THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOLUME 44: ISSUE 2 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26,2009 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM ND opens school year with annual mass, picnic University President advises students to recognize need for community, reflection and prayer in homily of opening mass IAN GAVLICK!The Observer University President Fr. John Jenkins gave the homily at the annual opening mass Tuesday evening, which was followed by a picnic on the Hesburgh Library Quad. After the Mass, the congrega­ not easy to follow a guide on "There will be dead ends of the community, his com­ By LIZ O'DONNELL tion was invited to attend the a long journey. Such a jour­ and detours," Jenkins said. ments shifted focus to the News Writer opening day picnic on the ney is an even harder task, "There will also be new freshman class. He recom­ Hesburgh Library Quad. Jenkins said, for this to be insights and a deeper sense of mended that they seek to University President Fr. The multicultural Mass fea­ done as a group, citing the community. become leaders on campus, John Jenkins stressed the tured a number of different example of Jesus leading his In closing, Jenkins encour­ encouraging involvement in importance of community languages with intercessions disciples on their journey of aged the audience to individ­ campus activities. togetherness during his homi­ delivered in seven different spirituality. ually find time for quiet Burish echoed Jenkins's ly at the annual Opening Mass languages including Spanish, Jenkins said that Notre reflection and prayer, as well message of togetherness, as Tuesday evening at the North Swahili, Chinese and French. Dame is a community on a as to try to stay together as a well as emphasized the Dome of the Joyce Center In addition, senior Alejandra journey looking for truth. He community in search of a importance of leadership on Arena. Gutzeit gave the second read­ said that combining academic common grasp of truth. campus. He spoke of how Students, faculty and com­ ing of the evening in Spanish. learning and prayer will lead University Provost Thomas Notre Dame is a place of con­ munity members gathered to In his homily, Fr. Jenkins to truth, but that students Burish concluded the Mass versation and differences, but kick off the new academic said that great journeys are must expect challenges along with words of welcome. After year with praise and worship. never simple, and that it is the way. greeting returning members see MASS/page 3 Students share unusual summers RecSports offers free By KATIE PERALTA week of fitness classes Assistam News Editor opportunity to check out dif­ Campus was a bustle on the By SARAH MERVOSH ferent instructors, time slots first day of class Tuesday with News Writer and different classes to see the return of students after the what will work best for their nearly three-month summer Students interested in schedule and their fitness vacation. The question was fre­ enrolling in RecSports fitness needs." quently asked: "How was your classes this semester can take RecSports offers wide vari­ summer?" followed shortly by advantage of the 'Try It! You'll ety of fitness classes, including "What did you do?" Many stu­ Like It!" trial period, in which aerobic classes like Cardio dents returned home, some all fitness classes are available Boot Camp, muscle toning pursued internships or and for free until August 30, classes like Body Sculpt and some part-time jobs. Fitness and Instructional mind and body classes like Others, however, spent their Program Coordinator Shellie Pilates and Yoga, Dodd-Bell vacations slightly more exotic Dodd-Bell said. said. locations. "This way, they can deter­ Graduate student Anne Richard Paulius, a junior, mine if the class is really the McGinness, who tried a yoga spent his summer traveling Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Kiger right one for them before they class Tuesday and is planning Junior Kaitlyn Kiger poses with orphans she worked with in spend the money," Dodd-Bell see SUMMER/page 6 Mbour, Seneca. Kiger spent seven weeks in Africa this summer. said. "The participant has the see RECSPORTS/page 6 INSIDE TODAY'S PAPER SMC appoints director page 3 • Students return from abroad page 4 • Freshman kicker earns spot page 24 • Viewpoint page 10 page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Wednesday, August 26, 2009 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTION OF THE DAY: SHOULD DRESS UP FOR THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS? Welcome, freshtnen Congratulations, freshmen. You've shown up. It may not sound like much, but, as they say, showing up is half the James Bianco Javier Soegaard Joey Kuhn Kathleen McKiernan Santiago Garces Stephanie Klem battle - and it can mean the senior senior junior sophomore senior senior world. Just ask any of the hun- Matt Gamber Keenan Carroll Keenan Howard off campus Howard dreds of stu- dents who "No. Your "No because it's "Only if you're "Yes, make a "Yes, to "Absolutely, attended Kevin Sports Editor Healey's memo- classmates will easier for my trying to hide good impression bedazzle and since as the rial mass in the then have lofty profs to notice I your true on the people bamboozle the semester Basilica last May. expectations fell asleep. " identity." who have freshmen girls. " progresses you Kevin was a fellow man of Sorin for the rest of forgotten what get grosser and College - "the scrappiest Otter I , have ever known," his rector, Fr. the semester you look like." grosser. Jim King, called him. He lost his which will go two and a half-year battle with unfulfilled." cancer last spring, after spending nearly two full school years shuf­ fling back and forth from his Have an idea for Question of the Day? E-mail [email protected] home in Cleveland for treatment to his home here at Notre Dame. He fought harder than any of us IN BRIEF could imagine, and as the priest at his funeral said, he was a true RecSports will be sponsor a Fighting Irishman. "Try it, You'll Like it" trial period Kevin loved Notre Dame, and it of all of its fitness classes this was clear on that May Sunday in week at various campus fitness the Basilica that even if not every­ locations. Registration for the one on campus knew him, the classes begins Thursday at 7:30 people of Notre Dame loved Kevin, a.m. too. There were plenty of excuses Shakespeare at Notre Dame not to give up an hour of time on presents "The Twelfth Night" that beautiful Sunday, the last tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Decio study day before finals week. Mainstage Theatre. Tickets cost Everyone had papers to write and between $12 and $35. cramming to do, but as Fr. King told us in an email after the mass, The film "Moon" will be shown "One of the things about ND is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the that people here realize there are Browning Cinema at The times when it is important to show DeBartolo Performing Arts up, and they rise to the occasion Center. Tickets are available on even if it's not very convenient." the at performingarts.nd.edu, or The hour I spent in the Basilica by calling Ticket Office at 57 4- that day reconfirmed for me the 631-2800. true nature of the Notre Dame family. The hundreds of students RecSports will conduct a Swim who showed up to celebrate the IAN GAVLICK!The Observer Lesson Assessment on Friday short life of someone they hardly Students, faculty and community members enjoy a picnic in front of the Hesburgh from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the knew - and, yet, in so many Library Tuesday evening after the annual Opening Mass. Rockne pool. Make-up assess­ ways, did know as a brother in ments are scheduled for Notre Dame -that's the real Wednesday, September 2 from Notre Dame. 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. I thought a lot about Kevin and that memorial mass this summer, The film "Summer Hours" will especially in the wake of last be shown on Friday at 6:30 p.m. spring's controversy surrounding OFFBEAT in the Browning Cinema at The the University's decision to allow Debartolo Performing Arts Washington man is President Barack Obama to speak German Lego giraffe repeat­ advertising agency has given Center. Tickets are available at commencement. People across ed stolen Homer Simpson and his fam­ recovering after acciden­ BERLIN - Visitors to a online at performingarts.nd.edu campus and around the country ily an African makeover, rais­ tally shooting himself in or by calling 574-631-2800. led heated protests that claimed tourist attraction in Berlin ing eyebrows among fans of the leg while hunting an have been making off with an Notre Dame had lost its way as a one of America's most cher­ opossum that had been Notre Dame Women's Catholic institution, and to hear unusual memento - the 30 ished sitcoms. snatching his chickens. em long tail of a Lego giraffe. Volleyball will play Denver on some of them talk, it sounded like The Simpsons, broadcast in Larry Tenbrink of Friday at 7:00p.m. at the Joyce The Lego tail belongs to a Mount Vernon was our Notre Dame family was being more than 90 countries, have Center Fieldhouse. For ticket six meter tall model that has torn apart from the inside out. always been portrayed as watching TV when he information, call574-631-7356. But what makes Notre Dame stood outside the entrance to yellow but the advertising heard his chickens "car­ the Legoland Discovery rying on" late Sunday.