This week's stories:
In Our
Opinion Gothard Lane wants to get the right people in the right spots. A letter from the vice president and director of athletics informing Bonnies basketball season-ticket holders of a change in procedure for handicap parking quickly got around campus. It left students and faculty wondering if the proposed fee is right, ethical and most importantly, legal. Lane claims the fee has nothing to do with money and inspiration for the new plan comes from keeping those who arenıt really handicapped out of the spots. It all comes down to a dollar figure though. The cost of a handicap parking pass for season ticket holders: $100 - if the plan lasts. So far, attorneys okayed the fee. It works for a good cause. Fans who simply wanted to park closer borrowed handicap passes and faked the need for the spot too many times last year. Only a car with a St. Bonaventure-issued handicap pass can park in those spots this year. Now the only way to get a pass: Fork over a Benjamin. Lane and his department are still thinking of alternatives to this plan, and it is doubtful the $100 pass will last. There is already mention of a checkpoint system in the works. With this plan, security guards will have a list of all those who have proven they require handicap parking and permit only those on the list through to the 11 designated spots. Cost to handicapped ticket holders: $0. This system works. Lane has been called un-Franciscan for his proposed plan. While it may be expensive and shocking, it aims to do the right thing. The most important thing is getting those in need, close to the building. The athletics department will find it hard to keep parking cheaters away while tending to the wallets of those who truly need the spots. The situation is tricky, but thankfully the current plan is under repairs. The department must decide if keeping cheaters out of the spots is more important than angering the handicapped fans. Happy Bonnies ticketholders: Priceless.
In Your
Opinion To the Editor:
President George H. Bush is a recovering alcoholic. The source of this declaration is Mr. Bush himself, who stated that at age 40 he decided to stop drinking because he believed he had become addicted to alcohol. Recall that Mr. Bush had confessed during the campaign that he had been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Maine. This psychotherapist asserts that a recovering alcoholic should not govern a nation. Recovering alcoholics even though they are sober continue to be dominated by fears, anxieties and guilt provoked by the previuos activities. Sober alcoholics avoid challenges and responsibilities. Note that Mr. Bush covertly avoids live, nationally televised press conferences where he would be interrogated regarding his non-Christian obsession to employ violence against Iraq. Mr. Bush has the Press Secretary speak for him and his fatherís surrogates, Nixon apostles, make policy. This Third Order Franciscan believes that only the ³violence² of prayer should be used to bring peace and convert hearts of tyrants. The most effective and powerful prayer is the fifteen decade Rosary. Pray the holy Rosary daily.
Sincerely,
Joseph Vallely
In Our Opinion Poor student attendence hurts message No wonder the administration took away our day off. The university supplied a variety of ways to pay respects to St. Francis this year, but the celebration of the life and death of our patron saint went unnoticed by students. University Ministries sponsored a trip to Canticle Farms and captivating reinactment of St. Francisı death known as The Transitus. CBS television producer Gerald Straub showed his films on Franciscan instututions across the country. Three students went to Canticle Farms. Three students attended the films. The reoccurring problem of the same students showing up to all the events plagued St. Francis week. Students should have attended at least one of these events, but it is not only their fault. They could have been advertised better. The e-mail notice board has proven many times in the past, especially with the vandalism forum, that it remains unnoticed. The posters, while informative, went up too late for students to plan ahead for the events. The combination of lack of interest and poor promotion led to the skimpy student attendence. The new academic excellence program will award points to students who attend academically sponsored events. Officials should consider events like those held during St. Francis week the same. Our academic progress defines the university, but so does our Franciscan heritage. The Transitus is just as important to our name as a journalism lecture. A university that holds the values of St. Francis as high as St. Bonaventure University does, should not suffer such a lack of participation in this celebration. The entire St. Bonaventure community needs to rethink how to reapair this damage before next year. The day off wasnıt the solution. Neither was the day on. It took a combined effort from students and university officials to blow this one. Letıs hope next year it doesnıt happen again.
In Your Opinion Student responds to soldierıs blind patriotism, lack of research To the Editor:
As I was reading the letter reprinted in The Bona Venture from The (Olean) Times Herald from 1st Lt. Mark Frank, I was astounded to find out that St. Bonaventure University educated a man who could write a sprawling essay of patriotic garbage and not bother to research it. Lt. Frank pointed out that the Taliban or the "evil regime" was to blame for all of Afghanistanıs problems. Now I in no way support the atrocities of the Taliban. A list of their crimes against humanity could stretch on far beyond the space the Bona Venture would be willing to grant me. But let's be realistic, the U.S. Government and its armed forces are as much at fault as the Taliban. This can be traced back to the U.S.S.R.'s invasion of Afghanistan in December of 1979. The invasion was in response to the overthrow of the puppet regime the Soviets had established in the country. The Afghans refer to it as the April revolution. For six months prior to the revolution President Jimmy Carter gave the directive that the U.S. would use the C.I.A. to establish espionage-training camps for the "Mujahadeen." Such notable figures like Osama Bin Laden received training in these camps. Along with the camps the revolutionaries were provided with state of the art weaponry like the "Stinger" surface to air missile. If you remember the early days of Operation: Enduring Freedom there was still concern that the Taliban may have maintained these missiles and would now turn them against the American forces. You may think that the U.S. was justified in helping these people in the fight for democracy. But the idea that the U.S. was helping the Afghans out of brotherhood is preposterous. These actions were in retaliation for Soviet support of North Vietnam during that conflict. The U.S. could have cared less about the indigenous fighters; the obvious goal of the mission was to have the U.S.S.R. stuck in their own Vietnam. In fact National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski wrote to President Carter on the day of the Soviet invasion "We now have the opportunity of giving to the U.S.S.R. its Vietnam war." The C.I.A. helped to fuel the bloody conflict that lasted for ten years. And when it was over and the Soviets were chased out of the country U.S interest stopped and we left them to fight a civil war with the weapons we had provided. A civil war, which led to the rise of the Taliban Now when you see the suffering Afghans think about who did what first.
Thanks,
Adam Bednar, junior
The greatest Bona adventure ever By Torre Catalano Opinion
The rain came down hard that first hour while Aranka Fabian set up the twisting maze of cables and chords which gave power to their incendiary sound. The band, which originated in Cleveland but operates mostly out of SBU with members Chris Brodhead, bass; Jason Stupp, guitar; and E.J. Ulery, drums; was to play there that afternoon. Chrisı brother, Craig, plays lead guitar and still attends high school in Ohio. The group of 17 Bonaıs students, who drove four hours to watch, waited anxiously to hear their friends light up the Bucknell Frat Row. They took turns pushing off the pools of water which had collected on the tent. The day was uncomfortable. The rain that slapped around the makeshift tent the first hour now pounded it ruthlessly, causing people to scatter from the dripping holes like ants from spit. Though it rained, it was hot. The rain was hot, the air was hot, the people were hot. It was tricky to figure where the sweat ended and the rain began. Still, Bonnies waited to support their rock and roll band. They made it fun. The Bucknell students, clad mostly in khakis and collared shirts, watched as St. Bonaventure discovered bamboo. What was used to make structure-bearing poles and other such useful things started to take on a whole new form in the hands of St. Bonaventure. Like a Discovery Channel camera crew, Bucknell students watched from a safe distance as the Bonnies ripped the bamboo out of the ground and turned it into pogo sticks, javelins, and ninja weapons. Between songs they played limbo. During the intermission they tried to see how many Bonnies could sit on a single stick before it broke. They had a blast. Bucknell students came and went from under the tent, most of them dripping wet from the walk to the beer pong table and back. Bona students were dry as a bone. The group mingled, but stayed close under the tent, rarely missing a beat. Two girls from St. Bonaventure danced for the full four-hour show, wearing their Aranka Fabian shirts with pride. A group of Bucknell girls stood giggling and whispering about their apparel. It had no effect on their fun. Aranka finished their last song, illuminated by nothing more than a single painterıs light hanging from a tree. The crowd had reduced to mostly St. Bonaventure students and though the long day gave way to the docile night, the mob cried for one more song. The cheers no longer cut through the thick, sticky humidity, but rose through the air in floating puffs. It was now cold, but SBU wanted more. The musicians were just as tired as the fans. They whipped the sweat from their brows, warmed their hands and with a synchronized nod, broke in to their final jam. As if they were fresh off the bus the fans pulled out their best dance moves. The passion to which they supported their rock band didnıt reveal that they had been doing this for four hours. A few commented that they had not eaten all day. A girl noted she hadnıt slept in two days, being up the majority of the previous night watching Aranka play the Hickey Tavern. It didnıt matter. The fatigue lost to the music. Aranka Fabian played their last note of the day with the same fervor as their first. The crowd paid their cheers and eventually dispersed – all except the St. Bonaventure students. The concert had ended but the night had just begun. The Bonnies who braved the last eight hours of rain on the road and at the show were ready to take SBU on a tour of the Bucknell party scene. The terrain was unfamiliar. Many said they had no idea where they were, but were happy to just be with each other. The mix of students was interesting. They all knew each other but that night they were best friends. The notion of who belonged to what clique never entered the picture. The group stayed close and figured whatever was out in that night would be less terrifying if they moved as a pack. A few ventured out from the backyard that had been their camp the whole day. They were in search of some sort of food to bring back to the tribe. After a right, a quick left and a long straight away, there it was. That classic neon sign called to them like an oasis: Pizza. They got a large pie. The hunters brought the food back to their tribe, holding the cardboard trophy high above their heads like the rack of a prize buck. They feasted. After dinner, the Bonnies continued their bamboo exploring. The new wave of energy, thanks to the food, brought on the urge to move camp. They all wanted to see what the few had witnessed. They wondered who and what lie beyond the the cage-like mess of bamboo. They could hear the other tribes partying in the distance. They wanted to join. The hunters led the group on the same path they had taken before. On the way, they picked up an ally. The Bucknell studentıs short skirt and attire clashed with the hooded sweatshirts and ripped jeans of the Bonaventure clan. One could tell she was not of this tribe. She took them to a white house. The Victorian mansion towered stories above any SBU party house. The white picket fence confused them. Still they made their way in, leaving no Bonnie behind. The 30 or so Bucknell students watched with open mouths as the clan filed in. The Bonaventure clan brought a certain warmth in with them. They didnıt care who lived there or what they dressed like. They wanted to share a good time with all in the house. The feeling was not mutual. The owner of the house instructed the Bonnies to get in the basement or get out. They did, and for that moment, Mad Dogs reopened. There was not one Bucknell face to be found in the dusty basement. The walls resembled something out of a Vietnam War movie. One student commented that it felt as if they were ³prisoners of war in a Hanoi hell pit.² It didnıt matter. They made the dirty pit into the most happening bar at Bucknell University. They had a blast. Moving to the next party was not as easy. The night grew older and the faces on the porches grew colder. Bucknell was not happy to see the wandering tribe march by. They didnıt want the foreingers. Finding a place to sleep would be tricky. Like beggars from a childıs fairy tale, door after door turned down the dirty and tired mob. It seemed like the backyard where they started their day would be their only refuge. A few Bonnies salvaged blankets from their car. They huddled close to one another trying to share body heat. The stage which put Aranka Fabian on their pedestal hours before was now their bed. Passersby could call the sight pathetic. Bonaventure could have been a platoon campsite or Native American village, but it looked more like a hobo community. Droves of students passed and giggled, but none offered a couch or rug. Police passed and looked the other way. The students that couldnıt bare the cold slept in their cars. Morning. The Bonaventure bodies scattered the backyard like so many cups, bottles, and cans. Any St. Bonaventure student who approached the sight would have cried a single tear for their kin like the famous Indian in the commercial. Dirty, cold and malnurished, the clan picked themselves up. Some woke early and returned with Gatorade for those crying out in thirst. The St. Bonaventure students proved a loyalty that would make any band want them as fans. The story of the Bucknell adventure had never been public until this day. The alumni of this enlightening excursion walk unknown amongst the SBU community. Wonder who they are? When Aranka Fabian becomes a famous rock band, look in the front row.
Bonnies athletics are on a roll
Way to go Bonas! St. Bonaventure University is graduates athletes at the fifth highest rate in Division I. According to the NCAA, 87 percent of Bonaventure athletes graduate. The ranking comes at a time when the athletics department is in a golden age. The menıs tennis team is one of the top in the region. Baseball and swimming are Atlantic 10 powerhouses. The menıs soccer team recently received a national ranking and the womenıs team busted out of the gate with a 6-1 record. In addition, the basketball teams experienced a rebirth in the last five years. This ranking gives validation to a university that is committed to developing tomorrow's leaders in an environment shaped by Franciscan values, according to its web site. The University is producing well-rounded individuals who are outperforming their athletic contemporaries on the sports field and in the classroom. St. Bonaventure has created an ideal environment for the serious student-athlete. Small class sizes allow students easy access to professors, while the schoolıs membership in the Atlantic-10 provides upper-echelon athletics. St. Bonaventure athletes deserve a pat on the back. They come to school with the mentality that theyıll be trading their brown and gold uniforms for a business suit in four years. With this in mind, they have chosen academics as their first priority. Even J.R. Bremer, who now plays basketball professionally for the Boston Celtics, received his diploma from the university last May. This ranking should help athletic funding immensely. Itıs much easier for boosters to part with their money knowing that they are funding an athleteıs education, not four years of hangovers. The ranking is very prestigious, but, there is a disclaimer. St. Bonaventure is a basketball school. Other schools ranked with Bonaventure are football schools. Rice University led Division I with a 91 percent graduation rate. Rice fields a football team. Collegiate football teams field well over 40 players. Bonaventure gloats about graduating 87 percent of a 12-man basketball team. Rice is graduating over 90 percent of a huge football squad. But, the school deserves to be proud that 87 percent of its athletes are utilizing their athletic grant-in-aid money for a good education. St. Bonaventure is an illustration for everything thatıs right in collegiate athletics.
The school helps pay for the college education of its athletes and in return
these team members represent Bonaıs on the field, in the classroom, and in
the world.
Send questions and comments to The Bona Venture. |