Z ~ X THE U b s e r v e r The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Marys OLUME 40 : ISSUE 85 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2007 NDSMCOBSERVER.COM Monologues move off ND, lack sponsor Authorities organizer Michelle Lewis. “It is investigate By KATE ANTONACCI not affiliated with the News Editor University at all.” The reason for the move off Nearly one year after the campus is lack of sponsorship, sex crimes sexually explicit play “Vagina Lewis said. After campaigning Monologues” caused a storm of unsuccessfully to different aca­ controversy and weeks of aca­ demic departments, play Two students report demic freedom debate on cam­ organizers decided to ensure separate incidents pus, organizers announced the play’s performance by tak­ that this year’s show will hit ing it to a venue off University the stage in early March — grounds. By KAITLYNN RIELY Last year, “The Vagina but, for the first time in six Associate News Editor years, that stage will be one off Monologues” was held in an campus. academic setting — performed Police are investigating two “This is not the Notre Dame in a classroom and followed up ........... with a series of panels address- incidents of reported sex offenses DUSTIN MENNELLA/The Observer Monologues. This is the ‘Vagina that occurred on campus in the Actress and 2006 University graduate Stefanie Dittert performs a M onologues’ perform ed by past few days, said separate e- skit during last February’s “Vagina Monologues” in DeBartolo Hall. Notre Dame students,” said co­ see VENUE/page 3 mails sent by officials Wednesday. The reported offenses, one a forcible fondling sex offense and S t u d e n t S e n a te the other a sexual assault, were Brown, Smith face off in debate both reported by Notre Dame students. A student notified Notre Dame Security/Police Wednesday after­ Schools' By SONIA RAO noon that a man approached her News Writer Tuesday night between 8:30 and 8:50 p.m. in the Cl parking lot Presidential candidates and began talking to her while relations Danny Smith and Liz Brown, she cleared snow away from her and their respective running car. The student said the man mates Ashley Weiss and stood close to her and touched Maris Braun, reiterated their her inappropriately. dicussed platforms and extensive stu­ The suspect was described in dent government experience the e-mail as male, possibly during a debate in LaFort- south Asian with a dark com­ ND-SMC controversy une Wednesday night — the plexion. He is thought to be in his tickets’ final opportunity to late 20s, about 5-foot-9 and conjures ideas, dialogue swing votes before today’s weigh approximately 175 run-off election. pounds. He was wearing a knit Although both tickets were { hat and he spoke with a foreign By KAITLYNN RIELY challenged on the plausibili­ accent, the e-mail said. Associate News Editor ty of their platforms during The man was seen driving a the previous debate, both vehicle that was described to the candidates argued that their Members of Student Senate police as a maroon, newer model initiatives were well spent more than 30 minutes Mitsubishi with what might have researched and realistic. Wednesday debating whether been Illinois license plates. “We’ve had numerous they should respond to A second e-mail said a student meetings with administration Observer columnist Jonathan reported a sexual assault com­ to make sure our ideas are Klingler’s most recent column mitted by an acquaintance on feasible,” Smith said. “We with a letter to the editor, but campus last weekend. don’t want to step on any decided to refer the issue to No other information was feet.” committee. available Wednesday. Brown also reiterated the Morrissey senator Greg LINDSAY POULIN/The O bserver Dworjan presented the pro­ Danny Smith and Ashley Weiss discuss their platform during Contact Kaitlynn Riely at posed letter, which addressed see DEBATE/page 6 Tuesday evening’s debate in LaFortune. [email protected] the “long-standing strain on student relations” between Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College that were brought to the surface in Klingler’s col­ umn. Resident assistant selection begins In the column, which appeared in the Feb. 13 edition of The Observer, Klingler said Multiple interviews force student applicants to consider position's benefits, drawbacks Saint Mary’s has been hypocrit­ ical in the past by maintaining of their free time to the of the hardest things about Most dorms, like their separate identity while By EVA BINDA dorm. being an RA. Cavanaugh and Sorin, have using Notre Dame’s resources. News Writer RA applicants must be Despite some of these two interviews, while Badin He argued Saint Mary’s should willing “to take on the drawbacks, many juniors requires three. One of the choose to be “separate and With the academic year unpleasant tasks of staying apply each year to join the interviews at Badin is with a proud” or be a part of Notre well past the midway point, up late Ion] consecutive ranks of hall staff. Students Student Selection Dame. Four letters to the edi­ residence halls are already nights and pretty much giv­ fill out an application that is Committee, which is com­ tor from Saint Mary’s students gearing up for next year by ing up all her [or his] free sent to the Office of Student posed of 11 to 14 residents reacting to his column were selecting their staffs. time to the residence,” Badin Affairs soon after semester who interview the candi­ printed in Wednesday’s Applications for next year’s Rector Denise Lyon said. break, which tracks their dates from a resident’s Viewpoint section. Resident Assistants were due Current Alumni RA Joe academic performance as point-of-view. Dworjan said the Student Jan. 19, but the process is Nava had similar feelings well as their disciplinary his­ During the interviews, the Senate should send its own let­ far from over. regarding his position. tory over the past three hall staff — made up of the ter to The Observer in effort to The position of resident “You don’t see the reality years. Three recommenda­ rector, assistant rectors and “head off the controversy.” The a ssista n t (RA) com es with of the choice you’ve made tions are also required. c u rre n t RAs — asks q u es­ letter, he said, should include a many benefits and many sac­ u n til school s ta rts . | ...] I In addition to an applica­ tions about participation in proposal that representatives rifices. Although RAs receive realized how much I had to tion, dorms require inter­ activities, especially within from the two schools meet to free room and board, they say ‘no’ to activities outside views to get to know the the dorm, and how he or she foster a “more understanding often give up many extra­ the dorm,” he said. candidates. Each dorm has a might behave in certain situ- curricular activities and time Nava also mentioned “han­ different system in choosing see SENATE/page 4 with friends to devote much dling disciplinary issues” as their staffs. see RA/page 4 page 2 The Observer ♦ PAGE 2 Thursday, February 15, 2007 I n s id e C o l u m n Question of the Day: W hat is your favorite place to eat on c a m p u s? Falling for MM you, Mac m To my new found love: Your features are perfect, your curves superb. With each day I discover new things about you, and fall further for your intelligent Taylor Poulin Jordan Schank Allegra Gassman Tiffany Garcia Matt Haggerty Jordan Gallo design. Why, I ask, didn’t we meet junior freshman freshman freshman senior junior sooner? Hold on, folks. Aaron Steiner Walsh Keough Walsh Walsh Keenan Lyons No, this is certainly ________________ no t an offensively News Wire “The Jesus “SDH, but it’d “SDH because “THE Deckers.' “Candlelight “THE sappy and belated table at SDH, be better if they everyone’s Valentine Day’s Editor dinners. ” Starbucks. ” wish. This is about Thursdays at 8 had real there. ” true, lasting love. And such, I proclaim p.m .” mozzarella. ” to the world: I love you, MacBook. PC, may you rest in peace. With your broken LCD transformer (or whatever the OIT service guy called it), and your out of the question repair price, you bit the dust. The MacBook arrived only one and a half weeks ago, and I have officially become a full-fledged Mac fanatic. With Steve Jobs leading the mission, boastful Mac-owners being the mis­ I n B r ie f sionaries, and Apple the new religion, I am the latest convert. The time is final­ The student body president ly here. run-off election will take The time couldn’t have come soon place today. Students can vote enough. It was horrifying to leave OIT online between 8 a.m. and 8 with half of my laptop: they had p.m. at the Judicial Council removed my broken screen and I had Web site or by clicking on a decided repairing it would take too link in an e-mail from the long and be too much. Council. The search began for a replacement, and PC, you didn’t stand a chance. The men’s basketball team With the recommendations of friends will play Providence today at ringing loud in the back of my head, 7 p.m. at the Joyce Center. Apple lured me in swift and fast. And, then, of course, the wait.