Le Provocateur

In the 123 days since President Francesco Cesareo has been in office, he has already begun to accomplish some of the goals that he set for himself and for Assumption College upon arrival. One of the broadest things he has tried to do is strengthen the sense of community at Assumption; however, he's also taken on many more concrete endeavors.

Embroiled in controversy, the College of the Holy Cross has found itself at odds with the diocese of Worcester, spearheaded by Bishop Robert J. McManus. According to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Bishop McManus was "outraged" with Holy Cross' choice to allow the Planned Parenthood organization and NARAL Pro-Choice use of the Hogan Campus Center, the school's conference center.

As Veteran's Day approaches, and the images of soldiers past and present being conjured up left and right, one cannot help but reflect on the state of our nation; both internationally and domestically. This inward reflection, for most, is not a positive one.

Dominick King is not your typical college junior. Although he fits in well with the Assumption College student body, there is one large thing that separates him from everyone else. At just 24, King is a US Marine Corps Reservist and a veteran of two tours during the Iraq war.

If you had at all been paying attention when your professor's handed out their syllabi on the first day of class, you would have noticed a slight change had been made: instead of 10 office hours, students are only offered six. Many students agree with Lauren Symonick, a senior, Global Studies major here at Assumption College, in saying: "[The office hours change] doesn't seem to be going with the current trend of the college.

When Assumption senior Jackie Sargent speaks about an issue she is passionate about, it comes from the heart. The Spencer, Massachusetts native and co-leader of Students Advocating Change (SAC) was on a Campus Ministry/SAC sponsored Spare Change retreat in the spring of 2005 that made her realize that she wanted to get more involved on campus.

There seems to be a strain of thought going around today, perhaps especially at some Catholic colleges and universities, that might be very crudely summarized as "great books but no condoms." Or, more succinctly, "great books without protection." Well, although seemingly silly, this could be worth pursuing in a way.

The October 17 article "Veto reflects Bush's inadequacy" unfairly attacks President Bush, and is loaded with emotionally-driven criticism aimed at a most virtuous veto on his part. Staff Writer Matt Garlin accuses that "His [Bush's] allegiance isn't to those people [the poor], but to the upper class that he gives tax breaks to.

Each year, almost 30,000 people die from suicide, and 70% of those people tell someone or exhibit warning signs before taking their own life. Currently, suicide is the third leading cause of death for college age individuals, claiming the lives of over 1,100 college students each year.