www.vanderbilthustler.com WEDNESDAY THE VOICE OF FEBRUARY 15, 2006 VANDERBILT 118th YEAR SINCE 1888 No. 16 TThehe VVanderbiltanderbilt HHustlerustler STUDENT GOVERNMENT Interhall election to be held today The Candidates Current President Southern endorses Donovan. “His endorsement is indicative of my things for the university next year,” Ross potential and of all my accomplishments I said. “It won’t hurt my campaign at all.” BY KATHERINE FOUTCH “All her experience both within Interh- have achieved this year and my ability to go Ross said he thinks Southern endorsed HUSTLER ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR all, on campus, and in the Nashville com- to the next level next year,” said Donovan. Donovan because of misinterpretation. Kyle Southern, Interhall president, an- munity gives her a good perspective to Junior Russell Ross, the other Interhall “I outline certain policy measures that nounced his endorsement of presidential serve student interests and lead Interhall presidential candidate, said he does not be- need to be implemented and there has been Devin Donovan Russell Ross candidate junior Devin Donovan today. next year,” Southern said. lieve Southern’s endorsement will hurt his a mischaracterization that I have just been Voting for Interhall President online Southern said he chose to endorse Don- Donovan said Southern’s endorsement campaign. criticizing,” Ross said. “I think that has lead or on the Sarratt Promenade today ovan because of her experience with Inter- is a testament to her commitment to Inter- “His endorsement of Devin will not to Kyle’s endorsement of Devon.” until 8 p.m. hall and the Nashville community. hall. impact (the fact that) I will do wonderful Please see ELECTION, page 2 COMMONS HEALTH SPEAKERS Commons FDA warns against Ashcroft on track, Ritalin, Adderall discusses on budget due process, Other universities undertaking similar projects. death penalty BY ROBERT PROUDFOOT HUSTLER SENIOR FEATURES REPORTER “You don’t have to move to live Despites increases in construction costs in a safer neighboorhood” due to Katrina, offi cials say that Th e Com- mons construction project is on schedule BY MEREDITH CASEY and on budget. HUSTLER NEWS EDITOR “So far we are looking great,” said Susan Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft spoke Barge, associate provost for residential colleges. about the death penalty on Monday evening as part of Proj- “Th e fact that we were so far into the project be- ect Dialogue, whose theme this year was “Crime and the fore Katrina was to our benefi t.” Ultimate Punishment”. All 10 houses of Th e Commons, holding Th e average length of time between sentencing a 1,550 freshmen, will be completed by the fall of defendant to the death penalty and execution is 2008. Th is includes about 11 years in the United States, according CCollegeollege HHallsalls the construction of to Ashcroft . Th is average fi ve new buildings, “refl ects an intention to get it A series a student center and right,” Ashcroft said while an- • Look forward to the renovation of swering media questions prior stories on safety issues, fi ve existing build- to his public lecture. Common Ground and ings. Gillette Hall, When the 9/11 terrorist at- communication issues. an existing dormito- tacks occurred, President Bush ry on Peabody, will told Ashcroft to never let that be the fi rst to be renovated and will be closed happen again, Ashcroft recounted. Ashcroft next fall. Ashcroft recognized that 9/11 was a Nim Chinniah, deputy vice chancellor, ad- “horrible American tragedy” in which approximately 3,000 ministration and academic aff airs and oversees Americans lost their lives. He compared these numbers to the Freshmen Commons budget. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KELLY HOCUTT / The Va the 16,000 individuals who are murdered each year in the Chinniah stressed the importance of making nderbilt Hustler U.S. the right comparisons when looking at costs. “We need to curtail murder in our culture... there are It would be “inaccurate” he said to compare fi ve times as many people murdered each year than people Th e Commons and any other funding project Students frequently use drugs to help focus who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.” on campus such as Medical Research Building Ashcroft is in favor of capital punishment because it de- Four, the Buttrick renovations or the Student while studying; most don’t mind warnings. ters people from committing crime and promotes a sense Life Center. of justice and closure for the loved ones of the deceased. However, students have shown that in ”Th ere really isn’t a good comparison,” Chin- BY AMY ROEBUCK “Th e death penalty saves both innocent and guilty lives,” HUSTLER REPORTER some cases, the drugs lead to an increased niah said. “Every project stands on it own. When said Ashcroft . “Th e death penalty helps culture digest the Th e Food and Drug Administration advisory risk of heart attacks, serious cardiovascular the Board of Trust looks at a project, it is aware crime and move forward... it is societal self-defense.” panel voted Th ursday to more strongly warn con- problems and even death. of all the factors.” He spoke about serving as Attorney General and the sumers of the dangers of Ritalin and Adderall. Although the current labels caution people with Th e Board of Trust, a 55-person body that diffi cult position he was put in when faced with cases in Th e drugs are popular amongst Vanderbilt certain pre-existing heart conditions about some governs Vanderbilt, voted last February to com- which the defendants had been sentenced to death row. students because they treat Attention Defi cit of the drugs’ possible negative eff ects, the FDA pletely fund and prioritize the creation of Th e Th e government reviews such cases in a blind way that Hyperactivity Disorder. may decide to implement a “black box” warning, Commons, a living-learning environment for all aims to prevent racial and geographic discrimination when “Th ey are very important to me when it comes the most severe warning that the agency can issue freshmen. Philanthropy also is an important as- administering the death penalty. to studying and I have been prescribed them since against a certain drug’s risk. pect of funding of Th e Commons. “As the Attorney General I review all capital punishment third grade,” said one female junior. Th e large and ever increasing number of pre- “Our trustees play a twofold role. Not only cases... It is an area where you don’t want to make mistakes, One male junior said that on the drugs one can scriptions written for them each year has sparked do they bless a project, but they are also are the and you must keep in mind the distinction that any form of “go for six hours in a row.” FDA same people that write the checks.” Please see , page 2 detention takes a life, but capital punishment ends a life,” Please see COMMONS, page 3 Please see ASHCROFT, page 2 MEDIA Vagina Monologues are back KELLY HOCUTT / VSC discusses grievance against The Slant The Vanderbilt Hustler An all Vandy cast re- BY ALLY SMITH sion heads’ orientation about the issues raised in the resolution “won’t eff ect (Th e Slant) as much hearses their performance HUSTLER REPORTER for Vagina Monologues on grievance.” Th e grievance was fi led jointly by the has the grievance process did. Th e role of the Friday night. Writer and Th e Vanderbilt Student Communications National Pan-Hellenic Conference at Vanderbilt, Head of Standards and Professionalism had al- performer, Eve Ensler, cre- Board agreed Monday to pass a resolution re- the Black Student Alliance, Interhall and the ready been shift ed before the resolution. Before ated a one-woman show solving a Student Grievance against Th e Slant for Student Government Association aft er a “Top (the position) was more internal, now it is more that speaks of women’s bodies covering subjects a top ten list it printed in December 2005. Ten” list in the Dec. 7 issue of Th e Slant off ended of a PR person, someone whose job is to keep us often considered taboo, Th e VSC Board, which is composed of fi ve many, especially within the black community. more aware of what we write.” risque, and threateningly student representatives and three faculty mem- Th e grievance recommended greater train- Lewis did say however that the incident was empowering. The show bers, voted to “accept and acknowledge the con- ing for the editors of student publications on the infl uencing editorial decisions. “Th ere were was held last night and is showing again tonight in cerns expressed in the grievance and to resolve part of VSC, especially in regards to diversity. some things in today’s issue that we decided Ingram Hall from 7p.m. to work with the VSC staff to improve the divi- Ceaf Lewis, editor-in-chief of Th e Slant, said Please see SLANT, page 2 to 9 p.m. OUR VIEW QUOTABLE THEATRE POLL WEATHER INSIDE Read why the Hustler Vanderbilt theater will Taking myself off the team is the In the Bubble 2 THE editorial board feels most diffi cult decision I’ve present Hamlet this that the changing of our ever had to make. But it’s weekend and next at $$13.713.7 In History 2 student identification the right decision. Neely auditorium. Read Crime Report 2 WALL numbers away from about why members of Amount of money, Opinion 4 social security numbers - U.S. figure skater VUT choose to tackle in billions, that is a welcome move but Michelle Kwan after the difficult play and Americans spent 60 52 Our View 4 much overdue.