SMC Aims to Increase Multicultural Awareness I

‘Payback’Time Unrest in Africa Monday ■ Critics review Mel Gibson’s new action ■ Ethiopia and Eritrea continue to fight in the Horn flick “ Payback.” o f Africa war. FEBRUARY 15, Scene • 10-11 World & Nation - 5 1999 O B S E R VER The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint M ary’s VOL XXXII NO. 89 W W W .ND.EDU/~OBSERVER SMC aims to increase multicultural awareness By MEGHAN DONAHUE “Many young women came Multicultural Affairs is short- News W riter to Saint Mary's with the trust handed, students have taken that here they would be wel the task of organizing various Raising cultural awareness come and not alone,” said programs into their own in the Saint Mary's communi Oropeza. hands in order to make the ty while enabling minority Activities sponsored by the programs successful. groups to fuel at home on Office of Multicultural Affairs Other ideas Oropeza has for campus has proved to-be a seek to bring together m inor bringing together minority daunting challenge. ity students in an attempt to and Caucasian students But the College has contin increase the sense of commu include a multicultural ued to strive toward breaking nity at the College. awareness campaign. down cultural barriers by uti “Ideally, a different aware lizing l lie Office of ness campaign w ill be put up M ulticultural Affairs and every month," said Oropeza attempting to increase course I s U in reference to the plans of offerings. the Multicultural Office. The “ We try to build a sense of Monday Feature Office wants to emphasize community among our eighty V cultural diversity through l.atinas and let them know r ' A . advertising with ads similar they have a home base while “We concentrate on com to the milk slogans in print they are away at college," munity service and campus and on television. said M aria Oropeza, director functions because these “We want to do the same of the Office of Multicultural women I minority students] thing I with advertising], only Affairs at Saint Mary's. feel a responsibility to give our product is m ulticultural- Minority students, especial back because they are grate ism,” said Oropeza. “Culture ly in smaller institutions such ful to be given this kind of is the way we do things, not a as Saint Mary’s, are encour opportunity that many race, women, or the home The Observer/Manuela Hernandez aged to interact with each haven't [been given],” said less. English professor Anne Loux teaches Chicana literature, one of the few other because of the cam Oropeza. “Awareness to the term multicultural course offerings at Saint Mary’s. pus's small size. Although the Office of see AWARENESS / page 4 Students work Architecture towards Mock students T ria l fame By FINN PRESSLY receive honors News Writer Though most students hope to stay clear of the courthouse during their years at Notre Dame, dozens of students (locked to for designs the witness bench this weekend for a differ ent kind of trial. Special to The Observer The University’s Mock Trial association hosted a regional competition this weekend, Senior Kimberly Raspanti is “very excited” over drawing teams from the University of her winning a design competition seeking pro Michigan, the University of Dayton and the posals for the best use of a set of “Byzantine" University of Wisconsin. columns donated to the School of Architecture by “You get a hypothetical case, and this year the Suite Museum. it was a plane crash," said junior Melissa “If it ever gets built, it'll be a I fantastic| honor Miksch, co-president of the Mock Trial for me,” said Raspanti, who has had since last Association. “Students play the roles of both November to create he the attorneys and the witnesses. We’re gatsw ay to the new r winning design. judged on how well we perform. ” She and Carlo Blanehct-Ruth, whose design ARCHITECTURE Notre Dame fielded three teams with six also won an award for meritorious presentation, to eight participants each. Competitors were will receive $ 125 and a ticket to London to par judged on courtroom demeanor, mode of ticipate in the exhibition and symposium on conduct, and the quality of questions asked. March 12 and 13 at the new University of Notre Teams from Notre Dame placed second Dame London Centre honoring the centennial of and fourth, according to Miksch, who is the University’s offering of a degree in architec optimistic about her team’s chances of going ture. to the Gold Nationals tournament in April, “This was an exciting event in the life of the which marks the culmination of the mock school,” said Carroll Westfall, Frank Montana trial post-season. Professor and Chairman of the School of In the past, Notre Dame has sent teams to Architecture. “The entries were thoughtful, beau Gold Nationals, as well as Silver Nationals, tiful, and very sensitive to the site. These are the which is a tournament for teams whose works of mature professionals who will make a scores do not place them in contention for profound contribution to how we build.” gold status. Raspanti’s winning design proposes using the Though weekly practices begin in October, columns as the main features in a brick and most Mock Trial activities don’t get under stone shrine with a mosaic of the Madonna and way until later in the year. Child sheltered in an aedicule and St. Joseph in a "We usually practice three days a week,” recess on the back. said Miksch. “ But, we really don’t start "I wanted something on campus that was rec- practicing intensely until spring semester. ” ognizeably I religious]," said Raspanti, adding that Miksch also commended the work of Ava Photos courtesy of the School of Architecture Preacher, assistant dean of the College of the design could give students something to look Raspanti’s design [above, top] won her the top position in the contest. at on an otherwise “ busy and hectic school day.” Blanchet-Ruth’s contribution [above] also gained recognition. see TRIAL / page 4 page 2 The Observer • INSIDE Monday, February 15, 1999 » INSIDE COLUMN M seeks F, noC t)u tsid e the Dome M Compiled from U-Wire reports commitment Students rally for continuation of single-sex fraternities HANOVER, N.H. cent, of the respondents to the survey Hello. My name is Too. I’m here to ask any Eighty-three percent of the stu were ’02s. Twenty-four percent were of the ladies out there if you are free on the dents who responded to a survey seniors, 20 percent were juniors and Friday of the 26th of February. The reason conducted by The Dartmouth yester CQartmoutft 25 percent were sophomores. that I am doing this is that the night of Feb. day said they favor the continuation Of the freshmen who responded, 26 is when my dorm — of the single-sex Greek system at the 532 supported the continuation of the will be having a “ hall- C.R. “ Teo” Teodoro College. College single-sex system — 32 percent of wide” dance. I under- Illustrations Editor Of the 4,106 students polled by The the total number of students from all stand that some people Dartmouth via lllitzMail, 2,003 — or classes who supported its continua may think that it is a bit early to ask two 49 percent — responded to the sur tion. weeks in advance, but I certainly do not want vey, and 1,660 of them said they sup in which men and women can have Jen Morgan 02 said she doubts she what had happened the last time my dorm port the single-sex system. Fifteen healthy social interactions," but sin would rush a sorority in the fall, but had such a social event. percent of the respondents said the gle-sex houses are a “ necessary part she appreciates the “tradition" gen hast semester, Fisher Hall, my dorm, had a single-sex system should not be con of the college experience.” erated by the Greek system. dance for which I tried to get a date. I never tinued, and two percent were unde “That’s the most popular social “ I feel like they’re taking something would expect much, just an enjoyable cided. avenue, and I just think that forcing away that they don’t have the right to evening with a female friend to accompany Fifty-five percent of the students them to combine social space in such take away — no matter who they’re me with all my other dorm friends. However, who said the single-sex system a popular avenue would just com taking it away from ," she said. I must have asked a little late or was simply should be continued are not affiliated pletely revamp the whole social Louis Freidheim 02 said he is both unlucky. I was unable to find a date for that with a fraternity or sorority. atmosphere at Dartmouth,” she said. ered that “the opportunity [to rush] night. Junior Betsy Beck, who is u naffili Members of the Class of 2002 might not be there, just because 1 It was not as though I haven’t tried. I asked ated, said single-sex Greek houses expressed the most support for the had a passing interest in it. I proba almost all the girls 1 knew if they would like should remain on campus. single-sex Greek system. bly would have rushed, but I don’t to be invited. Many of them appreciated the She said there are “ plenty of places Six-hundred and sixteen, or 31 per know if I would have pledged.” sentiment but they either had other plans or their dorms also had planned dances on the same night.

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