Observer the
The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Volume 45 : Issue 35
Monday, october 11, 2010
ndsmcobserver.com
Researchers counter autism with technology Staff and students work with children, robots at Notre Dame Center for Families and Children By NICOLE TOCZAUER News Writer
She can cheer a touchdown, dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and play “Simon Says,” but she doesn’t have a heartbeat. Meet one of the most recent additions to the Psychology Department’s family, Kelly the robot. With two robots named Brian and Kelly, professors are running an innovative study on autism therapy in the Notre Dame Center for Families and Children. In what is affectionately known as the Robot Autism Project, professors Joshua Diehl, Charles Crowell and M i c h a e l Vi l l a n o u s e t h e s e
interactive humanoid robots to improve therapy for children with autism. This is an extremely prevalent issue, Diehl said, approximating one person in every 100 people has autism. “ We k n o w a l i t t l e a b o u t what causes autism, and t h e r e ’s a l o t o f f o c u s o n understanding it,” he said. “But there’s little focus on how we can effectively help the children by improving the therapies out there.” This study is shifting that f o c u s t o w a r d t e c h n o l o g y, Crowell said. He and Villano recognized their opportunity when they saw Aldebran Robotics demonstrating the Nao model robot at a confer-
NICOLE TOCZAUER/The Observer
see ROBOTS/page 4
Professors Joshua Diehl and Michael Villano prepare Kelly the robot for a therapy session Thursday at the Notre Dame Center for Families and Children. The group works with autistic children.
Foreign RAs visit for inspiration ND police By TESS CIVANTOS News Writer
When a Catholic university in Mexico decided to start a residential dorm program for its students five years ago — the first such program in a country where most students live at home during college — the university needed an established example of Catholic residential living to
learn from. Enter Notre Dame, which partnered with the University of Monterrey to host three of its resident assistants (RAs) and an administrator from Wednesday to Sunday, giving them a chance to engage in dorm life and plan ways to bring the Notre Dame spirit back to Monterrey. “The people here were very welcoming and amiable,” said Hector Campbell, a junior at the
University of Monterrey. “We learned a lot of things to incorporate little by little. We hope to strengthen our relationship with the university so our residents are inspired by this.” As they learned about residential life at a Catholic university, the Monterrey visitors packed plenty of activities into their fiveday visit, including meetings with Office of Residential Life and Housing, Student Affairs, Campus
Morris Inn evacuated; buildings lose power
Ministry and the rectors of the newest dorms, said Erika Garza, Student Life coordinator at the University of Monterrey. Meals were also a chance for the group to learn about life at Notre Dame. “We had activities all day and Notre Dame RAs have been with us for all our meals, so we can ask them about what they do,”
SMC dual degree program grows By MEGAN LONEY News Writer
The Morris Inn was evacuated early Saturday morning after people smelled smoke. Read the full story on page 3.
The enrollment in c ollege engineering programs around the nation has reached its highest level in 30 years, according to the American Association of Engineering Education, and Saint Mary’s College is no exception. The Engineering Dual Degree Program at Saint Mary’s has grown since its establishment in 1977.
INSIDE
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DAN JACOBS/The Observer
TODAY’S PAPER
Monster Dash raises funds page 3
see GUESTS/page 4
Four students completed the program within a period of 13 years between 1993 and 2006, but most recently, in the three-year period from 2007 to 2010, three students completed the prog r a m , D r. To n i B a r s t i s , S a i n t M a r y ’s C h e m i s t r y professor and engineering program director, said. Currently, there are six fifth-year students finishing the program at Notre Dame and 25 second
OK Go rocks campus page 10
see ENGINEER/page 6
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apprehends b u rg l a r s Observer Staff Report
Notre Dame Security Police (NDSP) apprehended two juveniles Thursday night after finding a stolen computer in their possession, said Dave Chapman, assistant director for NDSP. After several thefts recently occurred in dorms, NDSP officers had been looking for the suspects. “One of our officers saw two subjects who fit the description of the people we were looking for,” Chapman said. In checking the suspects’ backpacks, officers found a stolen computer. The owner of the computer, who lives in Zahm Hall, was filing a report at the same time, Chapman said. “Obviously, the theft just occurred right before we stopped them,” he said. “It was a heck of a job by the officers.” Chapman said the two juveniles were not necessary involved in the other incidents and NDSP will continue investigations into previous thefts. Chapman asked students to contact NDSP and report anything they witness that seems out of the ordinary. “I encourage students to call us if they see any suspicious activity,” he said.
Women’s soccer wins page 20
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Viewpoint page 8