Vol. 22 No. 9, April 26, 1979 - Marist College

Circle looks at Student
9 s "\* f*t
Community unaware of CSL work
By Dave Shaw and and Jack McCutcheon
Although Frank Biscardi, president of
the Council of Student Leaders, says the
student government has been "very
successful". this year, he says many
students and faculty are not aware of the
organization's work.
During the 1978-79 schooll year, the
student government was restructured to
the Council of Student Leaders (CSL). It
includes the Student Activities Committee
(SAC), the Commuter Union (CU). the
College Union Board (CUB), and the Interhouse
Council (IHC).
me CSL's main goal this year was to get
new structure to operate successfully.
According to Biscardi, "We did accomplish
what we wanted in the structure."
Other accomplishments of the CSL,
according- to Biscardi and Interhouie
Council president Chris Faille, include a
new student representative on the
Presidential Search Committee,
restructuring the Student Life Committee,
and more careful budgeting than previous
student governments. Faille added that
the individual organizations in the; CSL
accomplish additional things through the
assistance of the CSL.He said an example
is when the IHC changed the policy on the
charging of common damages, it had the
support of the CSL.
The CSL/has one ^student on the committee.
After an interview with the CSL,
Jeff Blanchard was picked as the student
representative. " -••"'•-.. \ .'•••'••'
The /CSL has been responsible -? for
developing:and restructuring the;Student
Life Committee. This committee is. a
For budgeting, the student government
set a list of guidelines for the Financial
Board concerning the funding of the clubs,
according to the clubs' needs, service to
the community, and development of its
members.
Biscardi said, "Both the administration
and faculty are in position to recognize the
legitimacy of the student government in its
representation of students and its support
in having its students backing it."
Assistant Dean of Students Gerry Kelly
backs this year's student government,
saying it "has represented the students at
the highest level of the operation of the
college - that is the trustee level."
Some of the faculty expressed mixed
feelings. History professor Dr. Roscoe
Balsh complimented the student government
on approving the Alternative club, an
organization of about 30 members, mostly
women, that deals with rights to life, including
topics such as abortion and child
abuse. -
However, -Balsh says that although
Biscardi works hard at his job, the
representatives on the student government
don't really influence students to
Commuter car pools, a newsletter and
^direct channel to the Board of Trustees on intramural teams* are accomplishments
matters concerning the life of a student on this semester of the Commuter Union
campus. ,^^-r (CU), according to John Hughes, president
_.,;,-• "-•-":".- .. of cu. " \
.-^-•: > . - v .v.: v .-"We see. ourselves ' as ,a service
77 ^;7/-wi. -. 7 7 organization and not just a club," Hughes
si/] 11. IP, flYftlJ Ifl saw. "We try .and get .commuter students
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change world
By Christopher Hogan
Idolizing Billy. Carter may'have
something to do with the insomnia of Iriterhouse
Council President and would-be
revolutionary Chris Faille. :
Faille, a senior Political Science maior,
former actor and long-time insomniac,
hopes to change the world upon graduation
at Marist by .'spurring a Republican
revolution and creating a third political
party to "fill the gap for new blood in •
politics."
"I want to be a house intellectual and
help create a third party through my.
writing," Faille says. According to the
-Faille theory, a third political party will
emerge in 1980 and will serve. as a
"moderate" to the forthcoming extremism
in the Democratic and
Republican parties.
Faille hopes to reach his goals by
becoming -an anti-trust lawyer or a
politician and becoming Solicitor-General
of the U.S. and arguing cases for the
United States Supreme Court.
Chris Faille
express their opinions. He said that it is
student government's fault that there is no
student input.
Gerry White, assistant professor of
history, says he was impressed with the
introductory meeting.at the year's
beginning which explained to faculty and
students the procedures and goals of the
CSL. However, he says he was disappointed
in the low turnout of his colleagues
and students.
Other people are uncertain of student
government's accomplishments this year.
Concerning if student government accomplished
much this year senior Charlie
Blum said, "Not that I've heard of."
Junior Matthew Schmiemann said, "I
don't know. I have no idea." Dr. Richard
Piatt, communications professor,
responded, "Not really." One freshman
said, "I didn't even know we had a student
-government."
Of the 25 students, interviewed, 14 knew
that Frank Biscardi is the student
government president.
Most people said student government is
worthwhile to have, but question the effectiveness
of Marist's present one.
C. U, - not just a club
By Deborah Adamowicz
John Hughes
Besides pondering the future of politics,
Faille spends most of his time staying
awake due to an extreme case of insomnia
that allows him to sleep approximately 20
hours weekly during the regular school
schedule. On vacations he averages 20
hours sleep daily.
His other interests include chess, puns,
drama and the Boston Red Sox. Faille has
participated in three plays at Marist as a
schizophrenic, a doctor and a nervous
father about to give his daughter's hand
away in marriage. He also was assistant
director in his last production "A Streetcar
Named Desire."
Currently, Faille has received a four
year tuition paid scholarship to Western
New England College of Law.
The 20 year old Enfield, Conn., resident
says he has three heroes: iBilly Carter,
«cause "he has proven that you can be a
; erk no matter how famous your brother
is?; Rodney Dangerfield,'"because I don't
get no respect," and Bert Lance, "because
I have no intention of paying back my
student loan." ','--
Faille added that he will not be sorry to
J leave Marist because he feels college is a
/j "very, protective environment'-' and he is
."impatient to get oh with life."
* "I think ^there is a thin line between
genius and insanity," he said. "I also think
that I have every intention of spending my
life on the line."
. •
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politically in the school."
A car pool bulletin board was set up in..
the commuter lounge this semester.
Hughes said the car pools "depend on
student initiative."
According to Hughes, the trip to New
York to see the play "Sarava" on April 8
was ^cancelled because "we. didn't have
enough students. We needed 40 to. get the
bus," but only'20 showed interest in,attending.
Hughes said if it was possible to extend
the deadline for intramurals, it might be
possible to get commuters involved. "The
only sport we were able to get commuters
interested in was' volleyball," Debbie
Drop, second vice president said. "The
problem with softball this year is that it
was split into men's and women's teams.
When they're coed, it's easier to get people
involved," she added.
The monthly informational newsletter is
put together by Debbie Drop.
Hughes said: "This year's officers set an
organization base for the future officers.
We made the students aware of the
Commuter Union and its role on campus. I
think the CU officers did a good job this<
year."
v -v "*
Maria Troiano
Eye of
the storm
by Lark Landon
College Union Board (CUB) President
Maria Troiano is like the eye of a storm.
After organizing the six committees which
sponsored some 100 CUB eventsthis year,
Troiano says she's learned to keep calm
during a crisis.
The 20-year old psychology senior
recalls CUB's Labor Day-concert when the
band's sound equipment blew a fuse in the
McCann Center four times. Finding it
"embarrassing" as the audience sat in the
dark and "the band technician screaming
and yelling and jumping up and down,"
Troiano says "it was just one of those
nights-one of the ones you'd like to
forget."
But unforeseen problems are a routine
part of the job, says Troi*»— _ who's
learned to laugh "and fall.ai later."
"I'mlikethehairsp'ray commeicial," she,
added,. ; "her hair held up,.butshe didn't.",.
Calling-herself an .'-'enthusiastic person,
who wants to reform the world,"" Troiano'
believes in involvement. As Student
Government secretary her ' sophomore
year,- vice president of Commuter Union
her junior year," Troiano was on the CUB
fine arts and • coffeehouse committees
before becoming president.
The 15 office hours and time spent at
"the two to three" weekly CUB events has
changed Troiano's career goals, she says.
Graduating with a Bachelor-.of Arts in
Psychology in May,.Troiano has been
accepted in Cornell University's graduate
school of management in the. Industrial
Labor Relations department. She is also
waiting to hear from Yale University.
Troiano says her greatest reward as
CUB president is "everytime you see a
bunch of people having a good time, it
makes it all worthwhile." •
Blondes have more fun
By Eileen Ryan
Judging from the eternal smile on
Commuter Union President John Hughes'
face, one could become convinced that
blondes do have more.fun.
Having a good time is important to
Hughes because "there's got to be more to
life than material success." Yet it's easy
to detect that there's also a very serious
side of the CU. President.
The youngest in a family with seven*
children, Hughes' three brothers and three
sisters provided him with "a lot of close
ties and a lot of people to identify with. It
seems like someone was always there..!"
After high school Hughes enlisted in the
Air Force.because he wanted to fly. But
because he lacked college credits his. feet
remained firmly planted/for.three years
and nine months in places like:Omaha,
Nebraska,-, and Shreveport, Louisiana,
where he served as a surveyor. Although
he says the'Air Force expended his social
horizonvby bringing him,together with
apeople,: from all, over - the country, ,he
iilckly became disillusioned with military
fe and chose not to make it a career..
.Hughes .added that although he's not a
"typical hardened vet," he says the draft
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person was rightnext to me,-but otherwise
I missed everything*thafc.was being said..
- Evenwalking tbiarid^from classes "was i'
strange^feeling.'My/sense, of balance was
off' and a 'few 'times