David Campbell said President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday was clear evidence the president is “moving into campaign mode.”
“This is not what we saw in the first year or two of the Obama administration,” Campbell said. “This is Obama making an argument for his reelection and for his Democratic view of the way government ought to be involved in the economy.”
Campbell, who is also the founding director of the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy, said the speech had the usual constraints of a State of the Union address. Obama had to cite major issues, remain optimistic and appeal to his constituencies.
“This was a pretty sprawling and expansive speech. It was also a fairly long speech,” he said. “I do think his speech can be contrasted with last year’s speech, in that this one
really marks the beginning of the 2012 presidential campaign.”
Campbell said that unlike past years, Obama took a clear stance on issues and pointed out the congressional obstruction of governmental goals.
“Barack Obama was elected on the terms that he would be
ND fire department appoints new chief
By DAN BROMBACH News Writer
When Bruce Harrison learned of his recent appointment as fire chief of the Notre Dame Fire Department, he knew his career was taking a step in an exciting direction.
“I was a little bit overwhelmed and definitely appreciative,” Harrison said. “This is a fantastic opportunity, both for myself and for my family.” Harrison, who will take over as chief on March 1, will come to Notre Dame with 30 years of experience at the DeKalb, Ill., Fire Department under his belt. He said he is confident the guidance of his new colleagues will help him adjust smoothly to the responsibilities of his new position.
“I trust that there’s a lot of experience and dedication in the [Notre Dame] Fire Department that will greatly assist me in
transitioning into situations that may be somewhat different or have some sort of variation,” Harrison said.
Harrison said his experience in DeKalb has prepared him for any challenges he might face at Notre Dame, including fire prevention, emergency response, suppression of hostile fire and public fire education.
“There’s definitely a great deal of similarity between what I’m doing in DeKalb and what I’ll be responsible for doing here at Notre Dame,” Harrison said.
Harrison began his career in the DeKalb Fire Department with a strong desire to protect the safety of his community and to rescue those in danger.
“For me, there has been no higher calling than to be of service to those in need and in crisis,” Harrison said. “My career in the fire service has been about meeting the needs of the community through preparedness, prevention and response.”
Harrison said he is grateful for the opportunity to become a part of Notre Dame’s history.
“I appreciate the tradition and the heritage that is the University
a post-partisan president. He tried … but he’s not going to do that anymore. He’s going to [draw] sharp distinctions,” Campbell said.
Obama was also more direct in this speech than he had been in the past, Campbell said.
“He’s definitely beginning to lay out his argument. He was
quite explicit. [For example] he did want to see government investing in clean energy,” Campbell said.
Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana delivered the GOP rebuttal to the State of the Union on Tuesday, responding specifically to the
see UNION/page 4
Assembly approves resolution
By MARISA IATI News Writer
Student Senate passed a resolution amending the responsibility of the Executive Programming Board and discussed sustainability at its meeting Wednesday. The student government branch also examined gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning (GLBTQ) issues.
The Executive Programming Board is the division of student government that facilitates the coordination of its various programming groups.
The resolution stipulates that the Board will use an online programming calendar to improve communication between the Student Union groups and will be required to meet three times an-
SENATE/page 5
Center hosts service agencies
By CAROLYN GARCIA News Writer
Local non-profit organizations and student-run service groups joined together to showcase the plethora of social service opportunities available for Notre Dame students both on campus and in the South Bend community at the Social Concerns Fair on Wednesday.
Annie Cahill Kelly, director of Community Partnership and Service Learning at the Center for Social Concerns (CSC), has invited South Bend service organizations to the Social Concerns Fair for 13 of the event’s more than 20 installments.
She said surveys from these partner organizations demonstrate the impressive participation of Notre Dame students in community outreach over the past few years.
“The agencies are reporting back to us that they’ve had over 3,000 student involved at all 60 organizations that I’ve petitioned,” Kelly said. “That’s not even a thorough count because it’s only 60 organizations and there are many more, but it’s a snapshot of just how many students are involved locally, providing some 180,000 plus hours of service. A lot of the students
are doing a lot of great work.“
Several of the South Bend organizations represented at the fair have had a long history of involvement with the CSC.
AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist of Northern Indiana, which provides a variety of services for people living with HIV and AIDS in the six-county area, has been associated with the CSC for more than 20 years, said Debra Stanley, the CSC’s CommunityBased Learning Coordinator for the organization.
Stanley inherited the duty of representing AIDS Ministries at Notre Dame’s Activities Night when she began volunteering for the organization in 1992.
“I came that first night and have been coming ever since,” she said. “Being involved led me to the CSC where I became a Community-Based Learning Coordinator, and so it’s just been a relationship ever since.” Student service groups also participated in the fair to distribute information and talk to potential volunteers.
Senior Monica Townsend represented the Notre Dame chapter of She’s the First, a nonprofit organization that raises funds to promote education for girls in developing countries. Townsend said the group’s de-
President Obama delivers the State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday. His speech focused on drawing distinctions between himself and the Republican presidential nominees.
DILLON WEISNER/The Observer
Students attend the Social Concerns Fair Wednesday night. The fair offered local service opportunities to interested undergraduates.
student senate
Bruce Harrison
www.ndsmcobserver.com
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556
024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Editor-in-Chief Douglas Farmer
Managing Editor Sarah Mervosh Business Manager Jeff Liptak
a s st. Managing Editor: A driana Pratt
a s st. Managing Editor: C hris Masoud
Ne ws Editor: Sa m Stryker
V iewpoint Editor: Meghan Thomassen
Sports Editor: A llan Joseph
Scene Editor: M aija Gustin
S aint Mary’s Editor: C aitlin E. Housley
Photo Editor: Pat Coveney
G raphics Editor: Brandon Keelean
a dvertising Manager: K atherine Lukas
a d Design Manager: A manda Jonovski
C ontroller: Jason Taulman
Systems a d ministrator: W illiam Heineman
Office Manager & General Info (574) 631-7471 Fax (574) 631-6927
Scene Desk (574) 631-4540 mgustin@nd.edu Saint Mary’s Desk chousl01@saintmarys.edu
Photo Desk (574) 631-8767 obsphoto@gmail.com
Systems & Web Administrators (574) 631-8839
Policies
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. T he 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.
V iewpoint 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 Douglas Farmer.
Post Office Information
Sebastian Rojas freshman Sorin
“I would do more religious stuff.”
Rachel Talley junior Lyons “Quit going to school.”
Pierre Guobadia sophomore Fisher
“Travel the world, not be here.”
Sabine Mosal freshman Lyons
“Live life like it was summer.”
Keith Wertsching freshman Stanford “Take a trip to China.”
Spelling error corrected on road outside school zone
NEW YORK — An embarrassing misspelling of “school” is gone from the street outside a New York City school building.
Utility workers used heavy machinery to grind up the wrongly placed “H” and “C” in the “SHCOOL X-NG” sign on Tuesday.
The correction was made a day after the New York Post reported the spelling error.
The words were created with industrial textured tape that permanently sticks to the asphalt.
The Consolidated Edison utility told the Post the blunder occurred when a contractor ripped up the street for utility work and
replaced the existing markings. It says the mistake outside the Manhattan building that houses three schools had been there since July 2010.
Man robs bank upon release from Oregon state prison EUGENE, Ore. — Authorities say it was a busy morning for a man released from an Oregon state prison. After a bus ride home to Eugene on a state-paid ticket, they say he held up a bank at 10:02 a.m. Tuesday and was back in custody three minutes later.
The Register-Guard reports that 48-year-old Adam Ashe had been behind bars since May 2009, when Roseburg police arrested him in connection with a fire in a
post office trash can. Police said Ashe told them he wanted to burn down the post office because he was angry about troops being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
He was convicted of arson last year and released early Tuesday.
Eugene police Officer Kirk Farley was sitting in his patrol car outside a Home Federal Bank branch on Tuesday when Ashe robbed it. Farley made the arrest.
An FBI court affidavit says Ashe has confessed to the bank robbery. It wasn’t immediately known if he has an attorney. Blair says Kombate remains in jail.
Information compiled from the Associated Press.
Kate Christian freshman Pangborn
“Listen to every piece of recorded music.”
In brIef
An opening reception for the exhibit “Roots of Our Father” will be held in O’Shaugnessy Hall from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight. The exhibit will be on display in the ISIS Gallery through February 19
Campus ministry will hold a Christian unity prayer service tonight from 6 to 7 p.m. in Keenan Hall
The film “Le Quattro Volte (The Four Times)” will be shown in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center from 7 to 8:30 p.m. tonight. The film is in Italian with English subtitles. Tickets cost $3 for students and $6 regular admission
The Center for Social Concerns will host a discussion in the Soup and Substance series in the Geddes Hall Coffee House from 12 to 1 p.m. tomorrow. The discussion topic is race and two race monologues will be read. Free soup will be provided.
The Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams will compete in the Shamrock Invitational tomorrow The meet will be held in the Rolfs Aquatic Center beginning at 5 p.m. Admission is free for students
The Notre Dame Gong Fu Club will host an informational meeting in Room 109 of Rockne Memorial from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. tomorrow ND/SMC/HCC students, faculty, and staff of all ages are invited to attend. No martial arts experience is required.
To submit information to be included in this section of The Observer, email detailed information about an event to obsnews.nd@gmail.com
PAT COVENEY/The Observer
Sophomore forward Natalie Achonwa puts up a shot during Monday night’s game against Tennessee at the Purcell Pavillion. The No. 2 Irish won 72-44 and improved their record to 20-1 on the season.
SGA to change voting structure
By CAILIN CROWE News Writer
The Student Government Association (SGA) at Saint Mary’s College announced in its meeting Wednesday that it will make major changes to its basic structure, giving Saint Mary’s students more diverse representation in the voting process, SGA executive secretary Emma Brink said.
After concluding last semester with a preliminary vote to change the structure of SGA, President Nicole Gans said the organization is focusing on answering a few basic questions this semester regarding the restructuring of SGA.
“What ways can SGA be structured to best fit the students need?” Gans said. “What is going to happen? What is going to change?”
Brink said these changes include restructuring the voting body of the organization into five councils and one senate, rather than the current board of 25 commissioners and the 8-member executive board.
“SGA hopes that the new structure will include a board of unbiased voting members in the Senate, a focused group of Councils to produce new ideas and programming, a more efficient flow of information and, overall, more participation within SGA,” she said.
Gans said she is optimistic about the restructuring of SGA with regard to student opinions and collaboration between students and the College’s administration and faculty.
“I hope that the new structure gives more people a voice on student government,” she said. “We are attempting to build an inclusive system that promotes relationships with administration and faculty.”
Brink said SGA is currently operating under a hybrid of the old and new structures, and complete changes will occur along with student government turnover on April 1.
The turnover process and the new structure will involve more students in new roles, Brink said.
“Now that students can run for Senator positions, the election process this year will be much more exciting and dynamic,” she said. “At the same time, students who prefer working behind-thescenes can apply for Council positions as committee chairs or members. “
I nstead of having the class boards and club presidents comprise the board of commissioners, the new councils will represent various student interest groups, including the Student Academic Council and the councils of Activities, Clubs, Class Boards and Committee Chairs, Brink said. The president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and chief of staff of SGA will each serve as the head of one of the five councils.
Brink said the council members will be appointed by interviews conducted by the SGA president or by individual academic departments. However, this process will not appoint class board presidents and the Student Activity Board, Resident Hall Association and Student Di -
versity Board presidents.
Position names will also be changed to incorporate the full responsibilities of each position, Brink said. The executive treasurer and secretary will now be vice presidents of Finance and Internal Affairs, respectively, and the chief of staff will now serve as the vice president of External Affairs.
Brink said the new Senate will be comprised of 15 students who are not currently members of SGA, and these students cannot serve on any of the five new councils.
Since Senate members will represent a variety of student perspectives and interests, such as class years, dorms, clubs and other student organizations, Brink said she hopes the Senate will provide opportunities for the freshman class to get more involved on campus and pursue leadership roles.
“While this restructuring process will take time, SGA hopes that our work will result in a more efficient board and a broader, more diverse group of leaders representing the Student Body,” Brink said.
Gans said she hopes the new system will complement the success of the current administration.
“I am so proud of the current administration for all of their hard work,” she said. “I hope [our successors] will find the new structure is more efficient, allows for more effective communication, and that it will allow them to focus on important issues.”
Contact Cailin Crowe at ccrowe01@saintmarys.edu
MLK panel series discusses race, sports
By AUBREY BUTTS News Writer
In developing this year’s third annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Series for the Study of Race, Assistant Director for Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) Tobias Blake and First Year of Studies Professor Oliver Jenkins decided to explore the complex relationship between race and athletics in the United States.
“When approaching the series this year, we first and foremost decided our objectives,” Blake said. “We wanted to bring awareness to the subject, further educate and develop a deeper understanding of the issues and, most importantly, inspire people to action. Race and sport is a complex intersect, but we didn’t want to shy away from this complexity.”
Titled “Playing with Fire: Race and Sport in American Culture,” the series is sponsored by MSPS and began Wednesday with a panel discussion. The speakers featured Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, a former Notre Dame football All-American, Briann January, a current WNBA player for the Indiana Fever, and Dwight “Doc” Gooden, a former major league pitcher and Cy Young award winner.
Blake said he hopes the panel discussion will engage Notre Dame students, faculty and the surrounding community.
“We are trying to involve more people in the conversation by dealing with a subject with far-reaching potential,” Blake said. “Race and sport in American culture brings a lot of people together to discuss the inequalities still perpetuated in our nation and here at Notre Dame.”
Prior to the panel, Iris Outlaw, director of MSPS, discussed the significance of race and sports in society in her opening address.
“Race and sports inform and influence American society,” she said. “Sports serve as an appropriate model of and a microcosm of American society in a profound way.”
Keith Embray, associate director of Student Welfare and Development, prompted the panel participants to discuss the first time they became aware of their race and the role it played and continues to
play in their personal athletic endeavors.
In response to this question, January spoke about her experience as one of a few African-American athletes in her Washington hometown.
“Growing up in Spokane, Washington, a predominantly white city, I have always been immersed in a different racial culture,” January said. “I have always been the token of the team. As I made my way through the basketball circuit, I realized even my teammates had stereotyped different teams based on their race.”
Rather than focusing on the stereotypes surrounding African-American athletes, Gooden explained how baseball helped him achieve his version of the American dream.
“Growing up as a kid, the American dream was having a job, being respectful and gaining respect from others,” Gooden said. “Once I made it in sports, I felt fulfilled in a way. I never had the goal of winning a bunch of rewards. I just wanted to play the game and have personal success.”
January, Gooden and Ismail agreed about the dangers of the media and its representations of professional athletic culture, especially its tendency to present images of prosperous African-American athletes to children without also showing other professional possibilities.
“Whatever shapes your imagination controls your destiny,” Ismail said. “In the black community, the love of money has taken the hearts and captured the imagination of the culture. Whatever is the vehicle allowing you to get the god of this world [money] is what you focus on. Athletics is a vehicle to this god.”
Gooden expressed a similar attitude towards the representation of professional athletes in the media.
“I think young athletes watch TV and see the salaries of professional athletes,” he said. “They embrace this quick way to success.”
The series will continue with discussions featuring prominent athletes, coaches and university athletic directors every Wednesday through Feb. 15.
Contact a u brey Butts at abutts@nd.edu
ALEX PARTACK/The Observer
Briann January left, Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, center and Dwight “Doc” Gooden spoke to students Wednesday on the issue of race in sports.
Professor reflects on Republican primaries
By TAYLOR COUILLARDRODAK News Writer
The unpredictable Republican primary elections have decreased the chance of the party’s nomination of a strong opponent to face President Barack Obama in the November general election, according to Michael Kramer, associate professor of Communication Studies at Saint Mary’s College.
Despite the relative state of chaos throughout the primary season thus far, Kramer said some trends have emerged among the candidates.
“The big trend has been the changing winners, from [Rick] Santorum down in Iowa, then [Mitt] Romney, and then most surprisingly [Newt] Gingrich in South Carolina,” he said. “No one has been able to get any sort of momentum or hold onto it.”
“Right now they’re not really finding someone who totally fits that bill.”
While voters generally look to debates for information about candidates, Kramer said the debates thus far have seemed to disappoint voters in their almost theatrical quality, as evidenced by sketch comedy shows and news reports mocking the debates.
“At times, [the debates] have been somewhat of a spectacle. You’ve had the audience playing somewhat of a participatory role, in terms of applauding and cheering certain things,” he said.
“Many of the voters are left alienated by the debates. They want the focus to be on improving the economy instead of several social issues that, for now, are not the most pressing things in their mind.”
Michael Kramer associate professor
Kramer said each candidate faces personal obstacles on the road to the election, and these obstacles have hindered the candidates from accumulating solid voter support that will last through the November general election.
“With Romney, [people] talk about his financial status and how he is part of the one percent. People will be looking to see how they can portray him to look as sort of an elite, an out of touch wealthy person,” he said. “With Gingrich, he has to deal with some of his past activities in relation to his funding.”
Kramer said the status of the economy is the most pertinent issue for voters during this election season, especially in terms of finding a candidate they can trust to lead the country out of its current economic doldrums.
“There’s a scrutiny of the financial status of the candidates now that the voters, especially in South Carolina, turn their attention on because they are looking for someone who isn’t tied too closely to big businesses or to lobbying,” Kramer said.
“That type of behavior makes you shake your head a little bit about the debates and how they’re being handled.”
But the debates have openly displayed candidates’ campaign strategies to voters, Kramer said.
“Gingrich is being rough and tumble. He is using really sharp language, doing some name-calling. That’s not the type of campaigning that Romney is comfortable doing,” Kramer said. “They’ve shown which candidates can handle the rough and tumble of campaigning. Romney has not stood up as well to the attacks, where Gingrich has.”
Kramer added the debates have focused heavily on social issues, but he thinks voters would prefer to hear candidates’ ideas about the current economic state of the nation and how they will be personally affected by potential future economic policies.
“Many of the voters are left alienated by the debates. They want the focus to be on improving the economy instead of several social issues that, for now, are not the most pressing things in their mind,” Kramer said. “They want a job, to have more spending money, to have higher wages. That’s what they want the candidates to talk about.”
Contact ta ylor Couillard-Rodak at tcouil01@saintmarys.edu
Union
continued from page 1
president’s claim that Republicans are obstacles to economic progress.
Daniels said Obama was overly optimistic in his assessment of the country’s economic well-being.
“When President Obama claims that the state of our union is anything but grave,” Daniels said, “he must know in his heart that this is not true.”
Campbell said Obama and Daniels’ speeches plainly put issues on the table and gave voters the opportunity to decide on those issues for themselves.
“I thought the State of the Union address and the response from Mitch Daniels was politics the way it ought to be done,” Campbell said. “Voters heard two different perspectives on what government should be doing. In all seriousness, I thought voters could walk away from those two speeches having learned something.”
Campbell said the annual addresses are challenging for presidents because they must hold firmly to some key American ideas.
“Presidents have to pick their language carefully. They all have to say the state of the union is fundamentally strong, moving forward,” Campbell said. “[President Obama] struck a tone of, ‘Things have been bad, they’re getting better and they’re better than most people think.’”
Campbell also said the U.S. president is in a unique position since he is both the head of state and the head of government — a tension that
comes to the surface in the State of the Union.
He said in some ways, the president plays a similar role to a figure like the Queen of England since he is the face of the American people.
And Americans are an “optimistic people” who don’t like “doom and gloom,” Campbell said.
Still, Republican candidate Mitt Romney used Obama’s optimism as ammunition when he told voters in Florida on Wednesday the speech was “detached from reality.”
Campbell said such statements are not unusual from the Republican opposition.
“That’s a common argument not just from Romney, but from other Republicans, that [Obama’s] is an administration that doesn’t understand the way America works,” Campbell said.
“There’s [always] this undercurrent … in the Republican criticism of Obama.”
Campbell said Obama’s call to narrow the income gap is another major dividing point between the two parties.
“What the Republicans want to emphasize is a nation where everyone feels like they can get ahead,” Campbell said. “The Democrats will want to emphasize this is a country where we help those who have been left behind … [They] want to equalize things, make sure everyone has a fair shot.”
If the Republican Party nominates Romney as its presidential candidate, Campbell said the issue of America’s income gap will play a dominant role.
As Obama enters the election year, Campbell said the country’s unemployment rate will be his biggest challenge to reelection.
“The very top of the list is the economy … The president is facing a very high unemployment rate that doesn’t want to budge,” Campbell said. “Jobs are coming back, but it’s still very high and, frankly, everything else will be subsumed under a debate on the economy.”
Contact Sara Felsenstein at sfelsens@nd.edu
AP
Indiana govenor Mitch Daniels delivers the Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Fair
continued from page 1
sire to expand their outreach efforts motivated its participation in the Social Concerns Fair.
“We are hoping this semester to branch out to the South Bend community and work with elementary schools that would like to get involved with She’s the First and think about what education means in the developing world, as well as at home,” Townsend said.
Freshman Libby Wetterer attended the fair to find service opportunities that fit her interests and schedule.
“I’m looking for volunteer work to do in Spanish for my Spanish
Chief
continued from page 1
of Notre Dame, and I’m tremendously honored to be part of its storied campus,” Harrison said. “It’s an immaculate place.”
He is also happy to join an organization he considers one of the best in the world, he said, and hopes to leave his own mark on the department during his ten-
Senate
continued from page 1
nually. The Constitution of the Undergraduate Student Body previously required the Board to meet weekly.
Rachel Novick, education and outreach program manager for the Office of Sustainability, spoke to senators about the University’s sustainability strategy.
Novick said the Office of Sustainability hopes to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent per gross square foot and attain a recycling rate of two-thirds by 2030. The Office of Sustainability also aims to minimize waste on campus.
Engaging in sustainable practices will ultimately save the University money, Novick said.
“When we look at the University setting aside operational money for this, they recognize that over the course of 20 years there may be times when they’re going to have to pay more for fuel because it’s more environmentally friendly [for example], but overall, sustainability saves organizations money,” she said.
Novick said the global Catholic community has made strides toward increasing sustainability.
“There are universities like Santa Clara and Notre Dame and Fordham and a lot of other places with sustainability programs, but they don’t necessarily reach the broader Catholic community, and in order to really make a difference … we really need to reach out and communicate and share what we’re learning here,” Novick said.
Senate also discussed the possibilities of creating a gay-straight student alliance and adding sexual orientation to the University’s non-discrimination clause.
Katie Rose, gender issues director for student government, said both issues are intertwined with religion, civil rights and creating a culture of acceptance.
“If we’re going to call ourselves the top Catholic university in the country, I strongly believe we should be leading the way on social progress,” she said.
Rose said the University is concerned about the legal implications of adding sexual orientation
class, and also for something to do over the weekends now that football is over,” Wetterer said.
Wetterer said the fair introduced her to a volunteer opportunity at La Casa de Amistad, a community organization that provides bilingual tutoring.
Freshman Pat Boduch said he was excited about getting involved in service that would allow him to meet people from the South Bend community.
“It seems like mostly I’m around Notre Dame kids from ages 18 to 22,” said Boduch.”It would be refreshing to work with younger kids, and I think it’s good to serve the community as well.”
Contact Carolyn Garcia at cgarcia7@nd.edu
ure.
“The opportunity to be fire chief for the Notre Dame Fire Department and serve the Notre Dame community is a great honor and has great meaning to me, both personally and professionally,” Harrison said. “I view the NDFD to be world class, and I hope that I can add value to that mission.”
Contact Dan Brambach at dbrambac@nd.edu
to the non-discrimination clause.
Student body president Pat McCormick said although sexual orientation is not included in the current non-discrimination clause, the University does not support discrimination on any basis.
“My sense is that the University believes that any claim on the basis of sexual orientation should be taken seriously and should be addressed within the University,” he said. “Essentially, a non-discrimination clause invites the state to enforce discrimination claims.”
Junior class president Kevin Doherty said the University allows the government to intervene in cases of discrimination on other bases, such as race and sex.
“It’s almost a discriminatory position to say we’re going to handle [issues of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation] in-house, but we’re going to invite the state in on some [issues] and not others,” Doherty said.
Doherty said if a student-run gay-straight alliance could articulate how it is different from the existing Core Council for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Questioning Students, it would be reasonable to conclude that each would contribute unique opportunities to campus.
If an official, student-run gaystraight alliance existed, the club would have some autonomy with regard to the selection of its leadership, McCormick said. The current Core Council is run by both students and administrators.
McCormick said it might also be possible to increase peer-to-peer support within the Core Council instead of creating a gay-straight alliance. This model would offer students significantly more resources than a student club would provide.
The University has already made strides on GLBTQ issues, McCormick said.
“For all those who want to try and expand inclusion within our community, there’s much to applaud about the University’s efforts,” he said. “So the goal is really not to say that we’re not moving on these issues because the University very much has been moving on these issues.”
Contact Marisa Iati at miati@nd.edu
InsIde Column
Pointless parietals
One of my most special talents is complaining. This may seem like a worthless skill. However, when paired with my natural ability to argue, it has continually proven to be an effective way to A.) cause worthwhile change and/or B.) entertain and/or C.) annoy people to no end.
Luckily for you, loyal Observer reader, you will get a taste of my mastery in the following 500 words. I could rant about virtually any topic, but today I get to pick my subject off of my personal “Things to Complain About” list. And the subject is: parietals. (For the trivia knowledge of the reader, other things on the List include sloppy drunk girls, eating too much food, design projects going past 3 a.m. and the fact that my boyfriend is allergic to dogs.)
Parietals are pretty much the most frustrating rules on campus. They cause so many unnecessary problems and solve so few.
Parietals impede friendships. Some of my best friends are guys. I hang out with my group of guy friends and my boyfriend (who is also my best friend) more than I do my female friends. It’s the worst feeling to have to leave the fun at 2 a.m., knowing that they’ll be up for another couple hours. Sometimes what I miss makes me the one who didn’t know an inside joke.
In order to follow the rules and still hang out, we have to move to a 24hour area. The 24-hour space does not satisfy since everyone has to filter out. There are not room and televisions for everyone. One group or a few couples is all those rooms can manage.
Parietals push the tendency to see a person of the opposite sex only as a potential date. Of course people can and often do overcome this tendency, but that every girl has to leave the guys’ dorms at that certain time effects the way we relate to each other mentally and outside of ourselves.
Whether or not the school keeps this rule to prevent students from sleeping or sleeping together, that stigma is there. When co-eds have to leave, it highlights that we are different sexes with the potential of being together, instead of simply being human who can be friends. And this encourages a wall of that thinking between the men and women of Notre Dame.
Parietals negatively affect schoolwork as well. I’m one of those people who stays up late doing homework. My female friends are usually better about time management than my guy friends and get to sleep by midnight. I want to stay where people are working still, because it keeps me awake. When everyone is sleeping around me, all I can think about is going to bed. But alas, I must leave the guys, so work often only gets half-finished because I fall asleep on it.
Though fellow students and I have speculated on why parietals continue to exist, we haven’t been able to figure it out. What do you guys think the reasons are? If I find the right person to ask, I’ll be sure to let you know.
Contact Laura Laws at llaws@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
“Don’t get that Red Ryder BB gun. You’ll shoot your eye out.” Everyone remembers the famous line from “A Christmas Story.”
However, there are two interpretations of this sage advice: Avoid the gun altogether and you won’t run the risk of hurting yourself or others. But another alternative is to teach Ralphie to be responsible and safe with his BB gun, so that he can still have fun. Enter the gun culture.
Like the previous example, there are always two camps: the ones that neglect to use a tool because the perceived risks outweigh the benefits and the ones who use a tool because the benefits outweigh the risk.
Gun culture is a strange thing to most folks here in the United States, which is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because in day-to-day life many of us don’t need to use them to defend ourselves, and it can be argued that the ignorance can lead to an overall safer society. However, it is a curse because in America, citizens with good track records have the right to own a firearm, yet many of us do not.
Now why would one want to own a gun anyway? Well, for all the reasons you would expect. 1) It is totally hardcore. 2) It is fun to shoot things recreationally. 3) It is an effective tool for defending an individual or community against outside threats. 4) It is an effective tool for hunting animals for sustenance. The forefathers most likely granted us the right because of the third reason, but don’t discount the power of the others on the list.
Gun culture
Now, gun culture is a lot like gym culture. It is difficult to get into and figure out what is going on. There are those that are really into it and those that vehemently oppose it. While working out your muscles may not be a good parallel to using firearms, it does illustrate that it can be tough to educate people about the benefits if you can’t even get them through the door because they are intimidated. Yes, guns can be scary, and you must always be aware of the dangers they impose, but that doesn’t mean they serve no good purpose. They protect good people as much as they empower bad people.
Owning a gun is a simple process. One must only be a U.S. citizen with no felonies. For handguns, you must be 21 years of age and depending on your state, you may have to get a permit. For shotguns and rifles you must be 18 years of age, but a permit is not typically required. Laws vary by state and are subject to change. You can only legally purchase a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensed dealer who will confirm with the Department of Justice on your legal right to purchase after you fill out some simple paperwork. Typically guns can be purchased at gun stores and shows, but they can also be found at pawnshops, sporting goods stores and online (shipped to an FFL in your area).
Guns, defined by their most fundamental function, are tools of personal protection. One typically buys a firearm to defend his life from those that might wish to rob him of it. They also provide other applications that make them useful in a survival situation. While owning a gun does not guarantee you will be able to save your own life, it does give you more options when a conflict arises.
Choosing the right gun can be a complicated process. There are many different types for different applications.
For personal defense of your home, a shotgun is excellent because of its bullet spread and power. Handguns are also good because they are smaller and easy to carry and use. Rifles are best for hunting or being able to engage multiple targets from a distance. They come in all sorts of styles and calibers.
Like any major purchase, you should research online or with professionals about what you are looking for and which guns have a proven track record of reliability and functionality. There are plenty of resources available to give you the best information on firearm reviews and safe gun handling.
Once you have a firearm you need to find a place to shoot with it. There are usually ranges, both indoor and outdoor, in most areas that give you a safe place to practice. Your local gun store or Google are good resources to find these places. There are also gun clubs and private land that allow for shooting. Like any activity, it is good to get plugged into the local community to share tips and make your shooting experience more fun.
Take advantage of your freedom and exercise your right to bear arms. Whether for recreation or the feeling of self-reliance, gun ownership will give you a good feeling inside. Don’t knock it until you try it.
Mark Easley is a senior computer science major. He can be contacted at measley@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Quote of the day
“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
Mark Twain U.S. humorist & author
Weekly Poll
Where will you watch Super Bowl 2012? With my roommates O’Rourke’s Brothers Indianapolis
Vote by 5 p.m. on Thursday at ndscmobserver.com
Laura Laws Graphics
Mark Easley Elephant in the Room
edItorIal Cartoon
A few good men
Adam
Newman Scientia Potentia Est
Democrats and Republicans do not agree on much nowadays, but my guess is most can agree on two things: 1) America faces many complex and pressing issues and 2) America needs a President to lead on solutions for these issues. So as the 2012 election nears, there is no doubt that America needs the best candidates that the Democrats and Republicans can produce.
The Democrats already have their strongest candidate: Barack Obama. Obama has already won the presidency and shown that he can effectively govern.
While many on the left are unhappy with some of his policies, that should not lead them to support a primary opponent. A primary opponent, even someone as popular as Hillary Clinton, would weaken Obama and their party at a time when it can only win united. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
Then there are the Republicans, whose primary for the Presidential nominee is similar to an episode of “The Jersey Shore:” entertaining but for all the wrong reasons. The Republican field, consisting of Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman,
letters to the edItor
Rick Santorum and Herman Cain is embarrassingly weak. (Note: Cain, Bachmann, Huntsman and Perry have dropped out of the race.) Many of the extreme candidates, who in any other election would have received little to no support, have briefly held the frontrunner position or a close second.
First, there was Bachmann, whose chronic use of inaccurate facts and figures (look at her politifact.com profile) during debates caught up with her when she suggested that a certain vaccine leads to mental retardation. Next, there was Perry, who after making his debate performances hard for everyone to watch ended his chance when he was unable to name the third cabinet position that he would eliminate as President. After Perry was Cain, a man with no governing experience who was unable to respond when asked a question about Libya.
After Cain was Gingrich, a man who could fill a 747 with his personal baggage, whether it be his three wives (two of which were mistresses), his insensitive and incendiary remarks, or his many, many, many bad ideas. Finally, Santorum, someone who lost his re-election bid for Senate in 2006 by 18%, had a surge after conservatives could flock to no one else. All the while the moderate (and normal) candidates like Romney and Huntsman have been by the rank and file.
Political parties rarely put forward all of their best potential candidates, but usually many are in the field. This is not so for the Republican primary. The ideal Republican candidates are: John Thune, Senator from South Dakota, Paul Ryan, Representative from Wisconsin (and a runner up for Time’s 2011 person of the year), Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana, Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, Jeb Bush, (yes, another Bush) former Governor of Florida, in addition to Romney and Huntsman.
It is no secret that I want Obama to win in 2012. And the easiest way for this to happen would be for one of the weaker candidates (i.e. Gingrich) to face Obama in the general election. It would be much harder for the President to win against Romney or Huntsman, so my inner political hack says I should root for Gingrich to win the nomination.
But then the inner American takes over. I did not name the Republicans above because I agree with them. On the contrary, I disagree with these men on most issues. But as America faces many pressing issues, it deserves the best candidates that each party can provide. While a win against Gingrich would be a win nevertheless, it will not give Obama the electoral mandate he needs to move forward with his agenda
Thanks for publishing Andrew Alea’s letter, “2012’s Shirt.” I appreciate his thoughtfulness on the issue.
As mentioned in the last two paragraphs of my original letter from Monday, it is hard to believe we can’t reach a compromise here, e.g. by utilizing all of the brilliant minds in our first-ranked business school to figure out other ways to supplement The Shirt Committee’s income, e.g. by selling sweatshirts, jackets and coats with the same lettering and design as The Shirt. This is Notre Dame. We just have to be smart enough to figure this out. Whatever we do, let’s not just “punt” this year. Enough said.
that a win against Romney, Huntsman or one of the above Republicans would.
As the Republican convention nears, it looks more and more like Romney will be the nominee, but most Republicans support him only grudgingly. This intolerance against moderates has made them fail to realize that Romney is the only candidate that can win both the Republican primary and general election, and Huntsman is the only person that could deliver a decisive win against Obama in a general election. What a tragic mistake.
In the most recent Batman movie, “The Dark Knight”, a comparison is drawn between the “hero that Gotham needs and the hero that it deserves”. The context is that Gotham, a city seized by corruption, needs a hero with the power and moral ability to save it. But since Gotham has sunk so low, it does not deserve a hero of this stature.
The same can be said about the Republicans: Huntsman and Romney are the heroes that the Republicans need, but Bachmann, Paul, Perry, Cain, Gingrich and Santorum are the politicians that they deserve.
Adam Newman is a junior finance major. He can be reached at anewman3@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The Shirt: Quick reply Ryan Gerspach, my love, a request
Jim Blase Law School Class of ‘81 St. Louis, MO Jan. 25
High time we legalize
A couple weeks ago, I was going through the exciting process of ND Roll Call when I noticed something a little different: a memo to all students reminding us of the University’s notably stringent drug policy.
Of course, we all know the one recreational drug to which this policy most frequently applies: marijuana. Possession alone can cost you a year’s suspension from the University. It got me thinking, what is it about marijuana that inspires such widespread fear and evokes extreme punishment directed toward non-violent offenders, not only at ND, but throughout the country?
Is it the adverse health effects? The shelves at your local supermarket are stocked with food and drink items that will kill you much quicker than weed ever
will. In fact, there has never been a single documented death directly resulting from marijuana use. Is it the state of mind in which the drug puts you? Not unless rendering users happy and hungry creates a threat to the public good. Is it the old argument that smoking it causes a lack of motivation? This can be said for any recreational activity when one overdoes it, yet video games and TV remain legal. A recent report estimates that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government spending related to the enforcement of prohibition. Additionally, annual tax revenue from legalization could reach $6.4 billion if marijuana was taxed at comparable rates to tobacco and alcohol. This does not include the potential benefits of the reintroduction of a multi-billion dollar hemp industry to
the U.S. economy. Given the economic state of the country, it is hard to find an easier way to increase revenue and cut expenses than the legalization, regulation and taxation of cannabis products. I can hardly begin to cover the issues related to marijuana legalization in one Viewpoint article, but I urge anyone who reads this to take the time to do some of your own research. Question the entrenched misconceptions about marijuana, and if you come to the same conclusions I have, get involved and ask your administrators and politicians for more sensible drug policies.
Matt DePaolo
senior off-campus Jan. 25
My Darling Ryan Gerspach, Our love is fresh like a baby bird Our hearts are beating loud. Being with you completes my life I’m on a happy cloud.
I want to share spring semester with you Experience things together. We have an opportunity to create Memories that last forever.
The Band of the Fighting Irish Has an annual tradition Involving dresses and dancing and beverages I request your permission.
On Saturday, February the 4th Honor me with your company Will you please, my darling, my sunshine, my snickers, Go to the band dance with me?
Camille Hayes sophomore Breen Phillips Hall Jan. 24
By SHANE STEINBERG Scene Writer
“Shame” is in a rare class of films. It’s that once-in-a-blue-moon movie that’s undeniably great (dare I say, almost a masterpiece), yet too difficult to watch. It leaves you on the edge of your seat, ready to prematurely walk out of the theater.
It’s a feat really, turning a man’s desperate pursuit of sex into a cringe-worthy two hours. It so finely walks the extremely thin line between being sick and pornographic, and graphic enough that you feel the need to turn away but can’t bear to. And therein lies the genius of Steve McQueen’s sophomore effort: the fact that the visceral power is in what you don’t see. It would have been so easy for McQueen, who embraced the film’s NC-17 rating, to make it less about a sex addict’s mental and emotional unraveling and more about his sexcapades.
Michael Fassbender portrays the sex addict. And if his Ryan Gosling-like presence all over the silver screen in 2011 films wasn’t enough to make America notice, then his performance in this film should be.
Fassbender plays Brandon Sullivan, a Wall Street playboy who lives a solitary existence if not for his frequent encounters with prostitutes, one-night stands and nightly adult video chats. His ailment is all too human at first glance, and maybe even praiseworthy by society’s tendency to congratulate and emulate playboys.
Beneath the surface, however, he’s broken and utterly sick. For him, sex isn’t a matter of pleasure, or even remotely a matter of emotional connectedness. Rather, it is a life-blood without which he’d have nothing to live for, except for maybe the one scrap of family he has left — his troubled younger sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan).
The film opens with Brandon staring emptily at the ceiling ahead, his bed sheets half-draped across his naked body. As the film’s title vanishes from the screen, Brandon gets up and moves about almost like a zombified version of a man. From that moment on, his sexual encounters (especially one that doesn’t even directly involve
him) increasingly operate in agonizing fashion, taking momentary breaks from time to time to allow the audience to come up for air.
Fassbender, despite a career-defining turn, won’t win any of the high-profile awards for his performance. McQueen, who in his second film once again shows he has that rare Lars von Trierlike ability to get his actors to give him everything, won’t win either. The film shares the same fate simply because, to put it bluntly, no nationally broadcast awards show can get away with endorsing a movie even half as controversial as this one.
Nevertheless, “Shame” is one of this year’s best films. It tears you apart on the inside and cuts deep — deeper in some than in others — and whether you love or hate it, “Shame” is more of an experience than a film. A challenging experience to sit through, but an experience nonetheless.
Contact Shane Steinberg at ssteinb2@nd.edu
“Shame”
Directed by: Steve McQueen
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan and James Badge Dale
‘Twelfth Night’ Washington Hall 7:30 p.m. $12 for students
Theatrical favorite Actors from the London Stage return to Notre Dame with a production of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, “Twelfth Night.” The play, which combines disguise, mistaken identity and romance, is a light-hearted but poignant story sure to keep you in stitches. Actors from the London Stage will also perform “Twelfth Night” on Friday, Jan. 27.
Three Men in Kilts Fiddler’s Hearth 9 p.m. Free
Popular South Bend haunt Fiddler’s Hearth brings to its stage Three Men in Kilts, a Chicago-based Irish band that will play a set of traditional Irish pub songs. Join in as the crowd sings along over some bread pudding and a pint — or, for those under 21, a soda. Even at this late hour, Fiddler’s is both a bar and restaurant, fun for people of all ages to enjoy.
Wallpaper Legends 10 p.m. Free
Indie “party rock” artist Wallpaper will visit Legends on Saturday. Along with opener Twenty One Pilots, Wallpaper’s hits are guaranteed to get the crowd dancing all night long. Stick around after the show for a bubble party, which — you guessed it — means bubbles will fill Legends as you dance. The concert and the after party are free, so don’t miss it!
By KEVIN NOONAN Scene Writer
The Keough-Naughton Institute Irish Film Series will bring the critically acclaimed film “The Guard” to the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center this Friday.
The film, set in rural Ireland, stars Brendan Gleeson (whom Harry Potter fans might recognize as Professor Moody) and Don Cheadle as a local police officer and an FBI agent forced to team up to investigate a drug trafficking ring.
Gleeson and Cheadle’s characters could not be more different. Cheadle plays a straight-laced, up-tight modern officer of the law. Gleeson, on the other hand, portrays a freewheeling and unintentionally racist cop from backwoods Ireland who is at least as comfortable at a bar or with call girls as he is investigating crime, if not more so.
The concept of an odd-couple buddy cop movie is hardly original on the surface, but Gleeson delivers the imperfections of his character’s character to such perfection, that the movie rises above any comparisons to a run of the mill action thriller.
The first interaction between Gleeson’s Sergeant Gerry Boyle and Cheadle’s agent Wendall Everett consists of Boyle expressing his shock at learning that not all drug dealers are black.
Sergeant Boyle goes on to learn that Everett is from Milwaukee, which naturally leads him to ask if the agent grew up in the projects. He is again shocked to learn that not all black kids grow up
While a trip to New York City’s Metropolitan Opera might be difficult right now, the walk to DPAC is not. This Sunday, the Met will broadcast its new original opera “The Enchanted Island” live in the Browning Cinema. The Baroque opera features music set to a new libretto that combines the stories of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Tempest.”
in extreme poverty. This exchange leads to one of the greatest lines in the movie, as well as a perfect description of the way Gleeson plays his character.
Everett proclaims, “I can’t tell if you’re really [freaking] dumb, or really [freaking] smart.” Boyle sits in silence, responding with a goofy smile, not giving anything away.
The film is entertaining and humorous throughout, and can be seen at DPAC this Friday at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $3 for students and can be found on the center’s website.
Contact Kevin Noonan at knoonan2@nd.edu
On campus
What: “The Guard” Where: DeBartolo
Performing Arts Center
When: Friday, Jan. 27
How Much: $3 for students
Learn More: http://performingarts.nd.edu/
Don’t get sick with the Lob City Disorder
If Albert Pujols went to the Mets, would that make the Mets automatically better than the Yankees?
If the answer is yes, you must be a Mets fan. Or a Clippers fan.
plished in multiple seven-game series with each of these hungry, veteran-savvy teams, whereas the only player with legitimate playoff experience in Lob City is a born-again shooting guard by the name of Chauncey Billups.
Love signs four-year extension
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Love watched friends Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook sign five-year extensions this season and was ready to do the same with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Andrew Gastelum Sports Writer
This is the first step to curing a terrible epidemic spreading across the nation, mostly through the almighty Bill Simmons (who lives in L.A. and is a Celtics fan) and Laker-haters everywhere. It’s called LCD, also known as Lob City Disorder. It falls somewhere between scurvy and irritable bowel syndrome and should be taken seriously at all times.
LCD is one of those infamous diseases that catch the country by storm, following in the footsteps of Tebowitis B and preceding Ricky Rheubiotism — apparently spreading like the plague in the land of 1,000 lakes.
Lob City Disorder attacks the brain, instantly creating an aversion to the colors purple and gold. It makes you think grandiose thoughts such as, “The Clippers are the best team in Los Angeles” and “Donald Sterling is such a great owner” when in fact you should be asking yourself: “Why do our best players have two first names (Blake Griffin and Chris Paul)?” and “Why does our point guard have an uncanny resemblance to Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?” and “How many rings have we won?”
And the last question is critical to this national discussion.
The Clippers added one All-Star player to their roster, and now they are bigger than the façade of the Hotel Figueroa that stands in front of the Staples Center.
The Lakers have five rings from seven NBA Finals attempts in the last decade. The Clippers have zero. And in the near future, do we honestly see the Clippers winning a championship? Can the addition of Chris Paul (coupled with the shipment of a young core of solid role players to New Orleans) really make this team a compelling and viable threat out of the West?
First, this team with no playoff experience would have to get by the defending-champion Mavericks and probably the heavily favored Thunder (not to mention the Lakers or Spurs) before having a shot at the insanely talented Heat or unusually deep Bulls. All of these would have to be accom-
ClassIfIeds
I’m not saying the Clippers aren’t better than the Lakers right now, but people are treating them as though they have the same pedigree and the same insatiable expectations solely earned by the Lakers.
Chris Paul is only one player. Period. They need more around him and he is only guaranteeing the Clippers two NBA-shortened seasons to do it. And those who know Donald Sterling know it will be tough to actually think he will splurge for Dwight Howard or even O.J. “Da Juiceman” Mayo. If the fantasy-owners dream (LeBron) couldn’t do it like this, how will Chris Paul be able to? Sure he has Blake Griffin, but after that where is the depth, the youth, the spark?
And what happens when the rapid-fire season takes a toll on Paul, as it is already starting to do? It then becomes Blake Griffin and last year’s same-old Clippers without Eric Gordon and Chris “the Caveman” Kaman.
It’s pretty sad, looking at the Clippers crowd. Most are there to see the opposing team (this writer is guilty) and some are there to see Chris Paul throw half-court lobs to Blake Griffin. They aren’t there to see the Clippers, who actually play an aesthetically pleasing game of basketball. Don’t believe me? Count the number of Eric Gordon jerseys — or Clippers jerseys at all, for that matter — in the crowd.
And even if the Clippers beat the Lakers in the next 100 meetings, they will still not be L.A’s team and develop the rivalry they hope it can become. Until the fans change — which won’t happen — it will continue to be the way it has always been. It takes decades to build prestige, not a trade.
CP3 to Blake Griffin is a beautiful way to fill the Top 10 on SportsCenter, but will it fill the trophy case?
Chris Paul just bought Avril Lavigne’s Bel Air mansion so he will probably be in L.A. for a while. But he might switch to the gold team across the hall at Staples Center to go after that gold in 2013.
Just a spoonful of reality helps the medicine go down.
Contact Andrew Gastelum at agastel1@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority column are those of the author and not necessarily
WALK TO CAMPUS Great Specials! Studio, 1, 2, 3 Bedroom & Townhomes available. (574) 2728124.
www.clovervillageapartments. com
As the clock ticked down toward the deadline, it became abundantly clear that owner Glen Taylor and president of basketball operations David Kahn didn’t want to go that far.
So the two sides found a middle ground.
Love signed a four-year maximum extension Wednesday worth more than $60 million that allows him to opt out after three years.
The deal offers the financial flexibility and protection from injury that the Timberwolves were seeking while giving the 23-yearold Love the freedom to become an unrestricted free agent in 2015 if he so chooses.
“Did I want the five years? Of course,” Love said on a conference call from Dallas, where the Timberwolves were facing the Mavericks on Wednesday night. “It was something I felt strongly about. But at the end of the day, a fouryear deal is still great.”
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams can offer one player on their roster a fiveyear deal with annual raises of 7.5 percent, which is one year longer and three percentage points higher than any other team can offer.
Love has emerged as the new face of the franchise in the postKevin Garnett era, an All-Star who led the NBA in rebounding last season and is off to an even better start this year. He is fifth in the NBA in scoring (24.9 points per game), second in rebounding (13.9) and first in minutes (39.4).
“He’s the key of this team. He’s our leader,” point guard Ricky Rubio said. “We appreciate what he does on the court. It’s great for us.”
Coupled with the additions of coach Rick Adelman and Rubio, Love has helped form a promising foundation. Still, Love can leave if he doesn’t like the direction the organization is headed in three years.
“The early termination keeps my options open and I want to see where this team is going to head,” Love said. “I feel that we are (on the right track), and that we’ll get there. ... I’m looking at this as a four-year deal and we’ll go from there.”
With this grueling, lockoutshortened season still only a quarter of the way finished, Kahn said he and Taylor felt that extending a player even as accomplished as Love for five years was more than they were comfortable doing.
“In a perfect world, we would have been able to do five years and not have any risk and not
UNPLANNED PREGNANCY? Don’t go it alone. Notre Dame has many resources in place to assist you. If you or someone you love needs confidential support or assistance, please call Sr. Sue Dunn at 1-7819 or Ann Firth at 1-2685. For more information, visit ND’s website at: http://pregnancysupport@nd.edu
Timberwolves forward Kevin Love celebrates after hitting a gamewinning three-pointer against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 20. Love and the Timberwolves agreed to a contract extension Wednesday.
leave ourselves vulnerable,” Kahn said. “But it’s not a perfect world. The main thing is Kevin is a max player and he deserves max money. I’m very pleased for him that he can have financial security that this contract provides.”
The team had until 11 p.m. Wednesday to sign Love to a deal and prevent him from becoming a restricted free agent in July. Oklahoma City gave Westbrook a five-year, $80 million deal and Chicago signed Rose to a five-year, $94 million deal under a provision that Rose earned by winning the MVP last season.
“They’re in totally different positions,” Love said, pointing out that the Thunder and Bulls are both considered championship contenders while the Wolves haven’t been to the playoffs since 2004.
Even after all that he accomplished in his first three seasons — the first 30-point, 30-rebound game since 1982, becoming one of the rare big men who can shoot reliably from 3-point range and finally giving the franchise a star player that fans could cheer for after Garnett was traded — there still was some debate entering the season about whether Love deserved a max extension.
Skeptics noted that Love wasn’t the kind of player to create his own shot in late-game situations and struggled on the defensive end, which meant that all the gaudy numbers he was piling up rarely led to victories.
But as this season has opened, Love quickly showed that the only debate left about his value to the Timberwolves was the length of the contract. He showed up to training camp 25 pounds lighter and in superb shape, which has served him well.
He’s also added a step-back jumper and a turnaround bank shot
that allows him to create space between himself and the defender and is improving as a help defender on the other end. He drilled a 27-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Clippers in Los Angeles and scored 39 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a loss against Houston on Monday.
The four-year deal gives the Timberwolves some flexibility going forward and keeps that “designated player” five-year option available for Rubio, No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams or another player down the road.
All three players, and Adelman, could have their contracts up in the summer of 2015.
“It’s good to have our centerpiece,” Williams said. “We need a guy like him to put up 25 and 10 every night. ... I had a feeling he would stay with the fan base he’s built.”
Even though his play may not have indicated it, Love said the situation was wearing on him as the deadline approached. He said he was relieved that it was all over and would playing “with a chip on my shoulder” after not getting the five-year deal.
“I understand his position,” Kahn said. “It was a very close call. I don’t believe, however, that Kevin will be affected by it. I believe that Kevin, deep down, cares about one thing and one thing only, winning. And I think that he understands that, to the extent that this might help us achieve some team objectives, that he’s OK with it.”
If there was any disappointment about Love settling for a shorter contract, Adelman didn’t see it.
“I was hoping for 10 years...for me,” the coach deadpanned. “I think he understands. You don’t want to be someone who signs a contract and immediately starts complaining. He sees the opportunity. I’m hoping he relaxes a little bit and we can start making him a more complete player.
Seinfeld Quotes:
“Hello, Newman.” - Jerry Seinfeld
“Hello, Jerry.” - Newman
“I think I’ve reached a point in my life where I can tell the difference between nougat and cookie.”George Costanza
“Who’s gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint -- it’s delicious!”Cosmo Kramer
“When you look annoyed all the time, people think that you’re busy.” - George Costanza
“Oh, I was unstoppable! Perfect combination of Mountain Dew and mozzarella, with just the right amount of grease on the joystick.” - George Costanza
“You think people will still be using napkins in the year 2000? Or is this mouth vacuum thing for real?”Cosmo Kramer
“I’ve been lying about my income for a few years. I figured I could afford a fake house in the Hamptons.” - George Costanza
“If I don’t have a good shower, I am not myself. I feel weak and ineffectual. I’m not Kramer.”Cosmo Kramer
“I just can’t believe the way people are. What is it with humanity? What kind of a world do we live in?”George Costanza
nfl
Vikings owner optimistic about Metrodome
Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said Wednesday that the team wants a new stadium in the Twin Cities, even if it means building on the current site of the Metrodome.
It was the New Jersey businessman’s strongest signal that he would ultimately ac -
cept the site that for months had been his least favorite among a handful of options.
“I’m optimistic that it could be,” Wilf said when asked if the Metrodome’s downtown Minneapolis location could be the site of a sparkling new stadium that he wants to be partially funded by state money.
Wilf and team officials met
privately with Gov. Mark Dayton, several state lawmakers, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and others to discuss tearing down the Metrodome and rebuilding there.
The meeting came after several days in which the team’s bid for public funding appeared on the brink of falling apart, at least for the year, as Dayton proclaimed two other
site options unworkable and Wilf was said to be frustrated that a proposal to build in suburban Arden Hills had been discarded.
The group emerged after more than three hours to say the Metrodome site would be the focus of stadium negotiations going forward.
Concerns about the site remain, meeting participants said: the Vikings face a costly and logistically difficult relocation to the University of Minnesota’s football stadium for three seasons, and team officials are concerned the crowded Metrodome location offers too little space for new parking, game-day tailgating, and adjacent development projects.
Another Minneapolis option, on the other side of downtown, appeared to be completely dead.
While the Vikings had been warming to the site, opposition on the Minneapolis City Council and its proximity to a historic Catholic Church — whose rector threatened to sue to prevent it — apparently doomed its prospects.
No one was ready to write off the Arden Hills option entirely. Wilf said while the team still has hopes for Arden Hills, “we will leave it up to the legislative working group to decide where they would
want us to work hardest at.”
The Vikings have sought a replacement to the Metrodome for nearly a decade, contending it no longer generates sufficient revenue for the team to keep up with other NFL clubs, most of which are playing in new or renovated facilities. The Vikings used to share the building with the Twins and the University of Minnesota, but both opened new stadiums within the last two years.
Building a new stadium on the same spot as the Metrodome is an old idea, with a number of plans and blueprints sketched out in recent years.
But the team backed the Arden Hills proposal last spring after state lawmakers told them to find a willing host. As Minneapolis leaders waffled on rebuilding downtown, Ramsey County commissioners swooped in to offer a large suburban swath of land in the St. Paul suburb that once held an Army ammunition plant.
The team envisioned not only a stadium but space for a training camp and museum, plenty of room for tailgating and other game-day activities, and the possibility of related retail and hotel development that prompted some critics to dub the project “Zygi-World.”
Wizards win first game under new head coach
WASHINGTON — Nick Young scored 20 points, and Andray Blatche had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Washington Wizards to a 92-75 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on
Wednesday night in Randy Wittman’s first game as coach. Wittman took over for the fired Flip Saunders on Tuesday, and guided the team without the benefit of a practice. Saunders’ lead assistant has been an NBA coach twice — with Minnesota and Cleveland. His career record improved to 101207.
He didn’t change the starting lineup.
“All these guys get a clean slate with me,” Wittman said. They started off brilliantly against a team with even more problems. The Bobcats, who have lost six straight, are now 3-16 and were missing their top two scorers: Gerald Henderson and D.J. Augustin.
Matt Carroll scored 17 points and rookie Cory Higgins had a season-high 13 for the Bobcats. Tyrus Thomas also had 13 points and blocked nine shots — one short of a team record.
John Wall scored 12 points for the Wizards, who broke a three-game losing streak but are still just 3-15. Washington led throughout and had a 31-17 advantage after one. The second quarter was even worse for Charlotte. The Bobcats missed their first seven shots of the quarter and finished 5 for 20 in the period, scoring just 11 points and trailing 48-28 at halftime.
The Bobcats used a 9-0 run early in the third to cut the lead to 50-37, but Washington soon pushed the lead to 25 and led 71-49 heading into the fourth.
Associated Press
Top four ranked players advance to semifinals
Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia —
With Novak Djokovic clutching his leg and struggling to breathe, it looked like the “Big 4” semifinal lineup at the Australian Open might not come together.
Then Djokovic’s championship instincts kicked in.
The top-ranked Serb held off No. 5 David Ferrer in a secondset tiebreaker Wednesday night and then raced through the third set for a 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-1 win, setting up a rematch of last year’s final against fourthranked Andy Murray.
Order was restored.
For 10 days, nearly everyone at Melbourne Park has talked about the top four players and how they are on a higher level than the rest of men’s tennis. But with the other three already in the semis, Djokovic looked to be in trouble in the second set.
“No, I don’t have any physical issues,” Djokovic said, playing down any health concerns. “I feel very fit and I feel mentally, as well, very fresh.
“It’s just today I found it very difficult after a long time to breathe because I felt the whole day my nose was closed a little bit. I just wasn’t able to get enough oxygen.”
The win ensured that the top four men reached the semifinals for the third time in four Grand Slams. Murray beat Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 earlier Wednesday, while second-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Roger Federer were already preparing for their semifinal showdown, their 10th clash at a major but their first
meeting at that stage of a Grand Slam since 2005.
Doubts about Djokovic’s temperament surfaced after he won his first major at the 2008 Australian Open. He went another 11 majors before reaching another Grand Slam final, which he lost.
In his first title defense in 2009, he struggled with breathing problems and the heat and had to retire from his quarterfinal match against Andy Roddick.
Trying again to defend the Australian Open title, and again in the quarterfinals, the 24-year-old Djokovic was leading by a set and a break when he dropped a service game against Ferrer.
At break point, he scrambled to hit a defensive lob on his backhand and didn’t even wait for it to land out before turning to face the back of the court, grabbing at the back of his left leg. He leaned over and rested his head on the top of his racket. Ferrer was back in contention.
For the rest of the set, Djokovic sneaked looks at his coaches and team in the stands. He cajoled himself at the baseline and took time between points.
At times he looked exhausted. At times he looked sore.
“Look, you know, in these conditions, at this stage of the tournament, when you’re playing somebody like David, somebody that has great shots from both sides from the baseline, makes you always play over five to 10 shots in the rally, your physical strength and endurance comes into question,” Djokovic calmly explained of his on-court de-
Rams fans concerned about future of team
ST. LOUIS — Fans are wondering about the fate of football in St. Louis as a deadline approaches for a plan to upgrade the home of the Rams.
Next Wednesday, Feb. 1, is the deadline for the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission to outline how it will transform the Edward Jones Dome into a “first-tier” stadium by 2015. If it fails to do so, the Rams can break their lease — and potentially move — after the 2014 season.
The commission has been meeting with city and county officials for several weeks on how to upgrade the dome, and how to pay for it. No one is discussing details. Messages left with Mayor Francis Slay’s chief of staff Jeff Rainford and with St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley’s spokesman, Mac Scott, were not returned.
Commission President Kathleen Ratcliffe declined comment. The commission said in a statement that the likelihood of success “is enhanced when the parties can make a frank exchange of information, on an ongoing confidential basis.”
meanor. “Actually I’m not concerned about that at all.
“I’m really fit and I have no concerns of recovering for the next match. It’s just a matter of breathing better through the nose.”
That may not be how Murray’s new coach, Ivan Lendl, sees it. Lendl has been working with Murray this month, trying to help him break his Grand Slam
title drought — the Briton has lost three major finals without winning a set, including the last two in Australia.
Lendl lost the first four Grand Slam finals he contested, before winning eight of his next 15. He was doing some scouting Wednesday night at Rod Laver Arena, sitting about 15 rows behind the Djokovic group, surrounded by people waving
Serbian flags. He couldn’t have missed the sideways glances from Djokovic to his support crew, or the fact that he sat down in a line judge’s chair when Ferrer challenged a line call. Murray and Djokovic have been playing each other since they were 12, and know each other so well they sometimes hit together and kick a soccer ball around.
The stakes could be high. Los Angeles is seeking an NFL team. Rams owner Stan Kroenke is a Missouri native and played a pivotal role in bringing the team to St. Louis 17 years ago. But he owns an estate in Malibu, is reportedly interested in buying the Los Angeles Dodgers and has been noncommittal about the future of his football team.
Adding to the worry was the announcement this month that the Rams would play a “home” game in London each of the next three seasons. Commissioner Roger Goodell has repeatedly spoken of possibly locating a team in London one day, and Kroenke is a majority shareholder in the English soccer club Arsenal.
Kroenke did not return messages seeking comment. Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff on Wednesday declined comment.
Kroenke’s only recent public appearance in St. Louis came earlier this month when he introduced Jeff Fisher as the new coach. Asked about the future of the Rams in St. Louis, Kroenke simply noted the deadline for the dome improvement plan.
Novak Djokovic hits a forehand return to David Ferrer of Spain in the quarterfinal match of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday. Djokovic advanced 6-4, 7-6, 6-1.
Associated Press
Babcock
continued from page 16 life.
“Sometimes when I’m really feeling down, [I think] I’m here for a reason. I wouldn’t have had such a weird experience with getting in if I wasn’t supposed to be here,” he said. “It’s really strenuous like finals week and exams, it’s like, ‘This is really stressful. I can’t handle it.’ I believe that God would tell me, ‘I’m putting you here for a reason. You can handle it.’”
An exceptional role model for the team’s 16 freshmen, Babcock’s passion for Irish sports became evident at an Irish volleyball match several months ago.
“The first match, I think the girls lost, so we were like, ‘We’ve got to pump these girls up,’” he said. “We ran to [our] locker room and put on our speedos. We put on eight articles of clothing. Every time the team scored three times, we took off an article of clothing. When it got to the end, the 25th [point], we ended up in our speedos and just ran around the court.”
Babcock said he is confident that his plan ultimately affected the outcome of the match.
“I’d like to say we’re the reason that they won,” he said. “I
don’t know if they’ll admit that, but I’d like to think we got an assist for that.”
Aside from providing entertainment at volleyball matches, Babcock said he hopes to impact the lives of those he meets during his time at Notre Dame.
“[By my senior year] I would like to have made a difference,” he said. “I would like to leave here knowing that either I changed the school or my team, my dorm in a positive way. I’d like to say I did something.”
Last year, Babcock was a recipient of the Beeler-Hipp Award, which is presented annually to the freshman who best demonstrates vitality, competitiveness and love for Notre Dame. The award is named in honor of former Irish swimmers Meghan Beeler and Colleen Hipp, two freshmen who died in a bus accident Jan. 24, 1992.
“What all my coaches seem to have taught me is that you get out what you put in. Basically, whatever you want to do, you can do,” Babcock said. “I try to set the pace in every practice. I’m a fun-loving guy outside the pool, [but] I try to work as hard as I can every time I enter the pool.”
The Irish will host the Shamrock Invitational on Friday at Rolfs Aquatic Center.
Contact Megan Golden at mgolde01@saintmarys.edu
Sanders
continued from page 16
I have teammates next to me cheering me on and pushing me to be the best I can be. We are all fighting to win together, as a team.”
Sanders is already establishing herself as one of the top competitors this spring, despite being only three matches into the season. She swept each of her matches in singles competition at the No. 4 spot. At No. 2 doubles, Sanders and freshman partner Katherine White
Belles
continued from page 16
the Thunder 45-25. Saint Mary’s forced Trine into shooting only 33 percent from the floor. The Belles, on the other hand, thrived against the Thunder defense.
“Trine played a zone defense against us,” Henley said. “It allowed us to get to some spots on the floor and make shots.”
The Belles executed and shot 44 percent from the floor. Ronan was the team’s leading scorer with 18 points while shooting 58
are placed 25th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason rankings.
“My ranking with Katherine is both hers and my first college ranking,” Sanders said. “We’re very excited but also want to continue to improve. We’re working very hard in practice in order to claim more wins and hopefully move up in [the] rankings.”
Sanders said another difficult part about college competition is handling the stress that comes with being a college athlete and a top student.
“We are going to be traveling a lot this semester, so we have to make sure we keep up with
percent for the game. Centa and senior forward Kelley Murphy also added nine points each.
For Trine, junior guard Megan Loveberry scored 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Loveberry was the only player to score double digits for the Thunder.
Henley said the team will look to carry the momentum from its last two games moving forward.
Saint Mary’s improved its record to 5-3 at home and hosts Hope on Saturday as it looks to reach the .500 mark for the season.
“We need to just keep doing what we are doing and get offensive boards as well,” Henley said.
“Also I think we need to get to the
our school work and at the same time compete against other schools every week,” Sanders said. “At times it’s stressful balancing the two.”
As for season goals, Sanders said hers align perfectly with the team’s ultimate goal: to bring a national championship home to Notre Dame.
“We have and will continue to work hard in practice and fight for every match in order to achieve that goal,” Sanders said. “We’re not going to be satisfied with coming close. We want that title and nothing else.”
Contact Katherine Heit at kheit@nd.edu
free-throw line more than we did tonight, and when we are on the line we need to make more shots.”
The Belles only reached the free-throw line 12 times for the game, shooting only 58 percent. Saint Mary’s will look to improve upon that mark when it takes on Hope, who won the previous meeting 74-56.
“Hope is coming in and that is always a great game. We’ll be ready for it,” Henley said.
Saint Mary’s faces Hope on Saturday at 3 p.m., with the alumnae game preceding it at noon.
Contact Brendan Bell at bbell2@nd.edu
Seminoles blow out Deacons
Associated Presss
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest lost its best shot blocker to injury. One of its top scorers couldn’t seem to do anything right.
No wonder the Demon Deacons found themselves on the wrong end of another blowout.
No. 23 Florida State took advantage of the holes in Wake Forest’s lineup in a 75-52 romp Wednesday night.
The Demon Deacons lost more than the game. They also lost Ty Walker to a concussion after the 7-foot center was hurt in a collision with 9:50 left in the first half. He averages nearly three blocked shots and had swatted away four attempts before he was injured.
Further complicating things, second-leading scorer Travis McKie — whose average of 17.2 points was 0.1 points behind C.J.
Harris for the team lead — was a season-worst 1 of 13 and finished with three points.
“Losing Ty Walker really put us in a tailspin,” coach Jeff Bzdelik said, later adding that he told McKie that “no player in the history of basketball is immune to nights like this when you’re shooting the basketball.
“He had really good looks, and they just wouldn’t go down for him, and I think it just kind of gets into your mind and you try to force.”
Harris scored 16 points to lead Wake Forest (11-9, 2-4), which had 18 turnovers yet twice managed to pull within two points in the second half. The last time came when Tony Chennault’s layup with 17 minutes left made it 32-30.
Bernard James countered with a hook shot in the lane, and that started the game-breaking surge. Michael Snaer hit 3-point-
ers from the right wing roughly 90 seconds apart, and Jon Kreft’s layup in the post stretched the lead to 50-32 with just under 10 minutes left.
“They wore us down,” Bzdelik said. “We weren’t stopping them inside, and we weren’t stopping them outside.”
That’s partially because Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton wanted the ball pounded inside — and that directive was given before he knew Walker was out.
“Our intentions were to go inside and try to attack inside,” Hamilton said. “(Walker) not being there made it a little more convenient for us.”
Snaer scored 18 points and hit four 3-pointers, Okaro White added 11 points and Xavier Gibson had 10. That helped the Seminoles (14-6, 5-1) win their fifth straight ACC game, their longest winning streak in league play in two years.
The ACC co-leaders shot nearly 51 percent — 68 percent in the second half — and outscored Wake Forest 40-16 in the paint. They broke the game open with an 18-2 run shortly after halftime.
“We just kind of tried to slow it down, get the ball inside, get points in the paint, take it to the free-throw line,” Gibson said. “We took a lot of jump shots in the beginning of the game, and we wanted to just get it inside and be more physical. We knew they were lacking inside from foul trouble and injuries, so we just wanted to pound it inside, go to our advantage right now.”
Florida State earned its third victory in 12 days against the schools from North Carolina’s Tobacco Road.
The Seminoles beat then-No. 3 North Carolina by 33 points in Tallahassee, Fla., before Snaer’s buzzer-beating 3 gave the thenfourth-ranked Blue Devils their first home loss in nearly three years.
Cooley
continued from page 16
“Today, we did a little bit more with free throws at the shootaround,” Brey said. “Even pregame, I told the assistants, ‘Get the guys to the foul line more.’ I thought it really paid off because we really emphasized it today.”
The Irish turned a 1918 halftime lead into a 10-point advantage behind a 10-1 run over the first 4:20 of the second half.
Notre Dame pushed the lead to a game-high 16 after two Cooley free throws with 6:29 remaining in the game.
“We were great defensively,” Brey said. “Would
CCHA
continued from page 16
said. “We want to go out and have fun again, and we need to get back to just enjoying the hockey.”
Lorenz said Jackson has made sure his team stays mentally sharp with only five regular-season series remaining before the CCHA playoffs.
“Coach is just making sure that we stay focused,” Lorenz said.
Though the CCHA race is of prime concern, the Irish no doubt have aspirations to make the field for the 2012
we be mature enough after a big win to come back and be hungry and be focused and play well?
Most teams wouldn’t have played well or would have been distracted. For this group to turn around and be mature enough to come and get it on the road, I’m thrilled.”
then-No. 1 Syracuse.
“Jack was fabulous with his body position and physical presence in the paint.”
Mike Brey Irish coach
Notre Dame recovered from a sloppy first half that included 10 Irish turnovers, losing the ball only four times in the closing period.
Brey said this win was bigger than the win over
NCAA championship and improve on last year’s defeat in the Frozen Four.
The field will consist of 16 teams, 11 of which will be selected by the Pairwise comparison ranking system.
“You handled a great win so well mentally then turn around and beat a really good team,” Brey said. “I told our group, ‘If you get this one, I think you’re showing signs of possibly being special.’ And they delivered. So let’s be greedy and go on to Hartford and get another one.”
The Irish face No. 24 Connecticut on Sunday in Hart
ford, Conn.
Contact Matthew d e f r anks at mdefrank@nd.edu
ern Michigan.
Despite the fact that the conference will disband following next season, it appears the CCHA will be heavily represented on the national stage at this season’s end.
“Our conference is, right now, proving to be tougher than any other conference.”
Notre Dame sits fourth in the most recent Pairwise rankings, one of five CCHA teams in the top 10. Joining Notre Dame are third-ranked Ohio State, fifthranked Michigan, and tied-forsixth Ferris State and North-
Jeff Jackson Irish coach
Notre Dame hockey fans may have dreams of Hockey East in their heads, but for now, the CCHA is as healthy as ever.
Contact Chris a l len at callen10@nd.edu
DILLON WEISNER/The Observer
Sophomore guard Jerian Grant drives to the hoop during Notre Dame’s 67-58 upset of then-No. 1 Syracuse on Saturday.
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 indispensable link to the two campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home. Make
JumBle
HENry ArNOlD MikE ArgiriON
JON rEpiNE exPnd
AlEx griSWOlD and lEE HAggENJOS the london exPress
men’s BasketBall
ND sinks Pirates
By MATTHEW DeFRANKS Sports Writer
When Notre Dame defeated No. 1 Syracuse on Saturday, it took the Irish 26 seconds to reach a total of three points. On Wednesday night against Seton Hall, the Irish did not pass the threshold until 10:06 remaining in the first half. The Irish, however, survived the slow start to beat the Pirates 55-42.
The teams combined for eight turnovers before the first basket, which came after nearly five minutes of game action. The Irish, who started the game 1-of11 from the field, finished the game shooting 35 percent from the floor.
Seton Hall senior forward Herb Pope and senior guard Jordan Theodore entered the game each averaging nearly 17 points apiece. Pope, before fouling out, managed just five points on two of 16 shooting from the field. Theodore, meanwhile, tallied 11 points.
“There’s no question [junior forward] Jack Cooley was great and [senior guard] Scott Martin helping a little and [junior forward] Tom Knight gave us minutes,” Irish coach Mike Brey said in an interview with und.com. “Jack was fabulous with his body position and his physical presence in the paint. [Pope] never really got going and that was the key.”
Cooley followed up his 17-point, 10-rebound effort
against Syracuse with a 13-point, 11-rebound outing against the Pirates. Cooley was one of three Irish players to notch double-figures.
Seton Hall’s 42 points were the fewest Notre Dame (13-8, 5-3 Big East) has surrendered to a Big East opponent in program history.
The Pirates (15-5, 4-4) shot just 26 percent from the floor and connected on only two of their 14 3-point attempts. They entered the game shooting more than 37 percent from three-point
men’s sWImmIng and dIvIng
Babcock looks to add to rich Irish tradition
By MEGAN GOLDEN Sports Writer
After a wild ride with the University’s Admissions Office, sophomore swimmer Colin Babcock distinctly remembers how it felt to be accepted to Notre Dame.
Babcock grew up in a house divided between Louisiana State and Notre Dame athletics.
The product of Saint Paul’s High School in New Orleans, La., Babcock’s uncles were constantly in his ear about the possibility of one day attending their alma mater and competing for the Irish.
During his senior year of high school, Babcock visited Louisiana State, William & Mary, and Notre Dame.
Following his visit to South Bend, he said his decision was a no-brainer, provided that he was accepted to the University.
“I was basically raised to go to this school,” he said. “It was ranked the No. 1 business school in the country, and who doesn’t love Notre Dame?”
When he spoke with the Notre
Dame Admissions Office in April of his senior year, however, Babcock was informed that he had not been accepted to the school he had dreamed of attending for as long as he could remember.
“I took all the Notre Dame stuff off the wall. I kind of made a burn pile and I might have punched a hole in my wall, I can’t remember,” he said.
Just five hours later, Babcock received a phone call from Irish associate head coach Matt Tallman. Admissions had placed the Irish recruit on the list of rejections by mistake.
“I couldn’t speak. I was stammering on the phone,” Babcock said. “It was an awesome feeling. It was kind of like, ‘Alright I guess I’ll put [the posters] back up on the wall.’”
Babcock said he was attracted to Notre Dame in part because of his Catholic faith. Attending Basilica Mass as often as possible, he said his relationship with God plays a huge role in his everyday
smC BasketBall
Belles top Trine, earn second straight win
By BRENDAN BELL Sports Writer
Saint Mary’s defeated conference opponent Trine 59-48 to earn its second consecutive win. The Belles (9-10, 5-5 MIAA) reversed the result of an earlier meeting between the two teams back in November, when they lost 67-59.
Saint Mary’s and Trine (9-10, 3-7) started the game exchanging scores, but with under eight minutes left in the half, Saint Mary’s began to expand on its lead. By halftime the Belles had
Women’s tennIs
range.
“We did a heck of a job guarding that arc and frustrating them with that,” Brey said.
Notre Dame was especially effective at the free throw line. The Irish shot 24-of-32 at the line, including 16-of-19 in the second half.
Sophomore guard Jerian Grant was 10-of-12 at the free throw line, scoring a team-high 15 points.
COOLEY/page 14
hoCkey
a 33-22 margin over the Thunder, with contributions from senior forward Jessica Centa and senior guard Maggie Ronan.
Saint Mary’s coach Jennifer Henley says the week of practice contributed to the team’s success against Trine.
“The biggest thing today was rebounding,” Henley said. “We emphasized rebounding all week, and they came out here today and did just that.”
The Belles recorded 23 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded
BELLES/page 13
Sanders embarks on sophomore campaign
By KATHERINE HEIT Sports Writer
The spring season has barely begun and Britney Sanders is already proving that, at least for her, sophomore slumps are a myth.
Sanders, who came to Notre Dame from Ontario as the 21st-ranked prospect, spent her senior year of high school playing doubles with fellow Irish sophomore Julie Sabacinski.
Sanders said one of the challenges college play brings is transitioning from individual competition, which she was familiar with in high school, to the more team-oriented play that college provides.
“Before college, I represented and competed for just myself. I was alone on the court,” Sanders said. “Now, I am representing and competing for the Notre Dame women’s tennis team.
SANDERS/page 13
ND sits atop tough CCHA
By CHRIS ALLEN Sports Writer
Though it will cease to exist in less than two years, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is stronger than ever, with eight of the nation’s top 20 teams in the USCHO.com rankings. The No. 4 Irish (14-9-3) are the highestranked team in the conference but sit sixth in the conference standings, five points behind No. 6 Ohio State.
Irish coach Jeff Jackson said the competition for the CCHA regular-season title will stay fierce throughout the remainder of his team’s season.
“Our conference is, right now, proving to be tougher than pretty much any other conference,” Jackson said. “The teams we’re playing now are going to be as, or more, difficult than the team’s we’ve just faced, and that applies every week in this conference.”
Though the Irish and Miami (Ohio) entered the
season as national and CCHA favorites, it is the upstart Buckeyes from Ohio State who have surprised many by racing to a top-10 national ranking. They sit atop the CCHA standings, despite coming off a couple of down years.
State team, both of whom sit ahead of the Irish with an even number of games played. Irish defenseman and captain Sean Lorenz said the team is focusing on playing loose, rather than looking at the crowded standings.
“We just try to go out and have fun everyday,” Lorenz
Ferris
Jackson’s team is also jostling in the standings with a young Western Michigan squad and a
CCHA/page 14
physical
DILLON WEISNER/The Observer
Irish junior center Jack Cooley goes up for a block during Notre Dame’s 67-58 win over then-No. 1 Syracuse on Saturday.
ALEX PARTAK/The Observer Freshman Robbie Russo fires a slapshot during Notre Dame’s 2-1 loss to Michigan on Saturday in the Compton Family Ice Arena.
