DeGraw Concert Starting Late to Avoid Conflicting With Mass

Sunday's concert by rock musician Gavin DeGraw is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. because an earlier start time would conflict with the 9 p.m. Mass at Saint Vincent's Chapel. Event coordinators said they want those students who purchased tickets to be able to go to the regularly scheduled mass as well as attend the concert.

In the past, an earlier Mass was scheduled for students planning to attend Movies on the Mall. However, University Chaplain Rev. Robert Schlageter said he believes it would be too difficult to schedule another Mass every time there was a special Sunday evening event.

"I didn't mind doing it once, but if we make this a precedent then kids will never know when Mass actually is," he said.

"We have to respect those students who choose to worship at the 9 p.m. Mass every week," Schlageter said. When asked if he thought the concert would affect the attendance of Mass, he replied, "I don't know, it might have an effect, but I don't think kids worry about getting to the early part of the concert."

The concert is scheduled to end at 1 a.m. on a night when the Metro closes at midnight, making it especially difficult for students who live off-campus to attend. In addition, because each student is allowed to buy two extra tickets for non-CUA students, many concertgoers may need to access public transportation to get on and off Catholic's campus.

Another conflict for students is created by the possible desire to arrive at the concert before DeGraw begins his performance. The doors open at 9 p.m. but churchgoers will be the last ones to walk in around 10 p.m. as the concert begins. Cristina Luciani, a junior business major who regularly attends the nighttime Mass, admits that this week she will not be attending so that she can get to the concert early. "I hate being the last one to walk into a concert. I want to get there early so I can get a good spot. I paid for a ticket and I am not going to watch it from the back."

USG Returning to Paper Ballots for Upcoming Elections

Instead of the computerized voting system used in the past, this year's USG elections will be held using paper ballots.

In order to vote in USG elections on March 30 this year, students will be required to come to the Pryzbyla Center to fill out paper ballot forms, according to Jackie Ducci, USG elections chairperson. The switch to paper ballots has been prompted by the problems with the CUA online voting system that students have encountered throughout the past few elections.

Ducci said students have had trouble voting on Election Day because they were unable to log into the system to vote, or, once they log into the voting system presented them with an incorrect ballot. "The ballots that students received were determined from academic status as provided by the registrar's office in the past not actual class year, leading students to receive a ballot to elect officers for the wrong class online," Ducci said.

Voting fraud claims led to the call for using paper ballots. Such a paper system would allow for a paper trail to settle disputes of fraud. "There were reports in the past of various candidates collecting student ID numbers and passwords and going online and voting for themselves from students who wouldn't otherwise vote in the election. The new system will not allow such fraudulent voting practices," Ducci said.

The new voting system for elections will work in the following manner: On Election Day, USG will be using the Great Room of the Pryzbyla Center for voting from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Upon arrival at the election site, the students will present themselves to election officials who will direct them to the correct section of the Great Room, split into three sections, one for each class to vote. Each student who comes to vote will have their name checked off from class lists outside the voting rooms by officials, who will come from the judicial branch of USG. Instead of the academic standing list from the Registrar's office, class ranking will be determined from the USG student class email lists. "However if there is a dispute to class standing, we will have provisional ballots for use, and the elections committee after the election is completed the committee will investigate the student's claim," Ducci said.

Besides the use of paper ballots, another difference in this year's election will be when the results are announced. In the past, due to electronic counting of votes, the winners of the election were announced election night at midnight. This election however results will be announced at midnight the following day, March 31, according to Ducci.

Despite USG officials embracing the paper balloting system, some students disagree with the switch to paper balloting. In an e-mail addressed to the freshman class, J.P. Walsh, a freshman class senator, listed some problems that the new system may encounter. "All students will have to vote in the Pryz," Walsh wrote, "therefore students who may be sick or have a hard time moving around will be inconvenienced instead of being able to vote from home by computer."

In addition, Walsh raised concerns about waiting times to vote and possible long lines that could deter voters from participating in the election and the effectiveness of implementing a new system.

Freshmen are not the only students questioning the use of a paper balloting system. Adrian Saunders, a junior architect major agreed that the new system would deter voters. "With our busy and hectic schedules I believe the online voting system used in the past, despite its shortcomings, is better suited for the college setting than paper voting."

CUA-TV to Launch; Pending Technical, Policy Solutions

CUA-TV, an arm of the Residence Hall Association, will begin broadcasting television shortly after Spring Break after solving a few remaining technical problems and constructing an approval process for all on-air content.

"Most of the obstacles along the way have been technical," said Stephen Matta, a junior majoring in computer science and the co-chair of the RHA committee operating the television station. The station is scheduling time slots, programming, and "trying to get everything up and running," he said. The station will broadcast content on ResNet's channel 34.

CUA-TV will also play a slide show promoting events and news on channel 33, while the WCUA radio station airs audio content. "Anyone can contribute for free anything they'd like to have on that slideshow," Matta said.

Channel 34 will mostly feature content about students' lives, Matta said, but it will also include a weekly news program and CUA sports games tape delayed. Coaches will recommend that the station play some games, with one major condition: "Coaches don't want us playing anything if they've lost," Matta said.

CUA-TV, in fact, must have its content approved by HRS officials before it goes on the air. Matta said developing an approval system to screen out potentially offensive material "has been one of the main things that's been holding us back from getting started."

"We don't want anything embarrassing to the University getting out," Matta said. "That means we'll be taping first, having it approved, and then it will be sent out for broadcast." Matta also said that no students will be involved in the actual broadcast. Content will be given to ResNet, which will place the material on the air.

Matta said that "embarrassing" content would include lewd content or profanity. News will be objective, he said, and there isn't any editorial content scheduled to be aired, so censorship will not be an issue, he said.

When all is said and done, a bulk of archived content-much of it from the Academic Services office at CPIT-will be played on the station in addition to "a few hours of new content each week," Matta said.

Editorial Cartoon: Shake-a-thon

Letters to the Editor

Reader Responses to Last Week's Letters to the Editor

It would seem that Mr. Brislin meant to say that the act of criticizing Vice President Dick Cheney, rather than daring to criticize him, is the height of hypocrisy. ["NCSSS Hypocritical," Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11] Having the courage to take an action and actually taking that action are two very different things.

That small point aside, I would point out that the NCSSS was criticizing the selective application of the CUA guest speaker policy, and merely made a few factual statements about Cheney's record in doing so.

Mr. Brislin draws the conclusion that the NCSSS "would prefer that Iraq be a haven for institutional rape, mass murder of political opponents, and genocide of the Shiites and Kurds." This he concludes because the NCSSS criticized the failure to apply the CUA guest speaker policy to Mr. Cheney? That's quite a leap.

If you make the choice, Mr. Brislin, to uncritically accept the Bush administration's rationale du jour for the war in Iraq, that is your freedom, as you well know. Couching such rhetoric in a discussion of the CUA guest speaker policy is undisciplined.

David Luce

Audio Visual Coordinator

Columbus School of Law

Bravo, Mr. Brislin. Your rebuke of NCSSS was easily the most outsized exhibition of righteous indignation I've read as of yet this year. I'm still incredulous; you referred to the school that perhaps best embodies the values that CUA was founded upon as an embarrassment.

Perhaps if the letter writer had not been so quick to jump to the defense of the Vice President, he may have noticed that the primary purpose of the NCSSS protest was to point out that Mr. Cheney was on campus touting a program to tear down Social Security, a program that was crafted by several former CUA faculty members.

Furthermore, if the NCSSS faculty is so hypocritical for voicing opposition to the war in Iraq, what of the Holy Father, who alluded to avoiding the war and extinguishing the "ominous smoldering of a conflict"?

Finally, blustering with fake moral outrage does not change the fact that the public was sold a false bill of goods. Say it with me now: weapons of mass destruction. No one is making the claim that Iraqis were better off under Saddam, but no one in the administration was making the claim beforehand that the welfare of the Iraqis was the reason attack was an imperative. It was supposed to be about our safety, remember?

John C. Bilancini II

Class of 2002

As a member of the student body of NCSSS, I am very proud of the statement that was issued by the faculty. However, regarding Mr. Brislin's comments about the statement, it is incredibly obvious that he has, in fact, not even bothered to read the statement. The statement is six paragraphs long; five of those paragraphs deal exclusively with the issue of Social Security, and the changes that the administration is proposing. Only two sentences refer to the war in Iraq.

Mr. Brislin claims that being opposed to the war in Iraq is equivalent to supporting rape, oppression and genocide. The Catholic Church is clearly opposed to the war in Iraq. Is Mr. Brislin prepared to bring his claim to its logical conclusion? When one compares the Church's stance on the war in Iraq, and the Vice President's stance on the war in Iraq, the only logical conclusion is that Vice President Cheney's position on the war in Iraq does not conform with Church teaching.

Neither the statement, nor any other literature published by NCSSS takes a stand on the war in Iraq. It simply points out that some of the Vice President's viewpoints are in direct contradiction to official Church stances. This clearly is not a fact that can be debated. The question posed by the statement concerns the apparent inconsistency of the application of the University speaker policy.

The faculty and student body of NCSSS welcome an open and honest debate on the issue that stands before us. We also wish this debate to be civilized and polite. Mr. Brislin's letter is only one example of the vile and despicable discourse that is so rampant in our University community. Cruel, unjustified words are becoming commonplace in this debate, from both sides of the issue. In all of my years at this university, I have never seen this level of disrespect among members of our community.

Mr. Brislin asked for an apology. Given his extreme and apparent ignorance of the issue he wrote about, I believe that the University community deserves one from him.

Dan O'Neill

Class of 2006

Further Commentary on the NCSSS Statement

It's sad to note that the NCSSS has condemned the idea of Social Security reform and the idea that perhaps there are better ways of increasing prosperity and security for millions of Americans other than a disastrous government entitlement program.

I had not realized that the idea of expansion of personal freedoms through economic liberty was in direct conflict with the Church's teaching of social justice. But surely the lessons of history - including the crumbling neo-socialist economies of the Western world - should indicate that supposed social justice need not and should not follow one flawed formula.

We are lucky to live in the most philanthropic society known to civilization. This has everything to do with the autonomy and voluntary human interactions embedded in our rule of law and respect for private property rights. We also live in the most prosperous society in the world. One must realize that the well-meaning programs, legislation, and entitlements aimed at social justice have innumerable unintended consequences and violate these principles which serve as the very reason for our prosperity. Eventually, the well does run dry if economic stimulation and freedom take a back seat to social programs. The failure of Roosevelt's New Deal and Johnson's Great Society are clear indicators of this.

I am in complete favor for active concern and assistance for the weak, poor, and elderly. Refusing to recognize the merits of looking outside the nanny state for these answers is not a constructive critique of Bush and Cheney's reform ideas, and attaching it to the idea that it violates the Church's teachings borders on absurdity and stinks of demagoguery. Surely NCSSS can do better than this.

Gregory Wolcott

Class of 2001

Changes Needed in Campus Security

Many students may not be aware that direct costs to the students from the University are a whopping $34,418. Next year, it will be $35,416. Now my question is where does all this money go? Because it is certainly not put towards protecting our students from crime on campus or in our neighborhood.

It isn't a big surprise to anyone that we live in a dangerous neighborhood. There are many things we can individually do to protect ourselves, like never walking alone, keeping our car doors locked, and always staying aware of our surroundings. But most of the time, in this neighborhood that isn't enough. That is where DPS comes in, or in the case of our school doesn't.

This academic year alone there has been a ridiculous amount of crime all on campus from muggings and car theft to stabbings the only thing that hasn't happen on campus is murder. Is that what is will take for DPS to wake up and start protecting us?

I'm not saying that all crimes can be prevented, but actions must be taken immediately to ensure our safety. The time to act is now. One day, God forbid, one of us may be crime's next victim and the next time there is a drive-by on campus, students may not be so lucky. The school must act, before it's too late.

Katie Nitti

Class of 2006

Editorial: Paper Ballots Are a Step Backward

USG Elections will now be held in the Pryz using paper ballots. This change is a commendable attempt to curb the problems that have plagued past USG elections. However, we have to wonder if paper ballots will produce more problems than they will fix.

USG officers say the new system will solve the computer login problems of the past. Students will no longer have to worry about being unable to access their ballots online. While the new system will create a more tangible ballot, the need to physically show up to the polling station will likely inconvenience a large number of students.

For past elections, students have had an entire day to vote. It is quite unlikely that USG will be able to have the polls open for 24 hours. Some students' schedules may not allow them to vote before the polls close. Commuters who are not on campus that day will have very little incentive to show up. Moreover, let's not forget our friends overseas. Absentee ballots will probably be mocked, instead of used. Turnout for this year's election will likely plummet.

In the past, students have found that they are unable to vote for their class officials because, in terms of credits, they are members of a different class. Officers claim that the new system will make it easier for students to get the correct ballots. But how will the student lists for paper ballots be any different than the lists used in past elections? Most of the problems of the computer-based elections could be fixed by using appropriate class lists.

The move to paper ballots is too radical of a change and in this case, the solution is worse than the problem.

USG officers say that the new system will create a chance for "community building." When was the last time a wait in line or an errand created a community? USG may see this as a chance to bring students together, but most students will probably want to vote and get on with their day. Maybe the ink stains on each of our fingers will remind us that we are all decent citizens.

Centerstage Theatre Company Presents:

"Lucky Stiff" is a zany, offbeat, and very funny murder mystery farce about an unassuming English shoe salesman forced to take the corpse of his recently-murdered Atlantic City croupier uncle on a week-long vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed, Harry Witherspoon stands to inherit $6,000,000. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn.

"Lucky Stiff" will be showing from Thurs., Feb. 17 through Sat., Feb. 19 at 8pm in Caldwell Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for adults.

National News Briefs

Bush Names Negroponte DNI
President George W. Bush named John D. Negroponte as his nominee for the Director of National Intelligence, on Thursday. Bush said that Negroponte would be his principal adviser on intelligence issues and would have authority over the budgets of the 15 U.S. intelligence agencies. The appointment follows recommendations by the 9/11 Commission that 15 intelligence agencies be centralized to ensure coordinated communication. Previously, Negroponte was the U.S. ambassador to Iraq and the U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Erlich Fires Aide, Citing O'Malley Rumors
Maryland Governor Robert L. Erlich Jr. fired longtime aide Joseph Steffen, for falsely accusing Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley of adultery. O'Malley, a CUA alumnus, is challenging Erlich for the governorship in 2006. Steffen sent emails and created Internet postings where he accused O'Malley of being separated from his wife and fathering a child with a television reporter. O'Malley denied the charges.

DC Nationals Report for Spring Training
Pitchers and catchers from the DC Nationals reported to spring training at Space Coast Stadium in Florida, on Wednesday. Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson is managing the former Montreal Expos. The Nationals will open their season against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 4. The team will play first home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 14, at RFK Stadium.

NHL Cancels Season
The NHL announced on Wednesday that it would cancel the 2004-2005 season, following a lockout that began in September. Suffering from economic difficulties, the NHL had been seeking to cap the payroll of its teams. Over the last two years, the NHL has lost $497 million on operations and has spent 75% of its $2.1 billion revenues on salaries. The last time the Stanley Cup was not awarded was in 1919.

Convey, NCSSS Dean Agree to Remove Cheney Statement from Web

Following a discussion with University Provost John Convey, the Dean of the National Catholic School of Social Science agreed to remove a statement on their website opposing the University's decision to allow Vice President Cheney to speak on campus.

Convey said the Office of Public Affairs notified him that the statement was published on the Web. "I became aware that it was on their website, and I thought it was kind of inappropriate," Convey said. He said he called NCSSS Dean James Zabora who asked him, "Do you think we should take it down?"

Convey replied, "It might be a good idea."

Ordinary Professor John Noble, a signatory of the policy paper, said he was told that the statement was pulled on the grounds that the site was University property.

"We don't really have a written policy about it," said Convey, "but the website is really the University's. It's not really their website."

Zabora said he would not comment on the discussion.

Convey said he felt that "there were a number of things that might make the school look bad…The School of Social Work was taking the University to task. There were things that the professors might like to object to, but it's not right to have it on a public website. That might hurt the University, especially during recruitment season."

A committee has been formed "to take a look at the presentations policy and the speaker policy," according to Convey.

He added that he feels that this committee is "really where it should happen - discussed by those in the administration and on the academic side."

Noble acknowledged the need to re-evaluate the presentation and speaker policies, but said that the real issue of this situation "has to do with the right of the faculty to make a statement." He added that he feels that the removal of the statement has actually "helped draw attention to it," rather than suppress it.

"I must say that I have never seen such arrogant dismissal of faculty opinion by CUA officialdom," wrote Noble in an e-mail to The Tower.

"People will disagree; people will agree. [But,] do we have the right to express a view that differs from the administration? If not, then we're a Sunday school, not a university," said Noble.

"This was the first time I've seen something that drew the faculty together in a long time," Noble said, who has worked at the school for ten years. "This was something they wanted to act on…NCSSS faculty does have deep-seated commitments to human rights and social justice that appear to many of us as having been lost along the way by CUA administration."

The University "should be trying to cultivate acceptance, and be on the right side of freedom of expression," said Noble.

"I wouldn't mind if they were halfway consistent," he added, "it's like they're saying 'You have to accept what we say and we don't have to clarify ourselves.'"

Noble says he is "very concerned" about enrollment. The school typically attracts those who are politically liberal, he said, and now people are going to have "second thoughts about coming here. It's going to cost us."

He added that the social work school is expected to bring in money, and "we feel the pressure to select…ideas that are 'fundable.'" He said that there was also the problem of motivation: He asked how NCSSS will be able to bring in money, "if we feel oppressed by the speaker policy?"

Noble cited the University's probation with the American Associate of University Professors for terminating theology professor Charles Curran's contract in the 1980s, and said that this situation is not helping CUA's status. The AAUP describes themselves as a watchdog group acting for the advancement of academic freedom.

The NCSSS faculty has recently proposed a series of three debates on Social Security reform. They presented the idea to Zabora "with the expectation that he would go to the provost and the president." The debates would deal with different aspects of the issue, like the political dimensions and its relation to the social teachings of the church, and would be open to all faculty and students.

Campus News Briefs

Credit Union in Leahy Reopens After
Security Remodeling

The Engraving and Printing Federal Credit Union reopened its on-campus branch located in Leahy Hall on Monday, February 7 after almost a year of being closed. The credit union was the only on campus bank to have a full service branch. It was closed following an armed robbery, last year. Students who needed to use the bank during the past summer and fall semester had to go to branches of the bank located downtown at either the Ronald Regan building or at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The remodeled credit union remodel features standard teller windows, as part of new security measures.

McCarick offers Ash Wednesday Mass

As part of the University's Ash Wednesday observances, Cardinal Theodore McCarick, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington presided over the 9 pm mass at St. Vincent's Chapel. McCarick, a former CUA chaplain, spoke about the importance of Lent, explaining that the liturgical season is about honesty and humility. In addition, he mentioned the importance of vocations in the Church.

Next Page »