Beruflich Dokumente
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THURSDAY
February 26, 2009
The Stanford Daily An Independent Publication
www.stanforddaily.com Volume 235
Issue 18
Technology ATHLETIC
execs speak DEPARTMENT
on campus SLASHES JOBS
eBay Inc. CEO John Donahoe By JACOB JOHNSON
bullish on e-commerce DESK EDITOR
Y
By JOANNA XU esterday, the Stanford University
MANAGING EDITOR Department of Athletics
announced plans to cut 21 positions
Yesterday, eBay Inc. CEO John Donahoe, from its administrative staff.
along with a number of other top information According to a department press release, the
technology executives, spoke at the 15th job cuts are part of an effort to compensate
Annual Stanford Accel Conference. Hosted for a projected $5.4 million decrease in rev-
by Media X, the conference covered the enue over the next three years. The shortfall
effects of the economic downturn on the retail in funding is expected to continue for the
industry, e-commerce in general and innova- foreseeable future, as are the cuts in the ath-
tion on top of existing online social network AUGUSITIN RAMIREZThe Stanford Daily letic department’s workforce.
platforms. The specific jobs to be cut have not been
One of the markets most negatively affect- After a very promising start to the season, the Stanford men’s basketball team has fallen near the bottom of the Pac-10 standings. announced out of respect for the privacy of
ed by the economic downturn and credit The team will look to this weekend to salvage any hopes of basketball in March. the individuals concerned. They will all
freeze is retail. eBay.com, one of the leaders of come from “administrative and service
online retail, has certainly not remained
NOTHING LEFT
areas.” The laid-off individuals will receive
unscathed. MEN’S BASKETBALL three months salary and two months of full
“A big retailer can survive through six benefits — in addition to the standard sever-
quarters of losses,” Donahoe said. “But small 2/21 vs. Oregon L 68-60 ance package.
business cannot; that’s why we provided near- “As there remains great uncertainty as to
ly $120 million worth of coupons to buyers to
UP NEXT how deep and how long the economic down-
TO LOSE
help our sellers.” turn will be, we believe that the difficult
However, Donahoe sees a bright future for decisions we have made to date will place
the e-commerce business. UCLA Stanford Athletics in a prudent position to
“It’s still the early days in e-commerce,” deal with the present challenges,” said
Donahoe said. “Right now, e-commerce con-
(20-7, 9-5 Pac-10)
Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby in
stitutes about seven percent of online retail. 2/26 Maples Pavilion 7:30 P.M. Wednesday’s press release. “As is the cir-
That figure should be 15 to 20 percent, just By HALEY MURPHY might offer at least a positive finale to an cumstance throughout the Stanford campus,
because of the security and ease of comfort DESK EDITOR otherwise disappointing conference sea- COVERAGE: we will continue to assess our budget projec-
that it provides. The only way that percent- son. TV FSN tions and will make further adjustments as
age is going to double is through innova- With the Pacific-10 Conference season After a 3-3 start to league play, RADIO KZSU 90.1 needed, which may include programmatic,
tion.” drawing to a close, and March less than a Stanford (15-10, 4-10 Pac-10) collapsed FM(kzsu.stanford.edu) staff and sports reductions.”
Of course, eBay Inc.’s revenue comes from week away, Stanford men’s basketball into a 1-7 rut against conference oppo- The release stated that the University is
much more than just eBay.com. Donahoe opens its last home series against the Los nents, and meetings with No. 22 UCLA GAME NOTES: After starting the season with a 3-3 record facing endowment losses of 20-30 percent
explained that eBay.com comprised 50 per- Angeles schools at 7:30 pm tonight in and USC this weekend will offer the Card in the Pac-10, Stanford has since gone 1-7 in confer- this year. Every department has been asked
cent of the company’s business; Paypal made Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal is coming anything but easy opportunities for a last- ence play. UCLA has lost three of its last four games.
up 33 percent, Skype eight to nine percent and off three consecutive losses — all on the Stanford ranks second in the Pac-10 in turnover margin.
StubHub, Kijiji and a number of other smaller road — and hopes some time at home Please see BBALL, page 6 Please see CUTS page 6
local businesses constitute the rest.
Skype, in particular, did exceptionally well
in the fourth quarter of 2008, when the eco-
nomic downturn really hit consumer demand.
“There was a 73 percent increase in the
STANFORD ATHLETICS
Bowlsby responds to Sixth Man backlash
number of free Internet calls on Skype in the
fourth quarter,” Donahoe said. “There was
also a 65 percent increase in the number of
computer-to-phone calls.”
This is, Donahoe added, due to Skype’s
low-cost position on communication. By JACOB JOHNSON by Sixth Man Managing Director Alexis Link our student section in football and men’s
Presently, Skype is a $500 million business that DESK EDITOR ‘10 that the Sixth Man was not informed of basketball endowed,” he said. “We need to
is growing at 30 to 40 percent a year. the decision to sell seats in Section 13. see if we can get it to the point where it can
Donahoe also expressed high hopes for the Last week’s announcement that the ath- Bowlsby reiterated the department’s claim be free like football is.”
future of Paypal. While started initially to letic department will sell seats to season-tick- that the Sixth Man leadership was informed Short-term changes have been imple-
complement eBay.com as a convenient form et holders and Buck/Cardinal members in of the impeding move for months. mented during the 2009 men’s basketball
of payment for eBay users, it has now grown what was part of the Sixth Man section in “We started looking for ways as early as season in an attempt to increase student
into an entirely separate platform. Maples Pavilion provoked an outcry from December to increase student attendance,” attendance. They have produced limited
“Paypal should eventually be bigger than many Stanford students. Much of the finger he told the Daily. results. “We reduced the price of single-
eBay,” Donahoe said. “Retail is a big industry pointing and blame has been levied against Bowlsby also addressed a major concern game tickets in an effort to get students to
but very fragmented.” the athletic department and Athletic among students that the Sixth Man section is come,” Bowlsby added. “I think it was for the
However, Donahoe believes that Paypal Director Bob Bowlsby. Yesterday, Bowlsby too expensive. Membership fees for the Cal game where we opened up Sections 13
PAUL SAKUMA/ responded. 2008-2009 season were $65.
Please see ACCEL, page 2 The Associated Press One of the hottest issues is the claim made “What we’d eventually like to do is have Please see BOWLSBY, page 6
ACCEL
Donahoe said. “We want to build a could emerge. and more innovation will occur
great platform and commerce net- Donahoe envisioned a scenario online. Those lines will blur.”
work upon which users can then in which a man would research an Other notable keynote speakers
Continued from front page expand. We want to keep providing item online, walk into a store to see at the Accel Conference included
this marketplace.” the product in real life, video chat Sir Martin Sorrell, chairman and
During the Q&A session that with his spouse on his phone about CEO of WPP; Jayshree Ullal, presi-
has the potential to become the followed Donahoe’s talk, a number the product — while conducting an dent and CEO of Arista Networks;
leader in online payment networks of interesting questions were raised online price comparison check on and Bob Muglia, president of
— if it does not become the fourth regarding eBay’s future and his mobile Internet — then order Servers and Tools Business at
big player in global payment net- growth. One question, in particular, the item off his phone while walk- Microsoft Corp.
work — in addition to the existing asked what effects the Obama ing out of the store.
Visa, Mastercard and American administration’s stimulus plan “Product exploration will Contact Joanna Xu at joannaxu
Experience payment networks. would have on eBay’s market expand,” Donahoe said. “And more @stanford.edu.
However, all these develop- space.
ments depend on product develop- “Fundamentally, I think some of
ment and innovation — and the stimulus money should go
Donahoe emphasized that all busi- towards broadband,” Donahoe
nesses under eBay Inc. are focused said. “The broadband coverage in
on developing around user experi- the U.S. is embarrassing compared
ence. to some Asian countries.” With
“In many ways, eBay was the greater broadband use, an entirely
first social networking platform,” new and different class of users
NEWS BRIEFS
GSC passes public mit 200 signatures from the student
body, of which 25 percent must
financing bill come from undergraduates and 25
percent must come from graduate
students. The total amount of
By THE DAILY NEWS STAFF money available for public financ-
ing from the ASSU is $4,500, which
Last night, the Graduate Student is enough for six slates to receive
Council (GSC) passed a bill that the maximum of $750 in aid. If there
would limit the amount of campaign are more than six slates running for
aid executive slates could receive office, the aid will be divided equi-
from the ASSU to a maximum of tably between each of the slates.
$750 per slate. In addition, the The GSC passed the bill nine for,
Public Finance Bill would also limit one against and two abstentions.
the amount of money that individ- The bill has already been passed by
ual slates could spend on top of the the undergraduate senate. The GSC
$750 maximum aid to $750, effec- also passed a service group bill that
tively capping the total campaign will institutionalize a service bronch
expenses at $1,500 for slates wishing of the ASSU to handle projects like
to apply for the public financing. In buses to airports and other projects
order to qualify for public financing that the ASSU executives have tra-
from the ASSU, slates have to sub- ditionally taken under their wing.
The Stanford Daily Thursday, February 26, 2009 N 3
OPINIONS
E DITORIAL The Stanford Daily
Established 1892 AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Incorporated 1973
Devin Banerjee
Deputy Editor
Joanna Xu
Managing Editor of Intermission
Tonight’s Desk Editors
Mike Ding
News Editor
UCLA and Saturday’s game against USC According to administration officials, the 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
came as a shock to many of the team’s entire Sixth Man membership can fit, along Classified Advertising Department can be reached at (650) 721-5801 during normal business hours.
diehard fans, as well as members of the with the Band, in Sections 9 through 12,
team’s official student fan organization, the without need for Section 13. And while the
Sixth Man Club. department’s actions do constitute a bad
Section 13, which sits courtside opposite
the team benches, has long been reserved as
precedent, they set no worse a precedent
than its decision to not intervene as the Sixth
S TEAL T HIS C OLUMN
part of the Sixth Man’s student fan section, Man Club atrophies in the wake of the
and the choice to sell tickets to season-ticket Lopez twins’ departure.
holders and Buck/Cardinal club members
drew the ire of the Sixth Man Club’s leaders
— who were left in the dark on the decision
The best short-term solution for reviving
the club is to discard the fee, currently $65,
for obtaining Sixth Man membership. With
The return of an old friend
— and dismay from the team’s fans. every other athletic event at Stanford free to
The administration justified the choice to attend, the Sixth Man fee is unique and evi-
uites Special Dinner at Middle Earth that truly speaks to me: the theme from
sell the tickets by pointing to declining Sixth
Man Club membership and dwindling atten-
dance at games this year. At recent games,
the Sixth Man Club has failed to show up in
dently depressing turnout. (Not even Stan-
ford football has a fee anymore, and it has
seen increased attendance since the change.)
In the long term, removing the cost seems
S Eating Club last Friday? Phenomenal.
Having Ram’s Head Theatrical Society
geniuses turning our suite common room Mark
“Schindler’s List.” Perlman was the violinist
for the movie’s original score.
I studied and worked in Berlin for six
into an African Safari for a party Saturday Donig months through Stanford’s Overseas Pro-
sufficient numbers to fill the courtside like not only a great way to reignite interest
night (and at no cost!)? Amazing.Welcoming gram. As a Jew with two grandparents who
cheering section; in fact, only 648 students in men’s basketball but also a savvy business
the great Andrei Markovits (brilliant visiting lived in Berlin (who were fortunate enough
purchased the $65 membership for this sea- decision on the part of Stanford Athletics.
professor of Political Studies and German to escape in 1938), living as an echo of their
son, off from the recent peak of nearly 2,000 Based on the $65 fee and the 2008-2009
Studies) into my family’s home for brunch on memory took on a special meaning for me
students during the 2005-2006 campaign. membership, the department only raised
Sunday morning? Wonderful, despite the less during that half-year journey. Berlin gave to
Even at the best-attended game of the sea- about $42,000 from the Sixth Man fee, a
than four hours of sleep that preceded it. me a series of experiential gifts, a period of
son, Stanford’s upset win over Cal in Janu-
ary, only 50 percent of club members showed
small part of a men’s basketball revenue
stream that was nearly $6 million in 2006, ac-
But with all respect and thanks to every-
one involved in the aforementioned activi-
For each of us in the reflection and a score of emotions and real-
izations that I have held onto dearly even
up to root for the Card. cording to the San Francisco Business Times.
ties, what really set this weekend apart was since returning. Some of these emotions I
Given these underwhelming attendance About half of this funding goes directly to
what — or rather, who — I saw Sunday have kept to myself, believing them to carry
figures, it is understandable that the athletic
department — already facing a $5.4 million
the Sixth Man committee to finance promo-
tions and T-shirts.
evening. Whether you are the most ardent
classical music aficionado, or the ignoramus
audience,that piece spoke an ineffable quality best left to silence.
But Perlman tapped into something in me
revenue decrease over the next three years The Sixth Man committee does an ad-
who knows Mozart only as that character on Sunday night as he performed this one
— would try to raise some money by selling mirable job of trying to stir up student inter-
whose picture adorns those tasty chocolate- piece.As he played I sat captivated, and with-
out seats that would otherwise stand con-
spicuously empty right across from the Stan-
est, but can ultimately be stymied by the high
price of membership, which is set by Stan-
marzipan candies, the experience of Itzhak
Perlman in concert (and it is indeed an expe-
to something both out warning, images began to flood through
my buzzing brain. Perlman’s performance
ford team’s bench. ford Athletics. Earlier this year, Sixth Man
rience) is one that lasts you a lifetime. had me suddenly exposed. He transmitted all
While the editorial board not believe the members rallied through Branner, trying to
And inside Davies Symphony Hall, ele- the feelings I had experienced in Berlin
athletic department’s decision was out of
line, we still think it speaks volumes about
raise awareness and sign up freshmen for the
club. Unfortunately, many students balked
gantly positioned across the street from the
beautiful San Francisco City Hall to the east
individual in our through his hands and fingers, seemingly em-
anating my experiences through his body,
the state of the Sixth Man Club and high- at the high cost of tickets, especially those
and the War Memorial Opera House to the and my most meaningful emotions, though
lights the need for Stanford Athletics to step that might be interested in attending only
north, I was fortunate enough to see the not translatable into words, were suddenly
in and help reverse the fortunes of this vital
institution.
one or two big games a year.
Selling tickets in Section 13 to make a lit-
greatest violinist of his generation (and per-
haps of any) perform his craft.
experience and common crying out from his violin.
By the end of the piece I was in tears. I was
The announcement provoked an angered tle extra money is fine for the rest of this sea-
Though I was raised as a violinist, playing not the only one. For each of us in the audi-
reaction from the club’s managing director, son, but is a very unsatisfactory long-term
for thirteen years (seven of which I spent ence, that piece spoke to something both in-
Alexis Link, who decried the move as setting solution. Next year, we want to see an intact
“a bad precedent for the future” in a Feb. 19 student section that runs the length of the
building up the cajones to tell my parents
that I would rather switch to guitar, which I
in our humanity. dividual in our experience and common in
our humanity.
Daily brief (“Athletic department to sell court and fills up regularly. Ultimately, the
subsequently did), classical music has never I returned to my room that night, thankful
Sixth Man seats”). Link was further quoted editorial board hopes to see a revived Sixth
quite spoken to me the same way that that of for the opportunity to have gone, struck by
in Monday’s Daily as saying that the section Man Club, reminiscent of those of yester-
Neil Young, Leonard Cohen or John Frus- the brilliance of Perlman’s performance. I
had been filled at the Cal game, meeting the year that regularly packed the house and it, and the audience soaked it in. Even those
ciante has. When I quit violin, I never had a was still emotionally moved as I went to bed.
athletic department’s conditions for not sell- stormed the court after Stanford’s come- like me, not directly affected by the music it-
second thought. It will likely always be my The following evening, still reflective on
ing the seats (see “Sixth Man Meltdown”). back victory over then-second-ranked self, could not help but take to heart the way
best instrument, but guitar will forever be my my experience, I was still lost in thought. Sud-
While the editorial board emphatically UCLA in 2007. Free membership, granted to that classical music can connect with the hu-
favorite. Only on rare occasions can classical denly I found myself swiftly moving my bed
agrees with Link that the Sixth Man Club all students, can enable Sixth Man to enjoy a manity in that room.
music truly move me. sheets out of the way, maneuvering my desk
has been an important contributor to the thrilling comeback of its own. But of all the great moments that stood
But an Itzhak Perlman concert represents a bit until my old friend revealed itself.
more than simply a performance of classical out, the one that I will take most to heart was And then, for the first time in years, I took
music; it is a tour de force. Perlman’s viva- a single piece Perlman performed in his en- out my sheet music and began to play.
Unsigned editorials in the space above represent the views of The Stanford Daily's editorial board and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of the Daily staff. The editorial board is comprised of two former Daily staffers, cious, joyous performance of pieces by Han- core. After having just completed a lively,
three at-large student members and the two editorial board co-chairs. Any signed columns and contributions del, Beethoven and Messaien was the utter perpetual-motion-esque piece lasting no Mark Donig is psyched that his best buddy
are the views of their respective writers and do not necessarily represent the views of the entire editorial board. mastery of a craft personified. The verve and more than a couple minutes, he and his ac- from Berlin, Fabian (yep, that’s his real name)
To contact the editorial board for an issue to be considered, or to submit an op-ed, please email flair with which he brought each piece of companying pianist suddenly swept into per- is coming to visit him in California this sum-
editorial@daily.stanford.edu. music new life had a contagious quality about haps one of the few classical musical works mer. Contact Mark at mrdonig@stanford.edu.
Write to us.
revolution, per se, but rather turning a critical In his book “On Violence,” Slovenian effectively changing very little.
eye toward the social structures around us. I philosopher and cultural critic Slavoj Zizek Yet despite this disheartening sign, per-
don’t think it’s implausible to say that Stan- says we live in a post-political world in which haps we shouldn’t give up on the University
ford, like any institution, has a vested interest citizens only have the illusion of political before we fully explore the modes in which it
in making its citizens think it is doing a good agency. Instead of real political considera- invites us to participate in it. It’s not quite as
job, and that it has interests other than its tions, every decision the government makes sexy as defying authority, but maybe a new
own in mind when it makes its decisions. All
I was saying was that we should make an ef-
in this post-political system is chalked up to
‘universal’ ideals like ‘justice’ and ‘democra-
revolution will be when 14,000 students show
up to a town hall meeting to voice their opin- We want to hear from you.
fort to learn for ourselves what’s what, be- cy.’ For example, in a two-party democracy, ions. It might be an exercise in futility, but at
cause otherwise we have no epistemological Zizek says we merely have the illusion of sig- least we’ll better know how to affect change
option other than to blindly accept what nificant choice between two essentially iden- if we know how we can’t affect it. Either way,
we’re told. tical options.Or take,as another example,the they’re going to need a lot more In-n-Out SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO
Yet two weeks ago, in this very newspa- mass protests in London against the Iraq war burgers.
per, I read something alarming that suggest- a few years ago to which George Bush re- EIC@DAILY.STANFORD.EDU AND SEND OP-EDS TO EDITORIAL@DAILY.STANFORD.EDU
ed that maybe rhetoric like my own could sponded gleefully that protestors were exer- Nicole is fending off middle-aged women who
have a dangerous backlash.An article on the cising precisely the rights that the U.S. mili- keep throwing their underwear at her. Email
front page said that out of the entire student tary was fighting for in Iraq. In such a system, her and comfort her at demb33@stanford.edu.
4 N Thursday, February 26, 2009 The Stanford Daily
SPORTS
MEN’S GYMNASTICS
A battle with
the best
Stanford loses to Japanese All-Stars,
but triumphs against Americans
By JENNY PETER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
TROPIC THUNDER
event score of the season with a 60.85.The team now holds the
nation’s highest event total thanks to hit routines from sopho-
more Tim Gentry (15.15), redshirt senior Sho Nakamori
(14.95) and a season-best performance from redshirt sopho-
more Nick Noone (15.1). Hadden finished first in the event
and put up the highest rings score of the season for the Cardi-
By ZOE LEAVITT for the 2009 NCAA Championships, great potential to climb to the top this UP NEXT AGUSTIN RAMIREZ/The Stanford Daily
CONTRIBUTING WRITER which will tell the athletes how high weekend. He will most likely be ranked Despite losing to the Japanease Collegiate All-Stars, the
With only three days left before the
they need to place in the Pac-10s to
qualify.
second in the tournament.
“I’m pretty revved up about it,”
PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS Stanford men’s gymnastics team looked very impressive
“We obviously have team goals but Amuchastegui said. “I feel good about 3/1 Fullerton, Calif. against its fellow NCAA competition. At the meet, the Cardi-
Pacific-10 Conference Tournament and
the finale of the wrestling season, the we are mostly focusing on individuals,” everybody, certainly, but a couple guys nal set both a team and NCAA season-best by notching an
GAME NOTES: Stanford redshirt freshman Nick
Stanford wrestling team looks to fulfill coach Jason Borrelli said. “This time of have beaten me too so they’re going to Amuchastegui has defeated every Pac-10
outstanding 356.9 points.
many of the teams’ season goals and year,the focus is on the individual.If the keep me on my toes. It’s time for things wrestler in the 165-pound weight class at least
push its wrestlers up to the next level. individual goals are met, then the team to pay off now, this is what we’ve once this season. Boise State is the meet favorite
Hosted by Cal State-Fullerton, this stuff will fall into place.” worked for all season.”
year’s Pac-10 Tournament involves nine
teams, with eight-man brackets and the
Redshirt freshman Nick
Amuchastegui (26-5), who now stands
Boise State, who now stands unde-
feated in the Pac-10 Conference, will
as it comes to the tournament with an undefeat-
ed Pac-10 record. The Cardinal is returning 10
Pac-10 competitors from last year.
WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS
ninth wrestler subbing in. This after- with the fourth most wins of any fresh- put forth the greatest competition for
noon, the Pac-10 coaches will find out
the rankings of their wrestlers, which
will determine the brackets. On Satur-
day, the teams will learn how many
man in Stanford history, looks to fulfill
his season goal of qualifying for nation-
als on Sunday. He has defeated every
Pac-10 wrestler in the 165-pound
Stanford and for Amuchastegui in par-
ticular. Boise wrestler Tyler Sherfy
handed Amuchastegui his only loss of
2009 when he scored a takedown with
Amuchastegui’s lead. Besides Sherfy,
Boise presents two other defending
A shorthanded
surprise
Pac-10 champions.
players from each bracket will qualify weight class at least once, proving his only 20 seconds left to steal In this final week of practice, the
team looks to keep its fitness level high
and touch up on little things that have
plagued them all season. Since the sea-
son’s commencement, the team has
struggled with how to hold on to a lead Stanford victorious despite absence
throughout the match. Lately, many
wrestlers have improved in this area, of top three athletes against Cal
winning difficult matches in the final
moments. By KENAN JIANG
“This is the chance to make up for STAFF WRITER
some mistakes earlier in the season,”
said Stanford senior Luke Feist. “I’m The No. 4 Stanford women’s gymnastics team, led by a
wrestling against three guys I’ve lost to. talented class of freshmen, easily defeated California
It’s been things I can fix, so if I can fix 197.175-190.625 last Sunday, despite resting their top three
them this weekend that’s all that mat- gymnasts in preparation for a highly anticipated show-
ters. This is one last try to get one last down with Alabama on Mar. 21 in Tuscaloosa.
try.” The rotation of ten gymnasts scored 21 season-bests in
For seniors like Feist, this Pac-10 a highly impressive showcase of young talent.With the win,
tournament signifies the final stop in the teamed moved to 12-0 on the year.
five years of collegiate wrestling. Feist Senior captain Kelly Fee was impressed with the per-
has led the team in his past three Pac-10 formance of the younger members of the team.
performances and boosted his rankings “We faced a very similar situation my sophomore year
each time. Having placed fifth in 2006, when two of our top performers suffered injuries,” Fee
fourth in 2007, and third in 2008, he said. “We ended up getting our highest score of the sea-
hopes to continue to improve. He head- son.”
lines the team’s 10 returning Pac-10 Sophomore Shelley Alexander stepped up for the Car-
competitors, six of which will most like- dinal, as she expanded her event line up last weekend.
ly compete again this year. Alexander, who only competed on vault last year, started
However, several wrestlers on Stan- the meet off with a 9.8 on the uneven bars, and scored 9.8
AGUSTIN RAMIREZ/The Stanford Daily ford’s young team will also make their or better on the rest of the events (floor, vault, beam) to
After undergoing a shaky start to the season, the Stanford wrestling team has sharpened up in recent weeks. The team looks to Pac-10 debut this season. Coach Borrel-
shock the Pac-10 at the conference championships this weekend in Fullerton. The Cardinal returns 10 athletes who competed Please see WOMEN, page 5
at last year’s event and will look to use this postseason experience to its advantage. Please see WRESTLING, page 5
The Stanford Daily Thursday, February 26, 2009 N 5
VBALL MEN
HOW TO PLACE AN AD tines,” said freshman Jordan Nolff.
“However, it is usually one of our
CLASSIFIEDS BY PHONE
Call (650) 723-2555 Ext. 1
for display and contract rates
*Please allow for 3 business days from the
when you purchased your ad to when it
appears in the paper
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6 N Thursday, February 26, 2009 The Stanford Daily
GAME NIGHT
HOTEL
lush accommodations, premier
event spaces and opulent amenities
— 123 guest rooms and suites, a ball-
Continued from front page room and a spa — features local
architectural tradition that plays
with the transparency between
probably some analysis looking at indoors and outdoors, all of which
potentially residential or some other have access to terraces and bal-
mix of uses.” conies. Everything from its designers
The closest attempt before now to much of the displayed artwork to
was in the ‘80s when Stanford its executive chef comes from within
entered another luxury hotel ven- the Bay Area, helping to further
ture only to abandon it on account cement that theme. The hotel’s sig-
of poor economic conditions. nature restaurant, Madera, even has
“The hotel back in the ‘80s was its own herb garden on hotel
really in planning stages when the grounds from which many of the
downturn hit,” Elliott said. “The dif- ingredients for the menu will come.
ference here is that the hotel was Just over a month away from its
ready to open when the crisis really debut, Rosewood Sand Hill has
peaked. It’s certainly a difficult tim- kicked into full-gear preparation,
ing to open up a hotel, but I think in adding last minute touches, training
the long term we’re still very opti- a staff of 250 employees, advertising
mistic.” more actively and bracing for the
The landscaping and construc- four wedding events and several
tion that began in 2006 deliberately corporate and social group pro-
incorporated a distinctly Northern grams to plan for the year.
California feel to blend in with the
surrounding area of the Santa Cruz Contact Cassandra Feliciano at ccfeli-
Mountains. Rosewood Sand Hill’s ci@stanford.edu.
BBALL
Stanford ranks second in the confer-
ence with at 2.76 turnover margin
against its opponents.
Continued from front page Hill, in fact, thinks the brutal loss
to the Bruins last month was unchar-
acteristic for the Cardinal, and said
chance revival. Stanford won’t go down the same
Stanford encounters the tougher way at home.
of its weekend competition first — “We [won’t] lay down like we did
UCLA (20-7, 9-5) is tied for third in last time,” Hill said. “We’ve always
the Pac-10, shooting better than 50 played them tough, except this year at
percent from the field on the season, their place, and we have that to look
and handed Stanford its worst loss of on. If you look at teams coming in
the year on Jan. 31, 97-63, in L.A. The here after a tough loss, they’re work-
Bruins are led by senior guard Darren ing hard. We are too. But, we need to
Collison and senior center Alfred go out and do what we know we can
Aboya, two of five UCLA players to do.”
score in double digits (with 15 apiece) Similarly, senior guard Mitch
in the first meeting. Johnson doesn’t feel that there’s a
Collison, who averages 15 points, huge discrepancy in talent between
the squads, and sees the potential for
a strong showing against UCLA this
time. “When you look one to 10
“We’ve just in the league, the talent level is really
not too much of a difference,” he said.
“I still think we’re capable of beating
got to play” any team . . . [and] on a given day,
there’s almost no such thing as an
upset anymore.”
Coach Johnny Dawkins agreed,
— MITCH JOHNSON, emphasizing that Stanford is far from
throwing in the towel this season.
senior point guard “You’ve got to just keep fighting;
you’ve got to overcome,” Dawkins
said. “That’s what we’re telling our
guys,‘Take them one at a time, and try AUGUSTIN RAMIREZ/The Stanford Daily
1.7 steals and a conference-leading to just go out there and get better, and Members of Stanford’s Bridge Club, led by Eric Mayefsky (lower right), meet every Tuesday night to play bridge in Old Union.
five assists per game, will pose an see if we can’t overcome.’”
exciting threat to Stanford’s back- Stanford will “keep fighting”
court along with freshman Jrue against USC during its Senior Day
Holiday (9.1 ppg, 1.5 steals) and red- game, 5:30 pm on Saturday. The
shirt junior Michael Roll (7.6 ppg).
However, the Bruins’ advantage
lies mainly in their big men. Aboya
Trojans, too, have lost four of their last
five, but will challenge the Cardinal in
different ways.
BOWLSBY
Continued from front page
averages 9.9 ppg and six boards, but For one, junior forward Taj Gibson
finds substantial support in junior for- (13.8 ppg, 9.3 rebounds, conference-
ward Nikola Dragovic (8.8 ppg) and best 2.7 blocks) inherently offers and 14 to student-athletes,” a move
senior small forward Josh Shipp (13 tougher competition in the paint than that was effective but still failed to
ppg). The three Bruins form a versa- any of the Bruins. Gibson leads USC fill the Sixth Man area.
tile combination down low, especially with a conference-second 36 Nonetheless, the third-year
because both Shipp and Dragovic rebounds and a conference-best 4.7 Stanford athletic director feels that
have the ability to step out and shoot blocks per game. Freshmen forwards his department “dropped the ball”
the long ball. Although not usually DeMar DeRozan (12.6 ppg, 5.5 in promoting the men’s basketball
dominant in the paint, the Bruins will rebounds) and Leonard Washington team and its once-formidable stu-
try to capitalize on Stanford’s habitu- (6.7 ppg, 4.5 rebounds) offer dominat- dent section.
al struggles near the basket, which ing depth to the USC frontcourt that “We did everything we could do
senior forward Lawrence Hill the Card won’t encounter on . . . to make games affordable [dur-
deemed the Card’s greatest weakness. Thursday. ing the season],” Bowlsby said.
“Other teams aren’t scared of us Meanwhile, junior guard Dwight However, he noted that the ath-
— they know they’re going to beat us Lewis leads the team with 15.4 points letic department — specifically the
in the lane,” Hill said resignedly. per game, while fellow junior Daniel men’s basketball program — is
“[They’ll beat us on] dribble penetra- Hackett offers another 11.6 and dish- also responsible for the lack of stu-
tion [and] rebounding. Other teams es 4.7 assists per game. But, Johnson dent interest.
see us there, and they don’t believe reiterated that Stanford can hang “I do think it’s fair to say with a
we can push them out. We’re not with any opponent, and that the new basketball staff coming in,
physical enough, not aggressive Cardinal’s biggest threat is its own they weren’t sure what their
enough.” mindset. responsibilities were,” he said.
UCLA, though, is not unbeatable, “Once you get on the wrong end Even with a tightening budget,
and Stanford knows it. The Bruins of those things a couple times, you can Bowlsby made it clear that student
have dropped three of their last four start second-guessing yourself,” he input is one of the athletic depart-
games, as well as their last three said. “And that lack of confidence . . . ment’s top concerns.
games on the road. Stanford, more- you can’t let that doubt creep in. “The students are always a high
over, should capably challenge what’s We’ve got to just play.” priority for us,” he said.
typically the bread and butter of
UCLA’s defense: steals. Although the Contact Haley Murphy at hmmur- Contact Jacob Johnson at twoj@stan-
Bruins average 8.7 steals per game, phy@stanford.edu. ford.edu.
CUTS
es,” Bowlsby said in an interview decrease in pay — as much as 10
with The Daily after yesterday’s percent — would be required to
announcement. “In the previous achieve comparable savings.
Continued from front page five years [prior to last year], the A smaller staff will mean more
department had run a deficit.” work for administrators, but
When asked about the lack of a Bowlsby doesn’t think that the qual-
“to plan for budget reductions of at built-in surplus or “cushion” in the ity of Stanford’s athletic program
least 15 percent” over the next two budget, Bowlsby dismissed the idea. will suffer.
years. “You’ve got to be able to pay for “We did most of it through reor-
The layoffs are part of the athlet- what you need before you think ganization . . . and redistribution of
ic department’s strategy to stay about a ‘cushion,’” he said. duties,” Bowlsby said.
within its limited budget through The athletic department’s “I don’t think right now it will
2012. The 21 layoffs represent a 13 endowment was valued at about have an effect on teams and ath-
percent reduction in administrative $410 million in December — down letes,” he added. Currently, there
staff, and could save the department more than $100 million since May of are no plans to cut any of Stanford’s
close to $1.5 million. Further cuts last year. Despite the massive losses, varsity programs. With an uncertain
have also been authorized, including Stanford’s endowment is the richest economic forecast for the next few
“freezing open positions, mandatory of any athletic department in the years — and possibly longer — that
use of vacation accruals, reduced nation. could change.
facility maintenance and reduced Bowslby said the new cuts were “I can’t say definitively that we
travel expenses. In addition to carefully planned so as to not won’t have sport cuts if the econo-
reducing costs, Stanford Athletics is adversely affect Stanford teams or my continues to decline,” Bowlsby
examining all potential sources for athletes. He was adamant that staff said yesterday. In 2011 or 2012,
additional revenue, including ticket whom directly interact with athletes “who knows what the economy will
sales, multimedia rights and facility would not see cuts — specifically be like.”
use fees.” mentioning “sports medicine, athlet- Nevertheless, Bowlsby has prom-
The reductions could total $2.5 ic training and strength and condi- ised to do everything possible to
million. However, that still leaves an tioning” as areas that would retain avoid cutting any of Stanford’s var-
almost $3 million gap in the athletic their current staff. Coaches are also sity sports.
department’s budget — if the pro- expected to be exempt from the “I’ve always said is that it will be
jected losses are accurate. Last year, reductions. a course of last resort,” he noted.
Stanford Athletics brought in about An all-staff pay cut was discussed
$1.6 million in extra revenue. as an alternative to layoffs, but it Contact Jacob Johnson at twoj@stan-
“We’ve never had budget surplus- was determined that a large ford.edu.