~~- ' THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOLUME 42: ISSUE 79 THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 7, 2008 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Candidates vie for support in debates Influenza Six tickets discuss primary goals for next year; some highlight experience, others innovation illnesses view. Judicial Council president By JOSEPH McMAHON Ashley Weiss and vice presi­ Assistant News Editor dent of elections Danny Smith on the rise moderated. The candidates for Notre Each ticket was allowed to Dame student body president give an opening statement, fol­ Health Services reports and vice president discussed lowed by a round of three the issues most important to questions from the Judicial increasing cases at ND their campaigns Wednesday in Council and then three ques­ a debate sponsored by the tions from audience members. By LINDSAY SENA Afterward, the candidates were Judicial Council. News Writer Maris Braun and George allowed to give a closing state­ Chamberlain. Bill Ehrlich, Hick ment. llollowood and Alex Tomala, A significant number of Cooper Howes and Daniel Opening statements students have been spending Himkus, Peter Kelly and John In their opening statement, more time at Health Services Poelhuis, and Hobert Reish and Knott sophomores Hollowood and less time in the class­ Grant Schmidt were all present and Tomala stressed their sig­ room as influenza spreads at the debate, held in the main nature issue - getting better through campus, Health lounge of LaFortune. Ehrlich's toilet paper. The pair said the Services physician Rebecca Moskwinski said. vice presidential candidate, poor toilet paper in place now N MENNELLAfThe Observer Michael Hoscitt, was not able to Student body presidential candidate Bill Ehrlich speaks to "Basically, every other stu­ attend because of a job inter- see DEBATE/page 6 students at the debate held in LaFortune on Wednesday night. dent who has sought medical services [in the past three weeks] has had the flu," she said Tuesday. In recent years, flu symp­ toms have run rampant for Panel analyzes Super Tuesday results one week before subsiding, Moskwinski said. But this year, she said, has been California was the final blow "pretty bad." By BRIAN McKENZIE "A lot of times it's one week Democratic News Writer for Romney," he said. The Democratic contest "was and then it's over, but now this is the third week and Three political experts drew basically a tie," he said. "The Democratic race could go on we're still seeing a lot of a crowd of approximately 60 cases," Moskwinski said. students to an analysis and for some time now. It's possi­ ble that this thing may not be More surprising than the discussion of Super Tuesday quantity of students infected results in the Coleman-Morse decided before May 6 [the date of the Indiana primary]." is that many had received the Lounge Wednesday night. flu vaccine. Journalism professor Jack Political science professor Dianne Pinderhughes, the "Some of the [flu type] that Colwell, also a politic<il colum­ we're seeing wasn't covered nist for the South Bend President of the American Political Science Association, on the flu shot this year," Tribune, said 24 states held Moskwinski said. caucuses or primaries for at examined the role of race and gender in the Democratic con­ Symptoms for the most least one party on Super prevalent flu type on campus Tuesday. test. Re ublican "I was surprised to the include cough, sore throat, On the Republican side, aches, fatigue and a high McCain "Tuesday really was super for extent that identity politics is playing a role," she said. "In fever. If a student develops Huckabee [Hepublican candidate John] these symptoms and visits Romney McCain," he said. "Barring exit polls, there is a significant variation among voters based Health Services within 48 Paul something unforeseen, like a hours, an antiviral may be health scare, I don't see any on whether they are black or white or male or female," she prescribed, which will short­ way he won't be the nominee." en the duration of the illness, McCain's victories on Super said. "In a number of states, white Moskwinski said. Tuesday provided him a As for how many classes to "tremendous margin that I males strongly backed [Democratic candidate Barack] miss, it depends mostly on don't think [Republican candi­ the fever. date Mitt] Romney can over­ Source: The New York Times Graphic by Madeline Nies!The Observer come," he said. "Losing see TUESDAY/page 4 see FLU I page 4 STUDENT SENATE Faculty members attend meeting, discuss Catholic recruiting Senators pass resolutions on University academic advising, iTunes U the American population is [with] scholars, Catholic or By CLAIRE REISING Catholic, having a faculty otherwise, their professional News Writer composed of 50 percent research has little to do with Catholics is a reasonable Catholicism." History professor Father goal," Brown said. This is especially an issue Hobert Sullivan and chem­ Although Notre Dame may in the College of Science, istry professor Seth Brown attract prominent Catholic where some fields have a spoke about possible effects scholars, Brown said profes­ minority of Catholic scholars, of recruiting Catholic faculty sors consider more than their Sullivan said. at Wednesday's Student religion when choosing a uni­ "A field like biology is com­ Senate meeting. They also versity. pletely secular," Sullivan stressed the importance of "Choosing where one goes said. "There are very few student involvement in the to teach and do research is a religious biologists at the top issue. professional decision," Chemistry professor Seth Brown speaks on hiring more "Since about 25 percent of Brown said. "In many cases see SENATE/page 4 Catholic professors at Wednesday's Student Senate meeting. page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Thursday, February 7, 2008 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE WIN THE STUDENT BODY ELECTIONS AND WHY? Political correctness ''I'm a little Indian. I do big war dance ((Jr you." Apparnntly, tlmt's how I used to enter­ Paul Macias Brandon Sparks Katie Teitgen Cynthia Weber Undsay Johnson tain my motJmr at the age of f(mr. I rncently di'imvered this bnst-f(Jrgotten junior junior sophomore freshman sophomore litctoid alter St. Ed's St. Ed's Pasquerilla East Pasquerilla West Farley uneartl1ing some Kara King highly embar­ rassing honw Viewpoint Copy "Paul Macias "Peter Kelly "Bob [Reish] and "Bob {Reish] and "May the best movies over Editor because I because he Grant {Schmidt] Grant {Schmidt/ pair win." <:hristmas. want to go to loves children. " because of their because they're Using our col:. the perfect f(~e table as a makeshill stage, I belted out the St. Ed's awesome my newly-learned phrase, complete with Yacht Dance Web site, balance between what I can only imagine was supposed to with him. " bobandgrant. com. " experience and be the af(wementioned "big war dance." Watl:hing it, I wa'i embarrassed. Needless fresh to say, such a spectade would never be perspective. " taught tiJ today's pre-kindergarten youth. Indeed, such a song today would be mel with nndless criticisms and ultimately chanw~d to something more politieally cor­ reel, sorm~thing more socially acceptable, something along the lines of, ''I'm an aver­ IN BRIEF age-sized Native Ameriean, and, if a'iked nicely, I will perli1rm one of t11e traditional Father Diego lrarrazaval, dances of my people in an cflbrt to keep the director of Formation for our culture alive." the Holy Cross District of Maybe it's just me, but I think we have Chile, will deliver the lecture gorm a little overboard with t11is whole "Culture and Religion in political corre<:tness thing. I understand Latin American Theology" not wanting to hurt people's feelings, but today at 4:15 p.m. in room C- we've taken it to a whole new extreme. 1 03 of the Hesburgh Center. Anything that can potentially be deemed minutely ommsive to anyone is almost The film "Into the Wild" will irnrnndiatdy censored. be playing tonight at 7 in We an~ a country that is supposedly built Browning Cinema, DeBartolo around the fn~t~dorns of' the individual and Performing Arts Center. freedom of speech is a eonstitutional right Student tickets are $3. on whieh wn pride ourselves, Yet we seem to be restricting our ability to speak our The Meyo Invitational men's mind as tlw population eontinues to need and women's indoor track twnrything sugar mated. And the runniest meet will be Friday at 5 p.m. part is the majority of those defining the in Loftus Sports Center. dirnetion this quest f(Jr politieal eorreet­ Admission is free. ness takes are white, upper-middle cla<>s politicians, unlikely to bt~ ollcnded but There will be Stations of the afraid to be ea'it in a bad light. Cross Friday at 7:15 p.m. in I understand that our right freedom of the Basilica of the Sacred spm~<:h is limited. People, especially those Heart. Stations will be held in a position of power, arn responsible for Photo courtesy at Rachel Pleis each Friday during Lent. what they say, and I fully believed Don Students at St. Peter Claver in New Orleans, La., welcomed U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Jan. 31 for Catholic Schools' Week. Alliance for The Pasquerilla East hnus deserved t11e reptm:ussions of his ill­ Catholic Education teachers work at the school. lbunded cornrnenl'i about the Hutgers bas­ Musical Company (PEMCo) ketball tealll. But how can we claim to will present "Kiss Me, Kate" ollcr freedom of expression when every­ Friday at 7:30 p.m.