the Observer The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Volume 4440 : Issue ???120 Wednesday,Thursday, August april 8, 27, 2010 2004 ndsmcobserver.com Anti-theist and Christian debate religion Hall first Hitchens and D’Souza argue the merits of evolution, faith and the existence of a supernatural power to receive By SARAH MERVOSH News Editor LEED Anti-theist Christopher Hitchens and Christian Dinesh D’Souza may initially appear certification to have nothing in common. Hitchens argues the merits of evolution, while D’Souza By MEGAN DOYLE argues for the existence of a News Writer supernatural power. In the absence of evidence, Hitchens Geddes Hall recently became doubts, while D’Souza defers the first building at Notre Dame to faith. to achieve LEED Gold But despite their opposing Certification and will pave the views, both figures had one way for future environmentally thing in common — they conscious efforts that build upon approached religion from a the University’s emphasis on purely logical, factual perspec- ethics and sustainability. tive when speaking to a sold- “What this means is that the out audience in Wednesday’s United States Green Building debate at the DeBartolo Council (USGBC), a non-profit Performing Arts Center. company that established the Hitchens said religion is LEED certification system, has merely a man-made attempt to confirmed that the building has make sense of the world. met a certain standard of sus- “Religion was our first tainable design and construction attempt to make sense of our practices,” University architect surroundings. It was our first Doug Marsh said. attempt at health care, in a According to the USGBC Web way,” Hitchens said. “It was site, LEED certification is based our first attempt at psychiatric PAT COVENEY/The Observer on building strategies that care, at dealing with terrible Anti-theist Christopher Hitchens, left, debates Christian apologist Dinesh D’Souza, right, during the emphasize energy savings, loneliness of the human condi- event titled “Is Religion the Problem?” in DeBartolo Performing Arts Center Wednesday. water efficiency, carbon dioxide tion. emissions reduction and sensi- “It is the worst attempt, but tivity to environmental impact. partly because it was the transition between one life these things?” tics of the creator who made it Geddes Hall houses both the first.” form and the other.” Hitchens said humans do that way,” he said. Center for Social Concerns (CSC) Hitchens said evolution and D’Souza said evolution also good deeds because they wish D’Souza also said he favored and the Institute for Church Life the big bang theory should be fails to explain human evil, to. religion simply because it was (ICL). used to explain the world and rationality and in particular, “I’ll tell you why. It gives me the more likely explanation. CSC director Fr. Bill Lies said human existence. Meanwhile, morality. great pleasure to do so,” he “If we see a fine tuned uni- Geddes Hall is a place that offers D’Souza pointed out flaws in “Think of a couple of moral said. “I enjoy the sort of people verse, what’s more likely? “a much more gracious wel- evolutionary theory and said facts. Think of simple things. it makes me come in contact Someone fine tuned it or it fine come” to the community. religion is the best explanation Getting up to give your seat to with. And I like giving blood.” tuned itself?” he said. “Let’s go “‘The environment is God’s gift for essential human questions. an old lady in the bus. Giving But D’Souza said these moral with the best explanation,” to everyone, and in our use of it “Evolution doesn’t explain blood,” he said. “Now if we are characteristics exist because D’Souza said. “If you go to a we have a responsibility towards the presence of life on the evolved primates who are pro- humans were made in the like- village and 95 percent of the the poor, towards future genera- planet,” D’Souza said. grammed to survive and ness of God. “Evolution merely explains the reproduce, why would we do “Those are the characteris- see DEBATE/page 6 see GEDDES/page 6 Archbishop discusses ROTC holds Iron Irish contest Catholic globalization By AMANDA GRAY Assistant News Editor “One of the benefits of being By MOLLY MADDEN a Catholic university is that we Notre Dame’s Army ROTC Iron News Writer are part of the universal Irish competition tested more Church and often the universal than physical strength The Catholic Church must Church comes to us,” Jenkins Wednesday. find new ways to integrate said in his opening remarks. The second year of the annual social action in order to help “Bishop Marx will add to our competition placed the four build a better global society, thoughts about the conflicts of army platoons against each Archbishop of Munich and the modern world and the other, racing across campus to Freising Reinhard Marx said at Church.” complete tasks, Cadet Second the Terrence R. Keeley Vatican Marx recently published a Lieutenant and senior Scott Lecture Wednesday. book titled “Das Kapital,” Vitter said. Marx, one of the most recog- which he used as a framework Platoon B1 won after perform- nized thinkers in the German for his talk about the value of ing well through several of the Catholic Church, delivered the Catholic social teaching and events, Vitter said. annual speech to a large crowd tradition in today’s globalized “We did very well on the including University President world. swimming portion,” he said. Fr. John Jenkins and President “When I speak about social “Overall, we came out on top.” MACKENZIE SAIN/The Observer Emeritus Fr. Theodore A ROTC cadet swims during the Army ROTC Iron Irish com- Hesburgh. see BISHOP/page 6 see ROTC /page 6 petition Wednesday. INSIDE TODAY’S PAPER Bonfire fundraiser for Haiti page 3 N Hilfiger comes to University page 10 N Football spring practice continues page 20 N Viewpoint page 8 page 2 The Observer N PAGE 2 Thursday, April 8, 2010 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT ARE YOUR SUMMER PLANS? Bryant is better I’ve been waiting to do this for a while now so here goes. Kobe Bryant is better than Lebron James. Hallie Brewster Bobby Sullivan Hugo Lozano Chris Mork Katie Mastrucci Deepali Doddi Despite the recent attempts by Nike to sell more shoes, LBJ should- sophomore sophomore sophomore freshman senior law student n’t even be in the Walsh Sorin Duncan Sorin Pasquerilla East Fischer Grad same conversation as Kobe, let alone puppet commer- “Going home to “Ask me in “I’m just going “I’m doing an “I’m going to be “I’m studying cials that depict California and August.” home to Mexico, internship in working at my for the Bar the two as best spending lots of but maybe an Chicago.” mom’s law firm exam because friends. Don’t get me time on the internship.” and going to I’m a law wrong. Lebron is beach, but Disney Land for student.” probably the most hopefully having the Harry athletic player in Chris Masoud NBA history. He an internship.” Potter park.” can jump higher, Assistant drive faster, and Sports Editor dunk stronger Have an idea for Question of the Day? E-mail [email protected] than any player in the league. He can virtually score at will, and his backside block-from- behind has become a trademark. IN BRIEF I’m just not ready to crown him as the league’s best player, or even the “All Art is Propaganda” best scorer. will be displayed at 8 a.m. James is 25 years old. In his sev- today. The exhibition will be enth year in the league, he has one available in the Hesburgh MVP award and has only appeared Library. in the NBA Finals once. Bryant had three titles by his sixth year. The “2010 BFA/MFA But what about the undisputed- Candidates’ Theses greatest-of all-time, Michael Exhibition” will open at 10 Jordan? a.m. today in the Jordan didn’t get his first NBA O’Shaughnessy Galleries in Championship until he was 28 years the Snite Museum of Art. old in his seventh year in the league. But by that age, he had “Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese played three years at North Home” will be on exhibit at Carolina, led the league in scoring 10 a.m. today in the Scholz four consecutive years, and had two Family Works on Paper MVP awards while missing most of Gallery in the Snite Museum his sophomore season with a broken of Art. foot. For Lebron to be considered The SMC Tostal Carnival greater than either Kobe or Jordan, will begin at noon today. he would have to win the next three Inflatables and a mechanical NBA titles, lead the league in scor- bull will be available on the ing at least two of those years, and JAMES DOAN/The Observer Library Green at Saint Mary’s win at least one more MVP award. His Excellency Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich and Friesing, Germany College. Given his success this season, the speaks to a group of students and faculty Wednesday at the annual Terrence R. MVP and scoring title are probably Keeley Vatican Lecture at the Hesburgh Center for International Studies. “Rethinking Rwanda, a lock. But the game has changed. 1994” will be held at 12:30 With the exception of the Spurs’ p.m. today in C103 Hesburgh recent run, dynasties are becoming Center. less and less common. Even if he did win the next three titles, he OFFBEAT A seminar titled “Structural would still have to shake off the Topology Optimization” will “Shaq-effect” like Kobe did last 8-year-old attempts to fill up He started going down the there.