When I found out I got to write an editorial, the first thing I thought was, “What pisses me off?” Turns out, the list goes on and on, but none of the real hot-button issues (soon to be pressed and considerably cooled) made me upset or inspired enough to add […]

The University Mission Statement Task Force has recently released its third draft of a proposed mission statement for Xavier University. If the end result is to be a mission statement that may speak to Xavier’s core purpose and identity for some years to come, then the Xavier community ought to […]

We’re about to see a major change on campus — the replacement of Alter Hall, but it’s more than just an aesthetic shift we need. Alter’s traffic jams are unavoidable and it’s somewhat uninviting. The administration is already in the planning process for a new building, but based on the […]

A s a commuter student, I find myself going through a constant struggle to find good parking spots. The hunt for a close spot is even more intense with the winter season in full swing. Nobody wants to trek across campus in below freezing weather bundled up, looking less than […]

W e need to start thinking about ways to improve our collegiate educational system. Now that I’ve shocked or exasperated you, allow me to explain. Obviously, my examples do not apply to everyone. Sweeping generalizations don’t corroborate any argument effectively. Numerous students still do well, are engaged and learn sufficiently […]

Over the last month a series titled “Xavier as a Business” has been published in the Newswire. This series has taken an in-depth look into the University being run in a business-like fashion and voiced an opinion on many  topics stemming from this belief. One of the most prevalent issues […]

Dean of Students Luther Smith and Associate Provost for Student Life and Leadership  Kathleen Simons have caused quite a stir in the past few months. To begin, they caused uproar among students when they nearly  cancelled the longstanding tradition of camping out for Crosstown Shootout tickets. However, this uproar was […]

I think the recent uproar about the Crosstown Shootout, and especially the student response to the mandatory reflection sessions, is a good illustration of one of the points Donna Szostak and I have been getting at for the last few weeks. Free and open discussion should be easy to achieve […]

The administration’s reaction to the ‘brawl heard ‘round the world’ at this year’s Crosstown Shootout has been telling. Twenty ba-ga-zillion official statements, countless news stories and the absurd hour-long reflection sessions revealed that our administration seems to believe that the identity and character of this University is defined by the […]

In the past couple articles, Chris Dobbs and I explored the place of the liberal arts at Xavier University and the obstacles Xavier will have to confront in a business-oriented society. Currently, the core is under a reassessment to determine its effectiveness and it may be slashed — once again. […]