Showtime at Stepan Back to School Last week's Vertical Horizon and Stroke 9 A Michigan elementry school opened for the Tuesday concert provided entertainment first time following the for a diverse audience. shooting death of a first grader. MARCH 7, Scene ♦ page 12 WorldNation ♦ page 5 2 0 0 0 O B SER V ER The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s VOL XXXIII NO. 98 HTTP://OBSERVER.N D .E D U C a m p u s L ife C o u n c il Members consider revamping graffiti dance “The graffiti dance at least By HELENA RAYAM forces you to talk to the other News Writer gender, but there are some people who are afraid of that. I The Campus Life Council can see both sides,” said Kerr. tackled freshman orientation “I don’t like the idea that my concerns and passed three res­ virility is going to be measured olutions during Monday’s meet­ by the number of signatures l ing. got on a T-shirt,” said Faculty “We have to not put ourselves Senate representative Edward in the position of the upper­ Manier, expressing his opinion classmen, but the position of on how some students might the freshmen,” said student feel about the dance. “You want body secretary Luciana Reali to have as little stigmatization referring to the freshman ori­ as possible.” entation events. CLC members discussed ways The CLC gender relations to change the structure of the committee members met with dance or incorporate different representatives from the Office activities into it so those stu­ of Student Activities to discuss dents do not feel pressured to freshman orientation activities obtain signatures. with an emphasis on the graffiti Kerr said that Student dance. Student Activities is con­ Activities might consider having sidering changing this culmi­ a video dance party as an alter­ nating orientation event for native to steer away from the first-year students because of signature element of the dance. issues surrounding the pres­ Suggestions from CLC members ence of upperclassmen, alcohol included keeping the dance but and the discomfort of introvert­ not allowing students to specify ed students. preferences by markers. “When [freshmen] first come A nother suggestion w as to [to Notre Dame], they learn change the theme. how to party in the wrong man­ St. Edward’s Hall rector ner,” said Ross Kerr, Student Father Dave Scheidler recom­ PETE RICHARDSON/The Observer Union Board manager. “We mended having a fiesta with Brian O’Donoghue, student body president-elect, discusses the graffiti dance while current stu­ learned that [Student Activities Latin music, a luau or another dent body president Micah Murphy listens during Monday’s Campus Life Council meeting. The was] trying to put an end to the CLC plans to consult the gender relations committe and draft a resolution. graffiti dance. see CLC/page 4 Virmontes to Bush, Gore close to clinching nominations speak at SMC By BRIGID SWEENEY D e l e g a t e News Writer t a l l y Here is the current beakdown of the presidential preferences of delegates to the Democratic graduation After months of stump and Republican national speeches and a week of espe­ conventions, based on the latest primary and caucus cially furious campaigning, results. By NICOLE HADDAD today may be a day of reck­ D emocratic News Writer oning for the four major Total presidential candidates as 16 states hold primaries and G ore 4 82 Helena Maria Virmontes, critically B radley 57 caucuses. acclaimed author and professor of Uncommitted 0 While the race for dele­ TOTAL 539 English at Cornell University, will deliver this year’s Commencement gates in both parties has Needed to nominate 2,170 Total delegate votes 4,339 address at Saint Mary’s on May 20. been heated throughout, Vice R e p u b l ic a n Virmontes is originally from Los President A1 Gore and Texas Angeles and has written extensively Governor George Bush are on the experiences of Mexican- poised to take commanding B ush 170 American migrant workers in this leads in their respective M cCain 105 K eyes 5 16 states country. Her short stories and novels races and could potentially garner enough delegates Uncommitted 12 focus on the lives of these Chicano TOTAL 292 Total delegates selected: today to all but win the nomi­ families through the eyes of mothers, Needed to nominate 1,034 1315 Democrats, 613 Republicans wives and daughters. nation contests, according to Total delegate votes 2,066 JOSE CUELLAR/The Observer She joined the ranks of renowned Notre Dame government pro­ Source: Compiled from AP wire reports authors Tom Wolfe and Graham fessor Peri Arnold. Greene when she won the prestigious Though Arizona Sen. John expected on March 14, place Bush identify with the religious right,” he John Dos Passos Prize for Literature in McCain could win nearly all of New close to the 1034 needed for nomina­ said. “McCain has been very hot — he 1995. She was the first Latina to England and other key states, includ­ tion. amazingly found a language of reform receive this award. ing New York, Bush will likely come McCain lost to Bush on Feb. 29 in that gels different groups, from mod­ In addition to Viramontes, three out victorious in the Republican race, Virginia and Washington, and has erate Republicans to independents to other pioneering women will speak experts predicted. been on the defensive since. Some of loosely-connected Democrats, but and receive honorary degrees at the “He should emerge with somewhere his problems stem from last week’s then he got stymied in these attacks.” ceremony. Bernice Johnson Reagon is in the high 600s to the low 800s in attack on leaders of the religious Arnold said McCain’s reformist an African American musician and delegates,” Senator Paul Coverdell (R- right, which alienated potential sup­ appeal will make the senator a threat scholar who performs with Sweet Ga.), a Bush supporter, told the porters, according to Arnold. in today’s contests, though the odds Honey in the Rock, an internationally Washington Post on Sunday. These “The attacks hurt McCain politically delegates, in addition to the 340 because 28 percent of Republicans see TUESDAY/page 6 see SMC/page 4 page 2 The Observer ♦ INSIDE Tuesday, March 7, 2000 In s id e C o lu m n Q u o t e s o f t h e W eek “There is a student “It was a tough time “We know we can “What I like about Tomorrow opinion that the Senate to make that call, but make it to the finals this s p o r t... is th at is full of sneakiness we shouldn't have and can compete with you’re giving it your and illegitimacy, we been in that position. ” Connecticut. ” all. You go out there we fast should end this. ” with so much to lose Matt Doherty Danielle Green ... It’s very humbling. ” Today we feast. Tomorrow we fast. That’s the David Zachary Men's basketball coach, Women’s basketball player, idea anyway, but what's the point? Bishop James Alumni Hall senator, Crawley, retired of this diocese and at 85 still on the technical foul called on the team’s view of the Tom Biolchini on the Senate’s decision to going strong, gave an excellent homily this last against the Irish after a fan Big East tournament senior, on his experiences release the student body Sunday on the idea of the Lenten Discipline as threw a water bottle with boxing and presidential results elections being focused on others and on the court Bengal Bouts not merely on sacrificing chocolate or beer. In doing so we should increase our char­ ity and other virtues, and OUTSIDE THE D om e Compiled from U-Wire reports conform our lives to that of Christ. While there is a certain value in sacrificing some­ UCLA students protest proposed same-sex marriage ban thing you enjoy, it is only A J. Boyd complete if you take the time LOS ANGELES nation clauses. This is a step in the or money saved and devote it Opponents of Proposition 22 held wrong direction.” a rally Friday in a last-minute effort The speakers ranged from par­ to others, or make your assistant to get Californians to vote against ents of gay children to rabbis and Lenten discipline an active Viewpoint editor Propostion 22 today. students. Most said that if the effort to improve the virtue The proposition states that “Only proposition passes, it would would in your life and your charity marriage between a man and a encourage hate crimes against the to others. This could mean woman is valid or recognized in gay community and send the mes­ treating security guard and waitresses as hard­ California." Supporters have said it sage that hatred against gays is working human beings, or even forgiving imma­ is not an attempt to take away acceptable. ture pedants who throw water bottles onto the rights, but an effort to prevent the The rally included a variety of But others argued that arena floor. possibility that California could rec­ speakers who all called for help to Proposition 22 is only meant to pro­ Nonetheless, some of the traditional practices ognize same-sex marriages if they convey their message to others. tect the institution of marriage. should be put into context and not simply taken are allowed in other states. Many argued that if this proposi­ “I don’t agree that Proposition 22 for granted. Fasting is currently defined as a reg­ “Proposition 22 was created to tion passes, it would not change the breeds ignorance and intolerance of ular meal and two smaller meals with no snack­ surgically remove gays from the legal definition of marriage.