THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's OLUME 43: ISSUE 101 WEDNESDAY. MARCH 4, 2009 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM University increases tuition for 2009 2 students Total student charges rise by 4.4 percent to $48,845 in struggling economic climate robbed at University assesses the cost of By MADELINE BUCKLEY food service and utilities based Assistant News Editor on inflation and raises tuition ltJrttOO .. · gunpoint accordingly. The University increased "The difficultly for us this 2009~2010 'Beacietnic ye-ar tuition for the 2009-2010 aca­ year is that we have seen an Observer Staff Report demic school year by 4.4 per­ increase in a lot of our costs, cent - the lowest percent like food," he said. "And then · toition + feE$. $~477 Two Notre Dame students increase since 1960, acc.ording we are faced with a difficult were robbed at gunpoint to Executive Vice President choice because we don't want to when walking back to cam­ John Affleck-Graves. decrease the opportunities we room + board: , c $10,368 pus early Sunday morning, Tuition is set at $38,477 and provide for the students, like police said. room and board at $10,368, study abroad and research The students, Christopher totaling at $48,845, Affleck­ opportunities." Masoud, 18, and Patrick Graves said. In a letter sent to parents of Coveney, 18, were heading "We are aware of the pressure students in February, University north on Twyckenham Drive families are under, and we President Fr. John Jenkins said when they were approached wanted to be as conservative as annual increases in tuition are by a man with a handgun, we could be," he said. essential in maintaining the Captain Phil Trent of the When making the budget each South Bend Police year, Affleck-Graves said the • see TUITION/page 4 Observer Graphic I BLAIR CHEMIDLIN Department (SBPD) said. Police said the man was described as black, wearing black jeans and a brown hooded sweatshirt and with State Dept. issues Mexico travel alert silver work on his upper front teeth. The man was described as appearing to cotics trafficking routes into and out be about 17 to 22 years old By LIZ HARTER of America, according to the alert. and holding a bottle of Saint Mary's Editor Some cartels have employed auto­ liquor. matic weapons and grenades, the Trent said the police Students planning to travel to alert said. Firefights have also broken report did not say if the stu­ Mexico over Spring Break may want out in northern cities like Tijuana, dents were intoxicated. to take note of a travel alert issued by Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez, Both students live in the United States State Department which have trapped U.S. citizens. Keough Hall and work for on Feb. 20. The AP reported the State The Observer. Masoud The Associated Press reported Department also issued an advisory writes for the Sports there is an increased risk of violence on Spring Break in Mexico. department and Coveney is and kidnapping, especially near the The Department warns of the photographer. U.S. border, but the alert also warns increased violence along the border Coveney said the man citizens traveling or living throughout and advises revelers in Matamoros approached them from the Mexico to be vigilant. and Nuevo Progresso, popular desti­ front and asked why they The alert said "dozens of U.S. citi­ nations for spring breakers on South were being loud. Coveney zens have been kidnapped across Padre Island, Texas, to "exercise said he attempted to pass Mexico. Many of these cases remain common sense precautions such as the man when he pulled out unsolved." visiting only the well-traveled busi­ a gun. The heightened violence stems from ness and tourism areas of border "He took a gun out of his A soldier stands guard in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. a fight between the drug cartels and The State Dept. issued a warning to travelers. the government for control of nar- see MEXICO/page 4 see ROBBERY/page 4 Woodruff to speak at Commencement Three new campus Noted journalist and BOT member to receive honorary degrees correspondent for CNN as an profile female proctor highly buildings planned By LIZ HARTER anchor for "Inside Politics." knowledgeable in the Catholic Saint Mary's Editor Woodruff was the chief region." recent buildings we've done on Washington correspondent for Woodruff will also receive By SARAH MERVOSH campus, like the Law School," The Saint Mary's class of "The MacNeil/Lehrer an honorary Doctor of News Writer he said. 2009 will hear their NewsHour" from 1983 to Humanities degree from the Affleck-Graves said he is in Commencement address from 1993, and from 1984 to 1990, College. Three major campus building the process of fmding an archi­ broadcast journalist and sen­ she anchored the PBS series, Like many students, senior projects are currently under tecture firm to design the hock­ ior correspondent for "The "Frontline with Judy Sarah Voss was excited to design, including a new student ey arena, but has an idea of Jim Lehrer NewsHour" Judy Woodruff," according to the learn of the speaker for center, a hockey arena and a what he would like it to look Woodruff. release. Commencement. renovation of the first floor of like. Woodruff, a graduate of' In the late 1970s and early "[Woodruff] has a really the Hesburgh Library, according "It will have a somewhat goth­ Duke University, has been a 1980s, Woodruff served as a good life story and career," to Executive Vice President John ic appearance, but also kind of a friend of Saint Mary's since White House correspondent Voss said. "I think she'll be Affieck-Graves. fieldhouse look," he said. 2005 when she moderated a for NBC and was the chief interesting and relate well to Construction will begin on all The hockey arena will be conference sponsored by the Washington correspondent for our demographic." three of these projects in 2010, located east of the Notre Dame College's Center for the "Today Show" for one The College announced he said. Stadium, near the Melissa Cook Spirituality titled "Vatican II year. Deborah Johnson Schwiebert, The new student center, which Softball Field, and is estimated Forty Years Later: Legacy, When Woodruff spoke at the a 197 4 graduate and former will be called the Stayer Center, to cost about $45 million, he Leadership and Unfinished College in 2005, Sr. Kathleen chair of the Board of will be located east of the said. ~Business," according to a Dolphin, director of the Trustees, will also receive an Stepan Center and is estimated The renovation of the first press release. Center for Spirituality, told honorary Doctor of to cost about $28 million, floor of the Library is expected For more than 30 years, The Observer she worked Humanities degree. Affieck-Graves said. to cost about $13 million, Woodruff has covered politics hard to bring her as the mod­ Schwiebert, who graduated "Stayer Center will be tradi­ Affieck-Graves said. and other news for CNN, NBC erator for the Vatican II event tional, gothic style, built very and PBS. She was a senior because she wanted a "high- see WOODRUFF/page 4 much along the lines of the see CAMPUS/page 4 page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Wednesday, March 4, 2009 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR SPRING BREAK? Bring the pesto back I don't watch 'The Bachelor," but I do procrastinate and thus have been following the drama. And I realized Shelagh O'Brien Nicholas Alonso Billal Duckett that what happened on the finale Shane Owens Daniel Kesser actually applies to my life. freshman freshman sophomore junior sophomore North Dining LeMans Stanford Zahm Keenan Stanford Hall, you are Laura Myers my Melissa Rycroft. "I plan on doing 'Tm going to "Lotioning up ··1 wanna do 'Won-stop I loved you. I Sports Production absolutely attend Tea fat sam on the hoodrat stuff soccer games really did. I nothing.,, beach.,, declared it for Editor Partays like it•s with my in Florida. ,, everyone to my job_,, friends.,, hear. But I might have to ditch you. There were several reasons for my love: the fact that I can watch Sportscenter during lunch, or that it's okay to be 5'3" at 6:30p.m. The pasta stir-fry, fajita Fridays, breakfast burri­ tos. The omelette station and the fro­ yo topping station. The pasta room with booths, where I can study with free snacks whenever I want. IN BRIEF Not to mention it's fun being part of the minority opinion, and ever since Writer and University of Notre Democrats became awesome again - Dame alumna Lily Hoang will wait, no, ever since people realized give a reading at the Hammes Democrats have always been awe­ Notre Dame Bookstore tonight some - I've been in the majority. at 7:30 p.m. Hoang is the Arguing for North gives me a thrill author of three books and cur­ that I haven't had since the days of rently teaches at Saint Mary's John Kerry. College. The event is free and My favorite aspect of North Dining open to the public. Hall, though, is the pizza station. It reigns above all other food options at The Notre Dame Chamber either eatery. Players will perform a benefit At least, it used to. concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. in "White or wheat?" the DeBartolo Performing Arts "Wheat, please." Center. Proceeds will go to the "Sauce?" South Bend Community School "Pesto." Corporation to purchase musi­ "Cheese?" cal instruments for schools in "A little bit of mozzarella.