Maroon

              Loyola University New Orleans THE MAROON VOL. 82, NO. 3 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2003 | MAROON.LOYNO.EDU Environmental journalists confer on local issues By Katie Ide Assistant news editor Another group of conventioneers is descending upon the Big Easy, but in addition to collecting beads on Bourbon Street, they will be analyzing the ecology of the French Quarter and touring the diminishing wetlands. Loyola is hosting the 13th annual Society of Environmental Journalists conference, which started Wednesday and runs through Sunday. Robert Thomas, director of Loyola's Center for Environmental Communications and co-chairman of the event, said that the center has been planning the conference for two years. Once the Society of Environmental Journalists accepted Loyola's bid to host the weekend, the department went to work to raise part of the money to support the program. Thomas said expected attendance is about 600 to 800 journalists from all over the world. He and cochairman Mark Schleifstein, who covers the environmental beat for The Times-Picayune, made all local arrangements for the event. Thomas also said the conference will raise awareness about ecological issues in Louisiana. Many local environmental problems, such as the receding wetlands, have not received much national attention. Faculty member Lisa Boe, who helped Thomas with the arrangements, agreed. "If you ask people around the country about the Everglades, they know all about it," she said. Louisiana's "wetlands do not get the same attention." Boe said that if an environmental Loyola faculty member Lisa Boe passes out schedules and other conference information at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel. Loyola is hosting the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference, with 600 to 800 members expected to be in attendance. Dance-Athon raises $2K for United Way By Sam Goering Contributing writer Alexia Gonzales said it felt like the longest aerobics workout of her life, but she walked away from last Friday's Dance-a-thon with the grand prize — a Spring Break vacation for two. Gonzalez, an English senior, joined hundreds of students at "Go Bananas" on Sept. 5 and danced the night away at the United Way fundraiser, which brought in more than $2,000 for the charity. Loyola's Student Government Association, University Programming Board and the Black Student Union co-sponsored the event and used it as a precursor to Loyola's official United Way campaign, running from Oct. 6 to 17. Students could enter the contest by donating $5, $7 for complimentary drinks or $10 for drinks and a T-shirt. More than 60 students entered in hopes of nabbing the trip or a selection of other prizes, which included gift certificates to Blockbuster, Copeland's, the Audubon Zoo, the bookstore and tickets to Saints games. Most of the prizes were given out in raffles. The event, held in the St. Charles Room, went from 3:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., with many exhausted dancers gradually slowing down their moves to leave only the most hardcore "The bottom line is that everyone is having fun." - DAN ROBERTI, UPB MEMBER, on the Dance-a-thon Dan D'Amico, economics senior, Jerry Gosin, general music freshman, and Alexia Gonzales, English senior, bust a move in the St. Charles Room. Gonzales won the grand prize of a Spring Break trip for two. Vandals damage signs; no suspects identified By Muetze Hellmer Contributing writer Several times in the past two years large block letters that spell "Loyola" have been vandalized, but university officials say they haven't been able to nab any of the perpetrators. The concrete letters on these signs — one in front of the Communications/Music Complex on the corner of Calhoun Street and St. Charles Avenue, one next to Mercy Hall at Calhoun and Freret Street and another in front of Marquette Hall — are frequently subject to getting kicked over, stolen and smashed. According to Jim Sutherland, assistant director of Physical Plant, the letters cost Loyola about $53 each. The last time that the letters were damaged was August 30, when two Os and an L were destroyed at Calhoun and Freret. "This happens about once or twice a year, but sometimes we go a whole year without anyone touching them," Capt. Roger Pinac of University Police said. Although this vandalism is a "Drunks, idiots. It's probably students." - CAP! ROGER PINAC, UNIVERSITY POLICE, on the vandals The Loyola sign near Mercy Hall, at the corner of Freret and Calhoun Streets, sits damaged after Labor Day weekend. University police say they've yet to apprehend anyone for the vandalism. See CONFERENCE, Page 3 See UNITED WAY, Page 3 See SIGNS, Page 2 erhedhteh