Career Center hosts Arts & Letters week
The Career Center is focusing on internships, graduate schools and jobs for students in the College of Arts & Letters this week. The “What’s Next Week” events are geared helping Arts & Letters majors learn what they could do with their majors, said Rose Kopec, associate director of the Career Center. “We have something for everybody,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what year you are in school or what major you are pursuing, all Arts & Letters students are welcome to attend.” Compared to last year, the Career Center moved “What’s Next Week” from the first week of November to the first week of October so the students can take full advantage of the program, Kopec said. “[Applying to jobs, internships and graduate school is a] very time consuming process and the sooner students getting started, the better,” she said. On Monday, the Career Center hosted an information session about the internship search. The next event is a Wednesday session about graduate and professional school, Kopec said. She said it is aimed at sophomores, juniors and seniors who want to learn about the application process from a panel of experts. Several companies — including AT&T, Cummins and Target — will be at a Thursday networking event. These companies value Arts & Letters majors who want to go into business, Kopec said. “Students should come prepared with employers who already recognize the importance of their skills and background,” Kopec said. In addition to this week’s events, the Career Center had funding opportunities dedicated to Arts & Letters students. Last year, the University distributed over $300,000 to students for various paid and unpaid internships through the Rogers Arts and Letters Internship Program, the Global Internship Initiative, INC @ ND, Alumni Legacy Fund and the Gluck Pioneer Internship Program.
A former Saint Mary’s maintenance worker charged with misdemeanor voyeurism in April pled guilty Monday, according to a WSJV report.David Summerfield, 73, also pled guilty to an additional charge of felony criminal mischief, the report stated. A felony count of theft was dismissed. Summerfield is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 23.The College fired Summerfield fired from his position in April after a co-worker reported unusual behavior in a bathroom on the fourth floor of Le Mans Hall.Summerfield admitted to drilling holes in the floor and attic of the Le Mans showers and said he watched students through them, the WSJV report stated.Tags: SMC, voyeurism
When University President Fr. John Jenkins was officially inaugurated on Sept. 23, 2005, Notre Dame — and the world — were much different places.Hurricane Katrina had just slammed into the Gulf Coast. Pope Benedict XVI was in his sixth month as pope, following John Paul II’s death in April. The Notre Dame class of 2019 was in third grade.At Notre Dame, construction on Duncan and Ryan Halls had not yet begun. Jordan Hall of Science would not open for another year. And Brady Quinn was the starting quarterback for an Irish team that would eventually fall to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.Amidst all this, Jenkins stood at a podium in the Joyce Center, at the outset of his presidency, and laid out an ambitious vision for the University in the 21st century.“With respect and gratitude for all who embraced Notre Dame’s mission in earlier times, let us rise up and embrace the mission for our time: to build a Notre Dame that is bigger and better than ever — a great Catholic university for the 21st century, one of the pre-eminent research institutions in the world, a center for learning whose intellectual and religious traditions converge to make it a healing, unifying, enlightening force for a world deeply in need,” Jenkins said in his inaugural address, 10 years ago Wednesday.“This is our goal. Let no one ever again say that we dreamed too small.”Now, 10 years into his presidency, with at least another five to come, Jenkins said he is proud of the progress the University has made during his tenure. In a recent interview with the Observer, he said, from a personal standpoint, he is most proud of working to keep Notre Dame balanced and stable through challenging times.“I think the challenge with Notre Dame is to try to keep balanced a number of aspects of the University — one is excellent education, comparable to the best universities, another is research, another is Catholic mission, another is residential life. Athletics is important [too],” he said.“I think what I’m most proud of is that we … have been able to make progress on all those fronts and keep that balance together. I think if we lose aspects of that wonderful mix of things that make Notre Dame, we can lose the spirit of Notre Dame, and I don’t want to do that. So, I’m most proud of making progress by keeping all those aspects of the University moving forward.”In addition to maintaining balance between Notre Dame’s many facets, Jenkins has also instituted a variety of new programs that constitute a vision for the future of the University.As part of his inaugural ceremonies, Jenkins established the Notre Dame Forum, the first of which focused on religion and faith in a plural world and featured former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw as the moderator. Since then, the Forum has continued each year and provided a yearlong conversation on a different issue each academic year, ranging from global health and immigration to education and women in leadership.During his tenure, Jenkins has consistently emphasized Notre Dame’s research efforts for both students and faculty. Jenkins oversaw the creation of the office of vice president for research in 2007 and announced significant increases in research funding the following year.Jenkins and his administration continue to prioritize research today, with construction under way for McCourtney Hall, an interdisciplinary research facility on the east side of campus set to open in June 2016. In May 2014, alumnus and trustee John W. “Jay” Jordan donated a University-record $75 million for the establishment of a science and technology research program.In recent years, building projects, most notably the Campus Crossroads project, have become another defining characteristic of Jenkins’ tenure. In addition to Campus Crossroads, the University is currently building two new residence halls and several new class buildings, including Jenkins Hall, which will house the Keough School of Global Affairs, the University’s first new school in nearly a century.The new buildings, research programs and academic initiatives during Jenkins’ time as president have kept Notre Dame at the forefront of American higher education, but coming into the job, Jenkins said he didn’t have any real expectations of what it might hold.“I don’t think you can, for a job like this, appreciate the many aspects before you come in,” he said. “You can know about them abstractly, but I don’t think you can really appreciate them. So I don’t know if I had any really good sense of what the demands and pressures of the job are.“So I think I’ve acquired that, and it’s both more rewarding than I thought it would be and more challenging than I thought it would be. It is an intense job — there are a lot of things on your plate. But it’s just remarkable to be associated with a university like Notre Dame, that people love so passionately and they expect so much of, and they want to succeed.”That intensity of the job has been brought into focus several times throughout Jenkins’ tenure, and his time in office has not been without controversy. This was perhaps most clear in 2009, when President Barack Obama delivered the commencement address. In the face of the controversy surrounding Obama’s views on abortion, Jenkins responded by reiterating the University’s commitment to the sanctity of all human life and creating a Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life.Citing Pope John Paul II’s idea that a Catholic university should foster “a fruitful dialogue between the Gospel and culture,” Jenkins welcomed Obama visit to campus as an opportunity to respectfully encounter opposing views.“More than any problem in the arts or sciences, engineering or medicine, easing the hateful divisions between human beings is the supreme challenge of this age,” Jenkins said at the time of Obama’s visit. “If we can solve this problem, we have a chance to come together and solve all the others. Difference must be acknowledged, and in some cases, even cherished.”Going forward, Jenkins said he feels he still has work to do. In January, the board of trustees elected Jenkins to a third five-year term as president. While he declined to say whether or not he would continue to serve as president after that term expires, Jenkins said he plans to continue to make Notre Dame an example for the world and a leader in the Church.“I think we need to continue to make progress,” he said. “I do think … our Catholic mission is something we need to continue to talk about, especially at this time. It’s a challenging time, but I think there’s no institution placed like we are to speak to really serious issues in the world about the environment, about economic inequality, global solidarity.“So if we can play that role — that role, that I don’t think it’s too strong to say, we are uniquely positioned to play — that will be a great thing, and it will go beyond me and go into the future.”Editor’s Note: Editor-in-Chief Greg Hadley contributed to this report.Tags: 10-year anniversary, Barack Obama, Campus Crossroads, Fr. John Jenkins, inaugural address, Notre Dame Forum, research, University President
In a lecture at the Eck Hall of Law, Ambassador David Robinson, assistant secretary and coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization at the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations the United States Department of State, discussed American foreign policy and the country’s role in the world under newly inaugurated President Donald Trump.“About two months ago, I was traveling through East Africa and I got the same question everywhere I went. It was put best by the chief of the military in Uganda: ‘What the heck is happening in the U.S. with the election?’” Robinson said.Robinson used this story to emphasize that the rest of the world is still deeply interested in political happenings in the United States, also citing the Women’s Marches that took place on all seven continents last weekend in response to President Trump’s inauguration.“Theories about U.S. losing primacy of position are overblown,” he said.“We are going through the most divisive and difficult election season since the 1820s,” Robinson said. “But what you’ll end up seeing is the U.S. institutions pull through like always. This is a country that runs on its institutions. People are saying, ‘Oh my God, it’s the end of the world!’ No, it’s not.”Robinson said he believes American institutions are, and will continue to be the backbone of the government. Noting the turbulent state of affairs the President has inherited, Robinson repeatedly said the “muscle memory” of government institutions are going to be critical to help the new administration in solving these problems.As a civil servant, Robinson said his opinion of the president does not matter.“I will try to make what the president wants to happen happen, unless it is illegal or unethical. It doesn’t matter if I don’t like him — that’s none of your business — but if he succeeds it will be through me,” Robinson said.Much of the lecture centered on United States foreign policy in recent years. Robinson said that since 9/11, American foreign policy has been, in his view mistakenly, geared towards military solutions.“You can’t bomb people into liking us,” he said.Robinson said he believes that security cannot be achieved simply with “bombs and bullets,” but through building institutions that will ensure stability and safety across the world.Robinson used the American experience in Afghanistan to make this point.“We killed the Taliban’s No. 2 guy something like 15 times. That approach didn’t defeat the Taliban,” Robinson said.While killing enemies is critical, Robinson said, it is also important to solve the political problems that are the causes of violence.Robinson said that he believes that the nonmilitary, and particularly diplomatic, wings of the government are “overlooked.”Tags: 9/11, Afghanistan, Bosnia, David Robinson
The Notre Dame community recognized pioneering women faculty at Notre Dame with a panel discussion and celebratory reception in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center hosted by the Office of the Provost on Wednesday.The panel featured five women who have helped “transform this university from a college for men to a university for all,” according to Provost Tom Burish, as well as moderator Mary Celeste Kearney, director of the Notre Dame Gender Studies Program and associate professor of film, television and theatre.Associate professor Sr. Kathleen Cannon, who served as associate provost from 1990 to 1997, began her remarks by recognizing the pioneering women in faculty who came before her and the four other panelists.“I know that it’s the women who were here a decade, or even more, before I came, who really were the foot soldiers, the trailblazers,” she said. “ … There were so few women faculty here at that time, and the first two who were appointed in 1965 — Josephine Ford and Suzanne Kelly — did not come in to a very hospitable environment. … And so they had their struggles.”Nancy Haegel, a member of the board of trustees and the class of 1981, said she hopes the University will continue to hire women into the faculty in leadership positions.“Certainly one thing I see is leadership that is traditionally, historically, predominantly male at Notre Dame, and there’s an important symbolism, I think, associated with that,” she said. “ … And in 10 years, I hope that the leadership symbols here continue to evolve and that Notre Dame — we’ve become increasingly confident — is making full use of all the talent that is available to it in this country, on this globe and everywhere.”Notre Dame’s role as a premier Catholic university, Haegel said, offers the opportunity for it to set an example.“I interact primarily with people who don’t know the place. They know of it,” she said. “ … They see this living experiment of faith and reason, and I think that’s just exciting and critical. There are a number of really excellent, religiously-grounded institutions, but few — if any — have the visibility, the resources and, therefore, the responsibility of Notre Dame.”Professor emerita Angie Chamblee, a self-proclaimed “happy retiree” after leaving the University in 2014, said this responsibility extends to mentoring students, something she missed out on as a minority member of one of the first undergraduate classes of women at Notre Dame.“I think that it’s so important that young people have mentors,” she said. “And I can say that at Notre Dame, I never had any. … I, luckily, found people who worked with me who valued my work, and so I was able to advance through the ranks in the First Year of Studies. I have seen change at the University — very positive change.”One way to continue with this positivity, Chamblee said, is by allowing professors to focus more on helping students grow.“I would say our students deserve more from us,” she said. “And I think that what can happen, and what can help with that is for those entities and those people who make decisions about tenure to give value and credit to mentoring our students when it comes to tenure time.”English professor and author Valerie Sayers said she acts as a mentor to students by providing an opportunity to talk through any problems.“I think that the process of mentoring, for me, continues in the sense that I do enjoy talking to people,” she said. “ … What I’ve learned about that process is that telling the narrative does move the person, very frequently, to the next step, and helps them gather themselves.”Sayers also credited her colleagues in the English department with providing inspirations for her six novels.“I feel always, all the time, that my language is being elevated,” she said. “I may be the only person in this University who can publicly proclaim that I love going to department meetings, because in the English department, people are so clever and witty, and they know how to quote and they know how to deliver a punch line.”Ann Tenbrunsel, professor of business ethics in the Mendoza College of Business, said she uses her research on the psychology of ethical decision-making in her mentoring process.“What I think is the first step is to identify the fact that we all have illusions about our ethicality,” she said. “So we all need to be aware that … in some sense, we all are biased, and we’re certainly biased — I think, probably more so — in our ethicality than in other biases we have about decision making or negotiation skills.”This same methodology can be applied to the University, Tenbrunsel said.“We have to recognize that we probably have ethical illusions,” she said. “We’re a great university [but] we have to realize where it is that we maybe aren’t so great, and recognize it.”It only takes one person recognizing areas in which the University can improve to create change, Cannon said, citing her work to close the gender gap between students at Notre Dame.“I tried to determine who might’ve been opposed to removing the gap and what their reasons were for it, and tried to talk to them to find out, and understand and appreciate why somebody would oppose this,” she said. “I did formulate … a recommendation that was sent to the board in May of 1991. They approved the removal of the cap, and now women are admitted almost at parity with men.”Tags: Angie Chamblee, Ann Tenbrunsel, Nancy Haegel, Pioneering Women, Valerie Sayers
Jackson Oxler | The Observer ROTC students stood guard at the Clarke Memorial Fountain for a full 24 hours to mark Veterans Day. The guard ended at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at Notre Dame honors America’s veterans each year by standing guard at the Clarke Memorial Fountain and by hosting a ceremony to conclude the vigil service. Beginning Monday at 4:30 p.m., ROTC officers began standing guard at the Clarke Memorial Fountain, more commonly known as Stonehenge. Students from each of the three branches took shifts for 30 minutes throughout the night and continuing into Tuesday afternoon. The guard lasted a full 24 hours, and despite the snow and cold, the students honored those whose steps they will follow.At the concluding ceremony to end the vigil, ROTC faculty, cadets, midshipmen, veterans and members of the Notre Dame community gathered to celebrate the holiday. Senior and army cadet Maria Burgess served as emcee for the service and introduced Brigadier General (BG) Joseph Ricciardi, the Deputy Commanding General of the 81st Readiness Division.Before becoming a Deputy Commanding General, Ricciardi was a professor of military science at Notre Dame. He said his time at Notre Dame helped him understand the importance of the relationship between the University and the armed forces.Ricciardi thanked past veterans, service members and the ROTC students for their commitment to freedom. He also offered thoughts on the importance of freedom and those who fight to protect it.“Today we also honor tomorrow’s veterans: those that will soon be part of the 0.04% of Americans that serve vigilantly around the world to allow the other 99.96% of Americans to sleep comfortably at night,” Ricciardi said.To thank Ricciardi for attending the ceremony and for his service, Notre Dame ROTC presented him with a plaque. Burgess also offered a few words on the meaning behind the holiday and why it is celebrated each year.“Veterans Day is intended to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military, in wartime or peacetime,” Burgess said. “In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served, not only those who died, have sacrificed and done their duty. In keeping with this tradition, today’s ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who serve in the United States Armed forces.”Following their remarks, each of the three ROTC branches stood with other service men and women from their respective branches and sang their service songs. To conclude the ceremony, they played Taps to honor fallen veterans.“It is tradition at such ceremonies as this to play taps as final respect for those veterans who fought so bravely, and have given their lives in defense of our nation,” Burgess said. “While Taps is played, let us recall those whose efforts to protect our freedom caused them to pay the ultimate sacrifice.”Tags: Clarke Memorial Fountain, ROTC, Veterans Day In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day, making Nov. 11 a national holiday to celebrate and honor all the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States military. That day was celebrated at Notre Dame on Monday as well.
MGN Stock Image.ALBANY – A group of state legislators that survived sexual abuse as children are looking to extend the Child Victims Act lookback window.The window lifts the statute of limitations for victims of abuse and allows them to seek legal action against institutions for individuals they feel should be held responsible.Since the window began more than six months ago, more than 1,600 cases have been filed statewide.In a message to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the group of four lawmakers agree that the response so far from victims across the state proves there is much more work to be done. Share:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
Choreography will be by Joshua Bergasse, scenic design by Tony winner Derek McLane, costume design by Toni Leslie James and music direction by Jason DeBord. Swenson will take his break from playing Javert July 22 through October 5. He received a Tony nomination for Hair and has also appeared on Broadway in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, 110 in the Shade, Lestat and Brooklyn: the Musical. Behlmann made his Broadway debut in Journey’s End and has starred in The 39 Steps. Errico was Tony nominated for her work in Amour and her other stage credits include Anna Karenina, My Fair Lady, High Society, Dracula, White Christmas, Passion and Finian’s Rainbow. Bull Durham is inspired by Shelton’s time on and off the Minor League Baseball field. The musical tells the story of veteran catcher “Crash” Davis (Swenson) who is brought to the Durham Bulls to prepare rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh (Behlmann) for the majors. Annie Savoy (Errico), the muse of the Bulls, has a tough choice to make – each season she converts one player from an also-ran to an all-star by sharing her wisdom and her bed. The love triangle heats up, as each character fights with their own wants and hopes for what the future holds. Will Swenson will take a hiatus from Broadway’s Les Miserables to join John Behlmann and Melissa Errico in the previously reported Bull Durham musical. Directed by Kip Fagan, with music and lyrics by Susan Werner, the adaptation of the 1988 classic movie will premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta on September 3 and run through October 5. The production’s book writer Ron Shelton, who also penned the screenplay and helmed the film, has said that if all goes well with the run, the tuner is eyeing the Great White Way next spring. View Comments
A Family Thing explores how the concept of family binds us together and tears us apart. In the play, three estranged brothers, once connected by a tumultuous childhood on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, reunite to settle unfinished business. The play received its world premiere at Los Angeles’ Echo Theater in 2013, where it was nominated for three L.A. Drama Critics Awards. A Family Thing, a new play by Orange is the New Black writer and producer Gary Lennon, is heading to Broadway. The dark comedy aims to open on the Great White Way in 2015. Further information, including creative team, dates and cast, will be announced at a later date. Lennon’s other plays include Blackout, .45 and The Interlopers. On the small screen, Lennon has also written for The Shield and Justified.
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The drama is set in the turbulent ‘60s and follows a young Marine returning home to the Bronx, shaken but hopeful for the future. Met by a mother fighting to keep the family going and a father down on his luck, Johnny finds himself caught between his parents’ dreams for his future and a corrupt police captain with plans of his own. Tickets are now on sale for the world premiere of Walter Anderson’s Almost Home. The play marks the playwriting debut of the author and former Parade Magazine Chairman-CEO/Editor-in-Chief. Performances begin off-Broadway on September 12 at the Acorn Theatre at Theatre Row. Opening night is set for September 18. Michael Parva will direct. Related Shows View Comments Almost Home Almost Home will run through October 12. Casting and a creative team will be announced at a later date. Show Closed This production ended its run on Oct. 12, 2014