Sexual Assault

To the editor:

RA SEX POLICY

As an alumni and a former RA for two years, I find HRS' new sex policy silly. Not only will it be virtually impossible for the RA's to implement, but what RA in their right mind would want to enforece such a policy? There are already ways in which sexual activity issues can, and should be enforeced, such as sexual activity going on in public places, or in common areas. Such sexual activity can be "documented" as lude conduct, and at the very least against health concerns for all others who use the common areas.

I think before HRS wants to make RA's enforce this policy, they should be looking no further then their own policies of allowing coed dorms. I am not saying they should do away with such situations, but if you are going to make RA's do the very unpopular and near impossible task of enforcing a "sex policy" at least make the job a bit easier for RA's to spot people of the opposite sex on floors that they should not be on. Besides, it is not an RA's job to listen in others, we, RA's have more important things to do with our time then make sure others are not have sex.
Erik J. MacEwen '01

Irony at CUA

For those who came here to learn in an environment with Biblical principles which would enhance their learning experience, it is comforting to see that the administration is endorsing those principles. It is ironic, however, that the House, the body that seemingly would act in this way, endorses Biblical principles less, particularly in its formation process, which affects it in a major way and that took place during the past month. It did not take more than a look over the application and an interview to make me feel uncomfortable. They asked you what experiences you had that might help you be qualified, as well as what you would bring to the House if you were part of it. It also included your class position, a general measure of how much you knew about the campus.

It seemed that the process put God in a box and left Him out in the picture when it should have involved Him exclusively, particularly since the House is equivalent to the leadership of a church.

The material asked about in the application and in the interview were obviously used to decide who was the most qualified. But the material does not reflect your ability to handle the position at all, particularly if God had already chosen you to be in that position. Any knowledge gained from the amount of time spent at the university or gained from volunteering or ministry would not surpass the knowledge one would have if they were a vessel of the omniscient God. Consider Moses. He certainly lacked the experience and qualities to guide the Hebrews out of Egypt. He stuttered, was an introvert. Yet God chose Him anyway, and with Him Moses certainly succeeded as a vessel.

It also seems that God is left out of the picture even in the decision process. The decision process should entirely be left to the Lord to pick out who should serve in this leadership position, not the qualities, which will come later and do not really matter. He should be trusted enough to choose all the people that He knows will be best to serve that position. Nobody knows as well as Him exactly who will be best. We know nothing about what might happen later, and it is a mistake to judge who should serve based on our own ignorance. This should be done by extensive prayer and having absolute trust and faith. God will not abandon us.

Furthermore, we should not worry about the Lord's decision. If He chose more than the supplies available, He will provide. He will not give us anything that we cannot handle. We should be concerned, however, about whether we are putting God in a box and acting without Him, particularly with respect to His leadership positions.

CUA Basketball Fans

As a new graduate student to Catholic this semester, I decided to check out the defending D-3 Champs in the CAC Tournament this past week against Goucher and Marymount. What I found was a highly skilled team and some very passionate fans! I kept thinking how good this whole scene was for the school as a whole, and how athletics really can make a difference to school spirit. For the most part, I still feel this way.

However, after a near-brawl broke out between Catholic fans and Marymount fans in the closing moments of the championship game, part of me feels differently. In the very tense final quarter of a terrific game, it was clear to me that the most boisterous of the Catholic fans, the same ones who had been adding so much positive spirit to the situation, had crossed the line in their taunting of Marymount.

Let's face it: taunting is both a blast and an art form. It truly can be hilarious fun, both to taunt and taunt back. It also can be a really fine line between what is okay and what is not, and it's not hard to cross that line in the heated and passionate moments of a championship final. Sometimes, what is okay to chant when the game is still in doubt becomes not okay once you are definitely going to be the winner.

The Marymount fans surely did not help the situation, but that's not what we're talking about here. What we're talking about is having that thing that's much more precious than well-delivered verbal blows: it's called having "class." The basketball team itself clearly has it. And their fans have it too; it just came precariously close to slipping away in the 4th quarter on Saturday, adding a little bit of sourness to the sweetness of a hard-fought victory. I felt that a well-timed word over the microphone from an administrator could have gone a long way to defusing the situation.

Catholic fans need to look no further than to their own team on the court in front of them to see an excellent example to follow. The men's basketball team has great character: they are gutsy, hard-working, and focused. They give their best for themselves, their fans, and their school. In return, let's give them the best fans in the CAC! I wish the team and their fans the best in the NCAA tournament ahead.

Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Did you know that 1 out of every 4 college females has an eating disorder? From my ecperience at CUA, eating issues are definately present but are also very hush-hush. But why? This is a serious issue that needs to be brough attention to the students and others. Did you know that we dont even have an eating disorder support group here? Sure, we have a "healthy eating styles" group at the counseling center, but that is not hte same thing. There are hundred of girls and I am sure some males as well who are suffering and feel alone here. I am one of them. I am trying to get a canlelite vigila nd info session with speeches and perosnal accounts about E.D.'s arranged on campus. This should not be somehting to be ashamed about becasue that is what keeps people who suffer form E.D.'s sick. I was wondering if you could print this in the TOWER and give my email asking anyone with feedback to contact me. Even if it is about personal stories that are anonymous. I think a support group on campus would be very beneficial for those who wither know soemone with an eating disorder, want to know more about them, suffer from one, or are recovered. I feel very strongly that we need to get this message out to the campus community that it is not shameful, we need to love our bodies,and we need to educate those who are willing to open their minds and hearts. THANK YOU- Erica

Weiss, Sherry Combine In Shutout

The Cardinals opened their season with a 4-0 shutout at St. Mary’s on Tuesday. Senior Mike Pomfret went 4 for 4 and contributed 2 RBIs. He got one in the fourth inning to bring in junior Billy Rue and another in the ninth that drove Rue down the line to score again. Junior Bernie Dennis drove in a run with a nice double; senior Terence O’Rourke drove in a run as well.

Juniors Adam Weiss and Doug Sherry combined for the shutout. Weiss went five innings and only gave up two hits. Sherry came onto the mound to strike out two in the sixth, only surrendering two hits, and picking up the save.

“The infield and outfield both played efficiently. We were hitting the ball well from the beginning,” said Sherry. After being defeated by Catholic, St. Mary’s falls to 2-2 and 0-2 in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC).

Head coach Ross Natoli said, “The key to this season is whether or not our pitchers perform on a consistent basis. Our top returning pitchers are Sherry, Weiss and (senior) Brandon Bowron. They have all been key players since their freshman year.”

Sherry said, “Overall, I think we have been playing better this season then we have been the past two years that I have been here. But we all know that pulling off as many wins as possible before we go to Florida is key to a successful season.”

The men travel to Cocoa Beach, Fla. for spring training the first week in March.

The Cards home opener will take place today at 2:30 p.m. against Columbia Union at Talbot Field. They will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon against Messiah College.

Women End Finest Season In A Decade

The women’s basketball team’s season ended last night, as the Cardinals lost 70-57 to 24th ranked Salisbury. It was only the second time in school history that Catholic had advanced to the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) semifinals, and the Lady Gulls of Salisbury clearly demonstrated why they are the two-time defending conference champions.

Salisbury dominated early on the defensive end, holding the Cards to a mere four points in the first 10 minutes of play. The Gulls’ fullcourt defense was effective, forcing 14 turnovers in the first half. Catholic made only seven of 28 shots and found itself faced with a 34-19 halftime deficit.

“We had too many turnovers, but more importantly, we had too many unforced turnovers,” said head coach Maggie Lonergan. “We were missing some layups, and you can’t do that against a good team like Salisbury,” she added.

The second half started just like the first, as Salisbury extended their lead to as many as 27 points. Amy Campion and Pam Kinney came up huge for the Gulls early in the second half. Catholic controlled the end of the game, as a 26-9 run pulled the Cardinals within 10 points with just under a minute to play. However, Salisbury managed to keep the Catholic comeback at bay.

“The girls never gave up; they’ve never quit at all this year. Unfortunately we had played ourselves into too big of a hole to climb out of,” noted Lonergan.

Campion and Kinney led the Gulls with 19 and 16 points, respectively. Catholic’s offense was fairly balanced, as seniors Meg Hagarty and Liz Mintzer led the Cards with 10 points each. The Cards did well on the boards, nearly matching Salisbury, 52-49, for rebounds.

Freshman center Haley Jones completely dominated when she entered the game in the second half. Jones went on a 7-0 run all by herself, and hauled down three rebounds as well, all during three minutes of play.

“Haley did really well tonight. Our younger players have really stepped up, a sign of things to come,” said Lonergan.

On Tuesday, the Cardinals won their first CAC tournament game in 10 years, defeating Goucher 65-41 at the DuFour Center. Goucher led for most of the first half, but a late Catholic run gave the Cards a 26-24 halftime lead. The Cardinal defense turned up the pressure in the second half, holding the Gophers to six of 28 shooting from the field. A 22-5 Catholic run late in the game sealed the victory for the Cards. CUA was led by Mintzer and junior forward Jackie Yacenda, who scored 18 and 17 points. Junior forward Carol Schnepp also reached double figures with 11 points. Catholic had one of their best shooting games of the season, making over 48 percent of their shots in the second half, and 39.3 percent for the game.

“We had a fantastic season. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to work with. I expect us to be a contender next year, although losing Meg [Hagarty] and possibly Liz [Mintzer] is going to require some people to step up. Those two made huge contributions this year,” noted Lonergan. Mintzer has yet to decide if she’ll use her remaining year of eligibility as a grad student. Everyone else is expected to return next year for Catholic, whose 15-12 record was their best since 1988-89.

Fan Interference

Since our recent national tragedy, we have been reminded time and again of the power of sport to uplift and rejuvenate the human spirit.

Sports are trivial when compared to tragedies. However, the drama on the field or the court can become a source of pride and inspiration for the weary and discouraged.

Game Seven of the 2001 World Series saw the most dramatic comeback in the history of the Fall Classic, while the aptly named Patriots drove down the field in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XXXVI to clinch the upset.

In 1980 the country was mired in the midst of the Cold War and the economy was in a downward spiral. That February, the Winter Olympics were hosted by Lake Placid, N.Y. Team USA, a squad of college amateurs, met the hardened team from the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the ice hockey tournament.

Mirroring the political landscape of the time, the United States and the Soviet Union were bitter rivals in international sports. The Yanks were not expected to even contend with the experienced Red Army team.

But the Americans shocked the world, topping the Soviets 4-3 to advance to the gold medal game. Al Michaels captured the mood when he shouted, “Do you believe in miracles?”

Tonight, 22 years to the day after the Miracle on Ice, the Americans and the Russians will again meet in the Olympic semifinals. Many things have changed since the game in Lake Placid. Both squads are almost entirely composed of NHL superstars. The teams practiced together for only a few days before the tournament.

However, Herb Brooks, the 1980 coach of Team USA, is again behind the bench for the Yanks. He seems to have his team playing with a sense of pride and purpose. Tonight, they will defend their home ice and try to take another step toward their first gold medal in two decades.

Game of the Week

Men’s Basketball
Capital Athletic Conference Championship
Marymount (19-8, 12-4) at CUA (24-2, 15-1)
February 23, 4 p.m.
(time subject to change)
DuFour Center

In a rematch of the 2001 Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) championship game, Marymount University will visit the DuFour Center tomorrow to battle the men’s basketball team for the CAC title. In last year’s CAC championship game, the Saints kept pace with the Cards until the final seconds. A five-foot jumper from Will Morley at the buzzer gave CUA the 61-59 victory, propelling them to the NCAA tournament.

The Saints, who enter with a record of 19-8, including 12-4 in the CAC, upset the Cardinals 79-70 in the last meeting on Feb. 9 in Arlington, Va. CUA, who holds a 20-10 edge in the all time series, is 22-4 on the year, 15-1 in the CAC.

Marymount features several potent offensive weapons. Junior guard Devon Archie is the top scorer for Marymount, averaging 16.8 points per game through last Tuesday, including 51 three-pointers. Dallas Crawley, a 6’6” senior center, is the top inside threat for the Saints, averaging 15.6 points per game. Also averaging double digits in scoring are senior forward Terry Hoffman and sophomore guard Carlton Phelps.

Catholic’s defense has been instrumental in this season’s success. CUA has recorded 110 blocks in 26 games, 67 of which are by junior forward Matt Hilleary. The Cardinal defense and their myriad of zone formations have held their opponents to an average shooting rate of 38.1 percent. CUA has out-rebounded opponents this season as well. The Cardinals will have to correct their mistakes from the last Marymount game in order to hold the Saints at bay.

A large cast of characters has added scoring punch for the Cards this season. Four of the starters average double digits in scoring, led by Hilleary’s average of 17.6 points per game. Sophomore forward William Morley adds offensive threat inside, while junior guard has been on fire from the perimeter. Wise has drilled 90 three-pointers this season, recording an average of 15.0 points per game. Junior guard Craig Avallone is a solid presence from the floor, while two forwards, junior Chris Altenburger and sophomore Blair Mills, have been solid off the bench.

Marymount is coached by Chuck Driesell, the son of the legendary Lefty Driesell, the former Maryland coach and current head man at Georgia State. Catholic won the season series last year, 3-0. The winner of tomorrow’s game earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. A virtual lock for an at-large bid, the Cardinals can improve their seeding with a victory tomorrow.

Swimming Makes Impressive Showing

After several long and grueling months of intense training and competition, the Catholic swim teams finished their 2001-2002 season last weekend with the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) Championships at Mary Washington College (MWC). The women’s team finished second behind MWC, and the men placed third behind MWC and St. Mary’s College.

The women’s team performed exceptionally in their second place finish last weekend. The 800-yard freestyle relay comprised of Kelly Anne Creazzo, Kathy Jenko, Carly Plantulli, and Jeanie Graham captured a first place. The relay team won the same event in December at the ECAC Championships. The 400-yard freestyle relay won their event as well. Liz Renken, Anji Wall, along with Plantulli and Jenko were members of that relay. Jenko won the 100-yard freestyle by breaking the school record and won the 200-yard freestyle. She was an individual and relay winner, placing first in four events. Plantulli swam an outstanding time in the butterfly, breaking the school record, swimming to an NCAA qualifying time. Creazzo won the 400-yard individual-medley with an NCAA qualifying and school record time.

Creazzo and Plantulli, who both made NCAA qualifying times, will wait to see how the rest of the swimmers in the country perform in their particular events. If their times are ranked well, they will compete at the NCAA Championships, which will be held in March in Oxford, Ohio.

The women’s team is one the most talented in the recent history of Catholic swimming. Head coach Tom Calomeris, citing their 8-1 record and second place finish at the CAC’s, said “We are getting closer and closer to where we want to go for the future of this team.”

The men’s team also had several outstanding performances at the CAC championships. Freshman Tim Creazzo placed third in the 400-yard individual-medley. Junior Paul Ojeda defended his title in the 100-yard freestyle, taking home a first place medal. Calomeris was extremely pleased with how his team finished their season. “On a rebuilding year, for the men to go 6-3 in the regular season and finish third in the conference is outstanding.”

This weekend Mary Washington will host swimming invitational for a select number of swimmers throughout the conference. This invitational will be one last chance for swimmers to lower their times and achieve their personal goals.

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