THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOLUME 40: ISSUE 123 THURSDAY. APRIL 13,2006 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM SENATE University Ad hoc conunittees, titles finalized at 111eeting • preparing ties of the two newly titled com­ Multicultural group mittees, the amendment officially recognized addressed the concerns that pre­ vented the passage of the original for Easter Minority Affairs committee By KAREN LANGLEY amendment. Associate News Editor The amendment charges the Religious services to Committee on Multicultural MAC is back. Affairs with representing and highlight holiday break Two weeks after the Student advocating for "racially and eth­ Senate voted down an amend­ nically marginalized" students, By MARCELA BERRIOS ment to grant permanent status while the Committee on Social to the ad hoc Minority Affairs Concerns will be responsible for News Writer eommittee, senators approved a issues arising from religious revised amendment Wednesday diversity, sexual orientation and Notre Dame will suspend that established the group consti­ socioeconomic differences. Both academic pursuits this week­ tutionally as the Committee on committees will make recommen­ end in favor or the celebration Multicultural Affairs. dations to the Senate. of Christ's passion and resur­ By also renaming the After the Minority Affairs com­ rection. Committee on Diversity Affairs as mittee was established as an ad ALLISON AMBROSErrhe Observer Many students will travel the Committee on Social Concerns Student body president Lizzi Shappell speaks at the Student home for the four-day break and delineating the responsibili- see SENATE/page 6 Senate meeting Wednesday in LaFortune. from classes, while others will join their parents to attend the various liturgies and services at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Senior Madeleine Heck will Meal serves up Jewish traditions stay on campus to work on her thesis, but also to be part of the RCIA baptisms while serv­ Students of all religions welcomed ing as a sponsor. "The girl I am sponsoring to Seder dinner on Wednesday already received her sacra­ ments, but we are both staying By KAITLYNN RIELY here for the rest of the group, News Writer and to attend the liturgies at the Basilica together," Heck With most of the Notre Dame community said. focused on preparations for the end of Holy Week Sophomore Ali Donovan is and the celebration of Easter Sunday, a small looking forward to using the group of students departed from traditional break to spend time with her Catholic Lenten practices to observe the Jewish family. feast of Passover with a Seder meal Wednesday "I participated in an night. Appalachia service project over Approximately 30 students gathered in Welsh spring break, so I didn't have Family Hall to recall the escape of the Jewish an opportunity to see my par­ people from slavery under the pharaoh of ancient ents then," Donovan said. "''m Egypt. The Seder meal, typically celebrated the just really excited about having first two nights of Passover, tells the story of the a few days off and spending Exodus and uses food and drink such as bitter them with my family." herbs and wine to symbolize events in the birth of Donovan and her parents will Israel. be traveling together to Members of the Notre Dame Jewish Student California to visit family during Club were present at the meal, but the partici­ the holiday. pants were mostly non-Jewish. The leader of the ALLISON AMBROSErrhe Observer Despite the departure of Father Michael Driscoll speaks at a Seder meal Wednesday at Welsh Family, see PASSOVER/page 4 where students ate traditional Jewish foods served according to religious custom. see EASTER/ page 4 College pianist playing for charity Senior takes proactive Proceeds will benefit inunigration approach 'Music and Healing' Turk immigrants from Dingeman confronts Russia and Liberian immi­ By KELLY MEEHAN issues with local effort grants, with whom Saint Mary's Editor Dingeman said she first came in contact through her When Saint Mary's senior Jill By LAURA BAUMGARTNER work at the Refugee and Vlasek takes the stage next News Writer Immigration Services of Wednesday for her final piano South Bend. recital at the College, she will not At a time when immigra­ While writing her senior only be gracing the audience with tion is a hotly-debated topic comprehensive project - her musieal skills, but will also be around the country, Saint which focused on the inte­ working to improve the lives of Mary's senior Katie gration of immigrants - many. Dingeman is taking a more Dingeman said she realized Just one year ago Vlasek, a constructive, hands-on there was a "disconnect" music major and Atlanta native, approach to addressing the between what immigrants was unsure of the direction her issue by coordinating an expected of American life post-graduate life would take, but effort to help local immi­ and what they experienced that all changed the day she met grants deal with the chal­ once they were settled. Chris Robinson, the director and CHELSEA GULLINGrrhe Observer lenges they face today. "As a case manager at Saint Mary's senior Jill Vlasek rehearses for her final piano The South Bend communi­ see PIANIST/page 6 recital in LeMans Hall Wednesday. ty is home to Meskhetian see REFUGEES/page 8 r--------------------------------------------------------- page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Thursday, April 13, 2006 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR EASTER? Pushing the envelope l'vn bonn told, on multipln occasions. that a mousn is morn intimidating than rnn. I'm not sum whnthnr that's a compli­ Carol Matasci Erin Rogozinski Sarah Hirschman Tiffany Garcia Kristen Drahos Mariana Montes nwnt or a dmractnr !law but pnrhaps it freshman sophomore sophomore sophomore freshman sophomore nxplains my strong nnml to Mary Kate Malone Farley Lyons Lyons Lyons Welsh Family Lyons snnm like a ruin-breaking "1/itchhiking to ''I'm going on "Taking home ''I'm eating ham "Guarding ''I'm going to rnbPI. On occasion, News Editor Cincinnati, an Easter egg these two crazy with Ron." Guillermo -my the best city in f' II decidn to stop bning goody-goody because I'm hunt with the girls." bike -from the the world- MK and push thn nnvelopn. You know, staying with a Mrs. " squirrels." Louisville, show pt~oph~ that I can break ruins and friend. but she Kentucky." gnt away with it. Not surprisingly. I gnnnrally fail at. won't let me doing this. But lwy, at lnast I try. stay in her car." CW·il~ in point: A fnw wonks ago my roommate's sis­ ter. Meg, was visiting Notre Damn. Wn wnrn all going to dinnnr on a Thursday night and dncidnd it was ridiculous to makn Mng, who had no II> card. pay $10 f(Jr hnr nwal. lnspirnd to take IN BRIEF chargn and solvn thn problmn. I told Mng to usn my II> and I would snnak in. A Tenebrae Service will "No onn will catch me, I promisn," I takn plaee today at 11 p.m. in said. "Como on you guys, I can totally the Basilica of the Saered do it without gntting caught. I'm good at Heart. this kind of thing, okay?" l convinr.nd everyone easily (though "Ben llur," the 1959 film I'm not surn how). starring Charlton lleston, will Wn walked to North Dining I Jail plan­ be shown at 7 p.m. today in ning our scheme. I'd walk in with a the Browning Cinema in the <Towd and bury myself inside it. Then Debartolo Performing Arts I'd stmtlthily snnak into the back room Center. bd'ore anyone could notice. When we arrived, I hustled in bnhind my friends, Notre Dame softball will avoiding eyn contaet with the food serv­ play a doubleheader against ien worker. My friends swept up behind DePaul today starting at 4 mn and we scurried into tlw back hot p.m. at Ivy Field. food area. Pride swept over me. I did it! I broke the rules and got away with it! Notre Dame men's tennis Suddenly, a firm hand grabbed my will face Louisville today at arm. "IIEY! IIEY YOU! WHAT DO YOU 3:30 p.m. at the Courtney TIIINK YOU'HE DOING? YOU DII>N'T Tennis Center. SWIPE YOUH CAHD!" The l(lOd serviee woman I thought I had so stealthily Notre Dame baseball will deceived was loudly scolding me in take on St. John's at 12:05 front of what felt like the en tim student p.m. Saturday at Frank Eck JESSICA LEE/The Observer Stadium. body. My "bad-ass-ness" was crum­ Jesse McGannon, front, makes a diving attempt to block Kasey Farrell from bling. I panicked and starting lying. catching a frisbee at Ultimate Frisbee Team practice on South Quad Wednesday. The third annual Spring ''I'm so sorry!" I said. "I forgot my J.D. The warm weather had many sport enthusiasts out on the quad. card and didn't want to go back to my Cut-A-Thon will be held at dorm! I'll leave right now. I'm sorry! It Salon :lOl Spa, Miehael and won't happen again!" Co. 2 Salon and Spa and Hair I wasn't intimidating. I wasn't rebel­ Conneetion Salon and Day lious. So I walked to the other end of Spa April 23 from 10 a.m. to North with my head hung low, and paid OFFBEAT 4 p.m. For a $15 donation $10 filr my meal. partieipants can get a haireut, You think that would have taught me School books wrong 'Jon wrestler from Chieago. was a motivator to try manicure or massage.