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Volume 53, Issue 105 | wednesday, march 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Prayer service unites faiths Ecumenical prayer service brings together various Christian denominations By MARIE FAZIO News Writer
Representatives of Christian faiths from around the world and members of the local community participated in an ecumenical prayer service at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Tuesday night to celebrate the University’s commitment to unity among Christians. The service was co-presided by representatives from the Presbyterian, Evangelical Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Episcopal and United Methodist Churches: Rev. Neil Arder, Rev. Maxwell Johnson, Fr. Gary Olinger, Rev. Hugh Page and Rev. Anna Adams Petrin.
The service was attended by guests from the global religious community, including Rev. Chris Ferguson, general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, Rev. Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Rev. J.C. Park, president of the World Methodist Council. In his sermon, Page, who serves as vice president and associate provost for Undergraduate see PRAYER PAGE 3
Viewpoint on outfit choices results in action By MARIA PAUL RANGEL News Writer
An uproar has taken over campus after a Catholic mother of four sons shared her opinion on leggings in a Monday letter to the editor. In “The legging problem,” Maryann White pleads with Notre Dame women to be “the first to turn their back(sides)” on this popular garment — as by wearing it, she feels they attract inappropriate attention from both “unsavory guys” and “nice guys” alike. White’s letter to the editor soon began trending on The Observer website as many members of the Notre Dame community found the message behind it controversial. Another group of students saw this as the perfect opportunity to spark action and change. Such is the case of senior Kaitlyn Wong, who came across the column as she was making her way to her “American Conspiracies”
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class, where they were discussing the topic of women paranoia. For this reason, the content of the column particularly struck her and made her understand the problem behind the harmful narrative created by female norms, Wong said. “So in this class, we actually had a whole discussion about it,” Wong said. “As an American Studies major, we talk a lot about changing this narrative that really marginalizes a lot of people, and everyone in my class was so upset about it. I was just like, ‘Well, I can’t sit around and not do anything about it’, so I created a Facebook event.” Approximately 1,300 participants marked they were attending Wong’s event, titled “The Leggings Protest.” Though participants will not meet at a designated time and place to express their views, the protest is an invitation to see LEGGINGS PAGE 4
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ND gives honors Observer Staff Report
MARIE FAZIO | The Observer
The prayer service uniting believers of all Christian religions in the community was held Tuesday in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
The University announced six individuals who will receive honorary degrees at commencement exercises on May 19, 2019 in a press release Tuesday. Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Peggy Noonan, John Affleck-Graves, who has served as Notre Dame’s executive vice president since 2004, Carol Corrigan, an associate justice of California’s Supreme Court since 2006 see DEGREES PAGE 4
Pro-life advocate discusses ideological colonialism By SERENA ZACHARIAS News Writer
Obianuju Ekeocha, a prolife advocate and the founder and president of Culture of Life Africa, discussed the rise of modern-day ideological colonialism in the developing world in the Eck Center Tuesday. While imperialism in Africa is in the past, Ekeocha said in recent years Africans are
seeing the return of western footprints all across the continent. “I am speaking about the footprints of cultural imperialists, social engineers and ideological neo-colonial masters who have now presented themselves as enthusiastic donors, friends and partners in the much desired development in different African countries,” she said. She said a number of
institutions and organizations implant themselves in different developing nations in Africa proposing projects. “We have been getting aid from the international community, and yet the welfare of the people is going down and our per capita GDP is going down,” she said. Ekeocha went on to highlight a few specific improvements see HEALTH PAGE 3
Saint Mary’s hosts event promoting relaxation By COLLEEN FISCHER Saint Mary’s Editor
The Saint Mary’s Residence Life staff will be shaking things up in Holy Cross Hall on Wednesday by hosting a face masks and milkshakes event to provide a small break for students. The event began with the
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help of Holy Cross director Allyson Strasen and Saint Mary’s alumna and former resident assistant Madeline Zuniga. “Earlier in the semester, [Zuniga] reached out to me about potentially collaborating on a program in Holy Cross,” Strasen said in an email. “Madeline was a
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[resident] assistant in Holy Cross when she was a student at Saint Mary’s and is now an independent consultant for Beautycounter, a company whose mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone. It has a strong focus on education, and Madeline see MILKSHAKES PAGE 4
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