Maroon

              The Loyola MAROON Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 Volume 70 No. 3 September 13,1991 Forum explodes over column By Al Tritico Staff writer "Feelings have been hurt; there are attackers and there are victims." Thus spoke Al Alcazar, associate campus minister and adviser to the Loyola UniversityUniversity Community Action Program (LUCAP), the moderator of the open microphone forum held Sept. 5. The forum, held in the packed Danna Center Lounge (estimates range from 300 to 400 members of the Loyola community in attendance), was called to discuss issues raised by Maroon Editor in Chief Michael Wilson's controversial Aug. 30 column, "The Rebels: Full-Time Tourists at Loyola." "The column has been written, and it is full of racially loaded language," Alcazar said. He then went on to illustrate examples of this allegation. "The facts are, this is an attack," he said. Alcazar concluded his opening statements by inviting Jay Costa, a New Orleans law- yer and Loyola alumnus, to speak on behalf of the Puerto Rican students. "The more I thought about [the column], the more hurt I became. And I became hurt because when I came to this school, I put my trust... that everybody would be treated equal at this university," Costa said. "And when somebody writes an article like this, it makes me think maybe I'm better off Roing back home." Straining to see — Ugorji Egejuru (left) and Veronica Venice stand on a table to get a view of the speakers at last Thursday's forum. /Photo by Rick Miltbourn.Gaffney attacks low pay Points to "inconsistency" in wages By Jose Patino Staff Writer At an Aug. 30 College of Arts and Sciences assembly, Dr. James Gaffney, chairperson and professor of religious studies, presented a letter criticizing the inconsistency and unfairness of adjustments to faculty salaries. "The main source of their [the administration's] unfairness has been the application of existing guidelines that lack coherence, clarity and publicity requisite for due process," Gaffney said in the letter. The letter explained the guidelines for salary adjustments that are set forth in records of negotiations, the College Handbook, the Faculty Handbook and a system used by Rev. George F. Lundy, senior vice president and dean of Faculties. "His system does not seem to be applied consistently," Gaffney said in reaction to the salary policy followed by Lundy. "No one can check up on it or criticize it because you do not know what it is." Also, Lundy,s system does not include the Faculty Handbook, and that "gives the norms for the raises," Gaffney said. However, Lundy explained that he uses a statistical model devised to predict the salary of a professor on the basis of his or her time as a professor and his or her academic rank. Thus, the model compares the predicted salary and the actual salary and states the difference. "The purpose of this model is not to get everyone to their predicted salary precisely because of the Handbook, which states, 'Many factors such as individual merit, the state of the market and the particular needs Inmates program works By Chris Raphael Assistant News Editor For over a year, members of the Loyola community have devoted their time, energy and limited resources to educating inmates at the Jackson Barracks correctional facility in downtown New Orleans. They have sacrificed their leisure time and their family time. They have received no reward, no stipend. And except for occasional gratitude, they have been received hardly any recognition. So why do they come? The Jackson Barracks Communications and Law program, as it is officially called, started early last year as a means of progressive rehabilitation — deterrence through education. Initially, a group of inmates at Jackson Barracks requested education courses in law, specifically the types which had led to their arrest, and the legal process that would produce their eventual liberation. Contacting Ted Quant, director of the Institute for Human Relations at Loyola, they petitioned him to recognize their request.Responding to their need, Dr. Mary McCay, associate professor of English, designed and taught communications courses which would give inmates (he skills they desired to become productive members of society; for example, letter writing and public speaking. McCay, who had previously worked with prisoners in Massachusetts, has become something of a driving force in the institution and continuation of the program. "The really great thing about the program is the men: They are alert and have a great deal to offer. It's too bad society can't find a better way to deal with all its citizens," Dr. McCay said. John P. Nelson of the Loyola Law Clinic has created the "better way" by providing instruction and free legal services to inmates whose economic and educational needs diciatc it. Under the first part of the program, senior law students represent prisoners in cases involving bankruptcy, criminal offenses and immigration law, to See Forum /page 3 See Salaries /page 5 See Prison /page 4 Inside This Week