ROCK THIS WAY: Check out Guitar Hero’s fi rst band to headline the virtual stage. pg. 12 the St. Mary’s UniversityRattler Vol. 95 Issue 9 4.2.2008 AFRAIDMANIACALBONKERSBARMYCRACKED DELIRIOUSDERANGEDJITTERYJUMPY HESITANTFOOLISHIMPRACTICALWORRIED STRANGEUNWORKABLEFANATICALHYSTERICAL SADUNHAPPYSTRESSEDOVERWORKED INCOHERANTAGITATEDTENSEANXIOUSBITTER LUGUBRIOUSMELANCHOLYUNSATISFACTORY DEFICIENTCONTRITEDOWNCASTGUILTY BEREAVEDGLOOMY HOMESICKDISMAL Safe and secure. HEARTBROKEN LACHRYMOSE UNRELIABLEVULNERABLEUNPROTECTED THREATENEDUNCERTAINEXPOSEDINIMICAL PRECARIOUSUNPREDICTABLEDEFENSELESS DISTRACTEDFRANTICOVERLOADEDUNSTEADYIMPRACTICAL SHAKYPROBLEMATICDIFFIDENTHESITANT TROUBLEDVAGUEUNPOISEDALARMEDBACKWARDS DELIRIOUS LUGUBRIOUSAFRAIDUNRELIABLE DEFICIENTUNSTEADY DEFICIENT OVERLOADED FANATICAL AMISSANXIOUS STRANGEJUMPYFRAILSADAGITATED DOWNCASTLUGUBRIOUSDERANGEDSTRESSED INCOHERANTMELANCHOLYIMPRACTICALOVERWORKEDUNSATISFACTORY In the months following the Virginia Tech shootings, an increased amount of national attention has been directed toward campus mental health. The Rattler explores on-campus mental health care options and discovers what issues plague St. Mary’s students. Cont. on PG 10, SEE “YOU ARE” Residents’Life Administrative We Are the Champions decisions concerning Men and women residence halls bring Heartland garner student Conference reaction. Tournament pg. 3 Championship home. pg. 19 Weight-Conscious Electronics Newest gadgets mirror humanty’s desire for the impossibly thin. pg. 15 wherewhere you’llyou’ll fi nd it: News pg.1 Features pg.6 Entertainment pg.11 Commentary pg.15 Sports pg.18 News 2 the Rattler 4.2.2008 News in Brief CAMPUS WORLD Heads up—dates to remember Prison riot Priority Advising Deadline for Summer Deadline for One dead, 22 injured in gang-related disturbance and Registration for Service Program submissions to Pecan On March 28, two fights broke out at a medium security prison in Three Rivers, summer and fall 2008 applications Grove Review 80 miles south of San Antonio. The cause of the riot has not been determined, but March 25- April 14 April 4 April 8 prison officials said that it was brought under control quickly. The death of an Online at Service Learning Center English Department inmate is under investigation. gateway.stmarytx.edu Chaminade Tower SOURCE: KSAT.com Kick the Clutter Basra offensive Omega Delta Phi sponsors service event Iraqi military pushes into southern city Students are invited to participate in the annual Kick the Clutter event, during which During a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd they can volunteer for day-long service projects on April 5. Projects take place on the on March 28, President George W. Bush praised the Iraqi-led military invasion, campus and surrounding community. Volunteers should meet in front of St. Louis which began on March 24, calling it “a defining moment in the history of a free Hall at 9 a.m. to register. The service projects will begin shortly after and will last Iraq.” He called the offensive a sign of progress and said that Prime Minister Nuri until 1 p.m. For more information, contact Eric Barrera at [email protected]. al-Maliki was personally overseeing the operation. Despite his praise for the edu or 210-436-3976. operation, approximately 100 Iraqis have been killed in the fighting, and a surge in violence has occured around Baghdad’s International Zone, also known as the Green Zone. SOURCE: CNN .com Catholic Intellectual Tradition Cuba’s telecommunications Lecturer presents the “Historical Mary” Raul Castro lifts ban on cellular telephones On March 25, Elizabeth Johnson, Empresa de Telecommunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA), Cuba’s official Ph.D., presented “The Quest for the state telecommunication company said in an official statement that it would of- Historical Mary” as a part of the fer public access to cellular services over the next few days. Cell phones must be Catholic Intellectual Tradition event purchased with foreign currency and are only available wih pre-paid services. These series. Johnson authored “A Theol- changes come as a result of Raul Castro’s promise to ease restrictions on Cuban’s ogy of God and Prophets” and “Truly daily lives. SOURCE BBC News Our Sister, A Theology of Mary in the Communion of Saints.” She lectured about Mary’s origins, the implica- tions of her life for faith and social 2008 Olympics justice for the Marianist tradition. PHOTO BY VIVIAN ESPARZA Activists protest Olympic torch lighting, relay The Olympic Torch was lit on March 24 SGA elections in Athens. Before the torch was lit, Liu Qi, a Chinese envoy and head of the Beijing Olympic organizing commit- Seats to be filled for 2008-2009 academic year tee, spoke as a part of the traditional The Student Government Association (SGA) will hold elections on April 9-10 in the ceremony. His speech was interrupted University Center Atrium. Students should bring their student IDs to cast votes for by protesters who vowed to protest president, vice president, senators and representatives. Contact the SGA office for the Olympics to call attention to the more information at [email protected] or 210-436-3403. violence in Tibet and other alleged human rights violations committed by China. PHOTO COURTESY OF bbc.co.uk SOURCE: BBC News A Piece of Politics COMPILED BY DOMINIQUE VARGAS Earth Hour combats rising greenhouse gases By Dominique Vargas of participants in approximately 200 cities, The business district of Sydney was executive director Andy Ridley said that -News Editor- including more than 100 in North America, dark as were the Harbor Bridge and the Earth Hour was able to transcend politi- participated in Earth Hour. Opera House. cal boundaries in places like China, Viet- On March 31, 2007, 2.2 million people San Francisco was expected to dim the According to the Earth Hour Web nam and Papua, New Guinea, in which and businesses in Sydney, Australia, spent lights of the Golden Gate Bridge in obser- site, the event reduces greenhouse individuals and businesses participated in exactly one hour in the dark. vance of Earth Hour. emissions and provides for unique Earth Day. Earth Hour, as it was called, was Earth Hour 2008 was kicked off by New opportunities, such as events by candle The Earth Hour Web Site also stated that created to reduce greenhouse emissions in Zealand and Fiji, according to CNN News. light, beach bonfires and green-powered if the amount greenhouse gasses reduced Sydney and to inspire other cities to take Due to time zone changes, Earth Hour will outdoor movies. in Sydney alone during Earth Hour was action, according to the Earth Hour official be completed by the cities during the 8 p.m. The Internet search engine Google.com sustained for a year, it would be the equiva- Web site. hour as they experience it. also participated in the event by adding a lent to removing 48,616 cars off the road for Created by the World Wildlife Fund Sydney was the first major city in the black background to its home page with one year. in Sydney, the event has grown into a world to participate this year. The city ex- the message: “We’ve turned the lights out. global movement. pects to cut approximately 10.2 percent of Now, it’s your turn.” On March 29, 2008, at 8 p.m., millions carbon emissions during that hour. According to CNN News, Earth Hour Visit us on the Web at www.myspace.com/rattlernews. News 4.2.2008 the Rattler 3 Residents face housing changes By Amanda Guerra explained Karam. -Ad Manager- She said that they did not want to go with an alternative plan, which would Director of Residence Life James have included asking some not to live Villarreal, Associate Director of Residence on campus. Life Ann Karam, Vice President of Student “That doesn’t fit with the Student Development Kathy Sisoian and Dean of Development or Residence Life mission,” Students Judy Deshotels met earlier this said Karam. year to discuss and to make changes to Karam added that the Residence Life Of- available housing options. fice wants to offer students who want to live St. Mary’s University has been using the on campus the opportunity to do so. current system of lottery numbers to deter- All residence halls in the Outback mine housing arrangements for two years. with the exception of Leies will be over Under this system, students were given pri- capacity, but according to Residence Life, PHOTO BY VIVIAN ESPARZA ority for good academic performances and there will not be a safety issue. After room selection students were given the option to buy Oyster Bake tickets. higher classifications. “There is still enough room, and all the This year, certain groups of people are safety equipment is in working order,” Residence Life has informed incoming this to us is because we can’t afford to leave being placed in specific halls. Villarreal said. freshmen of the tripling in Lourdes and St. Mary’s University.” “We are asking people who were According to Villarreal, this will be a Marian so that they will not be surprised. Some students said that they felt their seniors [at the end of the fall 2007 semes- one-time situation. “It will be different next “All our brochures talk about tripling,” voices were not heard and that they did not ter] to live in Chaminade this coming year,” year because of the new hall,” he said. said Villarreal. “We try to have our show- get enough information about the changes. said Karam. “If they are not 21 yet, we will Villarreal said that the new hall will pres- rooms be triples so that [students] are not as “I got to class late after waiting in line,” ask them to live in Treadaway.” ent opportunities to renovate old halls and negative when they arrive in August.” said Galvan. “I had even gotten there ear- The changes were intended to provide to get rid of tripling. Letters were sent out to affected seniors, ly, but no one was regulating the line and more housing to students. Villarreal also stated that several parents and a room selection guide was sent out to making sure everything was in order.” “Last year, about 80 or so sophomores and students have voiced concerns about all of the undergraduate students.