the Observer The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Volume 44 : Issue 84 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010 ndsmcobserver.com Experts offer insight into Haitian culture University Director of Notre Dame Haiti Program Fr. Tom Streit examines country’s history examines “When the earthquake hit, I By KATIE PERALTA began to notice that the media Assistant News Editor was doing a great job of keep- energy use ing us all up to date on the sit- In an effort to raise aware- uation in Haiti, but that I didn’t ness about the situation in learn very much about Haiti on campus Haiti and what should be done itself — about its people and its next, the International culture, and about the political Development Research Council and economic challenges that By KATIE PERALTA (IDRC), along with Notre Dame the nation has faced before, Assistant News Editor Haiti Working Group and stu- during and now after the dent government, hosted an earthquake,” senior Paul In an effort to encourage informational session about Jindra, IDRC president, said. campus energy reduction, the the devastated island nation Jindra hoped the event Notre Dame Office of Monday night in the Geddes would encourage students to Sustainability recently Hall Auditorium. ask “the tough questions” released its first annual IDRC leaders said the event about Haiti and put what they Sustainability Report high- was meant to give students a learn to use towards relief lighting the successes of deeper understanding of the efforts. University-wide green initia- PAT COVENEY/The Observer country that has permeated “Tonight we can only give tives. Fr. Tom Streit, director of the Notre Dame Haiti Program, the media since the Jan. 11 The report, which examines reflects on Haiti’s history in a talk Monday in Geddes Hall. earthquake. see HAITI/page 8 the 2008-09 academic year, focused on seven areas of campus energy expenditure: power generation, design and construction, waste reduction, Students NDSP releases sketch of suspect transportation, procurement, food services and water. “This is an opportunity to police the suspect Observer Staff Report show people how we’re doing,” engaged her in conversa- Rachel Novick, coordinator of Notre Dame Security tion before the assault push for Education and Outreach for Police (NDSP) released a occurred. the Office of Sustainability, sketch of a suspect Police ask anyone with said. “[The report demon- reportedly involved in a information to call NDSP strates] the need for more par- Jan. 23 sexual assault. at 631-5555 or Crime ticipation from the community D r e a m The composite image Stoppers at (574) 288- and from students.” has about a 75 percent STOP. The University administra- likeness, according to The suspect is a col- tion hopes the report will pro- NDSP. However it is likely lege-aged white male mote long-term campus sus- Act bill he has tighter curls than with dark curly hair and tainability efforts. are shown. blue eyes. He has a mus- “This information helps us The assault, currently cular build and is about 6 plan carefully and balance under investigation, feet tall. The man may By MOLLY MADDEN with other University needs to occurred about 2 a.m. on have a scratch on his face News Writer ensure a sustainable future for the northwest side of or neck. generations of students to campus. The victim was The victim could have come,” University President Fr. As illegal immigration is a approached from behind also broken one of the prominent political issue today, and then assaulted. suspect’s fingers in the some students are making The female victim told struggle. Image courtesy of NDSP see ENERGY/page 4 efforts to support a bill that pro- poses providing education for undocumented children. A group of Notre Dame stu- dents involved in “La Colectiva,” Weber to move on from student gov’t a group made up of college and high school students in the area, are working to raise awareness running mate. for the Dream Act and push for By MADELINE BUCKLEY “I think sometimes it’s good its passage into law. News Editor for an institution to have a The Dream Act, or change in leadership,” Weber Development, Relief and In leadership positions, it is said. “In student government, Education of Alien Minors Act, is important to have a turnover we have what are called lega- an attempt by lawmakers to — a chance for someone to cies. And the legacy continues secure education and future bring something new to the until the student body says, opportunities for children of role, student body vice presi- ‘we need something different.” undocumented workers living in dent Cynthia Weber said. Three tickets are running in the United States. Despite a long tradition of this year’s student body gener- “The Dream Act opens up junior student body vice presi- al election: sophomores opportunities to students who, dents taking over the role of Catherine Soler and Andrew because of the way our current president their senior year, Bell, juniors Noel Eras and laws are set up, are not given the Weber opted not to run for Julian Corona and freshmen same opportunities of other stu- student body president for the Peter Ledet and Gabe Alvare. dents because of choices their 2010-11 term. The general election will be parents made,” La Colectiva Weber called this tradition a held throughout the day on member senior Hector Avitia “legacy,” citing a long line of Feb. 8. said. student body vice presidents “This will be an amazing La Colectiva was formed this who took over the job until opportunity for people to bring year as a means to support the 2008, when the Bob Reish- new ideas to the student Dream Act while the bill is cur- Grant Schmidt ticket beat body,” Weber said. “I think I TOM LA/The Observer then-student body vice presi- Student body vice president Cynthia Weber talks at a Jan. see DREAM/page 8 dent Maris Braun and her see WEBER/page 4 28 Student Senate meeting. INSIDE TODAY’S PAPER Opus Hall requirements change page 3 N Music rewind for Dresden Dolls page 13 N Women’s basketball page 24 N Viewpoint page 10 page 2 The Observer N PAGE 2 Tuesday, February 2, 2010 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: IF YOU HAD A LIFETIME SUPPLY OF ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Just come home already Junior year is dreadful. Not because of the workload, or because of the ever-looming Future Ryan Lion Seung Yoon Nam Jennifer Henzler Sarah Spieler Anne Robles Claire Stephens (save that one for senior year). Junior year gets the lonely prestige freshman freshman junior sophomore freshman freshman of being the Sorin Sorin Welsh Fam Pasquerilla West Pasquerilla East Pangborn Abroad Year. Most Stephanie kids who study DePrez abroad do it in “Taylor Swift.” “Salvation.” “Warmth, “Rainbows and “First-class “Chocolate and their third year, especially in cupcakes! I just plane tickets to iTunes.” and that means Assistant the sub-zero have a lot of whenever and you A. are abroad Scene Editor and miss a temperatures.” feelings.” wherever I semester of all of want.” your friends on campus, B. don’t study abroad, and miss your friends who are away and sending you pictures of them- selves snogging Italians, or C. study abroad the opposite semester Have an idea for Question of the Day? E-mail [email protected] of your friends, and go over a year without physical contact. I have been a victim of A. and C. I spend last semester in London, IN BRIEF having a fabulous time of discoing, losing, searching, finding and An exhibit titled “The World growing (checking all those Abroad of Piranesi” will open at 10 Experience boxes along the way). I a.m. today in the Scholz regret nothing, but yet back on Family Works on Paper campus the hardest part of the Gallery in the Snite Museum of transition isn’t the cold (Great Art. Scott, why do I live here?), the classes (I had three days a week “Expanding the Boundaries: last semester — this is cruel) or the Selected Drawings from the food (SDH may not have proper fish Yvonne and Gabriel P. and chips, but I can go for the not Weisberg Collection” will be having to budget for every meal held in the O’Shaughnessy thing). It is living without my Galleries West in the Snite friends who, some just last week, Museum of Art today. The and bid farewell to go on their own exhibit will open at 10 a.m. trans-Atlantic journeys. All I can think is, why? Why did- Daily Mass will be celebrated n’t we plan this better? Why didn’t at 11:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. in we agree to study abroad the same the Basilica of the Sacred semester, instead of this painful Heart. ships passing in the night busi- ness? I’m all for starting out on The Kellogg Institute will your own, picking up and making hold a lecture on “The Growth your own way, but please, did you of Bilateralism” today at 12:30 really have to go to Angers this KENZIE SAIN/The Observer p.m. in Room C103 of the semester? Or Santiago, London and Senior Cosmina Ciobanu returns the ball during a tennis match against North Hesburgh Center. Rome? Some of my best friends are Carolina on Sunday. No. 6 Notre Dame lost 5-2 to the Tarheels, bringing their just moving into their new homes, spring season to 3-1. “Colloidal Interactions, flats and dorms.