Thursday, August 31, 1995 • Vol. XXVII No. 9 j N EPENDENT' NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND A r, ' esc receives money Smyth joins Irish Studies by MARY KATE MORTON this position is the opportunity Associate News Editor for him to impart to his stu­ from AmeriCorps dents first hand knowledge of Irish history and culture, from ... By MATT SNYDER between the University and a As the Notre Dame family gears up for the first football the perspective of a native. News Writer service organization. The coordinators will super­ game of the year, hanging ban­ In the past, he has dealt The University of Notre Dame vise placement and implemen­ ners that scream "GO IRISH," mainly with British and Irish has once again been recognized tation of student volunteers so one of the newest members of students, who have their own as a leader among universities the students do not get lost in the ND community is acclimat­ set of assumptions about Irish for its innovative service pro­ the shuffie. ing himself to the environment history. His daunting task is to The Notre Dame partnership and looking at the Irish para­ break through the stereotypes grams run by Americans have of a romantic the Center began three years ago as a pilot phernalia in a different light. tale of Irish history. for Social program under the Indiana Notre Dame recently ap­ Consortium when it was grant­ pointed Professor James Smyth "This is a completely new set Concerns. of students with a completely T h e ed money to form a partnership the Irish Historian for the un­ Federal with the Center for the dergraduate history depart­ new set of assumptions. but my experience with Irish­ Commission Homeless in South Bend. ment. on National . The program's success mer­ A native of Belfast, Northern Americans is that they're very Community l, .• ited three new partnerships Ireland, Smyth has been in the informed and their opinions are Service, also Royer funded by local grants. The United States for Jess than two more rationally based than many Irish may think," said known as University added partnerships weeks. Already, he has thrown AmeriCorps, has granted with La Casa de Amistad, the himself into his work, teaching Smyth. $126,000 to the Indiana Logan Center, and the both Irish History I and British In his short time on campus, the demand for the Irish His­ Campus Compact to establish a Northeast Neighborhood History: 1660 to the Present. tory classes has surprised system of partnership pro­ Association. Professor Smyth brings ten Smyth, in relation to the few grams at universities across The new grant will be dis­ years of lecturing experience to Indiana. The Compact is a tributed to eight schools to set Notre Dame at Christ Church classes offered in Irish Studies. and Cambridge University in "Often, what you consider statewide consortium of schools up partnerships modeled after Katie Kroenarffha Observer England, where he received his important is not the same as committed to promoting volun­ the one at Notre Dame. Notre James Smyth has recently Dame will be providing training Ph.D in History. everyone else. I believe Ireland teer service formed by the is important. Louis MacNiece joined the University to help presidents of six Indiana for the new programs, which Prior to lecturing, he com­ improve its Irish Studies pro­ said in a poem , 'he resented schools: The University of may be at Indiana University, pleted his undergraduate work, gram. including extensive research in the presumption of the Irish Notre Dame, Indiana Univer­ Earlham College, Butler Uni­ outstanding collection and sity, Depaw University, Val­ versity, Depaw University, Val­ Irish History, at Trinity College that everyone cared who was king of their castle.' should not have the best collec­ paraiso University, Earlham paraiso University, Ball State, Dublin, Ireland. Though he has only been When you go to a new univer­ tion of Irish holdings in the and Purdue University. country. I hope to help make While the other schools will here a short while, Smyth sity, particularly an interna­ noticed marked differences be­ tional institution like Notre what is already a very good li­ • see Nat'! Service, page 7 be establishing programs, brary a great library," stated Notre Dame's Center for Soeial tween schooling in the British Dame, it is refreshing to find Isles and United States imme­ students who do care who the Smyth. College, and Butler University. Coneerns will use its portion of Professor Smyth brings a new The partnerships link the uni­ the grant to add a new part­ diately. king of that castle is," Smyth "It seems to me that there is said. energy and world view to Irish versities with selected service nership with the Chapin Street Studies at Notre Dame. organizations in their area in Clinic in South Bend. The clinic a closer supervision and To complement the interest in Irish history at Notre Dame, According to his prophecies, order to increase student in­ is dedicated to providing health interaction here than most of one of his goals is to broaden "there is a new sense of aware­ volvement. care to those without insur­ my experiences at Trinity and Cambridge. the scope of the Irish Studies ness within Irish-America for The new programs will model ance. Irish politics, history and cul­ Although many students al­ I'm struck by the con­ program to help it excel. tlie partnership run by the Cen­ He plans to do this by target­ ture that will be able to use a ter for Social Concerns here on ready work at the clinic, the Di­ seientiousness of the students. ing the library holdings of Irish top-flight Irish Studies Pro­ campus. The aim is to make rector of the CSC Kathleen But as I say, I'm learning my­ self." stated Smyth. history and culture for gram. I'm very hopeful for that volunteering more effective for Royer believes the new part­ future of Irish Studies in Amer­ nership will bring another di- For someone who loves to improvement. students by hiring paid coordi­ "There is no reason why ica and especially at Notre nators to work as mediators teach as much as Smyth, per­ see CSC I page 4 haps the most positive aspect of Notre Dame should not have an Dame." 'Life Choices' created by Golden Dome Productions by DEREK BETCHER forum of world leaders, it News Writer examines world issues such as poverty and ethnic integration. Golden Dome Productions' The following "American Ath­ latest creation. "Today's Life letes" series discusses athletes' Choices," is set to begin its new duties as role models as well season this weekend. Entering as the commercialization of to­ its seventh year, "Today's Life day's professional and amateur Choices" is a television series of athletics. thirty-minute documentaries Next , TLC examines the his­ that will air in over sixty PBS tory and purpose of Congress, markets. The show will reach attempting to show a glimpse of an additional 23 million house­ life within Capitol Hill. The tinal holds through VISN, cable's series reviews television and Faith and Values Channel. radio talk shows and the effects . With guests including Nelson that these programs have upon Mandela, Phil Donahue, and their listeners. Diek Vitale, the show's produc­ Although South Bend is far tion stuff feels that this year's from being a national media produet is their most ambitious center, Golden Dome Produc­ yet. tions has made TLC a polished "After seven years in the in­ product with the feel and qual­ dustry, we've really gained ity of "Dateline NBC" meets credibility within the PBS "Ken Burns' Baseball". world." eonfirmed Assistant TLC's pertinence is found in Producer Mike Sehmiedeler. its role as a representative of GOP's reputation was given a University expenditure deci­ nationwide boost when Corpo­ sions. Notre Dame owns GOP ration Public Broadcasting's and provides complete funding Adult Education Department for the TLC series. These fi­ Photo courtesy of Golden Dome Productions nancial ties benelit Notre Dame gave its endorsement to 'Today's Life Choice~" senior producer Mike Doyle and videographer Randy Armstrong walk with Nelson "Today's Life Choices." Mandela before a tapmg of the show. by helping the University to fur­ The direction and focus of ther its academic mission. "Today's Life Choices" is guided of the nine person panel range Schmiedeler. later examines challenges and "We're not a mouthpiece for by its executive committee from English and philosophy "Today's Life Choices" is di­ stereotypes facing Generation the University, but we do pre­ which is chaired by Father professors to WNDU station vided into live different series X. sent ethical arguments in our Richard Warner, head of Cam­ personnel. of episodes this year. The second grouping of pus Ministry. Other members The actual production work is The first deals with violence episodes was taped at a UN headed by Mike Doyle and Mike that impacts today's youth, and summit in Denmark. Using a see TLC I page 4 page2 The Observer • INSIDE Thursday, August 31, 1995 • INSIDE COLUMN • WORlD AT A GLANCE I'm a townie Bloodied Shevardnadze vows to fight for presidency ing, for which no one has claimed TBILISI,Georgia Blast destroys a car in responsibility, has threatened the and I'm A day after narrowly escaping Shevardnadze's relative stability that Shevardnadze death in a car bomb attack, motorcade and three brought to Georgia in the last few other cars nearby Georgian leader Eduard .........--=--,.,.,.,. months. But it also has given him proud! Shevardnadze told a rally he will enormous political capital, and he run for the country's new presiden- has no real rivals for the Nov.