CABRINI
INSIDE
COLLEGE A&E ■ .Idss concert review p.6
Features ■ Student balances academics, R.A. duties, medical emergencies ~nd firefighting. p. 5
Sports Men's Soccer
■
p.12 VOL.XLIII, NO. 8
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1996
RADNOR PA 19087
Student killed in AIDS paves the way au·toaccident by Paul Monte news editor
Ju]ian Mejia, a student at Cabrini College, was killed in an automobile accident on Friday, Oct. 18. According to reports by NBC10 news, Tredyffryn Police Department and The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mejia was driving a 1995 Geo Tracker southbound on a rain-soaked Rt. 202 between the Devon and Paoli interchanges at 10:20 p.m. Friday when he crossed the grass median strip into the oncoming northbound lanes. Mejia collid- Julian Mejia ed with an automobile driven by Leara Marshall, 23, of Westgate Vtllage, who was driving nortbbound. Marshall was medivaced to the Universityof Pennsylvania Medical Center, where she was reported to be in serious but stable condition. Mejia was taken to Paoli Memorial Hospital at 12:05 a.m. Saturday morning where he was pronounced dead. The Tredyffryn officer in charge of the investigation could not be reached for com1J1ent. Services for Mejia were held on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at the
Rodriguez Funeral Home in Philadelphia. A campus memorial service has yet to be announced. Mejia came to Cabrini after receiving an associates degree in para-legal studies at Peirce Junior ColJege earlier this year. According to Mejia's transfer coordinator Bill Firman, Mejia chose to -major in English and communications at Cabrini because it would provide the groundwork for a career in law. "He fell in love with Cabrini," Firman said. In his short time at Cabrini Mejia was a·resident of house four and played junior varsity soccer for the Cavaliers. Shock was the word of choice in students describing their reaction to the news of Mejia's death. "He was a sincere friend to everyone he knew," sophomor£ Matt Ayers said. "He was a nice, quiet guy who was into his religion," junior Roy Dina said: "[He was] very family oriented. I believe it was an unfair death." Mejia's roommate, junior George Badra, said that he was so shocked at the news that he felt his kriees quiver. "[He was] very nice, gentle, rel~gious, good to know, down to earth." Badra said. "I think God
photo by Stacey Caiazzo Cabrini students and faculty join other pedestrians as they warm up with the Macarena. These students took part in the 1996 Aids Walk in Philadelphia. See story and photos on p. 3.
welcomed him with open arms." "He was always happy. A lively part of the house," junior and house four resident assistant Chris Schmid said. "I woke up to him singing. He's going to be a noticeable loss for the house for the rest of the year." "He was a man of impeccable faith," junior Paul Kleshick said. Firman, who knew Mejia for more than two years dating back to his days at Peirce College, said that Mejia would go out of his way to stop in the admissions
office every day to say hello. "I saw a lot of promise in him;''"Finhan said. ''Once you gotto know him you wouldn't forget him." Firman commented further in that Mejia had a lot of love for those he knew and that he was always curious. He also said that Mejia had gotten to the point in life where· he wouldn't judge people and want to know everything, which is why Firman thinks Mejia was so easygoing.
"You got the sense that he was happy to be alive," Finnail. said. "Be found the path. He was trying to find his way in life. l'm going to miss him." Mejia is survived by a fouryear-old son. Julian Majia was 30-yearsold. Mejia's death marks the second student death in almost two months. Alan Bunch, a would-be sophomore, was killed in North Philadelphia on Aug. 22.
Romanoand Tomascodiscuss book -P"f1onathon raisesfunds . . "~ ' '·· . . . "" . ... Accordhtg to :r<aren Bell; • •~ development officer, .the studepts come out be~use they fove In the month of October, Cabrini, not for the money the)t alumni affairs director Martha make doing the calling. Before Dale runs an alumni phone-a- sitting down and making phon(.'l thon. The goal·of the fundraiser calls the students must first go is-to have alumni crune to Cabrini through a training session which and call other c~ates all over gives students a guideline to folthe .countryasking for any contri- low. It goes over the procedures, butions they might be willing to ·the importance pf giving and give to the college. The alumni stresses the. importance of buildcalled • alumni for fou'r nights. ing communications skills. This year they called 744 alumni Students will be. calling alumpi . nationwi4e, The phone-a-thon for five nights/ They will he qillft •accomplishes two things. It raises ~ the remaining ,2;8521duriinl. money for the college and allows • Students tend raise more: aluriinito catch up with oJd class-:. money than the alumni because mateson past times. In addition they usually don't know the peoto alumni calling, current students ple they are calling as welJ.as-tlie_ are also employed to call alumni. So many students were interLast year the alumni pledged ested that a waiting list had to be $76,809 and the parents of stucreated. There are 35 students dents pledged $22,()()8. Total participating in the phone-a-thon fundraising.for the alumni phonethis year. A good percentage of a-thon last year was $98,907. The the students helping out are money raised goes in the "Cabrini returning callers. One plus that Fund" which then goes to whercomes with soliciting funds is ever the college thinks the money that the students will receive is needed most. Pledges must be work study payment. in by June30. •
by Diane Grimaldi staff writer
Do we really have the freedom of choice, or is ~verythingthat happens to us a result of our history-? 'That question was the focus of last week's faculty forum. On Thursday, Oct. 10, about 20 faculty and staff gathered in the Grace Hall board room to listen to Dr. Joseph Romano, professor of phi-
losophy, and Dr. Anthony Tomasco, professor of psychology, discuss their progress on a book they are working on together. The book is entitled "Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives on Human Nature." The two professors have been working on the book together since January and have already written three chapters. These chapters include the subjects of freedom,
photo by Stacey Caiazzo
Dr. Anthony Tomasco, left, and Dr. Joseph Romano discuss their book "Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives on Human Nature."
cogmtton and aggression. Romano and Tomasco are in the process of writing the next three chapters on desire, religion, and creativity. The book is based on the themes on freedom and determinism that have grown from coteaching the seminar 100 course, Perspectives on Human Nature. Romano said, "I want to leave the readers breathless. When they finish reading the book they should be breathless." The forum began with Romano and Tomasco explaining their input into each chapter and ended with a discussion among the faculty that were present about certain ideas and aspects of each discipline. "Keep the spirit of philosophy. Challenge yourself to think and keep thinking," Romano said. "Freedom," Romano said, "is the most obscure and most clear concept we know." Tomasco said, "Philosophic assumptions are important in psychology." He said that for this reason, it is important to integrate the two discipJines.
by Michelle Bums staUwnter
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