The independent
To uncover
newspaper serving
the truth
Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s
and report
and holy cross
it accurately
Volume 53, Issue 53 | friday, november 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Football friday feature
Bagpipers share their story Band discusses historic roots, development of Notre Dame tradition By CATE VON DOHLEN News Writer
Many deem the player walk from Hesburgh Library into the stadium before game time an iconically Notre Dame experience. This tradition, however, is relatively new. The first bagpiping band at Notre Dame originated from the Irish Guard in 1949. But the bagpiping band Notre Dame knows today is not the same. “The original band didn’t last long because the bagpipes had to be let go for several reasons,” faculty co-advisor of the band, professor Dominic Vachon said. Vachon said bagpipes cannot last for long in weather below 40 degrees because the reeds freeze.
“In those days, the bagpipes would lock up after staying in the stadium all that time,” he said. The size of the band also created issues, Vachon said. “The other problem then was that there were only eight or nine Irish Guard, and eight or nine pipers does not fill that stadium,” Vachon said. He also said the way the band recruited bagpipers created issues. “The third reason, which we know from Lee Tavis, a professor emeritus, was the original way they chose pipers in the Irish Guard,” Vachon said. “They went through the band and drafted people to be bagpipers. And that’s not a great way to get people to learn an see BAGPIPES PAGE 3
ND to dedicate Walsh building Observer Staff Report
Photo courtesy of Dominic Vachon
The Notre Dame bagpiping band began playing in 1949. The band performs at several University events throughout the year.
The University will formally dedicate the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture on Friday, according to a Thursday press release. The new hall is named after Matthew and Joyce Walsh, the building’s benefactors, who donated $33 million to the construction of the new location of the School of Architecture. see DEDICATION PAGE 3
Lecture speaks out against Saint Mary’s hosts hate speech, oppression ‘Fun Friday’ for student stress relief By SERENA ZACHARIAS News Writer
In response to the Tree of Life synagogue terror attack in Pittsburgh, the Jewish Club of Notre Dame, the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley and Campus Ministry will unite to host an event against antiSemitism and oppression called “A World Without Hate” on Friday afternoon. Professor Sarah Snider, who developed the initial idea for this event, said the discussion will consist of three main sessions. She said the first session will provide a background on the issues surrounding anti-Semitism in America today. “There hasn’t been a nationwide conversation about anti-Semitism as there has been about certain oppressions against other minorities for a lot of reasons ... but that doesn’t mean that anti-Semitism isn’t there,” Snider said. According to a report released by the Anti-Defamation League, the number of anti-Semitic incidents in America rose 57 percent
NEWS PAGE 2
in 2017, which translates to a total of 1,986 incidents. While the intensity of the violence in the Pittsburgh shooting was troubling, Snider said she was not particularly shocked when she heard the news. “I used to work in the Jewish nonprofit realm, and all Jewish nonprofits have intense security systems. I also went to a Jewish undergraduate [institution], and I went to Jewish day school my whole life,” Snider said. “The reality is that it is not as unusual as you would think for people to come and try to hurt Jewish people in their places of worship or their schools or their workplaces.” Senior Alicia Twisselmann, the president of the Jewish Club of Notre Dame, said she too lacked feelings of surprise when she heard about the shootings. “I wasn’t shocked in the slightest. I sort of just reacted by becoming very numb to it. I’ve seen this signs coming since 2015,” Twisselmann said. “There has been a rise in anti-Semitism over the course of the [past few years] … and all of this has just been
SCENE PAGE 5
building to this point.” Snider said she feels many Jewish people would agree with this sentiment. To help people understand how and why Jewish people feel they way they do, she looks to the second session of the event, which consists of a roundtable discussion featuring a number of Jewish members of the campus community, including students, professors and staff. “What I think is cool about this panel is that it not only represents Jewish campus community members from the undergraduate level to the professor level, it also includes Jewish people from a wide swath of denominations and geographical origins,” Snider said. The third session serves to further broaden the discussion regarding oppression, as it includes both non-Jewish and Jewish speakers. The event will close with a shabbat service at Temple Beth El, followed by a dinner. Snider said the event also
see LECTURE PAGE 4
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
By SARAH SCHLECHT News Writer
For the first Friday of every month, the Saint Mary’s Student Activities Board (SAB) organizes and hosts a “Fun Friday” event dedicated to helping students destress and relax after a hectic week . Senior and Student Activities Board president Zoie Clay said selfcare and relaxation are of utmost importance for the health and wellbeing of students. “Sometimes it’s easy to get distracted with school work, club activities and various social commitments and students forget to take time out of their day to just recharge and de-stress,” Clay said. “Our main goal as a student organization is to plan and organize events that will not only be fun for students but will also offer a comfortable and enjoyable space for students to feel at home away from home.” Clay said the “Fun Friday” events have been a long-time tradition at Saint Mary’s and aim to foster
MEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE 12
a sense of community and overall enjoyment. “A lot of the time, we get our ideas from the feedback of students on what they would like to do and what would be fun and we usually aim our events around that,” Clay said. “In past years every Fun Friday has been located in the student center on the top floor and this year we’ve been rotating them in the different dorm lounges. The lounges offer a much bigger space and more girls are able to participate and get involved.” This Friday the event will be hosted in Vendoland in McCandless Hall from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and students will be crafting ceramic tiles and coasters. “Each month the crafts are designed and themed differently,” Clay said. “The crafts really range, with different themes and activities. We’ve done cake-pops, we’ve done, tye-dying, friendship bracelets, DIY face masks and body scrubs for relaxation. This Friday see FUN FRIDAY PAGE 4
FOOTBALL PAGE 12