/ ^ \ THE U b s e r v e r The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Marys VOLUME 44 : ISSUE 25 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER.28, 2009 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Holy Cross students forced into trunk of car Victims say four men approached them with a gun; Poorman says off-campus safety a priority for University 10:40 p.m. Thursday when a told police the men hit them the car and heard noises com­ working with local police to By MADELINE BUCKLEY man approached them with a while driving the car. One stu­ ing from the car. He discovered address the issue of off-campus News Editor gun and demanded money. dent said he was hit in the ear the students stuffed in the crime. The students gave the man with a gun and punched in the trunk. “We have experienced crime Two Holy Cross College stu­ their wallets, cell phone and face. The students reported the Police said the incident near the campus previously, dents were robbed and forced car keys. Two or three other men eventually forced them in ended just after midnight. but in these most recent cases to ride in the trunk of their car male suspects approached the the trunk. Police said they currently the perpetrators have been for at least an hour late group, asked for more money Police said an officer stopped have no suspects. bolder than in the p ast,” he Thursday night, according to a and then forced the students the vehicle on McKinley Road University Vice President for said in the e-mail. “As with police report. into the back of the vehicle. because the driver failed to Student Affairs Fr. Mark other crimes, robbers some­ Police said the two male stu­ The students reported that turn off the car’s high beams, Poorman acknowledged times approach students dents had exited their car in a the men forced them to drive and the suspects fled the vehi­ T hursday’s robbery in an e- because they believe them to parking lot near the 800 block around to several local banks cle. mail to the student body Friday of Notre Dame Ave. about to withdraw cash. The students The officer then approached and said the University is see TRUNK/page 3 Purdue win a relief for game spectators called upon,” Skorup said. “And By BRIAN METZ even though [backup quarter­ News Writer back Dayne] Crist wasn’t asked to do much, he played mistake- Notre Dame students let out a free football and did his job.” collective sigh of relief as the Senior Amy Holt was final horn sounded in impressed by Notre Dame’s Saturday’s 24-21 victory at quarterback tandem. Purdue’s Ross-Ade Stadium. “I’m proud of Jimmy’s leader­ Quarterback Jimmy Clausen ship, and Dayne gave good and the Irish sealed the win in effort when we needed him.” the final seconds, sending the Some students say they were in-state rival Boilermakers most impressed with Clausen’s home unhappy. coolheaded leadership with the Without the team’s leading game on the line. rusher Armando Allen and “Despite his injury, Jimmy leading receiver Michael Floyd came through in the end, and in the line-up, and with Clausen that’s what a good quarterback battling injury as well, the Irish has to do,” Skorup said. needed to step it up, senior Jeff Though limited by injury DAN JACOBS/The O bserver Skorup said. offensively, the Irish had an Students cheer on the Irish during the game against Purdue Saturday at Ross-Ade “Jimmy was obviously hurt­ Stadium. The Irish beat the Boilermakers in a 24-21 victory. ing, but he came through when see GAME/page 6 Cadets learn leadership skills during weekend at Fort Custer ogy failures, they were given “The juniors take turns being By ROBERT SINGER nothing but grid coordinates, a the leader for the mission. Assistant News Editor map, compass and protractor They’re leading a mission that over the weekend to locate their the squad must execute, then Army ROTC cadets from Notre target — an orange and white they make a plan to get them Dame, Holy Cross and Saint box somewhere in the woods. from the starting point to the end Mary’s College returned Sunday Janke also said she participat­ point,” she said. “The missions afternoon after a weekend-long ed in a leader reaction course. include a general attack, an training exercise at Fort Custer This exercise, according to Vitter, ambush, attacking a fortified near Battle Creek, Mich., where “tests a squad leader’s ability to position, reacting to contact.” they honed their skills in naviga­ formulate a plan on the spot and Rodriguez also discussed how tion, combat and leadership, sen­ formulate it effectively with the the Army prepares its cadets for ior cadet Scott Vitter said. peers in his squad. carrying out missions in cultures Daytime and nighttime land “The one I led today was a sim­ that may seem unfamiliar. navigation, squad training exer­ ulated mine field,” Janke said. “We try and have our enemy cises and leader reaction courses “We had two ammo boxes and forces try to mimic the culture of comprised the bulk of the week­ two long poles to get across this what the current combat situa­ end, which began for the 92 mine field, and none of the cadets tion is in Iraq and Afghanistan,” cadets at noon on Friday, Vitter could touch the gravel ground. she said. said. We had to get all the cadets and According to Rodriguez, In the “real army,” junior cadet all the equipment to the other “respecting their culture, and at Geralyn Janke said, GPS and side.” the same time, doing it in a way other systems aid land naviga­ Senior cadet Marina Rodriguez that doesn’t affect the mission” Photo courtesy of Marina Rodriguez tion, but to evaluate ROTC cadets explained the squad training Army ROTC cadets participate in a training exercise at Fort Custer and to prepare them for technol­ exercises. see ROTC/page 6 near Battle Creek, Mich., over the weekend. INSIDE TODAY’S PAPER Runners participate in Domer Run page 3 ♦ Guitar Hero 5 review page 13 ♦ Men's soccer page 24 ♦ Viewpoint page 10 page 2 The Observer ♦ PAGE 2 Monday, September 28, 2009 Inside C olumn Question of the Day: W ho is yo u r favo rite P l a n e t e e r? Worried? Hardly. I have the conversation down to a science. “So, what do you want do you want Greg Prokop Nick Tammerine Danie Brink Ellie Hall to do after graduation?” “Good question,” I answer, with a sophomore sophomore sophomore junior lighthearted laugh. Carroll Carroll Holy Cross Hall Welsh Family “No ideas? What are you interested in?” “The water one. “Wheeler. “I’m gonna say “Linka. She had This is when I She’s the most Heart. ” the power to launch into a important. ” control air!’’ rehearsed, “Well, sure, I’ve thought about it,” and a long “there are quite a few things Aaron Steiner I’m interested in” spiel that usually Assistant gets a response Managing like “Oh, I see. Editor Have an idea for Question of the Day? E-mail [email protected] Well, you have some time to figure it out.” Which is when I interject, “Sure ... but only a few months!” In B rief By all counts — a down economy, looming application deadlines, A lecture, “City by Design: A daunting Career Fairs — I should be Vision for Sustainability,” will worried, right? be held today in 104 Bond I know some are, or are getting to Hall, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 that point. But on the contrary, I’m p.m. Harriet Tregoning, not worried at all. Director of the Washington, It’s interesting — at exactly the D.C. Office of Planning, will be point when I’m most confused and lecturing on her work to should be most concerned about im prove W ashington, D.C. where my life goes after graduation, through beautification proj­ I’m actually quite at peace with the ects. ambiguity. Maybe it’s because I still harbor A presentation and question idealistic “I can save the world” and answer session, “Cheech notions that make me feel like I can Marin: An Interpretation of a do it all. Or because I’m not con­ Culture through Chicano Art,” stricted by a need to work in one will be held Sept. 30 at the particular industry, to study a partic­ Decio Mainstage Theatre in ular subject or to take one particular the DeBartolo Performing Arts path. Or maybe I just haven’t thought Center at 7:30 p.m. This is a about it much. free but ticketed event, with No. Not true, I’ve thought about it tickets available at 6:30 p.m. at a lot. And become even more con­ the DeBartolo Performing Arts fused. Center the day of the event or Whatever the case, I’m not wor­ ANDREW WEBER/The Observer for students with a valid ID at ried. But I’ll tell you what I am wor­ Two Ferraris and an Acura NSX parked at Main Circle on Friday to protest Notre MSPS, 210 LaFortune. ried about. Dame’s recent improvements in sustainability and energy efficiency. I’m worried about the rest of the A film, “The Man Who Would Irish football season. I’m worried Be Polka King,” (2009) will be about the number of times I’m going shown Oct. 1 at the Browning to get to go to the Backer this year.