Maroon

              THE MAROON ESTABLISHED 1923 V0L.73 NO. 22 Loyola University New Orleans FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1995 Carter defends multicultural office By DOMINIC MASSA Staff writer Debate over the proposed Office of Multicultural Affairs should center on the root causes of racial insensitivity on campus and not the effects of the proposed office, said the Rev. James C. Carter, S.J., university president, Tuesday. 'The focus at the public forums has been the creation of the office and not on the problem that led us here — why African-American students feel disaffected with elements of their education. We're examining the solution without understanding the problem," Carter told newly-elected members of the Student Government Association. Carter explained that the administrator of the proposed office would not serve as campus "thought police" as some faculty members fear, but as a campus observer. "We need someone working full time who is able to remind us, not by being a thought police, but simply by knocking on doors and reminding people of problems with our curriculum or complaints about insensitivity to certain issues dealing with racial matters," he said. Carter also said that the creation of the office is necessary to keep in step with changing higher educational needs. "We're just barely keeping up with the times. I have to confess that, since every institution I'm familiar with that has similar situations has set up such an office, I'm puzzled why so many people have questions," he said. Outgoing SGA president and thirdyear law student Christian Creed asked whether existing programs, such as the Black Student Union or the International Students Association, could serve as an outlet for students' complaints of racial insensitivity. Carter responded that dealing with such problems would require a full-time administrator and that existing organizations have not been able to deal with problems. "Right now we are unable to deal with these concerns in an institutional way. We've thought for many years that existing structures could deal with these issues; but we're told by students that those issues are not being dealt with, and I find that of great concern," Carter said. "In order to determine if these students' concerns are legitimate, we need someone to listen to both parties, and the best way to do that is through an Office of Multicultural Affairs," he added. Carter estimates between $50,000 and $125,000 would be required to fund the Office of Multicultural Affairs, including an administrator's salary and office expenses. Funds have been allocated as part of the 1995-'96 presidential contingency fund for the office. Outgoing SGA College of Business representative and marketing/ management sophomore David Moser Repeat After Me Newly elected Student Government President Katy Montgomery, political science junior, swears in Justin Joseph, business junior, as SGA vice president. By DORLENE DUNNE Despite survey, scheduling changes cause conflicts By STEPHEN STUART Assistant News Editor As City College students register for the upcoming summer term, they will notice a major revision in the number of sessions offered this year. Although City College faculty made the revision based partially on a student survey, it has caused scheduling conflicts for some. While the college still offers the weeklong and intensive weekend courses, the college's faculty decided to condense the eight-week session and the two five-week sessions available last year into one sixweek session. Part of the decision-making process, a survey, conducted of 417 students taking spring 1994 classes in the college, provided a general indication of the needs and wants of students in the summer session, said Richard Lucore, associate dean of City College. Julianne Maher, dean of City College, said that the student complaints about the structure of past summer sessions prompted the distribution of the survey. "The complaints were mainly from students who could not take summer courses on the five-week session because classes met four nights a week, and their work schedules were such that they couldn't take classes four nights a week. "So, after the survey we got a strong indicator that students would prefer classes that met twice a week [in a sixweek session]... Generally we do try to create new schedules that meet students' preferences provided faculty are available to teach during those sessions." The 417 students returning surveys were sorted into two groups: 150 nursing and 267 non-nursing majors. Of these students, 130 nursing majors and 192 other students planned to attend the 1994 summer session. When asked in what session they intended to enroll for the summer 1994 term, over one-third of nursing majors and two-thirds of other students surveyed showed interest in the first five-week session, while only 21 percent of nursing majors and 44 percent of non-nursing majors wanted to take courses in the second five-week session. "One of the things that prompted the discussion of the changing was that the second five-week summer session was not heavily enrolled," Lucore said. He also said that the number of classes offered both this year and last year has remained about the same despite the change. Yet exceptions exist. "For example, we used to offer four religious studies courses in the summer," Lucore said. 'Two in the first five-week session, and two in the second five-week session ... This year we're offering just two on this campus." The college now offers more intensive weekend courses to compensate for the lost sessions. Beginning in October 1994, a faculty committee began looking into the time frame in which to reconstruct the summer session to respond to both student and faculty concerns, Lucore said. The committee then presented its ideas and possible plans to the faculty who discussed these alternatives, proposed some modifications and finally chose the present six-week session structure, Advocate describes living with HIV virus By MICHELLE HUDSON Staff writer One night, around 11 p.m., Beatrice Kerr entered her parents' bedroom to share something with them. Her father was asleep, so she told her mother, a devout Catholic, that she was HlVpositive. Kerr and her mother cried. The next morning Kerr lay awake in her bedroom and heard her parents talking. "Well, we've gotta change her. She's gotta repent," Kerr's father satd. Today, Kerr is an advocate for people afflicted with AIDS. She travels the country sharing her story with others and promoting safe sex. The University Programming Board invited Kerr to speak at Loyola on April 6 in Miller 205. In her speech, she stated that her parents' hardline Catholicism changed her image of and faith in God. "I had internalized a lot what my parents believed." she said. "I envisioned God as an old bearded man sitting on a throne judging us. That's not a very nurturing image." Kerr added that her parents "still believe that AIDS is a punishment from God," and that they are embarrassed that she lectures on the disease. In 1987, Kerr was a sophomore at Mary Washington College when her former high school boyfriend and the first person she had intercourse with, Tad, called to inform her that he had tested positive for the AIDS virus. Although Tad used condoms for a short period of time, Kerr decided to use birth control pills instead because "condoms are not 100 percent." That's when she contracted the disease. During the next year, Kerr would visit an ailing Tad in a Washington, D.C., apartment for men with AIDS. She experienced emotional and religious confusion. She believed, as her parents do, that she contracted AIDS because she had committed some terrible act known only to God. Therefore, she did not tell her parents until the end of her junior year of college. "There's no way I could have handled their rejection." After Tad's death and Kerr's bout with suicidal tendencies, she sought counseling. She graduated from college See CARTER, pg. 4 See AIDS, pg. 4 See SCHEDULE, pg. 3 M Mme. President Ain t No Pirogue B,own AwaY y *jflL ' Katy Montgomery Crew captain explains Loyola saxman talks about her goals for success and failure of breathes new life into