News

Jordan Hall installs 'cutting-edge' telescope

Shamrock Series offers volunteer opportunities

Good Morning America' broadcasts from campus

Donation funds new architecture building

Coccia addresses Alma Mater policy

Author reviews research

Doctor treasures Mother Theresa's compassion

Rector recounts history of Log Chapel

Professors analyze federal shut down

Engineer uses silver in fuel cells

Music Village director discusses career path

Music majors at Saint Mary's learned about the path one Belle followed from the College to a community music school after obtaining her degree in music in a lecture Monday titled, "Life After a Music Degree: Community Music Schools."

Vatican analyst shares reporting experience

It was a full house in the Andrews Auditorium of Geddes Hall on Monday night to hear John Allen Jr., Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter (NCR), speak on the international Catholic Church and its impact on American Catholics.

ND launches theology training program

Echo, a subset of the Institute for Church Life, added a new program this year, titled "Echo Teaching Theology," to train recent college graduates to teach high school theology and to equip them with a Master's degree in theology from Notre Dame.

SMC holds bonfire to celebrate 'every form' of diversity

A bonfire held by the Student Diversity Board (SDB) at Saint Mary's will celebrate cultural diversity and raise money for victims affected by recent storms in Mexico.

Professor details Hesburgh legacy

University President Emeritus Fr. Theodore Hesburgh earned national renown for his contributions to academia, politics and religion. In a Monday lecture in Washington Hall titled "The Civil Rights Legacy of Fr. Theodore M. Hesburgh," professor Jennifer Mason McAward said his advocacy on core civil rights issues in the 1960s especially changed the face of the nation.

Irish economist spurs Irish patriotism

According to Irish economist and author David McWilliams, one solution to Ireland's recent economic problems may come from the Irish but not from Ireland, it would come from what he calls the "great Irish tribe." McWilliams gave a lecture titled, "Ireland, Europe and the Irish Diaspora - Re-imagining Ireland in the 21st Century," in the Rare Book Room of the Hesburgh Library on Friday. McWilliams said Ireland's current economic turmoil amidst the general problems of the Eurozone requires something drastic, but he believes this solution could be provided by the people worldwide who identify themselves as Irish. "The future of Ireland needs another shock, and that's where you come in, where the diaspora comes in," McWilliams said. He said the possibility of enlisting the self-identified Irish in places like the United States, Canada and Australia first came to his mind due to the comment of a mentor. McWilliams said he was assigned a very experienced Israeli mentor while working for a Swiss bank in Israel. One day, this mentor said he noticed that he dealt with many ethnically Irish people when working with American companies and asked McWilliams whether or not the Irish had any mechanism for bringing these people back to Ireland. McWilliams said he hadn't given the subject much thought before then, but he didn't think there was any such effort. "We've done nothing but repel the tribe as far as I can tell," he said. McWilliams said he has since begun working on various projects to make use of the Irish overseas and his reason for coming to Notre Dame was to propose his ideas. "[Notre Dame] is an incredibly powerful place to start these projects. Notre Dame is a huge resource for the Irish in America and a brilliant center for Irish connections. You can use Notre Dame to champion some of the ideas and feed into its network of alumni," he said. "This could be a huge project which Notre Dame could be involved in." McWilliams said there are three elements of his overall proposal, a program resembling the "Birthright Israel" program, allowing Irish ex-patriots to vote in national elections and reaching out to the ethnically Irish based on town records. McWilliams said during his time in Israel he learned about the birthright program, which provides free 10-day educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults from 60 different countries. McWilliams said he is hoping to create a similar program for Irish young adults. The goal of the program is to instill a strong emotional connection with Ireland and their Irish heritage in the young adults, McWilliamssaid."Emotional things that happen to you as a kid stick with you. Imagine as an American what it would mean to visit Ireland when you're 15," McWilliams said. McWilliams said he has seen Polish, Italian, American and other ex-patriot groups line-up to vote in their nation's elections while living overseas. Similarly enfranchising Irish citizens who are living abroad could help to alleviate problems of provisionalism and clientalism present in current Irish politics, he said. McWilliams said those who have lived abroad for a while might have a better perspective on what is good for the Irish nation as a whole. McWilliams said he is also leading an effort to use town records and town gossips to trace the emigration stories of the world's ethnically Irish and then reaching out to them with their own history. "We can email you, everyone's contactable nowadays, with a Google Maps image of the specific field from which your relative emigrated from Ireland," he said. "With tech we can bring all this together." McWilliams said this idea that Ireland ought to do more to engage the ethnically Irish of the world, his "diaspora strategy," was not initially as well received as it is now. He said the idea progressed through the three stages of reception from "open ridicule" to "violent opposition" to "everyone claims they were already on your side." "The idea was fist considered risible, something to be laughed at, but now everyone has a diaspora strategy," he said. McWilliams said this effort could be very successful because Ireland has one of the best "brand" names in the world, but it all depends on the cooperation of the Irish diaspora. "The power of the diaspora can be forged to improve the 'product' of Ireland, a country with the most powerful 'brand' in the world because every member of the diaspora is a salesperson for the 'brand,'" he said. "We can only do this if we work together."  

Early exit by Irish adds insult to injury

Many students' faces turned Oklahoma crimson Saturday when some football players entered the tunnel before singing the Alma Mater in the team's first home loss since Oct. 22, 2011.

SMC walks to fight hunger

Saint Mary's asked students o stop local and global hunger this weekend by supporting the annual St. Joseph County CROP Hunger Walk. More than 400 walkers and donors, including students from Notre Dame, Saint Mary's and Holy Cross, participated in the walk in Howard Park. Saint Mary's Learning Tree Director Jayne Fogle said the walk represents a community-wide benefit sponsored by Church World Services to raise funds in an effort to end hunger and poverty at home and around the world. "We were thrilled when Saint Mary's came on board. That worked out really great," Fogle said. "It's my passion.  I get so excited every time. I go out there and [I'm like], 'let's go.' I know the need is great, and if it's one little thing to do to help out, I'll do it." The CROP Walk, an acronym that stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty, takes place in different counties throughout the country. Walk donors may designate gifts to other approved international hunger-fighting agencies, a specialty no other charity offers, Fogle said. Fogle said 25 percent of the money goes to the local community and the rest goes to worldwide global issues. Participants had the option of walking the one-mile or four-mile route through Howard Park and downtown South Bend, Fogle said. Participants in the walk represent various religious affiliations, schools, and organizations in the area.   Endorsed as a benefit in which neighbors, families, and even pets can walk together to take a stand against hunger and poverty in the world, the event's interfaith component contributes to the idea and mission of "Ending Hunger One Step At A Time" as a community, Fogle said. "It's a fun event because it's a nice time being out, the energy keeps coming, and all denominations [are included].  In the past we've had Christians, but we've also had [different faiths] and different organizations in the community," Fogle said.   This year marks the CROP Hunger Walk's 66th nationwide anniversary and its 31st in St. Joseph County, Fogle said. She said she has been on the county recruiting committee since 2001. Saint Mary's Social Work Club President Natalie Stoerger and Vice President Corinna Martinez joined Fogle as Saint Mary's representatives. Stoerger said participating resonated with the event's motto, "We walk because they walk." "People do have to actually have to walk to get food and water," she said. "I just think there's a need to put yourself in someone else's shoes [and] having that whole reflection through the walk and knowing that Saint Mary's gave some money towards this good cause. It's a really good volunteering program, and with Jayne [Fogle], we have a really good connection with her church and the community." The integration of the Saint Mary's and Notre Dame student bodies with the outside South Bend public is a significant factor of their participation in Sunday's event, Stoerger said. "What I want to come across to the students here at Saint Mary's is that there's a community outside of our bubble of Notre Dame, Indiana," she said. "I think we get so wrapped up in everything that's happening here which is wonderful, but there's also lots of different opportunities, cultures, and lots of other people outside in South Bend." Stoerger said she hopes the College's involvement with the walk will continue and she encourages all students to give of themselves and become active members in their environment.   "If Saint Mary's can get more involved with the community, it will help out the community grow in a better way," she said. "There is a stigma out in South Bend of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's; we're put on a pedestal. It's true, but it saddens me because I feel we don't do enough for the community. I feel there's a dividing line where we're at. I even hear from community members [that they] feel there's not a lot of involvement and not a lot of people caring, which is sad, but somehow that's still shadowed by the stigma of the colleges." She said college provides the perfect environment to try getting involved with new and different things. "Some time in your life you have to step out of your comfort zone, and why not do it when you're in college?" Stoerger said. "When you're out in South Bend, you find out that people are just people, but when you really take the time to get to know someone, you realize that we're not that different." CROP Hunger Walk donations will continue to be collected through the online database, www.crophungerwalk.orgsouthbendin, through Oct. 11.  

CEO alumnus advises on business success

Bill Angrick, a Notre Dame graduate from the class of 1990, spoke as a part of the "Boardroom Insights" lecture series put on by the Mendoza College of Business. Angrick is the CEO of Liquidity Services Inc., a multimillion dollar company that specializes in the buying and selling of excess materials between businesses. The lecture walked the audience through the various stages of growth of Liquidity Services, while also offering valuable pieces of advice on how to build a thriving company. Angrick said in the beginning, his goal was to "provide clients and buying customers the world's most transparent, innovative, and effective online marketplaces and integrated services for surplus assets ... An eBay from business to business." After raising capital from clients and venture capitalists, the company began to expand into buying and selling products from various sectors, Angrick said. He said he credits this growth to the "network effect." "More supply leads to more relevant listings for buyers, which leads to more buyers. More buyers leads to more transactions, meaning better results for sellers, thus creating more sellers, which circles back to more supply," Angrick said. He said the company received its first government contract in 2001- the US Military wanted to use the company to sell its own excess products. The company then went on to win the Defense Logistics Agency Award for Vendor Excellence four times. Liquidity Services Inc. went public in 2006. From there, the company grew at an quickly, its gross revenue booming from $72 million in 2003 to $360 million in 2008, Angrick said. Beginning in 2009, the business moved into acquiring other companies, such as GovDeals and Network International, and taking their markets global. They also expanded into other sectors, which included electronics, consumer packaged goods, biopharmaceutical products, and machinery. This year alone, the gross revenue of Liquidity Services Inc. was $1 billion and was on Forbes' list of Fastest Growing Tech Companies, Angrick said. Angrick said to run a large company, one needs to have strong convictions of where one is taking the company. He said that a key component to achievement is building great teams: cultivating top talent, bringing new employees into the mission of the company, making everyone feel a part of something, empowering employees to do their job, and making clear what the objective is, not how to achieve the objective. Angrick said one also has to be bold and take risks, and build awareness of their brand. At the end of the lecture Angrick reflected back on how what he had learned in his years at Notre Dame has influenced him throughout life. Angrick said Notre Dame's emphasis on strong values and faith has helped him immeasurably in his ventures, and the university's stress on community, teamwork, and excellence will stay with him throughout the rest of his life. "It is your obligation to make your mark," Angrick said.  

Library memorializes 'Touchdown Jesus' artist

Millard Sheets, the acclaimed artist who created the iconic "Word of Life" mural on the south-facing wall of Hesburgh Library, said he was inspired by the history of knowledge and learning, with Christ as the master teacher. As part of the Hesburgh Libraries Lecture Series, curator of historical art Janet Blake presented "The Story Behind 'Touchdown Jesus,' Millard Sheets: An Artist's Journey to the 'Word of Life,'" on Friday in the William J. Carey Auditorium. "To say that the mural is impressive in scale and powerful in design is an understatement," Blake said. "It sums up the artists' skill at creating arresting, representational imagery in abstract design. "The idea for a mural came about as the architecture firm of Ellerbe & Co. in Minneapolis was designing the new library. "Because [University President Emeritus] Fr. Theodore Hesburgh had expressed concerns the building might look like a grain silo without some kind of decorative element, their design concept included a mural on the south-facing wall," Blake said. "Hesburgh thought this would be a great solution to the problem." Architect Thomas Ellerbe worked with Sheets previously and asked him to submit his name for consideration for the project. Out of 12 artists, Sheets was chosen, Blake said. At that time, Miller was at the peak of his career as an artist of watercolors, murals, and architectural art, Blake said. Blake said Sheets was born in California and attended the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, where he learned the basics of art. "Learning the basic language of art became his own philosophy as a teacher: that an artist must learn the necessary skills before exploring style," she said. From an early time, Sheets' work displayed an interest in people from other cultures, and this theme was reinforced by his extensive travels, Blake said. "Shortly after completing his studies at Chouinard, he booked passage on a banana boat headed for New York," Blake said. "The boat stopped at ports of call in Central and South America, and Sheets sketched constantly." By the age of 23, Sheets' work had been displayed in an individual exhibition and "Los Angeles Times" art critic Arthur Miller praised his work, she said. "[Miller] described the young artist as an unparalleled phenonmenon in the art world of southern California," Blake said. Blake said Hesburgh shared his thoughts on the theme of the mural with Sheets. "Sheets came up with three ideas, and the second was approved," Blake said. "In that design, he put Christ at the top, with his disciples, to show that he is the great teacher. The others scholars, beginning with the prophets of the Old Testament would begin at the bottom and zig-zag their way up the composition." Blake said there are nine groups of teachers in all, including figures from the Renaissance and the Age of Science and Exploration. She said the figures are types, not specific persons because the mural doesn't use individual identifications. The detailed logistics of constructing such a large mural were daunting, Blake said. "The "Word of Life" mural was a departure for Sheets, who had been designing mosaics with small glass tesserae from Italy. Now he would be working with pieces of granite of varying styles and shapes," Blake said. Blake said Sheets had always worked with the philosophy that subject dictated style. "For this project, the subject matter and the material dictated style, which would be abstract pieces assembled to create a representational image," Blake said. "In essence, the mural is not a mosaic, it's like a giant puzzle, comprised of 324 panels." Blake said Sheets worked hard to find the correct colors and shades of granite to use for the mural.  Sheets wanted to find a piece of granite that looked like gold, but was told there was no such thing, Blake said. "He'd just about given up when a package arrived. Inside was a small piece of gold granite, from of all places, Brazil," she said. "It was from a quarry that hadn't been worked in 25 years. After much persuasion and many weeks, Sheets was able to get them to quarry a block for him. He ended up with a sizeable block and was able to utilize it with great success."