— STAFF EDITORIAL —
Fire in the hole
Hooray! Zumbiel has finally fallen, even though it happened when no one was around (so much for the excitement we have been building up for the past two months).
But as we watch the video footage from Schott Hall of the building a-tumblin’ down, we started thinking of some other things we would like to see topple as well:
The apathy and communication barrier between the vast majority of the student body and the Student Government Association. Despite SGA’s efforts to reach out to students and a really simple online voting process, only about 18 percent of the potential voting population did so. Is there a stick of dynamite that will make the students care?
The overzealous crackdown on alcohol at the university. We get that alcohol abuse is an awful problem, especially when it occurs among underage drinkers, but there’s no reason for the university to fret if a staff or faculty member has a drink with a student who is of legal age. Quite frankly, we think it’s better for faculty members and students to be on such good terms. It really emphasizes that whole individual attention thing the university markets so hardcore.
Speaking of marketing, a few things should probably come down in that area as well. We’re all for attracting cool prospects, but could we be a little more honest? How about we show Xavier how it is now as opposed to how it might be in five years (and only then if everything goes as planned)? And the whole Academic Service Learning thing? We’re going to have to deliver better with those if we’re going to keep suckering selfless big-hearted freshmen into coming to school here.
Finally, the mentality that committees and new administrator positions will solve all our problems has to go. We’d love to push the button to send that one up in smoke.
Of course, it doesn’t need to be all about tearing down. The Communication Arts department seems to be self-destructing, and quite frankly we’d rather see a clean-up crew show up instead of a demo team looking to finish the job.
Man, with ideas like these, maybe we should be appointed to the expansion committee. Oh, wait, we wouldn’t want too much student input on that committee though...
Wasted in Florida, Mexico, etc.
Darren LaCour
Op-Ed Editor
For Spring Break this year, I decided to apply to go on a trip with Xavier’s Alternative Breaks group. I made the cut, and got sent down to Biloxi, Miss., to do hurricane relief work.
I know what you’re thinking: didn’t Hurricane Katrina hit nearly three years ago? The answer is yes. And there’s still tons of work to be done. How sad, right?
Well, my group was pretty much amazing (shout out Team B-LUX!) and we did some really great work. Most of the people we helped out really just wanted someone to listen to their stories; they needed to know that someone still cared about them.
I even got to learn some valuable skills, such as how to put insulation underneath a house. I also learned that putting insulation underneath a house is about as fun as putting up with Jeff Girton’s snoring (that is, bearable, almost endearing, but still less than desirable).
Anyway, I returned from my trip less-than-well-rested but content with my sacrifice. Instead of going to some beach with my friends and having wild and possibly illegal nights (like you know I would), I went to some beach with my friends and had a blast (while volunteering, of course).
That’s when it hit me—there was virtually no difference.
AB isn’t really that big of a sacrifice. Which means WE ALL NEED TO DO IT.
Granted, there are limits to how many people the program can take, so the whole campus couldn’t go on an official AB trip. But you could pull a stunt like the wonderfully awkward group from Dartmouth that we met—just organize it yourself. Plus, if you planned it yourself, you wouldn’t have to abide by certain...limiting rules. Of course, reflecting on things a little, I got a little more critical.
It’s great—I’ll reiterate—absolutely wonderful that we send these trips across the country. There are so many people in need in all sorts of different places, and since people want to travel over spring break, it’s a perfect way to unite the two.
But what about right here, in Cincinnati or Norwood?
The service outreach we have to Over-the-Rhine is great.
But what about the park down the road from the intramural fields that’s completely littered with trash? What about the areas immediately off-campus that are run-down and in desperate need of some work? Heck, what about the eyesores of houses that we college students live in?
The service dilemma we face is whether we pay more attention to those most in need or those closest to home. The truth is, we need a balance.
We cannot cut back the help we provided to areas like Over-the-Rhine and the Gulf Coast, but perhaps we should consider reaching out more to our immediate neighbors (botched community relations, anyone?).
Besides, they’re the ones who have to live with us day to day.
March Madness with Mfreke
Mfreke Akpaninye
Editorial Board
Welcome back everybody! I hope you guys had very fun and interesting spring breaks.
I spent mine in Toledo for a while and a majority of it in Detroit. (Yes, I went to Detroit and made it back in one piece.)
I had a lot of fun there, but came back on Thursday just in time for MARCH MADNESS.
Yes, that time is upon us. If you’re reading this article and you’re asking yourself, “What is March Madness?” either you are completely oblivious to life or the worst sports fan ever.
I was at the edge of my seat during the first game of the tournament that had our Xavier Musketeers pitted against the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
This game hit close to home because not only am I a Georgia resident but also because my younger brother attends the University of Georgia and was talking trash about how Xavier didn’t play any “good” teams this year. He even went on to say that even though Georgia had lost a lot of games, they lost them to “good” teams. He was talking a lot of trash before the match-up, but since Xavier took the Bulldogs down I still haven’t heard from him.
I’ve been an avid college basketball fan since about middle school, but I’m never surprised by the madness that comes along with March. The month was named after Mars, the Roman god of war. I find it very fitting, as the NCAA men’s basketball tournament turns the court into a battleground as schools wage war waging against other schools for one to emerge on top as the conquering champion.
I also find it very unique how March transforms everyone into a college basketball fan. No other sport turns random people into fans.If the College World Series (NCAA Men’s Tournament) was taking place, I would have no idea unless Xavier was participating.
I hate to say it, but I know that one main reason that March Madness is such a big phenomenon with sport fans and non-sport fans is the element of office brackets and betting.
I know there are those of us that love March Madness simply because we love college athletics but the vast majority love March Madness because they love the upsets, the last second buzzer beaters and the feeling of predicting the winners of the games. And of course, the exhiliration that comes from getting $10 from each of your coworkers when you pick the right teams for the Final Four.
I personally don’t think betting is bad if it’s done with class and it doesn’t get out of control. I am personally in about five pools and have 20-something brackets.
Like I’m sure the majority of college students did, I made a bracket through Facebook. I’m also doing brackets with ESPN, AOL, MSN, Yahoo and lastly CBS Sports.
Good thing I did these brackets during spring break, or else my professors would be a tad disappointed at my lackluster attention to homework.
I’ve watched every game of the tournament so far. When one game was being broadcasted on television, I had my laptop set up to be able to watch the other games being played at the same time.
While each game was being played, I would go online to view my bracket and see what team I needed to win for my point total to increase.
I went from being a Xavier fan one game to being a Davidson fan the next game. Speaking of Davidson, GO WILDCATS!
My life has become totally centered on college basketball and I have no money involved with it.
If I had put some money into my brackets, I would probably not be able to concentrate on anything else. That’s what’s so scary about March Madness. I think it is crazy how money and making little bets with friends can change a simple sport like basketball into a month of madness.
But hey, I hope you guys enjoy the tournament. Try not to watch the games with too much passion. After all, they still are just games.
— LETTERS TO THE EDITOR—
Seeing Greater Wonders
As representatives of the student interest in the environmental and labor practices of Xavier University, we wish to voice several concerns regarding our new food service provider contract.
While we recognize the importance of both cost and quality considerations for the administration, we believe that other critical issues are at hand which directly reflect whether we are truly devoted to Jesuit values of justice and faith, particularly the former.
The Newswire has already done an exceptional job detailing quality concerns with the largest corporate food providers: Aramark, Sodexo and Chartwells.
We wish to offer these additional concerns and questions:
Of the three corporate food providers that Xavier is considering, especially Aramark, none have an acceptable record concerning their labor practices. In fact, Xavier students have had to fight in the past to hold Sodexo accountable to even minimal labor standards that Xavier administrators should have demanded in the first place.
re such concerns that are of obvious importance to students being set aside in the name of cost-cutting? Xavier must take a strong stand regarding this issue by requiring the continued existence of the present union despite the possible negative consequences in the bidding process. If prices are bid higher, then perhaps Xavier should reexamine their commitment to using such a large corporate food provider.
On this latter concern, such large corporate providers have already been shown to be of poor quality in most circumstances, and perhaps their size hinders their ability to work well with a smaller campus such as Xavier’s. Why have the possibilities of local providers and the self-provision of food services been seemingly left out from discussion? Local providers might be more likely to source local agricultural produce and help Xavier significantly lower its overall carbon footprint (the average piece of produce travels 1,500 miles), another apparently high priority of our university.
Concerning the diverse food desires and needs of Xavier’s students from vegan options to local coffee, having one major provider of all Xavier’s food needs also seems unpalatable. If Xavier Square is to help remedy some of these concerns, increased competition between food providers should be used to our advantage instead of handing monopoly pricing power to a major corporation. Perhaps the contract should be shortened to increase accountability, divided between different buildings and services (GSC, Cintas, cafeteria, catering), and student meal plan prices allowed to float under the new competitive environment to a level more appropriate to the service instead of exorbitant rates that make it more cost effective to buy individual meals. Students are obviously more satisfied by restaurants like the local Coffee Emporium and by the increased competition that Subway and Blue Gibbon have brought. These beneficial expansions must be taken into account in the contract process.
Xavier has a major decision ahead regarding how its food will be provided over the next several years, and ignoring these concerns will be to the detriment of all students, faculty and staff of the university.
We have a duty as a Jesuit institution to be more than outwardly committed to labor rights, the environment and the diverse needs of Xavier students actively promoting these same concerns.
If we want Xavier “To See Great Wonders” in more than the aesthetically pleasing nature of our buildings, then we must commit the internal workings of our campus to the scrutiny of our ethics and outward commitments.
We ask that our administration dedicate itself to see greater wonders in all that it does.
Brett Simmons | ‘09
Matthew Mellon | ‘09
Justin Cancelliere | ‘10
Quality food for thought
After reading the “Half Baked” article from the Mar. 12 issue of the Newswire, I seriously question the judgment of the administration as well as the message that is being sent to students.
I’m not an expert on food service providers, but what exactly is wrong with bringing in a respected food provider like Bon Appetit? Dr. Kathleen Simons, Associate Provost of Student Development, said of Bon Appetit, “They are very costly. Because of cost, we chose not to pursue them as a candidate.”
I can see the school trying to offer us quality food at a quality price, but when we already pay too much money for so-so food, what’s difficult about paying the same amount for much better food? If the reputation of the caf is going to change, it will require top quality food service that appeals to a larger number of students. Perhaps more students would be happy to eat there if they knew that the food was amazing and their money wasn’t being wasted on sub-par menu choices that discriminate against our vegetarian and vegan students; I’m neither, but we need to appeal to all.
I realize that as a student I’m extremely biased, but knowing that the administration would choose the contract of the questionable Sodexo, Aramark or Chartwells bothers me. This might be controversial, but I would be fine with paying the same amount for a meal plan if the food was top quality. How about we include top quality food service in the “To See Great Wonders” campaign?
Brandon McClain | ‘10
Katherine Monasterio
Op-Ed Editor
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