News

Thanking Father Ted' e-book debuts

Lecture explores string theory

Researchers discover the nature of diabetic wounds

Notre Dame researchers led by Mayland Chang, Notre Dame research professor and director of the Chemistry-Biochemistry-Biology Interface (CBBI) Program, have identified the enzymes responsible for diabetic wounds, as well as those that are remedial.

Arts and Letters raises funds for mammograms

Radium Girls' premieres at Saint Mary's

Group discusses diversity, inclusion

Group amends Council of Activities' constitution

Saint Mary's student senate met Tuesday night to discuss the changes to the constitution of the Council of Activities and other updates from the various committees on campus.

Navy weekend features Compton rally, flyover

With one home football game left on the 2013 schedule, director of game day operations Mike Seamon said Saturday's Navy game weekend went "incredibly well," despite the chaos from an influx of visitors to campus.

Fr. Scully wins award for work in education

Alumnus finds ways to harness solar power

Patrick McCullough, CEO of Amonix, the world leader in solar system efficiency, spoke on renewable energy and entrepreneurship Tuesday in the Montgomery Auditorium in LaFortune.

Week challenges all forms of intolerance

Through StaND Against Hate Week, members of the Notre Dame community are aiming to raise awareness about and initiate the eradication of hatred on campus and nationwide.

Movember' promotes men's health with facial hair

Student body president Alex Coccia may have the most iconic facial hair on campus, but he will blend in more this month as students participating in Movember don moustaches and beards to raise awareness of men's health issues.

SMC alumna discusses fashion boutique launch

Saint Mary's alumna Vanessa Cooreman Smith combined her love of fashion with her drive to succeed when she launched Flourish Boutique in Granger in 2008, and she returned to the College on Monday to share the story of her business.

Holy Cross Harvest collects donations for food bank

The Saint Mary's Office for Social and Civic Engagement (OSCE) has joined with Holy Cross College and Notre Dame to host the Holy Cross Harvest this week. This is the third year the institutions have hosted the festival, Jessica Bulosan, assistant director of OSCE, said.

Professor and team earn grant to analyze democracy

The rapidly-shifting nature of today's political landscapes and conflicts calls for thorough understanding of democracy.   

College to debut Steinway grand piano at concert

Saint Mary's College will introduce a new Steinway & Sons Model D Concert Grand Piano to the College's Department of Music in its debut performance at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14 in Little Theatre of Moreau Center for the Arts, the College stated in a press release on Oct. 25.

ND senior travels to Vatican, meets Pope Francis

The head of the Roman Catholic Church now owns a copy of the book "The Chapels of Notre Dame," thanks to senior Juan Manuel Segura, who traveled to Rome with his family in October to briefly meet Pope Francis.

Academic Affairs presents new series

Students now have an opportunity to hear from professors outside of the classroom through the First and Last Lecture Series. The Department of Academic Affairs invites professors every semester to speak as if it were their first or last lecture at the University. Sydney Zepf, the coordinator for Last Lectures, said this is a great way for students to learn from professors in a new way. "We ask professors to imagine what they would say if they could only give one more lecture in their life, and then give them the opportunity to present it to students," she said. "This lecture series is unique because it allows students to hear from professors about something other than the professor's traditional area of study." Often, professors lecture on important lessons that they have learned throughout their careers, Zepf said. "Professors tend to lecture about the ways that they have gained their success and important lessons that they have learned. However, the time of the lecture is completely theirs - we give professors no restrictions." While anyone can attend these lectures, the series serves as a connection between students and professors, Zepf said. "This lecture series is beneficial for the ND community because it gives students an opportunity to take advantage of the knowledge of their teachers in a new way.  It also serves to bridge the gap between professors and students and to help students get to know their professors in a new way. Many professors have amazing stories that students just don't get to hear in a classroom setting. " These lectures are held twice a year, and anyone is allowed to attend, Zepf said. The First Lecture series is a new addition to the Academic Affairs Department. Timothy Kirchoff, the coordinator for First Lectures, said this series gives students the opportunity to listen to new professors talk about their fields of specialty, and why they came to the University. "It seems to me that, when a professor comes to Notre Dame specifically in order to participate in Notre Dame's mission as a Catholic University, we should take note of that in some way, and that is what the First Lecture is designed to do," he said. "It is an opportunity for a professor to discuss their field of expertise and why they wanted to come to Notre Dame - to place their own work in the context of Notre Dame's mission as an institution that seeks to bring faith and reason into conversation." The Notre Dame identity is an integral part of this series, Kirchoff said. "Maybe this is a cliched line, but Notre Dame is a unique institution, and professors - like many students - come here believing that they can be part of something truly special. They are not just joining the faculty of one of America's top universities, but the faculty of a uniquely Catholic university," he said. These lectures may also have many benefits for the future, Kirchoff said. Specifically, he said he hopes to see the First and Last Lectures set a precedent for student-professor engagement outside the classroom. "If each individual First Lecture sends the message to the speaker that students are interested in this kind of engagement and encourages both the speaker and students to pursue it more deliberately, I would consider it a success. As a series, though, I would like the First Lecture to help both students and professors develop a deeper appreciation for and willingness to participate in Notre Dame's unique identity and mission," Kirchoff said. The First Lecture series begins with a talk from Professor Deneen of the Department of Political Science on Nov. 11.

We treated them the way we would treat ourselves'

As the Blue Angels flew over Notre Dame Stadium and the final notes of the alma mater rang out, many students' beliefs were confirmed: the atmosphere of the Notre Dame vs. Navy game would be unlike any other this season. Sophomore Kim Mai said hearing the stadium fall silent for the Navy alma mater and witnessing the friendly camaraderie between the teams was the first time she had seen Notre Dame fans go out of their way to honor their opponents. "We treated them the same way we would treat ourselves," Mai said. Senior Billy Raseman said the teams' unity during both alma maters after the Irish victory summed up the history and significance of the Notre Dame-Navy relationship. "I think it was pretty much embodied in the fact that we stopped and the whole stadium got quiet for their alma mater," Raseman said. "There's just a good deal of respect both ways in the fact that, yeah, Navy's a football team but first they're over there for their country." Meadow Jackson, midshipman fourth class in the Notre Dame Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) said she thought the ROTC midshipmen and Notre Dame student body respected the visitors because they understood that the game's significance extended beyond the stadium. "We won't boo the team," Jackson said. "Whether we win or lose, they're still our comrades in arms from a ROTC perspective. We know that footbal is not the main goal of these students, and we respect them even more because of that. "Football is just an extension of what [the Naval Academy midshipmen are] trying to do, which is develop themselves professionally to serve our country. We know that football is not the main goal of these students. The main goal is to protect and defend the people of the United States ... we all have the common goal, just different ways of getting there." Midshipman third class Liz Hart, a Saint Mary's student, said she and her friends replaced the less-than-respectful phrase of one Notre Dame cheer and instead shouted "Nice try, Navy! Go Irish, go!" Hart said Notre Dame students invited midshipmen from the Naval Academy to stay in the dorms and experience a different collegiate environment. "All weekend I've seen [the Naval Academy midshipmen] walking around campus," Hart said. "I saw them staying in the dorms, and I know that a lot of the Notre Dame community was really open to them."We're all in the Navy but our college experiences are so different."The Blue Angels' flyover during the "Star Spangled Banner" drew thunderous cheers from the student body and praise from game-watchers later. "That was the lowest flyover I think I've ever seen," Raseman said. "It was sick." Hart said the flyover stood out as an exciting start to the game and as another way of bringing Notre Dame and Navy together. "It was even more special because that was the first flyover since the sequester of the military and the government," Hart said. "The fact that this was the first event that the Blue Angels came to was pretty awesome." Jackson said the event highlighted the historic relationship between the two schools. "We know that the Blue Angels could be anywhere but I think they wanted to show the solidarity between Notre Dame and Navy and the tradition of this football game," Jackson said. "During World War II, Navy pretty much kept Notre Dame alive ... by a ROTC program that allowed us to keep the university open yet also allow men to serve," she said. "I think the game between Navy and Notre Dame is kind of a thank you to the Navy and a show of respect to that." Raseman, who is a member of the Notre Dame Glee Club, said he experienced the friendliness between Notre Dame and Navy three years ago when the group performed with the Naval Glee Club at a joint concert in New York. "When we sang with them, we actually exchanged cufflinks," Raseman said. "A bunch of guys still have the Navy ones, and they still wear them."

Traditional dance reinstated at Saint Mary's

On Saturday, Saint Mary's Student Government Association (SGA) hosted the third Navy Dance in College history to honor long-standing traditions between Saint Mary's and the Naval Academy, senior class vice president Susie Larson said. The dance, which was held from 9 p.m. to 12 p.m. in the Angela Athletic Center, was planned by sophomore, junior and senior class boards and 150 Saint Mary's women and 127 Midshipmen attended the event, Larson said. "Saint Mary's has a special history with the Naval Academy," Larson said. "The history is particularly special with Saint Mary's student nurses serving in various wars. ... The Navy Dance is a gracious extension of our history. It is a simple way to express appreciation with what these guys and young women who have decided to make such a big commitment at such a young age. "[Serving] is such a big commitment. If [the Midshipmen] are on leave, they don't have schedule on the yard. So, if they are on leave weekend and we can provide a little fun for them, we definitely should seize the opportunity." Nicole O'Toole, junior class president, said she received positive feedback from both Saint Mary's women and Midshipmen. "At least five or six Midshipmen came up to us at the end of the dance and said how much they appreciated us putting it on," O'Toole said. "One came up to me and said, 'This was really awesome. We don't have anything like this at school.' Overall, I think the Midshipmen really loved the experience." O'Toole said hearing this positive feedback was especially reassuring because of the many obstacles her and other members of the council of class boards had to clear to organize the event. Preliminary talks of the dance began in August, but O'Toole said no plans could be confirmed until the council of class boards received approval from the Senate. "We started talking about the dance over the summer, but when we got back to school we needed to get the approval of Senate before we went ahead with any plans," O'Toole said. "This was especially difficult because we had to wait for the new Senate to be elected. In the end, though, we were happy to see the Senate unanimously voted in favor of the dance." Junior Class Vice President Emmi Scanlon said when the council proposed their plans the only major concern regarding the dance had to do with funding. In the end, she said the dance actually made $1,100 in profit, which was split between the senior, junior and sophomore classes. Originally, O'Toole said board members envisioned the dance to host about 800 Saint Mary's women and midshipmen. In these plans the dance was set to be off-campus, she said. "That original plan was not able to pass because we weren't able to figure out how to get the Midshipmen off-campus and we were also working under a time constraint," O'Toole said. "It would have cost more and SAB [Student Activities Board] was initially going to help out with the cost, but due to SGA regulations SAB was not allowed to co-host an off-campus event with us. This then led us to having to host the dance on campus." These changes, accompanied with RSVPs from only a little over 100 Midshipmen, led the class board council to limit the amount of Saint Mary's tickets to 150, O'Toole said. This decision resulted in many negative responses from the student body, she said. "Almost 500 Saint Mary's girls RSVP'd to the dance on Orgsync," O'Toole said. "This RSVP was only to gauge interest for the event and when it came to buying tickets those who RSVP'd were given priority over those who didn't. Still, only 150 girls got tickets and I received a lot of emails and texts the next day from girls who were mad they did not receive tickets." Larson said she would have loved to give every Saint Mary's woman the chance to buy a ticket, but unfortunately the class board councils' hands were tied and they had to limit the number of tickets available. "Knowing there would be exponentially less Midshipmen there [if we let all 500 Saint Mary's women attend] we wanted to make the ratio was relatively 50/50," Larson said. "We thought 150 Saint Mary's tickets would be a good selling point." First-year student Alaina Anderson said she RSVP'd to express interest in the event and was disappointed when she waited in line and was told the tickets were sold out. "I know someone from the Naval Academy that I haven't seen in a long time and I would have enjoyed the opportunity to be with him at the dance," Anderson said. "I guess I was just a little disappointed about the way things were organized. Especially because I RSVP'd and still wasn't able to get a ticket." O'Toole said the limited number of tickets available prompted some students to offer their ticket for resale to other Saint Mary's students for a higher cost than the original $10 price. "We received word from our advisors that some girls were looking to resell their tickets for [more than] the original cost," O'Toole said. "This is illegal and against College policy." Overall, Larson said the event was successful and she hopes future class boards will continue the tradition. "Even though I am a senior it was really cool to see a lot of freshmen and sophomores attend the event and really get this ball rolling again," Larson said. "I hope these students keep these connections with the Midshipmen and host the dance in the future." Fourth Class Midshipmen NathonMarkon agreed with Larson's wish to continue the tradition in years to come. "I had a lot of fun at the dance and met some really cool Saint Mary's women," Markon said. "We play at Notre Dame every other year, we just swap home and away, so I guess if Saint Mary's wanted to have a dance every time we come by to Notre Dame, every two years, it would be nice."