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Volume 51, Issue 93 | thursday, february 16, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Notre Dame will not be a sanctuary campus University president ‘concerned that such a declaration may give our students a false sense of security’ By COURTNEY BECKER News Writer
It was announced at student senate Wednesday that University President Fr. John Jenkins sent a letter to the members of the faculty senate Feb. 7 informing them he will not declare Notre Dame a sanctuary campus at this time. Jenkins said in the letter — which he sent in response to a resolution from faculty senate asking that the University be declared a sanctuary campus — that he is concerned declaring the University would give students a false impression of the weight the term carries. “While the senate no doubt recognizes that the practical import of declaring Notre Dame a sanctuary campus
is limited, the resolution affirms that the term ‘carries considerable symbolic weight,’” he said in the letter. “I appreciate this point, but am concerned that such a declaration may give our students a false sense of security.” According to the letter, Jenkins’ concerns stem from the University’s duty to “comply with the law,” potentially conf licting with any promises the students could interpret from the declaration. “The senate’s resolution itself recognizes that while the term ‘sanctuary’ could be understood as a place ‘free from civil intrusion,’ the University must comply with subpoenas, court orders and warrants,” he said in the
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
see SANCTUARY PAGE 3
Demonstrators pushed for the University to become a sanctuary campus in November. On Feb. 7, Fr. Jenkins wrote that Notre Dame “would not voluntarily provide information … without a clear legal requirement.”
Saint Mary’s hosts Athletes reflect on black activism Chinese exchange student By ANDREW CAMERON News Writer
The Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Ser v ices hosted “Sports and Activ ism: Fame, Controversy, and Impact” — a panel to discuss the importance role that sports have played in African-American activ ism — Wednesday night in LaFortune Student
Center. The panel featured three speakers: Amira Rose Dav is, Johns Hopkins Universit y histor y Ph.D. candidate; Karin Muya, senior for ward on the Notre Dame women’s soccer team; and Autr y Denson, class of 1999 alum and current running backs coach for t he Fighting Irish. see ATHLETES PAGE 4
By GINA TWARDOSZ News Writer
Saint Mary’s has sent students to China Women’s University through an exchange program before, but junior Siwei Li is the first student from China Women’s University to attend the College. “I love the environment here because there’s so much free time and you can do all of the
things you want to,” Li said. “Also, I’ve met plenty of great students here.” Alice Siqin Yang, associate director of international education at the College, said China Women’s University is an esteemed college firmly invested in women’s empowerment. “It is affiliated with the AllChina Women’s Federation, which is a national network,” Yang said. “There’s a strong
network support for women’s empowerment and girl’s education in the country. We all support the idea of women’s education. We share the same philosophies and visions for leadership and training for our students.” In her three months in the U.S., Li has visited three states, including Indiana. see EXCHANGE PAGE 4
‘Iran Beyond Politics’ display comes to Snite In an attempt to showcase a dif ferent side of Iran, t he Persian Association of Notre Dame (PAND) is hosting a photo ex hibit, tit led “Iran Beyond Politics,” on Friday at t he Snite Museum of A rt. Fatemeh Ela hi, an organizer of t he event and a
member of PAND, said t he ex hibit “emphasizes t he diversit y of t he Iranian people — especia lly culture and et hnicit y.” The ex hibit includes photographs of Iranian societ y, nature and architecture. “This ex hibit shows some ver y old parts of Iran and some ver y new parts, and I t hink t his contrast is my
favorite,” Ela hi said. PAND, which was founded in October, is hosting t he ex hibit in order to show Iran from an angle not usua lly seen in t he media, Elhai said. “Especia lly w it h a ll t he recent news about Iran, we’re tr y ing to prov ide a different image of how eager Iranian people are to communicate
w it h t he west, and how what t he media shows is not t he true representation of Iran,” Ela hi said. Ela hi, who emigrated to t he United States from Iran when she was 16 years old, said she relates to t he exhibit’s mission on a persona l level. “W hen I came to t he U.S., a melting pot of dif ferent
cultures, I rea lized how much my government, my media had skewed my mind to t hink a certain way about certain people,” Ela hi said. “W hen I met t hose people, I rea lized t hat wasn’t true at a ll, or t hat was only part of t he stor y.” The ex hibit is not seek ing
news PAGE 2
Scene PAGE 5
viewpoint PAGE 6
men’s lacrosse PAGE 12
women’s basketball PAGE 12
By CIARA HOPKINSON News Writer
see EXHIBIT PAGE 3