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Volume 56, Issue 17 | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Community remembers Karen Heisler FTT professor dies from cancer-related complications at 67; ‘Her whole goal was to make people better’
Karen Croake Heisler is remembered as a cornerstone in the development and success of the telev ision concentration in the Notre Dame department of film, telev ision and theatre. W hen she first started working at the Universit y, the department was still named communications and theatre. Shortly after, the department was transformed to include a telev ision major w ith heav y input from Heisler, associate telev ision professor Christine Becker said. “I relied a lot on her insights about what kinds of
Sieber ser ved as news director and Heisler as promotion manager. “She became sort of the second person from the T V
Retired FTT Professor
Notre Dame News Editor
things did students want, what kinds of things did students need and then, kind of from that, built out the telev ision major, so I was really grateful to her for her insights on those classes that continue to really be core classes in our major,” Becker said. Heisler died Sunday, Sept. 19 from cancer-related complications. She was 67 years old. Heisler began a long professional career at WNDU, the local NBC affiliate that was ow ned by the Universit y at the time. Former adjunct telev ision and journalism professor Gar y Sieber first met Heisler at WNDU, where
Karen Heisler
By ALYSA GUFFEY
station who was teaching classes through what was at the time communications and theater,” Sieber said. “We were ver y close and obv iously had a chance to see each other quite a bit and talk about a lot of different
things.” In her t went y-five years of teaching at Notre Dame, Heisler ser ved as an adjunct, meaning she was a professional in her field who taught courses on the side. Heisler taught classes on broadcasting and cable telev ision as well as sports and telev ision — a w ildly popular class among undergraduate students. As adjunct facult y members, Sieber said he and Heisler shared a “small space” that ser ved as an office for the t wo. Originally, they worked in the Decio facult y building before mov ing to a room in the basement of DeBartolo Performing A rts Center.
As an educator, Heisler was know n for her strict adherence to grammar. “I think the students appreciated that,” Becker said. “She would hold you accountable for things [and] she wouldn’t let people get away w ith things.” Sieber recalled how Heisler had a sign in her office that read, “I am silently correcting your grammar.” “She and I are ver y much like that,” Sieber said. “We’re kindred spirits in that we were always pointing out grammatical f laws, we were ver y tough on our students about word choices and great grammar and punctuation.” see HEISLER PAGE 4
ND Energy hosts presentation HCC ranks in on sustainability goals regional colleges By LIAM PRICE News Writer
After being ranked No. 34 in the 2021 Best Midwest Regional Colleges report by the U.S. News and World Report, Holy Cross College shot up to 23rd in the 2022 rankings. Additionally, the College achieved rankings of 13th for Top Performers on
SIMON VOGEL | The Observer
Assistant vice president for utilities and maintenance Paul Kempf spoke on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 28 about Notre Dame’s history with energy and the University’s goals for a more sustainable future. By SIMON VOGEL News Writer
As part of its 15th annual Notre Dame Energy Week Plus, ND Energy hosted assistant vice president for utilities and maintenance Paul Kempf for a presentation on Notre Dame’s sustainability goals Tuesday evening.
news PAGE 3
The presentation, titled “Decarbonization: Past, Present and Future,” began with Kempf providing a brief summary of Notre Dame’s history in relation to sustainability efforts starting in 2009. “A big part of what we’ve done is planning,” he said. “By understanding where we were and where we could go, that could
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
inform the larger strategy.” That larger strategy became the University’s 2010 goal to reduce carbon emissions to 50% of 2005 levels by 2030 and 83% of 2005 levels by 2050. Additionally, in response to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’,’ which urged see ENERGY PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 10
Social Mobility, 27th for Best Value Schools in the Midwest and first for Alumni Giving in the Midwest. The recent release of these rankings were a cause for celebration at Holy Cross College. And celebrate they did — following the release of the see RANKING PAGE 3
Jacqueline Woodson speaks By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Saint Mary’s News Editor
This year’s annual Christian Culture Lecture featured author Jacqueline Woodson, who spoke on the power literature has on children and participated in a question-and-answer session w ith College President
FOOTBALL PAGE 16
Katie Conboy. Conboy introduced Woodson, who as a child, was know n to w rite on places such as on walls and in books that would get her in trouble w ith adults. “But how luck y for all of us that she did not outgrow the see WOODSON PAGE 4
WOMEN’S SOCCER PAGE 16