The Observer VOL. XXV NO. 20 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1992 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY’S MIT prof:Economy is campaign focus By THERESA ALEMAN News Writer The state of the American economy is and should be the main issue for both candidates and voters in the upcoming election, according to Frank Levy of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.____________________________ ■ Candidates speak of economy/ page 10 Levy assessed the state and future of the American economy in his lecture Thursday, “The Economy and the 1992 Election.” Levy suggested that the state of the economy holds this importance because it is a “metaphor for society.” He added, “We are all in the econ­ omy together and it effects us all as a community and as a nation.” When asked which candidate had the best economic platform, Levy responded, “Clinton’s plans and gut feelings for economic issues are best...but whether he would implement them or propose them is questionable.” Levy confessed to previously speaking publicly on behalf of Clinton but remarked, “he speaks to please people.” Levy referred to Bush’s domestic economic policy as “something which bores him,” and added, “he has no patience for what bores him.” Notre Dame Stadium Levy insisted that the economy can be improved or left in a state of disrepair by the Students filled the student section with green as The Shirt made its debut at the Michigan game. The shirt represents the president. Levy cited “strong leadership” as the tradition of the coaches at Notre Dame. It is available at LaForture Student Center, the bookstore, and from hall managers. sole hope for an improved economic state. Italy joins Britain in abandoning currency system BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — In rectors met in emergency ses­ dally, if they prove to be short­ economy “is still the leader of yet another shock to the drive sion to try to salvage the system term, may have little direct ef­ the world,” Fitzwater said. for European economic union, that binds their countries’ fect on prices. They could, The head of the International Italy today joined Britain in currencies. however, still have a strong Monetary Fund said the eco­ abandoning the European EC financial officers, after a psychological effect in under­ nomic turmoil highlighted the currency system and allowed six-hour overnight meeting, mining confidence in the future urgent need to rein in the the lira’s value to be dictated by announced the moves by Italy of European economic organi­ bloated budget deficits of major market forces. and Spain and stressed their zation. countries. Spain, whose currency had “unanimous commitment to the But there was no indication been kept strong through the European Monetary System as a On Wednesday, B rita in ’s the British pound was in any intervention of the nation’s key factor of economic stability leaders decided that adhering kind of “free fall,” IMF Director central bank, devalued the pe­ and prosperity in Europe.” to the system was just too dam­ Michel Camdessus said in seta by 5 percent. aging for their recession-ridden Washington. The currency crisis, triggered The 10-year-old system sets economy. Within hours Italy The pound recovered partially by developments on the German maximum fluctuation rates for followed suit, after devaluing against the dollar today, but market, has shaken the EC currencies and forces the lira by 7 percent over the continued to fall against the government of British Prime members to raise interest rates John Major weekend. German mark. In early after­ Minister John Major, who broke and buy large amounts of their It also is also designed to in­ The result was a further ero­ noon trading, the pound was with his predecessor, Margaret own currencies in order to stay spire confidence in still-closer sion in the value of both cur­ quoted at $1.7720, up from Thatcher, to embrace the within the allowable range. monetary cooperation in the fu­ rencies. $1.7385 in the morning, but concept of European monetary The arrangement is meant to ture — including a single Euro­ White House spokesman Mar­ well below the level of $1.8083 union. facilitate trade among commu­ pean currency — and is an im­ lin Fitzwater told reporters to­ from late Wednesday. The After Britain’s failed attempts nity nations by enabling com­ portant psychological symbol of day that the Bush administra­ pound was at 2.6400 German Wednesday to prop up a panies in one country to know European cooperation in gen­ tion was keeping an eye on the marks in early afternoon, after plummeting pound by raising that the prices of goods in an­ eral. currency crisis. falling through the exchange interest rates, the European other will not vary radically This week’s dramatic fluctua­ The dollar’s gain over the past system floor of 2.7780 marks Community’s central bank di­ from one day to the next. tions in currency values, espe- two days proves the American late Wednesday. Speaker claims media invent false images SMC Faculty Assembly for women, racial minorities and the poor wants sculpture return women; groups which are The media have shifted away By MICHELLE GODWIN By AMY GREENWOOD voted on the resolution, “littered with images of very from women’s equality and to­ News Writer Saint Mary'S News Editor which was sent yesterday cumbered selves,” she said. ward the traditional, idealized to boil) Saint Mary’s Di Leonardo claims there notion that a woman’s natural President Wil -key Much of American tradition is have been negative shifts in the duty is to be the nurturing care­ The Saint Mary’s Faculty and : -igh vice invented rather than based on media over the past fifteen giver, di Leonardo said. Women Assembly passed unani­ president and dean of fact, according to Micaela di years, for example, from civil in power positions are viewed mously Thursday a resolu­ owelty: Leonardo, professor of Anthro­ rights concerns toward a tradi­ as witches and evil cut-throats, tion thru "request* the re­ "I am sure that some fac­ pology and Women’s Studies at tion of blaming social ills on the she added, and women who are turn of Marsh* Kaplan's ulty the Northwestern University. black underclass. nurturing and passive are sculpture to Its original resolution, but they did In her lecture Thursday, To support her argument, di portrayed as the ideal. location." according to have the opportunity to “Gender, Ethnicity and the The traditional notion that the Leonardo asserted that the Thomas Mall, chairman of voice their opinion,” said Temptation of American In­ construction of the United media influenced Americans to lh" Family Assembly Matt. vented Traditions,” di Leonardo believe primarily blacks were States is due to white, middle- In a special session called F la d n o t criticized idealized notions of involved in the Los Angeles ri­ class men excludes the valuable by Doug Tyler, art depart­ know if he <w Ive a white ethnicity and women’s ots last A pril, although forty contributions of women, mi­ ment chair, the assembly formal communication culture and traditions she said norities and the poor, di percent of the arrested individ­ «!*0 voted on an from the administration or have been invented to suit Leonardo said. uals were Hispanic. amendment that asks the an Informal responee middle-class white men. She also questioned claims of This, di Leonardo said, per­ administration to provide thru i t de­ Di Leonardo said she believes petuates the recent tradition of the “epidemic" of pregnancies proper security for the partment. sexist, racist mass media are to among black teenagers, and viewing women and minorities sculpture! If it is moved Kaplan's m ulptures blame for idealized notions of as “special interest” groups and said statistics show the rate of outflows removed from the “unencumbered selves.” Those therefore implies that middle teen pregnancies among Roughly half of Saint Saint Mary’s after who view Americans in this way African Americans has been and upperclass white men are ignore minorities, the poor and decreasing steadily since 1960. “primary interest” groups. page 2 The Observer Friday, September 18, 1992 INSIDE COLUMN FORECAST Forecast for noon, Friday, September 18 Partly cloudy and warm with chance of DeBartolo: Lines separate high temperature zones for the day. thunderstorms. Chance of thunderstorms again A ‘factory on Saturday and Sunday. of learning’ Temperatures in upper 70s. Supposing the new TEMPERATURES DeBartolo classroom building was constructed City Anchorage based on the old Atlanta architectural maxim “form Bogota Boston follows function,” then it Cairo would follow that the Chicago function of the student is a Stephen Cleveland Dallas mechanical, inhuman one. Zavestoski Detroit DeBartolo’s geometrical Associate News Editor Indianapolis Jerusalem forms, rectilinear _________________ London characteristic, and sterile, hospital-like dis­ Los Angeles position reflect a form that, if it follows the Madrid FRONTS. Minneapolis function of the building’s inhabitants, implies a Moscow similarly geometric, rectilinear, sterile and Nashville hospital-like student. The building, New York COLD WARM STATIONARY © 1992 Accu-Weather, Inc Paris overwhelming with all of its technological Philadelphia capabilities, becomes a factory of learning and Pressure Rome Seattle not an environment for reflection and South Bend contemplation-the most essential practices of HIGH LOW SHOWERS RAIN 7 STORMS FLURRIES SNOW ICE SUNNY PT. CLOUDY CLOUDY Tokyo true learning. Washington. D C. My gripe with the design of DeBartolo runs deeper than having to learn in an uninviting environment. The human is a spatial animal. And according to philosopher Henryk TODAY AT A GLANCE Skolimowski, evolutionary and social development has endowed the human organism with a number of spatial needs.