Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
Published since 1915 by the students
of Xavier University
Family-owned blue gibbon to replace BK next semester
Darren LaCour
Associate Campus News Editor
“The food just sits there and then they reheat it.”
“The chicken tenders were soggy.”
“I try to avoid Burger King because of the poor service and sub par quality.”
Freshmen Katie Nierzwicki and Dan Rozier and sophomore Julio Minsal-Ruiz are just a few of the many students who have encountered these problems with the Burger King restaurant in the Gallagher Student Center. So when the fast food chain’s contract ends with the close of 2006, Xavier has decided it’s time for a change.
Next semester, Xavier will be bringing in the Blue Gibbon, a family owned and operated Chinese restaurant. Located a mere five minutes from campus, the restaurant was established in 1983 by Frank Kok and has long been a strong favorite of faculty and staff.
For Tom Barlow, Director of Auxiliary Services, the situation presented itself at the perfect time. “I felt this would be a good opportunity to bring in a well-run, well-established restaurant to create good ties to our communities and support them.”
Barlow, who is responsible for having the restaurant brought to campus, is hoping to have the Blue Gibbon moved in as close to the first part of the spring semester as possible.
Logistically, the setup of the Blue Gibbon expansion put in Gallagher will be a little different than what students might expect. Because the original restaurant is so close to campus, the majority of the food will be cooked there and then shuttled over to Xavier, where the entrees will be kept warm via steam tables to ensure freshness. All deep fried items, such as egg rolls, will be cooked at the Xavier branch to keep things crispy.
“Quality and freshness are very important – as a chef, I honor that,” said Kok. All the food served will have been prepared within the hour.
The menu promises a few staple items with a rotating weekly special. A great benefit to having such a big restaurant tied to campus is that the Blue Gibbon will be able to cater to department functions as well.
Jim Eagan, Kok’s son-in law, also stated that the Xavier store will be seeking student employees. He explained that the original Blue Gibbon does not have the man power to lose any of the current staff. Kok also made it very clear that in order to maintain his high quality food, he needs to have an expertly trained group of employees.
While the food at the Blue Gibbon is exceptional, Barlow points out that this move is not just about the food, but it is primarily about the relationship. It ties in perfectly with the Xavier mission of service to the community.
“We get to maintain our positive relationships that we have with our surrounding communities,” Barlow said.
Xavier is one of the few universities in the U.S. that is bringing in a local family business to serve the students with “the community helping the community,” as Barlow puts it.
Furthermore, the Williams College of Business also plans to help the Kok family as they expand their business, offering students great experience for their lives after graduation.
The Kok family is still drafting up architectural designs for their new expansion and they are still working out the fine details, but the excitement about the move into Xavier is readily apparent among all those involved.
Pricing promises to be affordable to students, with a considerable price cut from the main Blue Gibbon restaurant, and although the hours are still unclear, it’s safe to say that the new addition will be a big hit among the students.
“We’re looking forward to bringing international flavor to an international university,” said Eagan.
1-in-4 day to raise awareness of rape and sexual violence on campus
Colleen Bott
Contributing Writer
It is a startling statistic: One in four college women are victims of rape.
Unfortunately, it is a statistic that too few students are aware of. To this end, concerned students at Xavier are planning 1-in-4 Day. Supported by the Xavier Advocates, this event, on Dec. 14, asks students, faculty and staff to wear green in support of victims of rape and sexual violence. To de-bunk the myth that revealing clothing means a woman is “asking for it” or gives implied consent, students (both men and women) are also being asked to wear short skirts or shorts in a visible statement of their support. Students who participate are being asked to wear stickers citing rape statistics. Stickers will be available in the cafeteria and Gallagher on Wednesday, Dec. 13 and Thursday, Dec. 14.
Finally, a panel of faculty, staff and students will speak about violence against women at 6 p.m. on Thursday to encourage education and dialogue. The location will be announced sooner to the date.
“To me, rape and violence against women is a diversity issue because it’s a universal injustice,” said senior J.J. Gregg, Co-student director of diversity. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white. It’s an issue that covers all genders, races, religions and ethnicities. Across the board, it’s an injustice people suffer in every social category. We should be working together to address these issues.”
Ken Grossman, a campus police officer who runs self-defense sessions for women and other events on campus, spoke about resources available to students.
“I teach women’s self-defense. We talk about date rape, and I also work with residence life and through the EPU class seminar on date rape. Any chance I get to program, I always try to include something,” he said.
Dean of Students, Dr. Luther Smith, also pointed out places where students can access information about rape and sexual assault.
“I think students should look into resources on this campus. The Advocacy Program is a wonderful resource, as are Campus Police, Health and Counseling and Psychological Services,” he said.
Grossman encourages students to take advantage of the many opportunities on campus.
“Ask questions. Any officer will answer questions about sexual assault. The Women’s Center will be an excellent resource. Participate in programs that are already given,” Grossman said.
Some students might feel that such education only applies to women.
“High risk students are certainly female, and we try to reach out to first year students,” Grossman said. “But all students, both men and women, need to be educated.”
“We need to educate men as well as women as to what rape is. It’s been my experience that men don’t understand what rape is.”
Gregg also feels that this is just as much of an issue for men.
“As a male student, I am embarrassed about the situations of rape on campus. I would love to say that I’m proud to be a male graduate of Xavier but when men are treating women in this way, it makes me less proud. I think my job as a male is to hold other males accountable for how we treat women, especially my friends, to ensure women are treated fairly. That’s an act of respect,” he said.
Smith speaks of ways he would like to further campus-wide education efforts on this issue.
“I would like to incorporate something into Manresa, if possible. I would like to see more formal programs. Residence Life does a wonderful job of educating their resident assistants and students,” Smith said. “We also have judicial training sessions in which Dr. Jenkins talks about what constitutes sexual misconduct and rape and Chief Couch speaks about interviewing people who have been raped,” he said. “A group of about 30 people are involved, including the club sports board, the conduct review board, and the university disciplinary board and we may add more people in the future.”
Gregg also points out some of the resources students have.
“I think students can talk to the Advocates Program. That’s one of the best resources they have. They can also consult the student handbook for more information,” he said.
Smith also spoke about the student handbook.
“The official version of the student handbook is always online and is updated as we make changes,” Smith said. “It is aligned with the harassment code, which applies to employees. We have used the same procedure for 14 years, but we are continuously looking forward. The goal is to be consistent in decision making. We take everything seriously.”
Gregg encourages students to continue the discussion.
“I think a good way to raise awareness is to talk about it with each other, have conversations about the meaning of sexuality, what it means to them. To me that’s most needed–talk. It’s an issue people are not willing to confront because it’s so close. Rape is happening in our backyard–right now–all the time,” he said.
Grossman feels that students need to become more aware, and he anticipates that 1-in-4 Day will help.
“I hope it will raise awareness. It’s almost apathy–students don’t think anything can happen to them,” Grossman said.
Smith will be a part of the panel and hopes students learn more.
“I would like to see the education program. I hope students understand what sexual misconduct is. Rape is holding power over another person. I hope there is a clarification of terms,” Smith said.
Gregg expresses his expectations for 1-in-4 Day.
“My hope is that it is a day of education and dialogue for the entire campus community, not just a couple students or faculty members,” he said. “I hope to hear from people I don’t agree with and learn their perspective.”
Smith said, “You can never do enough to educate about this issue.”
Brian Bowsher, Patrick Stevenson, Matthew finger
Staff
A demonstration planned by a group of Xavier students concerned with recent developments involving rape on campus was cancelled at the recommendation of university officials over concerns for student safety.
The demonstration, scheduled for the Dec. 5 men’s basketball game against Detroit, was to involve students holding signs reading “Xavier can stop rape” during the first time out of the game. The event was planned in the wake of a number of recent rape allegations.
Senior Jessie Fullenkamp, who helped organize the demonstration, stated that the event was not in response to any particular rape case. Rather, the demonstration was intended as an effort to help raise awareness of rape issues on campus.
Controversy has swelled recently as a result of increased reports of rape on campus. High profile cases involving junior C.J. Anderson and senior Michael Walker have grabbed the attention of the Xavier community.
The Anderson case in particular has raised questions about Xavier’s policies on rape and sexual violence. A judicial review board recommended Anderson’s expulsion in early October, however, that decision was later reversed on appeal.
Brian Bowsher 
Editor-in-Chief
Jennifer Downing
Senior News Editor
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