Gina Twardosz // The Observer

The Observer is a Student-run, daily print & online newspaper serving Notre Dame & Saint Mary's. Learn more about us.

News

Saint Mary’s valedictorians reflect on collegiate experience

Gina Twardosz, Colleen Zewe, Maria Leontaras, Sara Schlecht and Erin Grimes | Friday, May 18, 2018

For the first time in Saint Mary’s history, the College will bestow the honor of valedictorian onto five graduating seniors: Darya Bondarenko, Makenzie Duncan, Melissa Henry, Kristie LeBeau and Kathleen Price. Bondarenko, a molecular biology major, said that while she was only slightly surprised to receive the valedictorian honor, but still felt proud nonetheless. “I

News

Graduate to pursue career as naval pilot

Gina Twardosz | Friday, May 18, 2018

As the only Saint Mary’s graduating member of Notre Dame’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), senior Kayla Savage will continue the College’s legacy of service through her long-term goal of becoming a naval pilot. Savage said in an email that after graduation she will pursue an education at a naval school in California. “I

News

Saint Mary’s community discusses financial cost of education at the College

Gina Twardosz and Jordan Cockrum | Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Editor’s note: This is the final part in a series exploring the experiences of low socioeconomic students at Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s. The financial burden of a private school education is something students often spend many hours thinking about, and the students at Saint Mary’s are no different. Therese Pingel said she eagerly began

News

Saint Mary’s valedictorian Melissa Henry shares academic advice

Gina Twardosz | Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Editor‘s note: This is the third of a five-part series profiling the valedictorians of Saint Mary‘s class of 2018. Melissa Henry is one of Saint Mary’s five valedictorians this year. Although she worked hard to achieve this standing, her focus over the course of her four years at the College was to get involved and

News

Student dancers to perform in Saint Mary’s spring dance showcase

Gina Twardosz | Thursday, April 19, 2018

The Saint Mary’s department of dance will present its annual spring dance showcase Friday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 21, with showings at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Little Theatre. This year’s colorful performance is entitled “Dance Kaleidoscope,” and will be an exhibition of technically proficient student dancers performing a variety

News

Panelists discuss women experiencing homelessness, violence

Gina Twardosz | Friday, April 13, 2018

Four South Bend experts who specialize in working with women and children experiencing homelessness and domestic violence spoke Thursday at Saint Mary’s to clear up misconceptions of homelessness and shed light on ways others can support the homeless population in South Bend. The panel, entitled “Finding Peace: Empowering Women and Children Experiencing Homelessness,” included Ebony Haynes,

News

Activist Andrea Jenkins speaks on poetry, transgender rights

Gina Twardosz | Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Writer, performance artist, poet and transgender activist Andrea Jenkins shared her poetry and essays with the Saint Mary’s community March 28 as the keynote speaker for Saint Mary’s Student Diversity Week. Jenkins is the first African American, openly transgender woman to hold office in the United States. Currently, she is city council Vice President of

Viewpoint

A love letter to the Midwest

Gina Twardosz | Monday, March 26, 2018

The Midwest is not idyllic. Life in the Midwest is not enviable — especially in the winter, especially when it’s March and still thirty degrees outside. The Midwest is a rather shapeless entity, not too far south or north or west or east. Just smack in the middle of nowhere, amidst corn fields and signs

News

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s students participate in South Bend Civic Theatre production

Gina Twardosz and Micaela Powers | Friday, March 23, 2018

The South Bend Civic Theatre’s (SBCT) production of “In the Heights,” which runs through March 25, features three students from the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s community: Notre Dame sophomores Jay Rivera-Herrans and Samuel Jackson, and Saint Mary’s sophomore Rachel Thomas. “In the Heights” is the story of four lead characters, Usnavi, Vanessa, Benny and

News

Speaker reflects on serving those with disabilities

Gina Twardosz | Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Helping is not the same as serving. On Tuesday, Susan Latham, Saint Mary’s associate professor of communication and sciences disorders, explored this idea as it relates to the difference between helping those with disabilities and serving those with disabilities. For Latham, serving those with disabilities means working alongside them. “When we say we want to

Next Page ↓