Tuesday, March 17, 1998 • Vol. XXXI No. 107 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE D E AND SAINT MA English professor Erskine Peters dies at 49 By COLLEEN McCARTHY Don Sniegowski, director of under- from the English department but from was easily the principle faculty member Saint Mary's News Editor graduate studies, recalled Peters' across campus. in the English department dealing with desire to "He tried to all areas of African American litera­ A loss was dealt to increase cul­ get us to think ture," Sniegowski said. the Notre Dame com­ tural diversity more positive­ Sniegowski also attributed an munity on March 9 in the curricu­ 'HE TRIED TO GET us TO THINK MORE ly and criti­ increase in faculty members specializ­ when the man who lum. POSITIVELY AND CRITICALLY ABOUT cally about ing in Afro-American studies and liter­ helped to nncourage "One of the cultural ature to Peters influence. culture diversity in things 1 CULTURAL DIVERSITY WITHIN THE CLASs- diversity "The fact that there are now extra the University's cur­ r e m e m b e r ROOM.' within the faculty members here is part of his riculum as well as most about classroom," doing. He made us more aware of cul­ DoN SNIEGOWSKI Notre Dame's first L___....I/C:.!L___ _, him is that he Sniegowski tural diversity," Sniegowski said. specialist in African Peters directed a Ford said. "He was a man of great professional­ American literature Foundation summer institute on cultur­ In addition to specializing in Faulkner ism. He was a scholar through and died. al diversity in the curriculum for Notre studies, Peters was also a scholar of through. He also had a great deal of Erskine l'etf)rs, 49, was a professor of Dame faculty. It dealt with how to American literature to 1930, Afro­ commitment to the African American English and member of the Notre Dame introduce cultural diversity into the American literature, 18th century community as well as the Notre Dame faculty since 1987. lie died of pneumo­ classroom," Sniegowski said. British literature and Afro-poetics. community," Sniegowski added. nia in his hometown of Augusta, Ga., He added that through the institute, "From the time he became a faculty Peters met with professors not just member here until last semester, he after becoming ill in South Bend. see PETERS I page 4 McDOWELL MISSION The Observer/John Daily 13ridget's offe:nders tace court se:ntencing By ALEX ORR News Writer On March 6, while many students were preparing for a week of relaxation at points tropical, 165 of the University's underage drinkers were feeling the ramifications of their police capture at Bridget McGuire's Filling Station on Jan. 30. Most students avoided the rigors of an actual trial by declar­ ing their guilt and opting for a "pretrial diversion agreement." Through this agreement, guilty parties could avoid the harsh­ er. penalties of court trial and also maintain a relatively clean criminal record, bearing only the stigma of a "dismissed" case for their efforts. The town of Gary tucks into a mountain valley in southern West Virginia. A lack of resources often Pretrial diversion is, according to Rita Glenn at the St. leaves damaged and delapidated houses abandoned. Joseph County Court House, "basically a program for first time offender. If they do their community service, pay their fines, and have complied with the program, the charges will be dismissed. Their records will show that they were on the otre Dame students and program, but that the case was dismissed without pleading guilty or a conviction." alumni traveled to the But the diversion was by no means a painless process, nor a Appalachian region on a mere slap on the wrist. The divertees showed up at the court house at 8 a.m. on Fridav, and stood in a line that, with its variety of Spring Break inelusion of traffic violati~n cases, at times extended out the door of the court house. Service Seminars. One of theses places They were then processed in groups of 12, brought before an officer and delivered what was, on the whole, the same was the McDowell mission in Gary, punishment, varying in severity only if the use of a fake dri­ ver's license was involved. West Virginia. By 1 p.m., the last of the students emerged from the court see Irish Focus, pages 12-13 John Heasly and Mary Clark work on house. They left saddled with a one-time $52 fee, a monthly the mission's damaged wharehouse. see BRIDGET'S I page 4 ND celebrates with St. Patrick's Day festivities By MATTHEW LOUGHRAN play until 2 p.m. "These guys have sold out 14 of 16 shows across News Editor From 4 until 7 p.m. the Math Club will bring the the country," said John Kennedy, of I'll Learn to Fly Blarney stone out into the Huddle area for students Productions, which is sponsoring the festival. Notre DamP students can look forward today to to kiss. "Shows in Washington D.C., Dartmouth, New York, enltic fiddlers. a bagpipe band, a multi-talented Irish Then, at 7:30 p.m. at the State Theatre on S. San,rrancisco, major cities have sold out for this musician. thn blarney stone and an all-ages dance Michigan Street in South Bend, the Notre Dame act. party at Alumni-Senior Club in celebration of St. Bagpipe Band will open a Celtic Fiddle Festival. From 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Student Activities will fin­ Patrick's Day. "We are really excited," said Daniel Murphy, the ish off the evening with an all-ages, alcohol-free The day's festivities begin with free events leader of the band. "This is a premier opportunity dance party in the Alumni·Senior Club. There will planned by Student Activities. At noon in the Huddle for us." be a pool tournament, a leprechaun look-alike con­ area of LaFortune Student Center, Tom Dahill will The Bagpipe Band will play for 10 or 15 minutes test and dart contests. Admission is free and open to perform traditional Irish music on the fiddle. button, before the festival. They will also play during the every member of the Notre Dame community. · accordion and guitar. Dahill, who has performed at intermission. Tickets for the celtic fiddle festival can be bought the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Gaelic Park and Indiana The main act in the festival will be the three celtic at the LaFortune Information desk or at the door of University, Northwest's coffee house, boasts a reper­ fiddlers, Kevin Burke, Christian Lemaltre and the State Theatre. They cost $16 in advance, $18 at toire of more than 1000 traditional songs. He will Johnny Cunningham. the door and $14 for students and seniors. page 2 The Observer • INSIDE Tuesday, March 17, 1998 • INSIDE ColUMN The truth about St. Police investigate student's death as possible homicide CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Janice and James Ware, masters of Patrick's Day Harvard junior David Okrent, a Cabot House, held an informal meet­ physics coneentrator in Cabot House, ing in their residence last night for was found stabbed Sunday morning Okrent's dose friends. James Ware on Revere Beach in Boston. said more than 50 students eame to HAPPY ST. Nora Regina Meany Okrent, a native of Evanston, III., express their feelings of grief and loss. PATHICK'S DAY! Do Saint Mary's Writer was pronounced dead on arrival at The Wares told students last night you know what that Massaehusetts General Hospital short­ that Okrent's roommates will be flying means'? Okay, barring the obvious ... Do you ly after 6:30a.m. He was 20. to Chicago today to visit his family and know tiHl ABC's of this popular ethnic holiday? According to the Suffolk County attend funeral services, which are ten­ I low is St. Patrkk's Day celebrated di!Terently District Attorney's oflice, a man walk­ by the Massaehusetts state police as a tatively planned for Wednesday. in America than in the Emerald Isle'? Who ing his dog found Okrent, who had a "possible homicide," said James M. Lawrence Okrent, David's father, began the popular parade tradition'! More single stab wound to the neck. Bourgesanie, press secretary for the said the family learned of their son's importantly, who the hell is St. Patrick? Officials said Okrent was still alive Suffolk County district attorney's death early yesterday morning. Well. let's tackle the last question first, when authorities arrived on the scene. oflice. "I was sitting at the breakfast table bdiml we separate traditions of diiTerent According to several Cabot House Bourgesanie did not rule out the when somebody from some sort of countries. Now, I could give you a long and residents, students were told at an possibility of suicide, saying Okrent's Massachusetts organ donor organiza­ detailtld explanation of the works of St. informational meeting last night that wound could have been self-inflicted. tion called," he said. The call came Patriek. However, it's really not that interest­ Okrent had been present at Saturday's Harvard spokesperson Alex Hupp between 8 and 9 a.m. The caller ing and would be quite a challenge to jam that "Cabot Underground" dance and was said the Harvard University Police asked Okrent if he would like to con­ into the space of an inside column. Basically, last seen at 1:30 a.m. Any students Department is assisting in the investi­ tribute his son's organs, but hung up Paddy is known for two big historical accom­ who saw Okrent after that time are gation.