Graduate Housing

(please keep my letter anonymous)

Dear Tower Editor,

Another school year, another lovely move. This time it was into Gibbons. I expected to find a room in move-in condition, but I should have known better by now. My room looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in years. A film of grimy dirt covered the floors. Paint chips, soap scum and a dirty bandaid lined the shower. The lovely asbestos was exposed so I can breath in the carcinogenic dust that we've all come to love at CUA. The best, though is the University's advice: a sticker reads "DANGER - CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBERS - AVOID CREATING DUST - CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD. (I will email you a picture as an attachment). Last time I checked, dust is caused by dirty HVAC systems and poor hygiene. I spent 3 hours and about $50 on cleaning products the day I moved in so I didn't have to wait for the service staff to "clean" my room half heartedly with a dirty mop. (sorry for the stream of consciousness run-on). On a lighter note, my first late night visitor took me by surprise. The cockroach stared me in the eye, just standing there until I got over my fear and smooshed the beast. Not to worry, though. I duck taped the asbestos and the wall holes where the vermin emerge from, so all is just fine. Just another fun filled first two days back at the grind.

Sincerely,
Gracious Grad

Soccer Preview

The 2004 Men's and Women's Soccer teams are beginning the new season with fresh leadership and a hopeful mix of old and new talent.

New Head Coach for the Men's team, Billy Thiebaut, is taking over for Scott Racek's after the latter's resignation. This will be Thiebaut's first experience as head coach at the College level, though he has extensive experience as a leader of various high school and club programs and as a player in professional soccer leagues. He will be assisted by Khary Stockton, who has played professionally in Chile and Brazil.

The University has high expectations particularly for returning seniors and Co-Captains Dan Finn and Daniel Kane, as well as seniors Brian Guenther, John Schwarz, and Jack Reilly.

The Men's team will not only be facing opponents Mary Washington, Salisbury University, and York, but also non-conference foes such as Randolph Macon, Washington and Lee, and Hampden Sydney.

The Women's team hopes to continue the consistent success they have experienced in recent years, especially last year finishing 14-5-1. The 2004 team will now be lead by newly appointed head coaches Jon Gross and J.P. Sousa, both former assistant coaches. Gross and Sousa have high expectations for the team consisting of eight returning starters, including two-year starter and Captain Laura Kaye, three-year starter Jenny Aspinwall who lead the league with 30 points in 2003, and two-year starter Stephanie Hare, who in the same year tied as leader in goals, scoring 12 that season.

The women will face such opponents as Mary Washington, Salisbury, York, Goucher, and St. Mary's.

Cillizza Joins Cards Full-Time

The fall 2004 athletic season marks many changes for the CUA athletic program. One change in particular is field hockey where Gia Cillizza is now full time field hockey coach. Cillizza has been with the team for six years, three as an assistant and three as head coach. This, however, will be her first year as full time coach. She is also the interim Sports Information Director, filling in for Chris Panter who recently left CUA.

Cillizza, a graduate of Miami of Ohio, is a former Division 1 player, and has led her team to some solid finishes over the past few years. Last season the team finished with a solid 9-7 record, but went 2-3 in the CAC. Coach Cillizza is looking forward to the upcoming season.

"The players look good. We had 13 freshmen last year, a huge number of fresh faces. We also graduated some of the best players. I actually feel like this will be more of a team this year. Our incoming class is not that big, but we were looking to fill certain holes and we did. We have a lot of potential this season," said Cillizza.

The lady Cardinals have their first match up against Franklin and Marshall in Lancaster, Pa. on September 1. They will return home for a Labor Day match against St. Mary's.

Emily McGlynn: A Player to Watch

Cardinal volleyball fans will notice a familiar name attached to a brand new face on the court this season. Coach Nagy Abdelrazek has named freshman setter -right side hitter Emily McGlynn as an essential component for the program's success. With expectations of McGlynn being one of the greatest players in program history, she is sure to add another memorable chapter to the McGlynn dynasty here at the University.

McGlynn is no stranger to Cardinal volleyball. She is the third McGlynn sibling to play for Coach Abdelrazek in recent years. Her older sister Kathleen, who graduated from the University last year and was a standout middle hitter for the program, was named a First-Team All-CAC selection two years in a row. Her sister Mary, a junior, will not be playing this year because of her obligations to The House.

McGlynn is also familiar with the expectations and pressures that accompany standout success - she served as team captain two years in a row for Leon High School in Tallahassee, Fl. Not only did she help lead her team to the regional finals three years in a row, but she was also able to play on the same team as older sister Mary, an outside hitter. "It was so much fun to work with my sister," McGlynn said. "It always seemed like we clicked."

Though playing volleyball at Catholic seems to be in her blood, McGlynn's interests in the University were not confined to the court. "Of all the schools I visited," McGlynn said, "I really felt at home at Catholic. I loved the faith community I saw here."

Her goals for the season are optimistic. "I want to improve the accuracy of my sets. I know the team can go far, and I can't wait to build on the success of the past," said McGlynn. During her freshman season McGlynn will be adjusting to the rigors of playing on a college team. "This is a totally different level," said McGlynn. "The game is faster now. I'm also trying to adjust to living on my own and balance my time," she added. If any doubts should arise, McGlynn has already found steadfast support in her coach. "Nagy has a lot of confidence," McGlynn said.

Additionally, McGlynn will be relying on the experience of her older teammates to assist in the adjustment. "The seniors have been awesome and take charge really well. I've been able to just have fun with them." She also has the advantage of knowing many of the girls on the team before she came to the University. "I know some of the girls through my sisters. I can really be myself around them," McGlynn added.

McGlynn will be joining one of the most successful athletic teams at the University in recent history. If the past four years are any indication of program capabilities, this year should produce yet another winning season for Cardinal volleyball. And if the past two McGlynn sisters are any indication of Emily's capabilities, her presence on the court is sure to lead to victory.

Volleyball Preview

Volleyball coach Nagy Abdelrazek hopes to continue a recent tradition of excellence with the team this season. The team has been one of the most successful University programs for the past four years, including a 23-11 season last year. "The bar has been set very high," Abdelrazek said. "Our goal is to be at the top of the conference this season."

The Cardinals will face defending champions Galludet without two of their standout players, outside hitter Anji Wall and Middle Hitter Kathleen McGlynn, both of whom graduated last year. Abdelrazek is now looking to junior middle hitter Mallory Parker and sophomore outside hitter Whitney Dachelet to step up as team leaders against formidable conference opponents such as York and Salisbury.

Freshman Emily McGlynn, the third of the McGlynn sisters to come to Catholic's volleyball program, is a crucial addition to the team. "I believe we have one of the best players in program history," said Abdelrazek of McGlynn. "We need her in order to be a successful program."

Overall, Abdelrazek is optimistic about the capabilities of his team and hopes to continue building a successful program. "We know how beautiful it is to be on top," he said. "We'd like to continue the winning tradition," said Abdelrazek.

Coach Calomeris Retires

Last month, long time CUA swim coach Tom Calomeris gave notification of his retirement. His last offical day is tomorrow.

Calomeris began his career as a star swimmer for the University of Maryland where he was part of the 400 medley relay team that set a national record. Prior to becoming a coach at Catholic he was a police officer. He joined the coaching staff at CUA in 1987 as an assistant. In 1989 he was named head coach of both the men's and women's swim teams, and has held that position ever since.

"It certainly is the end of a chapter in Catholic swimming," said swimming alumni Bernard Lynch, class of 1999. Lynch was a standout swimmer during his tenure at CUA and credited Coach Calomeris with helping shape his workethic in and out of the pool. "He was an example to all of us. He devoted a tremendous amount of time to the program; raising money, scheduling meets, recruiting, looking out for his swimmers, even sleeping at the pool before meets because he was there so late working out lineups," said Lynch.

Last season the men's team finished second in the CAC behind powerhouse Mary Washington. The women's team finished in fourth behind Mary Washington, St. Mary's, and Marymount. "Coach Calomeris has had a long and distinguished career here at Catholic. He established quite a record and we will miss him," said Athletic Director Robert Talbot.

As of now the Athletic Department is seeking to find a new coach to fill Calomeris' position. A committee has been established, consisting of several CUA swimming alumni that will meet and interview with the prospective coaches.

"Of course it's sad to see Cal go, but at the same time there is excitement for what a new coach can bring to the program and I look forward to seeing what happens with the team in the coming years," said Lynch.

The target date for a decision is sometime during the middle of September. Right now the pool is undergoing repairs, but swim team practice is still scheduled to begin at the end of September.

Calomeris retirement marks yet another team that will have a fresh face this season for CUA athletics. Billy Thiebaut is the new head coach for the men's soccer team. The women's soccer team has two new head coaches, former assistants J.P Sousa and Jon Gross. Another former assistant, Steve Howes, takes over as the leader of the Men's basketball team after Mike Lonergan departed at the end of last year.

"I really think we have terrific coaches. This is a great place to coach and I am really excited," said Talbot.

The Olympics: Too Long With Too Many Problems?

Like most people, I enjoy watching the Olympics. There is a certain sense of history and tradition that makes people realize they are watching a special set of competitions.

Well that's all fine until about the end of the first week when the games really begin to take their toll on the average viewer's patience. I may seem a bit insensitive given the fact the Olympic athletes are phenomenal at what they do. The amount of effort and training that goes into becoming an Olympic athlete is beyond anything I can imagine.

But seriously, after 10 days enough is enough. This is nothing against the athletes, rather against the Olympic Committee and the television networks.

I think that most people loose interest in the Olympics, especially when most of the entertaining of sports are over in a flash. Swimming for example, is one of the more exciting sports to watch during the games. Michael Phelps certainly gave the crowds a reason to stay tuned, with everyone wondering if he had the goods to catch Mark Spitz's record. He fell short, but nonetheless had an amazing showing. The interesting races are done in a flash, with most people loosing interest after the first set of major races.

Now, lets turn to Gymnastics. An exciting sport for some, especially with controversies surrounding the miscalculations and seemingly asinine judging. Yet, during the Athens games the events felt endless.

Finally, lets look at track. It was a great feeling to watch the USA capture 1, 2 and 3 in the 400 but has anyone watched another event. Perhaps one will tune in for Marion Jones, but in all honesty the doping scandal has already marred the interest in her events.

Finally, the ever changing location of the Olympics gives way to another problem, the time lapse. Athens is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, thus most competitions take place and the results are posted online hours before their scheduled airing. This gives way to the attitude that if one can read about who won on CNN.com why would they watch it on TV?

So, I guess in short I wish the Olympics would be condensed to a little over a week. Have a short opening ceremony, and lets get on with the match ups. Perhaps a few sports might have to suffer press coverage but I think for the most part people will be able to hold their attention span just a bit longer.

Football Looking to Rebuild

Tom Clark, after nearly three years away, is glad to be back as the head football coach for the CUA Cardinals. After a dismal finish last season of 3-7 under Coach Mullholand, Clark is looking forward to the opportunity of shaping up this program. "It feels great to be back. The shoe fits well and I am really comfortable at this University. We've talked about the process of winning and we are doing things the right way so far. We are working hard," said Clark.

This season the football team has an unprecedented number of new players. As of now there are 53 new players, mostly made up of freshmen and some transfers according to Clark. "We have a very unique situation. The team only has 28 returning players. In the ODAC [Old Dominion Athletic Conference] the conference champs Bridgewater have close to 100 returning players, while Hampden-Sydney has about 80 returning players. We are a very young team," said Clark.

Besides the work on the field during games and practices, Clark has a strict code of conduct that he expects each of his players to abide by. "With regards to our short term goals, right now we want to make sure the players are doing the basic things the right way, their academics, their behavior. We want our guys to have respect. We focus on the four cornerstones of faith, honesty, effort, and respect," said Clark. The coach said that his team would strive to achieve discipline both on and off the field.

The Cardinals face tough competition this season, as Sports Illustrated recently ranked Division III Bridgewater and Hamden-Sydney 5 and 6 in the nation respectively. "I'm looking forward to all of our competitions. Our conference is exciting," said Clark.

Additions Made to University Administrative Staff

The University hired several new officials over the summer, in positions such as vice president and dean.

W. Michael Hendricks was appointed new vice president of enrollment management in July. The position was recently upgraded from 'dean' to 'vice president.' Hendricks will report directly to the University President Rev. David M. O'Connell. In addition to serving on the President's Council, Hendricks will have a seat on the University's Administrative Council and the Council of Academic Deans, according to a University Public Affairs press release.

Hendricks has served as the dean of admissions and chair of the enrollment management committee for Widener University since 1999. He is currently a doctoral candidate in higher education administration at Widener University. Hendricks received his M.A. in education from Farleigh Dickinson University and his B.A. in international politics from Lehigh University.

Julie Englund is the new vice president for finance and administration and treasurer. "I am honored and privileged to join The Catholic University of America and its tremendous senior leadership team, faculty, staff, and students. I am excited about working for an energetic and forward-looking president at a time of dynamic change at the University," said Englund in an e-mail to The Tower.

Englund previously served as the dean of administration at Harvard Law School. She will be responsible for finances, budget, endowment, human resources, administrative services, physical facilities and land development, according to the press release. Englund will be in charge of the acquisition of the 49 acres across Harewood Road. "I am fortunate to be succeeding Ralph Beaudoin, for whom I have the deepest respect and admiration. I inherit from him a talented staff and well run financial operation. My staff and I will continue to advance the fine work accomplished under Ralph's leadership and to seek ways to improve services to the University community," she said.

Nalini Jairath is the new dean of the school of nursing. Jairath has been a nurse for 24 years and most recently held the position of associate professor and senior research faculty member at the School of Nursing of the University of Maryland Baltimore, according to the School of Nursing website. Jairath received her Ph.D from Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto.

Kim Timpany is the new associate director for student programs. She served on the Clemson University Union and Student Center for five years, where she worked closely with students. Timpany graduated Sacred Heart University and Central Connecticut State University, where she studied psychology and elementary education.

The University's undergraduate program has been placed in the second tier of U.S. News and World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges 2005" rankings. At 111, the University moved up one place from last year's 112 ranking.

The Center for Information Planning and Technology is completing an effort to move all student and faculty e-mail accounts to a new interface. While this has created some problems for students, the new web interface shows many improvements, such as anti-spam service and upgraded security and privacy features.

Outlook Web Access (OWA) is now used for web mail.

"The new interface is infinitely better," said Dr. William Lantry, director of academic services for CPIT, "The goal is for the web interface to do everything." The e-mail system has been enhanced; however, students have had problems accessing their e-mail accounts because of the migration.

These mishaps are just about over, according to Betsy Ramsey, director of information technology. "CPIT is acutely aware of the importance of e-mail to each member of the campus community. We have been working around the clock to resolve any technical issues with as little downtime as possible," said Ramsey. Almost everyone should be able to access their new campus e-mail immediately, but there could be a few inaccessible mailboxes until the process is finished.

According to Ramsey, campus e-mail runs on a program called Microsoft Exchange. "Exchange was upgraded from version 2000 to version 2003, primarily so that the greatly improved OWA interface could be used for student web mail."

One would-be problem of this e-mail migration is the loss of a Contacts list, or the Address book. The Contacts list, however, has not been deleted. "We have made a link to the old web mail system so that people may log on to reference their old contact lists," said Ramsey. If students click on "Legacy Student WebMail," they can access their old accounts. Messages cannot be sent, however, from that interface.

The new OWA web mail boasts several notable improvements. The anti-spam device should reduce the chance of a student's inbox closing down due to space restrictions. "If the rules indicate that the message is probably spam, the anti-spam device modifies the subject line of the message to contain the phrase '[Spam].' Tagging incoming message subject lines with '[Spam]' allows messages that are most likely spam to be easily identified," said Ramsey. "Users can write rules to move these messages to a different folder automatically."

OWA also has spell check in six languages, a calendar, tasks list, search tools for messages in the Inbox, and a global address list. The address list allows users to look up anyone with a University e-mail address.

According to Lantry, CPIT had to pick a good time to make this upgrade; they waited until the second summer session was over at the University, and then began the move. According to Lantry, freshmen should have no problem accessing their accounts, as long as they activate them as soon as possible.

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