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Volume 54, Issue 2 | tuesday, august 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Student leaders discountinue bus route Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame move to cancel South Bend Transpo’s Midnight Express service indefinitely By MAEVE FILBIN Saint Mary’s News Editor
The South Bend Transpo’s Midnight Express will no longer run within the tri-campus community, as this summer, the student governments of Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame moved to cancel the service indefinitely due to an increase in costs. Aaron Benavides, who serves as the press secretary for Notre Dame’s student government, said both administrations were involved in the decision to stop the Midnight Express. Transpo alerted Notre Dame Student Government of a 50% increase in operation costs on June 18, communicating through Student Affairs. “After being notified that South Bend Transpo was
going to increase costs of the Midnight Express service by 50%, an increase of nearly $30,000, the student governments of Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame re-evaluated the program,” Benavides said in an email. “Due to declining usage, both administrations collectively determined it was most effective to cancel the service, and immediately began working on a solution for an alternate service.” This year, Monday through Friday, the final South Bend Transpo bus will leave the Grotto at 9:13 p.m. before completing that route at 9:30 p.m. by dropping off passengers at Saint Mary’s Regina Hall. With the cancellation in effect, no Transpo buses will run past 9:30 p.m. on Fridays, see TRANSPO PAGE 4
DIANE PARK | The Observer
University welcomes 9 new rectors to campus By MARIAH RUSH Notre Dame Associate News Editor
As the school year begins, Notre Dame is welcoming nine new rectors to the community to lead residence halls and build dorm community: Kayla August of Lyons Hall; Robby Francis of Zahm House; Sarah Jesse of Farley Hall; Anna Kenny of Howard Hall; Fr. Joe Pedersen of Siegfried Hall; Clarice Ramirez of Lewis Hall; Libbie Steiner of Ryan Hall; Laurie Svatek of Pasquerilla East Hall; and Jay Verzosa of Alumni Hall. August, a native of New Orleans, spent the last few years in South Bend working for Campus Ministry at Notre Dame following her graduation from Loyola University in New Orleans. She said she was drawn to becoming a rector because she wanted to expand her Notre Dame experience. “My work in Campus Ministry has been a gift,”
News PAGE 3
August said in an email. “But I wanted the chance to live out the mission of Notre Dame in a new way. I know work in ministry is as diverse as the ways God moves in our lives, and I am looking forward to seeing how he moves in this new context. Getting to know the incredible students of Notre Dame has been one of the biggest blessings of the past three years, and being a rector is a wonderful opportunity to see them through a different lens as they change, learn and grow.” Playing on the idea of a group of Lyons residents being a pride, August said she wants to increase pride in the Lyons community. “I hope that the wonderful group of Lyons women show their pride’s pride. The amazing women of Lyons have spirit, talent and diversity that the campus of Notre Dame has and will continue to benefit from,” August said. “This year, I want to make sure we show our pride
viewpoint PAGE 8
in new ways and let the ND community know just how great it is to be from under the arch.” August also said she wants to increase a sense of belonging within the hall. “The second [goal] is growing the sense of belonging,” August said. “It is my experience that many of the Notre Dame community don’t always feel that they belong. The truth is that they do and that what each person brings makes our community better. I hope to embed this truth in my role with the women of Lyons that they are each a gift to this community just as they are. They belong here and the Pride would be less without them.” Francis joins the Notre Dame community following his departure from Saint Louis University, where he was a campus minister and minster for students living in the university’s residence see RECTORS PAGE 6
Scene PAGE 10
SMC embarks on facilities updates By MAEVE FILBIN Saint Mary’s News Editor
Saint Mary’s began a major multi-year series of facilities updates this summer, spending over $2.5 million in the months leading up to fall semester. These renovations were made possible after the Board of Trustees designated up to $3 million to be added to the current fiscal year’s
capital budget, vice president for strateg y and finance Dana Strait said. The College also has approval to issue a bond of up to $51.5 million, with almost $20 million to be used to refinance existing debt at a lower rate, Strait said. “This is really just the beginning of what the College see FACILITIES PAGE 7
ND remembers Chris Westdyk By TOM NAATZ Notre Dame News Editor
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online July 1.
The class of 2019 alumnus was a devoted member of the Stanford Hall community, Justin McDevitt, Stanford Hall’s rector, remembered. “He lived and breathed Stanford, waved the flag at events, led walkovers to games,
Chris Westdyk was “a huge Stanford guy.”
see WESTDYK PAGE 5
ND W basketball PAGE 20
ND Men’s soccer PAGE 20