02/04/09 The Stanford Daily [pdf]

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A LONG DAY

NATIONAL HOPE

Obama faces two more hurtles in filling his cabinet and White House staff

Stanford gymnasts travel to Las Vegas to try out for U.S. National Team

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a The Stanford Daily An Independent Publication

WEDNESDAY February 4, 2009

Senate rejects public financing

STUDENT LIFE

Students react to VPUE cuts

No spending cap or public funds in ’09 election

Bravman says this is tip of the iceberg, more to come

By MARISA LANDICHO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

By RYAN MAC DESK EDITOR

On Jan. 30, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education John Bravman ‘79 announced in a letter that several of the University’s academic advising systems will be eliminated next year. Most notable among them are the Head Peer Academic Coordinator (HPAC) and Peer Mentor (PM) programs. While many students and residential staff members are disappointed with the cuts, most have understood the financial context for the decision in a period that has seen the University’s endowment drop between 20 and 30 percent. In a phone interview with The Daily, Bravman suggested that these reductions for the next academic year may only be the beginning. The decision to announce the removal of the HPAC and PM programs was driven by a necessity to inform students planning for next year. “We were entering a period soon where people are thinking about what to do for next year, and [we] wanted to get the word out that these programs weren’t going to be there,” Bravman said. “At this point, the funds from these cuts are significant, but it’s a small fraction of the problem that we’re facing.” While he did not wish to talk about other potential budget plans, Bravman did mention that he and his office would have a better sense of the situation in about a month’s time. Furthermore, he asserted that while certain advising programs may be taking a hit, there is no intention of curtailing what he called “core programs,” including Freshman Seminars, Undergraduate Research and Overseas Programs. “We do not have to have our budget prepared until the March time frame,” he said. “The point we’re emphasizing is that we’re trying to maintain these core programs and enjoy a certain educational renaissance, while at the same time minimizing the number of layoffs. We’re hoping to shield students from feeling any of the effects that these layoffs may have.” While cuts to HPAC positions began this year, all remaining positions on campus will be eliminated in the 20092010 academic year. Rinconada HPAC Angelica Zabanal ‘09 believes the cuts

AGUSTIN RAMIREZ/The Stanford Daily

Fraiche, a popular frozen yogurt shop from Palo Alto, opened a location in Tresidder last week, drawing long lines of students for its homemade organic yogurt treats.

DINING

Will you take “Sleep and Dreams” next year, even though it won’t fulfill a GER? 525 votes taken from stanforddaily.com at 9:42 p.m. 02/03/09

4%

B

84%

C

A) Definitely, I hear the class is top-notch. B) Probably, I heard you’re allowed to nap during class.

C) I don’t think so, no GER may be a dealbreaker.

D) Nope, I just wanted the GER! Today’s Question: How many times have you been to Fraiche since it opened? a) b) c) d)

Never Once or twice More than a few times Too many to count

vote today at stanforddaily.com!

Index

Please see SENATE page 6

Students flock to Fraiche Rice says no to Pac-10

Students, owners point to use of Cardinal dollars for popularity By FATIMA WAGDY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After a week nestled in its new Tresidder home, Fraiche yogurt has taken the campus by storm. Every night around 10 p.m., a long line of students waiting for their “fro-yo” fix snakes through the student union. Fraiche — pronounced “fresh” — is a

locally owned organic yogurt shop that has everything from frozen yogurt to coconut water. It first opened in the summer of 2007 on Emerson Street in Palo Alto. Jessica Gilmartin, the co-owner of Fraiche, said she saw a market for a location on Stanford campus because of the University’s limited variety of healthy eating options. Fraiche also had many loyal customers affiliated with Stanford who would prefer a campus location. “[The Stanford location] is a really great option because it’s convenient,” she said. “I

Please see FRAICHE, page 6

By THE DAILY NEWS STAFF Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s staff said yesterday that she is not interested in becoming Pacific-10 Conference Commissioner, according to the Associated Press. The returning faculty member said that she was requested for the job, which will be opened when longtime commissioner Tom Hansen steps down on July 1. The league administration could not confirm that she was approached, because a committee of university presidents is handling the search.

Rice decided not to accept the job and instead intends to pursue teaching and writing at Stanford, where she was a professor and provost for 12 years before joining the Bush administration. Rice has previously said her dream job would be National Football League (NFL) Commissioner. According to the AP, she is a longtime football fan and was once engaged to Rick Upchurch, a wide receiver for the NFL’s Denver Broncos. The Daily will have complete coverage of Rice’s return to Stanford when she comes back to campus this month.

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A much-heralded public financing program was scrapped during last night’s ASSU Undergraduate Senate meeting after the Elections Commission and ASSu Executives could not get the Senate and the Graduate Student Council (GSC) to approve the source of funds for the project. Even though many members were individually supportive of the idea, ASSU Vice President Fagan Harris ‘09 and Elections Commissioner Briana Tatum ‘11, when faced with a hedging senate, were forced to hold off on the measure until 2010. The program, in its current form, would authorize $750 in ASSU funds to each student campaigning for office. Because campaign war chests drawn from students’ personal finances surpassed $3000 last year, the public financing scheme is intended to make politics accessible to every student, regardless of economic status. After the first year, the public funds will be drawn from the Executive budget. For the project to begin this election season, however, the money would have to come from the reserves of both the Senate and the GSC. Tatum and Harris, who have invested substantial energy into the project over the past year, needed the two bodies’ approval for a one-year pilot. But students will have to wait another year before ASSU elections are fully democratized. A reluctant GSC and a 6-6 deadlocked senate straw poll doomed the project to the back burner. For different reasons, members of both bodies balked at the proposed plan, all the while agreeing with the idea itself. “I’m a little bit concerned that it costs so

much to run for Executive that we are perhaps losing viable candidates,” said Senator Patrick Cordova ‘09. “At the same time, I’m also concerned about lots of individuals that would love to have a pot of money to play with and perhaps abuse that.” Senator Luukas Ilves ‘09 refused to allow reserve funds, which are collected from the students at the beginning of the year, on grounds that students shouldn’t pay for people to campaign to them. Another objection came from Senator Stuart Baimel ‘09, who feared the proposed plan would let people game the system for special advantages. As the program’s popularity waned, both Tatum and ASSU Executives Harris and Jonny Dorsey ‘09 expressed frustration with the lack of consensus on an otherwise widely supported idea. “[Public financing] is still something that is very important to me, but for this election campaign ‘09 it seems impossible,” Tatum said. “The two bodies disagree on fundamentals.” Unless the Senate and GSC come to some agreement quickly, the current elections system will remain for the spring campaign. Dorsey and Harris, who spent $3,597.31 on their own campaign, still plan on writing the program into the Executive budget for next year, guaranteeing public financing for ASSU elections ‘10 and beyond. The GSC did not agree with paying for half of the plan when graduate students rarely run for executive office. Instead, the GSC favored a cap on elections spending. On the other hand, Ilves criticized instituting a cap because it would encourage cheating and may also limit students’ free speech rights.

FACULTY & STAFF

Please see VPUE page 6

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Volume 235 Issue 3

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Students think startups in weak economy By DAN HUANG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With a soft economy and uncertain job prospects, students are seriously considering entrepreneurial options, especially as layoffs and hiring freezes make more traditional career paths look less attractive. In two weeks, the Stanford Entrepreneurial Network (SEN) will host Entrepreneurship Week on campus. “E-Week” will feature programs each day including Venture Capital Speed Dating, workshops for students and networking mixers and receptions. “This year, [E-Week] is trying to put an emphasis on the economic situation by bringing in speakers to talk about the situation and how entrepreneurship is thriving, and how it’s a really good time to make startups and revive the economy,” said Yesul Myung ‘09, president of the Asia-Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society (ASES). “Earlier this month, we had our Social-E and E-Challenge kickoff and there was an amazing turnout for those,” said Eli Rabek ‘09,

co-president of the Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students (BASES). “Based on that, it seems that a lot of people are considering entrepreneurship who weren’t considering entrepreneurship in the past. So I think that there will be an equal if not greater amount of excitement on campus for this EWeek.” E-Week is a joint production of several campus groups, including SEN, BASES, ASES, and the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP). “E-Week in general provides an amazing opportunity to see the offerings of many oncampus entrepreneurial campus organizations,” Rabek said. “[It] typically showcases many different elements of entrepreneurship all within a weeklong setting.” Theresa Lina Stevens, organizer of E-Week and head of marketing and communications for STVP, said the week is meant to reach all students interested in business innovation. “This is a way to bring together all the entrepreneurial activity on campus for a week,” she said. “The goal is to encourage students to

develop entrepreneurial skills whether or not they are pursuing it as a course of study.” Some of the events from past years have come back for 2009, including Venture Capital Speed Dating, where students give threeminute pitches to venture capital pairs in exchange for three minutes of feedback. Networking events and mixers have also returned. Other new events include workshops on product creation and pitching ideas to venture capitalists, a debate on where technology is heading in the future and an opening address by President John Hennessy. “I think [E-Week is] obviously important if John Hennessy is willing to devote an hour of his time to talk about it,” Stevens said. “I think it is fantastic that we have a president who himself is an entrepreneur.” One of the more mysterious new events for this year is entitled “Creativity Challenge: James Bond Casino Caper,” set at an undisclosed location. This event is a workshop that will test participants’ creativity and teamwork — with just one catch.

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“If you want to attend the event, you have BECCA DEL to get yourMONTE/ self invited,” The Stanford Daily Myung said, “so you’ll have to figure out a way to get yourself on the guest list.” Myung, Rabek and Stevens all agreed that this year’s E-Week will have a strong focus on opportunities created by the economy, and that students will react positively to this. “There’s a lot of bad news about the economy,” Stevens said, “which is real, but at the same time, wherever there’s a problem, there’s opportunity. And that’s what we teach students . . . So we’re not ignoring the economic situation, we’re saying ‘Given the circumstances, you’ll have to be more entrepreneurial in approaching things.’” E-Week runs Feb. 18-25. Visit eweek.stanford.edu for more information. Contact Dan Huang at [email protected].

Recycle Me

2 N Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Stanford Daily

WORLD & NATION The World This Week

DASCHLE AND KILLEFER WITHDRAW NOMINATIONS OVER UNPAID TAXES

Presented by Stanford In Government Calif. high court to hear Prop. 8 case next month California’s highest court says it will take up a legal challenge to the state’s voter-approved same-sex marriage ban next month. The state Supreme Court has scheduled a March 5 hearing date for oral arguments in a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn Proposition 8. Gay couples, several local governments and Attorney General Jerry Brown maintain the ballot initiative,which passed with 52 percent of the vote,is unconstitutional. If it opts to uphold the measure, the court has said it will also decide whether the 18,000 same-sex marriages performed when gay marriage was legal in California are valid. After hearing arguments, the court’s seven justices have 90 days in which to issue a ruling.

Iran’s small satellite raises alarms Iran’s successful launch of its first satellite into orbit suggests a strong desire to become both a space and nuclear power — and growing technological prowess toward that goal. Iran used a multistage rocket in Monday’s launch, putting a small and rudimentary communications satellite into space, according to a U.S. counterproliferation official and another government official Tuesday. They both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence collected by other U.S. government organizations.t. David Albright, a nuclear expert with the Institute for Science and International Security, said the rocket used did not have intercontinental reach and does not appear big enough to hold a nuclear warhead. But it does speak to Iranian intentions. “It says they are persistent and continue to work away on developing a missile capability,” he said.“This should remind us you can’t forget about Iran and their nuclear program.”

MySpace: 90,000 sex offenders removed from site About 90,000 sex offenders have been identified and removed from the social networking Web site MySpace,company and law enforcement officials said Tuesday. The number was nearly double what MySpace officials originally estimated last year, said North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, who along with Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has led efforts to make social networking Web sites safer for young users. “These sites were created for young people to communicate with each other. Predators are going to troll in these areas where they know children are going to be,”Cooper said.“That’s why these social networking sites have the responsibility to make their sites safe for children.” Source: The Associated Press

Courtesy The Associated Press

President Barack Obama listens to second-graders at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Obama’s nominee for health and human services secretary and his newly appointeed chief performance officer withdrew from their appointments over unpaid taxes.

Obama:“I screwed up” JENNIFER LOVEN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Barack Obama on Tuesday abruptly abandoned his nomination fight for Tom Daschle and a second major appointee who failed to pay all their taxes,fearing a lingering ethics dispute would undercut his claims to moral high ground and cripple his presidency in just its second week. “I screwed up,” Obama declared.

“It’s important for this administration to send a message that there aren’t two sets of rules — you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes,” Obama said near the end of a day of jarring developments, little more than 24 hours after he had said he was “absolutely” committed to Daschle’s confirmation. “I’m frustrated with myself, with our team....I’m here on television saying I screwed up,” Obama said on NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams.” He repeated virtually the same words in interviews with other TV anchors. Hours earlier, the White House had announced that Daschle had asked to be removed from consideration as health and human services secretary and that Nancy Killefer had made the same request concerning what was to be her groundbreaking appointment as a chief performance officer to make the entire government

run better. Daschle said in a brief letter to Obama that he refused to “be a distraction” from the new president’s drive for health care reform. Obama said neither he nor Daschle excused the former Senate Democratic leader’s tax errors but that he accepted his friend’s decision “with sadness and regret.” Unsightly personal tax problems had been piling up for the new administration. Last week, the Senate confirmed Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary, but only after days of controversy over the fact that the man who would oversee the Internal Revenue Service had only belatedly paid $34,000 in income taxes. Bill Richardson bowed out, too, though his difficulties didn’t involve personal taxes. The New Mexico governor, who was Obama’s first choice for commerce secretary, withdrew amid a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political

donors. Questions about Daschle’s failure to fully pay his taxes from 2005 through 2007 had been increasing since they came to light last Friday. Daschle overlooked taxes on income for consulting work and personal use of a car and driver, and also deducted more in charitable contributions than he should have. To resolve it, he paid $128,203 in back taxes and $11,964 in interest last month. Killefer, an executive with consulting giant McKinsey & Co., had been chosen by Obama to serve in two roles:as the first chief performance officer in a White House and as a deputy director at the Office of Management and Budget. When Obama announced Killefer to much fanfare in early January, The Associated Press reported that the District of Columbia government had filed a $946.69 tax lien on her home in 2005 for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help. She resolved the tax error five months after the lien was filed. Since then, administration officials had refused to say whether her tax problems extended beyond that one issue. By Tuesday, the tax questions had reached critical mass. “This is a self-induced injury that I’m angry about, and we’re going to make sure we get it fixed,” Obama said on ABC’s “World News.” Democratic lawmakers were surprised, too — and disappointed.Axelrod rushed to Capitol Hill to soothe frayed nerves. “I was a little stunned. I thought he was going to get confirmed,” said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the panel that would have voted on Daschle’s nomination. “It’s regrettable.” Associated Press writers MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN, RON FOURNIER, LIZ SIDOTI, CHARLES BABINGTON and DAVID ESPO contributed to this story.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 N 3

The Stanford Daily

OPINIONS E DITORIAL

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Established 1892

Stanford,Musharraf and the value of discourse This editorial originally ran on Jan. 20. his past Friday at Memorial Auditorium, the ASSU Speaker’s Bureau and Stanford in Government — in conjunction with a host of other campus organizations — presented Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani head of state,for their annual “Big Speaker”series.Following his contested rise to presidency in 2001, Musharraf played a central role in global counter-terrorism efforts and Indian-Pakistani relations, at the same time drawing controversy in international politics. After delivering a nearly 55-minute speech that highlighted the importance of combating terrorism, resolving political strife in the Middle East and South Asia and other issues, Musharraf faced a question-and-answer session with the Stanford community. No sooner had the microphones been turned on did the cat-calls start flying. Enraged Indian nationalists and other emotionally charged students questioned everything from the legitimacy of Musharraf’s rule to the inherent corruption of the Pakistani government. The end result was ultimately a backand-forth between strong-willed, would-be inquisitors and an equally defiant, fingerwagging Musharraf. This event is but the most recent manifestation of the problem with enlightened and civil discourse on campus.As one of the leading educational institutions worldwide, Stanford is a repository for diverse opinions, ideologies and global outlooks. Oftentimes, as evidenced by the Musharraf question-andanswer session, these beliefs conflict in lessthan-subtle ways. As far removed as the Farm seems from events in the real world, too often do issues of national and global import trickle down into fiery dorm list exchanges. The recent strife in Gaza has highlighted the uneasy relationship between Israeli- and Palestinian-leaning student organizations on campus.The 2008 election cycle deeply shook the psyche of student life, from the accusations of viciousness in the

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Democratic primaries to the outrage over the passage of Prop. 8. Many hold particularly strong beliefs on these issues, yet the climate has not always been conducive to certain parts of the population effectively articulating positions not shared by a majority of the student body. The editorial board in no way advocates the curtailing of dissent or an environment that values diluted, politically correct tripe as a means to address complex issues. Rather, in coordination with the educational mission of this university, we endorse a campus culture that provides for the free and civil exchange of varied beliefs in a non-threatening setting that encourages intellectual stimulation and growth.Too often do we find tumultuous subjects reduced to shouting matches, in which each side tries to drown out the other in a sea of impassioned remarks. This does little to perpetuate an atmosphere in which disagreement is celebrated. The University is often held up as a central place where personal beliefs are challenged and redefined,where exposure to diverse ways of thinking expands one’s perspective.It is thus ironic that many students interested in civil discussion may shy away from thorny topics for fear of instigating conflict in the dining hall, on the chat list or in emails to The Daily.Shouting matches, electronic or otherwise, not only contribute little to debate but also create an intellectually stifling atmosphere for those hoping to foster authentic debate. Musharraf is no doubt an immensely controversial figure, and his presence should have rightfully sparked an intense and thoughtful discussion on the state of SouthAsian geo-politics and the current state of counter-terrorism. Just as the Gaza conflict and the presidential election have brought opposite ideologies to a head, we should not balk at the prospect of lively debate. If we prize our reputation as a world-class institution,it is incumbent upon us a student body to argue for our beliefs, but in a way that is more in line with the values of Stanford and less comparable to cable television news stations.

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The cult of investment banking This column originally ran on Nov. 13, 2008. first came across the plaque this past summer. Returning from Jackson Library at the Graduate School of Business, I noticed a black marble square that read, “Corporate and Foundation Investors. The Stanford Graduate School of Business gratefully acknowledges the following donors for their generous support of the school.” It then proceeded to list big-time corporations and the investment banking stalwarts: Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and the like. But by late September, the plaque was gone. In its place was a large rectangle of butcher paper and, underneath the paper, a bare stone wall. Until recently, the butcher paper remained taped to the wall. In the last few weeks,the GSB replaced it with an updated, “2007-2008” sponsors plaque, which lacked any of the big Wall Street names. September’s financial crisis didn’t just unexpectedly alter on-campus recruitment cycles and tighten the job market — the crisis altered the landscape of American elite universities. The implosion humbled or outright destroyed institutions that Stanford students have long worshiped with reverence. The September crisis just may have ended the cult of investment banking as we know it and possibly for the better. The collapse’s short-term effects have been amply documented by college newspapers, including The Daily. Hiring is down. Firms are more conservative about recruiting. The Cornell Sun — serving a student body close to Stanford in the pecking order of elite recruiting — had some interesting statistics. According to Cornell Finance Professor Charles Chang, the big Wall Street firms recently hired back about 80 percent of interns. This year they could only hire 40 percent of interns. New offers are down by about half.Wall Street has been hemorrhaging jobs for a while and the Financial Times estimates that it will shed dozens of thousands of more jobs. But 2008 hasn’t just led to a crisis in campus recruiting; it has also shaken supreme confidence with rampant uncertainty. Firms like Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley have long held special places in the imagination of the Stanford student. By recruiting the best of the best at elite schools, the firms set themselves up as the natural successor to prestigious schools like Stanford and the Ivies; they positioned themselves as the “real world” Ivies, so to speak. Wall Street firms were a student’s direct ticket to privilege and status. Investment banks have represented intense work and time commitments, but also enormous payoff.

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Paul Craft

Income two or three times larger than other entry-level jobs, a nice apartment and highstatus social life (a lifestyle of “models and bottles”as some phrase it) all before the age of 25 were rewards for years of sacrifice that first began in high school, consumed most of college and then dominated the waning years of youth. And it’s no wonder elite students have been so attracted to finance and investment banks in particular. For over a decade, the world has been the Stanford senior’s oyster. Seniors have faced one of the best job markets in American history.The financial industry, in particular,has flourished.In 2007 alone,about 30 percent of S&P 500 profits were earned by financial firms,according to Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek.The number of jobs on Wall Street has grown regularly in the past years — two percent in 2007 and three percent in 2006. Moreover, starting investment-banking salaries vary,but they have been known to run upwards of $100,000 with bonus. And, compensation grew substantially with experience. This career ambition is nothing particularly new.All the way back to the days of William Whyte’s “The Organization Man” in 1957, the elite American university has been a breeding ground for corporate and financial employment:“The descent,every spring,of the corporations’ recruiters has now become a built-in feature of campus life.” Then, by the time David Brooks wrote his 2001 profile of elite college students entitled “The Organization Kid,” investment banks had become the prime attractions for career-obsessed collegians with glossy posters placed all over elite campuses. Whether ambitious students can still become “Master of the Universe” — as Tom Wolfe famously labeled i-bankers — at the age of 22 is now totally unclear.The only thing that looks likely is that they won’t be able to do so along the same path as before. The question, then, is what will fill the void left by investment banks in the imagination of Stanford students. In all likelihood, students will follow the money to its new locale. Tom Wolfe, surveying the wreckage of his Wall Street “masters,”wrote that the true elite have already begun moving away from Wall Street

Please see CRAFT, page 5

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Why I am irrationally scared of mountain lions This column originally ran on Nov. 12, 2008. idden within the Bay Area’s lush, rolling hills waits a terror — a silent, ominous terror that threatens to tear us apart. And no, I am not talking about something abstract and divisive, like tax policy or carbon credits. The terror I speak of is the mountain lion, an animal that, if given the chance, would literally tear you apart. Pretty much, if you take all that is wrong and evil in the world and mash it together into the fourth-largest cat on the planet, you’d have the mountain lion: a snarling, ruthless beast born with an unquenchable thirst for blood and no understanding of the word mercy. “But Kevin,” I can see some of you already protesting in lengthy emails, “mountain lions are misunderstood, beautiful animals blah blah land encroachment blah blah blah do you ever do research? blah blah.” You make some valid points, Reader, but will your unrepentantly liberal cougar sympathizing save you from being eaten alive? Doubtful. “But Kevin,” I see some of you writing in a second, angrier email, “in the past 10 years, there have only been five recorded deaths by mountain lions, and, like, 500 deaths from vending machine-related accidents.” First of all, check your facts. There’s absolutely no evidence to suggest that that many vending machines kill people annually (though, in your defense, I doubt my family would report my true cause of death if I died trying to steal a candy bar, so the vending machine death toll could well be underreported). Other than that, your logic’s fine - you’re probably more likely to die in an earthquake here than get mauled. What you haven’t taken into account, though, is a particularly vivid story designed to distort your logical

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Kevin Webb perception of risk. Consider the following: Jimmy was a normal, mildly left-leaning kid, much like yourself. One day, he went for a bike ride. “What a great day!” he said, “nothing could possibly go wrong!” Just then a mountain lion pounced from out of nowhere and ate his face. As you can see from my realistic, wellwritten narrative, mountain lions are much more terrifying than vending machines. Why? Because vending machines cannot stalk you or jump 20 feet from a standstill. At least, not yet. (Looking at you here, “science.”) I think about this all the time when I walk alone at night. Somehow, I have convinced myself that if I am prepared for a mountain lion attack, I will be able to fend it off. I take stock of every possible defense item I can think of - my bike: Could it be a shield? The helmet I had for Halloween: Though worn ironically, would it protect my skull from being crushed? And it’s never long before I start daydreaming about how if such a cat attacked me, I would fight back and, inevitably, kill it with my bare hands and sheer manliness. Later, in bar-type settings, women would ask me cautiously about the scars lining my face, and I would reluctantly recount my epic battle with nature. Impressed by my ruggedness, they would then offer to bear all my children forever.

Now, clearly, I would much rather not have a scar on my face, not be attacked by a mountain lion and not reproduce with women who find near-death injury arousing. But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. I think what scares me so much about pumas is that they intimidate me. I don’t hunt, but it would be nice to know that if I had to, I could kill squirrels, deer and Stanford’s alarmingly aggressive raccoons as well as any lion. But mountain lions can stalk their prey for days without food; I, meanwhile, can barely complete my own sentences. How can I possibly compete? It is with this in mind that I propose we erect a gigantic wall around Stanford to keep us physically safe from attack and to preserve our ability to hunt game on campus, not that we would ever want to. It would be 20 feet tall and 30 feet wide, and, like the Great Wall, it would be visible from space. I don’t know if it would keep out Mongols, but it would certainly make it hard for cars to get in - a small price to pay for securing our border. But how, you might ask, can our great university afford to build such a wall when we can barely afford to keep the school itself running? Simple: we will create a Coalition of the Willing.We will work tirelessly, and probably illegally, to construct the wall ourselves.What better way to tell mountain lions “screw you and the populations you keep in check” than to keep them out forever? Ultimately, I suppose mountain lions are scary because of how they’re different from us; they walk differently, they talk differently and they stalk differently. But maybe, someday, we can learn to live harmoniously together. Until that day comes, though, I’ve got a wall to build. Contact Kevin at [email protected].

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4 N Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Stanford Daily

SPORTS NAIL-BITERS

Daniel

Bohm On My Mind

What might have been

Card takes two close matches at home By JEFF LU STAFF WRITER

The Stanford men’s volleyball team is off to an auspicious start to the week following its spectacular, hard-fought weekend sweep over challengers Long Beach State and UCSan Diego. The No. 6 Cardinal is looking to extend that winning streak as it prepares to visit UCLA and UC-Irvine next Thursday and Friday. Stanford (7-3, 3-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) rallied from behind to narrowly win its first home match on Friday against No. 7 Long Beach State, 26-30, 24-30, 33-31, 31-29, 158. Staving off two match points, the Cardinal rode the momentum of a monstrous performance by freshman outside hitter Brad Lawson, whose 27 kills and .438 hitting percentage carried Stanford to its nail-biting win. On Saturday, the Cardinal took on No. 15 UC-San Diego, marking its second triumph of the weekend with a 30-25, 30-23, 28-30, 30-28 victory over the Tritons. Junior setter Kawika Shoji contributed a season-high 52 assists and put up six of the team’s 12.5 blocks to force the Cardinal out of a third-set lull, after which a shift in momentum helped Stanford to claim the win. Despite the weekend sweep, both head coach John Kosty and his team appeared hesitant to declare it a perfect performance. “We need to work on our serving game,” Kosty said. “After seeing Pepperdine eliminate its hitting errors [two weeks ago], we realized that we needed to reduce our hitting errors too.” Stanford totaled 18 hitting errors on Saturday, eight of them committed in the third set alone. The fourth set saw four service errors in a six-serve span and another four hitting errors. In all, UCSD had four players break double digits in kills, an occurrence the Cardinal players feel was a result of their inconsistencies. “We’re a good team, but we’re not consistent enough to be a great team,”Shoji said.“But we’re still improving and continuing to learn the game.The best is certainly yet to come.” The problem of consistent play is bound to resurface again this week as Stanford prepares to tackle No. 3 UC-Irvine and No. 8 UCLA. Irvine, currently with only one conference loss, is coming off of a four-game winning streak after dispatching UCLA last Friday in four sets. In their last meeting at the Fall UC-Irvine Tour-

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL 1/30, 1/31 Long Beach State, UC-San Diego W 3-2, W 3-1

UP NEXT UCLA, UC IRVINE 2/5, 2/6

A

Los Angeles Irvine, Calif.

GAME NOTES: The men’s volleyball team will travel down to Southern California this weekend to take on a pair of top10 teams, No. 3 UC-Irvine and No. 8 UCLA. The Cardinal, No. 6 in the nation, is coming off of back-to-back wins at home against No. 7 Long Beach State and No. 15 UCSan Diego, pushing its record to 7-3 (3-2 in conference)

nament, Irvine proved itself a tough adversary after the Cardinal scraped by with a narrow win, 30-27, 25-30, 30-25, 21-30, 15-13. It remains to be seen whether Stanford can repeat its victory at UC-Irvine’s Bren Center. UCLA will be meeting Stanford for the first official time this season on Thursday. The Bruins, who completed their previous season with a 17-14 record to extend their streak to 46 consecutive winning seasons, will be facing the Cardinal with a roster composed mainly of returning veterans. The matches against Irvine and UCLA are Stanford’s opportunity to iron out any consistency issues and to test them against a pair of strong opponents before the Cardinal hosts No. 5 Southern California and No.2 Pepperdine the following weekend, the latter having maintained an undefeated record so far this season. “Our team is very talented,” said junior outside hitter Evan Romero. “Once we find our groove on offense and play defense with the heart our team has,we will be a strong force that can compete not only with the tough USC and Pepperdine teams, but with any team in the country. “A great rest of the season awaits us,” Romero added. Contact Jeff Lu at [email protected].

GIULIO GRATTA/The Stanford Daily

Junior opposite Evan Romero goes up for a kill last weekend. Romero and the No.6 Cardinal defeated two fellow top-15 teams, No. 7 Long Beach State and No. 15 UC-San Diego.

A chance to impress

Cardinal dominant in Washington By ANARGHYA VARDHANA STAFF WRITER

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

UP NEXT WINTER CUP CHALLENGE

Please see GYMNASTICS, page 5

Please see BOHM, page 5

TRACK AND FIELD

By JENNY PETER On Feb. 5 and 7, seven members of the Stanford men’s gymnastics team will have the chance to compete in the Winter Cup Challenge at the Las Vegas Sports Center. The competition is used to select members of the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team. The gymnasts selected to participate in this year’s event are sophomores Alex Buscaglia, Ryan Lieberman, Josh Dixon and Tim Gentry, and seniors Bryant Hadden, Sho Nakamori and Greg Ter-Zakhariants. 2008 U.S. allaround champion David Sender ‘08 will also be competing at the event. 1/24 Stanford Open All except for Buscaglia 2nd place (352.3 points) and Ter-Zakhariants competed in the senior division at the Visa National Championships last May to qualify for the Winter Cup Challenge this weekend. 2/5, 2/7 Las Vegas Last year, Sender and Nakamori were mem- GAME NOTES: After a week off, the Stanford bers of the national gymnastics team will travel to Las Vegas to team, but rarely had to take part in the Winter Cup Challenge. choose between compet- The Winter Cup is a big opportunity for ing at an international gymnasts to claim a place on the United meet and a collegiate States National Gymnastics team, and the meet, as the Men’s Pro- Cardinal men will be hoping to make a gram Committee (MPC) good impression. wouldn’t normally invite a collegiate athlete to an international meet if it were close to the NCAA Championships or other major intercollegiate competitions. “Sometimes the international meets are the same weekend as meets here,” Dixon said. “But usually if you have an international meet where you represent the U.S., you would choose to go to that.” The opportunity to make this year’s national team couldn’t present itself at a better time for the Stanford men because the Winter Cup is coming off of an Olympic year.The six Olympic team members will take a year off from being on the national team to have surgeries and to rest — this allows for the Stanford men to be in the running for the available spots. “It’s a chance for the new guys like us to make the national team, while the Olympians are taking a break this year or may retire,” Dixon said. This year is also unique in that the MPC has added one more spot to the national team, making the group 15 and further increasing the Stanford men’s odds of becoming national team members. “The selection process is pretty complicated for those remaining spots,” said assistant coach Dave Durante. “We have a point system in place that awards points according to how you finish on each event [first place on the floor gives you 11

s the Stanford men’s basketball team stumbles through Pacific-10 Conference play, one has to sit back and wonder what could have been. After a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2007-2008, it was no shock to anyone that All-American Brook Lopez turned pro, but the fact that his twin brother Robin did as well was a bit of a surprise to many. Now, midway through the season, it looks as if both parties, Stanford and Robin Lopez, are feeling the effects of his decision. Stanford has struggled all season to develop any sort of inside game, which was the Cardinal’s bread and butter a year ago. “Big men” Josh Owens and Will Paul have continually been overmatched by bigger and stronger opponents. Both have played admirably, but they are simply being asked to guard and rebound against players whom they shouldn’t be matched up against. Now throw Robin Lopez into the middle of this Stanford team. The team would look completely different and would probably be nationally ranked. Lopez would guard the other team’s best big man, and without his brother getting all of the touches, Robin would undoubtedly average more than the 10 points and six boards he did last year. With Lopez in the lineup, there is no way Stanford loses three Pac-10 games by one point. Instead of having their way down low,Taj Gibson of Southern California and Jon Brockman of Washington would likely

The Stanford track and field team sent its largest contingent of athletes of the season this weekend to Washington to compete in the UW Invite.The meet featured some of the top names in the nation and resulted in several fast times and top finishes for the Cardinal. The Stanford men were led by the young energy of freshman Chris Derrick, who won the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:44.02. Not only did Derrick win the event, but he achieved an automatic NCAA-qualifying time, as well as the thirdfastest time in Stanford history. Derrick’s achievement is further highlighted by the fact that the two records before him were run by former Olympians, Ian Dobson and Brad Hauser. 1/30-1/31 UW Invitational Derrick now proudly possesses the fastest time in the nation thus far this season, along 2/7 Albuquerque, N.M. with the title of having run the GAME NOTES: Two weeks after competing in the t h i r d - f a s t e s t New Mexico Cherry and Silver Classic, the Stanfreshman time in ford track and field team will return to Albuthe 5,000 history. querque for this weekend’s Lobo Classic. The “I really owe Cardinal is coming off of a great showing at last the race to Elliot weekend’s UW Invitational in Seattle, where it [Heath], who achieved multiple automatic NCAA marks. paced me through a little over 3K,” Derrick said. “That allowed me to really relax and conserve energy the first half of the race, and from there I just had to hold it together and capitalize on the opportunity.” “It was really good to have him and my other teammates out there helping out, and I think that kind of team unity has really helped us this year,” he added. Senior captain Hakon DeVries commended Derrick’s debut indoor meet. “Chris Derrick continued his incredible freshman year with his automatic time in the 5,000-meter,”DeVries said,referring to Derrick’s cross country season, when he placed seventh at NCAA Nationals and achieved an All-American title. “He stayed very controlled, and with his attitude and work ethic, the sky is the limit,” DeVries added.“He’s a great teammate to have.”

TRACK AND FIELD

UP NEXT NEW MEXICO LOBO CLASSIC

AGUSTIN RAMIREZ/The Stanford Daily

Freshman Cameron Foreman competes on the high bar for Stanford. Seven of Foreman’s teammates will be competing for a spot on the U.S. National Team at the Winter Cup Challenge this weekend.

Please see TRACK, page 5

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 N 5

The Stanford Daily

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have endured long days at the hands of Lopez — widely regarded as the better defender of the twins. Oh, and Calvin Haynes of Oregon State might have had some of those runners and lay-ups contested with a big tree in the paint. With the emergence of Landry Fields and the resurgence of Lawrence Hill this year, coupled with the senior leadership of Mitch Johnson and Anthony Goods, Stanford would be a pretty dangerous team with a low post presence. Instead, save a big turnaround, Stanford seems to be bound for the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Part of Lopez has to be thinking similar thoughts. He is averaging just three points and 1.7 rebounds per game as Shaq’s backup in Phoenix. He has been relegated toward the

balls. Missing assignments on the defensive end. Missing box outs. He doesn’t have the focus when he steps on the floor.” There has been speculation in Phoenix that Lopez could be sent to the Suns’ affiliate in the NBA’s Developmental League — not exactly a flattering thought for the 15th overall selection in last year’s draft. All said, though, Lopez can’t be regretting his decision all that much. He is set to make $1,623,720 this season alone. For those of you doing the math at home, that’s $19,801.46 for each of those games he doesn’t appear in — just a few grand more then a quarter at Stanford — per game! This salary will only increase in the coming years, regardless of his performance, meaning that playing time or not, Lopez is free to live the good life — just so long as his idea of a good life is banging bodies with Shaq at practice every day.

end of the bench, having appeared just once in the past five games and four times in the last 13. Most of the games he does play are when Shaq takes a day off or the game is a blowout. Had he returned for his junior season, Lopez would have been able to be the focal point of the Stanford offense and move out of the shadow of his brother. He would have been able to hone his offensive game and help Stanford make a run in the NCAA Tournament. This extra year (or two) of experience would, barring an injury, have boosted his draft stock significantly. It also would have given him both another year to enjoy college and another year to mature into a professional. And had he stayed for two years, he could have finished his “if basketball fails, Stanford degree” insurance plan. Even Phoenix Suns coach Terry Porter has noticed that Lopez may not be ready for the NBA. “He doesn’t seem to have the focus,” Porter said. “[He is] missing

Dan Bohm is auditioning to be Robin’s life coach. Give him tips at [email protected].

GYMNASTICS TRACK Continued from page 4

Continued from page 4

points, second gives you 10 points and so on]. This is done for every event and the all-around over the two days of competition.” This Thursday, the top 42 of the 84 gymnasts competing will advance to the finals on Saturday. Scores from both days of competition will count toward the final point rankings for the all-around and individual events. National team spots will be allotted to those who earned the seven highest point totals. The eighth spot is chosen by the MPC, while the senior national team coordinator selects the ninth spot. “I don’t know how they [the MPC] came up with such a convoluted system,” Dixon said. As detailed as the selection process may be, the men agree they have a fair system set in place since seven spots are based on performance, while two spots are based on discrepancy. They also agree and are confident they all have a chance to make the team based on their competition. “It’s a lot of the same caliber athletes who we’ve been competing against since we were 10, so it’s the same group we’re used to and the field is completely open,” Dixon said. With seven members competing, the Stanford gymnastics team has the largest contingent of the entire Winter Cup meet, suggesting that the Stanford men’s program is a strong one. “The opportunity to have national team members on the Stanford gymnastics team puts a magnifying glass on the Stanford gymnastics program,” Dixon said.“It seems the Stanford men’s team is doing something right if its athletes are being put in a position to become members on the national team.” The Cardinal’s chance to represent both the United States and Stanford certainly gives the seven Las Vegas-bound Cardinal men something to look forward to this weekend.

Other top finishes in the distances for the men were provided by sophomore Jacob Riley, who finished second with a personal best and provisional time of 14:01.92 in the 5,000 meters; sophomore Brendan Gregg, who finished third with a personal best time of 14:11.29, barely off the provisional time; and junior Justin Maripole-Bird,who missed the provisional time in the 3,000 by threetenths of a second, with a finishing time of 8:05.30. The men’s distance medley relay of Maripole-Bird, junior Zach Chandy, sophomore Spencer Castro and freshman Dylan Ferris finished seventh with a time of 9:58.50. In the sprints, the men were led by junior Ryan Fisicaro. Fisicaro, who has consistently been getting closer to Wopamo Osaisai’s Stanford 60 meter record, finally reached the mark this weekend, tying for first place in the event with a time of 6.82 seconds. “It was a great feeling to have beaten the record,” Fisicaro said.“Although I wish I could have won the race outright instead of tying. It’s a great achievement, but there are still more goals I have for the rest of the indoor season, which include helping our team win the MPSF meet and qualify for nationals.” Freshman Amaechi Morton also had an event win to add to the success of the sprinters, winning the 400 with a time of 47.42; Morton was the only runner to break 48 seconds at the meet. The women also had several notable performances, with the first NCAA automatic-qualifying time coming from the women’s distance medley relay. The team consisted of senior Alicia Follmar, senior Idara Otu, freshman Maria Lattanzi and senior captain Lauren Centrowitz. The team was Stanford’s first to qualify for the NCAA Championships thus far in the season, placing third with a time of 11:07.53. Centrowitz and Follmar also reached automatic-qualifying standards in the 3,000. The pair of seniors finished second and third, with times of 9:10.99 and 9:14.98, respectively. The race was a best time for

Contact Jenny Peter at jpeter12@ stanford.edu.

CRAFT Continued from page 3 investment banks to Connecticut hedge funds. Hopefully the decline of the cult of investment banking will force talented students to look at other, more productive fields and opportu-

nities. Many students joined investment banking firms simply because others were doing it and they wanted to make money. Now that the openings are scarce, hopefully some students will rethink their career plans. Indeed,if anything good is to come of the demise of investment banks and its dwindling opportunities, it will be an end to Stanford’s brain drain. Stanford’s talented will hopefully be di-

Sudoku

both women. “It was really nice to open the season with a personal record,” Centrowtiz said. “It was especially exciting to have the potential for three girls to be in the 3K at NCAAs, which is a testament to the strength of our distance program. And then to have the DMR also hit the automatic qualifying time is awesome because Stanford has such a rich tradition in the middle distances.”

“...with his attitude and work ethic, the sky is the limit.” — HAKON DEVRIES, on Chris Derrick The seniors are leading the way for the women, having qualified for nationals in two events this early in the season. Interestingly enough, Centrowitz pointed out that it was Follmar’s first time running the 3,000 — a remarkable debut time. Also doing well in the event was freshman Laurynne Chetelat,who finished fifth with a provisional time of 9:16.70. “Both Lauren and Alicia are seniors and are really stepping up and leading the team,” DeVries said. “They have a lot of experience between the two of them and are running phenomenal right now.” Other top finishers included senior thrower Michaela Wallerstedt, who won the women’s shot put with a toss of 49-11; senior Tessa Flippin, who finished second in the high jump with a height of 5-foot-8; and Otu, who finished third in the 400 with a time of 55.07 seconds. Next up for the track and field team is the New Mexico Lobo Classic in Albuquerque this upcoming weekend — another chance for NCAA Championship qualification. Contact Anarghya Vardhana at [email protected]. rected into fields with more tangible missions or public service opportunities. According to the CDC, attendance for sessions on the Peace Corps and Teach for America is already up this year. In the meantime,the new plaque is up at the School of Business. I doubt, however, that I’ll ever see the original again. Contact Paul at [email protected].

Generated with the OpenSky Sudoku Generator TODAY’S RATING:

Medium

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Feb.1 Solution

6 N Wednesday, February 4, 2009

VPUE Continued from front page may cause a potential problem for undergraduates, especially freshmen. “As an HPAC, I try to forward all learning opportunities that come my way to my residents,” she said. “I think that eliminating the median position of the HPAC will especially affect the freshman experience, as the HPAC is the go-to person for misunderstandings with the Stanford Bulletin, particularly in the beginning of the year.” But former HPAC Tien Dong ‘08, now a medical student at the University of Chicago, remained skeptical about the long-term effects of the VPUE’s change in undergraduate advising. “I am saddened that the HPAC position is being cut, but it does not come as a surprise,” he wrote in an email to The Daily.“I believe that the advising services the University has at Sweet Hall is very exceptional, so for the most part, students won’t be lost without the guidance of HPACs.” “I just hope that without HPACs, RAs will get more training about academic issues to make up for the services that HPACs once provided,” Dong added. Bravman echoed this sentiment, saying the current on-site professional Undergraduate Advising and Research (UAR) advisors would be sufficient in guiding students in the right direction. “I am confident that with aca-

SENATE Continued from front page The result is that come spring, students will still have to pay out of pocket for their campaigns. Later in the meeting, the Senate made more progress in the realm of visibility. Communications Chair Jonathan McMaster ‘11 unveiled a Senate flyer to be distributed every other week to the student body. The proposed flyer included committee updates, achievements and future programs. An ASSU student group calendar

demic directors now in place in every residential complex . . . and our core staff of professional advisors located in Sweet Hall, we have the infrastructure needed to create an exceptionally strong pre-major advising program,” he wrote in his Monday letter. For current Peer Mentor Folake Dosu ‘11, the elimination of the Peer Mentor program may provide for a better consolidation of advising resources. “I spoke to my peer mentor regularly as a freshman,” she said. “However, I was fortunate that things worked out like this, because I have friends who could not recognize their peer mentor for the life of them, and others have not spoken to their advisor since fall quarter freshman year. There was definitely a lack of quality control in this program, so the experiences are diverse, for better or for worse.” Yet with these specific cuts, students will essentially be forced to find their own answers. In Dosu’s opinion, the initiative now lies in the hands of undergraduate students. “The same students who have the initiative to seek guidance from their HPACs will use that same resourcefulness to find the help they need,” she said. “With the elimination of HPACs and peer mentors, students could look to online sources of help in addition to the UAR advisors. We just need to come up with creative solutions to fill the void this program will leave.” Contact Ryan Mac at [email protected].

also recently went online, thanks to the efforts of Operations Manager David Gobaud ‘08. To reach out to the larger community, Senator Yvorn “Doc” AswadThomas ‘11 plans to host lunchtime informal meetings in Stern Hall, open to all students. The first “Focused Forum” will spotlight housing and draw reform. The student body will also be tapped with regard to budget cuts. Each senate member is tasked with recruiting two experienced student group leaders for a meeting of student experts, to be held sometime next week. Contact Marisa Landricho at [email protected].

The Stanford Daily

FRAICHE Continued from front page think people are really excited to have a healthy dining option on campus, especially since we’re open mornings, nights and weekends.” The convenient location also attracts students who love the nonDining feel. “It’s the closest [thing] to going to an off-campus restaurant without having to bike to University [Avenue],” said Nell Van Noppen ‘11. Earlier this year, Fraiche decided to lease a space in Tresidder and set up shop right next to the Express Lunch, working with Stanford Dining along the way. “We approached Stanford

Dining, and they were already familiar with us,” Gilmartin said. “We needed to show them that Fraiche is a truly unique concept that the Stanford community would embrace.” Because Fraiche cooperated with Dining, it has the ability to accept Cardinal dollars by using the same software other eateries on campus use. When asked about the use of Cardinal dollars, Gilmartin said they strove to make sure students could use them at Fraiche. “We knew it would be a win-win to allow the Stanford community to use Cardinal dollars,” she said. “We worked very closely with Stanford Dining to make sure we could accept them.” Students agree that the Cardinal dollars help them afford frozen yogurt and help Fraiche attract business.

“I think [Fraiche] will be consistently popular because they take [Cardinal dollars],” said Gabi Ruchelli ‘11. “It’s expensive, but whatever. It’s frozen yogurt.” Fraiche made its presence known on campus last week with giant orange balloons spread out over main traffic areas. When asked about the balloon campaign, Gilmartin explained that it was an innovative way to spread the word. “We just love to have fun, and orange is a very signature color of ours,” she said. “We thought it would be a fun, simple, yet visible way to show people that we’re on campus.” Students enjoying Fraiche at night expressed much satisfaction with their frozen yogurt. “It has a much better flavor than fro-yo from the dining hall because it’s made from real yogurt, so it’s

tangy,” said Elena Jordan ‘12. “It’s healthier, sweet and it satisfies.” While some thought the excitement would die down over time, most students who spoke with The Daily thought that the excitement would last, insisting that the shop would continue to be popular. “I think it’s comparable to Olives in that it will always be popular,” Jordan said. “It’s one of the better ways to use your Cardinal dollars on campus.” Gilmartin said business is great so far, with consistently long lines each night. “To be able to have a fairly guiltfree indulgence, I think, is something people decided is worth waiting in line for,” she said. Contact Fatima Wagdy at fwagdy@ stanford.edu.