Editor William Rees-Mogg inaugurates T.S. Eliot series here

Distinguished writer and scholar Lord William Rees-Mogg, former editor of The Times of London, will deliver the first T.S. Eliot Lecture here Monday, May 1, inaugurating the American component of a unique trans-Atlantic lecture program co-sponsored by Washington University and the Institute of United States Studies at the University of London's School of Advanced Study.

Rees-Mogg will speak on "The Changing Culture of Cousins: 1623-2000" at 4:30 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public, though reservations are requested.

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Committee issues report on alcohol

Fact: In a recent confidential survey, 37 percent of Washington University students reported that they drank no alcoholic beverages while partying. But, conversely, when asked to judge the typical number of drinks that other students imbibe at a party, not one of the 306 respondents said none.

Closing the gap on this perception-vs.-reality conundrum is chief among the tasks of Washington University's recently formed Committee on Alcohol. In fact, the title of the ongoing committee's first report -- "Between Overreaction and Complacency" -- spells out the sobering tug-of-war.

Tugging on one end of the rope, national studies reveal that Washington University students imbibe 25 percent fewer alcoholic drinks than their collegiate counterparts, with 18 percent fewer engaging in "binge drinking" and 20 percent fewer partaking in "frequent binge drinking." Data shows that most students here drink responsibly, with 75 percent having four or fewer drinks when they party and 81 percent drinking on five or fewer days per month.

On the other end, anonymous data from the Emergency Support Team (EST) indicate that there are, on average, 59 calls to EST per semester for alcohol-related problems.

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Appleton first Barkeloo-Couzins professor

Associate Dean of Faculty Susan Frelich Appleton, J.D., was installed as the inaugural Lemma Barkeloo & Phoebe Couzins Professor of Law Friday, April 21, in the School of Law's Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom.

"The new Lemma Barkeloo & Phoebe Couzins chair provides a wonderful means of paying tribute to the outstanding contributions of generations of women to the School of Law," Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said. "With this inaugural chair we honor the pathbreaking achievements of two of the nation's earliest women lawyers -- and the law school's first women students -- as well as the accomplishments of one of the school's most distinguished current women faculty members."

Joel Seligman, J.D., law school dean and the Ethan A.H. Shepley University Professor, also had high praise for Appleton. "Susan Appleton's contributions to the law school have been extraordinary," Seligman said. "She is a nationally recognized scholar, particularly in the areas of family law and reproductive rights, as well as a wonderful mentor and teacher to law students. She also is an invaluable member of the senior administration. I am pleased we can recognize her tremendous accomplishments with this new chair while paying tribute to two women who played such an important role in the school's history."

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