Volume XI, Issue 4

The Gadfly “To persuade and reproach” - Socrates, The Apology

Vol. XI, Iss. IV October 20, 2009

No Great Debate: I think it is safe to say that the majority of people on campus are active in some sort student organization: FUSA, Students for Life, Households, etc. A few of these organizations have stood out to me in the weeks I’ve been here, the loudest being the political organizations. It has dawned on me that political groups are marginalizing themselves further from each other, a notion festering even before the elections last November. This is not the time to be arrogant and terrible to one another, especially in our current state when talk and understanding is needed. This is especially

true on campus, which I was under the impression was a school based on bringing Christ’s love to others.

I’m not trying to pinpoint any persons guilty in exhibiting a behavior that I would deem as not Christ-like. I personally have a hard time fitting into the politics on this campus because I’m liberal in some aspects and extremely conservative in others.

My friends jokingly call me a socialist, even though they know that I’d never go that far left.

Imagine trying to vote when you desire a more active government (notice I didn’t say powerful) and

an end to abortion. However, based on the actions and propaganda I’ve seen on campus, I no longer desire to fit in.

Apparently, it is now the custom among politicians to have people join their side, not on the pretense that their political party has something good to offer or a battle worth fighting for, but rather saying that someone else has a wretched organization that goes against everything you stand for politically, economically, morally, and even spiritually.

Join the good party if for no other reason than to simply piss some Continued on page 5

In Defense of High Heels Click-clack, click-clack, clickclack. Yes, that’s me behind you. Yes, I am wearing 4-inch heels. Yes, I really do climb up all of these hills. Yes, sometimes my feet hurt. A lot.

Ladies, I cannot tell you how many gentlemen here have complimented me for wearing heels, stockings and skirts. They ask me if my feet hurt and applaud my effort to make it around campus in stilettos.

“Believe me, it’s appreciated,” one fine young man said to me. “It’s refreshing to see a

lady here dressing up like one.” He then asked me to continue wearing dress clothes, requesting I be an influence on other female students. And so I write to the Gadfly.

Don’t get me wrong, girls. I love sweatpants. Jeans and T-shirts are incredibly comfortable. Despite this, you will almost always find me wearing a girly outfit. I try to dress to honor my femininity, and that includes wearing pumps. High heels are instantly associated with womanhood. I mean, how many of us, as young girls, put on our mother’s pumps because it made

us feel grown up? It’s a rite of passage from being a young girl to a young lady. I found that these lovely shoes can dress up just about any outfit. Turtleneck and jeans? Add heels, and it looks classy. Khakis and a blouse? Pair it with pumps to appear professional. It really doesn’t take much effort.

Ladies, having class is a marvelous feminine attribute. I notice more gentlemen hold open doors or offer to carry my books if I’m gussied up. I’m Continued on page 5

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St. Clare, pray for us!

Staff: Michael J. Ruszala (M.R.) Amanda LaMuro (A.L.) Tony Leccecce (T.L.) Emilyn Haremza (E.H.) Daniel Romeyn Davis (D.D.) Maria Cecilia Rocha (M.C.R.) Copy Editor Caitlin Garrett (C.G.) Layout Editor: Rosalie Doudna (R.D.) Business Manager: Charles Pobee-Mensah (C.P.M.) Editor in Chief: Gillian LaMuro (G.L.)

** Please note that the views held in the individual articles do not necessarily express the views of the whole staff. **

Interested in joining our staff?

Email us at notestothegadfly@gmail.com

~Mission Statement~ The Gadfly is an attempt to “bite the sleeping horse” in the spirit of Socrates. It is a student publication whose purpose is to facilitate discussion concerning campus and cultural issues as they pertain to students of Franciscan University. It aims to be a forum for open, well-thought out, and honest discussion towards the end of knowing and loving truth in its most robust sense.

Advisor: Dr. John White Advisor Extraordinaire

Compadres!

Remember in the good old days when if you disliked your leader/ chieftain, all you had to do was A) run away over the hill or B) lead an uprising or C) kill him in his sleep and usurp the throne. Of course, option C, if you happen to be a Shakespearean hero, tends to lead to madness or awkward meetings with the chieftain’s ghost or that best friend your old lady made you kill and you find you really don’t have a good reply to the old, “why did you kill me, you jerk!” and you just kind of play with your keys while he hovers around you and embarrasses you in front of all your friends.

Anyway, all I’m saying is that is was easier back then. Sort of.

Now we have “politics” and people, for some reason, have a rather negative attitude toward assassination. So we all dance around the issue and pretend like we know what we are talking about when they talk about “socialist health reforms” and “draconian law enforcement” when really all we want to do is go and watch “Amok Time” and discuss whether Vulcans really only reproduce every seven years or does pon farr just make it necessary every seven years. Or that’s what I do anyway.

Needless to say, my writers are far more responsible and intelligent people than their editor. But don’t tell them that or they may take option B. Enjoy!

Voting and Abortion The Young America's Foundation has recently named Franciscan University as one of the Top Ten Conservative Colleges. Being, historically, an active firebrand Republican, I was excited about the political prospects here at Franciscan. Coming from predominately Independent (Now Liberal Leaning) New Hampshire to Top Ten Conservative Franciscan was quite the change. Where back home I was considered both very conservative and a card carrying Republican, here at Franciscan I am viewed as being moderate to liberal in my political leanings. At Franciscan University I have encountered people who are

essentially unheard of back home, and that is one/single issue voters.

One issue voters take a single political issue (generally abortion at FUS) and they make that one issue the only factor in what candidates they are going to vote for. Essentially, they place that one issue above all other political issues combined. For me and for other New England Republicans this one issue voting is seen as very dangerous. Even with admitting that not all political issues are equal we must avoid the temptation to say that one single issue trumps all others. Abortion, rightly understood, is a grave evil and a serious political issue, but this one area of Continued on page 6

St. Martha, pray for us!

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The Franciscan “Evango-date”: How to Avoid it!

It's a plague, a blight. It comes in waves and never seems to fully go away. In fact, someone in Student Life even assigned it a name – the Franciscan “evango-date.” It happens when Cupid's arrow misses its mark on a friendly, co-ed, and Christ-centered campus. Evangodating claims numerous victims every year, showing an array of unusual symptoms from insomnia to truancy and all the drama in between. Everyone is at risk, but especially new students. But fortunately there is a vaccine – the bite of the Gadfly!

Evango-dating refers to ambiguous co-ed relationships on campus where there are few if any set boundaries and the individuals involved don't exactly know what their role is – they just know they're drawn to the other person in some way. You don't know if they're evangelizing each other or dating – it's just not clear. Often, soon after a guy and a girl meet for the first time, they engage in deep sharing since they think they are building trust with a kind of “spiritual friend.” Sometimes one wants to date and the other doesn't. Or they both don't want to date – but kind of. After all, everyone knows you just have to have somebody!

Balanced co-ed friendships can be rewarding and up-building. A big part of growing into balanced men and women comes through interacting meaningfully with members of the opposite sex. Gender is by nature relational, and a man becomes a better man by learning how to honor and respect women – and vice versa. On the other hand, unbalanced “evango-dating” often

ends in confusion, drama, and heart-break. Balanced co-ed friendships are distinguished from evango-dating by good communication, clear roles, and emotional boundaries.

Sharing deep secrets or emotionally-charged memories or dilemmas with someone of the opposite sex you just met yesterday or someone with whom there are unclear relational roles can do more harm than good. Christian manhood speaker Bobby Aborn analogically calls this “emotional promiscuity,” which he says is an unconscious substitute for the physical type in exposing too much of one's inner self too quickly. This kind of sharing may be appropriate in the context of a clear and mature romantic relationship, but otherwise is best reserved for a few mature close friends of the same sex. Men minister best to men, women minister best to women.

St. Thomas More RD Mary Gabriel says that guys should pray about the girl they want to date and then take a clear initiative in the direction of dating if they feel called to do so. She also advocates the guy taking the initiative in communicating about relational roles or boundaries in the case of an ambiguous relationship. Lower Campus RD Josh Hawrot says that while people should avoid dating just for fun, students on this campus associate dating someone too closely with marrying them. He says dating is a process of discernment and growth together. Communication helps to make sure that both the guy and the girl are on the same page with the Continued on page 6

Tell us what you think!

Email notestothegadfly @gmail.com

Professor Quotes of the Week:

“Hey dude.

Jesus is what’s up.”

- Sr. Johanna Paruch, on how not to catechize

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St. Radegunde, pray for us!

How to Pursue The other day I was in the JC talking to some friends and naturally it was about dating. I think it is an unspoken law or something, the Eleventh Commandment: “When two or more gather in the name of chatting, dating must be discussed.” One of the guys started to complain (naturally) that it was harder for men because they suffer the risk of having their suit rejected. At which point I choked down the impulse to call him a whimp and instead tossed my shoe at him.

As a way of apology I related to him a piece of wisdom that my father told me.

As you would probably guess, one of our favorite things to do on school breaks is ask our parents about their experiences in college. Mom, having been a brilliant and hardworking Philosophy major, was always ready with interesting tales of perseverance and success. While one can admire these stories and aspire to attain the virtues contained therein, they really cannot compete for entertainment value with our father’s accounts of catapulting frogs onto unsuspecting freshman from makeshift slings hidden in basement windows or staying up all night listening to favorite band albums munching on gooey cheese and ham grilled sandwiches.

Our father was our mother’s first boyfriend. Our mother was our

father’s last girlfriend. So we asked our father what was his greatest revelation about dating (Eleventh Commandment) and this is what he told us. Women’s minds go a million miles an hour.

Give them one piece of information and they will work out every possible way it can be interpreted. They will also work out every possible scenario that piece of information could cause.

Also, unless a girl considers a guy We find ourselves in a unique aslaboratory a possiblehere date she is at before Franciscan asked out, ten tomicrocosm one she will University—a andsay nomagnification if he asks. While I had to of the Christianadmit this was with quitesecular true, Iculture asked confrontation him how this could be useful. He told me that by knowing this information, he never had to fear rejection, ever again. You see, his theory worked like this: Boy sidles up to a girl in French class, they speak occasionally and always in a purely friendly manner Boy: Hi! Want to go out on a date sometime?

Girl: What!? Uh…no, but thank you.

Boy: Okay, see you around.

Boy walks off. Girl immediately goes through the following cycle.

Wow, that was out of nowhere.

I can’t believe he asked me out. I mean, it is not like we really know each other or anything. I mean, he is nice but I didn’t really think about him like that.

Well, he does have nice eyes and

we do talk a little bit. He is always really friendly and there was that time he borrowed my pen and we laughed when he dropped it and his eyes are REALLY blue and he has great hair and he did ask me out, so he does like me and I like talking with him. I wonder what kind of date he was thinking of? Movie?

Dinner? Rugby game? Wienie roast? I bet we would have had a lot of fun. He IS really cute now that I think about it. Oh, I wish I said yes, I wonder if he will ever ask me out again! I CAN’T believe I said no!!!!!

My dad calls it the double ask.

Bank on getting refused about 90% of the time on the first ask and getting a 99% success rate on the second ask. Not only do you show perseverance, but you are the gentleman, make the first move, and give the girl the opportunity to think it out.

Note Success rate will be less in the following situations: She has a boyfriend – she is taken.

She is actively avoiding you – she has thought about you and has already said no.

You have asked once and now she is avoiding you – she has thought about you and has said definitely no. ~A.L.

St. John, pray for us!

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Continued from page 1

one off. It is becoming more and more apparent that rather than focusing on improving our own parties and taking a stand, we react to a threat by simply putting the others down.

I recall the last election and am no longer afraid to say on campus that if Hillary Clinton was on the ticket for President, I would have paid more attention to what was going on and most likely voted for her. However, as it was, she didn’t win; Mr. Obama did so. I voted for McCain because, for my personal beliefs, he was the lesser of two evils. I hated doing it, but I figure if I vote and pay taxes, I can complain. I hated it because I wasn’t voting for someone to win; rather, I was voting on someone not to win. Doesn’t that defeat the point of having good Continued from page 1

aware chivalry is not uncommon here, but I see more of it even in the secular world when I dress up. Why? Probably because men are reminded that we are the “gentle sex,” and need to be treated as such. My clicking heels declare my womanhood to the world, and men listen and honor this fact.

candidates? I didn’t vote for McCain because I believed in him; I voted for him because I didn’t and don’t trust Obama.

What does it say then, about our politics on campus, if we behave the same way? Is this the way we want to grow up? Rather than empowering ourselves with what we believe, do we rely on how crappy the other person is, whether it’s true or not? What’s Christ-like about spreading hatred towards a specific group in order to get them to come to your function? It could be something as simple as “Come do ___! It’ll anger ____!” I’m frankly tired of it, and I’ll reiterate what I said last November: who cares who’s in office or what they may or may not do! If you want to change something, come to the table like an adult and listen. For those who don’t understand what

that means, it means you can’t come to the table, throw a fit like a five-year-old, and scream until you get your way. If one of my nephews did that, they’d get a time-out, and that’s what parties are doing. We are martyring those who choose to put themselves in time-out by not playing well with others. Grow up or stay home.

This doesn’t mean you should compromise your values. If that’s all you got out of this, then you are missing my point. Debate your ideas! Debating encourages growth; wisdom will follow if we are lucky. I’m sick of the yelling and fighting between our political groups and leaders; it reminds me of someone yelling at a wall: no one is finding the middle ground and most importantly no one is listening. ~ C.G.

If I haven’t convinced you yet, ladies, let me try two last statements. First, walking in heels is GREAT for your calves and you have no need to fear developing cankles when you do so. Second, any pain you feel breaking in a new pair of pumps you can offer up for the souls in purgatory. Offering up reparation, looking stylish and prevent-

ing those heinous cankles? Come on, what more could you want?

Let the sound of your stilettos striking the pavement announce your femininity!

In other words, ladies, I ask you: forget the flats, flick off the flip-flops, slip off the sneakers, and hail the heels. ~Emily Rolla

The Classics?!

“And thus they form a group that’s quite antique; Half-naked, loving, natural and Greek.”

Don Juan, CXCIV, George Gordon, Lord Byron

Page 6 Continued from page2

abortion must not override other important political factors like the economy and health care. If we as Catholic voters ignore the other issues, we risk the very clear danger of opening America up to other disastrous political policies. Not all candidates who claim to be pro-life actually are, and many fail to conform to the Church's other social teachings. This is why when we vote, the whole spectrum of political issues must be considered. Too many here at FUS this is seen as a betrayal of the pro-life movement, but in reality this diversified voting protects the pro-life movement's political relevance.

For once we make abortion the only political issue, we threaten to Continued from page 3

relationship. If one person is not open to a relationship and the other is pursuing them, the person not open to a relationship should communicate that because the other person will probably be more hurt by the long and drawn-out process of finding out “he loves me not.”

In certain events on campus (ie. the “300 Man Challenge” of days gone by) and especially in households, there are often small “share groups” for one sex only.

As Aborn says, while men learn to be men partly through interacting with women, the rest is learned from their interaction with other men. While as a guy I am talking about men, the same can be applied in reverse to women. Guys in general are struggling as seen by the fact that the national – not just Franciscan – male / female ratio for college campuses is hovering close to 40 / 60. Women are struggling with their own issues, and that's not good because our relational nature means that a decrease

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!

push away Independents and Moderate Democrats who are seen as not being "pure enough" to be a part of the Conservative movement. Without such diverse support, the very political relevance and hope of eventually overturning Roe vs. Wade becomes even more bleak. This is not the time to be pushing out those on the outskirts of Conservatism. If we as Catholics fail to vote in a commonsensical way, then we threaten the very survival of the pro-life cause. We will not overturn Roe Vs. Wade overnight, protecting the children in the womb will be a lasting battle. But until that day when we can finally and fully legally protect the unborn we must instead look to so-

cial and economic factors that are influencing the rates of abortion. When we forget the economy and society, and how they relate to abortion, then we truly have lost the battle.

I respect those who disagree with me on this issue. Some have gone so far as to say that, "The blood of three thousand babies a day are on your hands." And I ask those who disagree with me to authentically look into how we can solve the abortion genocide. I hope that after honestly reflecting on the issue that they can at least respect those like me who do wish an end to abortion, but do so through the fair weighing of all political issues. ~D.D.

in womanhood brings about a decrease in manhood, and vise versa.

Many guys have not experienced brotherhood or even fatherhood in their families nowadays, so “Christian brotherhood” is a new idea for some. In fact, today's over-sexed world has lost the art of brotherhood to the extent that some people in the secular world wonder if guys who are good friends are really gay. But when brothers are together with brothers, they are not so much focused on dodging possible drama with their sisters, but are experiencing, distinguishing, and growing in what is particular to men in the human heart. Here, with brothers they can trust, they can open up as needed to allow God's healing to reach them through these fellow “wounded healers” whose prayers, encouragement, and accountability may be even more needed than their advice. Still, they shouldn't feel the need to share just for the

sake of sharing, because sometimes there is simply no need to open a wound that is already in the process of healing. Often, around campus, people you don't know well may notice you're having a hard day. If you don't want to talk about it with them, don't feel obligated. In Sirach, we are advised to keep our friends many but our confidants few.

In conclusion, avoid the “evango-date” like the plague!

Communication and establishing proper relational roles and boundaries are essential to building meaningful and balanced friendships with guys and girls alike. In order to become good men, guys need the right kind of interaction with both sisters and brothers – and vice versa. *This is an alert from the Franciscan Evango-date Warning System. The “evango-date” is coming to a campus near you! ~M.J.R.

St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us!

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Dear Emmie, Dear Emmie, I was having lunch with a girl who I considered just a friend. I go to pick up the check, as a gentleman, and she goes “Um, that’s not how THIS works”. Help! What does this mean?! Does she think I like her? Women are so confusing, what do I do?

Sincerely, She still made me pay anyway Dear She still made me pay, This is not your fault. Apparently, this woman speaks in riddles cause I haven’t the faintest idea what she’s talking about either. So my gut reaction is that she considers you just a friend and the impli-

cation was that you should split the check. But she let you pay anyway so I have no idea what this girl is doing, but it sounds like she has no idea either. Here’s a little advice if this ever happens again. There is nothing wrong with asking for clarification. You can always say, “What do you mean by this”? Asking for clarification usually doesn’t upset a girl and if it does, you probably don’t need to be hanging out with her anyway. BUT, you still paid anyway. So if you ask me, what she was doing was giving you a line to make it sound like she was protesting against you paying when she really wasn’t.

Yes, there are woman out there that do this and NO I don’t approve. If you’re really worried that

she got the idea that you like her, the best thing to do is wait. The next conversation is key. If she thinks you like her she’ll start fishing for information and you can put the fire out right there. And don’t worry, just because you paid doesn’t make it a date. Although, if it is a date you should always pay. I know, I know, the rules are complicated but that’s why you have to write me. Also, this chick is nuts. Leave her alone.

Emmie

Do you have a dating/relationship question for Emmie? Major gripe with what she says? Email her at EHaremza001@student.franciscan .edu

Pop Culture Seminar Quote:

“Jonathan: Forget about privacy laws. You know what privacy laws do?

Leasing Office Temp: No. Jonathan: They protect millionaires. You know who those millionaires are?

Leasing Office Temp: Who? Jonathan: Tell him who they are. Tell him.

Dean: Kids your age. Pimple-faced college drop outs who have made unhealthy sums of money forming internet companies that create no concrete products, provide no viable services, and still manage to generate profits for all of its lazy day-trading . . . shareholders. Meanwhile, as a tortured member of the disenfranchised proletariat, you find some altruistic need to protect these digital plantation owners.

- Serendipity (2001)

j|Çx? j|à tÇw jtzzxÜç Hey! I’m Walking Here!

Makin’ my way downtown, walkin’ fast, faces past and I’m home bound.

Wait. It’s more like; makin’ my way to class, walkin’ fast, faces past and THERE IS A HUGE CROWD OF PEOPLE IN MY WAY! Am I the only one who is getting so very frustrated at the clusters of students loitering in the middle of our narrow campus sidewalks?

I’m sure the discussions on vocations, theology, and the number of kids they will have when married are very important but is the sidewalk really the only place? Come on, y’all! My frustration has yet to be appeased; in fact, it’s on the increase!

The salad bar in the caf is also a hoppin’ spot for hangin’ out. I’m laid back kind of girl, but you’re overcookin’ my grits when you come between my lettuce and me after a long day of classes. However, I have controlled my inner turmoil and simply weave my stubby lil’ arm awk-

wardly through strangers to wrap my short fingers around the tongs and fill my classy caf china dish with lettuce and tomatoes.

All the while I get to hear about the glories of household share group and the woes of the nursing program. If I were as nosy as my mama, the salad bar would be an awesome spot to scoop up campus 411 along with my fruits and veggies.

I’ve decided to be careful what I ask God for, because I asked for patience and mine is bein’ tested! I thought the complete halt of crowds was annoying, but I realize I don’t just have road rage, but sidewalk rage as well. I feel like a NASCAR driver weavin’ in and out of the sleepy students meanderin’ to Egan, and let me tell you, weavin’ is tricky business at Franciscan University.

Normally the roadblocks are just sleepy sorority sisters, the walking texters, the walking read-

ers, the entangled couples, and those not looking forward to class. However, here much more care must be taken because who wants to be the one to knock out a nun, bowl over a brother, or push a priest?

How do you explain that one?

“Sorry Father, didn’t see you there! The brown of your habit blended into the…tree.” Ridiculous. Furthermore, telling a holy religious to please get out of your way is not acceptable!

“Eyyo Sister! Mooove it!”

So when I’m tryin’ my best not to run over the person in front of me I have to wonder, where’s the fire at?

Why am I walkin’ so fast?

Then I remember quickstyle why I’m speedwalkin’; I’m late to class because I hit post mass traffic!

Y’all, I think the world would be a safer place if we all watch where we walk, or don’t walk. ~ M.C.R.

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