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Volume 51, Issue 100 | monday, march 6, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Basilica begins to book 2018 weddings Students, alumni, parishioners call to reserve their dates starting Monday morning By MEGAN VALLEY Associate News Editor
Contrary to popular belief, “Basilica Monday” — which is this Monday — is not the only day of the year people can make a wedding reservation in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Lady Chapel or Log Chapel. That doesn’t stop prospective brides and grooms from flooding Amy Huber, administrative assistant for the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, with calls starting at 8 a.m. Monday trying to reserve their dream date. “I always find it funny when the grooms have not yet asked, and they ask me to keep it on the low-down,” she said. “I always have a couple of those a year — I’ve already had some calls this year asking to make sure it wasn’t
announced.” A few of those overeager brides and grooms have had to call to cancel their reservations, Huber said. Overall, Huber said she will probably take 60 or 70 reservations Monday, most for spots in the summer of 2018. “Just to give you an idea, we have 134 spots available for weddings for 2018,” she said. “Eight of those dates go to Sacred Heart Parish parishioners. All of the afternoon summer spots will go that day, and that’s why we have such an influx of calls.” Huber said the calendar opens in March so she can figure out which weekends are “blocked out” because of home football games and other events on see BASILICA PAGE 4
President recognizes ND student By COURTNEY BECKER News Writer
Among President Donald Trump’s 10 special guests for his address to a joint session of Congress last Tuesday was Notre Dame sophomore Megan Crowley. Crowley has Pompe disease, a rare genetic disease that progressively weakens muscles, and in honor of Rare Disease Day, the president invited her and her father — John F. Crowley, the CEO of Amicus Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that works to find treatments for rare diseases — to be recognized in front of the entire nation. Editor’s note: Crowley spoke to The Observer with the assistance of her nurse, Deborah Larsen, who is quoted below. “Her dad has been very active in his company, trying to develop medications for different rare diseases, not just the one that Megan has,” Larsen said. “The president actually wanted
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to meet somebody with a rare disease.” Even after the Trump administration reached out to Crowley through her father, she could not fully process the “unexpected” invitation until she was waiting in line to meet the president, Larsen said. “She cried. It wasn’t even an anticipated thing,” Larsen said. “It was totally out of the blue. It didn’t even feel real until she was in line in front of the Oval Office, waiting to meet the president. She didn’t even feel like it was real because it was such an unexpected thing. This is the president.” Crowley said upon meeting the president and telling him what an honor it was to be his guest, he responded that it was an honor for him to meet her. Larsen said in addition to meeting Trump, Crowley was introduced to first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike see GUEST PAGE 4
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MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Members of the Notre Dame community attend Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. On Monday, the Basilica will begin accepting wedding reservations for 2018. Typically, it will schedule 60 to 70 weddings.
Keenan rector, wife adjust to living together in dorm By TOM NAATZ News Writer
Noel and Jaclyn Terranova met at a wedding, dated long-distance for about three years and got married in May 2016. Just after their engagement, Jaclyn started living with her fiance — in Keenan Hall, where Noel is now the only married rector on campus. Noel Terranova, in his fifth year as the rector of Keenan, attended Notre Dame for graduate school. “I became a rector in the way
that anyone gets any job,” he said. “It’s a job in my field. My training is in theology, and I have background working in campus ministry in higher education and pastoral ministry. For me, it was new to be in student affairs, properly speaking. That’s been a growth area for me. But I would say that I got into this position because I felt called to work directly with college students and share in their lives and their experience.” Noel and Jaclyn Terranova met
just before Noel became a rector. Jaclyn lived there for an academic year before the couple got married. The fact that Mrs. Terranova had lived in the dorm before the two were married was important in the transition period. “It wasn’t like a whole lot changed,” Noel Terranova said. Even before she lived in Keenan full time, Jaclyn Terranova was around the hall. She spent time in the dorm before returning to the see RECTORS PAGE 4
SMC hosts conference on diversity, leadership By COLLEEN ZEWE News Writer
Saint Mary’s Student Diversity Board (SDB) is hosting its 12th annual Diverse Students’ Leadership Conference (DSLC) on Tuesday and Wednesday. Senior Kate FitzMaurice, vice
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president of SDB and chair of DSLC, said in an email that SDB’s mission is to create awareness of diversity in order to educate, provide support and celebrate differences within the Saint Mary’s community. The group creates social events, educational programming and opportunities to
initiate change through the perspective of the students. This year, SDB is holding 26 workshops, more than any other conference in the past. According to Fitzmaurice, these include student presentations and
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