Sarah's Misconstrued Spors Spotlight

There seem to have been many factual errors in this artical concerning the NHL. Todd Bertuzzi's dismissal from the remainder of this NHL season is not unprecidented and is not the longest suspension in league history. It seems Marty McSourley's attack on current Philly Flyer Donald Brashear, where he struck Donald in the temple with a hockey stick from behind, knocking him unconsious. Brashear fell backwards on the ice, slamming his head on the ice and giving him a concussion. This was certainly a more violent and malicious attack. McSourley was suspended for a full year, not just the remainder of the season. To answer your question, NO, the NHL is not too rough and Bertuzzi's hit was not a result of Moore not wanting to fight. The hit was a retaliation for a hit Moore delivered two meetings ago (Feb. 16) on Canuck player Marcus Naslund. Naslund also received a concussion that sidelined him for three games. Also, Moore did want to fight, if you watched the game you would know he fought Canuck Matt Cooke in the 1st period. Football does have fights in games, how about in the 2002-03 season when a lineman broke his hand punching a player with a helmet on. Hockey NEEDS fights, its part of the game. Every team has a few players that they pay more or less for their ability to throw punches on skates and defend their teammates. Statistically, Hockey is not a dying sport, it is unquestionably growing. Another error, the NHL will have a league next year. They will not have a SEASON next year. This has nothing to do with hockey's fan base, its because the hockey players are getting greedy and asking too much money from the owners and they need to reestablish the collective bargaining agreement between the coaches and players. Go see a Capitals game, tickets start at just $28 for upper leval seats, which you would learn actually had a great view of the ice due to the moder, steep design of the MCI center which keeps fans close to the ice.

wow…

Open Letter to the Female Population

Dear Females,
I've heard some talk (been told to my face) that some of you think I'm creepy or sketchy or whatever, choose whatever word is popular and overused at the moment. But I'm not creepy. Sure, sometimes I look a little creepy, sometimes I take some liberties with my personal appearance (i.e. haircuts, shaving etc.) but that doesn't mean I'm creepy. Now I know that some of you may use the euphemism that 'If it looks like crap, tastes like crap, and smells like crap then it must be crap'. Well that may be. But I can think of no way to smell or taste creepy, so take that. And looks can be deceiving. A little while ago I saw a midget on TV that could lift 500 pounds over his head. Now before that I would look at a midget and think 'No way could that little fella life 500 pounds over his head'. But I watched anyway hoping he'd get hurt, but he didn't and the fact that he lifted 500 pounds over his head was pretty cool. Anyway, so even if I do look a little creepy I'm not. So all you have to do is get to know me and you'll find out that I'm a regular guy who likes chess and gets a little destructive when he gets drunk (and, come on, who doesn't?). Ask my friends and they will all say that I'm a good guy (well actually they will probably say that, yes, Alex (Creepy Guy) is sketchy, then they will realize that I needed them to not have said that, then they'll laugh and say 'No I'm kidding he's a good guy. My friends suck). Anyway I'm not creepy (and if writing a long letter to convince you of that fact doesn't work then I guess nothing will).

Wait; did I just prove that I am in fact creepy by writing an open letter to the female population about how I'm not creepy? I did didn't I? Man, I always do stuff like this. It's like that time I went around to all the girls in a bar and asked if I was creepy and by doing that it proved that I was creepy. That's why all my friends though it as a good idea. I seriously hate my friends.

Sincerely,
Alex Avery

Sarah's Sports Spotlight

What happens to the $30,000+ we give to the Catholic University of America? Some of it pays for the teachers who teach us, the staff who support them, administration and athletics.

Each team is given a budget of money to use for each season. Some of the athletic teams go over their budget and use fundraisers to replenish their funds. But what about the teams that cannot find ways to raise money? What happens to them when they go over budget?

During the winter months, the baseball teams runs clinics for boys to learn the fundamentals of baseball. The baseball team and its coach run the camps every weekend until the season starts. So why is it the softball team's fault that they cannot find a way to create funds for their budget?

I read an article Wednesday about how Division I schools face the realization that their school athletic programs spend too much on them and not enough on academics. A good Division I football program spends an average of $300,000 a year on a coach and still has enough left to give athletic scholarships and to purchase equipment for the team.

It's true that Catholic University is a Division III school and is not allowed to give student - athletes scholarships. But, is there more money coming to the school that could be applied to the athletic program that would keep teams from going over budget? I doubt that, but if there were ways to equalize athletic funding, then our athletic director should make it happen. Will it happen? In my opinion, it can be done.

Football charges admission to non-CUA students, which adds money to their budget. Basketball teams only ask for a one-dollar donation (which I gladly pay every time I go to the game to support their program) and they also sell food at both events. Like I said before, the baseball team runs clinics for boys to learn how to play baseball. The basketball teams run clinics in the summer for boys and girls. Basketball is the pride of our school's athletic program, but isn't it time to let other teams raise funds too? Softball should be allowed to share the baseball team's time to run clinics. Coaches also have to understand that their teams want to raise money and that a team requires certain things every year. It might be new uniforms, bats, balls, equipment or other things so that the team is prepared for the season. What are we to do when there isn't enough money in the budget for these necessary things?

Even though there are so many things sports teams want, sometimes there really isn't enough money in the budget to give it to them. This is where the Student Athlete Committee should come into play. I didn't even know we had a SAC until it was selling shirts during lunchtime one day. Sometime in the near future, the SAC should bring this to the attention of the athletic department. If the problem is brought up, then there could be a possibility of finding fair ways of athletic fundraising.

The school and the athletic department should work together to promote athletics on campus. There could be a separate alumni committee that helps raise funds for the athletic teams. There could be someone who handles fundraising in the athletic office to help teams find ways to raise more money. These are just some ideas.

Cardinal Profiles: Mike Wasilenko

Mike Wasilenko, a freshman starter on the men's basketball team, is was sweet, polite, and shy in his private life. But when it comes to basketball, his agressive side comes out and he exemplifies the CUA men's basketball winning spirit.

Mike has been playing basketball since the first grade. Basketball is part of his family life. Not only does his older brother play, but his father was a basketball coach as well. This gave him plenty of opportunity to practice and play. In high school he was a four-year starter, made second-team all-conference as a sophomore and junior and made first-team all-conference as a senior.

For Mike, college basketball isn't all he expected it to be, but he has adjusted to it very nicely. "It's a lot different from high school in the sense that there are no weak teams or weak players, Mike said, "That has been the toughest adjustment. You have to really be on top of your game each night in order to win." Mike is very happy with the way he has been playing this year. He hopes he can improve so that he can help the team during the next three years as well as this year.

Mike's idol is Steve Nash, point guard for the Dallas Mavericks. Why? Mike sayid "He worked hard to get where he is. No one ever gave him a chance because he is only 5' 11" and is not very athletic, but through hard work is an NBA all-star," said a 6' 0" Wasilenko.

Mike has faith in this year's team. "If we play well, we can beat anyone," Mike said. "So I think we can definitely do well and go far in the tournament."

"We hit a bad stretch early, losing three straight games, but we didn't fold. Instead, we worked harder and are now back on track, so I definitely think we will go far," he also said. With Mike doing well this year and helping out the team, CUA can have big expectations for the basketball team this year.

Men Tied for Top CAC Seed, on 9-Game Winning Streak

The men's basketball team (19-5, 11-2 CAC) beat York College (10-13, 7-6 CAC) in a Capital Athletic Conference game Wednesday night 91-80 to win their ninth game in a row.

York took a 10-3 lead early in the game and led as much as 22-14 in the first half. Sophomore Patrick Satalin capped a 10-2 run later in the period as his trey would tie the game at 24-24. He then scored a three point shot to put the Cardinals in the lead.

The men opened up the second half 47-44 with a 9-0 run to give the Cards a 10 point lead. The men held the lead the entire second half of the game.

Satalin scored a career and game high 25 points to help Catholic defeat York College. Satalin was 9-of-17 shooting including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Pat also contributed with two assists. Senior William Morley added 19 points and pulled in a game-high seven rebounds. Blair Mills drained a three-pointer with 6:36 remaining gave Catholic a 76-62 lead. The senior finished with 10 points, three boards, and two blocked shots. Senior Adam Dickman finished the game with six points and four assists. Patrick Dwyer contributed to the win with 12 points.

The men play at home tomorrow in their last regular season game before the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament begins Feb. 24.

The men are currently tied for first place with Mary Washington College in the conference. If Mary Washington wins their game tomorrow they will have the first seed in the CAC tournament and Catholic will have second.

Women Overcome Deficit to Defeat York by Single Point, Set New School Record

The Catholic University women's basketball team set a school record for most wins in women's basketball history with their 18th win as they defeated York College Wednesday night. They also extended the CUA team record for most CAC wins to nine. CUA survived a big second-half comeback as the Cardinals held off the Spartans 89-88 in the Capital Athletic Conference battle. "The team played the best I have ever seem them play," Coach Maggie Lonergan said.

"They did everything right in the first half. The win was a tribute to how well the team played in the first half." The Cardinals, now 19-5, 10-3 CAC, had a commanding 50-24 lead over York at the break. Freshman Shannon Martz had a team high of 20 points. Her key free throws, which were six for six in the last 53 seconds, helped CUA defeat the Spartans. The Spartans answered back in the second half, rallying from a 27-point deficit. The Cardinals clinched the win when York's final shot rimmed out at the buzzer. Senior Kathleen McGlynn scored 10 of her 16 points in the second half. She also had six rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. Teammate Jackie DeBorger added nine points and eight assists. DeBorger was one rebound, one assist, and one basket away from a having a triple double. Sophomore Lindsay DiRomualdo scored 15 points and Maria Rojas chipped in 13 points and six assists.

The women also defeated Albright College last night. McGlynn led the Cardinals to a 64-45 victory over the Lions by contributing 24 points and 13 rebounds.

The Lady Cardinals are in the middle of a highly successful season. The win over York set a new school record for most wins in a season. So far, Coach Lonergan has compiled a 28-26 record. She also already ranks sixth on the career victory list. In 2001-02, during her first year coaching, Lonergan led CUA to its greatest record in 13 years. The record set in that season for most wins was broken on Wednesday night. Before 2001, the Cardinals had not won that many games since the 1985-86 season. Coach Lonergan has definitely helped to turn this team around. "I feel that the team has greatly improved since the beginning of the year. It has been an awesome first season," freshman Jackie DeBorger said.

The Lady Cardinals are tied for first play in the CAC with Marymount University. The Cardinals finish their regular season this weekend. They have a decent shot at winning the CAC championship. Their biggest rival this season has been Marymount. The Cardinals defeated the Saints at home 66-56 but lost to them on the road 71-57. The Cardinals next game is tomorrow at the DuFour Center. This is the team's last home regular season game. It also senior day for Kathleen McGlynn. "The crowd was a big factor in the Mary Wash game. We would love to see that same crowd again on Saturday," said Lonergan.

Mailings, Visits From Prospective Students Not Tracked by Admissions

The Office of Admissions does not track visits or mail responses from prospective students as factors in deciding admission to the University.

Other universities, especially large public institutions and more selective schools in the northeast, record the number of times a student visits the campus or makes contact through e-mail or letters, an approach called 'demonstrated interest.'

The strategy is being used as an aid in admission decisions, according to the National Association of College Admissions Counseling. These schools believe that potential students that make frequent contact are more likely to attend if admitted. By identifying interested students, universities are able to admit fewer applicants, preserving their exclusivity while maintaining the size of their freshmen classes.

CUA does not have a "demonstrated interest" policy, according to Nataki Corneille, a senior admissions counselor. Instead, admittance depends upon GPA, SAT scores, high school grades and extra-curricular activities, as well as other criteria. Including the school in the application essay or visiting the campus numerous times is not weighed in with the University's decision-making process, either, Corneille said. If a student has a positive experience on a campus visit, the student will take that into account when deciding whether to attend, she added.

The interview section of the application process is very important, she said. Coming to campus for an interview puts prospective students "more at ease, to put a face on the admissions office instead of viewing it as this anonymous force" that has power over their future, Corneille said.

An interview also allows for what Corneille called a "whole-person assessment," the type of contact that allows a student to express themselves in a way that does not translate onto paper. The lack of a demonstrated interest policy on the University's part means students who are unable to visit are not penalized in the admissions process, she said.

Admissions is looking for prospective students who offer some possibility of making a positive impact upon the campus community, Corneille said. In addition to quantitative measures of prospective students, Admissions also examined community service, leadership roles, and general involvement as some of the measures of a strong applicant. "If a student visits campus 15 times, of course we would take note of their interest," Corneille said, but this interest does not support the prospective student as much as a strong background.

Model United Nations Conference Discusses Political, Social, Economic, and Military Concerns

The University hosted the 2004 Catholic University Model United Nations conference, or CUMUNC 2004, last weekend. Delegates from schools across the country convened on campus last Thursday to participate in a three-day simulation of actual UN proceedings. The conference will deal with real political, social, economic, and military issues confronting the world today.

The primary goal of the conference is educational, according to the brochure published by CUMUNC staff. The leaders of the conference hope to make delegates aware of world issues and instill a sense of responsibility for building a peaceful global community, thus furthering the goals set forth by the original signers of the UN Charter in 1945. "It is only through the recognition and consolidation of the common bonds that tie our species together that we, the people of the global community, have any hope of creating an environment of lasting peace and progress," the brochure said.

The conference will have broad participation. Gordon Jimison, under secretary-general for Conference Management, said in an e-mail that about 160 delegates from 11 schools will be attending. "Schools from the DC area will be joined by schools from Texas, Michigan, Ohio, and New York . . . there's a pretty good cross-section of the country showing up," he said.

Not all delegates will be well-practiced debaters of global issues. "There's also a good variety of experience levels among the schools coming; some have extensive experience with Model UN, for others, this is the first conference," Jimison said in his e-mail. Regardless, Secretary-General Eddie Carreon hopes to inspire and instruct all who attended. "With education as our primary focus, CUMUNC 2004 will help students build presentation skills and confidence as well as gain insight into our ever-changing world," he said in his introduction to the brochure.

Participants will be broken up into three committees, each with its specific role in the UN. The Security Council will make decisions in military matters. According to the CUMUNC brochure, it is responsible in the real UN for the maintenance of world peace, with the power to deploy UN troops and/or impose economic sanctions where necessary.

The CUMUNC General Assembly will include the two other committees. The First Committee for Disarmament and International Security, or DISEC, is composed of all member states. According to the CUMUNC brochure, current issues to be discussed in CUMUNC's DISEC will parallel those being debated in the real UN: weapons trafficking, a possible arms race in outer space, and aspects of terrorism, along with issues pertaining to Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. Finally, the Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Committee of the General Assembly will discuss less immediately pressing, non-military issues of concern to the global community in the long term, according to the brochure.

"My personal hope," said Jimison in an e-mail to the Tower, "is that delegates at the conference developed an appreciation of the interrelation of topics and issues - very few matters of international concern stand alone. So while a committee may be talking about the AIDS epidemic, I hope the students will cultivate an understanding of the economic, social, and political causes and effects that go into that (or any) epidemic (or whatever other situation is at issue)."

Delegates remained on campus until yesterday. In his brochure, Carreon expressed hope for a successful and enriching conference, which, he said, "promises to be an exciting occasion" and an opportunity to "face the issues that are shaping our world and the future of the global community."

Admissions Predicts 5% Freshman Increase

University officials said there will be about a five percent increase in applications for next year's freshman class. Last weekend marked the application deadline for incoming freshman seeking admittance to CUA for Fall '04. Julie Schwing, assistant to Dean of Admissions, said that because applications postmarked during the weekend have not finished arriving, the University cannot yet come up with a final number.

Admissions has a goal for a 10 percent increase in applications, a likely goal considering the daily average of three bins full of mail coming in to the Admissions office, according to Schwing.

Schwing said that 80-85 percent of the roughly 2200 of last year's undergraduate applicants were accepted. She said that it appears that the average applicant's GPA this year seems to be a little higher than the average of 3.5 in the past.

In addition, graduate applications are anticipated to be 10 percent higher than last year, Schwing said. The percentage of prospective students visiting has risen by the same amount, she said.

The program commenced this year by the Office of Admissions during Christmas break, where 25 students returned to their high schools on recruiting missions for CUA, met favorable results. Schwing said that on average each representative sparked the interest of about five prospective students. She said that three of CUA's main marketing points are the small class sizes, the Catholic community and location in D.C.

In addition, said Schwing, there are two "satellite counselors" and seven other representatives who are assigned territories across the U.S. to recruit in. The targeted demographic is based on that of previous years' students.

Schwing said that this is the busiest time of the year for the Office of Admissions and said they process all applications "as efficiently and quickly as possible," working very closely with the Office of Financial Aid. She said a great percentage of students continue to take advantage of the Parish and Alumni Scholarships, which require a nomination from the student's parish priest and a CUA Alumni, respectively.

Although the deadline for applications was Feb. 15, the Office of Admissions will continue to receive transfer applications until June. There were about 125 of these received in 2003, and Schwing said that it is still early, but Admissions projects an increase for this year.

Trustees Approve 6% Tuition Increase

The Board of Trustees approved a six percent tuition increase during their December meeting, according to University officials and documents obtained by the Tower. This increase, said University Provost John Convey, will defer increased expenses and help increase salaries for faculty and staff.

Tuition for the 2004-2005 school year will be $23,600. It was $22,200 during the 2003-2004 academic year. This 6.3 percent increase is for every school but the Schools of Engineering and Architecture, the Law School and the Metropolitan College. University President Rev. David M. O'Connell, who declined to comment for this article, will send a letter to parents next week about the increase, according to University Spokesman Victor Nakas.

Updating classrooms is one expense the increase will address, Convey said. The price varies according to the room, but each has an "electronic component, an infrastructure component, a room finish component and a room furnishing component," said Carl Petchik, executive director of facilities operations, in an e-mail to The Tower. "A total renovation would address each of those critical areas and the total cost would exceed $15,000," Petchik said.

"This [tuition] money will pay more equitable salary to our staff," Convey said. "Our faculty and staff salaries are behind what our peers are. We don't have enough to close the gap," said Convey.

According to Convey, the tuition increase will bring five or six million additional dollars to the University. There will also be $26.7 million from tuition available for financial aid for undergraduates and graduate students for the 2004-2005 year, up by $1.6 million from last year, said Michelene Sheehy, associate treasurer and budget director.

More money is going from the merit-based financial aid pool to the need-based financial aid pool, said Convey. "We are finding that students don't have enough for need. Some of these students still come, but many do not. These are students who would do well here," but would not be able to afford the tuition, Convey said.

"We are sensitive to that, and are trying to distribute the pool a little better to move money in the need based pool," said Convey.

The alumni and parish scholarships, said Convey, will not increase with the tuition. Current financial aid packages will also not increase along with the tuition, according to Convey. "If they increase tuition, they should increase scholarships along with it," said Ryan Robichaux, the president of the Undergraduate Student Government.

The tuition for this academic year went up 5.5 percent from last year's. The tuition for the 2002-2003 academic year had gone up five percent from the previous year.

"We do the best we can," Convey said. "I think there is a high level of academic excellence at the University. The University is doing a better and better job on the campus and on the living areas," he said. "We try to use money very well on a shoestring budget," said Convey.

Tuition for other Washington D.C. area schools is going up as well. The tuition for Georgetown University is going up seven percent for the 2004-2005 school year, according to University Spokesperson Julie Green Bataille. Now at $27,864, tuition will jump to $29,808 next year. The usual annual tuition increase is five percent, according to Bataille. "We have some increased expenses that need to be accounted for this year," said Bataille. "We are spending more for student financial aid, more for faculty and staff benefits, and operating costs."

The tuition for George Washington University is increasing by five percent, according to Bob Ludwig, the interim director of media relations. The tuition will be $30,786, up from the 2003-2004 amount listed on GW's website, $29,320.

For the first time, incoming freshmen next year at GW will have a fixed tuition, however. This tuition, for some of the schools, such as the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences, will be $34,000 and will remain static for a student's four years at GW. Some other schools, such as the School of Media and Public Affairs, will have a fixed rate of $35,000.

"The cost of doing business gets more expensive every year," said Ludwig. "I'd like to think that GW is improving academic programs and student life, and those things cost money." Ludwig also said that GW increased financial aid by $14 million, to $123 million total.

As part of the fixed tuition rate, Ludwig said students are guaranteed a "certain amount of institutional aid." The amount for each student will not decrease over the four years, but has the possibility to rise if need grows, said Ludwig.

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