Maroon

              THE LOYOLA MAROON Vol. 72 No• • Loyola University New Orleans, LA 70118* Oct. \X, 1993 • Casino forces spring graduation to move to Convention Center By Chris Bonura News Editor The selection of the Municiple Auditorium as the cite for New Orleans' temporary land-based casino forced administrators to move May graduation. The ceremony, usually held in the auditorium, will take place in the New Orleans Convention Center.In addition, December graduation will be held in the Recreational Sports Complex. The December ceremony has outgrown its previous location, the Most Holy Name of Jesus Church. May graduation Roddy Wolper, director of University Relations, said that the university plans to hold graduation in the Convention Center but he has not yet signed the contract "We anticipated that [scheduling graduation in the municiple auditorium] would be a problem, so we began negotiating with the Convention Center." Wolper said that holding graduation in the Convention Center would cost about three times as much as holding it in the Municiple Auditorium. Wolper said that renting the Municiple Auditorium costs about $25,000 whereas renting the Convention Center costs about $75,000. "The cost will be made up out of my budget," Wolper said. "The cost will not be passed on to the students. We may have to cut back on stuff that we planned for the spring, " he said. Rev. James C. Carter.S.J., university president, said that there is a possibility that the casino developers will pay the difference. "We have put in a request to the owners of the casino. They have been very cooperative." Wolper said that his primary concern was whether or not Loyola would have somewhere to hold it. "I would have signed the contract last summer if I could have gotten the price that I have now, because I was afraid that we wouldn't have a place to hold graduation," he said. "The primary driving force in all of this is that we had to have a place to hold graduation," Wolper said. According to Wolper, the low cost was one reason Loyola traditionally held graduation in the Municiple Auditorium. "It's amuniciple building,"Wolper said. "That's probably one of the rea- Heated debate— Three Loyola students talk outside of Blever Hall /Photo by John Vandover Mintz hopes second time is charm ByFtterßdcluid Staff writer Donald Mintz is running for mayor. Again. Mintz, a New Orleans lawyer, ran against the incumbent Sidney Barthelemy four years ago on essentially the same platform he is running on now. So what's the difference between the mayoral races of 1990 and 1994? "I'm going to win it this time," Mintz said. Though the race may be a different one this time around, M intz, now 53, claims that his motivations for running are the same. "I saw the city that I loved deteriorate," he said. "I feel as though, with the help of others, we can turn it around." Although Mintz says he's not a politician, he uses his background in city government to prove that he's capable of turning the city around. During the late Emest "Dutch" Mortal's two terms as mayor seven-plus years ago, Mintz served on the Dock Board and worked on a study on violent street crime in the city. He also served as chairman of the Louisiana Health- THE MAYO R'S RACE This article is the second in a series of profiles running every week on a different candidate in the New Orleans mayoral race. CaodTdate Donald Mlntz SGA Congress calls for internal audit By Kate Lorenz Staff writer The SGA Congress passed a resolution calling for an internal audit at its meeting on Tuesday. The resolution calls for the office of Financial Affairs to oversee the "financial audit of all expenditures from May 1,1993 to the present." The audit covers the "SGA as a whole, including the executive staff," Representative —— Julia Bigley, psychology/premedmed sophomore and author of the proposal, said. The purpose of the audit is "not necessarily to find something wrong," SGA President Erika Schwarz, first year law student, said. As stated in  the resolution, theresignationofSGA Secretary Chris Delgado, philosophy junior, in mid- September "mentioned the possibility of financial mismanagement."Tim Bamett, SGA faculty adviser and director of the Danna Center, said that he believes two recent thefts involving money in the SGA office could be one reason for the audit. "I would guess that some of it (the audit) might have to do with money that has disappeared from SGA," Bamett said. He also said he believes the audit is not directly related to the recent appointment of Andre Dupont, business senior, to the position of SGA director of finance. However, Bamett said Dupont's appointment could be indirectly related. Some SGA members raised questions of conflict of interests during Dupont's confirmation hearing in September because he is Schwarz's boyfriend. "I think that probably the best thing for both congress and the executive board is to do the audit and just put everything out in the open. There are probably some unfair and unfounded suspicions and this way there are no questions left or no hidden agendas in regards to the budget," Bamett said. SGA Vice President John Hernandez, third year law student, said students should not looked upon the audit negativly. "I think congress is saying let's get our act together," he said. "Congress maybe in the past has been accused of being lackadaisical in their approach of how they handout money. We pass allocations day in and day out. A fter they leave our hands there is no accounting on how they were spent. What r.n audit will do is hold those persons responsible for overseeing this money accountable," Hernandez added. A&S Representative Katy Montgomery, political science sophomore, believes that the audit will show that the SGA is responsible and concerned enough about the students — to let them know what is being done with the finances."It can't do any harm. Only good can come out of it," she added. Co n - gresspersonat-large Jason Murphy, political science junior, agreed that the audit "can't hurt It can only help." "The way thisyearhas gone so far, I was expecting that it would be probably be asked for,"Bamen said. Hedid not expect the audit at the meeting on Tuesday. "I personally think there should be an audit every three or four years because the organization is everchanging," Schwarz commented. The resolution calls for the auditor's report to be submitted to congress at the end of three weeks. "The way this year has gone so far, I was expecting that It would be probably be asked for." Tim Bamett, —SGA faculty adviser See Graduation, pg. 4 See Mlntz, pg. 4 INSIDE THIS WEEK THINKING BEFORE DRINKING Alcohol Awareness Week culminates with today's TGIF. Pg. 6 A NOT-SO-SWINGING TIME The new golf team's first tournament wasn't quite up to par. Pg. 7 A FOOTLOOSE, FLASHDANCING, THRILLER OF A GOOD TIME Remembering the awesome 1980s in a 10-year flashback Pg.lo