/ ^ V THE bserver OThe Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Marys VOLUME 41 : ISSUE 61 MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2006 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Notre Dame bound for Bayou, BCS matchup Towle Irish to face LSU in The Tigers earned their bid after Southeastern Conference tabbed for the Sugar Bowl (SEC) foe Florida jum ped from No. 4 to No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) By KEN FOWLER Marshall standings and earned a spot News Writer in the BCS National Championship Game against By MEGHAN WONS It will be “local flavor” ver­ undefeated No. 1 Ohio State. News Writer sus “national flavor” as Notre The SEC champion plays in Dame will face Louisiana the Sugar Bowl annually, Senior Meg Towle’s passion State in the Sugar Bowl at the except when it makes the for and dedication to promot­ Louisiana Superdome Jan. 3, national title game. ing international health as an and Sugar Bowl CEO Paul With its compensatory selec­ essential foundation for peace Hoolahan lauded the matchup tion and first at-large pick, building will take her to the as “just what the doctor the Sugar Bowl grabbed the United Kingdom next year as local favorites from Baton ordered” for the struggling one of the 43 Marshall New Orleans economy. Rouge and the national pow­ Scholarship recipients for erhouse from South Bend for “If I had written this script, I 2007. couldn’t have written it any the first bowl game in the Towle said she will use her better,” Hoolahan said in a Superdome since Hurricane all-expenses paid scholarship teleconference with media Katrina devastated New to pursue a M.S. of h u m an itar­ Sunday night. “This is going to O rleans. ian studies at The Liverpool “We have had some chal­ be a tremendous atmos­ School of Tropical Medicine, lenges in the past year and a p h e re .” PAMELA LOCK/The Observer associated with the University The Sugar Bowl was widely Rhema McKnight and the Irish are headed to the BCS of Liverpool. expected to select the Irish. see BOWL/page 6 for a second straight year. “I like how the program at Liverpool is about — ‘How do we get public health to work on the ground?”’ Towle said. “I think it will be so cool to be there with people from all Aidan Project raises awareness over the world and to draw from others’ experiences. It will definitely be an interna­ Sophomore's battle with cancer inspires event to benefit patients, educate ND community tional learning experience.” She expects to complete the M.S. in one year and said the Ballroom from 11 a.m. to 2 old friend had cancer. They “We did the blanket project scholarship allows for some By JENNIFER METZ p.m. Saturday to make fleece started the project — which last year with Circle K,” Esber flexibility as to how she will News W riter blankets and hats for a local was sponsored by Circle K, said. “This year we’ve made use the second year. cancer unit at St. Joseph’s Knott Hall and the Class of [the collaboration] bigger, “For now I’m saying I’ll Diagnosed with cancer on Memorial Hospital. 2009 — to raise awareness responding to this situation.” probably stay on at the Sept. 25, Notre Dame sopho­ The finished blankets, dis­ about cancer, especially cancer Koors said organizers put up Liverpool School of Tropical more Aidan Fitzgerald was played on a table at the that affects young people. more than 100 posters in resi­ Medicine, but I could get there forced to miss the majority of entrance of the ballroom, were “The situation was definitely dence halls and LaFortune to and find some other fabulous the fall semester, but he tied with a tag that read, “The on [Esher’s] mind ... he couldn’t publicize the event. program,” she said. returned to campus this week­ Aidan Project. This blanket was believe it happened to his “This is the first time I had Towle said she learned she end to take part in an event made with love and with care, roommate,” said Jake Teitgen, heard about someone in our had been selected for the created in his name to raise for each who receives one a Circle K member. “We decid­ age group developing cancer,” prestigious award on Nov. 8, awareness about cancer in knows it comes with a prayer.” ed we had to do something.” Teitgen said. “This project is all the same day she was inter­ young adults and youth. Sophomore Chris Esber, Teitgen, along with fellow about awareness and preven­ viewed by a committee in The Aidan Project drew more Fitzgerald’s roommate, said he Circle K members Cigi Low and tion.” Chicago. than 200 participants who sat and his friends were “shocked” Nicole Koors, helped Esban on the floor of the LaFortune to find out that their 19-year- organize the Aidan Project. see AIDAN/page 9 see SCHOLAR/page 8 Health Center nears completion Bands compete, raise By RYAN SYDLIK money for charities News Writer University Health Services will awareness in the Saint By MANDI STIRONE return in January to its former M a ry ’s a n d N o tre D am e location behind the Main News W riter communities. Building after a year-and-a-half Katius, a pop/punk band absence and $9.5 million of ren­ Three bands took the from Dayton, Ohio, won the ovations. stage at Saint Mary’s contest and the prize — a Throughout the overhaul, Student Center Lounge recording session with Peak Health Services has operated Saturday night to battle for Audio Productions. out of the old Security building, studio time and raise The three bands played to where Notre Dame money. a crowd of about 50 stu­ Security/Police was located until The Battle of the Bands, dents, mostly from Saint it moved to the recently con­ organized by the Saint M ary’s. structed Hammes Mowbray Mary’s Dance Marathon Katius’ members were Hall. Committee, was held to mostly high school students, Ann Kleva, director of raise funds for Riley’s with one St. Clair University Health Services, Hospital for Children and Community College sopho­ called the renovations to the for the upcoming Dance more. Katius’ connection to Student Health Center building Marathon in the spring. Saint Mary’s was through “absolutely phenomenal.” Dance Marathon commit­ one of their member’s, who The updated facility will be tee leaders said they were has two sisters at the much easier to navigate than the proud of the event’s success. College. Katius impressed old one, Kleva said, and it will The committee’s co-presi­ the judges with their per­ PAMELA LOCK/The Observer have an improved healthcare dent, Pauline Kistka, said if formance of their original The Student Health Center building is slated to re-open in they broke even financially, January after $9.5 million of rennovations are completed. see HEALTH/page 6 the event had raised some see BANDS/page 6 page 2 The Observer ♦ PAGE 2 Monday, December 4, 2006 Inside C olumn Question of the Day: H o w d o y o u t h in k N o t r e D a m e w il l f a r e in t h e S u g a r B o w l ? All I want for Christmas What’s that? I’m in college so I’m not supposed to love Christmas toys any­ more? I don’t believe you. But, even if I am too Andy Hank Joe Mancuso Kevin Carrier Meghan Chidsey Monica Regnier Patrick Miller old to drool over the best merchandise in junior sophomore junior senior senior junior the Toys 'IT Us catalogue, I’ve Fran Tolan O'Neill Fisher Fisher off campus Breen-Phillips Fisher always said ____________________ that you can “Notre Dame "Better than “Hopefully “It will be “It will be a “Better than the never be too old Sports Writer 31, LSU 28, Mark May says better than the sweet. ” piece o f cake. ‘ Republicans in to write a col­ umn in The in overtime. ” we will, but not Fiesta Bowl. ” the last Observer ranking the greatest toys ever. well enough to midterm I’ve always said that. win. election. ” Anyways, let’s get this list started. My list will rank the greatest Christmas toys ever made. Each toy’s ranking is in parentheses. Please understand that toys fall under a huge variety of categories and there’s no way I’ll be able to cover all of your favorites. I’ll try my best though. Let’s begin with the Christmas main­ stays, the toys that seem to have a per­ manent place under millions of trees In B rief every year. There are the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls (6), G.I. Joe action figures 15), the Pogo Stick (11), Barbie dolls (8), A memorial mass will be LiteBrite (14) and Lego building blocks held today for senior Caitiin (17). Brann in the Basilica of the Of course, there are also the annoying Sacred Heart at 5:15 p.m. fad toys that show up for one December and bring about the worst in parents like Jeff Jackson, the head coach Sinbad and Arnold Schwartzenegger. A of Notre Dame’s hockey team, list of Christmas toys wouldn’t be com­ will discuss the first part of the plete without these. They include Tickle season and look forward to the Me Elmo (16), the creepy Furby doll (20), remaining games at noon at and the Tamagotchi (15, because who Legends Wednesday.