Loquitur
Friday, April 8, 2005
The
A&E Foosfest page 6
Cabrini College’s Student Newspaper
Radnor, Pa.
www.theLoquitur.com
Sports Women’s lacrosse page 15
Vol LXVV, Issue 21
World mourns death of ‘people’s Pope’ Study-abroad student gives her account of the Vatican as millions crowd St. Peter’s Basilica to view Pope John Paul II KRISTINE JENNINGS GUEST WRITER KRISJ613@YAHOO.COM Everyone has been telling me what an experience it must have been being in Rome when they announced the Pope’s death, but I was not in Rome when I heard the announcement, ironically. I was on a bus heading towards my hotel in Perugia, Italy. While on the bus, another Cabrini student, John Pino, received a phone call from a friend informing him that Pope John Paul II had passed away. In Perugia, I was surprised because we did not hear any bells ringing to signal the death of the Pope. Meanwhile, Cabrini students Mary Romanello and Gina Comet were in Rome and able to hear the Vatican bells from the apartment. When we arrived at our hotel, the TV was on, showing live footage of St. Peter’s and the thousands of people that had already gathered to remember the Pope. The owner of the hotel and her mother both sat intently watching the TV and aided in
translation. They both explained to us that over the next few days, under strict Vatican regulations, the Pope would be laid out for the public to view and then would be buried within a certain amount of days after his death. The woman explained that about two weeks after the death of the Pope, the cardinals would all gather in the Sistine Chapel to form a Conclave, where they elect a new pope. The mother of the hotel owner, an older Italian woman, spoke to us in her native language and told us that it was a sad time for Catholics and even non-Catholics now because they had just lost an extraordinary man and that the next pope would have to work extremely hard to fill the void left by John Paul II. After leaving our hotel, we went to a local church to join the other townspeople for a midnight vigil. That night I felt as if I did not walk into that church as an American, but as a Catholic person mourning the loss of a great person alongside other Catholics. The next day, we watched TV with the hotel owner and she
again translated the news for us. She explained to us that Italy would now be in a state of mourning for the next few days. She also told us how she fears that the successor might not be as open-minded as John Paul II. When I arrived back in Rome late Sunday night, all the flags that had been placed at half-mast out of respect for the Pope immediately moved me. In Monteverde, where I live, the death of the Pope did not cause much change in the daily routine of the people. However, the area by the Vatican is hectic and chaotic. The city of Rome and the Vatican have prepared themselves for about two million people to come here to pay their last respects to the Pope. On Monday, the Pope was moved from his Apostolic Palace through St. Peter’s to the Basilica where he was laid out for the public to view him. I left my apartment at about 3:45 p.m. and arrived at Via del Conciliazione, which is the street leading to the Vatican, at about 4:15 p.m.
KRT
Pope John Paul II is transported to St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Monday, April 4, 2005.
We had to walk all the way to the beginning of Via del Conciliazione to join the others in line and we were instantly sucked into the throng of people waiting to view the Pope. Since they expected so many people to come to visit, the entrance to St. Peter’s has been blocked off in certain areas so that everyone must enter from the same direction. We moved along pretty quickly when we first entered the line, but only about two blocks up, we were forced to stop. Waiting in
Surviving a milestone: The 21st birthday ANDREW MATYSIK EDITOR IN CHIEF AJM722@CABRINI.EDU
Opening his eyes suddenly became a chore the following morning for the brand-new 21year-old, Tim. The potent stench from his body and parched mouth nearly made him gag. Rolling over in agony, Tim wrapped his arm around his girlfriend, Ava, who stood by his side the whole night. “Thank God she was there,” Tim said as he slowly nursed a bottle of lemon-lime Gatorade. The 5’6” Ava was the main crutch for Tim’s large-frame throughout the hectic experience. She was also the driving force behind Tim even being able to function the next morning. “I had to yell at a few of the guys who wouldn’t stop buying you shots,” Ava said. It was obvious to see how worried she was
by the tone in her voice and the remnants of what used to be her fingernails. Celebrating his 21st birthday was a much-anticipated event for the Northeast Philadelphia native. Tim’s friends from school, home and work gathered together and found joy in the one simple task of drowning their buddy, Tim, in as much alcohol as possible. Tim was uncertain of how many shots he did by the end of the escapade, but thinking about that would have only made him sick. “I don’t remember anything after my friends from work got there, which was at 11:30 p.m.,” Tim said. “Blacking-out,” or losing recollection of what happened the night before, is common place for excessive drinking in general. “Yea, the scary part is that he might have done at least five more shots of liquor after his friends arrived,” Ava said. Tim
the intense heat of the sun, we became very close with the people surrounding us because there were so many people there and so little space. As the sun started setting, we began inching our way forward. Every little move forward meant cheers from the crowd. People would impatiently shove if you were taking too long to move. POPE, page 3
Inside
Perspectives Right to life vs right to death page 10
KRT
College students celebrate 21st birhdays with binge drinking.
entered a state of intoxication where he lost complete knowledge of his actions. Continued drinking in this condition is risky and could be potentially fatal. In an interview with Tim before his night started, he showed signs of excitement slightly tainted by fear. Stories of people getting their stomachs
pumped due to too much alcohol consumption were very common incidents in Tim’s neighborhood. Also, Tim was fully aware that death can even came into play for 21st birthday party celebrations. “I know what can happen to you if you aren’t careful,” Tim BIRTHDAY, page 4
Features Jersey legend revealed page 9