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Volume 53, Issue 5 | friday, august 24, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Cervelli speaks out on scandal Saint Mary’s president joins Jenkins in call for action at opening Mass By JORDAN COCKRUM Saint Mary’s Editor
College President Jan Cervelli condemned the actions of clerg y in the Pennsylvania clerg y sexual abuse scandal and called on the Saint Mary’s community to enact positive change in her ref lections at the College’s opening of the academic year Mass on Thursday. “The report on the grand jury investigation into clerg y sexual abuse, and its related cover-up, is heartbreaking and unconscionable,” Cervelli said. “Words cannot adequately express how deeply these moral and legal violations strike at the heart of the relationship between the Catholic faithful and church leaders who have failed them.”
The scandal stems from clerg y sexual abuse scandal and subsequent cover-up currently revealed in a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing sexual abuse to more than 1,000 minors. Cervelli emphasized the importance of healing and compassion in the journey to transform the Church following these difficult times. “We, the Saint Mary’s community, stand in solidarity in condemning these acts and the failures of leadership in their wake,” Cervelli said. “We pray for healing for the survivors and recognize that now, more than ever, we must be the voice of compassion and healing to effect change in the Church and see MASS PAGE 3
Water tested in Sorin, Walsh Observer Staff Report
Sorin and Walsh Halls experienced a water outage Wednesday and are awaiting testing to ensure the water is drinkable, according to emails sent to the dorm communities.
At 1:56 p.m. Wednesday, Sorin residents received an email from their rector, Fr. Bob Loughery, informing them that the water was out in both Sorin and Walsh Halls and that the toilets see WATER PAGE 3
College adds new science major By KELLY BURKE News Writer
This academic school year marks the official launching of a new major in environmental studies offered at Saint Mary’s. Last spring, the program was approved by the Academic Affairs Counsel after a yearlong process of researching and
NEWS PAGE 3
planning for the curriculum. Historically, implementing a new major requires a two-year period in order to thoroughly understand the program’s vision, cost and demand, professor of environmental studies Christopher Cobb said. However, Cobb and professor see MAJOR PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 5
Jimmy Carter to visit Observer Staff Report
JORDAN COCKRUM | The Observer
Fr. Steve Newton presides Thursday over Saint Mary’s opening Mass. President Jan Cervelli called for positive change in her remarks.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will speak at Purcell Pavilion on Sunday during the 2018 Carter Work Project Opening Ceremonies, according to an email sent to the Notre Dame community. According to the email, the Carter Work project is in its 35th year. Hosted by Habitat for Humanity of St. Joseph County, the “annual building blitz” will involve the construction of 23 new residences see CARTER PAGE 3
Foreign language Masses foster cultural diversity By KELLI SMITH Associate News Editor
Around 80 percent of Notre Dame students are Catholic — a statistic that has persisted for years, remaining a fixture of the University’s Catholic identity. In celebration of the faith, a multitude of weekly Catholic Masses are held for the community
across campus at differing times and days. There are some Masses, however, that are geared towards specific cohorts of students; held weekly, monthly or even yearly, these differ from most by being conducted in a variety of foreign languages — including Spanish, French and Chinese. “It’s really difficult to praise
God in a language that’s not your mother tongue, so we’re offering that opportunity,” Fr. Joe Corpora, the presider of Campus Ministry’s weekly Spanish Mass, said. The Spanish Mass is celebrated in Dillon Hall’s chapel every Sunday at 1:30 p.m. by Corpora, who lives in Dillon see LANGUAGE PAGE 4
Student government preserves Flick on the Field By NICOLE SIMON News Writer
Notre Dame’s Flick on the Field is returning this Friday night to Notre Dame Stadium for the second year in a row. Co-directors of student
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
life, senior Claire Marie Kuhn and junior Eduardo Luna, are leading the group behind the operation, a team that includes members from student government to the university’s administration. Seniors Gates McGavick
and Corey Gayheart, student body president and vice president, wanted to continue the tradition because of its massive success last year, Kuhn said. “Luckily SAO and one of its
Football PAGE 12
ND women’s Soccer PAGE 12
see FLICK PAGE 4