Maroon

              Loyola University New Orleans THE MAROON VOL. 79, NO. 19 [ FRIDAY. MARCH 15, 2002 MAROON.LOYNO.EDU Top SGA positions go into runoff By Erin Williamson Staff writer Nathan Gaudet and Anna Hall will face off in the race for Student Government Association president, and Percy Marchand and Caryn Winters will compete for vice president, according to Wednesday's election results. Runoffs for SG/ president, SGA vie president, congressperson a large and Arts and Science president are scheduled fo Monday and Tuesday. Marchand, managemeti junior, said that campaignin this year was different tha in past elections because al four vice-presidential candidates are friends and are qualified for the job. "We would go talk to ,h'* «rn!in;-»at;r.nc and we'd complement eac other," he said. "It allowe us to focus on the issues." Winters, politic: science sophomore, sai there were good feeling among the candidates an that they all ran good, clea campaigns. "Whoever wins, Loyol will benefit," she said. Both Marchand an„ Winters said they plan to step up their campaigns in the days leading up to the runoff. Hall grabbed the mos' votes in the presidential election with 434 out of 96J Gaudet followed witl 253. Randy Reid management/marketin; sophomore, had 230, and Gi Meier, political scienc sophomore, had 46. To win a clear majorit) a candidate needed to hav won 493 votes. In the vice presidential campaign, Marchand led the field with 306 votes, followed closely by Winters with 280 votes out of 955. Jackson Stephens political science junioi garnered 204 votes, am Leigh Thorpe communications junior, go 165. Elizabeth Fisei communications sophomore Bea Forlano, managemeti junior; and Mary Grac Stewart, political science sophomore, won congressperson at large positions. Janel Glynn, general studies junior; and Rachel-Rose Rohatgi, drama sophomore are in a runoff for the fourth seat. • Chris Gabler, biology pre-med freshman, and Bobby Hjortsberg, psychology pre-med 'IHHi sft9i^K!iP 11 Anna Hall ' music bus. junior a Nate Gaudet history junior d ' Percy Marchand mgt. junior I Caryn Winters e poly/sci soph. Wal-Mart incites controversy By Jay Benton Staff writer The Lower Garden District of New Orleans, a rare collection of neighborhoods, bistros, bars and boutiques, is a locale called home by many Loyola students and professors alike. But this area is on the verge of a controversial change that Loyola may have a hand in bringing about. The last resident of the St. Thomas housing development moved out in June 2001. Former residents of the area either moved to other public housing developments, took Section 8 vouchers or moved to other housing not subsidized by the Housing Authority of New Orleans. When Historical Reconstruction Incorporated was selected as developer in Oct. '98, approximately 750 families lived on site. Sixty-three acres are now ready for redevelopment. The LGD is not just unique to New Orleans, but unique to the United States, which during the past two decades has undergone a wave of suburbia, an almost inescapable spreading of parking lot after parking lot divided by as many Taco Bells and Citgos as can be stuffed between. The white vinyl "NO Sprawl-Mart" signs dotting the balconies and glass front shops of the Irish Channel, the vaguely defined retail section of the LGD, proclaim their aversion for the nationwide harbinger of suburbia - Wal- Mart. Though the signs are beginning to tatter, opposition to the retail behemoth they challenge has only grown stronger after six months of resistance. Merchants and residents feel they've been offered a "take it or leave it" plan by the HRI, according to Barry Schlaile, president of the Historic Magazine Row Association. The 55-member organization encompasses merchants from Jackson Avenue to Interstate-10."It's just not appropriate for this neighborhood," Schlaile said. "The size of that project, 200,000 square feet, in a neighborhood where the average retail establishment is going to be 5,000 square feet or less, is just totally out of scale." The current plan is to place a 217,000- square-foot Super Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street. Drainage problems caused by the 900 car parking lot Wal-Mart is requesting, the widening of streets, and spillage of traffic are just a few of the other problems Schlaile is concerned about. STAFF PHOTO BY DOUGLAS NOBILE A custom clothing shop on Magazine Street bears an objection to plans to build a Super Wal-Mart at the site of the former St. Thomas housing project. Candidate for provost visits Loyola University narrows down search for second in command, brings applicants to meet students, see campus By Curie Veronica Jones Staff writer James Anderson, the first of the interviewees for the position of Loyola's provost and vice pressident for Academic Affairs, was on campus Tuesday to field questions from students and faculty members, the position. Anderson is vice president and provost for Undergraduate Affairs at North Carolina State University. Anderson's meeting with the faculty focused on questions regarding education in Louisiana and the possibility of increasing research options for faculty members. "(We) are going to have to step up research activity," Anderson said. Mary Flynn, Student Government Association president and finance senior, set up a meeting for the students to talk to Anderson. "It was requested that I set up the student interview. It was to see how students interacted with the candidate," Flynn said. About fifteen to twenty students attended the session with Anderson. "(The Provost) is one of the most important people in a student's life. They have the power to say whether 1 need to have 120 or 140 hours to graduate," said Martina Mills, communications freshman. During the meeting, Anderson discussed such ideas as diversity in the classroom and the possibility of a student being provost for a day. Anderson said that that having a student be provost for the day would show students how hard the job is. "A lot of students don't know what a provost does," Anderson said. "They really learn that most of their day is spent working for them." Anderson said he wants students to know that if he is chosen as provost, students can talk to him about anything. "Faculty and staff have to make appointments. Students and parents can walk into my office anytime. I will have time periods every month so that students can come in and talk," he said. A question asked at both meetings was how Anderson would adjust to Loyola's much smaller campus. The provost is "one of the most critical positions in any institution, the person who has the most contact with administrative faculty and students," Anderson said. According to the Loyola University Web page, provost of Loyola is "both the second ranking officer and chief academic officer of the university, with specific responsibility for all education planning and administration and for the development of sound academic programs, faculty scholarship and educational policies." To be considered for this position, a candidate must have a doctorate, tenure, and a "proven record of academic leadership and scholarly accomplishments," the Web site says. Gerald Ratliff, another candidate, is expected to come to campus March 22. Ratliff is associate vice president for Academic Affair at State Universit; of New York College o Postdam. He received hi: doctorate a Bowling Greei State University ii Ohio and ha: publi s he ( numerous writte works. After bot candidates are interviewed, the Provost and Academic Vice President Search Committee will submit a recommendation to the Rev. Bernard Knoth, S.J., university president, who will make the final decision. I, STAFF PHOTO BY C. V.JONES James Anderson fields 1 questions on Tuesday. See WALMART, Page 3 See ELECTION, Page 4 gfg