This Week in Tower History

March 13, 2013

• The next Pope, who chose the name Francis, was elected by the Papal Conclave. “University students and faculty eagerly paused classes and flocked to the nearest televisions on Wednesday afternoon while the bells pealed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to announce the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, of Argentina to the papacy.” 

March 1, 2012

• CUAllies sought university recognition after a resolution supporting the org’s official recognition passed in the student government senate the week before. Congratulations to CUAllies and SGA on the passing of Resolution 016 last week. 

 March 2, 1989

• Rev. Charles E. Curran, a former tenured theology professor, lost his court case against the university which had been an ongoing saga for two years. Curran had been declared unfit to teach by the Vatican in 1986 after he published articles debating contraception, sexuality, and divorce. The restriction of academic freedom placed Catholic University on the censure list of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) later that year. 

March 2, 1984

• A D.C. City Council bill to raise the drinking age in the District to 21 years of age died in committee. Efforts to stop the bill were led by the Association Against Age Discrimination chapters at each of the five area schools and the Washington Area Restaurant Association.

March 4, 1982

• A satirical article ran in the opinion section (then called the Forum) about law school students and the law school dean planting landmines in the hill to O’Boyle to lessen the number of “the remedial rejects who compose the undergraduate population” in favor of more space on campus for the “select scholars of the law”. The article reported that a week later the Law School seceded from the University, renaming itself Georgetown North, and had found a legal technician that gave the law school ownership of the Shrine, which they planned to demolish to use the space for parking.

March 7, 1980

• A front page article focused on the large $500 tuition increase for the upcoming 1980-1981 school year, which would raise the year’s undergraduate tuition from $3750 to $4250. An editorial in the opinion section (then called the Forum) lamented that “The average student living on campus next year can expect to pay about $6500 for tuition, room, and board. Is this outrageous?”

March 9, 1979

• From 1973-1979 The Tower’s front page of every edition was a full page picture. The “On the cover” box on the first news page said “Pat Skellar (Susan Baughman) tells Joe Strohs (Chris Nahas) of ‘the most embarrassing moment in their relationship’ during Spellman Hall’s rendition of ‘The Newlywed Game’ at the International Catholic Charities (ICC) show this week.”

• 

March 1, 1968

• Peggy Shaker was elected as the first president of the student government.

March 5, 1965

• Buzz Aldrin spoke on campus in a McMahon auditorium about NASA’s upcoming projects, four years before he became one of the first men to walk on the moon. 

March 5, 1942

• Ed Casey’s “But No ‘Rithmetic” column criticized the 1942 Academy Awards’ Outstanding Motion Picture award which went to How Green Was My Valley over Citizen Kane. “Many felt that our boy, Orson, was done dirty, or, as they might say, was insufficiently recognized. No doubt they were afraid, however, to pat a fresh kid on the back too hard, and, at that, on a first effort. That may be just plain hypocrisy or may not, because, although Welles did tricks with the silver screen that had never been done before, he still lacked any emotional thread to carry his picture fully.”

March 7, 1935

• The “Fruit and Nuts” column by Jerry MacKavanagh focused on the start of Lent: “The Lenten season has started, so columnists, as all other good Christians, must sacrifice a few of the comforts of life. This columnist will try to do the following things during Lent: Will not use the inside of the fruit and use only the shells of the nuts. (Do not fret if the jokes sound a little hollow.) Will not attend classes or answer any summons from the Dean. Will not buy imported champagnes. Will pay no bills. Will give up paying for the date’s share of the check in the night club. Will give up riding in taxicabs. Will stop giving tips. Will give up five-mile hikes before breakfast. Will not buy my own cigarettes. Will be kind to freshmen and other animals. Will not think about studying as much as I thought about it before. “