/ ^ \ THE U b s e r v e r The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Marys OLUME 42 : ISSUE 76 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2008 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM University clarifies absence policyLocal kids Provost: Students not allowed 3 unexcused cuts; ND extends Thanksgiving breaktreated to without consequences,” Burish sent to students and faculty alike believed Notre Dame allowed By BECKY HOGAN said in the letter, which was sent reiterating the University policy each student three unexcused News W riter to professors near the end of win­ that classes must be held on all cuts. Pitt game ter break. scheduled class days, including “Some people have strict atten­ Attendance policies may grow The letter also outlined a the days before and after holi­ dance policies and some do not. stricter this semester following a schedule change for fall semes­ days, and that class attendance But there was no University Unknown benefactor letter from University Provost ter: Students will now have the was expected.” allowance of three cuts or that Thomas Burish reminding pro­ Wednesday before Thanksgiving Executive Assistant to the every teacher had to let students gives away 100 tickets fessors that students are not off, but will have one fewer study Provost Brandon Roach said the take them,” Deane-Moran said. “I allowed three unexcused day before winter final examina­ letter was sent out primarily to don’t know where that idea got absences. tions. clear up any confusion about started.” By THERESA CIVANTOS “Contrary to common student “Most” faculty members that attendance policies. University academic policy News W riter lore, there is no University policy were surveyed supported this But English professor Noreen states that instructors are permitting students ... three change, the letter said, providing Deane-Moran said she wasn’t Thanks to an anonymous unexcused absences from class “a strong and clear statement be sure why students and professors see ABSENCES/page 4 donor, 100 children in the South Bend area have free tickets to see Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team play Pittsburgh on Feb. 10. Three quarters of the 100 NDtv airs tickets went to area children Juniors win SMC election involved in Lead-ND, the cam­ pus organization that takes Notre Dame volunteers to dif­ revamped Gruscinski, Falvey named student body president, vice president ferent schools across South Bend to help the children develop leadership skills. The programs By LIZ HARTER other 25 tickets were distrib­ Assistant News Editor uted through Children’s Campus, which treats severely First-ever female host Juniors Mickey Gruscinski emotionally disturbed chil­ and Sarah Falvey were elected dren. takes over 'Late Night' the next Saint Mary’s student And the children will get to body president and vice presi­ see an important game for the dent Monday after running an Irish. By ELIZABETH KELLY unopposed campaign. Pittsburgh is ranked No. 14 News Writer The pair received more than in the country and is an 50 percent of the vote, accord­ important Big East opponent Students can look forward ing to an e-mail the Board of for the Irish. The game will be to seeing all of their favorite Governance sent to the student broadcast nationally on shows return to NDtv for body Tuesday. The e-mail did ESPN2. another season, with a few not specify how many students “It just happened by tweaks and the possibility of voted, or what percentage of chance,” said junior John added programming. students voted abstain. Wanek, an executive board NDtv, the student-run TV “We decided to run because member for Lead-ND. “We’ve station that airs 24 hours on it seemed like a great way to done these trips before and I channel 53 on Notre Dame’s get involved on campus and called the ticket office with on-campus cable system, meet students,” Falvey said. this beautiful desperate launched its 2007-08 lineup “Though we took our cam­ speech to ask for tickets. But — featuring seven original paign seriously, we had a lot of it turned out it didn’t even shows — in September. fun with it.” matter what 1 said. They told Returning from the winter The pair campaigned exten­ me that some donor had break hiatus, all of NDtv’s sively last week, even though bought 100 tickets and he fall programs will air new they ran unopposed. wanted them to be used for episodes this spring, said the Gruscinski and Falvey visited kids. It just kind of fell into station’s executive director, all of the residence halls, Photo courtesy of Sarah Falvey our laps.” sophomore Nick Andert. Juniors Mickey Gruscinski, left, and Sarah Falvey campaign at Fans of some shows, how­ see ELECTION/page 6 the “Meet the Candidates” event in the Student Center Jan 24 . see TICKETS/page 4 ever, will notice certain changes. NDtv’s late night variety show, “Late Night ND,” aired its semester premiere Monday night with a new Popular 'E-club' attracts variety of majors host and head writer, junior Elise Yahner. As the first operations board includes a female host in the station’s By JOSEPH McMAHON biology major, a political sci­ history, Yahner says that the Assistant News Editor ence major and a finance jokes and overall tone of the major, among several other show might be a little differ­ Since its inception a mere disciplines. ent from previous seasons. 15 months ago, the “The Entrepreneurship But fans of “Late Night Entrepreneurship Club has Club ... provides a profes­ ND” shouldn’t expect seen its membership sky­ sional business outlook that female-centric humor. rocket to become one of the is applicable to every major “It’s not going to be ‘The fastest-growing and most on campus,” vice president Girlie Show,”’ she said with active undergraduate organi­ of operations Don Whitley a laugh. zations on campus. said. “Unlike other clubs, Yahner said she intends to The Entrepreneurship Club which may try to train you to take the show in the same — or “E-Club,” as its mem­ become an employee, the E- direction it was headed last bers call it — attracts stu­ Club will provide you with semester under host Joe dents from a wide variety of meaningful team interac­ Kwaczala. disciplines — and that may tions and networking experi­ “My only worry is that peo­ be one of the reasons why it ences which will help you ple don’t think girls are has seen its membership rise develop the marketable skill- funny,” Yahner said. JOSEPH McMAHON/The Observer to 70 in the last year, co­ set of a leader and differenti- The E-club’s membership — including, from left, Michael Streit, Don president Mark Bennett said. see NDTV/page 4 Whitley and Bob Huguelet —has skyrocketed this year. The group is proud that its see E-CLUB/page 4 page 2 The Observer ♦ PAGE 2 Wednesday, January 30, 2008 I n s id e C o lu m n Question of the Day:W h ic h t e a m s h o u l d w in t h e S u p e r B o w l ? National security In her anti-utopian novel The Giver, Lois Lowry presents a superficially ideal world that is later revealed to be fatally flawed. One key dialogue occurs when the Alex Stuckey John Baty Chelsea Smith Meghan Huffman Guillermo Pi eponymous Giver describes one of this Joey King sophomore sophomore freshman freshman freshman society’s choices. —--------- ;------ M orrissey Morrissey Lewis Lewis Siegfried “We gained control Viewpoint of many things. But we Editor “The Giants. The "The Patriots. had to let go of others.” “The Giants. My “The Patriots. “The Patriots The 12-year-old pro­ m om is a They’re the best becau se m y Patriots are too Brady is friends tagonist, Jonas, immediately replies, “We Manning fan. ” team righ t roommate is cocky." with George shouldn’t have. ” now. ” from Boston. ” Bush. ” The Giver is surprised that Jonas is so quick to realize this truth: that more was lost than was gained by the trade-off their society elected to make. Unfortunately, many decisions we make as a nation fall into the “shouldn’t have” category — like the state department’s denial of Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan’s entrance into the United States, where he was to teach Islamic ethics in a new, tenured position at the Kroc Institute for International I n B r ie f Peace Studies. Ramadan is currently teaching at Oxford. Yes, that Oxford. Because he Prints from the Snite Museum donated $1,336 to a Swiss charity later of Art’s collection that focus on designated as a terrorist group, the United artistic subjects from the 17th States didn’t want him teaching here. centurywill be displayed today We’re big on national security threats in from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The America — sometimes a little too big. I exhibit, “Rembrandt and the don't think anyone feels that it was our Art of Printmaking in Holland,” attitude toward communists in the 1950s will highlight the golden age of that was responsible for bringing us out of Dutch art. the Gold War as capitalists. It makes sense that national security is a top priority, but The Winter Career Fair and wo need to look at the big picture in terms Diversity Receptionwill be held of cost and benefit. todayat the Joyce Center.The Even if we assume that Ramadan’s Diversity Reception will be held $1,336 bought a tailfin of one of Hamas’ from 12 p.m. to 2:30. The Career rockets, we have to at least admit the pos­ Fair will be held from 4 to 8 p.m.