Volume CXXIV, Number 3, September 29, 2006
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FRIDAY · SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 The LawrenTian VOL. CXXIV, NO. 3 LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1884 WWW.LAWRENTIAN.COM Beck delivers Matriculation Convocation Downer changes Inside Beth McHenry 2005-06 academic year. Many of these posed a 12-minute piece to accom- News Editor programs combined the sciences and pany a silent film from the 1920s, continue this year the arts. “The Black Pirate.” Lawrence’s convocation series for Emily Passey Assistant Professor of Biology Werfelman also conducted a group 2006-07 kicked off on Thursday with Staff Writer FEATURES Jodi Sedlock and students traveled to of 52 Lawrence students to record the President Jill Beck’s third matricula- the Philippines to study bats. Students piece, an excerpt of which concluded tion convocation. also created posters to educate and Beck’s presentation. Last year, Downer Commons Beck’s address, “Liberal inform locals, particularly farmers, Before his introduction of Beck’s announced that changes had been Philosophy, Free Discussion, and about their local ecology. address, Kern, chair of the Committee made. Students saw a physically Individualized Learning at Lawrence,” Beck also cited the work of biol- on Public Occasions, announced the improved Downer with new paint and presented the tenets of liberal educa- ogy students in two other programs. rest of the year’s convocation speak- artwork, making the entire experience tion that Beck has fostered for the Students of Associate Professor ers. a little nicer, and also a few new menu past two years, this time through of Biology Bart DeStasio conducted In November, neuroscientist and items including ethnically diverse the ideas of liberal philosopher John field sampling in lakes and rivers author Robert Sapolsky will speak foods. Stuart Mill. of Wisconsin. Associate Professor of in the year’s second convocation. In an effort to make Downer more The program began with musi- Biology Beth DeStasio headed a cancer Sapolsky is a professor of biology and student-friendly, new signs designated cal selections featuring the Lawrence research tutorial in which students neurology and neurological sciences foods as vegan or vegetarian. Brass and the Welcome Week Choir. gathered and presented information at Stanford University. He is also a Despite these changes, senior Adam Berey shows us After Wallace Stevens’ “The Poems about the molecular basis of cancer. research associate for the Institute Corin Howland feels that the quality of Our Climate,” read by Professor Russia's seemy underbelly. Beck’s final example was the of Primate Research at the National provided at the main eatery on cam- Howard Niblock, Associate Professor >> see page 2 efforts of former student David Museum of Kenya. pus has not improved. Edmund Kern introduced President Werfelman. With the help of faculty Each year, his work takes him to Howland has compiled his own list Beck. mentors Joanne Metcalf, Fred Sturm of three years’ worth of complaints, Beck’s main goal was to outline and David Becker, Werfelman com- including isolated incidents such as A&E the necessity of free discussion in See Convocation on page 4 discovering an insect and a large piece education. Beck pointed out that the of plastic in his food to more “epi- forms of individualized learning that demic” problems such as food tasting Lawrence offers, such as small tutori- of cleaning solvents and finding rancid als, encourage this free discussion. milk in the milk machines. To further express this position, Howland’s complaints also encom- Beck referred to the educational phi- pass some vegetarian issues. Howland losophies of John Stuart Mill. Mill notes that often, the soup labeled veg- believed that only free discussion etarian is actually made using chicken can foster true education, and only broth. Upon asking staff, Howland has through discussion can people know if discovered that they readily admit their opinions are fallible and explore this, not seeming to see the misnomer. their own claims to truth. Also, he once took a burger that was Discussing our own opinions with labeled as vegetarian only to discover WLFM rocks the coffee- those who hold different viewpoints it was actually meat. can help us learn more about each Though many of Howland’s con- house! position and make an informed deci- cerns stem from his vegetarianism, >> see page 6 sion. Several minds are required to Howland says that he is most con- find the real truth. cerned with “food purity and nutri- Beck finished her address by Photo by Erin Ober tion,” feeling that there may even be SPORTS highlighting several individualized President Jill Beck addresses students and faculty at her third Matriculation Convocation Thursday in the learning programs from Lawrence’s Chapel. See Downer on page 4 What are we eating? Winged Victory The truth about GM foods Sufjan Stevens live at the Pabst Katie Buchanan would eat any GM foods served at Paul Karner uniform fitted with a colorful set of for The Lawrentian Downer, Sundt questioned, “What are Arts & Entertainment Editor costume butterfly wings. the modifications? What are they put- The subject of birds was a con- Since genetically modified crops ting in the food? I’d like to know “We’re still getting used to hav- sistent theme throughout the eve- were first introduced for commercial what’s in it before I eat it.” ing wings,” Sufjan Stevens uttered ning. The highlight perhaps was a production in 1996, genetically altered Has Downer ever served any GM into the mike as he carefully maneu- performance of “Majesty’s Songbird,” Women's Soccer kicks foods have generated everything from foods? “I’m sure we do,” said Patrick vered from his piano to his guitar a new song with some of Stevens’ praise for their benefits to deep con- some booty! Niles, Director of Dining Services. with a four-foot set of eagle wings richest orchestrations to date, which cern about accompanying environ- “There’s no way of knowing because attached to his back. “Man wasn’t he has referred to as a sort of theme >> see page 8 mental problems. Some of the main the FDA doesn’t regulate GM foods.” supposed to have wings,” he added. song for his current lineup. GM crops in the United States include When asked what he thought Backed by a 17-piece band The show also included a per- soybeans, cotton and corn. about GM foods, Niles remarked, “The including strings, horns, piano, formance of “The Lord God Bird,” Major praise has been given to jury’s still out; GM crops are too new to guitars, drums and a prominently a song about the rediscovery of the wEATHER GM foods because of the research know much about. Some good things placed celeste, Stevens performed ivory-billed woodpecker in Brinkley, and development of allergen-free soy- could come out of it, but we don’t to a remarkably attentive sold-out Arkansas. The song was commis- beans, modified mice that can produce know what it would do to humans with crowd Monday at the Pabst Theater sioned by two independent radio pro- fish oils, hypoallergenic cats, and huge specific allergies.” in Milwaukee. ducers as a way to witness the artists’ boosts in crop yield. Furthermore, Niles believes there Majesty Bird and the Chinese writing process and later debuted on At the same time, issues have could be problems altering plants. Butterfly Brigade--the moniker by NPR’s “All Things Considered” in been raised about GM crops having a “Because we’ve altered the plant so which Stevens introduced the band- worse effect on farmland wildlife than much, we might not be able to grow -were quite a sight to see: Each conventional crops, crops engineered the genetically original plant ever musician donned a Boy Scout-esque See Sufjan Stevens on page 7 to produce industrial chemicals, drugs again.” cross-pollinating with and contaminat- Ben Glover, a member of Student ing crops grown as food, and a general War Against Hunger and Poverty, Showers Saturday lack of interest in researching the short believes there’s a promising future for Mostly sunny Sunday and long-term effects of GM foods as a GM foods. “It’s very common in the significant part of the human diet. U.S. and other developed countries,” Saturday On the Lawrence campus, GM said the junior. “Modifications pro- crops inspire many different opin- High 57 duce excess crops so there’s enough ions. Considering the developments food for a large number of people.” Low 41 made to corn so that it could grow in Glover says he feels okay about Wind: W at 9 mph extremely adverse climates, Kendra giving GM foods to the hungry, but Sundt believes, “There’s a reason why Sunday “there’s a trade off--using genetic tech- [corn] can’t grow in certain places. I’m nology will produce more food, but High 61 against moving plants that belong in this might lead to new environmental a certain climate to a new climate,” Low 50 problems.” said the junior. “It could have a ton Wind: WSW at 8 mph For more information about GM of environmental effects that could be crops, visit NewScientist.com, the Pew detrimental.” Photo by Paul Karner Source: weather.com Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, Sufjan Stevens dons wings for his preformance at the Pabst. When asked about whether she or truthout.org. The LawrenTian 2 FeaTureS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 Steppes Away: A Lawrentian's Siberia Changes for on-campus Amid Westernization, old opportunism still rules work and “relaxation” houses in 2006-2007 Adam Berey Their driving is even more danger- “And I want you, get it?” Staff Writer ous than certified drivers, and they That went on until we reached Nora G.