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Volume 54, Issue 59 | friday, december 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Class donates $83,000 to local nonprofits ‘Philanthropy and Society’ students divide sum among winning Michiana organizations in ceremony By ALYSSA GUFFEY News Writer
Students in professor Jonathan Hannah’s “Philanthropy and Society” course announced in a short ceremony Thursday afternoon the five groups that would receive parts of an $83,000 grant the class received from the Philanthropy Lab. After a semester spent exploring local nonprofits and conducting board meetings, the students chose to split the funds among five organizations in the Michiana area. Senior Abigail Campbell
spoke on behalf of the class to announce Neighbor-toNeighbor — an immigrant and refugee assistance center in South Bend — as the receiver of an $8,000 grant. The organization was chosen because of its profound impact on refugees’ rights in the South Bend area as well as at the state level, Campbell said. “I’m happy to share that we are awarding Neighborto-Neighbor so they can continue to grow, to flourish and to teach refugees what it’s like to call South Bend home,” she said. The Dismas House of
Indiana was granted $15,000 to support its work of providing a family network for those recently released from prison. Senior Hunter Reh cited the empathy of the Dismas House as a strong incentive to fund the organization. “We want to help a program like the Dismas House that is actively seeking to make the lives of some of the most forgotten members of our society better,” Reh said. “We know this grant will be put to great use, and thank you so much for the work you do for our community.” Junior Natalie Armbruster
SMC student named 2020 Gilman scholar By Mia Marroquin News Writer
Saint Mary’s sophomore Allyson Emmett will be studying in Seville, Spain from January through May after being granted the 2020 Gilman Scholarship to participate in a study abroad program this academic year. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a congressionally-funded program sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and
is administered by the Institute of International Education. The program aims to diversif y the kinds of students who study and intern abroad as well as the countries and regions to which they travel by supporting U.S. undergraduates who might otherwise not consider these opportunities due to financial constraints, the program’s website said. The program received more than 5,000 applicants for the 2020 cycle. Just over 1,300 students were offered awards to participate in
credit-bearing study abroad programs and career-oriented internships in countries across the world. Emmett said she came to college knowing she wanted to study abroad during her time at Saint Mary’s. About 50% of Saint Mary’s students study abroad during their four years of college, according to the CWIL website. The center offers programs in over 18 different countries for semester, academic year and summer terms. see GILMAN PAGE 3
Proffesors debate right to build border wall By Tom Naatz Notre Dame News Editor
Professors Jason Brennan of Georgetown University and Christopher Heath Wellman of Washington University in St. Louis participated in a debate Thursday evening
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surrounding the ethics of immigration. During the event, entitled “Do we have a right to build the Border Wall? ” the two academics clashed over whether or not states have a right to restrict immigration. Brennan advocated a position of open borders. Noting
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it would strike the average person as unethical to ban certain Americans from living elsewhere in the United States, he said this same logic should apply to people born abroad. “Imagine that the people see WALL PAGE 4
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revealed that $15,000 would be allocated to the Elkhart Education Foundation to assist teachers with limited supplies in their classrooms. With this funding, the class hopes the foundation can continue to help both teachers and children in Elkhart schools flourish, Armbruster said. A Rosie Place for Children — the only hospital for medically fragile children in Indiana — received $15,000 from the class. Senior Joe Witt explained his team felt a connection to A Rosie Place during their site visit. “We were just absolutely
blown away by the care, the attention to detail that went into the home and the obvious passion and dedication of the leadership,” Witt said. Senior Catherine Edmonds awarded the final $20,000 to Cultivate Culinary, an organization that focuses on repurposing food to give to students in the community. Currently, Cultivate Culinary provides for 400 students, but with the help of the grant, they are hoping to double the number of students they serve, Edmonds said. see NONPROFIT PAGE 3
Notre Dame Chorale performs ‘Messiah’
Courtesy of Alexander Blachly
The ND Chorale performs George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” in Leighton Concert Hall. The group performs the oratorio each winter. By CIARA HOPKINSON News Writer
For nearly 30 years, the Notre Dame Chorale has ushered in the holiday season with their performance of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” a wildly popular Baroque masterpiece that tells the story of Christianity in three parts. Music professor Alexander Blachly, director of the Chorale, described the piece as “indestructible.” “That’s the word that people usually use about it,”
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Blachly said. “It means no matter how you perform, it is going to sound great. But I think it sounds a lot more great when it’s performed with this sense of style.” W hen Blachly arrived at Notre Dame in 1993, the Chorale had significantly fewer members and performed “Messiah” with a full orchestra. For the past several years, however, the Chorale, which now has around 70 members, has performed with a small orchestra see MESSIAH PAGE 4
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