Skip to main content

PDF Edition of The Observer for Monday, February 15, 2009

Page 1


The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s

Tuition to top $50K in total next year

University announces education costs to go up for 2010-11 by smallest percentage since 1960

Notre Dame has increased tuition by 3.8 percent for the 2010-11 academic year — totaling $50,785 when including room and board — marking the lowest percentage increase since 1960, according to a University press release.

The tuition is set at $39,919. Room and board will average $10,866 for the year.

The University raised tuition by 4.4 percent for the 2009-10 academic year, yielding a cost of $38,477. Room and board

was about $10,368, totaling $48,845.

In a letter to parents of students returning next year, University President Fr. John Jenkins wrote that the University is aware of the financial burden of paying tuition and the struggling economy and its effect on Notre Dame families.

“[Notre Dame] employs a fiscally conservative approach to investments and spending to make the best use of all our resources,” he said in the letter.

Jenkins said the administra-

see TUITION/page 6

Pink Zone fundraiser exceeds goal

Proceeds from women’s basketball DePaul matchup to benefit breast cancer research, awareness

It seems that even the Notre Dame women’s basketball team celebrated Valentine’s Day — and not just by playing with a lot of heart. As DePaul took to the court yesterday, it was met by an Irish team clad not in their traditional blue and gold, but in light pink.

Yesterday’s matchup was the second annual Pink Zone game, which raises money for breast cancer research and awareness.

Fans gathered in the Purcell Pavilion for the sold-out game were loud, excited and clad in pink as well. The Band and

Edith Stein event spurs discussion

Conference addresses slew of controversial topics in lectures, panels

The Edith Stein Project, sponsored by the Identity Project of Notre Dame and held in McKenna Hall, returned this weekend for its fifth year and addressed a number of divisive yet pertinent topics to college-aged audiences.

This years program, titled “No Man is an Island: Creature, Culture and Community,” featured a series of lectures dedicated to initiating discussion on human identity and relationships.

see STEIN/page 3

cheerleaders also followed suit, wearing pink shirts that said “Fighting Irish Fighting Cancer”.

Students’ feelings on Valentine’s Day vary

Valentine’s Day is a national holiday that traditionally celebrates love and romance. At Notre Dame, students’ views about the day of love vary, from those cynical about the holiday’s appeal to those who celebrate it as an expression of any kind of love.

“I think Valentine’s Day is an invention of Hallmark,” sophomore Jimmy Long said. “I’m single but I wouldn’t take a girlfriend out that night in protest.”

Other students who are in committed relationships at the University have issues with the goals of the holiday as well and tend to view the day as unimportant.

See Also Irish top DePaul 90-66 page 24

During halftime, more than 100 breast cancer survivors from the South Bend community proceeded onto the court before a crowd that was at first hushed in silence, then moved to a standing ovation.

Donna Ancil is from South Bend and has been a survivor

see PINK/page 6

“Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about showing how we feel about someone else,” sophomore Kathleen McKiernan said. “But we do that everyday.” Her boyfriend of seven months, Tony Schlehuber, agreed.

“Why do we need a special day for something we should do all the time?” he said.

Seniors Steve Meehan and Rachel Davidson have been dating for three years and they agree that some of the luster of Valentine’s Day has somewhat

page 3

College celebrates sophomore weekend

Following a long tradition of hosting a weekend celebrating the bond between students and their parents, Saint Mary’s College held its annual Sophomore Parents’ Weekend Friday and Saturday.

“As sophomores, we have conquered the battle of freshman year, and most of us would say that we love having Saint Mary’s College as our home away from home,” Cassie Palmer, sophomore class president, said.

“However, no matter how com-

fortable we are here, nothing can replace our bonds with our families.”

Parents were invited to visit campus and spend time with their daughters in a variety of scheduled campus events.

“Sophomore Parents’ Weekend is a valuable experience that I would recommend to every student,” sophomore Kami Umbaugh said. “It really is a wonderful time to show your parents your life at Saint Mary’s while also giving students the opportunities to create memories that will last for a lifetime.”

Observer file photo Panelists address a number of controversial topics the annual Edith Stein Project in McKenna Hall last year.
SARAH O’CONNOR/The Observer
Cancer survivors from the South Bend community receive applause from women’s basketball fans at the Pink Zone game Sunday.
MARY CECILIA MITSCH | Observer Graphic

Valentine’s bites

Anyone who knows me passably well and sees my name and headshot in an Inside Column on the day after Valentine’s Day is more than likely expecting to read a bitter diatribe about how love is dead. Sorry to disappoint you.

True, the horrible holiday that took place yesterday is single-handedly killing love. No one denies this. I’ve decided, however, that the worst aspect of Feb. 14 and all it stands for is its proximity to Spring Break.

Irena Zajickova

On March 6, 10 of my friends and I will be jetting off to sunny Puerto Rico for a week of frolicking in the ocean, partaking in assorted alcohol-related debauchery and working on a tan that South Bend will no doubt suck away within days of our return.

Obviously, since people wear bathing suits to the beach, I’ve spent all my time since last semester’s finals week trying to get in shape.

I’ve been on the treadmill for an hour a day, tried to tone my arms with the weights at Rolfs and forced my friends to sign up for RecSports abs classes with me.

Additionally, I’ve been subsisting mainly on chicken noodle soup, raw vegetables, small cups of yogurt and glasses of water. I even tried the Special K diet for a few days. It worked until I gave in and admitted how hungry I was. Those serving sizes aren’t very big.

I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job. But Valentine’s Day is ruining all of my efforts.

For the past week or so, I haven’t been able to go anywhere without seeing some sort of unhealthy (and therefore extremely tempting) treat.

There are bowls of candy everywhere I turn. People selling Krispy Kremes seem to be camping out in Jordan Hall because I see them every time I cut through on my way to Rolfs. Even my parents, who are normally pretty good about healthy Valentine’s Day gifts, sent along a donut with the usual assortment of fruit.

Incidentally, as I sat in my room typing this column just now, my RA knocked on my door and presented me with a Funfetti cupcake. This is torture.

I don’t understand how I’m supposed to get in shape when there are all these well-meaning people offering the entire “eat sparingly” section of the food pyramid to anyone who walks by. One single baked good translates to a lot more gym time spent trying to burn off those obnoxious Valentine’s Day calories. This holiday is clearly promoting America’s reputation as the fattest, unhealthiest nation in the world through the never-ending supply of chocolatey snacks. It needs to end. Immediately.

Unfortunately, I typed that last paragraph while stuffing my mouth with the Funfetti cupcake just like the bitter single person I am. Back to the treadmill.

The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Contact Irena Zajickova at izajicko@nd.edu

CORRECTIONS

The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at 631-4541 so we can correct our error.

QUESTIONOFTHE DAY: WHATAREYOURTHOUGHTSONTHE POLAR PLUNGE?

Ashley Okonta freshman Badin

“People are crazy.”

John Fisher freshman Sorin

“Ask me again afterwords.”

Katie Baglini freshman Howard

“I’m just trying not to think about it too much.”

Raquel Falk freshman Badin

“It’s pretty ‘cool.’”

Have an idea for Question of the Day? E-mail

Peter Ritchie junior Stanford

“I think I’m going to die. Instant heart attack.”

Sarah Scrafford freshman Howard

“I’m a little bit frightened.”

SARAH O’CONNOR/The Observer

Notre Dame students run out of the ice-cold water of St. Joseph Lake for the first annual Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser for Haiti on Saturday. The event was organized by Badin and Dillon Halls.

OFFBEAT

Half-mile Valentine made out of manure by farmer

ALBERT LEA, Minn. — Nothing says “I love you” like a half-mile wide heart made out of manure. A southern Minnesota man created the Valentine’s Day gift for his wife of 37 years in their farm field about 12 miles southwest of Albert Lea. Bruce Andersland told the Alberta Lea Tribune that he started the project with his tractor and manure spreader Wednesday and finished Thursday.

His wife, Beth, said it’s the biggest and most original Valentine she has ever

received. She said some people might think it’s gross, but she says it’s cute and “Why not do something fun with what you got?” She said the heart would be darker except for the recent heavy snowfall that mixed with the manure.

10,000 Detroit square inch plots on sale for $1 each DETROIT — A Web designer is hawking square inches of an empty lot in Detroit for a dollar each to show what can be done with vacant spaces.

Jerry Paffendorf says nearly 600 “inchvestors”

have bought some of the 10,000 plots for sale in the “Loveland” art-andreal-estate project on Detroit’s east side.

The 28-year-old says he bought the lot for $500 and that profits are fed back into the project.

He says some inchvestors buy one plot while others have taken 1,000, and that they may do with the land as they wish. He says some plan to construct tiny buildings.

Information compiled from the Associated Press.

IN BRIEF

Mass will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. today in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

“Casting: Breaking the Mold,” a workshop with Keith Byron Kirk will be held at 6 p.m. today in 101 DeBartolo Hall.

“The Souls of Black Girls” will be presented in Carroll Auditorium at Saint Mary’s College today. The documentary will begin at 7 p.m.

Mardi Gras Hospitality Hour will be held in the Campus Ministry Resource Room in the Student Center at Saint Mary’s College tomorrow.

A children’s storytime reading of “I Love You! A Bushel and a Peck” will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow in the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore.

“Catholic and Costa Rican: Bishops’ Discourse Over Free Trade” will be held at 12:30 p.m. in C103 Hesburgh Center tomorrow.

“Environmental Effects on Tissue-engineered Cartilage” will be held at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow. The lecture will be held in 138 DeBartolo Hall.

A poetry reading by Sr. Eva Mary Hooker will be held at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Stapleton Lounge in LeMans Hall at Saint Mary’s College.

To submit information to be included in this section of The Observer, e-mail detailed information about an event to obsnews@nd.edu

Valentine

continued from page 1

faded.

“We played racquetball and went to Mass,” Meehan said. “But other than that we didn’t feel the need to do much.”

Davidson, who received a present from Meehan the night before Valentine’s Day, said she will be giving him a gift later in the week but didn’t feel much anxiety about the demands of the holiday.

“We joke that Valentine’s Day is just an excuse for him to get me flowers,” she said.

Freshman Rich Estes said that he felt pressured into taking his girlfriend out for Valentine’s Day because of the traditional expectations of the holiday.

“I really felt obligated to take her out,” he said. “I feel like Valentine’s Day is all about obligations.”

continued from page 1

Senior JoAnna Roman, cochair of this year’s Project, said the Conference is successful because it is the largest student-run conference of its kind and it encourages the University community to challenge views of individuals in order to become more collectively compassionate.

“The Conference is a really great opportunity for the community to come to together to think about who we are as human beings, our innate human dignity and to really examine how we can work better to uphold that human dignity through the activity of our daily lives, especially in our relationships, our friendships, our families,” Roman said.

Throughout the weekend, students attended a variety of

of Valentine’s Day is for individuals to spread happiness to loved ones.

“The holiday is centered on one person’s affections for someone in their life that is special.”

Chris Lee junior

While many students have a skeptical view of the holiday, others believe that the purpose

presentations given by more than 30 experts. Presentations focused on issues such as birth control, eating disorders and domestic violence.

Roman, who co-chaired the event with senior Sarah Johnson, said students tended to attend the presentations that were personally compelling to them.

“We had almost 300 people register, which is slightly higher than usual, and even though there is no accurate way to assess how many people actually attended, there are a lot of stu-

Junior Chris Lee shares the more traditional view of Valentine’s Day and believes it is a time to demonstrate love through romantic gestures.

“The holiday is centered on one person’s affections for someone in their life that is special,” he said. “There’s the say-

dents who attend even if they haven’t registered,” she said.

The personal highpoint for Roman was witnessing the presentation by Melinda Selmys and the panel on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2006.

“The Conference is a really great opportunity for the community to come together to think about who we are as human beings and to really examine how we can work better to uphold that human dignity.”

JoAnna Roman co-chair

Edith Stein Conference

“We planned the speakers months ago, specifically this speech because we realized homosexuality and its treatment on campus was an issue on campus,” Roman said. “Reflecting on recent campus events it became even more significant because it helped reiterate the Church’s

ing that talks about how Valentine’s Day should be everyday so that you can feel special everyday of the year, but if every day were Valentine’s Day the holiday wouldn’t be significant. It’s special because it’s once a year.”

Other students believe that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about romantic love but it can also be applied to family and friendship.

“I always thought Valentine’s Day is a good day for friendship,” sophomore Liz Ledden said. “It’s a good time to tell your friends how much you love them.”

Sophomore Jordan Matulis

teaching on homosexuality, which call us to be compassionate towards others regardless of their sexual orientation.

“I think it is important to be reminded of this because I think some people get so caught up that they don’t realize that, as Catholics, our first calling is to show compassion towards one another,” she said.

Roman reiterated her and Johnson’s thanks to everyone who took part in planning the Conference.

agreed that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be focused on couples and should be more about the important relationships that individuals have in their lives, regardless of whether those relationships are romantic or not.

“It’s a day about love, not romantic love but love in general,” she said. “I don’t have a special someone but I don’t think that Valentine’s Day is just a day for sweethearts. It’s a day to tell everyone significant in your life how much you care about them.”

Contact Molly Madden at mmadden3@nd.edu

speakers to getting food. It is a really humbling experience to those of us who plan to have so many people willing to become involved,” Roman said. She added that the student participants make the Conference possible.

“The Edith Stein Project is a really huge undertaking. We have dozens of people every year who help from organizing speakers to getting food.”

JoAnna Roman co-chair

Edith Stein Conference

“The Edith Stein Project is a really huge undertaking. We have dozens of people every year who help from organizing

“We also want to thank all those who attended because what makes a conference is not the planning but the people who attend so we’d really just like to thank all the students who participated,” Roman said.

Contact Carly Landon at clandon@nd.edu

World & Nation

Monday, February 15, 2010

Israeli harem leader charged

JERUSALEM — An Israeli man who kept a cult-like harem of women and fathered dozens of children with them was charged in a Tel Aviv court Sunday with enslavement, rape, incest and other sexual offenses.

The 25-page indictment accused 60-year-old Goel Ratzon of setting himself up as a “godlike” figure who preyed on troubled women while treating them like “chattel.”

The case has captivated the Israeli public since Ratzon’s arrest last month. Several of the women have come forward with details of their unconventional lives, describing their attraction to the man with flowing, long white hair.

According to the indictment, Ratzon kept at least 21 women who bore him a total of 49 children. It said he kept the women in a state of near-total obedience in crowded apartments in the Tel Aviv area, taking their welfare checks and making them take bank loans which he then confiscated.

Celebrated author, jockey dies

LONDON — Dick Francis, the best-selling British thriller writer and former champion jockey, died on Sunday in his home in the Cayman Islands. He was 89.

A successful steeplechase jockey, Francis turned to writing after he retired from racing in 1957. He penned 42 novels, many of which featured racing as a theme. His books were translated into more than 20 languages, and in 2000 Queen Elizabeth II — whose mother was among his many readers — honored Francis by making him a Commander of the British Empire.

NATIONAL NEWS

At least 3 dead in copter crash

PHOENIX — A helicopter crash just north of Phoenix killed at least three people on Sunday afternoon, including a child, and officials couldn’t rule out the possibility of more victims.

Residents in the area known as Cave Creek heard noises and saw parts flying off the 6-seat helicopter before it crashed and burst into flames at about 3 p.m. MST, said Deputy Lindsey Smith, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s a pretty horrific crash,” she said. “It’s just obliterated.”

Authorities have specifically identified three victims, Smith said. But since the Eurocopter EC135 can hold six people, officials are looking into whether there were additional victims.

Suburban apartment fire kills 7

CHICAGO — An early morning fire that ripped through a suburban Chicago apartment building on Sunday left seven people dead, including a newborn baby, a 3-year-old and four teenagers.

The death toll rose from four to seven Sunday as investigators searched through the charred remains of the three-story building in Cicero for victims and residents waited anxiously to hear word of their loved ones and neighbors.

“To happen on a day when families are usually coming together for love and life — Valentine’s Day — it makes it even more tragic,” said town spokesman Ray Hanania. “It impacted everybody, including the firemen.”

He said initial reports indicated the victims may have been related.

The blaze started around 6:30 a.m. and was extinguished in about an hour, Hanania said.

LOCAL NEWS

New street signs simplify navigation BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A new breed of street signs could make Bloomington easier to navigate at night or in bad weather.

The city has begun replacing more than 15,000 street signs with highly reflective ones to meet federal regulations.

The new signs have a high-intensity metal sheeting that reflects light better than the old signs. Bloomington traffic manager Derek Neff says the signs look like they’re lit when headlights hit them.

The new signs cost $25 apiece. The city plans to spend more than $375,000 when all its signs are upgraded.

AFGHANISTAN

U.S. rockets crash into home

Blasts kill 12 civilians outside Taliban stronghold; president appeals to NATO

MARJAH — Two U.S. rockets slammed into a home Sunday outside the southern Taliban stronghold of Marjah, killing 12 civilians after Afghanistan’s president appealed to NATO to take care in its campaign to seize the town.

Inside Marjah, Marines encountered “death at every corner” in their second day of a massive offensive to capture this bleak mudbrick city filled with booby traps, hardcore Taliban fighters and civilians unsure where to cast their loyalty.

Marines confronted a fierce sandstorm as they ducked in and out of doorways and hid behind bulletriddled walls to evade sniper fire. To the north, U.S. Army troops fought skirmishes with Taliban fighters, calling in a Cobra attack helicopter against the insurgents.

Insurgents littered the area with booby traps and explosives before the offensive, and the sound of controlled detonations — about three every hour — punctuated the day along with mortars and rocket fire.

“Our children are very scared by the explosions. When will it end?” asked Zaher, a 25-year-old poppy farmer who like many Afghans goes by one name.

The civilian deaths were a blow to NATO and Afghan efforts to win the support of residents in the Marjah area, a major goal of the biggest ground offensive of the eight-year war. Marjah, which had a population of 80,000 before the offensive, is a Taliban logistical center and a base for their lucrative opium trade which finances the insurgency.

The rockets were fired by a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, at insurgents who attacked U.S. and Afghan forces, wounding one American and one Afghan, NATO said in a statement. Instead, the

projectiles veered 300 yards (meters) off target and blasted a house in the Nad Ali district, which includes Marjah, NATO added.

The top NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, apologized to President Hamid Karzai for “this tragic loss of life” and suspended use of the sophisticated HIMARS system pending “a thorough review of this incident,” NATO said.

Before the offensive began Saturday, Karzai pleaded for the Afghan and foreign commanders to be “seriously careful for the safety of civilians.”

Karzai’s spokesman Waheed Omar said the president “is very upset

about what happened” and has been “very seriously conveying his message” of restraint “again and again.”

Allied officials have reported two coalition deaths so far — one American and one Briton, who were both killed Saturday. Afghan officials said at least 27 insurgents have been killed in the offensive.

In unrelated incidents in southern Afghanistan, NATO said two service members died Sunday — one from small-arms fire and the other from a road side bomb explosion. The international force did not disclose their nationalities, but the British defense ministry reported that a British

soldier died Sunday of wounds suffered in an explosion.

Marines and Afghan forces met only scattered resistance when they swooped down by helicopter on the impoverished farming community before dawn Saturday. A day later, however, Taliban attacks were escalating, with small bands of fighters firing rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at troops moving slowly through the bombs and booby traps hidden in homes, residential compounds and along the rutted streets.

“It seems these guys want to get a bit closer,” Lt. Carl Quist said as bullets whizzed overhead.

U.S. forces scale back quake relief role

PORT-AU-PRINCE — The biggest U.S. military surge since Iraq and Afghanistan is scaling back a month after the troops arrived in haste to aid victims of Haiti’s catastrophic quake.

Great gray ships have been leaving behind Haiti’s battered shores as thousands of American troops pack up their tents. The mission, however, is far from over.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. will be in Haiti for the long haul, although troop strength is down to 13,000 from a Feb. 1 peak of 20,000. Those who remain will accompany Haitians in an arduous struggle toward recovery.

Within a broad international relief effort, U.S. forces have provided some of the most visible support to a nation whose government and infrastructure were nearly wiped out in less than a minute on Jan. 12. They have shored up the capital’s quake-damaged port to operate at several times its pre-quake tonnage, while acting as a security and logistics mainstay for U.N. food distributions. Military choppers have delivered life-sustaining relief to isolated villages. The flow of injured quake victims to the USNS Comfort hospital ship has eased, but the need for medical facilities remains overwhelming in Port-au-Prince.

“We’re pretty saturated. This is the

chokepoint,” said Air Force Maj. John Mansuy of St. Clairsville, Ohio, the operating room nurse in a tented, full-service unit with zipper doors and a positive air flow to keep out choking dust that blankets a landfill in the teeming Cite Soleil slum.

His medical team takes in people strapped to stretchers — with fractures, open wounds and other life-threatening maladies — before rushing them offshore to the Comfort. The U.S. military already is turning certain tasks back over to the Haitians, such as daytime air-traffic control at Port-auPrince’s damaged international airport, where commercial flights are expected to resume by Friday.

A wounded U.S. service member, left, is wished well by comrades as he is evacuated by a U.S. Army Task Force helicopter crew in Marjah, Afghanistan, Sunday.
HAITI

Weekend

continued from page 1

According to Palmer, the weekend began with an opening reception in the Student Center Lounge where College President Carol Ann Mooney gave a welcome address. Following the opening remarks, students and their parents were invited to participate in a silent auction and trivia game. A slideshow was also presented with baby and college photos of the women in attendance.

Students and their parents were provided with a brunch in the Stapleton Lounge in LeMans Hall Saturday morning.

was held after the Mass for sophomores and their parents at the Hilton Garden Inn to conclude the weekend’s events.

“I would have to say that the dinner and dance was my favorite activity because it was nice to converse and socialize with different friends and families while spending time with my own,” Umbaugh said.

According to Palmer, 325 participants registered for the weekend.

“It was a busy weekend, but I

enjoyed spending one on one time with my mom because we love spending time together.”

“Sophomore Parents’ Weekend gives us the unique opportunity to see our two worlds come together, and to share our SMC experiences with our families,” Palmer said.

Eilis Wasserman sophomore

Following the brunch, the a cappella group Bellacappella preformed a private show in the Little Theatre at Moreau Hall. Dance group Troop ND also performed. To educate families on College history, a display of Saint Mary’s heritage was exhibited at the Welcome Center.

In addition, students and parents were invited to a special Mass held at the Church Of Loretto.

“My favorite activity was the Mass … I would say this because the homily message by the priest was very inspiring,” sophomore Eilis Wasserman said.

A special dinner and dance

Students said they enjoyed having their parents on campus and having the opportunity to spend the weekend with them.

“I really enjoyed getting to spend quality time with my family and show them things on campus that make Saint Mary’s unique and special,” Umbaugh said.

Wasserman also enjoyed the time spent with her family.

“It was a busy weekend, but I enjoyed spending one on one time with my mom because we love spending time together,” she said. “The weekend went by too fast. I wish there was more time.”

Contact Alicia Smith at asmith01@saintmarys.edu

continued from page 1

of breast cancer for eight years. As she lined up to walk on to the court with her fellow survivors, she acknowledged the powerful emotions that emerged during the Pink Zone game.

“It’s empowering to be here,” she said. “It’s the local community coming together and being excited, and we know the basketball players are so supportive about all of this.”

researchers with cancer survivors and it’s a good way to raise money that will benefit people in our area,”

Duman Scheel said.

Like University President Fr. John Jenkins, who spoke during the game, Duman Scheel is enthusiastic about the recent addition to Raclin-Carmichael Hall, the Harper Cancer Research Institute.

“It’s a nice event and brings together cancer researchers with cancer survivors and it’s a good way to raise money that will benefit people in our area.”

Molly Duman Scheel, a medical student at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Notre Dame biology professor, is also involved in the fight against breast cancer. She studies Medical and Molecular Genetics, specifically the genetics of metastasis in a Raclin-Carmichael Hall laboratory.

Molly Duman Scheel biology professor

The many groups that came together for the Pink Zone game included Fannie Mae, which sold chocolates to raise money, as well as the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore, which sold pink pompoms and gave away pink flashlights. Representatives from the Women’s Task Force of Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, the Secret Sisters Society, RiverBend Cancer Services and Young Survivors Breast Cancer Support Group were also in attendance.

Tuition

continued from page 1

tion has been working to limit spending and cut costs in order to keep the tuition increase as low as possible.

As a Notre Dame education is an investment for families and students, Jenkins wrote that the University will “strive to match the enormous amount of time, talent and energy” that students and parents give to the educational experience.

Jenkins said the University’s financial aid program remains a priority.

In light of this year’s economic downturn, University scholarship assistance in 2010-11 will increase by 18 percent to $98 million.

Notre Dame admissions remain “need blind,” meaning applicants are admitted without consideration for the ability to pay full tuition.

In the letter to parents, Jenkins said 95 percent of Notre Dame students graduate on time.

“[Notre Dame] strives to develop the heart and the mind … instill values and knowledge … and inspire a lifelong mission as well as the capability to pursue it,” he said.

Like Ancil, she was excited to see the community come together and also excited that the Pink Zone game acknowledged both support and research in the fight against breast cancer.

“It’s a nice event and brings together cancer

Pink Zone exceeded its goal of raising $55,000 by more than $15,000 for a total of more than $70,000, as announced at the end of the game. The Irish defeated DePaul 90-66.

Contact Nora Kenney at hkenney@nd.edu

Graduate and professional school tuition also will increase by 3.8 percent, bringing total tuition to $39,310 for the Graduate School and $40,340 for both the Law School and the Master of Business Administration Program.

Contact Madeline Buckley at mbuckley@nd.edu

MARKET RECAP

IN BRIEF

Samsung unveils new smart phone

BARCELONA — Samsung Electronics Co., the largest maker of cell phones for the U.S. market, on Sunday revealed the first phone running Samsung’s own “smart” software system, bada. With bada, Korea-based Samsung is taking the TouchWiz system used on its touch-screen nonsmart phones and making it the basis of a smart phone platform to take on Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry. Samsung also makes phones based on other competing smart phone systems: Android, created by Google Inc., and Symbian, of which Nokia Corp. is a major backer.

J.K. Shin, the president of Samsung’s phone division, said the goal of bada was to expand the market for smart phones, making them available to people across the world who have made do with non-smart phones.

The new phone, dubbed the Wave, is a touch screen phone like the iPhone. It features a highly saturated, high-resolution screen using organic light emitting diodes, or OLEDs. Samsung said the phone will go on sale in April, but did not say if the U.S. would be one of the launch markets, nor did it say what the phone would cost.

To support the Wave and existing phones using TouchWiz, Samsung is launching online applications stores in 50 countries this year, including the U.S. Most major phone makers now operate applications stores, or make phones that use stores administered by others, like Google.

Iran begins drilling in Caspian Sea TEHRAN — State TV reports that Iran has began drilling its first exploratory oil well in the Caspian Sea.

The Sunday report quotes head of Iran’s North Drilling Company Hedayatollah Khademi as saying the well is one of the three planned to gauge the amount of recoverable oil available in Iran’s territorial waters of the sea.

Khademi said the drilling began last week and is taking place at 1,550 meters under the seabed.

The move is the latest Iranian push to take a bigger stake of the natural resources of the sea, which is shared by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan.

In 2009 Iran inaugurated its first offshore oil platform in the Caspian.

Chrysler reveals plans to dealers

New management discusses company’s future, sellers express mixed emotions

ORLANDO, Fla. — As he walked out of an auditorium Sunday afternoon, Grant Irwin Sr. pretty much summed up the feelings of Chrysler dealers who had just spent two hours listening the automaker’s new management.

The 73-year-old dealer from Northwest Oklahoma said he’s impressed by the executives installed by Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, and optimistic about new cars and trucks that are coming.

But he’s also wondering about the short-term, which he and other dealers somehow must survive with an aging model lineup that pushed sales down 36 percent last year.

“We’re struggling,” said Irwin, who runs a ChryslerDodge-Jeep dealership rural Woodwind, Okla., about 140 miles from Oklahoma City.

“We’re going to sell less cars.”

Dealer after dealer who exited the annual meeting at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Orlando, Fla., said they were happy with what they heard, but also said executives didn’t offer any options to help them get through the next six months to a year when new products are scheduled to arrive.

Chrysler sold only 931,000 cars and trucks last year, down from 1.4 million in 2008. January sales were even worse, only 62,000 for the month, down 55 percent from the same month in 2009.

“I think there’s a lot of good things coming,” said Paul Walser, who runs a ChryslerDodge-Jeep dealership in Hopkins, Minn., near Minneapolis. “I think we’re all wondering what the journey looks like between now and the time when all the product starts to arrive.”

Chrysler plans to have 16 new or significantly redone models by the end of this year. The company has high hopes for a new lighter, and

more efficient, Jeep Grand Cherokee that is coming around June. A redone Chrysler 300 and Charger, the new Fiat 500 minicar and a new Dodge sport utility vehicle are expected later in the year.

The dealers heard presentations on advertising, marketing and incentives from Fred Diaz Jr., who runs the Ram truck brand and is Chrysler’s top U.S sales executive, and Olivier Francois, who heads advertising and the Chrysler brand.

They told the dealers they are projecting sales this year at just under 1.2 million, up a little from last year. The company, the dealers said, still has $5 billion in cash and has reduced its expenses and gained efficiencies so it can break-even at just over a mil-

lion in annual sales.

Many dealers said they will have to adjust the same way, keeping overhead low and making money on used cars and service, if they want to survive. Others are hoping for better incentives so they can sell more vehicles by offering great deals.

“Some dealers I think were pretty encouraged and others are frustrated,” said Walser.

“We’re kind of playing defense, I think, for the moment.”

Dealers who are totally reliant on Chrysler Group LLC brands, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, were a little more frustrated because they’re totally reliant on the company, said Walser, who also runs Toyota Motor Corp. and other franchises.

Some dealers said they

were skeptical of recent advertising campaigns, which were humorous and focused more on brand identity rather than touting Chrysler’s products. Some wondered how the brand advertising would help them sell more cars.

Chuck Eddy Jr., a ChryslerDodge-Jeep dealer in Youngstown, Ohio, said he had good sales last year by marketing deals, helped by incentives from the company such as rebates and lowinterest financing. He’s hoping for increased incentives to help make it until the new vehicles arrive.

“Our buyers are loyal because they like the deal,” Eddy said. “We’ve got to get to the new product so we don’t have to worry so much about selling the deal.”

Fishermen to rally against federal law

BOSTON — Fishermen from around the country are planning to pack the steps in front of the U.S. Capitol this month to demand changes to a federal fisheries law they say is killing jobs and eroding fishing communities.

Organizers of the “United We Fish” rally expect up to 3,000 people at the Feb. 24 protest, including a bipartisan roster of congressmen and fishermen from as far away as Alaska.

The rally comes as various issues roil the fishing business, including questions about uneven law enforcement, restrictions on key recreational stocks and a switch to a new system of regulating Northeast fishermen.

Jim Hutchinson Jr. of the

Recreational Fishing Alliance, a rally organizer, said the overall goal is changing the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the federal fisheries law that was reauthorized in 2007.

Hutchinson said the law sets unrealistic fish stock recovery goals based on flawed science, then mandates harsh cuts for failing to meet the goals.

“This is about real people having real concerns and being put out of business, being kicked off the water,” Hutchinson said.

Tina Jackson, a Point Judith, R.I., fisherman who is organizing a bus ride to the rally, thinks policymakers will be forced to pay attention when they see solidarity from a field traditionally filled with factions.

“The competition has always run

so high,” Jackson said. “Now it’s come down to ‘You know what, it’s do or die, we’re all in this together, regardless of what kind of fishing you do.’”

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokeswoman Monica Allen said the agency “will be listening carefully to what fishermen and others have to say that day.”

She added that the U.S. has worldleading fishery science and management, and fishermen will see the benefits.

“We estimate that once the nation rebuilds all fisheries, which we are on a track to do and required to do by law, the dockside value of our fisheries would go from $4.1 billion to $6.3 billion annually, a 54-percent increase,” she said.

AP
A real estate sign stands at Cook Auto, a former Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealer in Little Rock, Ark., Jan. 21. Chrysler’s January sales were down 55 percent from last year.

Weather halts rescuers

ANCHORAGE, Alaska —

Rain, low clouds and predicted high winds Sunday grounded searchers seeking the body of a ConocoPhillips Alaska employee missing and presumed dead in an avalanche that killed the head of the company.

The avalanche at around noon Saturday on the Kenai Peninsula buried Jim Bowles, 57, head of ConocoPhillips Alaska, and Alan Gage, 39, part of the company’s capital projects team in Anchorage.

Gage remains missing.

“The weather is not cooperating and it’s not conducive to search,” said Megan Peters, a spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers.

The men were in a party of 12 snowmobilers in the Grandview wilderness area, part of the Chugach National Forest, between the tiny communities of Moose Pass and Portage.

Bowles was buried for about 45 minutes before companions using avalanche beacons dug him out. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gage apparently was not wearing an avalanche beacon, troopers said.

Pro-life Ga. billboard causes controversy

ATLANTA — The message on dozens of billboards across Atlanta is provocative: Black children are an “endangered species.”

The eyebrow-raising ads featuring a young black child are an effort by the antiabortion movement to use race to rally support within the black community. The reaction from black leaders has been mixed, but the “Too Many Aborted” campaign, which so far is unique to only Georgia, is drawing support from other anti-abortion groups across the country.

“It’s ingenious,” said the Rev. Johnny Hunter, national director of the Life Education and Resource Network, a North Carolina-based antiabortion group aimed at African-Americans that operates in 27 states. “This campaign is in your face, and nobody can ignore it.”

The billboards went up last week in Atlanta and urge black women to “get outraged.”

The effort is sponsored by Georgia Right to Life, which also is pushing legislation that aims to ban abortions based on race.

Black women accounted for the majority of abortions in Georgia in 2006, even though blacks make up just a third of the state’s population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention.

Nationally, black women were more than three times as likely to get an abortion in 2006 compared with white women, according to the CDC.

“I think it’s necessary,”

Cheryl Sullenger, senior policy adviser for Operation Rescue, a prominent antiabortion group, said of the billboard campaign. “Abortion in the black community is at epidemic proportions. They’re not really aware of what’s actually going on. If it shocks people ... it should be shocking.”

Anti-abortion advocates say the procedure has always been linked to race. They claim Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger wanted to eradicate minorities by putting birth control clinics in their neighborhoods, a charge Planned Parenthood denies.

“The language in the billboard is using messages of fear and shame to target women of color,” said Leola Reis, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Georgia. “If we want to reduce the number of abortions and unintended pregnancies, we need to work as a community to make sure we get quality affordable health care services to as many women and men as possible.”

In 2008, Issues4Life, a

California-based group working to end abortion in the black community, lobbied Congress to stop funding Planned Parenthood, calling black abortions “the Darfur of America,” referring to the violence-wracked western Sudanese province.

Pro-Life Action League Executive Director Eric Scheidler said a race-based strategy for anti-abortion activists has gotten a fresh zeal, especially in the wake of the historic election of the country’s first black president, Barack Obama, who supports abortion rights.

“He’s really out of step

with the rest of black America,” Scheidler said.

“That might be part of what may be shifting here and why a campaign like this is appropriate, to kind of wake up that disconnect.”

Abortion rights advocates are disturbed. Spelman College professor Beverly Guy-Sheftall called the strategy a gimmick.

“To use racist arguments to try to bait black people to get them to be anti-abortion is just disgusting,” said GuySheftall, who teaches women’s history and feminist thought at the historically black women’s college.

AP
This anti-abortion billboard in Atlanta, Ga. creates controversy in an attempt to rally support within black communities.

Fire ravages apartment, kills four children

Complex burns after man falls asleep while cooking; building engulfedin flames when fire dept. arrives

FLINT, Mich. — A fire that apparently started after a man fell asleep while cooking swept through an apartment building,

killing the man’s young child and three others he was babysitting, authorities said.

The fire started at about 11

p.m. Saturday in a kitchen in one of the building’s six town

houses, said Rod Slaughter, executive director of the Flint Housing Commission.

Neighbors spotted flames and smoke, and banged on the doors of the unit to wake the 28-year-old father, who escaped through a first-floor window, Fire Battalion Chief Andy Graves said.

They unsuccessfully tried to coax one of the children to jump from a second-floor window.

“They were able to reach one child, but they couldn’t get her to jump,” Graves said Sunday.

The children were between the ages of 1 and 4 years old.

Smoke detectors either were not working or the residents of the unit where the fire started did not heed them, Graves said. The apartment was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

Flint Public Safety Director Al Lock said firefighters arrived at the building within minutes of the emergency call.

“They did all that they could to try to reach the children,” Lock said at a news conference Sunday night. He said when the firefighters found the children they could not be revived.

Pink and blue balloons, teddy bears and candles were placed outside the burned town house in an impromptu memorial for the victims. The neighborhood is pockmarked by vacant lots and boarded-up single-family homes in a battered industrial

city hard-hit by the loss of tens of thousands of General Motors Corp. jobs over recent decades.

Chiquana Richey, a former resident of the complex, raced to the scene after getting a call from a friend soon after the blaze broke out. The mother of two children returned there Sunday.

“I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose my children like that. I couldn’t live. I live for my children,” said Richey, 32.

Melinda Stewart, a neighbor whose three children played

with the children who died, said she called 911 in a panic after the fire erupted.

“I was just screaming to 911, ‘The babies are inside,’” Stewart told The Flint Journal. It took firefighters hours to bring the blaze under control but it flared up again early Sunday, destroying Stewart’s apartment and possessions and those of other neighbors. The fire spread through a common attic and damaged all of the six units in the two-story apartment building, part of a sprawling, low-rise complex

The Flint Fire Dept. works to extinguish a fire that killed four children. The blaze began after a man fell asleep while cooking.

THE OBSERVER

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556

024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

MANAGING

Bill Brink

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jenn Metz

Matt Gamber

ADVERTISING

OFFICE MANAGER & GENERAL INFO (574) 631-7471 FAX (574) 631-6927

ADVERTISING (574) 631-6900observad@nd.edu

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (574) 631-4542 jmetz@nd.edu

MANAGINGEDITOR (574) 631-4541 wbrink@nd.edu

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR (574) 631-4324 asteiner@nd.edu

BUSINESS OFFICE (574) 631-5313 NEWS DESK (574) 631-5323 obsnews@nd.edu

VIEWPOINT DESK (574) 631-5303 viewpoint.1@nd.edu SPORTS DESK (574) 631-4543 observersports@gmail.com SCENE DESK (574) 631-4540 jshaffe1@nd.edu SAINT MARY’S DESK acharn01@saintmarys.edu PHOTO DESK (574) 631-8767 igavlick@nd.edu SYSTEMS & WEB ADMINISTRATORS (574) 631-8839

www.ndsmcobserver.com

The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac and Saint Mary’s College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor in Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Jenn Metz.

Operation Togetherness

As Operation Mushtarak (which means togetherness in Pashtun) — aimed at Taliban strongholds in Helmand province — enters the fifth day of operations, NATO coalition forces are meeting with considerable tactical success.

Opposition has been minimal and the show of force has, according to CNN, convinced many tribal leaders in the area that the coalition is there to stay. Still, commanders on the ground have emphasized that the operation is not yet complete and may still encounter significant complications. Placed into the larger picture of Obama’s planned surge, the operation illustrates the capabilities of American and coalition forces when effectively concentrated against the enemy. At the same time, it is impossible to judge the true effectiveness of the operation or the Surge at this time. In the past, initially successful operations have been unable to bring as much pressure against the Taliban as was hoped or were unable to hold out against Taliban counterattacks. Additionally, it should be remembered that there will be an additional 30,000 troops on the ground by the end of the Surge and it is impossible to say with certainty how successful this massive deployment will be until all boots are on the ground. Keeping Iraq in mind, many political commentators began claiming the Iraqi Surge was a failure

EDITORIAL CARTOON

before much of the deployment could be carried out.

Another aspect of the Iraqi Surge applicable to Afghanistan is that both operations are only military operations and are only one aspect of a multifaceted solution. To say that a military operation is a failure because it did not bring political unity is like saying an apple tastes bad because it does not taste like an orange. Military operations are meant to provide military solutions and provide a certain level of security — nothing more or less. Just as much political and structural ground work remains to be done in post-Surge Iraq; the same will be true in Afghanistan when military operations begin winding down.

Despite the parallels one can draw between Iraq and Afghanistan, there are also many differences and certain approaches taken in Iraq that will simply not work in Afghanistan. While Iraq has its share of sectarian problems, it has a history — however troubled — of unification and Iraqis have shown an ability — albeit rarely — to overcome sectarian rivalries for the sake of a broader communal concept. Afghanistan, on the other hand, has long been a very fractured country divided into a patchwork of a variety of tribes and ethnic groups. It also lacks natural resources such as the vast oil reserves found in Iraq. Money, after all, makes things go more smoothly. Additionally, the Afghan government and security forces have — with few exceptions — proven to be shaky part-

ners. President Hamid Karzai is well known for his back room dealings and flirtations with nefarious characters. And, there is a high turn-over rate in the Afghan security forces.

Afghanistan does have its share of problems, but this is not to say it is a hopeless situation. As tempting as it is to cut and run in the short term, such a short-sighted strategy will undoubtedly come back to haunt the United States as has happened with so many other policies from America’s past. Rather, it is imperative that America take Afghanistan’s unique history, social structure and culture into account when hashing out its longterm foreign policy towards the region and Afghanistan in particular. Perhaps Afghanistan will never be a well-functioning liberal democracy but this is not essential for American security or necessarily worth the necessary investments in blood and treasure. Rather, the United States should try and establish friendly relations with Afghanistan’s rulers and strike a balance between pressuring Afghanistan to democratize and partnering with Afghanistan against enemies of the United States. Simply put, there is not enough public interest, or international support for loftier goals.

James Napier is a senior history major. He can be contacted at jnapier@nd.edu

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Monday, February 15, 2010

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

Viewpoint

Truth, identity and Edith Stein

Many thanks to those who organized the Edith Stein Conference last week for their dedication to exploring religious, cultural and sexual identity. However, I would invite the planners next year to give voice to the experience of faithful Catholics who do not identify as heterosexual.

The Conference hosted Melinda Selmys, who lived as a lesbian for over seven years before “converting” to both Catholicism and heterosexuality. Selmys’ story was a nuanced one; she did not claim to be ex-gay and she questioned the morality of the University’s current non-discrimination policy. However, if the conference desires to reflect upon homosexuality and Catholicism, planners may want to consider allowing someone to speak who actually identifies as homosexual, which they failed to do with both Selmys and in the two men chosen for the panel discussion.

In privileging Selmys’ voice, a subtle message was sent that homosexual identity is illegitimate and anti-Catholic. For those struggling to integrate body and soul (a theme of the conference), that message can actually do more violence than any ill-conceived cartoon ever could. In protest to Selmys as a speaker, students gathered at McKenna Hall to recite “queer poetry.” While some called security for them to be taken away, Selmys’ husband stood and listened to the poetry preachers and applauded them.

I hope that Conference organizers in the future follow his example and give space to listen to the voices of LGBTQ Catholics. Such dialogue could form a complimentary relationship that would give everyone deeper insight into the incredible beauty of humanity created in the image of God, and the boundless love we receive from such a Creator. At the conference, Dolores Hart, OSB remarked, “It is the love of truth that led Edith Stein to the truth of Love.” The Conference developed out of a love of truth, and I hope in the future it will voice the truth of the experience of homosexual Catholics. While such dialogue takes courage on both parts, there is nothing to fear because as Catholics we know the outcome, which is the truth of Love.

Healy graduate student off campus Feb. 14

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

There are many things to like about North Dining Hall, from the large main room to its lovely employees swiping everyone in day after day. However, it is hard to be complacent, as there are things within those walls which seemingly defy logic or reason.

First, one has to wonder why North chooses to have Mini Swedish Meatballs as an option. Not only are they terrible, but the real atrocity is that they replace the delicacy that is regular meatballs. Why mix Swedish with Italian? Keep it pure, North.

Secondly, it may blow some people’s minds, but grilled chicken that is available and not dry is actually preferable to other options. Why cook to order? Keep some out for those of us who just want to eat quickly. Oh, and why separate spoons from the forks and knives? This sort of segregation of utensils is something we cannot stand for at the University. Spoons have every right to be with their brethren.

As for the Domers who see this plea and immediately point to South as the answer, all I have to say is “Left left.” When I go to eat, I don’t want to have to go through a maze first. Your little Hogwarts is not for me.

Brendan Keeler

sophomore Siegfried Hall Feb. 12

An earthquaking trend

At 3:59:34 a.m. CST on Feb. 10, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake hit Northern Illinois. Fellow countrymen felt the commotion in places such as Tennessee and Georgia. Comparatively, the devastating earthquake in Haiti registered 7.0 on the Richter Scale. Therefore, Haiti experienced an earthquake roughly 1,500 times stronger than the one in Illinois. If you believe that this means the earthquake in Illinois was 1,500 times less important ... au contraire, mon frère. I must take a page out of my friend Pat Robertson’s book. Thus, I begin my rant:

“It (the earthquake) may be a blessing in disguise. Something happened a long time ago in Illinois, and people might not want to talk about it. Illinoisans were originally under the heel of the Democrats. You know, Rod Blagojevich, or whatever. And they (the people of Illinois) got together and swore a pact to Barack Obama. They said, we will serve you if you will get us free from Rod Blagojevich. True story. And so, Barack Obama said, okay it’s a deal. Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other.” The rest, as they say, is history.

BOWLING GREEN

Olympics are brief time of world peace

The Olympics are here, again.

After their habitual four years of dormancy, the Winter Games return to the world stage in Vancouver, British Columbia.

While many people couldn’t care less about the Olympics, I have been waiting for this for 17 months, since the Olympic flame in Beijing was extinguished.

2008 I ate, slept and breathed Michael Phelps’ road to eight gold medals, and the original 1984 cover of Newsweek with Mary Lou Retton, the first American to win the all-around title in gymnastics, is hanging on my wall.

The BG News

And now I reflect on why the Olympics are so important to me, and why they’re important to the world.

It goes like this:

At a young age, it was instilled in me that the Olympics were a huge deal. My whole family would gather around the TV, embellished with my dad’s ‘60s philosophy “that these things only happen every four years, Bec. Enjoy them.”

While most kids wore out copies of Disney or superhero movies, I watched the 1996 Olympic Gymnastics team win gold and Dan Jansen finally win for his sister over and over again. I also secretly know every word of the 2002 Opening Ceremonies, from many after-school viewings.

I wanted to be Dorothy Hamlin, a ‘70s figure skater, for Halloween one year and I cried the day my ‘96 Atlanta hoodie got a hole in it.

But my love for the Olympics didn’t stop in my pre-teen years; they have always been a part of my life. In high school I wrote a thesis paper on the inter-workings of Olympic judging. I even got to interview an employee of the International Olympic Committee. In

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Last summer, I made a trip to Lake Placid to touch the actual goal where Mike Eruzione scored the game-winning shot against the Soviet Union in 1980, “Do you believe in Miracles?”

But really, miracles are what the Olympics are all about. The world takes more than two weeks off for peace; there is nothing more miraculous than that.

It’s the world as I wish it could be.

And that’s why I love the Games so much. They’re more than a collection of sporting events; they’re a global recognition that we are all human with indomitable passion and goodness.

So whether you will follow the Olympics this year or not, there is definitely a chance for amazing things to happen in Vancouver.

Eight years ago, in the shadow of the Sept. 11 attacks, NBC anchor Bob Costas summed up the tone of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and it still applies today.

“The [Olympic] Flame that is lit tonight is not like any other. It’s not the fire of destruction but a light in the darkness.”

This column first appeared in the Feb. 12 edition of The BG News, the daily publication serving Bowling Green State University.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Becky Tener

Tired of living in sweatpants and the lack of inspiration in not exactly fashion-forward South Bend? Turn your eyes towards Fall 2010 Fashion Week, which began in New York City Thursday.

Now, it is easier than ever to imagine that you are one of the elite in the fashion world, due to the ability to see entire collections online only moments after the shows finish.

Now, it is easier than ever to imagine that you are one of the elite in the fashion world, due to the ability to see entire collections online only moments after the shows finish. Some designers, such as Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors, are even live streaming their shows online, making almost anyone feel like they have a ticket to a big-name fashion show.

Unfortunately, the week started out on a tragic note, as designer Alexander McQueen was found dead from apparent suicide on Thursday morning. This event has cast a somber tone on what should be an exciting time for designers, editors and all fans of fashion.

Luckily, there is always enough activity and drama during Fashion Week to keep people on their toes and moving from one show to the other quickly. Who will be the new up-and-coming designer? Which designers will strike out? What are the new fall trends? The answers to these questions are revealed little by little after each show.

Thus far, critics are hailing the collections shown by Peter Som, Preen and Chado Ralph Rucci. Chado Ralph Rucci presented an upscale collection filled with luxurious fabrics such as fur and feathers. The Peter Som show had more of a bohemian feel to it, mixing prints and layering beads and tweed. Preen showed silhouettes with both masculine and feminine elements.

Jason Wu and Lacoste. The latest style of blazer seems to be double-breasted, seen at Ruffian and L.A.M.B. One trend that hopefully will not be making a comeback in reallife wardrobes any time soon is the maxiskirt, which was present in numerous shows so far. That is just a little too reminiscent of late-1990s teenagers. If just looking at the beautiful clothes in the shows is not enough, there is real entertainment to be found in the behind-thescenes action of the fashion industry. Two excellent documentaries about giants in the fashion world came out in 2009: “The September Issue” and “Valentino: The Last Emperor.”

“The September Issue,” the better of the two films, documents the making of the September 2007 issue of Vogue magazine, which is the biggest in the magazine’s history. It presents a fascinating portrait of the mysterious editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who is without a doubt the most powerful person in the fashion industry. The contrast between Wintour and creative director Grace Coddington makes for some of the most interesting dynamics seen in any film in recent years, but it is made all the more appealing for the fact that it is real. “The September Issue” will be released on DVD on Feb. 23.

“Valentino: The Last Emperor” is also worth seeing. Valentino Garavani is one of the most important designers in the world. This film follows him at the end of his long career. It is rare to get an inside look at how a legendary designer works and to see what inspires them.

“Valentino: The Last Emperor” is available now on DVD.

If just looking at the beautiful clothes in the shows is not enough, there is real entertainment to be found in the behind-thescenes action of the fashion industry.

There have been many other emerging trends that do not need to be saved for fall.

Thin long-sleeved T-shirts layered under sleeveless dresses were shown at BCBG. Chunky knits, which are necessary for South Bend weather, were on display at

For those who would rather watch the rise of the future in fashion, look no further than the popular reality series “Project Runway.” Now in its seventh season, there is no doubt that this show has influenced the fashion industry. Past contestants Christian Siriano and Daniel Vosovic both showed collections in the last few days.

If you need a fashion fix, these are great options to get an intimate view of the important, the legendary, and the newest style-setters in the fashion industry. Fashion Week has only just begun, and there is much more glamour and excitement still to come.

Contact Brandy Cerne at bcerne@nd.edu

meanors are the closest thing he has to a muse.

Sometime shortly after 2006, Lil Wayne transformed into a rap star. While he had been moderately successful as an underground musician before then, his mixtape work caught the attention of critics, mainstream fans and indie kids. Riding this wave of newfound momentum, “Tha Carter III,” his fifth studio album, sold over one million copies in the first week, earned eight Grammy nominations and transformed Lil Wayne into the brightest star in the business.

It’s hard to place Lil Wayne in the rap canon. One thing is very clear: he is one of the most productive musicians of the past decade. In that time he’s released 10 albums and 23 singles and has been featured on over 50 other tracks as well as countless mixtapes. It almost seems as if the confusion is intentional. He’ll drop a top10 hit like “A Mille” but then follow up with a song about playing basketball on a moon made of drugs. Besides music, the other defining characteristic of Lil Wayne is his prolific drug use. As displayed in his music, his relationship with illicit substances is rather complex. While his raps profess most often profess love for them, at times he appears conflicted. It may be best said that his hand rolled misde-

With several mainstream sources, including Rolling Stone and MTV, naming him the hottest MC in the game, Lil Wayne announced his follow-up album: “Rebirth.” Some confusion resulted from his first press release, but it was quickly clarified: “Rebirth” was no a remix album, it was going to be his rock debut.

Listening to the album, it becomes clear that Lil Wayne spent his formative years in the post grunge wasteland of the 1990s. From the opening track, Lil Wayne’s understanding of rock music is, at best, warped. His inspiration is drawn from late period nu metal acts such as Korn and Limp Bizkit, whose commercial pull rightly ended at the turn of the millennium. Boring riffs, uninspired choruses and forgettable verses populate the album.

As for Lil Wayne’s actual performance, it leaves much to be desired. While his distinctive vocal attributes serve his now iconic flow well, their charms fade quickly when he starts singing. Barely surviving beneath heavy doses of auto tune, it just may not be possible for Wheezy to carry a tune. Wayne is also credited with a fair amount of the instrumentation across the album. While this seems a dubious claim at best, their truth wouldn’t make the effort any more impressive. Most of the backing music could have been written by a 15 year-old with two months of guitar lessons trying to impress his friends.

Worst of all, Wayne falters where he normally shines: his lyrics. While his audience has come to expect elaborate metaphors, tight word play and copious punch lines, he instead delivers what he thinks should be in a rock song: vague anger, undirected aggression and a revenge narrative.

Lil Wayne’s fruitlessly compiles beats, distortion and auto tune in an attempt at a futuristic sound, but instead sounds more like a computer program. He’s gathered all the pieces that would make a rock album, but just didn’t quite put them together correctly. Most importantly, the album is completely lifeless.

After a stunning disappointment, his fans are left hoping this musical adventure is a diversion and not a completely new path. Lil Wayne appears to have already moved on, already hyping his next projects including a collaborative effort with Juelz Santana and “Tha Carter IV.”

Contact Nick Anderson at nanders5@nd.edu

was easy to imagine yourself on the breathtaking, hilly Scottish isles, scrambling among the thatched roofs and rushing waterfalls.

Friday night, students, parents, children and professors alike trudged through the snow banks and drifts and skated over patches of black ice to make it to the Winter Concert of the Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC).

Director Daniel Stowe started off the evening with Felix Mendolssohn’s “Hebrides Overture.” A trip to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull, one of the Hebrides, inspired Mendelssohn to write this elegant over-

The orchestra did the wonderful piece justice.

Beginning from the strings of the opening theme to the hushed conclusion, the melodious notes drifted over the audience. The rising clarinets of the second theme brought more emotion and beauty to the score. Closing your eyes, while listening to the winds over the soft strings, it

From there, the orchestra moved on to Aaron Jay Kernis’s “Air for Violin and Orchestra.” Kernis originally wrote the piece, a lovely and moving air, for his wife, Evelyne. The piece began enthusiastically and sonorously, captivating its audience from the onset. As the air continued, it became more and more passionate, until it tempered into the euphonious solo, played exquisitely by Carolyn Plummer on violin. After another short burst of passion and zeal, the work slowly ebbed to its conclusion.

The violin solo was a beautiful, central part of the air. Plummer is an associate professor of music at Notre Dame with many impressive achievements to her name, having played in a number of orchestras across the United States, including some in Wyoming and Colorado. Her solo Friday night was heart-rending in its passion. It lent even more emotion to an already heartfelt piece, striking cords in the hearts of all its listeners.

After a brief intermission, Stowe concluded his night of beautiful music with Johannes Brahms’s “Symphony no. 2 in D major.” The immensely popular Second Symphony gained the designation as Brahms’s “Pastoral Symphony,” despite the hints of melancholy found in the piece. The Notre Dame Orchestra played the famous symphony beautifully. The first movement began with a beautiful cello piece. After, the woodwinds and horns harmoniously followed in to create a tuneful movement. Especially moving was the use of trombones near the end, before the movement ended in what sounded almost

like a sigh.

The second and third movements were simple, yet beautiful. They combined rising countermelodies of bassoons with woodwind interludes and an oboe theme. At one point in the third movement, the rhythm closely resembled a country dance, but it worked in the overall simplicity of the movement.

The fourth and final movement provided an excellent ending to the symphony and the concert as well. A quiet beginning morphed into a rise of energy and spirit. The intensity only continued to increase with the majestic entrance of the trombones, giving breadth and emotion to the final movement.

The night spent in DPAC with the Symphony Orchestra was extremely enjoyable, both the music and the atmosphere.

DPAC, with its fantastic acoustics and comfortable seats, provided a lovely background for the melodious night of music.

By NICK ANDERSON Assistant Scene Editor
By MARY CLAIRE O’DONNELL Scene Writer

Belles get off to rough start

The Belles expected a battle heading into their season-opening match against non-conference opponent Case Western. Unfortunately, a seasoned Spartans team proved to be too much for the Belles to handle.

Saint Mary’s (0-1) kicked off its season on a sour note, dropping its first dual meet to Case Western (1-0) by a score of 7-2 at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

A slow start doomed the Belles’ hopes for a victory. Despite the tough loss, the Belles gained valuable experience by playing such a tough team early in the season.

“I think that we can take a lot from the competitive match we had against Case Western,” senior Camille Gebert said. “It will be a matter of adjusting to stronger teams like Case Western if we want to bring our play up a notch.”

Junior Jillian Hurley agreed with Gebert’s assessment of the match.

“Although Case Western was such a tough team, it was beneficial to play them because playing more challenging teams can help raise our games to a higher level,” she said.

The Belles’ lone victories came from the No. 4 and No. 5 singles positions, where juniors Franca Peluso and Mary Therese Lee managed close wins

over their Spartan counterparts. After winning the first set 7-5, Peluso jumped out to a 4-1 lead over her opponent Corey Bowen. Bowen cut the deficit to 43, but Peluso held on for a 6-3 victory in the second set.

At the No. 5 singles position, Lee cruised in the first set en route to a 6-1 victory. The second set was a back-and-forth affair before Lee was finally able to emerge victorious 7-5. It marked the first collegiate win for the junior.

“At the bottom half [of the lineup], our team really battled and had closer scores,” Gebert said. “I don’t think that the overall final score of our loss was a good reflection of how we played or how we felt out on the court.”

cial to start off the season with a tough match because it showed us that although we lost, we can keep up with teams at that level,” Hurley said. “I think despite our loss, all of us improved in some way from the match.”

“It will be a matter of adjusting to stronger teams like Case Western if we want to bring our play up a notch.”

The Belles will now turn their attention to the end of the week when they face NAIA opponent OlivetNazarene in a home dual meet. The Belles hope to continue to use the non-conference matches as a solid tune-up prior to the start of their conference schedule.

The Belles started slow as they were swept at all three of the doubles positions. The Belles’ top two players, Gebert and Hurley, struggled as they fell at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions. Hurley fell 6-1, 6-3 while Gebert suffered a 6-0, 6-0 defeat.

Still, at such an early point in the season, players were eager to stress the positives that came out of the match.

“It was incredibly benefi-

“We will need to be ready to play from the start of the match, and we need to take advantage of any opportunities to gain early points with doubles,” Gebert said. “We need to focus less on the result and more on improvement in general during our non-conference matches.”

“Hopefully, [the Case Western match] will push everyone to step up for next week’s match and reach that higher level,” Hurley said.

The match is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

Contact Luke Mansour at lmansour@nd.edu

SMC SWIMMING

Watson leads team to seventh place finish

The Belles did not end the weekend, and their season, the way they would have liked, finishing seventh with a total score of 241 at the MIAA Championships hosted by Calvin College. But just as they had hoped going into the meet, many individual swimmers came out with huge accomplishments.

Freshman Ellie Watson started her first finals series with the Belles on a high note, breaking the school record in the championship heat for the 500-yard freestyle on the first day, finishing second in the preliminaries and advancing to the finals, where she earned a second-place medal with a time of 5:09.90 minutes.

“It feels really good to break the school record. All my hard work this season has finally paid off,” Watson said.

Watson also finished fifth in the finals in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:45.50 the second day. From there, things only got better when she ended the weekend with a second place finish and an NCAA B-cut time in the 1650 freestyle at 17:47.70. Now she must wait to see how other swimmers in her event finished to determine whether or not she will advance to nationals.

“For me this season has been great. I’ve put a lot of effort in and out of the pool. I am hoping my season is going to end on a high note,” Watson said.

That first round of finals also ended with a 13th-place finish in the 500 freestyle from senior Sara Niemann. Additionally the Belles

gained a fifth-place finish with a time of 1:41.29 for the 200 freestyle relay team of sophomore Barbara Beidler, freshmen Watson and Katie Griffin and senior Meredith Lierz. The 400 medley relay team of Beidler, Watson, Griffin and freshman Genevieve Spittler finished seventh in the finals with a time of 4:15.12.

The second day continued with similar accomplishments as Griffin, freshman Caila Poythress and freshman Emily Pearl placed 12th, 14th and 16th respectively in the 100 backstroke at 1:01.21, 1:03.51 and 1:04.68.

Other Belles advanced to the finals: Spittler finished 16th in the 100 butterfly at 1:02.90 and sixth in the 200 butterfly at 2:15.43 while Niemann and Biedler took 14th and 16th respectively in the 200 freestyle at 2:03.47 and 2:05.38.

The weekend ended with another triumph for Watson, who joined Lierz, sophomore Megan Price and Griffin in the 400 freestyle relay team to a fifth place finish at 3:43.83 and a second-best time for Saint Mary’s.

Griffin took 13th in the 100 freestyle at 55.54 and Poythress and Pearl took 12th and 15th respectively in the 200 backstroke at 2:16.08 and 2:19.54.

Seniors Niemann, Lierz and Maggie McNicholas ended their careers on high-note, each making the finals. Niemann finished 12th in the 1650 freestyle, Lierz placed 15th in the 100 freestyle and McNicholas took 12th in the 200 butterfly.

Contact Megan Finneran at mfinnera@nd.edu

Blackhawks beat Blue Jackets; Kane injures knee in third

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Troy Brouwer scored in the fourth round of the shootout to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night, sending the NHL into its Olympic break with a flourish. Each team came back from — and blew — a two-goal deficit in regulation.

Jake Dowell and Patrick Sharp each had a goal an assist, and Bryan Bickell also had a goal for the Blackhawks, who won their fourth in a row. Patrick Kane, who bounced back to also score in the

shootout after injuring a knee in the third period, had Chicago’s first goal. Jonathan Toews added two assists.

Kristian Huselius had a goal and an assist and scored in the shootout for Columbus, which dropped its second straight. Raffi Torres, Rick Nash and Fedor Tyutin added goals.

Kane’s goal in the second round of the shootout was matched by Huselius in the third round. After Antoine Vermette failed to score for the Blue Jackets, Brouwer’s forehand shot went high over goaltender Mathieu Garon on the stick side for the clincher.

Down 4-3 heading into a wild, chippy, end-to-end third period, the Blue Jackets pulled even on the second of a double-minor penalty assessed to Brouwer. Brouwer jumped to the defense of Kane, a U.S. Olympian, after Kane was leveled on a hip check by Columbus defenseman Anton Stralman that resulted in Kane and Stralman's right knees slamming into each other. While Kane lay on the ice, Brouwer instigated a fight with Stralman.

Tyutin’s hard, rising slap shot from the left point on the power play went off the leg of Chicago defenseman Kim Johnsson for the

tying score at 7:58.

The teams traded scoring opportunities and punches the rest of third period. Sharp and Torres fought late in regulation, then Dustin Byfuglien had a dust-up with a couple of Blue Jackets, including goaltender Garon after the Blackhawk jabbed at a puck in Garon's glove.

The game will undoubtedly be fodder for discussion on the flight shared by Nash and Chicago’s Toews, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The Team Canada members flew out of Columbus after the game to make it to the Olympic site in Vancouver.

Dining

gradrentals.viewwork.com

With just over 5 seconds left in the first period, the Blackhawks cut the deficit in half when Keith outbattled Nash for the puck at center ice and then carried it into the offensive zone. He dropped a pass to Toews, who fed Kane for a hard shot from the left dot that sliced inside the far post. The power-play goal was Kane's 25th of the year. career to tie it early in the second from all alone at the doorstep.

The Blackhawks then scored twice in less than two minutes. Dowell ended up with the puck after two deflected passes and picked up his first goal of the season from low in the left circle.

The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies and quick to make friends. And may you know

you have warm words on a

evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door.

but it is up to you to drive there."

-Michelle Keesling

Always remember to forget The troubles that passed away. But never forget to remember The blessings that come each day.

Associated Press

Around the Nation

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL

Louisville coach Rick Pitino, center, talks with his players during a time-out in the second half against Syracuse in Syracuse, N.Y., Sunday. Louisville won the game 66-60, marking the Cardinals’ fifth straight victory over the Orange.

Samuels key to Louisville’s upset of Syracuse

Associated Press

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Samardo Samuels scored all eight of his points during a late surge and Jerry Smith sank a pair of clutch free throws with 17.8 seconds left and Louisville rallied for a 66-60 upset of No. 2 Syracuse on Sunday. Syracuse (24-2, 11-2 Big East), which held off Connecticut 72-67 on Wednesday night after squandering a 16-point lead in the second half, had won 11 straight since a loss to Pittsburgh. It was the fifth straight win over the Orange for Louisville (16-9, 7-5), which was 0-4 against ranked teams entering the game.

IN BRIEF

Its last win over a ranked team was a 10-point triumph over Syracuse last March.

Samuels scored his first points of the game on a pair of free throws with 7:46 left and followed with a hook off the glass to tie the game at 50. Mike Marra’s 3 from the left corner gave the Cardinals a three-point edge and Samuels made a twisting layup through traffic to put Louisville up 5552 with 5:14 left.

Samuels’ dunk off an inbounds pass gave the Cardinals their biggest lead at 59-52 with 3:04 to go.

Six straight free throws by the Orange closed the gap to 62-58 with 64 seconds remaining, but Syracuse

Georgian luger dies

after high-speed crash

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A men’s Olympic luger from the country of Georgia died Friday after a high-speed crash on a track that is the world’s fastest and has raised safety concerns among competitors.

A tearful IOC president Jacques Rogge said the death hours before the opening ceremony “clearly casts a shadow over these games.”

Nodar Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled during training, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center.

Paramedics and doctors were unable to revive the 21-year-old luger, who died at a hospital, the International Olympic Committee said.

“We are heartbroken beyond words,” said John Furlong, chief executive of the Vancouver organizing committee.

was unable to score again after Kris Joseph’s slam dunk with 31.9 seconds left made it a two-point game.

Joseph was then called for an intentional foul on Smith, who sank both free throws.

Edgar Sosa and Marra each had 12 points to lead Louisville. Jared Swopshire had 10 points.

Wes Johnson had 14 points, Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku each had 12, and Joseph 10 for the Orange.

Rautins and Scoop

Jardine missed 3-pointers in the final seconds and Rakeem Buckles’ slam at the buzzer ended the big win for Louisville, which finds itself on the bubble for

U.S. Medals for first time in Nordic Combine

WHISTLER, British Columbia — The Americans broke through the Nordic combined barrier Sunday, winning their first Olympic medal in the sport dominated since its inception by the Europeans. But it could have been even better.

Jason Lamy Chappuis — who was born in Missoula, Mont., but has always raced for France — overtook Johnny Spillane on the final straightaway for the gold medal, winning the individual race in 25 minutes, 47.1 seconds, four-tenths of a second ahead of Spillane.

Italy’s Alessandro Pittin won the bronze, finishing eight-tenths of a second behind Chappuis and just ahead of American Todd Lodwick.

the NCAA tournament and was in desperate need of a signature win. Sosa’s 3-pointer from the left wing with 13:24 left broke the third tie of the second half and gave Louisville a 42-39 lead. After three turnovers by the Orange and two more by the Cardinals as both teams repeatedly passed the ball around looking for an open man, Rautins hit consecutive 3s in transition in a 37-second span to put Syracuse back on top midway through the half. Syracuse never got its high-powered transition game untracked against the Louisville defense, which limited the Orange to 41.4 percent shooting.

Crosby OK for Olympics after taking shot

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins and Team Canada star Sidney Crosby said he was unhurt and headed to Vancouver for the Olympic tournament despite wincing in pain shortly after he took slap shot in Pittsburgh’s loss to Nashville on Sunday.

“I will be there,” Crosby said after the 4-3 shootout loss to the Predators. Team Canada was scheduled to practice Monday and open against Norway on Tuesday.

“I’m on the flight tonight,” he said.

Crosby, who earlier tied Alex Ovechkin for the NHL goal lead with his 42nd, spent several minutes on the bench with his head down after blocking a Kevin Klein slap shot about seven minutes into the second period of the last game before the NHL Olympic break.

to evade his opponent for most of the second round. Leduska’s energy had clearly waned by the third round, though, as Lagoy mercilessly fired shots at his face. The “Nightman” won by split decision.

Joseph “Sweet Cheeks” Decker def. Kyle Blanco

Both boxers began the fight with a flurry of punches, but as time went on Decker established himself as the dominant boxer in the fight. The O’Neill freshman bloodied up Blanco’s nose and the fight was interrupted multiple times for medical attention for the Fisher sophomore. Decker dominated the third round and earned the unanimous victory.

Nicholas “The Guillotine” Goode def. Josh Sandler

The fight got off to an exciting start, as the two featherweights bludgeoned each other in the head relentlessly throughout the first round. By the second round, the sophomore Sandler was still going strong, firing a barrage of repeated body shots in between furious lunges at Goode, forcing him to the ropes. The junior fought back with a couple of clutch headshots against his opponent before the round was over. The tide turned in the final round as Sandler flailed his gloves high and low but neglected to protect his face from Goode, who struck several decisive blows during the round. Goode won by split decision.

Anthony “El Gigante” Lucisano def. Nicholas Bock

Neither fighter emerged with an advantage after the first round, as both boxers took advantage of their slim physique and swiftly danced around the ring. Lucisano emerged as the top boxer of the pair in the second round, which was stopped so that Bock could receive medical attention. It was Lucisano’s efforts in the third round that ultimately won him the match by a split decision.

140-pound Weight Division

Michael Johnston def. Bradley Sena

The senior Johnston established the early lead in this fight against the freshman Sena. After breaking free from a flurry of punches from the hands of Sena, Johnston fell against the ropes and, regaining his composure, propelled himself forward to land a right hook to Sena’s head. Johnston caught some shots to the head in the second round as he measured up his opponent and came up big in the third round, causing Sena to lose his footing. Johnston won by unanimous decision.

Kareem “Stunna” Salem def. Nicholas “The Arab Express” Rowek

Salem dominated the first round, as his quickness on his feet prevented Rowek from landing many punches. Rowek utilized a second round interruption due to equipment problems to his advantage, as he came out of the break rested and aggressive. The Keough freshman could not beat the technical and practiced Salem, but Rowek’s final efforts did lead to a split decision, albeit in favor of Salem.

Andrew “The A-train” Ziccarelli def. Bobby Sullivan

Seconds after the match began, Sullivan used his long reach to his advantage and struck Ziccarelli in the face hard enough to dislodge the junior’s mouth guard. The sophomore Sullivan remained on the offensive following the short break, raining down an aerial assault on his opponent. Ziccarelli picked up steam in the two subsequent rounds, pummeling Sullivan’s face. Ziccarelli went on to win by split decision.

Brian “The Good Thief” Heath def. Ryan “Hammer Flurry” Schwab

Heath dominated the first round, landing many punches to Schwab’s face. The senior used his smaller stature to his advantage by dodging many of Schwab’s punches. In the third round, both boxers showed their fatigue, but Heath’s dominance in the first round earned him a unanimous victory.

Nick “Bronco” Bortolotti def. Kary “Sweet Feet” Yergler

These two fighters tested each other with only a few quick jabs exchanged in the first round as they danced about the ring. The tension boiled over in the second round as the sophomore Bortolotti pounded Yergler in the mouth as the junior took to the defense, backing away in retreat until the round ended. Yergler seemed to regain his composure in the third round, deflecting Bortolotti’s attacks and firing an uppercut to his jaw before Bortolotti overtook the tired Yergler once again. Bortolotti was victorious by unanimous decision.

Michael “In n’ Out” Burdell def. Alessandro “The Silencer” Cardenas

The boxers fought evenly in the first two rounds and traded punches. In the third round, medical personnel could not stop the freshman Cardenas’ nose from bleeding, and the referee stopped the fight in the third round, naming the senior Burdell the winner.

Matthew Dobleman def. Michael “I’m not” French Dobleman wasted no time in establishing his presence in this match, forcing the freshman French to constantly dodge the lightning fast jabs dished out to him by the senior. Dobleman used his tall stature to his advantage, firing headshots from above. French was quick to respond with swift jabs to the body. French was visibly tired by the third round and struggled to keep his head up. Dobleman seized the opportunity to land two thudding uppercuts to his face causing the referee to stop the contest early.

Albert Toscano def. Timothy “Timbo Slice” Kissling

The two sophomores traded punches in an even first round. Kissling began to tire in the second round and Toscano lined up multiple body shots, finishing the match strong. The judges awarded Toscano the victory by unanimous decision.

147-pound Weight Division

Kieran Bulger def. Robert “Hamburgler” Berger

The veteran Bulger overwhelmed his freshman opponent, pinning him to the ropes while showering him with shots to the skull to establish an early lead. The second round saw Bulger showcasing his footwork as Berger flailed his arms in vain, unable to land a solid hit on his opponent. After connecting with an uppercut to the head and a series of unan-

swered blows to the head from Bulger, the referee stepped in to end the fight shortly before the clock ran out on the second round.

Sean “The Machine” Mullen def. Andrew “The Bristol Brawler” Dupont

Despite a strong effort by Dupont, Mullen took the match by a split decision. In the first round, both boxers traded punches and neither emerged as the stronger fighter. In the third round, Mullen took advantage of Dupont’s fatigue and came out strong, landing many body shots. A string of punches that connected with Dupont’s face late in the third round convinced the judges that Mullen deserved the victory.

Matthew Lemanski def. Jim Woods

Woods took the early lead in this fight, backing the sophomore Lemanski to the ropes with a rapid series of hits. Undaunted, Lemanski bounced back, firing several critical shots on the unguarded face of the junior. Woods came out swinging in the third round, firing an uppercut at the face of Lemanski, but failed to keep his own gloves up long enough to stop a forceful right hook soon before the bell sounded the end of the match. Lemanski won by split decision.

Scott “Rawr!” Lahr def. Tom “The Red Scare” Neuner Lahr set the tone for the match in the first round, as he knocked Neuner to the ground after multiple jabs to the head. In the second round, Neuner’s fatigue showed and Lahr continued to dominate and demonstrate control with his punches. The sophomore was awarded the victory on a unanimous decision.

Michael “Yo’ mamma” Murayama def. Thomas “Shake n’ Bake” Enzweiler Murayama started this battle of juniors well as he ducked below the arms of the lanky Enzweiler, countering with a few well placed jabs to the body. Murayama aimed high in the second round with mixed success as Enzweiler was able to use his long reach to deflect Murayama’s advances and battle back with defensive jabs. By the final round, both competitors were struggling to keep their gloves up. Murayama won in a split decision.

Mike “It’s All About the Q” Quigley def. John “The Spaniard” Flores

The sophomore Quigley used his height advantage early in the first round as he landed multiple punches to the freshman’s face and body. Quigley continued to dominate in the second round as Flores looked outmatched. Quigley’s constant aggression and furry of punches to Flores’ head earned him the unanimous victory.

Killian “’s Irish Red” Frailey def. Tyler “Dane the Train” Zimmerman Zimmerman started the match off with an aggressive flurry of shots on the freshman Frailey, keeping him on the defensive throughout most of the first round. Frailey fought back with several methodically placed blows to the head and body of the senior, backing him to the ropes. Zimmerman regained his composure and responded with a hard strike to Frailey’s head. Zimmerman nearly lost his footing in the third round as the speedy Frailey took control of the

match, landing hits to the head from every direction before he was pushed back into his own corner shortly before the final bell. Frailey won by split decision.

Kevin “DiGiornio” Ortenzio def. Travis “The Corn-Shucker” Mathison

The two sophomores fought an even match, particularly in the first round. Mathison’s fatigue allowed Ortenzio the opportunity to pull away in the third round. In the beginning of the final round, Ortenzio got in some quick shots to Mathison’s head. His final efforts gave him a victory by unanimous decision.

151-pound Weight Division

Tim “The Slayer” Thayer def. Matthew “The 7-1-7” Anthony Senior captain Thayer established dominance in the ring early, lunging fiercely at the Anthony and pushing him around the ring. A crucial uppercut from the senior caused Anthony to lose his footing as he struggled to fend off the vicious attack. In the second round, the sophomore appeared winded and was again knocked off balance after catching a glove to the head in the second round. Thayer continued to chase Anthony around ring before delivering one last clean shot to the skull as the referee decided to stop the fight early.

Ethan “Chomp Chomp” Hatch def. Steven “Shakey Hands” Echenique

Both boxers came out with strong, aggressive punches in the first round. Hatch’s jab to Echenique’s face in the second round knocked the Fisher sophomore to the ground and established Hatch as the favorite in the match. The third round saw fatigue and sloppiness on the part of both fighters. Hatch’s second round effort was enough to give him the victory by split decision.

Michael “Face for the Radio” Magill def. Stephen “Here Comes Trouble” Mattingly Magill outlasted Mattingly in this hard-fought battle. The sophomore Magill deflected and countered several early attempts by Mattingly and the two exchanged numerous jabs before the round was over. The junior was still in the match as the second round began, but gradually his energy waned as Magill kept him on the ropes while parrying and deflecting most of the shots thrown his way. Magill was the winner by unanimous decision.

Tommy “The Hebrew Hammer”

Schanzer def. Christopher Bell

The senior Schanzer was dominant in the first round of the match. He landed many forceful punches to the sophomore’s face and the referee had to stop the match multiple times. Thirty-nine seconds into the second round, the referee stopped the match for the final time and named Schanzer the winner.

Andrew Kristensen def. Phillip “Shoes” Lettieri

Kristensen and Lettieri traded the momentum throughout the fight. Kristensen, a sophomore, took the early lead by landing a right hook to Lettieri’s head. Lettieri, a freshman, recovered and kept Kristensen against the ropes for the rest of the round. In the next round, Kristensen’s punches came up empty as Lettieri maneuvered about the ring before getting struck with an uppercut with his head down. Lettieri rebounded again in the third round lunging aggressively at Kristensen, but Kristensen avoided the desperate attempts long enough to come away with the victory.

Andrew “Fess the Mess” Fessler def. Timothy “GMoney” Gannatti

The two sophomores traded blows in the first round. The second round continued the trend as both competitors fought aggressively and focused on jabs to the head and body. In the third round, with the help of an enthusiastic cheering section, Fessler put forth a strong final effort and planted punches to Gianatti’s head. Fessler won in a split decision.

Matt “Manimal” Roesch def. Kevin “Get off my Lawn” Plude Roesch used his speed to his advantage in this match, driving Plude to the ropes as the sophomore tried to keep his face protected from the storm of fists directed at him. Intent on gaining the upper hand, Plude battled back in the second round unleashing a barrage of punches at the freshman Roesch, including a wicked hook that briefly caused him to lose his footing. In the third round, Roesch pinned Plude to the ropes once again, struggling to subdue his opponent as shot after shot bounced off the gloves of the tenacious defender. Roesch won by split decision.

Bobby Powers def. Ryan Carey Powers had the upper hand in this match of juniors and established himself as the stronger boxer by using many powerful left-right combinations. While Carey was able to land a few

SARAH O’CONNOR/The Observer
Senior Kevin Goodwin and sophomore Andrew Osanka spar Sunday in the preliminary round of the Bengal Bouts.

Bouts

continued from page 16

jabs to Powers’ head, Powers’ counter-attack was too much for Carey. Powers won by unanimous decision.

155-pound Weight Division

Chris “The Situation” Losco def. Kyle “Serve Chilled”

Bailey

The freshman Losco defeated the junior Bailey in an evenlymatched fight. Early in the first round, Bailey got Losco into a corner against the ropes. Despite his disadvantage in the first round, Losco came back looking more energetic in the second round, and carried that energy with him through the remainder of the round, tossing detrimental blows to the tiring Bailey. In the final round, Bailey was able to hold his ground with a few combination throws, but was unable to convince the judges he was the better boxer as they made a split decision in favor of Losco.

Andrew Bachinskas def.

Steven Hollis

In what was a one-sided match for most of the bout, the senior Bachinskas was able to outlast Hollis as both fighters tired in the third round. Bachinskas was on the offensive for most of the fight, and two good shots to the sophomore’s head sealed the unanimous decision in Bachinskas’ favor.

William “Gary Meyers” Kemp def. Greg “Blackout”

Cunningham

The senior Kemp used his height to his advantage as he defeated Cunningham by aiming for combination punches to the sophomore’s head. In the first round, Kemp led the fight,

offering many powerful blows that weakened Cunningham substantially. In the second round, Cunningham came back a different boxer, full of energy and making up for the ground he lost in the first round. A powerful left hook from Cunningham in the third round led Kemp into the corner. In the end, Cunningham’s ability to put up a fight in the second and third rounds did not make up for the many points that Kemp got in the first round as the judges unanimously declared Kemp as the victor.

John “The Caucasian Asian” Crabtree def. Samuel Wengryn

After a first round in which both Crabtree and Wengryn got their fair amount of shots in, Crabtree took over in the second round. Despite law student Wengryn’s decided height advantage, the junior was able to land a steady dose of both head and body punches. With a wicked left hook the chin, Wengryn went down and Crabtree got the knockout.

Adam “Mad” Cowden “Disease” def, Eric Monzon Cowden took an early lead over his fellow sophomore, a lead which he kept for the duration of the fight. Though Cowden brought Monzon to the ropes early in the first round, Monzon was able to escape before any crucial damage was done. Later in the round, Monzon started to tire and his throws were increasingly off target. The second round was particularly evenly matched as both Cowden and Monzon were able to get substantial blows to their opponents in before the bell rang. With 40 seconds left in the third round, Cowden served Monzon a series of combination punches that led the judges to decide unanimously that Cowden was the winner.

Kyle “No Name Just Game” Kober def. Greg “Pronounce This” Abbracciamento

Neither fighter laid claim to an advantage in the first round of this bout, but in the second round the freshman Kober landed multiple solid punches on the senior, which caused the fight to shift into Kober’s favor. After a good exchange in the third, Kober landed a vicious left right before the final bell and claimed the unanimous decision.

160-pound Weight Division

John “My Body is a Wonderland” Maier def. Chad “Louisville Slugger” Lavelle

Both boxers came out swinging after the opening bell with senior captain Maier taking the more balanced approach and the freshman Lavelle employing a wild, unpredictable strategy. After an even first round, Maier began to take over in the second, as the referee stopped to check on Lavelle. By the end of the third round, both fighters looked fatigued by the flurry they had displayed in the first two rounds. But, at the end of the final round, the referee ended up calling the fight in favor of Maier after a strong combination.

Colin “The Lion” King def. John “The Boy Who Lived” Foster

Even though the freshman King fell early in the round, he bounced back quickly in his defeat of Foster. After getting back up again, King rushed the sophomore into a corner energetically and showed Foster both left and right hook shots. In the second round, King easily got Foster back against the ropes, but Foster dodged, causing King to lose his balance and almost fall for the second time of the fight. Just as Foster looked like he was in good position to weaken King,

King was able to take advantage of the fact that Foster was not protecting his face. King was the winner in a split decision.

James “Jimbo Slice” Bowers def. Matthew “The Victorious Secret” Labriola

In the first round, both the freshman Labriola and the sophomore Bowers came out firing, but neither could land a decisive blow as both fighters had most of their attacks miss or be deflected. The second round was another even showdown as the two traded off going on the offensive. By the end of the third, both fighters looked tired and saw their punches have decreased effectiveness. After the final bell, it was decided by split decision that Bowers had the better fight.

Kevin Goodwin def. Andrew “The Juggernaut” Oksonka Goodwin defeated Oksonka as the referee called the fight halfway into the second round. Right from the beginning of the fight, the senior was able to establish himself as the more dominant in the ring, but the sophomore Oksonka did a good job protecting himself during the first round. Oksonka began the second round a little more energized, but could not keep up with the relentless Goodwin as Oksonka suffered incredibly from a combination punch from Goodwin.

Daniel “Cabbage Patch” Chapman def. Ted “Hook ‘em” Horn

The fellow Griffins came out with a continuous exchange of combinations to the body and head. The two went back and forth in the second round as well as both landed their fair share of solid punches. The constant battle fatigued the pair, however, and by the end of the fight each boxer was thoroughly tired and neither could land a solid punch with effectiveness. In a split decision, the sophomore Chapman advanced over the junior.

James “Rambo” Fultz def. Cameron “C-Money” Dow Fultz defeated his fellow freshman Dow with a technical knock-out call from the referee halfway into the second round. At the start of the first round, Dow looked like he would last the fight as he chased Fultz against the ropes and took advantage of the few instances that Fultz left his face unprotected. As the first round came to a close, Dow looked tired, dizzy and in need of a new strategy to defeat the more athletic Fultz. In the second round, Dow threw more detrimental hits, but he grew weaker with each punch. The referee stopped the fight because Dow was hardly able to stand.

Joseph “McManimal” McMahon def. Michael “Sleeper” McHale

After the starting bell, both fighters seemed to be going for broke, trying to land a decisive blow in the first round. Both fighters adopted a rather unorthodox style, each gambling with long, reaching hooks and often leaving themselves vulnerable by getting off-balance. The third round was more of the same, the two giving everything they had. But in the end, the junior McMahon was named victor over the sophomore McHale in a split decision.

Alex “Gatito Loco” Oloriz def. Chris Newman

In the first round, both Newman and fellow freshman Oloriz showed each other detrimental blows, but Newman grew weaker and let his guard down. After the first break, Newman recovered slightly but could not to stay energetic enough to match up to Oloriz. In an important third round for each of the boxers Newman’s fist hit the ground, showing he was gradually getting more tired toward the end of the fight. Oloriz won in a unanimous decision.

163-pound Weight Division

Jordan Bucci def. Jeffrey “Little Bear” Ulrich Bucci came out immediately on the offensive, forcing Ulrich to the defensive for most of the first round. Ulrich covered up well, though, and was able to land some counters of his own. The second round was similar with the senior Bucci landing some heavy blows to the head of Ulrich. After the referee stopped to check on the freshman, Bucci landed another heavy shot to the head, using momentum from a bounce off the rope to land it. In the third, the tide dramatically turned as Ulrich got quickly back into the fight by going on the offensive, turning what was a lopsided bout into a contentious match. However, Ulrich’s hole was too big to climb out of and Bucci won by a unanimous decision.

Adrian “Yo Adrian” Moreno def. Kevin “The Recruit” Dacey Early in the first round, the senior Dacey rushed Moreno into the ropes, but his imbalance led him to fall. In the second round, the sophomore attempted to weaken his already tiring opponent by aiming for Dacey’s body. Dacey responded with the same approach to weaken Moreno. Dacey held his ground into the third round as Moreno started to get tired, but the sophomore swung the judges’ votes with a left hook shot with two seconds left. Moreno won in a split decision.

Andy Nester def. Andrew “Habanero” Forero Nester came out on the offensive, but graduate student Forero did a good job of dodging and covering up when necessary and landing counterpunches. In the second round, Nester came back out on the offensive, but Forero, once again, kept the senior honest, and recovered. After a few good right hands by Nester, the referee called the fight and Nester won by a technical knockout.

Ryan “The Show Stopper” Shestak def. Xavier “The Nicaraguan Heymaker” Navarro

In the first round, MBA student Navarro looked more energetic than Shestak but was losing his balance early in the fight. In the second round, the senior Shestak dominated the ring with a series of combination throws that Navarro was not able to recover from as he fell to the floor. In the third round, Navarro stayed alive, showing Shestak a few powerful throws he had saved, but ultimately could not defend himself well enough. Shestak won in a unanimous decision.

James “Marshall Law” Ouderkirk def. Seamus “The Moose” Laird Ouderkirk neutralized the junior Lard’s distinct advantages in height and reach with good

Ripper

continued from page 17

form. In a tumble of body shots, the two ended up on the mat in a bundle, which was indicative of how the fight went. In the third round, the two exchanged several good shots, but the senior Ouderkirk got the better of the exchanges. In the end, Ouderkirk won by a unanimous decision.

Steven Brownwell def. Caleb Laux

Even though the senior Laux started off strong, throwing the first of the match’s damaging punches, he was defeated by Brownwell with a technical knockout halfway through the second round. At the end of the first round, the junior served Laux a righthanded hook shot that Laux was not able to recover from. During the second round, Brownwell took over the fight, pinning Laux to the ropes numerous times before the referee called the fight.

Keenan “Mr. Chops” Duffey def. Jonathan “The Cuban Missile Crisis” Perez Perez came out with the initial blows in this battle of sophomores, bloodying Duffey with a few stiff shots to the head. After the fight was stopped several times because of the bleeding, Duffey came back firing and took advantage of Perez’s fatigue. In the third, both came out firing and both ended up bloody. After a good exchange that got the better of Perez, the referee stopped the fight and Duffey won by unanimous decision.

Matt Hopke def. Ryan “Dirty” Alberdi

In the first round, the freshman Alberdi aimed for the body with hopes of weakening the senior, but was unsuccessful as Hopke’s long reach put him in a good position to defend himself. Alberdi entered into the second round looking athletic and ready to put up a fight as he pinned Hopke against the ropes. At the end of the third round, Alberdi began to noticeably fatigue, and Hopke won in a unanimous decision.

166-pound Weight Division

Jack “The Ripper” Healy def. Trevor “The Combine” Menke Healy came out strong after the opening bell and put Menke on his heels. However, Menke stuck in amidst the fray and landed some shots of his own. The second round was dead even as each was able to get in good shots in the exchanges. At the start of the third, Healy came out firing with a fury of lightningquick combos and knocked Menke down. Although bloodied, Healy managed the rest of the third and won by unanimous decision.

Michael “Caveman” Abercrombie def. Mick “Lovin’” Madden

Each boxer showed his strategy in the first round when each went directly for power punches over his opponent’s head. Neither boxer focused on defense in a heavily offensive fight. The junior Madden pinned Abercrombie against the ropes during the second round, but the sophomore easily jumped back out to establish his dominance in

the ring. Madden protected himself well, but could not get the hits in he needed to for securing the win. In the final seconds, Abercrombie threw combination punches that led to his unanimous victory.

Jason “Pretty Boy” Miller def. Michael Savage

Miller came out of the gates on fire, immediately putting Savage on the mat. Savage recovered however and came back with a flurry of his own. In the second, Savage switched roles and came out as the aggressor. But Miller was able to turn it around again and put Savage back on the ropes. Through a steady barrage by both boxers in the third, Miller outlasted Savage’s return and claimed the victory in a split decision on the scorecard.

Nicholas Severyn def. Corey Scott

In the first round, the junior Severyn went for Scott’s head and body. The sophomore had the upper hand after the first round because of a powerful right hook shot that caught Severyn as the bell was about to ring. In the second round, the fight changed in favor of Severyn, a lead he held for the duration of the remaining two rounds based on his ability to effectively utilize his own powerful right hook. After a close fight, Severyn won in a split decision.

Robert Manfreda def. Thomas “The Tank Engine” Dybicz

The first round consisted of a constant exchange between the two, each matching the other blow for blow. After Manfreda landed a few solid blows to the head, Dybicz was bloodied and slowed down. But in the third, neither fighter did much to separate himself on the scorecard, and the decision was left to the judges. On the scorecard, Manfreda was named the victor by split decision in what was one of the closest matches of the day.

David “Mountain Man” Cray def. Dan “Cha-Ching” Jasinski

Cray saved the best for last in his defeat of Jasinski. The junior used the strategy of going directly for Jasinski’s head, hoping to send his opponent into an early daze he could not escape from. Law student Jasinski threw the most powerful throw of the round with a left jab. In the second round, Jasinski reciprocated with a left jab that left Cray dizzy, but Cray won the round with right jabs towards the end that swung the fight in his favor. Both boxers began the third round full of energy in a close contest where each exchanged blows evenly, but Cray’s final power combination punches gave him the unanimous victory.

Gregory Bennett def. Kasey “Pound Town” Suryan

Both fighters came out strong. Bennett wanted to be the aggressor, but Suryan countered enough to keep him at bay. After an entertaining first, the two went to into the second round even. The second was just as close with Bennett working Suryan over as Suryan exchanged in kind. In what appeared to be a fight that would come down to conditioning, the two went blow for blow again in the

third and each was able to land solid blows both to the head and body. The two looked like they could go another three rounds after the final bell, but the judges named Bennett the champion by unanimous decision.

173-pound Weight Division

Alex Kissinger def. Peter “Fists Don’t Lie” Mitchell

In the first round, Kissinger immediately got law student Mitchell against the ropes, showing him the menacing threat of his power punching ability. The second round looked like a repeat of the first as the senior chased Mitchell against the ropes again. Mitchell began to lose his poise and almost his balance towards the end of the second round. A right uppercut throw from Kissinger to start the third round clinched the victory, but Mitchell continued to fight despite his inability to keep up with his opponent. Kissinger won by unanimous decision.

Jose Aguirre def. Andrew “This Isn’t Where I Parked My Car” Mitsch

All it took was one round for Aguirre to acquire a victory. After dominating the beginning of the short first round, Aguirre ended it halfway through by knocking Mitsch completely out of the ring.

Kevin “The Night Man” Kray def. Tyler “Everyday I’m Husslin’” DeBoer

Kray held his ground against an extremely aggressive DeBoer to win a split decision in this battle of juniors. DeBoer came out throwing an array of punches, which Kray deftly dodged as few punches were landed. Kray kept his cool and landed a number of headshots that

momentarily stopped the fight in the 3rd round, which propelled him to victory.

John Bollman def. Alexander “McGoats” Lewis Bollman dominated all three rounds of the match, cornering Lewis multiple times. Despite ending the final round with a shot to the face from Lewis, Bollman easily took the match in a split vote.

Michael “Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner” Urciouli def. Paul “Iceman” Amiri Urciouli’s energy from the opening bell enabled him to prevail over the younger Amiri in a unanimous decision. The junior Urciouli took control of the fight with a flurry of body shots in the first round and was able to slip away from the sophomore Amiri’s counter-attacks for most of the bout. By the third round, Amiri was too tired to mount a comeback and Urciouli coasted to the victory.

Jake Joe def. Zachary “The Southern Sledgehammer” Overbey

Joe and Overbey were full of energy as they began the first round, with both sides throwing a series of fast punches. The second round began with Joe coming out strong, proving his domination. The final round included plenty of action from both sides, and the match ended with a split decision in favor of Joe.

Connor “The Skellator” Skelly def. Andrew “Glass City” Roman The very physical fight ended with the sophomore Skelly prevailing over the law student Roman in a split decision. Though Roman who was buoyed by one of the biggest cheering sections of the day,

Skelly used his height advantage to keep him at bay. Skelly’s punches eventually took too much of a toll on Roman.

Matthew “Cool and Tough” Paletta def. Joseph “Colonel Klinker” Klinker

Both fighters held their own throughout the match. Nonetheless, Paletta dominated all three rounds, cornering Klinker on several occasions. Despite a series of strong punches from Klinker, Paletta won in a unanimous decision. 180-pound Weight Division

Mike Doran def. Leo “Kid Italy” Dipiero

Doran, the 2009 runner-up in the 175-pound division, prevailed in a unanimous decision over the upstart freshman Dipiero. Dipiero started the fight countering the favorite Doran punch for punch. However, as the fight wore on the junior consistently landed punches to Dipiero’s upper body and head. Doran’s endurance was evident as he dominated the final round.

David “Played and It Pleased the Lord” Fosselman def. Adam “The Flying Otter” Twardizik

The first round brought a quick advantage to Fosselman when he knocked down Twardizik twice, despite Twardizik’s height advantage. Twardizik came out fighting at the beginning of the second and his strong push continued throughout the second round, but Fosselman came back even stronger in the third, making the match a very competitive one. Fosselman’s successes of the first round paid off, and the judges decared him a unanimous winner.

see HAMMER/page 19

Giacomo “Il Capo” Minafra def. Lorenzo “El Nino” Sanchez

In a fight that would have made any of his fellow Zahmbies proud, the sophomore Minafra rode an unrelenting and wild style to a unanimous victory over his fellow sophomore. Minafra’s lefty fighting stance seemed to throw Sanchez off, as he was unable to keep Minafra off the offensive for the entire fight.

Alex “Mac Attack” Macomber def. Brian “Polish Thunder” Kachmarck

Both sides came out swinging aggressively to begin the fight, and the first round ended without a clear advantage to either side, but the second round showed a change of pace when Macomber took over the ring. Despite a few bloody noses for Macomber, he managed to corner Kachmarck and make his mark. Macomber’s distinction lasted until the end, when he earned a unanimous decision.

Nicholas “It’s-a-ME-a” Ponzio def. Daniel “Danimal” Balcarel

This fight, between Bengal Bouts senior captain Ponzio and the freshman Balcarel, appeared to be a mismatch on paper. However, Balcarel kept the fight close and Ponzio escaped with a split decision victory. Balcarel wrapped up Ponzio a couple times after

landing combos in the first round, which seemed to aggravate the captain. Ponzio then channeled his anger into a number of furious combos in close range, leading to a knockdown at the close of the fight.

Preston Bennett def. “Big”

Ben Ferry Ferry had the height advantage, but Bennett’s strength evened the playing field. The first round remained fairly neutral, with both fighters throwing punches. Bennett came out hard to begin the second round, but Ferry fought back. At the start of the third round, Bennett’s efforts finally paid off when his powerful punches knocked Ferry to the ground. From there, Bennett’s control was clear, and he won the match unanimously.

Brian “Half-man, Half-hair” O’Connor def. Matthew “Chew ‘em Up” Enzweiler

The junior O’Connor used a combination of elusive defense and strategic headshots to play on the freshman Enzweiler’s offensive style, as O’Connor took the unanimous decision. O’Connor’s consistent headshots appeared to take their toll, as by the end of the bout the freshman Enzweiler was visibly wobbly and unable to put together any decent combinations.

Dominic “Warsaw War Hammer” Golab def. Matthew “Matt” Losego

Both fighters came out quickly, but when things slowed down toward the end of the first round, Golab seemed to come out on top. Golab proved his superiority in the second round, knocking Losego off his feet. Losego came out of his fall looking for revenge, but was faced once again with Golab’s unyielding punches. Golab solidified his control in the third round with a series of hits right to Losego’s face, and ended the match with a unanimous win.

189-pound Weight Division

Bernardo “Blue” Garcia def. Matthew Reedy

The junior Garcia seemed to overpower the law student Reedy as the referee ended the fight five seconds into the 2nd round. Garcia strung together a number of resounding headshots and the fight was stopped a number of times in the first alone. Once the bell rang to start the second round, Garcia unleashed a furious combination, which spelled the end for Reedy.

Christopher “Stubs” Sarkis def. Reid “The Captain” Paape

Neither freshman showed a lack of experience, but Sarkis’s fierce tactics quickly revealed themselves. In the first round, Paape fought back, cornering Sarkis, but during the second round Sarkis showed no mercy, continuously connecting with Paape’s face and drawing blood. The match ended with a unanimous vote in favor of Sarkis.

Jim Hasson def. Joe “Boy Wonder” Garrity

Punches flew in this aggressive fight but the junior Hasson

landed more en route to a unanimous victory over the sophomore Garrity. Both fighters seemed to have good endurance and neither suffered any visible injuries but the decisive factor in the bout was that Hasson’s punches landed more often and more consistently.

John Zivalich def. Christopher “The Jersey Devil” LaCosta LaCosta’s experience as a sophomore quickly became apparent with his fighting style, but freshman Zivalich never hesitated to fight back. LaCosta started the second round by cornering Zivalich, but he easily slipped away and used his height to stay in the match. The final round played out fairly evenly, with both fighters coming out ready. In the end it was the rookie Zivalich who came out on top by a split decision.

Patrick “The Paddy” Handy def. Pat “Samuel L.” Jackson

The freshman Handy defeated the senior Jackson in this entertaining and lively bout. Handy had trouble early landing punches against Jackson, who kept a stronger and more balanced stance. Ultimately, though, Handy’s power prevailed as a strong right hook knocked down Jackson and allowed Handy to land thunderous headshots as he continued to a split decision victory.

Timothy Wallace def. Eric “Boybert” Herbert Wallace came out aggressively in the first round, knocking Herbert down early. From there, he only continued to power over the younger Herbert. Wallace continued his control until the end, especially showing through in the final round. Despite a good slew of punches from Herbert, Wallace won the match by a unanimous vote.

Adam “The Sultan of Swing” Zaabel def. Ryan “I Listen to the E-Trade Baby” Landsberg

The sophomore Zaabel, a lefty, dominated this fight against the senior Landsberg en route to a unanimous victory. Zaabel compensated for a disadvantage in height with quick hands that landed a flurry of punches throughout all three rounds. As a result, he wailed consistently on Landsberg’s upper body and head and the outcome was never in question.

William “The Italian Stallion” Straccia def. Jonathan Baker

The first round began with neither side having an advantage, but toward the end Straccia began to take control with a series of shots to Baker’s face, drawing blood and ending the round exhibiting a clear advantage. Baker ended the second round with a series of powerful shots, but Straccia refused to back down in the third round and continued his powerful streak into the end, when he won by a unanimous decision.

205-pound Weight Division

Francis “The Tank” Conway def. Rob “Jolly Green” Ray

In this battle of sophomores, Conway overcame a size disadvantage by simply overpowering the larger Ray. Ray main-

tained his poise and stayed in the fight the whole time but his wiry, tall frame had a tough time with “The Tank,” who punched him into submission en route to a unanimous decision.

Chistopher Orenchuk def. Matthew “The Heathen Hunter” Stolze

The fighters traded series of punches in the first round, but neither was able to grab control of the match. Orenchuk came out ready to fight in the second round, and despite the returned competition from Stolze, it became clear that Orenchuk was not going to leave without a win. Things slowed down in the third round, but Orenchuk’s intensity lasted long enough to give him the victory in a unanimous decision.

Jason Healy def. Joseph Tingey

The junior Healy physically dominated the overmatched MBA student Tingey en route to a technical knockout. Healy’s punches were so powerful and relentless that Tingey spent most of the fight in a defensive stance and could not mount much of an offensive attack. Ultimately, the fight became too one-sided and the referee decided to stop it early.

Brian “Caesar” Salat def. JP Foley

Freshman Salat came out instantly swinging relentlessly, using his height to overpower law student Foley the entire first and second round. Foley began the final round full of life, but Salat quickly regained control, taking the match in a unanimous vote.

Luke Scullion def. Pat “In the Hat” Behrens

In a bout that lasted just 30 seconds, Scullion, the gigantic MBA student from Britain, pounded the sophomore Behrens into oblivion. The audience could practically feel Scullion’s punches as he pummeled Behrens’ face, causing the referee to stop the fight quickly. Scullion used his enormous frame and long reach to protect his body as he mounted a one-sided offensive.

Jeff “Devil Dog” Hsu def. Alexander “Zero Fun Sir” Toombs

Within seconds of the bell, Hsu took control and maintained it throughout the match, swinging constantly as freshman Toombs tried to hold off the punches. The second round began just as the first had, as Hsu cornered Toombs time and time again. Toombs came into the final round stronger than the previous two, but his efforts fell short of the raw strength of Hsu. After three rounds of almost complete domination, Hsu was awarded a unanimous victory.

John “Papi” Tchoula def. “Mighty” Michael Diaz

The freshman Diaz had no answer for the technically impressive Tchoula, who held his ground and pounded Diaz with numerous headshots in what appeared to be an easy victory for the junior. Tchoula physically overpowered his inexperienced opponent in all three rounds and by round two he was content to defend himself and strategically land jarring headshots to Diaz as he coasted to the unanimous decision.

Heavyweight Division

Kyle “Chief” Roque def. Jeffrey “Broneill” O’Neill

Roque’s height advantage instantly proved to also be an overall advantage. A shot to O’Neill’s nose early in the first round ended the match with a victory for Roque.

Timothy “Silky Smooth” Latham def. Nolan “Keep On” Welsh

In a very close bout, the two heavyweights traded crushing blows for three rounds. Welsh used a bit of a size advantage to stay on the offensive, but ultimately the senior Latham used his experience and guile to land more punches and score the split decision victory by maintaining his poise on the defensive and landing strategic combinations.

Contact Kevin Baldwin at kbaldwi2@nd.edu, Kaitlyn Murphy at kmurph28@nd.edu, Molly Sammon at msammon@nd.edu, Matt Robison at mrobison@nd.edu, Chris Allen at callen10@nd.edu and Megan Finneran at mfinnera@nd.edu

VANESSA GEMPIS/The Observer
Senior Andy Nester and graduate student Andrew Forero spar Sunday in the preliminary round of the Bengal Bouts.

Belles fall to third in MIAA ranks

No. 4 Hope College vanquished Saint Mary’s 94-75 Saturday in a victory that guaranteed that the Flying Dutch would have a share of the conference championship and dropped the Belles into a tie for third.

Hope (22-10, 14-0 MIAA) jumped out to an early lead, but Saint Mary’s (12-11, 7-7 MIAA) kept it close in the early minutes. Up two, however, the Flying Dutch reeled off a 9-1 run in three minutes to extend their lead to 22-12.

Though the Belles stopped that run, Hope came right back with another to take its advantage to 37-19.

As has been the Belles’ trademark, however, the Belles did not give up. Junior guard Liz Wade converted a steal into an assist of sopho-

more guard Maggie Ronan on a 3-point play, cutting the Flying Dutch advantage to 4234 with 2:46 left in the first half. The Flying Dutch never let Saint Mary’s gain momentum from the play, however, closing out the half with 11 straight points to take a 53-35 halftime lead.

The second half was more of the same, with the Flying Dutch maintaining no less than a 19-point lead throughout the second period to close out their 63rd consecutive home win.

The Belles were led by sophomore forward Kelley Murphy’s double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, sophomore guard Patsy Mahoney’s 14-point performance, 11 points from sophomore forward Jessica Centa and 10 from Wade.

Wade added five steals, bringing her total to 91 on the season, surpassing the previ-

ous school single-season record of 90, which has stood for over a decade. Hope was led by a 16-point, six-rebound effort from junior center Carrie Snikkers. Freshman guard Liz Ellis also added 16 to the Flying Dutch’s total, while senior swing player Philana Greene chipped in 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and six steals in a fantastic all-around performance.

The Belles will have their home finale Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against Olivet as they try to hold on to third place in the conference. The game will also be Senior Recognition Night for the team’s lone senior, forward Anna Kammrath, as well as the team’s Pink Week in which they help raise money for breast cancer research.

Contact Allan Joseph at ajoseph2@nd.edu

Villaflor wins top honors at tourney

Irish head coach Tim Welsh and diving coach Caiming Xie issued a challenge to their divers to get Notre Dame off to a strong start in the Big East Championships this weekend. Junior diver Wes Villaflor answered the challenge, and then some.

Villaflor swept the diving portion of the Championships, winning the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events in dominating fashion en route to winning Most Outstanding Diver at Trees Pool at the University of Pittsburgh.

Villaflor’s victory in the 1meter was in come-frombehind fashion. Villaflor was sixth at the end of the preliminary round but posted a score of 347.00 in the finals to vault

into the top spot, ahead of Irish diver Nathan Geary, who posted a 326.75 in the finals. Rounding out the Irish contingent was freshman Ryan Koter who finished sixth in his debut with a 272.25.

Villaflor led coming out of the preliminaries with a score of 373.65 to hold on to the championship ahead of Geary, who posted a 333.15.

The strong showing by the trio of Irish divers highlighted a great start to the Big East Championships, which saw Xie take home the award for Big East Diving Coach of the Year as well.

The Irishs are now in good position as the teams transition to the swimming portion of the event, which begins Wednesday at Trees Pool at 7 p.m.

Contact Chris Allen at callen10@nd.edu

Injured

continued from page 24

was unable to play for the remainder of the tournament.

Later on, the Irish geared up again to take on the Oregon Ducks, but fell 4-1 for their first loss of the season.

Freshman pitchers Jackie Bowe and Brittany O’Donnell made their first collegiate appearances at the mound. Bowe started, giving up the four total runs, and Bowe took over to finish out the game.

“It’s hard for freshmen to go against these Division I hitters,” Ganeff said. “But they both got in there, got their feet wet and did a really great job.”

past.”

Saturday, the Irish fell 5-2 against Auburn and 7-3 against Oregon State.

It took the Irish a few innings to get going offensively against the Tigers, but hits from four Irish players, including a home run from senior Heather Johnson and an RBI from freshman Amy Buntin. Valdivia started the game and earned her first loss in 18 games dating back to 2009.

The Irish suffered their third loss of the season against the Beavers, falling 73. Oregon State took an early 4-0 lead that the Irish could not recover from.

“[Oregon State] came out with a gotta-winthis-game mentality and had their best game offensively and defensively.”

The Ducks were unable to shut the Irish out as junior Erin Marrone singled and made her way around the bases for the only Irish run of the game.

Kris Ganeff Irish assistant coach

“[Oregon] had a brand new coaching staff and looked like a completely different team than they have in the past few years,” Ganeff said. “With the new coaching staff, the team dynamic was a lot different than what we’ve seen in the

Things began to look up for the Irish offensively as Lux’s two RBIs in the sixth inning with a ground-rule double.

Sophomore Alexa Maldonado batted in one runner in the seventh, but the Irish were unable to keep the rally going long enough to defeat the Beavers.

“[Oregon State] definitely played their best game against us the whole weekend,” Ganeff said. “They came

out with a gotta-win-thisgame mentality and had their best game offensively and defensively.”

In their last game of the opening tournament, the Irish were tied 0-0 with the defending national champion and current No. 1 Washington Huskies in search of an upset that could turn the team’s spirits drastically.

“Like all our games this weekend, we just had one bad inning,” Ganeff said.

In the fifth inning, Valdivia gave up a grand slam, giving the Huskies the momentum necessary to carry out a win.

“We were playing just as competitively and [Valdivia] was pitching just as well,” Ganeff said. “We threw one pitch that was not where it was supposed to be and one pitch that changed the whole game.”

Junior Katie Fleury got the only Irish hit against the Huskies. Washington pitcher

Danielle Lawrie, who threw the Huskies’ national championship win last season, put up a tough fight defensively.

“If you go down three or four runs against this girl, it’s really hard to come back,” Ganeff said.

The Irish will next travel to Southern Mississippi University for the Southern Miss Mizuno Classic on Feb. 20.

Contact Molly Sammon at msammon@nd.edu

Michigan

continued from page 24

Michigan, as they split the two times they played the Wolverines in 2009 and fell again this year.

Michigan swept all three doubles positions from the Irish to start off the match.

Jason Jung and Evan King defeated junior Tyler Davis and sophomore Casey Watt at No. 1 doubles by a score of 8-3.

“They have two outstanding players at No. 1 and No. 2 in Jason Jung and Evan King,” Bayliss said.

Junior

and Watt- Davis have shown some promise at No. 1.” Navas was able to defeat Fitzgerald easily at No. 4 singles by a score of 6-1, 6-0 to give the Wolverines a 2-0 advantage early.

“Our matches with Michigan are always emotional.”

Bobby Bayliss Irish coach

Stephen Havens and sophomore Niall Fitzgerald fell at the No. 2 doubles position to George Navas and Mike Sroczynski by a final score of 8-4.

At No. 3 doubles juniors David Anderson and Daniel Stahl fell by the score of 8-3 for the Wolverine sweep.

“Our matches with Michigan are always emotional,” Bayliss said. “David Anderson-Dan Stahl have become pretty competitive at No. 3, Havens-Fitzgerald have only one loss at No. 2,

Anderson got the Irish on the board with a win at No. 6 singles by a score of 7-6 (75), 6-3. Anderson is 9-1 in his last 12 dual season match starts dating back to March 28. No. 73 King was able to defeat No. 93 Havens by a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. It was another tight battle at No. 1 singles between No. 18 Watt and No. 50 Jung as Watt pulled out the first set 6-3, and held off a comeback by the Wolverine to take the second set in a tiebreak.

At No. 4, Stahl had a tough battle and won his match to knot the score at 3-3, before freshman Blas Moros fell at No. 5 singles to give the Wolverines the victory.

The Irish will next travel to No. 24 Washington on Feb. 20.

Contact Katelyn Grabarek at kgraba01@saintmarys.edu

continued from page 24

work the zone and find some great shots for her.”

The contest’s scariest moment came in the first half when senior guard Lindsay Schrader stepped on senior guard Ashley Barlow’s foot while after a loose ball. Schrader fell to the floor, was helped off the court and did not return to play. It was later announced that she sprained her left ankle, and her status is currently day-to-day.

“It was hard for us because down a fourth player with them playing a zone like that …we were forced to put a guard inside, and in the first half it really wasn’t working,” McGraw said. “Then in the second half Barlow was able to go inside, and coming up with eight assists, she was able to really work the high post and find Becca down low.”

Picking up the slack left by Schrader’s absence, Bruszewski credited her career day to the team’s balance and ability to find the open shooter.

“I think it’s just any given day anybody on this team can get double figures, get a doubledouble,” Bruszewski said.

“Lately, Lindsay’s been our goto, and she’s been doing a great job. Today, she went down, and I just stepped up, and my teammates did a great job of finding me, so I got the easy buckets.”

Bruszewski’s 25-point performance was only eclipsed by the monster game of Blue Demons forward Keisha Hampton. Hampton finished

with a game-high 28 points and eight rebounds, as the Irish had no answer for the lanky sophomore on either end of the court.

Nevertheless, Blue Demons coach Doug Bruno said Notre Dame’s depth and pressure at the guard position were too much for Hampton and his squad, who coughed up 25 turnovers.

Despite shooting over 50 percent from the floor, Notre Dame (23-1, 10-1 Big East) struggled to break away from the Blue Demons (16-10, 5-7) in the first half. The Irish needed a 12-2 run in the final minutes to take a 42-32 lead into the break. Freshman guard Skylar Diggins hit a floater to beat the buzzer, energizing a sold-out Purcell Pavilion.

“It was a huge shift,” McGraw said. “I thought that we were just a little out of sync, missing some shots. Skylar was able to get going, and with four seconds left was able to go the length of the floor and hit that shot. That just gave us great momentum heading into the locker room. She had a very good game.”

Diggins finished the game with 18 points, four steals and three assists, solidifying her status as the conference’s leading freshman scorer.

Barlow’s eight assists were a new career-high for the senior. She also contributed nine points, six rebounds and five steals.

Notre Dame will travel to Queens, N.Y., Tuesday to take on No. 25 St. Johns. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m.

Contact Chris Masoud at cmasoud@nd.edu

Abro

continued from page 24

Abromaitis led the Irish offensively with 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

“Everyone had to step up and obviously we missed ‘Gody out there,” Abromaitis said. “At the same time we made some mistakes out there we shouldn’t have missed. We put ourselves in a position to win but couldn’t do it down the stretch.”

After looking out of rhythm offensively in the game’s opening minutes, Hansbrough began attacking the Red Storm defense from the inside and outside. The junior hit his first five attempts from the field, scoring 12 of Notre Dame’s first 15 points.

While St. John’s kept pace, trailing just 15-14 early, Abromaitis keyed a 7-0 run to give Notre Dame (17-9, 6-7) an eightpoint lead with 10 minutes remaining in the half.

Abromaitis, only to see St. John’s guard D.J. Kennedy answer right back. A late basket by Red Storm guard Malik Boothe gave the visitors a 37-34 lead at the break.

“They shot lights out, and they beat us to those spots, and fought us long enough,” Jackson said. “We’re a lot better than what we played today. We didn’t take care of the ball at all.”

Abromaitis converted a 3point play off of a nice look from Nash to close within a point with a little over two minutes remaining.

“We’re a lot better than what we played today. We didn’t take care of the ball at all.”

Notre Dame came out flat after the half, sputtering offensively and giving up three early buckets, allowing St. John’s to expand its lead to 45-38. After slowly making up ground on the Red Storm, a Tyrone Nash layup put the Irish within a field goal at 49-47.

“We put ourselves in a position to win but couldn’t do it down the stretch.”

Tim Abromaitis Irish junior

Just as quickly, the Red Storm went on a run of their own. Draining three straight shots from distance led St. John’s on a 12-0 run, putting Notre Dame down four.

The Irish briefly regained the lead on a 3 by

Tory Jackson Irish senior

After forcing a St. John’s turnover, Abromaitis hit another 3-pointer, his third of the game, to put Notre Dame up two. With less than a minute to go, Red Storm guard Dwight Tardy hit a huge 3pointer to slow the Irish momentum and put St. John’s back up. Notre Dame responded by going back into the post to Nash, who drew a foul and converted two clutch free throws for a 6867 lead.

Nash tallied 16 points working the post without Harangody underneath.

A 3-pointer from Jackson, who missed his first seven shots from the floor, tied the game at 52 with less than eight minutes to go. The game remained close down the stretch with both teams fighting hard to drive the basket and drawing fouls. Down 64-60,

“My guys got me open down there to go to work, and I’m comfortable with that,” Nash said. “I just tried to take advantage, and I had to work harder without Luke in there.”

The Red Storm went to their leading scorer Kennedy on their next possession, who drove the basket and was fouled. Jackson attempted two deep 3s in the closing seconds, but neither came close.

The Irish will next face Louisville at the Purcell Pavilion Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Contact Michael Bryan at mbryan@nd.edu

THE OBSERVER

Published Monday through Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Community.

Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensible link to the two campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.

Make

Enclosed is $120 for one academic year

Enclosed is $65 for one semester

JUMBLE
JEFF KNUREK MIKE ARGIRION
WILL GUAPPONE & BRI KRAFCIK
SCHAD & FREUDE
DAN POHLMAN
T.I.N.D.

Monday, February 8,

Playing for hope

Bruszewski scores 25, Schrader hurt in win

Following No. 3 Notre Dame’s 90-66 dismantling of DePaul University in the annual Pink Zone game, the Irish may consider wearing their pink and white jerseys on a regular basis. Led by the career-high 25 points of junior forward Becca Bruszewski, the Irish moved into sole possession of second place in the Big East standings while raising over $70,000 towards cancer research and awareness.

“I was really pleased with the offense,” Irish coach Muffet McGraw said. “I thought we moved the ball well. We shared the ball well, we made some good passes. We were able to get it inside to Becca, and she had just a great day on the offensive end. Just really, we were able to

see PINK/page 22

BENGAL BOUTS

MEN’S TENNIS

Irish fall by one point to Wolverines

The Irish, coming off a tough loss to Duke last week, were not able to pull out a victory over Michigan Saturday, falling by a score of 4-3 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“Our match with Duke was a disappointment from a competitive point of view,” Irish coach Bobby Bayliss said. “We simply did not win enough big points. We held match points at No. 2 doubles to clinch the point, but didn’t reach out and take it. We had match points at No. 5, won the first set at No. 6, and served twice for the first set at No. 4, but came away with nothing to show for the effort.”

The Irish always have tough matches against see MICHIGAN/page 21

Nearly 200 boxers begin fighting in preliminary round

After months of training and a few weeks of dedicated fundraising, nearly 200 — 186 to be precise — Notre Dame men fought in the preliminaries of the 2010 Bengal Bouts Saturday. The annual event

raises tens of thousands of dollars for the Holy Cross Brothers Missions in Bangladesh. The prelims consisted of 93 fights split between two rings, and began at 1 p.m. Nearly eight hours later, the field was set for Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

133-pound Weight Division

Michael “Boricua” Perez def.

George Warner The 80th Bengal Bouts got off to an energetic start as these

two fighters sparred through three intense rounds. Footwork was key in the first two rounds as the junior Warner parried the punches of the senior. Perez eventually connected on a devastating cross to Warner’s face. At the start of the third round, Warner came out swinging, trying to make up for lost ground from the previous rounds, though he was backed into a corner and had to remain on the defensive. Perez won by unanimous decision.

Star’s absence felt in loss

Desperately needing a win but with their best player on the sidelines in a suit, the struggling Irish came up just short, falling 69-68 to St. John’s at home Sunday.

Two free throws from Red Storm guard D.J. Kennedy with 12.5 seconds to go gave the Red Storm (14-10, 4-8 Big East) the late lead, and two attempts from senior guard Tory Jackson in the closing seconds came up short.

With senior forward Luke Harangody out after suffering a knee injury in the second half of Thursday’s loss to Seton Hall, junior Tim

Brian “Ghost Hands” Robillard def. Thomas “Tucker” Corr

Although the fight began evenly, sophomore Robillard outlasted freshman Corr. Robillard’s experience was evident, as he fought hard throughout the entire match and utilized his powerful combos and quick footwork. Although Corr made a strong effort in the final round, the judges award Robillard the victory by unanimous decision.

ND SOFTBALL

Jonathan “Nightman” Lagoy def. Collin “A Reading from the Book of the Prophet” Feduska Lagoy and Feduska traded blows back and forth throughout the first round of the match. The sophomore Feduska, fighting with his left arm in a sling, landed a shot to Lagoy’s mouth just prior to the bell. The senior’s attacks came up empty as the quick Feduska managed

see BENGAL/page 16

Squad falls against top teams in opening play

The Irish saw some of the nation’s toughest competition at their first tournament of the season, the Kajikawa Classic at Arizona State. The Irish finished the weekend at 1-4.

“It was our first weekend out, and we looked like it was our first time on dirt compared to the teams who had been playing already,” Irish assistant coach Kris Ganeff said. “ If we make some adjustments we’ll be on the right track for this coming weekend.”

The Irish started off their

season by slaughtering Creighton University 11-3 in six innings. Following that victory, the Irish were unable to pull out another win as they fell to Oregon, Auburn, Oregon State and No. 1 Washington. Against Creighton, junior pitcher Jody Valdivia led the Irish defensively with 10 strikeouts and held the Blue Jays to only three runs. Backto-back home runs from senior Christine Lux and sophomore Dani Miller put the Irish in the lead, which they held for the rest of the game.

Unfortunately Miller was injured during the game and

see INJURED/page 21

SARAH O’CONNOR/The Observer
Junior forward Becca Bruszewski, wearing a pink hair extension in honor of Notre Dame’s Pink Zone fundraiser, faces off against a DePaul defender Sunday during Notre Dame’s 90-66 win.
ABRO/page 22
EILEEN VEIHMEYER/The Observer
Junior forward Tim Abromaitis passes the ball Sunday during Notre Dame’s 69-68 loss to St. John’s.

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook