Capital idea Aggies over easy T h ere’s m ore to see in D.C. than ju s t The Irish upset the higher ranked Monday the monuments. See what hidden Aggies 24-10 Saturday, putting Notre gems Scene recommends. Dame back in the top 25. SEPTEMBER 4, Scene ♦ page - |q Irish Insider 2000 O bserver The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s VOL XXXIV NO. 10 H T T P : / / 0 BSE RVER.ND.EDU Saint Mary’s returns to top of rankings By MOLLY McVOY T h e Top 1 0 S a in t M ary ’s E d ito r U.S. News & World Report Rankings for Midwestern Liberal Arts Colleges Saint Mary’s College is once again the best Midwest Liberal Arts College, according to the 1. Saint Mary's College, IN U.S. News and World Report 2. Saint Norbert’s College, Wl rankings. In the issue that hits news­ 2. Taylor College. IN (tie) f stands Monday, Saint Mary’s 4. Hillsdale College, Ml reclaimed its No. 1 position, after falling to No. 2 last year. 5. Otterbein College, OH LIZ LANG/The Observer “I am very pleased that we 6. Principia College, IL are back at the No. 1 position 7. Ohio Northern University From the end zone to the press box shadow, some things never change. that we deserve,” said Marilou Eldred, the College’s presi­ 8. Simpson College, IA Freshmen and seniors reflect on the football season opener and... 2000 dent. 9. Bethel College, MN Before last year’s No.2 rank­ ing, the College recorded five 9. Millikin University, IL (tie) years at the No. 1 spot. Saint Game day tradition No.l this year and not last Mary’s has never been out of the top 10 of the rankings year? No, its just that w e’ve sin ce the su rv ey b eg an in always been strong,” said By LAURA ROMPF 1985. Mary Lelik, director of institu­ News Writer “I think in our h earts and tional research. “It’s just a minds, we knew that we were matter of changes in the Seniors and first-year stu­ always No. 1,” said Mary Pat method of the rankings.” dents not only sit on different Nolan, director of admissions. Recently, the rankings have ends of the student section The rankings are based on a been under fire for their valid­ during Notre Dame home variety of factors including the ity and consisten cy. In The football games, they also have school’s graduation and reten­ Washington Monthly’s different experiences tion rates, the studenLfaculty September issue of this year, a throughout the weekend. Last ratio and the acceptance rate. report was released that ques­ weekend was no different. It is not c le a r w h e re the tioned the methods of the College improved this year to rankings. The publication 7:45 a.m. regain the top spot. Senior John Dickas woke up “Is there some reason we’re see RANKlNG/page 4 early Saturday morning. Ilis Turtle Creek apartment would soon be full of friends, and he had to start cooking break­ fast. Like many seniors, Dickas’ football Saturday Freshman ID glitch began with tailgating. Dickas served eggs, bagels and drinks to his guests. “I enjoyed hosting the tail­ affects 40 students gate a lot,” he said. “Freshman year I didn’t know the people throwing the tail­ have a card with his name and By JESSICA NEEDLES gates I went to. I didn't really picture on it, but a magnetic News Writer know what was going on.” strip registered to someone “I’d much rather have the else. confused freshmen in my liv­ Imagine being refused This has caused some stu­ ing room than to be the con­ entrance to the dining halls dents to have problems using fused freshman in the living because workers there claim their identification cards for room,” he said. you have already eaten three dining. For example, a fresh­ From Turtle Creek, Dickas times in one day. man signed up for one meal continued tailgating in the This has been a problem for plan cannot use the program if parking lots surrounding the some Notre Dame first-year he has an identification card stadium before going into the students, following several mix- with the magnetic strip of a stu­ game shortly before kick-off. ups with their University identi­ dent on a different meal plan. fication cards. A student might also have 1 1 a.m. The students are experienc­ trouble with Domer Dollars Unlike Dickas, freshmen LAURA ROMPFZThe Observer ing problems because of a because of the mix-up. If one Lindsay Wind, Betsy Senior John Dickas cooks eggs for his tailgate at Turtle printer malfunction that person uses his card to pur­ Schroeder, Cara LeBlanc and Creek Apartments Saturday morning. occurred while the cards were chase something, it may be Molly Donnelly were still "The school spirit was awe­ seniors like Dickas who had being made, according to offi­ another’s account getting asleep at 7:45 a.m. Their foot­ some.” already learned the cheers. cials. money deducted. ball Saturday began by Each freshman already rec­ Dickas knew the correct As the cards were being However, the confusion with watching their friend perform ognized that Notre Dame’s time to yell “Irish” during the printed, computer software the identification problems is in the marching band’s spirit is different from other kick off. He knew at the end temporarily went off line. not widespread. According to Concert on the Steps at Bond colleges. “At state schools you of the third quarter the band During this time, some of the Jim Herder, business and facili­ Hall. do not get spirit like that,” would play the “1812 information about students con­ ties manager, fewer than 40 Wind said Saturday was the LeBlanc said. Overture” and everyone tained on the cards became students were affected. first time she truly knew she would chant “Bob.” He knew confused. As a result, the mag­ Most of the freshman ID was a Notre Dame student. Noon that people would be hoisted netic strips and pictures on problems have apparently been “1 finally had the realization Once inside the stadium, the some of the cards did not match freshmen looked toward one another. A student may that I am here,” she said. see GAME/page 4 see CARDS/page 4 page 2 The Observer ♦ INSIDE Monday, September 4, 2000 In sid e C o lu m n T his W eek on C a m p u s Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday N ew ideas, ♦ Labor Day: Notre Dame ♦ Music: Chicago Brass ♦ Meeting: Faculty Senate ♦ Seminar: “ Latin and Saint Mary’s classes in Quintet, Little Theater/ meeting, Room 202, American Area Studies new beliefs session; administrative Moreau Center, Saint McKenna Hall, 7 p.m. Program Internship and I think that football games should only have offices closed Mary’s, 7:30 p.m., tickets ♦ Lecture: “Guadalupe: Summer Research three quarters. ♦ Movie: Cinema at the available at 284-4626. Prophet of a New Humanity," Experiences 2000, ” Room Okay, that makes no sense. Three thirds? Or what about four quarters that last for 10 Snite, “His Girl Friday,” ♦ Film: International film Virgil Elizondo, Little C-103, Hesburgh Center minutes each? Sure, Saturday's game Anneberg Auditorium, festival, Montgomery Theater/ Moreau Center. for International Studies, versus Texas A&M Snite Museum, 7 p.m. Theater, 8 p.m. Saint Mary’s, 7 p.m. 5:30 p.m. University was fun, but it was too long. It was too hot. A lot of students got sun­ burned. OUTSIDE THE D om e Compiled from U-Wire reports It's only football. We can just change the rules. I realize that some of the Erin LaRuffa Planned bonfire divides Texas A&M community people reading this agree with me. I realize that COLLEGE STATION, Texas the tragedy. some of the people reading A ssista n t One week into the fall semester —9 “There are 12 families that had 12 this are thinking I’m a stu­ N ew s 1/2 months after the 1999 Aggie children taken from them,” the letter pid girl who knows noth­ E ditor Bonfire collapse — the Texas A&M stated. “They can never touch and ing. University community remains divided hold their children any longer. There This last group of people over the possibility of an off-campus will never be closure for any of these will simply dismiss me. bonfire on Nov. 22. families.” Dismissing someone else’s new idea is often Student leaders, parents of the vic­ His sentiments were echoed in let­ very easy — much less time-consuming than tims and the administration have ters written by the Hand and Ebanks reflecting on the idea. But easier is not denounced the idea of a “renegade” families. always better. bonfire as arguments intensify and “Our love for our daughter cannot In case you’re wondering, this column is not Keep the Fire Burning (KTFB) final­ be expressed enough, and we can only about shortening football games. izes its plans. hope and pray that the students and I only mentioned that idea to get your The Aggie community is divided former Aggies will reconsider their attention. betw een A&M p resid en t Ray M. bonfire. Copies of the letters have actions in regards to having a bonfire But what I want to talk about is embracing Bowen's decision for a two-year been posted in several residence halls this year,” Adams wrote.