Notre Dame Recognizes 25Th Year of Co-Education SMC Elects

I OBSERVER Thursday, March 20, 1997 • Vol. XXX No. 109 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY'S Notre Dame recognizes 25th year of co-education By BRIDGET O ’CONNOR each of those schools, none of which applied to Assistant News Editor Notre Dame. In addition, the concept of co-residentiality was Issues such as co-residentiality, as well as the too new to discern whether it was more beneficial hiring and tenuring of Notre Dame women faculty, for students academically. surfaced in a panel discussion yesterday, which Twenty-five years later, the issue is still in the allowed reflections on 25 years of co-education at forefront as evidenced by the fact that it was the Notre Dame. first topic brought up in the audience participa The panel included alumni from different eras, tion portion of the discussion. During that discus the vice president of Student Affairs at the time of sion, students, faculty, alumni and rectors com the transition to co-education, and a doctoral stu mented on the pros and cons of co-residentiality. dent whose dissertation topic is the transition of Both perspectives of the issue were brought up by Notre Dame to co-education. the audience, including the idea that some im por Kathy Cook, a Loyola University doctoral student tant leadership positions for women may be lost in history has devoted her studies to the Notre in the co-residential setup. Dame’s process of incorporating women. She “From my perspective, the move to co-educa explained that she was particularly interested in tion was seamless,” said Mike Frantz, a 1973 how the 325 women who first entered the alumnus. “I am a strong believer in a diverse stu University in 1972 changed Notre Dame and how dent body, including those groups which had not it changed their lives. She explained that “there been represented in the past.” were both internal and external factors that “In order to survive in this environment as a prompted the University to admit women.” female ... you’ve got to be competitive,” added- “We certainly made our mistakes, but on the The Observer/Kevin Dalum women’s soccer coach Chris Petrucelli, “and I other hand, I feel that the positives outweighed Father Thomas Bantz, vice president for Student Affairs as Notre Dame don’t see anything wrong with that.” the negatives,” said Father Thomas Blantz, who moved towards co-education, spoke last night at a panel discussion. Ed Trifone, a 1988 alumnus and director of was the vice president for Student Affairs at the time of several examples of co-residential arrangements at Alumni Community Service also added to the alumni the conversion to a co-educational institution. schools like Northwestern and Loyola. The group decid perspective. Since increasing numbers of women have He explained that the first decision which the Office of ed against co-residentiality at the time, however, joined alumni associations there has been a move Student Affairs faced, was housing. Blantz recalled that because in each school co-residentiality was a solution he and several others traveled to Chicago to look into to a specific problem; problems which were particular to see ANNIVERSARY / page 4 Leader dispels myths of RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION disabled quality of life SMC elects executive board By COLLEEN NUGENT By KATY SOBY News Writer News Writer e With the turmoil of the past Residence Hall Saint M a ry ’s College Mary Jane Owen, the execu Association (RHA) elections behind them, stu tive director of the National dents from Saint Mary’s College gathered in line Catholic Office for Persons with at the dining hall to cast their votes for the RHA ELECTIONS Disabilities, indicated last night 1997-98 executive board. The only ticket con that there are problems with sisted of four women for the upcoming junior common conceptions of the and senior classes. 13% Abstain value of the lives of disabled Missy Lind and Bridget Sullivan, current persons. Her presentation was juniors, as well as Barbara Nolan and Laurie dedicated in honor of Edna K. Pater, current sophomores, gathered their ideas Miller, a strong advocate for and made the decision to become actively 6% Against people with disabilities. involved with Saint Mary’s RHA board. Owen was intent on aiding in Although there was only one ticket up for yes the efforts to “turn disability on terday’s election, the women were prepared to its head.” So, while waiting for take on the student body with their many pro the passage of 504 regulations, posed improvements for the Saint Mary’s cam 80% For which protected people with dis pus. Ideas such as a second annual all-campus abilities from discrimination by The Observer/Kevin Dalum formal, increase support of admissions within groups that received govern Mary Jane Owen spoke last night the RHA, and more school spirit are only a few ment funds, she joined others in as part of Disability Awareness of the ideas that these women want to bring to Ticket: Bridget Sullivan a UN rally to try to speed the Week. the school during the 1997-98 school year. Barbara Nolan process up. It was during this bodies but didn’t because then By honoring each of the halls for a week at a Missy Lind rally that she gained much of “we wouldn’t need each other.” time and by creating a stronger sense of com Laurie Pater the insight that she shared with A main theme of Owen’s lec munity in the dorms, the tickets hope to The Observer/Brian Blank the audience in her lecture. ture was the fact that “Everyone increase participation of the student body. Of “ God doesn’t make mistakes,” is vulnerable, and that catastro the students who voted, 80 percent of the stu students in the upcoming year. she said. “We are God’s cre phe could strike any of us at any dents voted for the ticket. Six percent voted “I’m very pleased by the voter turnout and I’m ations, and we are a reflection time. against it and 13 percent abstained. The turnout looking forward to the exciting opportunities that of part of the essence of the Holy She stressed that people for this year’s elections was higher than in they w ill be able to pursue, and I wish them the Father, the creator of life.” She should not attempt to eliminate recent years. Some officials hope that this, best of luck,” said Nikki Milos, current RHA presi stressed the fact that God could along with the landslide nature of the results, dent and student body president-elect. “It will be have placed us in indestructible see DISABILITY/ page will mean better participation by Saint Mary’s great working with them.” Hesburgh program introduces spring Chicago tour By HEATHER COCKS County Hospital, Hyde Park, and many $10 for lunch. The day will culminate CSC in providing contacts and helping News Editor nearby communities, according to with a prayer service led by Jesse coordinate the event. McKillop. Jackson. “We are hoping to do this several times In an effort to expose students to more “There’s so much to McKillop credited the every semester,” McKillop said, “since we than the sporting and shopping attrac observe,” he said. “At program’s inception to want to keep it to ten or eleven students tions of Chicago, the Hesburgh Program the hospital, 1 think * ¥ A7e want to get the joint efforts of the per trip.” He predicted that, based on the for Public Policy will offer an in-depth we will sit and watch V V people right into CSC and Hesburgh response to the upcoming excursion, tour of the city this spring. all the people waiting, Program director Peri another tour would be scheduled before “We want to get people right into the getting treated — it the neighborhoods, the Arnold. exams in May. neighborhoods, the grassroots communi provides new perspec grassroots communities.’ “[The Hesburgh Applications are available in the CSC ties,” explained Dan McKillop of the tives on urban prob Program] is relatively building or in the Hesburgh Program Hesburgh Program Office. lems like overcrowd Dan McKillop young,” noted Office in 346 O’ShaughnesSy. The dead The “Chicago Experience,” co-spon ing and violence.” McKillop, “and he line is March 24; forms should be labeled sored by the Center for Social Concerns, The tour w ill be on April 5, leaving at [Arnold] wanted to institutionalize a regu “Chicago Experience” and directed via will give a small group of students the 7:30 a.m. and arriving back to campus at lar activity with which it can be associat campus mail to: Rodney Cohen, P.O. 766, chance to visit an area prison, Cook 8:30 p.m. Students w ill be asked to pay ed.” He stressed the importance of the CSC. page 2 The Observer • INSIDE Thursday, March 20, 1997 N INSIDE COLUMN I WORLD AT A GLANCE Smokers begone! Smoking during pregnancy affects newborns ANAHEIM, Calif. trouble, among other health problems. For all of you Saint Newborns whose mothers smoke during Robert Merritt, a behavioral scientist at Mary’s College students pregnancy have the same nicotine level as Newborns the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and who enjoy sucking on tar, grown-up smokers and almost certainly and nicotine Prevention in Atlanta, said the latest data nicotine, and all of those spend their first days of life going through born to mothers who \ j. “ support what we have been saying all countless other poisons have as much nicotine withdrawal, a new study finds.

Load more