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Volume 54, Issue 62 | thursday, january 16, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Institute promotes cancer research HCRI aims to raise awareness through collaborative medical studies between professors, students By ALYSA GUFFEY News Writer
At the corner of Angela Boulevard and Notre Dame Avenue lies a building unknown to many Notre Dame students: the Harper Cancer Research Institute (HCRI). Established in 2011 as a division of Notre Dame Research, the institute serves as a hub of collaboration between cancer researchers, professors and students. Siyuan Zhang, an associate professor for cancer research, began his lab in 2012, making him one of the first researchers at the institute. Zhang said his
lab centers around the study of breast cancer, particularly its response to drug treatments and its spread to other organs of the body. “The problem with cancer in general is when some tumors metastasize, which means to disseminate to different parts of the body, … they become a new tumor in a different organ and then at that point the surgeon cannot remove them and it’s very difficult to treat,” Zhang said. The close proximity of the HCRI allows students to explore and gain experience in see HARPER PAGE 4
Family donates $25 million gift Observer Staff Report
Notre Dame has been given a $25 million gift to establish the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, according to a University press release Friday. The institute will expand Notre Dame’s data-based academic programs and serve as “an interdisciplinary, university-wide hub that will connect faculty, students and research across existing data science
and analytics programs on campus,” according to the release. University provost Tom Burish said the Lucy Family Institute will work with University’s existing data-driven academic and research programs to bring data science to a broader range of disciplines, including health, business and the social sciences. The institute see GIFT PAGE 4
Library to open new study space Observer Staff Report
The new 24-hour study space in the lower level of CushwaLeighton Library will officially open Friday, library director Joe Thomas announced in a campus-wide email Wednesday. The space was completed over winter break, Thomas said in the email. “This space was designed with current students’ needs
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in mind and is aimed to promote collaborative work, whiteboarding, and the use of technology — both shared and personal devices,” he said. “Outlets and charging stations abound.” Other improvements made to the library over winter break include two new hydration stations, a new free coffee machine see LIBRARY PAGE 4
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Photo courtesy of Jess Hatfield
The Harper Society, pictured, is a student-led club affiliated with the Harper Cancer Research Institute. The center is planning to host events such as charity runs, blood drives and research roundtables this year.
Senate debates resolution on residential life policies By ANDREW CAMERON News Writer
The Notre Dame student senate convened Wednesday for its first meeting of the 2020 spring semester. Student body vice president Patrick McGuire opened with several announcements. He welcomed the senators back from the break, then reminded the senate about the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Luncheon scheduled for 11:30 a.m. next Monday, at which activist and civil rights movement leader Diane Nash will be in attendance as keynote speaker. “I think it’s really important that we all go,” McGuire said. McGuire also reminded senators of the other events planned for Walk the Walk Week, and urged senators to attend as many events as possible and to encourage their constituents to attend. After several other announcements, McGuire suggested that for the rest of the meeting, senators and others in attendance could discuss potential resolutions they had been working on in December, and new resolutions could be
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proposed and brainstormed. Quentin Colo, special interest chairman of the Club Coordination Council, suggested a resolution encouraging the University to abandon the senior exclusion policy — a policy change aimed at reducing off-campus students’ access to on-campus activities and amenities. “I know there was a resolution last year to encourage the University to get feedback on the senior exclusion policies and how students felt about it,” Colo said. “Although I have not looked at the feedback, I can probably assume what it’s saying, and I think it’s fair to say that the feedback’s pretty negative and students want the University to abandon the senior exclusion policies. I was hoping to propose a resolution … to encourage the University to abandon those policies.” After several senators had offered feedback and discussed potential measures Student Government could take, Colo asked sophomore class council president Jordan Theriault, who met with and interviewed associate vice president for Residential Life
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Heather Rakoczy Russell on Dec. 10 during a public meeting in the Dahnke Ballroom, to talk more about the discussion and subsequent feedback. “After the meeting we sent out a survey form … we asked ‘Do you understand the policies?’” Theriault said. “So we were just trying to figure out if people understood that it’s kind of malleable. The response was kind of iffy, which was interesting because I think we kind of hoped, and the administration as well, to open it up to the class and make them understand that they’re willing to work and to give them ideas.” Theriault also mentioned that he had been working on a resolution with others regarding club funding, and encouraged any interested senators or other members of student government to speak with him. After those in attendance had offered and discussed several other proposals, the meeting broke into small groups to continue discussions. Contact Andrew Cameron at acamero2@nd.edu
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