“Heal Wounds” is Message of Sept. 11 Mass
The University of San Francisco’s annual Mass of the Holy Spirit on Sept. 11 was both a remembrance of tragedy and an invocation to heal the wounds of violence.
USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J. sought to remind the congregation of their place in healing violence during the Mass scheduled on the second anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
“It’s not enough for religion to be involved in prayer as we are today,” he said, during his homily. “Rather, to do all (we) can to heal the world’s wounds.”
Fr. Privett called the September 11 attacks an example of “the worst in humanity” but also a reminder of the heroism of people who gave their lives for others. During the Mass, a memorial banner signed by students was laid across the steps of the altar. It will be sent to a firehouse in New York that lost 11 of its members on Sept. 11, 2001.
With the “afterglow” of the Dalai Lama’s visit still palpable, Fr. Privett said, the message of the day was to “understand and forgive our differences.”
“Begin to take responsibility for making our piece of USF a more humane and just world,” he said.
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Junior tennis player Michelle Duncan (with plaque), winner of the first Don McLaughlin Jesuit Service Award, with members of the McLaughlin family.
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Don McLaughlin Award Recognizes Student Athletes’ Service
The USF athletic department named Michelle Duncan, a member of the women’s tennis team, as its first Don McLaughlin Jesuit Service Award recipient. The award, named in honor of the late alumnus and USF volunteer, Don McLaughlin ’51, honors student athletes who do humane and just service. Duncan has spent her last two summers in Central and South America teaching English reading and speaking skills to children.
“That kind of outstanding effort is something we try to push in our athletes, the idea of being involved in the world, doing things in the world,” said Peter Simon, associate athletic director for external relations.
McLaughlin, who died in late July, was a newspaper reporter and publicist before returning to USF to write for various sports publications. He was athletic coordinator for a year, and was named “Alumnus of the Year” in 1990. “He was active in almost every part of campus life,” Simon said.
University Warns Against Illegal Downloading
In the midst of a national record industry lawsuit targeting people who download music off the Internet, USF Chief Information Officer Abe Baggen sent out a warning to employees and students who use the university’s online network to get free copies of their favorite songs.
“Be warned that using USF networks does not protect you from detection or prosecution in committing illegal acts,” Baggen wrote in a community email posted on USF Connect the week of Sept. 22.
Record companies filed 261 lawsuits in mid-September against individuals accused of sharing large amounts of music over the Internet. Many more lawsuits are promised in the near future, according to an announcement by the Recording Industry Association of America, as it continues to battle downloading.
Dan Lawson Named Public Safety Director
Dan Lawson was named public safety director last month after a search committee chose him from 55 applicants. Lawson, who graduated from USF in 1973 and is the father of current sophomore Kathryn Lawson, is a former captain of the San Francisco Police Department and an adjunct professor in the College of Professional Studies’ International Institute for Criminal Justice Leadership. Lawson assumed his position Oct. 1.
“A university is a place with a lot of positive energy and I’m looking forward to that,” Lawson said.
Lawson, who also teaches at San Francisco City College and St. Mary’s College, worked for five years as a police trainer for San Francisco and plans to continue professional training of the campus’s public safety force.
“He’s a teacher and a law enforcement officer and I think that’s a rare combination and perfect fit for our campus environment,” said J.J. Thorp, director of residence life and organizer of the search committee last summer. Under the reorganization last year of University Life, public safety became part of the division under Thorpe’s supervision. It was formerly part of Business and Finance.
Oxford Scholar to Deliver First Koret Distinguished Lecture
Niall Ferguson, an Oxford scholar who recently published the controversial book, EMPIRE: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power, will deliver the Center for the Pacific Rim’s first Koret Distinguished lecture on Oct. 16 at 5:45 p.m. in Lone Mountain room 100. Ferguson argues in his book for the positive aspects of empire.
The Koret Distinguished Lecture is one of two scheduled so far this year. Chalmers Johnson, author of 12 books on Asia, will speak in January. The series is funded by a gift from Susan Koret, a longtime benefactor of the center.
Adjunct Faculty Association 20 Years Old
The part-time faculty association celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The association, an outgrowth of the full-time faculty association, represents adjunct professors (defined as less than 20 hours per week) in faculty negotiations. There are currently approximately 250 part-time faculty, some of whom have taught at USF for as long as 20 years. The association is part of the American Federation of Teachers union.
“As a result of a common dedication to our mission at USF, the university has worked hard to understand the needs of part-time faculty members and we’ve come a long way in the last decade,” said Jake McGoldrick, president of the association.
The association helped adjuncts gain medical benefits in the mid-1990s and recently it negotiated retirement benefits, as well. The union was also granted its own faculty development funds from the university to help part-timers progress in their fields. Currently the association is working with the full-time faculty association on extending benefits to domestic partners.
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“Rhea and the Heart of the World” was one of three pieces in USF’s annual outdoor sculpture show that was moved inside the Gleeson Library’s atrium because of vandalism.
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Vandals Threaten Outdoor Sculpture Show
Unidentified vandals have threatened the continuance of USF’s four-year annual outdoor sculpture show after two pieces in this year’s show were seriously damaged. “Suitcases,” by Peter Eller and a pair of figures titled “Rhea and the Heart of the World” and “Millennium Man” by Gail Caulfied, were relocated to the Gleeson Library atrium after damage was discovered Sept. 29.
Richard Kamler, assistant professor in visual and performing arts and curator of the show, said this is the third year the show has suffered damage. The sculptures are placed outdoors because of their large scale and in order to make them publicly accessible. But Kamler said vandals have jeopardized the university’s role as a safe place to show contemporary art.
“I want to continue the show, and I’m trying to find a way to protect the pieces but we don’t know what to do,” Kamler said. “I’m committed to this show because of what it can do for the university. I’m not at all concerned if people love or hate it, I just don’t want them trashing it.”
This year’s show, “Give and Take,” includes six pieces by Bay Area artists, three of which will remain outside on campus. “Suitcases” was located near the flagpoles outside the library, and the pair of figures was placed in Harney Plaza. The show continues until Dec. 21.
Women’s Volleyball in Top 25
Under new head coach Jeff Nelson, the women’s volleyball team started its season with a 15-0 record, the best start in WCC history. The team’s No. 24 national ranking is the first time it has broken the top 25.
“It’s a great reward for the kids who have put in a lot of hard work to make changes,” said Jeff Nelson, who is in his first year as head coach. “They’re trying to take the program to a new level.”
Led by fifth-year senior Teresa Russell, back after a nearly career-ending knee injury two years ago, the team suffered its first losses against No. 6 Pepperdine on Oct. 2 and No. 21 Loyola-Marymount on Oct. 4. They next play University of Portland Oct. 10 in War Memorial Gym.
Conference to Discuss Reductionism and Emergence
Top theologians, philosophers, and scientists will gather at the University of San Francisco to discuss the 21st century’s essential existential question: can you define a being by its component parts (molecules and cells) or is it something more?
The interdisciplinary conference, Reductionism and Emergence: Implications for the Science/Theology Dialogue to be held at the University of San Francisco Oct. 7-11, will involve 28 specialists in the sciences, philosophy, and theology from all over the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
Topics to be addressed include:
 How can we properly understand the emergence of new properties and behaviors in life forms as complexity increases?
Can complex behaviors be “reduced”—adequately understood and modeled—simply in terms of the properties and behaviors of the components of the systems?
What can scientific and philosophical research on these issues contribute to theological understanding of God’s creative action in our universe?
What can critical philosophical and theological reflection and research contribute to our overall understanding of the mysteries of life, consciousness, and personhood?
Conference attendance is by invitation only. For more information, contact Paul V. Murphy, director of the St. Ignatius Institute, at ext. 6174 or Gary McDonald, USF Media Relations at ext. 2699.
Alessandri Honored for 28 Years of Service
Alfred Alessandri ’50, special assistant to the president and former vice president of university relations, was honored Sept. 25 with a President’s Medallion for his long and distinguished career at USF. He retired this year after 28 years of service.
A skilled diplomat in the upper echelons of San Francisco society, Alessandri brought millions to the university during the ’70s and ’80s by making the university a lightening rod for both Catholic and Jewish philanthropists of the era. His secret, he said, was to “always make the other person look good.” He continued fundraising until his retirement this year.
“The Jesuits and the kind of education they gave me inspired me to devote my career to them,” Alessandri said.
The President’s Medallion is a high honor reflecting service to the university. It has been given to only three other recipients, all of them benefactors cultivated by Alessandri: Madlyn Day, Mel Swig, and John Goy.
“University relations, now university advancement, developed substantially under Al’s leadership, including the completion of three successful campaigns with the fourth now underway,” said David Macmillan, vice president for university advancement. “The number of alumni and friends with whom Al has built close relationships numbers in the many hundreds.”
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