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Volume 52, Issue 56 | thursday, november 30, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Students debate kneeling for flag, anthem BridgeND event contributes to conversation on merits of NFL protests, symbolism of American flag By KELLI SMITH News Writer
BridgeND sponsored a student debate on the notion of kneeling for the American flag Wednesday in the Montgomery auditorium of the LaFortune Student Center. Titled “Reflections on the Flag,” the hour-long event was centered on a movement that garnered national attention when former National Football League (NFL) quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem in 2016 to peacefully protest racial injustice in America. The student debate featured junior Matt Marsland, who argued against kneeling for the American flag, and senior Geralyn Smith, who took a pro-kneeling stance. President of BridgeND, junior Christian McGrew, said the topic
was chosen as the organization’s annual debate to contribute to the broader conversation about what the flag stands for and why people are kneeling in the first place. “Football is something that touches the consciousness of Americans from all different colors and creeds, especially here at Notre Dame where it is typically a uniter,” McGrew said. “These events have served to divide people instead of being a source of national unification, so I think these questions demand to be answered.” Marsland and Smith each gave a 10 to 15 minute presentation of their respective viewpoints. After the initial presentation, both were given a chance to respond to each other before answering questions see DEBATE PAGE 4
KELLI SMITH | The Observer
Junior Matt Marsland, left, and senior Geralyn Smith, right, explain their opinions on the significance of the American flag and NFL kneeling protests at a BridgeND event as junior Kylie Ruscheinski moderates.
Band hosts open house to increase recruitment By MARY STEURER News Writer
Before coming to Notre Dame, assistant band director Justin McManus said he thought working for the Band of the Fighting Irish was one of the “wonder” jobs. Now the band’s assistant director, McManus said belonging to the organization has been
an experience unlike any other. “It’s unique because you get a different appreciation for [Notre Dame],” he said. In order to share this experience with current students, as well as provide them with a chance to learn more about the program, the Notre Dame Band will be hosting an open house Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Ricci Band Rehearsal Hall. The event
will give students a chance to familiarize themselves with the opportunities the band offers as well as talk to current band members. McManus, who first proposed the open house, said the event was developed to improve the program’s recruitment of nonfreshmen. The band has no see BAND PAGE 4
College students complete national writing challenge By ERIN GRIMES News Writer
Saint Mary’s students Mary Brophy and Dalanie Beach, a senior and a sophomore respectively, took part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November. As the month draws to a close, the two students said that the
month had been a positive experience. “It was good,” Brophy said. “It was extremely busy because I had to put three separate pieces together to get my final total instead of just writing one like I normally do.” Beach said her NaNoWriMo was similarly successful. “My month went really well,”
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Beach said. “I actually managed to stay ahead, which I think is mostly due to what I chose to write about.” Both Brophy and Beach said for them the most challenging part of the month was finding the time to write. “I have three classes a day, see WRITING PAGE 4
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Community discusses Main Building murals By NATALIE WEBER Associate News Editor
The Native American Student Association of Notre Dame (NASAND) hosted a town hall Tuesday to discuss the representation of Native Americans in Luigi Gregori’s murals depicting the life of Christopher Columbus located in the Main Building. NASAND vice president, senior Armani Vaniko Porter, and professor of art history Michael Schreffler reflected on the significance of the murals and answered questions from audience members. Schreffler said art historians would not expect 19th-century paintings to be historically accurate representations of the subjects they portray. “It would be like sort of expecting a Hollywood film to be accurate,” Schreffler said of the murals. “What’s interesting about them certainly is the
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relationship between the story that is being told but at the same time, the attitudes of the people who hired the painter and the attitudes of the painter.” The murals draw a parallel between the life of Columbus and the founding of the University, Schreffler said, and some of the paintings include figures from the University. “In some ways it parallels the story of the University of Notre Dame as it’s conveyed, for instance, on the University website, which is also sort of an against-all-odds story — financial struggles in this undertaking, hard winters,” Schreffler said. “There were other barriers as well — the fire of 1879 [in] the administration building. So that’s how I see it. The purpose, I would say, is to construct an identity or participate in constructing an identity for the see MURALS PAGE 4
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