Tuesday, February 25, 1997 • Vol. XXX No. 98 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY'S • STUDENT GOVERNMENT Page stresses responsibility Griffin and Nass name NFL Hall of Farner Gillard as chief of staff explains quest for equal opportunity By MATTHEW LOUGHRAN working with Matt [Griffin] and Assistant News Editor Erek [Nass]," Gillard said. '"It is By T.J. THORNTON really key now that people with News Writer The incoming student govern­ experience, which all three of us ment administration named for­ have, are making sure that the As the first person of color on mer vice presidential candidate transition goes smoothly." the Minnesota Supreme Court Mary Gillard to the position of That transition is to the new and an inductee to the NFL chief of staff. Hall of Fame from the "While we Minnesota Vikings, Alan Page· were running is a natural mentor and leader. and after we This Notre Dame alumnus has won, at least actively served as a model by 20 people starting a foundation and came up to us teaching audiences about his and asked us goals and dreams. about the Page began his speech last position," said night with the words of Martin student body -------------------­ Luther King, Jr. · president- "The biggest problems we elect Matt Griffin. "All were Student Union constitution face are not the result of bad qualified. But in the end, we which is being suggested by the people doing bad things, but of thought that [Gillard) would be student government reform good people doing nothing," he the best choice." committee. quoted. Gillard, who assumes the post Nass, Griffin and Gillard all Page stressed the responsi­ on April 1, when Griffin and currently serve on the reform bilities that people have as citi­ Erek Nass take over as student committee. zens to build their own charac­ body president and vice presi­ "The two of us wanted some­ The Obse!Ver/Megan Dooher ter and the character of others Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page stressed the importance dent, will handle all intra-office one we could count on and by figuring out "what is right of mentorship in his speech last night. communication and organize the would support us in accomplish­ and wrong, and then choosing office of student body president. ing our goals for the year," to do what is right." Certainly, their education past the sec­ students with scholarships. "The job is to make sure the Griffin said. the "doing" is paramount, and ondary level, but also by offer­ The Page Foundation has a office stays on task and focused, "We think that Mary will be Page suggests that the area ing hope to students who, with­ unique stipulation that asks its meeting deadlines and advising the one to do that," he added. most in need of attention is the out financial assistance, would scholars give something back the president and vice presi­ The new chief of staff will educational system. not be able to attend college. to the educational community, dent," said Brendan Kelly, who assemble the office staff for the The Page Foundation The foundation began in 1989 helping to develop the charac­ served as chief of staff of the president and vice president. addresses the problems of by granting 10 students partial ter of all parties. This require­ present administration until he "We will meet this week and those immersed in this system scholarships for post-sec­ ment may be fulfilled through resigned two weeks ago. · accept applications by the end of by providing grants for disad­ ondary education in Minnesota; "I am really looking forward to the week," said Gillard. vantaged students to continue this year it has awarded 325 see PAGE I page 4 'Vodou' lounge ... • BOARD OF GOVERNANCE Members discuss summit By MELANIE GARMAN News Writer Members of the Saint Mary's Board of Governance met last night to discuss the leadership summit that will take place this Wednesday in Haggar Parlor at 6:30p.m. Both Saint Mary's and Notre Dame student governments will be represented at the conference primarily to dis­ cuss possible methods of The Obse!Ver/Katie Kroener improving relations between Nine Vodou flags, made by Haitian artists, are currently on display in the rotunda of the Main Building in celebration of Black History Month. the two schools. The term "vodou" derives from "vodun," which means god or spirit in the language of the West African Fon people. The board recounted the National Association of • MUlTICUlTURAL BEAT Catholic Colleges and Universities (NASCCU) confer­ ence which took place this past weekend. The confer­ Knott Hall focuses on individual diversity ence focused on the Catholic By HEATHER MACKENZIE Knott residents, the dorm's A panel discussion hosted by Henderson emphasized. character of American col­ leges and universities. News Writer multicultural week was international students and "Every type of difference can derived from the extensive Knott residents who have be diversity." Sarah Siefert, communica­ Focusing on all differences planning of multicultural com­ studied abroad began the The week ended with a tions commissioner, suggested at Notre Dame, not just those missioner Annette Henderson. week-long celebration. Two "Meal of Nations" prepared for that an effort be made to gen­ involving race or ethnicity, "Last year we really focused other panel discussions, which the dorm by several Knott res­ erate awareness about NASC­ Knott Hall sponsored an all­ on racial differences," said focused on the idea that diver­ idents. Members of the Irish CU and expre~>sed her feeling dorm celebration of individual Henderson. "This year, we sity at Notre Dame is not sole­ Guard were also present to that Saint Mary's, having diversity last week. tried to incorporate ethnic dif­ ly based on color, were also teach residents the "Irish Clog str.ong Catholic character, has Including three panel discus­ ferences and also generate a highlights of the week. Dance." much to offer Notre Dame and other like institutions. sions. a hands~on workshop, respect for diversity in gener- "Multiculturalism is not just "Annette did a wonderful and a dinner prepared by a.1 .. about racial differences," see KNOTT/ page 4 see BOG I page 4 page 2 The Observer· INSIDE Tuesday, February 25, 1997 • INSIDE COlUMN • WORLD AT A GlANCE Sliding Indian town cremates its dead after 190 die in hall fire BARIPADA, India with wires near the ceiling in the • Sharad Das stood near the CHINA middle of the men's hall, one of three entrance of the straw-and-thatch temporary structures on a sprawling tnto hall, watching electricians fiddle playground. with wires. Another building was a dormitory "Suddenly, there was a flash and for women and the third housed the hotne the roof was on fire.," he said main auditorium, where Hindus lis­ Monday, standing beside the tened to lectures on spiritualism, As spring break rapidly charred bodies of his grandfather sang hymns and meditated. At least approaches, we find our­ and uncle. 12,000 devotees had gathered for the selves in a flux of seasons. At least 190 people were killed annual three-day ceremony to seek I don't mean the seasons Sunday when the blaze gutted the the blessing of the late Swami of Mother Nature; we hall at a Hindu religious gathering Nigamananda, a Hindu spiritual know that real seasons in this town in eastern India. leader. don't exist in South Bend. More than 100 others, many cov­ About 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the fire If you blink, you might ered with burns, were lying on the broke out. miss the transition from floor of Baripada's hospital Monday, AP "The roof in the middle of the hall cold miserable rain and Melanie Waters overwhelming the town's single was on fire within seconds. I tried to clouds to warm miser­ Assistant Accent Editor medical center. run in, because my grandfather and uncle were inside. able rain and clouds. Das, 30, said 2,000 people were in the hall when he But people were running out. They were pushing me," Spring is actually finished lunch. He gazed idly at three men working he said, adding that he stumbled and fell. recorded as the 14 minutes of sunshine in April where there is no rain and the mud is shallow enough to wade rather than swim to class. Judge gives gag order in Cosby case Russia, Chechnya search for missing I am referring to a different set of seasons, which have more in common than you might NEW YORK MOSCOW think. In just over a month, the gross national A judge imposed a gag order r-----==-­ Russian and Chechen authorities have agreed to work consumption of Cracker Jacks and overpriced Monday on lawyers in the case of a together to search for almost 1,500 servicemen and civil­ beer will skyrocket as !baseball season com­ woman accused of trying to extort ians unaccounted for since the war in the breakaway republic. Chechnya President Asian Maskhadov and his mences with Opening Day 1997. r $40 million from Bill Cosby by claim­ If you look around, you may notice that over­ ing she was his illegitimate daughter. government promised to help search for the missing, paid men in tight pants aren't the only ones U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones exhume unidentified dead and update missing-in-action anticipating sweaty palms. Seniors in particu­ agreed to the order during a brief lists, Vladimir Zolotaryov, head of the Russian commis­ lar will agree that there's a rash of ridiculously hearing at the request of prosecutors. sion on the missing in Chechnya, said Monday.