September 1, 2006 uilfordian Volume 93, Issue 1 Scientists declare Pluto a "dwarf" planet. Full story on page 5 Guilford continues growth, renovations with gusto By Nasimeh Easton | staff writer Guilford College has seen ma jor changes on campus over the past few years, and this year is no exception. Some parts of Guilford had a summer face-lift. King Hall under went a $1.8 million renovation that created office spaces and class rooms and added a fresh layer of paint to the walls. $1.1 million of donated money was put into build ing a new press box, a scoreboard and two brick patios. "We now really have the best facility in our athletic field," said Randy Doss, vice president for En rollment and Campus Life. "It's a big step up from last year," said sophomore Alex Parker, a member of the football team. "We hope the new press box will bring more people out to the games." One of the biggest changes this year isn't from renovations — it's the first-year class. Though only the second-biggest class in the last three years, they boast both the lowest acceptance rate (56 percent) and highest average SAT score (1175) of any class in Guilford history. "Academically, they are cer tainly a strong class," Doss said. "Whether they choose to use their above-average background in the classroom remains to be seen." In order to help the new stu dents reach their academic po tential, there is a greater focus on the academic tools available at Guilford, such as The Learning Commons. This focus began with CHAOS, when students were get ting oriented to the campus. "A major population we usu- Continued on page 2 Students begin their elusive, expensive quest in pursuit of enlightenment By Pete McGuire \ staff writer - So your summer was great, but now it's time to get down to the real-life experience that college brings you for the bargain price of $29,000 per year. If you're just beginning your college adventure, here are a few words of wisdom that you may want to mull over as you wander aimlessly through the world of academia: First and foremost, it is important to re member that the average student only ever uses about one-third of his or her brain cells. Be sure to bum rapidly through your other two-thirds during your first few weeks of school. You'll be able to tell that your grey matter surplus is miming low by using this simple three-step method: 1) say the word "hippo potamus" three times fast while contemplat ing your navel, 2) cmsh an empty beer can against your forehead, and 3) ask yourself the following question: "Ohhhhhhhhhhm?" Continued on page 6 Growing Pains First-year Emma Shew waits in line with most of the class OF 2010, which herded to the cafeteria after taking a class PHOTO ON Aug. IS.This lunch line, which extended far outside Founders Hall, is one of the first apparent consequences of Guilford’s second-largest first-year class. By Jeremy Bante. Housing crunch forces residents into lounges First-year Matt Tabor chats with his roommate in their quad room in Bin- ford Hall. By Jeremy Bante. By Ben Dedman | staff writer Currently, 1100 students live on campus. There are only 1077 spac es to put them. Thirty-seven students are forced to share 11 triple or quad rooms this fall. Many of the triple rooms were designed to house only two stu dents and, due to limited space, were furnished with bunk beds and only two desks. Continued on page 2 The Learning Commons The Learning Commons, formerly named the Academic Skills Center, has changed some labels and attitudes to better suit students needs. Page 3. AIDS Conference Scientists from around the world met last month to share advances in HIV prevention and treatment, but access to medicine is still a prob lem for the poor. Page 4. I Officer refuses Iraq service Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada believes the Iraq war is illegal and unethical. Others see Watada's action as a violation of his duty, and shameful to Japanese-Americans. Page 4. New column: Shrink Rap Maria, Kym and Erin lead a funkalicious journey into the phat-nas- ty world of advice. Get out more, take advantage of the new cafeteria services, and don't stress. Page 6. New cross country coach Jamie LaFollette was hired to nurture the young cross country team to better standing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and regional competition. Page 8. Football team, stadium equipped to compete By Steven Tutterow | staff writer The Guilford football team is set to kick off its 2006 season in the newly renovated Armfield Athletic Center. Much like construction of their new home field, the Quakers also hope to build on a hard-work ing and confident mentality that they've maintained throughout the off season. "I thought it (Armfield Athletic Center) was going to be a well- done, appropriate renovation, said Head Football Coach Kevin Kiesel about the additions to the stadium. "It is. It has a lot of class, and it represents our school in the right way." These additions cost $1.1 mil lion, and include a two-story press box with restrooms, new stadium seating and bleachers, a new score- board, and new play clocks. When asked about the new renovations, team captain and linebacker Mario Paylor, a senior, said, "I love it; it's like we're really playing college football now." Pre season Division III All-American quarterback Josh Vogelbach add ed, "It is definitely going to make us look more respectable to other teams that come in, and should bring more fans." Student support for the Quak ers has been lacking in recent years. Vogelbach said, "I think cer tain people don't give us a chance; we are over stereotyped." Paylor added, "I feel like we get a bad name and people don't understand how hard we work." Indeed, the Quakers did work very hard in the off-season. After the new renovations and a strenu ous off-season training schedule that started in January and contin ued throughout the entire summer, the Quakers' football program ap pears revitalized. "The players did a good job of committing to the program," Kiesel said. "We are a much faster, stronger and quicker team." After finishing tied for 2nd in the ODAC in the 2005 season with a 4-2 conference record and 5-5 overall record, the Quakers are Continued on page 8