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Today

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LOOKING BACK

Remembering the great and not-so-great moments of the 11 football season

Mostly Sunny 64 43

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The Stanford Daily

WEDNESDAY January 11, 2012

An Independent Publication
www.stanforddaily.com

Mid-Year Convocation sets 2015 up for rest of Farm years

CS seeks greater female involvement

By NEEL THAKKAR Perhaps even more remarkable than the record-breaking enrollment in CS 106A last quarter was the percentage of those 594 students who were female. Were getting pretty close to gender parity, said Mehran Sahami, BS 92, M.S. 93, Ph.D. 99, an associate professor of computer science who teaches the course in the fall. Gender parity, if only in the introductory class, is encouraging news for a department that is overwhelmingly male. Unfortunately, the percentage of female students in computer science drops off considerably from 106A, even though, according to Roberts and Sahami, women do just as well and report liking it just as much as men. Each subsequent course in the track becomes more and more male-dominated. The percentage of female CS majors remains only 20 percent, according to computer science professor Eric Roberts. The number of women matters, said Roberts, because universities are producing a tenth of the computer scientists that the industry is demanding, because existing technology reflects its producers and because the major can be empowering, especially in terms of salary. That number is an improvement on recent years in 2009, only 8.1 percent of students graduating in computer science were women but represents no change in the longer run. Roberts, who has taught at Stanford since 1990, remembers the percentage of women in the major ranging from 14 to 26 percent. Its one of the lowest of the engineering disciplines, Roberts said. Last quarter, computer science major Sophia Westwood 13 was among the latest to try and figure

Volume 240 Issue 49

LUIS AGUILAR/The Stanford Daily

Students share their experiences with the Class of 2015 at Mid-Year Convocation in Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday night. An estimated 1,000 freshmen attended the event, moderated by Michael Tubbs 12.

ACADEMICS

SIS looks to increase future participation

By LAURYN WILLIAMS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Preliminary results from an ongoing study conducted by Ellen Woods, associate vice provost for Undergraduate Education, have determined that 70 percent of the current sophomore class has been enrolled in either an Introductory Seminar or a September Studies course whether Sophomore College or Arts Intensive since beginning at Stanford. The study will conclude with the Class of 2014 and will help the Office of Undergraduate Education pinpoint whom it does not reach, why it does not reach them and what it can do to improve the program. At this time, it does not seek to assess the affects of Stanford Introductory Studies (SIS) on the undergraduate experience. SIS collected this data through a survey sent to the current sophomore class that included both

multiple choice and open-ended questions. The survey was sent to all members of the Class of 2014 who had not taken an Introductory Seminar in July. SIS analyzed enrollment data to see which students were new to introductory seminars at the conclusion of fall quarter, and will continue to do so after winter and spring quarters. The survey focused on the freshman experience in particular. The impact of dorm assignments on participation was one significant area that the study shed light upon. All the dorm participation rates were almost identical, excluding FroSoCo [FreshmanSophomore College], where participation rates are significantly higher, Woods said. There doesnt seem to be any relationship between where you live in the freshman year and whether or not you enroll in a seminar.

Because of this, differences in residential advising have been discounted as a significant factor in Introductory Studies enrollment. Though the data shows an overwhelmingly positive student response to introductory programs, the evidence from Woods study is now being analyzed in order to determine why the other 30 percent of students have not taken advantage of these programs. The Introductory Seminars web page heralds the seminars as a place where students are provided with a focused, in-depth environment to try out an area of interest. Yet, open-ended responses to the study identified intimidation as a major reason why certain students decide not to apply. Some students would rather be in a large class or are intimidat-

out why that was the case, talking to professors and doing her own research as well. The issue is always present, but pushed under the rug, Westwood said. The actual numbers . . . were pretty stark. Fundamentally, its a simple idea, Westwood said. Were getting all these people in 106A and were having trouble keeping them. Each persons case for not continuing is unique, she said, but some of the deterrents she found were rooted in stereotypes and misconceptions of the major. To combat that perception, the department overhauled the major in 2008, adding tracks, like Artificial Intelligence and Graphics, which catered to students interests, and emphasizing the multidisciplinary nature of computer science. Another obstacle is the sense that computer science can be solitary and for some, socially isolating. The stereotype of the socially awkward nerd has some basis in reality, Roberts said. Ive always thought the milieu in CS can be offputting to people who put more value in the social side of things. But Westwood said she believes this is not usually the case, especially with the departments recent multidisciplinary focus. Other interests make you a better computer scientist, she said. Youre not going to be in a cubicle; youre not going to be antisocial and youre not going to have a monitor tan. Unless you want to. The fields gender gap can be self-reinforcing. With fewer female role models in computer science, women can shy away. For a lot of guys, their default is to continue and for a lot of girls, the default isnt, Westwood said.

Please see STUDIES, page 3

Please see COMPSCI, page 5

EVENTS

LOCAL

Harvard prof. addresses 2012 Hacktivism

By JOSH HOYT
STAFF WRITER

Area lacks concern over snow

By NARDOS GIRMA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Bay Area water supply holds steady despite record lows in State snowfall

In a talk given at Stanford Law School on Tuesday, Harvard Professor of Law and Computer Science Jonathan Zittrain expressed concern both over the Internet being too consolidated and controlled, as well as concern about security issues highlighted by hacktivism in 2011. The event, Hacktivism: Anonymous, Lulzsec and Cybercrime in 2012 and Beyond, was sponsored by CodeX: The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics. CodeX is a multidisciplinary laboratory run by the University that seeks to explore ways in which information technology can be used to enhance the quality and efficiency of our legal system while decreasing its cost, according to its website. Zittrain, co-founder and co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard, has often concerned himself with potentially harmful censorship and limits to freedom on the Internet, but in this talk, focused on one major drawback: major security concerns that are often beyond the skill level of the general public to comprehend and address. About a year ago it dawned on me that our information environment is one in which, if you anger the wrong people, your entire life is vulnerable, Zittrain said.That is a high cost to pay for security, and it carries certain drawbacks that we shouldnt have to entertain. Zittrain described fears over the worstcase scenario cyber attacks getting the bulk of public attention like an attack that disables the power grid or interferes with a nuclear plant. He addressed such scenarios as real, but the product of hype. Instead he singled out attacks like distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS), which were at the center of many important news stories in 2011, including attacks on governments in the Middle East and on companies that had severed ties with WikiLeaks. Zittrain related how Anonymous, a loose Internet group known for activist

LUIS AGUILAR/The Stanford Daily

Harvard internet law and computer science professor Jonathan Zittrain speaks at the Stanford Law School about the state of internet security and hacking in 2012.
hacking, retaliated against HB Gary Federal, an Internet security consulting firm, and its CEO Aaron Barr. Aaron Barr had his Twitter and Facebook hacked to announce his home address and social security number. Additionally, all of the internal company emails were hacked and released. Ultimately, Anonymous itself was compromised and forced to announce: We regret to inform you today that our network has been compromised by a former IRCoperator and fellow helper named Ryan. I dont know if youve seen Reservoir Dogs where everybody is pointing their guns at each other, Zittrain said. But this is where I say things have gone too far. Everybody is vulnerable in this environment, including expert consultants in cyber security, according to Zittrain. This box in front of me [pointing at his laptop] contains all of my emails on it, and if Anonymous were mad enough at me, I have every confidence that they would be in this box within 12 hours, Zittrain said. Maybe if I broke it over my knee and never plugged it in again . . . he joked. Zittrain did not offer any specific solutions to the balance, but he favors a solution that would be bottom up in nature, not a government-driven solution. He looks to models like Wikipedia for bottom-up governance that works. Zittrain acknowledged that any solution would have to work with the nature of the consumers. How do we build systems that are still extremely simple and intuitive to use, but

Please see INTERNET, page 2

Over the past week, Stanford students have fretted about the low level of snowfall in the Tahoe area in anticipation of dorm ski trips during the coming weekends. What students have not realized is that beyond inconveniencing skiers and snowboarders, this low snowfall could potentially have a future impact on Californias water supply. The amount of water in the snow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is currently 83 percent below its Jan. 3 average and could impact the San Francisco water system, which currently gets about 85 percent of its water from the Sierra Nevadas. The system, which serves about half of the Bay Area, including San Francisco, the Peninsula and parts of Santa Clara and Alameda County, provides water from the Hetch Hetchy water system, which is fed by Sierra runoff. Although the decreased snowfall in the Sierra may sound alarming, especially considering its link to the Bay Area and Stanford water supplies, there is little reason to be too concerned, according to Steve Ritchie, assistant general manager at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). Basically, coming into this year, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir is full or as close to full as we can have it this time of year, Ritchie said. So right at the moment, we are not overly concerned; but we are certainly keeping an eye on the amount of snowfall up [in the Sierras]. Tom Zigterman, Associate Director and Civil Infrastructure Manager for Stanford, who manages the water systems here on campus, cited heavy precipitation in the past few years as the main reason for this. It isnt as alarming as it might seem that we havent had as much rainfall this rainy season to date because the reservoirs are quite full in the state from the prior two years of good rainfall, Zigterman said. It would take two to three years of rainfall below normal to start seriously impacting Californias water supply. This does not mean that a drought is entirely out of the question, but rather that if one did occur, Californians would not feel the effects of it for a few years. This could be the beginning of a drought,

Ritchie said. Would we see the effects of it directly? No, because we still have lots of carryover storage from last year, but that means we have to be extra cautious going into next year. Additionally, California has reason to remain optimistic about future rainfall. While December 2011 was dry, typically January through May account for about twothirds of the water year precipitation, wrote Margaret Laporte, associate director of Utilities for Water Resources and Environmental Quality for Stanford, in an email to The Daily. In the past two years we have had rains past May into June. So while precipitation to date is lagging, there are a number of historically wet months ahead of us. Even if a dry winter were to occur, the Bay Area would be able to depend on the full reservoirs. Stanford, which receives a majority of its water from the SFPUC, also would not be affected by a dry winter. The SFPUC is one of three water supplies for Stanford, making up 100 percent of the Universitys potable water supplywater that is suitable for drinking. Stanfords non-potable service water comes from creeks in the foothills, rainfall runoff and ground water, and is used for purposes such as irrigation and toilet-flush. If a drought were actually declared in the future, customers of the SFPUC could be expected to decrease their water consumption, something that the Santa Clara Valley Water District has had to mandate in the past. Water conservation is not new to Stanford. The University has already made immense strides in water conservation, even without a drought, decreasing average daily potable water use from 2.7 million gallons per day to below 2.2 million gallons per day, despite continued campus growth. Additionally, Stanford is continuing to explore conservation measures such as retrofitting fixtures and converting irrigation from potable water to non-potable water supply. Although Californians will most likely not experience any effects of a dry winter in the immediate future, the current dry spell does cast a light on Californias water systems. According to Zigterman, It continues to indicate that we need to plan long-term in the state and particularly in dry climates like we have in California and the West, to be careful about our water supplies and use them prudently. Contact Nardos at ngirma@stanford.edu.

Index

Opinions/2 Features/3 Sports/4 Classifieds/5

Recycle Me

2 N Wednesday, January 11, 2012

OPINIONS
E DITORIAL

The Stanford Daily

Stanford and the future

Established 1892 Board of Directors Kathleen Chaykowski President and Editor in Chief Anna Schuessler Chief Operating Officer Sam Svoboda Vice President of Advertising Theodore L. Glasser Michael Londgren Robert Michitarian Nate Adams Tenzin Seldon Rich Jaroslovsky

AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
Managing Editors Nate Adams Deputy Editor Billy Gallagher & Margaret Rawson Managing Editors of News Miles Bennett-Smith Managing Editor of Sports Tyler Brown Managing Editor of Features Lauren Wilson Managing Editor of Intermission Mehmet Inonu Managing Editor of Photography Shane Savitsky Columns Editor Stephanie Weber Head Copy Editor Serenity Nguyen Head Graphics Editor Alex Alifimoff Web and Multimedia Editor Zach Zimmerman,Vivian Wong, Billy Gallagher, Kate Abbott & Caroline Caselli Staff Development

The Stanford Daily

Incorporated 1973 Tonights Desk Editors Kristian Bailey News Editor Caroline Caselli Sports Editor Marwa Farag Features Editor Luis Aguilar Photo Editor Willa Brock Copy Editor

he last year has been a turbulent time for Stanford University with broad implications for the future character and scope of the institution. This manifested itself most dramatically in the rise of Stanford as a favorite in the high-stakes competition to build a new technology campus in New York City (for which Stanford was prepared to spend $2.5 billion), and in Stanfords subsequent withdrawal of its application. Closer to home, 2011 saw the beginning of work on the $5 billion expansion of the Stanford Medical Center, dubbed Project: Renewal, as well as the opening of a new campus for the Graduate School of Business; major progress in the construction of the Bing Concert Hall; the new Arrillaga Family Dining Commons; and other smaller projects. While we regret that Stanford and New York were unable to find a mutually beneficial agreement, we respect the Universitys decision to look after the interests of its community in the face of the supposedly rising demands placed upon it by Mayor Bloomberg and the city government. Though details of the negotiations remain vague and University staff members have responded amiably when asked for comment, the early enthusiasm on the part of Stanford University President John Hennessey for a New York campus suggests that something rather drastic likely happened to upend the situation. Nevertheless, the Stanford environment is set to continue to continue its improvement in 2012, though the changes will be intensive rather

than extensive in nature. One of the most encouraging recent developments is the new Campus Energy Systems Improvement project recently approved by the University Board of Trustees. As any student who has seen the vast cloud of hot steam that towers over the University on chilly mornings can attest, the current system can surely be improved upon.The $438 million dollar plan is set to significantly reduce Stanfords water and energy use. While the benefits of this new infrastructure will be largely invisible, they will be quite real. More saliently, Stanfords short and medium term development looks to be dominated by two broad projects: the aforementioned expansion of the Medical Center and the creation of a new arts district centered on the existing Cantor Arts Center that will encompass the future Bing Concert Hall as well as a recently approved $85 million, 96,000 squarefoot building that will host the Universitys Art and Art History departments. The simultaneous construction of a state-of-the-art hospital for both treatment and research and the arts district taking shape near Museum Way say a great deal about Stanfords institutional identity. In an age of specialization, Stanford maintains a strong presence across many different disciplines and fields of human endeavor. If the drama and change of 2011 is any indication, 2012 promises to be another newsworthy chapter in the ongoing creation of a university that began in 1891.

Contacting The Daily: Section editors can be reached at (650) 721-5815 from 7 p.m. to 12 a.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. Send letters to the editor to eic@stanforddaily.com, op-eds to editorial@stanforddaily.com and photos or videos to multimedia@stanforddaily.com. Op-eds are capped at 700 words and letters are capped at 500 words.

JOBBERISH

Americas next top psychologist

Unsigned editorials in the space above represent the views of the editorial board of The Stanford Daily and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Daily staff. The editorial board consists of eight Stanford students led by a chairman and uninvolved in other sections of the paper. Any signed columns in the editorial space represent the views of their authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the entire editorial board. To contact the editorial board chair, e-mail editorial@stanforddaily.com. To submit an op-ed, limited to 700 words, e-mail opinions@stanforddaily.com. To submit a letter to the editor, limited to 500 words, e-mail eic@stanforddaily.com. All are published at the discretion of the editor.

O P-E D

Stop human trafficking

y an act of Congress, today, Jan. 11, is Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States. President Obama has taken important steps to recognize the nations responsibility to prevent, identify and aggressively combat human trafficking. The Department of State has included the United States in its Trafficking in Persons Report 2010 and individual states have adopted important legislation to combat human trafficking. For instance, on Jan. 1, California became the first state to require major retailers and manufacturers doing business within its borders to publicly disclose measures taken to eradicate forced labor and human trafficking from their supply and distribution chains. However, as many of these measures do not provide for clear penalties but instead seek to provide citizens and consumers with information on the conditions under which the products they purchase are produced, they are unlikely to effectuate significant change. Human trafficking is a global problem that calls for a global response, because, as President Obama observed in 2011, no country can claim immunity from the scourge of human rights abuses, or from the responsibility to confront them. In fact, no government can claim immunity, nor can intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, domestic businesses, multinational corporations and civil society. There is a convenient reluctance to admit that trafficking is a response to market demands, weak or perverse labor and immigration legislation, absence of penalties for abusers and obscene economic and development disparities, including gender and ethnic inequities. A Human Trafficking Awareness Day serves to call attention to a problem that weve been avoiding for centuries. We are so good at avoiding the scope of the problem that we are unable even to put a number to it. Estimates vary widely, ranging from 4 million to 27 mil-

lion victims per year. The nomenclature employed is as unclear as the breadth of the problem: sex trafficking, bonded labor, forced child labor, debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude and child soldiers are all terms employed to subsets of the broader problem. There is an urgent need to raise awareness to this problem and the millions who are victimized by trafficking. To begin with, a clear understanding of the problem would be a good start. The United Nations defines trafficking in human beings by emphasizing three elements: the movement or receipt of people; some form of threat, force, coercion or deceit; and the purpose of exploitation. We need greater investment in effort to stop trafficking. We should dedicate more resources to research, developing interdisciplinary methodologies that include the causes and conditions of vulnerability among different groups in the varied contexts of war and peace to respond and combat the problem more effectively. We should develop public policy to curb the growing economic inequalities that exacerbate conditions in which human trafficking tends to occur. For our part, the Program on Human Rights at the Center on Democracy, Development and Rule of Law (CDDRL) will sponsor an international speaker series and workshops over the next two quarters to promote debate and discussion on solutions for human trafficking worldwide. In short, we are trying to promote an approach that includes international cooperation as well as an active role for local and international business and organizations, the United Nations, the World Bank, philanthropic institutions and non-governmental organization an approach that will work today, Jan. 11, as well as the other 364 days each year in which human trafficking continues.
NADEJDA MARQUES Manager of the Program on Human Rights at Stanford

ince Im sure you were all wondering, my break was excellent. I spent time with my family, celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah (being a cultural Jew is fun), ate lots of delicious food, opened presents, ate even more food the list goes on. But still, the best part of my vacation was the unlimited TV-watching time. Ive become so accustomed to Megavideos poor quality and ridiculous 72-minute rule that I sometimes forget the pure unadulterated joy that comes from being able to plop myself on a couch and watch TV uninterrupted for hours and hours. One day over break I watched a whole season of Top Chef thank you, Bravo marathons instead of looking for a job. But as much as I love TV, even I have to admit that there are some flaws in reality television. First of all, I dont understand why the contestants on Top Chef keep making desserts even when we know it usually gets them eliminated. It just doesnt seem worth the risk to me. But second, and perhaps more importantly, there is just so much reality TV. Some of the shows are great (you can never have too many Real Housewives), but some are bizarre and even disturbing (Toddlers & Tiaras? Really?). And while reality TV may be weirder than ever, the fact of the matter is, where theres growth like that, there have to be jobs. Unfortunately, I dont think I qualify for a spot on Jersey Shore; but in my research I found that there are other, less GTL-based ways to work in the world of reality TV. This brings us to todays job topic: a reality TV psychologist.

Now, hopefully this doesnt come as a shock to you, but reality TV is somewhat staged. Networks want their programs to be entertaining for the viewer, and in order to ensure that this happens, they hire psychologists to screen participants for severe psychological disorders and other potential liabilities. These psychologists evaluate the various contestants, create psychological profiles and help casting directors create the most entertaining casts. While it may sound like a lot of fun (albeit a tad evil) to exploit peoples psychological problems for my enjoyment, the majority of the work you would do as a reality TV psychologist actually involves helping the contestants handle the psychological trauma associated with participating in a reality TV show. Beyond just creating dynamic, sometimes explosive casts, you work with each participant individually throughout the whole process and after the show has ended. Its incredibly important work there have been several suicides among reality TV cast members recently, highlighting the need for more counseling and other psychological support structures. Of course, in order to be a reality TV psychologist, you need to be a licensed, practicing psychologist. This means attending either graduate or medical school and most likely working in a clinical setting for a few years before you can begin working with a reality TV show. The downside is that you cant start this job right after graduation, but on the plus side, it pays really well, so you might find its worth the wait.

Amanda Ach
As a reality TV psychologist, you will also have the benefit of flexibility. Most reality TV psychologists are independent contractors, taking on the cast members along with some private patients in a standard clinical setting. This allows you more flexibility in terms of how much you want to work with reality TV participants and how much you want to work with normal, sane people. If you are more interested in the casting aspect of reality TV psychology, you can opt to work for a company whose job it is to screen contestants, including background checks as well as psychological evaluations. Becoming a reality TV psychologist is a great way to use your academic passion to work in the entertainment industry but still truly help people, which is a pretty unique combination. The reality (pun intended) is that people arent that smart, and they will continue to participate in reality TV shows regardless of the psychological risks. As a reality TV psychologist, you will be able to help them manage these risks and make reality TV fun for everyone. But especially me. Amandas dream is to be the Bachelorette. If you want to be one of her bachelors, let her know at aach@ stanford.edu.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Senate discusses schedule, LDP

BRENDAN OBYRNE
DESK EDITOR

The ASSU Undergraduate Senate kicked off its first meeting of the winter quarter in the upstairs lounge of the Nitery at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night with an update from the Publications Board. The Senate passed all the spending bills suggested by the Board. Next, the ASSU Executive Michael Cruz 12 and Vice-President Stewart Macgregor-Dennis 13 updated the Senate on recent developments within the executive branch. The duo informed the Senate of their selection for a new chief of staff, Lina Hidalgo 13, who was the chair of the Leadership Development Program (LDP) under the previous administration. The previous chief of staff, Emma Ogiemwanye 12, decided to go abroad this quarter. The Executive also scheduled a meeting for the senators and the Community Action Board to help foster relationships. Senators have

previously complained that they have not met their counterparts in the Executive branch, and both groups sought increased communication. The Senate also struggled to find a new meeting time for their weekly meetings. Many senators had class in the afternoon and night, and several are Alternative Spring Break leaders. They resolved to either schedule the meetings at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, pushing the meeting back over an hour from last quarter, or meet on the weekends. Several senators objected to the weekend meetings; however, Senators Samar Alqatari 14 and Tara Trujillo 14 noted that finding a time where everyone could meet was a priority. Senate Chair Rafael Vazquez 12 will send out a Doodle to find what times work best for the senators. The Senate also spent time trying to organize a private dinner a retreat-like meeting where they can discuss the upcoming quarter. They are still planning on having a retreat later in the year, and a time has not been set for the dinner yet.

Dan Ashton 14 gave updates on the Leadership Development Program (LDP), the mentoring program that pairs freshmen with ASSU senators. Ashton said that the expectation for senators is to meet with their mentee at least once a week. Senators will then give updates in their meetings and help the mentees form projects of their own design. The LDP has been a contentious issue in the past, as several senators have noted they have not had any contact with their mentee, and others questioned the involvement level of the mentees. These new additions to the program, if they work, would increase the activity level of the LDP mentees. The Academic Affairs Committee had several updates regarding programs they are targeting towards freshmen; however the Appropriations and Advocacy Committees are still working on finding meeting times for the new quarter. Contact Brendan OByrne at bobyrne@stanford.edu.

INTERNET

Continued from front page

capture experimentalist spirit that was so important to the development of the Internet? Zittrain asked. Zittrain will not have to come up with all of the answers himself, as students in a Law class called

Ideas for A Better Internet attended the event. The class has students from both Stanford and Harvard who will be presenting their work in an event on Wed., Jan. 18. Eli Marschner, a second-year graduate student in computer science, is working on the issues related to journalism on the Internet. He came away from this talk pondering the differences between online activism and traditional activism.

With online civil disobedience, if you want to call it that, it is not highly organized groups who are dedicating their time and risking being arrested, Marschner said. It might be somebody in their basement running downloaded software their friend told them to download. The scale is fundamentally different. Contact Josh at jwghoyt@stanford. edu.

The Stanford Daily

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 N 3

FEATURES
oulay Hicham Ben Abdallah M.A. 97 walked into the CoHo, glanced around, smiled and said, Well, this is a cozy place. Wearing jeans and a plain black sweater, he blended into the crowd of Stanford students and visitors, none of whom knew they were in the presence of a prince. Being a prince can be more of a nuisance than anything else. People scrutinize you and have preconceived notions like . . . does he wear a turban? he joked. Ben Abdallah, whose full name is Prince Moulay Hicham Ben Abdallah El Alaoui, is third in line to the throne of the Kingdom of Morocco and first cousin to the current King, Mohammed VI. Nicknamed the Red Prince, he is well known for favoring democratic reforms in Morocco and the Arab world. He does not, however, appreciate the title, stating in an interview with the French journal Le Debat that it was given to him by the same information handlers who nicknamed King Mohammed VI King of the Poor. His unorthodox views in the conservative kingdom led to his expulsion from palace grounds by his cousin, who ascended the throne in 1999 after the death of his father and Ben Abdallahs uncle, Hassan II. Moroccos Al-Alaoui dynasty has been in power for four centuries and traces its lineage back to the Prophet Mohammed. The monarchy does not tolerate criticism. The authorities use the restrictive press law and an array of financial and other, more subtle mechanisms to punish critical journalists, particularly those who focus on the king, his family or Islam, states the Freedom House 2011 Country Report on Morocco. The monarchy is a cultural and historical symbol, Ben Abdallah said. This is why Moroccans are aware of its crucial role in society and push for reform instead of overthrowing the regime . . . but there is a deep sense of frustration and impatience. His decision to publicly state his controversial views in 1995 was not taken lightly. I thought profoundly about who I was and what my country was, he said. It was not easy. There were high costs, and one of them was being ostracized and even vilified. Nevertheless, Ben Abdallah remains an outspoken political maverick, unwavering in his support for controversial publications and journalists as well as groups like the February 20th Youth Movement. Raised in the Moroccan capital Rabats Royal Palace complex, Ben Abdallah attended the Rabat American School and graduated from Princeton with a bachelors degree in politics in 1985. After pursuing several entrepreneurial and humanitarian endeavors, he came to Stanford in 1995 to pursue a masters degree in political science. Deepening my experience and my knowledge one way or another has never been interrupted in my life no matter where I go, Ben Abdallah said. In his witty, yet diplomatic, manner, Ben Abdallah compared Stanford and Princeton. Princeton is like an orchestra where you cannot play out of note but produce great

By NATASHA WEASER

PROFILE
Courtesy of Moulay Hisham Ben Abdallah

Prince Moulay Hisham Ben Abdallah Al Alaoui, third in line to the Moroccan throne and consulting professor at the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford.

PROFESSOR, PRINCE
music, he said. Stanford is like one big rock band where everyone is encouraged to make their own sound. After leaving the Farm, Ben Abdallah stayed in close contact with Larry Diamond, director of the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL). In 2007, Ben Abdallah left his home in Princeton, where he had been living since 2002, and returned to Stanford as a CDDRL visiting scholar. At CDDRL, he has been deeply involved in the Arab Reform and Democracy Program doing research, mentoring students, giving talks and developing the program. My goal is to enrich myself and my community as well as foster general understanding of the region, he said. Although Ben Abdallah originally intended to stay at CDDRL for two years, he eventually

decided to remain longer and is now a consulting professor. This means he regularly commutes back to Princeton, where his wife, Malika, and their two daughters live. One of Ben Abdallahs initial research projects at CDDRL was investigating the idea that the Arab world is incompatible with democracy, which he swiftly rejected as a false concept. There was an underlying thesis that there was something about Arabs that makes them accept authoritarianism, and I wanted to unbundle it, he said. I wanted to say, look, authoritarianism is here, but this is why its here. The factors are not cultural. The Arab Spring may have surprised the Western world, but not Ben Abdallah. I always felt that something was around the corner, he said. I knew that the status quo was untenable, and that in a few of these places something would have to give way. What surprised him was the movements place of origin, Tunisia, which had a strong security apparatus. He also did not envision the movements diffusion and transformation into what he called an awakening. Despite the optimism in the movement, he said that the future of the region is uncertain. Setbacks, reversals and failures are all likely to happen as each country faces its own particular demons, he said, but he believes the trend towards democracy is irreversible. This is a new generation with new values, he said. Fear has receded, and societies will not remain idle. He also downplayed fears over the rise of Islamist parties throughout the region and in his native Morocco, where the Justice and Development Party, a moderate Islamist party, recently won parliamentary elections. This does not mean we will see the rise of theocracies, he said. People are not going to resist secular authoritarianism to fall into religious despotism. Although Ben Abdallah has vigorously championed reform in Morocco for the last two decades, he attempts to keep his expectations realistic. It took hundreds of years for the West to get things on track, he said. It will be a messy and laborious process for Morocco, but well eventually get it right. Ben Abdallahs work at Stanford and in politics is not the end of his pursuits. He also runs his own foundation, the Moulay Hicham Foundation for Social Science Research on North Africa and the Middle East, founded Princetons Institute for the Transregional Study of the Contemporary Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia and owns Al-Tayyar Energy, a renewable energy company that processes agricultural waste in Thailand. I barely have free time; I am juggling, he said. Every time I think I cannot handle more, someone else throws me another ball to juggle. Although his professional and family lives are rooted in the United States now, Ben Abdallah still keeps close ties with Morocco and returns often. I miss the community feel, he said. I miss my nephews and my friends. I miss walking on the streets hearing the call to prayer and smelling the odors of spices, so now and then I need to go back home. Contact Natasha Weaser at nweaser@stanford.edu.

STUDIES

PROFILE

Continued from front page

ed by being in a small class with a professor, Woods said. In order to eliminate this intimidation factor, the Office of Undergraduate Education is preliminarily seeking to collaborate with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), undergraduate advising programs and other existing resources to determine remedies. According to Woods, some students may believe that their undergraduate education is complete without it when it comes to Introductory Studies. The study identifies discouragement as another important factor. Students who wish to enroll in Introductory Studies and September Studies must first submit an essay application and are hand-selected by the instructor of their course. Space is limited, and clear evidence suggests that some students who are not accepted decide not to apply to future seminars. This fall, the Introductory Studies program made concerted efforts to reverse this cycle. We sent a message to all students who did not get in referring them to what we learned from the Resilience Project, Woods said. Perhaps to avoid the discouragement of being turned down. Still, of all students who do not enroll, the vast majority are unable to fit the seminar into their schedule of classes, according to Woods. Because it is clear that seminars cluster at a particular time of day, the Office of Undergraduate Education will work on recommendations to faculty and departments that will spread class times throughout the day. Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Harry Elam agrees that this assumption about schedule conflicts is the most fitting. Most Stanford students want to take advantage of everything we offer, so I think its more [an issue] of fitting a seminar into crowded schedules than it is a strong commitment not to take one, Elam wrote in an email to The Daily. The results of this study will continue to be assessed throughout this year and are part of a general program evaluation that is done on a regular basis by numerous program directors on campus. Though other universities offer seminars for freshman and sophomores, Elam believes that Stanfords program is unique in that it provides almost a perfect teaching and learning situation, [in which] faculty teach seminars on topics of special interest, motivated students enroll in the seminar and together the faculty and students explore a topic they both care about. According to Woods, the purpose of this study of the Class of 2014 is clear. We want students to know that Introductory Seminars are a valuable educational experience, we have space for them and we want to serve them. Contact Lauryn at lauryndw@stanford.edu.

A unit of happiness
By LESLIE NGUYEN-OKWU
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ow in the thick of her sophomore year, Najla Gomez Rodriguez 14 spends more time with caffeine than she does with her own friends. An aspiring civil engineering major and possible law student, Gomez Rodriguez juggled a tightly-packed schedule her autumn quarter 17 units of engineering, physics and math along with leadership positions in Sigma Theta Psi, El Centro Chicano, the First-Generation Low Income Partnership and the Latino Sib Program. Swamped with meetings, midterm review sessions, classes, rallies and events, this is the busiest she has ever been. At times, her workload is, in her words, barely manageable. In a recent post on Facebook, Gomez Rodriguez wrote, Slept 20 out of the past 28 hours . . . Catching up on sleep much? A friend commented, You deserve it! Yet its not just sleep that Stanford students lack. Fred Luskin Ph.D. 99 P.D. 99, a senior consultant in health promotion at Stanford who speaks nationally on the importance of managing stress, hesitated as he searched for the right words. Theres just not enough kidness left, Luskin said. Theres a lack of carefreeness, exuberance and exploring for the sake of exploring. Theyre too scheduled, too organized, too future-oriented. Luskin, along with Carole Pertofsky, director of health promotion at the Vaden Health Center, hopes to counter this issue. Together, they teach Athletic 196, a one-unit course called Happiness. According to Luskin, Stanford students tend to be highachieving reaching for excellence but straining themselves in the process. Yet achievement, he explained, does not necessarily mean happiness. I think theres an emptiness within a lot of people who make straight As or get a Rhodes scholarship, but dont have the deeper qualities that make life rich, Luskin said. You can go out and notice how beautiful it is and still get straight As. If you make sure you have real relationships, then the straight As will mean more than just getting them.

In addition to cultivating meaningful relationships and acquiring a healthier appreciation for life, the course seeks to define what happiness is, how to gain it and ultimately, how best to incorporate it into daily activities. Its the little things, Luskin argued, that make us happy. Reminding people to relax a little, to smile, to taste the coffee, whatever it is, [is] so helpful, he said. So much of psychology is focused on whats wrong with people and not on how to be happy and healthy. Luskin and Pertofsky originally taught a course titled The Pursuit of Happiness and Health in the School of Medicines Department of Pediatrics, which in 2007 evolved into the happiness class offered now, taught twice a year through the athletics department. The happiness class covers topics such as gratitude, mindfulness, human connections, forgiveness and meditation, and reaches a wider student audience. Annemarie Estess B.A. 09 M.A. 10, now an undergraduate admission counselor, helped design the courses curriculum. We were especially driven by student testimonials denoting a pattern of high stress, high expectations and a desire to dedicate more resources toward personal introspection and growth, Estess wrote in an email to The Daily. The happiness class pertains to people from all walks of life. According to Luskin, nearly anyone can benefit from its readings and guided practices. Assignments often focus on self-reflection and deep fulfillment, varying from simply savoring your own food to thanking someone you take for granted. Rather than having to work on some math problem, youre having to figure out how to live a more satisfying life, said Nick Enge B.S. 09 M.S. 10, an earth systems graduate student and a teaching assistant for the course. Its harder to come into a class where youre expected to think about and reflect on and change yourself. Its a completely different kind of problem; but I think its equally, if not more, important. Some take the course to learn new ways to handle their stress. Others like Steven Crane 12, a former student and TA, are simply curious about the topic. I just typed happiness into Explore Courses, because thats what I wanted to learn about, Crane said.

ALEX BAYER/The Stanford Daily

Two years ago, Crane served as president for Stanford Peace of Mind, a group dedicated to addressing students mental health issues. He cited the course as pivotal to gaining a greater sense of self-awareness and a deeper understanding of his character strengths. Moreover, he said, the course has also helped students with issues that require more help than the course can offer. In the journals and conversations we have, we sort of get a sense that a person is really struggling, Crane said. We identify people who definitely need help and refer them to CAPS [Counseling and Psychological Services]. In the future, Luskin and Pertofsky envision making the tenets of the course accessible to all incoming students as part of their freshman curriculum. Ideally, Luskin wants every student to be equipped with the fundamentals of long-term happiness through an optional wellness certificate that would appear on transcripts. In theory, these initiatives would introduce students to the basics of a well-rounded lifestyle. We need to include these courses as part of a multi-layered approach throughout the University if we are to support students in not only preventing mental illness, but in flourishing during their time on the Farm, Estess said. Busy with school and a dizzying number of extracurricular activities, Gomez Rodriguez knew little about the happiness class and its growing success. However, shes interested in enrolling. I think that inside the busy bubble that is Stanford, we often forget . . . the importance of slowing down to appreciate the moment we are living without realizing what we are missing, and I think this course is a step towards addressing this issue, Gomez Rodriguez said. The happier I am, the easier it becomes to reach my highest potential. Contact Leslie Nguyen-Okwu at leslie. nguyen-okwu@stanford.edu

4 N Wednesday, January 11, 2012

SPORTS
A LOOK BACK
By JACK BLANCHAT
DESK EDITOR

The Stanford Daily

Two missed field goals in the Fiesta Bowl. A sublime triple-overtime victory against USC.The final season for one of the supreme talents in Stanford and college football history. The 2011 Stanford football season is unlikely to be forgotten by any Stanford fan for a long time, and now that the college football season is over, its time to take stock of what exactly fans will remember and will want to forget from this season. The Good: 1) Andrew Luck. Of course, the list has to start with the best player in college football. Luck was expected to be spectacular this entire season after bypassing the NFL draft for another shot at the national title and Heisman trophy, and he lived up to all of those expectations. While he wont be taking home a crystal football or a Heisman, he shattered records, made some truly incredible plays (like his one-handed catch, clutch 4th quarter and overtime performance against USC and his near-flawless game against Oklahoma State) and assured himself the No. 1 pick in the draft once again. While Colts fans are deeply fond of Peyton Manning, Luck should certainly have little trouble finding a warm welcome in Indianapolis next year. 2) 56-48, 3OT. In one of the wildest games in the entirety of college football this season, two of the most talented teams in the nation battled out an instant classic. And of course, the good guys won. 3) Stepfan Taylor. The junior running back became just the third player in Stanford history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, a testament not only to his skill as a runner but also to his ability to stay healthy despite carrying the ball 242 times this season. Taylor averaged a solid 5.5 yards a carry and was in the top 25 nationally in rush yards per game. If he werent so overshadowed by Andrew Luck, Taylor likely would be hailed as one of the most talented,

well-rounded running backs in the country. But hes likely to finally earn some of that well-deserved praise as the centerpiece of the Cardinal offense in its 2012 campaign. 4) Trees Company. The Cardinals trio of tight ends was easily one of the best in the entire country this season, as Zach Ertz, Levine Toilolo and Coby Fleener combined to score 20 receiving touchdowns. While each one did miss game time with injuries, the production from these three dynamic players was instrumental in helping the Cardinal offense be so dominant. Other than one underwhelming performance from the three against Oregon, the trio continually made big plays at critical moments throughout the season. One can assume that Ertz and Toilolo will be major factors in the Stanford offense next season, and Fleener has been receiving a lot of praise from NFL Draft scouts, as many expect him to be taken in the first three rounds this April. 5) Fresh faces. After some major injuries forced the Cardinal to reshuffle its lineup midway through the season, one can very safely say that those players who were asked to step in did so in impressive fashion. On defense, Jarek Lancaster and AJ Tarpley both played extremely well in the stead of Shayne Skov, with Lancaster leading the team with 70 tackles and Tarpley notching the thirdmost tackles on the team with 57, despite starting only seven games. On offense, freshman wide receiver Ty Montgomery stepped in for Chris Owusu and made himself a vital part of the offense. Montgomery had 120 yards and a touchdown to lead all Cardinal receivers in the Fiesta Bowl, and the Texas native also had a rushing touchdown against Cal and a kickoff return for a score against Washington State. The early success of Lancaster, Tarpley and Montgomery proves that the Cardinal coaching staff knows what its doing when it hits the recruiting trail. 6) Shaw and the coaching staff. In his first season at the helm, Shaw crafted an experienced, professional staff of coaches that kept the Cardinal in the national title hunt for

SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily

Junior running back Stepfan Taylor, who finished with more than 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons, was a bright spot in the Cardinals 2011 campaign. With Lucks departure, he is poised to be the focal point of Stanfords offense in 2012.
most of the year. Of course, there were moments where Shaw and company fell into the category of not so good, but on the whole, the group did a great job of making sure the Cardinal achieved almost all of the goals it was expected to achieve in the preseason. The not-so-good: 1) The kicking game. Its not entirely fair to put Jordan Williamson into this category he was having a brilliant year before a midseason injury but unfortunately, you cant look past the missed kicks in the Fiesta Bowl. Additionally, the team struggled with kicking the ball out of bounds on kickoffs. 2) Injuries. Watching Chris Owusu fall to the turf several times this season after a blow to the head was a terrifying reminder of just how costly the game of football can be and how thankful Owusu and the Cardinal should be that those injuries were not any worse. Also, the loss of Shayne Skov in the fourth game of the year was obviously a major blow to the Cardinal this season its never a good thing to lose your best defensive player, even though Lancaster and Tarpley filled in well in his spot. 3) The Oregon debacle. At every turn, the Ducks fully dominated the Cardinals mosthyped game of the season. The loss ended any hopes Stanford had for a national title, and being blown off the field by more than 20 points in your own house is something that should not happen to any top-ten team. 4) The tragic death of defensive assistant coach Chester McGlockton. A rising star on the Stanford coaching staff, McGlockton was just 42 years old when he passed away on Nov. 30. One only had to look at the outpouring of emotions from fellow coaches and his players on Twitter to see that McGlockton was well-respected and admired throughout the Stanford family, and that he will be missed. Next week, well take a look ahead to what 2012 will bring for the Cardinal including a top-tier recruiting class and a rebuilt offense and defense but for now, its good to take one last moment and reflect on an unforgettable 2011, for both its good and bad. Contact Jack Blanchat at blanchat @ stanford.edu.

NO. 4 STANFORD EAGER TO HIT COURT

DANIEL LUPIN
STAFF WRITER

A YEAR OLDER

W. TENNIS

No regrets for No. 2 Card tennis

CHRISSY JONES
STAFF WRITER

Miles

Bennett-Smith
Jacoby is my Homeboy

A year ago, despite a youthful roster that featured just one senior in the starting lineup, the Stanford mens volleyball team finished with a 198 record and a top-10 national ranking. Although the season came to a premature end in a disappointing match in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament, one that prevented Stanford from defending its national title, much good could be found in the seasons results for the Cardinal. Then-juniors Erik Shoji and Brad Lawson repeated as American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First Team All-Americans, with Shoji becoming just the second Cardinal player ever to earn the honor three times. Freshmen Eric Mochalski and Brian Cook became dependable weapons, with Mochalski earning MPSF AllFreshman honors, and junior setter Evan Barry settled comfortably into his new starting spot. All of this underlies the best news of all about young teams: they only get better. The Cardinal returns six of its seven starters from a team that a year ago finished with a 15-7 conference record, good enough for third. Senior middle blocker and third-year starter Gus Ellis joins Shoji, Lawson, Mochalski, Cook and Barry as a returner in the starting lineup, which will be nicely complemented with the addition of 6-7 sophomore Denny Falls. Obviously, the optimism on this team runs high. We have excellent talent and leadership in our senior class, Mochalski said. This team is focused and determined to have a great year and make a run in the playoffs. He isnt the only one that agrees with this assessment of the teams chances. The Cardinal opens the season ranked No. 4 in the country and is predicted to finish third in the MPSF, though the ceiling could be much higher. The teams attack should once again center around Lawson, who a season ago led the team in kills, kills per set (finishing seventh in the nation), service aces and service aces per set. Joining Lawson on the attack will be his fellow senior Ellis, who finished the season with an efficient .351 hitting percentage. The 6-5 Mochalski, who led the team in hitting percentage at a .451 clip and finished second in aces, will be the teams jack-of-all-trades in his sophomore season despite having started the majority of last season at middle blocker. He is listed at three different positions on the teams official website. Cook, Mochalskis classmate, returns as the second-leading returner in kills, having finished third on the team a season ago. These two headline a parade of sophomores who will greatly contribute to the Cardinals attack, which includes Falls and 6-5 outside hitter Steven Irvin. Irvin posted an impressive 15 kills in the teams second exhibition victory over Thompson Rivers, starting in place of the resting seniors Lawson and Ellis. The man tasked with distributing the ball to the plethora of talent Stanford features will once again be Barry, who made an impressive starting

SIMON WARBY/The Stanford Daily

The Stanford mens volleyball team returns six starters, including two First Team All-Americans in seniors Brad Lawson (above) and Erik Shoji. The team looks to improve upon last years 19-8 finish.
debut a season ago. Barry finished last season fourth in the country in assists per set at 11.56, good for a .488 assist percentage. He also contributed 34 kills and finished fourth on the team with 1.35 digs per set. The defense once again will be anchored by the All-American Shoji, who finished third in the country in digs per set with 2.62 and became Stanfords all-time leader in digs. Expect redshirt freshman Scott Sakaida to fill the void left by the graduated Jordan Inafuku as the ever-important second libero and defensive specialist. Sakaida was a high school teammate of Lawsons. Ellis and Mochalski will once more lead the Cardinals defense at the net, as they led the team with nearly a block per set each last season. If last season was any indication, expect big things from the Cardinal this year. The mix of seniors and sophomores will provide a great mix of talent, leadership and experience, one that should translate to excellent results. Having four senior starters on the team most importantly means we have experienced players out on the floor. We know each other well and have a good idea of what the next guy is going to do before he does it, Lawson said. The teams season officially opens today at Pacific, and the teams home opener comes on Friday at 7 p.m. against Juniata. Contact Daniel Lupin at delupin@stanford.edu.

Stanford womens tennis rings in the New Year ranked No. 2 behind the Florida Gators, the same team it lost the NCAA title to last May after entering the postseason as the overwhelming favorite. Its slip from the top spot is not the only difference from last year the Card graduated half of last springs national championship doubles pair, Hilary Barte, as well as Carolyn McVeigh and Jennifer Yen but returns seven players and adds one freshman. Roster updates aside, the Cardinal is ready for a fresh start and a new mentality No regrets. In last years final match, we had already overcome so many obstacles and achieved so much, and I know each player fought her heart out, explained senior captain Veronica Li. Everyone said, No regrets. We would all much rather lose on this team than win with any other. Li is the sole senior on this years squad and has taken the reins in piloting the team. Helping to provide leadership are juniors Mallory Burdette, Natalie Dillon and Stacey Tan, and sophomores Nicole Gibbs, Kristie Ahn and Amelia Herring. Ellen Tsay, the Cardinals lone freshman, is the latest Stanford tennis player to enter college as the No. 1 high school recruit. Ellen is very driven and independent, Burdette noted. Shes a double-threat because shes very calm and patient, but can also attack and be very aggressive, especially in doubles. I see her playing the role of our rock because shes so solid. While Tsay may be the rock, Burdette hopes to be the best leader that I can be and take care of all of the little details on the team so that, when we take the court, everybody can just focus on tennis. Burdettes efforts in helping the team run smoothly are noticed by her teammates. Mallory is like my co-captain, Li said. She takes care of all the tedious work and really knits the team together. Li pointed out that Burdettes meticulousness allows her to concentrate on one of the challenges a new team faces every year to take a group of some of the most gifted individual tennis players in the nation and mesh that into one championship contending team. Everyone knows that tennis is

will not lie it gives me great pleasure to see Timothy Richard Tebow do his damn thing. I laugh in the face of Stephen A. Smith, much like Skip Bayless will do every morning this week on ESPNs First Take. I jumped on the Tebow bandwagon early on, when young Timmy was only just beginning to learn how much hate could be piled upon someone so seemingly undeserving of detestation. But the story of how Tim shocked the world by taking the Pittsburgh Steelers (albeit a depleted Steelers team) out behind the shed is neither here nor there. Instead I would like to get an early start with my attempts to convince 573 of the stubbornest, most irritable, least compromising, nostalgic old fogies this side of Mount Crumpit the Baseball Writers Association of America that Major League Baseballs Hall of Fame has a responsibility to open its doors to many of the players whose careers have been tainted by playing in The Asterisk Era. Barry Larkin was voted into the HOF, and his election is a nice story. Larkin is clearly deserving, posting solid career numbers and earning a reputation as a clubhouse leader. But this years ballot pales in comparison to next years, when several of the greatest players in history are eligible all of whom have at least tangential ties to steroid use: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling and Craig Biggio. Even a brief look at the stats reveals that among those six players, three might be the best at their position ever. Putting aside any question of steroid use, Bonds flat out abused pitchers throughout his entire career. He won seven MVP awards four more than anyone else and ended his career with eight Gold Glove Awards and 12 Silver Slugger Awards. Bonds is the all-time home run leader (762), walk leader (2558) and came tantalizingly close to 3,000 hits and 2,000 RBI coming up just short of each. Oh, and he used steroids. Clemens won seven Cy Young

Inject steroid users into HOF

Please see WTENNIS, page 5

Please see B-SMITH, page 5

The Stanford Daily

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 N 5

I can go on to talk about dropping the pitchers mound a whopping five inches in 1969, along with shrinking the strike zone. No African Americans were on major league rosters until 1947. A brandnew position was added to the American League as recently as 1973. Seriously. And yet people arent clamoring to throw out the outstanding statistics put up by pitchers when the mound was high and the balls werent changed out every pitch. Or the offensive stats from American League players that benefited because they had a professional hitter inserted into the lineup and no longer had to rely on their pitcher to bat in games. One of the prevailing wisdoms circulating has it that Bonds might stand a better chance to eventually make it in because it is assumed that he only began using steroids about halfway through his career and his stats before that time were nearly deserving on their own. But the Boston Globes Dan Shaughnessy says that as in golf, cheating on the back nine gets you disqualified even if the front nine is clean. Come on, Shaughnessy. You cannot compare golf and baseball. And you cannot expect me to believe that these six players were in the minority of players taking steroids. Ive met many former pros that tell me that everyone was doing it, and the league was also looking the other way until very recently. The players were not victims, and their choices have tainted themselves and the sport. But I believe that the only fair way to look at this era is not to remove two decades from the record books, nor attach asterisks to the players names who have been convicted of taking PEDs or admitted to doing so. Rather, we must accept that this was an era just like the dead-ball era, and continue to respect that the best players deserve to be enshrined. I hope to see Bonds and company right alongside other notorious cheaters like Gaylord Perry or John McGraw the next time I find myself in Cooperstown. Miles would vote Tebow into the Hall of Fame if he took steroids, too. Send him your thoughts at milesbs@stanford.edu and check him out on Twitter @smilesbsmith.

B-SMITH
Continued from page 4
Awards, two World Series Championship and an MVP award (and we saw how difficult it is for pitchers to win MVP awards). He is one of just four pitchers to have more than 4,000 strikeouts, and also won over 350 games in a 23-year career. And he was injected several times with performance enhancing drugs, in the butt. Lets look at Piazza, without question the best hitting catcher the game has ever seen. Playing what is notoriously the most difficult position for hitters to play because of the constant grind and nature of taking a beating for nine innings every night, Piazza hit .308 with 427 home runs and a career OPS of .922. Those are first ballot, sure thing, no-doubt-about-it numbers. But he is suspected of taking steroids. While Schilling only won 216 games and has borderline numbers for Cooperstown in the regular season, his ability to rise above when it mattered most in the postseason would ordinarily make him almost certainly a Hall of Famer. Except he might have been juicing. And with 3,000 hits, 250 home runs and 400 steals and outstanding defense at four positions, Biggio shouldnt have to worry about much beyond who to thank when they unveil his bronze bust. But he, too, is lumped right in with the rest of many of the best players of the era, and will have a steep uphill battle to the 75-percent of the vote required to gain entry. I am not in any way apologizing for those players who used steroids. What they did was wrong and they all had the choice to steer clear of the clear or avoid the flax seed oils. But we cannot afford to act as if this situation is unique in baseballs history, and it certainly does not warrant the knee-jerk reactions many writers have voiced. Like many sports, baseball has undergone many changes throughout the years. I mean, the spitball was not outlawed until 1920, and was still in wide use through the 1960s. The minimum home-run distance in ballparks was raised in 1925 to 250 feet.

WTENNIS
Continued from page 4
individual sport, she acknowledged,and a team setting is a huge change from what we were all used to in the juniors. This year is no different in that we have so many independent, strong-willed talents, but we need to realize that we are all charging along the same path and should have the same goals. Thats how we can win, she added. The Cardinal will have to wait to test its team cohesion until Feb. 1, when it faces UC-Davis at home. This weekend, the team will be split into two groups for two separate individual tournaments. Burdette, Gibbs, Tan and Dillon will all be traveling to Las Vegas to represent Stanford in the Freeman Invitational, while Ahn, Herring, Tsay and Li will be playing down in Palm Springs in

the National Collegiate Tennis Classic. We get to compete against players from other schools instead of playing each other in one tournament, Burdette explained. These tournaments allow everyone to improve their individual rankings and serve as a gauge for us as we move into the dual season. Whether we do really well or not, we will each get a feel for what we need to improve upon. The teams flexible practice style has allowed for such improvement, with a format that encourages individual tune-ups. The coaches are very receptive to our opinions and very in touch with our difference practice and playing styles, she said. Its usually a combination of what the coaches think we need to work on as a team as well as more personalized instruction. Doubles play has been another focus of recent practices. With the graduation of her former part-

ner, Burdette will now be playing with Gibbs at the top of the doubles ladder. [Gibbs] and I have a similar chemistry out there on the doubles court that I felt with Hilary when we first started playing, she said. So it was a very smooth transition for me, and I think the sky is the limit for us as a doubles team. Although Li explained that this years ladder is not yet cemented, Cardinal fans can be sure that fine tennis will be on display yet again at the Farm. With a multitude of strong, young teams such as Duke and UCLA on the schedule, the squad is anxious to begin competing again. Being ranked No. 2 behind one of our biggest rivals definitely fuels our fire, she said. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we are super excited for the opportunity to play. Contact Chrissy Jones chrissyj@stanford.edu. at

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Changing that default setting for women, Westwood realized, can be as easy as sitting down to speak with and advise them. For a lot of them [female computer science majors] there was a part where someone reached out and said, Youre really good at this, Westwood said. Beginning last quarter, Westwood began a program in which section leaders in the 106 series would reach out to talented freshman and sophomore women to talk to them about a future in the subject. Although the program could not reach everyone it sought to, Westwood ended up speaking oneon-one with just over 30 women of the 60 she contacted. Bonnie McLindon 14 was one of the students Westwood engaged. After taking 106B in the fall, she was considering majoring in the subject. And the ensuing discussion

with Westwood definitely solidified my declaring CS, McLindon said. I felt very included in the community, McLindon said. It made me want to reach out to the other girls in 106B [who were] with me. Westwood also encouraged the students she spoke with tap into another effort by the department: recruiting more female section leaders for the 106 series. That way, the students see a greater number of female role models, Sahami said. The program seems to be working, as McLindon said she is applying to become a section leader in the spring. Westwood plans to continue and expand her outreach program into this quarter and beyond. The building blocks are in place, she said, referring to the revamped major and the pull of the troubled economy. A push here would help. Contact Neel Thakkar nthakkar@stanford.edu. at

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