Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
Kelly Shaw
Campus News Editor
Xavier’s well-known Peace and Justice Programs will host their second annual Vision of Hope Speakers Series, beginning next Tuesday in the Schiff Family Conference Center. Paul Knitter will be the first of five speakers, and will begin at 7 p.m. Additional speakers will present on different dates.
The series began last year after Fr. Ben Urmston, S.J, produced a DVD called Vision of Hope, which is based on his 25 years of work with peace and justice. In the DVD, Fr. Urmston included his idea for “five pillars of a new world beginning.”
The five pillars are: a global ethic, economic democracy, non-violence, human rights and a democratic world order.
Each of the speeches in the series will be centered on one of the five pillars, and this year they will also emphasize how the pillars relate to the country of Africa.
Knitter, a Xavier professor of theology, will discuss a global ethic in Africa today.
Each of the five speakers will also answer three distinct questions, in addition to relating their speech to one of the five pillars. The questions are: “Is it necessary?” “Is it possible?” and “What is the way forward?”
Nancy Bertaux, Peter Schraeder, David Hollenbach, S.J, and Adam Clark, all Xavier professors, are the four additional speakers for the series.
The Peace and Justice Programs have decided to make the Vision of Hope series an annual event, and they anticipate it will be as successful as last year’s series.
“Last year, we averaged 100 people for each speaker,” said Patrick Welage, Assistant Director of the Peace and Justice Programs. “About half came from the Xavier community, and the other half came from the community-at-large. We hope to increase those numbers this year.”
The Peace and Justice Programs are responsible for the peace studies minor, the Justice Across Campus Committee and some of the mini service-learning opportunities that Xavier offers. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the programs on campus.
All five of the speakers in the Vision of Hope Speakers Series are free and open to the public.
Madeline LaFave
Contributing Writer
For many, the fourth Saturday of every October is just another day closer to that beloved holiday of sharing tricks and treats within a community, but for millions of others, it is a day of sharing oneself.
October 20-22, 2006 marks the date of the fifteenth annual “Make a Difference Weekend” in Sarasota County, Florida. Thanks to the Sarasota/Bradenton Chapter of the Xavier University National Alumni Association, Xavier is now a part of it, too.
In 2004, Xavier alumni led a group of alums in Cincinnati from six Jesuit colleges in what was called Jesuit Service Day, an “event that fulfills an integral part of our shared Jesuit education: devotion to service…the prospect of getting together with like-minded graduates from other Jesuit institutions…[is] something special,” said John McGruder, President of the Xavier Alumni Association Sarasota/Bradenton Chapter.
This year, not only will Xavier alums be a part of the event, but alumni from twenty-eight Jesuit colleges and universities will attend as well.
Make a Difference Weekend is devoted to bettering the lives of those within the community. It is sponsored by Weekly News Magazine, USA Weekend and the Points of Light Foundation, an organization devoted to engaging more people and resources more effectively in the service of volunteerism, in order to solve serious social problems.
Make a Difference Day works in conjunction with the Points of Light Foundation’s National Day of Service, which is October 21. Despite the Alumni Association being a driving force in the event, it is open to anyone and everyone willing to give time and/or efforts to a cause.
One participant, an 11-year-old girl named Jasmine, was an honoree for her work at the Denver Make a Wish Weekend in 2004. She and a few others aided in giving a day off to a struggling 29-year-old single mother of six. The group of girls raised enough money to make a homemade meal for the family and take all six kids to a matinee children’s movie.
The young volunteers even spent their own money on treats for the kids. Jasmine, who was responsible for a 4-year-old named Miracle, admitted that it was hard enough taking care of one child for a day, let alone six.
“I used all my money. I spent it all on Miracle. I made Miracle happy, though, so it’s OK,” said Jasmine.
Individual volunteers are encouraged to team up with others and select a service project to complete over the duration of the weekend. The goal this year is 250 projects.
This year, make the weekend before Halloween a special one, and “treat” someone in need to something sweet.
Kelly Shaw
Campus News Editor
As November 7 approaches, political parties have begun their last minute efforts to convince voters that their side has the answers. For those students who just read that sentence and do not know what November 7 is, it is election day. Living on a college campus can make students oblivious to even the most dramatic campaign pleas.
The U.S. census says that 26,822,000 out of 312,678,000 voters are young adults, ages 18 to 24. Still, there are many campaigns calling for more young voters, which seems to suggest the country does not hear enough from its youth.
Although Xavier and many colleges do not have publicized places to register to vote on campus, it’s easy for any college student to do.
Everyone must register to vote by mailing a registration form to their secretary of state’s office, but the forms can be picked up at most DMVs, post offices, libraries and local voter registration offices. However, the easiest way to get a registration form is online.
There are multiple websites that allow potential voters to register, including govote.com, rockthevote.com and state government websites. If you visit the Ohio secretary of state’s office, you can read about important campaign issues as well as register to vote.
The website claims, “Ohio has more than 11 million citizens. About eight million Ohioans are registered to vote.”
Rock the Vote is a campaign centered on getting young adults to vote by supplying opinions on different topics such as jobs, cost of education, war, the draft and voting rights.
“In states that have election day voter registration, the participation rate is 14 percent higher for young adults,” claims one opinion on the site. The site also claims that young voters should speak up against college student voting rights allegedly coming under attack.
After entering all of your information in any of the sites’ registration forms you will then have to print the form, and send it to your secretary of state’s office where it will be processed. To check the status of your registration form, obtain an absentee ballot, or find where your polling place is, you must also contact your secretary of state.
Tyler Burgei
Contributing Writer
Making a difference on the somewhat conservative scene at Xavier University has been the passion of many professors here. Dr. Ernest Fontana has been trying to make a difference in several aspects of the university since he came.
Dr. Fontana of the English department started teaching at Xavier University as an assistant professor in 1966 and has taught numerous courses here over the last 40 years. These include Poetry, several literature courses ranging from the Victorian Age to World Fiction, History of Literary Criticism and History of the English Language, among many others.
Dr. Fontana has participated in several committees, including those that have implemented the core curriculum and the E/RS focus, namely developing Literature and the Moral Imagination, a class that a majority of the undergraduates at Xavier will take at one point or another.
Dr. Fontana has achieved several accomplishments of which he is very proud. He was the chair of the English department from 1976 to 1984 and was also the first director of the Scholars Program. He has had over 50 articles published in over 35 scholarly journals.
“I don’t have a book out,” he says with a chuckle. The reason? Well, anyone who has ever had Dr. Fontana as a professor could probably guess his response: “I get too distracted and interested in too many other subjects too easily.”
Implementing a more liberal atmosphere on campus has always been a passion of Dr. Fontana’s. He has worked to provide a more diversified staff at Xavier by always being pro-active in hiring women, and he helped launch the first Women’s Center. He has also played a few contentious roles by voicing his approval of the showings of several controversial films and plays inside and outside of the classroom.
When asked what future goals he has left after being a part of Xavier for forty years, Dr. Fontana replies that he wants to continue playing a role in speaking about controversial issues and taking a stand in issues that are “against the grain.”
He says that he will always practice and advocate others in challenging thinking that is comfortable and in being a contrarian to any dominant orthodox or consensus.
Indeed, Dr. Fontana has provided this liberal arts university with a zeal for breaking the constraints of conservatism.
Click to enlarge Staff
The LAC offers study groups in the sciences and drop-in tutoring sessions in a variety of subjects, including Philosophy, Spanish, Economics, and Music Theory.
Trained peer tutors facilitate the sessions, guiding the members and helping them find answers to their questions and make a regular habit of studying.
Students do not need to sign up to attend these sessions; you can simply show up during the scheduled time for the session. Most sessions are held in the LAC office, located on the first floor of Kuhlman Hall, unless it is otherwise noted.
Sept. 13, 6:30 p.m.—An employee reported that their credit card was stolen from their office in Schott Hall. By the time that the incident was reported, the card had already been used to purchase $400 worth of merchandise on the west side of downtown.
Sept. 14, 10:10 p.m.—A student reported annoying emails from an ex-acquaintance. Residence Life will be dealing with the incident.
Sept. 15, 10:00 a.m.—A student reported the theft of CDs and cash from their vehicle parked on the 3700 block of Ledgewood.
Sept. 15, 9:45 p.m.—A student was cited for underage consumption and failure to follow directions after a university official observed the student throwing trash in the Village.
Sept. 16, 2:15 a.m.—Three students were observed loading a beer keg into a car in the Alumni Parking Lot. They were cited for the possession of a beer keg, for giving false information to an officer and for underage consumption of alcohol.
Sept. 16, 3:19 a.m.—A student reported a stolen wallet from an unlocked room in Kuhlman Hall.
Sept. 16, 10:30 a.m.—A student reported that their car was keyed in the C-1 Parking Lot.
Sept. 16, 2:31 p.m.—A student reported that their cell phone was stolen from Kelley Auditorium.
Sept. 17, 12:11 a.m.—A student throwing water balloons behind Elet Hall was cited for underage consumption.
Sept. 17, 11:45 a.m.—Campus Police and Cincinnati Police investigated a burglary on the 3700 block of Ledgewood. The students living in a university house accounted that someone had entered the residence overnight and removed a DVD player and 40 DVDs.
Police Note of the Week
In reference to the Aug. 30 brief concerning “Richard McMillan” (a male soliciting monetary assistance to get his vehicle out of the impound lot), Campus Police states that the suspect was arrested by Cincinnati and Norwood Police over the weekend, and he will be charged.
Also in reference to the Aug. 30 citing of four burglaries around the Dana Ave./Cleanay Ave. areas, Campus Police states that a suspect was arrested late last week and will be charged with theft by deception.
Kelly Shaw 
Campus News Editor
An informational meeting will be held at 9 p.m. tonight for anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer for the start of the new Women’s Center on campus. Volunteers are needed for the renovation and formatting of the center. The Center focuses on equity for all peoples from a woman’s point of view. The meeting will take place in GSC room 214. Contact Katie Brennan at brennank@xavier.edu or 314-750-3898.
Bio Club
If you are a fan of the great outdoors, hiking, fishing, fossil hunting, etc., the Biology Club is inviting you to a meeting at 9:30 p.m. tonight in Albers Hall, room 103. Contact Katy Krivchenia at krivcheniake@xavier.edu.
December grads
The Office of the Registrar wishes to remind all students who will be graduating in December that the deadline for registration is Oct.11. Applications are available in Alter Hall, room 129 or at the registrar’s website. The cost of the application fee is $50 and payments should be made through the bursar’s office. After Oct. 11, a $50 late fee will be added. Applications can be mailed or hand delivered to: Office of the Registrar, Attn: Kathy Schmitt, 3800 Victory Parkway Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-3131; or faxed to 745-2868. If you have any questions, contact the office of the registrar at 745-3941.
Driver training
Campus Police is inviting any student or staff member who may be driving a 15-passenger van to a driver training session at 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25 in Flynn Hall in the Incident Command Center. Upon completion of this program, Cincinnati Insurance will issue laminated cards for each participant to document their participation in a National Safety Council Defensive Driving Program. For more information, contact Mary Beth Townsley at 745-2090 or trownsley@xavier.edu
ISS coffee hour
The International Students’ Society will host a Belize coffee hour tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ISS hosts a different coffee hour every Wednesday at the same time. Everyone is invited for free coffee, food and music. Next week will be Kenyan coffee hour.
Jesuit Superior General to visit
Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus, will be the featured speaker at Xavier University’s Academic Day on Tuesday, Oct. 3. He will speak at 2:45 p.m. in Cintas Center banquet room number two. His topic will be “The Service of Faith in a Religiously Pluralistic World: The Challenge for American Jesuit Higher Education.” This event is by invitation only. Members of the media are welcome to attend.
XU celebrates Edgecliff Scholars
A celebration was held on Monday, Sept. 18 to honor Xavier University’s Edgecliff Scholars. The scholars and their sponsors attended a dinner in Cintas Center banquet room. In 1987, there were just two Edgecliff Scholars. Now there are 47 scholars who were awarded more than $92,000 in grants. An annual Edgecliff Fund Drive raises money for these awards, as do special fundraising events, gifts and requests during the year.
Vision of Hope Speaker Series
Xavier University’s second annual Vision of Hope five-part speaker series begins Tuesday. The series is based upon the theme, “Five Pillars of a New World Building,” explored in a video by Fr. Benjamin J. Urmston, S.J., director of Peace and Justice Programs at Xavier University. This series is free and open to the public.