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              The Maroon Loyola University New Orleans VOL. 78 NO. 5 ESTABLISHED 1923 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1999 Coalition hopes to improve student drinking habits By Brandy McKnight Assistant News Editor Fliers in Marquette Hall promote upcoming events at local hars, while next to them other fliers read "Drink Responsibly and Keep Bars Open." The latter summarizes the theme of anew movement in underage drinking at Loyola. That movement advocates not banning drinking, but promoting safety on a community level, according to Leigh Anne Barakett, Counseling and Career Services staff counselor and author of the grant proposal. Loyola is one of 10 Louisiana universities to receive a $20,000 grant from the Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. According to Katherine Madden, project assistant for Counseling and Career Services, administrators split the money to begin a Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. Its goal is to educate students through presentations and seminars. The grant also paid for ;ui underage drinking task force whieh is supposed to review the university's alcohol policy and student use. Getting Started "The grant basically has two prongs. One half is the coalition," Madding said. "And the other half is to actually look at Loyola microscopically and see what we can do," she said. The idea stemmed from national alcohol awareness campaigns following recent deaths at Louisiana State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California. Ryan Richardson, business freshman, said he thinks Loyola has a much smaller drinking problem than other state universities, specifically LSU. "There's a lot of drinking, but I think it's a lot more responsible here than in other STAFF PHOTO BY KRISTY MAY Several Uptown bar owners have joined the Coalition Against Underage Drinking. Infamous hurricane could obliterate, swaiiow area By Autumn Cafiero Staff writer Thirty degrees latitude, 90 degrees longitude. To average New Orleanians, these numbers represent the geographical location of their hometown. To the average hurricane tracker, these are the numbers in the equation for disaster. But there are other elements that factor into that equation. First, you need all the right conditions that would allow a storm to travel along a critical path—a track leading the storm from the southeast toward New Orleans, paralleling the river. Add a Category 3 hurricane with its counterclockwise motion, its 130-mile-perhour winds and its 15-foot storm surge. The equation yields the overflowing of Lake Pontchartrain, the over-topping of levees, tens of thousands of casualties and mass destruction. In the wake of being spared by Hurricane Georges' furor last year, New Orleans has begun to take precautions to prepare for the much-feared "big one" that will wreak havoc on the city. "The models tell us that if a critical path hurricane ever comes into New Orleans, virtually the entire city—including Metairie and the metro area—would be under 16 to 18 feet of water," said Bob Thomas, environmental communications chairman. According to Thomas, much of the flooding would be caused by a condition known as a "seiche." The storm's counterclockwise motion would cause the waters of Lake Pontchartrain to slosh back and forth between shores. Center closes after lack of support from Loyola By Elizabeth Buchta Contributing writer Allen Robinson sits on Louisiana's Death Row. He hopes to appeal his conviction of first degree murder, but there is no money to pay expenses. He was represented by Nick Trenticosta, former director of the Loyola Death Penalty Resource Center. Trenticosta now cannot represent him on post conviction appeal because there is no one to pay for expenses. Robinson's first appeal was handled through the center, which closed Aug. 31. It was established through a federal grant in 1988, but lost its federal funding in 1996. After that, the LDPRC it managed to scrape by on scanty state legislative funding, case-by-case court appointments, and the determination of center employees to see justice done. The center was established in 1988 when Congress acknowledged that people on death row were not receiving adequate post-conviction representation. With federal funding and a small staff, Loyola sponsored the center. While Loyola the university was the institutional host of the organization, it was not financially responsible for the center. According to Rhonda Cartwright, vice president for Business and Finance, after years of allowing budget deficits for the nonprofit Loyola Death Penalty Resource Center, university administrators did not cover last year's deficit, and it closed. Cartwright said the effect of this debt was a factor in dropping the program. Trenticosta said when John Makdisi, former dean of the Law School ana supporter of the center. Two former Death Penalty Resource Center employees started the Center for Equal Justice, located inside this church. turned in his resignation letter last semester, the center was given its termination letter. "The university did experienrv; 2 STAFF PHOTO BY CHARLES COSTELLO Exodus continues; three staffers leave Registrar fired, WFF manager retires, parking service employee resigns By Robert Treadway News Editor Three more Loyola staff members have bitten the proverbial dust. Elenora Cushenberry, former registrar, Rebecca Maxwell, administrative assistant for Parking/ Express Card Services, and Todd Larson, resident manager for WFF Facility Services all recently left the university for different reasons. Cushenberry After the administration restructured the Registrar's office, this summer the university fired Cushenberry this summer after more than 1 C years, as a Loyola employee. Administrators split Cushenberry's job in two parts. Michael Rachal, director of student services for the Office of Student Records, will now handle student inquiries. Kathy Gros, director of administrative services for the student records office, has been named liaison between that office and other offices on campus. Gros said the restructuring is part of a new trend for universities. She also said the responsibilities of the department have changed. "The dean's offices are handling a lot of the registration," Gros said. "A lot of the change is because of new technology." Cushenberry and Charlotte Harris, director of Human Resources, refused comment about other details involving the termination. See ALCOHOL, Pg. 4 See CENTER, Pg. 5 See STAFF, Pg. 4 See "BIG ONE," Page 3 Gerlich's advice News and notes about The Maroon Online this week team gears up B university Better Than Ezra 46percent Seven Mary Three 23pewent ( ONLINE FEATURE: Computer Comfort 101 ' : Page 12 Results as of sept. 29 Visit us at maroon, loyno.edu Page 7 I ARLENE • BRET • CINDY • DENNIS • EMILY ]J^|^|^R£)"f£NNY" MAR'A * NICOLE * OPHELIA Part 3 of 4 N«& WNk: Final Student Government Associa£on allocations