The Curse Of The Fordham Ram by John Cavaliere tated and mounted on a "handsome walnut nounced . This ghoulish adornment graced. Ram until 1930 and for this reason students The ghost of Duane's best friend stalks the shield," as the unfeeling Ram proudly an- both the front page and office wall of Ihe and administrators alike accused the Ram gohic halls of the library-The top floor of editors of strapping poor Ramses to the Hall is reputed to be haunted by an Hughes tracks. However, a series of fiendish "acci- A tree near Dealy eerie unknown specter. dents" starting in the mid 1950s made it all Hall bears an unnerving resemblance to the too clear that no mortal being was respon- crucified Christ. sible. Most Fordham students are familiar with In 1954, Ramses XVI died under mysteri- .hese supernatural aspects of the University, ous circumstances. Although foul play was but one strange, yet true tale has thus far suspected, the murderer was never found. escaped notice-the Curse of the Fordham Three years later Ramses XVII na'rowly es- caped a heinous kidnapping attempt by inept The terrible legacy began in 1927 when a Manhattan students, but did not survive a naive group of students procured a live mas- s'econd time when the luckless beast vanished cot for the University and christened him one night and was brutally slaughtered. An Ramses. Since that time every animal bearing intense investigation did not uncover the that unfortunate title has been stricken down ruthless culprits. in most unusual and sickening ways. Ramses VIII fared little better than his Ramses I himself was felled on a cloudy predecessor. In 1958, the Ram House was moonless night by a speeding passenger train. gutted by a fierce blaze that Fire Marshall His shaggy head was subsequently decapi- The late Ramses XVI—RJ.P, Continued on page S U S Postage PAID Bronx, New York Permit No. 7608 Non-Profit Org. Thursday October 14,1982 Volume 64 FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK Number 22 Mario Biaggi Awarded Fordham Modal Off Honor by Barbara Durkin "(We were in) Congress together. He was a very special." star then and he continues to be a shining star Biaggi, who has been the Bronx represen- in the Congress," commented Mayor Ed tative in Congress for 13 years, was an in- Koch in a speech last Friday night at a recep- fluential factor in helping Fordham to receive tion honoring United States Representative preliminary approval of a $6.5 million mor- " Mario Biaggi of the Bronx. Fordham Univer- tgage from the Department of Housing and sity presented Mario Biaggi., with the Urban Development to build 115 units of President's Medal of Honor at a dinner' housing for the elderly and the handicapped. following the reception. The proposed housing would be built on land "I consider Mario Biaggi one of the most behind Fordham Prep. Fordham is currently spirited public servants that I know," said negotiating with the city over the sale of that University President Rev. James Finlay, S.J. land. Finlay also commented on Biaggi's sensitivity Biaggi is "very optimistic" that the to the problems of both the young and the proposed project will become a reality. He elderly and added, "He is an effective friend said that receiving the preliminary approval of higher education. We timed (this award) was "really a coup" because there was so with Higher Education Week. It's our way of much competition for the money available in saying thanks to a man who has done excep- that program. He attributed part of the suc- Rev. James Finlav, S.J. congratulates Mario Biaggi with plaque of honor. tional service." cess to Finlay, whom he referred to as a Ot the honor bestowed on him, Biaggi "sparkplug" who is "greatly respected." said, "It's a very pretigious honor. I'm hum- In his speech honoring Biaggi, Koch also false Alarms Plague Dorm ble and, of course, grateful... especially here had a few words to say about his own recent in my home neighborhood, my district. attempt at running for governor. "If one tne alarm was ucl by Veronica Smith l° enough to hear. "The Mayor Ed Koch also added, in explanation more person," he said, "tells me that he The fire alarms in New Hall have rung five ^ Probiem may be th"! ^ sm?ke deteC, of Biaggi's effectiveness, "People like him. didn't vote for me because he wants me to times in the last two weeks, and all of the Continued on page 8 He's able; he knows what he's doing. (Fle's) stay mayor, I'll kill him." warnings have occurred after 12 a.m. The first alarm, which sounded Tuesday morning, Sept. 28, involved a small fire near the 3rd floor trash compactor. The other $1 Million Development Grant Obtained four had no probable cause. "Someone is definitely tampering with by Melissa Goodman pletely automate the bursar's office. Presen- Hall, will be expanded to house both micro- the system. Already we know of one incident At a time when the federal government is tly, the bursar's office operates manually computers and standard computer terminals. with student records stored in filing cabinets. involving a student on the second floor, who reducing educational funding, Fordham has "We will have different brands and types of set off one of the heat detectors," said been successful in securing a three year, $1 By computerizing the system, the bursar's of- computers so students will experience all of Charles McNiff, assistant director of residen- million "Title III Institution Aid Challenge fice will be, according to Marini, "efficient them," said Marini. tial life for physical plant. Grant." and effective with much less bureaucracy." Both Sexter and Marini noted that univer- "It could be a life threatening situation. The government funded only 20 percent of The renovation of the bursar's office will not sities such as Harvard and Dartmouth require Residents will ignore real alarms, by the applications received and only 45 univer- be complete until 1985, and it is hoped by every student to take computer courses. For- assuming that someone is just tampering with sities nationwide received grants. Fordham is then the whole student system will be dham's computer lab will offer a series of no the detectors," added McNiff. one of the five New York State recipients. automated by having computerized financial credit elective courses developed for students "The system has been monitored, and Sponsored by the U.S. Department of aid procedures, student records and who want to learn the basics of computer there is no indication of a malfunction," said Education, the federally funded grant has registration. operations and literacy. Sexter estimated that Mary Ellen Grable, assistant director of resi- been formulated to help universities develop Another area of development is to create a six hours of course work and another six cieiuiai life for education. new programs and approaches in the areas of prc-health program in the School of General hours of practice is enough time to acquire a "I have slept through one fire and one academics and administration. Studies. The program will cater to students basic knowledge of a computer. •alsc alarm," siad New Hall resident Oina Under the direction of the Office of interested in pursuing health related careers. Sexter said "Fordham will move in the Nespolini, FC '84. "I just couldn't hear the Research Services, Associate Academic Vice According to Sexter, Fordham will seek the same direction (as the other universities), but alarm." President for Grant Development Jay Sexter, "advice of top people in health fields" to the computer program will never upstage the pini and her roommate, Teresa; and newly appointed director of the title III develop a course curriculum. The advisory humanities." He noted that the new lab and villaniiigna, FC '84 live in one of the corner institution aid program, Jacob Marini, the committee is charged with developing curriculum will "... put Fordham more in the rooms, where there is said to be a difficulty in University will apply this grant to four areas programs to enable students to gain first forefront of computer science." hand experience in health fields by allowing "wring the bell. "I feel unsafe. I wake up at of development and improvement. The last component of the title III grant is "•e drop of a pin, but slept through the noise According to Sexter "The title HI grant is them to do research in hospital labs and to create a "technically assisted core '"' a lire alarm," said Villamagna. allowing us to do something we couldn't do medical schools, and by creating a new inter- curriculum" for the Lincoln Center Campus. wv. John Baidovm, J.J. also expressed without raising tuition again." nship program. This program will develop audio-visual "itlieulty in hearing one of the alarms. Half of the grant will be coming from the The third area to which this grant is being facilities for students and teachers to use in iukloviii lives in a corner room on the fourth federal government. Fordham must match applied is lor the development of a com- core area courses. For example, if a teacher tlooi. the government contribution with $500,(XX) prehensive computer program and u wants students to sec a play they can assign Murphy, FC '84 Residence Halls in "newly raised funds." This matching of microcomputer lab for the Rose Hill campus. the class to go to the library and watch it on lation representative lor New Hall said, funds will be achieved through donations of A computer science program will be video cassettes.