the Observer The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Volume 44 : Issue 87 friday, february 5, 2010 ndsmcobserver.com Leaders present to Board of Trustees ACE to Schmidt, Weber prioritize initiatives including acceptance of GLBT community members undertake cern” for students, Schmidt said. By JOHN TIERNEY Student body vice president News Writer Cynthia Weber said the three most important issues are the academy Student government is priori- acceptance of gay and lesbian tizing seven initiatives for the members of the community, the rest of the year, student body dissolution of Economics and program president Grant Schmidt told the Policy Studies and the pro-life Student Affairs Committee of the task force. Board of Trustees at a meeting By NORA KENNEY Thursday. Acceptance of gay and lesbian News Writer The Notre Dame Forum, the members of the community University events calendar, the Weber said the University Task Force on Supporting the must work to “better accept Although the Alliance for Choice for Life, pep rallies, the people of different sexual orien- Catholic Education (ACE) is dissolution of the Department of tations. best known for placing Economics and Policy Studies, “Notre Dame has made enor- Notre Dame graduates in the acceptance of gay and les- mous progress, but there’s still a Catholic schools around the bian members of the community lot more progress to be made,” nation to help with academ- and the selection of the Weber said. Observer file photo ics, the program is now Commencement speaker are Student body president Grant Schmidt and vice president Cynthia expanding with the induc- “the issues of most pressing con- see BOT/page 6 Weber talked to the BOT about pressing student issues Thursday. tion of new ACE Academies. In schools that are desig- nated as ACE Academies, the ACE program will pro- vide support in every area, including curriculum, ‘Day of Man’ raises money for homeless instruction, assessment, financial management, evening. He felt cold in that school leadership, develop- By SARA FELSENSTEIN short run and wondered ment, marketing and News Writer how homeless people live Catholic identity. with [the cold],” senior Currently, there are three The thermometer read 32 Michael Dean, coordinator ACE Academies — all of degrees, but yesterday 180 of this year’s fundraiser, which are located in Tucson, Siegfried Hall men braced said. Ariz. the freezing South Bend Those involved with the “[There is an] enormous, weather in shorts, T-shirts fundraiser began planning vibrant Catholic community and sandals to raise money the event right after winter [in Tucson] that is so under- for the South Bend Center break, assigning commis- served and so eager for the for the Homeless. sioners to various duties kind of support that the ACE The Siegfried Day of Man like recruiting Siegfried Program hopes to provide,” fundraiser is now in its residents to participate and Dr. Christian Dallavis, a fac- fourth year — Robbie contacting the media. ulty member who works Bernardin came up with the “[Sophomore] Dan with ACE, said. idea for the fundraiser back McGrail’s job was to get the Sarah Greene, Assistant in 2007. local media involved. He Director for the ACE SUZANNA PRATT/The Observer “He came up with [the even tried to get us live on Program, said the communi- The men of Siegfried hold signs outside the dining hall while collecting idea] when he ran back to donations for the South Bend Center for the Homeless Thursday. Siegfried from Farley one see SIEGFRIED/page 4 see ACE/page 4 Saint Mary’s choir to Scholars study merits of Rome perform in Carnegie Two-day colloquium to discuss the influence of the Eternal City By MEGAN DOYLE News Writer By ASHLEY CHARNLEY school choirs from California. Saint Mary’s Editor The South Bend Chamber Scholars across disciplines Singers and a group of singers will come together tonight and from the Northwest Symphony tomorrow in a colloquium host- Music professor Nancy Menk Chorus will be also be attend- ed by the School of and members of the Saint ing. Architecture entitled “Learning Mary’s Women’s Choir will join “I was asked to do another from Rome: The Influence of other choirs in a performance [performance] and I agreed and the Eternal City on Art, at Carnegie Hall in New York the New York company that Architecture and the City on Valentine’s Day. produces the concerts, there Humanities” in order to ques- The concert is entitled “Love, are several of these production tion the merits of studying in Lust and Light” and will begin companies in New York City, and about the Italian capital. at 2 p.m. in the Isaac Stern they asked me to suggest other The two-day colloquium, held Auditorium. choirs I would recommend who in celebration of the School of This will be Menk’s fifth time would be well prepared and Architecture’s 40th year in conducting at Carnegie Hall. would learn the music and Italy, will begin with an The Saint Mary’s women will might enjoy the experience,” address from keynote speaker be joined by two local high Menk said. Professor Ingrid Rowland school choirs, Laporte and Northwood, and two more high see CHOIR/page 4 see ROME/page 6 JACLYN ESPINOZA | The Observer INSIDE TODAY’S PAPER Welsh Family to host DanceFest 2010 page 3 N Student government election analysis pullout N Men’s basketball page 20 N Viewpoint page 8 page 2 The Observer N PAGE 2 Friday, February 5, 2010 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAFFEINATED BEVERAGE? Thrill of the Chase I like to think of myself as a writer. It is my pastime, my passion and my pro- fession (or, rather, it will be post-gradu- Mike Wiederecht Stephanie Walz Andrew Ofsonka Theresa Lai Mitch Gainer ation). There is nothing like opening a brand new notebook and filling the sophomore sophomore sophomore freshman sophomore pages with words. Keenan Pangborn Keenan Pangborn Keenan It is how I express myself. When I am “Waddick’s.” angry, I write. When “Orange mocha “Starbucks venti “Dr. Pepper.” “Orangina.” I am happy, I write. frappucino.” double shot When I am upset, I upside-down write. Writing chal- white chocolate lenges me. I like to mocha with try to push myself extra soy milk.” to improve my Alicia Smith work. I strive to create something News better than I ever production have before with editor Have an idea for Question of the Day? E-mail [email protected] each of my compo- sitions. Words usually flow easily from the tip of my Paper Mate pen onto my crisp, IN BRIEF lined notebook paper. Sometimes, how- ever, I face a challenge. It’s a classic A Blood Drive will take place dilemma, writers’ block. I have no today from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 topic, no idea and nothing to compose. p.m. at Rolfs Sports These are the moments every writer Recreation Center. The drive dreads. The emptiness of being without will benefit the South Bend a topic makes me cringe. A sense of Medical Foundation. failure and incompetence washes over me. I need an idea and I need one now. Part II of the Ten Years And so, I ensue the thrill of the chase. Hence Speaker Series: “The When trying to chase down a topic, Ascent of Money” Panel initially I brainstorm. I thin of every- Discussion will take place thing from puppies to food to school to today from 10:40 a.m. to 12:10 weather, etc. I write down any thought p.m. in the Jordan Auditorium that pops into my head. Nothing is dis- at the Mendoza College of missed no matter how crazy it may be. Business. The event is free When I run out of random ideas, I look and open to the public. over my list. If anything strikes me, I start writing. If not, I move on. A Student Ski Trip will take My next tactic is to just go off on my place today from 4:30 p.m. to own and sit in silence. No music or tel- 11 p.m. at the Swiss Valley Ski evision, just quiet. I go to the library or Resort in Jones, Mi. The cost is take a drive and let my thoughts wan- $30 per student with trans- der. With each new thought, I imagine portation and lift tickets how I could develop it and turn it into a included. Ski rental is extra. worthy subject. However, if nothing PAT COVENEY/The Observer Register on RecRegister at seems to work, then I try another tac- Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick, right, holds up a jersey during the dedication recsports.nd.edu tic. of the Purcell Pavillion before Notre Dame’s 83-65 win over Cincinnati at the My next attempt is simple. I look Purcell Pavilion Thursday night. Ice Skating Night will take around. I observer everything around place tonight from 8 p.m. to me, people, nature, buildings and ani- 10 p.m. at the Joyce Center mals. If it is in my line of vision, I look hockey rink. The cost is $3 to to it for inspiration. Then I describe skate and $2 for rental. what I see. In my mind I describe the OFFBEAT tree on the Library green, its bark The film “Hunger” will be rough like rugged mountains. The Montana restaurant the next night and again deep water on a beach shown Saturday at 6:30 p.m. limbs branching out, trying to high-five burgalized 3 times in 4 days cleaned out the tip jar.