Irish lose to 'Huskers. SMC "Girl of Choice." Assault policy changes. Lieberman visits. Bar busts. `Monologues' cancelled. ND loses Clary, Murphy. ND joins WRC. Women, champs change history.
By KATE NAGENGAST
Associate News Editor
Sea of Red
The joys and frustrations of this Notre Dame football season began long before the team's crushing defeat at the Fiesta Bowl. The season's most anticipated game, when the Fighting Irish took on No. 1-ranked Nebraska Sept. 9, was played before a sea of red T-shirts and screaming `Huskers — though the game actually happened in the House that Rockne Built.
Pre-game hype included ESPN's GameDay coverage from in front of Touchdown Jesus and a pep rally in the Stadium rather than the Joyce Center to accommodate fireworks and Dick Vitale's energy. But because of thousands of tickets usually reserved for Notre Dame fans were sold to Nebraska fans, season ending injuries for defensive end Grant Irons and quarterback Arnaz Battle and an overtime, three-point loss to Nebraska, Irish fans returned home torn between feelings of pride in the team's talent and shame about the greed of Irish ticket-holders.
SMC shirt cases controversy
Saint Mary's junior class stirred controversy on both the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's campuses this fall when its class T-shirt was printed with an imitation of the painting "Il Bacio" on it. The painting on the shirt was altered to depict a young boy wearing a Notre Dame shirt kissing a girl in a shirt with the Saint Mary's French Cross while a girl in a Notre Dame shirt looks on. The text around the altered painting read, "SMC 2002 … Girl of Choice."
Saint Mary's Board of Governance prevented the sale of the T-shirt, citing potential repercussions it could have on gender relations between the College and the University. Although the junior class board held a forum to protest the decision, claiming it was censorship for BOG to stop their sales, BOG absorbed the $1,300 cost for the shirts' printing and the shirts were never distributed.
Sex assault policy changed
Prompted by years of concern about rape on campus, Notre Dame changed its sexual assault policy and appointed Ava Preacher, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Letters, official resource person for victims of campus rape. The policy changes included a du Lac revision that states, "student victims will not be subject to disciplinary action" in connection with alcohol or parietals violations related to sexual assault and the publication of two brochures. The University also established a committee to advise the University on issues and procedures pertaining to sexual assault.
Busted Bars
Going down in history with Bridget McGuire's and ICONN as busted student bars, Finnigan's and Bench-warmer's both experienced late night raids this year — the Finnigan's superstitious Oct. 13 bust resulted in 147 citations, while the Benchwarmer's Jan. 25 raid cited 18 students.
Although neither Finnigan's nor Benchwarmer's lost their liquor licenses, the Notre Dame students present at Finnigan's paid $100 fines to the University in addition to the $220 court fee and 40 hours of community service most of the students received as "minor in a tavern." A minor in a tavern charge is a Class C misdemeanor under Indiana State Law that can carry repercussions including fines up to $500, six months in jail or loss of a driver's license.
Although Jeff Shoup, director of Residence Life, could not comment specifically on the punishments for underage students at Benchwarmer's he said the office typically considers previous cases of a similar nature when determining punishments.
Saint Mary's students were only punished by state law, not the College.
Lieberman visits campus
During his travels as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Senator Joseph Lieberman spoke at Washington Hall before a somewhat hostile audience of Notre Dame community members.
His speech about America's moral uncertainty and the country's definitive need to return to faith and values in a public dialogue was interrupted by screams of "What about abortion?" from seminary candidate Steve Sanchez. Sanchez and members of organizations like Notre Dame/Saint Mary's Right to Life, the Progressive Student Alliance and the United Muslim Associated also protested with signs, banners, pins and flyers outside the auditorium before and during his speech.
Eldred bans "Monologues"
College President Marilou Eldred informed the student organizers of "The Vagina Monologues" that the play would not make a reappearance on campus last January and subsequently spurred weeks of controversy.
As part of a nationwide movement to increase discussion about female sexuality on college campuses, the "Monologues" were performed on Saint Mary's campus during February 2000 sponsored by the Campus Alliance for Rape Elimination (CARE). In 2001, however, administration declared there was no need to perform the play again.
Upset by the sudden ban and the administration's unwillingness to explain their reasoning for the ban, students held a speak-out at Dalloway's on Jan. 24 and representatives from CARE met with Eldred on Jan. 31. When the administration had not changed its position, nearly 40 students staged a sit-in outside the Office of the President in LeMans Hall and presented a petition with nearly 300 signatures supporting the performance on Feb. 9.
By the end of February the play was still forbidden as an organized event. Left without an alternative and unwilling to abandon the "Monologues" entirely, 20 women from the Saint Mary's academic community performed the play for more than 150 students, faculty and community members in the lobby of Regina Hall Feb. 19.
This performance prompted Eldred to request a letters of apology to the Board of Trustees from individual members of CARE who were involved, though those participants who were not members of CARE never received such letters. CARE's four officers did send Eldred a letter, however, they interpreted apology not to mean a statement of regret, but instead as a defense of a position as the classical Greek definition suggests.
"The Vagina Monologues," written by Eve Ensler, are regularly performed off-Broadway by a cast of prominent actresses in New York City.
Leukemia claims two students
The Notre Dame Family lost two members of this year's junior class to leukemia — Brionne Clary Sept. 20 and Conor Murphy Jan. 31.
Clary, an "enthusiastic" mechanical engineering student from Tyler, Texas and an active participant in interhall basketball, was re-diagnosed with the disease approximately one week before the beginning of the fall semester after going into remission during high school. A memorial mass was held Nov. 21.
After his condition inspired 610 people to join the National Marrow Donor Program in an on-campus drive during March 2000, Murphy developed pneumonia that compromised his immune system. Although the prayers of students who gathered in Zahm's chapel were not answered, Murphy is remembered by many students as a "fun-loving guy with a strong faith."
An active participant in Campus Ministry and vice president of the College Democrats, Murphy's strength even inspired seven of his friends to shave their heads as a show of support during his chemotherapy treatment. Murphy's memory was honored with a mass and a tree-planting ceremony March 22, the week of what would have been his 21st birthday.
Women break barriers at ND
Women made noticeable strides on Notre Dame's campus this year, both on to the football field in an Irish Guard's uniform and into the Office of the Student Body President.
Molly Kinder, a 6-foot-3 senior, became the first female to join the prestigious group of 10 students since the beginning of the Irish Guard 51-years ago. Although she auditioned for the Guard and did not make the cut during the fall of her junior year, Kinder made the squad on her second try this fall.
Likewise, Brooke Norton accepted a position no female before her had held — that of student body president. After finishing in the top two in the primary, Norton and her vice president Brian Moscona won 56 percent of the votes to defeat Ryan Becker and Nikki McCord in the run-off election. Norton is also the first incumbent vice president to win the role of president since 1973.
Although there were few negative public remarks about the success of these women, student responses were overwhelmingly supportive.
ND joins the WRC
After the largest campus demonstration Notre Dame had seen in more than two years occurred Feb. 22, University President Father Edward Malloy announced his decision to become the 74th school in the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) March 7.
Malloy's decision came after a year of anti-sweatshop campaigns by student activists. The University opted not to join the WRC last spring, but instead formed a task force that offered Malloy a confidential recommendation March 2.
Notre Dame has previously turned down an invitation to join the WRC in April 2000. Saint Mary's had already joined the WRC last April.
National Champions
The Irish women's basketball team and coach Muffet McGraw brought a national title to Notre Dame and received a greeting worthy of champions.
More than 1,500 students waited on Notre Dame Avenue April 1 for the team bus to arrive from South Bend Airport after the team defeated Purdue 68-66 at the NCAA finals in St. Louis, Mo.
This wasn't the only congratulations the team received, however, as signs decorated residence halls, lights flashed at the Joyce Center and area businesses expressed their gratitude for the thrilling 34-2 season.
Student Activities also sponsored a pep rally March 8 after the team's banquet. Even the White House showed their pride in the team when President Bush honored the champions at an April 23 ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Graduating seniors Niele Ivey and Ruth Riley will play in the WNBA — Ivey for Indianapolis and Riley for Miami. Kelley Siemon hopes to play basketball in Europe after graduation.
All News Stories for Friday, May 18, 2001
