THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's OLUME 43: ISSUE 65 MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2008 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Irish fall to Tar Heels 2-1 in Championship Notre Dame loses to North Carolina in national title game for the second time in three years IAN GAVLICK!The Observer Please turn to Left, North Carolina cele­ brates after winning the page 20 for Championship. Right, Elise Weber and Melissa Henderson full coverage. after the loss. Pink Zone to cotnbat deadly disease Lenz retires after Women's basketball game against DePaul to benefit breast cancer patients cize the Pink Zone game, an the project and going through 35 years of service By MADELINE BUCKLEY event to benefit breast cancer the text book." News Writer patients. The publicity for the The Pink Zone is an event She will retire at the end event was put together by a put on by the Women's By PUJA PARIKH of the fall semester after 35 At Sunday's women's basket­ management class at Notre Basketball Coaches News Writer years of service to the ball game against Purdue, the Dame, said sophomore Nicole Association (WBCA), O'Connor University. cheerleaders donned pink T­ O'Connor, a member of the said. Each school involved des­ Sister Jean Lenz, O.S.F., "While Sr. Jean has cer­ shirts, the Leprechaun wore a class and one of the project's ignates a game to be the Pink special assistant to the Vice tainty earned the right to pink vest and 150 pink T-shirts leaders. Zone game, and they use that President of Student Affairs enjoy a relaxing retirement, were passed out to students. "Our class's job was to start game to raise money and at Notre Dame, formally she is a valued and beloved The array of pink replacing promoting the Pink Zone awareness for breast cancer announced her retirement member of the Office of the usual blue, gold and green game," she said. "Tfle class is from the Office of Student was part of a project to publi- a combination of working on see PINK/page 4 Affairs on Dec. 3. see LENZI page 4 Students tnake fleece blankets for cancer patients Third-annual Aiden Project held in South Dining Hall Saturday decided to start this, he asked cards from kids last year, and By TESS CIVANTOS 'Would it be all right if we the little kids are just hilari­ News Writer called it the Aidan Project?"' ous," he said. His roommate. Chris Esber, Esber said the project con­ Notre Dame students made and other friends started the tinues to receive support from over 250 fleece. blankets and project as a means of showing Circle K, Kiwanis, Knott Hall, cards for cancer patients at support and raising aware­ the Class of 2009 and student the third-annual Aidan ness. The blankets are dis­ government. Project Saturday. tributed to various hospitals Meanwhile, the project has The project began when which treat children with grown more popular with stu­ then-sophomore Aidan cancer, including Riley dents every year. Fitzgerald of Knott Hall was Children's Hospital, Memorial "It blows our expectations diagnosed with cancer three Hospital, and St. Joe's every year," Fitzgerald said. years ago. Hospital, Fitzgerald said. "We had to turn people away "I had to take a year off my He receives some interest­ last year. This year we dou­ sophomore year for chemo," ing responses from the chil­ bled the amount of fleece we Fitzgerald said. "And when dren who receive the blan­ used from last year, and look, DAN JACOBSffhe Observer my roommate, who was the kets. Patrick Sturm and Kelly Forster put together a fleece blanket Vice-President of Circle K, "I got a huge packet of see AlDEN/page 6 for the Aiden Project in South Dining Hall Saturday. L_____ -- - --- -- - page 2 The Observer + PAGE 2 Monday, December 8, 2008 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG? Deck the Halls As I walked into my building, the faint sounds of Christmas music were Ross Degenhardt !ward from every corner of the hall. James Bishko Brandon Porras Eric Mark C.J. Ramsey The wnleoming aroma of Christmas cookies fillnd McCandless, and gra­ freshman freshman sophomore sophomore senior ciously met me as I entered the dorm. Duncan Duncan Duncan Duncan Duncan The entire hall appeared to bn in the Christmas spirit. "'Joy to the "'Jingle Bells' "Whichever '"Feliz Navidad' '"Blue As I continued on my trek to the fifth Alicia Smith World' - I hate ·stinks." one's being because it's Christmas' floor, I saw wrap- it. , sung. annoyingly because ping papnr and rib­ repetitive. And Christmas is not bons. bells and News Writer Nativity scmws. not English." a timefor There were snow- whiners." men, stockings, Santas, and snowrlakns. As I walked to my room, I realized that something was missing. Although nearly all of the residents had deeorated for Christmas, the bright and colorful twinkle of the Christmas lights I had grown to love could not be found within any of the IN BRIEF students' rooms. Christmas lights are banned from American Hed Cross will be Saint Mary's residence halls. Deemed a having a blood drive today fire hazard. lights are not allowed on from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the · trees, hung around the rooms, or in Grand Ballroom of LaFortune. the windows. All lit dncorations are Students who would like to par­ prohibited to students. However, the ticipate are asked to sign up halls may have lights in the lobby. online at www.givelife.org. Thn lobby of MeCandless, which is Walk-ins are weleomn however. filled with Christmas lights, has not o1w. but several lit trees. Other lobbies A Student Forum on Cultural on campus have lit wreaths and vari­ Difference and Sodal Change ous o tlw r I it d 111:o rations. will be held today at 4 p.m. in An e-mail was sm1t to students 649 Flanner Hall. Thirteen stu­ reminding them that "electric dee.ora­ dents will be presenting tiVI' lights are not allownd in or research that they did during around studnnt rooms. This includes their travels this past summer. Christmas lights with exposed bulbs, anc~. halogen bulbs are also prohibit­ A public talk on "American ed. Polities: A New Era?" is taking A painful twinge of disappointment place Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the ran through mP as I read the e-mail Intercultural Studies sent last week. No lit Christmas tree Audit_orium of' the llesburgh for me this year. Although the dorm Center. Dr. William Kristol will still remained festive, I could not help be speaking on the impact of but think that just a few eolon~d lights the recent election. would make the Christmas spirit ooze IAN GAVLICKfThe Observer out of McCandless, as well as create a Irish senior forward Brittany Bock slide tackles Tar Heels midfielder Ali The 6th annual Christmas at mon~ homey feel to the building. Hawkins in Notre Dame's championship match against North Carolina Sunday. the CoMo featuring the ND According to www.ehristmascarni­ Celebration Choir and vals.com, Christmas lights hav1~ been a Instrumentalists will be held holiday tradition since approximately on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in 1 SIJ!i when president Grover Cleveland the Coleman-Morse Center. displayed the first lit Christmas tree. The event will feature reflec­ Saint Mary's students are not able to OFFBEAT tions on Christmas traditions by tako part in that tradition. NU international students. A Although I can understand how the MBA graduate posts writing advertising copy. Smith Middle School lan­ freewill offering will support lights eould be a fire hazard if not resume in taxi cab When none of that guage arts class became ill the Holy Cross Missions in taken care of properly, I do not see the NEW YOHK - Are you panned out, he got his taxi Friday after tasting meals Haiti. harm in a little Christmas spirit. talkin' to me - about a license a month ago to that students had prepared Christmas lights make the holidays a job'! help pay his bills. as part of an assignment. The special lecture "What little brighter, especially since they are A recent MBA graduate The native of Durham, Birmingham schools and When was the Christmas in the building anyway. Maybe it is who can't fmd work in his N.C., says he posted his spokeswoman Michaelle Star? An astrophysics per­ beeause I am a freshman, but I am chosen field has resorted resume in the back seat of Chapman said the students spective" will be given by unable to eomprehnnd how it is safe to to posting his resume his taxi as -a last resort, were to write about their Grant Mathews, professor of have Christmas lights in the lobby. but inside the taxi he's been hoping one of his cus­ favorite dish and how it physics, in the Jordan Hall of it is unsafn to have them in our rooms. driving around New York tomers might become his was prepared. The teacher Science Digital Visualization I visited Notre Dame one evening this City. employer. allowed them to make and Theater. The event, held on past wonk, and noticed that in a few of James Williamson bring the dish to dass if Friday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. is tlw windows of one of the dorm build­ earned his master's degree Homework cooking they wished. sponsored by Department of ings, there were strings of Christmas in business administration makes students sick Of the 18 student<>, 16 of Physics.