Maroon

              Loyola University New Orleans THE MAROON VOL. 79, NO. 16 MAROON.LOYNO.EDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2002 Protests decry justice's presence Pro-life activists say they disagree with Loyola's invitation of pro-choice judge By Mary Chauvin News Editor As Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was being welcomed to Loyola before delivering a lecture Monday, protesters gathered at the school to voice their disapproval of the university's choice to invite a prochoice advocate to speak. About 30 protesters gathered in the horseshoe, and more near the law school, Monday afternoon, carrying signs featuring demands that people "study the Bible" or showing pictures of aborted fetuses. Ginsburg, who has been a general consul of the American Civil Liberties Union, came to Loyola to deliver the 14th annual Ainsworth lecture at the Law School. Pro-life protesters gathered to denounce Ginsburg's career, especially her reputation as one of the nation's most pro-choice judges. "She has dedicated her life to preserving the right to privacy, as she called it, and the right to reproductive choice, and we know that reproductive choice is a euphamism for baby killing," said Kathleen Benfield, director of the American Family Association of New Orleans. Protesters said they were upset that a Catholic university would invite as a guest speaker someone whose views came into conflict with Catholic teachings."We're just appalled that a Catholic institution of higher learning would invite someone who advocates a woman having an abortion," said Bill Shanks, pastor of the New Covenant Fellowship and director of United for Life, the pro-life group that sponsored the protest. "The idea to invite someone here STAFF PHOTO BY LANE COTTON WINN Pro-life activists gather in the horseshoe in front of Marquette Hall on Monday afternoon. Pam Richard,right,coordinater of the Catholic Charismatic Sidewalk Counseling and Picketing Ministry, said it was "scandalous to the Catholic faith" for Loyola to have invited pro-choice Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to speak at the university. Orleans Room to be renovated over summer $900,000 donation from Sodexho making cafeteria changes possible By Erin Williamson Staff Writer Next fall, students will return to a completely remodeled Orleans Room with a new food concept program. According to Chris Cameron, director of Student Activities, the remodeling was made possible by a $900,000 donation from Sodexho, Loyola's dining services provider. "Sodexho, as a partner, really just stepped up to the plate on this one," Cameron said. Originally, Sodexho planned to donate money for a new student union, but when it became obvious that a new building was years away, the company decided to donate part of the money to renovate the existing 0.R., Cameron said. John Monica, director of Loyola dining services, agreed that a new student union was too far away and that the issue became what the company could do for students now. Monica said the plan will make Loyola "a state-of-the-art facility" and the first of its kind within Sodexho, a company that serves both national and international clients. According to Cameron, the proposal calls for emptying the O.R. of everything except the support columns. The existing grill and serving area will be removed to make room for a more efficient design. New self-contained serving units will help workers and students and will also prevent back-ups and long lines. "Each station will have trained workers, preparing fresh foods in front of students in a made-to-order, efficient way," Cameron said. Due to heavy demand from students, a vegan section will be created in the area where students get beverages and cereal in the current setup. While vegetarian selections will still be available on the various lines, the new section will provide foods without any animal products in them. Cameron said the catering manager is a vegetarian and has been working with the executive chef on recipes. A new dessert section, with an oven baking fresh desserts, will be located where the salad bar is. Another addition will be a carving station for the hot entree. It will be similar to what the O.R. does for special holidays, with someone slicing the meat and serving it. but it will be done on a daily basis. Smaller details such as paint, lighting fixtures, tables and chairs will be new as well. Cameron said he wants to have a student focus group choose the various aspects of interior design. Monica said the food program has been excellent, but that a lot is taken away by the decor of the O R. Fie said he hopes a modernized look will cause students to gather there more often to enjoy a sense of community. While food plans and a fourweek menu cycle will remain the same, food trends will change PHOTO BY COURTNEY COLLINS Bobby Hjortsberg, psychology sophomore, waits for lunch from the grill in the Orleans Room. The O.R. will get a makeover this summer. Ginsburg focuses on local issues Supreme Court justice discusses four La. judges during lecture at Loyola By Josette Capozzi Contributing Writer Judges Judah Benjamin, Alvin Rubin, Skelly Wright and John Minor Wisdom were "four giants in Louisiana law," according to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg spoke at the Law School Monday. In her speech, the fourteenth annual lecture in the Ainsworth Lecture Series, she underlined the importance of the Supreme Court, federal laws, activism and freedom. The Supreme Court's second female justice, Ginsburg was appointed Associate Justice to the Supreme Court by former President Clinton in 1993. She is the Supreme Court's second female justice. Her speech outlined the civil rights movement through the careers and lives of the four judges, using anecdotes of her personal experience with them along with quotations and facts. Ginsburg spoke of Benjamin, the 19th-century New Orleans lawyer who almost became the Supreme Court's first Jewish justice but turned down his nomination. "He captured my imagination," she said. Ginsburg described Reuben, a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judge, as "always true to legal source." Ginsburg spoke of Wisdom, who was involved in the desegregation of the 19505. Bonnie Wisdom, widow of Judge Wisdom, was in the audience. Ginsburg also described how Wright made a binding legal ruling with a quotation of Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hears a Who." "A person is a person, no matter how big or small," she quoted Wright as having said. She also said that Wright called himself "an activist, a liberal." The lecture series was founded and financed by friends of the late Judge Robert Ainsworth Jr., former U.S. District Court Judge of Eastern Louisiana and Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Organizers annually invite a distinguished member of the legal community to speak at Loyola's Law School. The series has brought such notables to Loyola as former White House special prosecutor Kenneth Starr, former Supreme Court Chief See PROTEST, Page 3 See 0.R., Page 3 See GINSBURG, Page 3 \ LIFE AND TIMES \ K MARDIGRAS » V 4 Y MADNESS FINALLY || J i HERE % Pg.9 Nothin' But Bet ! http://maroon.toyno.edu LOOKING BACK: 1987, Attacking the Boss V SPORTS BASEBALL READY TO KICK OFF SEASON Pg.4