Break a leg Jenny says... Water Engine debuts on campus tonight at 7:30 Check out Cowboy Mouth, sex drives and Wednesday p.m. in Washington Hall. Read Scene’s preview hard-Core 'Intellectuals’ in today’s fo r background before seeing the play. editorial section. NOVEMBER 17, i Scene ♦ page 10-11 Viewpoint ♦ page 9 1999 T h e O BSERVER The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint M ary’s VOL XXXIII NO. 54 HTTIV/OBS ERVER.ND.EDU P u s h in g co r po r a te l im it s New software system aids in academic advising cation and life,” Hurley said. By LIZ ZANONI Where computing grade point News W riter averages, researching academic his­ tory and finding appropriate courses Notre Dame is finalizing new soft­ can take up the majority of meeting ware that will enable faculty and stu­ time with students, advisors will now dents to have access to information have the freedom to advise students on degree requirements for gradua­ on career possibilities and graduate tion, said Charles Hurley, the work. University’s assistant registrar. The current system requires stu­ The new software is designed to dents who want to receive reports make professors experts on the charting their progress toward meet­ requirements within their depart­ ing degree requirements to go, in ments so they can better assist stu­ person, to the registrar’s office and dents with advice. This will be espe­ request the written report. Many uni­ cially useful for Notre Dame’s diverse versities such as Notre Dame are undergraduate program which often abandoning these more outdated and experiences quick changes and inconvenient ways of finding and dis­ expansions in required classes, tributing information, Hurley said. Hurley said. He said that creating the new pro­ The Web version of the degree- gram involved the partnership audit program will enable students between Notre Dame and Software to have access to their personal aca­ Research Northwest (SRN), a soft­ demic records. Students who are ware manufacturing company who thinking about changes in their has had a long history of working majors can compute which credits with Notre Dame software programs. will count toward completing new The partnership between SRN and requirements. Notre Dame has created a way to “It will be flexible enough for com­ reveal an abundance of detailed puting requirements as strict as in information on a single Web screen the College of Science and liberal without making the program exces­ enough for ones in the College of sively complicated. Arts and Letters,” Hurley said. Hurley pointed out that the new Faculty will be able to use Notre software will still demand communi­ Dame’s new degree-audit system to cation with advisors and faculty compute grade point averages and about dcgree-rcquircments. degree requirements “within split “The software is meant to help seconds,” Hurley said. The pro­ with advising, not replace it,” he gram’s ability to grab information said. The deans will make final deci­ and data off the mainframe will be sion over who has fulfilled the proper five times faster than the current requirements for graduation. software. “No computer program will tell a Professors can then use this infor­ dean what the curriculum is and who mation to advise students on regis­ graduates,” Hurley added. tering for courses. The “self serve” degree audit pro­ ERNESTO LACAYO/The Observer “The software will free up the advi­ gram is currently being tested by fac­ Speaker Roberto Job persuades the crowd, delivering his seminar, “Bring Your sor so that they can help students out ulty members and should be avail­ Culture to the Corporation” Tuesday night. The seminar touched on culture in the not just with course requirements, business world and was held in LaFortune’s Ballroom. able for student access through Irish but with information on overall edu­ Link sometime next year. BOG sponsors gift Lightbulb causes fire in Lyons gated the scene and cleaned Lyons hall staff called Notre By T IM LOGAN giving service project up. Dame Security/Police and News Editor Hall staff discovered the began evacuating residents. blaze when they noticed Other women found out project. “It reaches out to a A small fire caused by a smoke in the hallway outside when they smelled smoke or By COURTNEY BOYLE larger range of children in the light bulb prompted an evac­ the room. h e a rd peo- News Writer world, not just in the United uation of Lyons Hall Tuesday Fire p ie e v a c u ­ States," evening. a la r m s d id 7 think it’s ironic that ating. Miracle on the Avenue, also I’itsch learned of the project No one was hurt by the n o t go o ff “ M y known as O peration Christm as through Marge Kalkstine, who twice in the past week fire. It caused minimal dam­ right away, r 0 o m m a t e Child, is well on its way to started Operation Christmas age, mostly to the clothes in a c c o r d i n g we’ve had two fires and w a lk e d in helping underprivileged chil­ Child in Grand Rapids. She the closet where, it started. to L yo ns the alarm hasn 'I a n d s a id dren in poverty-stricken coun­ launched the project in her The fire was reported at rector ‘ T h e r e ’ s tries. high school. gone o ff " 7:35 p.m. after some towels Sister s m o k e , wo Volunteers are asked to fill a “1 started it my senior year in a first-floor room’s closet K a t h l e e n have to get shoebox with hygiene items, as a way to bring service into caught fire from the heat of Beatty, but Mary-Claire Jarvis out,”’ said toys, school supplies and $5 my town. I just wanted to bring a light bulb directly over­ th e s m o k e sophomore junior Liza for shipping. These boxes will the awareness [of underprivi­ head. It spread through the w a s so N aticchia. then be shipped Nov. 19 to leged ch ild re n]. This is a way closet and may have caused heavy it was t S u n d a y countries such as Bosnia, for people everywhere to get damage in the room above. obvious there was a fire. morning there was another Albania, Kosovo, Honduras involved and recognizing needs Fire personnel arrived at “We went into the room small fire caused by a light and Nicaragua. throughout the world,” said the scene within a few min­ and you could taste it.” she bulb in Lyons. The room “Operation Christmas Child I’ itsch. utes and put out the flames said. alarm did not go off in that raises shoeboxes full of gifts I’itsch also got .1 aequo shortly thereafter. The hall Dorm officials pulled the fire either, according to for children of other countries Lautzenheiser involved in this was evacuated until 8:25 fire alarm when smoke who are needing more,” said p.m. while firemen investi­ detectors did not sound. see FIRE/page 4 Kimberly I’itsrh, head of the see GIFTS/page 4 page 2 The Observer ♦ INSIDE Wednesday, November 17, 1999 I n s id e C o l u m n T h is W eek in S o u th B e n d W ednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Spring break ♦ Country dance lessons: ♦ Theatre: M eet Me in St. ♦ Com edy: The Amazing ♦ Arts and crafts show: North Liberty Community Louis; Round Barn Jonathan; The Funny Cook Energy Information scams Building; 7 to 8 p.m. Theatre; Nappanee; 2 & 8 Bone Club; 8 & 10:15 p.m. Center; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ♦ Concert: Jim Gill; Main p.m. ♦ Theatre: The Odd ♦ Thanksgiving stories and It is that time of year when many students will return home to ask their parents a burning Library Auditorium; 6:30 ♦ M u seu m : Nickol Fine Couple; John Glenn High crafts: Borders; 4230 question: “Can you help me out with spring p.m. Arts; 100 Center; 11 a.m. school; 7:30 p.m. Grape Road; 4:30 p.m. break?” When my roommates and to 5 p.m. I asked our parents this Brian Hobbins question last year, a resounding “no” echoed assistant across the Midwest. Salvation to our escapist viewpoint blues came in the form of editor OUTSIDE THE Dome Compiled from U-Wire reports an ad, hidden discreetly in The Observer. Student Express was promoting trips to exotic locales in Mexico at cut-rate prices including free trips for “campus repre­ Students protest governor’s proposal sentatives.” It seemed too good to be true! And it was. GAINSVILLE, Fla. “We can't go down without a between now and Friday. First, SG The surprisingly low prices gave way to one A telephone conference with State and other student organizations will fight, so to speak. This is the of the biggest nickel-and-dime scams I have University System Chancellor Adam mass e-mail a letter to more than ever fallen into. Deposits, “meal plans” and Herbert on Monday failed to allay all point fo r us to show 1,000 students urging them to call or “perk” packages put a slow suction on student of student body president Brent ourselves. ” fax members of the Board of Regents bank accounts well before the ides of March Gordon’s concerns with Gov.