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Volume 51, Issue 101 | tuesday, march 7, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
University aims to expand inclusivity Director for academic diversity and inclusion reveals strategies, progress in quest to diversify campus By MEGAN VALLEY Associate News Editor
Pamela Young, the Universit y’s first director for academic diversit y and inclusion, shared some of Notre Dame’s efforts to recruit more diverse facult y, staff and graduate students in a lecture Monday night in DeBartolo Hall. “I think there are some things you have to think about that are inherent to the Universit y,” Young said. “I remind myself of those factors on a daily basis. We’re a faith-based institution in a faith that is white, male and has a ver y strong hierarchy. That’s the context for the things that can get done.”
Young said some of the “beginning efforts” of the Universit y included hav ing all academic units complete diversit y and inclusion plans and designate a diversit y and inclusion representative. Part of Young’s efforts include conducting workshops on a variet y of topics related to diversit y and inclusion, including cultural competency and issues related to race, class and gender. “If there’s any area of my responsibilit y that I would say that’s working ver y well, it’s in that area,” she said. “I get a request to do a workshop, I put it together and I deliver it.” A long w ith director of staff see DIVERSITY PAGE 4
Panel discussion weighs in on gender, sexuality By CIARA HOPKINSON News Writer
Men Against Sexual Violence, or MASV, hosted a screening and panel-led open discussion Monday night focusing on gender and sexualit y in one of the most popular episodes of American telev ision sitcom “It’s A lways Sunny in Philadelphia.” “W hat struck me, apart from ever y thing, is … there’s a list of guidelines that you follow: You follow these rules, you get what you want,” Aman Mital, MASV officer, said. “It’s A lways Sunny in Philadelphia” is a show follow ing a group of friends that run a bar in Philadelphia. The show is know n for its cringe-worthy, offensive humor, as well as “the gang’s” shared vanit y and cluelessness about women.
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In the episode discussed during the panel — “The D.E.N.N.I.S. System” — Dennis, one of the friends, explains his “fool-proof system for getting any chick’s undy ing love and affection for life.” Mital said the members of MASV v isited the Reddit page devoted to pick-up techniques for men. W hat they found was surprising. “It’s a joke in the show … the things in it are so horrendous that we think that no one would ever do something like that, but that’s the actual technique for a lot of people,” Mital said. According to their mission, MASV is a group dedicated to taking responsibilit y for men’s role in sexual v iolence – not just physical, but emotional as well. An aspect of sexual violence that was see MASV PAGE 4
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SARAH OLSON | The Observer
Pamela Young discusses how the University plans to foster diversity Monday night in DeBartolo Hall. She spoke to the effectiveness of conducting workshops and recruiting diverse faculty and staff.
Campaign confronts assault, domestic violence By SYDNEY DOYLE News Writer
The Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) at Saint Mar y’s, w ith the help of the College’s food ser v ices prov ider Sodexo, demonstrated their support for the nationw ide “NO MORE” campaign Monday by prov iding students w ith tealcolored doughnuts in the dining hall — teal being the official color of the campaign seeking to end domestic v iolence and sexual assault. NO MORE was launched in March 2013, and this week is the official “NO MORE week” across the nation. BAVO is show ing their support for the cause by using this week to spread the word and raise awareness about the problems of relationship v iolence. BAVO student adv isor y committee member Michaela Gaughan said in an email that this week w ill be an opportunit y to get
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people talking about the issues. “The purpose is [to] spark a conversation about sexual v iolence on our campus,” Gaughan said. “The campaign works to acknowledge this v iolence is real and we all have a responsibilit y to say “no more” to domestic v iolence, sexual assault and stalking.” On Tuesday night, Gaughan said there w ill be a spring break send-off event. Students can come, make crafts and enjoy treats in support of the cause. “I am most excited for the spring break send off. We are partnering w ith the Green Dot committee and we are hosting [this event] which allows for students to take part in the campaign,” she said. BAVO ally Carmela LaGambina-Lock w itz said in an email that this week is an opportunit y to make it know n that these issues continue to be ver y prevalent in today’s societ y.
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“This week is important because sexual assault and domestic v iolence occurs ever y single day, and the first step to putting an end to these terrible acts is by spreading awareness,” she said. “This week spreads awareness of sexual assault and domestic v iolence w ith the mentalit y that it cannot continue happening.” Gaughan said the message the NO MORE campaign promotes must be heard, and students on campus are the ones who can spread that message best. Coming together can allow for others to be more open to talking about these issues as well as advocate for the prevention of them. “The campaign encourages the world to ‘speak out w ith a unified voice for change’ which is what we are doing as a Saint Mar y’s communit y,” she said. Gaughan said after spring break, BAVO w ill distribute see BAVO PAGE 3
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