The independent
To uncover
newspaper serving
the truth
Notre Dame and
and report
Saint Mary’s
it accurately
Volume 52, Issue 39 | tuesday, october 31, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Mass offers prayers for disaster victims Service emphasizes response of hope, solidarity when faced with far-reaching, massive devastation By TOM NA ATZ News Writer
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Fr. Pete McCormick delivers his homily on the call to show compassion to the sufferingat a mass held Monday in response to the destructive hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires affecting North America.
Students recount supernatural contact in dorm By MARTHA REILLY Saint Mary’s Editor
Though the demands of college can be daunting, Saint Mary’s students stay in good spirits as several supernatural occurrences in residence halls prove life on The Avenue is far from a dead end. W hen her bed began to shake in the middle of the night, senior — then sophomore — Fiona Van Antwerp thought her roommate was play ing a prank on her, as the pair had just moved into a double on the fourth f loor of Le Mans Hall. “It felt like there was somebody under my bed … pushing up underneath my mattress,” she said. “I thought, ‘Wow, you’re really good. You’re getting the bed to shake while being across the room.’” W hen the same instance happened a few nights later,
news PAGE 3
though, Van Ant werp knew she couldn’t blame her roommate — or any human. “But after it happened again, I learned that she wasn’t the one behind it,” she said. “It kept happening periodically. I would just be ly ing in my bed, and the lights would be off, and my bed would start wobbling.” Not being able to trace the cause of her discomfort frightened her even more than the shaking itself, Van Antwerp said. “It would be ver y hard for me to get any sleep because I would be so terrified that something was going to come get me,” she said. “I felt helpless.” Van Antwerp said her suspicion that some supernatural presence resided in her room was intensified when the wooden f loor began making noises. see SPIRITS PAGE 4
scene PAGE 5
Universit y President Fr. John Jenkins presided at a Mass held at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Monday to pray for v ictims of the many natural disasters that have affected North America since August of this year, including Hurricanes Har vey, Irma and Maria, the w ildfires in California and earthquakes in Mex ico. Director of campus ministr y Fr. Pete McCormick delivered the homily. In welcoming members of the communit y to the Mass, Jenkins encouraged the congregation to keep in mind those who have been affected by the disasters.
“Today, in a special way, we’re going to pray for v ictims, for all those suffering through the many natural disasters that have aff licted this part of the world in Texas, in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean islands and the … destructive fires in California,” Jenkins said. “Many people … have suffered because of these terrible disasters. We want to keep them in our prayers and pray for their needs.” McCormick opened his homily w ith a discussion of Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, and he said the epistle describes a choice that God gives to the world. “Saint Paul reminds see MASS PAGE 3
Man suffers fatal fall before NC State game By COURTNEY BECKER News Editor
A 57-year-old man died Sunday after falling before the Notre Dame-North Carolina State football game Saturday, Steve Dixon, a friend who accompanied the man to the game, said. The man, who Dixon identified as Michael Hile, was taken off life support around 1:30 p.m. at Memorial Hospital on Sunday. Dixon said two Notre Dame
students attempted to resuscitate Hile when he fell on Notre Dame Avenue, and a large crowd of people gathered to offer their support. Dixon said he wanted to thank those students and the Notre Dame community for their help during the incident. “They were doing everything they could to change this tragic event and change the outcome,” he said. “ … ‘We are ND.’ I’ve heard that crowd say that many times, but I truly have a different love and understanding for
that phrase. ND stood across the street and stopped and prayed and cared — supported me whether they knew they were supporting me or not.” Hile’s death marks the third fatal incident over the course of the last two Notre Dame football games, as two fans who attended the Notre Dame-USC game Oct. 21 died within hours of each other. Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu
Renovated athletic facility offers expanded resources By IMAN OMAR News Writer
After roughly two years of renovations on the Angela Health and Wellness Center, the field house portion of the building is open for use. Director of athletics Julie
viewpoint PAGE 6
Schroeder-Biek said in an email that the new athletic facility will be a hub for campus community. “I think [students] will really love the versatility that the building offers,” she said. “They can come to Angela to work out, participate in
intramurals, club sports, PE classes, attend a sporting event and support the varsity teams, visit the Health and Counseling or BAVO offices or they can just meet a friend or professor for coffee
football PAGE 12
interhall PAGE 12
see FIELDHOUSE PAGE 4