For the Week of February 16.
This is a weekly digest of events and announcements for undergraduate and graduate students.
Arts and Performances
Bridging Time and Place: The 150th Anniversary of the University of Notre Dame Art Museum
With origins dating to 1875, the art collection at the University is one of the oldest and most esteemed in the United States. To celebrate and share this landmark event, the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art will host a major exhibition through June 14, highlighting many of the recent gifts it has received to commemorate the 150th anniversary. Free and open to all.
Artful Storytime
Designed to help children develop their visual and verbal literacy skills, Artful Storytime is a partnership with the St. Joseph County Public Library. Each Artful Storytime includes stories, songs, artwork explorations, art-making, and more. This month, we’re tuning into our feelings and exploring the many emotions that shape who we are. This program is best for families with children ages 4 to 6.
Saturday, Feb. 21; 1 to 2 p.m. in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Films
Film—Ancestral Artistry: The Influence of Africans and Creoles of Color on Louisiana Architecture
This film explores the rich architectural legacy that began 300 years ago with the arrival of enslaved Africans skilled in the building trades in French colonial Louisiana. The film highlights these trades and tells the stories of contemporary master craftsmen in New Orleans. Introduction by Karina Roca of Tulane University.
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. in Manfredi Family Auditorium (Room 109), Walsh Family Hall of Architecture
Jane B. for Agnes V. (1988)
Agnès Varda crafts an imaginative, intimate portrait of Jane Birkin, blending reflection, fantasy, and performance. Filmed over a year, the collaboration playfully explores Birkin’s identity at 40, blurring the lines between muse and artist in a free-flowing cinematic reverie by Agnès Varda and Jane Birkin. In English, French, Italian, and Spanish with English subtitles. $7 adults, $6 faculty/staff, $5 seniors (65+), free for students/children.
Thursday, Feb. 19; 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025)
From filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania (Four Daughters), this powerful docudrama reconstructs the events of January 29, 2024, when Red Crescent volunteers received an emergency call from 5-year-old Hind Rajab, trapped under fire in Gaza. Using archival audio and reenactment, the film bears witness to her final plea for help. In Arabic with English subtitles. $7 adults, $6 faculty/staff, $5 seniors (65+), $4 students/children.
Thursday, Feb. 19; 9:30 to 11 p.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
Friday, Feb. 20; 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 21; 9:30 to 11 p.m.
The Secret Agent (2025)
From Kleber Mendonça Filho comes a tense political thriller set in 1977 Brazil. As Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a technology expert on the run, travels to Recife during Carnival hoping to reunite with his son, he discovers the city is far more dangerous than expected. A gripping look at life under dictatorship. In English, German, and Portuguese with English subtitles. $7 adults, $6 faculty/staff, $5 seniors (65+), $4 students/children.
Friday, Feb. 20; 9:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
Saturday, Feb. 21; 3 to 5:45 p.m. and 6:30 to 9:15 p.m.
McFarland, USA (2015)
Kevin Costner stars as a track coach who arrives at a predominantly Latino high school in California’s Central Valley and discovers his students’ exceptional running talent. Rooted in teamwork, family, and perseverance, this inspiring sports drama follows a group of teens on their path to becoming champions. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. Part of Professor Pfinklepfunder’s $1 Sunday Films.
Sunday, Feb. 22; 1 to 3:15 p.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (2025)
Filmmaker and artist Kahlil Joseph expands his celebrated video installation into a bold cinematic experience that blends fiction, history, music, and media. Featuring imagined appearances by W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey, the film explores Black consciousness through a layered, album-like structure. $7 adults, $6 faculty/staff, $5 seniors (65+), free for students/children.
Sunday, Feb. 22; 4 to 6 p.m. in the Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
Performances
Creative Writing Series Featuring Josh Fomon and Paul Cunningham
The Creative Writing Series invites you to an evening with poets Josh Fomon and Paul Cunningham. Fomon is the author of Our Human Shores and Cunningham is the author of Brillo. A book signing will follow. Hammes Bookstore staff will be on site with copies of the authors’ books available for purchase.
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 5 to 6:30 p.m. in English Commons (Room 232), Decio Faculty Hall
Drum Performance
Join in to celebrate and welcome Song of the Water / The Healing Drum into the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art—a powwow drum created by Pokagon Band of Potawatomi artist David Martin. Although part of the museum’s collection, this work is a living entity that will be played periodically both within the museum and beyond.
Thursday, Feb. 19; 6 to 7 p.m. in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Presenting Series: Urban Bush Women
Urban Bush Women makes its Presenting Series debut with This Is Risk, an electrifying evening of dance theater work with live music. Celebrating four decades of movement and social activism, the program features iconic works by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and a new commission by Vincent E. Thomas. $33 adults, $31 faculty/staff, $15 non-ND students/children, $10 ND students.
Thursday, Feb. 19; 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Patricia George Decio Theatre, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
Friday, Feb. 20; 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 21; 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Hidden Poets Society
The Moreau College Initiative in collaboration with Notre Dame’s Robinson Community Learning Center will host the Hidden Poets Society, a public poetry event featuring original work authored by incarcerated students.
Sunday, Feb. 22; 6 to 8 p.m. at the Poetry Den, inside the Civil Rights Heritage Center (1040 W. Washington St.), South Bend
Athletics and Sporting Events
Visit the Athletics composite schedule for events.
Awards and Competitions
University Faculty Awards
The Office of the Provost coordinates eight awards that recognize faculty excellence in research, teaching, and service to the University; signal milestone accomplishments and contributions across the disciplines; and celebrate outstanding members of the Notre Dame community. Review the award descriptions and nomination guidelines. Faculty, academic staff, and students are eligible to submit nominations by the Thursday, February 19, deadline for any of these awards, and renominations of eligible candidates are encouraged.
ND Crucifix Initiative Student Art Contest
The Notre Dame Crucifix Initiative announces an art competition open to all students. Design a one-of-a-kind crucifix that will join the University’s permanent collection and go on display in a classroom, where it will inspire Notre Dame students for years. Winners will also receive a cash prize. Submit your crucifix and artist’s statement to the Office of Mission Engagement in Room 304, Main Building, by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 17. Review the poster for details.
Deadlines or Registrations
Luminaries for Rare Disease Day
As part of the global #LightUpForRare movement, students in the Minor in Science and Patient Advocacy create visual displays of support for the rare disease community throughout February. All are welcome to dedicate a luminary on behalf of loved ones impacted by rare diseases to be displayed on February 28, Rare Disease Day. Please complete this form by Friday, February 20.
Submission Deadline: Global Health Day 2026
Attention global health researchers and photographers: Share your work at the Eck Institute’s upcoming Global Health Day 2026. Showcase your research, experiences, and/or images that highlight the complexities and impact of global health challenges in the US and abroad. Abstracts for research posters and submissions to the photo contest are due Sunday, February 22. Review the details and forms via the poster’s QR code.
The Juggler Call for Submissions
The Juggler, Notre Dame’s art and literary magazine, is accepting submissions until Sunday, March 1. The editors accept art, photography, poetry, and short stories. More information on the submission guidelines is on juggler.nd.edu or on the poster. If you have submissions, please email them to juggler@nd.edu. We can’t wait to see your work!
Soc(AI)ety Seminar: “Individual and Collective Human Agency in the Face of ‘AI’”
The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society hosts Kush Varshney, IBM Fellow based at the T. J. Watson Research Center. This talk examines both individual agency—the capacity to think, judge, and act—and collective agency, where communities define norms, resist imposed standards, and guide AI deployment. Register online.
Wednesday, Feb. 25; 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium (Room 101), Jordan Hall of Science
Graduate Student Book Discussion—Making Refuge: Somali Bantus in Lewiston, Maine
Notre Dame graduate students are invited to join the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights for lunch and a discussion of Catherine Besteman’s Making Refuge: Somali Bantu Refugees and Lewiston, Maine. Registration is required by Wednesday, February 25. Books will be provided to registrants. Space is limited.
Tuesday, March 17; 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. in Room 1050, Jenkins Nanovic Halls
Blood Drive
Hosted by ND Finance. Register online with the South Bend Medical Foundation for an appointment. The event is open to everyone.
Monday, March 23; 1 to 4 p.m. in the mobile medical unit parking in the Library Circle
Day/Merton Symposium
The Franco Institute hosts its inaugural Dorothy Day & Thomas Merton Culture and the Public Good Symposium. This year’s speakers are Vauhini Vara, Shankar Vedantam, Jenny Odell, and Rainn Wilson.
To coincide with this year’s research theme of attention, the speakers will respond to the question “How should we hold attention?” Free, but ticketed. Registration needed by Thursday, April 9.
Friday, April 10; 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Downes Ballroom (seventh floor), Corbett Family Hall
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.
· Wrangling Data in R with dplyr
This workshop will introduce participants to the tidyverse, a collection of packages in R designed for working with data. Learn to load in, manipulate, and clean data in R using the dplyr package.
Monday, Feb. 16; 2 to 3 p.m. in the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (Room 247), Hesburgh Library
· Envisioning Dante: How to See the Printed Page with Computer Vision
This hands-on workshop offers an introduction to the analysis of early printed books using computer vision, based on the experience of the Envisioning Dante project led by the Universities of Manchester and Oxford. Register online.
Monday, Feb. 16; 4 to 6 p.m. in Rare Books & Special Collections (Room 102), Hesburgh Library
· Introduction to Github and Markdown
Traditionally used for software development, Git and the online platform GitHub have been adopted for projects of all kinds, including humanities research. This workshop guides participants through the basic functions of contributing to a repository and writing documents in its preferred plaintext format, markdown.
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 2 to 3 p.m. in Technology Commons (Room 264), Hesburgh Library
· ArcGIS Online for Absolute Beginners
This workshop will teach the foundations of mapping in ESRI’s ArcGIS Online, a browser-based GIS platform that allows users to create, visualize, and manipulate spatial data. Learn how to use ArcGIS Online to answer research questions with spatial data or create maps to add to a class project or thesis.
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. in the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (Room 247), Hesburgh Library
· Roundtable: “Early Printing, the Digital, and the Future of Humanities Scholarship”
This roundtable explores questions about the role of digital technologies in the future of humanities research with a panel of experts in both digital technologies and early printing, one of the most influential media revolutions in human history. Register online.
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (Room 246), Hesburgh Library
· Market Research: Using Data to Find Your Target Audience With SimplyAnalytics
Learn to creatively navigate geographic market research data via the SimplyAnalytics platform from the perspective of a market analyst researching a target market. This session will cover the use of various demographic data for market analysis purposes, including general demographics, market segments, and consumer survey response data.
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 5 to 6 p.m. in Room L068, Mendoza College of Business
· Writing Literature Reviews in the Engineering Fields
This workshop is designed to help engineering graduate students navigate the process of organizing and writing a literature review. Guidance is presented for every step of the process.
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (Room 247), Hesburgh Library
· CurateND 101: Get to Know the Notre Dame Institutional Repository
This workshop will show what’s new in Hesburgh Libraries’ institutional research repository, CurateND, including how to create and upload records, how to enter metadata, recommended file types, licensing and copyright, the review process, and how to conduct basic and complex searching.
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 11 a.m. to noon virtually
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 2 to 3 p.m. in the Collaboration Hub (Room 220), Hesburgh Library
· Black Joy with the Hesburgh Libraries: Lunch & Learn
Honoring Black History Month, this presentation allows faculty, students, and staff to learn about recent acquisitions that support information and research in Africana studies (the continent of Africa, the United States, and the Afro-Caribbean diaspora).
Friday, Feb. 20; noon to 1 p.m. in Sojourner Truth Commons (Room 300), O’Shaughnessy Hall
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Seeking Adults for a Paid Online Research Study
https://ndworks.nd.edu/assets/647840/star_study_flyer_compressed.pdf
The SPIEL Lab is seeking adults for a paid online research study about suicidal ideation. Participants can earn up to $150 answering short phone surveys for two weeks. Complete this short screening survey to check your eligibility: https://nd.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3NTVi5aZs9I4Q3c.
Scheduled around participants’ availability
Faith and Service
Mass of Remembrance for Segun Soyemi
All are welcome to join the Notre Dame community to celebrate Mass in memory of Olusegun “Segun” Olubunmi Soyemi, a second-year student studying voice in the Master of Sacred Music program, who died in December. University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., will preside, and Assistant Vice President for Campus Ministry Rev. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., will preach. All are welcome to attend. For those who wish to attend virtually, the Mass will be live streamed.
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 5:15 p.m. in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Ash Wednesday
This year, February 18 is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. You can find multiple opportunities for Mass and brief services to receive ashes and mark the beginning of the season on campus. Everyone is welcome to receive ashes at any location or time that works with your schedule.
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. campus-wide
Holy Mass in Kiswahili and Social (Jumuiya!)
Celebrate Christ with a Mass and liturgy in Kiswahili. Guidance in both English and Kiswahili will be provided. Join the CSLC for a social gathering after Mass. The officiant is Rev. David Kashangaki, C.S.C., from Kenya.
Thursday, Feb. 19; 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher, Carole Sandner and Visitation Halls
Health and Recreation
Forty to Flourish: Small Steps, Big Habits
Free dirty sodas, cute desserts, and a DIY habit tracker? Say less!
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 134, Duncan Student Center
Peer Listeners
Need a supportive, private space where you can share anything from daily frustrations to bigger concerns? The McDonald Center for Student Well-Being is all ears! A trained peer listener student team is here to listen, support and guide you through your time at Notre Dame. Check out the website for info on weekly listening sessions and 1:1 sessions.
Various days, times, and campus locations
SMART Recovery
In collaboration with the University Counseling Center and the McDonald Center for Student Well-Being, this weekly, open meeting offers a supportive space for students experiencing concerns related to substance use. The group takes a practical, skills-based approach to well-being.
Thursdays, 7 to 8 p.m. in Room 215, Saint Liam Hall
Take a Paws
Take a paws and enjoy fruit kabobs with a K9, when one of Notre Dame’s Comfort K9s visits the McDonald Center for Student Well-Being.
Friday, Feb. 20; 12:15 to 1 p.m. in Room 215 Saint Liam Hall, McDonald Center
Lectures and Presentations
Flash Panel—“Iran in Crisis: Protest, Suppression, and Paths Forward”
As of December 2025, Iran has faced unprecedented protests fueled by economic pressure, political repression and deepening social frustration. This flash panel will explore the roots and current trajectory of Iran’s unrest, assess the regime’s brutal response, and examine US policy options and regional dynamics shaping Iran’s political outlook.
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium, Hesburgh Center for International Studies
SMAC Talk: “Working Towards Sport as a Public Good”
Alumnus Brian Hainline ’78 is committed to the physical and mental health of athletes at all levels. Former chief medical officer of the NCAA and past president of the US Tennis Association, he is involved in international and Olympic policymaking in support of sport as a common good. Meet him and learn more at the spring Sport, Media, and Culture Minor (SMAC) Talk.
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Andrews Auditorium, Geddes Hall
Book Talk—Putting Plastic Surgery on Paper: How Art and Archives Defined Second World War Reconstructive Surgery in Britain
Christine Slobogin’s new book shows how plastic surgery in the twentieth century was a medical discipline with deep ties to art, artists, and art history.
Tuesday, Feb. 17; 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 300, O’Shaughnessy Hall
Panel Discussion: “Pathways and Impediments to Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo”
The conflict in the eastern region of Democratic Republic of the Congo is a protracted, multi-layered crisis driven by competition over mineral resources, internal tensions, and the involvement of numerous armed groups and neighboring states. Join this online panel discussion, to delve into the pathways and impediments to peace in the region.
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 10 a.m. to noon virtually
Effective Leadership Transition
All student group leaders are welcome to join this session focused on best practices to successfully transition your student group leadership. Free Dave’s Hot Chicken will be provided.
Wednesday, Feb. 18; 7 to 8 p.m. in Room 246, Duncan Student Center
Webinar: “AI in Diagnostics”
An insightful and transformative webinar on integrating AI into diagnostics, with a focus on its potential to improve health care delivery in Africa. This is an opportunity for health care leaders, providers, and professionals to gain insights into how AI can enhance diagnostic accuracy and speed, and add significant value to their healthcare systems.
Thursday, Feb. 19; 7 to 8 a.m. virtually
Lecture: “All That Is Sacred Must Be Profaned”
Modern “disenchantment” may not explain today’s iconoclasm. Nietzsche’s Madman now seems prophetic, raising a vital question: How should Christians respond to our cultural insanity? Join Carl Trueman, visiting scholar at the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government. Book sales/signing at 6:30 p.m., remarks end at 8:00 p.m. with reception to follow.
Thursday, Feb. 19; 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Eck Visitors Center
Junior Parents Weekend Lecture—“Imprinted by Belief: Faith, Religion, and American Literature”
Join the Institute for Social Concerns with bestselling author Ayana Mathis. Reception and book signing to follow. Mathis is the author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie and most recently, The Unsettled, the inaugural winner of McSweeney’s Gabe Hudson Prize.
Friday, Feb. 20; 5 to 6 p.m. in Andrews Auditorium, Geddes Hall
Safety, Parking, and Traffic
Beware of Falling Ice and Warming Lakes
Warming temperatures increase the risk of falling ice from buildings. Plus, campus lakes are not safe, even if they appear frozen. Report a problem or call Notre Dame Police Dispatch at (574) 631-5555.
Social Gatherings
Ritmo del Corazón Salsa Night
Join in for a San Valentín dance: salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, and more. There will be lots of activities, including a Polaroid photo booth and a flower sale, as well as pizza and treats. Also, look at the Instagram (@ritmo_nd) for a fun dress code. Tickets are on sale at the StaND in LaFortune until the day before, and then at the door. $7 ($9 at the door of the event). Review the poster for details.
Thursday, Feb. 19; 7:30 to 10 p.m. in Stepan Center
Lunar New Year Community Celebration: Year of the Fire Horse
Ring in the Lunar New Year with a family-friendly celebration with food, crafts, local shopping, and more at South Bend’s Near Northwest Neighborhood on Portage Avenue. The Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies will provide free Year of the Horse stickers and free cookies from Chips & Doodles at the Portage Collective. Free and open to the public.
Saturday, Feb. 21; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Near Northwest Neighborhood, 1007 Portage Ave., South Bend
Also This Week ...
Become a Sustainability Trivia Champion
Sustainability Trivia is back. Every week during the spring semester, celebrate a decade of impact since Notre Dame’s first Comprehensive Sustainability Strategy was published in 2016. Each week that you submit the correct answer, your name will be added to a raffle drawn at the end of the series. This week, the quiz is about the University’s emissions progress. See the FAQ page to get started.