THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's OLUME 41: ISSUE 1 SATURDAY, AUGUST 19,2006 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Notre Dame welcomes most diverse incoming class man class should have no from 41 nations. Incoming students trouble rising to the challenge. Freshmen come from as far boast high test scores, The Class of 2010 is the north as North Pole, Alaska most diverse in Notre Dame's and as far south as La Paz, strong credentials history, with minority groups Bolivia, Saracino said. making up 24 percent of the "It's a great mix or kids," he CJ12UJD By MARY KATE MALONE incoming freshman class, said said. Dan Saracino, assistant Eighty-six percent were in News Editor provost for enrollment. In the top 10 percent of their prior years, the percentage of class. Seventy-three percent The University has high minority students has hovered earned varsity letters in high expectations for the class of around 22 percent. school. 2010, and given their stellar All 50 US states are repre­ And they were selected from credentials, the roughly 2,025 sented in the freshman class, students in this year's fresh- which also boasts students see FRESHMEN/page 9 ROTC students suit up for orientation Reality Freshmen Army, Air hits post Force, Navy participants arrive for training Frosh-0 By MEGHAN WONS News Writer By EILEEN DUFFY While many members of the Class of Assistant News Editor 2010 have been marching to the Bookstore to purchase "The Shirt," If every day were Freshman freshmen in Notre Dame's Reserve Orientation weekend at Notre Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) pro­ Dame, dorm T-shirts would be gram have been wearing uniforms of a the official uniform, icebreak­ different kind. ers and egg tosses would Notre Dame's Air Force, Army and replace classes and the beats of Navy ROTC New Student Orientation Chamillionaire would pulse drew approximately 70 students from nightly from the walls of the Notre Dame, Saint Mary's, Bethel Joyce Center. College, Indiana University South Bend The three activity-filled days and Valparaiso University to campus do end, though, and on last week. Tuesday, college begins. And "New Student Orientation is a whirl­ often, the transition from high wind introduction into military bearing, school to college presents chal­ customs and courtesies, uniform wear lenges to first year students. and physical training, so .each day For freshman Adam incorporates a bit of each," senior cadet Twardzik, his pool of class­ Eileen Shannon said. "Not only does ori­ mates will grow from 31, the entation explain what ROTC is all about, size of his high school class, to it also shows the new cadets what they his approximately 2,025 Notre Dame classmates. Twardzik will be capable of in a few short years." DUSTIN MEN NELLA/The Observer Midshipman 2nd class Lawrence Sullivan, left, runs a group of Navy ROTC freshmen in said the new situation would standard drills Monday. First year ROTC participants arrived on campus before the see ROTC/ page 9 rest of the Class of 2010 to get an introduction to military training. see TRANSITION/page 9 College's Class of 2010 Freshmen to tour South Bend largest in last five years By KAITLYNN RIELY News Writer Students often spend Freshman Orientation weekend unpacking and meeting their classmates - but this year, the Senate Community Relations com­ mittee and the city of South Bend are teaming up to expose new students to opportunities available beyond the shadow of the Dome. from 41 states and three The student government, ByKIMABEEL countries outside the U.S. Mayor Steven Luecke's News Writer The Class of 2010 has raised office and several local the bar academically, boasting businesses are sponsoring The 426 members of the an average ACT score of 25 the first-ever "Explore Saint Mary's class of 2010 are and an average SAT composite South Bend Tour." not just academically gifted - based only on critical reading Mikki Dobski, director of they also form the largest and mathematics of 1160. communications and spe­ incoming freshman class since The freshmen enter with an cial projects for the DUSTIN MENNELLA/The Observer 2001. The freshmen arrived A Transpo bus will be used Monday to give freshmen a tour on campus Thursday morning see COLLEGE/page 11 see TOUR/page 11 of the surrounding South Bend area. page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Saturday, August 1,9, 2006 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN? Hop over that fence Just before my parents dropped me at Stanford Hall three years ago today, my mom told me something. Jenn Mahlke Michael Devitt Maura Rouse Tommy Clarkson Rachael Stroval Alan Bauer "l'vlike, you have the world by the tail on a downhill swing," she said. "Take sophomore senior senior senior senior junior advantage ofit." LeMans Dillon Opus off-campus Opus Hsher Your mom >'~ill probably give you the same type of "Don 't run in "Put your "Don't lose your "Come visit ''Don't eat the "Enjoy the advice todav. rainboots." carpet down !D., Clover Ridge. " beef" .football Now that "rm a .first." season. senior and entering my fourth year at the only plaee T ever wanted to go, I can tell you that Mike Gilloon she's probably right. So listen up. Editor in Chief As a freshman, I was so happy to be here that I forgot why I eame. ORIENTATION WEEKEND After three years of living a dream, I've realized Notre Dame is- in one sense - no different than an:ywhere else. Natural Lite and quarter dogs still make you fat. · Thme minutes studying calculus and three hours playing NC'.AA 2007 still leads to bad grades. Dancing to Journey at an SYH is still not cool. But- drunken fist pumping aside - this plao~ is pretty special. You will have aeeess to the widest alumni network in the world. You will take classes from proli~ssors who arP tops in their fjeJd. You ""ill live on the most beautiful campus in the eountry. You might even see a national title. The triek is to take advantage of your opportunity. Maybe you remember Mrs. Smalls in "The Sandlot." 1:OOpm - Official Orientation 12:00pm- Orientation Picnic Most of you were about six years old when that movie debuted, but she's the Joyce Center Library Green mom who tells her nerdy son Scott - the new kid on the bloek - to get out of 3:15pm- Parent Orientation 2:30pm - Open House the house and into some trouble. So he did. Joyce Center Student Center He put down the Erector Set in his bedroom and headed to the baseball diamond. 8:00pm - Meetings with 4:30pm - Orientation Mass It took some help from Benny "The Rectors and Hall Jet" Rodriguez, but in one summer Angela Athletic Smalls made a bunch of friends, ---Staff Facility learned how to cook Smores and even had James Earl Jones hand him a base­ Residence Halls ball signed by the 1927 Yankees. None of that would have happened if he stayed in his room. It might be easy to stay in your room onee Frosh-0 ends and school begins. You won't know anyone outside of your 10:00am- Eucharistic Liturgy 10:45am- Farewell Brunch section and the jump from senioritis to the First Year of Studies c:an be rough. Joyce Center Noble Family You aren't going to immediately feel Dining Hall at ease arow1d here, even if it's the onlv school vou ever wanted to attend. · 11:30am- Box Lunch But once you go out of your way and Joyce Center shake off your shyness, you'll never want to leave. Sign up for Interha.ll sports or attend a dorm Ma.:;s. Visit with a teacher after dass and get 12:00pm- The Spirit of Notre to know everyone in your hall. You're new, you're smart and you're Dame scared. Joyce Center Source: University of Notre Dame. Saint Mary's College You're Eagle Seouts, elass presidents JEFF ALBERT/Observer Graphic and football team captains. You scored higher on entrance tests than almost every kid in the eountry. You're at a sehool that most only see TODAY TONIGHT SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY on NBC. c:: There's a bit of Scott Smalls in all of LLI you. And the only way to make the best :a: of the biggest opportunity you'll ever ~ have is to take a risk and leave your LLI room. 3: It's easy to feel content just being at .... (f (f Notre Dame. < That's why it's important that you (.) don't. ...0 80 HIGH 70 HIGH 75 HIGH 78 HIGH 81 HIGH 79 The views expressed in the Inside 67 LOW 57 LOW 63 LOW 61 LOW 63 LOW 64 Column are those ci the author and not necessarily those of The Obseruer Contact Mike Gilloon at Atlanta 91 I 71 Boston 83 I 70 Chicago 78 I 69 Denver 78 I 63 Houston 91 I 75 Los Angeles 84 I 66 Minneapolis 73 I 58 mgilloon@nd. edu New York 84/74 Philadelphia 87 I 72 Phoenix 106/84 Seattle 83/58 St. Louis 96 I 71 Tampa 90 I 76 Washington 87/74 r--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Saturday, August 19, 2006 The Observer + CAMPUS NEWS page 3 Local businesses get boost as students move in Area stores, restaurants advertise discounts, specials as they anticipate major sales increase with back-to-school rush rock climbing wall and plenty of hers in the store, said inventory establishments, as they are Rewards Program, which allows By RYAN SYDLIK giveaways.