Page 1 |
Previous | 1 of 20 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
|
This page
All
|
The FairfieldMIRROR Volume 17, No. 11 Thursday, December 10, 1992 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Faculty Butts Heads With Administration Stag-her Debate Still Raises Concerns Debra De Shong News Editor After what can only be described as a tense and emo-tional meeting, the University Council has reluctantly agreed to instruct the Community Life Committee to review the current policies and procedures concern-ing sexual assault and harrasment and to consider the possibility of hiring of an outside consultant to examine this issue at Fairfield. This stems from a proposal put forth by the faculty that urges the President of the University, Fr. Kelley, to hire an outside source in the near future. The proposal, which was passed by the Aca-demic Council on Monday, was presented to the University Coun-cil, where it was stopped dead in its tracks. What ensued was a heated and often personal de-bate. Dr. Lucy Katz, a mem-ber ofthe economics department, addressed the council saying that this proposal comes out of a se-mester in which several situations of assault and rape have been brought to the attention of the fac-ulty. Katz feels that whatever is being done to address sexual as-sault on campus, is not adequate. "Whatever is being done just isn't doing it." She requested that an outsider be hired to take a fresh look at the situation. Dr. Vincent Rosivach, an-other representative of the faculty who addressed the Committee said, "If we get someone in here who is an expert to look at our policies and procedures, if there is smoke and no fire, than everyone will have confidence in these policies." Assistant dean of univer-sity activities, Jim Fitzpatrick and Vice president of Student Services, William Shimpf, vehemently op-posed the obtainment of an out-side source, claiming that the sources already in place were well equipped to handle the type of inquiry described by the faculty. Fitzpatrick called the proposal a "drastic proposal" and chastised the faculty for "omitting steps in their research of the issue." Both claimed that procedures already installed are adequate to deal with the situation. Shimpf said that to bring in an outside source would bring with it "the notion that the com-munity itself cannot deal with the problem." After almost two hours of bickering about procedure, pa-tients began to wear thin and Katz said, "Wake up. We should not be arguing about procedures. Women are being assaulted and writing procedures can't do it." Student Fiona Edwards said, "The only thing stopping us from getting the outside source is pride, and suck it up. We have to deal with this." She feels the con-flict concerning the proposal is a question of what are the needs of (continued on p.4) Forum Exposes Censorship Debra De Shong Oc£**=»nanrf lrnCr\u; r\ar\ fammniicp-^ usan News Editor As the sign facing North Benson Road says, Fairfield is fulfilling "The Jesuit Ideal." But if someone were to ask you what it is, would you be able to an-swer?, This ambiguous concept may not be obvious to students, but it is definitely shaping the atmosphere in which they live and work. It is this ideal that many cite in deciding what students hear, see and know on campus. In a public forum called "Censorship on Campus" spon-sored by the Politics Honor Soci-ety on Monday, it was revealed that Peer Counselors have been instructed that when conducting seminars on AIDS awareness, they cannot mention that condoms are a form of prevention. Echoing the sentiments of the Catholic Church, they must say that abstinence is the only form of prevention. Last year, during AIDS awareness week, pamphlets on condoms were confiscated and the counselors were told that vis-iting lecturers from Bridgeport could not mention condoms. No source could be pin-pointed with the responsibility of handing down the decision and director Barry Vesiglio was un-available to comment. Bookstore manager Douglas Brouder says that no one has ever expressly told him not to (continued on p. 4) Debra De Shong News Editor Although a weak com-promise has been made, it is obvi-ous that the question of the renamiatng of the Stag Her Inn is still generating debate among stu-dents and faculty alike. At the forum sponsored by the Politics Honor Society on Monday, titled "Censorship on Campus," the open discussion among students quickly turned into a debate over the name of the Stag Her. Senior Ann Black ques-tioned the FUSA Senate's blan-ket statements that "the students" were in opposition to renaming the snack bar. "Who decided that the Senate would take that posi-tion. Was there some kind of vote?" she asked. Black's con-cern was for the many students who are not in agreement with the Senate's vehement opposition to changing the name. She ques-tioned whether or not the fact that students might want the name to be change was taken into consid-eration. The sentiment expressed in the discussion did not echo that put forth by the FUSA Senate: that the name change being (continued on p. 3) This Christmas, Celebrate the Birthday of... Mithra?? Claire St. Louis Editor-in-Chief Forthoseofyou who think Christians invented Christmas, think again. In fact, most Chris-tian traditions and practices spawned from pagan Greek tradi-tions, among others. Forexample, take Decem-ber 25th, the date we observe as the birthday ofChrist. Early Chris-tians didn't even consider this date at first. They had narrowed down their choice to two days, either March 25 or January 6. March 25 falls on the vernal equinox and signifies springtime, a time of re-newal. January 6 celebrates the feast of the Epiphany, the visita-tion of the Christ Child by the three Magi. Perhaps the first Christians shied away from December 25 because it already marked the birth-day of another cult figure. Mithra was the date's original birthday boy, according to Dr. Ronald Davidson, professor of Religious Studies at Fairfield. "One of the most impor-tant traditions to impact Christian-ity is the Mithraic," says Davidson. "The first mention of Mithra was around the twelfth century B.C." Obviously, this Mithra character predates the emergence of Jesus onto the cult scene. But the two figures have several strik-ing similarities. For starters, Mithra is also regarded as a savior. "Mithra interceded be-tween the Supreme Being and man on behalfofman," Davidson states. "At some point, in Roman times, around the third century A.D., Mithra was identified with Sol Invinctus, or the 'Invincible Sun,' his Roman cohort." The Mithraic tradition did not arbitrarily choose Decem-ber 25 as the birthdate of its cul-ture hero. The day signifies the return of the sun, of light. And "The evergreen represents the return of the sun, which makes the tree grow, and also eternal life," Davidson explains. "Mithra would sprout from the evergreen tree." Even the stories about the Wise Men, the three Magi who visited the infant Jesus with gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense and who are celebrated in Chris-tianity on January 6, descended from this tradition. After all, says Davidson, the Magi were priests of the cult of Mithra. That's why offerings are made to the Christ-mas evergreen tree on his birth-day and why we put gifts under our own Christmas trees. The gifts of the Magi to the savior of the world are incorporated into the cult. The Mithraic cult was popular among the Roman mili-tary and, because ofChristianity' s similarity to the Mithraic tradi-tions, it was easy to make the changeover to the newer religion. Both belief systems have similar ideologies, such as the idea of a soul and the savior as a divine man. The cult was not too popu-lar with the Church, however. "The Mithraic cult was so threatening to the early Church that two of the early Church fa-thers, Justin MartyrandTertullian, termed it and the Greek cults as 'diabolical imitations of Chris-tianity,'" says Davidson. However, this fear of Mithra's devilish influences did not stop the Christian Church from adopting December 25 as the birthdate of its own culture hero. So as you offer up your gifts to the evergreen tree this Christmas, remember that it's Mithra's birthday, too. Visiting Prof Discusses Yugoslavia page 4 *£}o> 't freak Yow Engage-ments page 5 Student Groups Propose New TH Policy page 13 Jew Films Heat up Winter page 15 Stags Snatch Tourney Title page 20
Object Description
Title | Mirror - Vol. 17, No. 11 - December 10, 1992 |
Date | December 10 1992 |
Description | The Mirror (sometimes called the Fairfield Mirror) is the official student newspaper of Fairfield University, and is published weekly during the academic year (September - May). It runs from 1977 - the present; current issues are available online. |
Notes | A timeline for Fairfield University student newspapers is as follows: The Tentative, Nov. 7, 1947 - Dec. 19, 1947; The Fulcrum, Jan. 9, 1948 - May 20, 1949; The Stag, Sept. 23, 1949 - May 6, 1970; The University Voice, Oct. 1, 1970 - May 11, 1977; The Fairfield Free Press & Review, Sept. 10, 1970 - Apr. 24, 1975; The Fairfield Mirror, Sept. 22, 1977 - present. |
Type of Document | Newspaper |
Original Format | Newsprint; color; ill.; 11.5 x 17 in. |
Digital Specifications | These images exist as archived TIFFs, JPEGs and one or more PDF versions for general use. Digitized by Creekside Digital through the LYRASIS group. |
Publisher | Fairfield University |
Place of Publication | Fairfield, Conn. |
Source | Fairfield University Archives and Special Collections |
Copyright Information | Fairfield University reserves all rights to this resource which is provided here for educational and/or non-commercial purposes only. |
Identifier | MIR19921210 |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
SearchData | The FairfieldMIRROR Volume 17, No. 11 Thursday, December 10, 1992 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Faculty Butts Heads With Administration Stag-her Debate Still Raises Concerns Debra De Shong News Editor After what can only be described as a tense and emo-tional meeting, the University Council has reluctantly agreed to instruct the Community Life Committee to review the current policies and procedures concern-ing sexual assault and harrasment and to consider the possibility of hiring of an outside consultant to examine this issue at Fairfield. This stems from a proposal put forth by the faculty that urges the President of the University, Fr. Kelley, to hire an outside source in the near future. The proposal, which was passed by the Aca-demic Council on Monday, was presented to the University Coun-cil, where it was stopped dead in its tracks. What ensued was a heated and often personal de-bate. Dr. Lucy Katz, a mem-ber ofthe economics department, addressed the council saying that this proposal comes out of a se-mester in which several situations of assault and rape have been brought to the attention of the fac-ulty. Katz feels that whatever is being done to address sexual as-sault on campus, is not adequate. "Whatever is being done just isn't doing it." She requested that an outsider be hired to take a fresh look at the situation. Dr. Vincent Rosivach, an-other representative of the faculty who addressed the Committee said, "If we get someone in here who is an expert to look at our policies and procedures, if there is smoke and no fire, than everyone will have confidence in these policies." Assistant dean of univer-sity activities, Jim Fitzpatrick and Vice president of Student Services, William Shimpf, vehemently op-posed the obtainment of an out-side source, claiming that the sources already in place were well equipped to handle the type of inquiry described by the faculty. Fitzpatrick called the proposal a "drastic proposal" and chastised the faculty for "omitting steps in their research of the issue." Both claimed that procedures already installed are adequate to deal with the situation. Shimpf said that to bring in an outside source would bring with it "the notion that the com-munity itself cannot deal with the problem." After almost two hours of bickering about procedure, pa-tients began to wear thin and Katz said, "Wake up. We should not be arguing about procedures. Women are being assaulted and writing procedures can't do it." Student Fiona Edwards said, "The only thing stopping us from getting the outside source is pride, and suck it up. We have to deal with this." She feels the con-flict concerning the proposal is a question of what are the needs of (continued on p.4) Forum Exposes Censorship Debra De Shong Oc£**=»nanrf lrnCr\u; r\ar\ fammniicp-^ usan News Editor As the sign facing North Benson Road says, Fairfield is fulfilling "The Jesuit Ideal." But if someone were to ask you what it is, would you be able to an-swer?, This ambiguous concept may not be obvious to students, but it is definitely shaping the atmosphere in which they live and work. It is this ideal that many cite in deciding what students hear, see and know on campus. In a public forum called "Censorship on Campus" spon-sored by the Politics Honor Soci-ety on Monday, it was revealed that Peer Counselors have been instructed that when conducting seminars on AIDS awareness, they cannot mention that condoms are a form of prevention. Echoing the sentiments of the Catholic Church, they must say that abstinence is the only form of prevention. Last year, during AIDS awareness week, pamphlets on condoms were confiscated and the counselors were told that vis-iting lecturers from Bridgeport could not mention condoms. No source could be pin-pointed with the responsibility of handing down the decision and director Barry Vesiglio was un-available to comment. Bookstore manager Douglas Brouder says that no one has ever expressly told him not to (continued on p. 4) Debra De Shong News Editor Although a weak com-promise has been made, it is obvi-ous that the question of the renamiatng of the Stag Her Inn is still generating debate among stu-dents and faculty alike. At the forum sponsored by the Politics Honor Society on Monday, titled "Censorship on Campus," the open discussion among students quickly turned into a debate over the name of the Stag Her. Senior Ann Black ques-tioned the FUSA Senate's blan-ket statements that "the students" were in opposition to renaming the snack bar. "Who decided that the Senate would take that posi-tion. Was there some kind of vote?" she asked. Black's con-cern was for the many students who are not in agreement with the Senate's vehement opposition to changing the name. She ques-tioned whether or not the fact that students might want the name to be change was taken into consid-eration. The sentiment expressed in the discussion did not echo that put forth by the FUSA Senate: that the name change being (continued on p. 3) This Christmas, Celebrate the Birthday of... Mithra?? Claire St. Louis Editor-in-Chief Forthoseofyou who think Christians invented Christmas, think again. In fact, most Chris-tian traditions and practices spawned from pagan Greek tradi-tions, among others. Forexample, take Decem-ber 25th, the date we observe as the birthday ofChrist. Early Chris-tians didn't even consider this date at first. They had narrowed down their choice to two days, either March 25 or January 6. March 25 falls on the vernal equinox and signifies springtime, a time of re-newal. January 6 celebrates the feast of the Epiphany, the visita-tion of the Christ Child by the three Magi. Perhaps the first Christians shied away from December 25 because it already marked the birth-day of another cult figure. Mithra was the date's original birthday boy, according to Dr. Ronald Davidson, professor of Religious Studies at Fairfield. "One of the most impor-tant traditions to impact Christian-ity is the Mithraic," says Davidson. "The first mention of Mithra was around the twelfth century B.C." Obviously, this Mithra character predates the emergence of Jesus onto the cult scene. But the two figures have several strik-ing similarities. For starters, Mithra is also regarded as a savior. "Mithra interceded be-tween the Supreme Being and man on behalfofman," Davidson states. "At some point, in Roman times, around the third century A.D., Mithra was identified with Sol Invinctus, or the 'Invincible Sun,' his Roman cohort." The Mithraic tradition did not arbitrarily choose Decem-ber 25 as the birthdate of its cul-ture hero. The day signifies the return of the sun, of light. And "The evergreen represents the return of the sun, which makes the tree grow, and also eternal life," Davidson explains. "Mithra would sprout from the evergreen tree." Even the stories about the Wise Men, the three Magi who visited the infant Jesus with gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense and who are celebrated in Chris-tianity on January 6, descended from this tradition. After all, says Davidson, the Magi were priests of the cult of Mithra. That's why offerings are made to the Christ-mas evergreen tree on his birth-day and why we put gifts under our own Christmas trees. The gifts of the Magi to the savior of the world are incorporated into the cult. The Mithraic cult was popular among the Roman mili-tary and, because ofChristianity' s similarity to the Mithraic tradi-tions, it was easy to make the changeover to the newer religion. Both belief systems have similar ideologies, such as the idea of a soul and the savior as a divine man. The cult was not too popu-lar with the Church, however. "The Mithraic cult was so threatening to the early Church that two of the early Church fa-thers, Justin MartyrandTertullian, termed it and the Greek cults as 'diabolical imitations of Chris-tianity,'" says Davidson. However, this fear of Mithra's devilish influences did not stop the Christian Church from adopting December 25 as the birthdate of its own culture hero. So as you offer up your gifts to the evergreen tree this Christmas, remember that it's Mithra's birthday, too. Visiting Prof Discusses Yugoslavia page 4 *£}o> 't freak Yow Engage-ments page 5 Student Groups Propose New TH Policy page 13 Jew Films Heat up Winter page 15 Stags Snatch Tourney Title page 20 |