Football Loses in Close, 14-13 Games

The Cardinals let a first half lead of 7-0 on Saturday when, late in the third quarter their stamina waned, resulting in a 13-14 loss against the McDaniel Green Terror. The Cardinals, whose their season 2-0, the best since 1998.

The first quarter was a battle of the defenses, when on third down at the CUA 14 yard-line, Sophomore Quarterback Keith Ricca (Poolesville, Md./St. John's Prospect Hall) threw to Ryan Bowman for an 86-yard touchdown.

Catholic’s defense pressured the Green Terror, and held them scoreless in the first half.  As tensions between the two teams grew, the second quarter became thrilling . Sophomore Bill Gross (6-0, 205) sacked McDaniel Quarterback Brad Baer forcing a fumble, which was shortly recovered by the Terror. The CUA offense also had a forced fumble that was quickly recovered. McDaniel gained momentum when their Defensive Back Eric See, intercepted Ricca with 3:46 left in the quarter. Unable to run through the Cardinal defense, McDaniel attempted a 45-yd. Field goal, which was no good.

Even with the bias refereeing, McDaniel still did not score in the third quarter. 

Within a few minutes of the fourth quarter, McDaniel managed to tie the game, 7-7. Catholic then took the lead with a five-yard completion to Bowman, scoring his second touchdown of the day. The extra point failed, leaving the score 13-7. McDaniel then progressed down the field, scoring another touchdown and taking the lead from Catholic. While the clock read 1:01, the Cardinals passion kept them alive and marched to the McDaniel 16 yard-line. However, in the final three seconds, the field goal was no good and McDaniel won the game.

In spite of their first loss of the season, the Cardinals have an extremely positive attitude for next Saturday. Sophomore Strong Safety Asley Williams (5-9, 190) said, “I felt I played all right and worked hard, but I still have to fix mental mistakes and I still need to improve.” He also said this loss “made us stronger and now we know we will come out and play harder.” Williams remained optimistic about the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Opener (ODAC) against Randolph Macon next week.

Senior Ryan Bowman, the 6’2”, 193-pound Wide Receiver from Silver Spring, Maryland. Bowman was named the Offensive Player of the Week by the ODAC when he scored two touchdowns for CUA during the Ohio Wesleyan game

'Apprentice' Contestant, Fashion Execs Speak at Alumni Event

     Alumni Tarek Saab and David Colletti, Jr. spoke at the University concerning their new Catholic affiliated clothesline, Lionheart Apparel, and Saab’s experiences in the fifth season of the reality competition The Apprentice. The event, hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations, was held in Caldwell Hall’s Happel Room, on Thursday Sept. 21.

     Brandon Romanchok, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, introduced Saab and Colletti, who graduated from the University in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Saab began speaking about his experiences as a Donald Trump hopeful in his stint on The Apprentice. Titled “The Reality of Reality TV,” he ran a clip show detailing his work on The Apprentice, and offered some behind-the-scenes insight into the world of reality television. However, he upholds that reality television appeals to the lowest common denominator, and “is not morally upstanding” and “nothing more than crappy entertainment.”

     Saab was adamant about Catholic principles and called upon the students in the University to seek “what is truth,” and stated that one of the most important purposes of a university is to discern what truth is. In his opinion, having a firm understanding of the truth “is paramount to your existence.” He went on to say that “being tolerant and being sensitive is important” but we cannot fulfill that “in lieu of being truthful.” He also commented on some of the controversial issues that are hotly debated today, saying a pro-life stance is “one of those things we do have to stand up for” and calling homosexuality “rampant.” He notes an interesting hypocrisy in that “if I asked a young lady to come up here and disrobe, you’d all be up in arms about it,” but no one protests to “Victoria’s Secret ads.” He concludes that there is nothing more important “than being a good Catholic.

     Colletti, cofounder and CEO of Lionheart Apparel, spoke on the Catholic mission associated with their clothesline. As of now, Lionheart is exclusively for men, selling shirts and hats online. The five-week old company, states Colletti, bares the slogan “identify yourself,” but stresses his own personal difficulty in answering that question. “I had no idea what a man was supposed to be,” he states, but eventually discovered that it involved “how you relate to God.” He also asserts that being pro-life is essential and that as Catholics, “we’re accountable.” Lionheart’s shirts are printed with words that, Colletti states, “Jesus would be proud to wear.” Colletti is proud of his company and his goals, asserting that he is “willing to stand for something,” more than he is interested in making quick cash. Saab and Colletti’s long term goal is to print a magazine of the same name as their clothesline, and already have a female counterpart to their men’s clothing line in the works, called Maristella Apparel.

     After they spoke, they invited all attendees 21 years of age and older to join them at Fado Irish Pub, where they were would be treated to a live performance by the group Scythian, who are friends of Colletti.

 

Casey is an Insincere Catholic Candidate

I’d like to use my space this week discussing one of the coolest things I’ve seen on campus this year. It is the light up Wise Man in Unanue hall.

If you have never had the great privilege on seeing this glowing statue, let me quickly describe it to you. It is a light-up nativity figure of one of the three magi. It is about two to three feet in height and was prominently displayed in one of the rooms in the back of the building.

I say was, because as of this writing, the statue is no longer on display. That is actually why I am writing this piece. I want to beg the residents of that room to display the luminous monument of plastic again.

            When I first laid my eyes upon the sight, I was in awe. I quickly gave the statue the nickname of “The Wise Guy,” and the site “The Wise Guy Room.” Every night I went over to Leahy, I would stop and admire the statue.

            It should come as no surprise that I was heartbroken when I passed by the room last night and I did not see the statue in the window. My friends can attest to the fact that I was saddened by the lost of such an important landmark on campus.

            I think the residents of that room should bring the light back to campus. I even have a few suggestions on how they can mix it up throughout the year. First, decorate the Wise Man as a ghost for Halloween by putting a white sheet over it. For Thanksgiving, why not have a light up turkey join him? At Christmas, have the entire nativity on display! Heck, I’d even start charging for admission to see the scene, though I think my admission should be free because I helped with the entire idea.

            I’d even work with Admissions and have all the tours of prospective students pass by the window, even if it’s the middle of the day.

            I am not sure why the residents of the room decided to take the statue down. Maybe they were forced to, maybe they didn’t want people awkwardly staring into their room at all times during the night, or maybe they just didn’t realize what that piece of plastic and light meant to a person like me. In that case I don’t blame them.

            I find the light up statue to be more than just a piece to a holiday lawn decoration. I find it to be a symbol of college life. To me, it is pop-art. At first look, he seems to be an unnecessary piece of room decoration in a freshman residence hall. But look at it more closely. The Wise Man is what all college student strive to be, intelligent adults in a complex society.

            Maybe I’m just overanalyzing the whole thing. Maybe the residents of the room just thought it’d make a pretty awesome night light. Whatever the reason, it has brought some light into my life. Hopefully the residents will put the statue on display again and its light can shine on even more students. Until that time, my walk to Leahy and the entire campus will be a little bit darker without the Wise Man in the window.

Duquesne Shooting Should Serve as Wake-Up

    This past week's unfortunate event at Duquesne University reminds many students to stay vigilant in a place where one assumes a relative degree of safety - on campus. While the University has not seen any incidents this year, we must not forget the crimes of the past.  This year is irregularly quiet thusfar, making many students forget the dangerous settings in which they put themselves.
    The press reported Duquesne as a campus that is normally safe, while our campus is notorious for our past crime rates. If it happened there it can easily happen here. Thankfully the changes that were made over the summer seem to be working well so far.                 Many students would rather spend an extra five minutes driving around trying to find a way off of campus than have the campus open and waiting for a similar event. Making the campus safe is the job of the University, and keeping it safe is the duty of all. We must work with University policy and respect any changes made in our best interest. Walking around 12th Street at 3am was not safe in past years; it is not safe this year. Safe Rides is now running. Many students have never utilized this valuable service. Instead of risking bodily harm, we should start acting responsibly.
    Statistically, it is only a matter of time until students are once again victimized by the unfortunate surroundings of our campus. The Duquesne incident proves once again that no amount of preparation can keep students totally safe. We live in unpredictable times on a dangerous campus whose security record is far from spotless. Simply keeping that fact in mind will lower your chances of becoming a victim. Simply keeping that fact in mind will lower your chances of becoming a victim.
    That said, campus security should not, can not, be lulled into the displacency that is so tempting for security firms and police forces in times of low crime.Our situation is clear, and our predicament is precarious. In order to remain safe and continue to enjoy the wonderful opportunities available here in our nation's capital, DPS should stay keen, and students should remain wary.

A Cartoon by Clint Farrell

O'Connell Appears on Several National Shows to Discuss Pope's Recent Comments

            In response to a speech by Pope Benedict XVI made last Tuesday September 12, in which he inadvertently offended the Islam community University president The Very Reverend David M. O’Connell spoke to many media outlets including The Diane Rehm Show, a nationally syndicated radio show. He spoke to Diane Rehm on September 19, along with Seyyed Hussain Nasr a professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University.

            In response to the quote that the Pope used, Nasr said “Nothing cold be more painful [as a Muslim] than to hear someone vilify the prophet, even by quoting someone else.” He likened it to a Protestant referencing Martian Luther on the Catholic Church to a Catholic. In answer to a question based on the recent outbreak of violence Nasr said that the Muslims feel frustrated, and because the “mass media of the world is in the hands of the west, the only way to vent their emotions is to come out in the streets and shout.”

            O’Connell responded by first saying “The pope is a man of peace and charity… a very gentle individual.” He defended the pope by saying that “you cannot conclude that the pope intended this. The choice of that quote was unfortunate…” he continued to point out that if you compare this speech without the quote to his actions and other works that they show that the pope is not a person of violence, that he had no intention for violence.

O’Connell also said that the use of the quote does not justify violence, that “one act of violence is one act too much.”  Nasr responded by saying that his speech was an act of violence in itself, “He who uses the sword shall perish by the sword as Christ said.”  He also stated that the pope has been trying to promote inter-religious and inter-cultural relations, “these things are very important to Pope Benedict and he has made that clear since his first day as pope.” 

            O’Connell commented on the sensitivity anything said that has to do with Islam said by the West. O’Connell continued to say that “violence has no place in religion,” adding to his stance that the pope had no violent incentive to his wording. O’Connell continued to say that what the pope was trying to demonstrate a “clear radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence from whatever side it comes.”

            Nasr responded by adding that while Islam would accept that, they cannot because it is not applied to all religions saying the Muslims are the only religion that are identified in terrorism, saying that the Irish terrorists are not known as “Catholic terrorists” or “Hindu terrorists,” and this identification is what aggravates the Islamic community.

Women's Soccer Holds Strong at 5-2

The Lady Cards continued an impressive season with a win over St. Mary’s College. Ashley Dodd, Erin Mcnulty, and Suzie Peters contributed to the win with one goal each. The 3-2 victory brings the women’s record to 5-2, 2-0 in the CAC.

The Seahawks dominated the first third of the game with an aggressive offense, and fast ball recovery. They achieved a 2-0 lead early, and kept the Cardinal Defense busy with eight shots.

At this point “Erin and Ashley Dodd came off the bench and really picked up the game” said Kate Rosenberg, team captain.

At 27 minutes, Mcnulty got off the first CUA salvo, scoring a long goal from the top left corner. Five minutes later, The Cards followed up with the tying score.

The game then turned defensive, with twelve Cardinal shots to the Seahawks eight.

At 55:50, Peters scored the game winner. The women held off the Seahawks for the rest of the game and “were very determined throughout the game to win” said Rosenberg.

The men’s team had an upset this week against Marymount in Arlington, Va. Out-shot 17-11, the final score was 2-1.

Freshman Matt Brady scored a tying shot at the 24^th minute, but Marymount fought back for the lead at the close of the game with a corner shot.

“We dominated every aspect of the game except one, the one that matters the most” said Daniel Clifford, team captain. He went on to say “we are still very confident about our season and our team…remember, its not how the horse begins the race, its how he finishes.”