Women's Basketball Loses To Mary Washington

The women's basketball team has a record of 11-6, 4-3 in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC). Last week, after a two game winning streak, Catholic could not hold off the # 20 Mary Washington Eagles, and lost the game with a final score of 85-43.

Although it was a tough loss, two freshmen played a key role in this game. First, after freshman Shea McDonald shot a three pointer followed by two free throws, the Lady Cards were ahead by five points.

"Shea's done really nice job, is a solid shooter that's knocking down points and she shoots three [pointers] really well. I like her style - she can pass the ball and is tough to defend," coach Margaret Carey said.

Unfortunately, that was the first and last lead Catholic would have over the Eagles as it was a struggle from the beginning to keep up. The other freshmen contributors were Kerry Pokusa, with her career-high 11 points and Justine Gray with three. Coach Carey said of the freshman class, "They've been phenomenal and had an immediate impact. Justine Gray has come in and basically starting averaging heavy minutes and scoring decent amounts. [Gray] is a natural leader and a solid point guard right there with Maria Rojas."

Senior Maria Rojas has an impressive record, leading the team with 271 steals.

"Rojas has done a good job of teaching [Gray] of how to run the show," Coach Carey said. "[She] is so unique in the way that she's so quick and has done a solid job. She's so quick defensively and in peoples' faces that she'll get through five people and she'll score. From coaching standpoint it becomes creative. She works so darn hard all the time and gives full effort all the time as all my seniors do."

Catholic was one starter short against the Eagles and they already have missed the presence of sophomore Kristen Linderoth, who is out with an injury, yet the seniors continue on their last drive.

"With the latest injury we have to feed off that. With eight games to go, [the seniors] are playing like they know it. They're on their last turn; they are not going down without a fight," Coach Carey said.

Ben Newell Elected as the 111th Tower Editor in Chief

The Tower, Catholic University's independent school newspaper has chosen their 111th Editor in Chief, Ben Newell. This year the Editor in Chief was chosen in a different way. Rather than voting on the new Editor in Chief at the beginning of the school year, it was decided at the beginning of the calendar year. Senior Eric Bledsoe, former EIC down in December.

Sophomore, Newell was unanimously chosen by the Tower Staff as the new EIC. He has done an exceptional job so far this year. Newell said, "I am extremely excited to take over a campus organization with as much history and tradition as The Tower." Newell served as the Forum editor before taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief.

Former EIC Bledsoe said, "I feel it was in the best interest in the Tower to implement a calendar year term for the EIC position so that each new EIC can be trained by the previous, allowing for a more efficient and better trained Tower staff. I will stay on this semester to aid Newell in anything that he needs to be a trained EIC for next semester."

Bledsoe's role last semester played a part in adding more members to The Tower, "I helped get a new editorial board this past semester after many seniors graduated last year and made sure that they were trained efficiently so that the Tower will not suffer staffing problems in years to come. One of the main goals of myself and Ben is to maintain and develop the writing content that our readers demand", Bledsoe said.

For the past two weeks the Tower has had online editions. Newell said, "Right now the Tower is in a transition period. We are switching printers, the editing board and recruiting new members. All of this got ahead of us and we are currently working with the purchasing department to approve our switch in contracting printing presses."

Newell believes that "The biggest change that needs to happen is an expansion in the number of staff members. To this end, I plan to pursue renewing the yearly scholarship The Tower that has been provided by the university in the past." If the scholarship is given in the future, that will provide incentive for students that wish to write for The Tower. Ben has shown determination and initiative for The Tower. He said, "A long range goal of mine is to improve the journalistic techniques used in weekly issues." This will help the writers of this university broaden their skills as some staff members have ambitions to pursue careers in journalism.

Senator Brownback: "We Are Winning the Battle For Life"

The 2008 presidential hopeful and Senator Sam Brownback (R, KS) stated that "we are winning the battle for life in America" during his speech Sunday.

His speech comes one day after he officially announced his candidacy and one day before the annual March for Life event.

Brownback's rhetoric focused on the pro-life issue. He dispelled any notion that the 2006 election, which resulted in a Democratic takeover of both chambers in Congress, was the result of a public opinion shift on the pro-life movement.

"That [election] cycle was not about abortion; that was about the war," asserted Brownback, and immediately followed up by saying "we're now a majority pro-life country." He attributed the success of the pro-life movement to the students in the audience and their generation, stating that his generation was not as mobilized and dedicated to the issue as young adults are today.

He shared the source of his passion for the pro-life movement with the story of his adopted daughter, whom he first met seven and a half years ago in Shantou City, China.

"Some woman in China, who I will likely never meet, fought for her," said Brownback of the reason his daughter is safe and successful today, referencing China's one-child policy and its advocacy of abortions.

"You guys are right in the trenches when this battle is fought everyday and you got to speak up and if you don't speak up, it's wrong." Brownback adds that each individual has the duty to make a difference in what he calls the fight for life.

Brownback also spoke in general terms about other controversial issues in the upcoming 2008 presidential elections.

Brownback advocated for a reform in social security and the flat tax as an alternative to what he called a "terrible tax code." Another idea he proposed was to substantially lower Cancer death rates in the next ten years, an idea he dubbed as an "American-sized goal."

Brownback also discussed the cutting of foreign dependence on oil and start involving electricity in car usage.

"I got a hybrid Civic that I drive.I get about 41-42 miles a gallon on [it]," stated Brownback on his willingness to be more environment-friendly.

On the War on Terrorism, Brownback called for bipartisan effort to combat what he says is "the dominant feature in our political discussion today."

"It takes both a family and village," said Brownback of the importance of rebuilding families, referencing his potential presidential opponent and fellow senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who penned the best selling and controversial book "It Takes a Village."

Brownback's speech closed with the same subject he opened with, the upcoming March for Life.

The event, sponsored by the College Republicans was held in the Gowan Hall auditorium.

The speech was well received by a majority of the students, but some felt Brownback's presence was not genuine.

"He manipulated everyone in the audience because of the pro-life rally," said Freshman Johan Propst. "90% of what he said was about pro-life."

"He catered only to the profilers and dismissed [every] current political issue," said Freshman Max Bernas.

After Brownback spoke, his political team and other volunteers distributed signs and other campaign memorabilia in the hopes of an unofficial grassroots effort during the March for Life event, which was planned for the following day. A recent Washington Post-ABC poll has Brownback at 1% support rating among Republicans primary voters.

Rare Bible Exhibit Comes To University

Women's Basketball Team Faces Ups and Downs

Last Saturday the women's basketball team lost 73-64 against the York College Spartans (1-4, 5-1 CAC) at the DuFour Center. On Wednesday, Catholic played the Salisbury University Sea Gulls (9-4, 4-2 CAC), winning 56-51 and giving them a 10-5 (3-2 CAC) record.

While Catholic's record of 9-5, (2-2 in the CAC) may not show that they are dominating this season, the Lady Cards have displayed determination and dedication. The freshman players combined with head coach Margaret Carey entering her second season give the team a promising future.

Although senior Maria Rojas is only 5'2", she is one of the most powerful and aggressive players on the team. She confidently sheds defenders while exasperating offensive opponents. Rojas has 18 steals in her last season at Catholic, to give her a career total of 260 steals.

Senior Jackie DeBorger is also having an impressive season as she surpassed the 1,000 point mark earlier this season. DeBorger now has 1,077 points in addition to a new school record of 179 three point goals. Sophomore Kristen Linderoth has certainly begun the New Year swiftly. On January 2, against Montclair State, Linderoth achieved a team-high record of 250 rebounds. She had 20 points against the Spartans, including perfect accuracy at the line and 6 rebounds. At Salisbury, Linderoth also had nine rebounds.

The teamwork of the Lady Cards is unleashed on the court as the players agilely move across the court. With communication as a key element, the freshmen have had a large impact as well as depth for Catholic. Freshman Justine Gray had 11 points and 6 rebounds against York. Against Salisbury, Gray had a team-high of 18 points and three steals.

Tomorrow, the Lady Cards will play CAC rival Gallaudet at the DuFour Center at 2 p.m.

The Norovirus Plagued Campus

Approximately 60 students fell ill to what the University Student Health Service and the US Department of Health concluded was a Norovirus outbreak during the week of Dec. 12.

The original source of the virus is undetermined, due in great part to the difficulty pinpointing a root in an open and large area, such as a university. No know pattern or concentrated area was evident. Out of the 62 students that were diagnosed with the virus, only seven students needed hospital attention, but were not admitted overnight. The outbreak was predominantly exclusive to undergraduate freshmen students with no reported faculty members affected, according to Student Health Service.

The Norovirus is a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis, or the "stomach flu", inducing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. According to the National Center for Contagious Diseases, the virus is extremely contagious and is easy transmitted from person to person, especially in communal areas. It is especially common in cruise ships due to the confined area. There is currently no medical cure.

The Student Health Service was first made of aware of the illness after the Department of Public Safety reported that three students with similar symptoms were taken to local hospitals on Monday Dec. 11. By Thursday of the same week, the US Department of Health concluded that the illness was a Norovirus outbreak. A vast majority of the students were treated in the Student Health Services offices where physician Loretta Staudt and nurse practitioner Terry Brady Novak primarily addressed the situation.

"They'd be evaluated by myself or one of the nurse practitioners and either treated with just medication if they were [passed] the acute phase and they were no longer vomiting. Students who were deemed to be dehydrated where they were still vomiting or they have vomited so much or had so much diarrhea that they needed extra fluids, we would take them and had staff start IVs and run IV fluids for them," said Staudt of how the procedure was carried out.

"That night [Tuesday, Dec. 12] you could look down the hallway and see where various students had become ill," said freshman Amy Smith of the various students suffering from the nausea. "Instead of stressing over the work for finals, we had to worry about avoiding getting sick in order to make it to the finals," she added. Freshman Joe Manning described his experience with the virus as "one of my worst days in my life," as he suffered the typical symptoms of nausea, diarrhea and general fatigue. His condition eventually forced him to miss his last exam, his flight home that evening, and the loss of approximately 10 pounds.

Victor Nakas, the Associate Vice President of Public Affairs, praised the collaborative efforts of various groups within the University in the efforts to minimize the spread.

"Even before there was a confirmation that it was Norovirus, our Environmental Health and Safety Office.collaborated closely with our custodial services," said Nakas. He continued to say that immediately, the custodians "engaged in increased cycles" of cleaning in area where students congregated. "Touch points," such as elevator buttons, handrails, doorknobs and bathrooms were also given exceptional attention. "By Friday, they were cleaning the bathrooms.12 times a day," attested Nakas. Additionally, Nakas and Public Affairs sent several advisory e-mails to students, staff and faculty members with the intention of informing them of the outbreak and advising them on how to lessen the spread: the most important being frequent hand washing. In addition to Student Health Services, Public Affairs, DPS, and the Environmental Health and Safety Office, Aramark, the University's food provider, collaborated by keeping samples of all the food that they served for testing, even after the results yielded the Norovirus conclusion. Nakas stated that a meeting is planned for the near future to discuss more preventative measures.

During the same time as the University's outbreak, other institutions reported Norovirus outbreaks. The Capital Times reports that in Madison Wisconsin, sixty holiday party attendees at the Monona Terrace Convention Center and Edgewater Hotel were struck with the virus in December. By January, 165 cases were reported thoughout the area. The Miami Herald reported that over 100 passengers and crew members aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas were infected with the virus during a seven-day Caribbean cruise in December. Staudt recalled that in her fifteen-year tenure at the University, two other outbreaks occurred, one being a similar Norovirus outbreak but with fewer students affected.

The outbreak ended as fast as it began, with most cases lasting no more than three days. And while another outbreak is entirely possible, Staudt and Nakas feel that the measures taken this time around proved competent.

"I think it gave us a good test of how well all the departments communicated and worked together," said Staudt. "These templates actually work"

Room Selection Moves On-line

For the first time students will be able to go online to select their room for the next academic year as a result of a collaboration between the Center for Planning and Information Technology and Housing Services. In the past students were required to go in person to make their room selections. Additionally, the room selection will take place about a month than it was last year.

The idea of switching to a completely on-line selection process has been considered for about three years by both CPIT and Housing Services says Monica Monfre, the Assistant Director of Housing Services. The deposit required for those students living on campus next year will be due Feb. 16. Student will receive their lottery numbers and registration times online, starting Mar. 5. The on-line selection, titled My Housing, can be accessed through Cardinal Station. The online process will allow multiple lotteries to be held simultaneously With the new on-line process, students will be able to pick their roommate, select their room, and choose their meal plan online and at the same time.

The decision to change the selection process was motivated by the desire to facilitate the process for both students and housing services. Ms. Monfre states that Housing Services "wanted to give students as much of an opportunity as possible to know what their room was going to be before we get into finals week. . ."

One concern that may arise from this new process is the overwhelming use of the Internet that may cause problems and delays for students trying to choose a room. Monfre stated that Housing Services would be working with CPIT to provide troubleshooting information to students in order to prevent any problems that may occur. Also, Housing services will perform tests of the online selection in order to get an idea of how the process will run.

Information sessions will be available for students starting the week of Jan. 22 to aid students with the process of room selection. Students wishing to live on campus next year are able to pick up Intent to Return Forms from Housing Services and Residence Hall Offices.

Service Day

Editorial: CUA On Tap Serves As Model

The Editorial Board would like to take the opportunity to welcome back the faculty, staff and students for the spring semester and the New Year. There is much to expect this semester from the administration as well as the student body including various programs, policies and student events. CUA student programs have offered many things in the past but as of last night, they have offered the one thing that all college students love: beer.

Last night, a program called "Theology on Tap" was held by the Guild of Catholic Lawyers in the south-dining hall of the Pryz. Archbishop Donald Wuerl gave a lecture on the Church and its application to the individual Catholic. Eddie Pryzbla's Student Center finally lived up to its name, serving up a thoroughly enjoyable lecture with complimentary Budweiser. The students were extremely responsible and calm as they bonded over the wise words of our Archbishop, and pondered Theological questions with some of the best minds in the field. The event seemed to be enjoyed by all who attended and should serve as an example for future events.

It is understandable that much planning is required for an event that serves alcohol on campus. However, this should not deter student organizations from planning them. If anything, last night served as an indicator of what this student body desperately needs: camaraderie and tradition.

How many students truly know the CUA fight song? How many students have even heard the fight song? It is up to the students to begin to build the great tradition that this University deserves. Last night's event is a start. How many Universities can boast that all members of the student body of legal age were invited to discuss theology over a few beers with the Archbishop of Washington, D.C.? Let the students take these instances of unique opportunity available to Catholic University and build upon them a tradition worthy of the years accrued during our history.

New Restaurant/Bar Opens In Brookland

The Cardinal's Nest is a new restaurant on 10th street, they had their grand opening last Saturday. They are currently working on limited hours due to being understaffed. According to the managers this is not the new Johnny K's/ Cardinal Club, it is more of a relaxed restaurant.

The managers at the Cardinal's Nest said that they hope to have created a restaurant that is for the entire neighborhood. "We are going to unite everyone, college students and the neighborhood," said Tony Fuller, one of the Managers. The restaurant will not be an addition to the list of bars for University students to frequent. They anticipate to create a more laid back theme as a coffee house, Internet caf