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Volume 55, Issue 60 | Friday, april 16, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Students unite in prayer University raises Take Back the Night offers prayer vigil for survivors tuition by 2% By MAGGIE EASTLAND By ALYSA GUFFEY
Associate News Editor
Notre Dame News Editor
The tri-campus community celebrated Take Back the Night Wednesday evening with a candlelight prayer vigil on South Quad. A large group of marchers — chanting and carrying posters — circled God Quad before congregating around the stage set up for the service. “No means no. Whatever we wear. Wherever we go. Survivors unite. Take back the night,” the marchers chanted and echoed before sitting down. To begin the service, interim director of the Notre Gender
Maggie Eastland | The Observer
see VIGIL PAGE 3
Students participated in Take Back the Night Wednesday evening. The annual event supports survivors of interpersonal and sexual violence.
Holy Cross to require vaccination Observer Staff Report
Holy Cross College President Fr. David Tyson announced in a Wednesday email that Holy Cross will require all students coming to campus for the fall 2021 semester to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. “Achieving herd immunity on campus will mean so much for the normalcy, vitality, and even joy of our shared common life,” Tyson said. Tyson said students with
religious or medical exemptions will be accommodated. Dean and vice president of student life Andrew Polaniecki will provide more details about the requirement at a later date, according to the email. Tyson also encouraged students to take advantage of the vaccination opportunity for Holy Cross students at Saint Mary’s Friday or at any other vaccine location before the semester ends.
Costs to attend Notre Dame are set to increase 2% for the 2021-2022 academic year, as set by the Board of Trustees earlier this semester, according to University spokesman Dennis Brown. 2% is the lowest percentage increase at the University in more than 50 years, Brown said. “The trustees and officers of the University are keenly aware of the difficulties many families have faced due to the pandemic,” Brown said. Tuition costs for the University are set to increase 1.98% for the 2021-2022 academic year, from $57,699 to $58,843, according to
data from the Office of Financial Aid website. Room and board costs will also increase by $320, or 2%, going from $15,984 to $16,304 to live on campus. After added expenses, the 20212022 total cost of attendance will be roughly $78,347. Brown said parents and guardians are notified of tuition costs and expected financial aid via student account invoicing. Brown said the University expects need-based financial aid to increase by approximately 6% for the upcoming year. The 1.98% increase is lower than in past years where a 3.7% increase was a consistent trend. In 2018, see TUITION PAGE 3
ND to ease restrictions Observer Staff Report
In a recent email to the Notre Dame community, University President Father John Jenkins announced that 90% of undergraduates and professional students have received at least the first dose of a vaccine — thus meeting the University’s previously announced vaccination goal — and that some protocols will be lifted April 21. “Among groups with the highest COVID infection rates, undergraduates and professional students, 90% have either been fully vaccinated or have received
the first dose of a two-dose series,” Jenkins said in the email. “These percentages will allow us to move ahead with relaxing some campus health protocols, as previously announced.” Despite the time needed for the vaccine to reach maximum effectiveness, Jenkins said that beginning April 21 — the last “mini-break” day of the semester — the University will allow students to visit one another in the 24-hour spaces of residence halls, raise the maximum number for informal and outdoor gatherings from 10 to 25, eliminate the mask requirement when outdoors in
groups of 25 or fewer and reinstall basketball rims and volleyball nets. Students will hear more information about the new protocols from vice president for campus safety and university operations Mike Seamon and vice president for student affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding, the email said. The email also reminded students who have just received their first dose to receive their second dose of the vaccine anto continue following those health protocols that remain unchanged see RESTRICTIONS PAGE 5
ND alum addresses Church property crisis With ownership of around 177 million acres of land, the Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental landowner in the world. But with not all clergy and parish finance councils having the proper training and resources necessary to properly utilize this property, Notre Dame alumnus David Murphy realized the Church
is missing out on opportunities all around the world to engage with its extensive property to advance the Catholic mission. Several dioceses across the country — such as Pittsburgh and Chicago — are contracting and merging parishes Murphy, now a Holy Cross seminarian, said. Murphy teamed up with the Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate (FIRE) to explore how to help struggling parishes gain the resources
they need to more effectively utilize their property. After graduating in 2014, Murphy eventually wound up in San Diego as a Navy helicopter pilot. While attending a local parish, he noticed the Church had lots of valuable, underutilized property. Murphy addressed this issue by founding Quo Vadis, a non-profit organization that places young adults in Catholic properties to help revitalize parishes and better utilize the
property. Murphy’s work at Quo Vadis led him to connect with FIRE and begin to confront the Church’s property issue. Murphy said the ability to consult with real estate experts at FIRE proved to be invaluable, especially considering he has no formal real estate background. “I would pick up the phone and have access to alums [and] people who are industry experts in this to kind of say like, ‘Hey, I’m seeing
this, why?’ And they’d be like, ‘Oh you know here’s a great answer,’” Murphy said. He referred to his role as that of a “bridge builder” — he directs owners of Church-owned property to the proper channels where they can find people who have the resources and know-how to properly engage the property. “FIRE’s role is much more of a
NEWS PAGE 4
Viewpoint PAGE 7
Scene PAGE 9
W LaX PAGE 16
Softball PAGE 16
By RYAN PETERS Associate News Editor
see PROPERTY PAGE 4