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WASHINGTON (2-1, 1-0 Pac-10) Stanford Stadium 6 P.M. COVERAGE: TV: Fox College Sports Pacific RADIO: KZSU 90.1 FM, (kzsu.stanford.edu) UP NEXT UCLA 10/3 Stanford Stadium NOTES: No. 24 Washington knocked off No. 12 USC at home last weekend, 16-13. Stanford has scored on its opening posses- sion in each of its first three games. Chris Owusu has the highest kick return average in the nation. COVERAGE: TV ABC RADIO KZSU 90.1 FM (kzsu.stanford.edu) Index News/2 • Opinions/4 • Sports/5 • Classifieds/7 Recycle Me Cardinal plays host to Huskies in a must-win game By JACK SALISBURY SENIOR STAFF WRITER It may only be September, but Stanford plays a game that will be critical in defining the rest of its season when No. 24 Washington comes to town Saturday night. The Cardinal (2-1, 1-0 Pac-10) is looking to reach its first bowl game since 2001, and a win this weekend would go a long way in taking the team there. Winning home games is always crucial, es- pecially against conference teams of comparable caliber, like the Huskies. “The importance of the stretch we’re going into right now is huge,” said head coach Jim Har- baugh. “It’s going to be a tough game like it will be the following week,the week after that and pret- ty much every game the rest of the schedule. It’s important for us to take one game at a time and just prepare to put our players and our football team in the best possible position.” The game is just as important for the Huskies (2-1, 1-0 Pac-10), who are looking to carry the mo- BATTLE AT THE BIG SPIKE By CLAUDIA PRECIADO STAFF WRITER The Stanford women’s volleyball team, following a solid performance in the presea- son, now enters Pac-10 play with its sights set on another trip to the national champi- onships. No. 10 Stanford jumps out of the presea- son with a 7-3 record to face rival No.12 Cali- fornia in the Big Spike. Cal comes out of pre- season with a similar 7-3 record, providing an even face-off for the Pac-10 season’s crucial first match. “The Pac-10 is starting and every match matters,” said head coach John Dunning. “And usually that’s true, but this year, every- one can beat everyone in the Pac-10.” The Cardinal enters the match with losses against Notre Dame (3-0), Florida (3-2) and Hawai’i (3-0), while California comes in with losses against UC-Irvine (3-2), Texas (3-1) and Saint Louis (3-0). While both teams match up in losses, the two have four past matches in common: San Jose State, San Francisco, Saint Mary’s and Hawai’i. Though Cal seemingly has an edge over Stanford in terms of shared opponents, the Card’s defeats all come from top-ranked teams, while middle-ranked teams have top- pled the Bears. Because each volleyball pro- gram has the ability to beat the top teams this year, the Pac-10 will again be a tight race to the finish. “Everyone is good now — there are lots of teams that can be the best team and that can beat the best teams on a daily basis.That just means that every match is going to be excit- ing,” Dunning said. “I hope a lot of people come to watch this team and say, ‘Yeah they’re pretty good. Or no, they’re not good enough yet, but we’re going to see a great match and next week they’ll be even better.’” Among the Pac-10, it seems that Stanford has fallen behind in the rankings. With Ari- zona, Washington State, Oregon and Wash- ington boasting undefeated seasons thus far, the Card needs to make a serious run in order to match last season’s success. UCLA, Ore- gon State, Cal and Stanford are all sitting at the bottom of the Pac-10 with three losses apiece. Experienced players senior Janet Okog- baa and juniors Cassidy Lichtman, Alix Klineman and Gabi Ailes lead the otherwise young Cardinal team. Coming off of a week- end when Klineman reached her 1,000th kill, Lichtman experienced a triple-double,Okog- Women’s volleyball heads to Berkeley CALIFORNIA (7-3, 0-0 Pac-10) Berkeley, Calif. 7 P.M. COVERAGE: TV: FSN RADIO: KZSU 90.1 FM, (kzsu.stanford.edu) UP NEXT UCLA 10/2 Los Angeles, Calif. NOTES: Stanford was 2-0 last weekend, when they defeated San Francisco and St. Mary’s. The Cardi- nal’s overall record for away games at Cal stands at 29-4. The Bears are coming off a five-game winning streak and remain undefeated at home this season. COVERAGE: RADIO KZSU 90.1 FM (kzsu.stanford.edu) Please see FOOTBALL,page 5 Please see VBALL,page 6 GIULIO GRATTA/The Stanford Daily By KATE ABBOTT STAFF WRITER The administration’s decision to cancel this year’s Full Moon on the Quad was met with mixed reactions by students this week. The tradition involving seniors kissing freshmen under the first full moon of the quarter was officially cancelled Tuesday evening after campus health officials weighed in on the event and deemed it too great a risk to students’ health,especially as the spread of swine flu continues. According to Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman, the decision to cancel one of Stanford’s best- known traditions came about earlier in the week. “The spread of H1N1 has been a concern for several months now,”Boardman said in an email to The Daily.“How- ever, only this week did I ask for a recommendation.” Boardman was not certain if the event had ever been called off in previous years.He also said there are plans for the sophomore class, as well as other dorms, to host substitute events and residential-based programming sometime during fall quarter. The sophomore class traditionally hosts Full Moon and is now trying to plan an alternative campus-wide event. “We were very disheartened and very sad, since we’ve been planning since last spring,” said sophomore Class Presi- dent Isabelle Wijangco ‘12. Wijangco explained that if the event were to occur, extra precautions involving Peer Health Educators (PHEs) and Vaden would have been taken, “but swine flu is a very real issue,and the risk is just too big considering what the event en- tails.” “I am primarily concerned with the health and well-being of our students,” Boardman said. “This was not a decision I made lightly.” While some students expressed disappointment at the de- cision, many also seemed to understand the administration’s rationale. “[Full Moon] made Stanford seem less uptight,” said Tiffany Li ‘13.“We’re bright-eyed Stanford freshmen,we look Full Moon blacked out Students react to the decision to cancel annual tradition Stanford Daily File Photo DON’T KISS THE TREE: After the cancellation of Full Moon on the Quad, students said they were disappointed but understanding of the de- cision. Fears of an H1N1epidemic effectively ended this year’s event. Please see FULL MOON,page 2 Fall TV Preview CARDINAL TODAY INTERMISSION/INSERT FALL TV Intermission guides you through the lineup of this season’s hottest shows FRIDAY Volume 236 September 25, 2009 Issue 6 www.stanforddaily.com CARDINAL TODAY The Stanford Daily A n I n d e p e n d e n t P u b l i c a t i o n NEWS/2 GLOBAL HEALTH The University joins seven other institutions in a consortium on global health Today Sunny 80 62 Tomorrow Sunny 81 58 By ELIZABETH TITUS DESK EDITOR Two months after a disgruntled ex-employee destroyed an estimat- ed $500,000 in protein samples at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, staff there say security measures are under review but hir- ing practices will remain the same. Silvya Oommachen, 32, a former research associate at the Joint Center for Structural Genomics at SLAC, was arrested and charged in July with willful injury and depre- dation of U.S. government property after she allegedly snuck into a SLAC laboratory and destroyed more than 4,000 protein samples. She had been fired earlier that month after failing to show up to work. Oommachen told the FBI she destroyed the samples to rid herself of “bad karma” and left obscene notes signed by her “alter ego” in the lab where the protein was stored. SLAC spokesman Rob Brown called the July 18 vandalism an issue of physical security rather than a personnel issue. “Probably from the start, our biggest concern has been a security one rather than processes related to human resources,” Brown said Thursday. “Look . . . we generally don’t have these kinds of issues. We’ve never had them before.” Brown said SLAC hiring processes remain essentially the same as before the vandalism: “to check people’s references and do the normal best practices.” He would not discuss, however, what measures have been taken to improve physical security on SLAC grounds. Before she was fired, Oommachen had been screening proteins as part of the center’s Structure Determination Core project. On the evening of July 18, she allegedly slipped, unnoticed, into the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource facilities at SLAC and removed the research samples from their cold storage facilities, allowing them to thaw and ultimately be destroyed. FBI officials later noted in a report that the building housing the genomic center was never locked. Brown stated that after after the vandalism, security procedures would be reviewed. “The nature of science at SLAC and at Stanford is really collabora- tion,” Brown said. “So, [tight securi- ty] gets a little discouraging in that aspect. It’s against the spirit of what we’re trying to do here as a research institution.” Meanwhile, Oommachen’s whereabouts have been unclear since July 28, when she was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond and told to report to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco daily. A clerk said she has not appeared since then, and Oomachen is now considered a fugitive. Calls to the FBI’s San Francisco office went unreturned. By TROY YANG A total of no more than 30 units with at least six courses in the School of Education now allows a student to obtain a minor in education, a school that does not offer an undergraduate major. Education Prof. Jennifer Wolf said those who hope to become teachers should major in the areas in which they plan to teach. However, she added, having an education minor would go a long way in preparing students for postgraduate studies and, eventually, the teaching profession. “We want undergraduates to be learning completely and deeply in the content area that they will even- tually teach,” Wolf said, “and educa- tional research has shown that bring- ing strong content knowledge to a graduate study of education is bene- ficial for teaching and learning.” Despite a year of weighty budget cuts, school officials said the new minor was the most effective and inexpensive way to prepare under- graduates for the field. To fund the program, the University is only pay- ing for one additional person, who serves as a part-time director. Wolf said the additional cost was well worth it. “We get a lot of return on that. We’re one of the strongest education schools in the world, and it seems unfortunate that undergradu- ates don’t have access to that,” she said. “We want to encourage under- graduate students to think about education.” Prospects for the new minor pro- gram appear promising. Already, there are at least 10 students among the senior class who are pursuing the minor, which was initiated just this fall. Fourteen students are already enrolled in Education 101, the one required course for the minor. Students say the minor program is a step forward. “The path into the field of education is interdisciplinary in nature, but at Stanford there has- n’t been any track for that,” said Lauren Ponti ‘10.“So, the availability of this minor is a nice thing for peo- ple interested in the field of educa- tion to hold on to. “Some of my friends . . . com- plained a lot about how there’s not a major in education,” she added. “So, for a lot of us, it’s exciting that there’s now something to show for all the work we have put into learning about education.” Some of the interest in this bur- geoning program stems from the fact that there are lucrative opportunities associated with pursuing a graduate degree in education. Ponti, for exam- ple, is interested in education profit management and education policy. However, Wolf explained, there are many career options for students with an education degree, such as teaching, administration and com- munication. “[An education degree] prepares you for life in a community and life as a citizen,” she said. Contact Troy Yang at troyyang@stan- ford.edu. 2 Friday, September 25, 2009 The Stanford Daily NEWS Students laud the move as a step forward Suspect now considered a fugitive by the FBI SLAC Break-in forces security review Stanford joins Consortium of Universities on Global Health PARTNERS IN HEALTH By ZOE RICHARDS SENIOR STAFF WRITER Stanford will be joining forces with other top universities in an effort to solve pressing problems of global health. The universities include Boston University, Duke, Emory, Johns Hopkins, McGill, the University of California and the University of Washington. In the agreement, published Sept. 14, Stanford and the other universities agreed to work together in an effort to “bring the unique resources of the university to bear on problems that require sustained, integrat- ed, interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches.” The statement is associated with the Consortium of Universities on Global Health. Dr. Michele Barry, new senior associate dean at the School of Medicine, who helped draft the statement, said the impetus came from a con- cern with practical engagement. “We want the University to become part of the community of global health, and not an ivory tower,” she said. Barry, who was recruited four months ago after 25 years at Yale, was hired by the School of Medicine to fill an entirely new position designed to address just how Stanford can be a part of the global health movement. Her work will have a particular emphasis on the compo- nents of education, research and service. The University’s unique involvement in the consortium is complemented by its past initia- tives in the area of global health innovation. Stanford-India Biodesign, an educational pro- gram developed at Stanford, was selected by the consortium as one of the best examples of collaborative and innovative partnership in global health. By partnering to build medical schools in developing nations and re-opening clinics, the consortium hopes to open the channels for cross-cultural global health dialogue, curb “brain-drain” and inspire innovations in the global health sector. Stanford’s future involvement with the group will be “cross-discipli- nary,” if all goes as planned. After set- tling into her new post, Barry hopes to engage with other departments in innovative ways — from financing health across the world to helping min- istries of health in other countries. She has already met with political scientists at the Freeman Spogli Institute to discuss health policy and prepare for the Global Health Consortium in May. The University’s promise to answer to the challenges of global health through the consor- tium was met with approval by many health- concerned student groups across campus. Patricia Arty ‘10, public relations executive for Dance Marathon, was enthusiastic about the University’s fresh commitment to the issue. “This move shows that the Stanford com- munity sees past a country’s border as it sup- ports the development of global health curricu- la and research,” Arty said. Sabrina Tom MED ‘11, former president of the Organization of International Health, was also pleased with the decision. “Breakthroughs in medicine aren’t just about discovering new biochemical therapies,” she said. “[Stanford School of Medicine’s] commitment toward a broader definition of being a leader in medical discovery and innovation is both very encour- aging and long overdue.” Contact Zoe Richards at iamzoe@stanford.edu. SCHOOL OF EDUCATION School unveils new education minor MASARU OKA/The Stanford Daily This summer, a former employee managed to sneak into a SLAC labora- tory and cause $500,000 worth of damage. SLAC spokesman Rob Brown said that, because of the break-in, the facility will be reviewing its “phys- ical security” issues. Hiring practices will remain the same. forward to all Stanford traditions, but I don’t think we’re too devastated, because we haven’t seen it before.” For Ed Schmerling ‘10, a senior, the news was “reasonably disappointing.” “I was definitely planning on show- ing up and not kissing a lot of fresh- man,because I’m a staff member obvi- ously, but definitely ogling and leering at freshman girls,” he joked. While Boardman said he had heard mostly positive reactions, emails were sent to several lists joking about the threat of germs being spread more eas- ily through a handshake than through a kiss.Others fear this is the first step in removing Full Moon from Stanford’s calendar for good. “This is a decades-long tradition, and it’s one that I’ve certainly taken part in the last three years,” said Chris Hadley ‘10. “And it also sucks that they’re taking away something that is a major draw of Stanford, the college of crazy traditions.These frosh have been reading about Full Moon for potential- ly months now, only for it to be stolen away from them.” Boardman said there are currently no plans to cancel Full Moon in future years. “I think it is very reasonable; swine flu is some big epidemic that is hitting our age group hardest,” said Schmerling.“I’m not sure if it’s too dif- ferent from the mono scare that hap- pens every year and the administration is always looking for a good excuse to shut the whole thing down. But I sup- port them in their decision to shut it down this year, even though it’s my senior year.” In an email to the sophomore class announcing the cancellation, sopho- more class presidents asked for recom- mendations for other possible events to be held in place of Full Moon. The class will hold office hours Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. in Old Union to gather stu- dent input about other events. “People have been very supportive — they totally understand where the University is coming from,” Wijangco said. “While we’re really disappointed that this has happened, it’s a great opportunity to take what’s happened and make a new event.” Contact Kate Abbott at kmabbott@stan- ford.edu. FULL MOON Continued from front page BECCA DEL MONTE/The Stanford Daily Please see SLAC, page 3 “We want the University to become part of the community on global health, and not an ivory tower.” — DR. MICHELE BARRY, senior associate dean at the School of Medicine The Stanford Daily Friday, September 25, 2009 3 By ERIC MESSINGER MANAGING EDITOR This report covers a selection of the crimes reported from Sept. 1 to Sept. 18 as recorded in the Stanford Police Department Public Bulletin. A series of bike thefts occurred during this time. MONDAY, AUG. 31 An individual lost his laptop after leaving it unattended in the third floor restroom of the David Packard Electrical Engineering Building between 5:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. TUESDAY, SEPT. 1 A vehicle was towed and impounded at 12:25 p.m. for having 17 outstanding parking citations at a lot at Buckeye Lane and Serra St. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2 On Sept. 1 at Parking Structure 1, an unknown suspect vandal- ized a victim’s vehicle by writing offensive graffiti on the dust layer of the vehicle. The graffiti was noted then washed from the victim’s vehicle. THURSDAY, SEPT. 3 Between 1:45 p.m. and 1:50 p.m., an unknown suspect stole an unattended cell phone that was left on a desk in a room in Ujamaa B. In an incident at the Bechtel International Center, after pre- senting a paper for an engineer- ing design conference, an indi- vidual refused to leave campus, known in other contexts as co- terming. TUESDAY, SEPT. 8 In an incident that took place a week before the day of its reporting, an unknown suspect left a list of military and civilian firearms inside the Stanford Bookstore. At 5:13 p.m. at 250 Curtner St. in Palo Alto, an individual was reported missing after not reporting for work for several days. The individual was found unharmed and in good health. The status of her or his job,how- ever, is unknown. A victim donated a backpack to unknown suspect(s) by leaving it unattended in the lobby of Quillen Highrise between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. At 5:50 p.m. a package emitting a “ticking” noise was received by the mailroom in Munger Building 5. The package was opened and contained electron- ic merchandise. The box was resealed and returned to the mailroom, continuing a cycle of perpetual fear. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9 Between 2 p.m. on Sept. 3 and 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 8, at the Facility Operations Shops & Offices, an unknown suspect entered the HVAC shop by unknown means, used a bolt cutter to cut a padlock and stole a set of work keys. THURSDAY, SEPT. 10 An unknown suspect attempted to enter the Taube Hillel House and Koret Pavilion Building by prying a window screen and a door. The suspect was unsuc- cessful, a cause for simcha. FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 In an incident reported on this day that occurred on Sept. 3 at 10:30 a.m., a non-injury vehi- cle-vs.-vehicle collision occurred at the Stanford Driving Range, with a joke too easy to make. An unknown suspect(s) entered a victim’s residence at 118 Jenkins Court and stole com- puters and personal property. SUNDAY, SEPT. 13 An unknown suspect stole a vic- tim’s laptop from his dormitory room at Chi Theta Chi between 9 p.m. on Sept. 10 and 1 a.m. on Sept. 11. Between Sept. 7 at 4:16 a.m. and Sept. 13 at 8:05 p.m., other #1 mailed a check to the reporting party for a tutoring job. Other #1 wanted the reporting party to wire other #2 the funds using Western Union. MONDAY, SEPT. 14 An unidentified suspect was seen taking a victim’s bike from the bike rack at Stern Hall at 3:02 p.m. When confronted, the suspect returned the bike and fled on foot, ignoring a consid- erably faster getaway vehicle. An unknown suspect removed both the left and right tail lights from the victim’s vehicle at Parking Structure 2 between 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Come on. In an incident that took place on Sept. 11 at 5:07 p.m., a sus- pect pioneered a bold applica- tion strategy by sending obscene emails to the Graduate School of Business, along with numerous other business schools across the country. In an incident somehow report- ed on Sept. 14, but taking place between March 9 and 10, a vic- tim’s locked bike was stolen. The victim also mentioned that the bike had been stolen two years earlier, before noting that they suspected “Tommy” in a past theft of their tricycle. THURSDAY, SEPT. 17 At 9:25 a.m. at the intersection of Campus and Palm Drive, an arrestee was cited for an out- standing warrant and for being in possession of less than 28.5 grams of marijuana, and then released. As the old folk saying goes,“Never carry more than 28 grams of marijuana.” At 5:49 p.m., a non-injury hit and run vehicle-vehicle collision occurred at Campus Drive and Escondido Road. Six witnesses were involved. Between 6:10 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Jordan Hall, an unknown sus- pect stole a victim’s unattended purse from the psychology lounge. The purse was later found in the garbage in the men’s restroom on the third floor with currency missing, and will enter therapy. Contact Eric Messinger at messinger @stanford.edu. POLICE BLOTTER Public defender Rita Bosworth said Thursday she couldn’t say whether her client has been heard from since disappearing July 28. Oommachen’s alleged crimes carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. — Ryan Mac contributed to this report. Contact Elizabeth Titus at etitus@stanford.edu. SLAC Continued from page 2 4 Friday, September 25, 2009 The Stanford Daily WAXWORKS AND ROUSTABOUTS P.G. Mann THE GAO REPORT, BELTWAY EDITION Shelley Gao “How it is written” The Farm, global responsibility and your education In his 2009 Commencement speech, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy ‘58 focused on the responsibil- ities of a Stanford education. He called upon graduates to spread the rule of law around the world. In his address, Kennedy urged students to devote their careers to promoting justice, that “with our own free- dom comes the duty to make the case for others.” Some thought the speech was rather lackluster. They argued that Justice Kennedy attempted to convey an idea that has already been more persuasively ad- vanced. However, it was a refreshing change from the traditional “feel good” graduation addresses on overcoming failure and find- ing happiness. It was a speech about duty.At Stanford, we are accustomed to speaking about rights. It is time to expand the dis- course.A Stanford education is a great priv- ilege, and this privilege comes with the im- perative to contribute toward social better- ment through public service. Earning a degree at Stanford is a signifi- cant investment. It involves not only our parents,who made sacrifices to make our at- tendance possible, but also generations of Stanford alumni and donors who have sup- ported our education by increasing the en- dowment, constructing new buildings or funding specific initiatives. In 2007-08, over 72,000 donors raised $785 million to Stan- ford, making the University’s development the most successful in the U.S. Almost 40 percent of Stanford undergraduate alumni contributed to the University’s fundraising efforts. Programs such as Bing Stanford in Washington, study abroad and Chappell Lougee fellowships simply would not exist without the generosity of individuals. The thousands of people did not invest in our education merely to watch us lead re- warding, albeit private lives. It is just not good enough to go about our daily routines, seeking personal fulfillment. They invested to produce global citizens of the highest moral and intellectual caliber who will make valuable contributions to the broader society, whether it is in the arts, sciences, ac- ademia, politics or other arenas. It is their expectation that we take responsibility for forces greater than ourselves. The chal- lenges confronting us today are just as diffi- cult as those confronting great challenges of bygone days. We still need to answer Alexander Hamilton’s call in “The Federal- ist” to ensure that the future of humanity is shaped through “reflection and choice,” and not through “accident and force.” The topic of a noble life rarely features in conversations among Stanford students.You do not often hear Aristotle’s view in the Nicomachean Ethics regarding statesman- ship as one of the highest forms of life evoked in job search sessions. Pragmatism appears to be the dominating attitude on campus. Despite the recent economic crisis, the cult of a career in finance has not dimin- ished. Less than a week into fall quarter, I have received at least a dozen emails pro- moting “information sessions,” “coffee chats” and “resume drops.” From McKinsey to Morgan Stanley, from Deloitte to D.E. Shaw, consulting and I-banking firms have flooded the campus with full-time position recruiting.There is nothing wrong with Stan- ford students wanting to venture into the business arena. The opportunities offered are certainly stimulating and financially re- warding. Indeed, the private sector offers a chance to gain valuable skills and experi- ences that should be later applied toward furthering the public good.Furthermore, it is expected that we will change jobs and pro- fessions numerous times during our lifetime. However, it becomes disconcerting when se- curity replaces vision, and when complacen- cy stifles our sense of responsibility. In their founding grant, Leland and Jane Stanford expressed Stanford students’ re- sponsibility to contribute to “the public wel- fare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization.”A Stanford edu- cation does not merely equip us with the ability to embark on successful careers. It prepares us to lead lives of service. It is im- perative that we keep in mind the sense of duty to our predecessors and our legacy. How will you rise to meet the responsibility of serving as leaders in your community, the na- tion and the world? Email Shelley at sxgao@stanford.edu. My summer bath had just gone from tepid to fart-warm, when I heard a rustling at the door. I assumed it was the village hoodlums, no doubt angling for a peek at my unrobed flesh beneath the crack. “Fie, horse thieves!” I shouted, sheltering my nether regions be- hind my well-worn copy of “Eat, Pray, Love.” “Away with your wretched tom- peepery!” To my chagrin, it was the mail- man. Said he had an important delivery for me, marked urgent from the Oval Office. It read: “Get out of that sordid tub and do something for your country! War is still rag- ing,health care still failing,and there you are shriveled as a washerwoman, searching for enlightenment, aroma therapy and a fab recipe for pesto. Your nation needs you. Take up that pen and write on a weekly basis, until your stomach bleeds! Sincerely, Barack Obama, the President.” Right away, I had a sneaking suspicion that the letter was not actually from Barack Obama,but my grandpa.He’s always talking about doing things until your stomach bleeds. Seemed like a dead give-away. Only after I stuffed the letter down the drain did it occur to me that my grandpa was no longer living. An ulcer took him from us five years ago. Which meant the letter really was from the President! In a panic I fished it out, but all the ink had been washed away. All that remained was a sequence of letters that formed the nonsensical words “Stanford Daily.” I took this as an auspicious sign, searched the Inter- net for direction and was guided to the very publication you now hold in your hands. I swore on the American flag and the pickled remains of my grandfather’s anomalous organ that I would write for this “Stanford Daily” — until the blood gushed from my innards. At the time, I was mystified by this strange series of events. Only later did I piece it all together. There is a chance that one Zed Shwarma,alleged student and opin- ions editor at the “Stanford Daily,”wrote the note on the back of a sheet of Stanford Daily stationary as a sick joke, hoping to swindle me into submitting a weekly column to his section of the newspaper. But the more like- ly scenario is that my grandfather’s ghost blackmailed President Barack Obama into writing the letter, and Obama, to avoid ru- mors that he was being haunted by my grandpa, set Shwarma up as the patsy. Either way, I’ve been roped into this writ- ing business — if you can call it that. I always thought writers were scandalously rich and famous, dated movie stars, and drew tens of thousands of adoring bare-chested fans to watch them kick a ball around a field for 90 minutes in matching shorts and socks. It turns out none of this is true.Well, at least as a writer you get to eat donuts all day, ride around in a car with loud sirens and shoot bad guys, right? Nope. The lies we teach our children . . . So, what is it really like practicing the world’s oldest profession? Well, for starters, you have to wake up at 5 a.m. because that’s when the creditors in Delaware start calling. This is not so bad, since I can use the steady rhythm of the phone rings to structure my work day. For example, rings 1-100, scream into pillow. Rings 100-200, eat breakfast. Rings 200-1,000, prepare to write. Rings 1,000-1,500, cry into pillow. And at ring 1,500, I dry my eyes and wet my throat with gin. And that’s when the real writing starts. I often do my best writing completely uncon- scious. Sure, sometimes I wake up in a black linen sack full of tarantulas in a cemetery outside Juarez. Occasionally, I receive mail from the Navy demanding recompense for a battleship I have no recollection of sinking. And there is the infrequent coming-to in the white light of the airport detention cell after having removed my pants mid-flight. But every time, I emerge with a column of limpid prose written in gravy stains on my under- shirt. If only my cleaning lady would stop washing my undershirts, I’d have some truly great writing to offer you. Meanwhile, I’ll keep spending hours star- ing into the abyss of my soul reflected in the computer screen, listening to my wife nag me about how she doesn’t like to be called my cleaning lady and wondering what in the world this job has to do with getting paid to have sex with strangers. I’ll add word after excruciating word,and pray to a hybrid deity of President Obama and my deceased grandpa that it see fit sooner rather than later to fill my stomach with blood. Until then, I hope you enjoy this column! Questions, comments, threats? Email P.G. at pmann@stanford.edu. OPINIONS Managing Editors The Stanford Daily Established 1892 A N I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S PA P E R Incorporated 1973 Tonight’s Desk Editors Ryan Mac News Editor Zoe Leavitt Sports Editor Masaru Oka Photo Editor Jane LePham and Stephanie Weber Copy Editors Becca del Monte Graphics Editor Kamil Dada Deputy Editor Eric Messinger Managing Editor of News Zach Zimmerman Managing Editor of Sports Emma Trotter Managing Editor of Features Annika Heinle Managing Editor of Intermission Michael Liu Managing Editor of Photo Andrew Valencia Editorial Board Chair Zachary Warma Columns Editor Jane LePham Head Copy Editor Becca del Monte Head Graphics Editor Board of Directors Devin Banerjee President, Editor in Chief Jason Shen Chief Operating Officer Mary Liz McCurdy Vice President of Advertising Kamil Dada Glenn Frankel Theodore Glasser Michael Londgren Wyndam Makowsky Robert Michitarian Contacting The Daily: Section editors can be reached at (650) 723-2555 from 3 to 10 p.m. The Advertising Department can be reached at (650) 721-5803, and the Classified Advertising Department can be reached at (650) 721-5801 during normal business hours. A Stanford education does not merely equip us with the ability to embark on successful careers. It prepares us to lead lives of service. P.G. Mann The Stanford Daily Cardinal Today Friday, September 25, 2009 5 SPORTS Danny Belch On My Mind Witnessing women’s soccer The Stanford football frenzy currently overtaking the school should not obscure notable performances by other teams across campus. In fact,the women’s soccer team is one of many fall teams with undefeated records so far. With a 9-0-0 record and a No. 1 or No. 2 national ranking (depending on the poll), women’s soccer has had an impressive start to the season and is looking to maintain its strong perform- ance. Stanford is off to its best start since 1994,when the Cardinal team went 10- 0 to start the season.With the next two games against Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara, there is a good chance that the Cardinal women will best the 1994 mark to have the best opening record in Stanford women’s soccer history. But as the old adage goes, it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.And I’m sure that the players will tell you the same thing. Last year’s excellent season ended with a tough 1-0 loss to Notre Dame in the College Cup semi- finals.This year,almost every player re- turns from that squad, and you can be sure they have at least one thing on their mind. And watch out, women’s soccer teams across the country: This team may be better than they were a year ago. The Cardinal has returned their of- fensive firepower from a year ago — 69 of Stanford’s 71 goals last season. Stanford has outscored their oppo- nents 33-6 so far this year,and six play- ers have multi-goal games. An example of just how good the Cardinal is can be seen in this season’s third game. Down 2-0 to San Diego State with 27 minutes to go, the Cardi- nal rebounded for three goals in six minutes, and added two more before the game was over. The Aztecs suf- fered a bombardment of five goals in 26 minutes,and this game showed how the Card is ready to strike given even the slightest opportunity. An explosive offense and stout de- fense carried last year’s team to the College Cup. But it was the first Col- lege Cup appearance for every single player on that team. Say what you will about experience, but something tells me that this year, with nine of 11 re- turning starters and almost the entire bench returning, the Cardinal will be even more ready for the champi- onships this year. And honestly, it does not seem like there is much in their way. They have five or six players ready to bring them a quick goal at any moment,and an en- tire team of playmakers. They have speed at the back and in the front, and size in the middle. Head coach Paul Ratcliffe has been starting freshman Mariah Nogueira in a defensive mid- field spot,while giving her the freedom to move forward on set pieces. Rat- cliffe has called her one of the best headers of the ball he’s seen in college soccer. That physical presence and ability to win the ball is key for the Car- dinal,which has in recent years had the luxury of physical central defenders in- cluding Allison Falk, Marissa Abegg and Rachel Buehler. But games aren’t won with defense alone. Senior Kelley O’Hara anchors an offense that includes junior Chris- ten Press and sophomores Lindsay Taylor and Teresa Noyola. The four have combined for 22 of the team’s 33 goals.Perhaps even more impressive is the late offensive prowess — 25 of Stanford’s 33 goals have come in the second half. Probably the defining win of the season so far was the win a few weeks ago over then-No. 5 Notre Dame. In a rematch of last year’s National Semifi- nal game,the Cardinal took charge in a 2-0 win over the Irish down at Santa Women look to remain undefeated against Gaels By NATE ADAMS DESK EDITOR With a flawless record and few injury problems, the Cardinal women’s soccer team is riding a huge wave of momentum into the tail end of its non-conference sea- son. After dominating Colorado and Wis- consin last weekend by a combined score of 10-0, No. 2 Stanford (9-0-0) now looks ahead to Sunday’s road game against the Gaels of St. Mary’s College (5-4-0), the penultimate match before its foray into Pac-10 play. The Gaels are a familiar foe to most of the Cardinal players, as the two schools have met each other in each of the last two sea- sons. Last year, the Cardinal soundly defeat- ed St. Mary’s in a 3-0 shutout behind goal- keeper Kira Maker. Despite their recent his- tory, however, Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe knows that no team should be un- derestimated, especially on the road. “I think whenever you’re playing away from home, it’s a more difficult game,” Rat- cliffe said. “St. Mary’s has done really well this year, and their track record is strong. Every game is difficult, so we have to be ready for it. We have to prove we can win.” Spearheading the effort to continue the Cardinal’s undefeated season will be senior forward Kelley O’Hara. Dexterous and ex- perienced, O’Hara has racked up a team- leading 24 points and 10 goals in just nine games, while keeping her shot accuracy at an impressive .222 in 45 tries. What’s more, she has already scored well over half of her ca- reer high in points this season — 38 in 2008. Indeed, O’Hara has put in extra effort to make her senior year special. “I played with a team over the summer, and it’s the first time I’ve played all through the offseason like that,” O’Hara said. “I think that helped to keep my game fitness up. But also, it’s my senior year and I love Stanford, so I really want to make the most of the couple months I have left with this team.” Her coach couldn’t be more grateful for her contributions, and Ratcliffe knows O’Hara will be a useful asset both on Sun- day and for the remainder of the season. “Kelley’s been fantastic this year and in the past,” Ratcliffe said of his senior for- ward. “She’s an inspiration to the team and very mature. She’s a great leader . . . she’s just exceptional.” Stanford’s 2009 squad, currently ranked No. 1 in four of five national polls, has a lot of depth backing up key players like O’Hara. Among its talented core is sopho- more forward Lindsay Taylor. As a fresh- man, Taylor tied Christen Press for the team lead in goals with 16, and was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. She’s had to battle through some adversity this season, and has netted only two goals throughout the Cardinal’s nine games. She’s starting to look like her old self again recently, though, and could be a big factor against St. Mary’s — last year, she scored the game-winning goal against the Gaels. “I started the year off sick, so it was a lit- tle hard to get into things, but I’ve managed to come back and get increased playing time,” Taylor said. “I’ve had time to get used to everyone’s playing styles again, and I think they’re getting used to me as well. I’m starting to get back into shape and getting set to play hard, so it’s been a good come- back.” The rest of the team, despite the perfect record, is looking to improve as well. With conference play just around the corner, the contest with St. Mary’s could be a good op- portunity for the Cardinal to work out any kinks in its game. “The team needs to continue improving,” Ratcliffe acknowledged. “We’ve been doing better and better with each game. We’ve been trying to increase our speed of play in particular. We need to keep working, though. My hope is that we’re peaking dur- ing the Pac-10 season and then leading heading into the playoffs.” While Ratcliffe and his players generally prefer to take things one game at a time, it’s hard not to look past matches like St. Mary’s on Sunday, especially while facing a team that has a good chance of going deep into the postseason. Taylor expressed her excitement at the not-too-far-off Pac-10 schedule.“It’s great to be going back to the conference games, and we’re always looking to be tough and hope- fully make it back to the Pac-10 tournament, and maybe win it all this year,” she said. On the injury front, the Cardinal had a bit of a scare when sophomore midfielder Tere- sa Noyola (currently third on the team in points) took a nasty spill in front of the stu- dent section against Wisconsin. Though she took several minutes to stand up and was fa- voring one leg heavily, her coach is not too concerned about the incident. “It was just a little knock, the kind of thing that happens all the time,” Ratcliffe said. “She should be fine.” The Cardinal faces off against the St. Mary’s College Gaels this Sunday at 1 p.m. in Moraga, Calif. Contact Nate Adams at nbadams@stanford.edu. AUDRIE LIN/The Stanford Daily The No. 2 Stanford women’s soccer team will go for its 10th consecutive win to open up the sea- son when it faces St. Mary’s on Sunday. The Cardinal shut out the Gaels by a score of 3-0 last season. With a win this weekend, Stanford will make a push for the No.1 national ranking. Pursuit of Perfection mentum from their shocking 16-13 win over then-No. 3 USC into the rest of their conference schedule. The stakes may be even higher than they originally were, after com- ments by Washington coach Steve Sarkisian this week. Sarkisian ex- plained to the Seattle media that he would be turning down the music during practice this week in order to prepare for the “somewhat more quiet atmosphere”at Stanford Stadi- um. While Sarkisian’s comments riled some from the Stanford com- munity this week (although not the football program itself), the first- year coach’s remarks were certainly valid. The Huskies are led by junior quarterback Jake Locker, consid- ered to be one of the best talents at quarterback in all of the country. Though Harbaugh has been the coach known to stir the media, he had nothing but praise this week for Locker and the rest of the Huskies. “They’ve done a remarkable job with that football program, both the players and the coaches there,” Har- baugh said. “Offensively, they give you a lot of problems. You got a quarterback that can drop back in the pocket and throw it. He can get out of the pocket. He can escape pressure when you have pressure on him, and when you have guys cov- ered — he can make a play.” Harbaugh’s words seem to line up with his actions: He voted Washing- ton 15th in the latest coaches’ poll, nine spots ahead of its actual posi- tion in the poll. Though Washington is the ranked opponent in the match-up, the Car- dinal is the favorite, and a significant one at that — the standard Vegas betting lines currently have Stanford as an eight-point favorite. After all, Washington is still fresh off a 0-12 season, the worst in school history. The Huskies have already clearly been rejuvenated after hiring Sark- isian, but any program coming off such a horrific season is likely to ex- perience growing pains in its first re- building year. Washington was also aided by a combination of injuries and numer- ous mistakes on the part of the Tro- jans: USC was forced to start inexpe- rienced backup Aaron Corp at quar- terback, and they ended up turning the ball over three times. Stanford will attack Washington with the same weapon it wields on the rest of its opponents: senior tail- back Toby Gerhart.The Huskies run defense may be a point of weakness, too, as they gave up 250 yards to Tro- jan running backs last Saturday.With Gerhart in good health and running over defenders of all kinds, the Car- dinal may have a field day when it comes to running the football. That said, the Huskies are going to be a formidable opponent, some- thing Stanford is perfectly aware of. “They’re a different team [than last year’s team],” Gerhart said after Stanford’s 42-17 win over San Jose State last Saturday. “They’re confi- dent, they’re playing hard, they’re playing well. Just watching that very first game [against LSU], they’re going to be a team to contend with. We were at that same point two years ago.” Saturday’s kick-off is set for 6 p.m. at Stanford Stadium. The game will be televised by Fox Sports Col- lege Pacific and broadcast by KZSU 90.1 FM. Contact Jack Salisbury at jack24@ stanford.edu. FOOTBALL Continued from front page intermission FRIDAY TODAY Please see BELCH,page 6 6 Friday, September 25, 2009 Cardinal Today The Stanford Daily GIULIO GRATTA/The Stanford Daily The No. 10 Stanford women’s volleyball team heads across the Bay to take on Cal for the first conference match of the season. The Golden Bears share a 7-3 record with the Cardinal, but remain undefeated at home. Continued from front page VBALL| Stanford begins Pac-10 play baa tallied 22 kills in two games and Ailes rallied 37 digs, these players are fired up and prepared to take on the Pac-10. The team now looks to im- prove with each game and help its younger players harness their skills. “With our team,we’re trying not to get ahead of ourselves,”Dunning said. “We had four people graduate who played a lot last year. The one thing you can’t hurry is experience.It comes when it comes.” Cal boasts one of the nation’s best outside hitters,Hana Cutura.Dunning and his team will look to keep her con- tained by controlling the net tonight. “When you’re looking at who’s out on the court, we better be a good blocking team.We can play by the net athletically or size-wise or both,”Dun- ning said. “Most of the good Pac-10 teams are driven by their outside hit- ters;so our block,if it’s really good,can change the matches.” Changing matches is what it’s all about in the Pac-10 this year.Whether the team is No. 1 or No. 10, the Card knows that each game will pose a dif- ficult test. Playing Cal on the road will be challenging, although very reward- ing if the Cardinal can bring home a victory. “Cal is Cal is Cal.We’re motivated to play Cal, and they’re really good,” Dunning said. “[Cutura] has been tearing all of her opponents apart.This is a big match for us to start confer- ence. It’s on their court; they’re going to be comfortable.We have to go over there and defend ourselves,but it’s just a great way to start the conference.” Riding momentum from the past weekend’s triumphs, the Cardinal sets out to keep the ball rolling in its favor against the Bears. With great serving, tough defense and execution of of- fense, Stanford should be able to take its first conference win. The first ball will be served tonight at 7 p.m.at the Haas Pavilion in Berke- ley. Contact Claudia Preciado at claudi- ap@stanford.edu. OPPONENT STANFORD RESULT CAL RESULT SAN JOSE 3-0 3-1 SAN FRANCISCO 3-1 3-0 SAINT MARY’S 3-1 3-1 HAWAI’I 0-3 3-2 SPORTS BRIEFS Men’s soccer prepares for pair of nonconference home games The Stanford men’s soccer team welcomes Air Force tonight and New Mexico on Sunday night in the Stan- ford Nike Classic this weekend. So far this season, the Cardinal (4- 1) has rebounded from a subpar 2008. After its opening loss at Lehigh, Stanford has won four straight games, which already equals the team’s win total from last year, and hopes to continue its success against two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation teams. Thus far,Stanford has scored nine goals in five games,which is a vast im- provement over last year’s total of 14 goals in 18 games.This coincides with strong defensive play for the Cardi- nal. Senior goalkeeper John Moore had three shutouts in the team’s first five contests. This is nothing new for Stanford, though, because the Cardi- nal defense was the lone bright spot for the team last year. Stanford did not allow more than two goals in any game last year, and the defense has continued that run this year, giving up four goals in five games. The Cardinal’s first opponent,Air Force, has won its last two games and is 3-1-1 on the year. The Falcons are led by Kevin Rosser,who has four as- sists in five games. Stanford is 4-1-2 overall against Air Force. New Mexico comes in 4-2, but has to play at No. 5 California this afternoon before taking on Stan- ford. Justin Davis has scored four of the Lobos’ 12 goals this season, and New Mexico has only allowed six goals. Stanford was picked in the pre- season to finish third in the six-team soccer variation of the Pac-10, be- hind Cal and UCLA,who are both in the current top 10. The Air Force game will begin at 7 p.m. tonight and the New Mexico game will kick off at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. — By Jacob Jaffe Clara. This victory not only brought revenge for last year’s defeat,but gave the players confidence that Stanford can beat the best out there. If nothing else, you should watch this team play.If you like offense,then this team is for you. If you like de- fense, then this team is for you. If you like winning,then this team is definite- ly for you. If women’s soccer can continue to play this way throughout the rest of the season and into the postseason, the Cardinal will not only best Stan- ford’s 1994 team for a great start to the season; they will have a great finish, too. After coming very close to the title last year, this year the Card is out to achieve the greatness it deserves. Danny Belch is gonna let you finish,but Stanford women’s soccer is one of the best teams of all time...of ALL TIME. Kick him off stage at dbelch1@ stanford.edu. BELCH Continued from page 5 DONORSWANTED Nice Family Seeks Stanford Sperm Donor. Generous Compensation. Are you smart, athletic, attractive with nice eyes? Please email photos and a para- graph or two about yourself to universi- tydonor@yahoo.com SEEKING EXCEPTIONAL SPERM DONOR: COMPENSATION UP TO $16K Highly Intelligent, Attractive, Creative, Athletic. (Caucasian, Tall with Light Eyes pre- ferred) Prestigious So Cal Law Firm has a lov- ing family who is looking for an out- standing donor. 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