news

OIT showcases technology

By The Observer · Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

Notre Dame's Office of Information Technology (OIT) hosted the Mobile Summit, an event designed to showcase the University's technological capabilities, gain student and faculty perspectives and inform people on the expanding use of technology on campus Wednesday. The event, which took place in the Eck Hall of Law, featured panels, addresses from students and faculty and seminars about mobile technology on campus, according to the event's website.

Political scientist discusses 'How Rebels Rule'

By The Observer · Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

Jennifer Keister, who earned her Ph.D in political science at the University of California, San Diego in 2011, visited the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and delivered a lecture concerning Thursday rebels and their coercion techniques. She presented her dissertation, "States within States: How Rebels Rule," which is now being turned into a book manuscript.

ND hosts regional debate

By The Observer · Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

Notre Dame will host the first regional tournament in the Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Debate Series on Saturday. The debate series, sponsored by The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, will feature high school students from across the nation.

Saint Mary's student earns Gates scholarship

By The Observer · Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

Saint Mary's freshman Clarisa Medina stands at 4-foot-11 but her short stature does not hinder her plans for a big future. "There's not a doubt in my mind that I'm going to be successful," she said. In May 2012, Medina found out she was accepted to become a Gates Millennium Scholar. Of the 26,000 high school seniors who applied for the distinguished scholarship, she was one of the lucky 1,000. "Students apply annually from all U.S. territories and states." Medina said. "The program is more prestigious than any university's admission process, including Harvard." Medina applied online in December 2011 and wrote nine essays discussing community service, activities she engaged in during her weekends and summers and the type of courses she had taken to prepare herself for college. "We also had to write about things that have happened in our lives that we had to overcome to get to the point where we want to be, she said. "There are three rounds and in the final round they determine if you can become a Gates Scholar based off of socio-economic need. If you are chosen you get up to 10 years of education at any university of our choice." Medina is the first Gates Millennium Scholar to enroll at Saint Mary's College. The financial aid office had never heard of the scholarship before Medina. Medina was first introduced to Saint Mary's through her sister and current sophomore, Cecily Medina. "She loved it so much here and she strongly encouraged me to come," Medina said. "When I came to visit I liked the classroom size, it was very appealing to me. I feel as if I have so many opportunities here. I get to double major and go abroad. It's the ideal place to master the basics and go on to a higher level of education, perhaps a PhD." Medina, a double major in global studies and political science intends to minor in justice education and Spanish as well as earn her MBA from Notre Dame during her last year of college. Medina finds another advantage of Saint Mary's is her ability to participate in two different sports. "I run cross country and play softball here," she said. "It's a great stress reliever for me and my team provides me with an additional support system." The second of eight children, Medina relies on her sports family to help her transition from her home environment. "It is really difficult coming from a Hispanic family because we are very close knit and dependent on each other," she said. "It's so loud at home and here everything has been pretty quiet. I know I just have to remind myself to sacrificed that for a reason and that reason was to get an education and to have an opportunity that my parents never had." "I am very proud of [Clarisa]," Cecily Medina said. "When she won the scholarship it wasn't just her winning, it was our entire family winning." Despite engaging in an enriched athletic and academic life, Medina has not forgotten her background in service. "I plan to open a camp here that I created back home," Medina said. "It's called Run the World and I believe that it is the reason why I got the Gates Scholarship." Contact Rebecca O'Neil at roneil01@saintmarys.edu

Belle competes on "The Voice"

By The Observer · Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

One Saint Mary's student is finally living her dream of becoming a professional singer. Sophomore Sylvia Yacoub, from Muskegon, Mich., was featured this week on "The Voice", a reality show for aspiring singers to compete and be coached by some of the music industry's biggest names. Yacoub, who spent last year at the College, is currently taking a year away from school to compete on the show and further her career as a singer. Yacoub's audition in front of coaches Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, Blake Shelton and Christina Aguilera aired on Tuesday night on NBC. Even though she only aired during this week's auditions, Yacoub already has a huge fan base at home. "My hometown has been amazing. The support is so humbling to see that just me appearing on 'The Voice' has touched so many lives and inspired so many people to go after their dreams," Yacoub said in a conference call. "Seeing someone from their town and school has really touched so many people in my town. It really means a lot to me." When a competitor auditions, the coaches have their chairs turned with their back toward the singer for a blind audition. During Yacoub's performance, Shelton, Green and Aguilera all turned their chairs in hopes of gaining her on their teams. In the end, however, Yacoub picked Aguilera as her coach. "I grew up listening to Christina a lot. She has been such a huge musical influence for me," Yacoub said. "I tried not to be biased and I listened to all the arguments [of the coaches]. When dealing with nerves and music, I think she can help me the best with where I want to go as far as pop music. "It was probably one of the most exciting and tranquilizing moments of my life. I was so nervous to sing in front of her and when I realized she had turned around; it's crazy that your idol your whole life had heard something in me." As for self-promotion for the show, Yacoub has utilized social media to help her connect with her fans back home and at school. "It's really cool to be able to get feedback from fans and see how many people you've actually reached and touched and have been inspired by you," Yacoub said. "It's really cool especially when you're not airing yet." While Yacoub had to wait until after her audition aired on NBC to share that she was Team Christina, she was still able to update her fans on when she would finally grace the television. "It's really cool to keep in touch with them and keep them engaged," Yacoub said. "Then they kind of feel more involved and hopefully they feel more connected with the audience, which is cool about 'The Voice.'" Before Yacoub made it onto the next round of the show, she had auditioned for other reality shows a couple of years ago. "I wasn't really doing them for right reasons two years ago," Yacoub said. "I have a lot more maturity and my voice has grown since then. I am at the right place mentally and vocally and it felt right going into everything now." Yacoub said she is really excited to have this experience with "The Voice" and hopes it will continue so she may meet her end goal of becoming a professional singer. "I honestly don't think I would have had this experience two years ago," she said. "This is such an amazing experience and I can't believe I am here now." "The Voice" airs on Mondays and Tuesday's on NBC at 8 p.m. Contact Jillian Barwick at jbarwi01@saintmarys.edu

U.S. News & World Report ranks SMC

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012

For the fourth year in a row, U.S. News and World Report ranked Saint Mary's College among the top-100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges. The College came in at No. 87, up from No. 90 last year. This year marks the fourth year in a row the College's position has moved higher in the U.S. News and World Report rankings.

ND lights up Ugandan towns

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012

Notre Dame's Initiative for Global Development (IGD) is teaming up with Accenture, a global management consulting company, to provide electricity to rural communities in northern Uganda in hopes of giving them the ability to start their own enterprises.

Students support local dentist's charity

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012

Several St. Mary's and Notre Dame students volunteered their time Saturday during Mahoney Family Dentistry's second annual "Dentistry from the Heart" event, providing 297 people in the South Bend community with free dental care. Close to 200 people camped out the night before to ensure a spot for the 6 a.m. registration.

Seniors seek opportunities to serve

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012

For seniors networking with representatives from national and international service programs Wednesday night at the Post-Graduate Service Fair, volunteer work after graduation can be more than a "year off."

Faculty support LGBTQ individuals

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012

Nearly 400 University faculty and staff called upon the administration to add protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) persons to its non-discrimination policy in a full-page ad in Tuesday's issue of The Observer.

Irish explore social entrepreneurship

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012

The Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Fellow Irish Social Hub (FISH) will host the inaugural Irish Impact Social Entrepreneurship Conference today and tomorrow in the Mendoza College of Business.