Horoscope

It is hard for me to believe that The Catholic University of America has on this site a link for Horoscopes. Didn't any one object to this satanic point of view? From a Catholic point of view am I to believe that the Holy Trinity is no longer in charge?

Fall Sports Preview

Football

Win the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. That is the goal of the football team as Coach Tom Mulholland commences his inaugural season as the head football coach of Catholic University.

With his staff in place and the players halfway through preseason Mulholland likes what he sees. “I have a very good vibe about this team and what they can accomplish this year. We had the ability to win the ODAC last year, and we have that ability again,” said Mulholland, who begins his ninth year at CUA with a team under his control for the first time in his career.

The key difference between this year and last year will be the offensive line. The O-line is an experienced group of men led by junior transfer Mike Crimmins. Junior Dolan Jablonski will join seniors Jon Tor, Gary Mann and Matt Sengsourinh as the building blocks of an offense that will need to improve greatly if the ODAC championship is to be won by CUA.

Mulholland said that the wide receivers will be another vital organ in the cardinal offensive attack. Hoping to inundate the opposition with the “Cardinal screen”, CUA will rely on seniors Dan Evans and Jim Jankiewicz to catch the passes of first year starting quarterback, senior Bill Sutton. Sutton will hand the ball off to senior running back James Vollono, who averaged over four yards a carry last year.

The other side of the ball is where Mulholland feels his team will be the strongest. Senior Ryan Welsh, returning team leader in tackles, will lead the defense at middle linebacker. Mulholland said that Welsh, senior defensive linemen Scot Lutte, and senior defensive back Mike Martin will help contain opposing offensives and help their own cause with some defensive scoring.

Catholic will open with an especially tough game against John Carroll, who will be dedicating Don Shula Field that night. After their first three games on the road, Catholic will have its home opener on Oct. 5 against Div. I-AA opponent LaSalle of Philladephia.

Mulholland said that this is the strongest team he has ever been around and they have shown excellent camaraderie.

With a good core of men coming back for this season and the ability and skill they have shown during practice, Catholic football may be on its way back to the top.

Field Hockey

Coming off their most successful season of all-time, the CUA field hockey team has high hopes of continuing that success.

The Cardinals finished last season runners-up in the Mid-Atlantic ECAC tournament with a CUA record 16 wins. The team’s high level of fitness and skill at defense will help the team attempt to repeat this achievement.

“Our returning players are in the best shape of their lives,” said Fenoglio, who said that the current players and the recruits have shown great footwork and quickness.

Senior goalie Katie Iannacone, the cornerstone of the Cardinal defense, was ranked 16th in the nation in save percentage last year. Iannacone’s help will come in the form of senior All-CAC defender Sondra Pires.

The offense will be led by two-time All-CAC junior midfielder Tricia Hines and junior attackman Danielle Deon.

Fenoglio said she is very impressed with the recruiting class that has joined the team this year. The class was unaffected by the coaching change since no recruit reneged on the school because of Lisa Thompson leaving.

Catholic’s first test will be at the Haverford Tournament on Aug. 31. She said that repeating as champions at this tournament in addition to winning games against Mary Washington and Salisbury would solidify confidence in the team and lead to a successful season.

Men’s Soccer

Coming off one of their most successful season’s in school history, Catholic University men’s soccer has hopes of continuing their winning ways this year.

The men went 10-6-2 last season and hope to improve that record, but more importantly improve their Capital Athletic Conference record.

“We would like to do well in our conference, but we have some difficult games against conference opponents Mary Washington and Salisbury College,” said head coach Scott Racek.

Senior midfielder Michael Corrigan will lead the offensive attack while senior defensemen David Pires and Adam Kuemmel will protect the other half of the field. Fifth year senior goaltender Todd Magin will show off his all-conference skills in net.

Coach Racek’s goal is to be one of the top three teams in the Capital Athletic Conference. “The team is poised for a good season,” said Racek.

Women’s Soccer

The Catholic University women’s soccer team looks to improve upon its 6-10 finish this season. The team will be led by a strong senior class and one of the best group of freshmen ever to be recruited to CUA, according to head coach Scott Racek.

“I am cautiously optimistic about the season,” said Racek, who also coaches the men’s soccer team.

The strong point for the women this year will be scoring. Junior Brianne Palmieri, senior Meghan Baroody, and sophomore Jenny Aspinwall led the team in goals last year and all three will be returning.

The ladies begin the season on the road at Shenandoah on Sept. 7 and will play their home opener against St. Vincent the next day.

Cross-Country

CUA Cross County had very successful seasons last year with both teams finishing in the top three at the Capital Athletic Conference Championships.

The women won two events last year and had three second place finishes as Coach Joe Fisher should his ability to coach successfully yet again.

The ladies will be led by two notable names from last season, sophomore Kathleen Hazlett and junior Rebecca Freyvogel. With these two women and the addition of some excellent recruits, the potential to improve their second place finish in the CAC is there.

Fisher said that if his team stays healthy then they will improve upon last years success.

The men’s cross country team will again be riding the legs of junior Mike Audette all the way to the CAC championship.

Last year, Audette won the CAC tournament and helped his team place third overall. This year the team will continue to rely on Audette but Kevin Slattery should prove to be the extra man in a one-two punch needed for victories.

Bowman on Sports

Welcome to Catholic University, the sports capital of Washington, D.C. Yes, that’s right, the sports capital of D.C. “How can this be,” you ask? Just look at the statistics.

Catholic is the only school in the district to win a basketball national championship in the past 18 years and has been the only team in the country to advance to the sweet sixteen five years in a row. Catholic Basketbal graduated no one last year and should advance farther than the Sweet 16 of last season. If Catholic were to play any other basketball team in the district, I would put my money on CUA.

Catholic football won the first ever-official Orange Bowl in 1936. The team defeated Ole Miss 19-20, holding off a late 13 point rally by Ole Miss. This championship mad the Cardinals the first college athletic team in Washington, D.C. history to win a championship.

Three years later the football team participated in the Sun Bowl battling Arizona State to a 0-0 tie. In more recent history won an Old Dominion Conference Championship. CUA is the only DC school to send a football team to the post season in at least five years.

Recently Catholic was also lauded by the NCAA and USA Today for having one of the top ten graduation rates in Div. III.

The Cards also rival D.C. schools in volleyball, cross country, field hockey, tennis, track and field. The baseball team went to the NCAA Div. I Championships in 1977. And we have God on our side. What else could you ask for?

Well if you want more look at the alumni. New York Yankee first basemen Wally Pipp graduated from CUA in 1914 and had a successful career in New York playing in several hundred consecutive games. His streak ended one faithful day when a slight injury gave the manager a chance to try out a young star Lou Gehrig. Pipp then watched from the bench as Gehrig played his position for 2,130 straight games. In a world without free agency this event ended Pipps career. The modern Yankees also have a CUA alum amongst there vital staff. Brian Cashman, 1988 CUA grad is the Yankee general manager and attributes his work ethic to the educatoin he recieved here.

Also a pair of 1939 Graduates joined the NFL. Fullback Rocco Pirro (‘39), played for the Pittsburgh Steelers starting in 1940 and remained in the league until 1949, while quarterback Pete Sachon was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1940.

Well this has been your CUA sports history lesson. Whether you are an athlete, a fan of sports, or someone who doesn’t know the difference between a tight end and a nice butt, take pride in your school and in our athletic success. Shake off that hangover and go to the football games on Saturday or do yourself a favor and take that walk down to DuFour during these mild DC winters and enjoy some free championship basketball. Then you will understand why CUA is the sports capital of our Capital.

Teamwork Will be Crucial to Volleyball Success

After their first ever NCAA tournament appearance, the Catholic University women’s volleyball team is looking strong this year even after the loss of four starters to graduation.

Led by senior setter Bridget Guetle and junior middle hitter Kathleen McGlynn, the team will look advance past their record setting sweet sixteen achievement last year. Junior outside hitter Anji Wall, senior outside setter Katie Acuff, senior middle hitter Amanda Cook, and senior middle hitter Elizabeth Schreiner round out the starting six, said Abdelrazek, who will consistently use a rotation of 12 players to keep the team fresh.

“I am optimistic this year and I believe we can advance beyond the Sweet Sixteen,” said Abdelrazek, who is entering his tenth season as the Cardinal head coach.

Abdelrazek said that teamwork is the most important aspect of success for the team this year. “Our team power will slowly come to us,” said Abdelrazek, who hopes the team will mesh around October.

That team will include four freshmen contributors who have been working this preseason to understand Catholic’s complex system of plays. “I have asked our freshmen to follow the lead and have patience in trying to understand the system,” said Abdelrazek, who has a winning percentage of .800 over the past three seasons.

Improvements are needed, according to Abdelrazek, especially if the women hope to achieve their goals of a winning season a conference championship and another NCAA tournament berth. “We need to improve our defense and passing. We must get the ball to Guetle,” said Abdelrazek. Passing will help take advantage or CUA’s offensive strengths.

CUA will begin its quest for its fourth straight winning season at the two-day Averett Tournament in Danville, Va. on Aug. 30.

Mulholland Promoted to Head Coach

Head football coach Rob Ambrose announced his intentions to leave the Catholic University football program in July to further his career. Ambrose left to become the quarterback coach and assistant offensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut. This left many wondering who would replace Ambrose, the replacement for one of CUA’s most successful football coaches, Tom Clark.

This question was answered quickly when defensive coordinator and CUA loyalist Tom Mulholland was promoted to head coach after 12 years of playing and coaching for CUA.

Mulholland is excited about the job and the opportunity to bring back the success the CUA football program had during the 1997-1999 seasons.

“Tom Clark is the person I have learned the most about football from. You could call him my mentor,” said Mulholland, who will remain defensive coordinator while taking on head coaching responsibilities.

Mulholland will use some plays out of Clark’s playbook while adding his own twist. “I plan to use the Cardinal screen, a play that can be used in any formation and produced three all-American wide receivers,” said Mulholland.

Spreading the field on offense and winning games with defense is what Catholic will use to win games. Mulholland says CUA’s defense will be the key to success while he is head coach.

Several new coaches have been added to the staff by Mulholland, while he has kept many of the same assistants from last year. Most of the new coaches are from high school programs while the new offensive coordinator Mike Hunter is a former CUA All-American wide receiver.

Recruits have been another positive point involving the changing of the guard at CUA football. Every recruit that enrolled at Catholic before Ambrose left has decided to stay with the program and with Mulholland.

“I was very involved with Coach Ambrose during the recruiting process so all of the recruits knew who I was when I informed them that I was the new head coach,” said Ambrose.

Athletic Director Robert Talbot said that consistency in coaching and championships are what bring Div. III recruits to certain colleges. Mulholland plans to bring these qualities to Cardinal football.

And on a Serious Note…

We here at The Tower would like to welcome you all to CUA. Thanks for reading.

Catholic, as a Second Language

Well, by now your OAs gave you the 411 on CV, the DuF, the Pryz and MillNo. Which probably means the POAs got your parents the deets on CPIT, the RHA, and HoCo. No doubt you’ve been told to stay away from CB’s and K’s, and to get involved with USG. So now all you’ve got to do is avoid the STDs and the ABC and you’ve got this year in the bag.

Reprinting Columns? Nonsense

There’s a nasty rumor going around that The Tower was stuck for fresh news on this, our first week back, and as such, we decided to reprint some “classic” orientation columns from years gone by. This is totally untrue. Everything you see in The Tower is completely original and in its first form.

College Finance 101 – How To Have Money In May

Welcome to college! You are now entering a time when you suddenly gain many new freedoms in your academic, social, and financial worlds. Needless to say, it is an exciting time. However, not having parents around to provide – or at least absorb – some of the costs of housing, meals, and transportation is not quite as exciting a prospect.

When I came to college three years ago, I had just opened my first checking account chock full of more money than I would ever need. I was ecstatic.

Unfortunately, spending money can be very different at college than at home. If you do not plan to work during the year, there is really only one way for your bank balance to go: down! Even if you plan to work during the year, countless opportunities exist to deplete that seemingly enormous bank account.

The key to financial survival at college is to understand the true costs of activities, to moderate desires and to keep a watchful eye on your finances.

For example, going to dinner and a movie can be a fun evening activity. It is also one that can easily end up costing ten dollars more than expected. When figuring the cost of dinner, do not forget to add in tax (ten percent in the District) and tip.

In addition to these sometimes unexpected costs, getting to and from campus can easily cost several dollars. If the theater and the dinner are at different Metro stops, you will pay at least $3.30 for the transportation. Remembering these “hidden” costs will ensure that all of the bills can be paid.

Despite the University’s best efforts to provide tasty meals, dorm food does not often compare to that of a nice restaurant or even late night pizza. Unfortunately, the desire for something truly edible after a week of dining hall food can be overwhelming, but eating out on a nightly or even weekly basis will add up quickly.

The feeling of invincibility that can come with having several grand in the bank can lead to major overspending during the first few weeks. Remember -–May is a long time away.

Credit cards can also pose big problems for college students because it often seems like there are no spending limits. Keeping track of how much you charge to your credit card is important because, if you don’t, your perception of your financial situation can change drastically in one day. Imagine thinking you have X amount in your bank account and suddenly receiving a credit card bill for 500 dollars. If you were not expecting the bill and were spending as if you did not have to pay this bill, your financial situation has just deteriorated. A lot.

So, what to do if you’ve fallen into one of these traps? What happens if you suddenly realize that you have less money than you thought?

The first thing to do is scale back your spending. Yes, I know that J. Crew sweater is adorable, but is it really worth spending half a week’s budget on it when half the campus will end up wearing the same one anyway?

I know the idea of passing up a night out or of changing plans to something that costs less money can be annoying, but doing it is better than going bankrupt by the end of the first semester.

Of course, to help pay for all of these desired purchases, you could always consider getting a part-time job. Jobs on campus or at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center are nice because of their convenience. If convenience is less of an issue, a plethora of opportunities exist in our Nation’s Capital. CUA’s Career Services is a great place to start looking. Another tool that can be used to keep one’s finances in good order is the Internet. Discount retailers such as buy.com and amazon.com are sometimes good economical choices for purchasing an array of products while websites such as cheaptickets.com and expedia.com can help you save money on airline tickets. Banking online might also be a good option, as banks like firstib.com offer checking accounts that are very competitive with the offerings of Chevy Chase and First Union.

For an overall guide to how the Internet can be useful in one’s personal finances, try gomez.com

The most important part in managing finances while at school is simply to be vigilant about your spending. For example, to help you keep track of your money, there are easy software programs designed for just this purpose. I like to use Quicken in order to make sure that I always know how much money is in my bank account.

Many people suggest writing out a budget. For the less computer savvy among us, take a lesson in bookkeeping. Be sure to include why, when and how much you will spend.

Considering all of the costs inherent to living away from home as well as responsibly using your scarce funds will keep your finances from becoming a disaster. Remember, it may be different, and it may be more difficult, but college finances are very doable. Millions of people before you have survived. So can you.

Former First Union Building Reopens as a Visitors’ Center

After being renovated, the former First Union building opened as CUA’s new visitors’ center in May. The center provides information on both the University and Washington, D.C. to prospective undergraduate and graduate students, as well as potential university employees.

The center also features computers with Internet access and a telephone for local calls, said senior Jimmy Asci, who worked there all summer.

CUA staffers at the center will distribute walking directions to sites on campus and will contact faculty members and administration. The staff will forward emails to the appropriate people at the request of visitors, as well as provide numerous other services, according to Asci and Director of Housing and Residential Services Katherines Bender.

The operating hours have yet to be determined for the school year because the University is waiting to see the availability of students to work at the center. She said the University hopes to have extended hours and to be open seven days a week.

Asci ran the center by himself this summer when it was open from nine to five.

The First Union closed in the summer of 2001 after two burglaries occurred in the 2001 spring semester. The First Union was robbed a third time in July.

For those who are not able to physically visit campus, the center’s website, http://visitors.cua.edu, provides the same information about DC and CUA and staffers will field questions or requests via e-mail, Boone and Asci said.

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