Outgoing SLU president takes parting shot at adversary

BY ROY MALONE / The Rev. Lawrence Biondi, outgoing president of St. Louis University, used his last monthly newsletter to take one last swing at a professor he’s battled for more than two decades.The two-page rant against Avis Meyer was the near the end of his long missive to faculty, staff, students and others, but it was longer than any of the other subjects he extolled about during his tenure as head of the Jesuit university. Meyer has outlasted Biondi’s attempts to dislodge him as unofficial adviser to the student newspaper, the U. News. Meyer has been ordered never to set foot in the newspaper’s office. But the student journalists respect Meyer and meet separately with him to get his editing advice for each issue. Meyer says Biondi blames him for any articles he sees as critical of him or the university.