The Strength It Takes to Stay Editor’S Note: in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr

Yum... Rats again? Trouble in the Heartland Ready for another “Survivor?” Sink your teeth Police continue to search for two of the seven Wednesday into that and other new television escaped Texas convicts suspected of multiple series hitting homes soon. nationwide murders. JANUARY 24, Scene ♦ page 12-13 World & Nation ♦ page 5 2 0 0 1 O b s e r v e r The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s VOL XXXIV NO. 72 h t t p ://OBSERVER.ND.EDU ND and SMC students flood to Washington pro-life march president. “If this w asn’t a civil Notre Dame senior Mario Suarez By MAUREEN SMITHE rights movement we wouldn’t be said he was particularly struck by Assistant News Editor here in Washington.” the surveys and polls conducted by Cleaver. In the 28 years since the “She has studied how people per Supreme Court legalized abortion Eye opening weekend Arriving Saturday and Sunday ceive pro-lifers and pro-choicers. in the controversial Roe vs. Wade morning, students from the Notre She reported that the first word case, pro-life supporters have Dame and Saint Mary’s community that comes to mind in association annually marched in Washington were on hand to witness several with the term ‘pro-life’ is ‘bomb,’” DC to show their Suarez said. “That is hard to take, opposition to the historical events, including the presidential inauguration and the because I’d like to think that we decision. See Also 28th annual Right for Life March. are following the pattern of Martin This year was The weekend-long festivities cen Luther King.” no different. “Students tered on the continuing debate over Following the conference, stu Flooding the comment on DC a woman’s right to choose. The dents attended a Mass for Life at nation’s capital March was held in conjunction with the National Shrine of the Monday after journey ” a conference held at Georgetown Immaculate Conception along with noon, more than hundreds of other pro-life support p a g e 7 University Sunday afternoon. 100,000 protest Speakers, including Father Frank ers. Despite cramped seating that ers from every Pavone, director of Priests for Life, spread onto the floor, aisles and corner of the United States joined corners, DeVoir said the Mass was and Kathy Cleaver, Pro-Life secre in this year’s March for Life. tariat to the US council of bishops, one of the trip’s highlights. Included in that crowd were 355 addressed issues surrounding the “It was amazing and the music students from the Notre Dame and was beautiful. It really helped me abortion debate and the Right to Saint Mary’s community, the Life movement. put this trip into focus,” she said. largest college group at the March. “They talked about a few things I Prior to the March, thousands “Even as Americans, not just gathered at the base of the MAUREEN SMITHE/The Observer never knew. It was refreshing to be Christians, we believe in the value Washington Monument for a rally with a lot of people who feel the 355 Notre Dame students gathered along with other of human dignity,” said Kaitlyn same way 1 do,” said Erica DeVoir, pro-life supporters in DC last weekend for the annual Dudley, Notre Dame Right to Life march for life. a Saint Mary’s student. see MARCH/page 8 The strength it takes to stay Editor’s note: In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations on campus, The Observer explores diversity issues in a four-part series. Part two examines the issues confronting minority retention at Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame. ♦SMC retention ♦ Diversity can be rates fall in classes an obstacle at of 2002, 2003 Notre Dame By NOREEN GILLESPIE By MIKE CONNOLLY Moving News Writer News Writer Towar< In a sea of white faces, It takes a special kind of Deontraneze Thompson stands minority student to survive the out in the crowd. white, Catholic world of Notre On a campus where African- Dame. American students make up .8 As a member of a different Part II: percent of the student body, culture, a different background standing out isn’t a choice for or a different lifestyle, questions Retention Thomspon — it’s her life. Life are bound to arise from even for Thompson has meant the most well-meaning member becoming used to walking into a of the majority. The call to classroom knowing that she will speak for your race or set a be the only African-American positive example of your culture student there. It’s been becom for others to understand can be ing used to the looks she gets loud at Notre Dame. when she walks across campus, “Often times minority stu and being one of the only dents go through what we call African-American women in her the ‘Pain Olympics,”’ said Kevin residence hall. Huie, assistant director of But that doesn’t mean she’s Multicultural Student Programs comfortable with standing out. and Services (MSPS). “Because "I’m usually the only black there are so few of them, they student in my classes,” always think they have to talk Thompson said. “When I walk for their race or for their cul into a classroom, and everyone ture. That is not what we want is the same, I stick out. I don’t them to have to do. We don’t have the benefit of skipping want them to think because you class and not being noticed.” are African American or Thompson, a native of because you are Asian Birmingham, Ala., said that American, tell us w hat it is when she toured Saint Mary’s as KRISTINE KAAI/The Observer like.” a senior in high school, she real- Deontraneze Thompson, a pre-med chemistry major at Saint Mary’s, prepares for a chem lab. Thompson typically finds she is the only see RACE/page 6 see RETENTION/page 4 African-American student in her classes. page 2 The Observer ♦ INSIDE Wednesday, January 24, 2001 In s id e C o l u m n T h is W eek in S o u th B e n d Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Can you say ♦ Event: “Lincoln presents ♦ Event: “Lincoln presents ♦ Event: Notre Dame ♦ Fundraising: St. Joseph the Emancipation the Emancipation Student Film Festival, 7:30 Tree Sales Program, all penis? Proclamation,” all day, Proclamation,” all day, p.m., Snite Museum of Art. day, the Soil and Water Northern Indiana Center Northern Indiana Center Conservation District I have not seen or read “The Vagina Monologues,” and consequently, my article is for History. for History. office. not focused on the play itself. I am not con cerned with whether or not it remains on Saint ♦ Meeting: South Bend Mary’s campus; frankly, I am not capable of Rotary Club meeting, 12 making an educated judge ment. p.m., Century Center. Nevertheless, it is very evident what the ideologi cal motivations are behind the play’s material. Based OUTSIDE THE DOME Compiled from U-Wire reports on articles I have read con cerning the “Monologues,” it seems as though the vagina is meant to repre Iowa State U. regents select Geoffrey sent a new age in femi Nate Phillips nism. In this mutated ver AMES, Iowa institutions, so he understands the sion of pure and noble fem Members of the state Board of complexities of the land-grant univer inism, a woman’s body Regents announced Gregory Geoffroy “Em just delighted to have this sity.” becomes a sexual symbol Copy Editor as the 14th president of Iowa State opportunity to lead this Geoffroy was also one of three presi somehow representative of University Tuesday night. The deci wonderful university. ” dential finalists at University of the female spirit. sion came after more than 12 hours of Kentucky at Lexington. He called How is “allowing women deliberation. Kentucky before the formal announce to talk about their bodies,” their vaginas and Geoffroy is senior vice president for Gregory Geoffroy ment to inform them of his acceptance sex in any way an uplifting and productive Academic Affairs and provost at the New President of Iowa State’s offer. The Kentucky avenue for modern-day feminists to pursue? University of Maryland, College Park. board was to vote on their new presi What can possibly be accomplished from speak “I’m just delighted to have this University, and James Melsa, dean of dent tonight. ing about one’s genitalia? opportunity to lead this wonderful engineering at Iowa State. Geoffrey said he picked Iowa State This “vagina movement” seems absurd to me, university,” Geoffroy said. “I’m really Board of Regents President Owen over Kentucky because of the people and contradicts the true spirit behind the femi glad that the board has the confidence Newlin said the regents chose he met while visiting the campus and nist movement. in me to choose me for this position, Geoffroy for his experience with acad because of his scientific background. Proponents claim that by not speaking about and I look forward to joining you this emics at land-grant universities. “Both are fine universities, and I just a female’s bodily and sexual functions women summer.” “Dr. Geoffroy has experience as a think that Iowa State is a better match are left “voiceless and unable to send a message The board began interviewing each professor, a department head, a dean, for my own background and inter to the media and society that they do not want of the four finalists at 8 a.m. Monday. a provost and an acting president,” ests.” he said.

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