THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOLUME 40: ISSUE 89 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY23, 2006 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM STUDENT SENATE Student Affleck-Graves introduces vision magazine• Group sees short- and long-term campus plans publishes detailing plans for a new col­ By MADDIE HANNA lege town he called the Associate News Editor "Northeast Neighborhood "The Thatcher" will Project" - a mix of retail, res­ Notre Dame will never again idential and office complexes appear online weekly say it dreamed too small - not intended to "revitalize" the after its current plans for cam­ area south of campus. pus development. He also outlined the project­ By JOE PIARULLI The resounding "bigger and ed location of new buildings on News Writer better" theme of University current campus maps and President Father John Jenkins' flipped through PowerPoint A group of Notre Dame stu­ inaugural address was the slides of architectural sketch­ dents is trying to save the focus of Wednesday's Student es, often describing projects as world. Senate meeting, as Executive "very beautiful" and eliciting The literary world, that is. Vice President John Affleck­ murmured "wows" from sena­ "The Thatcher," a weekly Graves presented both short tors who apparently agreed. online literary magazine at and long-term campus master Projects to be tackled in the www. thethatcher.org, releasnd plans to senators. near future, Affleck-Graves its first issue Feb. 1 with the LAURIE HUNT/The Observer Affleck-Graves projected said, include expanding the goal of creating a writing eom­ Executive VIce President John Affleck-Graves presents Senate five, ten and even 50 years munity based around dnvelop­ members with future plans the University Wednesday. into the University's future, see SENATE/page 8 ing ideas, working personally with writers and producing tho best fictional eontent possible. "It's an idea that has evolved and will evolve some more," Christopher Mahoney, the cur­ Trustees convene at Saint Mary's College rent Lead Editor of "The Thatcher," said. "It's a pretty open-ended strueturn, and it. Chair lauds SMC for professional development focusns on the way the group works and the way the group is internationally." thinking." By MEGAN O'NEIL Schwiebert, along with Unlike many literary maga­ Saini Mary's Editor other members of the Board zines, which either simply of Trustees, is on campus for reject or accept submissions, Chair of tho Saint Mary's the quarterly Board meetings, the journey from submission to Board of Trustees Debbie which begin today. Trustees publication in "Tho Thatdwr" is .Johnson Sehwielwrt told stu­ had a full schedule of activi­ extensive and distinct. Tho edi­ dents in an address ties Wednesday afternoon tors often develop stories by Wednesday that tlwir Saint ineluding visiting elasses and committee. Mary's ndueation is invalu­ touring the "Poetas y "It's a remarkably organic a hI n , e ru: our a g i n g them to Pintores" art exhibit in the process," Mahoney said. "Both take advantage of every Moreau Gallery. of lour first two stories! started opportunity thn College A 197 4 Saint Mary's gradu­ out as just a couple paragraphs, offers. ate, Schwiebert said as a stu­ and they ended up in places we "l'rofnssionally to the out­ dent she thought she would never expectnd they would, but sidl~ world, we arc an use her English Literature they were faseinating, internst­ ahsolutnly stellar 1~ducational major to embark on a high ing plaens." institution," Sehwiebert said school teaching career. The position of Lead Editor of in tlw West Wing of the din­ Instead, she joined John "The Thatcher" switehns nvery ing hall. "Make no doubt Deere Company shortly after KELLY HIGGINS/The Observer month between the four nditors about that, our reputation is Debbie Johnson Schwiebert, Chair of the Saint Mary's Board of know not only nationally but see TRUSTEES/page 4 Trustees, urged students to value their time at SMC Wednesday. see THATCHER/page 6 Police, Kramer plan Readership stirs controversy city watch program By MARY KATE MALONE Assis1anr News Editor campus students attended By KAITLYNN RIELY the meeting. Two representa­ The Collegn Hnadership News Writer tives from Student Senate's Program is just 01111 step away Committee for Community from becoming a rnality at Notre Dame, and the Club Coordination In anticipation of student Helations were on hand to relay the information to the Council - which is litdng a 3. 75 housns emptying for spring percent budget cut in order to brnak - and in light of bur­ student body. Kramer was disappointed fund the program - is fighting to glaries that occurred over reclaim the money it stands to wintl)r brnak - Kramer more people did not attend the meeting but encouraged lose. Propertins owner Mark The Head(Jrship Program, Kranwr and representatives off-campus students to call the police department and whieh provides major newspa­ from tlw South Bend Police pers to eollcges around the I>npartnwnt held an informa­ join the student neighbor­ hood watch program. nation, will be funded by a por­ tion snssion Wndnesday to tion of a $15 student activity fen advis1~ off-campus students of "I think it's very important that they get involved," increase and by a rndudion to the safnty nwasures and to dis­ fixed allocations of the Club cuss tho initiation of a stu­ Kramer said. "We can all do our part, both as landlords Coordination Council (CCC) and dent noighborhood watch Observer File Photo the Council of Hepresentatives program. A student makes use of the pilot College Readership Program, an Dospitn this goal, no off- see POLICE/ page 6 initiative student body president Dave Baron supports, In Feb. 2005. see PROGRAM/page 4 page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Thursday, February 23, 2006 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: IF YOU COULD EAT A MEAL WITH SOMEONE, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Do you ever wonder ... Here are a few questions that are likely to make some people angry. My friends and I have often wondered Bodie Solomon Aileen Wu Shannon Murphy Ali Mooers Pat McMulty Julie Ruffin about these issues, and I think I speak for a majority of Notre Dame freshman junior senior senior senior junior Students when I Stanford Cavanaugh Cavanaugh Badin off-campus Walsh say I'd love to Sam Pandolfo know the answers. Advertising "A chicken "Beno, Fergus, "Your mom. " "Pat McMulty, "Ali Mooers, "Claire Number 1: How dinner with Ned Taryn and because I take because she Chiappetta much does it Executive actually cost to Devine." Channy because pity on him? thinks I'm cool. " because she's eat in the dining hall? Seriously. Does that would awesome. it really cost $1 0? Nothing against mean I'm in our dining hall staff who do an excel­ lent job preparing our food - the Perth, cake is sometimes dry but that's a Australia." minor complaint - but where in God's green earth does $10 times however many students worth of meal plan money go? Then there's the fact that people don't even use all 14 meals a week, ND Food Services saves money on IN BRIEF our meals when we pack a brown bag with two sips of water, a rotten Bishop Thomas J. apple, three halves of a PB&J sand­ Gumbieton of Detroit will wich and a granola bar. All I'm say­ speak at 7:30p.m. today in the ing is, I'd love to see the financial Carey Auditorium in the statements for Food Services. Hesburgh Library as part of Furthermore, thinking about the fact the Catholic Think Tank lec­ that I would be $12,000 less in debt ture series. when I graduate if I didn't have to purchase a meal plan makes me sick The Saint Mary's Book Club when I eat sea nuggets and drink will meet today in the Student carbonated cherry water. Center Lounge from 6:30 p.m. Number 2: How hard is it to make a to 7:30p.m. The group is start­ good pizza? Sbarro wasn't available ing "A Hand Maid's Tale" by for comment, so we'll revisit this one Margaret Atwood. at a later date. Number 3: Is NDSP for real? I've Gabriel Meyer, author of heard so many horror stories about "War and Faith in Sudan," will how people have been treated by our give a lecture at 7:30 p.m. police force. I seriously wonder how today in room 131 of they escape lawsuits sometimes. I DeBartolo Hall. know they keep us safe and look out for our own good - thanks for that Haiti Awareness Week con­ - but I've heard of people who are cludes Friday with a Haitian­ old enough to make their own deci­ American Mass at 5:00 p.m. in sions talked to like children, I've wit­ Pangborn Hall and a Haitian­ nessed students being chased into lAURIE HUNT!The Observer Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis speaks in Cavanaugh Hall's chapel African Dinner at 6:00 p.m. in their dorm and tackled and personal­ CoMo Lounge. Both are free ly, I've gotten parking tickets for Wednesday to inform dorm residents about Hannah & Friends. Cavanaugh's Dance­ and open to the public. A $5 absolutely no reason. (Note: I love a-thon will raise money for the non-profit foundation, which Weis started with his wife Maura to help young people affected by autism and other global delays. suggested donation for the din­ NDSP and all of its employees. Please ner will be collected in support do not tow my car or arrest my of the four Haitian orphans friends.) who work with Notre Dame's Number 4: Does Notre Dame Haiti Program.