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The Observer

Assault reported on campus

By The Observer · Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012

Notre Dame Security Police (NDSP) is investigating a report of aggravated assault that occurred on campus over the weekend, according to an email alert sent to students Saturday.

The Observer

Belles honor fellow students

By The Observer · Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012

Saint Mary's students have a chance to honor fellow Belles who are using their education to make a difference through the Belles Honoring Belles Award.

The Observer

Seniors celebrate final victory at home

By The Observer · Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012

For a quarter of the student body, Saturday's football victory against Wake Forest represented more than an undefeated season at home. It also marked the seniors' last game in the student section of Notre Dame Stadium.

The Observer

Club sells treats for a charitable cause

By The Observer · Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

This past week, Saint Mary's students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to support She's the First*{Saint Mary's}, a new club on campus which is part of the national nonprofit organization, She's the First. Junior Mileva Brunson, founder of the Saint Mary's chapter, was excited to share the present and upcoming goals for the club on campus. "We creatively fundraise throughout the year to sponsor girls' education in developing countries. This week, we held our first fundraiser, 'Tie Dye Cupcakes For a Cause,'" Brunson said. "All proceeds from the bake sale will go towards our goal of $360, which would sponsor a year of school for a girl in Uganda." The cupcake fundraiser was initially started by Lindsay Brown, the president of She's the First*{Notre Dame}, where it became such a success that the organization made it the national campaign. "The goal for this year nationally is to raise $50,000 for girls education, and there has been amazing success all across the country," Brunson said. "We have been posting a lot on social media. We post daily on our Facebook and Twitter, and a lot of girls who purchase a cupcake are Instagraming them. It's been great to see students posting in support of She's the First across many different social networking sites." Brunson said she is thankful student reception of She's the First has been great, as well as faculty support for the chapter at Saint Mary's. "We have had such wonderful support from both students and faculty. It's great to have people come up to the table to buy a cupcake, and then want to learn more about our mission and our goal for the fundraiser," Brunson said. While some students have joined Brunson with She's the First*{Saint Mary's}, she is hoping that more will help raise awareness as the year progresses. "I would love to see this grow into a powerful force on campus, working to make a difference in girls' education worldwide," Brunson said. "We are hoping to partner with the She's the First chapter at Notre Dame and work to hold a fundraiser together. Also, if we reach our fundraising goal, we could get to know the girl we have sponsored in Uganda and begin to build a relationship with her and see how she is doing in school, which would be so rewarding." As far as the cupcakes go, Brunson knows students will take away more than just a sweet treat after visiting the club's table outside the dining hall. "I hope that students realize how much of an impact they can have, just by buying a cupcake; because what begins with a cupcake ends with a girl in school," Brunson said. "It is so inspiring to know that our actions this week are life-changing." Brunson wants others to remember each cupcake the club sells adds up to opportunity for a girl in the developing world and helps her to achieve her dreams. "We are so lucky to be receiving an outstanding education here at Saint Mary's," Brunson said, "and to give that opportunity of education to other girls around the world is so inspiring and I hope it has inspired the Saint Mary's community as well." Contact Jillian Barwick at jbarwi01@saintmarys.edu

The Observer

Hackett highlights growth

By The Observer · Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

In preparation for meetings of the Advisory Board of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Ken Hackett, former president of Catholic Relief Services, and Ray Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America and 1971 Notre Dame graduate, presented suggestions for how Notre Dame can better contribute to human development worldwide. Hackett said Notre Dame's Catholic faith should ground its international development efforts, especially in light of the Vatican's emphasis on "New Evangelization." "[New Evangelization is] about a new energy towards the revival of faith in the context of today's culture," Hackett said. At a Vatican synod concerning the topic, representatives from the Church around the world presented the issues most threatening to Catholic faith in their areas, such as secularization in North America and Europe and radical Islam and tribal conflicts in Africa, Hackett said. "As Notre Dame strives to evolve an international strategy that embodies the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and that creates linkages with the Church and other institutions, I would suggest that Notre Dame ... has to take into consideration many of these views and realities that the Church has identified as part of the New Evangelization," he said. To do so, Hackett said the Kellogg Institute should devote resources to researching non-traditional approaches to human development as well as to shaping public policy. In addition, the University as a whole should shift focus from many small, disparate programs in scattered regions of the world to a few big projects focused on particular regions. "Bring the whole University behind something and stick to it," Hackett said. "Small projects don't make an impact, and this University has the capability to have a major impact on human development" Hackett said a good example of this strategy is the Notre Dame Haiti Program, which draws on different strengths within Notre Dame to make an impact on a small geographic area. Offenheiser, stressed the complicated nature of human development and said it requires a complex response that reflects its nature, especially in today's world. "In many ways, to simply define what human development is in today's context, I would say perhaps it's about states providing basic public goods to their citizens at scale, in education, health and perhaps environmental services," he said. For Notre Dame to best address the many facets of human development, Offenheiser said the University must pick out its strengths and use them to effect change. He identified some of these strengths as the University's Catholic faith, strong background in human rights and work with corporate responsibility. The University should also tailor its development efforts to empowering governments themselves and enabling communities to thrive on their own, he said. "Good development actually occurs when people own the process, think about, plan and own the process, taking risks as they do it, failing sometimes, but ultimately when they succeed, you get development on a secure course going forward," Offenheiser said. Contact ToriRoeck at vroeck@nd.edu

The Observer

Motivational speaker lectures at Key Bank event

By The Observer · Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

As a motivational speaker, writer and artist Joni Arredia tries to find the best in everyone. "I reflect goodness," she said. "I love finding the best in people, I am a creative that always follows through. I use this gift that God has given me to make the world a better place. That's what I do." Arredia spoke at Saint Mary's on Thursday night for a Key Bank event. "I'm talking about lifestyle balance, " she said. "Key Bank puts this event on for women business owners that are their clients." With all the different ventures she is involved in, Arredia said she understands the importance of lifestyle balance. "All the things that I do ... they feel that I balance life very well," she said. "As an entrepreneur and creative businesswoman how do you keep your connection to yourself, your family and your business ... [with] space in your life to balance." Motivational speaking was not Arredia's first career choice. In 1982, she bought a jazzercise franchise. "I was teaching about 500 students a week," she said. "I really found that people were coming in and wanting to lose weight and get fit but what I found more than anything they were looking for a place that made them feel good." While teaching jazzercise, Arredia also became interested in the nutritional end of fitness. She studied with the 'Fit or Fat' method under Cover Bailey and became a speaker for the program. Then, one day, Arredia decided to speak for herself. "One day I thought I'll just get on that stage and ... speak about what I believe in," she said. "It worked, it worked to the point that I got everyone crying, like 300 people." Arredia realized while she wanted to impact people with her words, but she needed a tutor to hone her speaking and motivating skills. "Words are very, very powerful and you have to be very responsible [with them]," she said. "I took about another year before started speaking to motivate people [again]." Once she began motivational speaking, Arredia said she realized she wanted to be able to offer people something to take home to continue their journey. It was then she decided to become an author. Arredia has since written a newspaper column on the East Coast and has published two books. Along with motivational speaking and writing, Arredia is also a painter and a recent playwright. "I moved to Chicago seven years ago and started to study [acting] ferociously for two years," she said. Arredia said she got interested in theatre because of her involvement in high school and she wanted to work in a team again. Her play, 'Resurfacing', debuted in Chicago in 2011. Even with all she has accomplished in her life, Arredia said her work with Hut Outreach, a Toledo, Ohio-based organization in Haiti has been the "coolest thing in my life, other than my family." "I went to Haiti in January, and when I came home worked furiously on pieces [of artwork] and staged a show in my home," she said. "In one night we raised $20,000 dollars and went back a month later ... to work on some exciting outreach programs." Through her career, Arredia said she has been able to understand people more and realize how to motivate them. "I just love it. It is so much fun," she said.  "It is such a blast to watch light bulbs go off and peoples eyes sparkly. I thank God every day for this gift." Contact Anna Boarini at aboari01@saintmarys.edu

The Observer

Visting fellow delivers 'Last Lecture'

By The Observer · Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

Dr. Andrew Bacevich, a visiting fellow from Boston University, gave his "Last Lecture" Thursday as a series of talks hosted by the Notre Dame Student Government. Their talks highlight a different visiting professor every week. The professor is asked to give his "Last Lecture" where he or she discusses his or her ideas on life and lessons learned throughout it. Bacevich, a professor of International Relations, teaches a seminar course called "Ideas and American Foreign Policy" to students in history, peace studies and political science at Notre Dame. He is a visiting fellow through the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Bacevich's lecture focused on three main themes: vocation, history, and rootedness. He discussed regrets about mistakes he has made in his life in relation to these themes. "This is an invitation to reflect on one's life," Bacevich said, "And it tends to unearth a sense of regret. There are things I would do differently if given the chance to do it all over again." Bacevich said what he had learned about life's vocation in the context of his own upbringing. Raised as a Catholic and sent to Catholic schools until college, he said he heard often of three paths of life. "The nuns taught us that there are three vocations - religious life, marriage or the single life," Bacevich said. "What they did not teach is a broader understanding of vocation - primarily the question 'What am I called to do in my life?'" Bacevich urged all students to address this question earnestly before they leave Notre Dame. "The key to life is to do work that you find fulfilling and satisfying. What the world thinks about that work does not matter," Bacevich said. "Deciding on your calling is your business and no one else's." Bacevich then discussed his second theme, history. He urged all students, regardless of whether or not they are a history major, to use their time at Notre Dame "to think about the past and illuminate the present." Another point he made about history had to do with dealing with the past. "The best thing we can do as human beings with history is cope with it," Bacevich said. Bacevich said he moved from place to place, never staying rooted, and said only when he began working at Boston University as a professor did he finally establish roots. " "Being a part of a community is what makes us human," Bacevich said. "I really wish I had discovered that earlier." Bacevich left the students with a final piece of advice. "I encourage you to go have an adventure or two, but when you are finished, go back home, wherever it is, and put down some roots. It's important to belong someplace," he said. "Regret is not the theme of my existence. ... I have had many blessings, including being here at the University of Notre Dame." Contact Katie McCarty at kmccar16@nd.edu

The Observer

Politican discusses Ireland's global economy

By The Observer · Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

Those who picture Ireland in terms of sheep and rolling green landscapes may be shocked to learn the nation is far more than just a leader in agricultural exports: it is a business hub drawing major financial, technology and pharmaceutical corporations from around the globe. In her lecture Thursday titled, "An Irish Perspective: Doing Business in a Global Economy," Irish politician and legislator Mary Hanafin detailed Ireland's successful integration into today's highly interconnected global economy. Hanafin attributed Ireland's increased global economic integration in large part to the recent decline in sectarian violence and conflict between the Northern and Southern regions of the country. She said Ireland's transformation into a "nation at peace," a nation emphasizing friendship and cooperation rather than strife, has helped redefine negative perceptions of the country, improving not only the lives of citizens but the health of the economy. "During those early 70s years, when you said to people, particularly people who didn't speak English, that you were from Ireland, they would say 'boom boom,' and they didn't mean an economic boom," Hanafin said. "They meant fighting and bombs and killing." Hanafin said taking a stroll through Dublin, the capital city, will reveal to any visitor the nation's leading role in international business. She said Dublin has become a major center for the communications industry, attracting corporate giants such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google. Hanafin said Ireland's educational system has played a large part in attracting foreign business and investment by fostering a highly creative, technically skilled young worker population. "It is the quality and the availability of skilled people that make Ireland attractive and special," Hanafin said. Ireland's membership in the European Union, as well its low corporate tax rate of 12.5 percent, also boosts its appeal among corporations seeking high rates of return on their investments, Hanafin said. She said evidence of this can been seen in the large sums of money invested in Ireland internationally. "The USA invests more dollars in Ireland than it does in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa combined, and we're only a little country of 4.5 million people," Hanafin said. "But we're also a country that takes our business, and our business with the world, very seriously." Hanafin said Irish companies continue to think globally, providing everything from airport biometric screening in Japan to a communications system that currently directs roughly 50 percent of mobile phone traffic in the United States. Hanafin was most struck by the extent of this global economic integration upon visiting a children's school in the United Arab Emirates. She said watching students use Irish software to learn the Quran was "globalization at its best." Looking forward, Hanafin said Ireland will continue to foster cooperative economic ties with nations around the world, sharing its distinct culture and heritage while learning to appreciate the cultures of other peoples. "It is about respecting not only own our culture, but the culture of the countries with who we do business," Hanafin said. "It's about appreciating the importance of dialogue, and friendship, and peace as a small, neutral nation in a very troubled world." Contact Dan Brombach at dbrombac@nd.edu  

The Observer

Alumni serve in Washington

By The Observer · Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

With five alumni gaining or holding seats in Congress following last week's election, the University's ties to national politics are more prominent than ever. Rep. Joe Donnelly's election to the U.S. Senate, Keith Rothfus's win for a seat in the House of Representatives and the re-elections of Peter Visclosky, Peter King and Michael Kelly to the House offer strong avenues for advocating the University's interests on Capitol Hill said John Sturm, associate vice president for Federal and Washington Relations. Sturm, a 1969 Notre Dame graduate, was appointed to the newly-formed position on June 1. He's been tasked with communicating the University's views to federal officials, including the aforementioned alumni. He said the degree to which the University works with alumni in Washington depends on the committees they sit on. "We don't know what committees [Donnelly] is going to serve on," he said. "That has some effect on what he does and how he might interface with the University." Regardless of where Donnelly ends up, Sturm is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with the 1977 alumnus. "Not only is he a Notre Dame alum, but he comes from South Bend. He lives locally and his wife works at the University," he said. "That's about as good a relationship as one can expect, and frankly, Joe Donnelly is a very easy person to be around." Sturm said future committee placement is clearer for Rep. Visclosky, a 1973 graduate of the Law School returning for his 15th term in the House. "He's been on the Appropriations Committee for ages. I think he's likely to become the ranking member of the [defense] subcommittee ... that's a pretty big deal," Sturm said. "Congressman Visclosky has been a terrific friend of Notre Dame. He recently visited campus and we were able to show him a few facilities where his help has brought fruit for Notre Dame." Given the limits on committee chair tenures, Rep. King's committee assignment is unclear following his re-election, Sturm said. "Pete King has been chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in the House ... We don't know yet, but we should know fairly soon whether he's going to move to another committee as chairman or if he's going to get a waiver to continue on homeland security." While the University has little at stake within the area of homeland security, King's high profile has done much for the Notre Dame brand in Washington, Sturm said. "King has been pretty prominent when major things happen around the world or domestically," Sturm said. "He's been on radio, television and newspapers a lot ... We're waiting to see what happens with him." As for the remaining alumni in Congress, Sturm said the formal interactions with the University have been minimal so far. "Mike Kelly, I think he's been on foreign affairs. We haven't had much to do with Congressman Kelly as of yet. Committee assignments mean a lot," he said. "Keith Rothfus [hasn't had] any committee assignments yet. We're not really sure where he wants to go." Regardless of whether their area of policy focus is directly relevant to the University, Sturm said each elected alumnus benefits Notre Dame. "The more the merrier. When members are Notre Dame alums ... for example, they can have an effect - especially if they're the chairman or ranking member on a committee - on witnesses brought into a hearing," he said. "To have witnesses in front of Congress to provide information for policy makers, they get quoted in the press or appear on TV, all that contributes to the overall image and success of the University." Sturm said the alumni voted into office last week aren't the only ones on Capitol Hill building the Notre Dame alumni presence. "There's also a strong, great group of Notre Dame alumni, parents and friends who make their living around the federal government - lawyers, lobbyists, trade association folks, journalists, defense contractors - who interact one way or another with the federal government or whose businesses depend on the federal government," he said. "For them to be successful and prominent is another way the University's image goes north, and they're a resource for Notre Dame." While their relationship with the University doesn't affect the voting or policy stances of Notre Dame alumni in office, Sturm said the affiliation allows for smoother communications. "It just is a lot easier. You have faster and easier access and there's familiarity with the alums. I make it my business to get around and see them," he said. "That extends to the Indiana delegation as well." Regardless of where officials were educated, Sturm said the University's reputation carries weight in Washington. "Representing the University of Notre Dame, I don't think there are too many people who haven't heard of us. It's a great brand. Other than some of the Ivies ... we're in that league, generally speaking," he said. "Partly because of our Catholic significance and because of our reputation as a great undergraduate school that produces people who are not only successful, but seem to be successful by doing things the right way." Contact John Cameron at jcamero2@nd.edu

The Observer

Students study, research abroad in Cambridge

By The Observer · Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012

Graduate students in the Italian program in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures have the opportunity to work with leading academics at the University of Cambridge. ZygmuntBaranski, Emeritus Serena Professor of Italian at the University of Cambridge, joined the Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters faculty in 2011 as its first Notre Dame Professor of Dante and Italian studies. "The Italian sections are relatively small and this partnership with Cambridge ensures that students have contact with a broader range of professors, libraries and resources," Baranski said. Every year, one Notre Dame student goes to Cambridge and one Cambridge student comes to Notre Dame for a semester. This program is aimed exclusively for PhD students who are already writing a thesis in Italian. They will have an advisor who will help them with their research and they will maintain a link once they have gone back to their host institution, Baranski said. Damiano Benvegnu, a current Ph.D. candidate in the interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Literature Program at the University of Notre Dame. He was the first Notre Dame graduate student to participate in the exchange. His dissertation research, "Primo Levi and the Question of the Animal," investigates the animal imagery in the work of the Jewish-Italian writer Primo Levi, focusing on how his literature operates when the human/animal divide is at stake. He will defend his dissertation in May 2013. "In this research I compare what has been considered the hyper-humanistic literary production of Primo Levi with the post-humanistic trend in contemporary philosophy," Benvegnu said. "This comparison helps us to rethink not simply Levi's literature and his Holocaust testimony, but also both the ethical and epistemological complexity of the human/animal divide(s) and the crisis of traditional humanism in the second half of the twentieth century." Benvegnu spent the 2011 Michaelmas Term (September to December) at Cambridge and was part of Trinity Hall College. "I had the opportunity to work at the fantastic University Library there and to have almost weekly meetings with Professor Robert Gordon, head of Department of Italian at the University of Cambridge, and one of most prominent scholars in modern Italian literature," Benvegu said. "The opportunity to work with him not only was incredibly enjoyable and stimulating, but helped me to better frame my own research and ideas." Beatrice Priest, a Cambridge student, came to Notre Dame last year. "I learned a great deal from the graduate research seminars, made extensive use of the libraries, including the special Dante collections, and had many stimulating discussions with professors, post-docs, and other graduate students about Dante, the Middle Ages, and beyond," Priest said. "Additionally, the opportunity to teach American undergraduates Italian language was tremendously rewarding. I would thoroughly recommend the exchange program to anyone thinking of participating in it." Baranski stressed the importance of international partnerships. "I believe that in academia there is a need to have international ties," he said. "Since there is a limited number of faculty, we need to teach students the importance of collaboration so that there remains a healthy and proper exchange of ideas." Contact Charitha Isanaka at cisanaka@nd.edu

The Observer

Lecture explores Church teachings

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012

As a part of the "Theology on Fire" series, Saint Mary's welcomed Phillip M. Sutton, an associate member of the Catholic Medical Association, to speak at the lecture "The Church and Same-Sex Attraction" on Tuesday night in the Student Center lounge. Sutton is a 1973 graduate of the University of Notre Dame.

The Observer

SMC reflects on successful panel

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012

Saint Mary's faculty and students reflected on last summer's Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Women's Leadership for international undergraduate women during an informational panel Wednesday evening in the Warner Conference Room of the Student Center.

The Observer

Graduate student passes away

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012

A first-year master's degree student passed away unexpectedly at his off-campus residence, where he was found early Tuesday morning, according to a University press release.

The Observer

Celebrating Catholic faith

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012

In an apostolic letter titled "PortaFidei," Pope Benedict XVI declared the year following Oct. 11, 2012, as a "Year of Faith." The date marks the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the new Catechism.

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