The Griffin: volume 65, issue 08 - Nov. 4, 1994

              According to Rissmeyer,"The initial task was to clean up and ready the theater for the performance of The Philadelphia Story" which opened yesterday. The long-range view of this project will eventually include a As a result of recent planning and renovations, the 1908 Main Building has emerged from the dust and ashes of its past to assume a new and increasingly important role in the Canisius community. Although these changes will not be totally completed until next semester, they represent a step toward autonomy for Little Theatre. Jenna Klas, president of Little Theatre, describes this step as a movement which will allow theater-goers to begin enjoying the theater experience "the moment that they walk in complete overhaul of the 1908 theater facility, including a new system of lighting, a new sound system, and a new interior decoration scheme. the door." The changes that have occurred in the 1908 Building have also had far-reaching effects for the Canisius Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. As the sole and original occupant of 1908 since it was purchased in 1988, the ROTC program has experienced a reorganization of its classroom and office spaces as a result of this movement to increase space utilization. ROTC's office space has been slightly diminished by the addition of a handicapped access Modern day students rehearse Little Theatre's fall production, The Philadelphia Story, in the 1908 Building's theater. phoiobyjOEUEHO/NACKi Academic standards for admission raised by Rebecca Puchalskl Griffin News Reporter Canisius students victimized in Halloween attack on Blaine Incident is 'isolated,' police believe O'Connor and Harder were approaching their parked car when the attack occurred. O'Connor was punched in the face and the rear right window of his car was smashed. Harder was also hit and was knocked to the ground, and was later forced to enter Sisters Hospital for tests and treatment. He was released Wednesday morning. "We were just defending by Charity Vogel Griffin News Editor "We were just defendingourselves...it happened so fast." -Paul C. O'Connor '95 Captain Kevin Comerford of the Buffalo Police Department's sixth precinct believes that the attack is not related to other recent incidents involving Canisius students. "To the best of our knowledge this is an isolated incident," Comerford said. According to Comerford, there has been no overall increase in attacks on students in the area. "We're going to monitor the situation," he continued. At the present time police department detectives are investigating the attacks. Two Canisius students received an unpleasant trick on Halloween evening, as they were jumped by a band of teenage assailants on Blaine Avenue. The attack, which occurred at about 6 p.m., sent junior Steven Harder to Sisters Hospital with a concussion and also injured senior Paul C. O'Connor. The two students were on their way to Koessler Athletic Center when they were assailed by approximately 12 males between the ages of eight and 16. The attackers have not been identified.Canisius Public Safety offi- ourselves...it happened so fast," O'Connor said. According to O'Connor, the males asked for Halloween candy and when refused, jumped on the two students. He believes that the attackers were "high school or grade school kids in the area out trick-or-treating...just looking for trouble." The Public Safety Department is taking measures to prevent further incidents of this nature on campus. Barker plans to modify officers' starting times and reorganize scheduling in the department in order to provide better coverage for the College. His goal for the department is to achieve "more balanced numbers of Public Safety personnel" on campus. Barker noted that a similar attack occurred last Friday on Jefferson Ave. at about 4 p.m. when a Canisius student was jumped by a group of local high school students. The Friday incident was "a group of students starting an unprovoked fight with another student," Barker said. According to John F. Barker, director of Public Safety, the attack is similar to other recent incidents around campus, but is not related. "I wouldn't say that it's a trend," Barker said. "[I think] it's more related to the activity of the Halloween evening." cials arrived at the crime scene in response to reports of the attack. An ambulance and the Buffalo Police also responded immediately. Some concern may arise over a smaller freshman class and therefore higher tuition costs for all students. In order to discourage that effect, much effort is being put into retention. The College recently instituted the Office of Student Retention under the direction of Thomas R. Hersey as a measure to insure high rates of student retention. A higher percentage of students staying in school and graduating alleviates these concerns and also promotes the College's standing. Students that are not accepted are counseled to an interim step, such as a two-year private college or a community college from which they may transfer after establishing themselves as college students. Penelope Lips, director of admissions, points out that, The fortunate thing about higher education in this country is that there are many choices." The Presidential Scholarship, which awards full tuition, requires a high school GPA of 95 and an SAT of 1200 (or an ACT of 30). The Dean's/ Alumni Scholarships and Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarships award $2,500-$8,600 and require a GPA of90-95% and an SAT score of 1000 (or ACT score of 25). The scholarships are advertised in thousands of high schools in the region. In order to reach these goals, the College has been using programs specifically designed to attract top students. High school students are invited to participate in a summer honors program just before their senior year. Dr. Robert Butler, director of the All-College Honors Program and professor of English, travels to various high schools in Western New York to speak about the honors program. A series of scholarships also "help the better student be able to come to Canisius," Connell said. In an effort to build upon the academic quality of Canisius, admission standards are beingraised for the College. The changes include no longer accepting students who graduate in the fifth quintile of their senior class and bringing up the mean SAT score for acceptance to over 1000. The process of raising the admission standards will be gradual since it is only possible to choose students from those who apply. In addition, professional schools and graduate schools are extremely conscious of the academic quality of colleges from which they accept students. "We think that a larger number of good students brings up everybody's performance; they tend to move up to the majority," said Dr. Joan Connell, vice president for Academic Affairs. Cheating- What me Worry? (see page 2) What's your sexual problem? (see page 6) Crabbies are victorious! (see page 11) VOLUME LXV, NUMBER 8 The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph perform their annual recital on the original stage of the 1908 Building. Archives File Photo The Griffin Serving the Canisius Community Since 1933 1908 Building given a new lease on life FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1994 by Kevin M. Jones Griffin Asst. News Editor ramp which was necessary to bring the building up to code. Furthermore, the traditional first-floor classroom known as the "War Room" will be converted to accommodate Rev. Michael Tunney.S.J.'s new Studio and Art Class. According to Lt. Col. Stephen Doherty, chair of military science, "Our new classroom space [on the second floor] is not as large as before but it will suit our needs." In a cooperative effort, ROTC The revitalization of the 1908 Building will ultimately have a far-reaching impact for both students and administrators. As Doherty states, "This is a magnificent building that, once the College begins to move into and access more, will represent itself well for the College." has also entered into an arrangement with the Center for Entrepeneurship for using the new ROTC classroom space on the second floor. The most significant and visible changes that have occurred in the past year within the 1908 Building have dealt directly with a student organization, Little Theatre. Renovations to the theater facility in the 1908 Building under the direction of Patricia Rissmeyer, dean of students, are well underway. Little Theatre will have the opportunity for the first time in its history to present a production outside of the makeshift confines of the Student Center Auditorium.