The University News Celebrating 90 Years as a Student Voice of Saint Louis University
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Vol. XCI No. 26
STORM READY UNIVERSITY
Respected police captain passes
Water bottles: Friend or foe? Colleges making efforts to curtail containers
Kenneth Hornak, 1957-2012 By BRIAN BOYD News Editor
One of Saint Louis University’s and the city of St. Louis’s well-respected officers passed away on April 19. Capt. Kenneth Hornak, Assistant Director of Field Operations in the Depar tment of Public Safety and Hornak Emergency Preparedness, was 54 years old at the time of passing. Described by his peers as an “outstanding supervisor who was loved by SLU students,” Hornak graduated from the St. Louis Police Academy in 1979 and began patrolling an area in the city that included SLU’s campus. He spent time as a member of St. Louis’ Ninth District detective and homicide units as well before being promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1998. His ascent through the ranks of the St. Louis Police Department continued in 2001, when he was named the commander of the STLPD’s Canine Unit. The Canine Unit partners officers with German Shepherds to assist with searching for evidence, searching for missing persons, and tracking suspects. The Canine Unit requires significant dedication and training. In 1998, Hornak was recognized as one of the ‘Toughest cops’ in St. Louis by St. Louis Magazine. He retired from the STLPD in 2010. In addition, he received honors from the STLPD for his service throughout his career. Hornak earned four Chief’s Letters of Commendation and two Meritorious Service Citations. Upon retiring, St. Louis Alderman Stephen Gregali sponsored a resolution to recognize Hornak’s career and contributions to the St. Louis area. “…we pause in our deliberations to extend a sincere thanks to Sergeant Kenneth Hornak for his long and productive service to the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department,” Gregali said in the resolution. Roland Corvington, assistant vice president for DPSEP, spoke highly of Hornak and praised his abilities not only as a law enforcement official, but a person as well. “Ken raised the level of the professionalism of our uniformed officers,” Corvington said. “I have no doubt that our campus is safer and more secure thanks to his tireless efforts.” Hornak is survived by his wife, four children and three grandchildren.
The new Missouri warning system and SLU’s preparedness >> SCIENCE
By JONATHAN ERNST Editor-in-Chief
With the fast pace of college life, students often struggle to balance wellness and convenience. Saint Louis University has worked to tip this balance recently by giving students a more defined choice when finding drinking water on campus. At the beginning of the spring semester, Facilities Management installed a bottled water filling station on the second floor of the Busch Student Center to promote the usage of reusable bottled water. The University is currently working on adding additional bottled water filling stations on campus to provide an alternative to purchasing plastic bottled water. “We want to promote more reusable bottled water usage so we are working to slowly integrate it on campus,” Project Analyst for Service Operations Brandon Verhoff said. “This is about waist diversion and we want to recognize the fact that more students want to use reusable water bottles.” These bottled water filling stations make filling a reusable bottle quicker and more convenient. Colleges and Universities around the nation have begun banning the sale of plastic bottled water in support of these reusable bottle options. Washington University in St. Louis has banned the sale of plastic bottle water all together from their vending machines and dinning facilities in February 2009. This was Washington University’s response to concerns about the environmental impacts of plastic bottled water and to encourage the use of tap water and reusable water bottles. “National statistics show that the rate plastic bottles are recycled is low and getting lower, as more end up in landfills,” Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability at Washington University Matt Malten said at the time of the ban. “Members of the Washington University community all have access to healthy water from a tap, and drinking tap water eliminates the generation of solid waste and energy usage to produce and distribute bottled water.” Civic Affairs Committee Chair for the Student Government Association Elizabeth Alberty said she supports a ban of plastic bottled water on SLU’s campus, but wants to ensure it is implemented effectively. “We looked at Wash U’s model and we felt that they didn’t properly lead up to their ban. We feel it is important for SLU to properly promote and put in place alternatives,” Alberty said. SLU’s administration has expressed concern with implementing a ban of plastic bottled water due to the limited number of filling stations on campus and their 10-year agreement with Pepsi that was signed in January 2011. Pepsi’s Aquafina is the main bottled water sold on campus accounting for approximately one third of their total sales of bottled products according to Alberty. “We want to promote more reusable bottled water usage on campus, but we want to be prepared for providing an alternative on campus,” Verhoff said. “It is tricky to do a bottle water ban because we might also eliminate the health options in vending machines and campus dinning facilities.” According to the Education Database Online, Americans consume 8.6 billion gallons of bottled water annually and only 1 and 5 water bottles are recycled. “It’s simple, most bottled water is not recycled and this causes many environmental problems,” Sustainability
See “Water” on Page 5
Relay rallies against cancer
Fixing the clock tower
Kristen Miano / Associate News Editor
The University News prints on partially recycled paper.
BROTHERLY BASEBALL Pitcher-catcher duo find connection on the field >> SPORTS
Bestselling author shares faith journey awards in his storied career. Albom is married and lives in Franklin, Mich. “Have a Little Faith,” pubMitch Albom told the Saint Louis University com- lished in 2011, tells the true munity to have a little faith. story of how Albert Lewis, On Wednesday, April 25 at 7 the rabbi of the only synap.m., the bestselling author gogue Albom ever belonged stood before an audience in to, asked Albom to deliver his the Busch Student Center eulogy when he died. Albom Wool Ballrooms and told the said he was caught off guard story of how his life was trans- and thought, “Who was I to do formed with a single question: a eulogy for a guy who does eulogies?” “Will you do my eulogy?” “The Reb” confronted AlAlbom’s speech was based bom with on his book his wish im“Have a mediately Little Faith,” after Alwhich enbom gave a It’s the choosing to joyed time speech for as #1 on the which he New York believe that we’re not returned to Times best- just here to grab for his homeseller list. It town and also aired as our own good. That admitted a made-forthat he had t e l e v i s i o n we’re all connected all but left movie in No- somehow. behind his vember of religion. 2011. -Mitch Albom Still, to Albom is uphold his the author of eight other books, includ- agreement to deliver Lewis’ ing “Tuesdays with Morrie,” eulogy, Albom embarked on a the bestselling memoir of all series of visits to better know time, and “The Five People the Reb. Each time they met, You Meet in Heaven,” also a the Reb welcomed Albom by New York Times #1 bestsell- singing his name to the tune of “Hello, Dolly!” This relaer. Today, Albom is a newspa- tionship grew over the span per columnist for the Detroit of eight years before Lewis Free Press. He also hosts two passed away at age 90. Along the way, Albom radio shows on WJR-AM and is a television commentator learned about living, met on ESPN’s The Sports Re- people who changed his life and restored his faith. Like porters. He has been named #1 the Reb’s role in Albom’s Sports Columnist in the Na- faith journey, another clergytion by the sports editors of man influenced Albom. This America (APSE) and has received more than 100 writing See “Albom” on Page 3 By MARTINA BOYTER Associate News Editor
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Minghao Gao/ Staff Photographer
The Great Issues Committee hosts writer Mitch Albom on Wednesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in the BSC Wool Ballrooms. Albom discussed his most recent book, Have a Little Faith.
ITS Security Team adds to Internet safety By BRIAN BOYD
Blue the Billiken
Read and Recycle
Thursday, April 26, 2012
On Saturday, April 21, Relay for Life participants walked laps around the track at Robert R. Hermann Stadium. Students lit candles and luminaria in remembrance of loved ones taken by cancer and those battling the disease. The event started at 6 p.m., and teams of students and other community members, including cancer survivors, endured until 6 a.m. to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.
News Editor
In 2010, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 303,809 cyber crime complaints. Compared with the 16,838 complains that the IC3 received in 2000, the 10 year trend shows the significant increase in cyber threats and the corresponding need for information security. Last October, Shawn Henry, Executive Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, addressed the cyber threat in an address to the Information. He stated that “some of the most critical threats facing our nation emanate from the cyber realm”. Saint Louis University has responded to cyber threats by forming an Information Security Team. The Team was formed to educate the SLU community of information technology threats and respond to students in event of an information technology security incident. According to Affan Waheed, Information Technology Services Director and Information Security Officer, the University saw an opportunity to enhance security infrastructure and formed the Information Security Team. He explained that a host of
threats exist for information technology environments, especially environments that contain sensitive information such as medical records. SLU’s Department of Information Security also receives notice from government agencies of ‘advanced persistent threats’, which sophisticated and organized cyber attacks. “Because we’re custodians of the data, we have an obligation to protect it. Threats come in a variety of areas— people are trying to steal, to find space on networks to host illegal programs… there’s a variety of threats,” Waheed said. Waheed said that the first task of the Information Security Team was to create awareness of information security threats and define the perimeter of what the team is trying to secure. The team did an assessment of the University’s risks and infrastructure. Waheed said that a crucial component of information security is keeping technology updated. “Having a PC where we don’t pay attention to what software lives in it, whether it’s gone beyond its end life or beyond the support it’s providing [are risks],” Waheed See “ITS” on Page 3