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              THE MAROON "FOR A GREATER LOYOLA" A LOYOLA TRADITION SINCE 192 3 • ONLINE EDITION AT LOYOLAMAROON.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2010 Vol. 87, NO. 19 University downsizes Interfaith position By PRECIOUS ESIE Assistant News Editor Position will become part-time in the fall The Office of Mission and Ministry is downsizing the director of Interfaith position. George Gallien, associate chaplain and director of Interfaith Ministry, will remain director until May 31. Gallien held this position for eight years, but due to several factors, including enrollment increasing but the budget staying the same, his position will become part-time. "(Gallien's) job was to ... let the Catholic community know that there are other faith traditions," said Kurt Bindewald, director of University Ministry. "Because we're Catholic and Jesuit, we also recognize the fact that there are many students here who are not Catholic, so we don't just focus on that particular area." Interfaith Ministry celebrates culture and religion. The center was designed to meet students' spiritual needs and to educate about other faith traditions. As director, Gallien is a resource for religious information and coordinates and facilitates programs and events. "(Interfaith) brings a better understanding of sensitive issues between cultures and religions," Gallien said. "We try to bridge those gaps by having forums and conversations around those hot issues." The center hosts events that include Ramadan Dinner, Martin Luther King, Jr. Week for Peace and its upcoming Seder Meal, which will be on March 25. Gallien also works with the Department of Religious Studies, taking students enrolled in Introduction to World Religions GREMILLION BEATS DARDEAU By CRAIG MALVEAUX Senior Staff Writer Kate Gremillion has been elected as Loyola's new Student Government Association president. The mass communication sophomore and former SGA chief of staff won 298 of the 523 votes cast March 15 to March 16 to defeat SGA presidential candidate Cody Dardeau. "I'm very excited, relieved and hopeful for the future and eager to get started working," Gremillion said. "I think people are going to see an SGA that gets things done a lot quicker, more efficiently and communicates better." According to Gremillion, there were several factors that contributed to why the student body chose her as their next president. "I think it had to do with that we had different personalities, the different things we brought to the table, I think, the things we made the decisions on and our different ways of leading and communicating," she said. Gremillion's campaign team, which consisted of political science senior Lee Ann Moss, political science senior David Zoller, political science freshman Lindsey Martin and general studies freshman Haley Sledge, posted signs and flyers around campus campaigning for Gremillion. She. also said she received endorsements from Black Student Union and Loyola Asian Student Organization which helped her. "All of them behind me really kept me strong and positive so that's what made my campaign successful in the end," Gremillion said. During her campaign, some students expressed concern that Gremillion's administration would be similar to those of current president and marketing junior Sarah Cooper and her predecessor, Cade Cypriano, A'o9, and feared her experience in their executive staffs would lead her to make the same mistakes. Gremillion, however, says she feels her experience under both administrations will serve her well. "Hopefully I'll prove them Above: Moments after Kate Gremillion, mass communication sophomore, was announced SGA president, her opponent Cody Dardeau, criminal justice sophomore, embraced her in a congratulatory hug. Use of promissory notes halted at Loyola By SAM WINSTROM Staff Writer An important financial resource for many students will no longer be available next semester. The Office of Student Finance has changed its policy so that students will not be able to take out promissory notes. A promissory note is an agreement between a student and Loyola that extends the time in which the student can pay off their debt while still being able to register for classes. Students with an outstanding debt to Loyola are not allowed to register for classes. If they could not pay that debt before early registration they could sign a promissory note with the Office of Student Finance that would extend the time they had to pay while allowing them to register for classes. The change in policy has come from new rules issued by the Federal Reserve Board regarding the Truth in Lending Act. "Promissory notes would be considered a private educational loan even though we weren't lending money to students, we were extending credit," said Judy Vogel, director of the Office of Student Finance. "We weren't really lending money, we were just extending it for a period of time." Students who filled out promissory notes and did not pay were removed from the classes they had registered for. This caused other students to be blocked from classes that would otherwise not be full. "We were really not servicing the students well by doing that," said Vogel. "The students who do pay should have the opportunity to register for classes that are not being tied up by students who may eventually be cancelled." No direct alternative has been offered, but the Office of Student Finance still encourages students to make use of its resources. According to Vogel, students who look into their financial problems earlier may have access to better alternatives. "By us giving them the extension Students approve proposed amendments to SGA constitution By ASHLEY STEVENS Staff Writer The Student Government Association Senate approved three amendments to the SGA constitution. Students approved the proposed amendments by 70 percent March 16. The amendments were put into effect immediately. The three main amendments to the constitution address voting percentage policy, presidential power and the creation of a new position in the legislative branch. Former SGA president Cade Cypriano, A'o9, altered the presidential compensation package. Along with covering half of the president's tuition, the amendment would include compensation for room and board, one meal plan of choice and a parking decal for each semester. Cypriano, along with Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Robert Reed and Vice President and Associate Provost M.L. "Cissy" Petty, considered it a good idea to give future SGA presidents an incentive to stay on campus. "It was really supposed to fill a loophole," Cypriano said. He said that presidents and vice presidents almost definitely have to take summer courses because so much of their time during the academic year is spent fulfilling presidential duties. The amendments also include a change in the requirement of time at Loyola before qualifying for president, vice president and chief justice. Before, the constitution stated that someone had to have completed two semesters at Loyola before they could run for president. Now, the requirement scale has* switched from semesters see INTERFAITH, page 6 see NOTES, page 10 see ELECTION, page 10 see SGA, page 6 E MAROON'S GUIDE TO LENTEN DINING See page 7 KAITLIN RILEY / The Marooi CORRECTIONS: In the March 5 issue of The Maroon, we missgelled Teri Berthelot's name. We also said that faculty members may not receive full pay in the summer if they did not teach the minimum number of classes. We should haw said that faculty members may not receive full pay If they did not haw the minimum number of students enrolled in their class. We at The Maroon regret these mistakes. MAROON DIRECTORY: CRIME WATCH, page 2 | LIFE & TIMES, page 7 | SPORTS, page 11 | EDITORIAL, page 14 | NEWS TIPS: 865 3535