35 Applicants Affected by SAT Discrepancies

            Approximately 35 prospective freshman to the University had discrepancies in their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores due to inaccurate computerized scoring. None of the affected applicants saw their admission status changed due to the corrected score, however.

            According to Christine Mica, director of University Admissions, these affected applicants did not have large discrepancies in their scores, but the University did update the test results after consultation from testing officials.

            “A review was done to make sure that the admissions decisions that had previously been made were still correct and appropriate letters [to applicants affected] were sent. The Admissions office did not have to change any of the decisions that had been made,” Mica wrote in an email to The Tower.

            The discrepancies in the scoring were discovered in early March by testing officials after several students requested their scores be checked via hand scoring. This process yielded several inconsistencies that led the College Board and the Educational Testing Service (who design, administer and score the test) to conduct a review of scores from the October 2005 test. It was determined that over 5,000 students who took the test that day were affected by the incorrect scoring, according to an article in Time Magazine.

It was later determined that the misreporting of scores came from answer sheets that had expanded due to moisture. The day that the test was taken in October 2005, the air was extremely moist and the answer sheets expanded slightly so that when they were later scored via machine, the affected papers could not be read correctly. The machine reads each test taker’s score optically based on the darkened bubbles on the answer sheet, and the slight expansion of the paper offset the answer sheets so certain answers were read as incorrect when correct and vice versa.

Despite the incorrect scoring, the number of affected tests was only 0.8 percent of the 495,000 taken that day. Only 16 tests were underscored 200 points or more; 95 percent of the scores were 10 to 90 points too low. Those will be fixed, but the 600 scores that were too high won't be adjusted.

“The SAT has been around since 1926," said the College Board's Chiara Coletti in an interview with Time Magazine. "In that time there hasn't ever been an error of this kind.”

University Must Protect Students

We here at The Tower find it alarming that the most important topic of recent weeks is the lack of safety on campus, as revealed in the increasing number of criminal incidents. Following the latest unnerving trend, five students were mugged on St. Patrick’s Day weekend. While St. Patrick’s Day is a given for trouble with drunk students and fat wallets, the other incidents occurred during less auspicious hours. The University needs to keep up their end of the bargain.

It seems like months of warnings and instructions from DPS have paid off because most students are following the rules. The students have done their part by walking in groups, calling SafeRides and been more aware of their surroundings. Apparently, that isn’t enough. Two of the St. Patrick’s Day incidents occurred before 9:30 p.m. on campus property. The victims were part of large groups and the robberies took place in front of many witnesses. And, when the students tried to call for SafeRides they were told to “wait” or that the shuttle was not running. What’s the next step, then, to make the campus safe? Enforcing a curfew of 9 p.m. for any student movement? 

Granted, CUA is an urban campus in a dodgy region. The campus’s parking lots are numerous and vast. There are many outlets to the streets and surrounding neighborhoods. It is not difficult for prospective criminals to simply walk on campus. We are certainly not suggesting that protecting the campus and students is easy.

DPS, MPD and student leaders have met to discuss new precautions. More lighting, foot patrols and improved shuttle bus service, however, is simply not enough. It seems like the University is shrugging off a very serious problem. What has to happen before we see DPS officers every night, in every problematic area of campus? Another dorm break-in? Another drive-by? A murder?

            Students are being targeted because we’re seen as an easy mark. Considering we’re sheltered, preppy, private school kids who carry around hundreds of dollars worth of property and cash, it makes sense. Students need to continue to take the same precautions – and maybe say a prayer before they go out too. More importantly, however, the University must understand the immediate seriousness of the issue and take action now to protect their students.

Letters to the Editor

I was delighted to read of the rejection of the 06-07 Budget. This is finally an exercise of the checks and balances in government that have been flouted by USG for years. When I served as Rules Committee Chairman in the 03-04 Legislative Branch, the Leg. Branch voted down a budget, but because of a Judicial Branch ruling on how the USG constitution defined a 2/3 vote (which flew in the face of conventional and parliamentary understanding), the whole budget was given a "do over" and voted on after the elections by a newly elected USG.

If that wasn't sketchy, I don't know what is. I applaud the Leg. Branch for taking their duty seriously and finally standing up to hegemony of the Treasury Branch and providing a balance to the notoriously unbalanced USG. Perhaps now, USG might finally realize that our Constitution is indeed ready for reform.

Charles Romeo

President, Class of 2005

President's Festival of the Arts: 'Copland's America' to Honored at President's Festival

            Benjamin T. Rome School of Music will honor the late American composer Aaron Copland as part of the President’s Festival of the Arts. The festival entitled “Aaron Copland’s America,” will blend musical performances, lectures and film to honor the composer’s work.

The festival will last two weeks with performances of music composed by and inspired by Copland, lectures about Copland by his biographers, commentary on his impact on American classical music and films scored by Copland.

This festival will begin with four days of lectures, discussions with students and film screenings. The aim of these programs is to examine Copland's importance in the arts and society of the U.S., especially in the period of 1930-1950, according to Grayson Wagstaff Associate Professor and Director of the Latin American Music Center in the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music.

Participating in the lectures and discussions are musicologists specializing in Copland’s music, they are Vivian Perlis of Yale University, Howard Pollack of the University of Houston and Jennifer Delapp of the University of Maryland.

            Perlis and Pollack will give a lecture on Copland’s music. In addition, Perlis will have a discussion on a documentary about Copland, and Pollack will present Of Mice and Men a film that is scored by Copland. Delapp will discuss Copland and politics, and later that night will present the music for “The Heiress” before the screening. Pollack is the author of one of the most monumental and in-depth books about Copland, and Perlis worked closely with and co-wrote two books with Copland, according to Wagstaff. At the end of the week through the next week, there will be performances by students of works of Copland and inspired by Copland.

Copland is considered by many as a pioneer of American music. He composed ballets with a Wild West theme such as Billy the Kid, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring.  He wrote A Lincoln Portrait and Fanfare for the Common Man for the Cincinnati Symphony. He is well known for his scores in films such as Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, and The Heiress, its score winning an Academy Award.   

'Brazen' Muggings Plague University Over Weekend

Five University students were robbed last weekend in a series of muggings that took place throughout the Fifth District.

            A University student’s purse was stolen on Monroe Street at about 8:20 p.m Thursday night. A group of students was approached by three men who robbed one student and fled in a Red Jeep Cherokee with D.C. tags.

            “While walking to Conaty Hall with four other CUA students, a female member of the group had her purse stolen,” said Mark Arnone, a member of the group, in a letter to The Tower.

            Two robberies took place within fifteen minutes of each other Friday night. The first occurred at 9:25 p.m. on the south side steps of Cardinal Hall on Michigan Avenue. Two suspects approached the victim from behind, produced a weapon, and demanded her purse.

            Shortly afterwards, three people, including two University students, were robbed in front of Ward Hall. Kimberly McGuire and Tarina Szemzo were the two students mugged. The three victims were walking in a group of eight people. The two suspects exited a Blue Chevrolet with West Virginia tags, pointed a gun at the students and demanded their property.

             “You see guns on television constantly and you look at them on the screen in front of you without intimidation. But there is something different about a gun when it is pointed at you,” McGuire wrote in a letter to The Tower. John Criscuolo and Dave Van Benschoten were also part of the group involved in the incident. VanBenschoten followed the suspects back to their car and retrieved McGuire’s purse. Criscuolo also approached the car, but was struck by it. During those moments, he was able to identify the car as a stolen government vehicle.

            Early Sunday, at approximately 2:50 a.m., a student was robbed on John McCormack Road. The suspect exited a Blue Jeep Liberty with Maryland tags and demanded the victim’s property.

            According to a report on NBC 4, police believe some of the robberies may be connected. Thomasine Johnson, Director of the University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) said that the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is still investigating the robberies.

            Public Affairs director Victor Nakas said the most troubling aspect of this weekend’s events were their “brazen” quality. They were “different,” he said. “They took place in front of witnesses.”

            Johnson also said that DPS’s current “goal is to provide high visibility.” Johnson said she is in communication with MPD daily and that she has met with the Fifth District robbery task force.

            DPS has purchased new vehicles that went into service Monday. A security service was also contracted prior to this weekend’s events. “We use contract services to supplement DPS services on an as needed basis,” said Johnson. She could not say exactly how long the additional support will be on campus, but it will be here “as long as it’s needed.”

            While some students have expressed concern over DPS’ response to robbery calls, Johnson said she is “happy with the response team.”

            Undergraduate Student Government (USG) president Daryl Lloyd wrote a letter to Johnson strongly urging DPS to increase their efforts. His requested improvements included the following: “(1) To revitalize the DPS Campus Shuttle Service in ways that would make it more publicized, reliable, and effective. (2) To increase the foot patrol of DPS officers on campus, in order to further comfort and provide an ensured security force for students. (3) To enclose the campus by closing off many vehicle entry points around campus, as well as provide DPS checkpoints at all campus entrances. (4) An installation of more lights on the south campus will provide more comfort for students and enable them to be more vigilant about their own safety. (5) A structured and permanent DPS surveillance on south campus need to be implements to prevent crime in an area of such high criminal activity.”

            The Facilities and Maintenance Office will be addressing Lloyd’s lighting concern. The shuttle hours will also be extended to mirror those of the Metro. The loop route (which includes a stop at the Cloisters), will run until 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. DPS will also examine the possibility of locking down several campus entrances during evening hours, but Johnson said that measures could take some time as they need to determine which entrances can be closed with minimal disruption.

            Resident Assistants, who are required to patrol buildings during late hours, along with other students who must be out at night are encouraged to call for a DPS escort. Jonathan Sawyer, Dean of Students, said that students must remember that these escorts do not show up on demand, especially if DPS is responding to incidents.

            The University has created a task force to look at its own security procedures. Victor Nakas, Director of Public Affairs, said that University President David O’Connell appointed Michael Hendricks, Vice President for Enrollment, to chair the group. Hendricks was chosen for his experience with safety issues at a previous job.

            “We will be engaging outside professionals to look at our practices,” said Nakas. He added that they will mainly be serving as an “extra set of eyes.”

            Sawyer said that he encourages students to “report concerns before they become a problem.” If students find something out of order, such as a light or a door, they should contact the correct department. If a student is having problems establishing contact with the correct person, Sawyer said students are welcome to contact him directly.

University Hosts Provost Lecture on Church Buildings

            A senior Vatican official addressed the Catholic Church law regulating the secularization and non-religious use of church property originally intended for worship in a lecture delivered Thursday. The third annual James H. Provost memorial lecture, “Relegation of Churches to Profane Use— Reasons and Procedure,” was given by Rev. Nikolaus Schöch.

Schöch holds the office of Defender of the Bond with the Apostolic Signatura. The Signatura is the supreme tribunal in the Church’s three-tiered juridical structure. In his position as Defender of the Bond, Schöch is charged with identifying and presenting the weaknesses in petitions brought to the Signatura.

His talk began by identifying exactly what a church is according to Church rules and regulations, known as Canon Law. According to the Code, a church is a building permanently set aside for divine worship. “A town hall used for Eucharistic celebration is not a church,” he said. The Church must be open to entry even if it charges a fee. According to Canon Law, it is the right of the faithful to have access to churches both for individual and communal prayer. Schöch noted that it is prohibited to charge for entrance at the times when the liturgy is being celebrated, however.

            Next, Schöch explained the theology behind this stating that when a permanent structure for divine worship is erected, either the rite of blessing or more solemn rite of chrism withdraw it from secular use. This dedication rite must be recorded at the church and by the diocesan chancery, the administrative offices of a particular diocese. Once this ceremony has been performed, the church can not be treated as a traditional piece of property that could be sold, bought or repurposed as like other buildings. The church building therefore is unique and special, tied to its specific role as a place of worship, according to Schöch. It cannot be used for anything but worship according to Canon Law.

            From this statement on the special role of the church building, Schöch then identified possible alternatives to secularizing churches. The first involves partnerships with other Christian communities in which they share use of the church for worship. If there are not enough Catholics for this to be possible, the next best alternative is to lease the church to another Christian community. Another possibility involves using only part of the church for worship and using other parts for offices or meeting rooms. Another alternative is to sell the church building to a friendly party. This is when it becomes necessary to secularize the church.

            Schöch said, “I saw a photo of a church relegated to profane use that was used as a sports hall for a public school. It was not consistent with its holiness but the outside remains such that it looks like a church.”

             “If you sell a church, you have to do everything to avoid future sordid use or use as a non-Christian temple because this goes against the sensitivity of the people. This is the symbolic appearance of the triumph of another religion over the Catholic Church, the most famous being the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, which was transformed from a Christian church into a Muslim mosque. Furthermore, you must also observe all the requirements of church law concerning alienation of a stable patrimony belong to a public juridic person,” he noted. Canon Law requires dioceses to consult the Holy See before selling property in excess of $5 million for small dioceses and $10 million for larger dioceses.

            The last possible solution is the demolition of a church. “It is better to relegate a church to profane use than to pull it down. Even if the Church is pulled down, a cross must be set-up to show that there once was a church here where celebration of the Eucharist occurred,” said Schöch.

            Schöch stated that for a church to be secularized there must be a substantial reason behind the action. The first is if a church is no longer suitable for liturgical use. “Churches damaged by Hurricane Katrina have been damaged beyond use and for safety reasons, it’s better to build elsewhere or impossible to restore to liturgical use… The most frequent grave reason is the financial difficulty. When you talk about that you speak of lack of means for the financial repair of a church building… The conservation of the building for sacred worship is one of the principal purposes of the Church.”

            The procedure of secularizing a church begins with collecting information on the parish, consulting the owner and then the diocesan council of priests, promulgating the decree of profanation and reading the decree at the final solemn liturgy.

            Schlöss concluded by saying that in the secularization of church buildings he thought it necessary to exercise pastoral sensitivity. “We have to act with very much sensitive as the church building is above all a memorial of Christian faith for celebration of divine worship. If relegate to profane use it must be done with respect for the benefactors in a certain place.”

Architecture School to Receive Elevator to Satisfy ADA, Accreditation Reccomendation

The School of Architecture and Planning received provisional reaccredidation this past semester during a review from the National Architecture Accreditation Board because the building where the school is located, the Crough Center, lacks handicap access to some of its second floor areas. This will be remedied however with the installation of an elevator system designed by University Architecture alumni.

The accreditation team, made up of faculty and students from other universities, as well as members of ACSA (Association of College Schools of Architecture) gave University it’s highest marks in all academic categories, with the understanding that the second floor of the Crough Center would receive handicap access in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Despite the fact that the building was cited as an issue, George Martin, Assistant Dean and Professor of the School of Architecture and Planning said that the Crough Center was one of the school’s greatest assets. “Thanks to its symmetry, we are able to showcase the work of students easily,” said Martin.

The elevator will be placed in the southeast corner of the studio area, where students are instructed and have space for design. It is estimated to cost $400,000. The elevator was planned at one time to be placed outside the existing building as an addition, but could not due to financial limitations. An architectural firm, the Lessard Group is donating the design and planning phase of the project to the school, however. Employees Jimmy Shu, and Rick Lessard are both graduates of the School of Architecture and are assisting in the design of the elevator system.

The project is currently in the bidding phase to for contractors and is expected to be near completion by the end of summer. The goal, says Martin “Is to minimize impact and distraction on those students that utilize the studio area during the school year.”

Nonetheless, there will be students present during the summer construction period.

A lack of elevator service to the second floor is not illegal as the ADA laws dictate at elevator access to a second level is only necessary when essential services or components of a building are located on the upper level. This is not the case in the Crough Center as students and faculty who need assistance to get upstairs could be accommodated by existing facilities in the ground level. In addition architecture faculty believe that the NAAB would not penalize the School of Architecture for not providing handicap access to a portion of Crough as the elevator will only provide handicap access to a portion of the building. “We believe that what is permissible under the law is not always what’s ethical. The NAAB is looking for best practices. We want to display best practices.” Martin said.

The School of Architecture plans to utilize the opportunity to involve students in a real world project. Some students will be using the AutoCAD design program to plan and shape entire portions of the elevators cladding, or façade. “The exterior of the elevator shaft should become yet another showcase for students work” said Martin.

Randall Ott, Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning and the University administration are acting quickly to plan and install the elevator to prevent the NAAB from returning to ensure that the project is undertaken. Ott and the administration allocated the required monies and undertook the project with all possible speed to ensure that the status of the accreditation of the School of Architecture was never in question. Usually, the NAAB would return to a school to oversee the project, but Ott and others are reporting to them enough to ensure that this step is unnecessary.

Millennum North and South

            The Millenniums may be the most sought after dorms on campus, but they too have their problems. The sinks in the kitchens are small – a bowl and glass will fill them to capacity and, no matter how hard you try, you will get wet. The wardrobes in the rooms cannot be moved, even after a Herculean effort, and this can limit the furniture arrangements. When you hang up posters, anything but 3M strips will leave residue on the walls. For some reason, no matter how many people live in your apartment, they only give you three bar stools – way to encourage family dinners, people. And, until recently, the back door of Millennium North never closed. But the worst part, the hot water is about as reliable as Cardinal Station working on registration day. This year, there has also been increase in cockroach sightings. Finally, who puts white tile in a college dorm? That is just asking for a mess.

            That being said, the Millenniums are, perhaps, the best place to live on campus. The ample space gives you enough of a chance to be with your friends while also allowing you to have your “me” time. They also give you a chance to cook your own meals. You’ll never want to eat at the Pryz again. The large laundry rooms only fill up on Saturday afternoons and there’s plenty of room to throw people’s stuff if they are too lazy to pick up their laundry when it’s done. Because the Millenniums are mainly upperclassmen, chances are you’ll know many people living there. This makes it easy to schedule random hangouts and study groups. But the most random bonus of living in the Millenniums… when you come back from break, loaded down with suitcases, you don’t have to deal with stairs.

Flather

            Flather is the box that rocks… and with good reason. The layout encourages community, by which I mean, if your door is open you see and hear all. Apart from Southside, Flather is perhaps your most typical college dorm. With its common showers (which you don’t have to clean – except if someone makes a “mess” on the weekends) and large common room (if enrollment is not too high), Flather is a great place to make and hang out with friends.

            The rooms are nothing to write home about. They’re large enough that both roommates can have their own space, or get creative and great a haven away from home. The windows are the largest on campus, creating a nice, light and vibrant atmosphere. The closets can be small and the tile floors are a pain, but it could be worse. Perhaps the worst part about living in Flather is the Hill of Doom. Flather is so dang far from everything, save the Duf. If you’re lottery number won’t get you into the Millenniums or CV, Flather is actually not that bad of a back-up option.

            Word of warning, the elevator has been known to eat people, even the priests who try to bless it.

The Welsh Breakdown: Another Day, Another Twit Uncovered

Episode Grade: C+

Well hello, friends. It’s been awhile; so let’s get to the previously’s. Since last time we talked, Jeremy went home, because this show is the black hole of suckiness. But hooray! Beth Kong went home. Oh, and Brad went home, too, which evokes no emotion from me whatsoever.

Currently on “Well Here Goes a Half Hour of My Life That I’ll Never Get Back,” Randy and Kina are talking on the porch. They are discussing tomorrow’s mission because it is the final Female Gauntlet. Kina is worried and says “Wouldn’t it be horrible if I had to go home?” Short answer? No. No, it would not be horrible, Kina. In fact, it would be quite glorious.

            Elsewhere in the House, the teammates get their clue. Aneesa tells the camera that she does not want to go into the Gauntlet. No kidding. I mean, it’s pretty obvious by now. No one wants to go. So shut up, Aneesa. Oh, and about your hairstyle? I think you saw “There’s Something About Mary” one too many times.

Day of Mission. The teams arrive. Camp Counselor Slavin explains the mission “Blind Trust.” The teams must walk across a balance beam suspended in the air one-by-one, blind-folded, while retrieving photographs. They will be guided by another teammate who will be acting as a vocal coach from the other side.

Challenge. After Jillian goes, she must coach Alton through it. However, her help is the equivalent of a mute seven year-old’s help. The conversation went something like: Alton: Talk to me, Jillian; Jillian: Ok, ok, yeah, ok.; Alton: Talk to me, Jillian!; Jillian: Ok, ok, ok.; Alton: Look you bony hag! Say something useful! (The last part may have been added in by yours truly, but who knows?) Anyway, the rest of the Rookies get through.

Next, the Veterans go. Katie goes first and then talks David through. She misguides him to the wrong picture and sends him walking backwards. He sarcastically says, “Yeah, thanks Katie.” Hee. Later, Robin and her mondo kochongas are guiding Grampa Timmy. She keeps messing up her left foot/right foot directions. Camp Counselor Previn says, “Right now, Robin is about one for twenty on her left and right foot commands.” Snort. I love it when they do my job for me. The rest of the Veterans make it across.

Later, the times are revealed. The Veterans win, and this is the funniest part of the episode, but only if you watch closely. When the final times are announced, Aneesa jumps up and down and accidentally yanks on Robin’s spaghetti-strapped, flimsy red top, revealing Robin’s mondo and apparently unsupported kochongas. They are briefly blurred out on screen as Robin’s face goes into shock. This show has never made me laugh so hard, but it took the slow-motion button to do it. Oh, and Robin, it’s called a bra. Look into it.

After the mission, Kina and Jodi talk in the bathroom. Kina whines “I’m holding all of this stress.” Yeah, and you’re also being a complete martyr. She doesn’t know who to pick for the Gauntlet and begins to cry. I decide to write a letter. Dear Kina, I hate you. Love, Matt. P.S. Shut up. xoxo. After more complaining, she cries out, “I’m so annoyed! I can’t take this anymore! I hate this, I hate this so much!” It’s like she’s channeling my exact thoughts. She must have E.S.P.N.

Gauntlet Deliberation. Kina tells the other teammates that she made her decision based on keeping herself from going home. She is in “self-preservation mode.” Selfish much? She picks Jillian. Camp Counselor Clavin comes in and asks who is going. The Wheel of Gauntlety Doom is spun and lands on Sticky Situation. Ew.

Gauntlet. Camp Counselor Grestin lets everyone know that Jillian is going into the Gauntlet, in case any of us suffered from amnesia in the past 30 seconds, forgot who was going, and rather than rushing to the hospital for a CAT scan, decided to watch the pretty little box with people inside of it. There is a long explanation of the competition, but I will sum it up: one anorexic girl push past another anorexic girl, then switch.

The competition begins and it is like watching two skeletons wrestle. I wish this were a pie-eating contest because I am sure both would have forfeited. But my wishes are never honored, and Kina wins. After, Kina tells the camera, “I wanna cry because this has been such a rollercoaster. It’s been so hard on me and so hard on Randy.” *Cough* martyr.

            Next week: The final Male Gauntlet. We’re almost done! The mission involves taking apart a bike, putting it back together, and then racing it. It reminds me of that episode of “Saved By the Bell” where the boys competed against the girls. “We’re bad, we knew it, you cheated, you blew it!” Ohh, the kids of Bayside. Have fun!

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