1988-11-03

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Saint John's University

Campus gays speak / 3 Students Collegebound / 9 AWAREness/ 12

Official student r\ewspaper of Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota

November 3, 1988 /Volume 101/ Number 11

It's official...

Virgil Michel House was officially dedicated last Friday, Oct. 28. Among those present were Abbot Jerome Theisen, OSB, (I) and SJU president Hilary Thimmesh, OSB, (r) and members of the SJU Board of Regents.

(Photo by Patrick Drelzehnter)

Bomb threat causes class cancellations

By Robert Speltz Assistant News Editor

The Henrita Academic Building (HAB) at CSB was evacuated sometime after 11:00 last Friday morning after an unidentified caller claimed that there was a bomb located somewhere in the building.

According to Connie Cross, directorof CSB Public Information, a male placed a call to the CSB Admissions Office around 11:00 that morning. The caller said something to the effect of: "I'm only going to say this once: there is a bomb in the HAB." Marge Lesnick, the woman who took the call, then attempted to confuse the caller by transferring him to the CSB Physical Plant where Jerry Meeks, head of CSB Security andSafety.has his office. This upset the caller, Cross said, as he was then forced to re-explain his threat to someone at the Physical Plant. After the threat, however, CSB Security and Steams County Sheriff Department deputies responded to the HAB and began evacuation procedures. No one was injured in. the incident nor was any device ever found.

SJU junior Mike Nicholson was sitting in the east lounge on the main floor of the HAB shortly before his 11:20 class when a woman calmly approached him and told him to leave the building because of a bomb threat. As Nicholson got up to do so he saw other men and women going to classrooms and making the same announcement. According to Nicholson the evacuation was orderly as many students chuckled, thinking the situation an obvious joke. For some time a group

of students stood near the building as CSB Security and Sheriff deputies searched the grounds near the HAB and its interior. Later, students were asked to keep away from the area and many moved towards the Campus Center to continue watching. Because of the threat 11:20 and 1:00 classes were not held in the building, although the 2:40 period did meet.

' Michael Laux, OSB, director of SJU Life Safety Services, said SJU's bomb threat procedure is similar to that of CSB*s. 'The event would be Created much like a fire alarm: the building would be evacuated and the fire department and others would then attempt to locate whatever it was that they were looking for," he said. In Laux's 13 years as Safety Director SJU has never received such a threat.

At present, there is much speculation into the motive behind Friday's incident. However, Cross and others, including Agent Eric Odegard of the St. Cloud office of the FBI, believe the caller may have been a student who didn't want to take a midterm examination and then set out to ensure that his class would be canceled. Last year during a mid-term period St. Cloud State University experienced a rash of bomb threats, having ten in one week. Cross said University officials met and then began to post the times classes would be rescheduled in the event of another bomb threat. Cross said that after there-schedulings wereposted on campus, bomb threats were no longer a problem. Friday's threat, incidentally, is the first bomb threat in at least 15 years, said a long-time CSB Security officer.

Commencement procedure draws fire from CSB students

By Michael Atkins Staff Writer

New plans to formalize the December graduation ceremony at CSB have upset some students and highlighted the increasing difficulty of graduating in the traditional four years.

Many of the 35 CSB students slated to graduate in December were angered at being denied the option to graduate with their classmates in May. , Sarah Kockelman, English and Theater major, commented that, "Having a December recognition program is great for those who want to participate, but students should be able to decide which ceremony they would like to attend. The new policy doesn't offer a choice," she said. "The feelings of the students should be primary to the convenience of the college. Graduation is for seniors, their families, and for the alumni, not for the college fiscal plan."

'- Dave Glenn, CSB director of conferences and special events, who is coordinating the December graduation, confirmed that eligible students must graduate in December. "Students do not have the option to defer their graduation until May. There are too many grads in May as it is."

Kim Ferlaak, music major, was upset with the decision. "December 10 is bad for two reasons. First, the date conflicts with the traditional SJU Christmas Concert, which was scheduled far in

advance of the graduation date. Second, it puts graduation before finals, which is inconvenient for everybody," she said. "It makes me wonder about the planning that went into this."

Glenn explained that every effort was being made to make the December graduation more formal than in previous years. "The ceremony will be different from May only in size," he stated. "We will have a speaker, a presentation, a liturgy, and a buffet dinner, as well as the same type of procession."

Students also complained about the late notification of the December graduation date. Glenn reported that 'The decision for Winter graduation was made last March. Chuck Villette, CSB vice president for academic affairs, made the date in the fall, and the students were notified in mid-October."

Concerning SJU graduation, Dietrich Reinhart, OSB, SJU undergraduate Dean, stated that, "I haven't heard anything about a ceremony for December grads at SJU. December graduates, however, are invited to the May commencement" Reinhart explained that last year there was an attempt to organize aceremony for the early grads, but there wasn't enough interest to make it worthwhile. "December grads can come back in May, and they have the same rights as May graduates, in terms of tickets, etc."

Since many of the winter graduates are fifth-year seniors, questions were raised about a perceived trend toward five-year majors. Reinhart commented that, "It is virtually impossible to graduate in social science with a secondary education minor in four years, same thing with natural science. But I don't see a trend toward five-year degrees. In majors like education, nursing, and soci al science, it may seem that way," he remarked, "but we're working really hard with the chairs right now to. come up with a way to identify and solve the problems."

Bruce Dickau, Education Chair, declared that it's getting tougher to graduate in four years. "It's tight, the new core requirements will make it difficult for elementary education majors to graduate in four years." Matti Feeney, English and secondary education major, lamented that, "I planned on four years when I got here...everyone does. Eventually, it sunk in that I'd be here 4 1/2 to five years, counting student teaching. I don't know when I 'm going to graduate. Whenever I get to graduate is when I graduate."

Reinhart praised fifth-year students. "I think they are wonderful because most of them are here because they have chosen to be here or later on they decided, with a lot of soul-searching, that

Commencement

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Record picks Dukakis

By Michael A. Holscher Editor

Two men are in contention to win the United States presidential election this Tuesday when Americans step into voting booths and do their part in determining the course of this country over the next four, possibly eight, years. But one of the two is undeserving of that distinction. George Bush is that man.

Therefore, the editorial staff of The Record voted yesterday to give our wholehearted endorsement to the distinguished Governor of Massachusetts and Democratic Party nominee, Michael Dukakis.

In handing Dukakis our endorsement we express our confidence in his ability to lead this country during a period which is sure to be challenging at best, chaotic at worst. We harbor no illusions about the monumental tasks which will inevitably confront the next presi-dentof the United States: reducing thenational deficit, reducing the trade deficit, working toward arms control agreements with the Soviet Union, bringing peace to the Middle East and justice to South African blacks, and stopping the avalanche of drugs which is coming into the United States. (No, George, crime and the Pledge of Allegiance do not rank anywhere near the top.)

There can be no doubt about Dukakis' compe-

Dukakis

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