See Sports
friday,sept. 12, 1986
cabrinicollege,radnor,pa. 19087 vol.xxxiii,no. 1
James Fitzsimmons:
New dean brings new outlook by Christy Mason
His office is in disarray. Although he has been here since July l,he has not yet completely moved in. He promises to do so soon though. Books lay scattered on the floor, on top of the light green file cabinet and on the book shelf itself. Lee Iacocca's au to biography, with its bright, white cover, stands out against the books on the shelf. Along the window-sill and behind his desk are numerous plants of all shapes and sizes. There is a picture above his head depicting a boat against a pale blue sky. On top of the file cabinet sits a construction worker's hard-hat that bears the title "Dean of Students." James Fitzsimmons has taken over that position, left vacant by Sr. Christine Marie Baltas. A graduate of Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia and St. Charles Seminary for diocesan priesthood in Philadelphia, Fitzsimmons has been involved with various aspects of education for 15 years. Although deciding that the priesthood wasn't his vocational calling, according to Fitzsimmons the educational experiences gained while at the seminary have proved invaluable both in his personal and private life. "I've taught first grade through grad school, part-time,'' he said. "This really helped me develop my '-ense of education at different'ffivels. It sensitized me to the fact that people do develop differently." Besides teaching, Fitzsimmons was also a marriage and family counselor. "This helped me in my OWQ personal growth to better appreciate personal relationships and in respecting individuals more," he said. "I learned the need to respect and to go one step further in helping people." As a disciplinarian, Fitzsimmons has one basic guideline: "Be fair with others and keep after them until they are fair with you." He followed this rule at Loyola College in Baltimore Md., where he served as Dean of Students for the past three years. Fitzsimmons feels that discipline is necessary in a persons growth because it "challenges people with the responsibility to change their lives," he said. According to Fitzsimmons, he does not plan on changing any of the policies set forth in the college handbook. However, he plans to seriously address the problem of vandalism. "Vandalism," he said, "destroys any sense of community pride. If a student chooses to vandalize and not to live in the community and respect the property, then he chooses to leave that community." Drugs are also a great concern of Fitzsimmons. "If a student who's using drugs comes to me or my staff first," he said, "it is a personal issue and not an official college issue. However, students who are selling drugs have no place at Cabrini." Fitzsimmons hopes to establish a network of support whereby a drug user can determine what the root of his problems are and what his reactions to t1'e drugs are both physically and emotionally. Offices under Fitzsimmons' jurisdiction include student activities, resident life, counseling center, health services and the career center. In an effort to better unify the system, security, campus ministry and athletics will also be headed by Fitzsimmons. "It's sensible to pull these areas together," Fitzsimmons said, "and have them work together structurally. It pools resources better. Students should benefit from the structural change."
Fitzsimmons has found the support received from students and faculty very encouraging. He is extremely optimistic about working with Cabrini students.
"I think he's a super-nice-guy," Linda Panetta, junior, resident assistant, said. "He's trying to work with the students and he worked well with us at leadership camp. He's going to take a tough stance on issues such as vandalism, alcohol and dru s."
Fitzsimmons is living on campus, in the gatehouse, so that he can remain close enough for interaction with students. "I have a lot of energy," he said. "I want to live on campus to be there, to be present. I believe being visible is a necessity and living here facilitates my being available." "My house is your house," he continued. "I encourage people to come down at any point to talk or just watch TV." "He's very enthusiastic," Beverly Reilly, director of campus ministry, said. "He has a real interest in students, in getting to know them both as students and as friends. I think he shows this by welcoming students into his own home." "I like him. He's a tough guy," John Doyle, resident manager, said. "He's strong and he's real positive about this place. He has a lot of big plans." On July 4, Fitzsimmons was aboard a ship in New York harbor celebrating the 100th year of the Statue of Liberty. Awed by the grandeur of what can be accomplished when people work together, Fitzsimmons came back to Cabrini with one plan in mind: "Make no small plans." Equipped with his ¡'Dean of Students" hard-hat, Fitzsimmons is planning to do just that.
James Fitzsimmons, dean of students.
(Photo by Monica Palko)
Asbestos cleared in campus buildings by Maria O'Brien
"The fine particles of asbestos can damage the alveolar membranes," Dr. The Asbestos Correction Technology John DeTurck, professor, biology, said. Corporation removed the pipe encasing "Everybody in the population is susceptipiece of insulation from the boiler room of ble, but children are at high risk because of Sacred Heart Hall. It contained asbestos. their very delicate lung structure." Its removal was a very complex process. The workers wore nothing but disposable These are the reasons why there is so protective garments and a dual cartridge much concern over asbestos fibers in ceilrespirator. ing insulation. "My little brother's school They made the boiler room into an air- was out for a week and a half because of tight containment area by placing plastic suspicion of asbestos," Lisa Mason, junior, on the floor and walls, and sealing all the said. openings. A high efficiency particulate Mike Caranfa, director, physical plant, !absolute filter was connected to a blower had an asbestos survey conducted in and used to pull the air out of the work area Sacred Heart Hall and Holy Spirit Library. and pump in clean filtered air. When "Based on the age of these buildings, I finished, they showered and disposed of thought there might be asbestos in the !their garments in the proper bag. insulation," he said. The asbestos was bagged and taken to an a,pproved Environmental Protection ~gency [E.PA.J dumpsite. The entire procedure was monitored by the Neilson Assok:iates, Inc., an industrial hygienist firm. Within the past 10 years, asbestos fibers lhave become an environmental concern. [Airbourne asbestos fibers have been coninected with some forms of lung diseases. "The E.P.A. knows that, in some cases, airbourne asbestos fibers are involved in ::ontributing to lung cancer," Sr. Eileen Currie, M.S.C., president, said. "There are ao many lawsuits involving entire school ~istricts, and yet, nobody really knows ~actly what a danger level is." "There are a lot of people who feel that (my additional exposure of children' to asbestos should be avoided," Arthur !Neilson, president of Neilson Associates, nc., industrial hygienist, said. "Some medical evidence suggests that he highest potential for lung damage ~xists in children because their lungs are hot fully formed;' Neilson said.
The initial test, which was performed by an industrial hygienist company in January, 1983, indicated that there was asbestos in these areas. "Neither building was a hazard and we didn't have to do anything, but it was to our benefit to do it," Caranfa said. During Christmas break, 1983, Cabrini hired Retrotherm Insulators, Inc., to "encapsulate" the library ceiling. Encapsulation involves spraying a liquid on the ceiling that protects it with a solid, durable and water tight seal. New insulation was also put into the ceiling. The entire process cost $20,800. Another test will not be necessary because of the encapsulation. Another asbestos survey was done in the classrooms and administrative wings of Sacred Heart Hall in April, 1986, by Neilson Associates, Inc. Neilson Associates, Inc. took high volume air samples on a 2,500 square foot squadrons throughout the building with a filte:i: cassette and drew air through the cassette which trapped the particles on the
filter. It was analyzed through an optical microscope and the number of asbestos fibers were counted. This process did not disturb the ceiling material.
Each sample was run for 6.5 to 8 hours, the average amount of time that a student or employee is in the building. The collected samples taken in Sacred Heart Hall classrooms showed no detectable asbestos fibers. Because contact between drapes and ceilings in Sacred Heart Hall could cause ceiling insulation to be disturbed and asbestos to become airbourne, Neilson Associates recommended that the drapes be lowered from the ceilings. The physical plant has done this. Removal of ceiling material was not necessary, but "should be inspected periodically to detect water or other ceiling damage," Elizabeth Holt, industrial hygienist, Neilson Associates, Inc., said. A piece of soft and deteriorating pipe encasing insulation in the boiler room was found to contain asbestos. Asbestos debris was also found on the floor in the area. Removal of the insulation was recommended and completed. The combined cost of the tests and removal was approximately $10,000, which was set aside last year from the budget of the physical plant. According to Currie, the asbestos tests on the library and Sacred Heart Hall were done because "the school wants to know that there is no existing or potential problem. We want to keep our eye on it," she said. "I rely on Mike Caranfa to monitor the situation to see if and when another test is needed in the future," Currie said.