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Volume 54, Issue 95 | Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND to set differentiation policy Buttigieg University administrators release preview of updates to Hall Presidents Council endorses Biden
Observer Staff Report
During the last Hall Presidents Council (HPC) meeting, associate vice president of Residential Life Heather Rakoczy Russell walked hall presidents and vice presidents through an early draft of the on-off campus differentiation policy which is expected to come into effect in the fall of 2021, hall presidents said. Last April, the Division of Student Affairs announced a list of proposed residential life updates created to incentivize Notre Dame students to remain on campus for their senior year. While the enhancements offered monetary incentives for on-campus seniors in addition
to residential benefits for all student, the effort to differentiate on- and off-campus experiences drew widespread criticism across campus, resulting in a petition with 5,000 signatures and a protest outside the Main Building last spring. The original policy proposed that offcampus seniors would no longer be able to attend their former dorm’s dances without being invited by a current resident or participate in interhall sports. According to a handout obtained by The Observer from multiple sources — which members of the HPC received during the meeting — the new policy aims to “provide for greater consistency across hall
communities and to facilitate a clearer differentiation between the experience of those who live in a resident hall an those who have moved into the local community.” The outline Rakoczy Russell gave to members of HPC may be subject to changes before Residential Life releases the final plans, hall presidents said, but the expected policy will give current residents priority in all hall events and activities. While former residents may attend any events open to the entire campus, they may only come to hall events as a guest of a current resident and can only act as active participants in dorm events “by way of
exception.” In order to grant these exceptions, off-campus students must contact their former rectors who will consult with their rector supervisor to determine whether an exception can be made, according to the handout. In regards to interhall sports teams, priority will be given to on-campus residents before off-campus members can join, which will be overseen by hall athletic commissioners and rectors. Two rosters will be used for on- and off-campus students, the handout outlined, with the latter roster used only when there is extra space on-campus see POLICIES PAGE 4
Observer Staff Report
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden before a rally in Dallas on Monday night. Buttigieg ended his bid for the presidency Sunday. “When I ran for president, we made it clear that the entire idea was about rallying the country together to defeat Donald Trump and to win the era for the values that we share,” Buttigieg said in his see BUTTIGIEG PAGE 3
Holy Cross Hall to host first LEGO Club community talent show provides creative outlet, challenge
By GINA TWARDOSZ News Writer
On March 16, the students of Holy Cross Hall will gather for one night only to perform in a hilarious spectacle of wonder, amazement and talent. The first annual Holy Cross talent show will begin at 8 p.m. and feature acts from underclassmen and upperclassmen. Ally Strasen, Holy Cross Hall director, said the talent show allows students to come
together in a fun and unique way. “It gives students an opportunity to showcase their talents but it’s also a chance to do something fun and goofy with your friends and get involved with the residence hall community,” she said. Ministry assistant (MA) for Holy Cross, senior Nicole Popow, and senior resident advisor (RA) Anastasia Hite will be performing a dramatic reading of the vampire
romance novel “Twilight.” Popow said the idea was born out of Hite’s love of the series and their desire to encourage students to participate in the talent show, even if they have “less than traditional talents.” “[Hite] is obsessed with ‘Twilight’ and I have a love/hate relationship with it,” Popow said. “I’m Team Edward.” Hite said that she has only recently rediscoveredherloveofthe
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Theology professor to join pontifical commission By ISABELLA VOLMERT News Writer
In 2017, theology professor Gabriel Reynolds was one of 15 academics who was invited to work with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) in preparation for Pope Francis’s historic visit to Cairo, Egypt. Now, three years later,
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Reynolds has been officially invited by Francis and head of the PCID, Cardinal Miguel Ayuso, to serve as consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims. Reynolds said the invitation to head a committee within the PCID came out the blue and he responded to his appointment with a sense of humility.
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“There are many other more distinguished and qualified theologians whom they could have chosen,” he said with a smile. Reynolds has taught at Notre Dame since 2003, and he specializes in the study of Islam, especially its scripture — the Qur’an. see VATICAN PAGE 4
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Photo courtesy of Colleen O’Leary
Notre Dame’s LEGO Club hosted a theme park building day with South Bend children in Duncan Student Center this weekend. By ANNA HURT News Writer
When the LEGO Club at Notre Dame talks about building community, they mean it literally. With over 35,000 plastic bricks and a group of students passionate about constructing sculptures of all shapes and sizes, the club allows for students to combine
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creativity with engineering and architectural skills. Junior Colleen O’Leary discovered the LEGO Club at Notre Dame during the activities fair her freshman year. “During the club fair, I saw a video of some students building a mural of the Notre Dame leprechaun,” O’Leary see LEGO PAGE 4
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