Maroon

              The Maroon ESTABLISHED 1923 VOL. 74 NO. 12 Loyola University New Orleans FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1995 Drug searches planned with canine units By NEALFALGOUST Assistant News Editor An increase in campus drug use has prompted the Student Affairs office to begin random searches of residence halls using drug-sniffing dogs. A notice, posted in the residence halls to all residents, reads, "The University reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate actions on any incidents where drugs are suspected; this action will include the use of a canine trained to uncover illegal drugs." The searches will be conducted from the halls, but if the canines detect drugs in any room, Vincent Knipfing, vice president for Student Affairs, said he will authorize an immediate search. If that search uncovers evidence which suggests drug use that goes beyond "casual use," a search warrant will be obtained to continue the investigation. Knipfing said he will follow the advice of Patrick Bailey, director of Public Safety, to determine what constitutes casual use. "It is usually more than one or two reefers or a small bag. The best advice is for everyone not to have drugs," Knipfing said. Bailey was out of town on vacation and could not be reached for comment. "I'm not an expert in this," Knipfing said. "I am told that if the dogs indicate that there are illegal drugs in the room we will try to get a hold of the resident to secure permission for a voluntary search. If they don't, I will authorize a search." By JOY CHRISTINA DEMATTEO Face in the crowd The Rev. Bernard P. Knoth, S.J., university president, cheers on the Wolfpack basketball team during its season opener against the Martin Methodist Indians. Bishop denies direct involvement by Freeport By CHRIS BONURA Editor in Chief Freeport-McMoßan says that a videotaped interview which one of its spokesmen had with the Bishop of Jayapura during a two-day tour of the company's facilities in Irian Jaya vindicates its defense of its human rights record. "The truth is getting out — finally," said Freeport-McMoßan Executive Vice President Thomas Egan. In the Freeport-McMoßan interview. Bishop H.F.M. Munninghoff says that he never intended for his human rights report, which has been referred to frequently in debates concerning Loyola's ethical responsibility in accepting a $600,000 gift from the company, to be an indictment against Freeport-McMoßan. When Paul Murphy, a Freeport official, asks Munninghoff whether the company was directly involved in the deaths reported, the bishop says "In my opinion, Freeport is not at all involved by these violations of human rights." The statement that the bishop read during the Freeport interview was originally prepared for a telephone conference that the Rev. Bernard R Knoth, university president, had with the bishop. Knoth said that the conversation he had with the bishop confirms his thinking on the ethics of accepting Freeport's gift. "This clarifies for me what I found questionable in the English version of the report that had been circulating, namely the allegations of humans rights violations by Freeport-McMoßan in its operation," he said. Knoth said he told Freeport- McMoßan after he read the human rights report that he would like to speak to the bishop. "My reason for asking to talk to him was that the question of human rights abuses was a critical piece of the puzzle in my mind," Knoth said. "A response to allegations of human rights violations coming from a Roman Catholic bishop who is familiar with the culture and politics of the region and has access to the individuals in the area was important to me." The report asserts that the Indonesian army, which patrols the area around UBC plans tuition raise By JENNIFER LEVASSEUR Assistant News Editor The University Budget Committee has approved a 5.71 percent increase in tuition and an almost equal 5.7 percent increase in financial aid for next year at the committee's Nov. 20 meeting. According to Antonio Lopez, math and computer science professor and University Senate representative, the tuition increase for next year is lower than previous years. The rate of tuition increase has been declining over the past two years, he said. "Over the last five years we've averaged 6.05 percent— that's a five-year growth, including tuition and fees," Lopez said. Loyola is less expensive than 75 percent of its peer schools, according to a report on tuition and fees. "Last year we were in position number six from the bottom. This year we're in position number five from the bottom of this list of schools," he said. While the plan now contains a 5.7 percent financial aid increase, it originally featured a 3.6 percent increase. Lopez proposed the amendment to change the percentage in order to match the tuition increase. 'To be honest, I didn't think it was going to pass. But, you know, if you don't try it, hey, nothing's going to happen, right?" He said the amendment passed by two votes. The 5.7 percent should amount to $14.8 million in financial aid. These proposed increases will be submitted to the Rev. Bernard Knoth, S.J., university president, who will make the final decision on increases. It will then be sent to the Board of Trustees. The ÜBC voted on these increases from three proposed budget plans. The chosen plan contains a tuition increase lower than one plan and equal to the other. The committee chose the plan that would require the university to increase enrollment greatly in order to meet the budget. "It was a stretch. The math models are saying that you're not going to hit that target," he said. According to Lopez, in the best case scenario, enrollment would be no more than 3,882 undergraduates. The proposed plan calls for enrollment of 3,900 undergraduates. The deans are being asked to try to increase enrollment to this level, he said. "I don't think they're going to hit the point. If the deans hit that point, I will be one happy puppy," he said. "If they don't hit that mark, mid year they're going to have to make adjustments," he added. Pool swimming in problems By STEPHEN STUART News Editor The RecPlex swimming pool, plagued by problems since its opening in 1988, mainly involving the rusting of the original stainless steel liner of the pool, will undergo further repairs next May, according to Nan Davis, associate director of the RecPlex. The pool recently reopened on Nov. 15 after a two-week delay for repairs to a leaky heater bypass valve that had corroded after draining pool water for eight years. When the pool was drained for these repairs, rust spots were discovered coming through the fiberglass liner that covers the stainless steel at the pool bottom, said Herbert Roth, equipment technician for the pool. A company from Florida called Fibretech installed the liner in May 1994 after analysis determined that the source of the rust problem lay in the wrong grade of steel used in constructing the pool. "The prior shutdowns have been due to the stainless steel liner," Davis said. "For several years, we did not really know what the cause of the problem was." According to a Jan. 20, 1989, article By JOY CHRISTINA DEMATTEO Pool equipped with new valve. in The Maroon, the pool closed for roughly a month beginning on Dec. 17, 1988, so that Cabildo Construction Co., the original contractor for the RecPlex, could make repairs to the welding which had accumulated rust. 'The rust lay along welding lines on the seam joining the floor and the wall, with additional scattered spots on the pool's floor," it reads. The gray, stainless steel bottom of the pool was originally painted white, Davis said. When rust first appeared on the See SEARCH, Pg. 3 See FREEPORT, Pg. 5 See POOL, Pg. 3 SMoot issue Loyola Moot Court team wins regionals for first time in eight years. Pg-5 B Basketball team f" converts Faith game into victory. Curing cancer Jfcfc Eight-year-old Daniel QBHH tumor and wins.