It has been almost a year since the epic Charlie Sheen interview came out where he claimed to have tiger blood and coined the term “winning.” Most thought he was crazy. I thought, “This guy is on the same wavelength as I am!”

Now you think I’m crazy. What’s new?

Winning is something that has existed long before Charlie Sheen. The winning lifestyle was a concept originally laid down by two of my best friends and me four years ago. Since we aren’t internationally recognizable celebrities, only those in our high school knew of this philosophy. However, there have been innumerable winners throughout history. They are the people that have conquered life and become outrageously successful despite all hurdles encountered.

Being a winner requires no special genetic attributes or occupations. All you need is strong conviction and devout belief in and dedication to winning, even to the point of absurdity.

Some might think that winning is the same as being optimistic. While they follow the same principle, optimism is looking at the bright side or finding the best in a situation. Winning is much more extreme. You must not only find the best in a situation but find a way to win, a way to defeat any adversity and come out on top. You must live winning, not only think it.

When you become a winner you will most likely be questioned about your awesomeness by non-winners. It is important to understand that those who are not winners are not losers necessarily. They just aren’t winners and thus, very normal. Losers do, however, exist. It is their choice to be a loser. Take Eleanor Roosevelt’s word for it, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

The most elementary method of winning is carrying yourself like a winner. Everyone knows those people that walk around like they own the world. You don’t need to know who they are or their story, but they radiate staggering positivity and power. You can have this radiance by thoroughly believing that nothing has power over you and that you can own the world.

Sometimes when a microorganism infiltrates my body and my immune system responds (most non-winners call this “being sick”), I deny being sick. Sickness implies weakness and weakness leads to loss. When I deny being sick, I take away all power from the sickness. If one’s mental and spiritual power is dominated, then that person will most likely be defeated. Believing strongly enough that you are not sick will make you feel better and defeat the disease. It also helps to know that many symptoms of sickness are signs of your immune system being a boss and defeating the invaders.

One of the most difficult concepts for non-winners to understand is my most frequently recited treatises on winning: I win even when I lose. Even the best winners are defeated sometimes. When this happens, winners take that loss and find some way to benefit from it. If you fail a test or class, you can win by knowing what not to do again. You can win by not letting anything make you feel like you’ve lost and continuously bettering yourself physically, mentally and spiritually.

I’m sure you’re asking how this all works? I don’t have a definitive answer, but I can tell you that there is a strange metaphysical connection between one’s mental state and happenings in reality. The power of thought is intangible but very real. There is the old saying, “what you think about, you bring about.” If you don’t believe that you are capable then what else do you have going for yourself? Decide how you want a situation or your life to turn out and believe that is the way it is or will be. This is how you win.

Be unconquerable, resilient and confident. Live what you want to become and believe that you are more powerful than any negative force imaginable. This is how you win.

Disclaimer: You should believe you have tiger blood, but doing the amount of drugs Charlie Sheen did does not make you a winner.

Despite the Jesuit philosophy of justice and solidarity, there are still instances of bias and prejudice that occur on campus. In response, the Rev. Robert L. Niehoff, S.J., president of JCU, sent an email out to the JCU community on Feb. 3 introducing a campaign titled “Stop Bias: Be Informed, Be Involved, Be Empowered,” whose goal is to “help us work toward the goal of eliminating hostility directed at members of our community simply for who they are.”

Niehoff has made increasing diversity a priority since his inauguration in 2005. In the email he said, “While we have increased the diversity of our student and staff populations, there is room for improvement. We need to make more progress in increasing the diversity of our faculty, for example.”

Niehoff plans to make the initiative a permanent effort, even creating a chief diversity officer position in the near future.

Bedbugs are a widespread problem on college campuses everywhere. They can spread very quickly via students traveling from one college to another.

The facilities department took action when the bedbug was found to ensure that no others were residing in Hamlin. However, bedbugs could be brought on campus at any time and easily spread throughout residence halls and other campus buildings. Both students and the facilities department should be on high alert for any possible bedbug sightings.

Though the availability of the bedbug-sniffing dog is a factor affecting the inspection time, more effort should be made to inspect the situation much sooner than a week after the first reported sighting. The sooner action is taken, the less likely it is that drastic action will have to be taken to rid the campus of a potentially widespread problem.

Last week, I had a crippling case of the rhinovirus. It seemed that my death was imminent. Fortunately, I beat the odds, kicked the cold and lived to talk about it. But it certainly got me thinking.

So, in the event that I die young, I want my wishes recorded and on public record, so that no one is confused about what to do with my corpsey remains.

First, let’s talk about my funeral. I’m a guy, so I don’t want flowers. If you really feel the need to adorn my body with foliage, then go for something more masculine than lilies and carnations – perhaps a small tree? I suppose it’s up to you once I’m gone. Just please don’t emasculate me at my own viewing. I’ll haunt you.

As for what I want to be wearing in the casket, I want to be prepared to go for a run as soon as I hit the afterlife. So don’t worry about dressing me up in a fancy suit. I think I just want to be shirtless, with my America short shorts and my Vibram Five Fingers. I hear there are some great trails in Heaven (and in the event that I don’t end up in Heaven, I’ve heard that Hell is good for heat and hill training).

I want my eulogy to be epic too. Don’t worry; I have taken care of that for you too. Please just follow the Mad Libs template below and I’ll be a happy ghost:

“Well, we all saw this one coming. That Brian Bayer was definitely a (noun). It’s just too bad he had to die (epic way in which I perish).

My favorite memory with Brian was when we (verb, past tense), and the police didn’t even catch us. That was fun.

The thing that I think people loved most about him was his knack for (pick a gerund). Nobody could do it like he could.

One time, when I sat down with him, we just talked for hours about (upper level philosophical concept applied to something very base).

And boy, was he good at (choose: running/ his career/ sex). We’ll certainly all miss that.”

That’s your start. You can fill in the rest of the eulogy for yourself. I trust you.

So after you’ve put the final nail in my coffin, I have a very specific request for my burial. For most, the decision is between cremation and burial. I don’t want either of these.

Build me a pyramid.

I’m not asking for anything crazy huge, like the pyramids of Giza. After all I haven’t done anything great like the pharaohs did to deserve their pyramids (such as being born or worshipping Cryptophus, the part-hippo, part-man, part-Bieber god of harmony and discord).

I will settle for a nice two to three-story pyramid, as long as it has at least two false chambers to trick potential grave robbers.

Instead of my personal belongings though, I just want to be entombed with one thing – a real light saber. It’s something that I will probably never be able to enjoy in life, so I would like the opportunity to play with one in death. I think that’s simple enough.

Now, every great pyramid has some type of statues in front of it, guarding the tomb. For mine, I would like two bronze statues – on the left, Harrison Ford in his “Indiana Jones” attire. And on the right, Brendan Fraser in his “The Mummy” attire. If for some reason it is impossible to find one of these statues, I suppose I can settle for a Nicolas Cage statue from “National Treasure” (but if it’s from any of his other movies, then, again, I will haunt you, because “National Treasure” was literally his only good movie).

So if you follow these instructions closely enough, I promise I will have a happy afterlife. But if you don’t, then you better call Ghostbusters, because I’m going to Paranormal Activity your poor mortal soul, and not even that tool from “Ghost Hunters” will be able to stand up to me.

No changes to the core curriculum have been approved, nor are any “slated to occur,” as your article misstates. Any change in the curriculum must be approved by a vote of the faculty.  This has not occurred, nor have any specific proposals for core change even been put before the faculty. Rather, John Carroll has been engaged in a multi-year academic planning process, led by an Academic Planning Task Force (APTF) that is examining not only the curriculum but also four other aspects of academic life: advising, interdisciplinary and new program development, faculty work, rewards and recognition and excellence in teaching.  The APTF Curriculum Working Group has indeed been examining the curriculum, including the core curriculum, but its work bears little resemblance to the ideas suggested in your article.  In particular, the notion of “interchangeable” philosophy and religion courses mentioned in your article has never been voiced by any faculty group of which we have been a part. Likewise, the APTF Curriculum group has not made any recommendations concerning FYS.

During this academic year, the APTF Curriculum group has been conducting a series of conversations with faculty in order to better understand their perceptions of what a 21st-century curriculum should accomplish, and how it can best do so. We understand that the student body may have valuable suggestions regarding our work.  Members of the APTF Steering Committee do plan to have a series of information sessions after Spring Break to inform members of the JCU campus of the APTF process and accomplishments to date.  These sessions will include students.

We welcome student engagement with academic issues, but such conversation needs to be based on a clear understanding of facts.  This article contained no information provided by anyone directly involved with the curriculum planning process, nor did either of the reporters contact the director of the Core Curriculum. The Carroll News has done a disservice to the campus community by its misreporting on this very important issue.

Sincerely,

Jeanne Colleran, dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, professor of English, and co-chair of the APTF Curriculum Working Group

Gwen Compton-Engle, director of the core curriculum, associate professor of classics, and co-chair of the APTF Curriculum Working Group

Nick Santilli, director of planning, associate professor of psychology, and co-chair of the APTF Steering Committee

Thomas Zlatoper, professor of economics and co-chair of APTF Steering Committee

Members of the APTF Curriculum Working Group:

Matt Berg, professor of history

Santa Casciani, associate professor of Italian

Kathleen Lis Dean, assistant vice president for student development and assessment in student affairs

Kathy DiFranco, University registrar

Doris Donnelly, professor of theology and religious studies

Penny Harris, professor of sociology

Graciela Lacueva, professor of physics

Beth Martin, professor of psychology

Dan Palmer, professor of computer science

Mark Storz, associate dean for graduate studies for the College of Arts and Sciences and associate professor of education

Currently, the statue of St. Ignatius stands in front of St. Francis Chapel, right in the heart of campus. The statue, given to JCU’s campus on the 35th reunion year of the class of 1962, has been a landmark since it became one of the most recognizable features of campus in 1997.

Carol Dietz, associate vice president of facilities, explained that the construction for a brick paver walkway has been in discussion amongst the Office of Alumni Relations and the facilities department for over a year.

“The St. Ignatius Plaza was identified as a good location in the fall. Berj Shakarian, one of the facilities project managers, developed the initial concept and has been working with Advancement to complete the design.”

Construction and design plans include an amount of symbolism to JCU’s and St. Ignatius’ ties to religious values. The plans consist of a staggered cross design layout symbolizing the suffering of Christ for humanity, a round table and stools for reflection and reading, three-dimensional letters at the foundation promenade depicting the Jesuits’ motto: “Ad majorem Dei gloriam” (“For the greater glory of God”) and a social area with a grouping of four benches illustrating the four vows of St. Ignatius: poverty, chastity and obedience to Christ and the pope.

To pull together the new look of the plaza, the most-discussed update is the plan for a fountain.  It is expected to consist of a sculptural trough allowing water to flow in thin sheets. This will represent the wellspring of life.

Shakarian, the project manager, has been in charge of the update.

A member of the housekeeping staff found a single bedbug in the public bathroom in the basement of Hamlin on Feb. 1. After a search of the residence hall was conducted on Feb. 8, no other bedbugs were found.

Mike Roeder, John Carroll’s manager of facilities services, said once the bedbug was found, a plan of action was developed. He said finding the bedbug in a room near the laundry room factored into their decision to inspect the entire building.

“Maybe somebody brought [their clothes] down and [the bedbug] came in their laundry basket, so I didn’t know,” Roeder said.

Director of Residence Life Lisa Brown wasn’t sure if finding only one bug was just an isolated incident.

“Given how widespread those bugs are nationally and internationally right now, we thought it would be better to err on the side of caution and check out the whole building, versus not do anything and have a larger issue on our hands,” she said.

After Roeder identified through an exterminator that the bug found was, in fact, a bedbug, Brown said both Residence Life and facilities “needed to explore the best plan of action.”

“We talked about what would be the most cost-effective and efficient way to do it, and it was determined to use the exterminator and the bedbug dog,” Roeder said.

Residents of Hamlin were informed via email and a hard letter dated Feb. 6 that a mandatory inspection would take place that Wednesday, Feb. 8. Brown said logistics caused the weeklong delay from the time the bug was found to the time residents were notified.

“We also needed to work with the availability of Nips [the bed bug sniffing dog] in order to move forward. After the inspection was scheduled, we wanted to make sure we provided residents information when staff would be available in case questions arose,” Brown said via email. “As a result, we determined it was best to notify residents when we did [and not over the weekend].”

Sophomore Deirdre Brown, who lives in Hamlin, said that, ironically, one of her friends told her not to let the bedbugs bite the night before she read the email from Residence Life.

If you aren’t, then you might want to.

Who doesn’t like “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun” (in moderation, of course)?

If you haven’t driven down Warrensville Center Road in the last week and noticed the new McDonald’s restaurant, then I’d say you haven’t been reading enough of The (award-winning) Carroll News lately. We’ve been talking about the new McDonald’s more than Ronald himself.

I highly suggest visiting, if you haven’t already. The food is good and the eating area seems pretty clean. There’s a TV in the corner, too, providing you a comfortable place to watch CNN, munch on your Filet-O-Fish and drink your Shamrock Shake.

The one thing I didn’t anticipate was getting my first encounter with University Heights’ newest dining establishment so early.

My friends and I decided to get up at 5 a.m. one morning to wait for McDonald’s to open its doors. With thoughts of warm McGriddles, McMuffins and McCafé coffee in our heads, we traversed down Warrensville in the warmest clothes we could find. The bitter cold air and wind couldn’t freeze our idea of a great way to start the morning.

With anticipation, we stood in line with about 30 other people. They, like us, couldn’t stay away from the promise of a warm McDonald’s breakfast. The line got bigger behind us as the minutes slowly crept by.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, it was 6 a.m. The doors flew open and the first 50 of us brave souls were given a prize. Who could say no to a booklet full of coupons for 52 free Big Mac sandwiches, one for each week of the year?

My hunger was vanquished as I gulped down my scrumptious McGriddle breakfast. A couple sips of orange juice and I felt satisfied.

After enjoying our breakfast, we all braced the cold wind once again as we made our way back to our residences – a successful trip, indeed. To celebrate our victorious trek, we all got a few hours of shut-eye before our first classes.

Going to fast-food restaurants is not the norm in my family, so I considered this trip kind of a treat. We appreciate taking time out of our busy lives to sit around the kitchen table and enjoy a healthy, home-cooked meal.

I’ve seen “Super Size Me” and read “Fast Food Nation,” both of which don’t exactly paint a nice picture of the fast-food industry. But, that being said, an occasional trip to your local burger joint isn’t a bad thing, in my opinion. The important thing to keep in mind is being responsible for your body. Eating every day at McDonald’s may not be the best idea in the world.

Then again, standing in the bitter cold at 5:30 in the morning waiting for free Big Mac coupons and a warm McGriddle sandwich isn’t exactly a smart decision either. But, it does make for an interesting time. My friends agree – they’ve said the same thing.

I’m sure more than a few early commuters and passengers on the RTA bus that passed by us that morning said to themselves, “Those guys are nuts.”

Yeah, I would say we were a little crazy. But nothing lost, nothing gained. I lost a few hours of sleep in my warm bed, but gained a good story … and some free Big Macs.

The second day of the conference was the day for GOP candidates. Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich each spoke, along with Fox News contributors Mike Huckabee and Ann Coulter. I even had the chance to meet up with NBC embed reporter and JCU alum Andrew Rafferty (‘09), who was at CPAC covering Santorum’s campaign. Among my other highlights from the afternoon were the “Occupy CPAC” protesters trying to make their way into the hotel (a failed attempt), and seeing Newt Gingrich’s wife Callista introduce her husband; it is widely known that Mrs. Gingrich rarely speaks in public and that her hair never, ever moves. I found the latter to be especially true.

The final day of CPAC will go down in history as the day I met Sarah Palin and showed her pictures of me dressed up as her for Halloween in 2008. Mrs. Palin was the closing speaker at the conference, and the crowd was filled with conservatives – many of them students – eagerly waiting to hear her speak. Once she began speaking, Palin was successful at rallying everyone in the audience with her comments about the Obama administration, and when the speech concluded, I thought I might be able to see her do an interview on one of the balconies, but there was no such luck. She was quickly walking around signing autographs, so I knew if I wanted to get close, I’d have to really make the effort! When I eventually made it over to her by running across the rows of chairs, I weasled my way up and shoved my iPhone in front of her, saying, “Look Sarah, it’s me dressed as you for Halloween!” I literally sounded like Randy from “A Christmas Story” when he gets to the top of the stairs and asks Santa Claus for the rifle. Luckily, she didn’t react like Santa; instead, she looked at my phone and laughed, saying, “Oh my gosh, that’s what I looked like 40 years ago!” It was a great end to the entire learning experience.

Of the four remaining candidates, former Gov. Mitt Romney sits closest to the incumbent president by posting 42 percent against Obama’s 48 percent.

Surging former Sen. Rick Santorum has an eight point differential between himself and Obama. Among registered voters, Santorum garnered 41 percent of the vote to Obama’s 49 percent.

Rather surprisingly, Rep. Ron Paul came in third, finishing with 39 percent. Obama would win 50 percent of the vote if matched against the Libertarian congressman from Texas, according to the poll.

The poll also reflected former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s fall from popularity, perhaps due to his poor performance not just in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri last week, but two weeks ago in Florida as well.

According to the poll, Gingrich could only muster 36 percent of the vote against the president if the election were to happen today. Obama would finish with 54 percent. While Romney won the Maine caucus over the weekend, it seems that Santorum has passed him in popularity among GOP primary voters.

Just a little over a month ago, Santorum had only 16 percent of support from Republican primary voters, but now has jumped 14 points to 30 percent.

On the other hand, Romney has fallen from 28 percent, a strong seven-point lead over then second place Gingrich, to three points back of Santorum, sitting at 27 percent. Paul has lost a mere three points, down to 12 from 15 percent in January.

The largest fall of all the candidates is Gingrich, who took an 11-point dip since just a month ago. Gingrich, who was the clear alternative to Romney and who some thought could actually surpass him, seems to be running out of money and it’s affecting him in the polls.

In January, 21 percent of Republican primary voters backed the former speaker, whereas now, Gingrich only has 10 percent of support from his party.

All eyes turn to Michigan on Feb. 28 to see who takes the lead on the march to Super Tuesday.

There are different types of bad decisions, too. Some are life-changing bad decisions, which substantially alter your life. Then there are the other bad decisions that make for a bad day, but don’t cause too much damage. Bad decisions are inherently not good – obviously, they’re called “bad”– but the one positive aspect is that they teach the decision-maker a lesson.

I’ve been lucky enough to not make any life-changing bad decisions yet, but I have certainly made my fair share of the lesser type of bad decisions. I don’t regret them, however, because it seems to be the only way I really learn.

Others may try to tell me that a plan will backfire, or that my decision will have negative results, or that doing it another way would work better, but I don’t always listen. Often, I think that my way will work just fine, or that I can deal with whatever could go wrong. Usually when something does go wrong it is exactly as people (like my parents) warned it would. It’s more difficult to understand their wisdom they try to impart upon me, if I don’t experience it for myself.

I’ve been reflecting on some of these bad decisions and many are now quite funny. At the time, it ruined my day but with the distance of time, I can laugh at them.

For example, in high school, it’s a tradition that the senior class takes a class picture together. The entire class is supposed to dress up for the picture and I chose my favorite crème-colored turtleneck sweater. That same day I had to be at school early for a meeting and, of course, needed coffee. My mother warned me to either leave the coffee or wear something over the sweater. I responded, “I’ll be fine.”

Surprisingly, I made it all the way to school without spilling anything on myself. However, in the middle of the meeting I spilled half of my coffee down the front of my beautiful sweater. I had to call my dad in a panic to bring me something else to wear. I should have listened to my mother. I now never drink coffee when I’m wearing white and always carry Tide to Go wherever I go.

Another time as a freshman at JCU, I was warned to not wear flip-flops because it was going to rain. I thought to myself, “Even if it does rain, I’ll be fine.” Thus, I wore the flip-flops anyway and it did rain. As I walked past the wall-length window of Einstein Bros. Bagels, despite my careful walking, I slipped and fell flat on my butt. (And since it was the middle of the day, the counter behind the wall-length window was full.) It was painful and extremely embarrassing.

Last winter, I had an internship the mornings after deadline night for The CN. On one particular Wednesday, I didn’t get out of The CN until 7 a.m. That meant I only had time to change clothes before I had to leave for work. It was also snowing that day, so when I told my mother I had no sleep, she told me to call in sick that day. I told her I couldn’t and I’d be fine. She didn’t need to worry.

Well, that was a bad decision, if I’ve ever made one. I was miserable the entire day, and felt a little sick. When I finally made it home at the end of the day, all I could think about was going to sleep. But, since it had been snowing, the driveway was covered and I couldn’t get up the driveway. I also couldn’t get down; I was stuck. In calling my parents to ask what to do, I did something I never do: cry. I was in tears for no reason – I could have avoided it all by just staying home and taking care of myself that day.

My bad decisions have made for some bad days, but from them I have learned to listen to advice when it’s given to me, learn from past experiences, and always be prepared … I’ve also learned to laugh at myself.

Moving into 2012, it was time to get serious. Just a few days into the new year, the Iowa caucus came into play.  Initially, it proved to be the closest ever, with Santorum narrowly edging out Romney in Iowa, considered more of a scrimmage for the candidates.

New Hampshire was the first big prize, with Romney winning respectably. The leading man was headed for South Carolina with another lead in the polls.  Gingrich kicked his conservative rhetoric into high gear, and took the primary for himself.

The two new rivals next battled in delegate-rich Florida.

After conducting a well-financed campaign, Romney swept the state’s primary and followed with Nevada.  This made South Carolina into nothing more than a speed bump in Romney’s quest for the nomination.

Following Nevada, Gingrich’s support appeared to be diminishing.  Romney had another primary and two caucuses approaching: Missouri, Minnesota, and Colorado.  While Romney recognized that the first one would be a stretch, the latter had granted him victory in 2008 and should do the same in 2012. This was not to be, with Santorum capturing all three. Once again, the front-runner for the nomination is in question. Facing the current situation for the Republican candidates, there are some things to be noted.

One is the present standing of Gingrich’s candidacy.  After three straight primary wins combined with two more caucus victories, the thought of him carrying the nomination is beginning to wane.

Along with the losses in the state contests, the former Speaker of the House may also be experiencing campaign financial concerns.

According to Trip Gabriel of The New York Times, Gingrich has a difficult obstacle to overcome, “Even as he sacrifices time in front of voters, his prospects of raising the cash he needs are uncertain.” He also faces the dilemma of Rick Santorum’s rise to prominence. Aside from Gingrich, Romney also faces more of a challenge now from Santorum. After three losses last week to the former Pennsylvania senator, Romney has once again found himself playing on the defensive.

Fortunately, unlike after his loss in South Carolina, Romney benefits from having more primary wins under his belt. Furthermore, the next big primary is in Michigan, on Feb. 28.

Because he was raised in the state, along with the fact that his father, George W. Romney, was both a popular businessman and governor, Michigan was intitally thought to be a cakewalk for Romney, but now it seems winning the primary will be much more difficult than expected.

Nevertheless, it can be safely assumed that Romney will not take any chances after his loss in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri.

Santorum’s candidacy is still uncertain. It is possible that his recent victories will help grant him more momentum, which can be decided over the next month, particularly on Super Tuesday. At the same time, he faces an uphill battle due to Romney’s greater strength in spending.

If this proves true, his candidacy may fade quickly and will face a similar fate that Gingrich has been dealing with.

Judging by all these factors, this nomination contest will by no means be easy.

All that can be done now is wait and see what happens, one primary at a time.

The following addendums and revisions to last week’s article are based on a meeting with Jeanne Colleran, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Gwen Compton-Engle, the director of the University core curriculum.

In 2009, Provost and Academic Vice President John Day created the Academic Planning Task Force, charged with three tasks:

1) To produce a document that articulates and confirms the academic mission of John Carroll University.

2) To create a set of academic learning outcomes that explains the academic values that students should have upon receipt of an undergraduate degree from JCU.

3) To begin the process of looking at processes.

This multiphase endeavor is still in its mid-developmental phases, and no specific changes have been decided on yet. Based on the initial report from the task force, given to Day, it was decided that working groups should be convened to address the interrelated issues around academic excellence, remaining within the scope of the University mission statement.

In the article printed last week, we failed to mention that the curriculum committee was only one of several committees established by the Academic Planning Task Force, which is in its third year with no concrete end in the near future.

The committees that are part of the task force include committees on advising, faculty workload, interdisciplinary and new program development, teaching excellence and a curriculum committee.

Furthermore, any changes that will take place will not affect students currently enrolled at JCU. Students must complete the requirements under the bulletin of the year in which they begin their undergraduate degree. Compton-Engle emphasized that no matter what changes are made, current students’ core requirements are not in flux.

It is important for the campus community to know that right now, the faculty is seeking input on what are the desired outcomes of an undergraduate or graduate education at JCU.

Although each committee has discussed curriculum changes, no final  curriculum models have been decided on or presented to Day. And according to Colleran, a report is a long way from being presented.

Once these recommendations have been assembled into a report and presented, the entire faculty will vote on the changes.

The questions the task force and committees are working to answer include queries like:

What are some foundational competencies that a JCU student should leave with? What are good modes of delivery of classes (single-taught vs. team-taught)? How are the Jesuit ideals represented in courses?

The committee is currently in the phase of their investigation where they are looking into answering these questions and others on a broad scale for each academic department. However, according to Compton-Engle, they are far from a point where they can decide on specific allocation of credits or designation of new courses.

The claim last week that certain philosophy courses might be interchangeable with religion courses was incorrect. This suggestion was brought up by a student at a Student Union meeting. It was not made by the committee, and the curriculum committee has never discussed this. Also, changes to the first-year seminar courses are not a prominent focus of the committee, as the article last week suggested.

Yet when it comes to this subject, many of our nation’s citizens find themselves unable to act on their beliefs. Why is this the case? What is it about the protester that enables such mixed feelings?

There was a time when protest was as American as apple pie, even before there was such a description as American. The Boston Tea Party was one of the biggest protests that led to the gradual beginning of the Revolutionary War. After this, we saw the reforms of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Next there was women’s suffrage and finally, civil rights. These were all movements that, in the end, led to greater changes in American society.  As a result, these are currently looked upon fairly well, even if they were unpopular at the time of action.

Of course not all American protests have been considered successful. During the first half of the 20th century, several socialist movements were put down. The army was sent in to scare out the Bonus Army marchers.  Then, of course, there is still the memory of the massive anti-Vietnam War protesters during the 1960s and 1970s.

Movements such as these failed to achieve their specific goals, but also seemed to reflect negatively on those who partook (at least to a respectable majority). Episodes like these have always seemed to cast a dark light on the American protest scene.

So here we are, and once again we find ourselves amid more protest and dissent over the streets. Today, it is not about war or civil rights. Instead, it is primarily fiscally based.  There are those on the right, forming, of all names, the tea party.  Meanwhile, the left (and to some extent moderates) have established the Occupy Wall Street movement. Once again, protest has returned to the American scene. Along with this, there are the feelings of support and apathy.

I will be the first to admit, I am not one to participate in such behavior (at least in terms of fiscal matters). To me, the tea party marchers come across as if they are in a Halloween parade, while I believe that the Occupy Wall Street protesters should maybe search for possible employment once they get their point across. That being said, these actions are the epitome of a functioning democracy.

The fact that Americans are paying attention to the relation of the economy with government is encouraging to know that they are heard. We are fortunate enough to know that, for the most part, our government and citizens can perform this in a respectable manner. Compare this to the problems that are going on in Syria and Greece.

There are, by all means, greater political duties that can be performed, such as voting. But political protest, no matter where it falls ideologically, is still healthy for the United States every now and then.

Though there are unique features on campus, current students are not aware of the significance of such landmarks and this project can change their perceptions. The addition of the walkway composed of bricks able to be purchased by students, alumni, student groups, etc. will give students a sense of belonging and legacy. It will make students feel as if they’ve contributed to something significant and lasting on campus.

The addition of the walkway and fountain will add to the attractiveness of the campus. Not only will the addition to the St. Ignatius Plaza be aesthetically pleasing, but the amount of spiritual symbolism included in the construction of the additions will add tangibility and presence to the values that give the University its identity.

Protesters in Athens, Greece damaged 153 small businesses on Sunday, and destroyed 45 of them, reported the National Confederation of Greek Commerce.

The protests were in response to the government’s attempts to identify exactly where it will make an additional €325 million in cuts from its budget.

The cuts are necessary to secure the €130 million bailout plan that will prevent Greece from defaulting.

Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the Eurogroup, which politically controls the euro, said in a press conference last week that there would be “no disbursement without implementation.”  The deal, while supported by the Greek Parliament, is still pending, because there has yet to be a specific plan put into place regarding where the spending cuts will come from.

Two government officials, speaking anonymously, told a reporter from Reuters that while there has not been a final decision, cutting the defense budget by another €125 million, in addition to the €300 million that were cut on Sunday, is being discussed.

The public’s fears over the proposed spending cuts, the €14.5 billion debt payment due on March 20, an unemployment rate hovering around 21 percent, and a shrinking GDP, culminated in a riot that ended with 67 people being arrested and 106 injured police officers.

The concern over a possible Greek default extends well beyond the country’s borders.  Twelve European countries have received a downgrade in their credit rating from Moody’s, a U.S.-based credit rating agency, including France, the U.K. and Austria, who have been changed to a negative rating.   Moody’s cites the euro area crisis as the reason for the downgrade.

To European dismay, it may actually be in Greece’s best interests to default.

Defaulting and declaring bankruptcy could actually revitalize the country.  Monday, Luc Frieden, the finance minister of Luxembourg, said in Washington, “It might be something which would allow Greece also to get a new start … to create an economy that can create jobs.”

There are fears that a Greek bankruptcy would lead them to turn away from the euro, which some do not believe the eurozone could withstand.

In June, President Obama said that a Greek default would be disastrous.

This statement was predicated on the fact that Europe would spiral out of control if Greece defaulted. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble responded to the claim with, “we are better prepared than we were two years ago.”

The United States is not immune to the economic woes of the euro. The Dow Jones dropped 19 points at noon Tuesday, followed by Bank of America’s 2.4 percent drop shortly after. The Standard and Poor’s 500 and the Nasdaq also fell.

The next meeting for the Eurogroup was scheduled for Wednesday, but was called off by Junker.

Junker said that the group had still not received all of the information that was necessary from the government of Greece on how it plans to save the 325 million pounds.

The group leaders will instead teleconference on Wednesday, with the hope of meeting on Monday and making a final decision on the bailout plan.

Last Wednesday, Feb. 8, Cimperman came to JCU to discuss the issues that are currently affecting Cleveland’s urban and suburban communities.

His visit was part of an Arrupe project for seniors Deni Klein, Michelle Spangler, and Jeff and John Hatgas.

In their sophomore and junior years, they put together mini-immersion experiences to the city of Cleveland to work with the homeless. During these, they met Cimperman.

“He’s so charismatic that [we thought] he would be perfect to speak,” said Spangler.

His main focus was poverty and homelessness, which is impacting an increasing number of people locally and nationally.

“He did a wonderful job of encompassing that [poverty and homelessness] in his speech,” said Spangler.

Cimperman is currently the chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee for the city of Cleveland and works with other developmental programs for the economy and public works.

“The city of Cleveland is facing some pretty serious issues right now,” said Cimperman.

Cleveland has ranked in the top five poorest cities in the nation for several years now. This is a problem that must be addressed, said Cimperman.

He defined three specific types of poverty that the city is experiencing, and they are all interrelated: economic, spiritual and civic poverty.

As he explained, when an area suffers economically, then their spiritual poverty also goes down. He described this as the “sin of despair,” meaning that those people who are in serious financial trouble also tend to lose hope of recovery.

This leads to civic poverty – people’s lack of enthusiasm in their community. “[This is] the most devastating cancer Cleveland has ever experienced,” he said.

The problem doesn’t stop at the East Cleveland border, he said – poverty is spreading. The proof is evident when comparing the neighboring communities of Lyndhurst and Hough.

According to Cimperman, because of diet and smoking problems, people in Hough have a shorter life expectancy by 24 years.

However, the outlook isn’t completely bleak. The key, he said, is giving the impoverished people of the city a chance to regain their confidence.

Local farmers markets have been a huge asset to the economic enrichment that Cimperman said will be the redemption of Cleveland.

Currently, Cleveland has more farmers markets than it ever has before. However, these initiatives only go so far.

“This is why we need more Jesuit-educated people in politics,” he said. “We have to lead by example … People respond to being loved, to being treated like human beings.”

Because of the Ignatian values, Cimperman feels that JCU students are the best-equipped people to promote change in this impoverished social and economic climate.

Ultimately, the biggest elements of change are race, class and educational status, according to Cimperman.

He encouraged JCU students to take action and work to create change in their community, emphasizing the importance of building urban farmers markets, changing diets, getting citizens healthier, stopping smoking and improving education.

He urged, “Please stay engaged in your community.”

Freshman Nicole Shellenbarger said, “I took a lot away from it. I found it impactful because he graduated from John Carroll and is doing great things with his education.”

Students interested in working with Cimperman towards a healthier and more enriched city can contact him at or visit healthycleveland.com.

So what is all this dissension over between the Catholic Church and defenders of the Obama administration’s federal health insurance mandate that includes birth control coverage?

It’s simple logic really.

Because every United States citizen will be required by law to purchase health insurance from a private provider, citizens will have to indirectly pay for birth control for others.

Now, if the Catholic faith condemns artificial birth control, would forcing Catholics to buy into a system that funds others for that very product which their religion specifically tells them not to support be illegal? Doesn’t that make them do something that is against their religion?

Simple logic says yes.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” should be ringing in your ears.

It reminds me of the largely unpopular breach of civil rights in France nearly two years ago with President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ban on Muslim women’s wearing of veils in public places, even though their religion mandated them to do so, for the sake of national security.

Could you imagine the uproar if this happened here? Sure you would have some conservatives claiming it’s for security purposes, and then some liberals saying it’s facist.

We are known as the land of the free because we allow people to practice their religions. Yes, people are prejudiced, but at least the Constitution is on the side of the victim.

This mandate is a clear violation of the Bill of Rights. There is no going around it.

I’m not arguing about the mandate being a violation of states’ rights or it being a growth of the federal government.

I am simply saying it is a violation of religious freedom to force someone to pay for birth control if their religion condemns it.

It calls into question the worth of the Constitution as the governing document of the U.S.

The argument is not whether you are for or against the use of birth control, but the forcing of someone to do something against their religion.

There are some truly good things about the mandate that could fix some very significant problems in the country.

Even having birth control covered by the provider would be beneficial to some. Almost 40 percent of all births in the U.S. are out of wedlock.

However it’s simple logic to see that the mandate forces people to go against their religion and help pay for something that they are religiously obliged not to partake in.

All this does is set a new standard of what it means to have “freedom of religion.”

We’ve always been a country that has supported the separation of church and state. Whether you’re liberal or conservative, Jewish or Muslim, or even Catholic, it is clear to see the logic in this argument.

In early February, the relationship between the two countries hit a new low as Egypt issued a travel ban on workers from the pro-democracy groups and moved to file criminal charges against 19 American citizens and two dozen other employees involved with these non-governmental organizations. 

Out of the 19 Americans, only six still remain in Cairo including Sam LaHood, son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and Egypt’s director for the International Republican Institute, one of the organizations in question.

According to The New York Times, charges brought against the NGOs include “operating without licenses, conducting research to send to the United States and supporting Egyptian candidates and parties to serve foreign interests.” The State Department and the Obama administration have been troubled by the charges, especially after an Egyptian delegation scheduled to meet with lawmakers in Washington last week unexpectedly cancelled their trip.

“We are deeply concerned by these reports and are seeking clarification from the government of Egypt,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Since the resignation of Egypt’s former President Hosni Mubarak, U.S.-Egyptian relations have been steadily declining.

Mubarak was arguably one of the most important allies to the United States in the region because he kept the peace with Israel, cracked down on Muslim extremists, and negotiated peace talks in the Middle East.

As a result, the United States provided Egypt with almost $2 billion in annual military and economical aid. Since the assault on the pro-democracy groups, Washington has threatened to cut of the annual aid package which could cripple Egypt’s struggling economy. “The harassment of Americans who are in Egypt trying to help build their democracy is unacceptable,” said Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), chairwoman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.

In response, Egypt has shown no signs of backing down. “Those groups are unregistered and from the view of the judiciary they were breaking the laws of Egypt. This is a total judicial issue. We cannot exercise influence on the judges,” said Mohammed Amr, Egypt’s foreign minister.

The International Republican Institute asserted in a statement that the prosecution of its employees is politically charged.

In order to help resolve the issue, The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, travelled to meet Egypt’s military rulers. This past weekend, Dempsey met with Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, and his counter part, Lt. General Sami Enan. The U.S Department of Defense website asserted that the generals discussed issues such as the NGO problem and future military cooperation.

Dempsey told The American Forces Press Service during the flight back that the United States wants to stay engaged with Egypt, “not to influence or shape, but simply be there as a partner to help them understand their new responsibilities.”

“I think they are eager to have that kind of partnership with us,” he added, “but we have to get beyond this NGO issue.”

Experts have asserted that the crackdown on these groups is an attempt to reinforce the Egyptian generals claims that protests against their rule are stirred up by foreigners.