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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 39 | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Fr. Robert Dowd elected as next president The political scientist and associate provost was selected as Notre Dame’s 18th president Monday Observer Staff Report
Courtesy of the University of Notre Dame
The Board of Trustees announced Fr. Robert Dowd will serve as the University’s next president on Dec. 4. He served as Religious Superior of the Notre Dame Holy Cross Community and as an associate professor.
Harvard professor speaks on democracy By EMMA DUFFY Social Media Editor
Monday even i ng in McKen na Ha l l, Ha r v a rd pol it ic a l sc ience professor Steven L ev it sk y d i sc u ssed pa st, c u r rent a nd f ut u re t h reat s to A mer ic a n democ rac y i n h i s ke y note add ress for t h i s yea r’s Not re Da me For u m on “T he Fut u re of Democ r ac y.” One of t he pr i ma r y topic s d i sc u ssed w a s t he ever d iver si f y i ng democ rac y i n A mer ic a . L ev it sk y sa id t he Republ ic a n pa r t y i s st r ugg l i ng to dea l w it h a cha ngi ng elec tor ate. Bec au se
An incident in a men’s residence hall resulting in four criminal offenses including sexual battery reportedly occurred between 11
NEWS PAGE 4
see PRESIDENCY PAGE 4
Saint Mary’s students launch H(us)H campaign
t hei r ba se ha s long been f i l led w it h w h ite, C h r i st ia n A mer ic a n s, L ev it sk y sa id t he pa r t y ha s faced t he problem s of elec t ion s a nd loss of dom i na nce. He sa id t he lat ter seemed to c au se a major cha l lenge for t he Republ ic a n s. “W hen you r g roup i s on top of t he h ier a rchy, cha llenges to t hat h ier a rchy c a n feel t h reaten i ng. L osi ng one’s dom i na nt soc ia l st at u s c a n gener ate feel i ngs of loss, of resent ment,” he ex pla i ned. “It c a n feel l i ke a n ex i stent ia l t h reat .” Courtesy of Teagan Thomas
see DEMOCRACY PAGE 3
Sexual battery reported in men’s residence hall Observer Staff Report
The Board of Trustees elected Fr. Robert Dowd as Notre Dame’s 18th president Monday. Board chair Jack Brennan announced Dowd’s election in an email to the University community, writing that Dowd will assume the duties of the presidency on July 1, 2024. Dowd currently serves as Religious Superior of the Holy Cross Community at Notre Dame and is a fellow and trustee of the University. He is an associate professor of political science and since 2021 has held the position of vice president and associate provost for interdisciplinary initiatives. He previously served as an assistant provost for internationalization with Notre Dame International and founded Notre
Dame’s Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity. As part of his current role, Dowd oversees academic units and institutes on campus including the Center for Social Concerns, Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate, ROTC programs and Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, among others. Originally from Michigan City, Indiana, Dowd graduated from Notre Dame in 1987 with a degree in psychology and economics before entering Moreau Seminary. He currently lives in Cavanaugh Hall as the dorm’s priest-in-residence. As a political scientist, Dowd’s scholarship has focused largely on Africa and includes the book “Christianity, Islam, and Liberal
p.m. on Nov. 16 and 8 a.m. on Nov. 17, according to the University’s daily crime log. The other offenses were see CRIME LOG PAGE 3
SCENE PAGE 5
Students in Public Communication surround the “Help (us) Heal” (H(us)H) wall, a display meant to memorialize and spread awareness of victims of domestic violence, and thus foster communal change. By SARAH CATE WHITE News Writer
A pu r ple w a l l of st ick y notes out side of Noble Fa m i ly d i n i ng Ha l l ser ved a s a v i sua l represent at ion of t he H(u s)H c a mpa ig n. H(u s)H, a projec t created by st udent s i n professor Ter r i Ru ss’s P ubl ic Com mu n ic at ion cla ss, i s a i med to be a “dy na m ic
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
a nd i mpac t f u l domest ic v iolence aw a reness c a mpa ig n” to br i ng aw a reness to t he ongoi ng v iolence a nd foster a com mu n it y of cha nge. Ru ss w a s a ssi sted by sen ior Teaga n T homa s i n creat i ng t he a ssig n ment, a nd she of fered i n sig ht to t he m i ssion of H(u s)H. “H( US )H i s a com mun it y c a mpa ig n t hat seek s
to empower i nd iv idua l s, ra i se aw a reness a nd d r ive col lec t ive ac t ion to brea k t he c ycle of abu se,” T homa s sa id. T homa s ex pla i ned t he acrony m st a nd s for “Help (u s) Hea l.” “W it h t h i s c a mpa ig n we a re t r y i ng to br i ng aw a reness to t he i ssue a nd help
M BASKETBALL PAGE 11
HOCKEY PAGE 12
see AWARENESS PAGE 3