What? Where? When? Then and Now I Keep track of Commencement activities How have Notre Dame and Saint Mary's Friday on both campuses with The changed in the last 100 years? Read about the - Observer's schedule of events. classes of 1900 and 2000. 19, ~~ 'Y1 MAY I Inside + page 2 Scene + page 22-23 2000 I '~» I THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOL XXXIII NO. 132 HTTP://OBSERVER.ND.EDU ND, SMC graduate 2,311 in last class of millennium of 2000's final milestone at Saint Mary's and Notre By LAURA ROMPF Dame- Commencement. Assistant News Editor Graduation marks a transition period for the Four years, 40 finals apd 47 football games; hun­ seniors and thus, they are expressing mixed emo­ dreds of Yo-cream cones, walks around the lakes tions. and candles lit at the Grotto; thousands of laughs, "We all came here from different paths and dif­ prayers and tears. ferent directions. to this one center. Here we have Countless memories and lessons learned. lived, laughed, loved and shared our lives together Through each of these events, Notre Dame and for the past four years," said Notre Dame senior Saint Mary's have left their mark on the 2,311 Michela Anne Costello. "Now God is picking us up in graduating seniors. And simultaneously, the Class his hands, pushing us in different ways and blowing of 2000 has left its mark on the University and the us all over the world. However, I know we will be College. connected forever through Notre Dame, through . One day, two commencement speakers and two faith, and through our friendships." .'· valedictorians; hundreds of Kleenexes, photographs Notre Dame senior Margaret Oakar added that and hugs; thousands of relatives, diplomas and con­ during this time, she is grateful that she was able to gratulations. attend the University. Countless smiles and promises to keep in touch. And now, each of these events will mark the Class see FAREWELL/page 4 photos by LIZ LANGfThe Observer ccording to tradition, Notre Dame students do not A walk down the steps of the Main Building (left) until they graduate. At Saint Mary's, members of the Class of 2000 will leave as alumnae by traveling down The Avenue (above), where they arrived as freshmen. Yoder, Wild earn honors as 2000 valedictorians + Saint Mary's names Bloomington for a year before she got + ND Honors Program noting that she was unaware that the married and took some time off from University bestowed such an honor until business major, mother school. Her husband, Carlin, was her grad aimed to earn her junior year. "I never really gave it as best in 2000 class high school sweetheart whom she met professors' respect much thought." on a blind date. Instead, Wild focused on earning the By KATIE McVOY A year after their daughter Caitlin By ANNE MARIE MATTINGLY respect of her professors through her News Writer was born, Carlin started his own busi­ News Editor academic work, which she found to be ness and Yoder kept books for him. more personally rewarding. For her Working for the grades to become "I really like doing bookwork for Though she admits that she invested Honors Program thesis, Wild composed Saint Mary's valedictorian can be a dif­ Carlin," Yoder said. "So I decided I much of her time in study and that her a 200-page novel addressing the role of ficult task, even if you're not busy rais­ wanted to go back to school." prime focus at Notre Dame was acade­ the influence of technological advance in ing a child. But Jayme Yoder did just Choosing a college can be a difficult mics. Class of 2000 valedictorian the lives of children. The project was that. decision, and Yoder attributes choos­ Elizabeth Wild one of four chosen for presentations in Twenty-live-year­ ing Saint Mary's to God. never expected to the program's final colloqium. old Yoder, who "I didn't want a commuter campus; I merit the honor. Although academics were a focus, Wild lives in Goshen, wanted the community," she said. "I In fact, she says found time to pursue a number of Ind .. will graduate am so glad I ended up at Saint Mary's she was flattered extracurricular activities as well. In as the valedictori­ and I think there was a little divine even to be consid­ addition to being a four-year member of an of thr class of intt>rvention present.·· ered. Lewis Hall football and basketball 2000 with her hus- Divine intervention would not sur­ "I wanted to do teams, \Vild served as a peer counselor well .... but I never for freshmen in the Honors Program band and daughter Yoder prise Yoder, who,-along with her hus­ Wild watching. band, is a youth pastor at Siloam really expected [to and volunteered at the Early Childhood After graduating from high school, be valedictorian,]" said the history and Yoder went to Indiana University at see SMC/page 4 computer applications double major, see NO/page 4 ' ' ._ ~ ; ·, { ' . '· ~ •. .: page 2 The Observer+ INSIDE Friday, May 19, 2000 INSIDE COLUMN Highest-ranking seniors NO, SMC award honorary degrees will serve as flag bearers for the 155th general of the United tionally acclaimed artist By KATE NAGENGAST Commencement The Last Time Nations + Hobert Welsh, Notre exercises of the News Writer +Connie Binslield, former Dame alumnus and chief University of Notre About nine months ago. a good frinnd started lieutenant governor of executive officer of Welsh. Dame. They are: getting sappy. Heal sappy. Saint Mary's and Notre Michigan Inc. It started on tlw road trip to Michigan- the Dame will award honorary +.James Bjorken, an Saint Mary's will present College of Arts and last road trip to !\ 1ichigan \W' •d ever take as degrees to distinguished lig­ internationally respected lcmr honorary degrees. "All Letters Charley Gates undergrads. That day we took tlw last stl~ps out ures in the fields of nduca­ physicist of the recipients wew cho­ Andrew Bellizzi of Michigan Stadium \ve'd tion, the art-;, science, busi­ +Archbishop Agostino Sf'n because they an~ pio­ Pedro Reyes ever take as Notn~ Dame ness, civic affairs. govern­ Cacciavillan, formerlv the neer women in each of their students. And. of course, tlw ment, literature and the Vatican's ambassador to the fields," said Elizabeth Mendoza College of post-game meal of ham­ Catholic Church at their u.s. Station, assistant to the Business burgers and Labatt's Blue commencement cPremonil~S +Violeta Barrios de president at Saint Mary's. Charles Miles David Spinola was the last of its kind. on Saturday and Sunday, Chamorro, formerly the Joseph Zulli For the ride home. we respectively. president of Nicaragua Recipients Include: tossed our buddy into the "[Notre Dame) looks to +Hobert Goodwin, president +llelena Maria Viramontes, College of Engineering station wagon's trunk honor people who distin­ of the Points of Light author of Latino literature Nicholas Glassmaker because in September, we guish themselves in their Foundation and English professor at Kevin O'Neil Lauren Destino didn't want to think about Michelle Krupa personal lives and in any +Eleanor Josaitis, executive Cornell University the last anything. We still number of fields," said director and cofounder of +Sister Margaret Rita College of Science had a quarter of our college Dennis Brown, associate Focus: HOPE Brennen. noted theologian Andrew Bellizzi mmnories to make. We Editor in Chief director of Public Helations +William Manly, Notre +Sister Brigid Driscoll, pres­ Gina Lusardi shouldn't be getting Emeritus and Information. Dame alumnus and an ident of Marymount College Kevin Friedman depressed Yf~t. There soon international leader in engi­ +Bernice Johnson Reagon, would be plenty of separa- Recipients Include: neering internationally admired School of Architecture tion anxiety. For now, we'd +Kofi Annan, secretary- +George Rickey, interna- performer and academic Tiffany Haile just enjoy it. But my good friend's insistence on remember­ ing the last gas fill-up on 80/90 and the last keg of first semester festered in my mind. I decided I'd carrv a camera to events and shows and McKenna wins games to record every moment- Who knows when it might be the last? Schedule ofevents Today I have a plethora of posed group shots Laetare Medal perfect enough to be an ad for Notre Dame prospectives or f(>r Miller Lite, depending on the Observer Staff Report publication. But looking through the photos, I Friday Sunday wonder whether I'll remember college as a 9 p.m. - 1 a.rn 12;30 p.m. Notre Dame will recognize Andrew Kodak slideshow where everyone wears his GRADUATION DANCE DISTRIBUTION OF BACHELOR McKenna, chairman of the University's favorite mustard-stained ND sweatshirt and joyce Center - North Dome AND MASTER Board of Trustees since 1992. with the leans his head toward the guy to his right. They DIPLOMAS Laelare Medal, the highest honor tlw \Vere great times- formals and parties and tail­ Joyce Center- North Dome. University bestows gates - but they only happened once every so and the oldest oftPn. Of so many days I haw no pictures. Saturday 1:30p-m. given to Amnrican Now, I wish I'd photographed all the small 2-3:15 p.m. ACADEMIC: PROCESSION Catholics at things. Will I remember the eVPr-wrong dock on UNIVERSITY RECEPTION joyce. Center- North Dome Sunday's com- O'Shaugnessy shining brightly on a dingy South McKenna HaiL mencenwnt. Bend night? Or recall that if you drive exactly 35 2-4 p.m. "LIIe has) not miles per hour south on 31, you'll hit all the 5- 6:30 p.m.