1984-03-22

              The

March 22, 1984

Volume 97

ecord

Number 5

Collegeville, MN

International floor moves to Greg House

by Dan Forstner

Despite expressions of disapproval by some students, the fate of the International Floor appears to be heading west. On account of the anticipated phased remodeling of Benet Hall,likely to begin in 1985, it is highly probable that the Ground Benet floor will be moved to Greg House for the 1985-86 academic year. In a recent letter to concerned parties, Fr. Roman Paur, OSB, confirmed that the International Floor will likely be moved to Greg House when physical renovation of Benet begins.

Paur made his preliminary decision after obtaining input concerning the future of Ground Benet International from several groups. His conclusion about the best-suited future location for the International Floor is, in Paur's mind, a reflection of what he "thought was a consensus" among Faculty Residents, Resident Assistants, current floor members, Student Senate, and the Student Affairs staff and advisory committee. Joe Hall was also considered as a possible new location for the International Floor, but it has been rendered as less desirable by a consensus of Ground Benet students for varying reasons. According to Paur, Greg would better accomodate the needs of the International Floor because its renovation plans will allow for an advising room and a large social space with a kitchenette in the basement.

Aproxminately six students have met with Paur and shared their reservations about moving the floor to Greg. These students' arguments, shared by a minority of the-Student Senate, contend that it is unfair to give preferential housing to a specialty floor. In a response to their claim, Paur has stressed

that all upperclassmen have an opportunity to be on the floor. The International Floor is not, as some incorrectly perceive, a floor solely for foreign students. The floor has maintained a 50-50 balance between foreign and American students throughout its 13 year history. Scott Labat, Resident Assistant of Ground Benet International, agreed with Paur's contention, noting that "it is not open to as many Americans but it is open to whoever wants to be there." Fr. Tom Thole, OSB, also disputed the suggestion that a floor move to Greg would be stealing preferred housing from the general student population. "If they are going to renovate all the housing," Thole said, "I don't know what's going to be preferential anymore."

According to Paur, if themove is made Greg will become the permanent location for the floor—"at least as permanent as things are around here.*' Such a move will expand the floor's size from 25 .to 40 residents, an increase which will probably produce at least minor difficulties in attracting enough foreign students to maintain a balanced ratio. Paur, however, likes the idea of a larger International Floor because it will give more students the opportunity to .take advantage of a unique experience.

The   Student   Affairs   Office   is   presently disseminating information to get conversation going on what should be done with Benet.   Present  considerations  include  the • upgrading of plumbing and eletricity and the conversion of all rooms to singles and apartments. Stating that it is his "intent to get Benet renovated," Paur forsees that his office „ will begin focusing on the subject at the end

Greg   continued on page 7

Is winter really over?

Believe it or not, this variety of Sagatagan sunset is only a few weeks away.    Photo by Bob Tran

Joint government proposal discussed

By John Rosengren

"We recommend that the advantages and disadvantages of a single student government cT>     for SJU and CSB be given serious study."

This statement comes from SJU faculty residents and the CSB staff residents who together comprised the Gender Bias-Committee. Although the possibility of a joint student government has been considered and rejected before by the SJU administration, the Committee's recommendation has renewed discussion of such a possibility.

A general consensus is that the two existing

. governments, CSB's Student Administrative

Board (SAB) and St. John's Student Senate

C- (SJS) will not be combined next year but will be joined in the near future. Considering the increased cooperation between the two schools, SJU Student Activities Director Tim Buckley predicts "A joint student government will evolve logically out of that cooperative process." CSB's Student Activities Coordinator Bert Connors hinted that the two student governments were already working towards a joint government, albeit unintentionally, through the Joint Events Council (JEC) and the Joint Funding Board

^ (JFB). The JEC coordinates social and cultural events for both campuses while the

JFB's primary responsibility is to coordinate and screen requests for funding from CSB or SJU faculty, staff, or clubs.

Advocates of a joint student government point to the success of such joint groups as reasons for a single government. Coupled with the coed membership of most student clubs and activities, a combined student government is sensible, they insist. Since many of the decisions made individually by^ the SAB and SJS affect both campuses, Buckley, who is also advisor to the SJS, reasons "It seems silly that a group of guys are discussing those decisions without the representation of St. Ben's students, and the same is true of St. Ben's."

Connors does not share Buckley's conviction. She explains, "I don't think there should be a joint student government because there are different needs for men and women." Missy Young, SAB and JEC member, theorizes that many of these different needs result from the separate living areas. Living at CSB, she believes she knows the needs of CSB students better than men could. Because of the different needs of which the SAB is aware, the SAB has services unique to CSB such as Women's Week, annual picnics, the Lenten Prayer Service, and the Blood Mobile. Separate student governments allow for different philosophies and services to

meet the different needs of students, Young claims. SJS President Bill Lynch affirms these differences. Despite the increased cooperation, he maintains, "We still are two colleges with different needs and wants."

Connors, convinced that one government will not be able to do all that two can do separately, notes that if the two combined, some of the different services would be lost. She opposes next year's new position of a Joint Student Activities Director (JSAD) for the same reasons. "I think St. Ben's students will be slighted. A lot of programs and services will be dropped because they (a JSAD or joint government) won't have time."

Another concern of Connors' is that women would lose leadership opportunities. Both Buckley and Lynch share her concern, while Sr. Ingrid Anderson OSB, VP of Student-Affairs at CSB, explains, "Women are-socialized to believe that leadership belongs to men. Women tend to stand back and allow men to lead." She continues that an advantage of a separate government at CSB is that women have to assume positions of leadership. Thus, student development is further encouraged. Connors comments, "It's important for women to learn leadership roles, to have a government here (at CSB)." Anderson refers to the process of learning to be leaders despite contradictory societal roles as "swim-

ming upstream against the tide of society."

Fr. Roman Paur, OSB, VP of StudentAffairs at SJU, addresses the issue of learning about leadership by saying, "Learning takes place better in a cooperative effort than in an isolated effort." Remarking on the advantages of a joint government, he continues, "As issues of leadership inequity emerge, they could be addressed with the educational advantage of everybody."   -

Connors fears that women would lose their identity if they assumed the traditional submissive role while men assumed their expected dominant role. "I'm afraid of losing our identity. Not just because of St. Ben's, but because of the'real world'.'That's the way the roles have been." CSB could also lose their identity in a joint government by being absorbed by SJU due to monetary concerns. Connors explains, "I see it happening with existing programs. It is never done intentionally, but it is done. Money is a factor. St. John's has it; St. Ben's doesn't. Whoever has the money has power. Thus St. John's has power." She cited VISTO (Volunteers in Service to Others) as an example of a program which started at CSB, became joint, and has since been "taken over" by SJU.

SAB/SJS  continued on page 3