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Volume 51, Issue 39 | Wednesday, October 26, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
Students face off in mock debate Student government organizers aim to “create a broad civic discussion” between Democrats, Republicans By LUCAS MASIN-MOYER News Writer
This past Wednesday, the series of debates between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump drew to a close. But on Tuesday night, debate between students at Notre Dame raged on. In a packed auditorium in DeBartolo Hall, sophomore Prathm Juneja, representing Democrats, and junior Will Lederer, representing Republicans, debated in an event sponsored by NDVotes, Student Government, College Republicans and College Democrats. Moderator Alexander
Heffner, host of “Open Mind on PBS,” started the debate by asking students about their opinions on the state of voting rights in America. Juneja began by saying that he believes restrictions are a major problem. “Party policies and partisan politics have brought us to a place where in Texas, voter ID laws were passed and a few days later, DMVs in minority neighborhoods were shut down,” Juneja said. “That’s the problem — the idea that people don’t have the opportunity to vote because of the color of their skin or their zip code.” see DEBATE PAGE 3
Panel discusses voting, ethics
PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer
Junior Will Lederer, left, and sophomore Prathm Juneja speak during Tuesday night’s debate in DeBartolo Hall. During the debate, the two discussed both domestic and foreign policy issues in relation to the election.
Students participate in Appalachia seminars By AIDAN LEWIS News Writer
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Professor Bettina Spencer speaks during Tuesday’s panel. Spencer explored the concept of remaining open to opposing viewpoints. By MARTHA REILLY Associate Saint Mary’s Editor
With just 12 days until the general election, Saint Mary’s Center for Spirituality hosted a panel discussion about voting, titled “Community, Conscience and Conversation,” on Tuesday
NEWs PAGE 3
evening. Pat Pierce, professor of political science, said people of varying political affiliations should respect and appreciate, rather than denounce and attack, one another. “A central part of see PANEL PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 5
Over fall break, 245 Notre Dame students traveled to the Appalachia region of the United States as a part of the Appalachia Fall Seminar through the Center for Social Concerns (CSC). These students participated in service immersions across 19 different locations in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, Greg White, the lead coordinator for CSC seminars, said in an email. Tina Bryson, manager of public relations for the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), said students are vital to meeting the high demand for housing projects in Appalachia. “We have a backlog of about 500 substandard housing projects that need to be accomplished, and we just can’t do that without volunteers, without students,” she said. “We could never do that with just staffing alone.” Bryson said Notre Dame has a long history of helping out in Appalachia,
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particularly with CAP, which hosted two groups of Notre Dame students last week. “CAP has been around for a while,” Bryson said. “This is our 51st year. I believe Notre Dame students have been coming for about 40 years.” Bryson said one goal of the program was to eliminate the stereotype that those in need are lazy and rely solely on others for help. “Each family that CAP serves is part of that building process, whether they help in the building of the house, or they prepare food for the crew,” she said. “They are part of helping themselves. I think the goal is to show poverty, but also to show that these are just real people at the end of the day, to break down any stereotypes and barriers. Any of us could be in that situation where we need some help.” Ryan Hergenrother, a sophomore who did his immersion in War, West Virginia with Big Creek People in Action, Inc., said students had to research their region before the group
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departed in order to fully prepare themselves for the trip. “We did different readings and watched documentaries on the politics of the region, focusing on the changing demographics over time and the importance of coal there,” he said. “These factors affect their society and have shaped where they are right now.” Hergenrother said this research allowed his group to keep in mind the region’s larger issues while working on their service project. “During the day it was all about home repair, so we did sealing, siding and painting,” he said. “At night, we did ref lections, saying our highs and lows of the day, what we thought about the different problems in the region and how solutions could be thought of.” Sophomore Brittany Margritz — who went to Bethlehem Farms in Talcott, West Virginia for her immersion — said she did everything from farm chores see APPALACHIA PAGE 4
MEN’s soccEr PAGE 12