Maroon

              The Maroon Loyola University New Orleans VOL. 78 NO. 9 ESTABLISHED 1923 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5,1999 Students sue for answers Loyola and Tulane professors take on bar exam system By Sarah Sparks Staff writer Law students' lives are filled with coffee, notes, case files and theory. Seven days a week for three yearsthey focus on the monster of all tests — the bar exam. After the three-day test and weeksof waiting for results, it can be devastating when a student fails. And in Louisiana, they often don't know why they failed. Several students, including some from Loyola, complaining of unfair grading, have filed a class-action lawsuit to force the state Supreme Court and the bar admissions committee to provide copies of the answers used to grade the exams. They are being aided by Loyola and Tulane law professors. Dane Ciolino, associate law professor, filed the suit on the students' behalf. Louisiana is one of three states, along with Missouri and South Dakota, which does not release a student's answers to the bar exam. According to the bar committee, two lawyers review each test: One grades each test, then sends failed sections of the exam to the lawyer who wrote that section, as a safeguard. Results are posted on the Internet and outside the Supreme Court building downtown, and students who failed are told which sections they must retake. But the actual tests are shredded before the results are posted, and students may not appeal test results to the bar admissions committee. This means students who must retake a section cannot be certain which questions they missed or even whether the papers were graded correctly. Civil District Court Judge Max Tobias recently dismissed a suit filed by Ciolino and Gary Roberts, Tulane law professor, in an attempt to have the model test answers disclosed as part of the public record. The defendants, including state Supreme Court Chief Justice Pascal Calogero Jr. and Michael Patterson, chairman of the bar committee, argued the judiciary is exempt from the law. When Tobias dismissed the original suit, Ciolino and Roberts appealed and filed the class-action suit Y2K hype outweighs possible problem By Robert Treadway News Editor Y2K, the Year 2000 Problem, the Y2K Bug ... whatever you call it, you cannot ignore it. Specifically it is the problem that some computers will have reading the date after New Year's Day 2000. For years, computer programmers have been scrambling to fix this glitch while the government has been scrambling to calm citizens' panic. Loyola has also been preparing for the possible computer glitches that could occur as the new year approaches. The problem stems from the early days of computers, about a decade and a half ago, when programmers needed memory for system programs. To allow space for other components, | the prefix was left off of the date so 1999 is read as 99. The question and problem is what happens when we reach the year 2000. Will older computers read this as 1900 or 2000? Most experts think the older computers will do neither, but rather they will freeze and become inoperable. THE TEST OF 77/7E PRRT 1 OF V With the year 2000 approaching, many companies are taking measures to calm consumers and prepare for the worst possible scenario What this means to consumers and citizens around the world is a potential halt in services such as utilities, bank systems, food, airlines and not to mention the World Wide Web. "Companies have spent years preparing for this. I don't think P anything is going to happen," said Russell Lytle, biology/pre-med I sophomore. Lytle is a network administrator for Forest Isle Apartments and also has assisted the chemistry department with Y2K issues. "Time will tell," he said. Covering All Bases The United States government issued a report in ■ July saying that it expects no ' interruption in utility service and 60 percent of government agencies arc "Y2K OK." An Aug. 30 USA Today article states that 99 percent of the nation's banks are Y2K compliant. In the same article it says that many consumers are still withdrawing money in case banking halts for several days after the new year. STAFF ILLUSTRATION BY LASHA HARDEN AND ROBERT TREADWAY Physical Plant denies SGA supplies for service project By Elizabeth Stuart Copy Editor Students who participate in Wolves on the Prowl this semester may not get the help from Physical Plant SGA hoped for. The Student Government Association reported Tuesday that Physical Plant refused to give students some supplies such as paint pans, drop cloths, rollers and paint brushes they requested to use for the Wolves on the Prowl community service project. According to Torrey Lawson, communications senior and SGA chief of staff, Physical Plant gave no reason for denying SGA the supplies for the project. Physical Plant did not return phone calls from The Maroon for comment. Every year, SGA organizes Wolves on the Prowl as part of SGA Week. This year's project is to clean up two local schools, Sophie B. Wright Middle School and Morris F. X. Jeff Elementary School. Sophie B. Wright was a stop for President Bill Clinton when he came in town to talk about public school improvement and to support William Jefferson in his race for Louisiana governor. According to a Sept. 28 Times- Picayune article, Clinton encouraged improving public schools. "We have to demand more of our schools and invest more in them," Clinton said. "But it is wrong to blame the kid and it's wrong not to give the schools a chance. We know that schools can be turned around if they have the resources and a plan and they work the plan." Wolves on the Prowl is scheduled for Nov. 13. The two schools will receive minor repairs and painting. Jason Simeral, international business junior and business representative, is co-chairman with Mike Karam, biology junior and arts and sciences representative, for Wolves on the Prowl. Simeral said he is not happy with Physical Plant's decision. "I was especially disappointed about them not giving us supplies without giving us a reason," he said. University extends tradition of charity By Brandy McKnight Assistant News Editor For the past week and a half, Loyola faculty and staff have participated in their annual charity fundraising campaign. This year, the university has again chosen United Way as the charity to support. The United Way is a national program that promotes community action and supplies relief to the poor. According to Patricia Moser, assistant director of Public Affairs and co-chair of the program at the university, Loyola has been involved with the United Way in the past. Last year, the university raised $43,266 and had a 52 percent participation rate, according to Phyllis Aleman, administrative assistant for the communications department. This year, administrators hope to surpass those numbers. "Loyola's overall goal is $45,000." Aleman said. "What they are trying to do is reach a goal in each department to surpass what they collected last year. We're looking for 100 percent participation." Volunteers from each department are given materials to run a small campaign to earn money from their co-workers. According to Moser. departmental goals are set according to the amount of money raised in the past. "•Departmental goals are a five percent increase on the money each department earned last year," Moser said. Aleman said her department already reached 98 percent of the goal for donations. Institutions such as Red Cross and the Boy Scouts of America depend on the United Way for funding. It provides food, clothing and shelter to the needy. According to Moser. last year United Way helped 700.000 people, which roughly equates to one in three New Orleans citizens. According to A leman, ats 10 donation can he used to shelter six battered women or provide six months of chemotherapy to six cancer patients. Moser said that most large companies and many schools participate in order to promote community involvement among employees. See Y2K, Pg.3 See SGA, I'g.3 See TRIAL, Pg.3 dgfgf Sou no Bytes Netvs and notes about The Maroon Online this iveek Results from the online poll: I spent All Saint's Day...? In meditative contemplation 32 percent Washing the orange and black dye out of my hair 12 percent Doing homework 28 percent Throwing up candy corn 28 percent Results as of Nov. 3 Visit us at maroon.loyno.edu Next week: A look inside the production of Loyola's newest student publication ~r SPORTS Lacrosse team wins first two games of season Page 8