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Volume 52, Issue 27 | wednesday, september 27, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Faculty addresses local lead issue Interdisciplinary team shares research examining elevated levels of lead present in South Bend homes By SOFIA MADDEN News Writer
A team of Notre Dame faculty members from various departments came together in order to discuss the detrimental effects of lead in South Bend homes with the local community. The lecture, titled “Getting the Lead Out: Reducing South Bend’s Exposure to Lead,” was part of the Our Universe Revealed series and took place in Jordan Hall. Notre Dame faculty members Graham Peaslee, from the department of physics, Marya Lieberman, from the department of
chemistry and biochemistry and Heidi Beidinger, from the department of biological sciences and Eck Institute for Global Health, spoke about the research they have conducted regarding this issue. Peaslee said lead exposure is still a problem in the United States, and especially in South Bend, which has six times the amount of Flint levels compared to the rest of the country. Less than ten percent of children are tested for lead levels, he said, which makes it difficult to assess the threat South Bend see LEAD PAGE 4
Lecture examines depression By MAEVE FILBIN News Writer
As Mental Illness Awareness week approaches with the first seven days of October, Lorraine Cuddeback, a post-doctoral scholar in Notre Dame’s Theology Department, used her installation of Theology on Fire, “Responding to Depression: Theological Insights and Pastoral Practices,” to address the topic of depression. “ … What the Catholic Social Tradition does is offer a really helpful framework for addressing ethical issues such as mental illness and depression,” Cuddeback said, “ … Ideally, this would be an ongoing process.” She said an estimated 10 percent of the world population have suffered from depression, and that over the past ten years, that number has increased by about 15-20 percent in college-aged students. “Depression is not rare; in fact, it’s actually pretty common,” Cuddeback said. These statistics only indicate people who have sought treatment for their diagnosed mental illnesses. Therefore, Cuddeback said, the numbers could actually be much higher. “Depression is not just ‘feeling
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down,” Cuddeback said. “There’s a difference between feeling depressed or feeling upset about something and medical depression.” Mental illnesses like depression operate on a spectrum, which means that though symptoms might be present, clinical diagnosis only follows the crossing of a certain threshold, Cuddeback said. To be medically diagnosed, the patient must display at least five of the possible symptoms of depression. Thoughts of self-harm automatically cross this threshold, despite the normal rule of five observed signs, Cuddeback said. “What’s really behind that is not just a number of symptoms, but recognizing that things start really interfering with your everyday life. Your ability to take care of yourself: to sleep, to eat, to work,” she said. “Depression is not all just in someone’s head. There is a real biological aspect to it.” Cuddeback said there is a false impression that because depression is a mental illness, it can be cured with sheer will power. Depression takes on real, physical symptoms that must be taken into consideration, she said, likening see THEOLOGY PAGE 3
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KAT ROBINSON | The Observer
Graham Peaslee from the department of physics discusses the detrimental impacts of lead in the South Bend community. The lecture was led by an interdisciplinary team of five Notre Dame faculty members.
Postgraduate service fair to host over 70 agencies By KELLI SMITH News Writer
The Center for Social Concerns (CSC) will host a fair to introduce students to an array of postgraduate service opportunities Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. at the Joyce Center Concourse. The fair will feature representatives from over 70 service organizations situated across
the world. According to the event website, the organizations confront topics such as poverty, immigration and refugee resettlement, environmental justice, healthy food, wellness, housing and homelessness, youth development and elder care. “What’s wonderful is there will be organizations that need people to do all different kinds of work,” Karen Manier, postgraduate
service administration lead coordinator at the CSC, said. “No matter what your background is or your interests, you can usually find something that would be of interest to you.” Manier said the goal of the fair never differs: It aims to both educate students about postgraduate service — what it is, what it offers see SERVICE PAGE 3
NDVotes outlines plan to promote voter education By ANDREW BENNIS News Writer
With the 2016 election a thing of the past, NDVotes will shift its focus to encouraging voter education and civic engagement amongst the University’s student body. Coming off of a presidential election year, NDVotes is looking for new ways to keep students engaged in the political
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process, NDVotes co-chair and junior Kylie Ruscheinski said. “Voter registration is what founded NDVotes, but at its core, it’s also about voter education,” she said. Past iterations of the club existed during the 2008 and 2012 elections, Ruscheinski said, but weren’t active in the years in between. This time, the group will be sticking around. NDVotes will aim to keep students
consistently engaged in the political world, as opposed to only during major elections, Ruscheinski said. “Being an educated voter and an active citizen is not a cycle,” she said. “It doesn’t stop.” This year, NDVotes will continue to focus on its mission of helping students become registered voters, Ruscheinski said. In 2016, from November
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