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Volume 52, Issue 32 | wednesday, october 4, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
London actors visit University classes Group performs ‘Measure for Measure,’ teaches students through Shakespeare at Notre Dame program By ALEXANDRA MUCK News Writer
It is not often that an accounting class might find an actor from London hosting a workshop, but Shakespeare at Notre Dame’s Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS) program allows for that. This week, the five actors in the fall 2017 company are at Notre Dame for the residency portion of the program. They will be teaching Monday to Thursday this week and performing “Measure for Measure” Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night at Notre Dame and Saturday at the Westville Correctional Facility. As part of the program, the actors will be visiting 15 classrooms
ranging from Irish history to theater to accounting. “It’s a pretty amazing thing to see them engage disciplines across the academic spectrum, and then they all come together for the performance of ‘Measure for Measure,’” Scott Jackson, the program director of Shakespeare at Notre Dame, said. Jackson said that for many of the actors, the teaching component of the program can help further their career. “It takes them away from the stage and puts them in the classroom, often for the first time,” he said. “… A lot of our actors go on in their careers to become lecturers. see ACTORS PAGE 4
Ally workshop explores language By STEPHANIE SNYDER News Writer
Saint Mary’s students, faculty and staff filled the Student Center conference rooms Tuesday for “Language Matters: An Ally Workshop.” The department of gender & women’s studies, the Student Diversity Board and the department of psychological sciences sponsored the event in order to educate allies about civil rights issues and LGBTQ communities. Associate professor of psychology Bettina Spencer said the workshop responded to an apparent need. “It grew out of a response for people wanting information,” Spencer said. “People wanted to have discussions on these topics but were nervous. This workshop tries to give people tools to have difficult discussions.” Jason Wilkinson, executive director of the LGBTQ Center in South Bend, and Darryl Heller, director of the Civil Rights Heritage Center, came together to speak on the issues. “The fact that we’re together in some areas would never happen,” Wilkinson said. “There are issues in every community.” “There’s homophobia in the
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black community, and there’s racism in the white gay community,” Heller said. “It’s about continuing to work and break down those barriers that keep us apart.” Wilkinson said he became passionate about language due to his upbringing in a Pentecostal Christian home. “My entire family was very into the Church,” he said. “It was preached very heavily that if you were a part of the LGBTQ community, you were going to hell.” Wilkinson said he always knew he was gay, but if he were to say anything to his family, he knew he would be disowned. This led him to become depressed and attempt to commit suicide three times. Wilkinson said he noticed when the Church talked about gays, it always talked about them in the context of males — never females. This led him to realize language — especially the careful selection of terms — is essential. “More letters get added to LGBTQ all the time,” he said. “That’s why our slogan at the LGBTQ Center is now ‘All are welcome.’ Even if you’re not a part of those letters, you are still welcome to come help out.” see WORKSHOP PAGE 3
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Photo courtesy of Marlon Deleon
Five actors from London showcase their costumes. The group toured at universities across the country to share its insight with classes of all academic disciplines while also performing ‘Measure for Measure.’
Professor shares environmental practices By SARA SCHLECHT News Writer
Professor Chris Cobb admits he probably spends more time in Science Hall than most of his colleagues in the humanities department. The Saint Mary’s professor has served as both the English department chair and a professor of environmental studies. “What I use from teaching English when I am teaching Environmental Studies is primarily the teaching of observation of
detail … looking deeply at a text or looking deeply at, say, a patch of forest,” Cobb said. Detail, Cobb explained, is so very important in both of these contexts, despite how different the subjects might seem. Now in his 12th year at Saint Mary’s, Cobb said he is playing a different role this year as he is on sabbatical. “I have environmental projects and Shakespeare projects for my sabbatical … so far, I have been working mainly on the
environmental projects,” Cobb said. On campus, Cobb is working with the “Sustainability at Saint Mary’s” course, which is part of the Holy Cross Charism tricampus class. He is also working with a group seeking to establish a sustainable farm at the College. Off campus, Cobb is part of a group that is developing a network of environmental organizations for northern Indiana. see PRACTICES PAGE 4
Students dedicate fall break to funded research By NATALIE CASAL News Writer
During fall break, Notre Dame undergraduates will explore a wide range of research topics through funding from entities such as the Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE), the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, the College of Science and the Institute for Scholarship in the
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Liberal Arts (ISLA). The Nanovic Institute will send 11 students to 10 countries, including France, Spain, England, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland and the Netherlands, Christine Stump, student coordinator of the Nanovic Institute, said. Jeffrey Thibert, director of CUSE, said in an email that conducting research offers opportunities for
growth in more than just scholarly knowledge. “In addition to gaining experience that is relevant to a particular field of study, planning and implementing a research project teaches students how to be clearer writers (so they can produce a strong grant proposal), how to prepare a budget, how to adapt to unexpected
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see RESEARCH PAGE 3