March 23, 2000 issue 18 Loquitur

Tempers flare at campus wide housing meeting

A variety of members from the community expressed their frustration in front of representatives from the administration at the recent housing meeting. Many students walked away unsatisfied until President Iadarola recently addressed the matter.

by Gabrielle Beltran

Students attended a meeting last week to address their thoughts that the administration was attempting to deny and only supply housing for those who are either first-year or live a certain amount of miles from Cabrini.

Last Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., these students, some parents, Paul Weaver, acting dean of students, and Dr. Jim Hirsh, director of enrollment services, crowded the lecture hall. Students were ready for round two of the housing situation.

Shira Marshal and Nathopha Forbes, both juniors, were equipped with big posters and bright signs describing their frustration.

As the meeting began, Weaver clarified a few issues that students were concerned with. He stated that anyone who receives scholarships from Cabrini will still receive them next semester, even if they do not reside on campus.

He also clarified that different groups, such as athletes, or members of certain clubs or organizations have no influence on the housing selection or eligibility process.

After the students were offered a little clarifi-

will or will not be able to reside on campus next semester. Weaver stated that he could not answer that until March 31 for various reasons, the most significant being that he would be able

dents must also turn in their $250 housing deposit by March 31 to be considered for the housing selection process.

Colleen Foster, a sophomore, asked, "What about the students who do not have transportation that are denied housing? What are they going to do?"

Megan Reilly, a junior, wanted to know, "Why couldn't you have told us earlier? Are you going to help me find an apartment?"

Weaver's response to this question was that "Cabrini is remarkable in many ways. We are trying to come up with an equitable distribution for the housing selection."

Dr. Hirsh added, "The reason that the selection process is the way it is, is because we were counting on the new dorm being completed. They had problems obtaining permits from the state level because of restrictions from the E.P.A."

-James Arnold, students' father

to estimate demand by then. As students fired questions, a few facts became evident to them. Campus housing will be distributed by class level. Stu-

Another student asked why parents at home did not receive the same mailing about the new process as the students did. Weaver simply stated that the student is an adult and is responsible to relay information to the parents.

Chad May, a senior, asked the students at the meeting if they

found the housing selection process equitable, which all of the spectators in the lecture hall unanimously voted "no."

The father of Tricia and Katie Arnold, junior and sophomore respectively, also attended the meeting. When Weaver called on him, Arnold stated that the administration was patronizing the students and that the students have been through turmoil since the beginning.

"Cabrini seems as if it's all about the money and not about its graduating students. No parents knew about the housing situation because you deliberately attempted to misinform them of it. Future students should be careful with Cabrini. They will promise you things that will later be taken away," added Arnold.

As the meeting pressed on, the students began to leave in frustration. Cliff Becket, a sophomore, then asked Weaver if he was going to be the dean of students next year. Weaver answered that he will most 1ikely be working with Student Development next year. By 5 p.m.,

students still had their hands raised for comments and questions.

One student asked why no other faculty or administrators were present at this information session.

Loquitur perspectives editor, Chris Neilson, a junior, said "Why fix what isn't broken and what is the point of expansion because the value of our education and the character of our institution is diminishing?"

Weaver's response to this was that without expansion, there would be no Dixon Center or House Two addition.

When the meeting finally ended, the clock read 6: 15 p.m. Students left in misery, still unsure if they would have a spot on campus next semester.

On Tues., March 21, all residents received a Jetter from the office of the president stating that Cabrini will provide housing for all current upperclassmen residents who wish to reside on campus next year. This will be the final year that housing is guaranteed.

Incentives will be offered for current residents who wish to reside off campus.

"Cabrini seems as if it's all about the money and not about its graduating students. No parents knew about the housing situation because you deliberately attempted to misinform them. Future students should be careful with Cabrini."

photo by Janice Funk

Paul Weaver; acting dean of students, and Dr. Jim Hirsh, director of enrollment services, took questions from students and parents at last Friday's meeting concerning plans for housing.

photo by Janice Funk

I I

Students Chris Nielsen, Kendra Clark and Dawn Boyce listen attentively to concerns raised by fellow students.

Coursepreparesfor class management

by Terry Cipollini staff writer

Education majors are taking a course to prepare them for the true classroom experience. Classroom Management Techniques is being taught by Dr. Harold Wingerd. The class is structured to teach students how to maintain a learning environment in the classroom.

The course features two basic parts. The first part is to learn effective teaching strategies to .,maintain control. 'Tremendous amounts of research support the theory that a start-up activity everyday is important to maintaining classroom momentum," Wingerd said.

The start-up lesson is designed to get the children actively participating. Other ideas include developing motivation for learning and building esteem through learning success.

The second part of the course teaches how to respond to an incident to minimize the problem. "Children misbehave for a reason. The goal is to minimize the payoff and teach children to seek good attention," Wingerd said. The course uses an analysis of case studies to determine about 15 things a teacher could do to resolve the situation.

"The more strategies a student can develop the more powerful they will be," Wingerd said. "The case studies help you learn how

to get a child on task without disturbing the rest of the class," senior education major Bill Cascarina said.

Other methods include active listening.; listening to angry children and letting them know they are being heard. Teaching children to help other children by letting the disruptive one know how he makes others feel. Stop and think is a program that is featured throughout a whole school. Stop signs and posters are displayed to reinforce the message. Stop and think before you act.

This course is also designed to help teach the students how to effectively communicate with parents. "No parent wants to hear about problems with their child," Wingerd said. As a teacher, students will need to be able to discuss a child's behavior without offending the parents. This will enable the teacher to maintain a good parent-teacher relationship.

For more in-depth behavioral situations the students develop their own case studies. During their field placement they identify a child in need of help. They chart and observe the child's behavior. The chart includes triggers, time and frequency. Then the student develops a behavioral modification contract. The contract is between the child and the teacher. It is used to es tab Ii sh goals with rewards and consequences for the child to strive to reach. "This class gives you a head start for student teaching, it helps to prepare you for actually being in

the classroom," Cascarina said.

Two area school districts look for this knowledge when interviewing perspective teachers. Mr. Dave Willhauer, principal for Spring-Ford School District uses many situation based questions during the interview process. The school district also uses the stop and think program and behavioral contracts. "We have high expectations for our students with consistent consequences because we believe that is what children want," Willhauer said. The school district also supports the staff by providing training for non-violence crisis intervention.

Mr. R. Scott Klinger, director of personnel for Colonial School District, looks for a variety of behavioral techniques. Teachers should know many cooperative learning methods and classroom situational methods. "We spend a lot of time with new teachers, but there are certain expectations," Klinger said.

This course was designed to prepare the students for as many situations as possible. By playing and replaying the different situations, the responses will be more like second nature. The greater the variety of the situations, the greater the number of responses. 0I like to think of it as creating a tool box for the students, the more tools, the better they will perform their jobs," Wingerd said.

Career fair to assist in employment

Over 75 companies will be available for employment information and possible opportunities at the Intercollegiate Career Fair being held in the Dixon Center on March 29 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m

by Beth Conahan staff writer

Are you looking for a job? Are you a graduating senior looking for a full time job, or arc you just looking for a co-op, an internship, summer or part-time employment? If so, you shouldn't forget to take advantage of the Intercollegiate Career Fair being held at the Dixon Center on Wed., March 29 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Over 75 companies will attend and they have employment opportunities for students from a variety of majors. Acme Markets, American Express, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vanguard Group are just a few of the many companies that will be there. "Within each company there are a multitude of opportunities," said Nancy Hutchinson, director of cooperative education and career

Library has new databases for research

by Melissa Lepousk/

staff writer

The Holy Spirit Library has news you can use. The library has received new databases that can be of use for many majors here at Cabrini.

Cary Connor, library assistant said, "I hate to say this because we love to see you students here, but the only thing students need to come to library for is CD-ROM databases, reserved articles and to check out books.''

The new databases have a wide range of information from Social Work Abstract to the Grove Dictionary.

Social Work Abstract contains records for social work. It has journals on topics such as homelessness. AIDS, child and family welfare, aging, substance abuse. community organization and more. Connor said, "This Internet database is updated rapidly.''

services.

Students should dress professionally and bring 25 to 40 resumes to distribute. They should also be prepared with an introduction to make to possible employers. ''Don't use the resume template on Microsoft Word," Kristy Conway Buecler of career services strongly suggests. She says there isn ·1 much flexibility with the template and the font is often too small. She suggests using a chronological style and keeping it concise. If you would like assistance with writing your resume, they offer help in the Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services located in Grace Hall.

Students should come with at least three people to use as references. A professor, a work supervisor and a former employer would all make good references.

rt would be a good idea to have the names printed on a separate sheet of paper in case references are requested.

It is suggested bring a clean folder and pen to take notes. Students should "think how to sell yourself," says Hutchinson, "and be natural, honest and friendly."

The companies are coming here to meet with possible employees. There is no reason for students to be nervous, Hutchinson believes. ''Companies need good employees," says Hutchinson, and she thinks Cabrini has good employees to offer.

• "It would be smart," suggests Hutchinson, ''to get a little information off the company's web page." It would be impressive to the possible employer to see that you are interested enough in the company to do some research. A list of the companie~ that will be

attending can be found off the Cabrini Home Page. Go to www.cabrini.edu and click on Directory. on the second drop box select Co-op and Career Services, then select Links. There will be a link to the Intercollegiate Career Fair there. On this page, is a list of the companies that will be attending as well as links to the available web pages of these companies.

Hutchinson suggests following up the fair by sending an informal thank you note to the people you spoke with, thanking them for taking the time to talk to you. It would be a good idea to pick up their business cards to assure the correct spelling of their names and titles.

The fair's location rotates annually. It will not be held at Cabrini again for five years so students should take advantage of it.

The MLA International Bibliography is the preeminent index for books and articles for literature. MLA online provides a scholarly research in nearly 4,000 journals in working papers, proceedings, bibliographies and other formats

''ProQuest and Lexis-Nexis are the most general databases ranging from medical articles, business articles and general information,'' Connor said. "It has summaries of 8,000 articles and many of them are full text or full image format."

The Grove Dictionary is the most comprehensive reference source for the visual arts. It contains painting, sculpture, graphic arts, architecture and photography from prehistory to the present day.

The Holy Spirit Library's web pages are easier to use because it saves you time. You can get connected to any of these databases from any computer on campus, as long as they are connected through the school.

Staff welcomes new director of financial aid

by Terry Clpollini staff writer

A fresh new face joined the Cabrini administrative staff. He is a quiet man with a mild demeanor and a sturdy handshake. Michael Colahan is the new director of financial aid.

Colahan brings lO plus years of experience in the field of financial aid. He spent three years with The University of Sciences at Philadelphia and more than seven years at Thomas Jefferson University.

Colahan's first week on the job ended Fri., March 17. This is the first liberaJ arts college he has worked for and with a liberal arts background he believes this will be a benefit. Colahan graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Colahan wants to make a genuine positive impact for students and staff. He believes his area of expertise is operating with a high level of efficiency. "Efficiency ideally promotes an increased level of

good customer service," Colahan said.

Colahan's past experience is with students with a basic common goal. Cabrini consists of a wide variety of students, both in age and knowledge. "Everyone pursuing something different becomes the challenge," Colahan said.

Students tend to feel that the dispersion

When not in his office, Colahan enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter in their Malvern home. His wife Margaret (she prefers Meg) is a protocol coordinator for cancer testing at ACOG in Philadelphia. His daughter Michaela is 17 months old and enjoys when daddy reads her stories.

Colahan is quick to state that Michaela is not named after him. He explains that he "fell in love with the name when he first heard it spoken." It wasn't until a few years later when he first saw it written that he reaJized it was a feminine form of Michael.

Colahan is a little shy about his other interest. "If the planet orbited the way I wanted, I would be a novelist," Colahan said. "I have written a few things, but I don't think I'm commercial enough."

of government and school funds is an arbitrary process. "My goaJ is to educate students and provide them with answers that can be understood," Colahan said.

Something to keep in mind if you see the director of financial aid on campus: His name is Michael Colahan, but as his business card will read, he prefers Mike.

Curator speaks about modern astrophysics

by Renee Tomcanin

staff writer

Students were seeing stars on March I 3 in the Widener Center Lecture Hall. David DeVorkin, curator of the National Air and Space Museum, spoke on the history of modern astrophysics and provided visual aids to help make his ideas clearer.

The most important concept to come from his speech was from women researchers in the 1920s: "Everything is in the details."

Details were important in many of the discoveries that have been made about how the universe is situated. If scientists and researchers would have passed over tiny observations, we may still believe

today that the Earth is the center of the solar system. A detail, many times less than the thickness of a human hair, caused the Hubbell telescope to take blurry pictures. These are some of the reasons that "everything is in the details."

DeVorkin described the history of modern space exploration and study from the sixteenth century to today and noted the changes that the study of the universe has undergone.

Nowadays there are not many "classical" astronomers. These were the people like Galileo and Sir William Herschel who would sit and observe the stars through telescopes and other instru-

ments, charting the movements of objects in the sky. Presently, the majority of the study done on celestial bodies is done using mathematics and physics.

De Vorkin 's lecture was concerned mainly with "what put the physics in astrophysics." It began with questioning what kept the planets in motion. Sir Isaac Newton explained this with the discovery of gravity. Herschel made the next step by noticing the importance of the stars in the universe.

In the 1860s, spectroscopy was introduced to determine the composition of the stars, or the gases that made up each. This lead to the discovery of how stars evolve and eventually die in the twenti-

eth century. Saha, Bohr and Einstein then made their theories of the principles of space.

From studying how stars are created and die, nuclear physics was created. The hydrogen and atomic bombs were developed using these concepts of atoms splitting and forming. The space race came next with Sputnik, and then NASA was conceived. Finally, there was the development of the Hubbell telescope, which allowed us to see billions of light years into space.

Kit Dewey, a first-year education major, said, "It was interesting. I thought that it was interesting to see how much science changed so quickly."

What's Going On This Week

photo by Jaclyn Battista

New financial aid director Micahef Cofahan wants students to have answers

"Efficiency ideally promotes an increased level of good customer service."

-Michael Colahan Director oftnancial aid

Last Week in the World of News

3/18, Washington, D.C.

The White House announced that the nation's largest gunmaker, Smith & Wesson, has agreed to install trigger locks and impose other restraints on how it designs and sells firearms.

In return for these and other concessions, a long list of states and cities have agreed to drop lawsuits against Smith & Wesson.

3/17, Mexico City, Mexico

Po1lution has left millions gasping in Mexico City. Hospitals are filled with people suffering from lung problems such as bronchitis and asthma.

A recent report from World Resources Institute says that pollution here is hurting the development-of children.

At least 235 followers of a doomsday cult burned to death in a remote part of southwest-

em Uganda. It was unclear if the leader, Joseph Kibweteere died. A police officer said reports indicate that the leader led his followers into the church and then set it ablaze.

3/16, Jerusalem, Israel

A land transfer that had threatened more fighting between Israel and Palestine won approval from both sides.

JPrime Minister Ehud Barak persuaded ministers to approve the transfer of 6.1 percent of the West Bank to the Palestinians. Barak and Yasir Arafat, Palestinian leader, are feeling pressured to keep promises that they made in September.

3/20, The Hague,

Netherlands

bunal has been investi-

gating the systematic use of rape in the Balkan war. The rape trial will be the first time an international court has addressed the issue of sexual enslavement.

According to the indictment, the Bosnian Serb defendants ran a "rape factory" in Foca, Sarajevo in the summer of 1992.

-Jessica Giordano

Ivy Young Willis award recipient to be 'Happy'

Bernadette Smith staff writer

Happy Fernandez will receive the Ivy Young Willis award for being an outstanding woman in the Philadelphia area. Cabrini officials will present the award to Fernandez on March 30 at 7:30 p.m.

The Ivy Young Willis award is presented annually to a local, national or international woman who has made a substantial contribution to her community. For almost a decade, Cabrini has been selecting the most outstanding women to receive this award. This year's candidate, Happy Fernandez, possesses many outstanding qualities with her involvement in politics, public education and several organizations working with children.

Fernandez, who taught for 18 years at Temple University, is currently the presi-

dent of Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. She holds a bachelor's degree in biblical history and literature from Wellesley College, a master's degree from both Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate of education from Temple University. She served two consecutive terms on the Philadelphia city council and ran in the Democratic Party for mayor of Philadelphia last November.

Past award recipients include Violetta Chamorro, president of Nicaragua, Mary Frances Berry, chairwoman of the National Civil Rights Commission, Chi Ling, Nobel prize nominee for the Tianamen Square, B untzie Ellis Churchill, president of the Philadelphia World Affairs council and last year's recipient, Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, national president of the League of Women Voters.

The committee who chooses each year's award recipient is made up of both faculty and students who select a woman from a political or educational back-

a member of the selection committee. Besides her political contribution -to the Philadelphia area, Fernandez is actively involved in public schools and dedicates much of her time to organizations supporting public school education for children. Her major interest is education and she understands the importance of education among children.

-Dr. Jo/yon Girard history professor

ground who will best represent the award status. A large list of candidates is narrowed down to find the one woman who most deserves the award. "This year's recipient, Happy Fernandez, was at the top of the list," explained Dr. Jolyon Girard,

After receiving her award, Fernandez will give a speech on visual arts and their influence on education.

This event is free of charge and open to both the Cabrini campus community and the general public. All are invited to join Cabrini in honoring Happy Fernandez with the Ivy Young Willis award.

Business alumni to hold reunion and present award

by Melissa Lepouski staff writer

The Cabrini business alumni looks forward to seeing the business faculty, senior business majors, alumni business majors and minors and their guests at the fourth annual Business Alumni

Reunion.

It will be held Sun., March 26 in the Mansion from noon to 3:00 p.m.

Ann Servey, professor of business administration, stated, "The purpose of this business event is to visit with friends and professors, network and enjoy your-

self."

"It is an informal get together to do networking among each other," Servey continued.

The fourth annual Edward C. Christ Business Alumni Award will be presented. Edward C. Christ is a retired faculty member who comes every year to see this

award be given.

The individual to receive the award will be nominated by business alumni and selected by the Business Alumni Committee.

Servey said, "This was a very exciting part of the event."

"We are really trying to gear 1his towards the seniors," Servey

said. "It would be a good idea for the seniors to come and meet with the alumni and network."

If any senior would still like to come to the Cabrini Business Event they can contact Ann Servey at (610) 902-8322 or ann.servey@cabrini.edu.

''This year's recipient, Happy Fernandez, was at the top of the list."

BORDERS Events

3/24- Lutenist Tim Miller will be performing music from the Renaissance and Early Baroque eras at 7:30 p.m.

3/25 - Champion Irish dancers Mara Powers and Shane Callaghan will be performing traditional jigs and Riverdance

3/26 - J and Su ginnin jaz C t

our ance em

Same old, same old it may be,'\ j but going to the movies is not only affordable, (sadly the prices of tickets jacked up to $5.22) and entertaining, but the theater is full of yummy buttered popcorn

Don't reaJlyfeel Ike going oul?.

No problem. Why not rent a movie at a local video store? Gather a group of friends and make a night of relaxation and viewing pleasure.

If you can control yourself, take a trip with a

bunch of pals,(or go by yourself, whichever) down the road to one of the largest malls in America. King Of Prussia Mall, of course! There's plenty to look at and a nice variety of places to fill a tummy. On the upside, the Plaza often features neat events that are sure to amuse you.

•From 5 to 8 p.m.

•Admission is $8.

For more information, call 215-299-1000 or visit the web site at www.acnatsci.org.

You'll have to part with a few green-backs but hey, it's .

all good and it's all under $10.

by Shanna Lynn Fanelli features editor

She is a solitary figure out on the sidewalk in front of her house. The broom deftly swishes in her agile hands and she walks with a determined step, despite the fact that her senior citizen card had faded years ago.

The broom suddenly stops its swing and the woman bends over, rescuing a flower bud that is hanging away from its bed, petals lying within easy step for a hurried foot on the cement. She turns to me and smiles in slow motion,

"It's a beautiful thing," she winks and resumes her sweeping.

Her name is Rita, known by everyone on the block as "Marigold Rita" because of her love for the flower, which she plants in abundance on her property and along the thin strip of grass between the curb and street.

Her method of planting is to scatter the seeds in handfuls, shaking her fist over the ground, letting the wind blow them to a destination.

"They'll grow," she says.

They do.

"They'll be beautiful," she says.

They are.

When they run their course and die in the autumn, there is no fear because, "They'll come back."

They will.

Marigold Rita loves life. She celebrates it in everything she does, everything she sees. Plastic candles in the window tirelessly flicker, their orange bulbs a bright memorial to her husband who had suffered with cancer and finally lost the battle years ago.

A voice moans through the screen door of her house, trying to form words that will not stick together.

"Marge," she grins, referring to her daughter, also an older woman. She shakes her head and chuckles, "She wants pancakes for dinner again."

The night before, an ambulance had parked itself in front of her house and Marge, born with severe mental disabilities, suffering from a weak heart and feeble liver, had been carted into the vehicle.

The crew had greeted Rita by name, as if this event took place almost weekly.

Marigold Rita keeps plastic bags of seeds she dries herself around her home. She is quick to give them out as gifts to the neighbors. They are "beautiful."

When asked how she copes with the hardships of life, Rita replies with, "a prayer." When asked why she loves life so, it's because she's had, "many blessings." When asked by who, her eyebrows go up and she responds as if in surprise of the question, "By God." By God.

For most of the human race, it's a familiar answer. ·God, in some form, in some idea, is a reassuring thought.

The Christian faith embraces God as the Almighty, the Everlasting Father who sent his son Jesus Christ to earth

to die for the sins of the world, so that the souls of all people who believe Christ to be the Messiah will go on forever after their bodies die.

The Jewish faith also follows the word of God, the great Yahweh. But for them, the word of God did not come down in the form of a dove to settle on the head of the Lord's son. While Jesus is recognized as a great prophet, they are still awaiting the coming of the Messiah.

Then there are those of the Islamic faith, believers in the one deity Allah, followers of the teachings of the prophet Muhammad.

There ~e also those of faith who do not have a one, all-knowing deity but instead many deities. The practice of Wiccan faith for example, has not just a god but also a goddess, each Tepresenting different aspects of the religion. In -addition to the god and goddess are other deities who aid in enlightenment, as well as the emphasis on being in harmony with one's surroundings.

For those who practice the teachings of Guatama Buddha, mental and moral self-purification is what is significant in achieving enlightenment.

It's when all these and other groups of different beliefs

are massed together that things become, well, confusing.

Which faith is the right one? Who's "god" is God and what belief is for real?

Ladies and gentlemen, the answer may never be found. How can it when the questions will never end, the discoveries fail to cease? Since the dawn of time when man walked in hairy glory throughout the earth, ways of worship have been as diverse as the selection of toothpaste in supermarket shelves.

But that's okay. Religion has always been the family tree with many branches. The similarity is to have a belief to believe in, which all groups do.

Marigold Rita believes in Jesus. She cc,msidersherself to be a devout Catholic, yet when asked why she's so re• ligious, she replies forcefully, "I'm religious, but I'm even more spiritual."

What's the difference?

"I feel that spirituality is being one with God," Lee Gamble, a senior and computer science major, stated. "Where as in religion, people follow tradition."

Gamble just may have given definition to the ideas that have gone through the minds of many.

Is it possible to be spiritual, yet not be religious? According to Molly Beebe, junior early childhood and elementary education major, yes.

"I'm spiritual," Beebe said. "Yet I don't go to church."

According to an on-campus poll, when asked if religion is an important part of life, 70% repli~d yes while 30% said no. But when questioned if spirituality is more important than religion, 65% said yes and 35% answered no.

So how is religion viewed? What qualifications does a person have to have to be considered spiritual, and why is it such a popular thing to be?

"I think religion is tied to a particular organization," Karen Pollack, health coordinator, said. "It [religion] is a set of traditions while spirituality is the feeling, affective part."

Having this firm sense of feeling is something that many people hunt down all their lives. To know the answers, to understand what it all means and have the ultimate, unshakable faith is important to people. Religion begins to offer these things. It is a structure, no matter what category of religion it falls under, and that is what humans crave.

Being part of a structure, following a set of rules, is

easy and safe. Truly believing, living and applying those ideas to every day life is hard.

It is a struggle most are familiar with. Jill Reimels, a 17 year-old from East High has very firm ideas about why everyone should have some type of religion.

"It gives you good security," Reimels said. While most are inclined to agree that religion should be a part of one's life, answers as to why become muddy.

"I don't know," Drew Logan of Downingtown said. Perhaps that is why religion took up 70% of the popular vote in the poll. We don't know, do we?

So if we really don't know, then why does it play such an important role in so many lives?

"I think with religion, it helps raise moral values you learn at home and in church," Gamble said.

"I don't think that one is better than the other," Bebee stated. "We're all trying to get to the same place." What is that place? Is it a higher level of self? Heaven? A better shot at being reincarnated as something cool?

"It's happiness," Rita said and she bends over to run fingers over dirt that will soon be home to bright little caps of marigolds. Happiness. It is a term that can not be structured or conformed. There are no rules to happiness and there are no boundaries.

For Rita, happiness is the simple term she uses to describe spirituality. It is a term that religions all over celebrate, from the ritual masks and costumes of certain tribes, to the odes of joy in many a contemporary service. Religion and spirituality is a complex phenomenon that really can never be tied to one definition. How can it when human beings are so complex themselves?

It is when answers are made mandatory that begin to discourage people from religion. Instead of trying to add religion to their life, they instead shy away from it. For as many people that do care about their religion, there are those who frankly don't.

Yet according to them, this does not mean that they are not spiritual, "I don't believe in such a thing as one great God," 52 year-old Jim Gluth of Upper-Darby said. "But I do think I am a spiritual person."

Gluck goes on to explain that for him, being spiritual is not in images of a man

hanging from a cross or countless statues of saints deities, crystals or books. For him, simply being consid~ erate and aware of life around him is what spirituality is all about.

"I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is look out my window," Gluck said. "I take a deep breath and in that moment, I feel more alive, more content than I ever could want to."

Gluth continues to explain that being spiritual is trying to be the best you can be. He wants to lead a good life, a feeling shared with different religions the world over.

So what is religion? Where is faith found? What constitutes as spirituality? The world may never know, but one thing is for sure: The way people mold, embrace or simply ignore the ideas behind re1igion and spirituality is a revolution that has been going on for a long time and will continue to grow, evolve and exist.

Like a marigold seed.

photos by Shanna Lynn Fanelli

EDITORIAL

Religion and spirituality are alive and well

In this day and age of medical advancement, scientific discoveries and the ability to be a click and a clack of the keyboard away from unlimited resources, it is refreshing to find that religion has not been shuffled to the back but is instead very much alive and active in our world.

Why is this so great? It is not because there is one right religion or the fact that there is a final, "ends all" answer. It is wonderful because it means that we as human beings have not let ourselves rot away into unthinking shells that depend on microchips for brain power.

As the campus poll has shown, 70% agree that religion is an important part of life. Though the "religion" each participant was referring to is questionable, the fact that the high recognition for a means to improve not only oneself, but also the contribution that one can add to the world, is highly encouraging as we begin our new century.

The poll also addressed the issue of spirituality, which was deemed important by 65% of the Cabrini community. What constituted between spirituality and religion is the general agreement that religion is an organized, structured routine that allows those who practice it a means of security, familiarity and fellowship.

Spirituality on the other hand was viewed as the way an individual wishes to conduct their life. Instead of being structured and set, spirituality is up to the individual to choose how their life will be lived, what is important to them and how the world, its inhabitants and they themselves, will benefit from their existence here on earth.

Keeping this in mind, it is then wrong to cast discrimination against an individual based on their religion of choice. As religion is itself such a complicated and diverse subject, there is no logical way to simply single out a person and prejudge or ostracize them simply based on the title they use for their own personal guide to their spiritual beliefs.

Shanna Lynn learning how to "Keep It Real"

ery at ACME decided at that moment to go on strike.

The cashier tried again and again to get the swipey-thing to work. Managers were being called left and right and salad mixes began to wilt. Suddenly at the back of the line an obnoxious voice began to wheeze out complaints. Loudly.

played next to the manager's mug by the "OUT' doors marked "Do Not Enter" that everyone _walks through to get in.

It took a couple of years for the realization of it all to dawn on me but, I have a gift. Yes, it's true my little Snapple consuming community. Yours truly has been graced with the infuriating talent of picking the wrong line in stores to stand in. Constantly. Maybe some of you also share this forte so you can relate.

Any-hoo. So, I'm standing in line at the ACME near my house with my cereal and hot tea in hand when wouldn' cha' know it, the line stops. This is not a pause due to a piece of celery that got jammed in that little black thing the items ride down, (although it has happened). This was a complete halt, an irritating hold-up where your feet begin to ache and you get really bored because you run out of headlines to read in the magazine racks. Why the hold-up? Because this middle-aged woman with a bad, red dye job was trying to pay with a MAC card. Unfortunately for her and the rest of us, the machin-

I turned around to see who this rude person was and witnessed a small, pudgy woman waving her puffy fists and belching out disapproval about how ACME basically sucks, (not her exact words, which are unprintable) and how our cashier was a moron, like it was the cashier's fault the machinery went wacky.

Well, I had heard enough. So I turned myself around, gave her a steely-eyed glare and announced for all to hear, "How dare you carry on so, you fat tub of lard, you. It is not the cashier's fault the machinery is not working. She is doing the best she can and furthermore, if anyone should be complaining it's me and the people who have actually been standing in line for a long time, not you who just got here. So, would you kindly put your puffy fist down and just shut-up?"

The ball of pudge was speechless and everybody in line began nodding approval and cheering at my forthrightness. The cashier proclaimed me a hero and I got my picture taken where it was dis-

OOPS!

•Amy Gassen's commentary "The Winding Mountain Roads Less Traveled" was abruptly cut off without an ending. Here is the original ending: ''friends, has made all the difference."

•Students Ryan Jones and Shaun Hazlett set Cabrini track records last year. Then they transferred. Hazlett now runs for Gwynned Mercy, and Jones runs for Ryder, but he wants to come back next year, so that is good news.

We'reawfullysorryforallorourmlstakesl

Actually, I did give the little fireball an evil eye, but only when I was safely pulling out of the parking lot and I spotted her waddling towards her car. Why, oh why did I do just what everyone always does when an innocent person is being picked on by a bully? I hated myself for keeping quiet while the rude beast ranted and raved and I could tell by the flinches of shoulders that others felt the same. Still, no one said a thing to that woman.

I pondered over this should-bei n-a- bad-after-school-specialevent. Too often do people keep quiet in order to stay "safe." In doing so, confrontation of any sort is ultimately avoided, but important characteristics such as standing up for your fellow person and your own beliefs are sacrificed.

I made a resolution that day to start showing more backbone and stop playing it "safe" all the time. It's hard because you're putting yourself on the line, but the payoff is worth it because you're staying true to yourself and people respect that. I do.

Shanna Fanelli is the Features and A&E editor. We told her she HAD to write about housing, but she just wouldn't listen.

SHANNA FANELLI

Cynthia? The voice of reason? Well, yes

This commentary is going to make me look like a complete hypocrite, but I'm willing to take that chance. I know that I am not the first person to write about this certain topic, but I still feel that it is worth mentioning.

Cabrini. People complain about the administration and the president and this and that, but if all you can do is complain then you're wasting time because you're letting your voices be heard to the wrong people. If you don't plan on saying something and just want to lounge in your room, then suck it up and deal. This is the way things are. If you want to make a change, then let your voices be heard. You have the opportunity, do it.

As I mentioned, I am being a hypocrite for mentioning this. I, too, have bitched about things such as the parking and the stupid issue of not having call waiting on our phones. (I swear, I don't know where my head was. It was such a stupid thing to complain about.) Like others on this campus, I didn't do anything about it. I've bitched to my roommate, my friends and in the paper, but I never really did anything about it. I just blew off steam with no results because I didn't do enough.

Come on, people, this school is not THAT bad. I got screwed last year and spent half this year living in the donns, but I don't have such a horrible opinion about

Stop and think: Is this place so horrible? If it is, then why are you here? Is it because you're graduating in May or December and it's too late? Is it because you don't want to go through the hassle of transferring? Do you not want

Come on people, we could have it so much worse. True, it could be better, but no school is perfect and neither is any school's administration. If you're really that unhappy here, then do some soul searching and decide what to do. We all have choices; we just have to decide which are the right ones to make.

to leave your friends? I left my friends in New York when I came here, but whenever I come home, they are always there for me and welcome me with open arms. If transferring is an issue, let me tell you as a transfer student, I only lost six credits when I came here, so for me it was no problem. There is no such thing as a "perfect" school. The faculty and staff are not bad people. I have never run into a hostile member of the administration, and even if I did, so what? Everyone's entitled to a bad day, and we are all guilty of being m a bad mood and taking it out on some undeserving victim. That doesn't make a person bad. It makes them human. The housing issue has become a very controversial topic in the last few weeks and people have voiced their concerns, as they should if they want something to be done. I just heard that there is another meeting this Thursday. However, when it comes to the point where people are saying, "Don't come to Cabrini, you'U get screwed out of housing", then something is wrong.

Cynthia Taura is the copy editor of Loquitur. If she survived a semester as a senior living in Woodcrest, then maybe we can all survive "Housing Crisis 2000."

The War is finally over. Let the healing begin

If this commentary is the first thing you read in this week's Loquitur, then, well, thanks. I appreciate it. But first, take a gander at page 12, and then we'll talk.

Okay, good to have you back. Isn't it a happy day?

We've won baby! Viva La Resistance! And we didn't even have to camp out on a Saturday morning.

So what happens now? I guess we should sit back and reflect on the events of the past few weeks. We'll go back to our dorm rooms and reminisce on our heady days of rebellion, when no policy was too strict, no mansion was too impenetrable, and no dean was too big. Maybe someone will pull a fire alarm, just for old times sake. After all, this is a cause for celebration.

What did we all learn about ourselves from this?

Well, we are a temperamental group. And we are very territorial. Like any good gang, we know how to protect our own.

The spirit of the l 960s may be alive after all, it was just in hiding. Over the past few weeks I have heard rumors of numerous protests, sit-ins and even a camp out, which would have been downright groovy, man.

Of course, the hippies and flower children were protesting against the loss of lives in an unjust war and a corrupt president. We were protesting against the loss of housing to students within jogging distance and a diminutive, misguided president who used to be a nun. But why nitpick?

This whole thing has had an air of familiarity to it that I couldn't quire put my finger on. I just figured it out. This has been the "Deep Impact" scenario. Remember that movie, the one about the asteroids about to destroy Earth? No, not the one with Bruce Willis, the

other one.

Well, anyway, in the movie Morgan Freeman is the President of the United States. The asteroid will inevitably hit, but fortunately there is an underground bunker ready for such an event. The president decides that the best and brightest scientists, politicians, accountants and even a journalist are selected for survival. It would have been interesting if Freeman had denied survival to everyone who grew up close to the bunker, but the Hollywood writers would never make up anything that silly.

Life imitated art this time. Like in "Deep Impact" the asteroid has missed, and life will go on.

So what next? What else will the student body, now hungry with power, protest against? Mike 80s Butler, who had a devious plan for a class action lawsuit against the school, just made the point that "We need a new enemy." We all found an issue to fight for. There was something resembling student unity for a good couple of weeks. The Student Government Association actually became relevant for the first time that anyone can remember.

I have come to really believe that everything does happen for a reason. One Cabrini guidebook states that "The best college is the one that makes the biggest difference to the student." Well, Cabrini has almost absent-mindedly made a huge difference in the lives of its students, and not in a completely bad way.

We have learned to distrust authority, which is always a good quality. Naive trust in upper management never helped anybody.

We learned that there is strength in numbers. It wasn't just the students who were in the most immediate danger of losing housing who were concerned. Students from New Jersey, New York and even California came out and fought the good fight, not so much for themselves but for their friends and classmates.

These are heady times we are living in. Someday,

we will look back on the housing lottery, the apartment lockout and the parking situation and we just might have a good laugh over 1t. It's been a trip, man.

And one more thing. It wouldn't hurt anybody to say something nice to the big man once in a while. The public hating that was called a housing meeting last Friday could have driven a lesser man to a nervous breakdown. So, Paul, you 're getting props from the Loquitur. Just don't get used to it.

Loquitur is established as a forum for student expression and as a voice in the uninhibited, robust, free and open discussion of issue5.

Editor in chid' Ben Lunn

News edlton

LinseyHelser

Joe Holden

Photography editor

Jim Snook

Photography and Graphic DesignAdviser

Don Dempsey

Staff Writers

Tony Barrett

Alison Briant

Terry Clpollini

Beth Conahan

Matt Coughlin

Linda Cylc

Crystal Davis

Amy Gassen

Kristina Geerken

Melissa Lepouski

Nick Luchko

Kate Pelusl

Bernadette Smith

AllisonWebb

Managing editor Janice Funk

A&E and Futures editor

Shanna Fanelli

Penpectives editor Chris Nielsen Adviser Dr.Jerry Zurek

Copy editor

Cynthia Taura

Megan Zustra

Sports edilon

Jessica Snow

Kendra Clark

Sports columnist

Brian O'Connell

Design assistant

Charles LaCourte

Editorlal Board

Chris Nielsen Ben Lunn

Shanna Fanelli Matt Tholey

Jessi Snow

Assistant Editon

Kristina

Cabrini College

Mard\21,2000

Dear Cabrini College Student, Cabrini College has grown inaeasingly popular over the years and more students than ever before att deciding to pursue their education at 610 King of Prus&a Road. In addition, over 85% of our undergraduate population has requestedresidentialhousing over the past two years. as opposed to the~ who requestedon-am.pus housing in earlieryears. Although there is such a high demand for on-campus housing, there is limited residential spaceavailable on a 110-ilcrecampus. For these reasons, theCollegeinitiated a policy two years ago that on-campus housing would no longer be guaranteed for a student's four-year tenure at Cabrini College. •

It has come to my attention through personal conversations with many of you, as well as through discussions with the of my staff, that this policyhas caused great confusion on our campus. I wish to alleviate your fears; Cabrini College will provide housing for all upperclass students who currently reside on campus and who wish to reside on campus next year. Deposits must be recaved no later then the deadline of March31, 2000, in order to secure thesehousing slots. Next year, howevtt, will be the last year that housing will be guaranteed. This decision will not alleviate ow cramped residential quarters, but your desire to live on campus has been heard.

You should know that the College feels stronglythat upperclass students should have opportunities for independent living experiences, in order to examine the challenges oflife fully. Therefore, the College will provide a one-time, $2000incentive to those current Cabrini College resident students who wish to pUBue such an enriching option. Please be advised that you must inform the resident life officeof your intent by March31, 2000, in order to receive the $2000 incentive.

I would also like to offer an alternative option for our education majors, in lieu of our $2000 incentive. Rising Cabrini CoUegeresident juniors and seniors interested in taking advantage of this particular alternative will receive four free graduate education courses, which can be applied toward a master of education degree at the College. Rising resident seniors who wish to accept this offer will have until the end of the calendar year 2004 to complete their four free graduate education courses. Rising resident juniors will have until the end of the calendar year 2005 to complete their four free graduate education courses. You must inform the resident life office by March 31, 2000, if you wish to benefit from this opportunity.

These decisions have been made in the context of an environment that stimulates intellectual thought, respects diverse opinions and works to uphold the common good. I hope you know that our commitment to our students is unwavering; our dedication to ensure the fubµ'e of Cabrini Collegeis sincere.

Conlially,

Dr.Antoinette Iadarola President

Thank God, the fight is over. The climate on this campus over the past few weeks has grown increasingly hostile, and unfortunately many students have come to question why they came here in the first place. But now, it looks like things may return to normal, whatever that is.

The administration finally did the right thing, and we are all grateful. As much as we complain about now seemingly insignificant things like triple rooms and residence policies, it is good that we will get to finish what we started, our lives as resident students of Cabrini College.

The truly regrettable thing about all this is how this decision was finally reached. The students got the spots rightfully theirs after having to put up a fight. Just as last year, the seniors got to graduate where they wanted to after putting up a fight.

All this hostility and fighting could be avoided in the future by just consulting the student body before major decisions regarding our lives are made. That is what the Student Government Association is here for. Does "communication between students and administration" ring a bell?

The upper administration has had a long term habit of asking forgiveness, not permission. It seems that our voices are only heard after the threats of picketing, protests and even lawsuits. Of course it's true that no college could ever really be run by students, but some take their student body's voice more seriously than others. Cabrini College claims to be one of these. We can all remember entering this school as a small college where you won't be "just a number." What are the students to believe now, after their residency was almost decided by percentages established with ahusiness frame of mind?

The best way to "uphold the common good," as Iadarola claims to want to do, would be to simply ask the common people. There is still a tangible mistrust of those who make the decisions for this college. This mistrust could be alleviated in a few simple steps. One, reinstate the Student Housing Committee. The disbanding of this group was an early sign that things weren't going to go well. Second, listen to the Student Government Association when they have something to say. They are the elected representatives of the student body; they are where they are for a reason. And finally, listen to your own employees, and not just the ones who work in the mansion. It is hard to get a feel for a campus from upstairs in a century-old building.

Again, we would like to restate that we are grateful that this "confusion" has finally and satisfactorily been resolved. It's just too bad we had to get ugly to be heard.

We, the students are nice people, too. Get to know us.

And here it is ... ©

Well, thank you, but you could have just askedThe Official Loquitur response to Dr. ladorola's letter

Unpredictabilitymakes the NCAA tournamentexciting

Now that the NCAA tournament is well under way, who could have predicted what has happened so far? It has been an absolute joy to watch the games so far. The past week or so has provided

BRIAN O'CONNELL sports fans with the most exciting basketban games all year. There were several upsets, blow outs, close games and come-from-behind wins. Top seeds knocked out and many lower seeds remain, and so the unpredictaple road to Indianapolis continues.

Everyone might as wen throw out the brackets and cough up the money for their office bets. ESPN.com, along with many other sports web sites, has a tournament challenge. About 50,000 people are participating in the ESPN contest., and guess what: 1\vo people remain for their correct predictions for the Final Four, the rest are out. That is a perfect example of how crazy and exciting

·this tournament is this year. Anyone who is missing out on these games should tune in this week, because it is time for the 'sweet 16', and from here on in, it only gets better.

Let's start off with the top seeds. Stanford and Arizona are now out. Duke and Michigan State are the only top seeds left. If I had to choose between the two for the championship, I would choose Duke. But, I am not choosing anyone right now, due to the fact that this is the crazjest NCAA tournament I have seen to date. There have been so many bizarre games and so many upsets, which makes you want to jump on the bandwagon and root for the lower seeds. Let's take that sweetheart team from Washington, Gonzaga. Last year's Cinderella team is on a roll and back into the 'Sweet 16. Let's see if they can make into the Final Eight again this year and hopefully move on to the Final Four. Doubtful, but then again, who knows what will happen with the tournament this year? What was very shocking was UCLA's blowout over Maryland. I expected Maryland to at least make the 'Sweet 16.

The most shocking game I saw in the tournament so far was Temple's loss to Seton Hall. After watching the game, I realized that Temple did in fact take the Pirates lightly,

and they paid for it, The team lost. The very narrow loss put the Owls' best team in some years out of hope for a spot m the Final Four this year. This has some people wondering if John Chaney will ever get to the Final Four. The legendary coach is now 68 years old and time is winding down for his coaching career. It was especially sad for seniors Pepe Sanchez, Quincy Wadley, Lamont Barnes and Keaton Sanders. These are some great players Temple looses next season, but the team will no doubt recuperate somehow. It seems the Owls loose a lot this year, and they do, but Chaney always has a solution in his pocket to pull off another winning season and another trip to the NGA.A tournament. "':- "-.

But now that is all behind us, it is time to focus on"tbe Sweet 16, which starts this week. Who knows who will win? Who will pull off the upsets? How far will Gon_zaga really go this year? Will Duke.pr_l'yfie;.hjganState.be favored to win the championship? We~l!Jl-only~ait and see what happens. Most of us have probably given in the money for the bets and have thrown out the brackets, but that is fine. This is college basketball. It is March Madness. It is the road to the Final Four and there is nothing like it.

Last week's resultsfor Cabrini s·ports

by Tracy Timson with Kendra Clark staff writer and sports editor

Women's Lacrosse

The Lady Cavs were defeated by West Chester on Thurs., March I 6 by a score of 9-14 at West Chester. They came back on Sat., March 18 to defeat Bryn Mawr by a score of 13-2.

Men's Lacrosse

In their only game of the week the Cavs suffered a home loss against Western Maryland by a score of 8-19.

Men's Tennis

The Cavs had a winning week by coming out on top

twice. The first win came in a match against Widener University on Wed., March 15 and the second in a match on Sat., March 18 against Wesley College. Both matches were won by a score of 6-1.

Softball

Cabrini defeated Holy Family College on Wed., March 15 by a score of 1-0. Over the weekend of March 18- I 9, the Lady Cavs participated in the Salisbury State Tournament. They came out on top all weekend by defeating Western Maryland with a score of 3-2, St. Joseph of Maine by a score of7-l, third nationally ranked Moravian with a score of 7-2, and Muhlenberg by a final score of 5-2.

Monday, March 27, 6-8 pm

'Sports Source' Presents PHIL MARTELLI

the head coach of the St. Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team live from the Dixon Center. Stop by with your NCAA predictions and for a chance to meet Coach Martelli.

You can only hear the show on 89.1 WYBF-FM, The Edge.

r-tl" ._')

Intercollegiate Career Fair

March 29, 2000

Noon,3pm

Dixon Center Gym

Meet with organizations seeking full-time, part-time and co-op employees. Bring resumes and dress for success! Check the Co-op & Career Services Web Page for an upto-dace list of employers attending the career fair. Spomored by the Co-op & Career Services Office 160Grace Hall 610-902-8304,5, 6

Softball players to represent USA in Germany

by Kristina Geerken assistant features editor

Touring Germany while playing a muchloved sport is the answer to many dreams. Fo11unately,three lucky lady Cavaliers will be given the opportunity to represent Cabrini College in the German Softball Open.

Proudly sporting their royal blue and white striped Cabrini softball attire, sophomore Megan Johnston and first year-students Rita Horning and Erin Brooks, have been selected to participate as Team USA in the 'German Softball Open.

Departing on July 6, the ·team will go to Regensburg, Germany, where it will explore the surroundings of Germany and play softball at the National Softball Center. Sponsoring the program is the German National Softball.Association.

Some of the other countries participating in the games are the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Australia. These teams are all either division II and III .

Cabrini softball coach, Bridget Baxter will be accompanying Johnston, Homing and Brooks to Germany as an assistant coach.

Johnston, Homing and Brooks are very

Rita Horning, Megan Johnston and Erin Brooks will represent Cabrini during games at The German National Softball Center beside players from many other countries. The athletes, along with coach Bridget Baxter, will leave for the 10 day visit on July 7.

enthusiastic about the opportunity to visit Germany and play softball at the same time.

A pitcher and an outfielder, Johnson was chosen for the National team due to her past achievements. Last year, she made all Pennsylvania Athletic Conference, as well as receiving an honorable mention for the region.

"I can't wait. Besides playing softball, we are going to visit different sites in Germany. I'm also glad that Bridget, Rita and Erin and I are going together," Johnston said with a note of excitement in her voice.

"I think that it is great that we are going to be representing Cabrini." Johnston said. Brooks and Homing share the same feelings as Johnston. "I am excited about meeting other players. and I think that it is cool that they picked division II and Ill players," center fielder Brooks said.

"It should be so much fun," first baseman Horning chimed in.

The girls will be returning from Germany on July 17. Giggling and putting their arms around each other, Johnston, Brooks and Horning show no doubts in displaying their Cabrini team spirit and an optimistic outlook for the game.

Lifeguards take on great responsibility in Dixon Center

by Linda Cy/c staff writer

The Dixon Center's swimming pool is becoming one of the most popular places on this campus. It is a great place for exercise and recreation alike, but while the pool is open, one thing must always be present: a lifeguard.

A certified lifeguard must be on duty whenever the pool is open. Cabrini's Dixon Center swimming pool is staffed by IO core student lifeguards that carry two to three hour shifts, along with three or four substitute guards that fill m when necessary.

The guards are under the supervision of Colleen Poole, aquatics instructor at the Dixon Center. Poole remarks that things at the pool generally go smoothly.

The only major problem is concerning scheduling. When students go home for winter or spring break, scheduling becomes quite difficult.

• ·'Only a few guards live in the area;' remarks Poole, "so I usually end up guarding the pool by myself."

In order to work as a lifeguard, one must pass a lifeguard t training course, obtain a Red Cross Certification and the certification to perform Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation. f To help students meet these requirements and become a lifeguard, Cabrini offers a lifeguard training course which Poole teaches. The two credit course is held one night a .., week.

Students practice water rescues for the first part of the course then spend time in the classroom working on CPR. During the last week of the course, future lifeguards attempt various tests, which include swimming 20 laps, treading

water for two minutes and retrieving a l 0-pound brick from the bottom of the pool. Upon completing this, students are fully certified to guard at any swimming pool.

Once certified, there is no telling when a lifeguard will actually have to make a rescue. A long period of time may elapse before the guard is faced with an emergency situation. To keep guards' skills sharp. Poole tries to hold in-service training sessions.

"We have to be prepared at all times in case an emergency situation does arise," Poole said.

Along with all of the physical aspects of a life guarding position also comes an emotional aspect. Lifeguards are responsible for the lives of those in and around the water they guard. There is no greater responsibility than protecting the lives of others.

First-year student Ryan Griffiths, currently enrolled in the life-guarding class, looks forward to this opportunity and embraces this responsibility.

"ln this class I get exercise, get trained for a possible summer Job, and it makes me feel good to be able to help people out."

Aho a first-year student, Kerri Houseman, a guard for several years who now guards at Cabrini, has a similar perspective.

"It's a good, fun job, and it's pretty much guaranteed. I like the people I work with, and I feel fine about the responsibility of being in charge of people's lives because I trust myself to handle dangerous situations,"Houseman said.

Lifeguards are an essential part of safe swimming anywhere. and the job can have some great perks.

photo by Kristina Geerken

photo by Jessica Snow Sophomore Rick Cruz guards the Dixon Center pool on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Seniors look to teach after last softball season

by Jessica Snow sports editor

Michelle Gabriel, a senior and captain of the softball team, has trouble thinking of what she will miss most about Cabrini, but she could talk for hours about what she will miss about her team.

"The spring break trip to Florida is great because we get really close and have so much fun. And the dinners, everyone comes and we have a great time. Practice is good, we work hard, but we have a lot of fun," Gabriel goes on until she realizes she is giving too much information too quickly.

"Spring break is where I made most of my friends. We spend so much time together that by the end of the week it, is like we've been together for much longer," she said, trying to focus her original comment.

In May, Gabriel, who was also the captain of the women's soccer team in the fall, will leave Cabrini and go on to graduate study, "probably at West Chester," for elementary education.

The softball team will miss Linda Costello, also an education major, next year as well.

"This team is really close. Even though it's small we're doing well and we're getting along great," Costello said. Teaching Kindergarten as well as hosting recruits will be among what Costello will miss next year when she is teaching.

Both Costello and Gabriel speak about their education classes with wide eyes and smiles.

"I really liked Reading and Language Arts I and Math Discoveries," Gabriel said.

"My field experience was really the best part of my time

at Cabrini. I learned more teaching than in any of my regular classes," Costello said.

Both women list Andrew Litavec as one of their favorite teachers at Cabrini. Costello adds Bill Kuhns to this list and another of Gabriel's favorite teachers is Martha WaringChaffee.

Costello has to find work as a teacher when she graduates in May, but Gabriel will have one more summer to tan at the Jersey shore before going to graduate school.

''I'll go to the beach, get tan. I'm not sure which shore yet though," Gabriel, who loves pizza, said.

"Pizza and gummy worms, they're her favorite foods," Gabriel's roommate, Renee Kurtz, said.

Costello could not decide on one favorite food among the many possibilities.

"She eats a lot of bagels," Nicole Klimas, Costello's roommate offered.

These friends, and the ones on their team who will remain at Cabrini will miss the seniors next year.

"We are very proud of our little Linda's accomplishments," Lisa Nicole Finegan, another roommate, said trying to cover her smile and hold back a fake tear.

There's no place to call home for Cabrini teams

For the softball team and track teams a home field advantage is non-existent and practice space is something borrowed from Eastern College or Radnor High School. Amid many renovations, the teams wait for their share.

by Jessica Snow and Kendra Clark sports editors

"I ran track last year and it was pretty annoying. To have practice at 12:15 at Radnor and try to get to a I :50 class at Cabrini, it was impossible," Mike Repice recalled.

'Td have to run back or get a ride, if I was lucky," the junior Internet computing major continued, "and go directly to class:'

This plight is typical for members of Cabrini's track teams and softball team.

"I come from teaching and miss half of practice before high school kids kick us off the field. Some of us don't make some practices at all," Linda Costello, a senior and captain of the softball team said. Aside from practice, this problem surfaces during games and meets.

"We have conference champi-

onships on April I, at the moment there isn't a track to hold the competition on," Jason Bull, the captain of the men's track team said.

Bull believes that it would be a good idea for the school to use some of the money it has been spending on renovations to build more athletic fields.

"We have tennis courts, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse fields, a basketball court. We even have squash courts, but no team. We do have track teams. We should have a track," Bull said.

"It would be a good selling point for the school if it had more facilities. It makes it hard to recruit with so little to offer," Bull said.

Bridget Baxter, the softball coach agreed.

"It is hard to find people who want to come play for a school that does not have a home field, so I have to recruit from far away."

"A track would end up making money for the school," Bull suggested. "Aside from our meets and championships, we could hold

"We have tennis courts, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse fields, a basketball court. We even have squash courts, but no team. We do have track teams. .We should have a track,"

-Jason Bull, captain of the men's track team

high school meets and championships. I would make money and get more runners interested in coming here."

"Rita Horning, a first-year student, reported that the softball players have found themselves driving around looking for a place to practice. Sometimes the field that is found is not in safe condition to have a complete practice. The fields, when regulation size, can have a grass infield with many potholes which makes it dangerous for fielding ground balls, base running and sliding.

''We cope without a field, but it would be very beneficial to have one of our own," Costello said.

Bull reported that the track team does a lot of its running at Eastern College or at Radnor High School. However, since this practice is so inconvenient, the runners often take the less safe option of running

around Cabrini's campus through the woods and parking Jots.

"Eastem's track is fine for cross country, but my shins wouldn't hurt so much if we had a nicer track to run on," Repice said about the condition of the facility that the cross country and track teams use often.

All of these teams have proposed solutions to the administration.

"We have bent over backwards with proposals, but they just say, 'ok we will look at it,"' Baxter said.

According to Baxter the softball team often does not know where its home games will be played until the last possible minute. This fact makes it hard to schedule umpires. It also makes it very difficult for parents and other fans to get to see the games.

photo by Jessica Snow

Michelle Gabriel, the softball team's second base woman

photo by Jessica Snow

Linda Costello works in her immaculate, excessively decorated room when not playing outfield.

Softball's seniors, last season, still no home field

Michelle Gabriel (pictured above) and Linda Costello are enjoying their last season with the softball team, but still wonder about the fate of this homeless squad. Senior profiles and teams without a home story both on p. 15

photo by Jim Snook