PDF for Tuesday, December 6, 2011

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‘Waste-Free Wednesdays’ improves steadily

Challenge promotes conscious dining behavior; liquid and food waste decreases

By ANN MARIE JAKUBOWSKI

News Writer

For a second year in a row, Waste-Free Wednesdays have challenged students to eat and drink consciously in the dining hall during the month of November.

The challenge, organized and directed by senior Elizabeth Davis, reduced monthly waste by more than half last year, and similar success was found this year.

Davis said the project met its primary goals.

“We had a two-fold goal: to decrease the amount of liquid and food waste, of course, but also to increase awareness of how much

we were wasting,” Davis said.

The challenge was created through a partnership through the Office of Sustainability, Food Services and the GreeND Club. Students with no leftover food or drink on their trays were given raffle tickets, which could be entered into a drawing for 100 free Flex Points.

“The partnership between the three groups allowed there to be a student arm collaborating with the administrative aspect as well,” she said.

Analysis of the typical student eating patterns showed that at the beginning of the year, the

see WASTE/page 4

Wednesdays” challenge encourages students to take only what they will eat.

MBA student, wife to build library Archbishop wins prize for service in Latin America

By MEL FLANAGAN News Writer

Notre Dame MBA student

Conor Evans and his wife Lauren always knew they wanted to use their engineering and construction talents to benefit others.

The Evans recently acted on their dream and partnered with Invisible Children, an international non-profit movement set on ending conflict and children soldiering in Uganda, to build a

library for the Lacor Secondary School in Gulu, Uganda. They are calling the initiative the 31 Lengths Campaign.

“The main thrust of the project is to get out there using our individual talents and passions in life, our own skills, to do good in the world in a sustainable manner, as opposed to charity, which is walked away from,” Conor Evans said.

Lauren Evans said the two began researching non-profit orga-

nizations about a year ago, looking for a partner whose mission matched theirs. They settled on Invisible Children, a movement that began in 2003 when three filmmakers from Southern California created a documentary about the conflict in Uganda.

The library will attempt to move Uganda toward a businesscentered economy, rather than an agrarian-centered one, be-

By TORI ROECK News Writer

Louis Kébreau, Archbishop of Cap-Haitien, once said, “When you build a school, you close a prison.”

Because of Kébreau’s commitment to promoting education in Haiti, particularly in the aftermath of the 2009 earthquake, he will be honored with the Notre Dame Prize for Distinguished Public Service in Latin America on Thursday in Haiti, according to a University press release.

“[Kébreau] is somebody who has dedicated his life to working with the people of Haiti and particularly has done a lot of work on education,” said Stephen Reifenberg, executive director of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, which sponsors the prize.

“It’s this commitment to education and social justice that has really distinguished him.”

leaders who do important work to improve democracy and human development in Latin America.

The prize comes with a $15,000 cash award, along with a matching donation to a charity of the recipient’s choice, Reifenberg said.

Kébreau chose to donate to Action et Solidarité contre la Pauvreté (Action and Solidarity against Poverty, or ASAP), an organization that provides scholarships to Haitian university students.

Kébreau was chosen for the honor because he has been a voice for the Haitian people, Reifenberg said.

“He is somebody who has really worked hard to connect the local and the national and the international,” he said. “He’s done a great deal to raise the issues of people at the local levels … to really bring the awareness of what’s happening at the local level to the level of the nation in Haiti, but even more to the international community.”

see AWARD/page 4 see INVISIBLE/page 4

Reifenberg said the award, begun in 2000 and co-sponsored by Coca-Cola, recognizes visionary

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Brittany Haas sophomore Lyons “Princess Bee.”

Matt O’Brien sophomore Carroll “The Lucky Boy.”

Cynthia Qian-Zhang sophomore Ryan “Miss Pickles.”

Grace Meikle sophomore Breen-Phillips “The Meimeijuan.”

Madison McMenemy sophomore Pasquerilla West “Smothered in Smith.”

Luke Smith sophomore Zahm “The Moaning Maddy.”

In brIef

The Department of Art will host a holiday pottery sale today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Mendoza College of Business. The sale will continue Wednesday and Thursday in the Riley Hall of Design from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Class of 2015 will gather for a freshman class Mass today at 5:15 p.m. in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. All freshmen are welcome to attend. A reception will follow the mass.

Saint Mary’s College will host its annual Lessons and Carols today at 7 p.m. in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto on campus. The event features interdenominational music, dance and scripture. All are welcome to attend.

There will be a Catholic Charismatic prayer meeting today in the Alumni Hall Chapel. The meeting will take place from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Meetings occur every Tuesday in Alumni.

today’s staff

News

Amanda Gray

Marisa Iati

Emma Russ

Graphics

Brandon Keelean

Photo

Thomas La Sports

Joe Wirth

Katie Heit

Sam Gans Scene

Courtney Cox Viewpoint

Ren Brauweiler

Thieves target toilet paper in Albuquerque robbery

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

A New Mexico restaurant employee says he’s now seen it all, after three men left his diner with rolls of toilet paper and were nabbed in the parking lot by police.

Burgers, Dogs and Wings employee Josh FlanneryStewart tells KOAT-TV in Albuquerque that he was immediately suspicious of the men when they came in Saturday because they weren’t talking and appeared “messed up.”

The three went into the bathroom and emerged carrying about a dozen rolls of toilet paper. They got in a

car in the parking lot, but didn’t get far.

Albuquerque police apparently already had the trio under surveillance and quickly surrounded the car and arrested them.

The toilet paper was returned to its rightful owner.

Stolen Santa returned to owner with apology note

UNIONVILLE, Ind. — A southern Indiana man has gotten an early Christmas gift: A 16-foot-tall inflatable Santa Claus stolen from his yard has been returned with $100 and a note of apology.

Jason McClaren tells The Herald-Times that someone returned the deflated Santa

to his Unionville yard early Saturday in a trash bag that also contained the money and note.

He says the anonymous note makes it clear that the person who returned the Santa wasn’t the thief who took it and two 6-foot tall penguins this past week. The penguin decorations are still missing.

The typed note states: “Returning your property is the right thing to do, and apologies for the thief who took it in the first place.”

McClaren says he plans to use the $100 to buy more decorations.

Information compiled from the Associated Press.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York will deliver an address on human dignity entitled “Modern Questions, Ancient Answers? Defining and Defending Human Dignity in Our Time” today in the Notre Dame Conference Center of McKenna Hall. The address will begin at 7:30 p.m. Notre Dame theology professors Ann Astell and Gerald McKenny will deliver Catholic and Protestant responses following the address.

To submit information to be included in this section of The Observer, email detailed information about an event to obsnews.nd@gmail.com

The

Job growth remains stagnant

By ANNA BOARINI

News Writer

The recession has effected all portions of the economy, but the job sector has been hit the hardest, said Saint Mary’s Economics professor Jerry McElroy. McElroy was featured in a story on joblessness on MSNBC’s “The Bottom Line” last Thursday.

“Where we are today is just a little bit above where we were in terms of overall economic activity in 2007,” he told The Observer Monday. “So in other words we haven’t come very far.”

McElroy said one of the reasons the recession has been difficult to recover from is the lack of job growth. Essentially, the current economy is a jobless one.

“The economy lost 8.7 million jobs. That was during the downswing,” he said. “During the upshot, we only gained about 2.5 million, and so that is why it has been called a jobless recovery.”

McElroy said this is the first time the U.S. has seen a jobless recovery since the Great Depression. Because the economy has seen a recession, consumers are not spending as much money, which is not good for American business, he said.

“The consumer is just not buying like they used to,” he said. “The engine of the U.S. economy is the consumer.

The household consumer accounts for 70 percent of total expenditures of the economy.”

McElroy said there are four reasons the household consumer is not spending money: the financial meltdown, the crash of the housing bubble, debt costs and lower wages than past averages.

“The real wage of the average American has been falling, and if your wages are really falling, you are not going to be spending a lot,” he said.

Even though the economy has still not completely recovered from the recession, retailers saw successful Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, McElroy said.

“Most retailers say that they do 40 percent of their business between Thanksgiving and New Year’s,” he said. “So if they don’t make it now, they are going to go under.”

McElroy said there are signs that the consumer is waking up and spending more money.

“No. 1: For the last three months, the economy has added over 100,000 jobs, so that’s good news,” he said.

“No. 2: The unemployment rate just fell in November from 9 percent to 8.6 percent, so that means we are making progress.”

McElroy said the final reason the economy saw a boost was that retail sales for Black

Friday and Cyber Monday were above what economists had forecasted.

“Now this makes the retailers feel good, and another good indicator is that consumer sentiment, when consumers feel better, seems to be rising,” he said.

Even though the economy has seen some growth and the biggest shopping weekend of the year was a success, McElroy said people are still dealing with the fallout from the recession.

McElroy said that food pantries around the country are serving demographics they have not encountered before.

“All these managers of food stamps across the country are seeing people they have never seen before,” he said.

“They identified a couple of groups: unattached young people and families with both parents and children.”

The recession has effected donations to food pantries, which has added pressure on the organizations.

“They have seen a decline in donations. Some donors are giving less and some donors are becoming receivers,” he said. “Secondly, they have experienced a cut in federal funding, and thirdly the price of food is going up and as a result, the food bank dollar goes less far.”

Contact a n na Boarini at aboari01@saintmarys.edu

LED lights shine on “Word of Life” mural

By JESSICA STOLLERCONRAD News Writer

Last Spring, the popular “Word of Life” mural on the south side of Hesburgh Library was updated with new energyefficient LED lights, said Paul Kempf, director of Utilities at Notre Dame.

The new lighting is part of the $10 million Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) project, begun in 2008 to support conservation initiatives, Kempf said.

“[The ECM project] has had two phases … The second phase has been very focused on lighting,” Kempf said. “We’ve basically gone through all of campus with an eye towards replacing incandescent light bulbs … and large-diameter fluorescent light bulbs. We’ve upgraded almost 80 buildings on campus with new lighting technology.”

The mural, originally illuminated with outdated mercury vapor lighting, also visually benefits from the new lighting provided by LED technology, Kempf said.

“The LEDs give better uniformity than [the mural] had before, as far as how it illuminates the whole mural, and you get a better color rendering,” Kempf said, “The LED lighting is more akin to natural lighting and you see truer colors.”

Kempf said another ongoing sustainability project involves updating the “sight lights” that illuminate the sidewalks and roads on campus, which also benefit from LED technology.

“The LED also has a great advantage — that it’s a light that you can shape and direct much more than you can the older sources … We’re lighting the ground instead of lighting the sky and there’s less glare … less light pollution,” Kempf said.

Energy savings from the use

of LED lights also benefits the University financially, Kempf said.

“It has a cost benefit to the University,” he said. “It has allowed the University to take the savings we’ve generated and actually roll it right back into the program and let us keep doing more and more by reinvesting in [the ECM project]. And that’s a logical approach to conservation or sustainability, to do the things that have an economic payback first.”

Heather Christophersen, director of Sustainability at Notre Dame, said she also supports these new energy-efficient transitions.

“The new lights save energy, which causes us to produce less carbon, which is one of our major goals — to reduce the carbon footprint of campus,” Christophersen said.

Christophersen said she would like to see other campus icons receive sustainable lighting updates in the near future.

“It would be really cool to change the lighting on the Dome to LED lights to make it, at night, have less of a green color and more true,” Christophersen said.

The LED lights for the mural were a donation from Musco Lighting, with whom the University has had a long-time partnership in lighting campus locations, Christophersen said.

Christophersen said she also hopes the new mural lighting will have an impact that reaches farther than the boundaries of campus.

“I think changing to these more efficient types of lights on such a visible campus landmark that so many people know about and look at, it will help hopefully remind people how they can save energy in their own lives,” Christophersen said.

Contact Jessica Stoller-Conrad at jstolle1@nd.edu

Invisible

continued from page 1

ginning with its children, Conor Evans said.

“All of the library functions are designed so the library is sustainable,” he said. “The lasting impact is to be an incubator to promote commerce to stabilize the region.”

Rainfall in Uganda is predicted to decrease 24 percent over the next 80 years, Conor Evans said, a fact that greatly increases the probability of civil war in the country.

“If we can educate them and create commerce to where they are not as reliant on agriculture for their livelihoods, that is the end goal of the mission,” he said.

While local contractors and workers designed and will build the library, the 31 Lengths Campaign will assist in other ways.

“Conor and I and our team are there to raise the funds,” Lauren Evans said. “Also, the Invisible Children engineering staff asked if we would train them in Western building practices. I’m creating a curriculum for classes such as concrete cracking issues and safety.”

The campaign is currently focusing on fundraising. In order to raise the $90,000 needed for the project, the team is taking a pyramid approach, which involves goals of a certain number of people donating a certain amount of money each.

“It’s a mix of speaking to both enough people and a few really big [donations],” Conor Evans said.

Sophomore Emily Mediate, leader of the undergraduate in-

Award

continued from page 1

Reifenberg said Kébreau has most recently advocated globally for measures to combat a cholera epidemic in Haiti.

In the realm of education, Kébreau has been integral in building and rebuilding schools for impoverished Haitian children, especially after the devastating 2009 earthquake, Reifenberg said.

Reifenberg said choosing Kébreau to receive the prize honors not only his leadership, but also the strength of the Haitian people.

“There is an interest in recognizing the incredible solidarity of the Haitian people,” Reifenberg said, “and what they’ve endured since the earthquake and in the midst of incredible hardship, the real leadership that many people have shown, and to a certain degree being able to honor one person is ac-

Waste

continued from page 1

average patron of South Dining Hall wasted 6.01 ounces of food per meal. The November data revealed that this number has fallen to 5.11 ounces — a 15 percent decrease.

North Dining Hall increased its waste slightly during the challenge, going from 3.27 ounces to 3.34 ounces wasted.

Combined, the campus decreased from 4.26 to 4.23 ounces wasted per person per meal.

“We did pretty well, since the recorded total number of people who didn’t waste in both dining halls was 949,” Davis said. “The exciting thing is, if we maintain this level of reduction, we’ll be

volvement branch of the project, said there are numerous ways for students to participate with the project.

“What we’re really looking for now is awareness of the issues going on in Uganda,” Mediate said. “We want people to start dialogue about it, start thinking about it and start having it on their radar.”

Mediate said she is looking to partner with student government’s Social Concerns committee to hold a fundraiser.

“We talked about hosting events in dorms, maybe some kind of dorm competition, but definitely having representatives interested in the project present on the issues going on and the larger picture and how they can get involved in Africa or Uganda,” she said.

Mediate said students are also welcome to become involved in other aspects of the project.

“A lot of Notre Dame students want to both get experience in their fields and make an impact,” she said. “And this is a wonderful way to do that.”

Lauren Evans said undergraduates can get involved in other branches of the project, too. These include library construction, engineer staff training, fundraising, library program development, economic development consulting and art.

“If they are Education majors and they want to help me create a curriculum to train the engineering staff, they are absolutely welcome,” Lauren Evans said. “If they are geared toward business and marketing, we can use them too.”

Contact Mel Flanagan at mflanag3@nd.edu

tually honoring Haitians, as well.”

Reifenberg said this year’s award is especially relevant to Notre Dame’s longstanding engagement with Haiti.

“This is a particularly special recognition for Notre Dame, given Notre Dame’s long tradition of commitment to Haiti,” Reifenberg said. “And I think it is a commitment that is only growing as the programs the University has in health, education, infrastructure and the study of language and cultures continue to grow. I think that while a specific individual is being recognized, it is part of a broader commitment.”

According to the Kellogg Institute’s website, former recipients of the prize include President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, human rights activist Helen Mack Chang and Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga.

Contact tori Roeck at vroeck@nd.edu

saving 67,500 pounds of food per year in South Dining Hall.”

Davis said some of the reduction could be attributed to the smaller trays now used in South Dining Hall, but that the project’s work to increase awareness was also a definite success.

“It’s so easy to just take more food than you need when you’re going through the dining hall,” Davis said. “If people kept the project’s idea in the back of their minds, we could save an unbelievable amount of food.”

Sophomore Tim Bontrager was named winner of the raffle Wednesday and was awarded the 100 Flex Points.

Davis said one common misconception about dining hall waste blames Food Services for the waste problems, claiming the organization makes too much

food and disposes of it after each meal. However, Davis said, leftover cooked food is donated to two local homeless shelters and not added to the wasted food total.

While the University is very conscious of food disposal, little can be done with the leftovers that students leave on their trays, and by addressing this issue, the Waste-Free project solves a different aspect of the dining hall sustainability problem, she said. “We really wanted to create a positive image for the whole thing, instead of making people feel reprimanded for wasting,” Davis said. “If we can continue this trend, we can make a big difference.”

Contact a nn Marie Jakubowski at ajakubo1@nd.edu

Gingrich defends campaign

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Surging in opinion polls, a confident Newt Gingrich declared Monday he plans to challenge Barack Obama in every state next year, and he began running a gauzy TV ad — his first — to push toward the Republican nomination to take on the president. But, illustrating how far he has to go, Gingrich also found himself defending the state of his campaign and his own comments about poor children.

“I do not suggest children until about 14 or 15 years of age do heavy, dangerous janitorial work,” Gingrich told reporters. “On the other hand, there are a number of things done to clean buildings that are not heavy or dangerous.”

He’s drawn fire over the

past week for suggesting that poor children as young as 9 should work at least part time cleaning their schools in order to learn about work.

As Gingrich volunteers scrambled in some states to meet deadlines to get his name on ballots, the candidate dismissed the notion that his team wasn’t up to the task of waging a credible challenge against the betterfunded, better-organized Mitt Romney. “We run a very decentralized campaign,” Gingrich insisted. “The system works.”

With only one month until the first presidential votes are cast, the GOP race has seemed to narrow to a contest between Gingrich and Romney.

Each spent the day wooing donors, Gingrich on the East Coast and Romney on the

West Coast, as the hunt for cash intensified ahead of the string of costly contests that begin Jan. 3 in Iowa. The two will cross paths Wednesday as the candidates all convene in Washington to court Jewish voters and again Saturday at a debate in Iowa, the first of three planned for December. This one is shaping up as a pivotal debate, given that Gingrich’s recent comeback has been fueled largely by a string of strong performances in which he demonstrated policy expertise and was able to appear statesmanlike while steering clear of criticizing his GOP rivals. He is the latest GOP candidate to enjoy a burst of momentum and he’s working to prove that, unlike the others who have risen and fallen, he’s a serious contender with staying power.

Postal problems delay mail

A postal worker puts boxes of mail in his truck to begin delivery Monday. The United States Postal Service will close 252 mail processing centers next spring and slow first class delivery.

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Utility bills are paid, legal briefs are filed and the Christmas shopping all gets done online. But for magazines, clothing catalogues and movies, the mail still matters.

For some mail-dependent businesses, quick and cheap first-class mail service from the U.S. Postal Service is still the best way to reach prospective customers and subscribers. And for many, it’s still an important way to get paid.

The Postal Service, which has been losing money for five years, said Monday that it is shuttering more than 200 mail processing centers, adding at least a day’s wait for many first-class deliveries. The news was met with concern and frustration from some businesses — and shrugs from others that long ago stopped

relying on the post office.

“It’s less of a disaster than it would have been 10 years ago, but it’ll be a cash flow crunch for some companies,” said Todd McCracken, president and chief executive of the National Small Business Association. “It’ll be longer to get your invoice, and longer to get a check back.”

First-class mail is supposed to arrive at U.S. homes and businesses in one to three days; about 42 percent of it arrives in one day. The cutbacks will back up deliveries to two to three days; periodicals could take up to nine days.

Cookie Driscoll of Fairfield, Pa., designs and sells decorative animal stickers to gift shops. She uses the Postal Service for almost all deliveries because prices are low and predictable, and delivery is fast. She also receives most of her income by paper checks

through the mail.

“The trickle-down effect of this is going to be frustrating,” she said. “It’s not going to put me out of business but it’s an irritant. Every time small businesses turn around we get hit with something else.”

The change could represent an operational headache for L.L. Bean, which mails 250 million catalogues a year to sell outdoor clothing and equipment. Now the company knows the day its catalogues will arrive in homes, and it can put on extra staff at call centers on the appointed day. It won’t be able to do that anymore.

“We are increasingly concerned about any proposal that would degrade the level of service such as greater variability in delivery deadlines,” said Carolyn Beem, an L.L. Bean spokeswoman.

Politicians clash over Israeli foreign policy

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and his Republican opponents are clashing over U.S. policy toward Israel as each side jockeys for support from Jewish voters, who could be critical in the 2012 election.

Aiming to cast Obama as unfairly harsh toward Israel and soft on the Palestinians, Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have called on the president to fire his ambassador to Belgium. The envoy, Howard Gutman, had said that some anti-Semitism stemmed from tensions between Israel and the Palestinians; Romney and Gingrich say his remarks unfairly blamed Israel.

The White House says Obama has a strong record on support for Israel, and quickly fired back with a statement condemning “anti-Semitism in all its forms.” The State Department said Gutman would remain in his job.

Republicans also challenged Obama’s assertion at a fundraiser last week that “this administration has done more in terms of the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration.” Romney said Obama has “repeatedly thrown Israel under the bus” — an accusation the Republican National Committee repeated Monday.

Firing back, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called Romney’s comments “outrageous” and questioned his own policies. The White House cited military aid to Israel and support at the United Nations, and pointed to statements from Israeli officials backing up Obama’s assertion.

The fiery debate will likely continue Wednesday when the GOP presidential candidates attend a Washington forum hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Obama campaign officials say they will be ready to respond. And the next day, Jewish leaders will be at the White House for briefings on Israel and a Hanukkah party, followed by an Obama speech next week to an expected audience of nearly 6,000 at a conference of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Such attention is all being paid in recognition that Jewish voters, though comprising only 2 percent of the electorate nationwide, are an important part of Obama’s base and could make the difference in battleground states including Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada in a close election. Moreover, the Jewish community is an important source of donations, and Obama campaign supporters want to maintain that support as much as Republicans want to chip away at it.

“This campaign takes the Jewish vote very, very seriously,” said Ira Forman, the Obama campaign Jewish outreach director. “I’m confident this will be the most comprehensive effort in presidential campaign history.”

The White House outreach has increased since May when Obama caused a furor by calling for Israel’s 1967 borders, with agreed-upon land swaps,

as a basis for resuming negotiations toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the ‘67 borders as indefensible and largely disregarded Obama’s emphasis on land swaps to account for current conditions.

Republicans seized on the dispute. And while Obama supporters say his argument was widely mischaracterized, damage was done. Now the Obama campaign and its backers say they are determined to respond rapidly to such criticism in future.

“We are trying to responsibly respond to all of these unsubstantiated or false allegations, but there are so many of them, and they are so frequently recited despite the fact that the people who are spreading them have to know that they’re false, that it’s hard to keep up with them,” said Alan Solow, an Obama fundraiser and longtime associate.

The effort involves using surrogates including Vice President Joe Biden, and use of the president’s own time in public appearances and private talks with donors and religious leaders, such as a conference call between Obama and rabbis ahead of the Jewish New Year this fall.

The Obama campaign also is going on the offense against Republicans. In conversations about the Jewish vote, Obama backers are quick to bring up comments by Romney, Gingrich and Rick Perry at a debate last month suggesting they would start foreign aid for all countries at zero. Obama supporters say would imperil funding for Israel, even though the candidates also sought to affirm their support for the Jewish state.

Democratic candidates typically enjoy a big electoral advantage among Jewish voters. Obama won 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008, compared with 21 percent for Republican John McCain.

But Gallup has found that Obama’s approval rating among Jews has fallen from 83 percent in January 2009 to 54 percent in late summer and early fall of this year. Still, that figure is much higher than his overall 41 percent approval rating, and the drop-off in support was about in line with other voter groups.

Sid Dinerstein, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party in Florida, predicted that Obama would be limited to around 60 percent of the Jewish vote in 2012. Obama backers say that won’t happen, but it could mean a potentially decisive difference of tens of thousands of votes in key states.

A candidate’s position on Israel may not be the top issue for most Jewish voters, who like others are more motivated by jobs and the economy. But it’s important to many, and Republicans see an opening, given the consternation over Obama’s 1967 borders speech, his administration’s rebukes of Israel for building settlements in disputed areas, and a recent incident in which Obama was overheard appearing to endorse criticism of Netanyahu from French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

InsIde Column

When I grow up: A lobsterman

When I was younger, I wanted to be a lobsterman when I grew up. And by younger, I mean until I was about 10. And no, I didn’t want to be a lobsterwoman, I wanted to be a lobsterman — I didn’t really understand the concept of making my job title politically correct.

How the Gipper stole Christmas

Every Domer in South Bend liked Christmas a lot,

But the Gipper, whose ghost wandered campus, did not.

The Gipp hated Christmas! He had a good reason!

I’ve some idea why — the end of football season.

But that wasn’t all that made old Gipp cross, Nor was it merely the great perma-frost.

One thing about Christmas old Gipp did detest:

austere.”

So the Gipper emerged to sneak through the halls,

Take down all the mistletoe, scour the walls.

The sweaters he stuffed one by one into barrels,

And stole all the soundtracks of Christmas carols.

He ripped wrapping paper off doors all dressed up.

He even took every last red Starbucks cup.

But as the Gipp slipped away with his booty,

He floated right past an RA on duty.

“Where are you going with all of that stuff?”

A consequence you students didn’t expect

When you were ensuring your halls were all decked

Was that Christmas would provide such a distraction;

Not studying would be the normal reaction.

I really just had your best interests in mind

When I took all the Christmas things I could find.”

The students replied, “But a little digression

Helps us not slide into abject depression!

The lights and the sweaters, they make us smile.

I had it all planned out. I was going to live in Gloucester, the town my father grew up in on the North Shore of Massachusetts. My boat’s name was going to be “The Merry Sea,” a play on my own name (I know, even at a young age, I was pretty punny). All lobstermen need distinctive buoys so they know which traps belong to them. Mine were green and blue striped. And I would drive a baby blue pickup truck, perfect for hauling around all my traps.

Why did the students have to take all those tests?

Gipp knew the cause of this lack of enjoyment:

Mary Claire O’Donnell Scene Writer

This dream didn’t come out of nowhere. In his youth, my father worked for one summer on the lobsterboat of a family friend, and we even still have a trap or two of his. When my siblings and I were in preschool, we always brought the trap and my dad in for our Showand-Tell day. Using a toy lobster that squeaked when you squeezed it, he would demonstrate how the traps worked and how you caught lobsters. To a four-year-old, it was the coolest thing ever.

We also had some children’s books on lobstering. I ate those books up when I learned to read and just kept the dream alive. Actual experience in pulling traps helped fuel my desires. One of my dad’s friends from Gloucester still has traps, and often when we went fishing with him, he had to check a few traps. Okay, so it wasn’t real experience — I just did some heavy looking-on — but it meant the world to me.

It also helped that I have always loved the ocean — and lobster. I grew up for much of my life in Massachusetts and both sets of grandparents lived in coastal towns in the Northeast. My summers were spent on the beach, frolicking amongst the waves or collecting buckets of shells and sea glass. Just getting a whiff of a salty sea breeze can brighten my day. I knew I would love the life of a lobsterman, because what could be better than spending my life out on the sea?

And so, my life was planned out. Or at least my young self thought so. As I grew up and hit my teen years, I vacillated between other careers I was convinced I would have when I grew up, but I can’t remember what those were. But I can remember vividly my life as a lobsterman.

So if anyone is selling a baby blue pickup truck, I am applying for jobs and might want to revisit my childhood dreams. I’ll just dust off the lobster traps in my garage.

Contact Mary Claire O’Donnell at modonne5@nd.edu

The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Students must pass to find gainful employment.

But in his good heart Gipp had a concern:

“With Christmas so near, just how can they learn?

The garlands, the stockings, the lights and the holly; It’s too hard to focus when things are so jolly.”

The well-meaning Gipp wondered what could be done, and then he recalled: “Econ 101!

To help all these students become more attentive

I’ll simply create a learning incentive.

They have to be studying, all that time lost;

I’ll make them forget the opportunity cost.

Take away all the hallmarks of holiday cheer.

Make the whole campus bleak and

The RA demanded, trying to sound tough.

“Quick, everyone come to stop this old specter,

Please someone run and go get the Rector!”

More students descended with lots of hostility,

“You’re stealing away all our utility!

Consumption at Christmastime brings us much cheer;

It’s why it is still the best time of the year.

Our demand for Christmas is quite inelastic.

You’ll find we will go to lengths quite fantastic

To maintain our spirits as we close a semester

Your theft will not stop us, you Christmas protester!

The Gipp looked around with a tear in his eye

It really seemed as though he might cry!

“Please do not think I’ve an evil mentality, I wanted to remove an externality.

Carols and bells make studying worthwhile.

We know, Mr. Gipp, that you meant to do good

But really we think you misunderstood. Cheerful students do better, we do insist

Yes, Christmas and finals week can coexist!”

The Gipper’s heart sank as he saw his mistake

He returned all the goods, every last snowflake.

The students forgave him in true Christmas spirit,

And they rejoiced loudly so that all could hear it,

Then adjourned to the dining hall to eat a great feast, And yes, they allowed him to carve their roast beast.

Grace Concelman is a senior majoring in finance and philosophy. She can be reached at gconcelm@nd.edu

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

Quote of the day

“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.”

George Burns U.S. actor and comedian

Thoughts amidst the failure of the ‘Super Committee’

“Failure.” This word accurately and succinctly sums up the efforts of the so-called “Super Committee.” This committee, composed of six Republicans and six Democrats, was charged with finding between $1.2-1.5 trillion in deficit reductions by the end of the year. If this group was unable to come up with any savings, $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts, half to defense and half to social programs, would go into effect in 2013. Many hoped that these highly concentrated cuts to social programs and defense would incentivize the Super Committee to create a more balanced plan that included reforms to entitlements and new tax revenues.

Adam Newman Scientia Potentia Est

Many Democrats, like Senator John Kerry, wanted to “go big” and create a deficit reduction package of $4 trillion with $3 in spending cuts for every $1 in revenue increases. However, Republicans refused to endorse any plan that increased overall tax revenue.

Two days before their late November deadline, the co-chairs of the Super Committee announced that talks had broken down.

One does not have to be a White House political advisor to understand

letter to the edItor

Thank you, Dayne

Thank you, Dayne.

the Republican strategy. The President’s unpopularity, the weak economy and the ability of Republicans to unite on a platform of “no” has given them an opportunity to ask: “Why make a deal where we get 50 percent of what we want while Barack Obama is President and the Democrats hold the Senate, when we can get 100 percent of what we want when Mitt Romney is President and Republicans hold the Senate and House?”

Besides this strategy being extremely cynical, it is also misguided. If Republicans sweep the 2012 elections and subsequently try to unilaterally reform Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, they will fail. And if they do not fail, they will pay a major political price in the next election. This will be due to a re-energized Democratic Party eager to oppose the Republicans and the general public reacting to Republican “overreach.” This explains why the Republicans should have accepted the offer of Super Committee Democrats, because the Republicans may never get a deal as good from the Democrats again.

I will end by asking a very simple question: Where was the president during the Super Committee ordeal? I am sure that the president’s political advisors told him that the Super Com-

Over the past four years you have been a model of how Christ calls each of us to live. You have shown not just those affiliated with this University, but this entire nation, what Notre Dame truly stands for. Even as you faced so much adversity on the field, you never wavered in who you are.

As an alumnus of ACE, I know first-hand how much this world needs people like you — quality role models for our youth to look up to. We don’t always know how much of an impact we have on people, but I want you to know my students look up to you. The example you set by the way you live your life means a lot to them, and I hope you never forget how even the little things we do can have a lasting impact.

It will be difficult to see you on the field somewhere else next season, but I wish you the best, athletically and in life. You deserve nothing but the best, no matter what your future holds. I will be proud to call you a fellow alumnus of this great University. May God bless you wherever life takes you. And please never forget, you are a Domer for life — you will always have a family here, and Notre Dame will always be home.

Thank you!

Steve Johnson alumnus ACE 16 Dec. 5

mittee was the equivalent of a black hole. It was never going to succeed given the differences that Republicans and Democrats have, so it would only weaken the president’s standing if he got involved and the committee subsequently failed.

I understand that Barack Obama is in a tough position because any meaningful deficit reduction plan has to include reforms to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Many Democrats believe that even discussing entitlement reform disgraces the guardian-like role the party has maintained over these programs for generations. At the very least, reforming entitlements would greatly upset the liberal base less than a year before the 2012 election.

The president could hedge against these losses by finally endorsing the deficit reduction plan of his own fiscal commission, nicknamed “BowlesSimpson.” Bowles-Simpson may have provisions that the president does not like, but it is much more balanced than any proposal the Republicans will ever offer. The president’s endorsement of Bowles-Simpson will silence the Fox News Analysts who say he is fiscally irresponsible, show the business community that he is serious about fixing the dysfunctional tax code, continue

to show the liberal base that he wants to raise taxes on the wealthy and most importantly show the American people that he can effectively lead on a tough issue, rather than kick the can down the road.

I am sure that when President Obama announced his candidacy in 2007, deficit reduction was not on top of his list of priorities. But comparing the political climate of 2011 to that of 2007 is similar to comparing night and day. The tides have changed, and the president should adapt by offering a long-term deficit reduction plan while simultaneously offering solutions for short-term stimulus.

But at this point in Obama’s tenure, my guess is that the president is going to “stay the course” with his illusive leadership on long-term deficit reduction. This is unfortunately expected during the run-up to an election. Even still, I hope that President Obama remembers that future generations do not build statues to people who sat on the fence.

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.

Postal Service’s struggles still resonate today

You may want to consider giving your postman a little something more than a holiday fruitcake this year, for his job may be gone before next Christmas.

A press release posted on the United States Postal Service (USPS) website this past November reported that the USPS would be ending its 2011 fiscal year with a $5.1 billion net loss. Had it not been for passed legislation postponing a congressionally mandated $5.5 billion to pre-fund retiree health benefits, that loss would have been at $10.6 billion.

Rebecca Rosman

The Daily Illini

This is not good news. For months now, media speculation has predicted that the 236-year-old institution could be closing its doors sooner than we think.

This May, Bloomberg Businessweek’s cover story, “The U.S. Postal Service Nears Collapse,” predicted that without a major makeover, USPS would “implode.”

A September opinions headline in the International Business Times predicted the USPS could be finished by the end of this year.

Yes, the U.S. Postal Service may be going away for good — but do we care?

For the vast majority of today’s tech-generation, where bills can be paid online and emails can be sent and received anywhere in the world with an Internet connection instantly, the USPS has essentially become obsolete.

If that isn’t enough of an answer, check your mailbox. My mailbox unveiled an Internet bill (likely to be paid online), two coupon catalogues (likely to be thrown in the trash) and one package addressed to my roommate (sent via UPS).

So yes, for many, the closing of the USPS may very well go unnoticed.

Others, upon hearing the news of the possibility, may wander into a state of nostalgia, reminiscing the days of handwritten love letters and holiday party invitations in sealed envelopes.

And for the 571,566 full-time workers employed by USPS (the second-largest civilian employer after Wal-Mart Stores), a closing wouldn’t simply be nostalgically depressing, it would mean over half a million people would be out of a job.

Since its opening in 1775, the USPS has worked something of a miracle, delivering pen pal letters, Halloween candy parcels, love poems and the like anywhere within the U.S. borders. Today’s delivery guarantees go so far as postmen using snowmobiles to reach the high hills of Alaska or mules to deliver parcels within the depths of the Grand Canyon, starting at 44 cents for a simple letter. How’s that for a deal?

Its own government agency, the USPS has been legally obligated to deliver the mail six days a week anywhere within the United States, “binding the nation together through the personal, educational, literary and business correspondence of the people.”

One large problem, however, is that much of today’s “correspondence” is built upon the mass junk mail advertisers, which last year consisted of “9.3 billion pounds” of the nation’s mail — compared to only 3.7 billion pounds of first-class envelopes.

In a recent New York Times article, “Junking of the Postal Service,” Ian Lee, a professor of strategic management at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University in Ottawa asked, “If the Postal Service has become a subsidized tool for mass mailers, why does the state still own it?”

It’s a valid point. But I still stand with the post I’ve grown up with for 21 years for a blended mix of reasons from nostalgia, worker support, to — quite honestly — sheer reliance.

Just like my parents, I pay the majority of my bills by check sent through the post. Each month, I ritually send a handwritten letter to my pen pal in Arkansas. And while I may be an oddity considering my age, there remains a large bracket of Americans who have relied on USPS for decades.

Which is why, maybe for this Christmas, that something extra you give your postman should be a first-class letter. In fact, make it a handwritten letter to a loved one far away, or even close by.

This year especially, there’s going to be more than one reason to appreciate a 44-cent post.

By TESSA DEMERS Scene Writer

The Morris Performing Arts Center played home to the national Broadway tour of the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” over the weekend. Upon stepping inside the theatre, the audience was transported to a land where anything could happen. The stage was decorated with beautiful intertwined flowers and vines forming patterns of gold, pink and teal, getting people in the mood to experience magic.

The transformation from animated movie to live musical could have been a tough one. There are a lot of things made possible in drawings that are not possible in real life. However, the team who produced this musical came together and created a show that effectively portrayed the magic of the original film.

In a tactful and ingenious tweak, the show had servants gradually transform into household items rather than begin as them. If they did not break the spell, they would transform completely and be stuck like that. A big fuss was made, for example, when Cogsworth (the clock character) grew a winding mechanism on his back.

The costumes were absolutely spectacular. The costume designer, Ann Hould-Ward, won a Tony for her work

in this show.

Theatre, unlike film – animated or otherwise – has to worry about moving sets In movies, shots simply cut from scene to scene, but in theatre, stagehands have to manually move pieces. In this show, gargoyles moved the sets. Although it took a while for me to realize they were gargoyles and not strange demons, having them move the sets and then positioning themselves in the scene was an innovative idea.

In the Broadway musical version, new songs were added to those from the 1991 film to bring about a more dynamic storyline and, of course, to make it more of a musical. In one of the new songs, “Me,” Gaston proposes to Belle and brags wildly about himself (what else is new?).

Another new song was “Home,” sung while Belle was first trapped in the Beast’s castle wondering if the horrible place would become her new home.

The Beast has two new songs, “How Long Must This Go On” and “If I Can’t Love Her” that bring a greater depth to the suffering of his character and demonstrate how far he had come since his transformation.

The final additional song, “Human Again,” expressed the hopes of the servants that the spell would break and they could experience being human again. The new songs by Alan Menken,

who wrote the music in the movie as well, blended fantastically with the classic songs.

Another addition to the show was dance. Anyone close to musical theatre types knows how much they enjoy a good dance break. My favorite in this production was the one during “Gaston,” when Lefou pumped up Gaston’s ego There was a remarkable bit of stage business involved in the choreography of this number, with the dancers finding new ways to clink together beer mugs in the tavern while forming a visually exciting array of lines and levels.

Almost as unforgettable was the legendary piece “Be Our Guest,” which dazzled the audience with an acrobatic rug, twinkling, glitter and plates that popped into top hats.

The musical also went beyond the film by delving into the inner monologues of both the Beast and his servants. The audience of course feels sorry for the Beast and his servants and wishes them success while watching the movie.

In this live production, however, audiences really understand the terror of the servants as their transformations progress. They also see the utter hopelessness the Beast feels when he lets Belle go free and the Beast’s desperate longing to show Belle he cares

for her.

The actors in this touring company were all fantastic, but one in particular stood out. Andrew Kruep played the lovable, dimwitted character of Lefou, Gaston’s sidekick. Kruep was perfect for the role. With his cartoony antics, comedic falling and adorable smile, he stole the show.

Overall, “Beauty and the Beast” at the Morris was amazing. The showstoppers were exactly that and the actors were phenomenal. Confetti and glitter were everywhere. What more could someone want?

“Beauty and the Beast” is a classic that will fill our hearts with hope and happiness, whether told as a movie or musical. Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme — the song got it right. Contact Tessa DeMers at tdemers@nd.edu

“Beauty and the Beast”

Where: The Morris Performing Arts Center

When: Dec. 2 to Dec. 3

Mixed media collages at CircaArts Gallery

By BRIGID MANGANO Scene Writer

Scholars have estimated that one out of every three Americans collects something. Some collect used bottle caps or celebrity baseball cards, while others prefer foreign postage stamps or Willow Tree figurines. In most cases, these collections are destined to be stored in a box or displayed on a shelving unit. For the local artist Christine Tirotta, however, collecting is a crucial part of her creative process.

Many of the items Tirotta collects are later incorporated into her mixed media collages and jewelry. A large body of her work is currently on display at the CircaArts Gallery in South Bend, where she was recently named Artist of the Month.

The exhibition is aptly titled “Words and Pictures,” and consists of 16 different pieces either mounted to the wall or resting on easels. Each piece is composed of found objects that Tirotta purchased over the years at garage sales and antique shops, ranging from early twentieth-century calendars and letters to newspaper articles and pages from the Bible. Tirotta’s strong background in graphic design

is immediately apparent because each work is characterized by a harmonious arrangement of its components.

One of the recurring themes in Tirotta’s work is spirituality. Tirotta avidly collects religious pendants and confessed she is fond of sacred icons. In a beeswax collage called “The Passion #1,” a blackand-white image of Christ nailed to the cross and a close-up of two hands raised in prayer is superimposed on a checkerboard-like pattern. Beeswax was also used as the adhesive for “Our Mother,” a collage in which a stylized acrylic painting of Mary overlays excerpts from books and a poem dedicated to the Virgin.

from hammered brass that evokes the crown of thorns. This piece stands out from its neighbors because the main support is a wall clock with an octagonal face and several crosses in place of a chime.

Although most of the sacred imagery and texts in Tirotta’s work belong to the Christian tradition, other world religions are also represented. In “Journey of Faith,” a Buddhist verse about overcoming suffering is juxtaposed with a centerpiece made

Other works are much more light-hearted in nature. “Waldorf Salad” consists of a photograph of several apples taken by Tirotta’s daughter, a fruit salad recipe clipped from a magazine, a miniature spoon and five Scrabble pieces that spell out the word “apple.” The canvas is offset by a sheet of raised Plexiglas, which adds to the three-dimensionality of the piece.

Adjacent to “Waldorf Salad” is a collage entitled “Social Media” that draws attention to the dramatic changes in the way Americans communicate with one another and perceive the passing of time. In the center, newspaper strips are woven together in the shape of a diamond, while in the right corner, Tirotta glued the interior of a wristwatch. Of all the pieces in the

exhibition, “Social Media” is the one that really highlights Tirotta’s graphic design skills. “Words and Pictures” will remain on view at CircaArts Gallery through the end of December. Anyone who considers himself a collector or who takes an interest in collage art should visit downtown South Bend to see the work of this talented artist.

Contact Brigid Mangano at bmangano@nd.edu

In The Bend

What: “Words and Pictures”

Where: CircaArts Gallery

When: Dec. 2 to Dec. 31

How Much: Free

Learn More: circaartsgallery.com

By ANKUR CHAWLA Scene Writer

Last week, Saint Mary’s College hosted its first annual Cupcake Battle Royale in Le Mans Hall. Students from Saint Mary’s baked the best cupcakes they could, and three were entered into the competition.

Thanks to my plethora of food and cupcake related articles, I was selected as one of the three celebrity judges for the competition. The others included Janielle Tchakerian, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and director of Residence Life & Community Standards (and, officially, “Faculty Member With the Longest Title at Saint Mary’s”) and Becky Woods, maintenance specialist. The following is my cupcake-by-cupcake breakdown of the Battle Royale.

ity of the name. The three cupcakes in competition were the Peppermint Popper, Reese’s Cupcake and Despicable Treats.

Cupcakes were judged and awarded based on three separate criteria: taste, decoration and creativ-

The first cupcake on the slate was the Peppermint Popper. Though nicely cooked and moist, the “funfetti” cake was fairly small. The frosting, however, was quite incredible. The peppermint buttercream had a perfect flavor balance of sweet with mint. Red and green crunchy sprinkle balls on top added texture and Christmas color to the cake. One qualm I had with it, though, was the unnecessary Life Savers mint on top acting as a decoration. However, that is more a personal prejudice against Life Savers mints (I just do not get the hole in the middle).

Next up was the Reese’s Cupcake. This was a chocolate cake with Reese’s

bits baked into it, topped with a vanilla frosting. While the frosting was store bought, firm and overly sweet, the cake itself was delicious. It’s not hard to imagine the pairing of chocolate and peanut butter tasting good.

Last on the table was the Despicable Treats cupcake. This cupcake was designed to look like one of the minions from the movie “Despicable Me” and actually did quite a good job of that. The cake was made from yellow cake mix, but was dyed to look half blue and half yellow. Surprisingly, it was perfectly moist and the best baked. There was a blue, whipped vanilla frosting, and coming out of the cake was half a Twinkie delicately decorated with chocolate and Smarties to make it resemble its big screen counterpart. Despite the Twinkie being

slightly on the stale side, the cupcake came together very nicely.

Each of the cupcakes was a winner in one of the three categories: the Peppermint Popper won the name contest, the Reese’s Cupcake won for taste and Despicable Treats won for decoration. That being said, they were all great in their own way, but I of course I had my personal favorite. For me, Despicable Treats literally took the cake. Pun intended.

Contact Ankur Chawla at achawla@nd.edu

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Contact Ankur Chawla at achawla@nd.edu

By COURTNEY COX

Scene Editor

Teen phenom Justin Bieber entered the holiday music market much to the excitement of 13 year olds across the world.

His new album “Under the Mistletoe,” as one may be able to infer from the title, focused less on the spirit of the season than the romance that could possibly be associated with Christmas. Instead of preparing listeners for the holiday, it only served to raise Bieber Fever to a whole new level.

The opening song of the album perfectly exemplified this theme. Titled, “Only Thing I Ever Get for Christmas,” the song is essentially the teenage boy version of “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Bieber sang, “You’re the single item on my list, you’re my one and only Christmas wish” as millions of girls fainted.

The smooth, 90s boy band quality of the song made it a little more approachable for older fans, who would rather associate themselves with the

Backstreet Boys than any of today’s teen stars.

Bieber latched onto the image of mistletoe as a way to communicate the romance of the chilly winter months and Christmas season throughout out the album.

The second song and first single off the record is aptly titled “Mistletoe.” In perhaps one of the only explicit references to any Christian tradition on the album, Bieber sang “The Wise Men followed a star the way I follow my heart.” Deep.

“Mistletoe,” like “Only Thing I Ever Get for Christmas” was, however, a refreshing departure from the ultra-upbeat pop concoctions that people have come to expect of Bieber.

Bieber’s Christmas love-fest continued throughout the rest of the album in songs like “Christmas Eve,” where he said that Christmas “Sort of feels like Valentine’s” and remarks that “The mistletoe can pull us closer.” “All I Want is You” and “Christmas Love” were in the same vein, the only difference being the melodies.

“Under the Mistletoe” boasts im-

pressive collaborations with everyone from Bieber’s biggest fan and producer, Usher, to The Band Perry and Busta Rhymes. Most interesting, however, is Bieber’s duet with Mariah Carey.

The duo reprised Carey’s Christmas classic “All I Want for Christmas is You,” in a way that’s more than a little strange. Carey’s vocals haven’t changed at all since she first recorded the song and it seems as if Bieber’s verses were just plopped onto the track. They didn’t change anything about it at all except for some random ad-libbing by both Bieber and Carey.

Anyone who has seen “Never Say Never” knows that Bieber has great respect for the drums, but that didn’t come out at all in “Drummer Boy.” He sings the classic chorus, but has inserted rap sections interchangeably in a completely unexpected and sort of puzzling way.

When Busta Rhymes said “Let’s gather ‘round the fireplace, it’s about to get hot in here,” the song really lost any kind of holiday quality it had maintained up to that point. In fact, that line would be way more appropri-

ate in some club/dance track. The album can be divided into two distinct categories: classic songs Bieber has made a questionable attempt to modernize and original songs that are entirely about love and relationships. He took a considerable risk with many of the older songs, but the original tracks are exactly what his fan base wanted, so in that regard Bieber has succeeded.

Contact Courtney Cox at ccox3@nd.edu

“Under the Mistletoe”

Justin Bieber

Label: Island Records

Standout Tracks: “Mistletoe,” “Home This Christmas” and “Someday at Christmas”

Bowl schedule out, the debate begins

Tiger’s victory signals return to form

Associated Press

Jack Hefferon Sports Writer

The college football bowl schedule is officially out, and people are angry, as always. The computer overlords have once again messed up all that is holy in college football, providing the talking heads at ESPN and online with two weeks of screaming material over snubs, rematches and those rankings.

This year, most of the drama centered on the top three teams in the poll, as the voters/cyborgs opted for an LSU vs. Alabama rematch instead of the much clamored for showdown between offensive-minded Oklahoma State and stingy Louisiana State. If only there was some way everyone could agree on those top three.

1. Beef O’ Brady’s — National chain of pubs and apparently there’s one in Granger. Official slogan: “Meet me at Beef’s!”

2. Northrop Grumman — They build precision weapons and defense technology. Great marketing just in time for Christmas. Military Aircraft: The Perfect Stocking Stuffer!

3. Famous Idaho Potatoes — Part of this balanced bowl season.

Top Three Heisman Hopefuls:

1. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama — He’s carried the No. 2 team in the country and he’s got the numbers to bring it home. In the SEC, that’s saying something.

Andrew Luck? Honey Badger don’t care about Andrew Luck.

Well, now they can. I hereby present to you the top three rankings for everything you need to know about bowl season.

Top Three BCS Snubs:

1. Boise State — Not only does one-loss Boise get booted out of the BCS, but they also somehow get slotted in the MAACO Bowl against Arizona State. The last time we gave Boise State a chance to play a power conference in a bowl game, they beat Oklahoma in one of the greatest games in college history. Since then? East Carolina, TCU twice and Utah. People always ask how the Broncos would fare if they were in a big-time conference. Let’s find out.

2. Arkansas — The Razorbacks play in the best conference in the nation, and their two losses came to the top two teams in the country. Now the No. 6 Razorbacks play No. 8 Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl, while we have to watch No. 15 Clemson and No. 23 West Virginia in the BCS Orange Bowl. How do these numbers work again?

3. Georgia — Looked like the Bulldogs might upset LSU last week, but then the second half happened.

Top Three Random Bowl Sponsors:

ClassIfIeds

2. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor — If Andrew Luck played his way out of contention toward the end of the season, Griffin has only moved up in voters’ minds with incredible performances. Baylor has one too many losses for him to win, though.

3. Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU — He’s just one piece of an unreal LSU defense, but his two punt returns in the SEC Championship game will give him a boost up to bronze. Andrew Luck? Honey Badger don’t care about Andrew Luck.

Top Three Teams in the country:

1. LSU — You beat everyone in the country, and you look good doing it. Generally makes you No. 1.

2. Alabama — In a perfect ranking system, No. 2 only loses to No. 1, and it’s a pretty close game. That’s just what happened in the overtime prequel in November. They’ve blown out every other team they’ve played, including Arkansas, Florida and Penn State.

3. Oklahoma State — A solid résumé and very fun to watch, but an overtime loss to Iowa State is not the same as an overtime loss to LSU. Sorry. Hey, maybe the computers actually got that one right.

Contact Jack Hefferon at wheffero@nd.edu

The views expressed in the Sports Authority Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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 #QUINNING

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Earl Woods could blow smoke with the best of them, yet it was always entertaining.

Such was the case years ago when he was raving about how Tiger Woods thoroughly enjoyed the biggest stage in golf, because his son knew he could perform under pressure. But if that were true, then how did Woods butcher the final round of the Quad City Classic when he had a chance to win in his third start as a pro?

“It took me a while to figure out why he didn’t win,” Earl Woods said in a 2003 interview. “Then it dawned on me and I told my wife, ‘Tiger is going to win in Las Vegas.’ Because in his subconscious mind, he did not want to win his first tournament in some ... place like Quad Cities.”

Woods ended the longest drought of his career — 26 tournaments without a win over 749 days — at the Chevron World Challenge, and whether that was the ideal place for him to finally pose with a trophy again depends on the perspective.

In one respect, he came full circle at Sherwood Country Club.

This was the first tournament that Woods skipped in the immediate aftermath of Thanksgiving night 2009, when his personal life imploded. And it was at this tournament last year when he blew a four-shot lead and lost to Graeme McDowell in a playoff, a sign that something wasn’t quite right with his game.

On Sunday, he looked like the Woods of old by making clutch birdie putts on the last two holes to beat Zach Johnson, who played bogey-free on the back nine.

Then again, Johnson was one of only 17 players Woods had to beat at Sherwood.

Even though the Chevron World Challenge had 11 of the top 25 players in the world ranking — the most of any tournament in the world last week — some of the easiest events to win have the smallest fields. And the field shrinks even more when free money is being offered ($140,000 for last place). It also could be argued that some players had one eye on the holiday season. For 12 of the 18 players at Sherwood, that was their last tournament of the year.

Some will never be satisfied, though.

Woods could win his first tournament of 2012 in Abu

Christmas Vacation quotes

Clark: Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?

Eddie: Naw, I’m doing just fine, Clark.

Eddie: She falls down a well, her eyes go cross. She gets kicked by a mule. They go back. I don’t know.

Dhabi, and skeptics won’t think it matters until he wins on the PGA Tour (Europe has more top players, though the depth is lacking). He could win at Pebble Beach, and some will say the only measure is the majors.

Here’s how to gauge Sunday: It was a significant win because it was significant to Woods.

He said in August that his left leg feels as strong as it has in years, and that much should be believed. “If the man is healthy, that’s paramount,” Johnson said.

Woods said he has been working hard on his new swing over the last three months, and that much was evident based on the quality of shots he hit at the Australian Open, at the Presidents Cup and at the Chevron World Challenge.

What he needs is confidence, and making two key putts with a tournament on the line is only going to help.

Steve Stricker played with Woods in the opening round at Sherwood a year ago when Woods opened with a 65. He was with him for the first round this year when Woods shot 69 in gusting conditions.

“Last year I played with him here in the first round and I thought, ‘Wow, this guy is back,’” Steve Stricker said. “But you could tell this time around, he’s got even more confidence and more game. He feels even better about the direction he’s headed.”

We’ll have to wait a few months to see exactly where it’s headed.

Woods said he worked so hard after missing the cut in the PGA Championship that despite winning so late in the year, he was looking forward to a break. He will not compete again for nearly two months — until starting his 2012 season in Abu Dhabi against a world-

Clark: We’re kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.

Audrey: We’re not coming all the way out here just to get one of those stupid ties with Santa Clauses on it are we?

Eddie: You surprised to see us, Clark?

Clark: Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn’t be more surprised than I am now.

class field, with Martin Kaymer as the defending champion.

“This tournament would be a good win for him,” Stricker said as Woods was locked in a duel with Johnson on the back nine. “It’s not against a full field or anything like that, but there are good players here. This would be a great stepping stone for him.”

Even when it was considered part of the silly season, this tournament has a history of leading to better things for the winner.

Tom Lehman won in 1999, and then captured the Phoenix Open the next year to end a four-year winless stretch on the PGA Tour. Davis Love III won in 2000 and two months later won at Pebble Beach for his first tour victory in nearly three years. Luke Donald won in 2005, and the next year won the Honda Classic for his first tour win in four years. It even worked for Woods at the end of 2004, which at the time was his worst year on tour. The following season, he won two majors.

In the most recent example, and the one Woods cited on the 18th green, Jim Furyk won at Sherwood in 2009. The following year, Furyk had a careerhigh three wins on tour and captured the FedEx Cup. If there is a rush to declare that Woods is back — or at the very least, on his way — it’s because fans have been clamoring for him to show signs of life.

One win is not enough, even if it had been against a full field. And while the finish was vintage Woods, it looked as though he had to work much harder to give himself a chance at the end. How much Woods gains from this win will not be determined for several months.

But he got something out of it, for sure.

Art: [to Rocky] You got a kiss for me?

Eddie: Better take a rain check on that, Art - he’s

Clark: [a squirrel is loose in the house] where is Eddie? He usually eats these things.

Cousin Catherine Johnson: Not recently, Clark. He read that squirrels were high in cholesterol.

NCAA promises new guidlines for handling abuse

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Mark Emmert is willing to help colleges and universities do a better job protecting minors on campus.

In the wake of two disturbing child sex-abuse allegations in the past month, the NCAA president said Monday he has contacted U.S. Education Secretary Arnie Duncan so he can advise school leaders about the best practices in dealing with ball boys, ball girls and students who attend summer camps.

“We’re looking into that right now,” Emmert told The Associated Press. “Because we’ve never been involved with this kind of thing before, we’re trying to determine what is the best thing to do.”

crecy, you have the potential for abusive behavior whether it’s in the Catholic church, a school or whatever, and that applies to all of us, not just the NCAA,” Emmert told reporters in Indianapolis.

Penn State has already said it is considering a change to its school policy, too.

“We are looking at issues such as you mentioned,” school president Rod Erickson said. “For example, the sports camps, and who was allowed to participate in the supervisory or oversight kind of role.

“When you have a veil of secrecy, you have the potential for abusive behavior whether it’s in the Catholic church, a school or whatever, and that applies to all of us, not just the NCAA.”

Mark Emmert NCAA president

Emmert did not provide specific details on what those guidelines may include, how extensive they could be or when they might be completed.

No, Emmert does not intend to add the guidelines to the massive 400-plus page rulebook, but he wants to prevent future improprieties from occurring and wants to find out if there is a pervasive culture within athletic departments that could lead to cover-ups of criminal conduct.

“When you have a veil of se-

But we’re also relying on the special investigations task force, which is looking at every aspect of policy and practice. I’ve already said as part of my five promises that will implement the recommendations that come out of that investigation.”

Emmert’s comments came in the final month of a scandaltinged year that has damaged the images of athletic programs from Boise State and Tennessee to Miami and Ohio State.

But the recent allegations at Penn State and Syracuse are the most shocking.

After a grand jury report accused former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky of abusing eight boys over a 15-year period, university

trustees fired coach Joe Paterno and school President Graham Spanier. Two other former Penn State officials are charged with failing to report complaints of abuse and with lying to a grand jury. They have pleaded not guilty.

Critics contended that Paterno, Spanier and other school officials should have done more to stop Sandusky, who is awaiting a preliminary hearing on 40 criminal counts.

Last week, after three men ac-

cused Bernie Fine of molesting them, Syracuse fired the longtime assistant basketball coach. Federal authorities are investigating, but no charges have been filed.

The Education Department announced a month ago that it would conduct an investigation at Penn State. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., a former U.S. attorney, has encouraged Duncan to investigate possible Clery Act violations; the law requires schools to report the number of crimes on campus and provide warnings in a timely manner if safety is threatened.

cess on the one hand and all these grenades blowing up has been frustrating.”

Emmert reiterated his desire to reform the rule book, saying NCAA leaders had held two meetings in the past week to discuss how to simplify the rulebook. He wants more emphasis on allegations that threaten the integrity of the game, a more streamlined hearing process and a multi-tiered penalty structure, rather than the two-tiered system that currently exists.

Those measures could be passed by April.

“I am adamant, and the membership is adamant, that we make changes quickly and that we base them around the core values of college athletics.”

Mark

Emmert sent a letter to Penn State officials last month, notifying the school that the NCAA had opened an inquiry into whether NCAA rules may have been violated. Emmert has asked the school to answer questions by Dec. 16, though he acknowledged Monday that the ongoing investigations make it unlikely he would hear back that soon.

Emmert NCAA president

“We have been in touch with Penn State and their board of trustees, and I would describe that relationship as extremely collaborative and we appreciate that,” Emmert said. “But I think it’s clear that it will be impossible for them to provide us with a lot of that information in that timeframe. We certainly want to get all of our questions answered, so we’ll see what they’re saying.”

Emmert has said previously the information could lead to a formal investigation at Penn State.

Syracuse, however, is not facing an NCAA inquiry — yet.

“We’ve not done that based on the information we have right now,” Emmert said.

But it’s clear Emmert is weary of all these allegations.

“We have had a heck of a year of scandals and disruptions,” he said. “To have really good suc-

“I am adamant, and the membership is adamant, that we make changes quickly and that we base them around the core values of college athletics,” Emmert said. He also rejected the notion of paying athletes more than the $2,000 stipend that was approved by the board in October, and acknowledged that a college football playoff is likely to become a hot topic after this year’s bowl season because the BCS contracts expire in two years.

Could there be a playoff? Perhaps. Emmert mentioned the model of a bowl season plus-one, a national championship game, though he expressed concerns over injuries and academics if an eight-team or 16-team tournament were implemented.

“If you start with a playoff model, you could have kids playing 16 games and that becomes a physical strain as well as a huge academic strain,” he said. “We’ve been looking at the construction of the current postseason calendar because you’re seeing a creep into early January and a creep earlier into December. We want the games to occur after the end of the semester, the 15th or 16th of December, and before the start of the winter semester, so to fit a 16team playoff into that timeframe would be pretty bloody tough.”

CCHA

continued from page 16

has already played No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth, No. 3 Boston College and No. 4 Ohio State. The Irish will play No. 2 Minnesota on Jan. 7.

The CCHA, Notre Dame’s hockey conference for 12 years, will dissolve following the 2012-13 season. After Penn State and, subsequently, the Big Ten added hockey, the teams of the CCHA and Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) were forced to realign.

“I kind of find [the depth of the CCHA] coincidental in the fact that the league is going to disband in two years,” Jackson said.

Notre Dame (10-5-3, 7-23-0 CCHA) decided to join Hockey East for the 2013-14 season.

The No. 7 Irish are 1-2 against Hockey East teams this year, beating Boston College but dropping two games against Northeastern.

“There’s a lot of Hockey East flavor in our schedule this year,” Jackson said.

He said Hockey East teams play a much more uptempo, entertaining, fanfriendly game than the ones found in the CCHA.

In the meantime, however, fans will just have to settle for a loaded CCHA.

Contact Matthew DeFranks at mdefrank@nd.edu

Whitcomb

continued from page 16

his great-grandfather Bengt von Rosen. Whitcomb recently traveled to Germany to discover more about his lineage.

“They were a very noble family — barons and baronesses, I believe. That’s kind of my lineage, and I’m just kind of a royal man,” he said. “[The Germans we spoke with] had all sorts of songs and stories about the von Rosens, and they were pretty excited to have us there. It was a small town, so it was kind of a big event to have us there. [My teammates] say they call me the King, and I was treated like a king when I went back to my home land.”

ly, I think it’s very important to maintain more of a global perspective and not necessarily get caught up in what the American culture might tell you is the key to success. Explore your options, and don’t give up on your true passion in life.”

Whitcomb began his swimming career at the age of five. The youngest of five boys, he had little choice but to follow the path of his older brothers, two of which swam at Nebraska.

Whitcomb’s extensive reign as the youngest family member led to a sort of role reversal this season.

“Explore the world, and don’t be afraid of it. I think a lot of people limit [their goals] to what they think they can do and what their future options can be, especially outside of college.”

Whitcomb said he enjoys traveling in his free time. Asked to provide his wisest piece of life advice, he emphasized the importance of understanding different ways of life.

“Explore the world, and don’t be afraid of it. I think a lot of people limit [their goals] to what they think they can do and what their future options can be, especially outside of college,” he said. “Personal -

A senior on a Notre Dame team of 16 freshmen, the King does not need to search far to find service. Whitcomb said he is a firm believer that the freshmen must occupy the front of the bus.

“The king would demand respect, and that’s certainly what I do,” he said. “Certainly over the past few years, the younger guys have immediately realized that I need to be treated like a king. That involves putting away my stuff after practice or just being very courteous. [Having 16 freshmen on the team is] nice — definitely a

good following for a kingly man.”

Whitcomb said he believes the freshman class is a special group of swimmers, and he is confident they have a bright future in the program.

“I think myself and the senior class [have] done a good job of kind of showing them the way, and they seem to be fitting in very nicely. [The season] started off and [having a team of 16 freshmen] felt weird, but now it feels

completely normal,” Whitcomb said.

“It’s cool. It’s exciting for the time after I graduate. I think we’re headed in the right direction [with] the amount of guys we have and the talent that they’re bringing in.”

Whitcomb and the Irish will return to action Jan. 6 at Copa Coqui in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Contact Megan Golden at mgolde01@saintmarys.edu

Santo elected to Hall of Fame one year after death

Associated Press

DALLAS — Ron Santo always kept rooting for the causes dearest to him — for his Chicago Cubs to win the World Series, for doctors to find a cure for diabetes and for him to reach the Hall of Fame.

On Monday, Cooperstown finally came calling.

The barrel-chested third baseman who clicked his heels in victory was elected to the Hall, overwhelmingly chosen by the Veterans Committee nearly a year to the day after he died hoping for this very honor.

“It’s really exciting because so many years that we had parties over to his house in spring training saying this is the year, I’d tell him this is the year you’re going in,” said Hall of Fame teammate Billy Williams, a member of the voting panel.

“The one thing, of course, is he’s not here to enjoy it, but his family will. He long awaited this, and we’re all happy. I know I’m happy, his family is happy, the fans of Chicago are happy,” he said.

Santo was a nine-time AllStar, hit 342 home runs and won five Gold Gloves. He was a Cubs broadcaster for two decades, beloved by the home crowd for the way he eagerly cheered for his favorite team on the air, hollering “Yes! Yes!” or “All right!” after good plays and groaning “Oh, no!” or “It’s bad” when things went wrong.

Shortly after the announcement, Santo’s flag — white with blue pinstripes, plus his name and No. 10 — was flying from the center pole atop the

scoreboard at Wrigley Field.

“There was always kind of a missing piece of the puzzle of Cubs’ history,” team owner Tom Ricketts said.

Santo breezed in with 15 votes from the 16-member panel that met at baseball’s winter meetings. It took 75 percent — 12 votes — to get chosen.

“I’ve got tears in my eyes writing this: congrats to the Santo family on Ron’s election to MLB Hall of Fame. A good day to be a Cub fan,” tweeted Chicago-area rocker Billy Corgan, frontman for the Smashing Pumpkins.

Santo died Dec. 3, 2010, from complications of bladder cancer at age 70. He had diabetes, which eventually cost him both legs below the knees, and worked tirelessly to raise millions for research into the disease.

Williams was on the line when Santo’s widow, Vicki, got the congratulatory phone call.

“Ron has passed, but it was always his dream, to even have this come to him after his passing. It just shows you can’t give up,” she said during a conference call from Arizona.

“All he said (was) I hope I get in in my lifetime, that’s certainly a reasonable request for anybody who gets an honor as special as this one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be,” she said. “With his lifetime every disappointment that came along, he was very disappointed.”

Said daughter Linda Brown: “I know, even if my dad were here today, he would never reflect on any of the wrongdoings, so to speak. ... There would be

no bitterness, it would just be him being happy, and I believe he is.”

Santo joined former Cubs teammates Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins and Williams in the Hall. That famed quartet did most everything at the Friendly Confines through the 1960s and early 1970s except bring a World Series to the ivycovered ballpark.

“With Ernie, myself and Fergie, those players he played with ... to hear this kind of news today that he’s inducted in the baseball Hall of Fame is really gratifying because so many times that we talked about it, it’s a place he wanted to be,” Williams said.

Santo will be inducted into

Cooperstown on July 22, along with any players elected by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Jan. 9. Bernie Williams joins Jack Morris, Barry Larkin and others on that ballot.

“This is a great day for baseball and for Cubs fans everywhere,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. “Ron was a staple of the Cubs’ experience every single day for decades.”

“I always admired Ron’s courage and loyalty, and I miss him very much,” he said.

Jim Kaat was second with 10 votes, Gil Hodges and Minnie Minoso each drew nine and Tony Oliva got eight on the 10-person Golden Era ballot. Buzzie Bavasi, Ken Boyer, Charlie Finley, Allie Reynolds and Luis Tiant each received under three votes.

Brooks Robinson was also part of the panel that voted on Santo.

“I kept thinking that he would get in then, then, then and finally he got in, but it’s a little too late for him to be there,” he said.

“He’s just a terrific guy, he’s baseball through and through, he’s done a lot for the game of baseball in his career, and he’s been though a lot of hardships physically and he was just a terrific player,” he said.

“This is a great day for baseball and for Cubs fans everywhere. Ron was a staple of the Cubs’ experience every single day for decades.”

Bud Selig Cubs commissioner

Santo never came close to election during his 15 times on the BBWAA ballot, peaking at 43 percent — far short of the needed 75 percent in his last year of eligibility in 1998.

Santo had gotten closer in previous elections by the Veterans Committee. The panel has been revamped several times in the last decade, aimed at giving a better look at deserving candidates.

Since his final swing in 1974, Santo’s numbers on the field never changed. The perception of what he meant to the game did, though.

“From the discussion yesterday, we kind of got in depth,” Williams said. “We really, really talked about each individual and some things were brought out, I imagine that wasn’t brought out last time, in so far as what he’d done for the game of baseball, the $60 million he raised for (juvenile diabetes research), all the other stuff we knew.”

“This was the case of Ron Santo. We talked about it, we had good discussions on it and it happened,” he said.

Hall of Fame third baseman

“He certainly belongs in the Hall of Fame. A long time coming. No one knows the reason he didn’t get in when the writers were voting, but this process we have has been the fairest, I think.” Santo is the 15th third baseman in the Hall, including three from the Negro Leagues. He was a career .277 hitter and hit at least 30 homers every season from 1964-67.

“I think the happy ending was already there, though. He got his statue and this was a little icing on the cake,” son Jeff Santo said. “It definitely puts an end to the chapter there, that’s for sure, with the Hall of Fame.”

Santo made his debut at 20 with the Cubs in 1960 and played his whole career with them until finishing with the crosstown White Sox in 1974.

Like Banks, Santo never got to play in a World Series. They came close in 1969, overtaken in the stretch by a New York Mets team managed by Hodges, the former Brooklyn star first baseman.

That year, Santo liked to jump and click his heels after wins. It was also the season a fateful picture was taken, showing Santo with on a bat on his shoulder in the on-deck circle at Shea Stadium as a black cat scampered past.

“The ‘69 team was so very, very close, and the joy that they had not only as players, but to the day he passed, and they’re still so very close,” Vicki Santo said.

continued from page 16

in their collegiate careers, Kaila said.

“It’s really cool,” she said. “To be at college and do really well, it’s really nice, like all the hard work really paid off.”

The sisters also combined to capture one more win Friday, as Jade ran the first leg in Notre Dame’s winning 400-meter relay team and Kaila ran the final portion of the race.

“We weren’t actually planning on coming to the same school. It just happened to work out that we both wanted to come here,” Kaila said.

While Kaila attributes her and her sister both ending up at Notre Dame to a happy coincidence, Jade tells the story slightly differently.

“The truth is, I didn’t want to go to school with [Kaila] and I was looking at a different school. Then I changed [to Notre Dame] last second.

“We weren’t actually planning on coming to the same school. It just happened to work out that we both wanted to come here.”

“I love [running the relay with Kaila], because I know that if I open it, she is going to close it, so I know that she is going to do a good job every time,” Jade said. “It’s amazing.”

Kaila Barber freshman

Notre Dame’s freshman Barber duo almost never was, though, as the sisters nearly ended up at separate schools.

continued from page 16

train and then face the University of Hawaii on Jan. 4. Schap-

And she waited two days after I signed and then she signed to come with me.

She totally followed me,” Jade said with a smile.

However it worked out, the Irish are happy to have both Barbers on their roster, as Kaila and Jade each bring immense talent to the track.

“Both [Kaila and Jade] were prized recruits coming out of the class of 2011, especially Kaila,” Irish assistant coach Alan Turner said. “We knew

pler said he is looking forward to the trip.

“We’re just in the planning stages now,” Schappler said.

“We’re going to fly out there. I haven’t been there before because I was at the football game

Kaull balances dual role as coach, competitor

By CONOR KELLY Sports Writer

As one of the top junior fencers in the country, James Kaull has a lot on his plate. Between school and fencing, the hours can be long and hard. Throw coaching into the mix, and you will catch a glimpse of the dedication and hard work that have made the Irish favorites to repeat a national championship.

Without an assistant coach since the departure of Marek Stepien after last season, the Notre Dame epeeists have seen Kaull step into the role for the smallest group of fencers on the team.

“A bunch of us were pretty disappointed to see [Stepien] go,” Kaull said. “We achieved some pretty fantastic individual results with him. No one was happy to see him go, but the show must go on.”

While Irish head coach Janusz Bednarski leads the program, much of the nuanced and individual preparation for the epeeists falls to Kaull. He now faces the challenge of playing the role of both teammate and coach.

“It’s not something that comes naturally,” Kaull said. “It’s tough in an individual sport to tell people how to prepare for tournaments. It’s hard to turn the switch on and off between being a player and acting as a coach. My biggest mistake during the beginning of the year was trying to coach too much.”

His fellow epeeists have appreciated Kaull’s increased role.

“James is definitely a leader,”

that both of them were extremely talented. As a coach, when I started working with them this fall, I realized that they had done some just outstanding stuff in high school with what I call a low track and field IQ. What you are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg with these two because they really don’t have strong sprint technique, their hurdle technique needs a lot of work — that’s an understatement to say a lot.”

Despite the imperfections in the Barbers’ technique, Turner predicts successful futures for both sisters.

“Once they finally put it all together and get it and get their technique together, both of those are All-Americans pretty easily,” he said.

Although Kaila and Jade will both be chasing the All-American distinction in their careers, the twins figure they will not lose any sisterly love over the competition.

“We found out that even though we do the same sport, we have our own strengths and weaknesses,” Jade said. “So it doesn’t really matter if she beats me in one event because I know that I can always beat her in another one. So it’s more of a teamwork thing now.”

last year. We’ve got some things planned, like catered meals and transportation and things like that.”

Schappler said the key to balancing his work for the team and his work for school is mak-

Throughout their high school careers, the Barber sisters never once raced against each other. In Friday’s meet, that streak came to an end when Kaila and Jade each lined up for the 60-meter hurdles and 400-meter dash. Despite their occasional opposition within the lines of the track, the siblings remain very close off the track.

“We are best friends, so (we are) as close as it comes,” Kaila said.

ing full use of his time.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Schappler said. “When I was working for football, there were times I was working 40 hours a week. Now I’m working about 30 hours a week with swim-

Even their coaches find it easy to discern how close the sisters are.

“When they are together at practice, they are both right next to each other at practice,” Turner said. “They have both just been a pleasure to work with and they are easy to coach.”

Contact Joseph Monardo at jmonardo@nd.edu

ming. It’s really just time management, being able to switch between tasks without losing efficiency.”

Contact Scott Frano at sfrano@nd.edu

sophomore Mike Rossi said. “He’s kind of assumed the responsibilities of our coach since Stepien left. He leads us in practice when we’re split up.”

Kaull’s role has helped solidify a unique bond among the Irish epeeists, who include three freshmen in their group of seven. While most of the conditioning and footwork practice is conducted as a team, individual drills and bouts are done within each respective discipline. Without a coach for the time being, Rossi said that learning from each other becomes all the more important.

“Practicing against each other is a huge part of how we get better,” Rossi said. “especially when you’re going up against someone like James who’s one of the best in the country. He beats you most of the time.”

The Irish epeeists’ impressive showing at the Penn State Open in November convinced Kaull that his teammates and charges are on the right track. With the University set to hire an epee coach for the second semester, the future looks bright.

“Even with all the challenges that we’ve faced this year — an influx of new freshmen, being without an epee coach and a number of players leaving to train for the Olympics — I feel that we’ve already accomplished great things with the limited resources we have,” Kaull said. “We’re really excited for the rest of the season.”

Contact Conor Kelly at ckelly17@nd.edu

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Hockey

Conference conundrum

By MATTHEW DeFRANKS Sports Writer

For something suffering a slow and painful death, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) looks pretty healthy — in the rankings, at least.

The CCHA currently boasts nine teams — Ohio State, Notre Dame, Western Michigan, Ferris State, Michigan State, Lake Superior State, Michigan, Northern Michigan and Miami — in the top 25 of the USCHO.com poll. The league also claimed the top two teams in the preseason polls.

“Our conference is pretty good top to bottom,” Irish coach Jeff Jackson said. “There’s not many weak links. There are eight teams in the league that could compete for the top spot, maybe more.”

Surprise teams like Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Ohio State and Michigan State have added to the perceived strength of the CCHA. Pre -

season No. 2 Miami, meanwhile, has started to play better while perennial powerhouse Michigan has struggled.

The conference also houses five of the top 10 schools in both the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and PairWise rankings. The PairWise rankings are used to determine the field for the NCAA tournament.

“It may be the strongest this league has been in a long time,” Jackson said. “It may be the strongest conference in the country.”

Because the league is home to many highly ranked teams, each school’s schedule is tough. Nine of the 12 toughest schedules hail from the CCHA, using the strength of schedule provided by the RPI.

Notre Dame’s schedule is particularly tough. Of the top 15 in the USCHO.com poll, the Irish have played or will play 10 of those teams. Notre Dame

see CCHA/page 12

Men’s swiMMing and diving

Philosopher-’King’ garners inspiration from academia

By MEGAN GOLDEN Sports Writer

As a veteran presence on an Irish roster loaded with freshmen, senior swimmer Jonathan Whitcomb takes pride in his leadership. The team poet and entertainer is chasing his dreams of becoming a master of knowledge, while offering his teammates a taste of his wisdom.

Whitcomb’s day begins

at the sound of his alarm at 5:27 a.m., when he heads to the pool for his first workout of the day. He and his housemate, senior swimmer Kevin Rahill, return from Rolfs Aquatic Center and spend time relaxing with a book during breakfast.

An avid reader of both Edgar Allan Poe and Ernest Hemingway, Whitcomb is double-majoring in English and Anthropology.

Studying a variety of material, he said, will prepare him for his future endeavors.

“I have a lot of different career goals. I don’t like working that much. I would love to be a king and a master of knowledge,” he said. “I just think that it’s important to cover lots of realms of academia, and I try to do that as much as I can. I feel like, today, a lot of jobs limit what you can do in terms of that aspect.”

Notre Dame professor of Anthropology Carolyn Nordstrom has inspired Whitcomb to follow his interests, regardless of the naysayers. “Professor Nordstrom has been the wisest and most engaging professor I’ve had. She totally and completely encourages you to follow your passion and be confident in what you’re doing,” he said. “That includes almost listening to no one else, even some -

one older than you that you might, from a social status, think that they know better than you. She really encourages you to trust what you, personally, believe. I think that’s really cool and something that you don’t find very often from any professor.” Whitcomb, called “King” by his teammates, said he descends from a German noble, Track and Field

Twins dominate in first races

By JOSEPH MONARDO Sports Writer

Any college track and field program in the country would be thrilled to welcome a highly touted recruit with blazing speed and a long list of high school accomplishments. The Irish were lucky enough to get two from the same household.

Freshmen Kaila and Jade Barber are only one meet into their college careers, but the twins are impressing coaches with their raw talent and are already turning in winning performances.

In Friday’s season-opening meet, the Blue and Gold Invitational, Kaila took the top spot in the 60-meter hurdles, long jump and 400-meter hurdles, while Jade captured third in the 60-meter hurdles with a Big East qualifying time. The twin sisters are excited to experience success immediately

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Senior manager plays key role out of the pool

By SCOTT FRANO Sports Writer

Though he doesn’t compete in the pool, senior manager Nick Schappler plays a vital role for the women’s swimming and diving team. Schappler performs a variety of duties, coordinating travel plans for the team and handling its equipment.

“It’s a laundry list of things,” Schappler said. “I do everything like equipment, ticketing, hotel logistics, transportation, recruiting [and] compliance. I do our team meals. I do the expense reporting for the business office whenever we purchase anything and pretty much anything that the coaches need.”

The Bedford, N.H., native started out as one of 21 football managers, and through

his excellent evaluations was given the job as swimming and diving manager in January.

Schappler said his favorite part of being manager is interacting with the team.

“I would say, first of all, the team dynamics and the relationships I build with the girls and getting to see their success and being a part of that success — that’s probably my top enjoyment,” Schappler said. “Secondly, the travel, because I get to go to all these universities whenever we have away meets and it’s really neat to get to see these colleges and travel to places I’ve never been before.”

Schappler is currently in the planning stages of scheduling a 12-day trip to Hawaii for the team, where the Irish will

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