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VOLUME 59, ISSUE 58 | MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Rare Disease Day calls attention to illnesses
Students discuss Black history
By SOPHIA TRAN
By JESSICA MAYOR
Staff Writer
News Writer
Green, blue, pink and purple lights illuminated the walls of Hesburgh Library to commemorate Rare Disease Day in the Notre Dame community on Friday, Feb. 28. The month of February marks the official observance of Rare Disease Month, a time for individuals to honor patients with rare diseases and raise awareness. This year, Notre Dame continued its tradition of lighting up Hesburgh Library with the official rare disease colors while also organizing other activities to commemorate Rare Disease Day. Events were led by Katrina Conrad, program manager for the Patient Advocacy Initiative, and Barbara Calhoun, director of the Patient Advocacy Initiative. The two work as a team to plan outpatient facing programs and began Rare Disease Day event planning almost six months ago. Although some parts of Notre Dame’s Rare Disease Day have remained the same, such as
With Black History Month now over, Black students took the time to reflect on the month and its significance. Several officers of the Notre Dame Black Student Association (BSA) offered their perspectives. Senior Corey Bowden is president of (BSA) and serves alongside senior vice president Izayah Edwards and junior outreach commissioner Nayi Osunbor. “Black History Month isn’t just a celebration of a single moment in time, it’s a legacy that existed then, now and will
SOPHIA TRAN | The Observer
David Faverty, his daughter and a Notre Dame student pose for a photo under a colorful balloon arch at the Rare Disease Day event.
illuminating Hesburgh Library’s outer lights, Conrad and Calhoun also implemented changes, such as an increase in the involvement of students in the science and patient advocacy minor and the general community. “We have over 30 students that signed up to volunteer in some way or another, whether it be by
doing luminaries, doing Grotto prayer requests or helping to run activity stations tonight,” Conrad said. “In addition to students in the minor, we’re also excited to be joined by RareND this year, as well as the Make A Wish club on campus.”
By ISABEL TORRES News Writer
On Thursday and Friday, the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing (NDIGI) hosted their annual Women’s Investing Summit. The summit included 11 events and 21 speakers hailing from various investment sectors. This year is the seventh consecutive year that NDIGI has hosted the event. According to the event’s website, the summit aims to “promote diversity within asset management“ and inspire students. The event featured eight panels on investing, including a discussion with the former president of the Indiana Fever. The second to last of the panel discussions, titled “Investment Themes and Ideas - Across Asset Classes,“ focused primarily on
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the pharmaceutical industry and how, from a healthcare standpoint, individuals select which companies to invest in. The panel included Jamie Franco, managing director and global head of sustainable investment at the TCW group, Lauren Godlasky, head of investor relations and marketing at Avoro Capital, Ann Mennel, senior vice president and CFO at Merit Energy Company and Paige O’Neil, president of Shapack Partners. The panel was moderated by Colleen McQuillan Nikam, an investment advisor at Goldman Sachs. Franco spoke on the necessity for larger companies that are looking to invest to not only partner but look out for smaller pharmaceutical companies. “As the investor, you have an outsized ability to help [smaller]
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By BERHAN HAGEZOM Staff Writer
companies,” Franco said. Godlasky spoke on the need for direct collaboration and communication within the spheres of advocacy and legal discourse. “We talk to patient advocacy groups. We talk to D.C. to make sure we are following regulatory processes,” Godlasky said. Through this, she highlighted her belief that being a leader within her field requires an innate ability to be approachable and easy to work with. Godlasky expressed that leadership, specifically in investing, requires interpersonal relationships and skills. “Empathy can translate into finding a pattern that can be worked with,” Godlasky said. Before transitioning to a networking lunch, the see SUMMIT PAGE 4
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see BHM PAGE 3
SMC’s Battle of the Belles returns
see DISEASE PAGE 4
Investing summit features thriving businesswomen
continue to exist,” Bowden wrote. ”It is important now more than ever that we use this month to educate people about Black History, which is so closely intertwined into American History. Being knowledgeable about the past provides valuable lessons to help us shape a better and more inclusive, equitable future.” Edwards expanded on Bowden’s points. “It’s not just history, it’s a living, breathing narrative that influences the present and inspires the future,” Edwards wrote. ”But it shouldn’t stop at
On Saturday, from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., at the Angela Athletic and Wellness Complex, students gathered for the revival of “Battle of the Belles”. The event included classes competing and earning points through games provided, including hot potato, musical chairs, tug of war, dodgeball, basketball knockout and hungry hippos. This school-spirit event was originally started in the early 2000s known as “Midnight Madness” for community-building. Head STUNT coach Jillian Humphrey mentions the history behind the event and why it was being held for students. “Battle of the Belles was an event that was done years ago at the College and we brought it back. I believe the last time we did it was around the early 2000s. So this year, the College just wanted to bring it back as another school spirit initiative,” Humphrey said. Students who attended the event had the option to either RSVP in BelleTower to be awarded three tickets, or check in-person to have two tickets provided. Any ticket given could be used to either participate in the
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games or be picked for the biggest prizes offered to each class year. As mentioned through email by the director of athletics Julie Schroeder-Biek, the activities required little to none athletic skill, and contestants are organized with class team leaders at the basketball court. Adriana Petty, the senior class team leader for Battle of the Belles, stated more about how the position was organized and what specific responsibilities were included. “There were four of us staff that were partnered with four professors, and our roles were to organize the players for each of the games.” The event started at 8:15 p.m, with a speech from Saint Mary’s president Katie Conboy on the Donor Challenge event that occurred on Wednesday, raising over $1.5 million dollars, in which seniors were mentioned as the class having the largest donations made out of the student body. The ‘spirit stick’ was also given as an honorable mention, which is provided to the class who earns the most points following all of the games. Humphrey states the incentives see BATTLE PAGE 3
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