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Volume 54, Issue 60 | monday, december 9, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Climate strike draws student supporters SB chapter of youth-led activist group organizes protest, pushes City Council to adopt Green New Deal By ZIXU WANG News Writer
Around 50 students at Notre Dame headed to Howard Park in South Bend to participate in a climate strike Friday. The freezing wind did not extinguish the enthusiasm, and they waved banners and streamers that said, “This is an emergency” and “Pete & Council: South Bend Needs A Green New Deal.” “We’ve already felt consequences,” Garrett Blad, the National Press Coordinator of the Sunrise Movement, said. “There has been increasing floods and storms here in South Bend. If we don’t start to [treat] it as an emergency, everything would crumble within our life times.” Blad, who graduated from Notre Dame in 2015, said the movement gives ordinary people the chance to exercise their
power. “Right now we have the biggest opportunity that we’ve ever had, to remake the economy and society, to make politicians work for us and not just the wealthy people,” he said. After the protest in Howard Park, protesters marched to the County-City Building and went to Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s office to hand over petitions requesting the government to accept the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal would require the city to achieve zero carbon emission in 2030. Many of the protesters belonged to an environmental movement called the Sunrise Movement. Founded in 2017 and led by youth nationwide, the Sunrise Movement advocates for government action on the climate crisis including adopting the Green New Deal, which contains net-zero
Landscape team describes snow removal method By ANDREW CAMERON Associate News Editor
Despite South Bend’s reputation for frigid winters and heavy snowfalls, members of the Notre Dame community need rarely worry about snow or ice on walkways and parking lots during even the coldest months of the year. Each year, Landscape Services partners with the Athletic Grounds Team for the enormous undertaking of Notre Dame’s snow removal operation, which Tim Dyczko, assistant superintendent of landscape services, described in an email as “the best in the business.” “We use a combination of 1/2 ton trucks all the way up to two 1/2 ton dump trucks to clear 21 lane miles of roads and 93 acres of parking lots,” Dyczko said in the email. “Our walks total over 41 miles across campus,
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which are cleared using large mechanical brooms as well as snow blades when the snow becomes too deep for broom operation. We also take care of [over] 40 sets of stairs/steps as well as cut throughs from the parking lots and all the bus stops across campus.” A “lane mile” is a technical term meaning one mile long by 12 feet wide. Landscape Services prepares for the first snowfall months in advance, Dyczko said. When a snowstorm or heavy snowfall is anticipated, they will lay down liquid anti-icer in advance to prevent snow from sticking to walkways. In addition to physical removal of snow, granular salt is applied to sidewalks to melt accumulated snow and ice. “We have had other see SNOW PAGE 3
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carbon emission, investing in infrastructure and creating jobs. The movement boasts over 300 community-led hubs, including one in South Bend. South Bend launched a Climate Action Plan in November, which aims to have the city emitting no carbon by 2050 — however, activists said this was not enough. “It doesn’t follow the requirement of the UN report,” Blad said. “It doesn’t follow what scientists say.” In an email, Mark Bode, spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said Buttigieg has been been a leader in the climate change crisis for the community. “The City’s Climate Action Plan, which is supported by the Common Council, sets aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse see STRIKE PAGE 4
ZIXU WANG | The Observer
Members of the Sunrise Movement, a youth climate change initiative, call for more ambitious climate policy in South Bend.
Winter Wonderland puts SMC, SB in holiday spirit By REBECCA STELLA News Writer
Ever y year leading up to w inter break and finals week, the Student Activ ities Board (SAB) at Saint Mar y’s hosts an event for children in the communit y and students to destress. Club president and senior
Emma Freund helped make this year’s event possible. “Winter Wonderland is one of SAB’s longest-standing events,” Freund said. “I’ve helped plan it during all four years of my time on SAB, and I’m sure it w ill go on for many years after I graduate.”
The event took place Saturday in the Reignbeau x Lounge. From 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., children from the communit y gathered for crafts, snacks and a v isit from Santa. The second half of the event, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., was intended for see WINTER PAGE 3
Annual Creche Pilgrimage invites meditation, prayer By THERESA OLOHAN News Writer
Song, prayer and children’s voices rang out across campus this Sunday as the South Bend and Notre Dame communities came together for Notre Dame’s sixth annual Creche Pilgrimage.
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Hosted by the McGrath Institute for Church Life, the event featured 30 creches — Nativity scenes — from Africa which were distributed around seven different locations on Notre Dame’s campus, including Jenkins-Nanovic Halls, the Eck Vistors Center, Coleman Morse Center, Geddes Hall,
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Hesburgh Library, Main Building and the Snite Museum of Art. Starting at JenkinsNanovic Hall, participants spent time viewing and meditating at the various creches while the Notre Dame Our see CRECHES PAGE 3
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