Maroon

              THE LOYOLA MAROON VOLUME 66. NO. 22 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, NEW ORLEANS. LOUISIANA 70118 APRIL 8, 1986 Groups struggle to find leadership, involvement By Andrea Leßoeuf Staff writer I IN SEARCH OF INITIATIVE Fall 1985: Two freshmen revive Circle K, a service and leadership organization that had been inactive for six months. Spring 1986: The Student Government Association musters student body support for a new recreational facility. Fall 1987: Four Loyola Union committee chairpersons resign, each citing conflicts that forced them to "make a choice." Spring 1988: As the SGA faces criticism for an inactive year, only two candidates are slated for the 1988-89 presidency — and one of them is a freshman, an unprecedented occurrence. Is Loyola facing a crisis commitment to leadership and involvement? One thing is certain: leadership is changing as organizations work to keep effective leaders and active members. Stacking up the numbers "Nationally, studies are showing that students are getting involved on campus the same if not greater than in the '605," said Stephanie Quade, coordinator for program and commuter services. But Charles W. "Dusty" Miller, Danna Center director, made distinctions between that decade and this one. "The '60s were a very different era," he said. "The issues that galvanized students were social issues that you either held as correct or incorrect — there was no middle ground." "In the '80s, we're dealing with a lack of an issue," he said. Many students identify SGA, union and social Greek organizations as being primary groups on campus, according to Photo by Mary Degnan Ulster violence sustains war legacy By Robert Landry and Amy Porche Staff writers For centuries the Northern Irish province of Ulster has been the site of a bloody conflict between the Catholic minority and the English-loyal Protestant majority. The most recent incident of violence occurred Saturday, March 19, when two undercover British policemen were brutally killed by mourners at the funeral of an Irish Republican Army member. Three days earlier, a Protestant-affiliated gunman, equipped with a firearm and grenades, killed three people and wounded 68 more. "People are killing senselessly," said Dr. F. Conrad Raabe, associate professor of political science. "I have friends on both sides," he continued. "They are doing nothing to make it belter." The roots of the Irish Catholic/Protestant struggle can be traced back to the 16lh century, when Henry VIII of England formed the Anglican Church after abandoning Roman Catholicism. The English settlers in Ireland who had been there since 1155 promptly converted to Protestantism. This act of religious convenience spawned an ecclesiastical conflict, the repercussions of which are still felt today. "I don't in any way see this as a religious war," said the Rev. Neal W. Mc- Dermott, 0.P., dean of Campus Ministry,Ministry, who is of Irish descent. "I see it as a political thing." According to the Rev. Leo Nicoll, S.J., associate professor of history, hatred is inbred in the people. "Historical memories are very strong on both sides," Nicoll said. Despite the severity of the tension betweenbetween the Catholics and Protestants, the problem remains localized in the northern province of Ulster where Catholics are a minority. The other three provinces — Connacht, Leinster and Munster — have always had a clear Catholic majority.SCAP considers honors expansion By Jennifer Yontz Staff writer The Standing Council on Academic Planning is considering a plan to expand the Presidential Scholars Honors Program, allowing qualified students to take honors courses, according to Dr. William W. Eidson, dean of Arts and Sciences. Although their current grade point average and level of university involvement may be higher than that of many Presidential Scholars, students who did not qualify for the program upon entering Loyola are excluded from honors classes. "In principle I agree that an honors program should be available to all students," Eidson said. "But we need someone to sit down and work one out." Although some courses in the honors curriculum are not as strong as they should be, Presidential Scholars are getting "more for [their] buck," he said. Eidson said that although SCAP is considering expanding the honors program, there is some concern within the faculty regarding expense. That problem, he said, could be resolved by expanding the honors curriculum "gradually, beginning with a few courses for incoming freshmen and adding more each year." The Rev. Leo Nicoll, S.J., associate professor of history, said Presidential Scholars contribute intellectually to classes, but do not always excel in comparison to other students. "Often students other than Presidential Scholars raise the academic leaven and performance of the class," Nicoll said. He added that qualified students should be allowed to "compete scholastically" if their performance has been exceptional. "It's unfair to ban students from accelerated courses solely on their high school performance without considering what they have done at Loyola," Robert McTaguc, political science sophomore. See Leaders/page 7 See Ireland/page 3 See Presidential Scholars/page 3 ELECTION  PREVIEW See Pages 4/5