Mirror - Vol. 08, No. 03 - May 03, 1984

              'The Image
of
Fairfield"
[FAIRFIELD 9 \\ MIRROR] Nonprofit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 32
Fairfield, Conn.
Volume 8, No. 3 Thursday, May 3, 1984 Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut 06430 Incorporated 1977
Dean Accepts Post
Weber Relocates to St. Cloud
by Chris Tyler
Dr. Stephen L. Weber, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed vice presi-dent
of academic affairs at St. Cloud State University. Dean Weber's appointment is effective as
of July 1, 1984.
Dr. Weber stressed that his departure from Fairfield University was by no means due to dissatis-faction
with the University. "I have enjoyed working with the students here. Fairfield is lucky to have
the talented, gifted students it does. The quality of the students has steadily improved from a strong
base. I am very pleased with the interest in new programs as well as support for the old ones. I have
also appreciated the advice and counsel of the Arts and Sciences Student Advisory Committee,"
commented Dean Weber.
Dean Weber came to Fairfield University in 1979. At that time he told the Search Committee that
he felt a five year term of office would be most beneficial all around. Dr. Weber reasoned that after
five years a certain degree of comfort with the existing system would set in. "When that happens
it's time to let someone with new ideas for improvement come in," said Dean Weber.
Dr. Weber said that he was looking forward to the new challenges that his position will offer him.
"As a dean you deal with a certain number of disciplines. As vice' president of academic affairs there
are new responsibilies—involvement with a greater number of colleges and a whole new range of
disciplines," said Dr. Weber.
According to Dean Weber, Kurt Schlichting, an Assistant Professor in the College of Arts and
Sciences, will be named as the acting Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Said Dr. Weber,
"I am very pleased with that decision. He should do very well. It was an excellent choice."
Dean Weber said that there were many considerations regarding his decision to go to St. Cloud
University. He stressed that he was interested in becoming involved again in the public sector. [St.
Cloud State University is a public college.] Dr. Weber noted that the state of Minnesota has a histo-ry
of strong support for higher education. Dean Weber said that among other things, the size of
the job ahead of him was very appealing.
Dr. Weber said that he has been quite happy in his five year tenure at Fairfield University and
is quite pleased with the quality of the faculty at Fairfield. Said Dr. Weber, "Fairfield has a highly
talented faculty that is genuinely dedicated to teaching and to the growth and development of the
students. They've been gracious in welcoming my wife and I into the community and supporting
us while here. We will miss working with them."
While at Fairfield University Dean Weber has had many achievements. There has been a marked
increase in the number of students applying to the College of Arts and Sciences. A new communi-cations
minor was added and a new honors program was initiated.
Dr. Weber came to Fairfield University from the University of Maine at Orono. He served as as-sistant
to the president and was an associate professor of philosophy.
Dean Web«r said that Fairfield University has been a good experience for him. He remarked, "In
summary I jve enjoyed my five years here. It has provided an occasion for us to grow and learn.
For this we .^re very grateful."
Dean Weber has recently accepted the position of vice-president at St. Cloud University in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. [Photo by Gerry McPartland]
College Presents Awards
by Christine Ryan
A special Oak Room occurred Wednesday
night, April 25 as the College of Arts and
Sciences held its annual awards ceremony be-fore
a select group of students, guests, and
faculty.
The invitation-only banquet was hosted by Dr.
Petry Discusses Nicaraguan Experiences
by Denise Murphy
"My views on Nicaragua, my country, the
process of history and myself have been
changed forever," stated Professor Walter Petry
with great enthusiasm commenting on his four
month sabatical leave spent in Nicaragua. Spon-sored
by the Latin-American Caribbean Studies
Program, the event held on April 26 at 7:00 p.m.
attracted a crowd which filled the Nursing Audito-rium.
The historian delivered a lecture on his per-ception
of the situation in this Third World nation,
which was preceeded by a documentary filmed
just a year ago by several American journalists
who had travelled through this strife-ridden
country.
"The people of Nicaragua are in the process
of discovering their history for the first time," be-gan
Petry. Knowledge of heroes like Augusto Sa-zar
Sandino and their fight against foreign
military control was suppressed in the past. To-day,
the names of men such as these are drilled
into Nicaraguan students. Petry also remarked
that such phrases as "yankee imperilism" and
"capitalist intervention" used by the members of
Frente Sandinists de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN)
interviewed in the file are adequate labels for the
factors which prevent there people from deter-mining
for themselves the form of government
which best suits their resources.
"Every American president since Teddy
Roosevelt has intervened exceptions," Petry
voiced. He chose words of William Walker, a
filibuster invited to Nicaragua in 1856 by conser-vative,
to explain the aim of all American inteven-tions
since this time. Walker, upon entering
declared himself president of Nicaragua and
reinstituted slavery claiming that such a system
would be "reliable for tropical productions." Petry
stated, "Walker also called those of mixed Indi-an
and Hispanic blood—those beautiful people
you saw in this film—the 'bane of the country.'
Such statements and. actions encapsulate the
condescending racist standpoint American of
policy even today."
"In Petry's opinion, "Reagan's foreign policy
is failing. It is a disaster in the first degree. He
is alienating an entire generation of Latin Ameri-cans
who see Americans fighting to protect the
oligarchy of the past." He clarified, however, that
he did not see such policy as being confined to
either Democrats or Republicans, but a result of
the establishment's need to control the raw
materials of this area.
Petry again drew from the past to demonstrate
the ruthlessness of American intervention which
continues today. In 1937, the Nazis burned Guer-nica,
a small town symbolic of the Basque peo-ple
of Spain. "What people don't know," he
continued, "is that we beat the Nazis by ten
Continued on page 2
Stephen Weber, Dean of the College, and was
attended by President Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J.,
Distinguished Guest Willard Wallace of Wes-leyan,
award winners and members of the De-an's
List.
Opening and congratulatory speeches were
given by both Dean Weber and President Kelley,
before Dr. Wallace delivered his address. Father
Kelley cited thr tremendous sacrifices made by
the achievers, and commended them on their
scholastic merit.
Dr. Wallace, historian and author of such books
as Appeal to Arms and Traitorous Hero discussed
goal-setting and the challenges that an academe
life can bring to a scholar. His remarks, spotted
with quotes from Lewis Carroll and others, were
well received by the attractive audience.
Rounds of applause were then offered to the
scholatic achievers and to the faculty members
present.
The presentation of awards followed, with the
respective members of the faculty giving short
explanations of the selection process and eligi-bility
requirements of each aware.
Most of the awards were presented to gradu-ating
students, but many of the recipients were
underclassmen. Some of the awards were ac-companied
by cash bonuses, while others were
accompanied by gfts such as books and maps.
The History Department Special Service Award
was presented to both Thomas Barnds and Lee
Penyak, because of the difficulty of selecting one
winner. Most of the faculty presenters expressed
Continued on page 2
Regan Chosen Teacher Of The Year
Itopia entertained
wood weekend.
the May Day Festival crowd with their reggae-style music over the Dog-
(Photo by Gerry McPartland]
by Thomas P. Moore
Alpha Sigma Nu tabulated the results of the
teacher of the year nominations and named
Professor Thomas J. Regan S.J. for the 83-84
term. The instructor of philosophy recently com-pleted
the requirements leading to his receiving
a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Fordham University.
The professor of four years is leaving the univer-sity
to pursue further studies at the Weston
School of Theology in Boston. Well known on
campus for his tutoring in Philosophy and gener-al
counseling abilities, he served as a House-master
on the floors of Regis IV for two years and
on Loyola III for one year.
The Boston College graduate of the class of
76, joined the Society of Jesus after he finished
his studies, attaining a double degree in Histo-ry
and Philosophy. As a Novictiate member of the
Society he served such diverse duties as
Chaplain at Massachusetts General Hospital, a
student abroad in India, social worker in Cam-bridge
Mass., and teacher at Boston College
High School.
The Boston native then enrolled in the Ford-ham
Graduate school to study Philosophy to
receive his doctorate. Enrolled in a four year pro-gram
at the Graduate School, Regan moved from
the Jesuit House at Fordham University into Bel-larmine
Hall when it still was used to house
Jesuits, before St. Ignatious was used as the
Jesuit Residence.
After his first year at Fairfield, during which he
was still commuting to New York twice a week
for classes, Regan moved to Regis IV where he
served as Housemaster for two years. After liv-ing
in Regis for that period of time, he moved
across the quad to Loyola III, serving as the only
housemaster in that dormitory.
The next step in the Jesuit's career entails four
Continued on page 2
SEE SPECIAL GRADUATION ISSUE INSIDE