In Her Daughter's Footsteps

Le Mans turns 75 Filling the stands Saint Mary’s most visible landmark A Saint Mary’s student addresses the lack Monday celebrates its diamond anniversary of support for Belles athletics following this month. this weekend’s volleyball match. SEPTEMBER 1 8 , Scene ♦ page 12 Viewpoint ♦ page 11 2 0 0 0 O bserver The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s VOL XXXIV NO. 20 HTTP://OBSERVER . ND.EDU Library Flying high nets $16m bequest ♦ Gift breaks record for largest donation by estate. By MAUREEN SMITHE News Wrirer In what is the largest estate gift ever made to the University, the late William Carey’s estate donated $16 million to renovate the Hesburgh Library, establish a scholarship fund and support the University’s Erasmus Institute. The gift is part of Notre Dame’s $767 million Generations campaign, began in 1997. University president Father Edward Malloy said the donation is reflective of Carey’s devotion to Notre Dame’s pros perity. “We are grateful for this gift, which so strikingly demon strates Bill Carey’s boundless affection for Notre Dame," he said in a press release. “He will always be remembered here as one of Our Lady’s most gener ous sons.” Although the donation was only recently announced, Carey had alerted the University of His intention five years ago. “He was a loyal alumnus and it was his lifelong dream to leave a positive impact on Notre Dame,” said Michelle PETER RICHARDSON / The Observer With two seconds left, sophomore Nick Setta kicked the field goal to give the Irish an upset win over Purdue. Notre Dame see CAREY/ page 4 jumped to number 16 in the Associated Press poll and 18 in the ESPN poll. See the Irish Insider for details. 30 years after high school, the mother of a Saint Mary’s grad realizes her own dreams and returns to South Bend, In her daughter’s footsteps “I wanted to come to Saint Mary’s from nity college after a divorce that “made me Her parents have been with her By COLLEEN McCARTHY the time I was a small girl,” said Torsell. realize it was time I started to make a through the entire process, she said. Associate News Editor “My family had been lifelong Notre Dame new decision for myself, and I just felt like “My parents have been so supportive, fans after my grandfather met Knute God was giving me the opportunity to do and after everything that 1 have been On Christmas Eve 1999, Bridget Torsell Rockne in 1926 when Notre Dame played what I had wanted to do 30 years ago but through with my personal life, they were received a Christmas present in her mail Penn State, and I loved couldn’t.” just overjoyed to see me heading to Saint box that was to be the realization of a life Saint Mary’s. But after I After two years at Mary’s,” said Torsell. “When I was leav long dream. Awaiting the now 48-year- graduated from high 7 always knew ... it community college, ing, my dad put his arms around me and old woman was an acceptance letter from school, one thing led to would be Saint M ary’s Torsell began looking started to cry and said, ‘Finally you are the Saint Mary’s admissions office. another and it w asn’t or nowhere. ’’ for a school to transfer going to go some place where you want to “1 was filled with excitement that my possible for me to attend to. be.’” dream was finally going to come true,” Saint Mary’s.” “I had 10 schools Torsell’s daughter and 20-year-old son said Torsell. Torsell encouraged her Bridget Torsell within a 50-mile radius Jared are also supportive of their moth Since August 1997, Torsell had been daughter, Melanie Saint Mary’s junior of where I lived but I er’s choice. taking classes at the Harrisburg Area Carm an, to apply to always knew that if I “My son is very happy for me, but he Community College in Pennsylvania part- Saint Mary’s when she was going to transfer, says he misses me,” she said. “He had time while working a full-time job in the began searching for colleges. In August it would be Saint Mary’s or nowhere,” she lived with me in the house up until the pastoral care department of a nursing 1994, Torsell helped her daughter move said. day I sold it so that was very hard.” and retirement home. This August, into Saint Mary’s as a freshman and in The months prior to her arrival at Saint Like many students, Torsell found it Torsell joined throngs of freshmen and 1998, watched her graduate from the Mary’s marked major life changes for challenging to adapt to life away from her transfer students moving into Saint place Torsell loved and longed to have a Torsell. She sold her home and all her family in her first weeks at Saint Mary’s. Mary’s. The move marked a milestone in degree from. furniture before arriving in South Bend Torsell’s life. She began taking classes at the commu this fall. see TORSELL/page 4 page 2 The Observer ♦ INSIDE Monday, September 18, 2000 I n s id e C o lu m n T h is W eek on C a m p u s Monday Tuesday W ednesday T hursday It’s a matter ♦ Movie: Cinema at the ♦ Performance: “Matapat: ♦ Lecture: “Moby Dante?” ♦ Lecture: “Proust’s Snite, “Vertigo," 7 p.m., Music, Song and Dance of Piero Boitani, 4:45 p.m., Reinvention of the Novel,” of our safety Annenberg Auditorium Quebec,” 7:30 p.m., Little 102 Hesburgh Library 4:45 p.m., Annenberg ♦ Lecture: “Dating, Mating Theatre/ Moreau Center, ♦ Lecture: “Do New Auditorium We’ve all done it once. and Relating,” columnist tickets available through Economy Workers Need ♦ Lecture: “Should As I turned my car into the Angela parking Ellen Gootblatt, 7 p.m., 284-4626 Unions?” Amy Dean, 8 Evolution Be Taught in lot late one night last week, my eyes glanced across the glowing green numbers on my dash Carroll Auditorium ♦ Movie: “The Piano," 8 p.m., 102 DeBartolo Hall Public Schools?” 7:30 p.m., board. 4:05 a.m., it read, taunting me with the fact it was stealing the p.m., Montgomery Theatre Madeleva Hall remaining hours of pre cious sleep from me, minute by minute. As 1 navigated my car OUTSIDE THE D o m e Compiled from U-Wire reports between the last remaining set of white lines in the parking lot, 1 looked up to see the hazy blue emer Penn State rally, vigil support 13 assault victims gency light illuminating the phone about 15 feet away Noreen Gillespie UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. “Outrage grew when we were Spanier said the university took action from my car. Armed with handmade signs and as soon as the first report came in. talking about [the1 3 I knew the rules. I knew I posters, students took to Old Main “The university's been very con should pick up the phone, steps at noon on Friday to rally assaults]. We’re not happy cerned from the moment it occurred. ask for an escort, and be Managing Pennsylvania State University’s sup with how the Penn State We deployed a significant number of safely driven back to my Editor port for the 13 victims of the Snyder administration deals with people.” Spanier said, citing the help dorm. Hall assaults. of Penn State Police Services, coun But as the glowing green The goals of Friday’s rally and vigil sexual assault." selors, the offices of Residence Life numbers changed from 4:05 to 4:06, and as my were threefold, said senior Alyssa and Student Affairs and other units. “The university’s response was sub eyes became heavier and heavier, my main Pinsker, focusing on educating men Erika Dusen concern was not my safety, but rather, my bed. and women about sexual assault, ask stantial. I’m proud of the dozens of 1 knew that picking up that phone was going to ing the administration to publicly Penn State senior people who got involved.” Spanier cost me at least 10 minutes of sleep, 10 min address the incidents and release said. “The suspect was apprehended utes of waiting in the parking lot, 10 minutes of more details and facts. Michelle Yates, an organizer of the as quickly as possible.” aimlessly humming to the radio to keep my Organized by no particular group on event. The group would like to see the uni eyes from closing right there in the driver’s campus, the idea for the rally evolved “Outrage grew when we were talk versity president address the student seat. after a Feminist Majority Leadership ing about it,” said senior Erika Dusen. body about the incident, Pinsker said. My fatigue won out. Alliance meeting. “We're not happy with how the Penn “As far as I know, the university I stepped out of the car, locked the door, and Concern for these sexual assault vic State administration deals with sexual didn’t say anything. It just seems like walked completely across campus to Holy Cross tims and violence against women in assault.” a cycle of silence to me,” said senior Hall. I won’t pretend for a second that it wasn’t general sparked the rally, said junior Penn State President Graham Allison Carey. eerie; when you’re the only person on campus at 4:07 a.m.

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