Laetare Medal Brings Controversy Scholar Some Upset by Recipient Sheen's Previous Statements Which Clash with Catholic Teaching Speaks on Rights
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's OLUME 42: ISSUE 104 WEDNESDAY. MARCH 19,2008 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Laetare Medal brings controversy Scholar Some upset by recipient Sheen's previous statements which clash with Catholic teaching speaks on rights. By JOHN TIERNEY Father James McDonald the News Writer University Associate Vice fen1inism President, Counselor to the On March 2, Laetare President and Chairman of Sunday, the Laetare Medal the Laetare Medal committee Dow highlights link committee announced that said the goal of awarding the human rights activist and medal is not to find someone with mass media actor Martin Sheen will who will not generate contro receive the prestigious award versy even though this year's By KATLYN SMITH during this year's choice is unpopular with News Writer Commencement weekend for some. embracing the Catholic faith "[Sheen] is an incredible Rhetorical scholar Bonnie J. throughout his life. man of deep faith," McDonald Dow focused her lecture about This announcement has said. "What most struck me mass media on the interaction brought controversy over was his genuine humility between the second wave of whether Sheen, best known about himself as a believer in the feminist movement and for his work in film and the God. He's a man who's inte mass media Thursday at Saint NBC drama "West Wing," grated faith in his public life Mary's. deserves the award for his in a very deep way." As opposed to the civil rights positions on the war in Iraq, Martin Sheen, best known for his work on the NBC drama "West movements and the first wave abortion and homosexual see SHEENI page3 Wing," will accept the Laetare Medal at Commencement. of the feminist movement, which produced such leaders as Martin Luther King Jr. and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the 1970s feminist movement involved no great rhetorical Faculty, students debate global warn1ing leaders, Dow said. As a result, the movement Necessity of government intervention in environmental policy, student activism questioned struggled to bring feminist issues to public attention ature," said McCready, adding because public persuasion By KATIE PERALTA that carbon dioxide levels was not a primary goal, Dow News Writer have risen significantly over said. the past 50 years. During this time, groups ·As the final part of the stu Presenting graphs that operating within the move dent-faculty debate series, depicted temperatures over a ment aimed to raise con two Notre Dame professors few thousand years, sciousness of existing mem and two undergraduate stu McCready said the tempera bers and challenge accepted dents met Tuesday to discuss ture has steadily increased in ways of thinking. Many viewed global warming and environ recent years. themselves as radical revolu mental policy. "If the temperature has tionaries who did not work Professor Dr. Mark J. been steady for thousands of within the mass media norms. McCready, chair of the chemi years and then just over 150 "[They] weren't motivated cal and biomolecular engi years takes a jump, you have by external media recogni neering department, present to ask why," McCready said. tion," Dow said. ed a background explanation On the skeptical side of the Dow provided two contrast of the issue of global warm global warming debate, sen ing feminist case studies to ing, how solar radiation ior Bret Shapot questioned emphasize the dynamic rela affects the climate and how statistics suggesting global tionship between rhetoric and the temperature changes as a warming as a result of movement in mass media result of this radiation. increased carbon dioxide lev environment. "Until the late 1950s, no els. The National Women's Bret Shapot, right, and Dr. Mark McCready, left, were one knew [that] people had among those who spoke on global warming Tuesday. influence over earth's temper- see DEBATE/page 3 see MED lA/ page 4 BOG COR Majors seek funds for trip Group sets agenda Members discuss awarding support for Undergraduate Honors Conf for upcoming year ence to be judged and have ence. By ASHLEY CHARNLEY won national recognition. "This is a great opportu listed a number of issues they News Writer They will travel to Georgia nity for Saint Mary's to get By JOSEPH McMAHON would like to see addressed, to present their composi recognized," Peterson said. Assistant News Editor but focused on the integration Senior communications tions and attend other pre The group will make pre of transfer students into studies major Sam sentations from seniors sentations after returning The Council of University life. Peterson visited Tuesday across the country. for the junior communica Hepresentatives discussed dif "We need a conscious eff{)rt evening's Saint Mary's Awards will also be hand tions studies majors, the ferent ways of integrating to welcome transfers to the Board of Governance (BOG) ed out to exceptional proj Communications Studies transfer students into the stu class," senior class president meeting, seeking funds for ects, including one major Honor Club, and women's dent body Tuesday. Bridget Keating said. a trip to the Undergraduate award for the best project. studies classes. They are It also discussed what issues Student Union Board (SUB) Honors Conference of the "You can be recognized in also each writing articles should be on its agenda once manager Phillip Ross said Southern States the entire field, which is about their projects for the student body president-elect transfer students "cluster Communications huge because it is such a Saint Mary's Alumni Bob Reish takes over for cur together," and said more Association in Savannah, broad field," Peterson said. Newsletter. rent student body president should be done to integrate Ga. The group approached The conference will be Liz Brown on April 1. them into campus life. Peterson and three other BOG to get funds for trans held· from April 2-4. Representatives, who offi Judicial Council president communications majors portation, food, and room Brittany Taylor, Victoria cially serve as members of the Ashley Weiss, who is herself a submitted their senior and board to represent advisory body to the executive compositions to the confer- Saint Mary's at the confer- see BOG/page 4 branch of student government, see COR/page 4 page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Wednesday, March 19, 2008 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO EMIT CARBON? The povver of video gatnes Hemnmber what the word pong meant before college? I never actu ally played it on the Atari as a little Tracy Jennings Colleen Kelly Lourdes Long Brittney Dudley MleGotsch kid, but it started a revolution. My f'irst video game was Super junior junior junior sophomore sophomore Mario Bros 3; Breen Phillips McGlinn Breen Phillips Farley Keough my parents Dustin Mennella wouldn't let us " "/ like to open "Long, hot "Trying to .find "Eating beans have a Nintendo .")enior "Breathing. at our house. photographer my windows showers. " the on-campus and meat in but they bought while the heat is engineering the dining one and kept it on. wind-tunnel ... hall." at my grandpan~nts' house. Whether it was to keep us from in my car. playing all the time or to get us excited about visiting our grandpar ents all tho time, I don't know but it resulted in both. Since the glory days of Super Mario. when the cartridge only worked half' tiHl time and only two people could play at a time, video IN BRIEF games havo come a long way. Now I ean play Call nf' Duty 4 with my Saint Mary's College cousins in Orngon and Washington, President Carol Ann Mooney nnjoying a fun game while keeping will speak about "HERstory" in eontaet with family nwmbers I today at noon in the Coleman typieally wouldn't hear from except Morse Study lounge as part at holidays. of the nnw initiative spon Some people look down on vidoo sored by First Year of Studies games and say that thoy dostroy featuring women in the Notre childhoods and eyesight, creating Dame community. Drinks and introvertnd pnrsonalitins and frying snacks will bn providnd. minds, and I agn1e that there arn some who heconw addietnd to this Marilyn Krysl, the 200R virtual reality. For the most part, Sullivan Prizn Winner, will howevnr. if you keep things in per read from lwr prizn winning spective and remember that a great eollection of short stories world Pxists outsidn of' tlw TV called "Dinnet· with Osama" screen. then tlwse gamos ean lw a tonight at 7::W in the Gold great. way to relax and <:onnnct with Hoom of thn North Dining friends. H..all. With irHTtlasingly advanced tech nology bning applied to more fields The Notre Dame Peace and in new ways, sonwtimes knep Fellowship will hold a discus ing up to date can be diiTieull sion eallnd "What Can We Do having skills in video games ean to Call For Peace'?" tonight help with this transition. at 7 in the Dooley Room of' For example, surgeons who grew IAN GAVLICK!The Observer the LaFortune Student up playing video gamPs make 37 An NDSP officer stops students celebrating Saint Patrick's Day on South Center. percPnt l'ewnr mistakes according to Quad Monday. Mare Prensky, a CliO of' The film "Persepolis," (;amns2train. a eompany which which tells the story of a makes informational tutorials fun young girl living in Iran dur by encoding the information in thn ing the Islamic Hnvolution, form of' a video game. On their Web will be shown at the site are all types of' games with top OFFBEAT DeBartolo Performing Arts ies ranging from windows NT to Center on tonight at 7 snxual harassnwnt.