the Observer The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Volume 44 : Issue 94 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010 ndsmcobserver.com Panel: Perfectionism an issue at ND Schmidt, Event sponsored by the Gender Relations Center examines competition on campus Weber and Sondra Byrnes, a guided By EMILY SCHRANK meditation instructor who is News Writer also a professor in the Mendoza College of Business. prep for Competition and perfection- Lapsley focused on the psy- ism are prevalent issues at chological explanations of Notre Dame — often much perfectionism. term end more serious than they are “There is a basic theme that considered to be, three perfectionism is a disorder or experts said Monday evening. defect,” he said. “A perfec- The Gender Relations tionist seeks and strives for By SARAH MERVOSH Center presented “The unrealistic goals, evaluates Assistant News Editor Fighting Irish: Harder, Better, stringently and self-censors Faster, Stronger” as a part of against unattainable stan- With a month and a half left their Signature Series in the dards.” in office, student body presi- Carey Auditorium of the According to Lapsley, the dent Grant Schmidt and vice Hesburgh Library. The lec- three developmental accounts president Cynthia Weber out- ture featured Daniel Lapsley, of perfectionism share a com- lined what they wish to accom- chair of the Psychology mon thread: interactions with plish by the end of their tenure Department, Rita Donley, demanding, perfectionist par- SUZANNA PRATT/The Observer Monday. associate director of the Sondra Byrnes, a professor in the Mendoza College of Business, The Schmidt-Weber adminis- University Counseling Center see GRC/page 6 discusses perfectionism at Notre Dame Monday. tration will officially conclude April 1 when student body president-elect Catherine Soler and vice president-elect Andrew Bell take over. LaFortune cluster opening pushed back Schmidt named off-campus safety, academic issues and improving community as three right now is that the carpet overarching priorities. By IRENA ZAJICKOVA order took longer than expect- “There won’t be a lot of new News Writer ed.” projects. We’re just going to Burchett said the carpet is make sure we kind of finish off Students hoping to be able to supposed to arrive on campus and complete all the things that use the LaFortune Student next week, and if all goes as have been developing through- Center computer cluster will planned, the cluster should out the year,” he said. have to wait for a few more reopen sometime during the Schmidt said off-campus weeks. first week of March. safety will always be a priority Shipping delays have slowed “We never intended it to be and he would like to continue the renovations, pushing the out of service this long and we working with the University tentative opening date back a know that students are really and city to improve safety for month, said Brian Burchett, eager to have it back,” students while off campus. Classroom and Computer Lab Burchett said. “It will be back Weber said they want to Spaces manager for the Office soon, and we think that stu- install a light at the corner of of Information and Technology dents will really like it.” Twyckenham Drive and Vaness (OIT). The renovation is “a facelift Street. “We had thought originally with a few new things added,” “The idea is a flashing yellow that it would be done around Burchett said. The changes light that students could push [Feb. 1], but we ran into two include a smaller service when they walk across to guar- issues that delayed it,” counter, two group study antee their safety,” she said. VANESSA GEMPIS/The Observer Burchett said. “The furniture rooms and individual worksta- Student government will Students work in the computer cluster in DeBartolo Hall. order was delayed until this The LaFortune computer cluster is undergoing renovations. week but the bigger obstacle see CLUSTER/page 4 see SCHMIDT/page 4 Students, faculty continue to support Haiti ND senior’s charity looks beyond College continues to focus on sending Africa to raise funds to aid country money to various relief organizations Engagement, said. By AMANDA GRAY Lakusta, a senior, said. “We started it in By ALICIA SMITH Call said the agencies are News Writer response to the crisis in News Writer only asking for monetary Haiti as a way to pull aid d o n a - The Eyes on Africa and draw awareness As relief efforts for Haiti tions, so See Also Foundation, the charity from our unique group continue, Saint Mary’s t h e “Lecture founded by senior Jeff of college-aged support- College has also continued College Lakusta, is branching ers,” Lakusta said. to do its part in collecting has no analyzes out to aid the relief The donations are funds for donation. plans to pressing need effort in Haiti. coming from wineries The College has been h o s t Eyes on Africa Helps that have agreed to focusing on helping the d r i v e s in Haiti” Haiti, an outlet of the donate a portion of pro- American Red Cross, for tan- page 3 Eyes on Africa ceeds from each case of Catholic Relief Services and g i b l e Foundation, is donating wine sold to Eyes on the Sisters of Holy Cross and items such as toiletries. funds raised through Africa Helps Haiti and Photo courtesy of Jeff Lakusta Friends of the Orphans, The Office has continued wine sales, founder of Senior Jeff Lakusta, center, is using his charity, The Eyes on Carrie Call, director of the Eyes on Africa Jeff see WINE/page 6 Africa Foundation, to raise money for Haiti. Office of Civic and Social see HAITI/page 6 INSIDE TODAY’S PAPER SMC lecture analyzes Haiti page 3 N Review of ‘Valentine’s Day’ page 4 N Women’s basketball preview page 20 N Viewpoint page 8 page 2 The Observer N PAGE 2 Tuesday, February 16, 2010 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WINTER OLYMPIC SPORT? ‘Earmuff Girl’ Here at Notre Dame, there is a league of students that exist in a league that is all their own. They walk among us, and unlike Jeremy Lamb Brian Wysocki Kallie Drexler Zak Kapopoulos Huong Ngo snobby secret societies, they march boldly to and from DeBartolo and in and out of the sophomore junior sophomore sophomore senior dining hall. We all Knott Fisher Walsh Keenan Ryan know them. Notre Dame people-watch- ing is defined by them. “Four-man “Shaun White’s “Biathalon, it’s “Luge, it’s a “It’s a tie They are our beloved bobsled. Hoping interviews! I like Texas in the killer sport.” between figure campus caricatures. You don’t know to see Jamaica was taking winter!” skating and what I’m talking turn in another notes. On ... snowboarding about? We’ll that’s just strong that ...” because I love a problem of termi- performance.” Shaun White.” nology. A campus Jess Shaffer caricature is someone who has so perfectly Scene Editor and (relatively) eccen- trically defined their Have an idea for Question of the Day? E-mail [email protected] external behavior that they can be univer- sally recognized and identified on campus. You may know them as Tex or Daisy Duke. Or you may know them as “the chick IN BRIEF that always wears cutoffs” and the “the guy in cowboy hat.” And these are just a few. The Notre Dame German Club The point is, you might not know their is hosting a traditional name, dorm, major or hometown, but you “Fasching” Mardi Gras event undoubtedly recognize them. And everyone tonight at 7 p.m. at Legends. else does too. Food and music will be provided. While I always had a fond appreciation Students and faculty are invited for my favorite caricatures, I never aspired and admission is $2. to their lofty heights. But as Shakespeare wrote, “Some men are born great. Some An exhibit titled “Expanding achieve greatness. And some have great- the Boundaries: Selected ness thrust upon them.” I guess the same Drawings from the Yvonne and goes for women. Gabriel P. Weisberg Collection” This Christmas, everything changed. will be on display at 10 a.m. When I unwrapped a small sparkly bag today in the O’Shaughnessy from my grandparents, I didn’t think this Galleries West of the Snite present was going to have such a profound Museum of Art. effect on me. But then I pulled out a pair of earmuffs. Daily Mass will be held at These are not just any earmuffs. These 11:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. today are earmuff that accidentally got dropped in the Basilica of the Sacred into radioactive waste and came out three Heart. times as large, and three times as cool as your average ear protective gear. “Catholic and Costa Rican: Essentially, they are superhuman earmuffs. Bishops’ Discourse over Free Warm, inordinately fuzzy and furry and SUZANNA PRATT/The Observer Trade” will begin at 12:30 p.m. amply disproportionate to my head (grant- Cold weather does not stop midnight shenanigans on campus, resulting in a today. The lecture will be held in ed, I have an abnormally small head), these bicycle left high in a tree on South Quad Monday. Room C103 of the Hesburgh earmuffs are now on my list of favorite Center. things. Yes, they are indeed worthy of a song sung by Julie Andrews. The Department of Aerospace Well, apparently these earmuffs, and my and Mechanical Engineering will frequent use of them in this frigid winter host a seminar on months, qualifies me to join the special OFFBEAT “Environmental Effects on league of campus caricatures.