Chase Parr ’10 remembered: Campus commemorates life and legacy

Family, friends, and members of the University community gathered last Thursday at the Memorial Chapel to celebrate the life of Chase Anna Parr ’10, who died in an automobile accident on Dec. 22 while travelling with her parents and sister in Wyoming. Her parents, John Parr, 59, and Sandra Widener, 53, also died in the accident. Her sister, Katy, 17, survived and has been staying with her aunt and uncle in Boise, Idaho while recovering from her injuries.

Break-in results in stolen chainsaw

On the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 15, Brad Alexander ’08 called Public Safety (PSafe) to lock the doors to the sculpture studio in the Center for the Arts (CFA), where he had been working on his art studio thesis over winter break. When he returned to the studio Friday morning that week, Alexander was greeted with an unpleasant surprise.

Details on Senior Cocktails still hazy

The class of 2008 still awaits information on future senior class events after disorderly conduct at October’s Senior Cocktails event caused the bus company to cancel its contract with the University.

State of the Union

Fellow students, faculty, and administration: Returning after a challenging fall semester, Wesleyan is on the brink of a period of considerable growth. Usdan University Center and Bon Appétit both seem to be running more smoothly, offering dining options that are generally more suited to student needs and becoming more cognizant of the concerns of the UNITE-HERE Local 217 union. President Roth seems poised to spread his wings and act on the ambitious agenda he proposed last semester.

Focus your attention on Focus the Nation

This Thursday, Jan. 31, Wesleyan will participate in Focus the Nation, a nationwide series of symposia and teach-ins to discuss solutions to one of the greatest challenges of our generation: global climate change. The debate about whether climate change is real or not is over, and now we as a country are forced not only to acknowledge the substantially disproportionate impact we are having on the health of the earth, but also to make vast changes both on an individual and national level to lessen this impact.

Molecular and Life Sciences Building: stupid looking? Yes.

The proposed Molecular and Life Sciences Building looks exactly like the Narkomfin Communal House in Moscow, built in 1928 by Moisei Ginzburg and Ignaty Milinis.

The war in Iraq: no withdrawal

When walking around campus, I feel that there is a sentiment to end the war in Iraq. This sentiment is only strengthened by student groups like Students for Ending the War in Iraq (SEWI) who push for an immediate, unconditional withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan in irresponsible disregard to geopolitical reality.

Debate team competes at championship in Thailand

Over winter vacation, members of the Woodrow Wilson Debate Society competed in the World Universities Debating Championship, the largest debate tournament in the world. Held at Assumption University in Bangkok, Thailand, the student-run competition included almost 400 teams from around the world. Abigail Hinchcliff ’08, Laura Silver ’08, Mark Sun ’09, Chris Sarma ’09 and Jeff Stein ’10 were chosen as delegates from Wesleyan, based on their seniority and experience in the Debate Society.

‘All-you-care-to-eat’ lunches highlight revamped dining plan

Coming back from winter break, students were met by longer lines and lower prices in the Usdan Marketplace. While the point allocation system has been revamped and the café options expanded, the Marketplace is still cramped by logistical problems.

Dining workers lose health insurance in paperwork mix-up

Late last semester, dining staff were required to sign a form that appeared to charge a deductible on their health insurance in order for them to receive coverage--a condition in violation of their stated agreement with Bon Appétit. Their worries were allayed after top union members examined the fine print and found that there would be no deductible. Later, though, an error in the forms’ delivery left the workers with no health insurance for five days, leaving many workers in uncomfortable medical situations.

Jewish identity, Israeli history examined during Birthright, while some question trip’s agenda

When Alex Gold ’10 traveled to Israel this winter break, he never expected to feel any connection with an unknown country halfway across the world.

Birthright surprises: one student’s story

“Leave your parents. Leave your country. Move to Israel.” This was the beginning of Interior Minister of Israel Meir Sheetrit’s speech at Taglit-Birthright’s infamous Mega Event.

Mytheology: Time for choosing

With the advent of a new election finally approaching the nation, an excessive amount of uncertainty has leaked into the air. What with the silence of establishment kingmakers on both ends of the political spectrum and the only-recent dwindling of the dizzying number of candidates, it seems we are a long way away from certainty about who will be fighting for the mantle of President when November arrives.

Primed for the primaries: an insider’s look at Iowa’s caucuses

On Jan. 3, 2008, the entire world looked on as Iowans cast their votes for presidential candidates in the Iowa caucuses. For many months prior to the electoral event, politicians courted the state’s voters. From small gatherings in the homes of locals to massive, televised rallies, the candidates struggled to leave an impression on the voting populace of this Midwestern state.

Primed for the primaries: student photographer captures New Hampshire election events

I decided early in December that I wanted to travel up to New Hampshire to photograph the events leading up to the nation’s first primary elections. It would be my second visit to the Granite State, having volunteered for Howard Dean’s campaign during my senior year of high school. This time I came as an independent, both politically and financially.

Going “green” grows popular

After tackling the long lines at Broad Street Books this past week, students may have noticed a subtle addition to the bookstore — posted on each register was a sign reading, “Please let us know if we can skip the sack. Every bit helps for the environment.”

Ask a Professor: Dana Royer, Earth and Environmental Science

Question: What can we personally do to help alleviate global warming and other environmental problems? Answer: In the United States, automobiles, power plants and industry each contribute about a third of the total human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide. These are the areas that we as individuals should focus on to reduce our collective carbon footprint.

Cerruti on Strike

Hey, so, guys. Hey. This is Dan Cerruti. Now, as I’m sure all of our one or two regular readers know (hi, mom and dad!), I didn’t write for the Ampersand last semester. Rumors have been circulating that I’ve been abroad in some whacked out, shit hole country like Denmark, but that’s all nonsense, I tells ya, nonsense! And shenanigans!

Editor’s Note: Writer's strike

A young female writer scribed this editor’s note while hiding in tight quarters from the Writer’s Guild. Although the guild eventually found her and took her to a rally outside of Los Angeles, they were unable to find her diary. Believing it to be somewhat hilarious, her father sent the diary to us with the intention that it be published for the whole world to read.

Try to Picket This Scab

In light of the recent writer’s strike we decided to write our own television episode of the new CBS sitcom “Welcome to the Captain.” However, we have never seen this show, nor do we know much about it. On the CBS website we were able to find out the characters’ names and a brief description of them.

A Message from the Pornographers Guild of America

We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors lately, and we wanted to set the record straight. There will be NO stoppage in the production of professional pornographic movies. We are on the job, and we will be on the job, construction the exciting plots and filthy dialogues for your favorite bleach-blonde minxes and well-hung studs. The Porn Writer’s Guild has made sure that they will stay on the job by making plenty of generous concessions to our producers.

Writers’ strike forces Hollywood to plunder past to produce today’s Oscar gold

Atonementos Synopsis: Do do do doooooo, do doooo, do waaaaaaaah! It doesn’t matter what comes, fresh goes better in life, Atonementos fresh and full of life! Nothin gets to you, even rape or World War I, Atonementos fresh and full of life! Fresh goes better with Keira Knightley, Fresh goes better with Atonementos, avoiding rape allegations! Atonementos! The Freshmaker.

Men’s ice hockey hits highs and lows in first half of season

After a 3-4 start before the holiday break, the men’s ice hockey team has skated to a 2-3-1 record in January, highlighted by a game played 10 days ago that still has not reached a conclusion.

Women’s ice hockey has perfect week

The women’s ice hockey team had an impressive 2-0 week, with a win over Division I rival Sacred Heart on Tuesday, followed by a weekend victory over Nichols College this past Saturday. Coming off a couple of tough road losses to NESCAC rivals Colby and Bowdoin last weekend, the Cardinals were able to rebound nicely and have their first winning streak of the season.

Men’s squash goes 3-3 over break

The men’s squash team began its 2008 campaign with a string of three losses at the Yale Round Robin Tournament. The team won its next three matches, though, including two this past weekend, to even up at 3-3 on the year and 6-6 overall.

Devane's Corner: No respect! Why Wes atheletes are hated on

Earlier this week, I read an online article describing what I call the “Big Man On Campus” (BMOC) effect on student-athletes who are loved at universities and colleges nationwide. Pick up the underrated college football flick “The Program,” starring Omar Epps, and see what the BMOC effect really is.

Cards are 6-11 after losing streak

Cardinal basketball is now saddled with a five-game losing streak and sits at 6-11. Wesleyan had won three of its last four games of 2007 and opened the new year with a pair of wins. The sole loss during that streak was a 67-61 home defeat at the hands of Emmanuel College on Dec. 6.

Cards wrestle through January

While most University students were relaxing and reconnecting with friends and family over the long winter break, Cardinal wrestlers were in the trenches of the January season. The tournaments from the beginning of the season and the early loss at Rhode Island College were left behind, and Wesleyan began 2008 by battling some fierce competition. Weeks of training and preparation brought the team to this point, and the Cards rose to the occasion.