Maroon

              Loyola MAROON LOYOLA UNIVERSITY / NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA / VOLUME LVI, NUMBER 4 / SEPTEMBER 29, 1978 Biever air in question By Cathleen Compton The recent power outage on Loyola's campus has brought new life to the question of increasing ventilation in Biever Hall. Many on campus believe the ventilation system, as it stands, eliminates fresh-air flow. The system also gives residents no control over the temperature of their rooms. The dormitory, which was constructed in the mid-sixties has more than 200 rooms with sealed windows and no individual thermostats or fresh air vents. The only windows that open in Biever are those in the apartments of the five resident priests, the resident assistants' rooms and the bathrooms. "I don't think it's practical or feasible to unseal the windows," said Dennis O'Brien, resident director of Biever. "But 1 definitely do see looking into other measures." One of O'Brien's ideas is to place small vents to the outside in each room allowing a fresh-air flow without losing too much air conditioning or heat. But the feasibility of doing this in over 200 rooms is not known. Joe Ballman, a Loyola senior, recently submittnr list of possible improvements for Biever to O'Brien. Among them was the suggestion of increased ventilation. In reference to this idea, Ballman said, "1 don't know how far along they've gotten in their cut through the red tape." Since the issue was recently presented it has not yet been discussed among the university's administration. O'Brien said that to his knowledge it was a combination of two factors that caused the windows to be sealed in Biever three years ago. The first was the inflation of utility costs. "The students could open the windows to a wide span . . . the air conditioning went straight out the building because there are not individual thermostats," he said. This became a problem especially when inflation hit many utility services in 1973-74. The second problem dealt with student discipline. Students were throwing trash out of the windows onto Tulane buildings and residents were sitting on ledges and walking from one room to another via the ledges. "We had incidents of students throwing bikes out the windows," O'Brien said. Housing Director Robert Turek commented that he heard students were throwing furniture and television sets from the windows.  According to O'Brien complaints i-»a Tulane and the possibility of Loyola being held responsible for accidents probably played important roles in the decision to seal the windows. 4jUt. Manuel Vega, Loyola's director of lllfe physical plant believes the problem is not ventilation. According to Vega, students hinder the efficiency of the system by tampering with existing vents. "The real problem," he said, "is that there are a number of rooms in a zone that are controlled by one thermostat. To try and get individual controls—l think the cost would be prohibitive." Vega maintains however, that the air conditioning system is functioning the way it was designed to function. But he added, "We're always looking for new ways to improve." Inside Effects of the Nicaraguan civil war have reached Loyola. Several of Loyola's Nicaraguan students joined a demonstration against Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza a few weeks ago. They say that although they hear from relatives back home, their mail and phone calls are censored. Page 2 Have you ever tripped on a St. Charles Room chair? Join the club. Hardly a student goes by without the threat of spilling his tray on some poor unsuspecting soul sitting at one of the tables. What should be done about the problem? Read what some students have suggested. Page 9 Dear Mom, I have joined a sorority. The statement may not be uncommon in letters sent back home, except for one minor detail. The author of the letter is a guy. Maroon writer Alan Citron is pledging with the Theta Phi Alpha sorority. So far he's having a terrific time and the girls don't mind having him either. Page 9 A group of Loyola students have promised to climb a few mountains in the name of Loyola. But where in the flat bayous of southern Louisiana are they going to find even a hill? They're not. Their first goal is the Popocatepti; an 18,000 foot peak in central Mexico. After that, who knows? Page 10 By Maureen King Loyola's psychology department has spent $35,000 from federal and university grants to purchase equipment and does not have sufficient room to set it up properly. "We have some space in the department, but we could use the equipment better and more efficiently and the students could get more out of it if we had more space," said Dr. Keith Jacobs of the psychology department. "There is not enough lab space to use the equipment the best way. "Alternating equipment in the same rooms each semester and crowding equipment and students in a room is a problem. The rooms are just too small," he added. The equipment in question includes specialized machinery, experimental and animal-learning equipment, and visual aids for the students. Almost all of the equipment, which was ordered to improve the psychology and physiological courses and courses closely related to these, has been ordered but not all has arrived. "The department has met with the University Space Committee and they said they will help us solve the problem. I don't know how, though, but they can do something," Dr. Jacobs said. "The university has enough sense that if they officially accepted the grant they will make room for the equipment," he added. No place for new psych equipment The Wolf is in This week Loyola's year book, the Wolf, was distributed to some students Here, Eddie Leckert, editor of the Wolf, gives a student this year's annual Duplass defends fee hike By Greg Enns First in a series of two articles A $5 increase in add/drop fees, which has caused considerable controversy among students and faculty was justified by Registrar James Duplass. Duplass, who reviews university fees every year, said the fee had not been raised in seven years and had not kept pace with the rise in tuition. Duplass submitted four recommendations for fee charges to Vice President for Finance, John Eckholdt. Such recommendations include the abolition of a graduation fee, the abolition of the in absentia fee that is charged to seniors who do not attend graduation ceremonies, an extension of the 100 percent tuition refund period from two to five days after the closure of registration and the add/drop increase. "My motive (for making the recommendations) was in the fairest interest of the students," he said. "In my opinion, the new cost (add/drop) corresponds to the new cost (of processing add/drop forms)." Eckholdt presented^ti four recommendations to the Uni\W \y Administrative Council, whose members include University President the Very Rev. James C. Carter, S.J., and several university vice presidents. Those idations were considered by the counui and were subsequently implemented. Duplass explained that another reason he made the recommendation for the add/drop fee increase was due to inflationary costs of processing the transactions. He included increases in the actual cost of the add/drop forms, registrar personnel salaries, and computer use. Duplass said that about 540.000 in revenue will be made by an estimated 4,000 add/drop transactions made by about 20 percent of the students this year. (Continued on page 3)