/ ^ V THE bserver OThe Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Marys VOLUME 41 : ISSUE 72 MONDAY. JANUARY29, 2007 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Basketball ticket sales, crowds strong Computer This change was made “due to the By EMMA DRISCOLL fact that we had sold out our student sparks fire News Writer tickets a couple years in a row and found that there were more students who wanted to attend,” Berio said. in Last year’s change to the Notre Due to the number of games on the Dame’s men’s basketball student tick­ men’s basketball schedule, Berio eting policy may have helped keep said, students were not always able Dorm incurs minor this year’s ticket sales strong and the to attend every game. The ticket poli­ crowd enthusiastic, said Director of cy change was made to “make it so damage , no injuries Ticket Operations Josh Berio. as many students as possible could “I would say our ticket sales are attend [the games],” he said. pretty similar compared to the last The basketball team currently has By MARCELA BERRIOS couple years,” Berio said on Jan. 22, a 17-game winning streak at home, News W riter noting that while sales haven’t signfi- something Berio said probably also cantly increased, crowd energy has. encourages attendance — which, in Siegfried Hall was evacuated The policy for student tickets was turn, helps the team. early Saturday morning when altered last year to allow students to “The crowds this year have been sophomore Dan Zimmerman’s “share booklets,” Berio said, a great. They’ve been into the game, ALLISON AMBROSE/The Observer computer went up in flames, change that has boosted consistent Members of the Leprechaun Legion cheer dur­ causing minor damage but student attendance. see TICKETS/page 4 ing the Nov. 10 basketball game against IPFW. leaving residents stranded out­ side for almost an hour. Zimmerman was not in the room when his computer’s bat­ tery overheated and exploded, creating two-and-a-half to Students travel to D C. for war protest three-foot-high flames, Siegfried assistant rector Peter Lively said. Justice coalition. A handful of Zimmerman’s By SONIA RAO Junior Mike McCann said neighbors — including sopho­ News Writer he was “a little hesitant at mores Tomas Castillo, Mike first” in deciding to go on the Hawking and Robbie Bernardin Notre Dame students trip, not wanting “to go to — smelled the smoke, immedi­ returned to campus Sunday something that was antago­ ately unplugged the computer after joining tens of thou­ nistic.” But he said the and opened the windows to sands in W ashington, D.C. to protest didn’t have that kind vent the room. protest the Iraq war and of spirit. When the laptop ignited, they other policies of the Bush “tit was] a message of notified resident assistant Anh administration. Saturday’s peace and bringing home the Nguyen and Lively, who protest marked a “turning troops ... There were people grabbed a fire extinguisher and point in the anti-war move­ of a lot of different ages and smothered the flames before ment,” said Michael Angulo, a lot of different back­ the Notre Dame Fire vice-president of Notre grounds. It wasn’t just a Department and Notre Dame Dame’s Progressive Student bunch of hippie college kids Security/Police (NDSP) arrived. Alliance. — it was people in wheel­ Lively said Friday’s fire was “I think that everyone had chairs, moms pushing kids in the most potentially destructive a really good time and I think strollers, older couples and fire he has seen in his seven that the protest in general young kids,” McCann said. years at Notre Dame and was a really good thing,” he Angulo said several pro­ Siegfried Hall. said testers from other countries, Residents became aware of Angulo organized the group including Iraq and England, the flames at approximately of 30 students to drive to were present. 1:10 a.m., and NDSP and the Photo courtesy of Lara Roach Washington on Friday for the “[Foreign protesters] were firefighters arrived shortly Protesters, including Notre Dame students, speak out against the protest, a function sponsored Bush administration’s Iraq war policies in Washington, D.C. Saturday. by the United for Peace and see PROTEST/page 4 see FIRE/page 6 Hanna elected 2007-08 Alums awarded for excellence she worked for WNDU-TV in neering role as a top female By MEGHAN WONS 1982 while sports jour­ Observer editor in chief News Writer s till an n a lis t in undergradu­ 2 0 0 5 w h en Observer Staff Report ernment, campus crime and Four exemplary Notre Dame ate student she received disciplinary procedures and the graduates were honored on a t N o tre t h e The Observer General Board Office of the University campus Friday with awards Dame. A m e r i c a n elected managing editor Maddie President. presented by the Notre Dame She h a s Women Hanna as the 2007-08 editor in “I’m thrilled to have this Alumni Association. also R adio a n d chief on Saturday. opportunity and I’m very lucky Awardees included journal­ a n c h o r e d Television Hanna, a junior French major we have such a dedicated and ist Hannah Storm, doctor “CNN Sports G r a c i e and journal­ talented staff,” Hanna said. Daniel Towle, artist Anthony T o n i g h t ” Storm Sorce A w ard for ism, ethics During Hanna’s term as man­ Sorce and author Barry and worked outstanding a n d d e m o c ­ aging editor, she oversaw the Lopez. as a sports news racy minor day-to-day editorial operations Hannah Storm, Class of anchor and anchor, and fro m M eq- of The Observer, where she saw 1983, received the Rev. Arthur reporter in she has been u o n , W is. “what works and what doesn’t” S. Harvey, C.S.C., Award for C h a r l o t t e , n o m in a te d who resides while gaining a “broad sense of her notable achievements in N .C ., a n d twice for an off campus what we can do better,” she the media. Houston and Emmy after living in said. Hanna also worked closely Storm was the first woman Corpus A w ard fo r Lewis Hall, with the news department. solo anchor of a network C h r i s t i , Best Sports Hanna “I have confidence in sports package when she Texas. Television joined The Towle Lopez Observer as a Maddie’s ability to lead The served as host of NBC’s base­ S to rm is Host. news reporter during the fall of Observer next year,” outgoing ball and basketball program­ currently co-anchor of CBS The Dr. Thomas A. Dooley her freshman year. Since then, editor in chief Mike Gilloon ming from 1995-2002. News’ “The Early Show.” Award for outstanding service she has covered a wide variety She got her start as a sports Storm was recognized for of beats, including student gov­ see ElC/page 4 reporter in South Bend when her achievements and pio­ see AWARDS/page 6 page 2 The Observer ♦ PAGE 2 Monday, January 29, 2007 Inside C olumn Question of the Day: W hat’s the first thing you think of when you hear ‘Jack B a u e r’? Looking good, ND m After spending my Sunday immersed in writings of genocide, ancient trade and fine art for this week’s classes, I’ve decided to devote this column to some­ Elizabeth Pillari Rob Wilson Tomas Castillo Ken Shamrell Ted Lee Brendan O’Rourke thing vastly more superficial for my junior sophomore sophomore sophomore freshman freshman own sanity and for Cavanaugh Stanford Siegfried Siegfried Alumni Dillon your guilt-free Steve Kerins reading pleasure. While I was News Wire “Kevin “The great “Death, “He’s like Chuck “Unrealistic, “Spill more. studying this after­ Crowley." American hero destruction and Norris — except but I want to be noon, I often Editor glanced up at of our time. ’’ the savior o f better. ” like him. ” friends, classmates and strangers as humanity. ’’ they walked past my booth in LaFortune. As the hours passed, one thought kept popping into my head: “You’re looking good lately, Notre Dame.” Before I write further, let me be clear: I’m well aware that I’m no fashionista. Naturally, I like to look good when the weather is fine. True to my preppy roots, I value a golden fake-and-bake, double-popped pastels and liberal In B rief application of greasy hair products. But I recognize that in South Bend, there comes a point in January where even Vincent Carraud, professor of the best of us are tempted to leave philosophy at the University of suede jackets at home in favor of a Caen, France is delivering a lec­ much warmer North Face. ture entitled “The A nti- Yet today, I witnessed something bold, Augustinianism of Pascal” today something beautiful, and I’d like to at 3 p.m. in DeBartolo 207. raise my figurative glass to those of you who went above and beyond. It’s 10 There is an informational degrees outside, and you’re still looking meeting for freshman and soph­ fine. omores interested in learning It could be that those New Year’s res­ about how to receive funding to olutions to spend some time at Rolfs or conduct research or participate cut back on late night LaFun runs are in an internship in Africa, Asia or starting to show.