Thursday, November 13, 1997 • Vol. XXXI No. 53 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY'S • STUDENT SENATE Leaders debate student government relationships By TIM LOGAN facilities in all dorms. When the issue first arose, both News Writer student government's Gender Issues Committee and senate's Residence Life Committee were acting on it. The Lyons basketball courts, multicultural aware­ Ultimately, the senate took charge and passed a reso­ ness at Notre Dame and the division of duties between lution two weeks ago. This is one of a number of resi­ student government and Student Senate were among dence life issues to be passed by the senate this the issues covered at last night's senate meeting. semester. In discussing student government relations, student "''ve gone out of my way to inform [student govern­ body president Matt Griffin noted that the two bodies ment departments] of our issues ... because I don't often work on the same issues. causing overlap and want overlaps," said senate Residence Life Committee wasted effort. chair Matt Szabo. "This comes out of having two such ambitious Some senators asked why the two couldn't simply groups working on similar issues," observed Griffin. make a greater effort to work together. Additionally, Griffin is concerned because "a common · "A simple solution would be more involvement and student voice is not being presented. There's the stu­ collaboration between student government and dent government, and then there's the Student The Observer!Thi Linh Chojnacki Student Senate," noted Fisher senator Chip Warden. Senate." Student body president Matt Griffin and members of the Breen-Phillips senator Andrea Kavoosi added, "If "It is not necessary nor it is appropriate for the senate tried to work out the duties of student government. you have all these issues, who cares who does the senate to discuss minor details. That is the responsi­ footwork? With both working on them, you have twice bility of the president's office {and student govern­ vidual cases, we can take care of at the dorm level." the people, and you'll get twice as much work done." ment)," Keough senator A.J. Boyd noted. "We directly represent individual dorms. This "There's been a communication breakdown," Other senators talked about the consequences of the should be the place for discussion of issues," noted observed student body vice president Erek Nass. To senate working out the small details. Sorin senator Kevin Grugan. help remedy this situation, several ideas were pro­ "As dorm representatives we have the perfect venue The two groups, especially at their subcommittee posed. They included regular reports to the senate by for determining what our constituents want," said levels, have frequently worked on the same issues. Keenan senator Matt Mamak. "Minor things, in indi- One example given was the proposal to install laundry see SENATE I page 4 Dukakis to address Observing the terror... government forum a moderated panel discussion Ex-candidate and an open discussion where panelists will answer audience will speak on questions. The controversy surrounding campaign funding was brought finance reform to light during the 1996 cam­ paign when certain activities By HEATHER MACKENZIE were allegedly associated with Assistant News Editor unlimited special-interest fund­ ing, or "soft money," efforts Campaign finance reform will generated by the Demoeratic be the topic of a symposium National Committee. The grow­ headlined by Michael Dukakis ing use of this type of funding tomorrow from 9 a.m. until and the ways in which political noon in the parties solicit this money are Center for currently up for debate in the Continuing U.S. Congress. Eduration Along with Dukakis. who is auditorium. currently a professor at Dukakis. a Northeastern University, the IIJ~R prnsi­ panel assemblnd for this discus­ dPnlial can­ sion will include Craig Engles, didate and campaign advisor· for the 55 former gov- Dukakis Republican candidates for the nrnor of U.S. Senate, William Marshall, Massachusetts. will be included associate council to the presi­ on a panel of attorneys and law dent of the United States, Donald scholars for an open presenta­ Simon, the executive vice prnsi­ tion and discussion on the con­ dent of Common Cause, Bradley troversy surrounding political Smith, an adjunct scholar with funding. Beginning at 9 a.m., the CATO Institute, and Kenneth The Observer!Thi Linh Chojnacki each panelist will present a spe­ aureen Lane looks at pictures that were displayed in the lobby of the Hesburgh Center for Weine, staff attorney for the International Studies as part of the "Ban Bus" project. The bus, organized by the U.S. Campaign cific topic and his perspective on Brennan Center for Justice at M campaign financP reform. The to Ban Land Mines, is touring the country before a Dec. 5 land-mine treaty signing. the New York University Law See story on page 3. presentations will be followPd by School. • SMC STUDENT GOVERNMENT Saint Mary's leaders focus on community events By P. COLLEEN NUGENT The effectiveness of tho pro­ Board has distributed one Haggar game room. The com­ on the campus through pic­ A\sociatr Saint Marv"s News Editor grams with respect to turnout newsletter, Student Academic mittee is looking for students tures of various boards and holds a strong impact on the Council has issued two, and with artistic abilities to offer their members, and will be dis­ Bringing students together success of r-------, more will follow later this aca·­ their artwork played on the first floor of on campus and in the commu­ this year's demic year, according to Milos to be painted Haggar, Milos and McKeough nity headline the agenda of the events. and McKeough. They added along the stated. Saint Mary's Board of McKeough that students also receiv~ walls of this In other news, athletics com­ Governance, according to stu­ insisted. monthly calendars. The admis­ room. missioner Betsy Gemmer has dent body president Nikki Milos "Alcohol sions office, according to "Students organized several new intra­ and student body vice presi­ Awareness McKeough, requested that offering their murals and has provided fur­ dent Lori McKeough. Week, which prospective students receive a artwork will ther publicity for the varsity "The many activities we have was spon- copy of SAC's magazine, eventually sports throughout campus. planned and have hosted thus sored by Milos "Spotlight on Academics." McKeough turn what "We are extremely excited far have proven themselves RHA, had Milos and McKeough added was originally about the improvements that extremely successful when much publicity which helped to that there will be an opening of a drawing on paper into a wall­ have been made to improve looking at them from the stu­ make it a success," she added. a multicultural lounge this year sized sketch," McKeough said. communication in the athletic dent turnout rate," Milos said. While Student Activities in the resource station of Leadership will be celebrated areas," Milos said . ... page 2 The Observer • INSIDE Thursday, November 13, 1997 • INSIDE COlUMN Friends are utside the Dome compiled from IJ-u•irt• reports Friends Cornell considers banning alcohol in light of death trend ITHACA, N.Y. students abuse alco­ Forever On Monday, Jan. 18, hol. I was writing my 1993, police found Muller, who is Inside Column on Kristi Klitsch Terrence Quinn '93 also a master train­ Sunday night when the Wire Editor dead from asphyxiation er for the Training telephone rang. It was in the chimney of Psi Intervention 12:08 a.m. At that moment, everything Upsilon fraternity. He Procedures for changed. had been missing since­ Service of Alcohol Two of my friends from high school had been the previous Friday, (TIPS), a national in a serious car accident, my friend from after an evening of program, suggested reportedly heavy drinking. discovered 22-year-old Hob Jordan's students feel invincible, and may be Creighton explained. One of them had died, and body in a river three weeks after his the other was struggling to live. Alcohol-related deaths continue to unaware of the consequences associ­ plague the Cornell community. fraternity held its annual Purple ated with drinking to excess. "The Surely he must be kidding, I thought to Passion party, named after the potent myself. How could Amy, whom I saw only a few According to Christopher Muller, pro­ glory of youth is [the attitude]. 'It's fessor of hotel administration, there mix of hard liquor and fruit juice they not going to happen to me,"' he months ago, be dead? And Lisa, whom I have served. known since childhood. how could she be in has been a death due to drinking at added. Cornell every year for the past As a result of these tragedies, cam­ Chris Couture '99, a resident advis­ surgery? puses across the nation are either Yet he was not laughing. decade. But the tragedies are not only er in the Class of '28 dormitory, said limited to this campus. considering or have already adopted knowing the consequences is not the I won't even explain my initial reaction, policies banning alcohol. Cornell also because I now know that it was complete Alcohol killed 18-year-old Scott issue if people have been drinking to Krueger, a freshman at MIT who died faces this option as it attempts to curb such an extent that they lose control. shock. Nor will I s~y that I understand why this alcohol abuse. And aside from any happened, because I know that I never will. Sept. 29 after spending three days in "Yes, they do know the consequences, an alcohol-induced coma. policy decision, this university and but, no, they don't always follow their But I do know that the spirit of Amy will others try to understand why so many never die, because it will live in her friends for­ Last May at Hartwick College, police best judgment," he added.