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Volume 53, Issue 119 | friday, april 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Bill Nye speaks at IDEA Week Bill Nye the Science Guy dicusses career highlights, gives advice to students By ERIN SWOPE News Writer
If Bill Nye the Science Guy were to write a book, it would not be about his award-winning television show, the mysteries of the cosmos or even about his time as a stand-up comedian. It would be about grammar. “A Fun Evening with Bill Nye the Science Guy,” an IDEA Week event, was filled with humor and activism Thursday night in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Nye discussed the lessons he’s learned over his years of experience as a mechanical engineer, comedian, scientist, television presenter, author and inventor as well as his vision for the future with Susie
Lira-Gonzalez, a graduate student who moderated the event. Nye began the evening by discussing his early career working at Boeing in 1977 and his experiences with mentorship. However, after Nye won a Steve Martin look-a-like contest in 1978, he began to do standup comedy. “I would work on the drawing board and write these amazing, amazing memos, and then I would go home and take a nap, and then I would go to comedy clubs,” Nye said. In 1986, Nye said he decided to quit his job as an engineer to focus on his burgeoning comedy career. It was around the same see BILL NYE PAGE 3
Carroll Hall to sponsor Lakeside Music Festival By MAX LANDER News Writer
Carroll Hall will host their signature event, Lakeside Music Festival, Saturday at 2 p.m. to exhibit student bands and musical talents. “Lakeside was started about five years ago, and its main aim is to better the music culture here at Notre Dame, because honestly in some aspects it’s pretty lacking,” said junior Christian Cyrul, the commissioner in charge of the festival. “It’s just a fun time, a whole afternoon where people can enjoy music from student bands and also for student bands to get recognition.” Unlike in previous years, this year’s Lakeside Music Fesitival was co-sponsored by the Student Union Board (SUB), which gave the event more funding to work with. “SUB got involved with it through Christian Cyrul,” senior Bailey Kendall, a director of programming for SUB, said. “He presented us with this really cool
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opportunity to help fundraise for a good cause and also it fits with SUB’s mission really well.” SUB, in general, looks to fund events that foster inclusivity across the student body, she said. “There’s no cap on the capacity of people that can go to Lakeside, which was something that was really important to us,” Kendall said. “It’s an inclusive event, its free, anyone can go to it, so we co-sponsored it to add more cool things to it.” Senior Bethany Boggess, executive director of SUB, said the collaboration was made possible in part because of extra money in the SUB budget. “The reason we had the awesome opportunity to sponsor Lakeside this year is because we had sort of a transition year with CJF, the Collegiate Jazz Festival, where we were able to work out a collaboration with them for CJF,” Boggess said. “So we had some money left over in our budget.” Boggess also said the co-sponsorship was a natural fit, especially see LAKESIDE PAGE 4
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ND to enhance security Observer Staff Report
ERIN SWOPE | The Observer
Graduate student Susie Lira-Gonzales moderates a talk with Bill Nye on Thursday night in DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.
Metal detectors will be used at all reserve-ticketed events at Notre Dame beginning this fall, the University announced in a press release Thursday. The decision comes following recent efforts to enhance security at campus events, including enacting a clearbag policy at all home football games. The policy will primarily affect major sporting events on campus including football see DETECTORS PAGE 3
Senior wins Truman Scholarship for service Observer Staff Report
Senior Prathm Juneja was named a Truman Scholar, a scholarship given to students who plan to attend graduate school and commit to a career in public service, according to a press release from the University Thursday. “I am immensely grateful to Elise Rudt and Dr. Jeff Thibert in [the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly
Engagement], who spent countless hours looking over drafts and guiding me through this process,” Juneja said in the release. “I’d also like to thank my recommenders, Paul Obocock, Rosie McDowell and Santiago Garces, who sacrificed their time not just to write my letters, but also to serve as incredible mentors to me. It is not lost on me that awards like this are often subjective, and that much of this may have just
been luck. I know for certain, though, that it would not have been possible without the support of my friends, family and mentors.” Juneja is graduating with a dual degree in political science and computer science through the Reilly five-year dual degree program in Arts and Letters and engineering. Outside of the classroom, Juneja participates see TRUMAN PAGE 3
College to host annual Junior Moms Weekend By REBECCA STELLA News Writer
There will be an extra 400 women roaming around Saint Mary’s College campus this weekend, as junior moms from all across the country come to visit their daughters. Juniors Michelle Lester and Kassandra Acosta, class of 2022 council representatives,
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are in charge of planning this year’s Junior Mom’s weekend event with help from executive administrative assistant of student affairs Noelle Warren and vice president of student affairs Karen Johnson. “This weekend is important because it gives the Belles of the junior class a chance to spend a special weekend with their loved ones as we end
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our junior year,” Lester said. “It is also a great way for us to thank our loved ones for everything they have done for us throughout our lives and especially their help in us attending Saint Mary’s.” Lester said this year, they are making specialized shirts that read, “I’ll love you forever, see MOMS PAGE 3
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