------------------------------· THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOLUME 43: ISSUE 118 FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2009 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Obama decision draws continued response Student coalition plans Leaders, organizations to engage in dialogue continue to speak out By AARON STEINER By MADELINE BUCKLEY News Writer News Editor On Tuesday, March 24, Notre Dame Right to Life held their weekly officers Nationwide, Catholic leaders - meeting. Normally, about ten people in~luding various organizations, bish­ show up. That week, 50 to 60 turned up. ops and the superior general of the Club president Mary Daly, a Notre Congregation of the Holy Cross - con­ Dame junior, was expecting a big tinue to speak out about the turnout. Right to Life had invited leaders University's decision to host President from a number of campus groups, and Barack Obama as the 2009 officers were expecting that a number of Commencement speaker. concerned students would join in. Cardinal Frances George, archbishop The topic of that week's meeting? of Chicago and president of the United Deciding on a student response to the States Conference of Catholic Bishops University's March 20 announcement (USCCB), said the University's decision that President Barack Obama would is an "extreme embarrassment" to deliver the Commencement address this Catholics, according to a spring, and receive an honorary degree. LifeSiteNews.com report. The University's decision to invite DAN JACOBS!The Observer Many opponents of the decision to President Barack Obama spoke at a political rally in South Bend last April. The University's see COALITION/page 8 decision to invite Obama to speak at graduation continues to create controversy. see LEADERS/page 8 CCAC: Community, University relations have improved Leaders discuss off-campus housing, taxi cab reform, alcohol awareness at first meeting held on campus "It's been the best year in a "What we do before the By SARAH MERVOSH long, long time. I'm very major events [is] we send a News Writer pleased," Matt Costello, a mass e-mail out to all of the South Bend resident, said. students reminding them of Student leaders, University "There were a couple of big their neighbors," Kramer officials and community mem­ parties on St. Patrick's Day, said. bers discussed issues regard­ but they were shut down right Kramer said he has also ing off-campus housing at the after dinner. By the time the hired three off-duty police Community Campus Advisory little kids were ready for bed, officers who have gone Coalition (CCAC) meeting, there wasn't a peep out of around to talk to students which took place on campus anybody in the neighbor­ prior to major events, and the for the first time Thursday hood." students "knowing that the afternoon. Mark Kramer, owner of presence is there" has made a Several group members said Kramer Properties, a housing difference. the relationship between off­ company in the South Bend Council chairman AI campus students and their area, said he has been taking "Buddy" Kirsits said that for WU YUE!The Observer neighbors has improved over­ a more proactive approach to Community and University leaders discuss community relations at all. parties. see CCAC/page 6 the CCAC meeting Thursday in the Main Building. Dance Marathon kicks off ND to hold first annual By ALICIA SMITH CommUniversity Day News Writer Dance Marathon - an event in chair for the Social Concerns By ANN-MARIE WOODS which participants are encour­ Committee, said. "No matter aged to stay on their feet for 12 News Writer what your talent, there is hours - kicks off tonight in the definitely a way you can Anegla Athletic Facilty at the In an effort to "build rela­ serve your community." College. tionships, partnerships and The inspiration for Dance Marathon is an organiza­ fellowship" with the South CommUniversity Day came tion that fundraises for Riley Bend community, Notre from student body President llospital for the duration of the Dame students will collabo­ Emeritus Bob Reish's school year. Each spring, the dub rate with community mem­ research of other universi­ presents its largest event. the bers through Notre Dame's ties' service programs. Dance Marathon. first annual CommUniversity Student government con­ During this event students. fac­ Day, which will offer more cluded that while a large ulty, stall' and community mem­ than 20 service projects on majority of Notre Dame stu­ bers are invited to dance for 12 and off campus throughout dents participate in some hours in honor of the kids at Riley the day. form of service, our campus Hospital. KELLY H IGG INS!The Observer "The idea for the day is and community lacked "one Students participate in the 2007 Dance Marathon. This one body, many gifts," see DANCE/page 4 year's Marathon begins tonight at 8 p.m. Michelle Byrne, outgoing see SERVICE/page 9 page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Friday, April 3, 2009 INSIDE CoLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT PART OF SUMMER ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST? Tree Sitting Good morning. I hope things are well. Allow me to begin by saying that I'm not quite sure how I arrived here. Although I've James Denue Kristy Cloetingh Maggie Wydysh Matt Kent Richard Skelton been an employee (photography) of The freshman freshman freshman freshman freshman Observer for Zhlbin Dai O'Neill McGlinn McGlinn Keough Keough the last year, and a casual Photographer "Showing off "Going to "Hablando Tending to my "Hitting yellow consumer of it for the last my new bikini Tanzania. " espafiol en beet farm. " balls with a four, I've hardly ever read an lines." Mexico y modified inside column. As a photographer Guatemala con snowshoe." I haven't been doing much writ­ ing period. Ia orquesta. " I'm not complaining though, because I volunteered for this. Writing, after all, is romantic and cool; and if there's one regret I Have an idea for Question of the Day? E-mail [email protected] have about my college experience - actually there are many, this is purely hypothetical - it's not working harder to score chicks. Anyway here's a story. Last IN BRIEF Friday night was unquestionably . the craziest night of my life. An exhibit entitled "Great While other people were off get­ Thinkers (Who Have Changed ting drunk, hooking up and doing Modern Thought for the typical bourgeois activities, I Better)" with portrait prints of summoned my latent courage 11 historical figures will be and newfound faith in ropes and hosted at 10:00 a.m. in the carabiners to participate in a Suite Museum of Art on Friday. tree-sit. For those who are unaware, tree-sitting, as defined Mass will be held in the by Wikipedia, is a form of civil Basilica of the Sacred Heart at disobedience in which a protester 11:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. on sits in a tree to prevent it from Friday. being cut down. My partner and I are making a documentary about The Finance Seminar Series tree-sitting and it was imperative will host the lecture, that we capture the reality of the "Economics, Accounting situation, to examine the lived Practices, and Earnings experience. Thus we climbed up Volatility in Mortgage," on the tree and spent the night 90 Friday at 11:30 a.m. in 339 feet above the ground, suspended Mendoza College of Business. on large branches and webs of rope. It was quite an experience. The "Human Being after Did I mention I'm afraid of Genocide" lecture series will heights? I am. Did I also mention hold a lecture entitled "Clones, that my rope lost tension and got Chimeras, and other Creatures stuck on the way down? It did. WU YUEffhe Observer of the Biotechnological Again, it was quite an experi­ Indian musicians Slenil Avachat, left, Millnd Tulankar, center, and Ramdas Palsule, Revolution: Toward a Genomic ence. Although some of my inter­ right present classical Indian music in the Hesburgh Center Auditorium. Mythology." The lecture will be actions with the real tree-sitters held in rooms 100-104 in were awkward, it was extremely McKenna Hall on Friday at refreshing to be around and 3:00p.m. engage people whose lives seem completely different and alien to A lecture entitled "Oral and your own. Because once you talk OFFBEAT Literary: Some Texts in to them and get to know them, Context" will be held at 3:00 you realize that on a fundamental Animal-rights activist buys Methamphetamine recipe Animal-rights activist buys p.m. on Friday in 424 Flanner level, we're all the same. cow headed for slaughter found in Ind. resident's Bible cow headed for slaughter Hall. In the subsequent days I've HUTCHINSON, Kan.- A ELKHART, Ind. SALEM, Ore. - A woman reflected on my tree-sitting expe­ dairy cow was headed for Police investigators say accused of" driving 103 A conference called rience, particularly whether it the slaughterhouse until they found the recipe for mph with her 1 0-year-old "Perspectives on Peace" will be will have a lasting impact on me an animal-rights activist making methampheta­ grandson was on leave held at 5:00 p.m. on Friday in or simply devolve into a fleeting bought her after the mine in an odd place: in from a job at the state the Hesburgh Center. memory, a singular isolated Brown Jersey made a run a Bible on the last page Driver and Motor Vehicle adventure. for it. Farmer Calvin Nisly of the Book of" Services. The 53-year-old "The Garden" will be shown On some level, my tree-sitting was taking the 5-year-old Revelation.