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April 3, 2014 — Vol. 92, Issue 12
Student Senate offers new mission for Loras by JERRY HUGUELET | for the Lorian
Behind every successful organization are a clearly defined mission and well-designed strategy for achieving that mission. This year, the Student Senate set a goal to better align itself with student needs and therefore more accurately represent the student body. In order to accomplish this, the Senate set about enacting a new constitution which more closely reflects its goals and mission. I am proud to present the new mission of the Loras Student Senate: “The Loras College Student Union shall be the representative student voice of the students of Loras College and will serve as the intermediary between the students, administration, and alumni of Loras College. The Loras College Student Union is predicated
on addressing student issues and promoting the mission of Loras College in an ethical way. The Loras College Student Union will effectively communicate with the administration Jerry Huguelet to ensure that student concerns are being addressed in an appropriate and timely manner. Loras College strives to develop a community of active learners, reflective thinkers, ethical decision makers, and responsible contributors, and the Loras College Student Union strives to ensure that those goals are met in a way that is most beneficial to all students. Members of Student Union are role models on
campus and therefore strive for high achievement academically, spiritually, and ethically.” This new mission not only helps to re-focus the Senate on its main goal of serving the student body, but it also gives the Senate the proper tools to carry out this goal. All of the changes to the structure of Student Senate were made in order to allow the student body easier access to those who represent them; together, we can make Loras a better experience for the entire student population. The Student Senate’s purpose is to be available and accountable to the students so that we can help you solve any issues you bring to our attention. One of the biggest changes to Senate is a reduction in the number of representatives from each class, from seven to five senators. A smaller Senate is
Symposium connects Loras and Irish Church
by HANNAH WAY| executive copy editor
Can Irish Catholicism be redeemed? This was both the name of a keynote session and a pressing, reoccurring question at this past weekend’s symposium: The Catholic Church in Ireland Today. The symposium, which took place on campus last weekend, sought to explore the dramatic changes in the contemporary Irish Catholic Church. Experts from both Ireland and North America, representing a variety of disciplines including literature, sociology, and political science, came to campus in order to participate in this discussion and offer insight into the arguably tumultuous situation. It was made possible through the generosity of the Kucera Center for Catholic Studies, the Sisters of the Presentation, and William Lynch (’64). “The symposium came about from a growing awareness of Irish Studies on campus,” said John Waldmeir, professor of religious studies and symposium co-organizer and speaker. “From our semester-long program in Ireland to the Irish Studies minor to the work of faculty members in the field — Loras is gaining a reputation in this area of John Littleton scholarship.” The Friday night keynote session featured two of Ireland’s foremost experts on Contemporary Catholicism: Eamon Maher and John Littleton. Maher is currently the director of the National Centre for Franco-Irish Studies at ITT Dublin, and Littleton is currently the director of the Priory Institute in Dublin. Both have authored and edited a number of books which deal with the topic of Irish Catholicism, especial-
ly in light of Ireland’s growing secularization. Maher and Littleton have worked with Loras in the past, including meeting with groups of students who have traveled to Ireland for research projects over the years. “While there have been similar events in Ireland, this was the first of its kind in the United States,” said David Cochran, professor of political science and symposium co-organizer. “We were very lucky to have Maher and Fr. Littleton, two of Ireland’s foremost experts on contemporary Catholicism in that country, doing their first such event in the US; as well as Michele Dillion, one of the leading sociologists of Catholicism working in the US, and Jim Rogers, editor of the leading Irish Studies journal in the US.” The symposium continued Saturday and included seven more talks in addition to opportunities for dialogue and discussion between the presenters and the audience. The talks, which were arranged into three different sessions, dealt with topics ranging from the representation of Irish missionaries in literature to the emergence of contemplative movements in contemporary Ireland. One of the talks given on Saturday was by Waldmeir on the topic of understanding the Irish Church in light of the 2012 Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. He led a group of students who attended this International Congress as a part his research. While in Ireland, this group met and talked with both Maher and Littleton. “My goal has been to study the two congresses that occurred in Ireland, in 1932 and 2012, in order to draw attention to the surprising similarities and differences,” said Waldmeir. “They certainly are different from one another, but not necessarily in ways that everyone would immediately
recognize.” One key difference between the two congresses is the contrasting societies in which each took place. Faced with plummeting numbers of practicing Catholics due in part to secularization and the abuse crisis, discussion about the contemporary Irish Church could have easily become discouraging. However, many of the talks focused on the readiness of the Church for a renewal of sorts. And often, this hope came in the form of Pope Francis’ witness as a humble servant worth looking up to. In addition to the weekend-long symposium, Maher offered a lecture during comEamon Maher mon time on Monday. He addressed how the Church has played a role in Contemporary Irish literature, a topic he has co-edited a book about. “Both the symposium and the common time lecture gave insight into issues that I have a strong interest in,” said first-year Ellie Horst. “I am hoping to stud abroad with the Ireland program, but Maher’s lecture also connected to different classes I have had. It offered an interesting perspective on how Catholicism has shaped our culture and the culture of Ireland.” Although Loras has brought many respected speakers to campus over the past year, this symposium was also a major event in the larger academic world. Ultimately, it offered the Loras community an opportunity to be engaged with the growing question of Catholic identity in a changing world.
more engaged with the student body, identifying the needs and concerns of Duhawks and collaborating more closely with the organizations students already support and work so hard within. In addition, the new constitution carefully defines the role of each senator and member of the executive board. For the first time, the student body will know the responsibility of each member of the Senate and will thus be able to hold their representatives accountable. The new constitution now reflects the goal and mission of Student Senate. This goal and mission is not complete without the input and support of each and every student on this campus. We need you, the student body, to constantly hold us accountable so that together we may strive for a better Loras College and continue its mission.
Social work class hosting clothing drive by CASSANDRA BUSCH| news editor
Throughout the month of March until the end of April, students and the whole Loras community will have the opportunity to do a little spring cleaning and benefit those in need at the same time. The Practice 2 Social Work class is putting on a clothing drive to benefit the Open Closet at St. John’s Lutheran Church. The Open Closet takes donations and provides them for free for people in the Dubuque community in need. At Loras, there will be a box for daily drop-offs in the Campus Ministry office. To encourage last-minute donations, the class will be tabling outside the cafeteria on Apr. 23 and 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The organization is especially low on clothes for boys at the moment, but any donations besides undergarments are needed. The Open Closet collects donations year-round, but has specific office hours in which donations are accepted. The office collects the clothing from 9-11 a.m. on the first and third Saturdays of every month. Sophomore Elizabeth Jendra is one of the students from the Practice 2 Social Work class. “We decided to do this clothing drive for a class project. We wanted to do something that would not only help the Loras community involved, but also help the Dubuque community as a whole. We had heard of the Open Closet through social media sites,” Jendra said. “We don’t necessarily have a goal for how much we want to collect, but we have high hopes that many will contribute to this awesome cause.” This drive will provide students the opportunity to clean out their closets and donate to a great cause at the same time, to benefit people in the community in need of a helping hand.