Take Me out Set to Challenge Community
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Crawfordsville, Indiana | February 15, 2013 | Volume 105, Issue 16 Seniors Learn Their Fate SCOTT MORRISON ‘14 these anymore,” Dean of the College so desperately [how you did] and NEWS EDITOR Gary Phillips said. “I think there are can’t do anything but wait. You try to The results are in! Eighteen mem- seven or eight in the country that have get answers from professors, but they bers of the Class of 2013 earned dis- them, and I think we are even more can’t do more than keep you guess- tinction on their comprehensive ex- distinctive in that we have the writ- ing.” ten and the oral [parts]. It says, like ams. Peter Santa Maria ’13 shared that the Gentleman’s Rule [says], we look In all, 15 distinctions from 12 dif- sentiment. “The stress of the weeks to you to uphold your end of the bar- ferent majors were earned in students’ leading up to the tests and the month gain here; take responsibility for your first majors and six were earned in follow was so much to bear that I am behavior and, academically, take re- a second major. The number of first just glad it is all over,” Santa Maria sponsibility for your work.” major distinctions this year is exactly said. Many alumni look back on com- the same as last year and is right on Despite the stress that Wagner and prehensive exams as one of the many other seniors feel each year in par with the average per year. crowning achievements of their time anticipation of learning their results, Along with the distinctions, there at Wabash and life. They serve as a they should be thankful – the wait were also 41 first major high passes cap to the four or five years a stu- used to be longer. Before three or and 117 passes. In addition to those dent spends at Wabash and can be a four years ago, oral comprehensives numbers, 22 seniors from nine dif- daunting trial. “Comps feel a bit over- occurred throughout the early part of ferent majors failed a portion of their whelming,” Jimmy Kervan ’13 said. first major. Seniors who failed comps “How do you study for two tests and the second semester which pushed received a phone call from Dean of a 50 minute board that will cover four back when the College could release Students Mike Raters ’85 earlier this years of material and will determine if results by three or four weeks. “While week before results officially came you graduate or not? Overall, it is an- [the new format] compresses and out. Those earning distinction do not other one of those Wabash experienc- makes intensive the work of that first receive notice beforehand of their re- es you are glad to have completed but week back out of the holiday period, sults and find out when the College don’t ever want to have to do again.” pedagogically it really serves the stu- officially releases the results. For some students, the stress of dents in a better way,” Phillips said. Comprehensive exams, which se- Students who failed comprehen- comps did not end when classes be- IAN BAUMGARDNER | WABASH ‘14 niors took the week before all students gan on Jan. 14. The time up until this sive exams do have a chance to retake Peter Santa Maria ’13, a chemistry major, joined many other seniors in breathing returned for the second semester, are week can bring a lot of anxiety. “The the portion they failed, and those re- a big sigh of relief that the comps scores were posted earlier this week. Compre- one of the many distinctive facets of waiting period is unbearable,” Victor takes occur at some point before the hensive exams are an annual tradition at Wabash. Wabash. “Not many institutions have Wagner ’13 said. “You want to know midpoint of the semester. Take Me Out Set to Challenge Community JOHN DYKSTRA ‘13 bott, who tried to have the play per- audience to make its own conclusions EDITOR-IN-CHIEF formed on campus two years ago. since it is not a thesis-driven play. “What interests me most about “The audience will read whatever One’s response to contro- the play as a piece of art is that it inspirations it wants to read,” Ab- versy or adversity says some- is not dogmatic,” Abbott said. “It bott said. “One can see that the play thing about his or her character. is an exploration of an issue. It ex- Wabash’s Theater Depart- is about a gay baseball player. The plores it in a way that refuses to ment is ready to challenge the audience can also read it as a play create a hero-villain dichotomy. Wabash community and its per- about someone who falls in love with “The main character is prob- ception of homosexuality, rac- baseball and sees it as a kind of su- lematic in a variety of ways. He is ism, and gender through its perfor- perior meditation on American life.” both sympathetic and arrogant. I mances of Take Me Out next week. The majority of the play think he is also very clever because “We have done material here over takes place in a locker room. he understands American culture the years that challenges our students “Part of what the play covers is and its particular interest in sports. and the community to think about the responsibility of that gay athlete, “The play does not go the easy things in ways that they perhaps nev- when he comes out, to understand that way, which is to say, ‘Oh, this poor er thought about before,” Chairman there will be ramifications and that KELLY SULLIVAN | WABASH ‘15 guy. He is gay. He comes out. People of the Theater Department and Take you have to take that into account.” Larry Savoy ’14 and Noah Eppler ’16 play Darren Lemming and Mason Marzac re- are mean to him. Nobody understands Me Out Director Michael Abbott said. Larry Savoy ’14, who plays Dar- spectively in Take Me Out which premieres this coming Wednesday in Ball Theater. him. He is a victim,’” Daniel Sandberg Take Me Out portrays the interac- ren, hopes the audience will come tions between baseball players in a ’13 said. Sandberg plays Shane Mun- male environment where gay people means that it is largely members of to the play with an open mind. locker room and how athletes may re- gitt, a homophobic relief pitcher, also are scarce, it allows Wabash to look one gender interacting with members “I have talked to a lot of professors spond to an athlete publicly announc- believes the characters are complex. back at itself and see how it has as- of that same gender. Many cultural about the play, and they are excited ing he is gay. The play’s protagonist, “Shane is really a tragic case,” pects of homophobia and not being and literary critics say that male ho- Darren Lemming, a successful, mixed- Sandberg said. “He comes from a about it because it deals with several comfortable being around a gay guy.” mosocial spaces are especially given race athlete, comes out of the closet. terrible family life, which becomes issues, such as racism and homosexu- “I think one of the central themes Assistant Professor of Eng- to what they call homosocial panic: apparent during the play. It is not so ality,” he said. “I am hoping people in the play is not so much focusing on lish Crystal Benedicks agrees that men’s fear of being labeled gay.” much that he is a bad guy—though come in with an open mind and under- a gay guy; it is focusing on everyone’s the play is suitable for Wabash. The complexity of the play’s he seems to be the ‘bad guy’ of the stand what the message of the play is.” reaction to a gay guy,” Joe Mount ’15, “I think it is a wonderful choice for characters and playwright Richard play—it’s just that he is a prod- The play will run next Wednes- who plays Christopher Sunderstrom, Wabash,” Benedicks said. “Wabash Greenberg’s straightforwardness uct of the way he was raised.” day through Saturday, start- said. “With Wabash being an all- is a homosocial environment, which made the play appealing to Ab- Abbott said the play allows the ing at 8 p.m. in Ball Theater. Symposium Explores Movie Culture TYLER HARDCASTLE ‘15 “I’ve had a long interest in the Hoerl expands this question STAFF WRITER contribution of medieval texts [to into her own field, political science. film], broadly construed,” Hoerl said. “This can be taken into the political Later today, Wabash will host and “Medieval notions of romance per- arena as well,” Hoerl said. “If men and supply speakers for the Wally at the petuate themselves throughout the women expect each other to behave Movies symposium. The event is the fourth of its kind, having been preced- centuries and create sort of expecta- a certain way that’s going to affect ed by Wally at the Wheel last year. The tions, codes, and notions of chivalry how they will interact with each other symposium aims to foster connections that we really respond strongly to.” when they interact democratically.” between faculty, students and alumni. Hoerl has seen this kind of study Hoerl views the event as a great The colloquium will be led off become more widely accepted opportunity – for those involved – with President White giving a talk at within the field of political science. to examine academic, yet accessible 1 p.m.