U.S. grants grandmas visas Who wants to marry a millionaire? The Elian Gonzalez story added a new chapter This soon-to-be show on Fox appears to add Friday Thursday as the 6-year-old’s grandmothers another show to the many spin-offs of the received visas to travel to the U.S. original “Who wants to be a m illionaire?” JANUARY 21, world & nation ♦ page 5 viewpoint ♦ page 12-13 2 0 0 0 O B S E R V E R The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint M ary’s VOL XXXIII NO. 67 HTTP://OBS ERVER.ND.EDU Sophomore F r o s te d D o u g h n u t Sibs Weekend cancelled By LAURA ROMPF Assistant News E ditor Family has long been a part of the Notre Dame experience, but one campus tradition that celebrates family ended. Sophomore Siblings Weekend recently was cancelled by the Office of Student Activities. “[It] may no longer be a viable program,” said Joe Cassidy, director of student activi­ ties. “It was my decision to cancel Sophomore Sibs Weekend. There were no specific incidences that # F caused this decision, rather it was due to increasing questions See Also regarding the program.” C J “Sophomores Cassidy stated that there were a variety of reasons react to ■ for the cancellation, espe­ cancellation” cially noting low atten­ dance. page 7 “In comparison to Junior Parents’ Weekend where there is around 1,000 couples of parents, Sophomore Sibs Weekend only draws in a few hundred chil­ dren,” he said. “Even though there’s not a lot of children, dorms still cannot have KEVIN DALUM/The Observer other social activities and that caused some Students hurry by Notre Dame’s famous art Thursday as temperatures dipped below freezing and approximately 10 inches of snow were dumped on the campus. Temperatures are expected to be in the teens today with a see SIBS/page 6 break from the heavy snowfall. King nominated to martyrdom list “In our own century the the ecumenical intent of recog­ By ERIN P1ROUTEK martyrs have returned, many nizing the martyrs. Assistant News Editor of them nameless, ‘unknown Experts on campus said King so ld ie rs’ as it were of God’s is a fitting candidate for mar­ People of all faiths mourned great cause” writes the pope tyrdom. the loss of civil rights leader in his encyclical “As the Third “[King], beginning in the Martin Luther King Jr. on Millennium Draws Near.” 1950’s, fought passionately for April 4, 1968, but celebration “As far as possible, their wit­ civil rights ... when it was a of his dream and accomplish­ ness should not be lost to the very dangerous thing to do,” ments is ever present. Church.” said theology professor To honor his death in the The catechism of the Lawrence Cunningham. King name of justice, U.S. bishops Catholic Church recognizes the carried out his work as a recommended King be recog­ importance of C h r i s t i a n nized as a 20th century m ar­ martyrdom, minister, he tyr. His name joins a group of calling it “the added. more than 9,000 suggested by supreme w it­ “In a sense out of his “ In a sense Church leaders in response to ness given to Christian faith he became out of his Pope John Paul H’s worldwide the truth of a civil rights worker, and C h r i s t i a n request for Catholics to recog­ the faith: it fa ith he as a civil rights worker nize individuals they believe to means bear­ becam e a be last century’s most prolific ing witness he was killed. ” civil rights martyrs. even u n to worker, and The project is part of the cel­ death.” as a civil Lawrence Cunningham ebration for the Jubilee year A key rights work­ 2000. aspect of this theology professor er he was Martyrdom often calls to ro u n d o f killed,” mind images of early nominations Cunningham Christians thrown to the lions, is that not only Catholic m a r­ said, explaining why King’s however, martyrs also had a tyrs are included, but martyrs death allows him to be consid­ real presence in the 20th cen­ of all Christian faiths. King, a ered for martyrdom. tury. Baptist minister, can be Yet martyrdom should not be The pope acknowledges the included. confused with sainthood, vital role of martyrs in the first “The witness to Christ borne which includes a lengthy and millennium of the church and even to the shedding of blood official canonization process. consequently wants to ensure has become a common inheri­ Although some martyrs have that the numerous 20th centu­ BIACKSTAR PHOTO tance of Catholics, Orthodox, also been recognized as saints, Martin Luther King Jr. was nominated to the martyrs of the ry martyrs are also remem­ Anglicans and Protestants,” 20th century list for his work as a civil rights leader. bered. writes the pope, emphasizing see KING/page 4 page 2 The Observer ♦ INSIDE Friday, January 21, 2000 I n s id e C o l u m n T h is W eek in N D / S M C H is to r y Pasquerilla West opens SUFR sits in at Student Affairs Let Elian Go Jan. 15, 1981 Jan. 22, 1991 Pasquerilla West opened its doors to 160 women The Students United for Respect (SUFR) protested on this week 19 years ago. The new female residence Martin Luther King Day at the office of the vice president hall virtually eliminated the shortage of women’s Six-year-old Elian Gonzalez became the cen­ for Student Affairs Patricia O'Hara. SUFR demanded ter of a storm of debate when he was found housing on campus. more staff for the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, floating on an inner tube Nov. 25 off the coast of Florida. increase in hiring of minority faculty and a University Elian’s mother died in the policy prohibiting racial harrassment. journey from Cuba to the Kathleen United States, leaving the O’Brien question: Should Elian be -------------------------- sent back to Cuba to live with his father, or should A s sis ta n t he rem ain in Florida w ith Sports Editor OUTSIDE THE Dome Compiled from U-Wire reports relatives? There should be no ques­ tion of what to do. Elian is a little boy who should be living with his nearest relative and Citizens’ group charges IU with illegal dumping guardian, his father. Elian’s father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, is alive BLOOMINGTON, Ind. minimum is that the site has to be and well — and anxious for Elian’s return to In the wake of Monday’s cancella­ carefully tested and characterized for his home in Cuba. There is no evidence that tion of the proposed Jack Nicklaus-sig- what contaminants are present and Elian’s father is anything but loving and devot­ nalure championship golf course on there has to be cleanup of contami­ ed to his son. There are no signs that he ever the Indiana University’s Griffy Lake nants found. Whether we insist on abused or neglected Elian. watershed, a group of Bloomington attorney’s fees or other damages will Instead, Elian lies in limbo in Miami, his fate citizens allege that mistreatment of the be up to my clients. We’re waiting for uncertain. University-owned land has taken place the university response.” People on all sides of the argument have spo­ by IU. including the dumping of waste University Counsel Dorothy Frapwell ken up with their two cents, all claiming to materials containing PCBs and other declined to comment at press time. have Elian’s best interests at heart. hazardous chemicals. Her office said she was preparing a President Bill Clinton said the law should IU director of Environmental Health The intended suit would be brought statement. decide. Elian’s case is one of the hottest topics and Safety Ted Alexander said on the grounds that IU allegedly failed But A le xan de r, who w orked as on this year’s presidential campaign. Congress Wednesday these allegations are to report hazardous and toxic waste assistant commissioner for the Indiana members on both sides of the aisle are lobbying unclear, stating the University is in full dumps and implement timely remedial State Department of Health for nine for Elian. compliance with federal and state reg­ action. The notice also alleges the years and has been at IU for more Elian’s future has become yet another huge ulations. University has engaged in the storage than four years, said IU has been in thorn in U.S.-Cuba relations. Thousands of Bloomington attorney Mick Harrison and disposal of toxic substances with­ compliance with standards set by the Cuban exiles in the U.S. are protesting the delivered a notice of intent to sue IU to out permits and approvals required by Environmental Protection Agency Immigration and Naturalization Services deci­ the University Counsel office Jan. 12 law, creating an imminent hazard. (ERA), the Nuclear Regulatory sion to send him back to Cuba. In Cuba, mean­ on behalf of Bloomington residents “We have minimum expectations, Commission (NRC) and the Indiana while, Castro denounces the U.S. refusal to let Greg Moore, Leona Wolfe, Jim Carlnell and then there are some things that Department of Environmental Elian return to Cuba, and thousands of Cubans and unnamed “John and Jane Does.” are negotiable,” Harrison said. “The Management (IDEM) for years. rallied behind Castro.