The independent
To uncover
newspaper serving
the truth
Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s
and report
and holy cross
it accurately
Volume 54, Issue 84 | monday, february 17, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
SMC health fair promotes self-care Saint Mary’s brings local organizations to campus, encourages Belles to ‘Fall in Love with Wellness’ By GINA TWARDOSZ News Writer
While Valentine’s Day is a time for romance, Friday’s “Fall in Love with Wellness” Student Health Fair encouraged students to practice self love with self care. The fair featured dozens of informational booths from campus and community organizations, therapy dogs, spin class demos, giveaways and an escape room. Heather Abbott, a counselor at the Saint Mary’s Health and Counseling Center, said
though the Student Health Fair is only in its third year, it’s grown exponentially — and organizers hope it will only keep growing. “I love hearing students returning who say that they’ve had such a positive experience,” she said. “There’s new vendors every year, lots of great information and a lot of community partners. I think it’ll keep growing — it’s something that we plan to make an annual tradition.” Love Your Melon, the Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO), Eco-Belles, the Office
of Civic and Social Engagement (OCSE) and the Student Nurses Association were just some of the student groups that showed up to encourage students to live healthier lives and help those who are in need. “Love Your Melon is a campus wide program which provides education and activities to support pediatric cancer research,” president of the campus crew Bridget Julian said. The group partners with nonprofits DKMS, Alex’s Lemonade Stand and the Make-a-Wish Foundation in order to fundraise for pediatric
Professors discuss dangers of implicit bias at panel To conclude the annual Notre Dame Ethics Week, the Mendoza College of Business and the Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership sponsored a panel Friday entitled “Women in the Workforce.” The event discussed the structural disparities women face in their careers while offering advice to students to recognize and combat this inequality. Each of the panelists began by discussing her area of interest in regards to the manner in which women must approach their careers to be successful, answering questions from audience members and moderator Robin Kistler, director of non-degree programs for the Stayer Center for Executive Education. Associate management and organization professor Cindy Muir discussed how women continue to be underrepresented in positions of leadership despite graduating at higher rates than men and securing higher GPAs in a society that still views the workplace as predominately male-oriented. “The research shows that
there are no performance differences between men and women at work,” Muir said. “There’s a recent study that summarizes 142 separate studies collapsing across almost 500,000 employees, and they confirmed the existence of a significant pay gap, but no difference in performance.” In order for women to achieve the same gains as men in the workplace, women need to outperform men, but Muir said encouraging women to work harder and better will not alone ensure parity. “The problem is research is also clear on something else,” Muir said. “When women speak out against structural and societal issues — like I’m doing right now — they tend to be viewed unfavorably, and they’re seen as self interested.” As a result, at the individual level Muir said she believes women can absolutely achieve higher levels of leadership if they can consistently perform better than men “without making a whole lot of noise,” but this sentiment may not transfer to the group level. For the good of the group, advocating for what is right is essential, Muir said. Muir also emphasized that although overt bias in the
workforce has largely been eradicated in America, women still face discrimination in their careers, and identifying the bias is simply more difficult than before. “What we’re dealing with now is a much more subtle, almost invisible, form of bias, that people aren’t even aware that they’re doing, and both women and men are susceptible,” Muir said. Alice Obermiller, director of experiential learning and leadership development for Mendoza College of Business, discussed systemic issues in companies that often go unnoticed despite newer safeguards put in place to fight bias in the workplace. “I’m not even sure leaders, within these companies, even HR are fully aware of how discriminatory they can actually be,” Obermiller said. “And so I think as women, we have to become more savvy to pay attention to those things before we enter those companies, and really understand what we’re getting into so that we don’t get halted in our careers before they even get started.” In particular, Obermiller urged women to pay attention
SCENE PAGE 5
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
viewpoint PAGE 6
By SERENA ZACHARIAS Associate News Editor
see BIAS PAGE 3
campus research through the sale of caps, beanies and t-shirts. “Our mission is to bring awareness to the pediatric patients and their families in South Bend,” Julian said. “Right now, we’re also signing people up to be bone marrow donors, so that’s just a small part of what we do to show our support and educate the local community.” OCSE also made an appearance at the fair on behalf of others, encouraging students to craft Valentine’s Day cards for residents of South Bend’s
Center for the Homeless. In the spirit of health and wellness, sophomore Cynthia Penaloza said OSCE was also asking students to sign up for their “Belles on Bikes’’ program which will allow students to meet up and take bike rides around South Bend together. Members of the Student Nurses Association promoted good habits at the fair through the practice of taking students’ blood pressure and handing out resources about mindfulness. see FAIR PAGE 3
Swing Dance Club welcomes amateurs
Photo courtesy of Mary Coleman
Two members of Swing Dance Club dance in the Dahnke Ballroom. The club provides lessons and practice opportunities. By ALYSA GUFFEY News Writer
When Notre Dame junior Ruth Hughes visited the University’s Activities Fair her freshman year, she felt a little nervous to join the Notre Dame Swing Dance Club. However Hughes, the current president of the club, quickly learned the community was very welcoming to newcomers and amateurs alike. “Nobody ever made me feel judged even though I was
ND W BASKETBALL PAGE 11
such a shy, awkward freshman. I came and learned how to dance which is a miracle,” Hughes said. “I had never danced to any capacity when I joined, so it’s definitely for people looking to learn.” The club holds lessons Tuesday and Thursday nights in the Rockne Memorial and invites students of any skill level to join. Attending a single lesson costs $5 until a dancer has attended four practices. After four see SWING PAGE 4
ND M BASKETBALL PAGE 12