Interview with First Female Dean

FREEDOM & FAIRNESS San Francisco VOL. 100 ISSUE ONE September 11, 2003 Dalai Lama Visits USF The Ticket State Dept. Distribution Caps Dalai Lama's Debacle Class JESSICA ROBLES VRINDA NORMAND Staffwriter Staffwriter Ticket availability and media With a radiant smile the Dalai Lama access were extremely limited for the bowed repeatedly, palms pressed together, Dalai Lama's visit to USF. in a humble gesture of respect to the There were 1,800 tickets avail thousands of people who had come to able for a morning prayer service in hear him speak. St. Ignatius Church and 4,500 for a His Holiness had attracted so large a teaching led by the Dalai Lama in crowd that the University could not War Memorial Gym, according to accommodate all the ticket-holders who an email from Gary McDonald, stood in line outside War Memorial Gym director of media relations. for his teaching Friday afternoon. "The largest percentages went Gary McDonald, director of Media to students," McDonald said. "There Relations, said officers from the U.S. were allocations for faculty, staff, State Department ordered the doors of alumni, USF neighbors and mem gym closed at approximately 2 p.m., even bers of the Tibetan community." though there were still seats available Tickets were not made available to inside. the general public. "The University went to great The demand for tickets has lengths to make sure the right amount of been so high that one event, a pri tickets were distributed, and we took vate meeting for the Dalai Lama and measures to protect against counterfeit- members of the Tibetan community, BRADLEY KELLOGG/FOGHORN ting," McDonald said. He said the was moved from the McLaren (From left to right) Charles M. Geschke, chairman ofthe USF Board ofTrustees, the Tibetan translator for His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and Rev. University protested the closure, but the Center to the church to accommo Stephen A. Privett, S.J., USF president at the prayer service in St. Ignatius Church. State Department's decision was final. date a larger audience. USF security officer Kenneth Young Tickets were distributed on a said the US State special agents deter first-come-first-serve basis. Long mined that letting more people in the lines of people stood to pick up tick gym would present safety hazards due to ets at the gym as early as 8:30 a.m. Interfaith Service Moved Audience to Tears overcrowding. Leftover tickets on the last day of There were 4800 ticket-holders for distribution ran out in less than two CHRISTY TENNERY ture before the award ceremony/prayer the teaching, and although it is unclear hours. Staffwriter service and subsequent teaching in the how many were turned away, the line of In addition to the USF commu gym. people waiting to get in wrapped around nity and guests, about 70 major Presenters fought back tears, litur More than 25 liturgical represen Golden Gate Ave. and Masonic St., broadcast, radio and print media gical leaders dabbed their eyes and tatives of different faiths attended the stretching to Fulton St. reporters were on campus, including audience members openly wept as His service where USF President Stephen The overflow of people was rerouted Public Broadcasting Service, the Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama entered A. Privett, SJ. said, "By conferring this to Presentation Theater, and once that Associated Press, and Newsweek. St. Ignatius Church Friday morning. degree upon the Dalai Lama, the venue was filled at 3 p.m., organizers Media was also given press passes At the center of this landmark University celebrates and honors the scrambled to open St. Ignatius Church first-come-first serve, said Robert affair, the 68-year-old self-described example and inspiration he has given us where audience members watched the Hood, media relations specialist. "simple monk from Tibet" remained by his tireless efforts to promote a bet Dalai Lama speak on a big screen. Press was limited due to space con serene, with a small, impish smile, bow ter world through human understand Sharon Malachowski was one of the straints, but everyone was accom ing repeatedly in acknowledgement of ing and universal compassion." people who didn't get into the gym. She modated for at least one of the those who honored him. The community joined to sing and her daughter, media studies senior events. "It's been a logistical night The University awarded the Dalai "Joyful, Joyful" and recite the Prayer of Katrina, watched the teaching from mare, but it's very exciting," Hood Lama the honorary degree of Doctor of St. Francis before the Dalai Lama was Presentation Theater. The Malachowskis said. Humane Letters before an audience of awarded his degree. Five USF students missed a close relative's funeral that day to The U.S. State Department, the almost 2,000 people. The Dalai Lama's recited excerpts from an assortment of attend the event. City of San Francisco, The visit, arranged by Assistant Professor of sacred texts including Islamic, Jewish, "I was somewhat disappointed," California Highway Patrol and cam Law Tom Nazario, was the culmination Christian, Hindu and Buddhist tradi Malachowski said, "but I came mostly to pus police provided security. "Their of a series of events beginning with the tions, as well as writings from the Dalai hear what he had to say, and I got to do presence [was] very visible," visit of his brother and sister-in-law Lama himself. that." She said the quality of the audio McDonald said. "Everyone entering last semester. Nazario, an assistant professor of and video in the theater was good, and the events... [passed] through a Since then, the University has law, cried as he presented the honorary the view of the Dalai Lama may have security screening by the U.S. State worked hard to prepare for the event, degree to the Dalai Lama. Still snif RYAN KITSON/FOGHORN been better than many had inside the Department, and no backpacks including scheduling various talks, fling, he spoke of the Tibetan leader's Rev. Stephen A. Privett, SJ., USF president, and His Holiness gym. [were] allowed." exhibits and fairs so that students could "ceaseless efforts to free his own people the Dalai Lama greet hundreds of audience members who Inside the gym the space was crowd experience a little of the Tibetan cul PRAYER: PAGE 3 attended the teaching at the War Memorial Gymnasium. ed, but undergraduate student Jacob Cabrera saw at least seven seats around him that were never occupied. He had been saving two seats for his friends and wondered why they weren't allowed into the gym to fill them. After ushers and security guards hus Interview with First Female Dean tled people in, the event began with a performance of traditional Tibetan dance VICTORIA LEON GUERRERO experience, a growing experience. LEON GUERRERO (LG): What do values? Or do you mean improving the edu and music by the Chaksampa Tibetan Staffwriter Turpin's first job at the University in you bring to this job as a woman? cation at USF? Dance and Opera Company, who formed T: I mean both of those things. It is the in 1989 in response to the Chinese gov Sitting on a white sofa in her new 1991 was assistant TURPIN (T): I case that Georgetown [University] is ernment's suppression of Tibetan art. office with the words "Happiness," professor of sociolo bring knowledge of ranked higher academically than USF—so is During a short break before the "Wisdom" and "Kindness" framed on a win- gy. A year later she women's experiences Boston College, so is Fordham University— Dalai Lama's appearance, many audience dowsill behind her, Jennifer Turpin spoke of started the women's and I think that's but I absolutely believe that we can improve members hurried to the front row to get her recent promotion to dean ofthe College studies program, and important because our academic ranking and that we could be autographs and photographs of Pierce of Arts and Sciences. in 1995 she became over 70 percent of our the department student body are the most prestigious Jesuit University. What Brosnan, a famous Hollywood actor who Turpin began her academic career in we have, they don't have: they don't have also came to hear His Holiness. her home state at the University of Texas at chairwoman. She women and a large San Francisco, they don't have our cultural Senior Anil Margsahayam, the mas Austin. She studied psychology as an left the sociology percentage of the fac resources, they don't have our leadership, ter of ceremonies at the event, calmed the undergraduate but said she fell in love with department in 1998 ulty are women. I'm a and became the mother; I have two our president, our trustees ... we've been crowd with of a reading of the Dalai sociology in her senior year and decided to undervaluing ourselves and underselling associate dean for young children and so Lama's history, reminding them of the stay at UT, Austin and get her Masters and ourselves. I don't think that you separate the the arts, humanities I think in a way I can significance of His Holiness's visit to Ph.D. in the field. mission from the academic excellence; in USF. Turpin, one of five children in a poor and social sciences. both understand what fact, they are a part ofthe whole. When the Dalai Lama finally walked family of mixed Native American and In May, after former it's like to be a parent, LG: How long will it take for this to on stage, the audience gave him a stand Norwegian descent, said she worked her Dean Stanley Nel and I can play a sup VICTORIA LEON GUERRERO/FOGHORN happen? ing ovation.

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