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Drinks at student party in question

John LaFollette
Editor-in-Chief

Xavier officials and campus police are investigating an off-campus party hosted by Xavier students at 3901 Reading Rd. last Friday night after suspicions were raised about the contents of drinks being served there.

Several guests, who only agreed to talk about the party if their names would be withheld in this report, said that the spiked cocktail juice served at the party felt “stronger than usual,” and that some women at the party were behaving as if they had ingested a sedative stronger than alcohol.

Wristbands which were sold for guests to gain admission to the party were allegedly printed with a disclaimer that waived responsibility from the party’s hosts if guests were to become overly intoxicated.

One student discovered his friend lying on the floor, apparently unconscious, and picked her up and took her to her room.

Sophomore Nick Workman said that he was suspicious of the party from the time he arrived.

“In general, the whole party was sketchy, the drinks were off to a room by themselves, and the lighting was very dim,” he said.

Workman also said that the drinks served at the party were stronger than what he was used to.

Citing its policy not to discuss on-going investigations, campus police declined to comment.

Dr. Luther Smith, the dean of students, said that he did not have adequate information about the investigation to comment, and that he could not discuss student disciplinary proceedings.

Junior Kieran Lovelock, who lives at the Funeral Home house, said that the party was hosted in the house’s basement by Xavier students who do not live there.

“The party that was thrown and the alcohol that was sold has absolutely nothing to do with the residents of the Funeral Home,” Lovelock said.

“We are as horrified as anyone that this happened,” he said.

As of print time, there had not been any complaints filed to the Advocate Program.

Renée Stoeckle, who works at the Advocate Program, noted the significance of the timing of the incident.

“It is very pertinent that this happened just four days after 1-in-4 Day,” Stoeckle said.

“The fact that no assaults have been reported does not mean that assaults did not occur and does not make what happened any less severe,” she said.

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Norwood residents say off-campus students still unruly

Association formed to promote change in off-campus behavior

Kathryn Rosenbaum
News Editor

Norwood residents have expressed concern and anger over what they perceive as increased disrespect and disruptive behavior among Xavier students living in off-campus houses or apartments in Norwood that disturbs or threatens local residents’ daily lives.

These residents have decided to unite to promote change and increase respect between Xavier students and the larger Norwood community. Formed in October, the South Norwood Neighborhood Association is beginning to develop a mission to promote change and raise Xavier’s awareness of the problem of students’ actions off-campus.

The SNNA was founded and is led by Norwood residents Russ Johnson and Amy Schardein, who have lived in the area since 2001. They believe that communication is vital to improving relations, and stress that this communication must come from multiple sources.

“Expectations of students’ off campus behavior need to be set by Xavier,” said Johnson. He also said residents also have a responsibility to introduce themselves to students and explain responsibilities of living in a community with families.

Likewise, Xavier students also have a responsibility for communicatiing with their neighbors and need “to be willing to work with their neighbors to resolve their differences,” said Johnson.

The SNNA met on Sunday, Nov. 16. to discuss what problems they had and the goals and projects they should try to accomplish to produce change and create a more friendly environment for the families that live in Norwood. The meeting was attended by concerned residents, a local landlord and a group of students who live off-campus.

Members of the association, including Bill Graff, chairman of Norwood Citizens on Patrol, Vice-President of West Norwood Neighborhood Association, said that the biggest problem with students in the neighborhood is the lack of respect for the residents and the property in the neighborhood.

Members believe that this lack of respect causes disruptive and offensive behavior, including loud parties at night, use of inappropriate or threatening behavior and excessive drinking.

One Norwood resident thinks that the onus is on the university’s administration to make students more aware of their responsibilities as neighbors.

“If the administration doesn’t take a strong stand on these issues, nothing we do in this community will really make that much of a difference. As the students come and go each year is it really incumbent upon us to educate each new class? I don’t think that should be our responsibility,” said Rev. Angelo J. Pupolo, Jr., a Norwood resident since 2000.

Xavier’s administration has begun to work on improving relations between Xavier University and the surrounding communities, including Norwood and North Avondale, through the Xavier Neighborhood Advisory Board. The goal of this board is to improve relations between Xavier and surrounding communities.

A preliminary meeting was held on Monday, Nov. 17. Dean of Students Dr. Luther Smith, Assistant Director for Apartments and Off-Campus Living Angie Kneflin, representatives from Norwood and North Avondale and two students, SGA senator James McShane and Anne Genalo met to discuss possible strategies to solve problems.

Smith said that the goal of this board is to be proactive with community problems and promote respect and harmony. Smith recognizes Xavier’s responsibility to “be good neighbors and respond to issues neighbors have. This fits with Xavier’s Jesuit mission. We need to care for students and make sure they are safe, but also must care for larger community and respond to their complaints.”

McShane, who is the Chair of Community of Affairs on SGA, wants SGA to work on improving relations with the community because Community Affairs has a broader goal than service projects.

One resident who have lived in Norwood for 50 years said that she has seen student behavior become more disrespectful.

Cami Geraci said that the “problem has gotten a lot worse. In the last five or six years, more students have moved into Norwood. Before that, a majority of houses were owned by families.”

Residents also expressed concerns about students being unfamiliar with policies and laws of Norwood regarding parking or garbage regulations.

Because of this behavior, many Norwood residents have a negative impression of Xavier. This negative impression is compounded by Xavier students’ behavior and the hands-off approach toward students living off-campus that many perceive Xavier has taken in the past.

Geraci said she did not want her three children to go to Xavier when they were choosing colleges because she does not have a good impression of the university.

Johnson and Schardein also express a negative impression of Xavier as a whole. This impression “does not mean that we hate Xavier students, nor do we think that all Xavier students are the same,” Johnson said.

Because of certain problems that residents have faced with certain houses or groups of students, residents associate Xavier with these students.

Unfortunately it is the problem-students and problem-houses which become the face of the university for local residents,” said Johnson.

Kaitlin Culley, a Xavier student who lives off campus, said that she has not had any problems with neighbors but thinks that Xavier could work hard “to foster relations to make students aware of the neighborhood they are living in is a family neighborhood.”

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Town hall meeting addresses diversity on campus

John LaFollette
Editor-in-Chief

A crowd of about 100 Xavier students and staff members expressed a variety of thoughts and feelings on Xavier’s climate of diversity in a town hall meeting last Thursday, Nov. 13 in the Gallagher Student Theatre.

Designed as a medium for students to voice their suggestions on ways to improve diversity sensitivity on campus, the meeting was attended by administration officials including the dean of students, Dr. Luther Smith, the vice provost for diversity, Dr. Cheryl Nuñez, the director of multicultural affairs, Dr. Robert Clay, and the executive director for student involvement, Dr. Kimberlie Goldsberry.

The administrators were there mostly to listen and could be seen taking a few notes as some 40 students spoke.

“It is imperative that the comments be heard by administrators and not lost,” said Senior Jess Pasionek, the student director of diversity, who moderated the meeting.

Senior Alex Allen-Tunsil said that the issue of diversity insensitivity “is far larger than black face incidents.”

Xavier’s campus has found itself grappling with how to confront the fallout from an incident at an off-campus Halloween party hosted by Xavier students in which two Caucasian non-students wore black face and period clothing as their costumes.

Junior Cameron Tolle said that the issue is not simply about black and white. “We have members of minority groups who are experiencing hate in the same subtle ways as those experiencing racism,” he said.

Despite numerous prompts from the meeting’s moderator, few tangible suggestions for institutional improvement were actually offered.

Of the specific suggestions that were made, modifications to the diversity requirement in the University Core, and the E Pluribus Unum course in particular, were the most numerous.

“It’s apparent that the EPU is not effective,” said Allen-Tunsil. “It’s time to find qualified professionals to teach those classes.”

After the meeting, Smith took issue with this comment.

“I would put the EPU faculty up against any teacher of those courses at any university in the country,” Smith said.

Smith, who is himself an EPU instructor and a member of the course’s advisory board, said that the program is already being modified, and is not without its flaws.

“I’ll go on record as saying that I don’t think that one hour is sufficient,” said Smith.

Nuñez, the vice provost for diversity, cautioned against placing too much stock in singular solutions.

“It’s not just the curriculum, it’s not just the student organizational behavior,” she said. “It’s a complex web of things.”

Instead, Nuñez suggested that more organic approaches might be more productive.

“There is a need for ongoing student discussions about what forces or factors are producing this,” she said.

Short of that happening, Nuñez said, “solutions will be narrow and disconnected.”

Nuñez indicated that students have often been at the forefront of changes on university campuses.

“I’m certain that if students are as interested as they appear to be, they’ll continue to make themselves understood on this,” Nuñez said.

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Staying healthy during the holidays

Mads LaFave
Features Editor

A crowd of about 100 Xavier students and staff members expressed a variety of thoughts and feelings on Xavier’s climate of diversity in a town hall meeting last Thursday, Nov. 13 in the Gallagher Student Theatre.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are arguably some of the best times of the year.

However, the toll the holidays can take on a person’s body is astonishing. Taking into account the vast amounts of appetizers, multiple-course meals, beverages, cookies, candy and desserts that are consumed, in addition to lots of sports and movie watching with family and friends, this is not surprising.

It has been said that the average American gains six to seven pounds during the six-week period surrounding this time. College kids, unfortunately, are no stranger to this annual occurrence as well, and may even be worse-off because of the stress of finals, pulling all-nighters and the late-night bar scene to catch up with old high-school buddies during time off from school.

However, there is a way to enjoy the holidays in moderation. Health and nutrition experts Brian Calkins of Cincinnati and Sue Parks of Mendota Heights, Minn. have some advice for the college community so that the holidays can be fun, healthy and stress-free.

Calkins has been recognized nationally as a top fitness professional, including receiving a 2004 Top 50 Personal Trainer ranking by the American Association of Personal Trainers.

Parks is also a personal trainer and nutritionist with a focus on sports nutrition and wellness/weight-management who believes that monitoring activity, nutrition, stress level and coping skills is the key to living a balanced, non-stressful lifestyle. Here they took questions from the Newswire about steps you can take to stay healthy during the holidays, and in general:

Xavier Newswire: For college students who may not be aware of the health implications for the “holiday season” what would be your best advice for staying healthy over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks?
Sue Parks: One of the things is to stay active instead of watching football and parades continuously. Watch portions; you can have a little bit of everything—Thanksgiving is a special occasion, because it only happens once per year.
There is a difference between special occasions and daily habits. Pick and choose what you want to eat, so plan ahead. If you want to have pumpkin and apple pie that you haven’t had all year, then maybe forego the stuffing. Don’t be tempted by eating everything that is in front of you.
Brian Calkins: Find one specific goal that would be of interest – better skin, more energy, fit into a specific outfit for some occasion, etc. If you tell [college kids] “their” goal, they’ll lose interest, particularly when it’s about their health and longevity.

XN: When a lack of sleep is inevitable, what tips do you have for keeping brain and body sharp? And what’s your take on caffeine?
SP: Caffeine is fine, but it sort of puts “band-aid” on the wound without really solving the underlying problem. Eventually you will have to catch up on your sleep.
For example, if you are a half-hour or hour shy of what your body needs in its circadian rhythm (the approximately 24-hour biological cycle that regulates sleep), your body can catch up. But if it is lacking for longer than 10 days your immunity goes down.
Caffeine may help in the short run but in the long run will make things worse in order to make your brain function appropriately and immunity will go down. Food comes first.
Take Vitamin C and D to keep immunity up and at least get 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day—this will increase immunity by increasing blood flow to heart and lungs including brain.
BC: Exercise, of course. Include some protein with each meal, limit (ideally eliminate) refined carbs—sugars, candy. Caffeine is OK – but it shouldn’t be the sole source of ‘energy’ for the day, as you’ll quickly adapt and have to keep consuming more and more and more. Taking a 15 minute power nap in the mid-afternoon refreshes both the brain and the body!

XN: What are your favorite “Brain Power” foods?
SP: Blueberries, sweet potatos/yams, oatmeal, yogurt, apples, whey protein and/or egg whites
BC: Lean protein, salmon, nuts.

XN: Do you have any hangover tips?
SP: Make sure that you keep hydrated and believe it or not, a small amount of Boost (or other nutrition shake) does help. This will increase the concentration of glucose in the brain—your brain gets off balance when you drink, and that is why you have a headache
BC: Drink 24 oz. water BEFORE going to bed after a night of partying…if hung-over in AM, drink more water and/or Gatorade.

XN: What would be your number one recommendation to stay in shape over the breaks? Or, to get in shape?
SP: Do activities that you enjoy and just try something new you can do with friends if possible instead of just sitting around—try the new Wii Fit, try going snowshoeing, going for a hike—think of social ways to be active rather than sedentary.
BC: Make time for exercise—the best way to do that is to exercise first thing in the morning!!

So, Xavier students, take advice from the experts. Drink caffeine during finals’ week if you want, but don’t rely on it. Pull an all-nighter if you must, but if you do, take some cat-naps during the day. Eat this holiday season, and try everything if you want—it is a special occasion—but do so in moderation. And most of all, remember to exercise! Happy holidays, XU.

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