How Can You Possibly Be That Bored?

It's natural for kids to go away to college and get drunk with their newfound freedom. This leads to sleepovers, hangovers and the occasional visit from the RA. This year, however, a different vice has apparently run rampant on campus. The news that this semester's drug-related arrests outnumber arrests for the years of 2002, 2003 and 2004 combined is pretty shocking. Students deserve an incredulous "Huh?" and University disciplinarians (RAs and DPS included) deserve praise for making their presence felt.

It's no secret that drugs are on most college campuses; it comes with the freedom. And it's also important to note that many colleges have a worse situation than Catholic. But that doesn't make the above statistic any less troubling. Some here at CUA have had a fortunate lack of illegal experiences. You could go years without encountering marijuana or anything worse, depending on your dorm and social habits. Like most illegalities though, anyone can find it if they look hard enough.

Because disciplinary action for drug offences has doubled since last year, it's obvious something's changed. Either there are more drugs on campus or RAs and DPS are cracking down.

The administration is being consistent and not changing their disciplinary policies. DPS and RAs have to follow the same rules as always, and that's leading to more documentations and arrests. The job is certainly getting done, but why does it need to be done quite so much? Are students that bored? Are they completely ignorant of laws and rules? Or has the student population just gotten dumber?

It's possible that RAs have just been missing the majority of drug activity for the last three years and are now cracking down because it's become so obvious a problem. Maybe the freshmen class is full of bad apples and brought in pounds of pot. Perhaps underage drinking just isn't illegal enough for kids these days.

RHA's plan of skipping the usual anti-drug rhetoric is the right plan. College students know drugs are physically bad for you and lead down a dim path; we all learned this early in life. And yet, this ingrained sense of wrong doesn't stop them at all - in fact, it probably increases the appeal. Thus, scare tactics seem to be the best idea. The idea that smoking up could end your college career is foreign to most people. If students know that DPS and MPD aren't pulling punches and that suspension and arrest will definitely follow an offence, the drug situation will eventually dwindle.

CUA, start thinking.

Campus News Briefs

Second Round of Flu Shots was Made Available to Faculty, Staff, Students
A second set of Flu vaccinations was made available on Thursday for all students and now faculty and staff. The first set was strictly for students. Student Health Services was able to acquire 190 more Flu Shots from Providence Hospital and made them available for $25.00. The center ran out of immunizations before the clinic was even over, as it was scheduled to end at 12:30 p.m. last Friday and the last shot was given at 11:30 a.m. Officials from the center do not plan to get any more shots for the year, noting that the university was "lucky" to get as many as it did considering some area universities have not yet received any flu shot doses.

Pax Christi Holds Living Rosary Wednesday
Pax Christi honored the 2,000 soldiers and 100,000 Iraqis that died in Iraq and to call for an end to the war on Wednesday, Nov. 2. There was a candlelit living rosary on the Pryzbyla Lawn at 7 p.m. and an 8 p.m. mass at St. Vincent's Chapel. (See photo on page 4.)

USG President Will Ask for Seat on 5th District Advisory Council
Daryl Lloyd, President of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), has been working towards increasing safety on campus and in the Brookland area by working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) concerning crime in and around campus. He plans to ask for a seat as a Catholic University Representative with the 5th District Citizens Advisory Council, which raises issues and concerns with the community within each police district of D.C. and makes suggestions on improving the area.

Amnesty International Ribbons Represented Cases of Injustice
Amnesty International passed out 126 orange ribbons on Monday, Oct. 31. They chose the Halloween holiday because orange is a color that both the holiday and the club share. The number 126 represented figures of human injustices in the world and in the U.S.

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior Classes to sponsor Veteran's Week.
The Classes of 2007, 2008 and 2009 will be sponsoring Veteran's Week beginning Monday. They will be selling poppies in the Pryzbyla Center to support the troops. A memorial wall will also be erected to honor members of the Armed Forces. Veterans will be attending a flag ceremony held on the lawn of the Law School next Friday.

Drug Arrests Surpass Last Three Years

The number of on-campus arrests for drug-related violations this semester has already outnumbered the number of arrests for the past three years combined, according to figures obtained from the Department of Public Safety. Based on statistics from the department's 2004 Annual Report, the number of disciplinary actions taken as a result of drug-related offenses since classes began in September has already doubled last year's total.

DPS and the Office of the Dean of Students stated that there has not been an alteration to the methods of inspection or punishment for drug-related offenses. Officers may not enter a dorm room unless asked to by a Resident Assistant. DPS has not hired any more officers, and has not changed any of its policies for dealing with narcotics on campus.

The University administration, especially DPS and the Office of the Dean of students, have acknowledged the increase in drug use on campus. A Centennial Village resident who wished to remain anonymous said, "Five out of seven days a week, I can find pot either on Southside, Regan or CV."

Furthermore, the increase covers all of the undergraduate classes. "Traditionally the freshman class has more problems than more experienced students," said Thomasine Johnson, director of Public Safety. This year, however, drug offenses have been occurring equally with sophomores, juniors and seniors. Increases in on-campus violence and drug violations have apparently garnered the attention of D.C. Metropolitan Police, who have made four student arrests so far.

Dean of Students Jonathan Sawyer, whose office is charged with disciplining students found to be in possession of illegal substances, said there is no rational explanation for the increase.

"We can only handle these offenses fairly and consistently," said Sawyer. He stated that several departments are considering a comprehensive education program in order to inform students of the consequences of drug use. "Our greatest response is to remain consistent," Sawyer said.

Student organizations such as the Residence Hall Association (RHA) are aware of the problem and are working to develop means to raise awareness against drug use. Matthew Robenhymer, RHA president, outlined an education program that is modeled on the D.C. Metro Transit AIDS campaign. "We want to avoid the traditional 'drugs are bad' message and make it clear that a drug offense essentially ends your academic career not only at Catholic, but at any major college." He went on to say that to his knowledge, there was more of a problem in CV and central campus than other areas.

Robenhymer offered one possible explanation for the increase in recorded offences: he said that since DPS has not changed its policies, "[Resident Assistants] may be acting more aggressively."

When the same Centennial Village resident was asked if he was aware that the punishment for one count of drug possession typically was a suspension, he said "I had no idea. They should really make it clear that they're not messing around this year."

No Assaults Reported in Past Week; MPD Continues Efforts

University students continue to express concerns for their personal safety in and around campus though no students have been victimized in the past week.

Last Thursday, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) issued a crime alert asking students to refrain from walking in the Brookland neighborhood, especially during late night hours, while the investigation of three crimes against CUA students is ongoing. One attack occurred just after 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, and the two other crimes took place in the early morning hours of Oct. 20.

“We are asking kids to be responsible and alert of their surroundings,” said Lt. Marvin Dicks of DPS. Dicks said there have been no incidents on campus, and, to his knowledge, no attacks on CUA students in the neighborhood during the past week. There have been no announcements from DPS regarding the investigation into the assaults.

Dicks said that the department has continued to work closely with the Metro Transit Police and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), who increased patrols in the area surrounding campus after a meeting with University President David M. O’Connell on Oct. 12.

Many students said that they have noticed a larger police presence in the neighborhood.

“I’ve seen an increase in the number of Metro police, and that makes me feel more comfortable,” said sophomore Jon Polhemus. “The other day I walked to CVS, and I did not have any problems.” Polhemus said that the crimes have not prevented him from going out, but that he does not bring his wallet and only carries what he needs with him.

Sophomore Andrew Clyne said he tries to get back to campus before midnight, while he may have stayed out later if it was not for recent events. He does not think that increasing the police presence will make the neighborhood any safer, and said that there needs to be a change in the attitudes of residents.

“Local businesses should take an active interest in seeing that crime is stopped,” said Clyne. “Students will not frequent these businesses if they are afraid of going out into the neighborhood.”

Dicks said that there are several steps that students can take to be safe off campus. He recommends students make eye contact with people around them, avoid using headphones and cutting through alleys, shortcuts and vacant lots by using busy streets. They should also walk with a companion whenever possible.

Spellman Hall Resident Accused of Property Theft

University freshman Calvin Torres was found to be in possession of stolen property by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Tuesday. According to sources familiar with the case, DPS searched the suspect's room and found stolen items, including laptops, hidden above the ceiling tiles.

Torres, who lives on the third floor of Spellman Hall, was discovered to be in possession of stolen items by three students who live on the fifth floor. An array of items, including two laptops, was taken from the roommates' dorm in the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 30.

Upon realizing that their property was missing, two the roommates went to the third floor in search of their property while Torres was at work on Tuesday. According to one of the students involved, the suspect's roommate allegedly located the missing property in the ceiling tiles.

DPS and the Resident Assistant were immediately informed of the incident. Upon his return, Torres was asked to pack an overnight bag and was relocated to Regan Hall. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was notified, and investigators took possession of the stolen items. According to a student involved in the case, the investigators are fingerprinting the recovered items, and as of press time, have yet to return them.

Torres is denying the charges, said one victim of the thefts. Along with laptops, many other items were reported missing or stolen in Spellman including clothing, cologne, debit cards and electronic equipment. It is unknown exactly which items or how many laptops Torres has been accused of stealing.

Another Spellman resident, Mike Fortes, allegedly punched a student in the face at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The victim and his roommates had confronted Fortes and accused him of trying to resell laptops that were stolen from students in the dorm. DPS responded to the incident, and relocated Fortes to Gibbons, according to students familiar with the case. DPS Investigator Gary O'Neal will apply for an arrest warrant, according to the department's 24-hour crime log. Also according to the log, seven items have been reported stolen from Spellman Hall since August 29.

The multiple sources used for this story did not wish to have their name associated with this article, and DPS did not provide any information outside of the 24-hour crime log.

Howie Day Concert Draws 500 Students

Roughly 500 tickets were sold for the Howie Day concert last Tuesday, October 4, said J.C. Lundberg, Program Board's Vice President of the Treasury. Program Board, the organization sponsoring the event with presenter Verizon Wireless, had made 2000 tickets available for sale. The show was interrupted by some vulgar dialogue between Day and the audience.
During the concert, the majority of the crowd clustered near the stage while around 150 audience members sat on the bleachers. Day came on stage about one hour after the conclusion of his opening act, Brandi Carlile. At the close of the first song, where Day stopped playing his guitar and backed away from the microphone while music was still playing, an audience member near the stage yelled, "You're Ashlee Simpson." Day in turn replied, "It's not Ashlee Simpson" and called the students a crude name.
Day then explained how he was recording vocals and music live on stage and then looping them. He demonstrated this by recording the Ashlee Simpson statement and replaying it twice. Day also surprised members of the audience by using profanities throughout his concert. Many students have expressed their distaste with Day's comments. Theresa Abellon, a sophomore Politics major, said, "I was offended. We paid to see him and therefore he has to give us respect. We should give him respect too, but we paid money to go see him."
Day apologized for his comments at the end of the concert and said the crowd had been a great audience.
While many students were shocked, more than a few students stated that they were glad Program Board have been able to bring concerts such as Day's to campus. Tracy O'Dowd, a senior Social Work major, said, "The concert was not was I expected. There were not as many people as I thought would be there. However, it was really nice to not be packed in, and I had fun just being there with my friends."
The concert cost Program Board roughly $22,000. This figure includes the production costs and extra security hired for the event. According to a Program Board official, the final cost for the concert represents approximately one third of the organization's budget.

Metro Coll. Students Say Degree Changed Without Notice, Battle Calls Situation a Misunderstanding

A group of students participating in a federally funded program called the TE-3 Scholars program at the University's Metropolitan College faced confusion concerning the title of their degree as listed on their diplomas as well as their transcripts. The program, which resulted from a $2.9 Million grant from the Department of Labor to train Washington, D.C area workers in the Information Technology field, is the only one of its kind in the area.
According to Frank Plummer, a student in this subsidized program that trains students in information technology, the title of his degree changed without any notice. He discovered this when he logged onto Cardinal Station, the University's student records system to check his grades for the previous semester. Before the apparent switch in the system on September 20, which is documented on Plummer's transcript, provided to the Tower, he and others in the program were participants in a program that was to lead to a bachelor's degree in information technology. His transcript was changed to show the degree he was receiving was one of general studies instead of on in information technology, the program that he had been studying in for the past two years. "I logged on to check my grades from the previous (summer 2005) semester and found the system had changed my program to general studies on my transcript. This was not the program that I had been working in, and I was concerned that my degree would be meaningless to employers in the future," Plummer said.
Other students, according to Plummer, found the same situation in on their unofficial transcripts on the Cardinal Station website, and proceeded to complain to the University administration, including officials in the registrar's office. No one could explain the change to the affected students who are considering legal action to respond to the problem. "I am close to graduation and have taken all the classes that documentation that the University stated was necessary for this degree and I am now getting a BAGS [Bachelor's of Arts of General Studies] degree," Plummer said.
In documentation provided to the Tower by Plummer concerning the TE-3 program, nowhere does the program state the degree that could be achieved was one resulting in a degree in general studies. All references to the program in the website referred to a Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology. This documentation does not appear on the Metropolitan College website presently, according to Plummer.
The confusion that resulted from the change on the transcripts deals with a misunderstanding on the wording of the degree and the major that the students are receiving as part of the program, according to TE-3 program coordinator Scott Battle. "On one front students expressed concern their degree was a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies…to the best of my knowledge this is the sole degree the CUA has awarded since Metro College graduates since the College's founding in 1979," Battle said.
In an email to TE-3 Students, Battle also stated that despite earning a general studies degree, the students would be earning a degree with a concentration in information technology. Their qualifications as part of a TE-3 Scholar could be easily communicated on their resumes and in interviews and applications for graduate programs.
Furthermore, Battle addressed the situation concerning confusion with student transcripts displaying the incorrect degree. The display of the student's major as "General Studies" versus "Information Technology" resulted from an incorrect coding and formatting of the students' majors and participation in the TE-3 program in the Cardinal Station software. "Within 15 days of learning of this matter [from the affected students] we [Metro College] have taken major, concrete steps toward resolving their concerns…we have worked with both academic and technology offices on campus to correct the coding that affects how the TE-3 Scholars' major is recorded in Cardinal Station and reflected on student transcripts," Battle said.
Transcripts of the students affected will be updated to reflect a major of "Information Technology," according to Battle.
The TE-3 Scholars program is sponsored by the U.S Department of Labor, and it provides students in the program with discounted tuition. Students participating receive aid for up to 85% of the cost as well as discounted student fees. The program's aim is to prepare students to be successful in the Information Technology field, training students in such topics as programming, computer networks, and systems management. Students are required to take 30 credits worth of class work along with other general studies classes. The grant that subsidizes the program is a H-1B Visa Training Grant from the Department of Labor intended to train U.S. workers to fill high-level, high-demand positions in IT and engineering currently occupied by foreign workers hired into positions under the H-1B Visa work program. The grant, given to only 12 schools across the country, will enable up to 300 students at the University to train for these jobs.

Campus News Briefs

Cardinal Runners Raises Over $1,500 with Race for the Cure Participation
Catholic University's Cardinal Runner's participated in the Race for the Cure on Saturday, October 1 in Baltimore, Maryland. The organization has taken part in the race since it first appeared in Baltimore. This year 37 runners took part in the fundraiser. This surpassed the team's recruitment goal of 25 runners. According the Race for the Cure website, the team raised a total of $1,591.
Cardinal Runner's President Michael Kenny said the runners left campus at 6 a.m. to arrive for the 8 a.m. start. The race was a 5K and participants had the choice to either run or walk the route. The course started at Camden Yards and went around the Inner Harbor. Kenny estimated that there were 15,000 runners participating in the fundraiser.
Pat O'Malley, the founder of Cardinal Runners and a senior Mechanical Engineering major, first participated two years ago when the Runners and Centennial Village RAs had originally joined together for the Race. O'Malley said, "It's a good race and it's for a good cause."
"It was really amazing to see the unity that people had for this cause. It was really amazing that people would run in celebration for a survivor or in memory of those who passed on, " said Jennifer Benz, a senior Biology major who was participating in the race for the second time. Benz also said, "It's something that I would come back for after graduation. There's something special about doing it there [in Baltimore]."
Rebecca Goodman, a senior Classical Civilizations major participating in the race for the first time, said "I found it thoroughly enjoyable. It was a great effort and we raised more money then we set for our goal. We represented our school well. I'm going to keep going back and doing it as an alumni." Goodman also said that the race allowed her to get back into running again. "I haven't done 5Ks since high school. It as a great time of year and I wanted to try again. It was a great race."
Race for the Cure, which started 13 years ago, raises funds for breast cancer research. Each year thousands of people, including many survivors of the disease, participate in races across the country.

ResNet Manager Resigns, Position Vacant
William Powell, manager of ResNet, the University's residential network service has left his position effective last Tuesday, October 12. Powell's department is responsible for all issues dealing with internet connections, phones, and cable in the residence halls on campus. It was recently transferred from Housing and Residential Services to the Center for Planning and Technology (CPIT) when HRS was reorganized over the summer. His position is vacant for the time being.

Editorial: A Little Common Sense Goes a Long Way

Students concerned about their safety got some good news this week. The administration held a meeting of the MPD, DPS and Metro Transit Police to discuss their plan to respond to the ever-increasing crime problem. This is certainly encouraging, but it's a two-way street; students need to realize that the entirety of responsibility does not fall on the police and school.
It doesn't take a degree from CUA to realize that walking alone in Brookland isn't a bright idea, no matter what time of day it is. The bottom line is we need to have common sense. When you go to college, you feel like an adult, basking in freedom. This false sense of security and confidence hurts your chances of being safe. The majority of us aren't adults. Adults don't walk through Brookland drunk at 3 a.m. Students need to wake up and be on the defensive, as Director Johnson said. We need to learn from others' mistakes.
Ignorance is not an excuse; students should know better by their second day. Johnson is correct to say part of the college experience is enjoyment. It's difficult, however, to enjoy yourself when you're trepidatious about walking to the Metro. While technically off-campus, the Metro should be one of the safest areas around CUA because of the heavy student traffic. Isn't it logical to think there should be extra security around the station and on the platform in a bad neighborhood with a college full of not-so-worldly students?
As for students living off-campus, they deserve to feel as safe as the rest of us. It's no secret that most off-campus students live in the Heights or Cloisters; can't DPS run a bus to and from campus at night on the weekends? It's common knowledge which Brookland establishments CUA students frequent. Perhaps an extra patrol around those parts of the neighborhood will help. The problem is that there is only so much the police can do.
The parking situation also needs improvement. Twenty-nine cars have been stolen since August. That's absurd. To add insult to injury, students pay over $400 for a yearly parking pass, which should guarantee some security. Johnson said we have to be "responsible." Students are responsible when they display their parking pass, lock their doors and secure their Clubs.
O'Connell's correct in saying the robberies heightened fear in the CUA community. It's good to know that the people making the decisions are at least aware of the uncomfortable situation. He should demand some answers from the police; we're residents of DC too. It's appropriate he's calling for a "bigger presence" and "plan of action." That's exactly what we need.

Notes and Asides

Logic Puzzle Invades CUA;
Procrastination Up, Grades
Threatened
For those of you who haven't
discovered the glorious
burden that is Sudoku, let
The Tower assure you: it's
more addicting than the Crossword
and twice as sexy. You see a so-so
looking guy hunched over a newspaper
with a pencil in hand, you think "Oh, he's
a Crossword nerd." But then you see the
little numbers square and you think
"That guy is logical." And we all have a
soft spot for logical nerds.

Remember That Wet Stuff? It's Back and with a Vengence!
Walking to class has now been made obsolete. Thanks to all the rain coming the past few days, we can now all float to class. Just make sure you don't end up swimming upstream. And, for those of you stuck with the walk from Flather to Marist, welcome to Niagra, north campus.

Off The Deep End and Into the Book Drop
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Librarians get a sense of humor. Apparently boredom has struck Mullen Library. There is now a sign at the guard desk reading "Have a Mullen-tastic Day!" Who knows what may happen next. A jousting tournament with the bookcarts could be right around the corner. But we're betting not.

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