Xavier University Exhibit All Xavier Student Newspapers Xavier Student Newspapers 2010-10-06 Xavier University Newswire Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) Follow this and additional works at: https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/student_newspaper Recommended Citation Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio), "Xavier University Newswire" (2010). All Xavier Student Newspapers. 601. https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/student_newspaper/601 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Xavier Student Newspapers at Exhibit. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Xavier Student Newspapers by an authorized administrator of Exhibit. For more information, please contact [email protected]. October 6, 2010 XAVIER NEWSWIRE Volume XCVI Published since 1915 by the students of Xavier University Issue 8 Sports, pg 9 Feature, pg 12 Xavier’s Xoo I only had a couple... ALWAYS ONLINE: Assistant men’s soccer coach Kris John Schroeck investigates the physical and xavier.edu/ Bertsch has injected new energy into financial risks students take when driving the Xavier Soccer Complex. drunk. newswire inside @ Mortenson speaks Comm. arts legal battle about public service nearing end with trial BY DOUG TIFFT had enough evidence to over- ginalize and discriminate against Editor-in-Chief come the tenure of both of the women in communication arts,” After nearly three years of suits professors and terminate their and accusing Fortin of blaming and counter-suits, the case involv- contracts. Finch and Michels for the entire ing two former communication “There is at least some evi- department’s issues. arts professors—Drs. Miriam dence which would support a Roughly a month later, a Finch and Tara Michels—suing finding that [Finch and Michels’] five-member Faculty Hearing the University for more than $20 conduct was not the true reason Committee unanimously rec- million is set to begin proceedings for their termination,” Beckworth ommended Finch and Michels’ for a formal trial this week. wrote. “For instance, the fact that dismissal. The case will go to a pre-trial none of the members of [Xavier’s] “There is, in the Department conference at 2:30 p.m. today at Faculty Hearing Committee could of Communication Arts, a culture the United States District Court pinpoint a specific incident in of acrimony, disrespect, hostil- for the Southern Division of which [Finch and Michels] were ity, but also deception and lack Newswire photo by Scott Holzman Ohio in the Potter Stewart U.S. guilty of gross dereliction of duty of collegiality created and sus- Greg Mortenson spoke at Cintas Center on Wednesday, Sept. 29. Courthouse on East Fifth Street, suggests that the committee’s as- tained by Tara’s and Miriam’s pat- BY KRISTINE REILLY Vowing to repay the villagers with the trial scheduled to begin sessment of their conduct was tern of behavior: excuses, denial Staff Writer for their generosity, Mortenson at 1 p.m. on Oct. 19 before Judge highly subjective.” and incivility over the course of On Wednesday, Sept. 29, Greg promised he would come back Sandra S. Beckworth and a nine- The decision also denied Finch several years,” Fortin said at the Mortenson, 2010 Nobel Peace and build the town a much-need- member jury. and Michels’ attempt for summa- Committee hearing. “This is a se- Prize contender and author of ed school. The trial became necessary af- ry judgment—a decision based on rious cause [for termination].” the bestselling novel “Three Cups With a bit of fundraising ter Beckworth issued a 28-page statements and documents, with- Both professors were given of Tea: One Man’s Mission to luck and sheer determination, ruling on Feb. 10, denying the out a trial—on the University’s one-year terminal contracts after Promote Peace, One School at Mortenson has more than fulfilled University’s attempt to dismiss countersuit. the Committee hearings, and dis- a Time,” addressed a sold-out his promise by building more than charges of age and gender dis- The University’s suit against the missed at the end of the 2008-09 crowd of 4,500 people at Cintas 145 schools for the Pakistani and crimination, retaliation, breach of professors alleged that Finch and academic year. Center. Afghan children, especially girls. contract and violations of Equal Michels broke the principles in Before the hearings, Finch Both Xavier students and the In 10 years, the number of Pay Act. the faculty handbook, abused the and Michels had filed formal dis- general public heard Mortenson children attending school in Beckworth’s decision hinted civil processes of Ohio and made crimination complaints with the speak on his school-building ef- Afghanistan has increased from that the University may not have false allegations of discrimina- University in February of 2007. forts in the remote and impov- 800,000 children—mostly boys— ©2010 tion against former communica- Soon after, Fortin set up an erished areas of Pakistan and to 9 million children, including 2.8 THE XAVIER NEWSWIRE tion arts chair Dr. Indira de Silva, ad hoc committee to investi- Afghanistan. million girls. All rights reserved Xavier’s Academic Vice President gate the department, which had An amateur mountaineer, The program, “A Cup of Tea and Provost Dr. Roger Fortin and been noted for dysfunction since Mortenson failed to climb K2, the with Greg Mortenson: Peace Dean of the College of Arts and 2002—particularly when de Silva world’s second highest mountain, through Education,” was spon- Sciences Dr. Janice Walker. arrived in 2004 from a tenured in Pakistan in 1993. Lost in the sored by Xavier’s Dorothy Day Advertising (513) 745-3561 Finch and Michels first filed position at Mt. Union College in rugged and harsh environment, Center for Faith and Justice along Circulation (513) 745-3130 a suit against the University on Alliance, Ohio, and assumed the Editor-in-Chief (513) 745-3607 Dec. 3, 2007, alleging that de Silva Mortenson stumbled into a small with the Human Foundation Continued on page 2 Pakistani village whose inhabitants www.xavier.edu/newswire carried out “a campaign to mar- nursed him back to health. Continued on page 2 Four freshmen join SGA Raising expectations Low turnout mires freshmen senate elections BY LIZZIE GLASER Campus News Editor After less than two months of acquainting themselves with the University, four first-year stu- dents—Elizabeth Bousson, Ricky Narsinghani, DeAngelo Rankin and E.J. Swisshelm—were elect- ed to the Xavier Student Senate Thursday, Sept. 30. Eight first-year students ran in the election, in which 525 students voted—down from 649 last year. In order to vote, students had to log on to the Portal, click on the Student Services tab and cast a vote for four people. Newswire photo by Jade Sanders Ballots were cast on Sept. 29 Freshmen Elizabeth Bousson and Ricky Narsinghani are two of the four new and 30, with voting ending at 4 Student Government Association senators. p.m. on Sept. 30. to run for Senate had to attend a The candidates had to also say Newswire photo by Andrew Matsushita The four students who received Senate meeting and collect at least why they were running for Senate Senior point guard Special Jennings and the Xavier women’s basketball the most votes were elected to the 100 signatures of Xavier students and what made them qualified team began practice at 1 p.m. Monday in Cintas Center. A year after Senate. affirming the eligibility of the for this position. Their written re- falling two points short of the Final Four, the Musketeers have been ranked in the top five in many preseason polls. First-year students who wished candidate. Continued on page 4 FIAT JUSTITIA, RUAT COELUM 2 October 6, 2010 News XAVIER NEWSWIRE Comm. arts legal battle Communication Arts Trial nearing end with trial Continued from page 1 that Finch and Michels acted in- TIMELINE chairmanship of the department, appropriately and disrespectfully Spring Semester, 2007 a role Finch and Michels claim he toward him. Dr. Roger Fortin, academic vice presi- gained without the consultation “[They] keep laughing at me dent and provost, formed an ad hoc com- of department faculty. and constantly passing notes to mittee to investigate the communication The ad hoc committee wrote each other,” de Silva wrote in an arts department. Dr. Ali Malekzedeh, dean an email to Fortin on Nov. 6, email to Fortin and Walker after of the Williams College of Business, Dr. Nov. 6, 2007 Malekzedeh, Sheerer and Pearce wrote in a letter 2007—nearly two months before an Aug. 27, 2007, departmental Carol Scheerer, chair of the Department Finch and Michels filed the ini- meeting. “I was shaking and if of Occupational Therapy, and Dr. Debra to Fortin that an investigation into the communica- tial suit—citing Finch, Michels Pearce, chair of the Department of tion arts department found dysfunction dating back I had a way to feed my family I Biological Sciences at Northern Kentucky to 2002, much of it stemming from Finch, Michels and Michels’ husband, Dr. Randy would have walked away from this University were on the committee. and Michels’ husband, Dr. Randy Patnode. The Patnode, for creating a “divisive job this morning.” letter recommended firing Finch and Michels, and and distrustful” environment in Finch and Michels deny the Nov. 17, 2007 suspending Patnode for 60 days. the department. claims, saying in the 2007 lawsuit Fortin suspended Finch and Michels’ The letter recommended dis- that de Silva “marginalized and promotion process and “wrote to Finch and missing Finch and Michels, and discriminated against [Finch and Michels that he was asking the University placing Patnode on a 60-day Michels] by changing their teach- Hearing Committee to dismiss them from Dec. 3, 2007 suspension.