OPINION THE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007
MAROON
PAGE 5
CADE CYPRIANO THE COUNTER POINT
Oath brings diversity to congress The first week of January saw the opening of the 110th Congress of the United States.Along with Nancy Pelosi’s historic role as the first female Speaker of the House was another congressional first: Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota becoming the first Muslim to be elected to congress. Ellison decided to take his ceremonial oath of office on a copy of the Quran, rather than the Bible. To do otherwise would have been to undermine the binding nature of the congressional oath of office — a covenant made before one’s god and country, committing them to a service as sacred to the statesman as the faith and book they swear upon. The unconventional swearing in of the Muslim representative did not come without controversy, as both religious fundamentalists and secular progressives found reason to complain. The far right raised issue with the divergence from tradition, choosing to see the use of the Quran as a rejection of the Bible and the Judeo-Christian basis of American culture. The far left used the opportunity to portray the presence of any religious text within state-sponsored events as a violation of constitutional law, citing the precedent of the separation of church and state. To say that the use of the Islamic text violates American custom would be ignorant to America’s longstanding commitment to religious tolerance and diversity. Equally off base is the suggestion that religion has no place in governmental proceedings, as the congressional bylaws were clearly influenced by religious practice. The First Amendment to the Constitution was intended to prevent religious persecution and bias by prohibiting the establishment of one religion over another, not the prohibition of the faithful from governing, or their faith from being present within the elements of the government they comprise. Radio talk show host Dennis Prager saw the use of a different religious book as a needless contradiction to American tradition, saying the Quran, in not being directly influential in the formation of congressional ceremony, was not as relevant as the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Specifically, the Quran used in Rep. Ellison’s ceremony had historical relevance to say the least, published in London in 1764, having been originally owned and inscribed by Thomas Jefferson, and being one of the rarest pieces currently in the Library of Congress. The American Civil Liberties Union agreed that to support the presence of a religious text at ceremonial proceedings forces politicians to “involuntarily adhere to a religious text” and is both unconstitutional and intolerant. Ellison, a liberal Democrat himself, refuted such statements, saying that the use of Jefferson’s Quran pointedly “dates religious tolerance to the founders of our country.” Rep. Keith Ellison is a muchneeded addition to the increasingly diverse makeup of the U.S. Congress. His decision to use a Quran in his inaugural oath was a welcome reminder of religion’s lawful and relevant place within our federal government.
Students’ resolutions should involve Loyola I spent the last night of 2006 in the French Quarter with a group of friends watching fireworks and the gumbo pot drop on Jax Brewery. Some of you spent the evening at home with friends or family, others of you spent the time with thousands of devoted people in Times Square. No matter where you were, you probably made some sort of mental note to make 2007 a better year than the one before. Like many of you out there, not only did I think to make 2007 better than 2006 — but I also made some New Year’s resolutions for myself. They include the normal stuff — like eat better, call people more often, work out more consistently, etc. So far so good — check with me in February to make sure I am still on my plan. I have been at Loyola now since August of 2006 as the associate director for student activities. Before Loyola, I was at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, teaching courses and coordinating campus programming. All the time I was at Lake Erie, all I could think about was New Orleans. The city had gotten into my blood when I worked at Tulane as an area director from 2001 to
the semester. Not only does this improve our city, but it also helps to expand our experiences and perspectives. 3. Let’s thank the people who help make Loyola look and feel better — People like our cleaning staff, food service workers, mainteHOLLIE CHESSMAN nance staff, University Police offiON THE RECORD cers, our professors, our resident advisors, our desk assistants and anyone else who has made Loyola a 2004. The year 2006 brought me back to New Orleans and to Loyola place you want to be. 4. Attend a program advertised University. I have been enjoying it on campus. immensely. If you haven’t During my been to a dance time at Loyola I class yet, stop by have thought “Try something new this the University about a few things semester ... a new Programming that we as a camrestaurant, new food, Board’s office in pus community the Danna Center could resolve to a new way to class, a new basement to sign do to make Loyola campus club or up. If you haven’t and New Orleans organization, a new place gone to a residenbetter in 2007. to sit in class or talking tial life program or 1. Let’s make to someone you may athletic event or a more concerted played an intraeffort to clean up not have thought to mural sport — after ourselves. say ‘hi’ to before.” check them out. If each of us We would like to threw our trash see you there. into the proper 5. Check out Loyola’s College receptacles on campus, the campus’ of Music and Fine Art’s performappearance would improve. ance calendar on the Web. Make it 2. Sign up for at least one a point to see one recital, concert Loyola University Community and play. Action Program service project for
6. Stop by the gallery in the Danna Center or the library. Spend some time looking at the art. 7. Let’s spend some time in the city. Visit the zoo, the aquarium, Magazine Street shops, restaurants, the New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park, the Fly or take a walking tour of the Garden District. 8. Remember to always be safe. Let’s walk in groups, take the shuttle and know where you are and who you are with at all times. Never leave your friends with someone they just met. 9. Try something new this semester. Whether it be a new restaurant, new food, a new way to class, a new campus club or organization, a new place to sit in class or during the window or talking to someone you may not have thought to say “hi” to before. Don’t stop thinking about what you can do to make Loyola and New Orleans better. If you get an idea, share it with the Student Government Association, administration, faculty and each other.
Hollie Chessman is associate director for student activies.
Convenience store prices an inconvenient truth Since first stepping onto Loyola’s campus my freshman year, I have been unimpressed with the dining choices. The cost, lack of variety and surplus of fatty foods make eating on campus a difficult task for me. I am now a sophomore and have had too many negative experiences in the Orleans Room with poor food quality and too many unfriendly encounters with rude staff at Smoothie King. I have resorted and limited myself to only eating at the C-Store. The C-Store provides many options, including Godfather’s Pizza, an array of sushi, Starbucks Coffee and necessary items like bread. It is the campus grocery store and a popular destination for many students. I started this semester with
GUEST COLUMN
“It is not fair to charge these students so much for so little and ultimately diminish much of their spending money to nothing. “
$600 in Wolf Bucks, an ample amount of money for snacks and meals while I am at school, considering I live off campus. That large sum rapidly dwindled away, and by fall break I found myself with barely any money left on my Express Card. Where does all my money go in that small convenience store, and how does it disappear so quickly? After examining some prices
in the store, I have now realized why I am calling home on a biweekly basis for more cash. At $5.29 for a box of Wheat Thins and more than $7 for some sushi plates, the prices of C-Store items are outrageous. The small store has monopolized on-campus grocery shopping, and the store and school must be
SHANNON HILL
making close to a 100 percent profit on items such as milk and macaroni. Some students do not have access to a car that would allow them to buy food at a more moderately priced grocery store — the CStore is their only option. It is not fair to charge these students so much for so little and ultimately diminish much of their spending money to nothing. I can no longer shop at the CStore. I have no more Wolf Bucks, and I cannot stand to see $2.39 for a granola bar appear on my debit card statement again. It is expensive enough to attend a private university, and food prices should not make the cost of eating unbearable. Shannon Hill is a mass communication sophomore from Colorado.
OPINION POLL What was your New Year’s resolution? COMPILED BY LAUREN LABORDE
BILL GRAFTON
CASSANDRA KELLEY
BRYSON ROONEY
REBECCA DO
MARIO TOBON
international business freshman
management junior
mass communication senior
mass communication junior
engineering senior
“To quit smoking cigarettes.”
“To organize my whole life.”
“To see U2 in concert if they tour.”
“I want to text message less and MySpace comment less.”
“To drink less.”
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