The Los Angeles Loyolan, Volume 73, Issue 22 - March 29, 1995

JLL L о s *A n g e 1 e s VOL. 73 • NO. 22 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY March 29, 1 995 University Mourns Death of Dr. Gertrude Rivers-Robinson By Josephine De Felice Assistant News Editor On March 12, Dr. Gertrude Rivers Robinson, associate professor of music, died of cancer in her Los Angeles home. Dr. Robinson taught music at LMU for twenty-five years, and was a piano accompanist for Lester Horton, one of the most profound modern dance choreographers in the United States prior. In 1993 Dr. Robinson was named Woman of the Year by the LMU chapter of California Women in Higher Education recognizing her for her role as educator, scholar, and artist as a non-Western woman. She was a pioneer in multi-cultural education, and was instrumental in the development of the Afro-Ameri¬ can studies department. Her death was one of three in the LMU com¬ munity occurring this past month. Professor Bogidar Avramov, se- Удаие... Campus Life Blood Drive! •page 8 Arts & Ш Entertainment Circle' of Friends Reviewed •page 17 Perspective Letters, Letters, and More Letters •page 14 Sports Baseball Sweeps USF •page 22 nior faculty mem¬ ber of Instrumen¬ tal Studies, worked with Dr. Robinson for the twenty-five years she served the LMU community. “She is very spe¬ cial and not enough is known about her”, re¬ flected Avramov. “Gertrude was a person of uncom¬ promising integ¬ rity. She was a person of dignity and humility. She was a proud woman who did not like to parade her virtues.” Dr. Gertrude Rivers Robinson introduced the music and culture of Bali to LMU after studying with UCLA professor Mantle Hood in the 1950s, the man who intro¬ duced the music of Javanese Photo Courtesy ot Puonc Relations Dr. Gertrude Rivers-Robinson , shown here with а student, taught at Loyola Marymountfor 25 years. gamelan to the U.S. She was the director of the Balinese gamelan and Balinese quartet at LMU, and played the leading instruments of the Javanese and Balinese continued on page four N$ Kolea Lu’au Fills /J/S l*C to n Рз|//7/лп щИгт ч!&тЧшГя я я! ЁЖ- 1г я я Ш%тм я By James Keane News Editor flower leis, T-shirts, calendars, Siturdiy, March 25, rtiarked the twenty-first annual Na Kolea Lu'au in Gersten Pavilion. Attended by over 650 guests, this yeai^M#ii'Was|ped “Ke Kali Nei Luau,” a Hawaiian phrase meaning “Waiting for Thee.* “Waiting for Thee,” is also the name of the traditional Hawaiian wedding song. Each of the dances performed during the course of the evening illustrated a different Ten different Na Kolea com¬ mittees worked together on the Lu’au, which was chaired by LMU student Stuart Canario. “This year’s Lu’au was so suc¬ cessful because of all the hard work of all the different commit- tion time put in by all the danc¬ ers,” commented Canario. “Also, The everting featured thirteen LMU’s Hawaiian cultural organi¬ zation, as well as authentic Ha- waiian food and a live Hawaiian |and performing throughout the evening. Much of the food as well as the flowers and other decorations were flown in from Hawaii to give the Lu’au a more authentic flavor. A “Country Store” set up at the event, which made the mood :.h better.” The Lu’au annually draws a large crowd from the surrounding community as well as from Loyola Marymount, including members of other Southern California Ha¬ waiian organizations, alumni, and event for the LMU Hawaiian com¬ munity,” Canario commented. “It t to the First Practice Prepares for Special Games By Kent Jancarik Assistant News Editor Special Games Practice Day,” was held last Saturday, March 25, in preparation for April 8th’s “Big Day,” which will feature ath¬ letic participation between over three hundred mentally and physi¬ cally challenged athletes. As Spe¬ cial Games Director Fernando Villaluna explained, “The practices represent a bonding between coaches and athletes,” adding that “The community has been working diligently to make this year’s expe¬ rience the best ever.” Ryan Simpson, events and equipment co-coordinator, who is on the 14-member planning com¬ mittee for Special Games, spoke about last Saturday’s practice. “The practice represents an important day of preparation for the athletes, with Big Day quickly approaching,” Simpson said. The 18th annual Special Games will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 8. A parade and torch relay will kickoff the sporting events which include mini-golf, limbo, hula hoops, twister, bubble making and a dunk tank. Special Games was estab¬ lished in 1977 as a student-run, non-profit organization to assist the challenged athletes in competition. Presently, there are over 550 stu¬ dent, faculty, alumni, and commu¬ nity volunteers each year. Last weekend’s “Practice Day” gave student coaches and volun¬ teers the opportunity to work with the athletes, form new friendships, and practice about one-half of the events for the “Big Day,” which is the largest philanthropic event at LMU. At a closing ceremony, all participants re¬ ceive medals and certificates in recognition of theiraccomplish- ments. Special Games is distin¬ guished by its emphasis on per¬ sonal achieve¬ ment, ratherthan competition. Ac¬ tivities include face painting, balloon shaping, spin art and hat making. Charac¬ ters from local amusement Photo Courtesy ot Public Relations Special Games Big Day will take place on April 8. parks will be on hand to add to the festivities and entertain the attend¬ ees. “I just want to thank the coaches and volunteers ahead of time for their commitment,” Villaluna said. Theologian Speaks on Danger of Disregard for Environment at Casassa Lecture By Jeff Kearns Staff Writer Father Sean McDonough lec¬ tured on campus last Friday, March 24 in the McIntosh Center as part of the Casassa Lecture series on social values. Fr. McDonough, an environmental theologian, spoke to faculty and stuents about the effects of mod¬ ern industrial development on glo¬ bal economies and the environ- theologian from Ireland. His books include To Care for the Earth, The Greening of the Church, and Pas¬ sion for the Earth. He witnessed dren gave their lives to pay their country’s debt,” he said. “We watched an entire medical infra¬ structure collapse between 1984 “The modern global economy is making the poor poorer and is killing the earth.”— Fr. Sean McDonough. men Fr McDonough is a Catholic the destruction of people and envi¬ ronment firsthand while serving as a missionary on the Island of Mindanao in the Philippines. “Chil- and 1986 because of conditions required by American money lend¬ ing policies.” The lecture was coordinated by Dr. Louke Siker, the 1994-95 Casassa Chair of Social Values, to raise consciousness about ethical issues related to the environment. The chair’s mission is to “focus the university’s attention and resources toward interdisciplinary study and teaching, research and active par¬ ticipation in community affairs.” McDonough noted that the in¬ dustrialized nations of the West not only disregard many problems and concerns about the environ¬ ment, but also disregard and abuse Third World economies. Western continued on page five