The independent
To uncover
newspaper serving
the truth
Notre Dame and
and report
Saint Mary’s
it accurately
Volume 52, Issue 58 | monday, december 4, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
University to feature Idea Week Notre Dame makes plans to collaborate, innovate with local community By TOM NAATZ News Writer
The University announced Friday that it will host Idea Week in partnership with the city of South Bend, the city of Elkhart and other local community groups starting April 21, 2018. The week is designed to showcase innovation and entrepreneurship in the South Bend area and will involve entrepreneurship events, a concert at the Purcell Pavilion, a performance by a “major comedian” and a TEDx event. Several high-profile community officials from the see IDEA PAGE 4
Observer Staff Report
TOM NAATZ | The Observer
South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg announces Idea Week at a press conference Friday at South Bend’s Studebaker Building. The week, to be held in April of 2018, will focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Saint Mary’s hosts mother-daughter retreat By MARIA LEONTARAS News Writer
Saint Mary’s hosted a motherdaughter retreat, which allowed ten mother and daughter pairs to spend time together while discussing their relationship and vocations, over the weekend. The students were from all around the country and ranged from sophomores to seniors in high school. Professor of communications Susan Baxter said she planned the event because she would have wanted something like it when her daughter was preparing to leave home for college. “I thought, the one thing I would have loved to have done with my daughter before she went to college was get some time with her one on one, to talk about what interested her and her life trajectory,” Baxter said. Baxter said she and her colleagues had been working with undecided students before the conception of the mother-daughter retreat. “The term undecided has connotations of ‘aimless,’ which is not what undecided students are,” she said. “They’re exploring. What we thought was, wouldn’t it be cool to get mothers and daughters
News PAGE 3
Former SMC leader dies
together for a weekend in a setting where the daughters could watch how their mothers’ vocations are still developing? ” Baxter said she planned the time around December’s annual Madrigal dinners. “We thought [the Madrigal dinners are] one of the most beautiful things Saint Mary’s does, and it would be so great to have [the retreat] the first Sunday of Advent when [the Madrigal dinners are], so mothers and daughters could … stop and take a second before things get crazy with the holidays,” she said. Baxter said the event began Friday with an event called “Pizza with the Provost,” which included ice breakers, an introduction to the idea of vocation and a visit from President Jan Cervelli. Saturday featured a discussion on talents with director of Career Crossings Stacie Jeffirs and Carrie Lonier, a 1978 alumna who is now the director of the career center at the Art Institute of Chicago. Baxter said professor of music Nancy Menk and Madrigal singers talked to mothers and daughters over lunch. On Saturday, several professors held panels to discuss their vocations with the mothers
SCENE PAGE 5
and daughters, Baxter said. Professor of social work Frances Kominkiewicz said in an email she had many mentors in her life who encouraged her vocation, so she wanted to do the same at the retreat. “I was so fortunate to have many mentors in my life who guided me to find my passion and then helped me to connect that passion to a career path,” she said. “I hope to assist students to find the passion that drives them, that makes them the most enthusiastic about life and that makes them the happiest. Building that bridge that connects them in fulfilling their passion through a career and their other life activities is my wish for them.” Baxter said concurrent sessions, dealing with topics such as growing up and maintaining a healthy mother-daughter relationship, were held on Sunday. Jessica Kimmet lead one of these sessions, and said in an email she decided to become involved in the retreat because she wanted to help high-schoolers develop a mindset for learning. “I was excited to spend some time with these visiting young women because, like many of see RETREAT PAGE 3
viewpoint PAGE 6
Dr. William Hickey, who served as the ninth president of Saint Mary’s from 1986-1997, died Tuesday at age 81 in Sanibel, Florida, according to an email College President Jan Cervelli sent to the College community Friday. A biology professor and nationally acclaimed insect see PRESIDENT PAGE 3
Grotto Network launches, promotes faith By CHARLOTTE EDMUNDS News Writer
Grotto Network, Notre Dame’s new media platform encouraging millennials to reinvigorate their faith lives and gain inspiration from others’ stories, launched on Nov. 26. Social media manager and 2014 alumna Emily Mae Mentock said the network’s home base is grottonetwork.com, but the operation also relies heavily on social media to deliver its message and attract an audience. “It’s not another social media platform,” Mentock said. “We’re trying to meet people where they are in their media consumption as well as in their faith.” Mentock said the network aims to produce meaningful content and to encourage sharing of quality content. Director of the Grotto Network Sarah Yaklic said the group hopes to inspire viewers and readers through written and visual content. “I understand how sometimes digital platforms can draw us away from what’s important, but I’ve
ND W Basketball PAGE 12
also seen it affect positive change,” Yaklic said. She said she led the digital outreach for the Pope Francis’s 2015 visit and saw firsthand how digital media can be a means to invite people to and encounter with Jesus. Yaklic said the success of the first week serves as a testament to the team’s diverse areas of expertise. “We recognize that there are limitations in the digital realm, so we anticipate that Grotto’s outreach will extend to everyday encounters,” she said. “We’re looking to provide a little more hope to the world.” Grotto Network is based out of Corbett Family Hall in the Rex and Alice A. Martin media center. Although it’s being launched and funded by Notre Dame, Grotto Network is not exclusive to the Notre Dame community and hopes to expand to Catholic young adults around the world, Yaklic said. “Being a part of the [Campus Crossroads] experience reinforces the integration of academics, faith see GROTTO PAGE 3
Football PAGE 12