The Los Angeles Loyolan, Volume 90, Issue 13 - October 24, 2011

Los Angeles MON TUES WED THUR 64"-58' 59‘-57" 59"- 53” 67"-54" ESTABLISHED 1921 October 24,2011 Volume 90, Issue 13 Your Home. Your Voice. Your Newspaper. Loyola Marymount University www.laloyolan.com Obama promises troops’ return Students and professors respond to die announcement diat troops in Iraq will return home this year. By Tierney Finster News Editor President Barack Obama announced last Friday that the war in Iraq will be over by the end of 2011. Obama’s decla¬ ration prompted many LMU students and faculty members to comment on the war’s legacy and how this news will af¬ fect Obama’s reelection campaign. Obama promised that the remain¬ ing 40,000 troops in Iraq “will definitely be home for the holidays.” According to the Associated Press, this date coincides with a plan that President George W. Bush approved in 2008 to have all troops home by Dec. 31, 2011. Iraqi government spokesman Ali al- Moussawi told the Associated Press that both the U.S. and Iraq were successful in the campaign. “Both countries achieved their goals,” See Iraq | Page 3 Off-Campus Student Life hosts forum Kellie Rowan| Loyolan MADNESS celebrates start of 201 1 -1 2 basketball season Sophomore Anthony Ireland led the men's basketball team in its spirited dance during MADNESS. Approximately 1,500 students flooded Gersten Pavilion to watch the spirit competition and show. For more photos, turn to Sports, Page 1 5. Neighborhood conflicts spark conversation between University students and staff. By Brigette Scobas Asst.News Editor Approximately 2,600 students live off cam¬ pus. Ten of those students decided to come to the “Off-Campus Student Life (OCSL): Feed¬ back Forum” this post Thursday during Con- vo. While discussions ranged from student tips, housing registration policies, neighbor and student behaviors, freshmen roaming the neighborhood streets and hopes for the future, Los Angeles Police Department’s ( LAPD’s) ap¬ proach to student parties was one of the areas that was continually brought into the discus¬ sion. According to William Sisk, the program coordinator for Off-Campus Student Life (OCSL) and facilitator of the forum, OCSL has been receiving complaints from neighbor's regarding student behavior, and he wants to see how the University could help improve LMU student and Westchester neighbor re¬ lationships. “Neighbor's think we are your parents,” said Sisk. “We are here to educate but not hold your hands. . . . [We are] not here to con¬ trol you.” Yet, while he wants neighbors to realize they are living in a college neighbor¬ hood, he wants students to realize that they are living in a residential neighborhood, and students are accountable as well. This year many students have found them¬ selves at parties that are being shut down by the LAPD because neighbors have called, as mentioned in the “Arrests made at off-cam- pus parly” article in the Sept. 12 issue of the Loyolan. On July 28, LA. County passed a municipal code in relation to disturbing the peace. According to Sisk, LAPD will respond to a call, and if they agree that a person’s peace is disturbed, then the cost of the charge can issue a citation to be appealed in court. The charge can range from $75 to over $1,000 per house. Matt Nuguid, a senior psychology major and attendee of the forum, could relate to the hefty citations after he received a $1,500 fine and a report to LMUs Judicial Affair's. “[LMU] doesn’t have to be hard on [the stu¬ dents] because the city is already doing that,” Nuguid said. Matthew Dolan, a junior engineering major and attendee of the forum, thought the forum was useful, but said, ‘The main issue is how the police are responding, and I want to touch on that [in the future]. Some of the tactics that LAPD are using are out of hand and wrong." Some of the students at the forum like Dolan were interested in LMU setting up a forum specifically with the LAPD since they believed that was primarily the source of the problem. According to Sisk, out of approxi¬ mately 2,000 neighbors, approximately 50 neighbors strongly dislike LMU, and “they See Off-campus | Page 3 Workers Appreciation Week begins today The week of events will give die community a chance to honor and interact with LMU employees. By Monika Kim News Intern At LMU, workers keep the school running. Whether it be in the kitchens, classrooms or dorm halls, University employees are present. ASLMU has paired with the Students for Labor and Economic Justice (SLEJ) as well as the Resident Housing Association (RHA) to create Workers Appreciation Week, a week dedicated to these individuals. “I The event serves to] bring light to the working environment at LMU and how we treat the workers here and what we can do to change it,” said ASLMU Director of Social J ustice Lani Luo, a junior political science and Asian Pacific studies double major. Luo claims that despite long hour's and tiresome labor, LMU employees are rarely acknowledged by students, partly because of their' inability to converse freely with each other. However, the groups involved with Workers Appreciation Week hope to break down these walls in order to give individuals See Workers | Page 3 Faith leaders gather at last night's prayer service According to LMU's website, the interreligious prayer service in LMU's Sacred Heart Chapel on October 23 began the new year of research and discussion by the Los Angeles Interreligious Dialogues, and was designed to bridge leaders from different religions. News, Page 5 The upcoming shelter-in-place drill will take place on Thursday. Index Classifieds . 4 Opinion . 5 Cartoon . 1 0 A&E . 1 1 Sports . 1 6 Tlic next issue of the Liyolan will In- printed on Ottolx-r 27, 201 1 Knockout! Contributor Jenny Bruner reviews a Burns Rec Center kickboxing class. Sports, Page 16