Executive Cabinet: Group disperses funds to clubs
By MATT BRAMANTI
News Writer
Executive Cabinet members convened Monday evening to discuss requests for funding from several student groups.
Katie Stolz of the Club Coordination Council presented an appeal on behalf of the Best Buddies Club. The club requested $2,000 to help fund its Dyslexia Awareness Week, to be held the last week in February. The program will feature an address by Gerard Sagmiller titled "Why Can't Johnny or Sally Read?" Sagmiller will discuss his own successful battle with dyslexia, a learning disorder characterized by problems with language decoding. The appeal passed unanimously.
Stolz also presented a $500 request from Special Friends, an organization dedicated to helping children with autism. The group had requested the funds to present a seminar dealing with high-functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome, a closely related behavioral disorder. The event, to be held at Saint Mary's on Feb. 22, will feature a speech by Diane Adreon, associate director of the Center for Autism at the University of Miami. Saint Mary's representative Lindsay Evans encouraged members to approve the funding, calling the event "extremely worthwhile." The measure passed without objection.
Joyce DeLeon of the CCC's cultural division presented a $1,200 appeal on behalf of the Filipino American Student Organization, to finance a Filipino cultural exhibition.
"Fiestang Filipino will be a night of great Filipino food and cultural folk dances," DeLeon said.
The event, in its eighth year, will be themed "It takes two to pundango," referring to the Filipino dance. Cabinet members unanimously approved the appeal.
In other Exec Cab news:
u DeLeon encouraged students to sign a petition against the popular dance club Heartland. "We want students to sign the petition and support the cause," DeLeon said. Students have organized a boycott of the club over an alleged instance of discrimination against a Puerto Rican student earlier this month. The Notre Dame chapter of the NAACP has demanded a public apology from Heartland's management.
u Junior Class President Meghan O'Donnell praised the "overwhelming response" to her class's letter-writing campaign. The program, which began last week, lets students write letters of encouragement to U.S. troops deployed overseas.
u Freshman Class President Dave Baron announced his class council's first open forum meeting will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. in LaFortune Student Center. "We encourage every freshman to come and speak their mind," Baron said. He also announced the beginning of a publicity campaign to promote safety off campus.
u Senior Class President Matt Smith urged his classmates to attend a reception next Monday evening before the men's basketball game against UConn. The event, which aims to "foster stronger class unity," will feature a "tailgate-style" dinner in the press box at Notre Dame Stadium, Smith said. He also encouraged sign up for Christmas in April on the class Web site. Registration will end Tuesday evening.
u Advisor Peggy Hnatusko announced that the University will offer transportation to Merrill, Wisc. for students who wish to attend the memorial service for Chad Sharon. Interested students should contact the Student Activities Office at 1-7309. Student Body President Libby Bishop proposed a ribbon campaign in Sharon's memory.
u Student leaders welcomed a new member of the cabinet. Henry Scott joined the group as Bishop's new chief of staff. Scott succeeds President Elect Pat Hallahan, who resigned his post earlier this month over disagreements with Bishop's stance on the hall dance policy.
Scott announced that a committee from the Office of the President will look into ways to improve graduation ceremonies. The committee will discuss proposals with deans of the colleges, Scott said.
u The cabinet's strategic planning initiative will continue next week, when CCC chair Amy O'Connor will present an outline of her organization's 10-year strategy.
Contact Matt Bramanti at bramanti.1@nd.edu.
All News Stories for Tuesday, February 18, 2003
