Events Highlight Needs of Disadvantaged

HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS WEEK

The University recognized the less fortunate this past week through a series of activities during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The week began early Monday morning with So Others May Eat and continued with activities geared towards informing students about the plight of the homeless and ways to get involved.

“This whole lifestyle of love and service is about trying to do the will of God in my life every day,“ said Luis Vasquez, University alumnus and 2007 Washingtonian of the Year, who spoke Thursday nigh at CUA on Tap. He stressed the importance of giving back to the community, sharing his own personal experiences working with the homeless of Washington, D.C. Read more

Campus Ministers Win HoCo King and Queen

Seniors Josh Baum and Liz Madio were named 2008 Homecoming King and Queen during halftime of last Saturday’s Homecoming football game.

The Homecoming court nominees stood on the 50-yard line in their red and black Cardinal spirit clothing and awaited the results of the week-long online voting process. After all the names were read, cheers erupted when Madio and Baum were announced as the winners.

“I was surprised. I thought Nick Berg was going to win,“ said Baum who is a member of the House and also the beat boxer for Redline and an Esto Vir member. “I actually only won by five votes and I voted for myself.“

Madio, a nursing major and resident minister for Millennium South, was also very surprised to be chosen.

“There were so many great candidates this year and to be quite honest, I didn‘t even vote for myself,“ said Madio. “I gave up my vote to someone else because I truly could not decide what to do.“
When asked if he deserved the award, Baum replied he thought of it as just another way to show his CUA pride.

There was also a faculty Homecoming King and Queen election for the first time ever. The King was Ryan McKinney, the area coordinator for Southside and the Queen was Michelle Reinhart, assistant dean of the School of Architecture.

This year, the Homecoming King and Queen selection process was changed from candidates being backed by an organization, to anyone being allowed to fill out a nomination form.

Despite these changes, Campus Ministry still seemed to have a monopoly on the crown, since many, including Madio and Baum, of the Homecoming nominees were a part of Campus Ministry. Judging by the loud cheers they received at the football game, this did not seem to upset students.

Baum said, “In the House, we‘ve been painting the town red and black all year through the events we put on.”

CUA On Tap Audio Slideshow

Non-Alum to Head Retreats, Bring New Ideas, Perspective

Jeff Ossinger has joined Campus Ministry as the new associate minister for retreats and men’s issues.
Ossinger graduated in 2005 from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. His job following graduation was in a group called FOCUS, Fellowship of Catholic University Students, a union of students who run a non-profit organization. In FOCUS, Ossinger was sent to serve as a campus missionary at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

During his post-graduate work, Ossinger found inspiration to become a priest and entered a seminary in the Archdiocese of Boston. After a year, Ossinger understood he wanted to serve his faith, but he found that the priesthood was not his calling.

Shortly after leaving the seminary, he came to CUA.

The hiring of Ossinger was unique in many ways. Alumni are traditionally considered and hired for positions such as the one Ossinger has accepted. “Their experience with CUA and its programs often proves invaluable,” said Fr. Robert Schlageter, University chaplain and director of Campus Ministry.
Ossinger believes “the purpose of retreats is to take a step back from life to take a new perspective on life.” Ossinger’s first retreat will be the freshman retreat, rescheduled for next weekend due to weather.

After meeting his retreat team, all the members shared their past experiences to help Ossinger get an idea of how a retreat should be organized. He has been working around the clock to ensure every part of the retreat goes well.

Ossinger’s late nights hammering out details for the retreat have convinced many that he is prepared for the job. He will “bring a different experience and be able to contribute new ideas because of his experience at a different university,” said Schlageter.

Ossinger and his team worked on advertising, student sign-ups and coordinating how speeches, transportation and certain activities of retreats would function.

Daniel Burns, who will aid Ossinger on the retreat, spoke warmly, saying he was highly motivated towards making his first retreat a success. “He has a lot of experience considering he’s so young,” said Burns. “He has lots of energy and has a good personality.”

Ossinger is also minister for men’s issues. His work will include recruiting more men into activities regarding the Catholic faith. He will work with the Knights of Columbus, Esto Vir and other organizations predominantly run by males, as well as handling the general issues and concerns of male students.

CUA Students Create Posters to Welcome Pope Benedict XVI to Catholic University

By: Meaghan Byrnes (Tower Staff):

Tonight, about 75 students gathered in the Pryzbyla Center to make posters for the pope’s visit as part of the “Rock the Pope” events this week. With the sounds of Billy Joel and The Blues Travelers and the smell of popping popcorn this was an upbeat and exciting event of “Rock the Pope” as compared to its prayerful counterparts. Many students danced and chatted as they created posters that said different creative saying such as “I Love our German Shepard” and “We love our ultimate dad!” among many others.

See all the photos online here.

“It’s going to be great to see all the people but with all the posters the people and the excitement and yelling, its just going to make it that much better for when he gets here its going to be that much more exciting. Their bright and colorful and they show a lot of creativity- it’s good!” said sophomore history major Matt Patella.

In response to the turnout and excitement Emmjolee Mendoza Waters, who helped organized the “Rock the Pope” week events was very happy.

“It’s awesome!” she said. “I just called a meeting and asked for anyone who wanted to volunteer, and we had tons of people help.”

Many students were gaining excitement as well.

“He’s bringing a lot to the school! I have a ticket for tomorrow at the Basilica because I can’t wait for Thursday and then I’m going to the mass and then I’m coming back here to see him here. I’m psyched! All the stuff their doing- its really well organized and secret service hasn’t been that much of a pain, its fantastic!” said freshman Theology major, Chris Anderson.

CUA Students Hang Poster Greeting Pope

This sign was posted outside of Gibbons Hall in anticipation of the pope’s visit to the Basilica tomorrow.

CUA Students Pray the Rosary as part of School’s “Rock the Pope” Campaign

For a little over an hour, on Monday evening, dozens of CUA Students, Faculty and Staff came out to pray the Rosary in anticipation for the visit by Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday. The event kicked off the “Rock the Pope” Campaign, which includes a number of events that the school’s Campus Ministry is hosting to get students excited about the Pope’s upcoming visit.

See all the pictures of the event here.