Maroon

              THE MAROON ESTABLISHED 1923 VOL. 74 NO. 14 Loyola University New Orleans FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1996 Main library runs short on shelf space By LISA WULZYN Staff writer As the delay in the new library's construction continues, the Main Library is rapidly running out of space. According to Richard Snow, director of the Collection and Development Center, major changes are needed to create space on the fourth floor of the Main Library. Although still in the early planning stages, students may expect a reduction in Miller Library's first floor study area. "We're looking at Miller as an alternative to move volumes Q-Z to the first floor. Traditionally it was used for a study area, yet with more students making use of the St. Charles Room in the Danna Center, it is not as important as it used to be," Snow said. Volumes Q-Z, which include roughly 32,000 books, consist of science and nursing books. If the plan is adopted, it would increase space to accommodate the growth of new collection material over the next four years, or until the new library is constructed. "Even if we didn't purchase another book (before the new library construction), there is still a crisis for space. Right now, it's difficult for people to find books. They are piled one on top of another," he said. In addition to books piled on top of each other, the aisles are heavily congested. There is minimal room for additional volumes to be placed on the current 13 shelves, and empty shelves crowd the room, making it difficult for students to walk through the aisles. While it is possible for the library to stop purchasing new books, Snow feels that it isn't a very wise option. "We could stop buying, but we can't allow gaps in our knowledge to occur. Who's to say that something that will be printed in 1996 won't be as important as something printed in 1946?" he said. There are several issues that need to be resolved before this move can take pfece, according to Snow. "The first thing is determining when architects are planning to renovate the first floor of Miller. Then we need to figure out who's going to pay for it. Shelving runs thousands of dollars. At this point, I'm not sure if we'll be able to take it out of the library fund." In addition, much planning is needed to move the books from the fourth floor of the library to Miller, according to Snow. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES' DECISION  By ANGELA DRISCOLL As Fr. Knoth looks on, John B. Levert Jr. reads a statement asserting the Board of Trustees' decision. Board commits to Freeport chair By STEPHEN STUART Managing Editor The Loyola Board of Trustees voted at last Friday's meeting to delay a decision on whether the university will return Freeport-McMoßan's $600,000 donation for an environmental communications chair. The board chose instead to "reaffirm its commitment to the chair" and hired a consulting firm, which has a disreputable history, to aid in the search for candidates to fill the chair. During a break in the meeting, John B. Levert Jr. chairman of the board, stepped outside Greenville Hall to read a prepared statement on the board's discussion of Freeport CEO Jim Bob Moffett's request to return the donation. Levert said that the board viewed the request as an expression of his concern for "getting the chair filled promptly." Moffett had asked the university for the money back in a press conference last November. This occurred on Nov. 6 after a protest in front of his home on the previous Saturday, which included some Loyola students and faculty members. But the board's intended message in the statement was misconstrued by a Tunes-Picayune article the next day that the university would keep the money. Levert corrected the statement in Sunday's edition. According to the Rev. Bernard Knoth, S.J., the original statement was not revised. "The headline writer on the Saturday article in The Times-/Picayune I missed the point of the statement. The actual vote the board took was to reaffirm its commitment to environmental education," he said. "No vote was taken as to keep or return the money." After he read part of the statement on Friday, Levert added that the board will continue to discuss the issue of the funds with Freeport. "We're having a private dialogue, and it's going to remain private," he said. In response to the trustees' decision, Freeport spokesman Greg Probst issued a statement Monday which reiterated its concern for the vacant chair. "We are disappointed that the university has held up these funds for three years and has yet to fill the chair." Knoth said that the discussion in the meeting, an executive board meeting closed to the public and university representatives to the board, produced support for proceeding to fill the chair. "There was almost universal participation in the discussion by board members and clear support for the resolution that was passed," he said. John Amato, general counsel for Freeport-McMoßan and member of the board, did nol participate in voting on the chair due to a conflict of interest provision in Loyola's university charter, according to Mtumishi St. Julien, also a member of the board. Members of the Loyola community had mixed reactions to the board's closed discussion of the chair and its outcome. The Loyola University Community Action Program had sent a letter to Levert asking to speak at the meeting, but its request was denied. Emily Drew, LUCAP president and sociology/communications junior, expressed concern over the closed meeting. "Knoth keeps talking about community, community," she said. "But what community was allowed to be there?" SGA President Katy Montgomery said that the university can use Freeport's money. "I hope that we keep the $600,000 and fill the chair in the near future," said Montgomery, political science senior. John Clark, philosophy professor, who supports the idea of an environmental communications chair, said that the university should give back the money based not on Moffett's demands, but on "moral grounds." "I'm happy to hear that the final decision hasn't been made because that option is still open," he said. SGA's goals for academic year not met By JENNIFER LEVASSEUR News Editor Midway through the year, the Student Government Association vice president, in a memo to The Maroon, claimed that the congress had completed 16 of its 31 original goals for the year, while actually having completed only nine. In the memo three goals are listed as not completed and 10 are listed as "work in progress." Two goals have not yet been updated, and one listed as completed was not one of the original goals. Justin Joseph, vice president, reduced the number from 16 to nine completions after being questioned on the accuracy of his memo. "You're making me very upset," he said as he agreed to the reduction. G.J. Minardi, chief of staff and communications senior, listed as his goal to receive 200 responses for the Course Consumer Guide. According to Minardi and President Katy Montgomery, this goal was not met. "It did not happen. We were incredibly disappointed," she said. The form that was sent to professors was shortened and simplified from last year, but many of the professors did not respond because they said they did not have time, Montgomery, political science senior, said. Students were very disappointed in the lack of participation by professors throughout the College of Arts and Sciences, but the SGA was pleased with the amount of responses they received from the business professors, Montgomery said. "They responded, but a lot of the other departments didn't, and students were really upset. I think that probably didn't help a lot with faculty (relations)," she said. According to Montgomery, one of the reasons for the poor response from professors was a misconception about the goal and purpose of the guide. She said this misconception could have come partly from Jenny Johnson's column in the Sept. 15 issue of The Maroon in which she called it a "guide for slackers." "That was probably one of the most disappointing things in this semester because we really had it together this year," Montgomery said. The guide was discontinued for next year because of the lack of student See DECISION, Pg. 3 See GOALS, Pg. 3 Nelson gives Loyola Crew prepares HHHK; *B Professor Steve Rucker his world views in a to into action for Rfllß' ,?/ fl takes sculpture to a