H Two past students sued their South Bend ■ The Observer takes a stance on Big Ten member­ landlord, Mark Kramer — and won. ship and the addition of sexual orientation to the Thursday non-disc ri mi nation clause in two editorials. FEBRUARY 4, News • 3 Viewpoint • 11 1999 O BSERVER The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOL XXXII NO. 82 WWW.ND.EDU/-OBSERVER S t u d e n t S enate Senators discuss possible violations q - v By ERICA THES1NG Assistant News Editor A debate about election bylaws and constitutional procedures headlined Wednesday’s Student Senate meeting as candidates for the student body presiden­ tial and vice-presidential election brought their concerns to the floor. r)vt£<vivnati<M e The candidates presented two main issues: the eligibility of the Micah Tickets: Murphy/Michael Palumbo ticket and the approval of posters for Sean Deschcne Janet Horvath & Gina Guerreso and Mike Revers. Nancy Midden & Angie Little Murphy’s original running mate, Julie Reising, withdrew from the race Sunday Where: for personal reasons. On Monday, Murphy selected Palumbo as his new Noble Family Dining Hall vice-presidential candidate. While it is not required by the constitution, the pair When: completed a petition with the 150 signa­ 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. tures in support of their ticket. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Observer/Joe Stark Wally Poirier, a presidential candidate Andrea Selak addresses the Student Senate as it discusses whether or not a constitu­ 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. tional violation occurred in the presidential race. see SENATE / page i Joining Editor's Note: On Friday, Feb. 5, the Board o f Trustees will meet in London to discuss, among other issues, Notre Dame’s position on joining the Big Ten and the possibility o f adding the protection ofsexu­ N al orientation to the University's non-discrimination clause. Throughout the days leading to that meet­ ing, The Observer will take a comprehensive look at the history and people behind these two issues as CE well as possible ramifications o f decisions that the board might deliver. The Big Ten sexual Orientation From independence P ii n ii State Penn State found an Penn State football academ ic treasure lost its independence troue in the B ig Ten to the B ig Ten in 1990 By COLLEEN McCARTHY By ANTHONY BIANCO Associate News Editor Assistant Sports Editor When John Cahir thinks of what joining And then there was one. the Big Ten's academic organization has Once upon a time, the most dominant done for Penn State University, he has an association of football teams did not unequivocal answer. belong to the Atlantic Coast Conference, “Our joining the Big Ten’s (110 the Par-10, the Big 12, or even the Big I Committee on Institutional Cooperation I Ten. There was a time when the power­ has been a big plus for us and continues to houses were grouped together simply by be so," said Cahir, vice provost and dean of the fact that they were “independents.” undergraduate education at Penn State. But in a matter of years, Penn State’s “We’ve been delighted with it. The associa­ entrance to the Big Ten conference tion with the CIC and the collaboration sparked an exodus of top teams from the have been fantastic. We like to think that independent ranks to one of the many we brought good things to the other insti­ established athletic organizations. tutions in the CIC too when we joined.” Florida State and Miami’s entrance to For Cahir and his university, the acade­ the ACC and Big East, respectively, in mic benefits have been numerous. The 11 the early 1990s left Notre Dame as the Big Ten institutions, the University of only big name in its makeshift "confer­ Chicago and the University of Illinois at ence.” And it all occurred at a time in Chicago provide opportunities for access to which the independents were the Courtesy of Penn State Athletic Department see ACADEMIC / page 6 Penn State, once an independent football powerhouse, joined the Big Ten in 1990 see A THLETIC / page 4 and found a variety of academic and athletic benefits. PagF 2 The Observer • INSIDE Thursday, February 4, 1999 ■ INSIDE C olum n A holiday for t h e D o m e Compiled from U-Wire reports stalking? Rejected applicants claim discrimination No one will send me roses next weekend. Valentine’s Day will come and go, Cupid will SAN FRANCISCO added that the lawsuit is an opportuni­ sing and dance and shower the couples of the A coalition of civil rights organiza­ ty to make major changes in the treat­ world with red candy hearts, chocolates, and tions and minority students slapped UC ment of future applicant pools. love songs, but he won’t Berkeley with a federal class action “I want to change the policy at UC vi^t me. Noreen G.llesp.e lawsuit Tuesday over its admissions Berkeley and allow fairness for all,” Not that I'm complain- News Writer process, which they call “discriminato­ said Gregory McConnell Jr., one of the ing. While most of the r y ” rejected UC Berkeley students who is single will spend the next week and a half Saying the university’s admissions named as a plaintiff. bemoaning the fact that they have no one to process and its definition of “merit" Each of the students suing the uni­ wine and dine them on February 14, I’m illegal, lawyers representing eight versity had stellar academic and singing with joy. After that check 1 wrote to “highly-qualified, minority” students National Association for the extracurricular backgrounds, but UC cover spring break airfare last week, my wallet brought to the U.S. District Courthouse Advancement of Colored People, the Berkeley's admissions policy, which can't afford the holiday anyway—and who the suit, which alleges that UC American Civil Liberties Union and places emphasis on Scholastic wants to spend the next week and a half Berkeley’s fall admissions policies are MALDEF. Named as defendants in the Assessment Test scores and weighted searching for "the perfect gift?" in violation of federal civil rights laws. case are UC Berkeley Chancellor graded point averages, was the cause Besides, being happily single on Valentine’s “There are no ifs, ands or huts about Robert Berdahl, the UC Board of of last Fall’s drastic drop in minority Day means that 1 can spend the day of romance it,” said attorney Joseph Jaramillo of Regents and UC President Richard student admissions, the plaintiffs’ like only a single woman could: as a stalker. the Mexican American Legal Defense Atkinson. lawyers said at the press conference. Yes, thanks to Pangborn at Notre Dame and and Educational Fund. “UC Berkeley’s Speaking at an early morning press McConnell, who now attends Residence Hall Association at Saint Mary’s, for admission process violates civil rights. conference at the San Francisco Virginia’s Hampton University on a full the wallet-friendly cost of only two dollars, I can It is fair in its face, but it operates in a Federal Building, the student plaintiffs scholarship, said he is challenging the stalk anyone on Notre Dame’s campus and discriminatory manner.” said they did not receive a fair chance admissions process and definition of have my victim’s picture plastered on my dorm The lawsuit was filed by high-profile, to become UC Berkeley students under “merit” that denied him admission to wall. These future corporate bigwigs have gra­ civil rights groups including the the campus’ admissions policies, and Berkeley last fall. ciously offered their services to take a picture of anyone I want—and economically. The price not only fits even those who are close to bankrupt 0 LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY » NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY due to spring break airfare, but it’s 100 percent legal and safe from the embarassment of— Instructor files sexual harassment suit Student fights for expression rights gasp — asking the victim out myself! Maybe these entrepreneurs at Pangborn and BATON ROUGE, La. EVANSTON, 111. RHA are onto something. Maybe as an added An instructor who recently resigned from the College of Ryan Du Val has joined the ranks of Gwyneth Paltrow bonus they could start a phone call campaign... Business filed suit Monday against the University, alleging and Jim Carrey — at least according to People Magazine. you know, to spare me the humiliation of pick­ sexual harassment by a college dean. Joy Irwin filed the People’s Feb. 8 issue includes a 300-word profile of the ing up the phone and making that dreaded call suit with the 19th Judicial District Court, naming Thomas Weinberg/Music sophomore, who replicated myself. Maybe for an added dollar, they could Clark, dean of the E.J. Ourso College of Business Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel mural on his dorm room pick up the phone and dial my victim’s number Administration as the harasser, according to her attorney, ceiling. “I never would have expected it,” Du Val said. “It for me! But of course, to remain true to the Jill Craft. Craft is also representing Diane Piper, an assis­ goes to show how much support there is for student stalking service that they are, they’d have to tant professor in the College of Mass Communication who expression.” And some Associated Student Government hang up a few times, call back, hang up filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the University members agree, although Northwestern administrators again...nevertheless, I wouldn’t have to make on Jan.15.