Maroon

              THE MAROON g7  VOL. 86, NO. 12 ONLINE EDITION AT LOYOLAMAROON.COM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 Maryland university apologizes for Block By STEVE HEATH STAFF WRITER Walter Block has grown accustomed to criticism of his views. The economics professor has defended his libertarian beliefs in public debates and in print on a number of occasions at his home Loyola University New Orleans. However, in November, Block received criticism on a different level. Days after he presented guest lectures there, the Economics Department of the Loyola College of Maryland publicly condemned and apologized for Block's "insensitive and incorrect remarks." The apology, printed in the Nov. 11 issue of the college's newspaper, was buttressed by a campus-wide e-mail from the Rev. Brian F. Linnane, Loyola Maryland president, who said he refused to "endorse or support racism, sexism or any other form of intolerance." Economics professor Thomas DiLorenzo invited Block to speak both to his class and the university's Adam Smith Society. His lecture held that wage discrepancies between women and men were the result of lower productivity, rather than discrimination. The uneven tasks in marriage he said were the culprit for lower productivity. During the question-and-answer session Block fielded a question about the wage gap between blacks and whites, which he said also resulted from a difference in productivity levels. Block gave two reasons for the productivity disparity between the groups which he also paraphrased in his column on http://www. Walter Block Professor of economics GETTING IN THE ZONE By MASAKO HIRSCH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR SGA leaders express disappointment in new smoking policy Despite university statements, Student Government Association members deny having a role in implementing the new smoking policy that restricts smoking on campus to 10 areas. "I got back to the SGA office, and there was a map on my desk (of the new smoking areas)," said SGA Vice President Ashley Shabankareh, musiceducation senior. According to Shabankareh, SGA suggested the original idea for a smoking policy and helped choose 13 areas to be designated at the beginning of the school year. Loyola zoned off 10 smoking areas Nov. 20: near the Palm Court, Stallings Hall, Mercy Hall, Monroe Library, Biever Hall, Carrollton Hall, the Broadway Gazebo, Pine Street Law School, St. Mary's Hall and Dominican Conference Center. Minus sign may appear in fall 2009 By JAUNE JACKSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER On Dec. 2, Loyola's Standing Committee for Academic Planning set a plan to adopt a plus/minus grading scale fall of 2009. Edward Kvet, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said Loyola's current grading system gives pluses but no minuses with a .5 quality point grading scale. "This is, from what we can determine, the only school in the nation that does this, and it's a very awkward system," Kvet said. According to Kvet, other universities either use the plus/minus grading scale or they do not use a plus scale at all. Kvet said the idea for the plus/minus grading scale had been discussed by many in the University community for the past eight to 10 years, and Hurricane Katrina was the catalyst for the idea to be brought to the forefront again. "Right after Katrina we had a number of students who attended other universities that possibly had the plus/minus system, and it caused a lot of confusion in how their grades would be treated once they transferred back to Loyola," Kvet said. Kvet said the one point he wants to make clear is that grades received before the fall 2009 semester will not be affected by the proposed grading scale. "I understand the student concern with, 'Gee, is that going to lower my GPA?' No," Kvet said. Kvet also understands the new grading scale may take some getting used to by faculty members. "I believe, in my opinion, some faculty members may find it easier to have a more uniform grading system," Kvet said. Since the idea to change the current grading scale has moved closer to a reality, there have been many debates between Student Government Association members. Brian Parks, College of Social Loyola panels encourage jobs outside of law firms By JEAN-PAUL ARGUELLO STAFF WRITER Law firms are gradually hiring fewer graduates, and more law graduates are seeking non-traditional employment. The percentage of legal graduates hired by law firms was 55 percent in 2007, according to the National Association for Legal Professionals. To address this interest, the Office of Career Services at the Loyola Law School hosted a series of seminars this semester called "What Can You Do with a Law Degree." Guest speakers with nontraditional legal careers were brought in to talk to law students about their jobs and career options. Speakers have ranged in the past from Sheriff Marlin Gusman to Loyola economics professor William Barnett. "The past six months have seen a dramatic change in hiring by law firms. I read on a daily basis about major law firms laying-off lawyers, especially assodates,"assodates," said the Rev. Lawrence Moore, associate dean for academic affairs. Many large Financial institutions, the majority of the firms' clientele, are either merging or going bankrupt. Mirta Desir, third-year Loyola law student, said she learned a lot from the panels on non-traditional careers. "I knew 1 wanted to go to law school, I just didn't know I wanted to be a lawyer," she said. "So, as a career (goes) I'm pretty open right now. But I'm more interested in business."Pam Occhipinti, director of Career Services at the Loyola Law School, embraces non-traditional careers for law students."The millennial generation is much more educated and technologically savvy," she said, "so they are seeking more challenging careers. ... They are also more public service-oriented."KEVIN ZALNSLER/THE MAROON The entrance of Loyola Law faces Pine Street. Firms are enticing fewer graduates. see BLOCK, page 4 see SMOKING, page 4 see GRADES, page 4 see LAW, page 3 *ln this corner, university sports president 1)3,65 A LOYOLA TRADITION SINCE 1 923 • "FOR A GREATER LOYOLA" MAROON DIRECTORY: CALENDAR, page 2 | EDITORIAL, page 10 | LIFE & TIMES, page 8 | SPORTS, page 5 | NEWS TIPS: 865 3535