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              THE MAROON Loyola University New Orleans Established 1923 • "For a Greater Loyola" VOL 78 NO. 16 http://maroon.loyno.edu FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2000 IT'S ALIVE! Forensics sequence warms up for fall By Adam Oliver Contributing writer The chemistry department hopes to announce a forensics sequence as an official program by next school year. This would be the first program of its kind in Louisiana and one of less than 50 in the country. Kurt Birdwhistell, chemistry department chairman, said the rare major will be a good addition to the university. "We are excited about this program ... but we are still playing it by ear," he said. The program will be underwritten by the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund, received in July 1999. This fund rotates through the sciences and schools in Louisiana. Birdwhistell, Paul Wilson, director of chemistry laboratories, and William Walkenhorst, assistant chemistry professor, applied in October 1998 for $80,000 to help get the major started. They received $41,000 to pay for the Introduction to Forensics course and to sponsor internships for this school year. Loyola will offer both a major and a minor in forensic science. Most schools only offer the major. In addition, the criminal justice program has a master's program in the works. Wilson, also a forensics specialist, teaches the introductory course and is slated to teach most of the forensics courses. He said he does not think the extra classes will be a burden. "I'm glad to have the opportunity for this. I enjoy forensics greatly," he said. Loyola's proposed program is modeled after forensic science programs at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Central to each of these curricula is an internship at a crime lab. Loyola established a partnership with the New Orleans Police Department Crime Lab on Tulane Avenue and several other forensics labs in the area. This semester there are two interns: Russell Ferlita, chemistry senior, and Robin DeVille, biology senior. Both are at the NOPD Crime Lab. "This is what I want as a career," Ferlita said. "I'd like to work in drug analysis, with narcotics." The interns go through two weeks of training in each department, including evidence collection (crime scene), fingerprint analysis, toxicology and firearms/ballistics. After the training sections, the interns then work on final projects in a field of specialty. NOPD Sgt. Robert Guidry trains the interns in the Crime Lab, where they learn to collect evidence from crime scenes for criminologists to process. "They (Ferlita and DeVille) are learning a lot," Guidry said. The interns are required to spend 10 hours per week at the lab. "I spend more than that, though. I'm in there when I'm not at school. I feel included. They walk us through it," DeVille said. STAFF PHOTO BY MICHELLE CORNEJO Under the watch of an undercover narcotics agent, Natalie Kavanaugh, psychology sophomore, examines a bullet casing from a fake crime scene as part of a crime lab class. Holy Name of Jesus scheduled to change By Robert Treadway Staff writer The Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church will get some needed repairs — and might be getting a facelift. But some parishioners would rather leave well enough alone. Holy Name Parish is planning a series of changes to better serve its parishioners — the first alterations to the interior of the church in 26 years. The parish announced Jan. 30 that changes would be made to the 82- year-old church. A letter from the Rev. Paul Patin, S.J., pastor of the church, and the Rev. Bernard Knoth, S.J., university president, was distributed in the church's weekly bulletin. In the letter, Patin and Knoth asked that all parishioners participate in the decision-making progress and let church officials know what they think about enhancing their worship space. "We're calling them enhancements because it's to add embellishment or 'enhance' the way we worship," Patin said. They said no enhancements have been planned thus far. Committee controversy According to Knoth, the process for final plans will take between a year and 18 months so everyone's opinion can be considered. To receive as many opinions as possible, the parish has set up an advising committee. There will be a core committee whose members will be selected from a pool of active parishioners and those who attend the initial presentation of Catholic doctrine held this week. Lawrence Hallaron, A'6s and member of the Holy Name/Loyola STAFF PHOTO BY JESSICA JOHANNINGMEIER Plans to change the church include modifying the worship space and creating a meeting place for music ministries. Seven committees were formed to oversee the facelift. Greek lives full of drama By Traci Smith Staff writer rfďf Greeks are all over Loyola — from I iterature courses on Zeus and his clan to surveys of Plato's republic to bake sales in front of the Danna Center. Greek organizations have been a part of Loyola's campus since 1924. This semester 169 students received bids in the Greek system. Fledgling Pledge-ling Before they become full-fledged Greeks, students are pledges. This is when they can be susceptible to hazing. There has been plenty of publicity about hazing, which is the mistreatment of pledges by the current members of the organization. In 1997, Louisiana State University student Benjamin Wynne, a 20-year-old pledge, died of alcohol poisoning after allegedly being coerced into drinking large amounts of alcohol by members of his fraternity. Colleges across the country responded by cracking down on social organizations that violated campus regulations concerning hazing. Loyola has a relationship with the National Interfraternity Conference and the National Panhellenic Council. These organizations have a strict "zero tolerance" policy on hazing of any sort. According to Shelly Span so I and Heather Hollier, communications sophomores and Delta Gamma members, their organization adheres to the policy. "Hazing is not allowed," Spansel said. "Even the little things (are not allowed), like waking up the new members before eight in the morning." Theta Phi Alpha sponsored a meeting this year for all sororities to educate the pledges and members about hazing. Julie Wilson, communications junior and member of Theta Phi Alpha, said the speaker at the meeting told the sororities there is no reason for hazing, and that violators should be reported to the university. "She told us that it is not betraying (fellow members) by going to a higher authority to nip it in the bud," she said. Matt Walter, Spanish and communications junior and Phi See ALIVE, Pg. 3 See JESUS, Pg. 5 See GREEKS, Pg. 6 ■QBnEI DAQP D A I I I D WoHpack drops to 1-12 in BMotDMLL j GCAC action, p. 11 HEATS UP D Ecuador undiscovered j D Professor receives praise " Page 10 j ** dedication, p. 14 . Sound Bytfs  These hands refuse to labor Save time, vanity and the risk of being seen with your nose in Wuthering Heights with Loyola's library Web services Visit us at http://maroon.loyno.edu