Student misbehavior increases as semester ends

crazy quad sports explored.. page 12
May 9, 2008
'off the beaten path' columnist takes final bow... page 8
www.thelaf.com
the Lafayette
volume 134 | number 26
The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania
Nate Parker wins
2008 Pepper Prize
First Class Mail
Easton, PA
Postage Paid
Permit No. 108
Student misbehavior
increases as semester ends
BY JAYNE
MILLER
S
PHOTO BY
NII ODAI ADJEI
Nate Parker was named the winner of the George Wharton
Pepper Prize after voting finished on Wednesday.
ADRIANE MARCELLUS
change.
As philanthropy chair for Delta
hen Nathan Parker ’08 Upsilon, Parker established a
came to Lafayette, he said mentoring program with Spring
had no idea he would participate Garden. The Delta Upsilon brothin so many activities both on and ers volunteer frequently at Spring
off campus, nor did he ever think Garden, helping children with
he would be the representation of their homework, working with
them on computer skills, and prothe Lafayette ideal.
But Parker’s dedication to civic viding a positive male influence –
engagement has earned him rec- something many of the children involved
ognition as
in the
this year’s
p r o G e o r g e While at Lafayette, Parker has dedicated
g ram
W h a r t o n his time and effort to such community
lack,
P e p p e r service projects as the Landis CommuParker
Prize win- nity Outreach Center, Best Buddies,
said.
ner.
and Spring Garden Children's Center.
ParkWhile at
er’s efLafayette,
forts on
Parker has
dedicated his time and effort to campus have also included the
such community service programs first annual Spring Garden Day, a
as the Landis Community Out- day at Lafayette that is dedicated
reach Center, Best Buddies, and to educating the children of the
Spring Garden Children’s Center. Spring Garden Center.
“[Spring Garden Day] is a good
Parker, a biology major, also spent
a semester abroad in Kenya where way to reverse roles,” he said.
he worked with community offi- “Lafayette students are always
cials doing public health research going down to Spring Garden
to see the children’s learning
on Malaria.
Although he said much of his environment, but this way [the
civic involvement has occurred children] get to see our learning
off campus, he has tried to bring environment. They get to see
~ continued on page 4 with
what he has learned to Lafayette
ANNUAL
in hopes of creating positive
BY
W
tudents, faculty, and administrators gathered in Oeschele
Hall Wednesday evening to discuss the growing need for conversation and community after
several incidents on campus went
beyond what President Dan Weiss
described as “garden variety”
mischief.
Following alleged racial remarks
aimed at students sidewalk chalking messages for Presidential Candidate Barack Obama two weeks
ago, Public Safety reported two
more serious incidents Sunday.
The first, an act Public Safety
labeled a “terroristic threat,”
involved an intoxicated student
threatening several fellow students
with a folding knife in McKeen
Hall. The second, an act of ethnic
intimidation, involved profanity
targeted at a racial group that
was found spray painted on a
bathroom stall in Ruef Hall.
According to Director of Public
Safety Hugh Harris, the events
that transpired in McKeen Hall
led to the graffiti in Ruef Hall.
He said the student who spray
painted the message has been
identified and is facing disciplinary action. Harris also said the
remaining incidents are still under
investigation, and though some of
the cases are “pretty well closed,”
he declined to comment further.
Harris said there is typically an
increase in student misbehavior
at the end of each year, but added
there is an “abnormal amount”
this year.
PHOTO BY JACKIE
PARODI
The incident that occurred in McKeen Hall took place in a
community lounge after a verbal dispute escalated among
several students. The student in question was reported to have
made several death threats and displayed a folding knife.
Nick Nagy ’11, a student involved in the McKeen Hall incident, said his two female guests
were met with sexual advances
from the alleged perpetrator.
When Nagy and a fellow male
friend intervened, the student in
question directed insults towards
Nagy and his three friends. As the
confrontation continued, Nagy
said the student became aggressive, even placing a folding knife
on the lounge table. “We took
the girls back to our room…and
we locked the door,” Nagy said.
“[The student] told us he would
kill us all.”
Nagy said the threats continued
throughout the night. Public Safety reported the alleged perpetrator
never attempted to use the knife,
though officers removed another
similar weapon from the student’s
room.
The incident went unreported
until a Resident Advisor alerted
Public Safety Monday morning.
Nagy said his friends and he chose
not to press charges because the
student, a senior, would have been
charged with a felony almost two
weeks before graduation.
At the forum Wednesday, Weiss,
along with several other adminis~ continued on page 4 with
PRESIDENT
Michael Jordan named off
campus education director
BY
T
BRIAN MASON
he number of Lafayette students, as well as American
college students on the whole, has
increased during each of the past
four years. A great many of these
students leave the U.S. for Europe
during their semesters abroad. But
at least at Lafayette, a shift may
soon be on its way.
Because of the growing number of students studying abroad,
Lafayette recently named Michael
Jordan, assistant professor of
foreign languages and literatures,
to the newly created position of
International and Off Campus
Education director. Although the
college has historically employed Europe, and though this is often
a part-time study abroad direc- appropriate for many majors, he
tor, Jordan’s new post will be the said he would like to see more
first time Lafayette has devoted a students venture to places in South
full-time administrator to the task. America, Africa, and Asia.
According to Jordan, a shift to
Jordan said he will be responsible
for overseeing students choosing to places outside of Europe is attainstudy abroad, and will also direct able. He said change is already
college policy on the matter.
underway in part because of the
“Studying abroad is one of the global economic situation, as the
most important things a student can dollar’s low standing and poor
do,” Jordan said. “It gives you not exchange rate “is pricing people
only perspective on the world, but out of England and Western Euperspective on this country’s place rope.”
in the world.”
But Jordan said unfavorable
Next year, Jordan said he hopes to exchange rates will not be the
expand the range of where students only thing that gets students to
study abroad. He explained the discover different countries. He
“vast majority” of students cur- hopes to offer more faculty-led
rently choose to study in Western ~ continued on page 2 with ABROAD
the Lafayette
Page 2
Opinion/News
May 9, 2008
Letters to the Editor
From the Editor
Aid increase commendable,
but college can do better
BY
BRIAN MASON
E
arlier this semester, Lafayette
announced a highly touted
financial aid commitment, part
of which eliminated loans for
students whose families earn less
than $50,000 a year. Although
financial aid officials say they are
unaware of the exact number of
students who will be affected,
based on Federal Pell Grant data,
the total may not be that high.
During the 2006-2007 academic year, Lafayette handed
out Pell Grants -- federal grants
awarded to students from families earning less than $40,000
a year -- to just 8.4 percent of
its student body, down from 8.9
percent the year before. The college’s efforts in reducing financial
burdens are undoubtedly commendable, but Lafayette should
also seek to increase the number
of students from lower-income
backgrounds.
Although only about 200 students enrolled at Lafayette received Pell Grants, the college
is not alone in comparison to
other private colleges. In the past
several years, many private institutions have announced similar
fi nancial aid commitments, but
also enroll small percentages of
lower-income students. Bucknell
joined Lafayette near the bottom
of the pack with 8.5 percent, preceded by Lehigh at 9.7 percent,
Holy Cross at 10.2 percent, and
Amherst at 15.2 percent, according to data from The Chronicle of
Higher Education.
Despite the fact that Lafayette’s percentage is close to many
of its to peer institutions, the
data underscores the fact that
the college can still do better
when it comes to admitting an
economically diverse student
body. The recent financial aid
commitment is certainly a positive start, but Lafayette needs to
strive to further improve access
for all students.
Abroad director looks to push
students beyond Europe
~ continued from page 1
study abroad programs in places
around the world, and focus less on
placing students in other colleges’
affiliated programs. “Faculty interests span the globe,” he said, adding
he believes establishing faculty-led
programs in Africa and Asia in the
near future is a realistic goal.
As more students begin studying
outside of Western Europe, he said,
interest will additionally spread via
word-of-mouth as they relay their
experiences to fellow students.
Jordan also said he predicts the
number of students studying anywhere abroad will increase in the
coming years, in part because of
a bill currently awaiting approval
in Congress. The legislation seeks
to push the number of American
students studying abroad each year
over 1 million, up from the current
total of approximately 225,000.
“The whole idea of building a
program is exciting to me,” Jordan
said, explaining he hopes to foster
greater faculty interest and partici-
pation, as well as place students in
programs that better coincide with
their majors.
Roxanne Lalande, professor of
foreign languages and literatures
and the college’s current study
abroad director, will step down
from her responsibilities at the end
of this year as Jordan takes over
in the more comprehensive role.
Lalande will return to teaching
French, vacating what she said was
only a three-year position coordinating study abroad.
On The Spot
this week's question:
COMPILED BY
SARAH STRANG AND RACHEL HOOK
What is the first thing you will do when you get home for the
summer?
Will Clift '09
Play with my dog, Cody
Racial Remarks
To the Editor:
The front-page article “Racial
Remarks directed at Obama
supporters” (May 2) fails to meet
even the most basic standards of
objective and balanced journalism. The author does not produce
a single independent account
to verify the headline’s alarming claim that “racial
remarks” were made
during the chalkwashing incident,
yet this allegation
is reported as
fact. A “feeling”
of “implicit racism” described by
some of the students involved is
an extremely questionable basis
for the newspaper’s serious accusation. The editor writes that
“The alleged racial epithets…
are deplorable and inexcusable.” This immediate rush to
judgment, about alleged remarks
that imply racism, is reminiscent
of media coverage of the Duke
lacrosse rape allegations (later
proven false). The decision to
publish this article calls into question the credibility and integrity
of The Lafayette and its editors.
-Drew Lancaster ‘10
Investigation Pending
To the Editor:
The brothers of Phi Gamma
Delta were dismayed and offended after reading last week’s
article and corresponding Letter
From the Editor concerning the
Address:
The Lafayette
Lafayette College
Farinon Center Box 9470
Easton, PA 18042
alleged racial remarks directed
at Obama supporters. We would
like to further emphasize a point
made by President Weiss in his
school-wide email that the facts
regarding this incident are not yet
established and are pending investigation. In the meantime, we
ask that The Lafayette refrain from
making further judgments on the
ethical practices of our fraternity
and individual brothers. Without
ascertaining the facts surrounding
the incident, the claims
posited in the
aforementioned
literature are
biased and unfounded. Furthermore, Fiji has been
and will continue
to be supportive of
diversity on campus and in no
way condones any restriction
of free speech. The individuals
concerned are cooperating with
school officials and the fraternity
as a whole will assist in any way it
can in bringing about a just resolution.
~ Brian W. Cronise, Phi Gamma Delta
Fraternity President
Corrections
Last week, The Lafayette failed
to credit the letter to the editor titled
"African Aid' to Alex Schmidt
'09. Diane Elliott was also listed
as the director of public service.
This is incorrect, as Elliot is
currently an Assistant to the President's Office. The Lafayette
regrets these errors.
the Lafayette
Brian Mason
Luke Trovato
www.thelaf.com
thelafayette@gmail.com
ads@lafayette.edu
Phone: (610) 330-5354
Fax: (610) 330-5724
Sarah Blair-Miller
Editor-in-Chief
Sports Editor
Danielle Ward
Managing Editor
El Ninio Adjei
Kenneth Briggs
Photo Editor
Faculty Advisor
Jayne Miller
Emily Hanson
Max Luce
Adriane Marcellus
Jacqueline Parodi
News Editor
Business Editor
Casey Argento
Megan Gagliardi
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Advertising Editor
Web Manager
Assistant Editors
Alex Crespo '10
Drink a beer
Jaclyn Quiles '11
Sophie Grossman '10
Sleep
Take a shower
Editorial Policy
Editorials appearing in The Lafayette represent a
consensus of the majority of the Editorial Board.
Those opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the administration of Lafayette College.
Opinion & Letters to the Editor Policy
Please limit opinion submissions to 500 words or
less. Responses to articles and opinions fall under the category of Letters to the Editor. Please
limit Letters to the Editor to 400 words or less.
The Lafayette reserves the right to edit the length
of opinion submissions and Letters to the Editor.
Opinions and letters appearing in The Lafayette
are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editorial staff,
reporters, or advisor of The Lafayette. The Lafayette
reserves the right to not print submissions which
it considers unprintable. Anonymous letters will
only be considered for print if they are signed
and request anonymity, with a valid cause to do
so. All such requests will be honored and held in
the strictest confidence by the Editor
Advertising and Sponsoring Policy
The Lafayette’s Editorial Board reserves the right to
deny any advertisements based on content. For
rates and information, please call the advertising
staff. All columns and sponsored columns reflect
the opinions and beliefs of the sponsoring group
and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of The
Lafayette Editorial Board.
Subscription Policy
Subscriptions for a full year of The Lafayette are $49,
or $30 per semester. To subscribe, send a letter
marked Attn: Subscriptions with payment to The
Lafayette office. Changes of address should also be
sent to that office.
Theft Policy
One copy of The Lafayette is free to each Lafayette
student, administrator, faculty and staff member.
Taking more than that number may be considered theft by The Lafayette. In such an event, the
newspaper will seek to prosecute those individual(s)
involved to the fullest extent possible. All articles
are property of The Lafayette and may not be reproduced in any fashion without permission of
the Editor-in-Chief.
Titles
For accuracy, college titles are cross-referenced
with the Lafayette College online directory.
the Lafayette
News
May 9, 2008
Page 3
Minor pink eye outbreak spreads across campus
BY
RAY VAN CLEVE
L
afayette is experiencing a
minor pink eye outbreak,
according to health center officials. Also known as bacterial or
viral conjunctivitis, Bailey Health
Center has treated an increased
number of eye infections during
the last month, most of which
appear to be caused by bacterial
infection and not by seasonal
allergies.
“Now, we are seeing a cluster of
[ pink eye] cases that has reached
its peak for the year,” Director
of Health Services Dr. Jeffery
Goldstein said.
Conjunctivitis, Goldstein said,
is the infection of the conjunctiva, or the outer mucus membrane surrounding the eye. This
membrane is usually transparent,
but turns a pinkish color when
infected.
Although the minor outbreak
coincides with allergy season,
Goldstein said he believes that
most of the pink eye circulated
around campus was because of
a bacterial infection, as most
students have responded well to
antibacterial medicine.
PHOTO BY
Conjunctivitis is contagious
and very difficult to isolate. The
infection can be spread through
hand-to-eye contact – touching
objects that have bacteria on
them or sharing towels – and
through the air. The infection is
BackWords: Mother
of slain Matthew
Shepard urges
campus to combat hate
BY
MICHAEL LESTINGI
Editor's Note: This article originally
appeared in the April 2, 2004 issue
of The Lafayette.
J
udy Shepard, activist mother of
Matthew Shepard, a young gay
man brutally killed five years ago,
spoke to a crowded Colton Chapel
Wednesday night with a message
of hope and acceptance. Many
of the 450 audience members
barely held back tears as Shepard
showed a seven-minute video that
described hate-motivated crimes
and the specifically vicious attack
leading to her son’s death. On October 18, 1998, Matthew Shepard
was beaten and tied to a fence
post, the injuries of which led to
his death several days later. Sobs
were audible in Colton Chapel as
his mother recounted the end of
her son’s life.
Shepard travels across the
country sharing her story of pain
and “a mom’s opinions and suggestions” to make the world a
more accepting place for the gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
community. First, she urged the
audience to avoid using slurs and
telling anti-gay jokes, encouraging people to object when such
comments are made. “There are
no innocent bystanders,” she said.
She also emphasized participation
in the political process, challeng-
LUKE TROVATO
Some have speculated that the spread of conjunctivitis around Lafayette can be traced in part
back to locker rooms, as well as the the close quarters of Kirby Sports Center.
ing Lafayette students to “vote,
[and] be good constituents.” Coming out as a friend, ally or family
member in support of the gay
community was also stressed.
Shepard’s suggestions were
clear, simple and engaging. Meredith White ‘06, left with the
feeling that “ I can make a difference doing small things.” “[Mrs.
Shepard] put a lot of power in me
to make this movement a success,”
she said.
Omoniyi Adekanmbi ‘04 expressed a more cautious reaction.
“I thought the audience was receptive, but I got the impression
that it was the same old Lafayette
crowd that comes and listens ...
but then doesn’t do anything.”
Brad Knote ‘06, co-chair of
QuEST, Lafayette’s gay/straight
alliance, immediately noticed a
strong emotional reaction from
audience members. “I don’t think
[the offenders] realized how their
actions impact the world,” he
said.
At the crowded reception that
followed, Shepard embraced
many of the audience members
who came from both the Lafayette
community and the greater Lehigh Valley. The event’s main
coordinator, ALF co-chair Greg
Blevin ‘07, was one of the first to
approach Shepard after her address. “Her story of bravery really
touched me,” he said.
not serious enough to quarantine,
however, and can be easily treated. Officials at the Bailey Health
Center said pink eye is easily
transferred in groups of students
who congregate together regularly, especially sports teams.
Goldstein said he recommends
any student athlete diagnosed
with pink eye to sit out from
practice until the athlete starts
antibiotics and is no longer contagious.
Erin Mackey ‘11, a member of
the lacrosse team, was diagnosed
with conjunctivitis during the
team's season. Mackey said that
in lacrosse specifically, there was
frequent close face-to-face contact and water bottle sharing.
According to officials, the Kirby Sports Center is also a prime
location for the spread of pink
eye if exercise equipment is not
sanitized properly. In a one-hour
observation of the gym, which
showed this is often the case, ten
of 12 elliptical machines were
sanitized, five of nine treadmills
were wiped down, and only two
out of 17 used exercise balls and
mats were cleaned.
Goldstein said students in close
contact with others plagued by
pink eye have an increased probability of contracting the infection. If a roommate contracts
conjunctivitis, unless both roommates are vigilant about washing
their hands and practicing good
hygiene, he or she will likely contract the infection because of the
close proximity.
Although sanitary living quarters play a major role in keeping
the infection at bay, Resident
Advisor Steffi Romano ‘09 said
that there is no protocol for RAs
to alert their residents when another resident has pink eye. She
said that RAs keep all information of that nature confidential,
and leave it up to the student
with the infection to inform other
residents.
Public Safety Crime Log
4/28/08 through 5/5/08
5/1/08
Criminal Mischief
At 9:23 PM, officer reported graffiti markings on the pathway from Easton
Hall to stairs leading downtown Easton. Incident under investigation.
(S. Schleig)
5/1/08
Criminal Mischief
At 9:59 PM, officer reported damage to the toilet paper holder in the ladies
bathroom in Farinon College Center. Incident under investigation.
(R. Mead)
5/3/08
Theft
At 1:41 PM, student reported the theft of a purse from Fisher Hall East.
Incident under investigation. (M. Nesheiwat)
5/3/08
Criminal Mischief
At 3:00 PM, employee reported a hole in the wall at Farinon College Center
men's bathroom. Incident under investigation. (B. Zaun)
5/4/08
Criminal Mischief
At 3:06 PM, student reported the driver's side mirror was damaged on vehicle
parked at 4 West Campus. Incident under investigation. (B. Laudenslager)
5/4/08
Criminal Mischief
At 10:56 AM, employee reported a broken office chair at the tennis courts by
APK Sports Center on Pierce Street. Incident under investigation.
(R. Yanisch)
5/4/08
Ethnic Intimidation
5/4/08
Terroristic Threats
On Sunday, May 4, 2008, at 1:48 PM, a student reported that profanity directed
at a racial group had been spray painted on a bathroom stall wall on the second
floor of Ruef Hall. The incident is classified as an act of Ethnic Intimidation.
It was reported to the Office of Public Safety that the wall was spray painted
sometime between 10:00 PM on May 3, 2008 and the time that the incident
was reported. An investigation into the matter by the Office of Public Safety
began immediately and is ongoing. The spray paint was removed after being
photographed. (M. Free)
On Sunday, May 4, 2008, at approximately 7:22 PM, an employee reported
to the Office of Public Safety that earlier that day, three students and one
non-student were the victims of an incident that is classified as a terroristic
threat. This incident occurred at approximately 2:00 AM on Sunday, May 4,
2008. The suspect, who is a student, displayed a folding knife during a verbal
confrontation in McKeen Hall. The suspect did not attempt to use the knife.
Subsequently, the suspect wrote threatening messages on the message boards
of several students. Upon initial investigation, the knife was immediately
surrendered to Public Safety personnel. A room search was subsequently conducted and a second knife was recovered in the suspect's room. The victims
declined to pursue criminal charges. The suspect has been suspended from
the College and barred from returning to campus pending formal disciplinary
action. (K. Heil)
This security log is compiled by the Office of Public Safety and submitted to The Lafayette. It is an account of all crimes handled by Public
Safety officers and does not cover non-criminal reports. All reports printed here have been listed and also submitted to the Easton Police
Department.
Page 4
the Lafayette
News
May 9, 2008
Annual Wharton Pepper Prize
Online ratings
accurate, study says winner announced to public
~ continued from page 1
what it’s like to be in college.”
Parker said his best experience has been working with Best
Buddies, a Landis program that
matches college students with
intellectually disabled individuals from the local community.
Parker has been involved in the
program since freshman year,
serving as the program coordi-
nator during both his sophomore
and senior years.
According to Parker, the program gave him a completely new
point of view. “I had never realized there were people that were
that disenfranchised,” he said.
Parker said his involvement in
activities both on and off campus
in the last four years have been
that of a “snowball effect—one
interest has led to another.”
He said he hopes his experiences will lead him to more
service opportunities down the
road. For the next two years,
Parker will work for Teach for
America, but he hopes to someday become involved in a Masters of Public Health program
and eventually find his way back
to Kenya.
President Weiss calls for
community to do better
PHOTOBY
LESLEY KLINE
A recent study shows a correlation between end of year
evaluations and Rate-My-Professors.com.
BY
M
ZACH ROMANO
any students at Lafayette are
familiar with Rate-MyProfessors.com, an MTV-owned website that allows students to submit
their own ratings of college professors without number two pencils
and SAT-style bubble shading. A
recent study conducted by South
Carolina’s Lander University
shows that these ratings, on which
some may base class selection, are
often on par with official in-class
student evaluations.
Rate-My-Professors, which
boasts 6.8 million ratings of over
1 million professors in the U.S. and
abroad, allows students to judge
professors on easiness, helpfulness, clarity, and, well, "hotness."
The study, conducted by Lander’s
Michael Sonntag, found that helpfulness and clarity ratings for
professors at Lander had a strong
correlation with evaluations supplied by IDEA, a Kansas State
University-affiliated evaluation
system used by about 275 U.S.
colleges and universities.
Lafayette, unlike most other
schools, makes the results of their
Scantron evaluations available to
students as they go through the
course selection process. Although
Lafayette has a small amount of
ratings on Rate-My-Professors, of
the fourteen professors who have
ten or more ratings, there appears
to be a correlation between the two
sources.
The professor with the highest
rating on RMP also had the highest student numbers on the overall
course quality rating as posted by
Lafayette College. The professor
who had the lowest RMP rating did
not participate in student evaluations.
Professors, however, gave the
website a vote of no confidence.
“Something like this selects for
extremes,” said Professor of Philosophy George Panichas, who
received high ratings on the site.
“It’s not systematic. Students are
probably much better off looking
at other sources.”
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Jeannine Pinto used Rate-My-Professors to look at possible incoming
faculty. “I have not found it useful,”
she said. “There is too much of a
distribution…the comments are
irrelevant for my purposes.”
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Psychology professor Jennifer Talarico said that Rate-My-Professor
works conceptually, but requires a
good deal of student participation,
which is not present at Lafayette.
“Without a lot of student involvement, you’re getting anecdotes,
which aren’t very helpful,” she said.
“Lafayette posts ratings on its website, and I think that’s why students
don’t use Rate My Professors.”
Despite sparse ratings, students
said they use a combination of the
two systems. “I’ve used Rate-MyProfessors a handful of times, and
I used the Lafayette evaluations
too,” said Joe Fallon ’10. “They’re
accurate for the most part.”
Jessica Counihan ’10 used RateMy-Professors to help her choose
a class for the spring ’08 semester.
“It reassured me that I had chosen
a good VAST class,” she said.
Andrew Gruet ’10, however,
utilizes only Lafayette’s student
ratings. “I use it for classes I’ve
never heard anything about to get
a feeling for how it stacks up to the
grading policy of other courses,”
Gruet said. “They don’t tell you
that much, but I guess you can get
a feeling if there are any courses
extremely weighted in one direction, whether grades or work.”
~ continued from page 1
trators, expressed general disapproval over the recent events. “I
understand what it means to go
to college,” Weiss said. “I went to
college and I got into trouble…
but I’m concerned with how we
are managing this community.”
Several students and faculty
suggested extending the discussion about diversity and campus
community to the classroom, or
incorporating these issues into
orientation programs. Director of
Intercultural Development Mike
Benitez stressed that the Lafayette
community needs to “hold each
other accountable” for these incidents of harassment and intimidation. “These are the things we
have to think about,” Benitez said.
“At least if there is anger and tension, it will be among friends.”
Weiss was also particularly
upset with the recent desecration
of property that took place at the
Dan O’Neil '06 Memorial Plaza.
“This isn’t sixth grade,” he said.
“We can do better.”
Although approximately 50
community members attended the
forum, one student lamented near
the end of the evening that “the
students who really need to hear
this [discussion] are not here right
now."
2008 Proposed Honorary Degree Recipients
Juan Antonio Williams – Commencement Speaker
One of America’s leading journalists, Williams is an Emmy Award-winning writer and Senior Correspondent
at National Public Radio. He was editorial writer, op-ed columnist, and White House reporter during his
21-year career at The Washington Post, and appears regularly on Fox News Channel. From 2000-01, he hosted
NPR’s national call-in show “Talk of the Nation” He is the author of Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary
and nonfiction best seller Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965. Williams received a B.A. in
philosophy from Haverford College and serves on several boards including Haverford College Washington
Journalism Center, and New York Civil Rights Coalition.
The Very Reverend Samuel Thames Lloyd III – Baccalaureate Speaker
Ninth dean of Washington National Cathedral, Lloyd previously served 10 years as a rector of historic Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston, Mass. He holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological
Seminary, a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Virginia, and an M.A. in English Literature
from Georgetown University. He has preached on the “Protestant Hour” radio show and offered courses in
the area of Christianity and literature. Currently serving as a regent of the University of the South, his work
has been published by Sewanee Theological Review and Journal of Religion.
Zelda D. Fichandler
Fichandler is chair of the graduate acting program at New York University and cofounder and producing
director (1950-90) of Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. She is known for her major role is establishing the
city’s reputation as a destination for drama, and as a parent of the regional theater movement in the United
States. During her years at Arena, the company won the first Tony Award presented to a regional theater,
and was the first to send a play to Broadway. She received the National Medal of the Arts in 1997 and was
inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1998 (the first outside of New York). In fall 2005, she directed
Clifford Odet’s “Awake and Sing” at the Arena. She holds a B.A. in Russian language and literature from
Cornell University.
John Anderson Fry ‘82
President of Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, Fry is the former executive vice president of the
University of Pennsylvania where he helped develop and implement the “Agenda for Excellence,” which
included the nationally recognized neighborhood revitalization program. A former Lafayette College trustee,
he received an M.B.A. from New York University Stern School of Business and worked with many premier
colleges and universities through KPMG Pear Marwick educational consulting and as a partner-in-charge
at Coopers & Lybrand’s National Higher Education Consulting Practice. Chair of the NCAA Division III
President Council and James Street Improvement District board, he received Lafayette’s George Wharton
Pepper Prize.
Nicholas deBelleville Katzenbach
Katzenbach was the 65th U.S. Attorney General during the Johnson Administration (1965-66) and Undersecretary of State from 1966-69. As Deputy Attorney General from 1962-64, he worked with President John F.
Kennedy, and oversaw operations in desegregating the University of Mississippi and University of Alabama.
He also worked with Congress on passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. His father, Edward Katzenbach,
gave the address and received an honorary degree at Lafayette’s Nov. 16, 1928 Founders Day. Coauthor of
The Political Foundations of International Law, he received a B.A. from Princeton University, an LL.B. from
Yale University, and was a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford University. In his early career, he was
a professor of law at Yale University and the University of Chicago.
May 9, 2008
Arts and Entertainment
2008 summer movie preview
BY
BRIAN MASON
1. Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Despite the fact that Harrison
Ford is 65 years old, he looks
surprisingly spry in the few shots
Steven Spielberg has released of
the franchise's fourth installment.
Most the film has been kept under
tight wraps, but Shia LaBeouf stars
presumably as Indy’s son, and Cate
Blanchett appears as a Soviet agent
competing with the famous adventurer. Although the rough details
of the plot are still unknown, the
promise of another Indiana Jones
is enough to get even the casual fan
excited. Not to mention the trailer
seems to show Indy racing around
the warehouse where he last hid the
Arc of the Covenant in Raiders of the
Lost Arc.
2. The Dark Knight
Christian Bale revamped the dying Batman franchise with Batman
Begins three years ago, and returns
to face off against The Joker, played
by the late Heath Ledger. Ledger’s
untimely death earlier this year
adds gravity to what looks to be an
extremely intense performance.
His performance as The Joker
promises to be the highlight of the
film, though his costume, including a smile carved across his face,
might have been able to stand on
its own.
3. The Happening
After disappointing audiences
with Lady in the Water, suspensejunkie M. Night Shymalan returns
with his take on a global apocalypse. Like Indiana Jones, little is
known about the plot, aside from
the fact that Mark Wahlberg has to
confront worldwide deaths, which
could be the result of anything from
BY
Y
PHOTO COURTESY OF EARLYORKE.COM
The late Heath Ledger plays the role of The Joker in the newest
addition to the Batman series The Dark Knight.
terrorism, to an alien attack, to
some out-of-the-blue phenomenon
in true Shymalan style. Although
Shymalan has yet to craft a film
comparable to The Sixth Sense, his
movies still include plenty of scenes
to make you jump.
4. Tropic Thunder
Ben Stiller stars in this Vietnam
War movie. Well, kind of. Ben
Stiller actually plays an action star
filming a Vietnam War movie.
Stiller is joined by Jack Black, the
cast’s requisite comedian, and Robert Downey Jr., a serious actor who
undergoes an operation to make his
face look African-American. While
filming their movie, the cast gets
caught in the line of fire with some
leftover Vietcong, only to use the
real-life firefight in their movie.
5. Get Smart
Steve Carell sets out to save the
world as Maxwell Smart, a bumbling secret agent who usually does
more harm than good. A remake
of the 60s television series, Smart,
an agent for the government agency
CONTROL, fights back against
the crime syndicate KAOS. Appearing alongside Anne Hathaway,
Carell harnesses his unique brand
of regular guy, deadpan humor.
6. Sex and the City
Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and
Miranda are back in the Big Apple
a few years after their beloved HBO
series ended. The trailer for the
movie shows Carrie and Mr. Big
preparing to get married, until the
bride gets cold feet at the church.
Although the show now runs its
repeats on network television, the
movie has an R rating, suggesting it
will keep its content consistent with
that of its original episodes.
7. Iron Man
The one movie on this list that
has already opened, Iron Man looks
to be an entertaining addition to the
comic book genre not because of its
story, but because of its leading actor. Robert Downey Jr., one of the
most underappreciated actors of
his generation, should bring his mix
of glib humor and serious acting
chops to the role of arms developer
Tony Stark. Stark, imprisoned in
a Middle Eastern prison, builds a
powerful suit, blows his way out of
confinement, and then begins saving the world. The film promises
its share of explosions, but look for
Downey Jr. to carry the load.
Page 5
Do you know
the alma mater?
S
ummer 2008 brings a crop of
popcorn flicks that, based on
their trailers, seem particularly
promising and might even be worth
your $10. The return of Indiana
Jones and the reprisal of Christian Bale as Batman highlight the
season, but here, in no particular
order, are previews for some of this
summer’s noteworthy upcoming
movies.
the Lafayette
BETH WRAASE
Kelly said “Changing the alma
mater entirely would probably
involve going through the proper
channels, maybe even all the way
to the Board of Trustees.”
First-year student Emma Seale
said she only somewhat knows
the song. “I think it’s endearing
that it mentions the steps of ‘Old
Pardee,’” Seale said. “To be honest,
though, it has a creepy sound to it. I
remember [a choral group] singing
it sometime during orientation, and
ou hear it at orientation, the
occasional music concert, and
of course, graduation. But can you,
personally, sing the alma mater?
Unless you’ve been specifically
taught the words, most students can
only remember that Pardee Hall is
mentioned in the song. Students
from generations past, however, return to Lafayette able to remember
and sing our
alma mater
"To be honest, though, [the alma
flawlessly.
Written
mater] has a creepy sound to it."
by Walter C.
- Emma Seale '11
S t e i r, c l a s s
of 1884, the
song employs
traditional vocal harmonies, dis- it was kind of creepy.”
“I’ve only heard it at orientacussing the “loyalty” that students
owe Lafayette. Jennifer Kelly, assis- tion,” said Colleen Kelly ’11. “I
tant professor of music, teaches the don’t know [the song]. I think it
alma mater to her students. “Since might need some updating, even
that time, the words and the melody though it’s tradition, although I
have not changed,” Kelly said. still might not sing it anyway,” she
“There have been many different said.
Though many students may not
arrangements of it, however.”
Although these arrangements know the lyrics or tune by heart,
have been made before, Kelly said, there are still some that endeavor to
“Eventually, Lafayette seems to go learn them on their own. “I know
back to the Steir version because so some of it because I’m graduatmany of our graduates that return ing,” Kathleen Reddington ’08
for celebrations each year know this said. “I looked it up online while
procrastinating
one night.”
T h e
clash of generations past, present, and future
will probably
always create
a problem for
Steir’s song, but
the loyalty towards Lafayette
from generation
to generation
will not change,
PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRTUALOGY.COM s o
perhaps
the alma mater
version and want to participate. should not either. For now, Steir’s
Updated arrangements are wel- original words are sung at the two
come by new people to Lafayette, most important events in a college
but they may not be welcome by student’s life: convocation and
graduates who have allegiance to commencement, sing along...if you
know the words.
the original.”
When asked if the alma mater
could ever officially be changed,
It's not too late
to write for The
Lafayette!
Meetings begin first
Monday of next
semester.
Farinon 105
9 p.m.
Page 6
the Lafayette
Arts and Entertainment
May 9, 2008
ODDS AND ENDS
Places on
campus to contract pink eye
BY
THE LAFAYETTE STAFF
10.) The gym: Gross.
9.) Williams Center dressing
room: You don't know where
those masks have been.
6.) Anywhere you faceplant
while intoxicated: You never
know.
8.) Chemistry Lab: You don't
know what's breeding in those
beakers.
5.) Wine Society: People get
close while quaffing.
7.) Your roommate's towel: How
often does he do laundry?
What is your Lafayette ideal?
- Can sink the last cup in beirut
- Not an engineer
- Tall
- A righty
- High alcohol tolerance
- Doesn't make excuses, plays like a champion
- Wears plaid
- The Marquis
Sudoku
High
Fives
HOW TO PLAY: Sudoku High Fives
is a puzzle consisting of five regular
sudoku grids, sharing one set of 3-by-3
boxes. Each row, column and set of 3by-3 boxes must contain the numbers 1
through 9. The numbers in any set of
3-by-3 boxes, which are shared by two
of the Sudokus, are filled in identically,
for both of the individual Sudoku's.
27%
12%
4%
0%
10%
22%
20%
6%
4.) Your own pillow: You never
know what your roommate
farted on.
3.) Your girlfriend's pillow: She
could be cheating on you.
2.) The desk you fell asleep on in
Skillman: What happens during
finals...
1.) Campus Pizza: Just because.
What's Your Sign?
YOUR WEEKLY (5/9 - 5/15) HOROSCOPE
ARIES:
(March 21- April 20)
Something is likely to be brought
to your attention this week that
you cannot overlook any longer.
It’s time to play a more active
role. A cry for help must not be
ignored this week. In the long
run, it is you who will benefit
most.
LIBRA:
(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23)
You may have trouble putting
two and two together and solving
what is proving a stubborn mystery. Don’t be sidetracked; focus
on your primary goal. A trick
of fate may have you paying
for something you didn’t do this
week -- but only temporarily.
TAURUS:
(April 21 - May 21)
A mystery that has yet to be
solved may be illuminated in a
new way this week, allowing you
to take a closer look than ever
before. You must take any and
all threats seriously this week,
and be prepared to face a major
challenge head-on.
SCORPIO:
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
Now is the time for you to assume
responsibility in a situation that
is getting more and more out of
hand. You know how to get things
under control. Quiet time at home
can benefit you far more than any
major efforts at the workplace
this week.
GEMINI:
(May 22 - June 21)
It’s time to confide in a friend
or loved one this week, and enlist his or her aid in putting an
unfortunate occurrence behind
you for good. You may find
yourself competing with your
own memories this week. Concentrate on looking forward.
SAGITTARIUS:
(Nov. 23 - Dec.21)
Now is no time to assume facts
that are not evident; make up
your mind this week only after
you have received all pertinent
information. A look into the future this week may afford you an
important piece of information
you can use to your advantage.
CANCER:
(June 22 - July 23)
A direct confrontation may not
be necessary in order to settle
a long-standing argument. Try
a more indirect approach; be
imaginative, clever. A misguided
effort may set you back a good
deal -- but you have the means
to make up for lost time with
ease.
CAPRICORN:
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20)
You may butt heads with the
“experts” this week over a seemingly trivial issue. In the end,
you’ll be vindicated. Don’t become impatient. What appears
obvious to you may be rather
vague to those around you. Be
clear, precise, patient.
LEO:
(July 24 - Aug. 23)
You’ve been treating yourself
a little better lately, and you’re
likely to begin seeing dramatic
results before the week is over.
It’s time to embrace the unusual, and be willing to explore
certain unconventional options
this week..
AQUARIUS:
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19)
A change of scene will do you
worlds of good early in the
week. There is a surprise in store
later on -- courtesy of a friend. A
seemingly routine errand early
on is likely to change the course
of your week dramatically for
the better later on.
VIRGO:
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23)
A journey into the unknown is
likely to begin for you this week.
You can score a major victory,
provided your doubts don’t hold
you back. You can sur prise
many this week by sticking to
your guns and insisting another
keeps a promise.
PISCES:
(Feb. 20 - March 20)
Extend an invitation this week,
and be on the receiving end of
some very real thanks. Focus on
altering plans slightly for major
gains. It’s time to show someone
you mean business. A little selfdoubt is nothing to worry about
at this time.
Arts and Entertainment
May 9, 2008
the Lafayette
Page 7
Student sculptures installed on campus
Select students from the Fundamentals of Sculpture course with Alastair Noble, assistant professor of art, created unique sculptures from completely recycled materials. These inventive creations were installed between
Pardee Hall and Farinon College Center on Tuesday, and have been utilized by students ever since. Three students each made an individual sculpture, and collaborated to produce one piece together. ~By Casey Argento
S BY
PHOTO
LESLEY
KLINE
reated
e '08 c from
n
o
r
r
e
P
Debra e chair made
lu
ums.
b
p
e
d oil dr
a de
recycle
The coffee table combines the use
of many different materials, as well
as the talents of all three artists.
Senior wishes
before graduation
BY
SARAH STRANG &
RACHEL HOOK
With graduation looming closer, many seniors are
faced with feelings of regret before entering the
real world. We asked ten seniors the same question:
If you could do anything, and still graduate, what
would you do?
Ashley Luke said, “Steal all the answers to my
final.”
Meghan Muldowney said, “Throw a huge party
in the library.”
Nick Keppel said, “Not have to pay any of the
money and fines I owe.”
Lauren Papa said, “I've done pretty much
everything I’ve wanted to do.”
Scott Hawkins said, “I’d hookup in the middle of
the classroom.”
Ben Casey said, “Go to class naked.”
Aman Seth said, “Naked mud wrestle with a
girl.”
Jason Vacca said, “Streak across the Quad to the
gym.”
Matt Monn said, “Throw water balloons at Public
Safety.”
Jesse Padilla said, “Lafayette College Fight
Club.”
This chair, made
entirely of records,
was made by Jon
Carter '11. Carter
combined the use
of record covers, as
well as actual records
themselves.
This side table, composed of
aluminum cans held together
with concrete, was sculpted by
Lindsey Brough '08.
Page 8
the Lafayette
Arts and Entertainment
May 9, 2008
A farewell: The best of "Off the Beaten Path"
BY
CATIE THOMPSON
B
ecause this is my last column
for The Lafayette, I compiled
a list of my favorite entries from
the past two years in which I have
been writing “Off the Beaten
Path.” These ten are just some of
the albums, TV shows, etc. that I
still frequently listen to and watch.
Although some of these have since
become more popular, I think these
are good examples of what I have
hoped to do with the column.
Thank you for reading, and I hope
you have enjoyed my insights into
the lesser known world of media
as much I have loved discovering
these upcoming talents and amusing entertainments.
Catie Thompson, the face
behind "Off the Beaten Path."
The Swell Season
by Glen Hansard
and Marketa Irglova
The main characters of last year’s
indie film Once, The Frames frontman Glen Hansard and classically
trained pianist Marketa Irglova
released a collaborative album a
year before the film was released.
Like the songs in the film, The Swell
Season boasts phenomenal acoustics
and original instrumentals by the
two musicians.
Hansard contributes his beautifully subtle and understated
acoustic tunes, while Irglova adds
hauntingly melancholy harmonies
with her piano and her authentically sorrowful voice.
The album features songs played
in Once, like the main track “Falling Slowly,” and “Lies,” but it’s
the other unique songs that really
make this CD stand out. Since the
album doesn’t adhere to a narrative
structure like the film’s soundtrack,
the songs are much more collaborative, and the result is a much richer
variety of sounds.
ClarkandMichael.com
Actor Michael Cera, known for
his comedic roles in Superbad, Juno,
and Arrested Development, joins his
similarly hilarious friend Clark
Duke to make the web series “Clark
and Michael.”
In the ten episodes featured on
ClarkandMichael.com, the actors play absurdly exaggerated
versions of themselves trying to
sell their original script, “The
Family Cruise” to television networks around Hollywood. The
title characters parade around the
town like a married couple with
clashing personalities, but their
aggressive humor is very cleverly
maneuvered. Clark’s deadpan delivery juxtaposed against Michael’s
arrogance and sensitivity show the
extremes of each character, making
daily, mundane activities strangely
entertaining.
Ratatat
Although Ratatat’s songs seem to
be some of the most complicated
and genre-bending tracks written
recently, the band is comprised
of only two band members: Mike
Stroud and Evan Mast, working
with guitar, bass, and a synthesizer.
The alternative, electronic, hiphop, experimental mish-mash of
sounds that are beautifully created
and manipulated by Stroud and
Mast lead to the genius, and completely instrumental, tracks that
make up their albums.
The band’s debut, self-titled album Ratatat, seems to be an experiment in which these two talented
musicians begin to understand their
sound. Producing consistently good
songs that can sound too much like
one another, Ratatat’s sophomore
album Classics illustrates the band’s
growth and comfort in their craft
and delivers amazingly innovative
and varied tunes.
singles “Again and Again” and “La
La La” that boast a great balance
between the old and new. Their
new EP released earlier this week
includes the song “Polite Dance
Song,” in which George comically
asks the listener: “Would you please
clap your hands?”
Afro Celt Sound System
For the past ten years, one of
the most innovative and groundbreaking international bands has
been Afro Celt Sound System -- a
group that fuses the oldest musical
traditions in the world with modern
dance creations. The band's five
albums feature skilled musicians
from Western Africa with musicians
and electronica producers to Western Europe that have deep roots in
traditional Celtic music.
They also feature many contemporary guests like Sinead O’Connor
and James McNally of the Pogues.
The band’s music breaks cultural
barriers by highlighting the similarities between the beats and instruments used in both African and
European traditions, but it is also
able to accentuate the differences
by layering the sounds together.
The musicians refer to their songs
as “soundscapes” to emphasize the
vast amount of material that is being played in a single song.
PHOTO COURTESY OF COLLIDER.COM
Michael Cera and Clark Duke team up for their comedic web
series clarkandmichael.com.
of clothes and accessories, The
Market NYC is ideal. Located on
Mulberry St. between Prince St.
and East Houston St. in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood, up-andcoming designers here are given
Roisin Murphy
a venue to display and vend their
Ruby Blue
pieces all under one roof.
The Weepies
Roisin Murphy got her start
Open on Saturdays and Sundays
Say I Am You
providing the vocals for the elecfrom 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., there are
The Weepies is made up of Deb tronic band Moloko. The band’s
usually about eight long tables
Talan and Steve Tannen, two artists most recent album was titled Do You
exhibiting innovative clothing, jewwho each first garnered praise for Like My Tight Sweater? and featured
elry, shoes, bags, and many other
their solo albums, Something Burn- Murphy repeating that question for
accessories. Although many of the
ing and Big Senorita, respectively. the length of the entire song.
pieces are expensive (necklaces
Because they were both big fans
For her debut solo album, Ruby
for $300), some reasonably priced
of each other’s music, however, Blue, the Irish songstress shows
items (rings for $25) can be found
they decided to team up and create off her own eclectic combination
and some generous designers are
The Weepies. Since then, they have of electronica and dance music.
willing to cut down prices and offer
been gaining even more admiration A highlight of the album is the
deals in order to gain some business
for their work in the band.
title song, “Ruby Blue.” Her most
and get noticed.
The name, The Weepies,
The site has a very pleashelps explain the emotionSee What I Wanna See confronts the ant atmosphere because the
al lyrics that are scattered
controversial topics of what the truth designers are very excited
throughout their work, but
is, who to believe, what to believe in for the interest, making The
their music is actually mostly
a post-9/11 society, and ultimately, Market NYC a perfect shopfocused on love and joyif any of these things can ever be ping spot to find unique
ful experiences (their first
items.
album, seemingly ironic, is
known.
called Happiness). Say I Am
See What I Wanna See
You is the band’s second
This Off-Broadway show had a
album that was just released last recent single from Ruby Blue is a
limited engagement at The Public
month and features 13 original catchy dance song called, "So Into
Theater, but now the original cast
songs.
You," for which Murphy just crerecording has been released four
ated a music video. Murphy’s first
months after its closing, keeping the
solo hit can be heard on the radio,
The Bird and the Bee
crisp sound of the staged version
The Bird and the Bee is a band as well as on the Grey’s Anatomy
intact. The soundtrack includes
fronted by previously solo vocalist soundtrack.
the music and lyrics by Michael
Inara George who might be recJohn LaChiusa, some dialogue
The Market NYC
ognized from her song “Fools in
in order to follow the plot of the
For people who are looking to
Love” featured on the Grey’s Anatomy
show, and performances from the
dress in one-of-a-kind attire or just
soundtrack.
very talented ensemble cast led by
The ethereal singer is joined by interested in seeing a new selection
Idina Menzel (famous for her Tony
Greg Kurstin to form The Bird and
the Bee, which amplifies the indiefolk feel to George’s solo music, and
explores the 60s pop tradition.
With some of that classic, innocent pop genre infused into the otherwise modern lyrics and melodies
of The Bird and the Bee’s songs,
the band is able to make a lost genre
accessible to our generation.
The band’s self-titled debut
album features their first catchy
winning performance in Wicked).
See What I Wanna See confronts
the controversial topics of what
the truth is, who to believe, what to
believe in a post-9/11 society, and
ultimately, if any of these things
can ever be known. This soundtrack is not only filled with rich,
beautiful music but also thoughtprovoking content that much New
York theater is missing in this era of
spectacle-obsessed performances.
Home Movies
Home Movies is an animated TV
show that used to be on Cartoon
Network’s Adult Swim in which
an eight year old boy and his two
best friends make movies as they
deal with elementary school daily
life and the world around them.
The show, which began in 1999,
developed a cult following after its
cancellation in 2004. The DVDs
for the series are gradually being
released and seasons one through
three are already available.
Home Movies depicts the world
from a child’s perspective, and in
this case, they are usually superior
to their adult counterparts. From
the hilarious, less-than-intelligent
soccer coach, Coach McGuirk, to
a duo of eight year old boys that
if older, would know they were
gay, the show’s characters are individually funny, but together, make
a great ensemble cast.
Classifieds
Duke Paralegal Program Summer Intensive Have a degree,
now need a career? Earn your
paralegal certificate from Duke
University in only five weeks.
Program runs June 2-July 3.
Convenient daytime classes. For
more information visit www.
learnmore.duke.edu/paralegal or
phone 1-866-EDU-DUKE.
the Lafayette
Sports
May 9, 2008
Page 9
Track has strong showing Bierce has excellent
in Patriot League title meet bounceback season
~Continued from page 12
of 42’. Harbin won the hammer
throw and placed second in the
discus with a personal best throw
that also qualified her for ECACs.
Graybill placed fourth in discus
with a 131’7” throw.
The men’s performance was
sprinkled with qualifications and
personal improvements, but the 23
point total was only enough to put
them ahead of Holy Cross, who
ended the day with 16. American
placed just ahead of Lafayette
with 35 points. The top three
places were filled by Navy with
199 points, Army with 179 and
Bucknell with 137.
Kyle Clayton ’10 ran the 100
and 200-meters, placing third
in the 200 and forth in the 100,
qualifying him for the IC4As. He
went on to run the 4x100 with
Brad Williams ’10, Adam Ballester
’10 and Brant Hammer ’10 for a
fourth place finish with a time of
41.98.
Sifiso Takirambudde ‘10 improved his personal best time for
110-meter hurdles by .01, finishing
fifth and placing him fifth on the
all-time career list. Alex Wechsler
’08 also improved his personal best
time, taking off two seconds in the
1,500 meters to finish seventh and
close to the second best all-time
record for Lafayette.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JANICA
AUSTIN
Janica Austin '11 had an outstanding meet, winning the 100meter hurdles. She was also named female Rookie of the Meet.
Connor McGee ’10 said the
male throwers have been struggling lately due to injuries. “Sixty
percent of [the male throwers]
are hurt,” he said. “That’s over
50. It’s been a long season and
the male throwers are tired.”
Six women were named to the
All-Patriot League First Team
with many of them also named
to the second team as well as
two solely named to the second
team. Austin, Buzzel, Harbin,
Hollis, Izevbigie and Kalinowski
were named to the first team with
Austin, Buzzel, Harbin, and Hollis also named to the second team.
Andrea Cerbie ’08 and Thomas
were named to the second team
as well.
Some of the Leopards will continue their seasons next weekend,
as individual honors are up for
grabs at the ECAC and IC4A
championships in Princeton, New
Jersey.
PHOTO COURTESY OF
ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Daniel Bierce '09 is second on the team with a .320
batting average and a .427 slugging percentage.
~Continued from page 11
by example, but at the same time,
he is not afraid to say something
if he feels like the guys around
him are not working as hard.”
Pitcher Kevin Reese ’08 said
he and his teammates could
benefit by following Bierce’s example. “Bierce is a very relaxed
player and is a leader by example,” he said. “If we had more
players taking his approach, we
would have been better off as a
team.”
Bierce said he did not necessarily go into the season thinking
he had to be a team leader. “I
wanted to step into a leadership role, but I knew there were
seniors on the team who would
step up,” he said.
Despite the individual success,
Bierce said he was displeased
with his team’s league finish
this season. “[Not making the
league tournament] was a disappointment,” he said. “The last
two weeks of the season we’ve
been playing our best baseball,
so you wonder what could have
been. This year was frustrating.”
Bierce cited consistency as the
biggest downfall of this season.
Bierce said next year he is solely focused on winning the Patriot
League Championship. “My
only goal is to win the Patriot
League title,” he said. “I don’t
care about individual numbers.
I just want to play regionals. It is
good to stay on campus and just
play baseball. I want to end my
career on a winning note.”
Kinney said Bierce will be an
essential part in leading the team
as they hope for a turnaround
next year. “[Bierce] is developing into a leader through his play
this season and still has room
to grow,” he said. “We will be
working hard with [Bierce] to
focus on areas of improvement
both on and off the field as we
prepare for next season.”
Bierce said he thinks his team
is capable of garnering a league
title. “We are bringing back a
huge part of our team,” he said.
“We also have some young guys
who are ready to step up and fill
roles.”
If the Leopards are going to
have any success next year, they
will need another strong season
from their vastly improving
shortstop.
Gilbert's
Different Soups and Specials
Each Day
Mon-Wed 8:30a.m.-1:00a.m.
Thu-Fri 8:30a.m.-2:00a.m.
Mon-Wed 8:00p.m.-2:00a.m.
Mon-Wed 8:00p.m.-1:00a.m.
Page 10
the Lafayette
Sports
May 9, 2008
Baseball takes three of four in final series of season
~Continued from page 12
giving the Leopards a 2-0 lead.
Lafayette added an insurance
run in the fifth inning when second baseman Tom Hayes ’08 hit
a one-out single and center fielder
Rob Froio ’11 picked up a two-out
walk. Shortstop Daniel Bierce ’09
then singled home Hayes, extending Lafayette’s lead to 3-0.
Fritz was outstanding on the
mound, earning his fourth win of
the season. The freshman pitched
a complete game shutout, scattering three hits and striking out
two.
In game two, Lafayette dominated the Seawolves until the
seventh inning when the bullpen
imploded. The Leopards opened
the scoring in the third inning
when Bierce smashed an RBIdouble to right-center that plated
Roberts as they claimed an early
1-0 lead.
Second baseman A.J. Pisarri ’10
put another run on the board for
Lafayette with an RBI-double that
scored catcher A.J. Miller ’11 and
Roberts followed with an RBIsingle that brought home Pisarri.
The Leopards added another run
in the inning when designated hitter Adam McMahon ’11 scored
on an error by the catcher.
The Lafayette offense continued to roll in the fifth inning
when Ezekiel belted a solo home
run. The Leopards put up another three-spot in the seventh
inning when third baseman Justin
Shepherd ’10 smashed a three-run
home run that pushed the lead to
8-0.
The wheels fell off for Lafayette
in the bottom of the seventh inning, however, when Stony Brook
tagged starting pitcher Jeremy
Atkins ’10 and relief pitcher
Brad Woodfield ’08 for nine runs.
Atkins, who cruised through six
innings and only scattered three
hits, allowed five hits and two
runs in the seventh before getting
lifted with the bases loaded for
Woodfield, who allowed all three
runners to score. The Seawolves
then roughed up Woodfield for an
’09 reached on a fielder’s choice
and Ezekiel drove him in with a
double. Catcher Tom Ambrosole
’08 followed with an RBI-double
of his own and a sacrifice fly
by right fielder Nick Tucker ’08
brought Ambrosole home. Hayes
added another RBI-double that
scored third baseman Jeff Butler
’09 and Roberts capped off the in-
an RBI-double by Hayes allowed
him to score the game’s opening run. Ryan Roberts followed
with a single to put runners at
the corners and Froio stroked an
RBI-single to left to push Lafayette’s lead to 2-0. Stony Brook
answered with three runs in the
fourth inning off of starting pitcher Ryan Hanna ’09 before Jason
PHOTO COURTESY OF
ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
The baseball team ensured itself a winning record by winning the series against Stony Brook.
additional four runs as they rallied
to take a 9-8 lead. Stony Brook
continued to pound Lafayette
pitching in the eighth inning as
they scored four runs off of Corey
Shea ’11 on their way to a 13-8
win.
In an attempt to spoil Senior
Day, Michael Stephan hit an RBIsingle in the first inning of game
three off of starting pitcher Kevin
Reese ’08, giving the Seawolves a
1-0 lead. The Leopards responded in the third inning with five
runs. First baseman Chris Luick
ning’s scoring with an RBI-single
that plated Hayes as the Leopards
jumped to a 5-1 lead.
In his final start for the Leopards, Reese turned in another
strong performance. The senior
co-captain pitched 5.1 innings
and allowed one run on five hits,
while striking out three and walking three. Relief pitcher Steve
Roberts ’08 was perfect in the
final 1.1 innings to secure the
victory.
In the series finale, Hall led off
the third inning with a single and
Morytko ’08 came on in relief to
prevent any further damage as the
Seawolves took a 3-2 lead.
Hayes put the Leopards ahead
in the bottom of the fourth inning
with a two-run home run, but
Stony Brook added a pair of runs
in the sixth inning to reclaim the
lead at 5-4. Lafayette knotted the
game in the bottom of the sixth
when Miller hit a one-out single
and advanced to second on a wild
pitch. Hayes then hit a two-out
single to second and Ryan Roberts
hit an RBI-single to right, scor-
ing Miller and tying the game at
5-5.
Relief pitcher Brian Mostek
’09 surrendered the lead in the
seventh inning by allowing an unearned run. Lafayette responded
in the bottom of the inning when
Froio hit a lead-off triple. Bierce
then followed by belting a clutch
two-run home run as the Leopards
regained the lead at 7-6. Steve
Roberts pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit, striking
out four, and recording his fifth
save of the season, as Lafayette
held on for the 7-6 win.
After their series win over Stony
Brook, the members of the Class
of 2008 have been a part of 103
victories, the most in school history. Reese said he enjoyed the
opportunity to compete with his
fellow seniors during the past four
years. “The senior class was a
very dedicated group of athletes,
and it was a pleasure going into
competition with them,” he said.
“Although we didn’t accomplish
our goal this year, we can always
say that we were one of the most
successful classes to ever come
through Lafayette. I hope the
classes after us will continue to
build on the solid foundation that
has been set in this program.”
Even after a disappointing 2008
season, Kinney said he believes
that the Leopards will be competitive in 2009. “The strength
of the Patriot League is that the
league is so balanced,” he said.
“This gives every team a realistic
shot to compete for a championship every year. I fully expect our
team next year to do just that, and
our challenge is to learn from our
shortcomings this year to improve
next year.”
Warm weather brings
out new sports on quad
PHOTO BY
NII ODAI ADJEI
Campus golf is one of the most popular springtime sports played around campus. It is usually a
leisurely activity, but some players say the competition can get pretty heated at times. Most people
play a "skins" style game in foursomes, and they are only allowed to use one club per round.
~Continued from page 12
DU, called Kubb, was brought over
by Andersen from his homeland
of Denmark. Kubb is played with
21 game pieces: ten Kubbs, which
are rectangular wooden blocks, the
King, which is a taller version of a
Kubb, six sticks, or wooden batons,
and four stakes to mark the edge of
the pitch. The game starts with one
team throwing their sticks, end over
end, at the Kubbs set up at the opposing team’s baseline, called “baseline”
Kubbs. The Kubbs that are knocked
down are thrown into the attacking
team’s end, placed standing up, and
are called “field” Kubbs.
The opposing team then has the
opportunity to knock down the other
team’s Kubbs, “field” Kubbs first,
and play is continued in this circular
fashion until one team is able to successfully knock down all the opposing
team’s Kubbs in a single turn. One
final twist is that if a team fails to
knock down the opposing team’s field
Kubbs, the opposing team is able to
use the Kubb closest to the King as
their baseline, where they may step
up to throw their sticks.
Andersen said the game dates back
many centuries. “It is an ancient
Viking game that involves several
sticks that are thrown at other sticks,”
Andersen said. “It can be played with
up to six people on a team and is a
lot of fun.”
A third sport, possibly the most
popular springtime game on campus,
is campus golf. Unlike the leisurely
quoits, campus golf can get intense.
The campus provides golfers with almost unlimited possibilities in terms
of hole and tee placement, making
the game new and exciting every
round. The game is played with a
tennis ball, and golfers are only given
one club for the round. Though
there are many options, a “skins”
game, where each hole is assigned a
money value where the winner takes
all, seems to be preferred among the
campus’ golfing population.
Clay Solomon ‘11 said this seemingly leisurely activity can actually
become pretty intense. “It is very
competitive, and playing campus
golf alone is an absolute no -- a foursome is preferred,” Solomon said.
“It’s a great game and a great way
to waste time in the middle of an
afternoon.”
Sports
May 9, 2008
proud of
our pards
Each week, Lafayette athletes do great things on
the playing field that earn them extra recognition. In
the past few weeks, this star made the news for his
outstanding accomplishments.
PHOTO COURTESY OF
ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Daniel Bierce '09 leads the Leopards with 57 hits.
BY
A
LUKE TROVATO
.227 batting average, seven
RBIs, and zero home runs
are certainly numbers worth
forgetting, but shortstop Daniel
Bierce ’09 made sure he would
remember these numbers from
his admittedly sub-par season.
“My sophomore year was the
worst baseball season of my
life,” Bierce said. “So, I hung
my numbers up on my wall [in
my dorm room], and made it my
goal to beat every one of them
this year.”
Bierce was able to do that
and then some. This year, he is
second on the team with a .320
batting average and a .427 slugging percentage. He also leads
the team with 57 hits and is tied
for second with three home runs.
He was recently named to the
All-Patriot League second team
for his efforts this season. In the
team’s final series of the season
against Storybook University last
weekend, Bierce collected seven
hits, four RBIs, and one home
run in the four game series.
Bierce said he was glad to
improve upon his sophomore
numbers, but believes there is
still room for improvement.
“This year was a good step for
me, but I can still get better,” he
said.
He said he thinks his offense is
the weakest part of his game, but
believes he can improve that as
well as in other areas. “I want to
get better at everything,” he said.
“I need to be more consistent
offensively. I need to have the
same swing every time.”
Bierce said the biggest strengths
of his game are his defense and
speed. “I have always been a
quick person,” he said. “I try to
steal bases, and I pride myself on
my defense.”
Head Baseball Coach Joseph
Kinney agreed defense is Bierce’s
strength, but also acknowledged
Bierce’s offensive improvement
this year. “Bierce plays one of
the most important positions on
the baseball field, shortstop,”
he said. “He is an outstanding
defender who proved that this
season. In 2008, he has also
improved his abilities at the plate
as evidenced by his statistics.”
Bierce said he got his start
playing baseball by “following
in [his] older brother’s footsteps” and playing with kids in
his neighborhood. His father
encouraged him to keep playing,
and his skill and dedication landed him on College Hill. Bierce
said he chose to attend Lafayette
after meeting with Kinney, who
told Bierce he would have a good
chancing of playing right away.
Not only did Bierce’s dedication and work ethic help him
bounce back from his sophomore
season, but they also allowed
him to develop into one of the
team’s leaders. “[Bierce] works
extremely hard,” said outfielder
Ryan Roberts ‘08. “He is a leader on the field and off. He leads
~Continued on page 9 with BIERCE
the Lafayette
Page 11
Success is common theme
of Ashley Harbin's career
BY
O
LUKE TROVATO
ne of the most decorated
athletes in Lafayette history
is looking to add another award to
her mantle next weekend. Track
and fielder throw Ashley Harbin
’08 will compete in the hammer
throw at the ECAC championships in Princeton, New Jersey,
and she has some lofty goals going
into the meet. “My goal is to win
the hammer throw and also set a
new ECAC meet record,” she said.
Harbin also qualified to compete in
the discus event, but she said she
declined because the event was the
night before the hammer throw.
Harbin said she likes her chances
of winning the hammer throw
next weekend, but looking ahead
to regionals, she knows she will be
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAFAYETTE ARCHIVES
facing some talented opponents.
“There will be tougher competition
Ashley Harbin '08 was the first ever Lafayette female to qualify
[at regionals],” she said. “My goal
for the NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor championships.
is to get All-American (top eight)
for the first time.”
Regardless of how Harbin fares female to compete in the NCAA
Harbin actually did not start
at the remainder of her meets this Indoor Championships, finishing competing in track and field until
year, she said she is pleased with her 12th in the 20-lb. weight throw. her freshman year of high school
success this season. “I came pretty She also broke her own school thanks to a suggestion from a gym
close to meeting all my goals,” she record in the same event earlier in teacher. Luckily for the Leopards,
said. The highlights over her season the indoor season with a distance she took him up on the offer.
were breaking the 200 foot barrier of 66’ 2 1/4”.
Harbin said she is pleased with
in the hammer throw and finishing
In the outdoor season, Harbin her overall career at Lafayette,
second in the discus at the Patriot broke another one of her school and that she would not have fared
League championas well without the help of
ships.
her coaches and teammates.
"[My success] would not have been
In addition to her
“[My success] would not
possible without my the help of my
second place finish,
have been possible without
Harbin also won the
my teammates and coaches,”
teammates and coaches."
hammer throw at the
she said. “They always keep
- Ashley Harbin '08
league championships
things interesting.”
for the second consecHarbin’s track and field cautive year with a throw of 198’8”. records in the hammer throw, reer may not be over once she
Harbin said was pleased with her something she has done multiple graduates, as this summer she
performance because it helped her times, with a distance of 201’3”. will attempt to qualify for the U.S.
team earn key points en route to a She also won her second con- Olympic trials. She said needs to
third place finish at a close meet.
secutive hammer throw titles at the add about ten feet to her distance
Success is not new to Harbin Penn Relays and the Patriot League in order to meet the B-standard 64
this year. In 2006, she became the championship meet.
meters (around 210 feet) at the trifirst female athlete in Lafayette
Despite all her success, Harbin als. She said meeting the standard
history to qualify for the NCAA remains humble, saying she does will be difficult. “It’s tough to say
championship meet, finishing 16th not let the accolades get to her [if I’ll hit 64 meters],” she said.
in the hammer throw. In 2007 she head. “I don’t usually think about “I’m ten feet away, but it takes a
won the hammer throw at the Pa- [the awards],” she said. “It was an long time to add ten feet.”
triot League champions, and again honor [to be the first Lafayette feRegardless of how Harbin fares
competed in the NCAA champions male at the NCAA indoor and out- this summer, at least she can conmeet, finishing 22nd.
door championships], but it's not fidently say she is one of the most
This year, Harbin again made anything that crosses my mind." I successful athletes to ever compete
history, this time in the indoor sea- just came here to throw, because on College Hill.
son. She became the first Lafayette that’s what I did in high school.”
Leopard
Spotting
May 9, 2008
Home Game Dates
WEEKEND WEATHER
reprinted from www.weather.com
FRIDAY:
RAIN
LOW: 46° | HIGH: 61°
SATURDAY:
PARTLY CLOUDY
LOW: 47° | HIGH: 72°
SUNDAY:
FEW SHOWERS
LOW: 47° | HIGH: 70°
Volume 134 Number 26
Baseball secures
winning record
BY
DAVID STAMM
L
ooking to clinch a winning
record and send its seniors
out in style, the Lafayette baseball team won three out of four
games in a home-and-home series
against America East Conferenceleading Stony Brook University.
Head Coach Joe Kinney said
he was pleased with his team’s
performance in their final series
of the season. “Obviously, to win
three out of four against the top
team in the America East Conference is very satisfying,” he said.
“Couple that with the fact that we
did not have much to play for after
being eliminated from the Patriot
League Tournament, I am proud
of how my team has competed in
the last week. In the Stony Brook
series, we were able, for the first
time all year, to put together the
three primary facets of baseball:
pitching, defense, and hitting.”
Left fielder Ryan Roberts ’08
said playing the final home games
of their collegiate career created
mixed emotions for the team’s
eight seniors. “The final home
game was exciting, but at the same
time it is hard to believe that the
seven other seniors and I will not
play at home again,” he said. “I
don’t think it hit all of us until the
end of the game on Sunday, but
it was definitely a weird experience.”
In the series opener, the Leopards took an early lead in support
of starting pitcher Zach Fritz ‘11.
Right fielder Matt Hall ’10 led off
the second inning by getting hit by
a pitch and designated hitter Joe
Ezekiel ’09 followed by crushing
a home run to right-center field,
~Continued on page 10 with BASEBALL
PHOTO COURTESY OF
ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
The baseball team showed strong consistency against Stony Brook University, combining strong
offense and pitching to take three out of four against the Seawolves last weekend.
Track and field team ends season Obscure sports offer
leisure and competition
with championship success
BY
A
T
he Leopards had a mixed
finish at the Patriot League
Championships at the Naval
Academy in Annapolis, MD last
weekend. The women came
through with an all-around strong
perfor mance, finishing third,
while the men ended the weekend
in seventh.
The women finished behind
winner Ar my and runner-up
Bucknell. Army totaled a score
of 148 points, Bucknell was right
behind with 146, and Lafayette
followed with a respectable score
of 137.
Janica Austin ’11 and Kristen
Kalinowski ’08 received individual honors for their respective
performances, Austin receiving
Rookie of the Meet honors and
Kalinowski Field Performer of the
Meet. Austin won the 100-meter
hurdles with a time fast enough
to meet the ECAC-qualifying requirement for the fourth time this
season. She also had outstanding
performances in the 100-meter
dash and the 4x100 meter relay.
Kalinowski won both the heptathlon and the high jump and
exceeded her personal best javelin
considered null and no point is
awarded even if the quoit bounces
onto the platform. The quoit that
s the weather gets warmer, lands nearest the pin is awarded one
students who do not spend point, and if both players’ quoits
their time on the Quad sunbathing land closer than either of their optake the opportunity to test their ponents, the players are awarded
mettle against the best the college two points. A “leaner” also only
has to offer in a variety of “sport- counts as one point, but a “ringer”
ing” events, including campus golf, counts as three. Furthermore, if
quoits, volleyball and Kubb. These a “ringer” is followed by another
activities offer students the chance quoit thrown closer to the pin than
either of
to comp e t e , "DU started playing quoits when a his opwhile ex- brother brought them back from home ponent’s
q u o i t s,
ploring several years ago."
t h e
various
- Gustav Andersen '08 player is
parts of
awarded
campus
and using unconventional terrain four points. The game continues
as part of their “gaming” experi- in this manner until a pair reaches
21.
ence.
Gustav Andersen ‘08 said DU
Quoits, while popular at the
Delta Upsilon and Zeta Psi fraterni- discovered quoits some years back.
ties, can be seen on multiple parts of “DU started playing quoits when
campus. The game is set up fairly a brother brought them from
similar to horseshoes, except the home several years ago, and it has
stakes are replaced by platforms continued to be played every year
raised in the back with a pin down since than because someone always
the middle, and the horseshoes are seems to have boards to play on,”
replaced by a plastic circle with a Andersen said. “We do not have
a tournament or anything and it's
hole in the middle.
Scoring is also much like horse- pretty relaxed play.”
Another game popularized by
shoes, with a few exceptions. When
a quoit touches the ground, it is
~Continued on page 10 with WARM
BY
KRISTEN GREANEY
PHOTO COURTESY OF JANICA
AUSTIN
The women's track team and field had a strong meet, finishing
third overall at last weekend's Patriot League Championships.
throw by more than 17 feet during
the heptathlon competition.
Kerry Taylor ’10 broke a school
record with her 3,000-meter
steeplechase time of 11:19.67,
placing third in the race and
improving her personal record
significantly.
The 4x100 relay team, made
up of Jessica Buzzell ’09, Kisha
Thomas ’08, Asia Hollis ’11 and
Austin, placed second with an
ECAC-qualifying time of 47.96.
Hollis went on to win the 400
Baseball vs. Stony Brook W 5-1
Baseball vs. Stony Brook W 7-6
Baseball at Stony Brook W 3-0
meters with a convincing time of
56.81.
The female throwers also had
a good showing, thanks to strong
performances from Osasumwen
Izevbigie ’09, Pamela Glennon ’08, Ashley Harbin ’08 and
Elizabeth Graybill. Izevbigie had
her longest throw of the season,
winning the shot put and qualifying for ECACs. Glennon also
participated in the shot competition and placed fifth with a throw
~Continued on page 9 with TRACK
Baseball at Stony Brook L 13-8
Track at PL Championships: M: 7/8; W: 3/8
MAX LUCE