— STAFF EDITORIALS —
Administrative Forum
The Student-Administrator Discussion Forum held on Dec. 3 was successful, and the Newswire (er...Xaverian News) would like to commend the students, faculty, staff and administrators who participated.
Students were able to get tangible and real answers from Xavier’s important decision-makers, and most questions were directed at Academic Vice President and Provost Dr. Roger Fortin and President Fr. Michael Graham, S.J.
We initially were slightly disappointed that only 45 students (a mere one percent of the undergraduate student population) were in attendance, but the depth and length of the discussion made it clear that any more students would have compromised the quality of the event.
However, because only this small number of students participated, it is imperative
that the student-administrator forums become a regular occurrence.
We are fairly confident that SGA and the administration are collaborating to
hold another forum in the spring semester, but we feel that such an event should
take place monthly.
At the same time, we understand that our university’s high-ranking officials maintain very busy schedules, so setting aside that much time might be problematic.
This is where the Newswire hopes to really help. We encourage administrators to submit columns monthly addressing student concerns they’ve heard voiced in the paper, and explaining steps the university is taking to respond to them.
In fact, with some collaboration, the Newswire could provide a feature similar to Time Magazine’s “10 Questions with...,” where we compile a list of questions from students and use them to interview a member of the administration.
The forum has opened up a new dialogue between the students and administrators, and we must continue to foster and nurse this communication..
Partying like it's 1924
Monday, Dec. 15 will mark the 93rd anniversary of the student newspaper’s publication at Xavier.
We realize 93 isn’t exactly a round number like 100, when these occasions are usually celebrated, but we’re not going to be around for the newspaper’s centennial, so we thought we’d pay tribute to our history now.
You’ll notice that the newspaper is designed quite differently this week, and is called The Xaverian News instead of the Xavier Newswire.
This week’s issue is modeled after several issues of the Xaverian News from 1917-24. We did this to pay homage and tribute to the people who put together the student newspaper of Xavier University in the past, back when this job used to involve operating printing presses and laying out typeface by hand.
We constantly marvel at how anyone put this paper together a decade ago, much less 75 years ago. This job is hard enough now, when all we have to do is manipulate graphics and text on computer screens and then email them off to our printer.
Because of the tremendous amount of respect we have for our predecessors, we wanted to try and make our newspaper look a little like theirs this week to celebrate our anniversary. We hope you enjoy it.
A brief, not at all comprehensive history of the Newswire
Patrick Stevenson
Editor-in-Chief
Note: Most of this information was gathered from Roger Fortin’s “To See Great Wonders: A History of Xavier University” (which would be a great holiday gift for alumni). Additional resources included Fr. Lee J. Bennish’s “Continuity and Change: Xavier University 1831-1981” and the Xavier student newspaper archives.
April 1887- Students of St. Xavier College (Xavier University’s name prior to 1930) publish the first issue of the Collegian, the first student newspaper in Xavier history. The editors talk a rather big game, as they write “the Collegian goes forth animated with the confidence which the character of its venerable patron cannot fail to inspire.”
July 1887- The Collegian’s editorial board calls for the formation of an alumni association, which is created a year later.
September 1887- The Collegian abruptly and somewhat mysteriously ceases publication. So much for the “animated with confidence” thing.
1894- Despite students’ petitioning the administration for a “college journal,” the student press of St. Xavier College remains dormant for almost 30 years.
Dec. 15, 1915- The first issue of the Xaverian News is published by students in the School of Commerce. The paper is published semi-monthly and cost 10 cents per issue. The newspaper staff is headquartered in the Alumni Science Hall.
December 1920- The staff of the Xaverian News, upset at the constant mispronunciation of “Xavier,” writes this poem:
A word beginning with an ‘X’
Must never sound to rhyme with necks.
No, no, this X pronounced should be
Exactly like the letter ‘Z’
And that’s why our dear name St. Xavier
Must always rhyme with good behavior
In all the seasons, in all weather.
The two are always found together.
1923- St. Xavier administration allows the formation of a student council. Many students, including the editorial board of the Xaverian News object, as they feel it will discourage the participation of the majority of the student body in campus activities. It’s rather eerie how well they nailed that prediction.
Feb. 1, 1924- The Xaverian News strongly opposes changing the name of St. Xavier College to anything like “Dixie University” or “Ohio-Kentucky University,” two of the possible choices for the name change. We wonder why they opposed those...
April 1925- The Xaverian News holds a contest to pick a nickname for the university’s athletic teams. The name “Musketeers” is chosen as the winner. You’re welcome.
Sept. 1925- The Xaverian News becomes a weekly newspaper.
Jan. 4, 1928- The Xaverian News publishes a tribute to Myers Cooper, an Ohio gubernatorial candidate, on the front page. Cooper’s political opponents reprint the front page, altering the masthead to read “Published weekly by the students of St. Xavier CATHOLIC College” in an effort to galvanize Protestant support for Cooper. Cooper eventually wins the election.
June 4, 1930- St. Xavier College officially changes its name to Xavier University, a choice heavily supported by the Xaverian News.
1930- Despite heavy protest from the Xaverian News’ editorial board, student council adopts a set of “freshman rules” which require freshman students to wear distinguishing hats at all times, be able to sing the school song on command and to remain seated in the chapel until all upperclassmen leave. Student council appoints a “vigilance committee” to punish non-compliant freshmen by paddling them. So give SGA some credit, at least they aren’t physically beating students anymore.
1936- The staff of the Xaverian News founds the Jesuit College Newspaper Association, which opposes communism, neo-paganism and “materialistic education.” The Xaverian News becomes a critical player in helping transform collegiate newspapers into a more elaborate medium for Catholic action.”
May 20, 1937- The last issue of The Xaverian News is published. The newspaper changes its name to the Xavier University News.
Sept. 19, 1943- Xavier’s administration suspends publication of the Xavier University News due to wartime considerations. However, students begin printing a newsletter entitled Xavier News: A Student Publication, which is distributed to members of the Xavier community in the military, as well as students and alumni.
March 1, 1946- The Xavier University News resumes publication, and the new editorial board is very intent on encouraging students to act with Catholic morals, participate in community service and take their religious education very seriously.
April 1, 1949- Students and faculty are stunned when the front page headline of the Xavier University News reads “Library Juke Box OK’d.” However, upon closer examination of the date, the campus realizes the issue was the first ever April Fools’ Day edition of the Xavier student newspaper.
1952- The Xavier University News takes a firm anti-communist stance yet again, complaining about professors teaching Karl Marx. The editorial board also supports McCarthyism. Oops.
1963- The Xavier University News drops the word “University”
from its name, becoming The Xavier News.
October 1967- The Xavier News publishes a special issue on “the Inter-Racial
Community” in which they argued for more interracial cooperation at Xavier.
September 1969- Xavier University goes coed, and women become active in the staff of the Xavier News for the first time. Though most male students welcomed a coed atmosphere, several students express outrage over the female presence in letters to the newspaper.
October 1969- The Xavier News, which was against the Vietnam War, supports a counter-demonstration against pro-Vietnam supporters on campus.
Dec. 6, 1972- The editorial board of the Xavier News advocates dropping the football team, which is experiencing heavy losses, both financially and athletically. The football team is eliminated shortly thereafter.
February 1973- The Xavier News supports a boycott of non-United Farm Worker lettuce. Enthralling.
April 19, 1979- The Xavier News expresses outrage that an army tank, parked on the academic mall to promote ROTC, has its turret pointed directly at Bellarmine Chapel. Many students call for the abolition of ROTC altogether.
March 11, 1985- In an interview with the Xavier News, the university’s financial vice president reports that faculty salaries would be frozen for the 1985-86 academic year. The resulting unrest would eventually lead to President Fr. Charles Currie’s removal.
September 1985- The Xavier News changes its name to the Xavier Newswire. Greatness ensues.
April 24, 2007- With the appointments of Pat Stevenson, Matt Finger, Darren LaCour, Emily Hoferer, Katie Rosenbaum, John LaFollette and many others, the Xavier Newswire continues and surpasses its tradition of excellence, as the most glorious staff ever conceived takes the helm of the superb student newspaper.
Apathetic, I think not
Matthew Finger
Managing Editor
There are a lot of claims that can be made of our generation. We’re careless, lazy, prone to indulgence and a sense of invincibility, and, you guessed it, politically apathetic.
But are we? While I may find myself laying around, drinking a beer and wondering what it’s like to be vulnerable, I don’t think I’m really apathetic towards politics. And after watching 40 plus Xavier students, as well as other young people, gather in Des Moines this weekend to work for the political system, I don’t think everyone else is either.
Yes, we may be a little disenchanted by the sketchy, means-to-an-end cockfight that is our political arena.
And yes, we may be tired of candidates, on every level, who don’t really engender our values and beliefs or listen to us.
But no, we’re not politically disinterested, jaded or complacent. I
think that on the whole the whippersnappers of today are more politically ambitious
than any other demographic. The only problem is that we don’t know what
to do about it, and even if we did, we’d lack the resources to get it
done.
Be it time, money or a voice that can be heard, many college students are left
wanting a means to our end, to our vision.
And let’s face it, our vision is what is important in the long run. With millions of baby-boomers set to retire in the next decade, our generation is facing not only labor shortages, but a plethora of problems, which have been generously handed down by the boomers and need to be solved.
This being the case, we can’t afford to be apathetic. But I think most
of us realize that, which is why people bus 11 hours to participate in campaigns
that they think are going to make a big difference in their lives. Unfortunately,
that’s really all we can do; we don’t have treasure troves to donate
to politicians, hours in the day to volunteer and we don’t have any faith
in a political system that has let us down since before we even knew there was
a political system.
I realize that there are people out there that are so frustrated and so skeptical
of politics that they’ve given up on it, but still complain about current
situations. I think that’s a cop-out, and those people are a waste. Stop
complaining. If you don’t participate then you can’t change the
situation.
We’re not apathetic, we’re just quiet about our passions. Just because
a few don’t care doesn’t mean most of us aren’t involved.
— LETTERS TO THE EDITOR—
Behind the Music
I’m writing in response to the editorial from the Nov. 27 issue entitled “Consumerism kills culture” because I am extremely wary of placing rock music on a cultural pedestal that claims independence from a “lifestyle.” Rap and country music are only culturally distinctive in light of our American mainstream, with which contemporary rock meshes more successfully than rap or country due to its relative generalness given American societal norms. Even more, what many fail to realize is the degree to which the mainstream informs the “lifestyles” associated with rap and country.
Take rap for instance. What might the average suburban white kid say is so terribly wrong with rap that they’ve been told is not “real music?” He or she might mention hyper-masculinity, the objectification of women, homophobia, ultra-violence or unrestrained consumption. But are not all of these deficiencies just more intense manifestations of problems that our society experiences as a whole?
Feminism is still a movement; pornography is an unfathomably profitable industry; being gay is presently a societal disadvantage; we love violent movies; if hip-hop music videos seem bad in terms of consumption, look up the rate at which Starbucks franchises are growing in number.
The point: Maybe we’re more responsible for the state of the hip-hop “lifestyle” than we like to think. Maybe our collective cultural inadequacies are exacerbated in poor black neighborhoods partly because many white people passing on their wealth from generation to generation prefer the suburbs to our urban cores. And maybe (to return to the claims of the article I’m attempting to comment on) it is not “lifestyle”-driven marketing but rather, to a degree, white ignorance and inaction that limit hip-hop’s ability to be “good music.”
Lastly, I’d like to note that I’ve been talking only about popular music, and that there are plenty of anomalistic indie or underground subsets of rock and hip-hop that would change the direction of the discussion. I guess I ignored country music for the majority of this response, but I don’t really know much about it, and, of course, white people make country music, so talking about it would have limited the amount of space I could dedicate to race-related discussion that our relatively diversity-deficient university could use.
Justin Cancelliere | 2009
Abuse Awareness
The article about the abuse of stimulant medications (“Prescribed Abuse,” Nov. 28) suggested that students use them inappropriately for test taking and weight loss. This does occur just as prescription abuse happens in the community. What the article didn’t mention is that there are appropriate medical uses for these medications. In the college population, stimulants are used for Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. At the Xavier Health Center, students must be evaluated by a psychologist. Specific psychological testing can be done when necessary. This occurs before any medication is prescribed.
Once stimulants are prescribed, students are monitored closely by the Health Center. In addition, the Drug Enforcement Agency has guidelines to follow.
Students should be aware that these stimulant medications can cause hypertensive crisis, psychosis, heart attack and death. If you inappropriately give another person your stimulant medication, you are morally and legally responsible if that individual has an adverse reaction.
Unfortunately, we live in a “pill-popping” society. Many people want a pill for whatever bothers them. Don’t fall into that trap. Taking medications not prescribed for you can be risky.
James P. Konerman | M.D. Medical Director McGrath Health & Counseling
Misconstrued Data
While I usually find the majority of articles posted in this publication to be informative and relatively factual, I feel that the cover page article on Adderall (“Prescribed Abused,” Nov. 28) to not only be fuddled with facts, but also flat out misleading. The author did not mention that the facts obtained were part of a report that found that prescription painkillers are abused at a higher rate than prescribed stimulants on college campuses.
hat the author also doesn’t (conveniently) mention is that the facts he used are from a National Institute on Drug Abuse survey taken in 2001, and that this research does not specifically involve solely the abuse of Adderall. Adderall is a brand name, what this research investigated was not just the abuse of Adderall, but other types of central nervous system stimulants such as Ritalin and Concerta (which contain different types of stimulants with entirely different chemical makeups).
Furthermore, the author does not even go into defining what constitutes “prescribed abuse.” Doctors can prescribe this medication for a number of different reasons, ranging from once daily in the morning to only when the prescribed needs to concentrate (such as right before an exam or class). The statistics he uses from the National Institute of Drug Abuse jump back and forth between “prescribed abuse” (which was never defined) and “recreational use.” Does recreational use include studying for an exam? And does it include use amongst those prescribed or only the illicit use of Adderall? These are some questions that the author did not address.
Instead, we were given a tabloid-style article that uses out-of-date facts, omits important facts (that abuse of painkillers in colleges is higher than abuse of CNS stimulants) and sensationalizes the abuse of Adderall at Xavier. If our retention rate starts to slip, if students’ grades as a whole begin to slide and if police reports involving CNS stimulant abuse at Xavier begins to rise, then an article like this might have some merit (if it were better-written). There is enough “spin” on cable news networks, it would be nice if it could stay out of this paper.
Doug Lang | 2008
Action, not communication
I think that it is great that SGA is taking steps to improve their accessibility (like the new portal message submission tool) to the students of Xavier University.
However, what’s the point of being able to express your concerns to SGA if they can’t or won’t do anything to help you?
I recently founded the Middle Eastern Culture Society at Xavier, which was unanimously approved by the Student Senate during their meeting on Oct. 15. Yet it took over seven weeks to acquire any sort of funding, and my club is still waiting for an email account, which is SGA’s responsibility to provide.
Essentially, my club has been unable to function for almost two months due to the lack of support we have received from SGA.
Oddly enough, SGA seems more concerned with setting up new avenues for students to contact them than with addressing the concerns of those students who actually have contacted them.
I think that SGA should spend more time working to serve the students of Xavier rather than instituting largely cosmetic new modes of communication as a means to improve their public image.
John Salman | 2008 President, Middle Eastern Culture Society
Darren LaCour
Op-Ed Editor
Submit a Letter to the Editor
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Editor-in-Chief Ellie Jaqueth
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