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Spotlight: New Beginnings at Hesburgh Library

2004-02-29T19:00:00-05:00

p. p. _"Be a little careful about your library. Do you foresee what you will do with it? Very little to be sure. But the real question is, ‘What it will do with you?’ You will come here and get books that will open your eyes, and your ears, and your curiosity, and turn you inside out or outside in."p. —-Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Journals, Sept. 1873

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p. On Sept. 18, 2003?exactly 40 years after the Hesburgh (then Memorial) Library opened ? Notre Dame’s president emeritus, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh C.S.C., blessed the facility’s recently renovated lower level, bringing to an end years of planning and hard work.p. “I can’t think of anything I want to bless more,” Father Hesburgh said as he spoke of the library as holy place that fulfills an ?internal yearning for truth."p. The lower level renovation is actually more of a beginning than an end, with four more renovation phases still to come. The lower level was the first phase, since it was the only place where moveable shelving could be installed to efficiently meet the need for expanded space. The other phases will include renovations and developments of the first and second floors, along with lighting and flooring improvements on the tower floors.p. “We’re thrilled with the outcome of the first step in our vision of creating a great destination for learning and research,” said Jennifer Younger, Edward H. Arnold Director of University Libraries.p. This new interior renovation project accentuates the library’s commitment to learning. With its beautiful study area, complete with new booths, tables, lounge chairs, couches and group study rooms, the lower level has become an immediate favorite for students.p. “The lower level is the quiet study area of the library,” says Kathy Colbert, a stacks management assistant involved in the transfer of materials to the lower level. “Other areas are not as quiet, but the lower level really brings students in.”p. In addition to the study space, the library’s collections of government documents, microfilm and microfiche, and the International 91��Ƶ Resource centers are among the elements that have been relocated. Other materials from the tower also will move to the lower level, including volumes from the general works, science, medicine, agriculture, military science, engineering and library science. The complete relocation of these materials is expected to take six months.p. Younger is excited about the many positive reactions to the lower level from faculty, students and alumni. Most striking to her is the “wow” effect when people see the renovation for the first time.p. What began as a 200,000-volume library has expanded into nearly 3 million volumes today?just as Father Hesburgh predicted in 1960?and the staff of the Hesburgh Library remains dedicated to housing the expansion.p. Demolition of the original lower level began in October 2001 and was completed the following September. The lower level opened in August.p. In his own speech before the blessing, the University’s Provost, Nathan Hatch, recalled Ralph Waldo Emerson’s thoughts about the power of a library. With its new renovations and sustained commitment to learning, the Hesburgh Library fulfills Emerson’s idea of turning library-dwellers “inside out” and “outside in.”

TopicID: 4034

Spotlight: Serving and learning in Appalachia

2004-02-29T19:00:00-05:00

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| Students combine service and learning at Appalachia seminar ||
p. When Notre Dame takes spring break March 7 to 13, some 200 students will renew a longstanding University tradition that has nothing to do with sand, surf or sun. Instead of relaxing on the beaches of Cabo, they’ll be working and learning in the hills of Appalachia.p. Since 1981, Notre Dame has sent an ever-increasing number of students to more than a dozen sites in Appalachia during both the fall and spring breaks to participate in what the University’s Center for Social Concerns calls service learning; that is, an exploration of religious, social, political and environmental issues in the impoverished region combined with work on home repair, clothing distribution, food bank and health care projects.p. The goal of the initiative—as it is with similar Center for Social Concerns programs in other regions—is to introduce students to the culture and social issues of Appalachia through direct interaction with its people.p. Carl Loesch, director of the center’s Appalachia Seminar and Educational Immersions, puts it this way: “Young people need witnesses, not teachers,” and he notes that the contact students have with community leaders can change their concepts of leadership.p. Notre Dame students who participated in the Appalachia project last fall worked and learned in a wide variety of settings and came back with new insights.p. Senior Kevin Sibbernsen, who traveled to a Catholic Worker farm site, put it this way: “We touched people in more ways than just building houses. We were building homes. We were holding hands, not just tools.”p. Kate Rumsey, a junior from Carrollton, Texas, and her group at the Charleston District Outreach Ministry in West Virginia got a true “overview” of the region on a plane ride over areas where coal companies had mined the mineral by blasting the tops off of mountains.p. “We were able to see what mountain-top removal did to the mountains and valleys,” she said. “It’s one thing to hear about it, but we actually saw the machinery and what it looked like.”p. Senior Wynne Morgan spent time in Kentucky at the David 91��Ƶ, working with teenagers who have dropped out of high school.p. “I remember attending a soccer game that everyone thought they had no chance of winning, but they came together and tied the game,” Morgan said in recalling a moment that stood out for both her and the teens at the David 91��Ƶ.p. Terry Fitzgibbons, a senior from Chalfont, Pa., has participated in the Appalachia Seminar three times. Last fall, at Nazareth Farm in Salem, W.Va., his focus was on home repair in an effort to reduce substandard housing. The cornerstones of “community, simplicity, prayer and service” guide the actions of Nazareth Farm staff members, who provide residents of the region with both physical and emotional support.p. “I was most surprised by the fact that Nazareth Farm was staffed with fresh college grads, and yet the program, and the week, were tight-knit and so solid,” said Fitzgibbons.p. Junior Alana Reyes-Mir has journeyed to both an Appalachia Seminar in 2002 and to Australia in Notre Dame’s study abroad program in fall 2003. Although she notes that these experiences had significant differences, she sees a connection in the education she received.p. “Both of them were about people—Notre Dame students who come together in places around the world to live, work and help out,” she said.p. Task force leader Michael Kelly, a senior from Jefferson City, Mo., noted that education and job skills are more important than ever in places like Appalachia. He added that “individuals, businesses, agencies and the government” all must work together “like legs of a table in the communities of Appalachia.”p. Students in all of the Center for Social Concerns service learning initiatives have assigned readings and attend orientation classes prior to spring break, and complete writing assignments upon their return.p. More information on spring break projects and the many other programs sponsored by the Center for Social Concerns is available on the Web at

TopicID: 4045

New York Times columnist to serve as journalist-in-residence

2003-11-12T19:00:00-05:00

New York Times columnist David Brooks will discuss “Extremism and the Defense of Politics: The Landscape for 2004” Tuesday (Nov. 18) at 7:30 p.m. in the Hesburgh Library’s Carey Auditorium at the University of Notre Dame. The event is free and open to the public.p. Brooks, who also is a regular political analyst on “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” will visit Notre Dame as journalist-in-residence, sponsored by the University’s John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. During his residency, he will speak to classes and meet with students and faculty.p. Author of the best-selling book “Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There,” Brooks began his New York Times column two months ago and has previously contributed to numerous magazines, including The Weekly Standard, The Atlantic Monthly, Newsweek and The New Yorker.p. Brooks is a 1983 graduate of the University of Chicago and began his career in journalism as a police reporter for the city news bureau in Chicago.p. Activities of the journalist-in-residence are sponsored with a gift from Keiko and Matt Storin of South Bend. A 1964 Notre Dame alumnus, Matt Storin was editor of the Boston Globe from 1993 until 2001. Since 2002, he has been associate vice president for news and information at Notre Dame, where he served as the University’s first journalist-in-residence.

TopicID: 4135

South Bend Community Hall of Fame to induct 2 graduates

2003-11-12T19:00:00-05:00

Two University of Notre Dame graduates ? Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan and retired law school professor Thomas Broden Jr. ? will be inducted Wednesday (Nov. 19) into the South Bend Community Hall of Fame for their exemplary service to the local community.p. Raised in South Bend, Kernan attended St. Joseph’s High 91��Ƶ and was graduated from Notre Dame in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in government. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and was held for 11 months as a prisoner of war. His service awards include the Navy Commendation Medal, two Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Flying Cross.p. Kernan was elected mayor of South Bend in 1987 and served nine years ? longer than any other mayor in city history. He was elected lieutenant governor of Indiana in 1996, and in September became the state’s 48th chief executive after the death of Gov. Frank O’Bannon. Kernan was awarded an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1998.p. Broden was graduated from Notre Dame Law 91��Ƶ in 1949 and joined the school’s faculty a year later. Among his many initiatives on campus was the creation of a legal aid program to assist low-income residents of the area, which became a model for other law schools nationwide, and the development and direction of the Institute for Urban 91��Ƶ.p. On the national level, Broden served as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee and was integral to the creation of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. Locally, he co-founded the ecumenical United Relgious Community of St. Joseph County and served on the boards of the Indiana Catholic Conference and Legal Protection Services Program of Northern Indiana.p. Kernan and Broden are among seven new members of the South Bend Community Hall of Fame. Candidates must have lived in the city for 10 or more years and have made significant contributions or achievements at the local, state or national levels.

TopicID: 4136

Faculty publish three new books on spirituality

2003-11-10T19:00:00-05:00

Spirituality is the focus of three new books authored or edited by University of Notre Dame faculty and published by Notre Dame Press.p. ? The connection between spirituality and business is the focus of “Business, Religion and Spirituality: A New Synthesis,” which was edited by Rev. Oliver F. Williams, C.S.C., associate professor of management in the Mendoza College of Business and academic director of the University’s Center for Ethics and Religious Values in Business.p. Part of the John W. Houck Notre Dame Series in Business Ethics, the book examines the roles of churches, business leaders and business schools in promoting ethics in the corporate world.p. Contributors include Lawrence Cunningham, John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology at Notre Dame, and John Caron, a 1945 graduate of Notre Dame, life trustee of the University, and retired president and chief executive officer of Caron International, a textile manufacturing company.p. ? Ralph McInerny’s “The Very Rich Hours of Jacques Maritain” makes use of the medieval book of hours to examine the lives of Catholic philosopher Maritain and his wife, Raissa, shaping a model of the intellectual lives of Christian believers. He discusses Maritain’s involvement in French politics and his views on the nature and future of democracy.p. McInerny is the Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval 91��Ƶ and director of the Jacques Maritain Center at Notre Dame. His recent work includes commentaries on Aquinas and Aristotle, along with the concept of the philosophical poet.p. ? In “A Journey with God in Time: A Spiritual Quest,” Rev. John S. Dunne, C.S.C., John A. O’Brien Professor of Catholic Theology, meditates on pivotal moments in his life to connect contemporary theology with finding, losing and living love. He takes readers through his life, including his relationship with his grandfather, his love of music and thoughts on death, in an innovative autobiography that uses dramatic Thomas Cole paintings as a backdrop.p. A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1957, Father Dunne is author of more than 15 books, including ?The City of the Gods? and ?A Search for God in Time and Memory."p. Contact: Julie Beckwith, associate marketing manager, Notre Dame Press, 574-631-3267, beckwith.7@nd.edu

TopicID: 4139

Motivational speaker to discuss smoke-free society

2003-11-06T19:00:00-05:00

Nationally known motivational speaker Patrick Reynolds, grandson of tobacco company founder R.J. Reynolds, will give a talk titled “Tobacco Wars: The Battle for a Smoke Free Society,” at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 12) in the McKenna Hall auditorium at the University of Notre Dame.p. Sponsored by Notre Dame’s Office of Alcohol and Drug Education, IRISHealth, and the Healthy Communities Initiative of St. Joseph County, the event is free and open to the public.p. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company is the nation’s second largest cigarette manufacturer. Patrick Reynolds was the first tobacco industry figure to turn his back on a family company, which he did after losing his father and brother to lung cancer. He has since lobbied for a smoke-free society in both Congress and state governments, spoken at many schools nationwide, and in 1989 created the Foundation for a Smokefree America.

TopicID: 4140

Irish novelist Edna O'Brien to present reading Friday

2003-10-15T20:00:00-04:00

Critically acclaimed Irish novelist Edna O?Brien will present a reading and talk at 4:30 p.m. Friday (Oct. 17) in the Hesburgh Center auditorium at the University of Notre Dame. Sponsored by Notre Dame’s Keough Institute for Irish 91��Ƶ, the presentation is free and open to the public.p. O’Brien is the author of 13 novels, including “The Country Girls,” “House of Splendid Isolation” and “In the Forest,” as well as five collections of short stories and numerous plays and screenplays. She is known as a pioneer for her frank portrayals of women, and in her writing draws upon her Catholic upbringing, depicting both Irish village life during the 1940s and ?50s and contemporary urban settings.

TopicID: 4165

Business students receive Fanning Scholarships

2003-10-14T20:00:00-04:00

Brian Dosal, a management information systems major from Coral Gables, Fla., and Lauren Meagher, a finance and business economics major from Buffalo, N.Y., have been named the 2003 recipients of Eugene D. Fanning Scholarships at the University of Notre Dame.p. Dosal and Meagher were selected by faculty of Notre Dame’s Fanning Center for Business Communication for their excellence in communications skills and exemplary personal characteristics. Scholarships include a $3,500 credit to each student’s tuition account and a commemorative pewter plate.p. Established in 1995 in honor of Gene Fanning, the scholarships are funded by donations from members of the University’s advisory council for the Mendoza College of Business. Fanning was a Chicago businessman and investor who taught business communication courses as a guest instructor in the college from 1989-95. A 1953 Notre Dame graduate, he also was a benefactor of the University and an advisory council member.p. For more information on the Fanning Center and scholarship, visit the Web site at .

TopicID: 4168

Secretary-treasurer of AFL-CIO to discuss unions and economy

2003-10-05T20:00:00-04:00

Rich Trumka, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, will present the annual McBride Lecture sponsored by the United Steelworkers of America and the Higgins Labor Research Center.p. His talk, titled "Today’s Economy and You: How Unions Help,? will take place at 8 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 8) in 116 DeBartolo Hall.p. Trumka was elected the youngest secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO at age 46 in 1995. His election marked the beginning of a campaign to reinvigorate the American labor movement. He led the creation of the Capital Stewardship Program to promote retirement security for American working families.p. The McBride Lecture Series, established in 1977 by the United Steelworkers of America, seeks to "better understand the principles of unionism and our economy.? It honors Lloyd McBride, the union’s president from 1977 to 1983.

TopicID: 4178

Faculty panel to examine Iraqi issues Oct. 8

2003-10-05T20:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame Peace Coalition will sponsor a panel presentation titled “Focus Iraq: Questions of Justice and Responsibility” from 7-8 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 8) in 102 DeBartolo Hall.p. Discussion topics include the justice of U.S. actions before, during, and after the war in Iraq and the proper steps for securing peace.p. The moderator will be Daniel Philpott, assistant professor of political science and fellow of the Kroc Institute for International Peace studies. Speakers include Rev. Michael Baxter, C.S.C., assistant professor of theology; Keir Lieber and Daniel Lindley, both assistant professors of political science and Kroc fellows; and James Sterba, professor of philosophy. The panel presentation is free and open to the public.p. p. p. p.

TopicID: 4179

Director of risk management wins National Safety Council award

2003-10-01T20:00:00-04:00

Robert Zerr, director of risk management and safety at the University of Notre Dame, has received the annual Distinguished Service to Safety Award from the National Safety Council (NSC).p. The award was established in 1942 to recognize the many individuals and companies who supported U.S. workers during World War II by reducing occupational injuries. Since 1954, the council has recognized individuals who contribute to the field of safety on a national scale. Only nine safety professionals across the nation received the 2003 award.p. Zerr was recognized for his management of a comprehensive insurance, risk management, environmental health, and safety program for more than 10,000 students and 4,000 employees. He serves on many University committees on transportation, general safety and risk assessment, and has published articles regarding workers? compensation and faculty and student safety overseas.p. Among Zerr’s other honors are Notre Dame’s prestigious Presidential Award, Student Government Irish Clover Award and the Irish Team Award. A graduate of Franklin College, Zerr also holds a master’s degree in health physics from Purdue University.p. The NSC is a non-profit organization dedicated to “protecting life and promoting health.” Its 45,000 members represent businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals.

TopicID: 4187

Writing Center director to head national commission

2003-10-01T20:00:00-04:00

Stuart Greene, associate professor of English and O’Malley Director of the University of Notre Dame’s Writing Program, has been appointed director of the Commission on Composition for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) for 2003-06.p. A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1997, Greene received his doctorate in 1990 from Carnegie Mellon University. His academic interests include writing, rhetoric and literacy?most specifically the relationship between writing, learning and the notion of authorship.p. A current member of the Commission on Composition, Greene has co-edited “Teaching Academic Literacy: The Uses of Teacher-Research in Developing a Writing Program,” “Educated in the USA: The Promises and Problems of Education in the United States,” and has published numerous articles. His current projects include a textbook titled “Argument as Inquiry: Learning How to Converse with Others’ Ideas in Writing.”p. The Commission on Composition reports each year on key issues concerning the teaching of writing, reviews the council’s actions concerning composition and recommends new projects. The commission also monitors NCTE publications and suggests new topics.p. The NCTE promotes literacy development through the teaching and learning of language arts at all levels. The council has been a forum for teachers of English since 1911; there are some 65,000 members and subscribers today.

TopicID: 4188

Performing arts director to speak at President's Luncheon Oct. 1

2003-09-21T20:00:00-04:00

John Haynes, Judd and Mary Lou Leighton Director for the Performing Arts and executive director of the Marie P. DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Notre Dame, will be the keynote speaker Oct. 1 (Wednesday) at the President’s Luncheon for Michiana Business Leaders.p. Hosted by Notre Dame’s president, Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C., the 16th annual event will be held at noon on the concourse of the Joyce Center. Some 300 area corporate leaders plan to attend.p. Titled “The Cultural Key to Prosperity: Why Arts Savvy Cities Are Winning the Economic Development Race,” Haynes’ talk will examine the influence of the arts and will be followed by a question and answer session.p. Haynes is currently the chief administrator of the DeBartolo Center, scheduled to open next year. He will be responsible for promoting Notre Dame arts to a new level by overseeing the 123,000-square-foot center’s five performance venues and also will utilize his business expertise to oversee the center’s marketing and fund-raising activities.p. Before coming to Notre Dame last year, Haynes had served as the chief executive of the California Center for the Arts since 1999, during which time he managed a six-building complex, increased fundraising to more than $1 million, and increased the use of each facility by at least 15 percent. Haynes? experience also includes eight years as president and chief executive officer of a computer services company, and 12 years as a television programming and production executive with both CBS and Viacom.

TopicID: 4196

Environmental justice lecture series to begin Sept. 17

2003-09-15T20:00:00-04:00

Scholars and activists will explore the ways environmental justice affects Northwest Indiana, especially poor people and minorities, in a lecture series this fall at the University of Notre Dame.p. The series is sponsored by the University’s O?Neill Family Chair, Science, Technology and Values Program, Kroc Institute for International Peace 91��Ƶ, African and African-American 91��Ƶ Program, and the Departments of Anthropology, Biological Sciences, and Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences. The lectures, each beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Hesburgh Center auditorium, are as follows:p. ? Sept. 17 ? ?Gary Dumps, Environmental Justice and the Catholic Worker Movement,? Jose Bustos, Northwest Indiana activist working with Service Employees International Unionp. ? Sept. 24 ? ?Environmental Injustice in Northwest Indiana,? Betty Balanoff, labor historian and longtime activist for environmental and social developmentp. ? Oct.1 ? ?Legal Obstacles to Environmental Justice,? Bryan Bullock, Environmental Justice Chairman of the NAACP, Gary, Ind.p. ? Oct. 8 ? ?Water Security and Public Health,? Joan Rose, Michigan State University microbiologistp. Before each lecture, a reception will be held at 4 p.m. in the Hesburgh Center’s Great Hall, where an exhibit of environmental justice photography by Gary Cialdella of Kalamazoo, Mich., will be on display.

TopicID: 4206