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Volume 56, Issue 32 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Professors speak on COVID-19 booster shot University to “monitor federal, state and local guidelines,” yet to mandate boosters for community By CLAIRE REID News Writer
The COVID-19 booster vaccine is currently available to all fully-vaccinated Indiana residents over the age of 18. Individuals are eligible to receive the booster if they have completed the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna two-dose series over six months ago or if they received the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine over two months ago. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends that those over the age of 50, those over 18 who have underlying conditions or who are living or working in highrisk settings and those who originally received a Johnson & Johnson brand vaccine receive the booster. Although students,
faculty and staff were required to be fully vaccinated in order to return to campus this fall, the University does not currently require the booster dose for any member of the Notre Dame community. Director of media relations Sue Ryan said the administration is proud of the effect the original vaccine requirement has had on community health this semester. “Based on the University’s COVID case numbers this semester compared to a year ago, it is clear that the vaccine mandate made a significant positive impact on the health of the Notre Dame community and the ability for the University to conduct the semester like a more typical year,” she wrote in an email. “We are pleased CLAIRE REID | The Observer
see BOOSTER PAGE 4
All Indiana residents over the age of 18 are now eligible to recieve a COVID-19 vaccine booster. The Observer spoke to two Notre Dame professors about their experience recieving their booster shots.
SMC senior leads Author lectures on history workshop of civil rights in military Not re Da me’s K lau Center for Civ il a nd Huma n Rights hosted aut hor Raw n Ja mes Jr. on Friday to spea k on “The Milita r y a nd Civ il Rights.” Ja mes, who a lso current ly a senior civ ilia n attorney for t he Depa r t ment of t he Nav y, delved into t he U.S. milita r y’s histor y f rom a racia l lens, as well as its journey to deseg regat ion. The event is pa r t of t he “Building a n A nt i-Racist Vocabu la r y” week ly on line lecture series, which seeks to foster understa nding of racia l just ice for its audience. Dor y Mit ros Durha m, t he associate director of t he K lau Center for Civ il a nd Huma n Rights, moderated t he discussion w it h Ja mes. As Durha m g uided t he conversat ion, chronolog ica lly follow ing t he role of race in t he milita r y since its
incept ion, Ja mes st ressed t he role of “necessit y” w it h milita r y decisions rega rding race. “[In t imes of wa r,] necessit y ta kes over,” he sa id. “Necessit y dema nds prog ress.” The Revolut iona r y Wa r high lighted t hemes t hat wou ld per vade in t he new U.S. mi lita r y for centuries, he sa id. Ja mes expla ined how, a lt hough t he 1775 Cont inenta l Cong ress ba nned Black people f rom ser v ing in t he mi lita r y, t he Cont inenta l A rmy eventua lly cou ld no longer a f ford to exclude indiv idua ls as t he wa r dragged on. “Genera l George Washing ton needed men in his a rmy,” he sa id. “So, as casua lt ies bega n to mount, t he Cont inenta l A rmy bega n to a llow A f rica n A merica ns to f ight.” A f ter t he wa r, however, a not her t heme in mi lita r y
histor y a rose : t he progress in inclusion t hat Black soldiers ex perienced during wa r t ime was st ripped away as t he nat ion returned to peace. The issue, Ja mes sa id, was t hat t hose in power “t r u ly saw g reat da nger in teaching Black men how to f ight w it h a rms.” However, t he Nav y rema ined t he most integ rated force at t his t ime, Ja mes sa id. “Sa i ling was a prett y rough job t hat most fol ks — if t hey had a ny a lternat ive didn’t wa nt to do,” he sa id. “So, t he Nav y a l lowed Black sa i lors.” This integ rat ion, Ja mes noted, disappea red a lmost 150 yea rs later w it h t he adopt ion of t he stea m eng ine. At t his t ime, A f rica n A merica ns on ships ma in ly took ser v ice roles instead, such as cook ing or clea ning.
viewpoint PAGE 7
Football PAGE 12
HOckey PAGE 12
By LIAM PRICE News Writer
CRYSTAL RAMIREZ | The Observer
SMC senior Sophia Sanchez leads a transgender inclusivity workshop alongside TREES executive director Megan Buell on Friday. By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ Assosiate News Editor
Saint Mary’s senior Sophia Sanchez hosted a workshop on transgender inclusivity Friday afternoon, which was aimed at making the tricampus community a more welcoming place for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Executive director of Transgender Resources
News PAGE 3
Education and Enrichment Services (TREES) Megan Buell was in attendance to help answer questions and offer resources to participants. To begin the event, Sanchez introduced herself and talked brief ly about the work she does on campus, including being a student voice in the process of establishing the see WORKSHOP PAGE 4
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see CIVIL RIGHTS PAGE 3