outlook.
“Art involves rejection. Art involves people not getting it,” Frazier said during the talk. “There are all different ways to become a writer. You should find a means of writing that corresponds to your tempera-ment. Write for what you read.”
Throughout the next week, there will be many more opportunities to listen to Frazier speak. He will be visiting about 10 English classes and meet-ing with students. On Monday, he will be leading a conversation on ethics and memoir at Prindle In-stitute for Ethics at 7:30 p.m. The next night, he will be giving a public reading of his own work at the Thompson Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m.
With such a diverse career background, Frazier will entertain both serious writers and students looking for a good laugh.
“He is a very important American writer and he has a lot to offer not just to English majors, but to the entire campus and community,” Graham said.
The New Yorker’s Ian Frazier shares experience, tips for writing as a career
Monday, Feb. 13“Ethical Issues on Life Writing”
Prindle Institute for Ethics7:30 p.m. — 9 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 14Public reading by Ian Frazier
Thompson Recital Hall7:30 p.m. — 9 p.m.
IAN FRAZIER EVENTSIan Frazier, the Mary Field Distinguished Visit-ing Professor of Creative Writing, is on campus through next week to share writing advice with students and talk about his experiences working for The New Yorker. EMILY GREEN / THE DEPAUW
Pre-game |continued from page 1
member said. “Playing drinking games also lets guys use their competitive streaks when pregaming.”
The university is looking at changing their policies towards alcohol violations in order to encourage students to be more careful when they drink. Babington believes these changes will help lower the dangerous alcohol risk that students pres-ent themselves with while out drinking.
“We are looking at policy changes that could have a positive impact on student drinking and student safety,” Babington said.
Babington also highlights the univer-sity’s focus on student health. When a student has an alcohol violation, they are
then educated on safe drinking in order to help students to make safer decisions in the future.
“The hope being that talking with someone about drinking patterns and habits will help them moderate their drink-ing behavior so as not to suffer detrimental consequences again,” Babington said.
Student government and the Learn-ing Collaborative Committee plan to co-sponsor a student forum on campus alcohol use.
Through this meeting the hope to continue the campus’s open conversation about future alcohol policy changes.
Rights | continued from page 1
“The seed bed for Black Power was the fertile ground of the South,” Jeffries said.
According to Jeffries, the impossible had happened in rural Alabama. A new movement and a new kind of politics, “freedom politics,” emerged in Lowndes County in 1965.
These ordinary people, Jeffries said, understood that if they were not in the game of social change they weren’t living up to the full meanings of their lives.
“‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world,’” said Jeffries, quoting anthropolo-gist and DePauw University alumna Margaret Mead.
To Jeffries, the words of great men and women hold just as true for ordinary people.
“Jackie Robinson had it right,” Jefferies said. “It is not simply enough to be a spectator in life. If you want change you have to do those things that people on the ground in Lowndes County, Alabama were doing.”
HIGH: 28° F LOW: 16° F
SATU
RDAY
FRID
AY
HIGH: 39° F LOW: 19° F
MON
DAY
HIGH: 34° F LOW: 31° F
SUND
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HIGH: 32° F LOW: 22° F
The cooler weather will continue this weekend with snow showers possible tonight and Tues-day. Keep your coats out and carry on.
Putnam County Relay for Life kicked off on Tuesday with a student and community gather-ing in the UB Ballroom. The evening event was the second that day, following the initial com-munity kickoff bright and early that morning at the Putnam Inn.
The kickoff provided the public with a basic overview of policy and procedure information for the main event, which will take place Satur-day, Apr. 21 – Sunday, Apr. 22.
“A big reason that we host the kick off event is so we can explain to people exactly what donations are about and explain where their money is going,” said senior Danielle Boyd, one of the Relay for Life coordinators. “We want to show people what Relay is really about.”
This year’s relay, “Fighting Cancer All Year Long,” will have a holiday theme.
“We are really excited about the theme for this year,” said senior Katherine Butler, another Relay for Life coordinator. “Since holidays is such a broad theme people will really be able to get creative with it and have fun.”
Along with the new theme, this year there will now be a prize offered for the five students who raise the most money. The winners will get to take a limo to a dinner in Indianapolis with President Brian Casey. Each of the five winners will be able to bring one friend.
“Our goal this year is to really encourage competition amongst campus,” Butler said. “While we obviously want to encourage team participation, we also want to push individuals to compete.”
Events and planning will continue for the next couple of months leading up to the event. The Relay for Life Committee is still working on lining up vendors and the first captain meeting will take place in on Feb. 29.
Fundraising events, which are open to the students and the community, will also be tak-ing place over the next few months at various campus locations. One of the events planned will be a St. Patrick’s Day themed Karaoke Night at The Duck on March 16.
“Danielle and I have been on the Relay plan-ning committee for four years now,” Butler said. “We really want to make this one the best one yet.”
Feb. 29 — Team Captain Meeting; 7 p.m. in UB BallroomMarch 14 — Team Captain Meeting; 7 p.m. in UB BallroomMarch 16 — St. Patrick’s Day Karaoke; 9 p.m. at the DuckApril 3 — Special Buffet Dinner; 5-9:00 p.m. at the Duck
(partial proceeds benefit Relay)April 10 — Special Buffet Dinner; 5-9:00 p.m. at the Duck
(partial proceeds benefit Relay)April 11 — Team Captain Meeting; 7 p.m. in UB Ballroom
April 13 — Patio Event; 5-7:00 p.m. at the DuckApril 17 — Special Buffet Dinner; 5-9:00 p.m. at the Duck
(partial proceeds benefit Relay)April 18 — Bank Night; 5-7:00 p.m. at UB Ballroom (last chance to turn
in all the money each team has raised before the event)April 21-22 — Relay for Life at Blackstock Stadium
The 2012 Union Board spring concert is bringing together two musical genres, featuring pop-rock singer Gavin DeGraw and country star David Nail. The concert is scheduled for Saturday, March 17.
After sending out a campus-wide survey and under-going months of consideration, the Union Board real-ized that students wanted a change from previous con-certs such as last year’s performers Big Sean and Wale.
Originally the board planned for Awolnation and Neon Trees to perform. After receiving student feed-back from the surveys, though, the board decided to take the concert in a different direction, according to Union Board member junior Elizabeth Gentry.
After receiving a suggestion from junior Dawn Bal-lard, music chair, and the Union Board’s agent, the idea of inviting Gavin DeGraw and David Nail to perform was formed. After the board received campus feedback on this suggestion, the plan was finalized.
The concert will be held in the Lilly Athletic Center. Tickets will be free to all students. Further information regarding tickets will be released closer to the concert date.
The Union Board hopes that the concert will be a success and that everyone will be pleased with their efforts to change and improve the concert from last year’s.
“I am personally excited for him to come and happy for Union Board’s ongoing success for this spring’s concert,” Gentry said. “I have very high hopes for this concert, and I hope students are just as excited.”
So far, those student reactions to the upcoming concert have been just as positive.
“I think it’s great,” freshman Emily Weber said. “I personally love Gavin DeGraw and cannot wait for March 17 to see him perform.”
Gavin DeGraw, DavidNail to perform in March
David NailPHOTO COURTESY OF THE PALM BEACH POST
Gavin DeGrawPHOTO COURTESY OF OURSTAGE.COM
RELAY FOR LIFE EVENTS
the depauw FEBRUARY 10, 2012
news
PAGE 4
CAMPUSCRIMEFeb. 6• Party registration violation • Made contact with house representation/forwarded to Community Standards Committee | Time: 10:22 p.m. | Place: Delta Tau Delta fraternity
Feb. 7• Public indecency • Made contact with residents/verbal warning issued | Time: 12:02 a.m. | Place: Alpha Tau Omega fraternity
• Alcohol violation • Released to custody of friend/forwarded to Community Standards Committee | Time: 12:30 a.m. | Place: Longden Hall
• Alcohol violation • Released to custody of friend/forwarded to Community Standards Committee | Time: 1:30 a.m. | Place: Bishop Roberts Hall
• Medical/suspicious activity • Transported to Putnam County Hospital/under investigation | Time: 1:42 a.m. | Place: Campus
• Criminal mischief to door • Pending | Time: 2:35 a.m. | Place: Hogate Hall
• Theft of sign • Pending | Time: 2:54 a.m. | Place: Hanna/Locust Street
Feb. 8• Theft of shoes/ money — Delayed report • Pending | Time: 9:30 p.m. | Place: College Street Hall
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New Members ofPsi Lambda Xi:
Laura CrawfordKate Harris
Vanessa MaxwellJulissa Palomo
Editor’s note: These names are continued from the recruitment results new member list in the Tuesday, Feb. 7 issue.
Answers to the crossword “Un Peu d’Humour” by Patrick Brems found in the Tuesday, February 7 issue of The DePauw. The next crossword will be found in the Tuesday, Februrary 14 issue of The DePauw and answers to that puzzle will be available online the day of publish on www.thedepauw.com
want to put off your homework this weekend?
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just visitTheDePauw.com
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features
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
Spielberg’s at it again with another moving filmLESSONS TO LEARN FROM RON PAUL WESTENFELD TELLS YOU WHAT TO WATCH
It is primary (or caucus) season around the country, and millions of Americans are gearing up for the 2012 presidential race. We already know who will be representing the Democrats this November: President Barack Obama.
But who will represent the Republican Party this November? It is time to look at the candidates Republicans have left in the field as of February.
Four politicians still have their hat in the ring: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.
Of the four candidates still left in the race, Ron Paul often seems to be a student favorite What does Ron Paul offer Americans, and can he be elected?
At the age of 76 years old, Ron Paul is one of the oldest candidates to run for the presidency. He has run for the presi-dency two previous times. In 1988, Paul ran under the Lib-ertarian label and in 2008 under the Republican Party. Paul has his medical degree and has been very open about his view on the Obama administration’s over-haul of the health care industry (he is not a fan of the Obama administration’s plan).
Paul is also a long time Texan who has won his Congressional race several times and has worked on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives and on several economic committees within the House. Paul has several years of experience and is very out-spoken on several issues. From health care, to immigration, to foreign policy, Ron Paul has a view on every issue that concerns America.
What does Ron Paul offer in the race for the nomination? Well, he certainly has the ex-perience and motivation to take on some of the big wigs of the Republican Party. Paul has several different ideas and articulates his feel-ings with passion, but passion in politics only gets a candidate so far. Paul is the outsider to the tradition Republican Party and he offers different ideas that the established Republi-can Party does not agree.
Republicans have constantly bashed Paul on his foreign policy stance. Established Re-publicans have labeled Paul an isolationist who wants to take the United States away from the world and help other countries with nothing. If you look at his actual plan, Paul is not an isolationist, but his plan is to re-move several United States troops from areas around the world.
Paul believes that doing so will also help our country’s deficit, which concerns almost every American.
Through several of the televised debates, he has constantly called for those that want to spend money through the government and those who want cut money from the gov-ernment to meet and discuss how to do so through defense cuts. As many noticed during the South Carolina debate in January, Paul was booed heavily while making his case for with-drawing U.S. troops from around the world.
Is Ron Paul able to win the nomination, and better yet, the presidency?
Sorry, students. All major polls have placed Paul at the bottom of the field.
Real Clear Poli-tics, a website that conducts political polling data, has compiled data about the nominee race and it does not look pretty for the Paul campaign. The Ras-
mussen Poll (the creator of this poll is a De-Pauw graduate! Woot!), Reuters Poll, Gallup Poll and ABC News Poll all have Paul either dead last among the candidates or next to dead last in the polls.
While it does not look good for Paul, he does offer something for all of us. Paul pushes the envelope on several issues that many es-tablished Republicans do not want to tackle (this may come from his libertarian side).
With him in the race, Americans really get to see where the candidates align themselves. Paul is the agitator that makes it awkward for a Santorum or a Romney. He is exactly who we need in the primaries to better understand what the eventual nominee stands for.
I commend Representative Paul on his willingness to compete, and who knows? He could beat the odds and win a Primary. As they say, that’s why they play the game.
— Spahn is a senior political science and history major from McCordsville, [email protected]
Time to restore America?
“Is Ron Paul able to win the nomination, and better yet, the presidency? Sorry, students. All major polls have placed
Paul at the bottom of the field.”
SAMSPAHN
Any filmgoer worth his salt knows the charac-teristics of a Spielberg film — the extraordinariness of the circumstances, the indulgently stylized cin-ematography, the optimism of the conclusion.
Spielberg’s latest film, the equine epic “War Horse,” registers as yet another breathtaking (if not slightly formulaic) chapter in the Spielberg textbook, but why fix what isn’t broken?
“War Horse” begins in Devonshire with Albert Naracott, a farm boy who forms an immediate and unswerving bond with the titular, high-spirited thoroughbred Joey against an idyllic environment of golden hues and endless fields.
Despite the pastoral nature of the first act, all is not well in Devonshire — not only is the Nara-cott tenement farm threatened by the family’s in-ability to pay the rent, but Albert and his father suffer from a relationship made tempestuous by the father’s traumatizing experiences in the Boer War. After Joey is sold by Albert’s father to the English army at the outbreak of World War I, the film chronicles not only Joey’s journey through the hands of participants on all sides of the war, but Albert’s journey as a soldier attempting to make his way back to Joey.
Throughout the course of the film, multi-ple characters claim, “The war has taken everything from everyone.”
While some scenes showcase the brutality and horror of a gruesome and regrettable install-ment in history, others showcase the incredible altruism and unexpected tenderness borne of war-time.
“War Horse” questions what Spielberg so of-ten questions: The momentous and mesmerizing relationship between man and beast, between the human and the nonhuman, between good and evil.
The film’s true triumph lies neither in its pas-toral beginning nor its sweeping middle, but in its heartfelt, emotionally fraught climax and resolu-tion. Say what you will about Spielberg’s penchant for sentimentality, but there exists something in-credibly poignant in the scene in which a crowd of soldiers parts like the Red Sea in order to allow Joey and a temporarily blinded Albert to gingerly approach one another for a heartfelt reunion on a snowy night.
The film’s greatest scene is its last and it left the vast majority of moviegoers in my theater sob-bing into their popcorn: A lone horse and rider re-turn from war, both of them silhouetted against a horizon dappled with a reddish, effulgent sunset. Albert dismounts for a tearful reunion with his par-ents as Joey gazes pensively into the dusk.
The fraught subject matter and the red light in which characters move like shadow puppets lend themselves to a return to the rolling idylls of be-fore, but such an interpretation suggests that the war has been forgotten.
Bathed in bloody light, Albert shakes his fa-ther’s hand as honorable music swells, permitting the son to at last understand the battle scars of the father. His return marks the transition from boy-hood to manhood and begs a compelling question — can one ever truly go home again after the hor-rifying and transformative experience of war?
“War Horse” is a textbook Spielberg film and with that caveat comes a measure of the character-istic sentimentality so often denounced by film crit-
ics. Dripping in romanti-cism and optimism as the film is, is it so wrong to be willingly swept
away by the grandeur of a story where the emotions are wholehearted and forthright?
“War Horse” is a throwback to a manner of storytelling that seems to have fallen away from
contemporary cinematic popularity, a kind of sto-rytelling characterized by honesty and sincerity, by straightforwardness and truth, by holding the hu-man heart, in all of its infinite perfection and im-perfection, up to the mirror for examination.
In an increasingly gritty world, is it so wrong to want to be moved?
— Westenfeld is a freshmen from Fort Wayne majoring in English literature and creative [email protected]
ADRIENNEWESTENFELD
“‘War Horse’ is a textbook Spielberg film and with that caveat comes a measure of the characteristic sentimentality so often
Armed with antibiotics, scalpels and toothbrushes, a group of 24 students and two DePauw professors boarded a plane on Jan. 4, prepared to fight diseases and promote health education in El Salvador.
Though the group carried upwards of $8,000 in medical supplies, it simply was not enough. After the first day of medical care, the brigade’s supplies had been almost completely wiped out.
“What we had was all we had,” junior Emily Miller said.
Junior Arezoo Nazari worked as one of the clinic leaders in the medical camp and said the wave of patients that first day overwhelmed the group. She said within the first hour of treating patients over 80
locals lined up for treatments.“To know that we still had four days
after that was eye-opening,” Nazari said.Reflections officer senior Josh
Sanchez said after months of requesting and accruing medical supplies the rapid hit to the stockpile came as a shock.
“When I first heard, I was depleted in a sense,” Sanchez said. “It was hard to believe that maybe we wouldn’t make the impact that we thought we would.”
Assistant trip leader senior Katy Strader said the group faced a decision of whether they should take out a loan with their host company, Companion Community Development Alternatives (CoCoDa) or make due with the remaining supplies for the last four days of medical treatment. Strader said the group unanimously agreed to take on the cost, which will
be paid off through fundraising, to treat more Salvadoran people.
“Our group wanted to take on that additional responsibility, we wanted to be held accountable by CoCoDa,” Strader said.
Junior Lukas Meyer said the individual dues for the additional medical supplies total around $30, but members of the trip hope for a greater outcome.
“We would love to supply more,” Meyer said.
Fundraising efforts including tabling at Hoods and Capers bar and The Duck began Thursday night. Students involved with the trip will also be selling papusas, cheesy salvadoran tortillas, tonight at the corner of Anderson and Locust streets.
Bar attendees were greeted Thursday night by photos of patients the students
treated in El Salvador as well as Nazari and Miller, who sought donations.
“Look at our kids,” Miller said, her face gleaming. “Do you want to see my little sister?”
Strader spent nine out of the past 24 months in El Salvador during four separate service trips and internships. She said she hoped the trip would create a spark in her peers as the experiences caused for her.
“I kind of caught the bug,” Strader said. “Not that I got sick, but that I knew I needed to be in Central America.”
DePauw alum Ivan Villasboa ’93 also felt a similar spark during a Winter Term trip to El Salvador in 1993. During his initial project, students constructed a school building. In the 19 years since, Villasboa has continued work in El
Salvador and has worked with DePauw to continue providing opportunities for exchanging cultures.
Junior Sara Drury said Villasboa’s leadership and previous work in El Salvador inspired the students.
“You can tell he’s so attached to a country and to think that that attachment could take place over the course of one Winter Term is amazing,” Drury said.
After touching down in the United States following the trip the students have found a common mission to continue ties to their newly formed ‘families’ in El Salvador and to treat more people by sending more medical supplies.
“It’s not just about what we did or what we saw in El Salvador,” Strader said, “but rather what we do now that we’ve come back.”
Service trip to El Salvador inspires further action
Opposite: Junior Shelby Bremer and senior Josh Sanchez listen as members of the Las Delicias community explain why they want to see the doctors at the DePauw team’s makeshift medical clinic. At the clinic, students worked as translators, a triage team, and pharmacists. Below: Junior Josh Miller translates for Dr. Margaret Inman, a surgeon from Indianapolis, during a medical brigade to a rural Salvadoran village. Top Right: Junior Dave Goldense watches as his teammates position new metal roofing on a school building in Las Delicias, El Salvador. Bottom Right: Sophomore Ashley Bauer, junior Lukas Meyer and senior Emily Adams take a break from construction work on the school building. PHOTOS MARGARET DISTLER / THE DEPAUW
“When I first heard, I was depleted in a sense.
It was hard to believe that maybe we wouldn’t make the impact that we
thought we would.”- Josh Sanchez, senior
As part of their fundraising, the 2012
WTIS El Salvador team will be selling $1 cheesy tortillas,
called pupusas, tonight from 10:00
P.M. until 12:00 A.M. on the corner of
Locust and Anderson Streets.
PUPUSAS ATMIDNIGHT
the depauw FEBRUARY 10, 2012
opinion
PAGE 8
AUSTIN FRY AND BOB ALLEN / THE DEPAUW
THE DEPAUW | Editorial BoardChase Hall | Editor-in-Chief
Dana Ferguson | Managing Editor Ellen Kobe | Managing EditorStephanie Sharlow | Chief Copy Editor
The DePauw is an independently managed and financed student newspaper. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of DePauw University or the Student Publications Board. Editorials are the responsibility of The DePauw editorial board (names above).
The opinions expressed by cartoonists, columnists and in letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial staff of The DePauw.
The DePauw welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and accompanied by the author’s name and phone number. Letters have a 350-word limit and are sub-ject to editing for style and length. The DePauw reserves the right to reject letters that are libelous or sent for promotional or advertising purposes. Deliver letters to the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media, email the editor-in-chief, Matthew Cecil, at [email protected] or write The DePauw at 609 S. Locust St., Greencastle, Ind. 46135.
EDITORIAL POLICY
EDITORIAL
Thumbs up: Winter Term international service extends into second semester
The student-led Winter Term service trip is an exciting and commendable example of DePauw students higher caliber outside of the classroom.
It is not only spectacular that a group of students took three weeks of their lives to serve others much less
fortunate, but that they are now working to continue forg-ing those international connections. Even in the tumultuous
first weeks of second semester, the student are working to raise back $700 they spent out of pocket to provide extra medicine to those they were caring for.
Events including Papusa night tonight and tabling events that are ongoing promote awareness of a significant lack of medical care in El Salvador. Such events bring students together around a common goal and allow students who went on trips the opportunity to reach out and share those experiences with others.
DePauw may joke about the bubble surrounding campus, but its surely popped with efforts like this. We encourage all students to support pupusa night, 10 p.m. - midnight on the corner of Locust and Anderson street, at one dollar per snack.
And, don’t forget the students involved in the continuing efforts to raise money for their service trip in conversations about DePauw’s reputation as a party school. The two different sides of a DePauw student — work hard then play hard — are not mutually exclusive.
Thumbs up: Black History Month speaker delivers new perspectivesWe are glad that Hasan Jeffries, Ohio State University history professor, was wel-
comed to campus this week. His lecture about his doctoral disserta-tion on the intersection of the 1966 elections and start of the Black Power movement in Lowndes County, Alabama is completely rel-
evant to February — Black History Month. Just as it is impor-tant to stay attune to current events and what is happening beyond the DePauw bubble, it is imperative to reflect how our nation got to where it is today.
In order to be leaders of the future, we must under-stand our past. We are impressed with the selection of such
a high-caliber speaker and encourage our administration to continue to support bringing speakers with fresh perspectives
and new ideas to our campus. Those who heard Jeffries speak surely continued to develop their liberal arts education.
The Thumb
If you’re reading this near the GCPA, head towards the violin practice room and continue reading as somber mu-sic passes through your soul. If you’re the violin player, ignore the people crying on the other side of the door.
Before heading to New York, I spent a week with my beautiful girlfriend (look who just got some boyfriend points) in Mexico.
Upon returning at midnight on Jan. 2, I had five hours to clean my clothes, stare dramatically at the empty walls of my room and catch a plane to New York. When I finally got there, I had several stereotypical visions of New York-ers floating around in my head.
They all seemed to come true before my eyes. Every-one seemed to be wearing a Giants sweat suit and scowl-ing. Taxi drivers were either insane or naturally scared of tall (handsome) Norwegian men. When I tried to get out of the wrong side of the cab, one immediately yelled some-thing along the lines of, “GET OUT RAWR ON OTHER SIDE ROARRRR!”
You see, cab drivers are actually domesticated were-wolves living amongst us. As the day grows dark, they be-come increasingly worried and honk their horns as a way of coping.
Naturally, when I arrived at my room, there was no heat. I unpacked my bags to find that the glass for the picture frame of my parents had shattered and I had for-gotten to bring any bed sheets. In the shower, I turned the wrong knob, and the water became so hot that it actually burned my head. I basically laid in my bed, using a sweater
as a pillow, shivering everywhere but the top of my head. At this point, the violinist should be accompanied by
a piano player and perhaps a quiet operatic solo from De-Pauw’s own Blake Lampton. If needed, begin watching the scene from “Big” where Tom Hanks rents out a room in a shady motel.
The next day, I started my internship at “The Colbert Report.”
Please take out your iPods and begin playing “You Make My Dreams.” Feel free to start dancing outside in an organized fashion.
After meeting Drew Barrymore, joking with the guy who wrote “Eye of the Tiger,” buying snails in Chinatown for the Republican “race” and being hugged by Stephen Colbert (and enjoying it way too much), everything seemed very different.
I discovered the heat in my room is controlled by a box hidden behind my bed, the shower no longer makes me bald faster, I bought a new picture frame and bed sheets and I don’t take cabs during the full moon. The Giants sweat suit thing was totally true though, and further em-phasized by the Super Bowl.
To repeat every teacher and coach ever, attitude (and our perspective) is everything. When my girlfriend visited — and made a friend on the plane, and at the first place we went to, and with a homeless man — it was only further confirmation that our own attitude will determine how we live our adult lives, if yours has truly started. And that I’ve got an amazing girlfriend. Happy anniversary, Liz (com-mence the sappy music).
— Jorgenson is a junior from Shawnee, Kan., majoring in English writing and film studies. He is off-campus interning at “The Colbert Report” in New York City this semester. [email protected]
‘The Colbert Report’ creates attitude awareness
DAVEJORGENSON
Cast aside whom you want to win the presidential election in No-vember and take a long hard look at who will win the election.
Following the 2010 Congres-sional election domination by the Republicans it seemed all but likely that the trend would continue over the next few yeas and Obama would likely be defeated.
Following the brief, and un-likely, front-runner statuses held by Bachman, the “Cain train” and Per-ry throughout the summer and the fall months, it eventually seemed apparent that Mitt Romney would be the easy GOP nomination.
A party whose single goal was to remove Obama from office hinged upon a party unified behind a sin-gle candidate.
The start of the nominating
process has proven to be far from unified and quite disjointed. Santo-rum and Gingrich each have a win under their belts and Romney has two.
To further confuse the GOP electorate, the perceived estab-lishment front-runner Romney has failed to attract the support of any of the previous candidates from this year’s race, save Jon Hunts-man. Gingrich has found himself earning the endorsements of both one time polling leaders Herman Cain and Rick Perry.
The current four way race (though Santorum will inevita-bly drop out) will fracture the GOP. Gingrich has mentioned that he will stay in the race all the way up until the GOP convention in the late summer. Ron Paul has made it
clear that regardless of whether he can win or not, he will stay in the race as the single principled candi-date.
Romney — who has been cam-paigning for the last six years — be-lieves that he is entitled to the nom-ination and will not back down. The inevitably drawn out and verbally violent next few months will leave the GOP black and blue.
The GOP candidate attacks on one another even undermine cer-tain economic values of the GOP that were thought to be at the heart of the party. Romney, once seen as a astute businessman is now questioned and his motives are challenged. As the GOP attacks grow, the Democrats quietly smile as their stockpiles of discrediting statements and quotes made by the GOP continues to grow. How is a base supposed to rally around someone when they have been mo-bilized against each other?
The internal GOP war not only costs the eventual nominee a ton of votes and millions of dollars,
but also allows Obama to save and continue to fundraise with little ex-pense.
Congresses approval rating is polling around 11 percent. The American people are quite clearly fed up with partisan politics and the inability for civility. It is a fright-ening world when a party with the mandate to replace the current president finds itself unable to cooperate and unite together to achieve this task.
Unless something happens quickly and with a unified backing throughout the party, the GOP will inevitably end up shooting itself in the foot and limping into the gen-eral election.
Whether you believe that Obama deserves a second term or not, the GOP is not leaving the country with much of an option.
— Kirkpatrick is a junior from Overland Park, Kansas majoring in political science. Burns is a junior from West Lafayette majoring in political [email protected]
the depauw PAGE 9
opinion
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
PHOTOPINIONWhat coverage would you like to see in The DePauw this semester?
PATRICK LEDWIDGE, junior
“I’d like to see more DePauw alumni stories.”
ELI CANGANY / THE DEPAUW
MIRA YASEEN, senior
“More things about ac-tivism, because it is a very interesting time in the world everywhere.”
DYLAN SPANGLER, sophomore
“I like reviews of basically anything by opinion personalities.”
MATT HAESKE, sophomore
“Every week I want a cute picture of a baby animal to help me get through the Tuesday blues.”
Before the oh-so-infamous winter term, I wrote an article about hashtagging outside of Twit-ter and how we use this fine so-cial media attribute as a crutch for comedy. For 502 words, I ranted about how much I cannot stand logging onto Facebook and see-ing “#freeweezy.” But here’s the kicker — while writing this article, I knew that I was one of those un-necessary hashtaggers.
I, Maeve “Danger” Mc-Donough, am a hypocrite. And you are most likely one too.
Hypocrisy is something we all do. Everyday we encounter it in its natural form. From American politics to that person who says they are a vegetarian but really eats pepperoni on the down low, hypocrisy is everywhere and it is absurd to not admit it.
We are all guilty of it, but we seem unable to acknowledge it.
Our society loves to narrow in on people and call them out for doing what they said they would never do. Once that finger is turned and pointed at us, we panic.
Pointing out hypocrisy is a mob mentality. For example, when I called out hashtaggers across America I had simultaneously pole vaulted on the bandwagon with my friends, not only because they were all in disgust, but for the sake of comedy. Hashtaggers have been hated on nationwide so much that it became second nature for me to be subconsciously excessively bothered by the idea of them as well, even though I am one.
Another great contributor to our society’s hypocrisy is me-dia. Yeah, I know what you are thinking — “great, another per-son blaming their derpiness on media.” But hear me out. Every-day we are exposed to so much
media — celebrity nonsense, po-litical shenanigans and corporate hoopla. Celebrities are often seen posing nude for PETA then caught wearing coats made of baby ani-mal fur and tears.
Politicians are called out for flip flopping positions and send-ing out inappropriate photos right after a rally for family values. Cor-porate America is seen filing for bankruptcy immediately after buy-ing their CEOs their own private jets.
We are constantly surrounded by hypocrisy whether we realize it or not. The ones that do go no-ticed are addressed in that mob mentality. It is easier to point the finger at someone in a group. It is easier to hide behind all these oth-er people, even if the thing being called out is something we do, just so we are not the one on the spot.
But to return to my original
point: #freeweezy. To return to my secondary point, hypocrisy is more common than we realize. If we so choose, we can slowly break up our witch hunt of hypocrites if we could just admit the first time around, “I do that. I enjoy that.” Instead of spending time hating the player, we can spend the time doing what we really like.
— McDonough is a freshman from Glen Ellyn, Ill., majoring in communications. [email protected]
Hypocrisy: An underrated issue plaguing everyday life
MAEVEMCDONOUGH
the depauw FEBRUARY 10, 2012
advertisement
PAGE 10
Kelsey Floyd is a senior studio art major whose artistic interest lies in beautifying the everyday through space specific window installations using elements of design such as repetition, light and color constancy. To see more of her work, along with the work of the other senior studio art majors, be sure to stop by the Senior Art Exhibition on Friday, April 20 from 5-7 p.m. in the Peeler Art Center. KELSEY FLOYD FOR THE SENIOR ART EXHIBITION / ADVERTISEMENT
Senior sculpture major completes window installation for final exhibition
Highlight:
weektiger
sport:
name:
position:BASKETBALL
GUARD
UPPER ARLINGTON, OHIO
Sullivan scored 13 points in the men’s basketball team’s loss against NCAC rival Denison University on Wednesday night. Even though the Tigers lost, Sullivan contributed early and often, driving to the basket for scores on numerous occassions. Sullivan also added two rebounds and two assists.
On his play againstDenison:
“My older brother is an assistant coach at Denison, so he gave me some inside information. I knew they were going to play me as a driver, and I would have some space to pick up some speed and get to the basket. It’s always better to play well and get the win too, but I was proud of my play.
“The team just needs to bring more energy. We need to win the next three games, but they will be tough.”
While some DePauw students come to Greencastle to continue their athletic careers, sophomore Tyler Notch chose a slightly different route.
“When I came on my visit as a per-spective student, I met with assistant bas-ketball coach [Brian] Oilar,” said Notch, a native of Cheyenne, Wyo. “(I) asked if there was any opportunity for me to help out with the team. He told me that I could and I’ve been the team’s student assistant ever since.”
According to Notch, his role as stu-dent assistant to the DePauw men’s basketball coaching staff requires a mul-titude of tasks, including scouting oppos-ing teams, helping with recruitment and assisting with offseason player develop-ment. Often times, Notch can be found in the Lilly Center watching film and comparing notes with the other coaches whom, according to Notch, he can go to and chat with about absolutely anything, both basketball and non-basketball re-lated.
While Notch’s role on the team is time consuming, Notch sees it as a stepping stone to his ultimate dream of becoming a Div. I men’s basketball coach, a dream he has had ever since a career ending injury his junior year of high school.
“My junior year of high school, I broke a bone in my foot on the third day of prac-tice and pretty much had to call it quits” Notch said. “It was devastating for me be-cause I absolutely loved basketball.”
It was this love for the game — which
Notch refers to as “the best sport in the world” — that made him realize that coaching was a way in which he could still be around basketball even if he was not participating as a player. He also saw it as the perfect opportunity to give back to the sport that has brought him so much happiness over the years.
“Notch’s love for the game is so evident,” senior captain Ian Rumpp said. “He’s an awesome guy and I know he’ll make it far in this sport.”
Notch’s dream is to one day coach at his favorite college basketball team, Duke University. He realizes there is a long road ahead of him before he can replace leg-endary coach Mike Krzyzewski — an idol
of Notch’s — and call Duke’s arena Cam-eron Indoor Stadium his home.
“The Duke job is a huge dream for me,” Notch admited. “But in 50 years, whether I get that job or not, if I can look back and know that I helped basketball players become better players and better men, I’ll be completely satisfied.”
It was John Wooden — another of Notch’s idols — who once said that you should “not let what you cannot do inter-fere with what you can do,” which Notch has taken to heart. While he may not be able to play, basketball is still a very large part of his life. If he has it his way, it will be for many years to come.
Student coach’s love of basketball shapes future goals of the
Assistant coach sophomore Tyler Notch looks on as the men's basketball team plays Denison University. DePauw lost the game 69-78. EMILY GREEN / THE DEPAUW
According to a study from the University of Notre Dame’s Alcohol and Drug Education Center, heavy use of alcohol can cause extreme dehydra-tion, decrease recovery time after injury, inhibit absorption of nutrients, require increased training and other negative ef-fects on performance.
Students clearly under-stood drinking alcohol was not a benefit to athletic competi-tion, but would not use their sport as a reason to quit or
significantly reduce their alco-hol consumption; at least not in the off-season. The value of the sport did not override their desire to drink or, as one student put it, “be a college student.”
The plus of being a stu-dent-athlete at DePauw is a time commitment that does not dwarf all other interests. Students enjoy the opportu-nity to still compete at a high level, but draw lines as to where their overall commit-ment to the sport lies. Simple rules like the 48-hour alcohol-free periods before games seem to be effective, but it is
tough to judge if the introduc-tion of tools like breathalyzers and drug screens will deter student-athletes from their sports.
Ultimately, what may be a large factor for athletes to fol-low team guidelines is where they believe the motives for the rules are coming from. Is it just following DePauw policy? Are coaches just trying to fos-ter successful teams? Or is it an attempt to apply lifestyle choices to their players?
Trust is the largest factor between coaches and players. Players must trust that coaches have their best interest in
mind. Coaches must trust their players to respect team rules. No one can argue with the success DePauw teams have had on and off the field. As an ex-athlete, my hope is that players and coaches can come to an agreement about what it means to be a student athlete and still continue the proud tradition of DePauw athletics.
— Fanelli is a junior from Indianapolis majoring in English writing and minoring in political science. He is the sports editor for The [email protected]
DePauw fans walked away disappointed from the men’s basketball game Wednesday night against Denison University. Shooting only 32 percent from the field in the second half, the Tigers dropped their two point lead from the first half, ultimately falling to Denison, 78-69.
DePauw has allowed over 70 points in the last two games, a statistic the Tigers know they will need to improve upon going forward.
“Complete lack of recognition of what was going on defensively,” said head coach Bill Fenlon after the game. “Guys not following the game plan, guys not knowing the game plan or guys not caring enough about the game plan to be where they need to be. It was a really poor defensive effort on our part tonight.”
DePauw hit four threes in the first half, three by senior Sean Haseley and one by freshman Connor Rich. Despite the poor bouts of defense, a methodical Tiger offense hit over 57 percent from the field, effectively maintaining a consistent first half advantage.
Then, the rest of the game happened. Right out of the gate, Haseley looked to replicate his hot shooting by attempting two three-point shots to no avail and a variety of Denison shooters started to heat up from the court.
“Part of it’s just seeing screens and not getting caught up,” Haseley said. “Part of it’s paying attention to the scouting report, trying to let us know what’s coming instead of winging it out there.”
DePauw struggled on high ball screens especially with Denison’s three-point specialist Brett Tiberi, who added 14 points on four three-pointers including a fade away three in the right corner to seal a Denison Victory. Denison’s Alex Longi also added 12 points.
The Tigers also know they have to balance their attack and open up more situations for post players sophomore Camron Burns, Tommy Fernitz and junior Barry Flynn to be successful going into the final three contests and the NCAC Tournament.
“We were doing some good things offensively when we were throwing Burns and Fernitz the ball and then we just stopped throwing them the ball,” Fenlon said. “I think we had plenty of opportunities to do that. It’s concentration and recognition. You have to be paying attention.”
“Our post players work really hard,” Haseley said. “They are pretty successful if they can get good position. It will definitely help out especially against teams like Wittenberg and Wooster.”
After losing three out of four games, the Tigers needed a conference win against the Big Red for some valuable conference
position. With the victory Denison advances to
10-12 overall, 7-6 in NCAC play. The Tigers are now tied for fifth with Denison in the conference. The goal for the team right now is to win to earn a home game in the first round of the NCAC.
“We have to win two out of three [games] and probably get some help,” Fenlon said. “In this league you need to be able to host that first round game. That’s why this was such an important game for us.”
DePauw rounds out the year with Oberlin College and College of Wooster on the road and Wittenberg University at home.
For DePauw to get the home court advantage in the eight team NCAC tournament they will have to break a tie in the middle of the conference with Denison and surpass Ohio Wesleyan and Wabash who sit one game above DePauw in the NCAC.
The challenge awaits the Tigers as they return to NCAC play on Saturday at Oberlin at 3 p.m.
Tigers fall from fourth in NCAC after loss to Denison
Much of the inherent conflict of being a NCAA Div. III student-athlete arises from the student-athlete part. The large ma-jority of Div. III athletes will not advance their game to the professional level. At a school like DePauw, athletes won’t re-ceive significant financial benefits from participating in a varsity sport.
This means that most of the benefit from being on a varsity sports team at a Div. III level comes solely from an enjoy-ment of the game.
However, most athletes understand
the benefits of participating in a sport at DePauw do not outweigh something such as a college degree. Academics are important and this belief is echoed by a majority of students at DePauw. But a strong social atmosphere is another as-pect that drew students from across the country to Greencastle. The question that arises when we consider student-athletes is when do they and their coaches draw the line between their commitment to their sport and their commit to being a college student?
I ask this because of recent policy changes from DePauw’s men’s and women’s golf head coach Vince Lazar regarding the team’s alcohol and drug policies. After two male members of the team were forced to quit because of drug and alcohol related problems,
Lazar announced at team meeting last Wednesday that a new 72-hour policy would be applied to the team. Lazar announced that team members must be alcohol free within 72 hours of match-play and breathalyzer tests are a possibil-ity at any moment if he felt players had violated the rules. Drug screenings were also promised, but not given any specific parameters.
From my understanding, any violation of these new rules by team members would not result in any legal trouble or be alerted to the campus.
But, the failure to comply to his rules would result in a suspension and further measures if a problem continues.
The 72-hour portion of the new policy is nothing new. Varsity teams at DePauw have similar rules regarding
alcohol that range from arranged “sober periods” before competition to just basic understanding or trust between the coaches and players. What is different is the application of using breathalyzers and urine screens to actually test players.
The fact is of course that the con-sumption of alcohol by persons under the age of 21 and the use illicit drugs are both illegal, but are generally accepted as part of college campus culture and not always heavily prosecuted.
In almost all respects, Lazar has a total right to test his players, but what becomes more important is how student-athletes will respond to these type of testing measures.
It is widely known that DePauw University is considered one of the nation’s top 20 “party schools” from
the Princeton Review, partially because of its drinking habits. A recent study by a DePauw committee of drinking on campus confirmed that students make “irresponsible” and “high-risk” drinking decisions on a regular basis. The odds are incredibly high that a portion of the 450 student-athletes also participate in this behavior.
My conversations with DePauw student-athletes show that most students participating in sports do at least refrain from engaging in drinking at least the night before their respective competions.
Many seem to usually follow specific team rules, like no alcohol 48 hours before a competition.
Athletes and Alcohol | continued on page 11
Members of the men's team watch DePauw compete against Denison University on Wednesday evening in Neal Fieldhouse. DePauw lost the game 69-78. PHOTOS EMILY GREEN / THE DEPAUW
JOSEPHFANELLI
Finding a balance: The challenges of athlete alcohol policies
