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Volume 51, Issue 94 | friday, february 24, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
‘I wish people would whistle more’ Notre Dame faculty, students fondly remember economics professor Timothy Fuerst, who died Tuesday
Timothy Fuerst loved to whistle. It was just one way Fuerst, the William and Dorothy O’Neill professor of economics, showed his contagious zeal for life, senior Faisal Shariff said. “It was the way he expressed himself and it was a way that he showed his enthusiasm,” he said. “It was a really nice way to start the day. To walk into lecture and have him whistling — it brought your spirits up.” Fuerst died Tuesday at the age of 54 after a 10-month battle with stomach cancer. William Evans,
Faculty receive research grant Observer Staff Report
The University announced Wednesday that three University professors had been awarded a $3 million grant for the National Institutes of Health to study infants and their relationship with parents. According to the press release, Julie Braungart-Rieker, Flaherty College professor of psychology and director of the William
J. Shaw Center for Children and Families; E. Mark Cummings, Notre Dame endowed chair and professor of psychology; and Lijuan Wang, associate professor of psychology, will work with the Shaw Center in South Bend to conduct their research. The study will focus on how the stability of parental relationships affects the well-being of their infants, the press release said.
and his spirit was infectious.” Evans said Fuerst made a lasting impact in the economics department during his five years at Notre Dame through his enthusiasm for and commitment to the University’s mission. “He was just a really great friend here in the department,” Evans said. “He was only here for a short time, but he cared about the mission, he cared about economics, he cared about the students. He’s what you want in a faculty member — someone who wants to invest in the institution, make it a better place and help just make Notre Dame able to fulfill its mission here in the world.”Despite being a
“wonderful economist” and a “pioneer” in his field, Joseph Kaboski, the David F. and Erin M. Seng Foundation professor of economics, said Fuerst’s de-
Timothy Fuerst
News Writer
Keough-Hesburgh professor and department chair of economics, said when he was first diagnosed, a group of Fuerst’s students put together a video of various community members whistling in support of him, a testament to how much they cared about their professor. “I remember when he was first diagnosed: a couple of undergraduates went around and put this video together of people whistling for him to try to make him feel better,” he said. “ … He was one of our most successful teachers. Students enjoyed his class. Part of it was he was just enthusiastic about economics, he was enthusiastic about teaching
William and Dorothy O’Neill professor of economics
By COURTNEY BECKER
votion to his family — he and his wife had four kids — and his Catholic faith largely shaped his career path, rather than any personal ambition.
“He kind of gave up this elite academic track to go teach at Bowling Green [State University], which is a liberal arts college, to be closer to his family, closer to [his wife] Toni’s family,” Kaboski said. “That kind of exemplifies his sense of values. He didn’t value praise or accomplishment for his own sake. He did research because he enjoyed it. He thought it was important. He was very humble.” After spending 19 years as an economics professor at Bowling Green, Fuerst was eventually attracted to Notre Dame due to his commitment to his faith, Evans see FUERST PAGE 3
Professor reflects on exile, isolation in writing By MEGAN VALLEY Associate News Editor
Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi has always felt like a stranger; she thinks she always will, she said. “I was born right after the Iranian revolution,” Van der Vliet Oloomi, assistant professor of English, said. “My mother is Iranian and my father’s British-Dutch … they were
forced to exit the country, sort of overnight. “I was obviously born under the sign of exile, and that sort of political tension really sort of infuses itself into everything you do; it’s part of your everyday life,” she said. For Van der Vliet Oloomi, this “inherited suffering” has been a critical influential factor in her career as an author. “This theme of exile and this
kind of aimless drifting as a result of exile is a big part of who I am as a person, but obviously a big part of my writing,” she said. “Issues of alienation and displacement come up quite a bit in my work.” Currently, Van der Vliet Oloomi is finishing up her second novel, “Call Me Zebra,” which she said follows a see AUTHOR PAGE 3
SMC to host National History Day competition Every year across the country, students channel their passion for the past through National History Day (NHD), a competition where students present projects through various media. Saint Mary’s is one such site hosting a regional NHD contest on Saturday, where students and professors will judge history projects made by local students ranging from grade to high school. Chair of the history department Bill Svelmoe said the College annually hosts this event. “The local students will present
their projects mainly in Spes Unica Hall, where the history department is located. “[The projects] range from posters to papers to theatrical presentations,” history professor David Stefancic said. The competition organizes new themes every year. According to the National History Day website, this year’s theme is “taking a stand in history.” “The topics that I’m looking at are activism: ... abolitionists, [the] Declaration of Independence, [the] Civil Rights movement in the ’50s, a young soldier from the Civil War, censorship [and] Tiananmen Square in China,” Stefancic said.
“They have to do with social change and revolution.” While many history majors participate, students with any major can volunteer to judge the projects, Svelmoe said. Junior history and English literature major Brooke Lamb said it is a good opportunity for all Saint Mary’s students. Lamb said judging focuses more on the interview process and understanding what the students have put into their projects. “I think that anyone on campus could judge and [the history department is] willing to have volunteers,” Lamb said. The judges work in groups
to examine and compare presentations. “You don’t judge anything by yourself — there’s usually three of you, at least, that are working together,” Svelmoe said. “It’s not all on you to crush some child’s dreams.” Judges score the students on their visuals and presentation and give feedback on the projects. “The top ones advance [but] you try to say something encouraging about all of them,” Svelmoe said. Stefanic said student judging is a good way to see what young students are doing at lower levels. “You have a chance to see
what’s going on there, particularly if you’re considering going onto teaching in grade school or junior high,” Stefancic said. “Also, you have a chance to meet some really cool kids.” The day also introduces local students to the College and Stefancic said the competition is a hidden recruiting tool for the students participating. “There have been instances where the students who were taking part of this met us and then decided to come to Saint Mary’s,” he said.
SCENE PAGE 5
Viewpoint PAGE 7
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
Men’s Basketball PAGE 12
ND W Basketball PAGE 12
By GABY JANSEN News Writer
Contact Gaby Jansen at gjanse01@saintmarys.edu