Maroon

              THE MAROON ESTABLISHED 1923 VOL. 75 NO. 7 Loyola University New Orleans FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1996 City official stops LUCAP from feeding homeless By EMILY NETZHAMMER Staff writer The homeless in Lafayette Square may no longer receive sandwiches from the Loyola University Community Action Program if a citation from the city health department holds up in court. Julie Bourbon, an adviser for LUCAP, received a citation Sept. 28 for making sandwiches and distributing them without a permit to the homeless in Lafayette Square park downtown. LUCAP has run this program on Saturdays throughout the semester for the past five years. The students had arrived at the park prepared to distribute sandwiches. Wesley Taylor, a health department administrator, initially confronted Suzanne Bundy, psychology sophomore and student co-chairwoman of the program. "He asked me if 'in the spirit of cooperation' our group would mind leaving the park," Bundy said. "He said that bringing the food to the park was facilitating these people's homelessness and creating a health and environmental risk." According to Bundy, Taylor then listed a variety of reasons why the congregating of homeless people presented a health risk in the area. Taylor declined to comment on the citation. "We're not at liberty to discuss it at this time. The case is pending, as you know," he said. Bourbon was questioned by the officer and was asked to present a permit. LUCAP did not possess a permit, and Bourbon was cited for violating the code that food service establishments must have a permit to distribute in public places. "This code does not apply to us," Bourbon said. "We are a volunteer group, not a food service establishment. We are providing a service to people who are in need." William Quigley, law professor and director of the Loyola Law Clinic, serves as legal counsel in the case. He said that, contrary to the citation, LUCAP is not operating a "food service establishment" since it only gives out sandwiches and fruit in paperbags. He said "it's obviously an incorrect citation on a number of grounds," including freedom of expression and religion rights. Bourbon also said that in light of recent welfare cuts, the city should be Marijuana use blows cloud over university drug policy By JENNIFER LEVASSEUR Life and Times Editor He lit his first joint on Loyola University's campus in a friend's dorm room a week or two after classes started. The friend had brought the marijuana from home. The idea to smoke it came up casually. While this incident did not mark the first time Mike, English freshman, had smoked marijuana (he started in junior high), it was the first time he violated the university's policy on drug use in the residence halls. Now Mike (not his real name), who smokes about three or four times a week, avoids using marijuana on campus. He said he would rather leave campus because of the disciplinary sanctions he could receive if he got caught. "I just walk down the street ... in a car ... it's not a problem. It's relatively safe walking on the street here," he said. The university policy does not prevent students from using marijuana, Mike said. It just "I don't think the school's disciplinary policy really makes a difference to someone who wants to try Monitoring marijuana use on campus remains difficult. The estimates of administrators, students and studies often show conflicting numbers. Marijuana use by Loyola students has decreased since 1990, according to Lana Meese stresses faith to Constitution By ALLISON TEMPLET News Editor Judges must adhere to a faithful interpretation of the Constitution, said Edwin Meese 111, the 75th Attorney General of the United States. "It is not trying to look into the minds of James Madison or any of the others who were involved in the Constitution.... but rather it really is the adherence to the language of the Constitution and giving the words the meaning that was intended by those that were parties to the document," Meese said. Meese spoke to an audience of over 150 at the 1996 James Madison Lecture on Oct. 9, held in the Gisevius Moot Court Room at Loyola's School of Law. The speech was sponsored by the Federalist Society, a national organization of 7,000 lawyers and law students founded in 1982 that aims to promote the concepts of the Federalist Papers. Meese served as U.S. Attorney General from 1985-88, and he currently holds the Ronald Reagan chair of Public Policy at the Heritage Foundation and is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Federalist Society. Meese described what he meant by a faithful interpretation of the Constitution. The courts must practice restraint in exercising its powers, Meese said. The subjective views of judges should not be involved in their interpretations, and the Constitution should not be seen as merely a springboard for their own ideas. "The role of the judge is to be able to By SARAH BARNETT Former Attorney General Edwin Meese, fourth from left, participates in a panel discussion after speaking at the law school about the faithful interpretation of the Constitution. Public Safety officer attacked with steel bar By SARAH SPARKS Staff writer It was 3:22 a.m. on Sept. 28 as Public Safety Officer Julio Gerena pedalled down East Road towards Freret Street. Until then, nothing extraordinary had happened on his rounds. As Genera passed the Danna Center handicapped ramps, a large metal object struck him in his upper back. The officer managed to remain on the bicycle for a few feet, and a group of students gathered on the Freret side of the Danna Center saw his eventual crash. Genera was rushed to Memorial Medical Center, where he was treated for the large bruise on his back near his right shoulder, as well as the bruises and scrapes from his fall. He was released later that day, and he has since recovered and returned to work. The injury could have been much more serious, said Roger Pinac. Public Safety investigator. He hefted the metal object, an eight-inch solid steel bar that Pinac said is probably part of a metal pin from Loyola's parking garage construction site. It weighed between 12 and 15 pounds, and the Hecks of rust and dirt from the construction site flaked off as he lifted it. 'The area where it hit was near the top of the shoulder where it is pretty heavily muscled," Pinac explained. "Fortunately, that's where it struck. If it See LUCAP, Pg. 3 See OFFICER, Pg. 3 See MEESE, Pg. 3 See MARIJUANA, Pg. 4 soon offer Internet urr-ff ~ ■■ I fg. 5 I' ' - —f| The Bard is back J* The play's the thing in IX, npJyT' fe* Marquette Theatre with Jjr' The Comedy of Errors. ■ ■ 1 pg. 11