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Volume 46, Issue 11 | Tuesday, september 4, 2012| ndsmcobserver.com
International students adjust to life at Notre Dame American college life offers new experiences, challenges By NICOLE MICHELS News Writer
For most Notre Dame students, leaving home for college means adjusting to independent living, a Midwestern twang and colder weather. For about 900 international students, however, the transition is far more abrupt. Freshman Rena Multaputri said the close-knit community at Notre Dame made leaving Indonesia more manageable. “I went to a Mass in the Basilica on my first day here at Notre Dame and I saw people hugging each other during mass and singing the Alma Mater proudly at the end of it,”
New major launches By CHARITHA ISANAKA News Writer
Students hoping to combine language skills, cultural knowledge and economic know-how can now pursue a major in International Economics, a joint offering from the departments of Economics and Romance Languages and Literatures. In a University press release, Department of Economics Chair Richard Jensen said the new major is suited for students hoping to make themselves more marketable to employers at home and abroad. “This program will be an attractive option for ambitious, sophisticated and savvy Notre Dame undergraduates seeking to prepare themselves for successful international careers,” he said. Professor Theodore Cachey, chair of the Department of see MAJOR PAGE 4
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Multaputri said. “It opened my eyes to the tight community that the University has to offer, and I am grateful to be a part of it.” Multaputri said she had always had a desire to study away from home. “I had always known I was going to pursue my education somewhere else outside Indonesia because my family had always put importance on education for both me and my sister,” Multaputri said. “After I got my acceptance letter, I tried to find more information about Notre Dame and the other schools that I got accepted into ... the more that I knew about Notre Dame, the stronger my
desire to come here.” Though she plans on working in the U.S. immediately after graduation, Multaputri said she plans on eventually ending up back in Indonesia. “I have never put much thought on what I am going to do after I graduate, but most probably I will stay for a few years to find some working experience and then go back to Indonesia after that,” Multaputri said. Sophomore Pedro Suarez, originally from Brazil, said his greatest challenge was adjusting to American food. “It’s a cultural thing. We’d sit down for long dinners and long lunches,” he said. “I eat
Photo courtesy of Laura Derth
International upperclassmen pose as they prepare to welcome freshmen arriving from abroad in August.
really slowly because at home I’m used to meals being events that bring people together, but here it’s so different: people just eat fast, whenever it’s
convenient.” Suarez said though he loves the community at Notre Dame, see STUDENTS PAGE 4
Farley revives calendar fundraiser By ANNA BOARINI News Writer
A lt houg h Not re Da me ha s no shor tage of longheld t rad it ions, Fa rley Ha l l i ntends on renewi ng one long forgot ten. Fa rley ’s Fi nest a re br i ngi ng back t he Men of ND ca lenda r, a for mer ha l l f u nd ra iser, to benef it t he Sex Of fense Ser v ices Rape Cr isis Center of St. Joseph
Cou nt y. Kelsie Cor r iston, Fa rley Ha l l secreta r y, sa id t he idea to rei nst it ute t he ca lenda r ca me f rom for mer rector Sr. Ca r r i ne Et her idge i n 2011, a lt houg h orga n i zers were g iven few deta i ls. “We d id n’t have a ny old copies or i n for mat ion to go on i n it ia l ly, so we reva mped it ou rselves,” she sa id. “It ’s been a n awesome lea r n i ng process.”
T he sea rch for st udentmodels wa s a n ex tensive process, Cor r iston sa id. “We t r ied to get t he word out a s much a s possible,” she sa id. “We created a Facebook event, ema i led clubs, ta l ked to ha l l cou nci ls a nd w rote a let ter to T he Obser ver.” St udent s eit her appl ied t hem selves or were nom inated by f r iends, Cor r iston sa id. A f ter rev iew i ng t he
subm issions, 20 men were broug ht i n for i nter v iew s. “We chose st udent s ba sed on t hei r i nvolvement on ca mpus a nd t he u n iqueness of t hei r stor ies,” she sa id. “We t r ied ou r best to represent t he d iversit y of Not re Da me g iven ou r appl ica nt pool.” Cor r iston a nd her co-orga n i zers used t he see CALENDAR PAGE 3
Volunteer group cultivates literacy By CHRISTIAN MYERS News Writer
Tea mwork for Tomor row, a st udent-led volu nteer g roup, hopes to ma ke a n i mpact on Sout h Bend ch i ld ren w it h it s new yout h mentorsh ip a nd read i ng a ssista nce prog ra m. Club president Em i ly Sch ra n k sa id t he g roup of fers t utor i ng to loca l ch i ld ren st r ug g l i ng w it h read i ng comprehension. “We’re d i f ferent f rom ot her t utor i ng prog ra ms i n t hat we don’t help k ids w it h t hei r homework,” she
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sa id. “We’re foc used on helpi ng k ids i mprove t hei r read i ng prof icienc y a nd get to w here t hey shou ld be.” Sch ra n k, a member of t he club si nce her f reshma n yea r, sa id Tea mwork for Tomor row ha s become a n i mpor ta nt piece of her t i me at Not re Da me. “It ’s been a rea l ly g reat way to brea k out of t he Not re Da me bubble a nd see w hat is goi ng on i n Sout h Bend,” she sa id. “G et t i ng to k now t hese see MENTORS PAGE 3
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SUZANNA PRATT | The Observer
Women’s Soccer PAGE 16