Wednesday, March 19, 1997 • Vol. XXX No. 108 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY'S U.S. News miscalculates law school rankings By MICHAEL LEWIS the basic problem with trying to According to Elsa Garmire, the dean News Writer rank schools qualitatively. Notre of Dartmouth's Thayer School, "The Dame is not crying sour grapes, rankings really just let you know The Jaw school rankings that U.S. because the rankings cast the what schools are very large and News and World Report released in school in a positive light. have across-the-board engineer­ its March 10 issue were miscalcu­ "There is some movement to get ing." Garmire said Dartmouth's The Old The New lated: Notre Dame's standing in U.S. News to rank only the top 10 or small size and specialization hurt its 20th place was changed to 21st. 15 law schools," Dutile said. The performance in the rankings. The error affected 33 of the top 50 rankings significantly hurt the third This year was the first year in the schools in the Jaw school study that and fourth tier schools, according to last few that the Thayer School has ranks all 179 accredited law schools Dutile. not been ranked, and this fact led in the United States. The magazine "We're still in very good compa­ the University of Chicago's student corrected its mistake with a letter ny," he said regarding Notre Dame's newspaper to print an editorial that from the editor and publication of new standing. He pointed out two was skeptical of the school's the revised rankings in its March 17 major problems with the system of motives. The article said, "Thayer's issue. quantitative rankings. First, he said, decision to boycott the question­ "The error affected law schools there are many variables involved naire is motivated by self-interest and occurred because the labels on in the excellence of a school. and fears that the school might slip two data fields were accidentally Secondly, he pointed out that, further down the ranks." switched before the calculations "very few people are in a position to Dutile said Notre Dame will not began. One field showed the num­ tell you about more than five or 10 boycott the rankings, and he said ber of unemployed graduates who schools." He noted that many of the for one school to unilaterally drop were actively seeking work; the people who are asked to rank out of the rankings could be detri­ other. the number who were not schools base much of there analysis mental to its ability to attract stu­ now seeking work," wrote James on reputation. dents. He also stated he had no Fallows in an editor's note. Dartmouth's engineering graduate problem with all schools boycotting The associate dean of Notre school has decided to boycott the the study, because it is not an accu­ Dame's Law School. Fernand Dutile, rankings for several reasons, and rate indicator of a school's perfor­ The Observer/ Melissa Weber said, "It (the rankings error) shows the mistake was one of them. mance. Panel discusses disabilities SMC adds two 01ore By BILL IRVINE News Writer non-smoking floors Representatives of the dis­ abled community participated By LORI ALLEN where students smoked with in a panel lecture Tuesday Saint Mary's Editor the doors and transoms open, evening as a part of Disability which is against the housing Awareness Week. With room picks quickly code. Our goal is to satisfy the The lecture featured mem­ approaching on the Saint majority of the community by bers of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's campus, students making changes based on the Mary's, and South Bend who should bear in mind the policy surveys," said committee related experiences with the changes added to the current member Missy Lind. physically and mentally residence life situation. The decision was made the impaired. The panel contained At the beginning of the fall week before spring break and members of the dyslexic, deaf semester Housing Coordinator is supported by the Housing and blind communities as well Katherine Rosswurm initiated Committee, Student as friends. family, and co-work­ the Housing Committee com­ Government Association, RHA, ers of people with disabilities. posed of 10 Saint Mary's stu­ and the senior officers of the The theme of the lecture cen­ dents to discuss current poli­ College. It will take effect in tered around a statement by cies and student concerns. the 1997-98 school year. This Colleen Quinlan, a Notre Dame The Housing Committee will provide a non-smoking student. designed and administered a environment in 30 percent of "One does not grow in wis­ The Observer/Kevin Dalum smoking policy survey to all the residential rooms. dom, tolerance. or love if one A panel comprised of Notre Dame and South Bend community mem­ Saint Mary's student resi­ "1 believe the addition of two knows only people who arc like bers discussed the challenges and rewards of disabilities. dents. Seventy-one percent of more non-smoking floors will oneself," she said. placement unacceptable to con­ to inadequate facilities and per­ those who responded did not give health conscious students Tom Mcrluzzi, a psychology form to her functioning needs. sonal relations. believe the campus had more choices during the professor at Notre Dame, This segregation had to be con­ According to Lori Miller, a enough non-smoking floors. upcoming room selection explained some of the difficul­ fronted ... a lot of sweat and blind senior at Notre Dame, The Housing Committee pro­ process. We will now have a ties that his mentally and phys­ toil and parental advocacy "my education was littered with posed adding more. At the non-smoking floor in each res­ ically handicapped daughter made the (new) law come to barriers and detour signs." same time, the Resident Hall ident hall," said Rosswurm. initially encountered with the life." The mainstreaming of dis­ Association (RHA) and the stu­ The current smoking policy enforcement of disability laws The panel members related abled persons with society dent government were also states that students may and enrollment in local schools. several of the many difficulties formed a major topic of discus­ interested in adding more smoke in their rooms if all "As schooling began. we that a disabled person faced in sion for the panel. Tess Fahey, non-smoking floors. roommates agree and musk found that every disability was the ordinary classroom. These a dyslexic South Bend resident, "We took into consideration keep doors and transoms categorized and every disability complaints ranged from prob­ student remarks concerning had its place. We found this lems in understanding teachers see PANEL I page 4 living within an environment see SMOKING/ page 4 Volunteers enjoy bowling with Logan Center By ALYSSON COOK his game each Friday. He plays that I should be thanking some even have children. News Writer against Shannon Crunk, a Saint them." Many of the people from the Mary's volunteer, and All of the people from the Logan Center community work Bowling balls careen down brother/sister team from the Logan Center have some d~gree at McDonald's, Burger King, the lanes and the scattering, Center, Tom and Patsy. of mental retardation. Martin's and Fazoli's. hollow shatter of the soldier­ This is Disability Awareness However, "They are just like "Not only do they work in the like pins echoes in the building. Week at Notre Dame, but this us," said Caly Nuygen, a Notre South Bend community, but It's 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon scenario is played out every and recreation coordinator at Dame volunteer. "They have they participate in Special at the Beacon Bowl in South Friday afternoon when roughly the Logan Center. jobs and boyfriends and girl­ Olympics and volunteer at Saint Bend, and erupting cheers 80 people from the Logan "One of the most incredible friends like we do." Ellen Lowe Augustine's soup kitchen and greet the ears of the people Center team up with volunteers things about the people from and Tommy Deiter are a couple the YMCA centers," said Kristin entering the bowling alley. from Saint Mary's and Notre the Logan Center is that they and Paul Foniseur and Mary Michel. Strike! Dame for bowling, conversa­ thank us again and again for Sue Speybrock have been dat­ The Logan Center is always Tommy Deiters, a bowler tion, and a lot of fun. going and bowling," said Amy ing for a while, and are sponsoring activities here in from the Logan Center wears "All of these people lead O'Loughlin, a Saint Mary's rep­ engaged to be be married. South Bend such as Saturday bowling gloves, has his blond extremely active lives," said resentative. "I always feel that Some of them are married hair in a buzz cut, and perfects Kristin Michel, the volunteer and live with supports, and I get so much more out of it and see BOWLING I page 4 page 2 The Observer • INSIDE Wednesday, March 19, 1997 • WORLD AT A GLANCE Partisanship Grape juice flavonoids found to help prevent heart attacks purple grape juice in the United States, and all probably work equally well. Grape juice Purple juice appears to be more potent as usual Red grape juice than white. appears to slow the Anthony Lake faced Heart attacks occur when blood clots activity of blood stick to fatty deposits on the walls of the many challenges when l!e platelets, making them served as national security heart's arteries, choking off the supply less likely to clot and of blood.