Robberies Increasing In City by Mar>ellen Gordon robbery patterns and trends, undertake sur- electronic stakeouts and 19 mounted police Recently released police department statis- veillance of potential victims and suspects in tics indicate robberies are at a record level in officers who will patrol shopping areas. crime-prone areas, and work with detectives New York City. Although the figure released by the Police and officers in the precincts and other units. Department represented a 21.8 percent in- A new 120-man anti-robbery unit and a The other police personnel will be drawn crease from the preceding year's total rob- redeployment of 2400 uniformed officers to from the boroughs' special uniformed task beries in New York City, the largest percent- high crime areas will be formed in order to forces, neighborhood stabilization units, the age increase in robberies occurred in The combat the increases, Police Commissioner citywide and precinct plainclothes anticrime Bronx, where statistics showed an increase of Robert J. McGuireannounced. units, the tactical patrol force and the depart- 29.2 percent. According to an article in The New York ment's senior-citizen robbery units. The two precincts which surround Ford- Times (March 5, 1981), McGuire said the new The program, which will be permanently ham University, the 48th on the southeast robbery division would be composed of ex- established April 1, will focus on both street border and the 52nd, which encompasses the perienced, handpicked detectives to gather robberies and those in stores and other places University, showed increases of 14.7 percent intelligence on robbery suspects, investigate of business. It will include the use of decoys, Continued on page 4 U.S. Postage PAID Bronx, New York Permit No. 7608 Non Profit Org. Thursday, March 26,1981 Volume 63 FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK Number 9 Leaders Keeps Meetings Closed: Meet To SAC Changes Oppose Cuts Rep Selection by John Houseman Student government leaders from nine area by Kate Sullivan colleges including Fordham, joined three The Student Activities Council announced New York congressmen in a news conference Monday that it has changed its student selec- at New York University on March 16 to tion method and has rejected a proposal to outline their opposition to President open all regular SAC meetings to the press Reagan's proposed cuts in financial aid to and public. college students. The SAC decided to make future appoint- While the students criticized the proposals, ments of students based on formal applica- Congressmen Mario Biaggi (D-Bronx), Peter tions. Up until now, the Fordham College Peyser (D-Westchester) and Theodore Weiss Council and College of Business Administra- (D-Manhattan) warned college students that tion Council have appointed students to the failure to organize and make their voices SAC based on the recommendations from heard would result in the certain passage of the various student governments. The USG the Reagan cuts. has also made these student appointments. Weiss suggested that organizing student "Most appointments had been govern- opposition was essential now and would ment-related and you pretty much had to "send an important signal to the Congress know somebody," said SAC member Chris and the Administration that the students of Falco, FC'82. this country will not accept these in- discriminate slashes in student aid "One of our big concerns," according to programs." SAC member Marie Tassini, CBA'81, "is broadening the base of SAC representatives.1 Peyser echoed the sentiment that the There are more candidates who will apply,1 students must make their feelings known. for example minority students [there are cur- "Students have got to fight for this cause," rently none on the Council] and the new sys- he said. "If they can't organize their parents and themselves, then maybe the President is tem will provide for a fairer means of repre- right." sentation on the Council." All three men admitted the strong According to Tassini, "We decided not to LIDDY CAPTURES CROWD open meetings to students because the pres- possibility that the cuts will be approved and will, contrary to popular belief, take effect ence of reporters would stifle discussion in the meetings. We don't have much opportu- before the fall semester begins. Student by Bob Tulini nity to talk to each other outside the meet- leader Michael Caruso, an NYU un- Saying the American public must view the world as it actually is and stop living a life ings, so we use them to play around with dergraduate and coordinator of the Indepen- of illusion, convicted Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy received a standing ovation after speaking on "Government: Public Perception vs. Reality" to a crowd of ideas. We wouldn't want to be quoted on a dent Student Coalition, organized the news 1,600 people at the American Age-sponsored lecture Tuesday in the Rose Hill Gym- tentative discussion." conference. He encouraged all students to nasium. Liddy also defended his actions in the Watergate and Odessa Unit incidents write letters to their legislators seeking defeat The proposal, which The Rain presented during his time in the Richard Nixon Administration. of the cuts in order to avoid an economic on March 13, stated, "We believe that the in- "So many citizens of the United States live a life of illusion. Either they are unable to dilemma this summer. accessibility of the Student Activities Council apprehend reality at all or they turn aside from and shun the harsher aspects of it as if by "The proposed cuts and revisions in hampers the proper functioning of an impor- not looking at it it will go away and they won't have to cope with it," he said. student aid are so extensive that both poor tant governing body, and does a great disser- "One of the deadly effects of this life of illusion we lead is consistently acting against and middle income students will have to face vice to the student body as well." our self interest in the name of the Easter Bunny or something else," he stated. "We the question of whether they will be able to "The absence of press and students from have been paying an extraordinary price for that folly." SAC meetings allows for more exchange be- return next fall to the schools they are now Continued on page 5 intending," Caruso told reporters at NYU's tween committee members," said John Pi- derit, S.J., a faculty member on the SAC. 1 oeb Student Center. Francis College. "However, to place "We have only limited amounts of time to Peyser attacked both Reagan and Budget enrollment in our nation's colleges is reaching an all-time high of 11 million education in the category of 'waste in spen- discuss allocations and if The Ram was pres- Director David Stockman for their handling ent, more outside contact [among committee students," Biaggi said. ding' can be termed nothing but short- °f the education cuts. "I don't think members] would be necessary." Piderit add- Peyser told reporters he had received several sighted.", •'resident Reagan understands the situation ed, "There is presently an informal liaison and David Stockman simply doesn't care," hundred letters from university presidents In his prepared statement, Vince DcMar- between the SAC and the press at Rose Hill." •'fyser said. "He is like the bomber who predicting disaster for higher education if the co, president of the United Student Gover- Rick Marsico, editor-in-chief of The Ram, "ever sees the faces and bodies of the people cuts pass. nment at Rose Hill, discussed the effect the who presented the proposal to the SAC, said, lie destroys." "Federal aid to education is a cost- cuts would have on Fordham's 15,000 "The SAC has a responsibility to allocate effective program and a sound investment in "Students must not be the sacrificial lambs students. "More than 67 percent of the funds fairly and wisely to all student activities the future of this country," said Biaggi. '" 'lie budget-cutting process," Peyser con- University's operating budget is generated and without adequate communication, they "There seems to be a regressive policy in cluded. through tuition," said DeMarco. "The can't fulfill that responsibility. Opening some of these proposals from the President." Hiaggi cautioned that the cuts will affect reduction of the money students are able to meetings to the public, or at the very least to In addition to the comments of the thousands of students and hundreds of borrow through the Guaranteed Student the press, would have allowed for this. congressmen, the student leaders each pnvate colleges. "The bottom line-is that Loans program and receive through BEOG "The liaison is inadequate,"Marsico con- IM| released statements "describing the impact the tial estimates see an overall decline in and TAP could prevent a significant number tinued, "because it doesn't allow us to watch cuts would have at their respective in- wrollmcnts by 500,000 to 750,000 students of Fordham students from registering next the decision-making process in action and stitutions. "ation-wide, a possibility that up to 300 fall." the viewpoint of the liaison is necessarily lim- "Il is obvious that waste in government •"inall, private colleges would be forced to "To reduce this funding for higher ited. Our receiving information after the fact spending must be eliminated in times ot close due to losses in revenue of up to 25 per- education is to stifle the minds of America's and not before defeats the purpose of our ct| economic waste," said JoAnn Laub, ii of their budgets, and a 90 percent reduc- youth and mortgage her future," he said.