THE INDEPENDENT
TO UNCOVER
NEWSPAPER SERVING
THE TRUTH
NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S
AND REPORT
AND HOLY CROSS
IT ACCURATELY
VOLUME 58, ISSUE 59 | MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Fencer dies in car crash On-campus rape Sophomore Spencer Vermeule was a resident of Keenan Hall reported to OIE Observer Staff Report
Notre Dame student Spencer Vermeule died Saturday afternoon in a car accident in Elkhart County. Vermeule, 20, was a sophomore from Cambridge, Massachusetts, studying in the Mendoza College of Business and the College of Arts and Letters, according to an email students received from the Division of Student Affairs Sunday morning. He lived in Keenan Hall and was
on the fencing team. “Together we mourn the loss of Spencer Vermeule and pray for his family, loved ones and all those who are impacted by his passing,” Notre Dame Athletics wrote in a tweet Sunday around noon. Vermeule was driving east on County Road 8 when his car left the road near Songbird Way around 2 p.m., according to the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office. His car collided with a large tree
and rolled onto its roof. Vermeule, who was driving by himself, was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. Several dorm masses on Sunday evening were offered for Vermeule and those mourning his loss. The Division of Student Affairs wrote the University was in the process of organizing “opportunities for the campus community to come together in our sorrow and commemorate Spencer’s life.”
Campus lights up for rare diseases on Leap Day By GRAY NOCJAR News Writer
On the last day of Februar y, the Universit y obser ved Rare Disease Day. A host of events including patient testimonials, research panels and facult y presentations were organized to promote the day and prov ide a space to encourage further study into rare diseases. The events were championed by Notre Dame’s BolerParseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases. According to the center’s website, the day is obser ved in order to “raise awareness
for rare diseases and improve access to treatment and medical representation for indiv iduals w ith rare diseases and their families.” One of the presenters was Dr. Stephanie Ware, chair of Indiana Universit y’s medical and molecular genetics department. Ware later described her specific focus on cardiovascular genetics and the role that they play, among other factors, in identif y ing rare diseases. “Many of the patients that we see in genetics have a rare disease and clinical geneticists play a diagnostic and management role in the
care of these patients,” Ware said. “I have a specific interest in cardiovascular genetic disorders and in that capacit y I see patients w ith a variet y of rare disorders that may involve their heart.” Many other universities were represented in the events, including Arizona State Universit y, Rush Medical College and the Universit y of Ox ford. On Thursday, a reception for rare disease patients and their families was held in the galleria of Jordan Hall of Science. A collection of
On Friday afternoon, the Saint Mar y’s Student Activ ities Board (SAB) presented the first annual “The Sisterhood is BLUEtiful.” The event was filled w ith an assortment of blue snacks and decorating. Attendees engaged in decorating picture frames and took part in a blue-themed
giveaway. Morgan McGuire, a sophomore and a SAB traditional co-chair, said the board created this event in hopes that it would unite the communit y. “We wanted to create a new tradition to add to Saint Mar y’s culture, and we thought that celebrating one of our school colors — blue — would be a great way to do that,” McGuire said.
Blue is not just a color, McGuire explained. “Blue is a sy mbol of all of us meshing together — our cultures meshing together into one,” she added. “At the end of the day we celebrate each other for our differences. Our hope was that students would come together just to recognize how special Saint Mar y’s is and
‘SISTERS OF SELMA’
BOYCOTT BOY MASS
‘DUNE: PART TWO’
News Writer
NEWS PAGE 3
VIEWPOINT PAGE 5
An on-campus rape was reported to the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) on Tuesday, according to the University’s Daily Crime Log. The alleged offence occurred at a men’s residence hall between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Feb. 23. For certain offences, the Notre Dame Police
Department does not publish a specific location on the Daily Crime Log “to protect the identities of the individuals involved in that incident,” according to Daniel Kavanaugh, Clery Act manager at the department. A sexual battery allegedly occurring at a men’s residence hall on Jan. 16 was see RAPE PAGE 4
McGlinn, Baumer wed
ANNIE CHEN | The Observer
Bride Lizette Mendez smashes cake in groom Brady Kroll’s face following their wedding ceremony. The wedding raised about $1,600.
see LIGHTS PAGE 4
‘The Sisterhood is BLUEtiful’: SMC reps colors By ALLISON BOWMAN
Observer Staff Report
see BLUE PAGE 3
SCENE PAGE 7
By ANNIE CHEN News Writer
On Saturday, the Notre Dame communit y gathered to celebrate the union of sophomore Brady Kroll and junior Lizette Mendez. March 2 marked the second annual Baumer and McGlinn charit y wedding — a celebration of commitment and love. As last year’s social commissioners, current McGlinn Hall president Lauren Taylor and v ice president Kaitly n Leshak helped to establish this tradition. “We were really invested in the extravagant
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charit y weddings that so many Greek life organizations had,” Leshak said. “We thought it would be fun to have our ow n.” Taylor and Leshak’s proposal would garner dormw ide support, they said. “Without the excitement and creatively motivated minds in McGlinn, this event would not be nearly possible,” said Henr y Ma x well, Baumer Hall v ice president. Baumer and McGlinn residents said they were excited to continue this charit y wedding that generates real social impact in the see WED PAGE 4
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