Kelly’s Ellis Island Sold to Owner of Tex-Mex Restaurants

Hugh Kelly, founder of Catholic University staples Irish Times and Ellis Island, has sold the later to the owner of two Tex-Mex restaurants. Ellis Island, once a bustling and popular bar/restaurant frequented by University students, has been closed the entire academic year, and its future was uncertain.

Brookland’s Ellis Island was sold to Jaime Vargas, owner of San Antonio Bar & Grill, a family-owned Tex-Mex restaurant with two locations in Virginia, according to community newspaper Brookland Heartbeat.

Vargas has been looking for a location in Brookland for several years, according to the Heartbeat. “I am very excited to become part of this community,” said Vargas. Read more

Letter to the Editor: Cardinal Stafford Right on Obama’s Abortion Views

I was surprised to read Prof. Kmiec’s editorial about Cardinal Stafford’s recent speech at CUA where he discussed Barack Obama’s views on abortion. In his letter, Kmiec attempts to refute those, like Stafford, who would insist that the president-elect is “anti-life.”  Kmiec states, “He [Obama] is not; the new President merely intends to use compassion and assistance, not condemnation and prohibition to promote human life.”

If one were to agree with Kmiec, one would need to assume that Obama takes a truly “pro-choice” stance on abortion, neither attempting to prohibit nor promote the practice, but instead uses compassion to lower the number of abortions by his support for women in crisis pregnancies.  But the facts simply don’t support this premise. Here are a few facts regarding Obama’s abortion views:

1)      Obama has promised to promote and sign the Freedom of Choice Act, a bill which would reverse virtually all existing laws that attempt to place any common sense restrictions on abortion.  Such laws include parental notification and consent laws, partial-birth abortion bans, as well as prohibitions on the domestic funding of abortions.

2)      The president-elect is also expected to immediately reverse the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits our UN funding from going to organizations that perform or promote abortions overseas.  Reversing this policy means that the US will once again (as it was in the Clinton Administration) be an active force in the funding and promotion of abortion world-wide.

3)      The new president is also expected to immediately reverse the embryonic stem cell policy of the Bush Administration.  This policy limited the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research to already existing stem cell lines. Reversing this policy will open the floodgates of this type of research, which will not only degrade human life but will also start a market for human eggs, which are needed for embryonic stem cell experimentation.  This market will result in the exploitation of poor women who will be financially enticed to donate their own eggs (a dangerous and painful procedure).

4)      Obama has also just announced that his communications director will be Ellen Moran, the current executive director of Emily’s List, an organization which raises funds for pro-choice candidates to public office. One might ask how anything “pro-life” could be communicated by this president’s administration with such an individual in this position.

5)      The new president’s attitude on life in the womb is also telling. In a campaign discussion about sex education, he hypothetically discussed a situation in which one of his daughters might find themselves pregnant.  Defending a possible abortion option for his daughters, he stated, “I don’t want them punished with a baby.” An unbiased observer can only conclude that Obama, must at least sometimes consider the gift of life in the womb as a “punishment.”

6)      One would also expect this proposed compassionate approach, which Kmiec believes Obama has, to manifest itself in the support of Crisis Pregnancy Centers and other organizations which assist poor pregnant women.  However, there is no evidence of such compassionate support by Obama.

In short, I understand that many Catholics have voted for Barack Obama on the basis of issues other than abortion. The problem is that many of them, in their enthusiasm for their candidate, seek to whitewash his abysmal policies on abortion. However, these attempts show Kmiec and others of his ilk to be either ignorant of the facts, or at best, naïve.  But as the above facts show, Cardinal Stafford’s views were accurate: Barack Obama is probably the most pro-abortion president that this nation has ever seen.

Dennis Di Mauro is Secretary of the National Pro-Life Religious Council, President of Northern VA Lutherans for Life and a doctoral student in Theology and Religious Studies at CUA.

Letter to the Editor: Student Association Discusses Bill of Rights

The 21 November Tower carried an article, “Student Association Discusses Bill of Rights….” Based on the article, I concluded that a proposed change to the Student Handbook to limit Catholic University’s Department of Public Safety’s off-campus jurisdiction vis-à-vis students won preliminary (first reading) approval.

As an alumnus living in the nearby neighborhood since graduating in 1979, a former member of the now defunct Student Judiciary when Terry McAuliffe was Judicial VP, and a civic leader who has testified at city council to show requisite public support for the revenue bonds needed to build the Millennium and Opus dormitories and who has heard over many years the neighborhood’s permanent residents report rowdy, dangerous, threatening student behavior and witnessed some examples personally, I would like to offer you a perspective you might not otherwise hear about “CUA’s enforcement of policies off campus [being] inconsistent. ‘There are kids [actually, are all adults] that live in Maryland and Virginia. Is DPS going to go out there?’”

Private universities under D.C. zoning are private businesses. They may locate in the downtown business district as “matter-of-right” (e.g., Georgetown Law School). When, however, they locate in residential areas, they must seek a zoning waiver. A special kind of zoning waiver has been devised, a “Campus Plan,” renewable every 10 years following zoning commission review. In order for a campus plan to be approved, the university must show that its operations are “not likely to be objectionable to the surrounding residential area”. As a rule-of-thumb, the zoning commission considers a radius one-mile out from the campus boundaries to be the primary area of impact, but at least theoretically, although rarely if ever in fact, impacts could be farther out.

Students living off campus have been determined to be an impact of a university’s operation because they would be unlikely to be living where they are but for attending the university. The university, construed as a kind of business or commercial operation for zoning purposes, is what is attracting the students. Consequently, student behavior which adversely impacts the neighborhood, e.g., rowdy parties; drunk, dangerous driving; overcrowded houses; dancing au lingerine in the street for initiation rites [this actually happenned in 1999, was filmed, and ended up on national tv]; etc are behaviors the university has to have an effective method of deterring, preventing, and punishing if they occur because their occurrence can result in the university “becoming objectionable to the surrounding residential area” and losing its legal right to operate. Because the University could lose its right to operate, the University’s Department of Public Safety needs to assert off-campus jurisdiction vis-à-vis students.

This is consistent w/ regulation more generally. For example, neighbors may challenge a liquor license because of adverse impact on “neighborhood peace, order, and quiet” arising from patrons’ rowdiness when they leave the establishment’s premises. Even if counter-intuitive, because student off-campus rowdiness could cause a university to lose its legal right to operate, the University’s Department of Public Safety is acting reasonably when it asserts off-campus jurisdiction vis-à-vis students.

Conversely and also counter-intuitively, because student off-campus rowdiness could cause a university to lose its legal right to operate, the University has an interest in addressing off-campus misbehavior proactively, before it becomes a police matter, because once it becomes a police matter, something “objectionable to the surrounding residential area” has happened. If enough happenings “objectionable to the surrounding residential area” occur, the University is in peril of losing its right to operate. However, if the University’s Department of Public Safety can address or deter something “objectionable to the surrounding residential area” beforehand and prevent it from happening, the University protects its right to operate.

Conversely, in another sense, because student on-campus rowdiness does NOT jeopardize a university’s legal right to operate, a compelling case could be made for universities to be more tolerant of on-campus misbehavior than of off-campus misbehavior. I am sure this explains some of the thinking underlying so many university rectors signing onto the Amythest Initiative to return the legal drinking age to 18 because it would return the student misbehavior onto campus and lessen it out in the neighborhood. Although I have personally registered as an Amythest Initiative supporter, as yet I would personally hesitate to press President O’Connell to do likewis.

- Dino Drudi, ‘79

Cardinal Stafford Stands by Criticism of Obama

Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See, is standing by controversial comments he made about President-elect Barack Obama during an on-campus lecture last Thursday. In an address hosted by the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and Family, Stafford called President-elect Barack Obama’s policies “aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic,” said that his election was “a cultural earthquake” and that Obama campaigned on an “extremist anti-life platform.” (YouTube Video)

The story about the Cardinal’s comments was posted on CUATOWER.com on Friday and audio of his remarks was added on Monday. Since its posting, the story went viral online and has been picked up by CNN, CBS, ABC, Catholic News Service, National Catholic Reporter and the Drudge Report. Read more

CUA Dean Files Complaint Against Cardinal’s Nest

The University filed a complaint against Cardinal’s Nest, a bar popular with students, on August 26, following reports of students returning to campus intoxicated from the bar.

Kathryn Jennings, associate dean of students, officially filed the complaint with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Association saying, “Our Department of Public Safety reported hundreds of intoxicated students coming from Cardinal’s Nest.” The bar is located less than a half mile from the University.

Jennings also mentioned she has heard about various hearings that were being conducted against Cardinal’s Nest. Read more

Cadet Cardinal: Weekend Training With CUA ROTC

Behind every identical uniform, every generic honorific and every accomplishment within the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is the story of an individual. Junior nursing major Shannon Gasser has shown up on her Colonel’s radar as a capable leader. Freshman Josh Choe scores in the top of his class on physical training, marksmanship and testing almost every chance he is given. George Washington University senior W. Buck Bobbin overcame a weight problem, completely altering his lifestyle after he missed junior summer training.

Over the last weekend, all of these stories collided about two hours outside of Washington, D.C. at the army’s Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, Va. “It’s a chance to show our abilities to the commanders,” said senior Bob Bisconti, who acted as Master Sergeant for the battalion over the weekend. Read more

Senior Got Personal Pitch From Obama

Most voters get pitches from presidential candidates through television commercials, prime-time debates and campaign websites.

Senior Irene Kelly got a pitch from President-elect Barack Obama in a personal phone call and meeting with the candidate.

Irene’s mother, Sarah “Sally” Kelly, became one of the first state representatives in New Hampshire to support Obama in summer of 2007, after attending a meeting in Manchester, N.H. with Obama and some of his early supporters.

Kelly’s mother invited her to go, but unfortunately could not attend due to a previously scheduled meeting. Her mother kept calling Kelly during the meeting, until she had to finally excuse herself, thinking it might be an emergency. Read more

CUA Students Protest Prop. 8 on Mall

University students attended a protest on Nov. 15 against Proposition 8, a ballot which eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry in California, as they braved the rain marching from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.

More than 5,000 people ranging “from gay and straight, young and old, black and white,” said senior Erin Murphy, who attended the protest.

“It was, in every sense of the word, an inclusive affair, and being directly in the midst of the action was an irreplaceable experience,” Murphy said. “It is not until you actually throw yourself out there that you realize how many people are negatively and unfairly affected by legislation like Prop 8.” Read more

Gibbons Residents Make Opus Room Selections

Residents in Gibbons Hall selected their rooms for next semester on Monday, as they prepare to move to Opus Hall next semester due to renovations that are planned to take place in Gibbons Hall.

The housing lottery, which began at 4:00 p.m., had problems, as the MyHousing section of Cardinal Station was unavailable due to computer problems.

MyHousing came back online 15 minutes after Housing Services contacted the Center for Planning and Information Technology, according to Todd Troke, assistant director of Housing Services. Read more

Letter to the Editor: Thoughts on Gay Students at CUA

Kelly Wilson, CUA Graduate Student

It was good to see the Tower address homosexuality on campus.  As a second year graduate student, this is the first time I have seen the CUA community publicly acknowledge homosexuality on campus.  It leads me to wonder if CUA is as hospitable as the article suggested.

Don’t get me wrong, I am pleased to hear that many gay students feel welcomed here at Catholic University; let’s be honest, anything less than that would be despicable and dare I say unchristian.

But I wonder about the gay students who do not feel welcomed on campus.

What about the freshman who feels alone during his/her first year and they don’t know who is safe to talk to?  What about the student who is struggling with their sexual orientation?  What about the student who is in the closet and fears coming out?  What about the student who is contemplating suicide because they do not know how to reconcile their orientation with their faith (studies show that 1/3 teen suicides is related to sexual orientation)?  What about the student who has experienced the brunt of anti-gay slurs and other forms of discrimination?

We must not gloss over the issue and suggest that since some people (who were interviewed) say they feel welcomed here, then CUA is a hospitable place for homosexuals.  That is tantamount to saying that since we have elected a black president, then racism in America has been eradicated.

Perhaps it is time to for the OLSGR (Organization for Lesbian and Gay Student Rights) or an Ally group (Gay/Straight Alliance) to give it another shot.  Apparently, people were semi-open to it 20 years ago.

Unless we are regressing as a community, it would seem not only plausible but appropriate to have such a group on campus.  This group could help educate the community about the issues facing LGBT people and work to dissolve common stereotypes and misconceptions.  It could serve as a safe and hospitable place for students to share their experiences and know they are not alone.  It could be a place where the dignity of the human person honored, as both gay and straight students support one another in love.

Let us heed the call of the Catholic Bishops in their letter 17 years ago on Human Sexuality, “We call on all Christians and citizens of good will to confront their own fears about homosexuality and to curb the humor and discrimination that offend homosexual persons.

We understand that having a homosexual orientation brings with it enough anxiety, pain and issues related to self-acceptance without society bringing additional prejudicial treatment” (Human Sexuality: A Catholic Perspective for Education and Lifelong Learning, 1991, p. 55).  How can we do this if other students feel that CUA operates under a “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy?

Next Page »