24 of the 28 US Jesuit Colleges and Universities Discuss Islam

Angela Markwith
Staff Writer

This past week, USF hosted members from 24 of the 28 American Jesuit universities. Two full days and the entirety of the Fromm complex was dedicated to discussing an increasingly pressing issue: the presence of Islamic and Muslim culture on Jesuit campuses.

On Apr. 10 and 11, the overall objective was to examine the evolution of the mission of Catholic Jesuit universities in light of the growth of Islamic studies and the increase in Muslim faculty, staff, and students on campus.

College News From Around The World

Kimberlee Parton
Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Chicago, IL, USA

In a study published this week from the University of Chicago, researchers found that olfactory malfunction — the loss of the sense of smell — is a strong predictor of death. In a study conducted from 2005-06, older adults were asked to identify five different scents: peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather. After adjusting the study to account for variances in participants’ age, physical and mental health, education level, and alcohol or substance abuse, researchers found that 40% of the 3,005 participants tested who failed the smell test had died, compared to 10% of those who had a healthy sense of smell in a follow-up in 2010-11. The study concluded that olfactory malfunction was better at predicting mortality than diagnosis of heart failure, cancer or lung disease.

College News From Around The World

Kimberlee Parton
Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI
Karachi, Pakistan

Mohammad Shakil Auj, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Karachi, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while being driven to an Iranian cultural center where he was invited to speak as a guest of honor. Although the crime is still being investigated by Pakistani police, many believe Auj’s death was motivated by his outspoken, liberal views of Islam, which could have upset Muslim conservatives — for example, he had issued fatwas pronouncing that Muslims and non-Muslims could intermarry. In response, students at the university have carried out protests calling for the arrest of Auj’s killers, and greater security measures to protect professors.

The Working College Student

Claudia Sanchez
Staff Writer

With college tuition prices rising each semester, many students turn to jobs, in addition to federal aid, scholarships, and loans, to pay for their tuition. There are currently 6,745 undergraduate students attending USF, and many of them are splitting their time between jobs, classes, and studying.

The university offers many on-campus job positions ranging from working with Bon Appetit catering to assistant jobs in different departments.

College News From Around The World

Kimberlee Parton
Staff Writer

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA, USA

Harvard has confirmed rumors that 19th century French author Arsène Houssaye’s book, “On the Destiny of the Soul,” is an example of anthropodermic bibliopegy — the practice of binding books in human flesh. Researchers stated that the book contains a manuscript which notes that, “a book about the human soul deserves to have a human covering,” and after extensive testing, is in fact bound in skin taken from the back of an unknown woman. Although macabre, the practice is not rare for books of similar age. However, most books bound in this manner are usually medical books whose authors did not want the skin of the cadavers they were examining to go to waste.