— STAFF EDITORIALS —
Investigation itself is unsettling
As if a student wielding a glass beer mug as a weapon wasn’t enough, now there’s this.
As if a house full of students not having the presence of mind to leave a party that tolerated offensive costumes wasn’t enough, now there’s this.
The suspicion of foul play at a party at the Funeral Home is enough to make the stomach turn; the crimes that are usually associated with adding chemicals to a woman’s drink is beyond reproach.
For the Newswire, this downward turn begs the question, “What’s going on here?” and we are at a loss.
Suddenly it is less meaningful to say “That could never happen at Xavier,” about a particularly jarring event, and we can’t explain why.
It may turn out that the drinks in question did not contain some chemical additive, and that they were just stronger than usual; without the definitive results of drug testing (which should be forthcoming) it is impossible to say.
That the hosts of the party were prepared enough for gross intoxication of their guests to print disclaimers on their wristbands is itself, though, indication of where the student body is.
Of course, we also have to grapple with the possibility that the hosts were acting with the malice alluded to above. For that, we’d need to take a seat.
The thought that someone educated at this institution and living among us could have such intentions, a few short days after a campus-wide day of awareness, should interrogate our university’s conscience.
The Newswire is—tenuously, and with great hope—holding its judgment at bay.
Mr. Rogers would be let down
Tensions between Xavier students in off-campus housing and their resident
neighbors are at an all time high. The cops show up at a lot more parties than
previous years, our neighbors are encouraging one another to take action against
students, and students are badmouthing their neighbors.
Oh my, what a war we have on our hands.
We can’t say we fault local residents for being upset. The anecdotes shared at this past week’s meetings show that they have reason to be: a student cursing out a neighbor in front of the neighbor’s children, shouted obscenities waking people up at two in the morning, beer cans and bottles littering lawns.
Frankly, the university hasn’t been cooperative with the residents in addressing the problem, so we think it’s only fair that the residents are taking matters into their own hands. Their initiative has finally attracted the university’s attention, as they convened a meeting with students and local residents on Nov. 17 (“Residents: students still unruly,” page 1).
Of course, we see a fundamental flaw in the turnout of both meetings: there was not enough student representation.
This situation calls for a dialogue. Residents and students need to get together, prior to the inebriation that causes all the problems. Perhaps if the students heard why the residents were concerned and expressed a willingness for cooperation, then the residents would lighten up, and possibly consider sending their children to Xavier.
Xavier may have a decent national image, but when the people living walking distance from campus hate everything about us, we need to shape up.
We are all nerds
Katherine Monastero
Editorial Columnist
Hi, my name is Emily Hoferer and I’m a huge nerd.
There, I said it. Boy, do I feel much better. This is a secret I’ve been harboring for years.
When I was in high school, I viewed the term ‘nerd’ as derogatory. It was the essence of being uncool, annoying, awkward and generally a person that you would never, ever want to be related to/be friends with/fall in love with.
I remember distinctly making fun of my father at the dinner table for being a nerd. He was going on and on about something or another, probably related to math, history or economics (his trifecta of favorite subjects) and I just looked at him blankly and said, “wow, I am the spawn of a nerd.”
My words were dripping with teenage sarcasm and my dad just laughed it off, but looking back I feel kind of bad about it because now I hold the term nerd in the highest regard.
I embrace the fact that I am a huge nerd. I love books. I get very excited when I make literary connections to things in popular culture. Palindromes excite me more than anything (Go hang a salami, I’m a lasagna hog!). I love to watch A&E’s ‘Biography’ series because learning about other people is just fascinating to me. I like documentaries about cool subjects. I like to go to museums. I like school (mostly) and I like to learn.
There, see? I am a huge nerd. A cultured nerd, but a nerd nonetheless.
But, I am not alone. Xavier, you are all a bunch of nerds too.
It’s my firm belief that we are a community of nerds that embraces each other’s nerdy-ness. Where else can you hear a friend of yours drop the words “ipso facto” in conversation? Where else will students learn something new and then talk about it with their friends at parties or other social gatherings?
And forget complaints about diversity. There are so many different types of nerds on this campus that we must fill some sort of important quota in the nerd universe.
I know that some of you reading this belong to the Williams College of Business. Perhaps you are thinking to yourself that you are not nerdy, that you are the essence of cool, that you will one day make millions (which you will give back to Xavier but pointedly tell them that you don’t want it to go to the newspaper that once made fun of you). But you know what? You are nerds, too. I can overhear your conversations in the library. We may have different dialects, but we speak the same language of nerd.
My gut tells me that not many places are like Xavier. I am so glad that I’ve chosen to surround myself with nerds because not only are we a highly entertaining bunch, but we are a fascinating bunch too. It’s much better to live your life as a nerd than anything else.
Fortunately we are not an egotistical bunch of nerds. True, I’m sure if we jetted off to an Ivy League school on the East Coast we would hear similar nerdy conversations but they would be elitist, exclusive and terribly boring.
I want to be around nerds all the time too. I want nerdy friends, nerdy relatives, nerdy roommates and a nerdy boyfriend. So now I’m not only a nerd, but I’m a self-professed nerd-aholic.
There you have it, Xavier, I am the spawn of a nerd and proud of it. My life will be much better being a nerd than being anything else.
Long live the nerd.
Leave racism behind
Mfreke Akpaninye
Editorial Columnist
If you were too busy doing homework or studying for an upcoming test, you may not have known that president-elect Barack Obama was on “60 Minutes” this past weekend.
During the show he discussed his reaction to being elected, his plans while in office and how he envisions the way his life will change when he moves into the White House. He also discussed the challenges he will face in office. While watching the show, it was hard to believe that just two weeks ago Barack Obama made history when he was elected the 44th President of the United States.
Immediately after his victory was announced, I hopped on Facebook to see what other people were saying with their Facebook statuses (because, of course, that’s the best way to let the world see your opinion). After I posted my own “positive” status about Barack making history and being the next president, I almost fainted from shock as I viewed my friends’ statuses. Casting aside the infamous “I am moving to _________ (fill in the blank),” I was disgusted by what my peers were saying. Some spewed vulgarity, calling Barack Obama a “lucky n***er who was just lucky black people could vote.” Others said things like “Even though Barack won, he won’t be in office long because he will hopefully be assassinated soon.”
Look, this was a very important election with a lot of tense emotions, but I was appalled to see some of my so-called friends saying these racist and tasteless things. I guess I should have expected that from my high school friends in Georgia (a state that went red), but seriously—I thought we lived in 2008 and were past all of this.
The thing that bothers me the most was the fact that so much hatred was shown to Barack Obama and his supporters because he won. If John McCain had won the election, I’m sure there would have been some disappointed people as well, but I don’t think the statuses would have been as harsh as the ones for Barack Obama. I’d bet a hefty sum of money that no racial slurs would have been used and no one would have wanted to assassinate him.
Yes, Barack Obama is an African-American. But honestly, why is that the one characteristic that people concentrate on when they think about him? His race doesn’t dictate who he is nor does it indicate his intelligence or competence. Why do people still think it does? I find it odd that African-Americans can make up a large percentage of our professional athletes, musical artists and celebrities, yet we think nothing of it. But as soon as an African-American is elected president, people are up in arms. News flash: African-Americans can do more than catch footballs, dunk basketballs and make top-40 hits.
Barack Obama has spoken to a wide range of people, as was the case in Chicago when he delivered his speech.
America consists of more than just rich, old Caucasians. It is time for change and this will change America forever. If America is as diverse as we claim it to be, we need to start having more diversity in more aspects of life. With an African-American president-elect, who knows what doors will open in the future.
— LETTERS TO THE EDITOR—
Common noise
As last year came to a close, my friends and I were looking forward to living in the Commons. Premier parking, more space, private rooms—it was going to be amazing. I was especially looking forward to the private room because I was sick of my roommate waking me up to go to class at eight or nine in the morning.
I did not think much of the fact that my room was going to face the new academic mall’s construction site, until I was woken up at 6:30 a.m. by the stupid machinery.
The construction crew consistently violates the noise ordinance of 7 a.m. and begins construction as early as 6:10 a.m. some mornings. I am sick and tired of being woken up by this construction. I can understand if they wait until a reasonable hour such as eight, but why do they need to begin so early? If this construction wasn’t continuing until I graduate, I would be all for living in the Commons again next year, but I think I am going to have to start looking for off campus housing where the noise is only at night and I can sleep in like I want.
Jon Bokar | ‘10
Support our own
For the first time in over 15 years I made my way back to campus (other than Cintas Center) in order to attend the Memorial Service for Captain Matthew C. Mattingly a Xavier grad who was killed in action in Iraq. I was extremely disappointed in the lack of attendance by the student body, faculty and the president. What on earth could have been more important than paying tribute to one of our own? A man willing to sacrifice so those at Xavier can freely pursue their liberal views and agenda? I did notice on the same day Xavier hosted Dancing with the Stars, nice priority setting.
Someday, when Catholics’ views and Universities are threatened, maybe then will the University seek to honor those who protect them.
Todd Mayer | ‘85
1 in 4 profs agree
I commend you for the lengthy coverage of rape on college campuses. Laura Collier is one gutsy woman to write openly about her experience. I suspect she speaks for hundreds of other survivors who are not so bold. Rape is a huge and important issue for college women. The survivor of a rape is traumatized in ways that often persist for decades, affecting not just the woman but also her future spouse, children and others in her life. The rapist is also damaged in ways that will linger. He may come to believe that it is acceptable to humiliate and overpower another person with no regard for consequences.
University leaders take a bold stand on the dignity of ethnic minorities. We need to step forward and take an equally bold position on the dignity of women.
Trudelle Thomas | Professor of English
More accessible
My name is Meagan and I am a junior from Cleveland and have been an active member in SNAC for four months. The Student Network for Accessibility and Awareness in our Community is working to raise awareness about the Disability Movement for Xavier and the surrounding communities, and would encourage you to join us in our efforts. Our main goal is to improve the accessibility for students with disabilities who have to maneuver around Xavier’s campus.
The mission of SNAC is to become an organization that encourages equitable treatment of all people by community outreach, awareness and transforming university through activism while disabling stereotypes by empowering individuals of all abilities. One major project we want to accomplish within the next year is making the campus dormitories easily accessible because students with disabilities should not need to go so far out of their way just to reach their room. In doing so, we are holding Xavier accountable for the limitations, but also praising the progress the university has been making with the recent renovations.
We are currently in contact with Physical Plant to confirm the accommodations that have been made and further efforts that need to be made so individuals with disabilities can move freely around campus. In our discussions Kathleen Simons, who works for the Division for Student Life and Leadership, said that a sub-committee of the Disability Services Advisory Board would meet with the architects and construction managers for the Hoff Academic Quad at least two different times last spring to review building and grounds accessibility. The sub-committee gave suggestions including a family bathroom on every floor and changing the brick pavers on the landscaping so wheel chairs could travel more smoothly. She also explained all of the audio visual components in the classrooms were reviewed to make sure they met the highest standards. An issue still remaining is the major structural design that requires someone to access three different elevators from entering McDonald Library on the Academic Mall to reaching the top floor of the Learning Commons.
As you can see, there are still issues the students with disabilities that need to be addressed and improved. We love Xavier University and the people we meet each day. It is our responsibility to work together and improve the campus for the benefit of all the students on campus.
Meagan Crowley | ‘10
Katherine Monasterio
Op-Ed Editor
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