For the Week of October 13.
This is a weekly digest of events and announcements for undergraduate and graduate students.
University Campaigns and Initiatives
Forum 2025–26 Keynote—“Cultivating Hope: Healing our National Dialogue and Political Life” with Cardinal McElroy
Featuring Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, DC, in conversation with Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., University president. In a political landscape where many Americans believe political discourse has become unproductive, stressful, and disrespectful, where do we find reason for hope? Join in for a timely conversation that will explore the roots of our societal divides and offer strategies to move forward together toward a more unified future. The livestream feed will be posted to this page prior to the event.
Friday, Oct. 17; 4 to 5 p.m. in Rooms 215-216, McKenna Hall, and via livestream
Arts and Performances
Exhibitions
Bite-Sized Art
So much art, so little time. Join in for this 15-minute lunchtime program, where a member of the museum’s education staff will lead a brief, yet engaging exploration of a single work of art in the permanent collection.
Wednesday, Oct. 15; noon to 12:15 p.m. in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Art Social in the Evening: A Creative Gathering
Get creative and connect with friends (and make new ones) during this drop-in program just for adults. Bring a creative spirit and your friend group or come solo and be ready to make new friends. The Raclin Murphy Museum staff supply the project, materials, inspiration, and guidance—a match made in heaven.
Thursday, Oct. 16; 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Exhibit Open House: Mapping Global Dante in Translation
Meet and speak informally with curator Salvatore Riolo, Notre Dame Italian Studies doctoral candidate, about the new exhibit, Mapping Global Dante in Translation. Learn how translators, artists, and printers have popularized and reshaped the Divine Comedy over the centuries and across the world and view the Hesburgh Library’s many Dante editions.
Friday, Oct. 17; 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Rare Books & Special Collections (Room 102), Hesburgh Library
Films
Shoplifters (2018)
Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters tells the story of a found family surviving on the edges of Tokyo. United by loyalty and petty theft, their lives unravel when a child’s arrest exposes hidden truths and challenges their belief that love—not blood—makes a family. In Japanese with English subtitles. $7 adults, $6 faculty/staff, $5 seniors (65+), $4 non-ND students/children, free for ND, SMC, HC, and IUSB students.
Thursday, Oct. 16; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
Orchestra Rehearsal (1978)
Fellini’s Orchestra Rehearsal blends satire, politics, and music in his final collaboration with composer Nino Rota. In a decaying church-turned-auditorium, an orchestra’s rehearsal spirals from petty squabbles to chaos before returning to fragile harmony. In Italian with English subtitles. Scheduled introduction by Miharu Yano. $7 adults, $6 faculty/staff, $5 seniors (65+), free for students.
Thursday, Oct. 16; 9:30 to 10:45 p.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
Ne Zha 2 (2025)
Ne Zha 2 has become the highest-grossing animated and non-English film of all time, earning over $2 billion worldwide. Rooted in a 16th-century tale, the sequel follows rebellious Ne Zha as he confronts an ancient force threatening humanity. $7 adults, $6 faculty/staff, $5 seniors (65+), $4 students/children.
Friday, Oct. 17; 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
Friday, Oct. 17; 9:30 p.m. to midnight
Sunday, Oct. 19; 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Monster House (2006)
In Monster House, three teens discover that a neighborhood home is actually a kid-eating monster. When adults dismiss their warnings, the friends must find a way to stop the house before it devours more trick-or-treaters. A witty, animated adventure perfect for the spooky season. $1.
Sunday, Oct. 19; 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
Performances
MFA Reading Series
Come listen to the second MFA reading of the semester. Readers will include prose writers Kiprop Kimutai, Nikhita Thomas, and Maggie Wu. A reception will follow. Free and open to the general public.
Thursday, Oct. 16; 5 to 6:30 p.m. in English Commons (Room 232), Decio Faculty Hall
Athletics and Sporting Events
Visit the Athletics composite schedule for events this week.
Awards and Competitons
Student Parking Permit Design Contest
Campus calling all artists: Design the next student parking permit. The winning look gets printed on all permits for the 2026–27 academic year. Don’t wait, submit now!
Closures, Limited Hours, and Cancellations
Hesburgh Library Fall Break Building Hours
Find all branch and service desk hours at library.nd.edu/hours.
· Sunday, Oct. 19; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
· Monday, Oct. 20, through Friday, Oct. 24; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
· Saturday, Oct. 25; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Regular hours will resume Sunday, October 26.
Deadlines or Registrations
Notre Dame Vision Mentor Application Open
Notre Dame Vision is now accepting applications from undergraduates of all years. Share your story, witness to your faith, and mentor high school students from across the country and the world during summer 2026. Form incredible bonds with fellow undergraduates as you facilitate small groups, dynamic music, and immersive program activities. No previous experience is required. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, October 27.
Tea Time with Faculty
The Association for Women in Science is excited to bring together faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students from various fields to engage in meaningful dialogues over cups of tea and cookies. This teatime session featuring Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin, assistant professor of electrical engineering, will offer reflections on early-career journeys and her experiences as a woman in STEM. Register via the poster’s QR code.
Tuesday, Oct. 28; 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Dooley Room (Room 102), LaFortune Student Center
GIS Day—Call for Lightning Talk Proposals
GIS Day at Notre Dame is a symposium on Wednesday, November 19, that combines workshops, presentations, and more to demonstrate the power of geospatial technologies. Share how GIS contributes to your research during 5- to 10-minute lightning talks. Open to undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. Please submit a brief abstract with a title and all author affiliation(s) to matthew.sisk@nd.edu by Saturday, November 1.
Deals and Discounts
Shred Event
The University Archives and Shred-it are offering a free, secure, and confidential personal document shredding event for Notre Dame faculty, staff, postdocs, students, and retirees. A Shred-it truck will be parked in the Mason Support Center parking lot. Review the details.
Wednesday, Oct. 15; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Mason Services Center parking lot (located off St. Joseph Drive behind the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union)
Educational and Research Opportunities
Hesburgh Libraries and Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship Workshops:
Click on the link to see more details and to register.
· A Gentle Introduction to the Command Line and Regular Expressions
In this workshop, you’ll learn the basics of navigating your computer using Unix commands, including how to navigate, create, copy, move, delete, and manipulate files and folders using Unix commands. You can also edit files using the Nano text editor in the command line and search a text file using regular expressions. No experience is necessary.
Monday, Oct. 13; 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (Room 247), Hesburgh Library
· Making StoryMaps
This workshop will introduce you to ArcGIS StoryMaps, a platform designed to display and interpret spatial data in a web browser. Participants will learn how to utilize data, text, and other media to communicate their research in ArcGIS StoryMaps, and apply data visualization principles to create effective online presentations.
Tuesday, Oct. 14; 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (Room 247), Hesburgh Library
· Designing Engaging Research Posters
This is a comprehensive two-hour workshop providing participants with the knowledge and skills to design and present compelling research posters. The workshop will cover best practices for gathering and organizing content, as well as the visual design principles that will ensure attendees communicate research impactfully to their audience.
Wednesday, Oct. 15; 1 to 3 p.m. in Technology Commons (Room 264), Hesburgh Library
· R for Absolute Beginners
This introductory workshop provides a quick “swimming” lesson to students, scholars, practitioners, and researchers who want to dive into the world of “R,” a commonly used language for data and statistical analysis and visualization. Participants will learn to write and run an R script and interact with their data.
Thursday, Oct. 16; 7 to 8 p.m. in the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (Room 247), Hesburgh Library
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Research Opportunity:
Can't Sleep? Enroll in the RESET Study
The Sleep and Health Research Lab is recruiting participants who have trouble falling or staying asleep to better understand how cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) improves sleep. Eligible participants may receive up to $370 in compensation for completing all aspects of the study.
Prospective participants must first take an online screener to determine their eligibility. Those who qualify to continue with the study will be scheduled for their first in-lab visit at the Sleep and Health Research Lab, 339 Corbett Family Hall.
This is an ongoing research study with no definite end date. Interested individuals are welcome to fill out our screener to determine their eligibility at any time.
Faith and Service
Mercy Works Huddles
For a limited time, Mercy Works Huddles are open to everyone. Join in for a discussion on how to live out the second tenet of Catholic social teaching in our everyday lives. Grow with the Faith & Justice community in Campus Ministry, share a free meal with your peers, and be inspired to action. RSVP here. To learn more, contact Iyabo Ojulari.
Thursday, Oct. 16; 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the lounge, Coleman-Morse Center
Health and Recreation
Peer Listeners
Need a supportive, private space where you can share anything, from daily frustrations to bigger concerns? We’re all ears! The McDonald Center’s trained Peer Listener student team is here to listen, support, and guide you through your time at Notre Dame. No scheduling needed.
Drop-in sessions: Every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Room 582, Duncan Student Center
Restorative Spaces for Students
The McDonald Center for Student Well-Being houses three spaces that students are invited to use as places to study, meditate, pray, play, socialize, or use for telehealth appointments. Rooms are located on the second floor of Saint Liam Hall and available when classes are in session. Reserve online.
Space availability: Mondays and Fridays; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesdays through Thursdays; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Lectures and Presentations
Lecture: “The Metaphysics of Prayer”
Presented by Father Stephen L. Brock, professor of medieval philosophy at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and a visiting professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago. Come grab a Maritain Center T-shirt, munch on the largest Chick-fil-A spread that the Maritain Fellows have ever achieved, and reflect with Fr. Brock regarding C.S. Lewis and St. Thomas Aquinas on a topic of theological complexity and immediate practical implications.
Monday, Oct. 13; 6 to 7:15 p.m. in Room 104, Bond Hall
Lecture—“Freedom and the Deep State: Slavery, State Capacity, and Institutional Change in the Americas”
Thad Dunning, the Robson Professor in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, argues that slavery’s regulation in imperial Brazil fostered an autonomous bureaucracy, shaped by political survival. He examines freedom suits and carceral appeals as key channels, offering new comparative insights into state-building across the Americas.
Tuesday, Oct. 14; 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Room C103, Hesburgh Center for International Studies
Seminar: “State Failure in an Illegible World”
Bridget L. Coggins is associate professor of political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research concentrates on the intersection of domestic conflict and international relations.
Tuesday, Oct. 14; 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Room 1030, Jenkins Nanovic Halls, and virtually
Lecture: “AI in the Liberal Arts”
As technology continues to grow rapidly, companies need liberal arts majors who understand that, when it comes to artificial intelligence, the inputs matter, and how you apply the technology has a critical impact on people. Industry experts will discuss how they’re leveraging AI in their business and what students need to know for successful careers. This week’s presenter is alumnus Kevin O’Brien.
Wednesday, Oct. 15; 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 138, DeBartolo Hall
A Conversation with Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland
Join the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies for a public conversation with Caroline Campbell, director of the National Gallery of Ireland. Campbell will be joined in conversation by Judith Stapleton, postdoctoral research associate at the Keough-Naughton Institute.
Wednesday, Oct. 15; 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Seminar—“Avoiding an Amazonian Tipping Point: Tackling Social Challenges, Rethinking Governance, and Supporting Local Solutions”
Eduardo Brondizio, professor of anthropology at Indiana University, will discuss the future of Amazonia, exploring how Indigenous and rural communities address intertwined environmental and social crises through grassroots movements to build a just, sustainable future. The Seminars on Sustainability Series is organized by the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative.
Friday, Oct. 17; 11 a.m. to noon in the auditorium, Hesburgh Center for International Studies
Conversation with Romeo Okwara ’16: From Football to the Arts
After playing on the Irish defensive line in 2012–15 and graduating from Notre Dame with an accounting degree, Romeo Okwara ’16 played eight seasons in the NFL before retiring from the Detroit Lions in 2024. Throughout, Okwara nurtured his photographic eye, leading him to pursue his passion for the arts.
Friday, Oct. 17; 2 to 3 p.m. in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Arts & Letters Crash Course Series: “Space Ethics”
Catch a glimpse of Notre Dame classes in action at the Crash Course series. For this lecture, David Clairmont from the Department of Theology and Heather Foucault-Camm from the McGrath Institute for Church Life discuss the theological and cultural understandings of the cosmos, review the ways that humans have approached their presence in space, and consider space commerce.
Friday, Oct. 17; 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 129, DeBartolo Hall
“Catching Starlight and Seeing it All”: A Jordan Hall Planetarium/Digital Theater Show
Join the Science Exploration Series in the newly remodeled Digital Visualization Theater (planetarium). Astronomers teach astounding phenomena about the cosmos, but how do they know what’s out there? Take a dynamic flight through the latest data from space and learn what the interplay of light and matter reveals about the universe and beyond.
Friday, Oct. 17; 3 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 100, Jordan Hall of Science
Touchdown Trivia: Learn about Big Scoring Companies
Come watch celebrities scrimmage for bragging rights in Touchdown Trivia, featuring a starting roster of Ian Book, Tommy Kraemer, and Bob Mazzacavallo, to name a few. Presented by Notre Dame’s Industry Labs.
Friday, Oct. 17; 3 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium, Eck Visitors Center
Saturdays with the Saints Lecture—“Julia Greeley of Denver: A Black Woman, a White Angel, and a Red Wagon for the Works of Mercy on Wheels”
Michael Baxter from the McGrath Institute for Church Life presents in the Game Day series on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Saturday, Oct. 18; 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Andrews Auditorium (lower level), Geddes Hall
Museum of Biodiversity Open House
The Museum of Biodiversity will be open for tours. The museum showcases an extensive collection of preserved vertebrates, insects, plants, and fossils that have been collected over the last 150 years.
Saturday, Oct. 18; 2 to 4 p.m. in Room 102, Jordan Hall of Science
Safety, Parking, and Traffic
Reminder: Mandatory Active Violence Training for Third-Year Students
Reminder: All third-year undergraduates are required to complete active violence and emergency action planning training. Please complete this training via Canvas before Saturday, November 1, even if you did so last year. You should have received a Canvas course invitation in your email. Please contact us if you have any questions at safety@nd.edu.
Social Gatherings
Meet Me in My Country—Flavors of the World: Ireland, South Korea, and Brazil
Join the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures for an evening of culture, conversation, and community to explore the tastes and traditions of Ireland, South Korea, and Brazil. The international presenters will share insights into their countries’ heritage, daily life, and unique customs while guiding us through some of their most beloved foods.
Wednesday, Oct. 15; 5 to 6 p.m. in Room 104, Bond Hall
Football Fridays at the Eck
Kick off your game weekend every Friday before a home game. Join Fighting Irish fans for live music, tailgate food, interviews with Notre Dame celebrities, student group performances, the Football Fridays Backyard with beer and wine for purchase, and more.
Friday, Oct. 17; 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Eck Visitors Center
Rodeo Rebel
Rodeo Rebel is saddling up for a wild ride. Enjoy a mechanical bull, live music, a “lasso the calf” game, caramel apples and apple cider, bandana decorating, stuff a plush animal, free rodeo swag, and line dancing—no experience needed. Whether you’re a pro or a first-timer, grab your boots, come kick up dust, and get ready to have a blast. Yeehaw! Free for all students.
Friday, Oct. 17; 9 to 11 p.m. on Library Lawn
Shamrock Kickoff
Get ready for gameday! Tri-campus students (undergraduate and graduate) are invited to stop by for pre-game fun with giveaways, games, and great food. Participate in activities for a shot at big prizes, snag a free food truck ticket, and soak in the Fighting Irish spirit before kickoff. Free for all students.
Saturday, Oct. 18; 4 to 7 p.m. on Fieldhouse Mall
Gameday Festivities: Medieval Music and Swordsmithing
Join the Medieval Institute for another exciting tailgate. This Gameday, welcome back David DelaGardelle of Cedarlore Forge, who will be demonstrating the amazing art of early medieval swordsmithing, along with musical guests Bell Book and Canto. Free food and drinks provided, open to all.
Saturday, Oct. 18; 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the West Lawn of McCourtney Hall
Tech Tips, Tools, and IT Maintenance
How Well Are You Keeping Your Accounts Safe from Scammers?
It’s time for another simple step for a safer campus. Passwords are one of your first and best defenses against account compromise. Make sure to always use a long, strong, and unique password for each account. Turn on multifactor authentication wherever you can for an extra layer of security. Think of your password like the front door key, and MFA is the deadbolt—you really want both, right?