Maroon

              Loyola University New Orleans BSsMAROON VOL. 79, NO. 10 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2001 MAROON.LOYNO.EDU Student rapes leave campus on edge By Curie Veronica Jones Assistant News Editor On two separate occasions within the past nine days, Loyola students have been held at gunpoint. Two were threatened with sexual assault, and two were raped, according to Vicki McNeil, associate vice president of Student Affairs. According to a release from the New Orleans Police Department, all four students were robbed at gunpoint. The incidents took many students by surprise and caused some to question their safety. "It's disturbing, because they did what they were supposed to do by walking in pairs," said Lindsey Mechler, general studies sophomore. "It makes you think it could happen to anybody." Two twenty-year-old women were on their porch on the 7300 block of Zimple Street Oct. 27 at around 4:30 a.m. when a man approached them with a gun, according to the release. The students said the man forced them to the side of the house and robbed them of $60 in cash. As one of the victims tried to call for help on her cell phone, she said the assailant slapped her face. According to the NOPD release, the man attempted to sexually assault one of the girls, but they were able to escape into the house. Captain Roger Pinac of University Police said he would not give any further details on the attempted assault. Late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, two eighteen-year old women were walking to The Boot, an Uptown bar. They were on the 7800 block of Freret Street when a man approached them with a gun, victims said. According to the NOPD, the man robbed the students of $25 and then forced them into an alley where he sexually assaulted both of them. The NOPD, which is handling the investigation, said that the same man may be responsible for both incidents. The suspect is described as a 6- foot tall black man weighing more than 240 pounds. The victims all said he was wearing a dark baseball cap, a dark T-shirt with writing across it and dark pants. Whether the sexual assaults were linked to the three rapes that occurred last summer one of which included a Loyola student is unknown, Pinac said. According to Pinac, there is not enough information to determine whether the suspect could be a serial rapist. "The perpetrator's primary motivation is unclear. He may be primarily an armed robber who took advantage of the situation, or he may be a sexual predator, or both," Penac said. "In any event, he is armed and a danger to the community." University Police held a meeting with the Residential Life staff to tell them about the incidents and asked them to have a meeting on each floor to inform student residents of the situation, McNeil said. Law clinic subject to tighter regulations By Tim Sullivan Contributing writer The U.S. Supreme Court declined a challenge last week to the Louisiana Supreme Court's 1998 ruling that tightened restrictions on student law clinics. The ruling concerns the operation of university law clinics and the types of cases with which they can work. These rewritten rules apply to student law clinics throughout the state of Louisiana, including Loyola's law clinic on the Broadway campus. "1 am disappointed that the Supreme Court did not agree to hear the case," said Bill Quigley, director of Loyola's law clinic. "The courts have essentially said that these restrictions are a political problem, and if elected members of the Louisiana Supreme Court decided to create more restrictive rules, then other courts are not going to second guess them." The more stringent restrictions forbid law clinics to solicit clients, and clinics must now comply with poverty guidelines concerning the cases they accept. For this latter requirement, 51 percent of the community involved must present evidence showing they are poor enough to qualify for representation by a law clinic. "The tighter restrictions were intended to make it more difficult, if not nearly impossible, for law clinics to represent organizations and groups of people," Quigley said. "They have created problems, but we will just have to find a way to do this work without involving law students." Tulane's Environmental Law Clinic was the leading group behind the challenge, but Loyola's Law Clinic also played a major role, Quigley said. "Loyola and Tulane were side by side in this fight. The deans of both Loyola and Tulane Law Schools lodged complaints about the new rules," he said. According to The Times- Picayune, "the state high court imposed the restrictions after Louisiana business and political leaders, including Gov. Foster, complained about the Tulane law clinic's successful challenge of a planned Shintech plastics KIWI WAS HERE STAFF PHOTO BY LANE COTTON WINN Lisa McGill of WFF attempts to wipe away graffiti in the stairwell of the West Road Garage on Monday. The vandalism occurred some time Sunday night. Flu shot shortage leads students off campus By Edward Lada Contributing writer Loyola students' shopping lists may sCKin contain one shot of the influenza vaccine to be taken at a local grocery or department store. The university's student health center has run out. According to Michelle Theriot, staff nurse and health educator at the Student Health Service, the center ordered 150 capsules of the flu vaccination in January, and the shipment arrived in early October. They are all gone now, however. "We had 150 |flu shots] in stock this year, but unfortunately, we have run out," Theriot said. "We will not be receiving any more shipments." Theriot said the number of shots ordered was in normal range for the campus, which has more than 5,800 students. "It was a normal procedure. We have had an excess amount of shots in previous years," she said. According to Theriot, Student Health sent out a campus-wide e-mail to inform the students and faculty members that the shipment of flu shots had come in. The center distributed the flu shots for $10 on a "first come, first served" basis, Theriot said. Some students are concerned about the depleted flu vaccine stock. "That sucks," said Samia Saleem, computer science sophomore. "|Other Proposed bill may restrict student visas By Fatima Harris Contributing writer In the aftermath of the attack on America, government officials have adopted a number of new agendas, one of which includes restricting and amending policies concerning student visas. One aspect of the proposed Feinstein/Kyll bill to amend student visa policies would restrict administering visas to students from countries on the State Department's lists of terrorist states including Iran, Iraq, North Korea. Libya. Cuba and Sudan. Many international students at Loyola are r  concerned about the bill and think that it is unfair. "There are enough unfair restrictions. The economy is dependent on international students, so there will be a loss on both sides," said Hanadi Abdelrahim, French and business management sophomore and citizen of the United Arab Emirates and Sudan, one of the countries proposed to be banned from entrance into the United States. Many universities around the country are concerned, hoping the government isn't driving students and their dollars to education in other countries. "International students bring $14 billion to the U.S. economy every year, and they shouldn't become a convenient whipping boy for all of the immigration problems," said Stephen Thewlis, director for the Center of International Programs at St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. Debbie Danna. director of the office of International Student Affairs, said she agrees that the United States needs the money generated from international students. "We can't ignore security issues Culture on Campus Part 3 of 3 See ASSAULTS, Page 4 See VISAS, Page 3 See LAW CLINIC, Page 4 See INFLUENZA, Page 4 LIFE AND TIMES OPINION PVi IBCBI SPORTS m ' THFHTRIITH THEI IUOES COUNTRY A "Y M UNROI LED nrncTßnnnw Ff\QUALIFIES FOR P9A; REGISTRRTION fl ff NATIONALS pg e NEXT WEEK: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE REAL WORLD NEW ORLEANS"