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Volume 51, Issue 84 | friday, february 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Blais, Shewit elected president, VP Sanctions against Fonseca-Narimatsu inconsequential as winners prevail with majority of all votes cast By MEGAN VALLEY Associate News Editor
Judicial Council announced the results of the campaign for student government at 1:50 a.m. Friday in an email sent to the student body. Juniors Becca Blais and Sibonay Shewit will take office as student body president and vice president April 1. Blais and Shewit were up against one other ticket, juniors Rohit Fonseca and Daniela Narimatsu. “We’re incredibly honored to have this opportunity to serve the student body,” Blais said. “We’re here to listen to every voice and amplify those voices. We would like to commend Rohit, Daniela and [campaign manager Madi Purrenhage] on an incredible campaign. It was an honor to run with friends.”
The Election Committee of the Judicial Council announced at 1 a.m. Friday in a press release that the Fonseca-Narimatsu ticket for the student government election was required to forfeit 5 percent of the votes cast for the candidates’ ticket, a reduction from the original 7 percent forfeiture that was announced in a press release Wednesday. According to Friday’s release, Fonseca and Narimatsu were found to be “in violation of Subsection 17.2(e) of the Student Union Constitution” during their campaign. “Receipts for all election materials purchased or donated must be presented to the Election Committee prior to any use of the materials,” the section reads. “All receipts
EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
see ELECTION PAGE 4
Juniors Becca Blais, left, and Sibonay Shewit speak at the student body president debate Monday at Carey Auditorium. Students voted Wednesday, electing Blais the next president and Shewit the next vice president.
Students protest refugee ban
SMC Chinese night to explore culture, traditions By GINA TWARDOSZ News Writer
Saint Mar y’s eighth annual China Night w ill take place in Moreau Center’s Little Theatre on Saturday. A lice Siqin Yang, associate director of international education, said China Night w ill feature
Photo courtesy of Daniela Cabada
Students hold signs at Fieldhouse Mall on Thursday afternoon in protest of President Trump’s recent executive order on immigration. By MARIE FAZIO News Writer
Students, faculty and South Bend community members braved the 20-degree weather and gathered at Fieldhouse Mall in a peaceful protest against President Trump’s executive order that is attempting to temporarily ban the entry into the
U.S. of nationals of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Libya for 90 days. Carrying signs that read “no human being is illegal” and chanting, “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here,” a group of around 20 students, faculty and staff marched see PROTEST PAGE 4
Scene PAGE 5
a variet y of performances centered around Chinese culture, presented by both Saint Mar y’s international exchange students and local Chinese communit y members. “In addition to our Chinese international students, we have some communit y [dance groups]
— children from six to 20 [years old] w ill come to perform from the local Chinese communit y,” Yang said. A lthough this is China Night’s eighth consecutive year, Yang said China Night has a long history at Saint Mary’s. see CHINA PAGE 3
Squad to raise funds for breast cancer research By COURTNEY BECKER News Writer
The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is partnering with RecSports to raise money and awareness for breast cancer by hosting the Pink Zone Fitness Party at Rolfs Sports Center on Friday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Viewpoint PAGE 6
The Fitness Party format is an adjustment from the Pink Zone Spin-a-Thon that RecSports has hosted in the past. Fitness and instructional program coordinator for RecSports Tabbitha Ashford said this change came about in response to a desire to make the event more accessible for everyone. “This year, it’ll be five hours
Men’s Basketball PAGE 12
on Friday evening, with each hour being a different fitness class ranging from Zumba to yoga to boot camp — something for everybody, hopefully,” she said. “I think it was just kind of going back to the basics of what we offer through our regular programming, and seeing see PINK PAGE 3
ND W Basketball PAGE 12