Michael Sweikar, head of the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development (NDIGD), was recently awarded a contract from Project Concern International (PCI) to evaluate one of their projects in Indonesia.The Child Health Opportunities Integrated with Community Empowerment (CHOICE) project, which Sweikar and others at Notre Dame will be working to evaluate, is centered on improving the health of local children through wells and other water-related interventions.“We were to measure the impact of the CHOICE project … Project Concern International implemented.,” Sweikar said, “[Project CHOICE] is basically a U.S. Agency for International Development funded project that was primarily in Indonesia. It was a four-year project from 2003 to 2007 and one of the primary goals of the project was to try to improve or help the health in these communities for children.“You’re looking at impact in the terms of fine health improvements in children.”Sweikar said this work is part of a worldwide effort to help evaluate the impact of government-funded projects such as Project CHOICE.“Our main focus is to look at global government projects and look at what impacts those projects are actually having,” Sweikar said. “What we do is above and beyond just measuring outputs, such as whether a well is built. Not only where the project is implemented, but what actual outcomes or impacts it has for community members in terms of better health or education.“We’re doing a project in Ghana where we’re measuring the impact of water points — wells and other water systems in the country. We’re also doing an investigation in Burkina Faso, which is nearby Ghana. We’ve done a number of evaluations as well in Uganda.”Sweikar said all the information from those aid programs will help to tailor or to redesign aid for better efficiency and effectiveness.“When we are able to view our final reports at any location, our goal is to work with the organization … and we provide the information and the data,” Sweikar said. “In some cases, they can modify the project or implementation. Or in the case of PCI, they may be able to use that information for a redesign for a new project or look for what works and what doesn’t work for a new project proposal … and ideally look at some lessons learned from all our work.”Sweikar said his work with other researchers from the University will begin in the spring.“The data collection will actually occur this spring,” said Sweikar, “The data we’re going to collect will be collected in April 2014. So Notre Dame researchers, including [Professors] Edwin Michael, Juan Carlos Guzman and Lila Khatiwada, are going to work with Project Concern International and go to Indonesia and that’s where we are going to look at the sample size, investigate the households and conduct the survey to see the what benefits the program had.”Tags: CHOICE project, Indonesia, Michael Sweikar, Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development, Project Concern International
Month: January 2021
Tim McCarthy reflects on time with ND football
“May I have your attention please. This is Tim McCarthy for the Indiana State Police.”These words have characterized Notre Dame football since 1960, the year former Indiana State Police Sergeant Tim McCarthy began delivering safety messages between the third and fourth quarter of every home football game.Courtesy of Tim McCarthy McCarthy announced his retirement last Wednesday, after delivering 55 seasons’ worth of messages. But what really caught the crowd’s attention, McCarthy said, weren’t his messages, but his puns.“When I first started doing the announcements, everybody was more concerned about having a good time, and what was going on at the game and so forth, and they really weren’t listening to the safety message,” McCarthy said. “And at that time, they were having quite a lot of trouble in Indiana with fatal accidents, just all kinds of really bad accidents. And a lot of those were to and from Notre Dame.” … I thought you know, [the fans are] here for a weekend of fun, and they could care less about a state policeman telling them to be careful on the way home. I thought maybe if I attracted a little attention — so that was when I started using the quips, the very next season. Luckily, at that time, the stadium was unusually quiet because the referees were discussing something on the field … so I went in with a message. I did a warning on drinking and driving, and the punch line was, ‘the automobile replaced the horse, but the driver should stay on the wagon.’ And the crowd heard that, and I heard boos and groans and catcalls.”But a negative reaction was better than no reaction, McCarthy said. That meant people were listening. So he continued with his quips.“The next game I did another quip — it was on driver attitude, and the punch line was ‘some drivers are like steel, no good when they lose their temper,’” McCarthy said. “And gee, more boos and groans and so forth. But toward the end of the season, I started to realize that people were quiet just to hear how corny — and I’m the first one to admit they’re quite corny, many of them — but just to see how corny [the punch line] is. From there I just continued, and it got to the point where people were looking forward to hearing the quip that I had at the end of the message. And in the meantime, they’re listening to the message, which deals with their personal safety.”McCarthy, who grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, said he was “born and raised a Notre Dame fan.” His life was also characterized by police work. McCarthy’s father was a city policeman in Fort Wayne.“I just kind of grew up liking police work,” McCarthy said. “It always kind of fascinated me because of my father. So eventually, that’s how I ended up on the state police.McCarthy’s wife was also a police officer — they met at a manslaughter trial in 1956, McCarthy said.“I was a young trooper, single,” he said. “I had arrested a fellow for manslaughter, and she happened, at that time, to be working for the county clerk’s office and would walk into the court room to have the judge sign papers. … And I got the prosecutor to introduce me to her. Later on I called her up for a date, and we started from there.”For years, McCarthy’s announcements at football games were a “hobby” while he worked as a detective sergeant at the Indiana State Police. But when McCarthy retired from the state police, he continued to deliver safety messages at football games.“The one thing I didn’t like about retiring from the state police was that I’d have to leave Notre Dame,” McCarthy said. “But then Moose Kraus, who was athletic director — I told him I was retiring from the state police, and he said, ‘Hey, we’d like to have you keep doing this.’ And I said, ‘Hey that’s fine with me.’ So that’s why I’ve been there so long.”McCarthy can quote many of his quips from memory — he said two of his favorites were, “drinking drivers are not very funny, but they can still crack you up” and “remember, do not let your driving make you grumpy or dopey when the roads are snow white.”McCarthy said writing the punch lines to his messages was a gradual process — he was always on the lookout for a new play on words. Sometimes, though, he did get a little help.“I had some people send me some — I had Notre Dame students and some Saint Mary’s students send me different quips that they thought were good,” McCarthy said. “Some of them I could use, and some of them I didn’t dare use.”McCarthy’s love for Notre Dame, and for Notre Dame students, is what kept him and his puns here so long, he said.“I did it for so long because I liked doing it,” McCarthy said. “I liked the atmosphere over there on game day, and I’ve always been a Notre Dame fan. I really enjoyed working with the students on different occasions, attending some of their events was always a lot of fun. I just enjoyed it.”Tags: Puns, Tim McCarthy
Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend publishes list of 18 priests “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of a minor
The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend released the names of 18 priests who had been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of a minor Tuesday.Of these 18 priests, at least four have some past affiliation with the tri-campus community: Edward Krason, Paul LeBrun, Cornelius Ryan and James Trepanier. Three of the affiliated priests were are members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (CSC). University vice president for public affairs and communications Paul Browne said none of the priests were the subject of complaints while at the University and that they were not employed by Notre Dame.Krason pursued continuing education at Notre Dame in 1979.Ryan was housed in Our Lady of Fatima House in Notre Dame. The place was formerly used as a retreat house before being converted into a residence for Holy Cross priests.“He resided there after it was no longer used for retreats and served as a priest residence, and before allegations against him surfaced,” Browne said.Lebrun was a CSC seminarian at the University, ordained in 1983, according to reports from WNDU and the South Bend Tribune. Lebrun also worked at St. Therese, Little Flower Parish in South Bend.“The accusations and charges against LeBrun are well known, and he is serving a 111-year prison sentence,” Browne said.Trepanier, another CSC priest, worked at Saint Mary’s Convent in 1994.“Trepanier assisted at St. Mary’s convent, where he had no contact with minors. He is 89 years old, confined to a wheelchair and has no contact with minors to this day,” Browne said.Browne said the CSC took reports of abuse at the hands of Holy Cross priests seriously.“When Holy Cross superiors learned of complaints against the three priests, they removed them from their duties,” he said. “Where crimes were involved, the order reported them to the authorities.”A number of priests named also served at schools and parishes where Notre Dame students regularly volunteer or attend services including St. Adalbert Parish; Holy Family Parish; St. Therese, Little Flower Parish; Marian High School and St. Monica Parish.Detailed information about each of the 18 priests named can be found in the list can be found in this report. Tags: Congregation of the Holy Cross, Holy Cross priests, sexual abuse, The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Saint Mary’s SGA hosts back-to-school brunch with giveaways
The Saint Mary’s Student Government Association held a “Back to School Brunch” Sunday morning, hosted by its community committee, for Belles to kick off the 2019-2020 academic year. With free food and giveaways, the event sought to bring people together at the College.The community committee aims to foster community on the Saint Mary’s campus while simultaneously expanding relationships in the tri-campus community. Giavanna Paradiso, a junior and co-chair of the committee, explained the importance of having on-campus events available to students.“We want to make sure that all Belles feel included and feel like there is something for them,” Paradiso said. “Especially given the recent changes with tri-campus transportation options, we want to make sure we have nice events on campus for every Belle.”Kelsey O’Connor, a junior and committee co-chair, acknowledged the importance of having a community committee as the core value of Saint Mary’s this academic year is community.“It is important to us that our events cater to all grade levels to foster cross-class friendships,” O’Connor said.Sundays’ brunch event was initially set to occur on Library Green but due to poor weather conditions was moved into LeMans’ Reignbeaux Lounge. Located near the front desk, Reignbeaux is a popular spot to do homework, sit and chat with friends, or simply walk outside to the rest of campus.On the onset of the third week of classes, the initial back to school excitement and bliss may have been worn down. Back to School Brunch was designed to raise spirits and bring smiles to faces in an attempt to start the school week off on a high note, Paradiso said.“When we were brainstorming event ideas we knew we wanted to do something that people need, but more importantly, something that would be cute and aesthetically appealing,” Paradiso said.The event yielded high traffic, especially from upperclassmen leaving their dorm and featured several grab and go options: juices, fresh fruits, donuts and t-shirt giveaways.“We knew we wanted to do a Sunday late morning as to attract students who are starting their days, whether that be going to the dining hall, coming back from the gym or heading to the library,” O’Connor said.While these events are designed for the student body, committee members and co-chairs equally gain from hosting them. For Paradiso, her favorite part of putting on SGA events is the way she gets to see Belles enjoy something new and different, while also being able to see everyone bond.As co-chairs, Paradiso and O’Connor are responsible for planning student events every month. Their most recent event was Pre-Domerfest for first-year and transfer students. The SGA Community Committee will continue to host monthly events for students for the duration of the school year.Tags: brunch, Community Committee, Saint Mary’s College, Student government
Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory conducts radiation, photochemistry research
The groundwork for the NDRL was laid in the 1940s when the U.S. government required a high-power particle accelerator for radiation research relating to the Manhattan Project — the research effort to develop the nuclear bombs used in World War II. The only suitable machine in the Chicago region was owned by the Notre Dame Physics Department, housed in what is now the LaFortune Student Center. Former Notre Dame chemistry professor Milton Burton was commissioned by the U.S. government to perform the necessary research on the effects of ionizing radiation. In 1949, Burton formally established the NDRL, and the Radiation Research Building that now houses the lab was completed in 1963, funded by the Atomic Energy Commission.The lab is now owned and primarily funded by the Office of Science within the U.S. Department of Energy. It has continued to perform research on the fundamental properties of radiation, as well as photochemical research. Ian Carmichael, NDRL Director since 2004, said the lab focuses on basic, rather than applied, research, but the research could have important applications in nuclear power.“We do basic research investigating the fundamentals of radiation chemistry and, more recently, solar photochemistry as well,” he said. “The complementary thrust to radiation chemistry is targeted at basic understanding of radiation, but also to the impact of radiation chemistry on nuclear power, such as radiation degradation of reactor materials, very hot water in reactors and so on.”While the Department of Energy is the main source of grant funding, Carmichael said the NDRL has received smaller grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. military and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), among other organizations. While the lab was previously operated on a government contract, Carmichael said that since 2004 there has been a cooperative agreement in place between the University and the government.The NDRL houses a linear particle accelerator, as well as several Van de Graaff accelerators. Additionally, the lab has a scientific glassblower and a machinist on staff who provide specialty components and equipment maintenance to the NDRL and other science departments on campus. Radiation research remains the lab’s focus, Carmichael said, but photochemical research has become a secondary aim of the lab in recent years. Andrew Cameron | The Observer Assistant research professor Aliaksandra Lisouskaya works on the Notre Dame Radiation Lab’s linear particle accelerator. “Maybe 25% of our resources go towards our solar photochemistry program,” Carmichael said. “That includes trying to understand the fundamentals of solar cells. The big thing in solar energy nowadays is Perovskite solar cells, and we have a program trying to figure out what goes wrong … for some reason they work very well but they don’t last very long, so we’re trying to figure out why they break down and how we can stop that.”The remainder of the resources are dedicated to radiation-related matters, Carmichael said.“The rest goes towards radiation chemistry, which is the high-energy electrons, the gamma rays and so on,” he said. “We’re looking at the effects of stress and radiation-enhanced corrosion on aqueous solutions mainly, but also in materials in aqueous solution in nuclear reactors. Why reactors only live for 40 years, for example.”Carmichael noted the NDRL has never done classified work, partly because the building does not meet the necessary security standards.Aliaksandra Lisouskaya received her Ph.D. in Belarus and is now working as an assistant research professor at Notre Dame, conducting research on radiation chemistry and photochemistry at the NDRL. The equipment available at the NDRL, she said, offers unique research opportunities.“You can find linacs [linear particle accelerators] at other places, but here there is just much more,” Lisouskaya said.While the NDRL doesn’t build devices or research potential applications, Carmichael said it has made valuable contributions to science.“Over the years, we’ve published perhaps 5,000 papers from NDRL in all kinds of journals,” Carmichael said. “Many of these papers have had a huge impact, but we’re not here to promote anything in particular.”Tags: NDRL, Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory, Radiation Research Building To many students, the nondescript concrete building on Library Quad is little more than a source of vague rumors. Its exterior ornamentation consists solely of block letters reading “Radiation Research.”Contrary to campus legends, the Radiation Research Building, housing the Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory (NDRL), may not have 26 stories reaching underground, but what it does have is a world-class array of particle accelerators, lasers, spectrometers and other specialized equipment for probing the secrets of energy and matter. Andrew Cameron | The Observer The control room of the linear particle accelerator allows researchers to remotely control the accelerator from outside the chamber. Particle accelerators are used to monitor the radiation released when particles collide with a target, allowing researchers to gain insight into the composition of subatomic particles.
Senate provides updates on planning for spring semester, winter break
The student senate gathered Thursday evening to provide updates on planning for the spring semester and winter break and to swear in a new senator.Chief of staff, senior Aaron Benavides announced the Student Advisory Group for Campus Reopening convened Wednesday evening. The group met with University President Fr. John Jenkins to discuss his appearance at the White House for the announcement of Notre Dame law professor Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Benavides said the discussion focused on rebuilding trust with Jenkins following his release from isolation after his diagnosis of COVID-19. “We will be continuing conversations with him as we work to rebuild trust and get on the right path again with the administration,” Benavides said. The Student Advisory Group for Campus Reopening also met with vice president of the Graduate School Dr. Laura Carlson, vice president and associate provost for undergraduate affairs Fr. Hugh Page and provost Marie Lynn Miranda to discuss the possibility of amending the spring semester to provide a break for students and faculty and to receive updates regarding programming for winter break. Ryan Peters | The Observer Chief of staff, senior Aaron Benavides addresses the student senate Thursday. The meeting touched on updates regarding spring semester and the 10 week winter break.The advisory group sent out a survey Tuesday evening to gain student feedback about how to incorporate an academic reprieve into the spring schedule. Benavides said the group received over 800 responses to the survey in fewer than 24 hours.“We’re so happy to see people filling that out, and we are so grateful to get students’ perspectives on how difficult this semester has been,” he said.The survey feedback was sent to Miranda, who is hoping to finalize her plans for the schedule for next semester by the end of the month, according to Benavides.Benavides added that Page said the courses and programming that will be offered during the winter session are expected to be finalized and sent out by the end of the month.Following Benavides’ announcement, Rachel Ingal, senior student body president, announced that the Campus Life Council (CLC) held its first meeting Thursday morning. Ingal, who serves as chair of the CLC, said the council had a productive dialogue about student behavior and the need for an academic break in the spring.“We talked about weekend behavior and heard from the rector as to what they saw going on on campus and in the residence halls and … just how they think their residents are feeling. And [the rector was] taught from a student perspective as to kind of why we’re backsliding a little bit in terms of our behavior,” Ingal said.Ingal said the meeting served as a unique opportunity to provide updates from the student perspective directly to Student Affairs about the stress students are experiencing from a semester with no breaks. After the executive announcements, Dan Law took an oath of office to be instated as Dillion Hall senator. Law was sworn in following the resignation of senior Michael Dugan. (Editor’s Note: Dugan is a former News Writer and Systems Administrator at The Observer.) Dugan resigned following controversy surrounding a Letter to the Editor he and other Dillon officials submitted in September. Tags: Campus Life Council, campus reopening, Rose garden, student senate
Toys For Tots Donates Books To Jamestown Public Schools
Image by Jamestown Public Schools.JAMESTOWN – The Chautauqua County Toys for Tots Program recently donated 1,000 books to Jamestown Public Schools’ UPK, kindergarten, first and second grade students.Image by Jamestown Public Schools.The Toys for Tots National office recently contacted the Chautauqua County Toys for Tots Program, overseen by Heather Brown, Terri Jophnson and Patrick Smeraldo.“The National and Chautauqua County Toys for Tots Program realize the difficult situation our children and parents are in during this global pandemic and hope to spread just the slightest amount of joy and encourage family bonding with this donation to allow the children and families in enjoying some time together,” said Pat Smeraldo, a project coordinator.Because the Chautauqua County Campaign serves over 3,200 children countywide, they qualified for a National Giveaway with the books designated to go to a Title 1 school in Chautauqua County. “We are so thankful for our community and how much they support our children,” said Tina Sandstrom, JPS Chief of Schools. “Reading is so important to a child’s education and this donation of books will allow us to give children more reading materials. We can’t thank the Chautauqua County Toys for Tots Program for thinking of Jamestown kids when they received this donation.”Image by Jamestown Public Schools.The school says thanks to major support from The Resource Center, along with hundreds of supporters throughout the county, the books were delivered to Jamestown elementary schools to give to children. Share:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
President Trump Signs Executive Orders After Stimulus Talks Break Down
BEDMINSTER, NJ – President Donald Trump signed four executive orders Saturday, one of which will provide $400 in enhanced unemployment benefits, after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach an agreement on a coronavirus stimulus relief bill this week.The other three orders he signed include a payroll tax holiday for Americans earning less than $100,000 a year, as well as extending an eviction moratorium and deferring student loan payments.“I’m taking action to provide an additional or extra $400 a week and expanded benefits, $400. That’s generous but we want to take care of our people,” Trump said at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.Trump said the federal government will pay 75% of that, but he did not outline where the federal funds would be coming from. When asked by a reporter why $400 instead of the previous $600, Trump responded, “This is the money they need, this is the money they want, this gives them a great incentive to go back to work.”He went on to say, “there was a difficulty with the 600 number because it really was a disincentive.”Democrats are likely to challenge the executive actions in court. Trump first laid out the executive orders at a hastily called news conference on Friday at his New Jersey golf club, where he said he wasn’t concerned about the legality of the actions he promised.Trump also said Saturday his administration was looking at additional income tax and capital gains tax cuts for American taxpayers, besides the payroll tax holiday being instituted by executive order.“We are going to be looking at capital gains for the purpose of creating jobs and income taxes is self explanatory, and it will be income tax for middle income and lower income people but middle income people who pay a lot of income tax, you have tax inequality. I’m saying that as a Republican, and you do have tax inequality,” Trump said.He did not provide further details. Share:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
Upstate Minimum Wage Increasing Later This Month
Pexels Stock Image.ALBANY – The minimum wage in Upstate New York’s will increase to $12.50 an hour on December 31.The State’s Department of Labor announced on Wednesday the raise is part of the minimum wage phase in taking place across the state.The phase in was announced after a report by the Division of the Budget found the Upstate’s labor market is amongst those leading New York’s economic recovery from the downturn caused by the global pandemic.Other findings in the report include: Just prior to the pandemic, the State achieved a record low unemployment rate of 3.7% while raising the minimum wage for four years.The Long Island/Westchester county regional unemployment rate has fallen from its April peak of 15.9 percent to 7.1 percent in October, while the remainder of Upstate has fallen from its 15.4 percent April peak to 6.8 percent in October.According the December edition of the Federal Reserve Beige Book, as employment rebounds Upstate, an employment agency observed: “scattered signs of a pickup in hiring, especially for lower-wage workers” and “particular difficulty in recruiting customer-service representatives.” The agency also noted “a particular upward trend in wages at the lower end of the pay scale.”The report concludes: close examination of the available economic data by region suggests that the labor market recoveries on Long Island and in Westchester and the remainder of Upstate are proceeding apace and are not likely to be substantially harmed by the minimum wage increases scheduled for the end of this yearThe minimum wage in New York City is set to increase to $15 an hour for companies with 10 or fewer employees. Companies with more than 10 employees have had to pay $15 an hour since the end of 2018.Long Island & Westchester’s minimum wage will increase to $14 an hour, and is scheduled to increase to $15 an hour on December 31, 2021.No further increases for the rest of New York State are currently scheduled. Future increases will be based on an indexed schedule to be set by the Director of the Division of the Budget in consultation with the Department of Labor following an annual review of the impact.Last week some lawmakers, including local Senator George Borrello, called on the Governor to hold off on rising the state’s minimum wage in an effort to help businesses already struggling due to COVID-19. Share:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
What a Treat! Casting Announced for Off-Broadway’s The Chocolate Show!, Starring Emily McNamara
The Chocolate Show! has announced complete casting, including Emiliy McNamara as the lead of the scrumptious show. The new musical comedy will begin performances at the 47th Street Theatre on February 1, with opening night appropriately set for February 14. Related Shows The Awesome 80’s Prom co-writer and former cast member McNamara (NEWSical the Musical, My Big Gay Italian Wedding) will star as the World Queen of the Cocoa Bean herself, Cookie Conwell. McNamara will be joined onstage by Laura D’Andre, Scott Richard Foster, Talene Monahon and Andrew Pandaleon. The Chocolate Show! features a book and music by Alan Golub and Laura Goldfader with lyrics by Golub. Directed by Dan Foster, the show is choreographed by Grady McLeod Bowman and will feature musical direction, arrangements and orchestrations by Jeffrey Klitz. The Chocolate Show This delicious musical comedy follows the glamorous, and eccentric Cookie Conwell (McNamara) on the final night of her reign as World Queen of the Cocoa Bean as she fulfills her lifelong dream of hosting The Chocolate Show!, where she must choose her successor. Who will be the next to wear the solid chocolate crown? How will Cookie handle the transfer of power? And, oh yeah, is chocolate really bad for dogs? The answers to these serious questions and more will be answered in this interactive show. View Comments