Runnin’ Again The Absurder takes a jab With Crown Royal, Run-DMC’s first studio The Absurder takes a farcical look at the Tuesday release since the early 1990s, the group campus scene. proves that it hasn’t lost one bit of its edge. The Absurder ♦ pullout Scene ♦ page 11 APRIL 3, 2001 O bserver The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s VOL XXXIV NO. 115 H T T P ://0 BSE RVER.ND.EDU Picketers protest SMC’s non-union contractors Victory turn the job around, chose a By MYRA McGRIFF unionized worker but I don’t Saint Mary’s Editor think they will do that. We do buzz hits want to bring it to the public’s Union organizers and work­ attention and give something to ers began picketing Monday think about,” said Mike Kruk, campus morning on Route 31 at Saint union organizer. Mary’s two entrances. Steve Banahaski, a carpenter The picket came as a reac­ of 10 years and a union car­ By JASON McFARLEY tion to the start of construction penter for five has tasted both News Editor on the new edition to the main­ worlds. In the five years work­ tenance building by Majority ing as a non-unionized carpen­ Sunday night the Notre Dame Building Company. ter, Banahaski struggled to find community watched the Saint Mary’s contracted a job and wage security. His women’s basketball team win Majority Feb. 16th and since only way of securing a livable the national championship the ground breaking last wage rested in his ability to game against Purdue in St. month, union organizers have negotiate. Louis. rallied against Saint Mary’s “You had to negotiate your On Monday all it wanted to decision to use a non-union own wage with your employer do was talk about it. contractor. with no job security and no “The atmosphere on campus Standing on picket lines, benefits,” said Banahaski. was very exciting and positive. union workers made it clear The unions are asking for the The mood today was a carry what they wanted the move­ stability of job, wages and ben­ over from the excitement last ment to bring about. efits for the workers on sight. night,” sophomore Matt Smith They wanted the picket to However, in the middle of the said. resonate action on behalf of the battle over union and non­ “You could sense the enthusi­ Saint Mary’s community and at union workers stands Majority <ty asm from everyone talking large. Building, which partner Rick about it in class and on the Workers like James Carter, a Slagal, describes as a merit quads today,” Linda Melchor, third-year apprentice with shop. also a sophomore, said. South Bend’s carpenters union, During 28 years in business, Smith was among a crowd of want people to see that unions the family-run company has about 1,500 who welcomed the are offering workers and busi­ practiced the philosophy of team back to campus around nesses something better. paying workers based on their 2:30 a.m. Monday at Main “As far as wages go, the talent level. Working on such Circle. The students braved the workers of Majority and the projects as the Center early-morning cold while college are settling for less,” Township Library, Majority cheering and waving signs in said Carter. sees itself as a supporter of celebration of the victory. Workers and union organiz­ workers rights. Cutting out The win set off an explosion ers alike want Saint Mary’s to what they call the “middle in school pride — in female recognize the picket as a sign man” of union hierarchy, athletics in particular. of the action that should be ini­ Majority believes it is fair to its Signs on residence halls and tiated. Organizers think that employees. at the Joyce Center announced Saint Mary’s should choose a Majority provides its workers the newly acquired title and new contractor or at least con­ with paid vacation, paid per­ MYRA McGRIFF/The O bserver offered public testam ent to sider choosing a union contrac­ sonal days and an apprentice- Union workers protest Saint Mary’s decision to hire a non-union campus-wide support of the tor in the future. contractor to perform construction. The protestors claim that nation’s top women’s team. “We would want them to see UNION/page 4 Saint Mary’s is compromising job stability and fair wages. “This is an all-time high that I’ve seen for support of women’s sports,” Smith said. “I spoke to [sophomore guard] Alicia Ratay and told her the team had done a monumental ND students find remains in Appalachia thing,” Smith said. As part of the team’s banquet with client files, plot records, Sunday, the University will By MAUREEN SMITHE embalming tools and chemicals sponsor a pep rally open to the Associate News Editor and a refrigerator with rotted food. public at 3 p.m. at the Joyce When the United Methodist Center. Sports information offi­ While most students spent their Church recently bought the build­ cials said Monday that the spring breaks relaxing in the sun­ ing to turn it into a community out­ event will include tournament shine of a tropical locale, one reach center, a major clean up and game highlights and put on group of nine Notre Dame students rehab became necessary. display the national champi­ and one from Saint Mary’s spent “The house looked like the own­ onship trophy. the week cleaning up an aban­ ers closed up at 5 p.m. on a Friday Brooke Norton, student body doned funeral home in with the intent of returning on president, said the Office of the Charlestown, West Virginia. Monday morning, [but never did],” President will likely sponsor What was supposed to be just Perkins said. the pep rally in conjunction another Appalachia Seminar spon­ Students spent the first day at with the University. She said sored by the Center for Social the home cleaning up the public student government officials Concerns quickly turned into a areas. The second day brought the are optimistic that they can week resembling a horror movie first surprise: the cremated hold an event on behalf of the as body parts and cremated remains of 19 bodies. Perkins said student body before Sunday. remains were found in the dark­ everyone initially thought it was “I think a group should orga­ ened corners of the funeral home. just kitty litter or de-icer. nize something to show appre­ “It was very strange,” Notre “In the back of my mind, I was ciation for the team ’s hard Dame senior Brett Perkins said wondering if they were ashes. As work and success,” Melchor about the funeral home, which had we went through more stuff we said. been suddenly abandoned more found canisters with the same Courtesy of BRETT PERKINS “Any c h a n c e w e can , w e ’d than two years ago when the home stuff. I flipped one over and saw a Students pictured in the front row (l-r): Jen Prins, like to show more support for no longer had a licensed label that said ‘American Melissa Ferrello, Laurie Hohberger, Brett Perkins, the team,” said Smith, presi- embalmer. Kathy Fech, Joanne Koehl, middle: Molly Walsh , Mary Left behind were cabinets filled see REMAINS/page 4 Beth Stryher, back: Matt Cremer, Roger Riley, Mike see CFLAMPS/page 4 page 2 The Observer ♦ INSIDE Tuesday, April 3, 2001 In s id e C o l u m n Q u o t e s o f t h e W e e k “I’m just the most “She was absolutely “He’d say, ‘Now “We really have The greatest gifts obnoxious, irritating terrific. She played coach, I’m wearing three guys. I think like the best player this red sweater for it’s kind of remark­ Oh, what a weekend. punk. I’m so cocky It all started for me at the “butt-crack of dawn” about my faith in the country... She’s you. We’re going to able, that they’re on Friday morning, my 20th birthday, when I helped set up the stage equipment for the G-Love because it’s so real a quality kid and it beat your ass, but just freshmen and concert. I had flashbacks to elementary school as I’m wearing this red we can watch them I wore a name tag that read, to me. ” shows in every “Bryan — AKA Birthday Bryan Kronk Matt Smith, star of MTV’s dimension.” sweater for you. ’” throw like that. ” Boy,” in hopes that my ________________ friends at SUB might recog­ “Real World,” addressing Vanderbilt coach Jim Foster’s Bob Knight on former athletic Football coach Bob Davie on nize it and wish me the Sports Copy students at No Greater Love. comments on Ruth Riley. director Moose Krause. next year's quarterback. obligatory Happy Birthday. E ditor It worked. Friday night, I sat with my roommate and a close friend as our Fighting Irish women’s basketball team took on OUTSIDE THE DOME Compiled from U-Wire re ports Connecticut. Munching on Doritos and guzzling Mountain Dew after Mountain Dew, we watched in agony as the Irish fell behind by 16, only to make the biggest comeback in the 20-year histo­ Brown University withdraws Horowitz invite ry of the women’s Final Four. PROVIDENCE, R.I. ply bringing him to campus may result This might sound corny, but I knew all along David Horowitz was scheduled to in violent protests.” that they would win.