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

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

Association Discusses Student Bill of Rights

Student Fee Allocation Board Updates General Assembly on State of Funds

The Student Association General Assembly made plans to continue discussions on the proposed student bill of rights and received an update on student fee allocations from the Student Fee Allocation Board at their meeting Tuesday night.

Delegate Andrew Platt presented a student bill of rights to the General Assembly.

“This was the first reading of the bill, so this is not its final form and has yet to be adopted,” said delegate Ryan Winn. Read more

Weekend Victory Would Secure Slot in Playoffs

After a long and testing season, it all comes down to just one game to finish up the regular season, as the Cardinals could clinch the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title with a win over Bridgewater on Saturday.

“I think we can’t grow complacent with what we have done so far this season,” said senior captain Nick Olivero midseason about what needed to be done to reach the playoffs. “We have to be even hungrier and more focused for the next game if we want to have the type of success that we desire.”

The Cardinals drowned Guilford College 49-34 last Saturday. Senior quarterback Keith Ricca passed for over 500 yards and threw five touchdown passes. Read more

Cardinal at CUA: Obama is ‘Aggressive, Disruptive and Apocalyptic’

His Eminence James Francis Cardinal Stafford criticized President-elect Barack Obama as “aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic,“ and said he campaigned on an “extremist  anti-life platform,” Thursday night in Keane Auditorium during his lecture “Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II: Being True in Body and Soul.“

“Because man is a sacred element of secular life,” Stafford remarked, “man should not be held to a supreme power of state, and a person’s life cannot ultimately be controlled by government.”

“For the next few years, Gethsemane will not be marginal. We will know that garden,” Stafford said, comparing America’s future with Obama as president to Jesus’ agony in the garden. “On November 4, 2008, America suffered a cultural earthquake.” Read more

Catholic University, Google Style

Street View Car Catches University Students, Buildings and Cars

The University can now be viewed with the Google Street View feature on Google Maps. Google Street View provides 360 degree panoramic street-level views of selected cities and metropolitan areas.

So who’s doing what along Michigan Avenue? Did Google catch your suitemate tying his shoes? Did they catch your professor spilling his cup of morning coffee getting out of his car? Or did they catch the dazed and confused expression of a freshman walking from Spellman Hall?

Google Street View shows images of students walking from the DuFour Center and students getting into their cars. Images of an incomplete Opus Hall, as well as a still standing St. Bonaventure Hall, which was demolished last year, can also be found on the site.

The Street View feature began in May 2007 with coverage of five cities. This project of putting street-level images of cities on the web has been extended into six countries, including recent additions of France, Spain and Italy. In honor of Election Day, Google launched satellite images of the Washington, D.C. area.

Criticism of the program has been widespread, as privacy advocates question the legality of showing pictures of people in various locations. The faces of people are blurred, which Google says, is to preserve the privacy of the people in the images, since they did not give their consent for their picture to be taken.

The launch of the Washington, D.C. images was supposed to happen earlier this year, but the Department of Homeland Security delayed it. As opposed to being started with U.S cities, Atlanta, Tampa, and Sacramento, images of D.C. were launched the same day as Seattle.

Since Google as added the University to Street View, street sighting is sure to become a trend of students. Look up any address, in any city and you are sure to find a funny image. Google has caught people climbing into windows, inappropriate signs and other acts of mischief with their cameras.

The ultimate goal for Google is to provide street images of the entire world. However, the company has not publicly stated how and when they plan to do so. Until then, images of University students moving about campus can be seen by people throughout the world. Has your daily routine been captured yet? Get on Google Street View and find out.

Margaret Boehm and Stephanie Calhoun

In Phone Call, Pope Congratulates Obama

President-elect Barack Obama returned a phone call to Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday after his election to the presidency last week.

Obama phoned the pope “to thank the pope for his telegram, his congratulations” on the election said Rev. Federico Lombardi, chief spokesman for Pope Benedict XVI, in a CathNews article.

Pope Benedict XVI had sent a telegram to Obama last Wednesday, congratulating him on his election as the 44 President of the United States, as well as being the first African American ever elected. The pope also said he would keep Obama and the U.S. in his prayers.

The phone call between the pope and Obama was part of the “normal exchanges” between a new American President and other world leaders, according to a TimesOnline article.

The same day, a senior Vatican official made clear the Holy See would oppose any changes by Obama in U.S. policy on embryonic stem cell research, according to the TimesOnline article. There was no exchange on the issue, however, between the pope and the president elect.

“All of us are hoping that Obama will be able to meet the expectations and hopes directed at him,” said Lombardi in a statement.

Lombardi said he hoped Obama would “work for the cause of rights and justice, finding suitable ways to promote peace in the world, fostering people’s development and dignity while respecting essential human and spiritual values.”

American clerics in the Catholic Church attacked Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden, a Roman Catholic, because of his stance on abortion during the campaign. Neither the pope nor Lombardi mentioned Biden in the telegram or phone call.

Biden will become the highest ranking Roman Catholic in American government since former president John F. Kennedy. He will also become the first Catholic vice president in American history.

Alumni Return to CUA for Homecoming

Homecoming brought past and present together this weekend, as students of yesteryear encountered the changes that have occurred on campus over the past 50 years.
“The campus still looks good,” said Patricia Ann (Bergquist) Tartaglia, class of 1958, who came back to campus this weekend to relive the memories she created while at the University. “There’s a lot more buildings and students living on campus.”

Tartaglia, a former nursing major, said there were more undergraduates now, as there were only about 2,000 when she was a student. She had 38 students in her nursing class.

“There were more graduate students, about 4,000, then undergraduates back then,” said Tartaglia, who is currently retired and lives in Maryland.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception was under construction when Tartaglia was a freshman, and wasn’t completed until she was a senior.

“I was capped, which is a ceremony in the nursing school after completing your work at the hospital, in the chapel of the Shrine in the basement.”

Tartaglia, who was a “day hopper,” or commuter student, also noticed changes in her major, especially the nursing students being a part of campus more. Nursing students lived in nursing dorms near the old Providence Hospital. “We commuted to campus on trolleys,” Tartaglia said.

She attended the alumni dinner on Friday night in the McMahon foyer. “The University really did a good job. It was relaxing to be in McMahon,” said Trataglia.

Rev. David M. O’Connell, president of the University, was not in attendance because he is still overseas traveling. He sent a video for the alumni to view.

Trataglia also hosted a brunch for nine of her nursing classmates at her home over the weekend.
Meghan Comey, associate director for homecoming and reunions weekend in the Office of Alumni Relations, said the Friday happy hours drew 300 alumni between both Capital City Brewery and Irish Times, and over 200 people were in attendance at the All Class Homecoming Bash on Saturday.

Many things have changed at the University, but “there’s still a nice spirit on the campus,” said Trataglia.

Meet the Sandwich Guy: Ten Questions with Reggie

By: Sheana Numata, Tower Staff

Q: How long have you been working at CUA?
A: Nine years now.

Q: Do you enjoy working at the Pryz?
A: Sure! I enjoy being around the kids. It’s fun.

Q: What is your favorite sandwich?
A: Probably roast beef and turkey with Swiss.

Q: Do you ever eat any of the food you make?
A: Sure! All the time. It’s good. I love it!

Q: What music do you listen to?
A: Rap, R&B, things like that.

Q: Whose your favorite athlete and why?
A: I would say Kobe Bryant because I’m a big Lakers fan.

Q: What do you do during your breaks?
A: Just sit around my house watching a lot of sports.

Q: Republican or Democrat?
A: Democrat.

Q: What’s your favorite hobby?
A: I don’t have too many hobbies. I just like to tool around the house, you know?

Q: Who are you rooting for in the World Series?
A: The Philadelphia Phillies, of course!

House Party Buckles Under Pressure from Dean’s Office

With a subject line reading “12th and Lawrence,” resident assistants on campus opened their inboxes to this message from Area Coordinator Ryan McKinney October 3.

“RAs, spread the word.  Do NOT go to this party.  If you do it might be your last at CUA.”

Earlier in the week, students across campus received a Facebook invitation from junior Vicky Mahoney’s Facebook page to the “175th Oktoberfest” at a house on 12th and Lawrence, a half mile from campus, on Saturday, October 4.  The invitation also had an extensive list of the alcoholic beverages that were to be available, including 900 beers, a jug of Puerto Rican Lemonade, a two-story beer bong, a ski shot, a gin bucket and Jell-O shooters.

Friday morning, junior John CoFrancesco, a resident of the house, received an e-mail from Sarah Daniels, the associate Dean of Students and director of Residence Life, regarding “a very large party” that was supposed to take place on Saturday night at his house.  In the e-mail, she warned CoFrancesco that, “given the nature of the proposed event, the University would pursue a suspension of all student tenants and/or student organizers of the party.”  The Department of Public Safety and the Metropolitan Police Department had both been made aware of the event, Daniels told CoFrancesco.  She asked CoFrancesco for any other “specific information about the students or student organization that may be hosting the event.” Read more

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