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Volume 51, Issue 28 | Thursday, September 29, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
Student Senate
North Dining Hall to be renovated Food area design, kitchen equipment to be redone throughout spring semester of 2017 By DEVON HARFORD News Writer
Though it will not fully close, North Dining Hall will undergo a major renovation this year to replace old equipment and infrastructure, expand seating and create a new entrance facing Mod Quad, campus dining staff told student senate Wednesday night. The renovation will begin after fall break and last through next summer. Director of campus dining Chris Abayasinghe, director of retail dining Luigi Alberganti and director of student dining Scott Kachmarik presented the plans to the senate at its weekly meeting. “North Dining Hall was last renovated in 1988,” Kachmarik said. “It is due for an upgrade.” Kachmarik said the main work would be on the design of the dining hall. “We are going to open all
[the food area] up; we are going to knock down the walls,” Kachmarik said. “That is the bulk of what will be happening.” Additionally, pipes will be replaced, some kitchen equipment will be changed, and ceiling and lighting fixtures will be switched out. The renovations will also address an occasional odor behind the hall. “It will be gutted in a similar way to what Walsh Hall is right now,” Kachmarik said. There will also be a new entrance on the building’s east side for people coming from Mod Quad dorms and Flaherty and Dunne Halls, Kachmarik said, and the existing main entrance will see restrooms, a new look and location for Grab ‘n Go with the possibility of a conveniencestore setup, as well as a common space before students swipe in. Kachmarik said the dining hall will have a “modern” look, see DINING HALL PAGE 4
SMC Democrats register voters By EMMA O’BRIEN News Writer
The Saint Mary’s College Democrats is holding a voter registration drive throughout this week, with the goal of helping students exercise a civic duty, club treasurer Meredith Mackowicz said. “[Voting is] your responsibility as a citizen, as an American, as a person in this generation who cares about the future of our country,” Mackowicz said. College Democrats secretary Gabby Haff said Saint Mary’s students should value the right to vote, given the College’s status as an allwomen school. “Registering to vote is a right that men and women fought long and hard for, which is something not only
NEWS PAGE 3
Saint Mary’s should appreciate as women, but also as citizens,” Haff said. “Still to this day, there are people around the world who are not granted the right to vote, and we as American citizens should register to vote for all of those in the past and present who were/are not able to.” Junior Stephanie Stapleton, a member of the club’s board, said she thinks it’s important for young voters to know that they have a say in the election and what happens in the world. “If we get them started now in political affiliations, then it can help them understand what they want, which can help shape future elections,” she said. Mackowicz said students see VOTERS PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 5
ROSIE LOVOI | The Observer
North Dining Hall, which was last renovated before the 1988 academic year, will undergo a major design upgrade over the course of the spring 2017 semester
2016 Election observer: Carey Cavanaugh
Former ambassador, alum analyzes first debate Editor’s Note: Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, The Observer will sit down with Notre Dame experts to break down the election and its importance to students. In this 13th installment, Associate News Editor Rachel O’Grady asks former United States ambassador and alumnus Carey Cavanaugh, class of 1978, about the impact of international relations on this election. Rachel O’Grady: Broadly speaking, what’s your takeaway from Monday’s debate? Carey Cavanaugh: When you know there will be a test, it pays to do your homework. This is true in regular life — and in classes at Notre Dame — but in the presidency it is essential. Donald Trump belittled the effort Hilary Clinton put
into getting ready for their first debate, but her performance showed that a mastery of policies and facts makes a difference. The Oval Office is not the place for anyone who believes they can just wing it or who does not take advantage of the enormous expertise of those around them. The stakes are simply too important. ROG: Given your experience as a former foreign service officer and U.S. ambassador, how are international relations playing a role in this election? CC: From immigration and trade to combatting terrorism and addressing climate change, global issues are front and center in this election. The American people understand that we live today in an interconnected world. Our security and prosperity depend not simply upon our own policies, but on our international partnerships.
Maintaining effective working relationships with friends and foes will be paramount to achieving our goals. ROG: You have just returned from several months in Europe. How is the race for the presidency being seen there? CC: Trump has set off shockwaves with his glib pronouncements about nuclear weapons, not defending NATO partners and other allies — if he believes they have not paid their fair share of defense costs — preparedness to have the U.S. engage in torture — waterboarding and “much worse” — and intention to expel millions of immigrants and implement a shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S. Countless nations have long regarded the U.S. as the global leader, a shining “city on a hill.”
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
Cross country PAGE 12
ND WOmen’s soccer PAGE 12
By RACHEL O’GRADY Associate News Editor
see ELECTION PAGE 3