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The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s

‘I love being around students’

By SARAH MERVOSH News Editor

Fr. Tom Doyle’s first days as vice president for Student Affairs since students returned to school have been jampacked, and that’s just the way he likes them.

From 8 a.m. to after dinnertime, he’s in back-to-back meetings. He’s addressing an email about a fire drill occurring during the middle of mass. He’s going over the schedule for events for the Purdue weekend.

But after the workday is over, that’s when his real work begins.

After hours during the past week, Doyle rode the mechanical bull during Irish Shenanigans, donning full priest vestments. He jousted against the senior class president and won. He attended Activities Night.

“Going to student activities night was the highlight of my day,” Doyle said. “I love being around students.”

Interacting with students will

STUDENT SENATE

Senators brainstorm community relations

By MEGAN DOYLE News Writer

Student body president Catherine Soler and vice president Andrew Bell asked the Student Senate for ideas on how to better relations between Notre Dame and the South Bend community and for feedback on the beND campaign.

The beND campaign is designed to “unify all our University relations and offcampus efforts,” Soler said.

The campaign will focus on campus safety, good neighbor relations and community engagement, Soler said.

“At the forefront of our community relations and our efforts with law enforcement, we are up front about the fact that this is in no way an attempt to make underage drinking legal,” Soler said. “As student leaders, we try to improve things that are going

to be productive in the long run.”

“People want specifics about what their rights are when they are dealing with police,” Breen-Phillips senator Erin Burke said. “They want to know what the truth is.”

Siegfried senator Kevin McDermott suggested voter registration efforts on campus through the Center for Social Concerns should branch out to off campus students to promote responsible citizenship.

“I did read the Good Neighbor Guide recently and thought it was really well put together,” Carroll Hall senator John Sanders said. “But the alcohol section that seems to be so important right now was just a few paragraphs so maybe it needs an addendum.”

More prominent information about Transpo will also

Payments go green on IrishPay

By KRISTIN DURBIN News Writer

With the implementation of the new online student account system, IrishPay, the Office of Student Financial Services will save nearly 400,000 sheets of paper each year and parents and students are able to make payments online.

“Sustainability was definitely a driving force behind the transition to the online system,” said Michael Riemke, associate director of Student Financial Services.

Compared to the previous paper-based student account payment system, the IrishPay system will save 398,253 total sheets of paper — the equivalent of 12,639 pounds of carbon dioxide and 47,741 gallons of wastewater each year, based on the Environmental Defense Fund’s paper calculator.

In addition to making the student account system more sustainable, the Office responded to several requests

see IRISHPAY/page 4

Olympic athletes give back

By TESS CIVANTOS News Writer

Three gold medalists, two from the U.S. Olympics team and one from the Paralympics team, encouraged Notre Dame students at a panel on Wednesday to fight for their dreams – and to give the fruits of their success back to their communities.

Sponsored by accounting firm Deloitte, the panel featured speakers Cullen Jones, winner of a 2008 gold medal in swimming; April Holmes, the world’s fastest female amputee; and Apolo Ohno, the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time.

Notre Dame was the first stop on a national tour that the athletes are taking with Deloitte.

Deloitte is the Official Professional Services Sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee. The sponsorship is a part of Deloitte’s $50 million/3year pro bono project to put the skills of its people to work for nonprofits.

“Deloitte is focused on excellence and service to clients and community,” Jaeger said. “That combined with the Olympics is a great fit.”

Jones spoke first, giving the audience a brief description of his background in swimming.

Jim Jaeger, a 1983 Notre Dame alumnus and Deloitte Managing Partner of Talent, introduced the three Olympians.

“I always had to work very hard at swimming. I was never a child prodigy [cough] Michael Phelps,” Jones said to audience laughter.

Jones’s mother enrolled him in swim lessons after he narrowly

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

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

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Matt Gamber

TODAY’S STAFF

Chris Brenzel freshman Keenan

“The football stadium.”

Leon Zhou junior Stanford

“My bed.”

Paolo Garcia junior off campus

“Washington Hall during Asion Allure.”

“Saint Mary’s.”

Members of the Notre Dame men’s rowing team recruit new rowers outside of South Dining Hall Wednesday.

OFFBEAT

Man falls out of car as vehicle continues moving DARIEN, Conn. — Connecticut State Police say a man fell out of his car onto Interstate 95 and watched his vehicle drive on for about two-tenths of a mile before it crashed into a pole. Troopers said they’re not sure why 51year-old Robert Craig of Killingworth fell out of his 2006 Dodge Charger late Tuesday morning in Darien near Exit 10. Police said Craig was treated for minor injuries at Stamford Hospital.

State police said Craig fell onto the highway but wasn’t struck by any vehicles. They say other motorists stopped to help

him and get him to safety. Troopers said the car continued down the highway before striking a light pole and metal guardrail on the right shoulder.

Men accidentally toss bags of pot into warden’s truck RED BLUFF, Calif. — California wildlife officials say two men are in custody after a group of marijuana growers started to toss bags full of pot into a pickup truck belonging to game wardens they mistook for their suppliers. State Department of Fish and Game spokesman Pat Foy says two wardens in Tehama County were looking for deer poachers Monday night in the

Shasta-Trinity National Forest when they heard footsteps behind them. They turned and saw five men hauling large military-style duffel bags and sleeping bags. Foy said the men approached the wardens’ truck as if to toss the bags in the bed.

The wardens began shouting commands at the group and managed to handcuff two, one of whom was carrying a shotgun. Three others escaped into the forest.

The wardens recovered 127 pounds of processed marijuana.

Information compiled from the Associated Press.

IN BRIEF

The seminar“Challenges and Innovation in Civil and Environmental Engineering — Haiti Earthquake: Lessons Learned and Hope for the Future” will be held today at 3:30 p.m. in DeBartolo Hall room 138. Notre Dame professors Tracy Kijewski-Correa and Alexandros Taflanidis will share experiences from their recent trips to Haiti.

Kirk Cordill, managing director and CEO of BMW Group Financial Services China, will speak today at 4 p.m. in the Jordan Auditorium of the Mendoza College of Business. The lecture is a part of the Boardroom Insights Executive Speaker Series.

Tom McCusker, former executive vice president and general counsel of infoGroup, will lecture Friday at 10:40 a.m. in the Jordan Auditorium of the Mendoza College of Business The lecture is a part of the Boardroom Insights Executive Speaker Series.

The Notre Dame women’s socce r team will play Santa Clara Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Alumni Stadium . The game is a part of the Inn at St. Mary’s Classic held at Notre Dame this weekend.

Anthropology professor Susan Blum will lecture Saturday at 12 p.m. in the Annenberg Auditorium of the Snite Museum. The lecture is titled “Plagiarism and College Culture” and is part of the College of Arts and Letters’ Saturday Scholar Series. The event is free and open to the public.

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

continued from page 1

help him accomplish one of his primary goals for his first year as vice president for Student Affairs.

Doyle aims to answer two essential questions: Who are the Notre Dame students of today and how can his department support them in becoming the best they can be?

“My question is, who are the students? That’s the first question. Then you start to build programs and structures around who the students are,” he said.

can best serve the student body.

“How do we promote a virtuous way of life? How do we help people to have fun? How do we help them to play? How do we help them to laugh?” he said. “How do we encourage them to make mistakes in life? We can’t learn if we don’t make mistakes.”

“My question is, who are the students? That’s the first question. Then you start to build programs and structures around who the students are.”

Fr. Tom Doyle Student Affairs vice president

Doyle said he plans to collect data about the Notre Dame student body and conduct research about its generation to find out how Student Affairs

Doyle also plans to make some structural changes over the course of the semester, the first of which occurred over the summer when the position of associate vice president for Residence Life was eliminated.

Bill Kirk served as associate vice president for Residence Life since 2003.

“Bill served the University extremely well for the past two decades,” Doyle said. “He was a loyal, a thoughtful and a caring administrator for Student

SMC freshman class adjusts to college life

By MEGAN LONEY News Writer

Returning students may be adjusting to new professors, a more demanding course load or being back on campus, but the incoming first-year students are dealing with adjustments to college life in general — some of which are going much more smoothly than others.

One of the more difficult adjustments can be to their academic life.

Indiana or to Saint Mary’s.

“The campus is amazing,” Spann said. “It’s beautiful. It’s a good place to walk barefoot and everything’s clean.”

The campus had a similar impact on other first years.

“After I took the tour [as a prospective student], I was mad at myself for liking it so much,” Hillary Shesterkin said.

“It is really intimidating when professors tell us that the semseter isn’t going to be easy.”

Erin Nanovic first year

First-year Erin Nanovic, an intended business and political science major, describes her course load as one with the “hardest, most intense classes” she has ever taken, but feels more confident after the first week of classes.

“It is really intimidating when professors tell us that the semester isn’t going to be easy, it’s going to be really hard,” Nanovic said. “You have to study harder than you did in high school.”

Nanovic said she was surprised she was assigned homework on the first day of classes.

“I’m not used to that,” Nanovic said. “In high school, we didn’t usually get homework for the entire first week.”

But she said after the first week of classes, she feels more prepared.

“Now, that I’m used to it, it’s easier to sit down and get it [homework] done.”

The all-women aspect of life at Saint Mary’s can be an adjustment for some, but for others it does not play a large role.

“I don’t think it’s a big issue,” said Roselyn Spann, an intended Biology major. “I don’t even notice it.”

Spann, a first year from Los Angeles, was pleasantly surprised when she arrived on campus for the first time. It is the first time she had been in

Affairs.

“The position was eliminated in anticipation of a restructuring that I want to do,” he said.

In his position for Student Affairs, Kirk oversaw the Notre Dame Security Police (NDSP) and the Office of Residence Life and Housing.

Brian Coughlin, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, has temporarily taken over as head of Residence Life and Housing.

“After coming here, I can’t wait to go home and tell everyone how much I love it here.”

Though they each have their own unique first impression of Saint Mary’s and are adjusting at different rates, the first years agreed on one thing: they are all excited for their first Notre Dame football game in the student section.

Contact Megan Loney at mloney01@saintmarys.edu

of the student body and the Church — from traditional Catholics to openly gay students.

“People don’t live in less than 100 square feet because they can’t find a better value somewhere else. The culture of these buildings is what makes people come back.”

Fr. Tom Doyle Student Affairs vice president

Ann Firth, associate vice president for Student Affairs, is overseeing NDSP.

In the coming year, Doyle also aims to recognize the diversity

“It is a big Church. How do we all sort of belong as one Church together?” He hopes to work to attract and facilitate all types of diversity, including economic, cultural and geographical diversity, as well as diversity of experience.

“I think there is a narrow segment of the American population for which Notre Dame is a very attractive option,” he said. “But we do grow through deep and meaningful relationships with people

who are different than us.”

Doyle also considers the culture of the University’s 29 residence halls as particularly important.

“People don’t live in less than 100 square feet because they can’t find a better value somewhere else,” he said. “The culture of these buildings is what makes people come back.

“We need to work hard to preserve them,” he said. “We can’t take them for granted.”

And as a new resident of Pasquerilla East Hall, Doyle is not taking his new home for granted.

“I love living in a dormitory,” he said.

Plus, living in a female dormitory has its perks — the girls bake him cookies.

“That’s never happened in a guy’s dormitory,” Doyle said with a laugh.

Contact Sarah Mervosh at smervosh@nd.edu

Senate

continued from page 1

S o u t h B e n d c o m m u n i t y , L e S t r a n g e s a i d

c e r n s t h i s y e a r i s t o c l a r i f y s e r v i c e o p p o r t u n i t i e s o n c a m p u s f o r s t u d e n t s ” S o c i a l C o n c e r n s c h a i r P a t r i c k M c C o r m i c k s a i d S e r v i c e o p p o r t u n i t i e s a b o u n d f o r s t u d e n t s a t N o t r e

“Our goal for social concerns this year is to clarify serivce opportunities on campus for students ”

Patrick McCor mick Social Concer ns chair

C o m m i t t e e c h a i r s i n t h e S e n a t e m e e t i n g a l s o r e p o r t e d b r i e f p l a n s f o r t h e i r p r o j e c t s o u t s i d e o f b e N D d u r i n g t h e u p c o m i n g y e a r O u r g o a l f o r s o c i a l c o n -

IrishPay

continued from page 1

n t s n o w h

v e t h e a b i l i t y t o s e e t h e i r s t u d e n t s s t a t e m e n t s a n d m a k e i m m e d i a t e p a ym e n t s o n l i n e w i t h s t u d e n t a u t h o r i z a t i o n ” I n t h e p a s t , t h e F e d e r a l R i g h t t o P r i v a c y A c t p r o h i b i te d p a r e n t s f r o m s e e i n g t h e i r c h i l d ’ s a c c o u n t a c t i v i t y u n t i l a p a p e r s t a t e m e n t w a s m a i l e d t o t h e m N o w ,

D a m e b u t m a n y s t u d e n t s h a v e c o m p l a i n e d t h e y d o n o t k n o w w h e r e t o f i n d c l e a r i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e s e n e e d s , h e s a i d M c C o r m i c k s a i d t h e S o c i a l C o n c e r n s C o m m i t t e e w i l l c o l l a b o r a t e w i t h w e b d e s i g n s t ud e n t s t o c r e a t e s e r v e n d e d u a “ c l e a r i n g h o u s e f o r a l l p o s s i b l e s e r vi c e o p p o r t u n it i e s o n c a m p u s M u l t i c u l t u r a l c o m m i s s i o n e r B r i g i t t e G i t h i n j i s a i d h e r p l a n s f o r t h e y e a r i n c l u d e t h e c r e a t i o n o f a d i v e r s i t y c e r

I r i s h P a y a l l o w s s t u d e n t s t o a u t h o r i z e a p a r e n t g u a r d i a n g r a n d p a r e n t o r o t h e r p e r s o n t o v i e w t h e i r a c c o u n t a c t i v i t y a n d m a k e n e a r l y i n s t a n t an e o u s p a y m e n t s o n l i n e , R i e m k e s a i d “ I r i s h P a y a l l o w s b o t h p a re n t s a n d s t u d e n t s t o s e e r e a lt i m e a c c o u n t a c t i v i t y a s s o o n a s i t o c c u r s , s o t h e y c a n i m m e d i a t e l y m a k e o n l i n e p a y m e n t s , ” h e s a i d I n a d d i t i o n p a r e n t s h a v e t h e o p t i o n t o p r i n t h a r d c o p i e s o f t h e s t a t e m e n t s i f t h e y w i s h t o d o s o , a n d s t ud e n t s a n d p a r e n t s a r e n o t m a n d a t e d t o p a y o n l i n e A f t e r o f f i c i a l p r o d u c t i o n w o r k o n I r i s h P a y b e g a n i n

Contact Megan Doyle at mdoyle11@nd.edu

M a y, s t u d e n t s r e c e i v e d b o t h a n o n l i n e a n d a m a i l e d s t a t em e n t a s a n i n i t i a l n o t i f i c a t i o n t h a t t h e s y s t e m w o u l d c h a n g

Contact Kristin Durbin at kdurbin@nd.edu

By ASHLEY CHARNLEY Saint Mar y s Editor

S t u d e n t G o v e r n m e n t

A s s o c i a t i o n ( S G A ) d i s c u s s e d

reworking the Saint Mary’s co-

e x c h a n g e p r o g r a m , w h i c h

a l l o w e d s t u d e n t s f r o m N o t r e

Dame and Saint Mary’s to eat at both schools’ dining halls at its meeting Wednesday night

I n r e s p o n s e t o s t u d e n t c o n -

c e r n s , s t u d e n t b o d y p r e s i d e n t

R a c h a e l C h e s l e y a n d s t u d e n t body vice president Laura Smith met with the vice president for S t u d e n t A f f a i r s t o g e t m o r e answers on the issue

We are really taking in what

[ t h e s t u d e n t s ] a r e t e l l i n g u s , ”

Smith said “We are really tryi n g t o c o m p o s e e v e r y t h i n g everyone has to say They can

a l w a y s c o m e t o u s w i t h t h e i r concerns and we will always be their voice ” In their meetings with Karen

J o h n s o n , v i c e p r e s i d e n t f o r

S t u d e n t A f f a i r s , C h e s l e y a n d

Smith discussed alternatives to the co-exchange plan, but Smith said “ co-ex ’ s are not going to go back to what they used to be ”

A s f a r a s b u d g e t i n g f o r t h e

t i c k e t s , S m i t h s a i d $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 a

y e a r c a m e f r o m S a i n t M a r y s general fund and $25,000 came f r o m S o d e x h o , I n c , i t s f o o d provider

Although co-exchange tickets

a r e n o t a v a i l a b l e t o e v e r y o n e , S m i t h s a i d t h e y w o u l d s t i l l b e t h e r e f o r s t u d e n t s w h o n e e d them for a class or club on the opposite campus “Students who really have the need weren’t able to get the coex because of the limit, Smith s a i d “ W i t h t h i s i n p l a c e , t h e

Athletes

continued from page 1

s u r v i v e d d r o w n i n g a t a l o c a l water park a new hobby that earned him plenty of mockery on the playground

“I was from the inner city, and being a kid that wore Speedos on the weekend put a target on my back,” Jones said In spite of the jibes, Jones went o

, h e thought that the criticism was over but that was before he went to his first Olympic meet

“The French team was talking a l o t o f s m a c k , s a y i n g ‘ We ’ r e going to crush these American Olympians, Jones said Then they stopped the meet because George Bush walked in the room If that’s not a distraction I don’t know what is ” Despite the French team s confidence, Jones said his years of work and effort paid off “ we b e a t t h e F r e n c h t e a m b y o n ehundredth of a second ” Jones urged Notre Dame students to work toward their goals in spite of criticism, as he did Holmes said she had a great admiration for Notre Dame and was happy to be able to visit the campus This is my first time on campus but I feel like I’ve been here before I can’t tell you how many t i m e s I ’ v e w a t c h e d R u d y ” s h e

said “Those folks at Notre Dame really like gold I like gold too

t i c k e t s a r e b e i n g r e m o v e d f o r social reasons Anyone who has a class can bring your class/club schedule and you’ll be covered ” S a i n t M a r y

Chesley said students have been calling for a forum for students to express their ideas and opinions on the program

Smith said We want there to be discussion, let us know what you think ”

The day of the forum is still

are hoping to hold the session

would contact the student body as soon as the date was finalized

“There is a way to go about things in a confident direct way and still be respectful,” Chesley said

Chesley also discussed one of SGA s goals of keeping students in the Student Center until midnight During fall break, Chesley said a lot of remodeling will be

café area of the Cyber Café A

Student Center and Cyber Café will be open until midnight We wanted to keep students in the Student Center Lounge, and this is an accomplishment,” Chesley said

Contact Ashley Charnley at acharn01@saintmar ys.edu

just a different kind of gold So I’m going to pass my gold medal around for all of you to look at ” As the gold medal circulated t h r o u g h t h e a u d i e n c e , H o l m e s said she lost her leg in a train

a c c i d e n t e i g h t y e a r s a g o , b u t today is the world’s fastest runner in the Paralympics

I w a n t y o u t o k n o w w h a t a gold medal feels like,” Holmes said So you can go and give it back to your communities I didn’t win that medal by myself and so I pass it around everywhere I go Be a gold medal winner; be a beacon of light in your communities ” Ohno concluded the panel with his own story of success Like the Notre Dame business students w

ranked business school according to BusinessWeek, Olympic ath-

who excel within their communities ” Ohno said “You’re all going to make it, you re all going to be successful, O h n o s a i d “ B

h o w a r e y o u going to give back to your communities?”

Like Jones and Holmes, Ohno u

pursue success as professionals, but to seek success as neighbors and good human beings “ T

t you’ll be the next Warren Buffet the next billionaire,” Ohno said But you can control how much e f

n

h o w y o u impact the person next to you ”

Contact Tess Civantos at tcivanto@nd.edu

Why do we follow sports?

Why do we follow sports? As you can likely tell from my position on the Observer staff, I consider myself part of a large group of people who follows and cares quite a lot about the happenings of the various sporting events that take place throughout the year. The devotion we as sports fans put into following and cheering for our teams must seem unfathomable for those who care little for the outcomes of seemingly trivial athletic competitions.

And while it is likely that various people follow sports for various reasons — because it is the greatest reality television ever created, because of the imbedded competitive aspect, because they simply find it intriguing, etc. — one often overlooked reason for following sports, I believe, is that it allows us the ability to revel in our teams’ accomplishments without the need to be humble.

Now, I am by no means the most humble person in the world, and my attempt at humility is often quite lacking. I do make the effort, however, to quell my arrogance, and risk being called down for it if my bragging gets out of control. But bragging about the successes of the particular sports teams that I have in some cases arbitrarily chosen to support brings me the ability to be arrogant without the risk of lacking humility. Even the athletes responsible for the victories that we brag about are not afforded this luxury. No Saints fan would be criticized for bragging throughout the offseason about his team winning the Super Bowl, but if Drew Brees did the same, he would be called arrogant and would be told that he should focus on the upcoming season.

Being a sports fan gives us an outlet to do something that many people want to do but risk being insulted for it. We aren’t allowed to talk about our 4.0 GPAs or our 1600 SAT scores. We can’t even go on and on about being a member of a state championship football team.

But if our hometown team wins the World Series, we can spend almost 365 days bragging about how amazing they are. We are at the same time intricately connected to the teams we support and also separated enough that bragging about their accomplishments is not like bragging about our own. We can be cocky without being called down for it.

Unfortunately for me, the Cubs haven’t won the World Series since 1908, so I have nothing to brag about. But just wait ‘til I do.

The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Contact Eric Prister at eprister@nd.edu

Drinking age needs another look

By now we have all probably heard that relations between Notre Dame and the South Bend community are a little tense at the moment. It seems like wherever you go on campus, someone is talking about how they or someone they know were at an offcampus party that got busted over the weekend. If you’re a regular reader of the Observer, you’ll know that nearly sixty Notre Dame students have been arrested by the South Bend Police in the last week and a half. This unusually high number is in addition to the much-publicized arrest of 43 students at an off-campus party over the summer. Many people claim that the police are breaking up more parties than usual, and are arresting underage drinkers far more frequently, as opposed to merely issuing them citations. As a result, students are increasingly afraid to go off campus on weekends, for fear of running into the South Bend Police. Supporters of the police attest that they are just doing their job and enforcing the law, and that students should do more to discourage underage drinking in order to avoid contentious run-ins with cops. Critics contend that the police are focusing on petty drinking violations at the expense of some of the more dangerous violent crime that plagues South Bend. The roots of the current tension between the South Bend Police Department and the Notre Dame student body can be traced back to a law enacted on July 17, 1984, called the

EDITORIAL CARTOON

National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. This bill, cosponsored by a bipartisan group of senators (including both our current Vice-President, Joseph Biden, and Indiana’s senior United States Senator, Richard Lugar), mandated that any state which did not enforce a minimum drinking age of 21 years would be subjected to a ten percent reduction in its annual highway funding from the federal government. Prior to the enactment of this law, each individual state was free to set its own drinking age. In the aftermath of the act’s passage, the state of Indiana took an additional step, banning all consumption of alcohol by minors, including in private settings (the federal law only applied to public places).

There are several problems with the current situation. First of all, what goes on in a private home (so long as it is not harmful to the general population) is neither the business of the South Bend Police Department, nor of the State of Indiana. Allowing these entities to enter personal residences to stop underage drinking is an egregious violation of the fundamental values of privacy and personal freedom that are so cherished in this country. Additionally, the current illegal nature of underage drinking encourages a culture of rebellion that leads to irresponsible and dangerous drinking patterns. Dr. Ruth Engs, a professor of Applied Health Sciences at Indiana University believes that, “Drinking by [people under 21] is seen as an enticing ‘forbidden fruit,’ a ‘badge of rebellion against authori-

ty’ and a symbol of ‘adulthood.’” Dr. Engs contends that the drinking age should be lowered in order to teach and encourage responsible drinking habits among college-aged Americans. Indeed, this train of thought has been embraced by a number of university presidents, 135 of whom have formed an organization called the Amethyst Initiative, which seeks to reopen the national debate about the drinking age (and no, John Jenkins is not a member of this group).

But perhaps the most significant criticism of the current drinking age is that it is a straight up abuse of justice. In this country, 18-year olds are entrusted with the right to vote, can be selected to serve on juries, and can no longer be convicted of crimes as minors. In addition, men who turn 18 become eligible to be drafted into the armed services, should the draft ever be reinstated. That means they can be sent off to fight and die for their country in some far off place like Iraq or Afghanistan, but cannot even buy themselves a beer. We already hold 18-21 year olds to the same legal standards as all other adults in this country. Let’s ensure they receive all the benefits of adulthood in return, and restore their right to have a drink.

Ryan Williams is a sophomore finance and economics major. He can be reached at twilli15@nd.edu

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

“The only cure for grief is action.”

George Henry Lewes British philosopher

Viewpoint

“Whoever exalts themselves will be humbled. And whoever humbles themselves will be exalted.”

Fr. Lou DelFra Faithpoint

Though perhaps we’d all agree that Jesus’ words from last Sunday’s Gospel are quite beautiful and noble, it is not at all obvious how they apply to a group — like us — of gifted, industrious, ambitious young people, lurking at the threshold of the world and ready to become its next generation of leaders. What does it mean to “not exalt ourselves”? If it means not loading up our lives and our résumés with achievements that will help us serve the world, we are all, perhaps, already out of luck. This is what, at least in part, we came here to do.

Thomas Jefferson famously took a pair of scissors to the four Gospels, then repasted them back together, leaving out all the parts that didn’t fit with his American project. Maybe these words of Jesus about “not exalting” ourselves, and several others like it — “Whoever wishes to be first must be last,” “Whoever wishes to gain life must lose it,” etc, etc — are best scissored from our personal Scriptures until some later time in our lives, when we are not so committed to grabbing life by the fistfuls. But who wants to throw away the words of Jesus … besides Thomas Jefferson? Ok, we could come up with a

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

Striving after nothing

disturbingly lengthy list. But what about us? Is there a way to live fully these years of acquisition and cultivation of knowledge, talents, relationships, achievements, networks … while still somehow acknowledging — indeed, somehow living — these words of Jesus that all true exaltation in life comes through self-emptying?

This weekend, I preached this Gospel to a group of elementary school children. Having much less to be exalted about than adults, I figured these words of Jesus would pretty much sail over their heads. I held a cup up in the air.

“What’s this cup made out of?” I asked them. “Plastic” they yelled back in chorus. “Only half-right,” I replied. And they began craning their necks to see what else composed the cup. After a few seconds, I hoisted a pitcher of water and began pouring it into the cup, which, unbeknownst to the students, was filled to the brim with more plastic. Thus, to the suddenly shrieking delight of the students, the water splattered off the top of the cup and all over me. This showmanship got me a few laughs. It also guaranteed that a guy pouring water on himself on the altar would be the only thing the students remembered from my homily. But, interestingly, and unexpectedly, I now had the captivated look of every adult in the building. To my surprise, many of them weren’t even blinking, just staring at me, the cup, the spilled water.

Priorities

Dear Ryan Kreager,

Thank you. I did not know that underage drinking was a crime. Maybe it’s because I don’t know the definition of word “underage,” or maybe it’s because I’m not sure exactly what people are drinking. Juice?

This, at least to me, isn’t an issue of whether or not kids drinking alcohol is a crime, nor is it an issue of police addressing all crimes, instead of prioritizing according to seriousness. This is an issue of how college students are treated by the South Bend Police Department.

Consider this: what is more dangerous to society? A college student with a beer, or a college student behind the wheel of a car? (Noted, a college student behind the wheel of a car with a beer is most deadly, and just stupid). But here is my point. If I am pulled over by a cop for speeding, I might get at worst a $150 fine. But if I am busted at a party for underage drinking, the current trend is to get arrested and booked downtown, with aggressive cops dealing with mostly cooperative students. I can’t defend any person who decides to run, or punch a cop, but it is definitely not fair or just for police to openly say their policy is to not incarcerate cooperative students, and then turn around and arrest anyone involved at a party, as they did this past Monday night. A night, in which collectively, the

Immediately and intuitively, they understood the symbol, and only too well.

“So,” I asked, “what else is the cup made of?” The older students led the charge: “Space.” “Emptiness.” “The inside nothingness stuff!” said one future nihilist . And the adults — their lives filled with the great calls to parenting, earning, loving, striving, acquiring — all nodded in self-reflective agreement. What we are today, the enumeration of our current traits, gifts, possessions, never seems an adequate summary of who we are. Perhaps that is because, part of who we are … we are not, yet.

We are vessels, not résumés. Restless seekers, not insatiable graspers. We are mysteries waiting to unfold in the surprising joys and sorrows of life, not the predetermined projects of our society’s, or our parents’, or even our own plans for ourselves. So much of us is not yet.

We have so many gifts, so much we have achieved, with plenty more to come. But if there is no emptiness, no unformed space, no loneliness, no incompleteness, then … where does the water go? Whatever that water may be for you this semester — a challenging course, a mind-changing idea, an unexpected new friendship, openness to spiritual growth — it needs open space in between the ambitions and achievements of this semester.

It takes a certain attitude, or spirituality, to approach life with a continuous

average BAC of six students arrested was .03. And it is definitely not fair for police to say over their megaphone, as they pulled away from the house, “Thanks for your business tonight.” That was a good one. I’m glad to know these cops have their priorities straight. Business first, safety second.

Arrests go on record, and it is difficult to move ahead in life with an alcohol-related arrest, as opposed to say, a speeding ticket, on your record. But let’s return to my question: what is in fact more dangerous to society? And therein lies the issue: Cops treat underage alcohol consumption with greater severity, and often overstep their consideration in protecting the community, while disproportionately affecting the students involved.

But hey, good for you, Ryan, good for you. I thank you for your viewpoint. Your words of encouragement will lead to a lot of great change here on campus. I just know it. In the meantime, just go back to your medieval studies, or art history, or MBA, or whatever. You must have academia of the highest order to be working on.

Josh Bell senior off campus

Sep. 1

Not above the law

To Joe Deter, and others scrambling for a poor excuse for underage drinking, I can’t be entirely sure about you, but I like to think that I, along with my wonderful Notre Dame classmates were raised to be mature adults. This would include having integrity and not using other poor behavior as an excuse for your own poor behavior.

I am throughly embarrassed for the Notre Dame community that I know and love. Why is it that some here feel so entitled that they see themselves above the law? Just because South Bend has other crime doesn’t mean that some laws stop being applicable. Also, when one con-

siders the fairly long lifespan of Americans, there is plenty of time to drink when you’re of legal age.

As part of the Notre Dame family, the actions of students who choose to be irresponsible and drink underage reflect poorly on me. Though, perhaps I am one of the few who doesn’t need to drink at college — the exhilaration of even being a student here is enough of a buzz for me.

Melissa Jordan sophomore Ryan Hall Sep. 1

acknowledgment that we are not all put together yet. It is often called humility. This humility is not necessarily exclusive of worthy ambition and achievement. Plenty of saints had hefty résumés. But they also had humility — a deepingrained, and deeply accepted, selfknowledge of their incompleteness, their sinfulness, their utter need for God. It kept them thirsting. It kept them restless. Perhaps most importantly, it kept them hungering for God. They refused to identify the sum total of themselves with their accomplishments and possessions. Most saints’ first line of self-description would probably be, “A sinner in need of God’s mercy” or “A deeply flawed human being struggling to love.” This even while serving the world in heroic dimensions.

They understand the secret of humility. Perhaps even more than what we are, we are what we are not yet. The empty space is the room where God works. So, amid all our strivings after greatness this semester, Jesus’ words are more timely than ever: “It is the humble who will be exalted.”

This week’s column is written by Fr. Lou DelFra, CSC, Director of Bible Studies and ACE chaplain. He can be reached at delfra.2@nd.edu

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

True hypocrisy

To Ryan Kreager, and anyone else who agrees with him, You are correct — a lot of time and effort has been spent complaining about the current policies and recent actions of the South Bend and Excise police forces. And in reply to your smug remark, yes, we have not forgotten that underage drinking is illegal. However, I ask that you and anyone else in the future who plans on making similar remarks about the way the police are handling these situations please refrain from doing so if you do not understand the gravity of the situation.

First off, the fact that anyone could prioritize stopping underage drinking just as they do armed robbery is astonishing to me. When it comes to preventing shootings, muggings and armed robberies vs. stopping 18, 19 and 20 year olds from drinking, we as a society absolutely want the police to start “playing judge” by choosing to try and prevent the more serious crimes. If you disagree, please go explain your thoughts to the families of those who have been shot and/or robbed. Also, regardless of their policies, the brutality and dishonesty of the police officers in many of these “busts” is completely unacceptable and represents a problem much more serious than underage drinking ever could. Arresting students and bringing them to the station is only the tip of the iceberg. Knowing people who have had encounters with the police as well as experiencing it firsthand myself, there are countless examples of these “law enforcers” breaking that which they are paid to uphold. Physical violence, the use of tasers and taunting directed at the students as well as illegal entries and fraudulent police reports are problems many of us here know too well.

So what I ask is if there are any more complaints about how students are reacting to the recent arrests, please keep them to yourself unless you fully understand the magnitude of the current situation. Underage drinking is illegal, but the police force continually breaking the law is truly what you were referring to as “hypocrisy of the highest order.”

By DECLAN SULLIVAN

e n t t h i s y e a r, a s 2 0 1 0 b o a s t s p e r h a p s t h e b e s t l i n e u p y e t : M i c h a e l I a n B l a c k a n d M i k e B i r b i g l i a M i c h a e l I a n B l a c k i s t h e m o r e r e c o g n i z a b l e o f t h e t w o H e s t a r t e d h i s c a r e e r i n t h e e a r l y 9 0 s o n t h e u n d e ra p p r e c i a t e d M T V s k e t c h s h o w y e s , M T V u s e d t o h a v e c o n t e n t o t h e r t h a n r e a l i t y T V “ T h e S t a t e ” H e w a s a l s o o n e o f t h e s t a r s o f t w o C o m e d y C e n t r a l s h o w s : “ S t e l l a ” a n d “ M i c h a e l & M i c h a e l H a v e I s s u e s ” a n d h e h a s c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e A d u l t S w i m s h o w s “ T o m

G o e s t o t h e M a y o r, ” “ T i m &

By LAUREN HENDERSON Scene Writer

September doesn t just mean the start of classes and football games it’s also a month packed with exhibition openings and special

Bend and Chicago While most of your weekends this month may be

games, be sure to check out some of these highlights around campus:

Snite Museum

This fall, Notre Dame s Snite Museum of Art is featuring three

Costa the Marketing and Public Relations Specialist at the Snite, describes them for Scene:

Recent Acquisitions from the Dr William McGraw ’65 Photography Collection (now through Nov 14)

This exhibition consists of 49 contemporary photographs given

Indianapolis, a 1965 graduate of

includes examples by some of the most important artists of the recent period such as Sally Mann, Shelby Lee Adams and Robert and Shana Parke Harrison The styles of these artists range from straight documentation to surrealism

In addition to being an accomplished diagnostic radiologist in Indianapolis, McGraw is also a collector of contemporary photog

g around 1993 with the acquisition of three prints by Michael Kenna McGraw remembers that the first thing that attracted him to photography was the strong sense of composition that many of the images displayed, as well as the effect of light and of course the subject matter His first love was

began adding color work

The subject matter is broad D

Sebastião Salgado shows us a massive labor project in Brazil; Matt Heron chronicles the civil rights march to Selma, Alabama; and Ernst Haas captures the return of a one-legged soldier from World

E r i c ” “ Aw e s o m e S h o w ” a n d “ R o b o t C h i c k e n ” T h e g i g t h a t h e i s m o s t w e l l k n o w n f o r, a s t h e s a r c a s t i c o m m e n t a t o r o “ B e s t o f ” s e r i e i f y o u ’ v e n e v e r k w a t c h e d t h e s y o u v e e v e r h a d s e t t o V H 1 , y o u h i s f a c e H e ’ s a l s o b e e t u r e d o n n u m e S i e r r a M i s t T s p o t s B l a c k i k n o w n f o r a s a r c a s t i c , o f fb r a n d s t y l e o f c o m e d y a n d w h i l e h e i s n o t g e n e r a l l y k n o w n f o r h i s s t a n d u p , h i s p e r f o r m a n c e s h o u l d n o t b e m i s s e d n o n e t h e l e s s M i k e B i r b i g l i a , t h e o t h e r h a n d n o t a s w e l l k n o w n a m o n g t e l e v i s i o n a u d i e n c e s , b u t f a n s o f s t a n du p c o m e d y h a v e k n o w n

War II

A number of photographs are surreal or fantastic such as James Fee’s heavily manipulated commentaries on contemporary society, Martina Lopez’s creation of an imaginary landscape populated by

dream-like study of a fountain at night

Parallel Currents: Highlights of the Ricardo Pau-Llosa Collection

o f L a t i n A m e r i c a n A r t ( n o w through Nov 14)

This exhibition features contemporary Latin American art from the collection of Ricardo Pau-Llosa, Cuban-American poet, critic, curator and collector

For over three decades PauLlosa has been a seminal figure in elevating the discussion of modern Latin American art on the international level, from a mapping of how styles originating in Europe or the United States took off in the region, to an appreciation of Latin American contributions to the evolution of modern art

Pau-Llosa was a senior editor of “Art International” from 1982 to 1994 North American editor for “Southward Art,” and a frequent c o n t r i b u t o r t o D r a w i n g , “Sculpture” and other art journals, as well as serving as an advisor to the encyclopedic “Dictionary of Art,” 1996

Pau-Llosa has also published six books of poems and has been publ i s h e d i n A m e r i c a n P o e t r y Review,” “Indiana Review,” “Iowa Review,” “Kenyon Review,” “New England Review ” “Notre Dame R e v i e w, ” “ P a r t i s a n R e v i e w, ” Southern Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review” and in many other literary magazines, and within numerous anthologies

P a u - L l o s a , w h o w a s b o r n i n Cuba in 1954 and has lived in the United States since the age of six, often integrates diverse aspects of his heritage and his interest in Latin American art in his Englishlanguage poetry

Documenting Histor y, Char ting Process and Exploring the World: Architecture in Photographs from

the Janos Scholz Collection of N i

Photographs (Sept. 5- Oct. 31)

Heavily represented in collections of 19th century photographs, architectural photography provides inroads into major themes of the period: industry and technology, exploration and exoticism, documentation and preservation and h i s t

i s m Architecture lent itself to the long exposure times required by the early photographic processes and was used extensively as subject by the first generation of photographers

includes representative examples of most significant categories of 1

Although most of the material originates from France and England, the two countries where photography was invented, the collection includes material from the rest of the world

The photographs selected for this exhibition reflect the main categories of architectural photograp

decades of the medium from documentation of historic buildings to exploration, progress, tourism, views of cities, urban renewal and v

more by the curiosity of a social historian than by the eye of a connoisseur, this exhibition reveals the wealth of information captured by 19th-century photographers as they turned their lenses toward architecture

The Snite Museum of Art’s hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a m to 4 p m , Thursday through Saturday 10 a m to 5 p m , and Sunday 1 p m to 5 p m (closed Monday)

Also, be sure to listen to Ms Costa on her radio segment “Art Wa t c h ” o n W S N D 8 8 9 e v e r y Monday, Wednesday and Friday The segment airs at 8:15 a m and 12:15 p m on Monday, 12:15 p m on Wednesday and 5:15 p m on Friday

Contact Lauren Henderson at lhender1@nd.edu

n a m e f o r a w h i l e N P R l i s t e n e r s w i l l r e c o gn i z e B i r b i g l i a s n a m e f r o m A m e r i c a n L i f e , ” a s h i s c o m ed y s t y l e i s u s u a l l y i n a m o r e n a r r a t i v e s t o r y - d r i v e n f o rm a t , a s o p p o s e d t o a s t r i n g o f o n e - l i n e r s a y n o t b e f a i r c a l l B i r b i g l i a n u p - a n do m e r a t t h i s o i n t H e ’ s n e v e r h a d t h e m a i n s t r e a m u c c e s s o f M i t c h H e d b e r g , m G a f f i g a n o r a n e C o o k h o r t h e i e a n d t e l e v in c a r e e r o f e r r y S e i n f e l d A d a m S a n d l e r o r W i l l F e r r e l l , b u t B i r b i g l i a h a s n e v e r a t t e m p t e d t o b r a n c h o u t t o t h a t k i n d o f s u c c e s s A s a s t a n du p c o m e d i a n a n d a s t o r yt e l l e r, h e c o u l d e a s i l y b e a t o r h o l d h i s o w n a g a i n s t a n y o f t h e m , e v e n i n t h e i r p r i m e s H i s a l b u m , “ M y S e c r e t P u b l i c J o u r n a l L i v e , h a s b e e n n a m e d o n e o f t h e b e s t c o m e d y a l b u m s o f t h e d e c a d e b y t h e O n i o n

LaFortune from 10 p.m. to 12

In this open house of LaFortune’s offerings, you can get a peek at everything from WVFI to student government. Grab up free food before all of the student organizations close up their stores for the semester. You can also enter to win great prizes including Michigan State and Army game tickets, more Domer Dollars, a Playstation 3 or an iPad. Best of Acousticafé, with performances from the best student musicians on campus, will also be occurring in the basement of Legends at 10 p.m. on Thursday.

A kickoff weekend staple, the Dillon Pep Rally moved to a bigger stage and took over full pep rally duties last year following a one-year hiatus. Be prepared for pointed criticism of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s life, musical performances by the fine men of Dillon and the entire football team and a special guest appearance from “Crackhead,” whose entire act composes of smashing plates on his head. You might want to get some Grab ‘n’ Go and camp out on the quad in the afternoon if you want to be able to see much of anything, though.

If you’re a freshman or just haven’t made it up to God Quad on Friday nights of game weekends, don’t miss this (fairly young) Notre Dame tradition. The drumline from the Band of the Fighting Irish treks up to the Dome to play 45 minutes (and sometimes longer) of Notre Dame cheers, chants and sometimes a few songs on the marimba (a big hit last year was Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA”). It’s a jam-packed, high-energy warm-up to Saturday’s game atmosphere, and it’s definitely a lot peppier than a pep rally.

Men’s and women’s soccer Alumni Stadium

Women vs. Texas Tech, 1:30 pm

Men vs. California, 7 pm

Catch the Notre Dame soccer teams in action, with enough time in between for dinner. The women’s team, annual contenders for the national championship, is 20 heading into the matchup with Texas Tech. Their games consistently sell out, so make sure to get there with enough time to catch the student seats. The men’s team, coming off a 3-0 stretch in pre-season play, will take on California later in the evening.

By KAITLYN CONWAY

Scene Writer

Sunday afternoon’s 3 p.m. showing of the original “Planet of the Apes” kicks off a new series in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) called “Sci-Fi Through the Ages.” The series was created to complement a seminar taught this semester by Professor Paulette Curtis entitled “An American Key: An Anthropologist Looks at the Genre.” There are three more films being screened as part of this: “Brother From Another Planet,” “Metropolis” and “Fantastic Planet.”

“These particular films were chosen because they are not only entertaining and appealing to a wide variety of audiences but they also provide a compelling historical survey of how American ideals are considered within this popular genre,” DPAC marketing manager Kyle Fitzenreiter said.

These films are also the foundation for sci-fi as we know it — perhaps even for cinema as we

know it.

“Planet of the Apes” was groundbreaking in 1968 for its use of prosthetics in make-up. It was named one of the best movies of 1968 by www.filmsite.org, and Empire magazine listed it as one of the best 500 films of all time. This film set the stage for well done costuming far before the computer-generated option was available. The next film in the series, “Fantastic Planet,” will show in the Browning Cinema Sept. 12 at 3 p.m. This 1973 animated film is about

the subjugation of humans by giant blue aliens. In 1973 it won a special award at the

Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Palm award. In 1975, the Science Fiction

and Fantasy Writers of America nominated “Fantastic Planet” for a Nebula Award in Best Dramatic Presentation.

“Metropolis” will be shown on Sept. 19, also at 3 p.m. This silent film is notable for being a big influence on sci-fi movies we love today, such as “Blade Runner” and “The Matrix.” This screening is especially noteworthy because it is being shown for the first time with its original score and an additional 25 minutes of footage. The movie, released in 1927, was made in Germany during the Weimar Republic and is set in a futuristic

dystopia. The special effects and visual designs of the movie are especially impressive. The last film in the series, “The Brother from Another Planet,” is about an alien who takes on the image of a mute African American man and tries to live in Harlem. It shows on Sept. 23, at 9:30 p.m. The film, recently restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, stars Joe Morton and focuses on his adventures as he tries to adapt to life in Manhattan. The film is a commentary on race through the medium of science fiction.

While the screenings are required for Professor Curtis’s class, this does not mean that the rest of us cannot enjoy the movies. These are all sci-fi classics, and show the progression of how the genre went from silent film to the modern CGI. Old effects used to inspire the same grandeur as the ones we see today.

Contact Kaitlyn Conway at kconway2@nd.edu

Johnson not satisfied with record campaign

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The ink starts at Chris Johnson’s neck, with wings tattooed just above his collarbone, reminding the world that he is the NFL’s most recent member of the very rare club of 2,000-yard rushers. The Tennessee running back also has “Cause IM A Star” perched just above a red star in the middle of his chest.

Dream big, then run faster than anyone else in the NFL.

Johnson used that combination to rush his way to NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2009, becoming only the sixth man in league history to run for at least 2,000 yards. He’s back for his third season with goals set even higher than a year ago: Run right past Eric Dickerson’s NFL rushing record of 2,105 yards all the way to 2,500.

That would make him the first ever to run for 2,000 yards twice in a career with the added twist of doing it back-to-back. Dickerson didn’t do it. Neither did Barry Sanders, Jamal Lewis, O.J. Simpson or Terrell Davis.

Johnson calls it his chip on his shoulder.

“It gives me something to look forward to. People might be like, ‘Oh you run for 2,000 yards so he’s content or whatever like that.’ I haven’t broken the record, so I still have something on my shoulder and something to work hard for,” Johnson said.

Being voted the Offensive Player of the Year? Nice, but MVP is his target again. If he runs for 2,000 yards again, he reasons voters can’t deny rewarding such a historic performance.

“I feel like I’m never satisfied,” Johnson said. “I’m coming back in with the same mindset that I haven’t done anything yet.”

Brash statements coming from a guy so soft-spoken that reporters have to push to get microphones close enough to hear him. But Johnson has the tools to back them up.

A native of Orlando, Fla., he finished second in the 100meter dash in a state meet to eventual 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Walter Dix.

Only one college want him to play his preferred position of running back, but in his senior year at East Carolina he led the nation with 227.7 all-purpose yards a game. He posted a 4.24second time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, believed to be the fastest electronically measured time at the event dating back to 1982. When the

draft started, four running backs were taken before the Titans grabbed Johnson at No. 24 overall.

He’s been nearly unstoppable ever since.

He ran for 1,228 yards in 2008 and gave a glimpse in the Titans’ second game last season how he planned to live up to his preseason boasts of running for 2,000 yards. He ran for 197 yards on 16 carries against Houston, a game featuring a 69yard touchdown catch where he lined up wide left with no defender nearby so he waved at Kerry Collins to make sure the quarterback saw him.

No one’s left him that wideopen since.

Johnson finished 2009 with 11 straight games of 100-yards rushing and needs only three more to match the NFL record for consecutive 100-yard games set by Barry Sanders in 1997. He set the NFL record for yards from scrimmage with 2,509 yards and became the league’s first player to rush for at least 2,000 yards (2,006) and have 500 yards receiving. He also was the only unanimous pick to the All Pro team.

Only Dickerson and Edgerrin James had more yards from scrimmage through their first two seasons than Johnson (3,997).

Johnson immediately started lobbying the Titans to make him the highest paid offensive player in the NFL and stayed away from the team during the offseason. With the NFL’s labor deal in its final year, he didn’t get his wish.

The Titans did shuffle incentives Johnson already had satisfied but wasn’t due to be paid for until 2012 into this year, adding approximately $1.5 million to his base salary of $550,000 — enough for Johnson to report to training camp on time. He knows another big season will force the Titans to pay him the more than $30 million in guaranteed money that he really wants.

Johnson followed the same workout plan that he used to reach 2,000 the first time. He stuck around the Orlando condo he shares with Jaguars receiver Mike Sims-Walker, a friend since grade school. In their free time, they stayed busy adding tattoos and even flew an artist up from Miami. Neither knows how many he has.

“Just a matter of liking tattoos and liking art,” SimsWalker said. “They’re kind of like addictive. Once you get one, you want another and you keep going from there.”

TENNIS

McEnroe to open academy

NEW YORK — John McEnroe wants a hand in reviving American tennis. He wants to do it his way.

Neither of these statements should come as a surprise to anyone who has followed McEnroe’s career over the last four decades — either on the court or in “retirement,” where he has remained every bit as fiery and unapologetic behind a microphone as he is with a tennis racquet in hand.

The day after the U.S. Open ends, McEnroe’s new journey will begin in full — a journey with the ultimate goal of making sure the headline that appeared this summer is never seen again: “No American in top 10 for first time since rankings began in 1973.”

On Sept. 13, the John McEnroe Tennis Academy will officially welcome its first class at the revamped, 20-court, $18-million tennis complex on Randall’s Island — a strip of land between Manhattan and Queens that also houses Icahn Stadium, where Usain Bolt set his first world record.

It’s not particularly easy to get to. Then again, almost anything worth doing in New York — McEnroe’s hometown and the center of the tennis universe during the U.S. Open — involves some sacrifice. And besides, nothing about Johnny Mac’s journey back into the languishing grass roots of his sport has been simple.

“Hopefully, I can jolt things and get things going here again,” McEnroe said of his goal to revive tennis in New York and, by extension, in the United States. “Hopefully I can be a regular presence and hopefully Patrick and the USTA will support what I’m doing.”

“Patrick” would be his youngest brother, the longtime Davis Cup captain who the U.S. Tennis Association hired two years ago to run an elite player development program that gets mixed reviews from tennis insiders. The McEnroes have similar goals, but different ideas of how to get there.

While Patrick McEnroe and the USTA enjoy the luxury of what his brother calls “unlimited money” — about $15 million a year for the development program — money that is sometimes used to filch players from the for-profit tennis academies, John McEnroe is starting from scratch. He’s hoping to revive the youth tennis scene in New York and prove that, yes, it’s still possible to build champions without sending them away to tennis camp and taking them out of their normal lives.

For a tennis prodigy, McEnroe enjoyed a relatively normal childhood. He grew up in the suburbs of New York, was schooled at Trinity on the Upper West Side, took tennis lessons at Port Washington Tennis Academy on Long Island under coach Harry Hopman — who never made tennis larger than life — then spent a year at Stanford before going pro fulltime.

Now, he is putting his own time, his own money and bringing in the middle McEnroe brother — Mark, the lawyer — to an effort he hopes will produce plenty of college players, a handful of pros and maybe, just maybe, the next American tennis champion.

“That’s our bet,” Mark McEnroe said. “John thinks it’s realistic that we can find a top10 player.”

The odd relationship between John and Patrick has been described, in some parts of the tennis world, as a rift. The brothers, seven years apart, say family is more important than tennis, but are on record as not always seeing eye to eye.

And indeed, there are differences.

John thinks it’s possible to become a great tennis player the way he did it back in the day — by making the sport part of a typical American childhood that includes living at home, going to a school nearby, a few soccer games and friends. Patrick believes in more repetition and full-time commitment, the likes of which you see at the many academies-slashboarding schools in Florida, Texas and California.

John has a long, well-known history of wanting to team up with the USTA to put his name behind a development program. Patrick has questions about how long John could stick with the bureaucracy that comes with the USTA.

“There’s probably some skepticism on Patrick’s part, as we all have, is John really going to do this?” Mark McEnroe said. “John wanted to do something like he’s doing here at the USTA and that wasn’t available.”

What John and Patrick can agree on is the pain they feel when they watch the sport they grew up in, starred in and made careers out of, get relegated to page 4 in the sports section on good days and completely out of the American consciousness for much of the time.

“Alarm bells have been going off for a while, but there’s been enough success that it hasn’t been a cacophony of noises,” John McEnroe says, crediting the Williams sisters — who also didn’t attend tennis academies and are known for taking long breaks from tennis — with the lion’s share of American success over the past decade. “Clearly, there’s a lot more that needs to be done and there’s a great level of concern.”

The concern is even greater during weeks like these, when, for instance, Nike holds a publicity function featuring its top stars and it trots out Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova — but only one active American, Serena Williams, who is out of this year’s tournament because of an injury.

It grows when Andy Roddick, who moved back as the only American in the top 10 after his brief drop to No. 12, finds virtually no company around him. Sam Querry is at No. 22. Mardy Fish just moved up 15 spots to get to No. 21. John Isner is at No. 20 after moving up 35 spots from this time last year, but still needs a breakthrough to be known for more than his famous 70-68 fifth-set win at Wimbledon earlier this year.

$300 Reward for lost JVC Camcorder.

Last seen in front seat of U-Haul in parking lot south of staging area of north quad - visitor lot 2.

If found please call Bryson at 913323-4500 for $300 reward - no questions asked. If you or someone you care about has been sexually assaulted, we can help. For more information, visit Notre Dame’s website:  http://csap.nd.edu.

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Chapman sizzles in debut

CINCINNATI — Left-hander

Aroldis Chapman made his big leg kick and let one fly. Flashes went off around the ballpark. The crowd let out a collective “ooh” when the ball slammed loudly into Ryan Hanigan’s mitt.

And that was just his first warmup.

What came next was almost too fast to follow.

The Cuban defector made a big-league debut that opened a lot of eyes around the majors — especially on teams thinking they might face the Cincinnati Reds in the playoffs.

Chapman pitched a perfect inning, twice hitting 102 mph on the radar gun, during an 84 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

“I don’t think it can get any better than this,” closer Francisco Cordero said.

Not much faster, anyway. As introductions go, this one sizzled.

“Aw, that was a wonderful debut,” manager Dusty Baker said. “People expected it, and they got what they heard about and read about.”

They’ll be talking about this one for some time.

The 22-year-old Cuban defected 13 months ago, deciding to take his triple-digit pitch to the majors. He signed a six-year, $30.25 million deal with Cincinnati in January, then set out to try to win a spot in the rotation during spring training.

He wasn’t ready. Chapman

started the season at Triple-A Louisville and struggled with his control. Last month, the Reds were in a pennant race and decided to see if Chapman could become something special out of the bullpen.

Everyone can see the answer.

“He’s special,” Baker said. His fastball was an urban legend even before he arrived.

Chapman was clocked at 101 mph during spring training by major league scouts. When he moved into the bullpen, he was able to throw even harder. The radar gun in Louisville clocked one of his pitches at 105 mph.

Could he light it up in the big leagues?

The first time out, he sure did.

Chapman got a standing ovation from the crowd of 19,218 when he jogged out of the bullpen to pitch the top of the eighth with the Reds leading 8-3. Fans let out a collective “ooh” after each warmup throw. There was a buzz in the small crowd — contrary to one fans’ sign, there’s no Chapmania yet.

“Of course I was nervous,” he said, through a translator. His first pitch to Jonathan Lucroy registered 98 mph. The third one hit 102 mph, drawing a loud cheer. He fanned Lucroy on a nasty 86 mph slider.

The next two batters — Craig Counsell and pinch-hitter Carlos Gomez — went

down on weak grounders. Chapman threw only eight pitches, half of them registering 100 mph or better. Two were clocked at 102.

He walked off the field to another standing ovation.

Those who saw him do it at Louisville weren’t at all surprised.

“There’s not a whole lot of guys like him, if any,” said Sam LeCure (2-4), who got the victory with two innings in relief before Chapman took the mound.

After a moment’s pause, LeCure said, “There’s none.”

When he was at Louisville, his teammates marveled at his fastball. They’d sneak a look at the board in right-center field that showed the pitch’s speed.

“Every time he lets one go, everybody turns around or peeks,” second baseman Chris Valaika said. “You don’t want to get caught looking, but you see 104 — that’s something you’ve never seen before.”

Now, big-league hitters know what they’re up against.

“I was just trying to hit the ball hard,” Lucroy said. “He is very deceptive. He kind of hides the ball. It’s tough.”

The Reds brought him up before Sept. 1 to make sure he would be eligible for postseason play. Cincinnati has pulled away in the NL Central, opening a seven-game lead over St. Louis by going 19-8 in August, the best record in the majors during the month.

Youth golfer reports own disqualification

MILWAUKEE — Zach Nash was shocked when he discovered he had one too many golf clubs in his bag a couple hours after winning a junior Wisconsin PGA tournament.

But rules are rules, and the 14-year-old from southern Wisconsin made a decision that might surprise some people: He disqualified himself and surrendered his medal.

“I knew right away I couldn’t live with myself if I kept this medal, so it was pretty instantaneous,” Nash said during a phone interview from his home in Waterford on Wednesday, his first day of high school.

Nash shot a 77 to win the boys 13-14 age division at the Milwaukee County Parks Tour Invitational, which is run by the Wisconsin PGA Section, on Aug. 11. He beat 31 other players in his division, all while his grandparents from Iowa were watching.

After his victory, Nash went to the Rivermoor Golf Club — where he played 36 holes nearly every day this summer — to practice more and talk to one of his mentors, Chris Wood, the club’s head golf professional.

“I was showing everybody my medal and then Chris and I went and we were having a soda and he said ‘Hey, whose club is this? And I said ‘my friend’s.’ And he said ‘This makes 15.’ I was in shock after that,” Nash said.

The penalty for breaking the rule, called rule 4-4, is two strokes for each hole played with more than 14 clubs, with a maximum of four penalty strokes. But since he didn’t notice his extra club during the tournament, a penalty wasn’t added. That meant he signed an incorrect scorecard, which he knew disqualified him.

Nash said golf prides itself on honesty and players calling penalties on themselves. While the decision was clear, he said he couldn’t help but cry a bit in front of Wood. Wood had to call Nash’s father, Bob, to pick him up.

Later that night, Nash called Andy Landenberger, junior tour director for the WPGA, to explain what happened. He sent back the medal, which Landenberger said he would present to runner-up Dane Reinhardt, who shot an 80.

Nash, who has been golfing for about three years, said a friend spent the night at his house before the tournament and left a 5-wood club, and he put it in his bag not realizing it made a total of 15.

Wood said Nash made him and the club proud.

“I think most people — not just kids — would have tried to justify in their mind having the extra clubs in their bag and not using them as an excuse to not call and disqualify themselves,” Wood said.

Nash’s father said his son is a regular teenager — he talks back to his parents, picks on his brothers — and was a bit surprised the teenager didn’t consider, just for a moment, keeping the mistake to himself. But he said he did the right thing and he and his wife were proud.

“When I first heard it, when he told me the whole story, I thought, ‘Wow, you are doing the right thing,’“ Bob Nash said. “You have to keep doing what’s right. But in the back of my mind, I’m thinking ‘If you didn’t say anything the standing wouldn’t change.’“

The boy’s honest deed was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Nash started his freshman year Wednesday at Waterford Union High School and plans to go out for the golf team.

Konerko hits winning homer in Manny’s debut

CLEVELAND

For the second straight game Manny Ramirez watched from a few feet away as one of his new teammates hit a game-winning homer

Claimed off waivers by Chicago for his renowned power, Ramirez provided only a bloop a single in

h i s d e b u t b u t h e w a s o n d e c k when Paul Konerko hit a threerun homer in the eighth inning to give the White Sox a 6-4 win and

t h r e e - g a m e s w e e p o f t h e Cleveland Indians on Wednesday Ramirez’s debut with the White Sox was anything but a hit for seven innings Chicago trailed 4-1

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a f t e r t h e Indians pulled Carlos Carrasco, who was making his first start of 2010 With the intimidating Ramirez

w a i t i n g i n t h e o n - d e c k c i r c l e , Konerko connected with two outs off Justin Germano (0-1) as the White Sox improved to 3-0 on a 10-game trip that will next take them to Boston, where Ramirez may not be welcomed back with open arms by Red Sox fans

On Tuesday night, Ramirez was on deck in the ninth and ready to pinch hit when A J Pierzynski hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in Chicago’s 4-3 win Chicago reliever Tony Pena (42 ) p i t c h e d t h r e e i n n i n g s a f t e r replacing Freddy Garcia, who left

a f t e r f o u r w i t h a s t i f f b a c k

R o o k i e C h r i s S a l e , t h e t e a m ’ s first-round draft pick, pitched the ninth for his first career save The left-hander struck out Shin Soo-Choo with the tying runs on base to end it

Wearing his familiar No 99 and dreadlocks yet to be trimmed to t e a m a p p e a r a n c e s t a n d a r d s ,

R a m i r e z w e n t 1 - f o r- 3 i n h i s return to the AL after 2½ seasons with the Dodgers He grounded out in the second, struck out in the fourth, blooped a single to right in the seventh and was hit in the upper back by a 70 mph breaking ball from Germano in

t h e n i n t h , t w o p i t c h e s a f t e r Konerko hit his 33rd homer

The White Sox were counting on Ramirez’s presence in their lineup to make a difference and i t a l r e a d y h a s w i t h o u t h i m even hitting the ball hard

C h i c a g o d i d g e t a h o m e r u n from its other Ramirez, shortstop Alexei, whose solo homer started the comeback in the eighth He added a sacrifice fly in the ninth Alex Rios also homered for the White Sox

Before the rally, Chicago hardly looked like a team in playoff con-

t e n t i o n T h e W h i t e S o x m a d e t h r e e e r r o r s a n d s t r u g g l e d against Carrasco recalled from Triple-A Columbus to start the series finale He allowed six hits and three runs in 7 1-3 innings

In the fourth, Garcia attempted to field an infield roller hit by

J a s o n N i x t o t h e l e f t o f t h e m o u n d A f t e r c h a s i n g i t , h e walked back to the rubber slowly but appeared OK He finished the inning but didn’t come out for

t h e f i f t h a n d w a s r e p l a c e d b y Pena

Garcia, who is 8-2 in his last 16 starts, has managed to stay off the disabled list so far this season after injury problems hampered him the past three years

Along with running a team that always seems immersed in con-

t r o v e r s y, W h i t e S o x m a n a g e r

Ozzie Guillen is doing all he can to manage expectations about what Ramirez can do for his team in the season ’ s final month as t h e y c h a s e t h e f i r s t - p l a c e Minnesota Twins

G u i l l e n k n o w s i t t a k e s m o r e than one Manny to win

“A lot of people expect Manny to come in here and be the savior,” Guillen said “We have 20 or 3 0 g u y s o u t t h e r e p u l l i n g t h e same rope Manny does not have to carry this ballcub I hope he does Everybody does He’s going to make our lineup better He’ll make people better around him

Our hope is to keep him healthy, play him as much as we can, and just have some fun ”

Guillen’s only rules for Ramirez are that he must join his teammates for their pregame stretch, be on the field for the national anthem and play hard He’s sure that at least a few of his players will encourage Ramirez to test his new manager

“Believe me (Mark) Buehrle will tell Manny not to show up for t h e n a t i o n a l a n t h e m , G u i l l e n said “That, I can guarantee you The players have known me for s e v

a t makes me upset I bet you somebody out there will tell him to do something just to see my reaction ”

Astros 5, Cardinals 2 Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer and the Houston Astros completed a sweep of St Louis with a victory Wednesday, handing the slumping Cardinals their fifth straight defeat

The fading Cardinals who have lost 13 of 16, began the day seven

g a m e s b e h i n d f i r s t - p l a c e Cincinnati in the NL Central The

R e d s w e r e s c h e d u l e d t o h o s t Milwaukee later

Nelson Figueroa (4-2) pitched out of two bases-loaded jams and lasted five innings for the win

Brandon Lyon worked a perfect n i n t h f o r h i s 1 1 s a v e i n 1 2 chances, sealing Houston’s 14th victory in 20 games

Shut out 3-0 the previous two nights, St Louis snapped an 18inning scoreless streak on Matt Holliday’s 24th homer in the first for a 2-0 lead

Jeff Suppan (1-7) was activated from the disabled list before the game and allowed only one hit until the Astros rallied in the fifth

Brett Wallace drew a leadoff walk and went to third on Jason

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Brian Bogusevic hit a grounder to first baseman Albert Pujols, who threw out Wallace at the plate

Michael Bourn hit a sacrifice fly and Jeff Keppinger walked before Pence’s go-ahead homer

Bourn singled in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 11 games He scored on Carlos Lee s sacrifice fly

Figueroa escaped a jam in the third when Suppan led off with a walk and Skip Schumaker singled Aaron Miles and Pujols flied

o u t a n d F i g

o a h i t H o l l i d a y with a pitch to load the bases before Jon Jay grounded into a force play

St Louis loaded the bases again in the fifth on singles by Miles and Jay and an intentional walk to Holliday with two outs ExAstro Pedro Feliz flied out to end the threat

Figueroa allowed two runs and six hits Five relievers combined

to hold the Cardinals to one hit over the final four innings

Schumaker doubled to start the game but was thrown out on the b

backer to Figueroa Pujols, hitless in his last 13 at-bats, fouled out before Holliday’s homer

The Cardinals have scored two runs in their last 36 innings The consecutive shutouts the previous two nights marked the first time in 94 years that St Louis had been blanked with three hits or fewer in back-to-back games

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since Aug 1 when he pitched 5 1-3 scoreless innings against the Phillies He went five innings and allowed four runs, three hits and four walks

Cubs 5, Pirates 3

Thomas Diamond received a

after his first major league win

starter Tom Gorzelanny and was

Wednesday in a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates

“It’s always nice to get the first I wish it would have happened

“Now hopefully we can go on and win a few more ”

Kosuke Fukudome had three hits, including a go-ahead double, during a perfect day at the plate

f o r t h e C u b s C a r l o s M a r m o l escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning and finished for his 25th save in 30 chances

Gorzelanny was knocked out in the third when Jose Tabata lined a shot off his right hand The lefthander a former Pirate who is a

native of nearby Evergreen Park, Ill , departed for X-rays

“That was very scary ” Tabata said “I saw the ball and I thought it was his face In the moment I froze I hope he’s better I feel bad for that ”

After Gorzelanny left five Cubs relievers combined to allow four hits the rest of the way

“Now that I’ve moved from the rotation to the bullpen, hopefully I can find a spot there and cont r i b u t e , ” t h e 2 7 - y e a r- o l d Diamond said D i a m o n d ( 1 - 3 ) g a v e u p t w o r u n s a n d t w o h i t s i n 1 2 - 3 innings Marmol walked in a run with two outs in the eighth but struck out Tabata to preserve a 5-3 lead

James McDonald (2-5) took the l o s s , a l l o w i n g t h r e e r u n s a n d eight hits in five innings

“For most of the game he wasn t able to get the ball down like he usually does and it cost him a little bit,” Pirates manager John Russell said D i a m o n d , c a l l e d u p f r o m Triple-A Iowa on Aug 2, struck out three and walked one The C u b s w o n t w o o f t h r e e i n t h e series and finished 5-10 against last-place Pittsburgh this season

“I’ve been feeling pretty good and I’ve been working on a new pitch a cutter with (pitching c o a c h ) L a r r y ( R o t h s c

l d ) , ” Diamond said “Today I had a little trouble with it but it’s only about a week and a half old ”

Azarenka collapses in match versus Dulko

Oudin fails to repeat 2009 success with second round loss to Bondarenko; Isner cruises to next round with 3-set victory

NEW YORK — The scene was simply scary: Victoria Azarenka, a 21-year-old on the rise in the WTA rankings, paused about a half-hour into her second-round match Wednesday at the U.S. Open, then staggered, stumbled and collapsed to the court.

Azarenka, seeded 10th in the Grand Slam tournament, rolled over to rest her head on her arm, and a trainer rushed over. Someone covered Azarenka’s legs with a white towel. She eventually was helped into a wheelchair, her yellow visor askew atop her head, then taken to a hospital, where tests showed she had a mild concussion.

As a record-breaking summer suffocates New York, the temperature in Flushing Meadows headed into the 90s for a third consecutive day, and the mercury topped 100 degrees on court. But tournament referee Brian Early said Azarenka’s problem did “not seem to be primarily a heatrelated illness.”

Indeed, Azarenka herself later revealed she fell in the gym while warming up before the match, banging her head and arm in the gym.

“I was checked by the medical team before I went on court and they were courtside for monitoring. I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and feeling dizzy,” said Azarenka, who is from Belarus but lives part of the

year in Scottsdale, Ariz., with the family of NHL goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, someone she considers a mentor.

Azarenka began wobbling early in her match against Gisela Dulko of Argentina, taking extra time between points and wincing occasionally, clearly in distress. Azarenka said she “started having trouble seeing and felt weak.”

She is an up-and-comer on tour, part of a group of young players seen as potential future Grand Slam champions. Azarenka beat Maria Sharapova in the final of a hard-court tournament in California last month and pushed Serena Williams to three sets before losing in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January.

Against Williams in the fourth round of the 2009 Australian Open, Azarenka stopped in the second set, dizzy and in tears, and blamed a virus.

Her frightening exit Wednesday caught everyone’s attention. Top-seeded

Caroline Wozniacki wrote on Twitter: “Did anyone watch Vikas match?? I really hope she is ok!”

The match was halted with Azarenka trailing Dulko 5-1.

“It was terrible. It’s not nice to see someone feeling bad, not nice to win a match this way. I hope she feels OK now,” said Dulko, who walked around the net to check on the prone Azarenka. “I was

worried for her.”

Bondarenko def. Oudin

Melanie Oudin of Marietta, Ga., was 17 a year ago when she reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals by beating two top-20 players.

Oudin’s 2010 stay in New York was shorter: She lost in the second round Wednesday to No. 29 Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 7-5.

“Definitely disappointing,” Oudin said. “I still have, hopefully, like, 10 more years in my career, hopefully 10 more U.S. Opens ahead of me. So I’ll definitely be looking forward again to next year.”

Among the seeded women bowing out was No. 21 Zheng Jie, overwhelmed 6-3, 6-0 by 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, who used to be ranked No. 1 but has tumbled to No. 40.

No. 13 Marion Bartoli, No. 28 Alisa Kleybanova and No. 32 Tsvetana Pironkova also lost. Pironkova was ranked only 82nd in June, when she shocked Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, and they could have met in the third round in New York. But Pironkova bowed out in straight sets against qualifier Mandy Minella of Luxembourg, who gets to face Williams instead.

Williams, who counts the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Opens among her seven Grand Slam titles, struggled for a bit against 193rd-ranked qualifi-

er Rebecca Marino of Canada before pulling out a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win.

Marino actually led 3-1 in the tiebreaker, before Williams took the next six straight points to steal the opening set.

“She started returning better, serving bombs. I think she definitely upped her level,” Marino said. “I did notice at one point that she started to grunt pretty loudly. And it’s like, ‘Whoa, she’s getting serious here.’”

Isner def. Gil Marathon man John Isner hit 19 aces and needed less than two hours to eliminate Portugal’s Frederico Gil 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday night.

The 18th-seeded Isner is best known for his recordbreaking 11-hour, 5-minute victory over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon this year, a firstround match that was spread over three days and finished 70-68 in the fifth set.

There were no such theatrics against Gil, in part because Isner did not face a single break point, although

he only converted three of 19 that he earned.

The 6-foot-9 Isner was playing for the first time since injuring his ankle in Cincinnati two weeks ago, and he said it “felt great; I took a four-to-six-week injury and I got it ready in two weeks.”

During his postmatch, oncourt interview, Isner was asked — of course — about his match against Mahut at the All England Club in June. Ever since then, Isner has made clear that he appreciates having been a part of that match, yet hopes to one day be known for something else he accomplishes in tennis.

“It was a pretty historic match,” he said Wednesday, “but I want to put it behind me.”

Mahut failed to qualify for the singles tournament at Flushing Meadows, but he did enter the men’s doubles event, losing earlier Wednesday. He said he chatted briefly with Isner before the American took to the court against Gil, who is ranked 87th and fell to 0-9 in Grand Slam action.

continued from page 16

n’t an overly competitive meet, and not someone I’m looking to gauge our success off of.”

Sophomore Julia Kinney (20:48) was the first female competitor to cross the finish line and came in 11th overall.

Kinney was closely followed by her teammates junior Joanne Almond (21:03), senior Catie Salyer (21:22), senior Claire McVey (22:07), sophomore Emma Baker (22:09), and senior Kristy Kucharski (22:14).

With the exception of freshman Colette Curtis, the team’s roster hasn’t changed much since last fall when they concluded their season at the NCAA Division III Regional

Competition in Terre Haute, Ind.

“We have a lot of depth this year, and our front pack looks a lot more relaxed and a lot deeper,” Bauters said. “This is probably one of the strongest teams I’ve coached.

The Belles welcome back sophomore Dani Haydell, who took the second half of last season off due to an injury. Haywell completes the 19-person roster.

“Even though this wasn’t a race that counted towards anything, they still went out and gave their best today,” Bauters said. “They have high expectations in general of themselves, which will make for a good season for us.”

Despite the hints at upcoming success, the Belles will be working on one particular

aspect before the upcoming conference meets.

“I think we’re just going to have to get our racing strategy for our three through seven spots so they can race together,” Bauters said. “They kind of split up today. We’re going to try to close that gap from three to seven and have that be a really strong pack before we go to our MIAA competition that really counts.”

The next competition for the Belles will take place at Wabash on Saturday.

“We hope we can recover enough to be ready for Saturday,” Bauters said. “The first couple of weeks are just going to be exploring what we have the potential to do.”

Contact Molly Sammon at msammon@nd.edu

Irish squads aim to defend title

By TIM SINGLER Sports Writer

The Irish hope to start their season at a fast pace as they defend their title at the Crusader Open at Sunset Farm Hills in Valparaiso, Ind.

Both the Irish men’s and women’s teams claimed the title at last year’s Crusader Open and also claimed individual titles as well.

Senior Spencer Carter won the men’s individual title at the Open last season, running the race in 19:16, and junior Kelly Lynch and senior Mat Abernethy finished second and third, respectively. All three will shoot for another strong showing and try to sweep the

top spots.

With the men’s team holding high hopes of a strong start to the season, the Irish women’s team also has set the bar high. Both teams will be competing at the Crusader Open, and typically use the first meet of the season as an ‘experience meet.’

“Runners that need experience in order to improve will compete,” Irish women’s coach Tim Connelly said. “This meet helps to get experience.”

Connelly said early exposure to the races could be especially helpful for some runners, and that freshmen would get the chance to see if they are ready to race at the collegiate level.

However, the freshmen won’t

be the only ones gaining experience this weekend. Three juniors will be trying to show that they are among the top on the Irish squad.

Connelly said juniors Kari Johnson, Susanna Sullivan and Molly Hirt are close to joining the Irish elite and will be expected to show that they are ready to run well in the upcoming season.

“They are pretty close to being our top runners,” Connelly said. “They just need to make that jump.”

They will get their opportunity to make that jump when the Valparaiso Crusader Open kicks off on Friday.

Contact Tim Singler tsingler@nd.edu

continued from page 16

Irish need to focus on playing.

“At the end of the day, if you do that, if you play hard and give everything you have for four quarters, my experience has shown me that that’s going to be pretty good, and we’re going to have a lot of success,” he said.

“So that’s kind of how we’ve dealt with the burgeoning pressure of being at Notre Dame. We’re just going to go play.”

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers2@nd.edu

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“We play them home or away every single year, so that really sets the bar high for the girls, and we know where we stand right off the bat playing a strong powerhouse,” Kuschel said.

The Belles take the court next at the Elmhurst Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

Contact Chris Masoud at cmasoud@nd.edu

continued from page 16

feel like our middle attack could be a little bit better in combination; if our passing is a little bit better then our middle attack could be better.”

Despite the need for improvement, a number of Irish players posted impressive stats in the Shamrock Invitational. Acing her way into her college career was freshman outside hitter Andrea McHugh, whose performance in the three matches earned her the Big East Rookie of the Week honor.

Freshman setter Sammie Brown, too, showed her skills on the court with 129 assists and 28 digs.

The players who were on the court last weekend aren’t the only ones on the coaching staff’s minds though.

“We have a lot of talent on the bench and we’re just trying to find ways to utilize the talent that we have.”

Debbie Brown Irish coach

McHugh readily made her presence known on the court at the Purcell Pavilion, recording two double-doubles with 11 kills and 16 digs against Marshall on Aug. 27 and 14 kills and 18 digs Aug. 28. She closed the weekend with 12 kills and a solo block, as well as had an ace in each of her three matches.

Also recording notable performances in the Shamrock Invitational were Sciacca, Dealy, and sophomores Hilary Eppink and Marie Roof. Sciacca registered 48 kills and 12 blocks as Dealy struck down 38 kills, 4 assists, and 34 digs. Dealy was also the key player in bringing the Irish the win over Cal Poly with three consecutive kills in the fifth set. Eppink followed with 21 kills, six digs, and 12 blocks, as well as two aces against Cal Poly. Roof added in her own 10 kills, nine digs, and 12 blocks.

“In practice we’ve tried to work on integrating some of the players that haven’t had an opportunity to play yet into the line up,” Brown said. “We have a lot of talent on the bench and we’re just trying to find ways to utilize the talent that we have.” The Irish hope to utilize those talents this weekend with three matches in two days. Such a tight schedule on the road might also worry some teams and cause them to lose focus, but Notre Dame is excited instead.

“On the road, you’re with each other more, you’re thinking about and talking about volleyball more,” Brown said. “You’re not going back to your dorm room or someplace in between matches; you’re staying together. It’s actually a pretty fun thing when you’re on these road trips and the team gets to know each other better. I think that’s one of the things that helps the team gel so much.”

As they work to gel together and mix up the lineup, the Irish will take on Belmont Friday,at 4:00 p.m. Pacific before playing both Weber State and Nevada Saturday, at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively.

Contact Meaghan Veselik at mvesel01@saintmarys.edu

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By LAURA MYERS

Sports Writer

Dame’s season opener against Purdue, Irish coach Brian Kelly is looking for perfection

“Our guys are obviously at that point where they want to play on Saturday ” Kelly said after practice Wednesday “We’re obviously excited about the opportunity, but we ’ ve still got some work to do ” Kelly said Wednesday’s prac-

t i c e w a s a w o r k d

y, a n d Thursday’s will be about perfecting skills before Friday’s walkthrough

“ T h e y ’ r e a n x i o u s t o p l a y, ” Kelly said, “but we ’ ve just got to pull the reins back a little bit and make sure that they continue to do what they need to do

The players, though, are looking ahead to Saturday

“I’m waiting to feel what all

t h e p l a y e r s f e e l t h e f

t i m e t h e y r u n o u t o f t h e t u n n e l ” freshman wide receiver TJ Jones said

However, players are also feeling pressure for the first game

“Purdue’s a good team ” junior

Almost ready

c

“We’re going to have to bring our A-game ” Offensive coordinator Charley Molnar said the coaches have a s t r a t e g y t

nerves the players may feel

“We just get them to play fast and really concentrate on their a s s

When that happens they re not thinking about the crowd or anything else, they’re just thinking about executing to the best of their ability ”

Kelly said the team would be ready for Saturday’s game

“What we won’t be is not prepared ” he said “ That’s the most important, at the end of the day, that my kids are prepared to

good position

H

making any sort of predictions

“I won ’t know until we start p l a y i n g , ” h e s a i d “ O n p a p e r, these guys are fine But on paper is one thing How does Dayne react when now it’s cover-zero and he has to react? I have to see him with the bullets flying ” Overall, Kelly said Tuesday, the

see KELLY/page 14

By MOLLY SAMMON Sports Writer

By CHRIS MASOUD Sports Writer

A s t h e y d o e v e r y y e a r, t h e B e l l e s o p e n e d t h e i r s e a s o n a g a i n s t B e t h e l i n a m a t c h u p o f c r o s s - t o w n r i v a l s M a k i n g f u l l u s e o f t h e i r h o m e c o u r t a d v a n t a g e , t h e P i l o t s h a n de d S a i n t M a r y s i t s f i r s t l o s s o f t h e s e a s o n i n s t r a i g h t s e t s ( 2 5 - 1 7 , 2 5 - 1 2 , 2 5 - 2 3 ) “ T h e f i r s t g a m e w e c a m e o u t r e a l l y s t r o n g , ” B e l l e s c o a c h T o n i K u s c h e l s a i d “ W e w e r e a l i t t l e b i t c o nc e r n e d w i t h o u r s e r v e r s g o i n g i n t o t h e m a t c h b u t w e j u s t d i d a p h e n o m e n a l j o b o n s e r v e - r e c e i v e I c a n n o t s a y e n o u g h g o o d t h i n g s a b o u t o u r s e r v e r e c e p t i o n a n d o u r d e f e n s e G o i n g i n t o t h e g a m e s t r o n g , w e j u s t p r e t t y m u c h w e n t p o i n t - f o rp o i n t w i t h t h e m ” P i l o t s s o p h o m o r e C a l l i e H a r t m a n l e d a l l p l a y e r s w i t h 1 1 k i l l s , w h i l e a d d i n g 1 8 d i g s a n d t w o b l o c k s J u n i o r A s h l e y W a g n e r c h i p p e d i n w i t h n i n e k i l l s t w o a c e s a n d t h r e e b l o c k s D e s p i t e p i c k i n g u p t h e l o s s , s e v e r a l p l a y e r s m a d e

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s i g n i f i c a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n s f o r t h e B e l l e s ( 0 - 1 ) w h i c h K u s c h e l e x p e c t s t o c o n t i n u e h e a d i n g i n t o t h e c o n f e r e n c e s e a s o n S o p h o m o r e A l l i s o n

By MEAGHAN VESELIK Sports Writer