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The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the e ditor-in- c hief, managing e ditor, Assistant managing e ditors
Question of the Day:
Daniel Hernandez
senior dunne hall
“Insta.”
Hannah Morris
freshman Flaherty hall
“Insta.”
Chris Leitten
senior Keenan hall
“Insta.”
Victoria Pereira
senior mcGlinn hall
“Insta.”
Tyler Duffy
junior Zahm house
“Insta.”
Colleen Halpin
junior Lyons hall
“Facebook.”
An
Staff
This past weekend, the Notre Dame club field hockey team traveled to Virginia Beach, Virginia, to compete in the club field hockey national tournament, where they made it to quarterfinals. The team’s final record was 2-1-1.
Tuesday
Snite Salon Series
Snite Museum of Art
5 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Discuss a great work of
Rework
Paws
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com Want your event included here? Email
Thursday
Can You Take the Heat?
Fieldhouse Mall
5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
PE’s annual buffalo wing-eating contest.
Vespers Service
Geddes Hall
5:15 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Evening prayer service with liturgical music and Scripture.
Stories of Grace Geddes Hall 7 p.m.
Sharing stories of the transformative power of God’s grace.
Friday
“Water, Energy, and 21st Century Solutions.”
Medoza College of Business 10:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
Dueling Pianos
Legends Nightclub 10 p.m.
Sing along with talented pianists at this crowd-favorite.
Saturday
Spring Freebie: Yoga
Snite Museum of Art
11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Meditate and relax both your mind and body.
25th Annual
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
New club to host debate on US foreign policy
By COURTNEY BECKER
news e ditor
The University’s chapter of the alexander hamilton society (ahs) is hosting its first event on campus this week — a debate about the United states’ policy regarding north Korea, rather than a musical performance.
sophomore president of ahs marea hurson said she started a notre dame chapter of the nonpartisan national debate society this year in an attempt to encourage campus engagement with national and foreign policy.
“You get a lot more out of it, no matter what side you’re on, if you can hear both sides,” hurson said. “because then you realize why you believe what you do, or maybe you get a new perspective shown to you. so we’re excited to be able to
bring debate to campus.”
sophomore annalie nagel, covice president of ahs, said the debate format of the group’s events allows people to directly respond to each other in the moment.
“it’s a very unique setting, as opposed to all the lectures that are going on this week, because you get two ideas, they’re presented in a — not contentious, but an adversary format, and they have to directly disagree with each other,” she said.
“That fray and conflict adds a lot of interest, and hopefully we’ll get a lot of questions from both sides of the aisle.”
The experience of planning debates and hearing two experts speak on national policy provides a valuable chance for people to engage in current events on campus, hurson said.
“it’s a great avenue for people
who are interested in going into a career in politics, or in Washington or any kind of national security — any of those things,” she said. “What’s cool is we have the freedom to decide what topic we want to do, what expert we want to bring in and what kind of topic we want them to debate. and so it’s a great way to get the whole campus community engaged in current events.”
although the group’s upcoming inaugural debate — “north Korea and nuclear deterrence, is secretary of state rex Tillerson right in saying ‘The policy of strategic patience has ended?’” — is particularly timely, sophomore co-vice president of ahs Jane bachkora said the group happened to be fortunate that the debaters’ expertise led them in the same direction as the current political climate.
“We got really lucky, because
when we decided to do north Korea, a lot of what’s currently happened hadn’t happened yet,” she said. “so we got lucky in that sense.”
director of the Peace accords matrix (Pam) at the Kroc institute for international Peace studies and special advisor for policy studies at the Keough school of Global affairs david cortright will debate ahs expert and Georgetown professor matthew Kroenig on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the hesburgh center auditorium. hurson said the group hopes this debate will pave the way for more debates, as well as regular meetings to discuss current events.
“The goal would be to have two debates per semester,” she said. “For a bit of it, it kind of has a transient membership, because you need a core of about 10 or 12 committed people to help plan all the events and everything, but the idea
is to get the whole campus just to come. The goal is always to have about 70-plus [people in] attendance at a debate.”
bachkora said getting involved with ahs and attending any debates the group hosts allows people to broaden their worldviews and strengthen their beliefs.
“You can’t limit yourself to one point of view,” she said. “You can’t only watch FoX news, you can’t only read The new York Times. i believe the best way to educate yourself, and the best way to be informed and the best way to be an ideal citizen is to take in as many points of view as you can, and then be able to decide for yourself. … and i think this society does just that.”
Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu
App seeks to simplify course registration process
By ANDREW CAMERON news Writer
Though course registration has long been a stressful and tedious process, since last spring, coursicle has provided a way for notre dame students to make multiple course schedules and know immediately when a seat in their desired class opens up during registration.
The service, originally a website founded by University of north carolina chapel hill graduate Joe Puccio and harvard University graduate Tara a ida, recently released an application for ios and a ndroid to notify students when seats in desired classes become available.
“big picture, coursicle seeks to relieve some of the intense stress
associated with registering for classes,” a ida said in an email.
“specifically, our website helps students prepare multiple schedules prior to registration — which can be tedious to do manually — while our app can help them get into the classes in their ideal schedule.”
The app will serve as a replacement for coursicle’s previous notification feature, which alerted students about seat vacancies via text or email, Puccio said in an email. Last semester, more than 980 notre dame students used the original notification feature when it was introduced at notre dame, he said.
“now, students can download the app and receive push notifications when a seat opens up in a class,” Puccio said. “We had a lot
of new users last semester, and we were sending so many texts that verizon started blocking some of our notifications and some sprint users never received any of our notifications. by building the app, we could get around all of these issues and be sure that students would get all of their notifications. moreover, the notifications we send via the app are delivered to students’ phones faster than our texts were.”
The app also allows students tracking a class to see immediately whether a class is open, closed, or waitlisted — information not visible on the coursicle website. Joe said the app will be free to download, but tracking multiple classes will require payment.
“students can download the app and track one class at a time for free,” he said. “if they want to track multiple classes at the same time, they can pay $2.99 to track unlimited classes for a given semester. as a small company, we tried to keep the service completely free for as long as possible, but unfortunately, it came to the point where we were going to have to start charging or shut down the notification service.”
Puccio said coursicle now supports over 350 colleges, up from 200 colleges last semester, and added support for saint mary’s college, both on the website and the app, this weekend. he said the company plans to expand to even more colleges and provide additional features in the future.
“in terms of the app, we’re looking into adding more information about each class being tracked,” he said. “as for the website, we’re planning to add the ability to save classes directly from the schedule view, something a lot of users have written in to request this semester.”
Contact Andrew Cameron at acamero2@nd.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
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first a frican-a merican faculty member dies
Observer Staff Report
a ssociate professor emeritus of finance a dam s a rnold Jr., the first a frican a merican faculty member at notre d ame, died a pril 14 at the age of 94, the University announced in a press release monday.
a ccording to the press release, a rnold joined the
department of finance in 1957 after serving in World War ii and spent 30 years as a University faculty member. a s well as being the first a frican a merican faculty member, he was also the first to receive tenure.
a rnold spent much of his youth in d anville, Kentucky, according to the press release. he met his wife, helen, while
more of a retro design and are based off of an i reland stamp.
This year, a nTostal offers giveaways for students such as gift cards to various restaurants on e ddy street, an iPad, travel vouchers through a nthony Travel and Lollapalooza tickets, i rihamye said. s ophomore and lead programmer fiona Williams said they tried to incorporate a little bit of the throwback theme in the events. s ome examples are the tie-dying event and d ecade dance, she said, and the shirts this year also have
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margritz said those attempting to help with awareness sought out the advice of those in the community in order to pursue the best course of action for dealing with the problem in any way possible.
“There’s already a lot of people involved at the University, like dr. [heidi] biedinger, so we started out by meeting with people like that to figure out what was going on and what was happening and if there was a place for us to get involved that would be beneficial to people,” she said.
While undergraduate students were limited in the impact they could make, any small steps to make progress were worthwhile, bonino said.
“so unfortunately for undergraduate students at notre dame, this problem is a little too widespread and has too much monetary demand [that] undergraduates can’t solve this issue,” he said.
in order to help in whatever capacity possible, students have
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dedication to advancing the common good for all people,” cervelli said in the press release. “she will send our newest graduates into the world with an inspirational message and an example that reflects the essence of their saint mary’s education.”
The college will also award two additional honorary degrees at this year’s ceremony, according to the release.
sr. maura brannick will earn
attending West v irginia state c ollege. he was drafted into the U. s a rmy after graduation and left it at the rank of staff sergeant. a fterwards, he earned his mba as well as a doctorate in finance at the University of Wisconsin.
i n a statement in the press release, University President f r. John Jenkins said a rnold was a groundbreaking faculty
a s for the planning process, sU b has been working on the logistics since s eptember, Williams said. she said the theme was decided right before c hristmas break, but the final details were not solidified until last week. The planning committee, consisting of about 20 people, did plenty of research on the theme in order to perfect the events, she said.
“We went to library archives and [dug] through all of the a nTostal and sU b things that we have on file,” Williams said. according to Williams, there will be free food offered
been diagramming the effects of lead and mapping where the most cases of children testing positive for lead occur.
“We’re trying to make webs and comprehensive diagrams of everybody involved and how they affect each other,” he said.
bonino said collaborators from the University and community were key in helping the project succeed.
“We partnered up with engineers Without borders and the eck institute and the new northwest community center,” he said. “ ... [We] talked to them about easy remediation tasks, because painting a house can cost thousands of dollars, but simple things like dusting with wet rags … can keep levels of lead down.”
in order to further help alleviate the effects of these problems, margritz said she hoped to help foster greater community engagement.
bonino said there were those at the University who were already taking up the mission to help fix the lead problem in the city.
“one person who is taking action this summer is dr. maria
recognition for extending care to uninsured residents of st. Joseph county. brannick, a registered nurse, established a clinic to provide basic services to patients without access to medicaid, medicare or private insurance, according to the release.
dorothy m feigl, a college chemistry professor, will also be recognized for her long-term commitment to saint mary’s. according to the release, she served as a board of Trustees member from 1976-1982 and as vice president and dean of faculty from 1985-1999.
member.
“a fter serving in the a rmy in World War ii , d r. a rnold came to notre d ame in 1957 and served on our finance faculty for the next 30 years,” Jenkins said in the press release. “he was a pioneer who served o ur Lady’s University with distinction. o ur prayers and best wishes are with his family.”
a rnold received the William
throughout the week, supplied by many of the community’s favorite vendors such as r ise’n roll, Krispy Kreme and f lamingo’s tacos. Williams said she encourages students to participate in the various a nTostal events, as everything is free and they are a great way to come together before final exams.
“i think it is one of the best traditions at notre dame,” she said. “it’s a great way for students to get outside and enjoy their time together before the end of the school year.”
Contact Selena Ponio at sponio@nd.edu
Lieberman,” he said. “she has one undergraduate researcher ... who will be testing plots in different areas to see where the lead is most highly concentrated.”
Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer at lmasinmo@nd.edu
P. s exton award — which is “given to non-alumni faculty or staff whose lives exemplify the spirit of the University,” according to the press release — in 2003, the press release said.
a memorial funeral service will be held for a rnold at i mmaculate c onception c atholic c hurch in h ampton, v irginia, at 11 a.m. on m ay 5.
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By CHRISTIAN BUNKER s cene Writer
scene writer c hristian bunker interviewed Aileen markovitz, a voice major and opera enthusiast who performs in opera notre dame’s upcoming production of mozart’s “die Zauberflote” (The magic Flute), to talk about the opera and classical music. c hristian bunker: how would you describe “die Zauberflote?”
Aileen markovitz: mozart’s colorful fantasy opera in which Tamino and Papageno interact with the Queen of the night and her minions as they try to rescue Pamina from sarastro’s magic kingdom.
cb : Why should someone who knows nothing about mozart or operas see this production?
A m : This is some of mozart’s most beautiful music. The opera has e nglish dialogue and is a comedy, so it is much more accessible to the general public. It has great singing, but there is also spoken dialogue. so it is almost like musical theatre, which people are more familiar with, as opposed to an opera, which is almost entirely sung.
cb : Why should someone who is an opera enthusiast see this production?
A m : The music in this opera is stunning, and the story itself has lots of freedom in terms of the production because it is a fantasy. This is the third production that I personally have seen of “die Zauberflote,” and this opera has so much depth in terms of possible ways
of staging it that you could see it a million times and get something new out of it each time.
cb : Who are you playing in this opera, and what can you tell me about the character?
A m : The character I play is Papagena, who I can best describe as a punk-rock bird woman. she is opposite Papageno, one of the major characters of the show. Papagena is simultaneously crazy, sassy and earthy. she’s the exact opposite of Papageno in both personality and looks, yet this makes them the perfect match. The actor playing Papageno is also amazing, which makes playing this part even better because of how I can play off of him.
cb : What is your favorite opera that isn’t “die Zauberflote?”
A m : I adore “L’elisir d’amore” which is an Italian opera by Gaetano donizetti. It’s a very fun and cute comedy, which is what makes it one of my favorites. but I still have to add that all of the mozart operas are great and that I love “die Zauberflote.”
cb : here at scene, we often write about our favorite contemporary rock, hip-hop and pop songs and artists. could you tell me some of your favorite classical music pieces and composers?
A m : The music of carl orff’s “carmina burana” and mozart’s “c larinet concerto in A major” are two of my favorite classical pieces. As far as composers go, I love everything bach. since you guys prefer more recent music at scene, I’d name hungarian composer Gyorgy Ligeti as one of my favorite modern classical figures.
cb : When you’re not listening to classical music, who are some contemporary artists that you like to listen to?
A m : r ight now, I listen to e d sheeran and Kendrick Lamar a lot since I enjoy both of their new albums. I’ve also listened to Kanye West a good deal.
cb : Popular music from the first half of the 20th century has already been largely forgotten, and the music that we at scene spend so much time reviewing will likely fade quickly as well. Yet, so many people still listen to classical works created centuries ago. What do you think gives classical music its impressive staying power?
A m : I think that classical music as an art form is inherent to humanity. brilliant composers say through music what you cannot possibly say through words. There’s something about classical music that is so universal that everyone can connect to it. The same goes for opera. opera is just emotions being sung very loudly, and you can feel those emotions wherever you are in history. That’s not something you often get from pop songs.
“die Zauberflote” is playing Thursday through saturday at 7:30 p.m. every night in decio Theater of debartolo Performing Arts c enter. It will be performed in German alongside e nglish subtitles. There will also be an afternoon performance at 2:30 p.m. sunday. The cost is $10 for students.
Contact Christian Bunker at cbunker@nd.edu
By NICK OTTONE s cene Writer
The central thematic inquiries of denzel Washington’s cinematic adaptation of August Wilson’s play “Fences,” which the student Union board (sUb) screened last weekend, are questions of vulnerability, loyalty and family, reaching melodramatic heights as Wilson’s writing soars in concert with the pitch-perfect cast’s performances. The stripped-down cinematic style harkens back to old-fashioned, dialogue-driven kitchen-sink dramas, which elevated the working class’ lives to that of larger-than-life American myths. “Fences” is undeniably a sturdily constructed, magnificently written and well acted film. so why does it always feel slightly out of reach?
“Fences” chronicles the lives of Troy maxson (denzel Washington), his wife rose ( v iola davis, in an oscarwinning turn) and their son cory (Jovan Adepo) as they struggle with poverty, cory’s burgeoning football career and fractures in Troy and rose’s marriage. Troy’s friend bono (stephen henderson) and his brother Gabriel (mykelti Williamson) reveal complexities hidden from his family — a softer, lonelier dimension he attempts to hide behind layers of masculinity and alcoholism. before the film even fades in, Troy rarely ceases talking, pontificating on every subject at length, seizing the
spotlight at every opportunity. Washington gives a gigantic performance for a larger-than-life character, an indelibly unsubtle turn that constantly toes the line of over-the-top before reminding the audience of the deep wells of emotions hidden behind Troy’s carefully constructed facade of masculinity. davis earns every accolade with two breathtaking monologues yet invests even the sparse silences with rose’s quiet determination. As Troy’s son cory, Adepo is perhaps the film’s true revelation, grounding the film’s towering performances and melodrama — all its conflict and swirling chaos — in a performance that evokes both sympathy and empathy, drawing the audience ever so slightly into Wilson and Washington’s world.
Ultimately, however, this empathy does not prove enough. August Wilson adapted his own play for the screen, but the film often seems constrained by its theatrical predecessor. Action rarely takes place outside of the maxson home, and wall-to-wall speeches fill the film from beginning to end. While these factors most likely lend assistance to theatrical productions, they doom the film. Washington’s direction, especially in the first half, feels overwhelmingly staid, placing actors in wide shots with large amounts of dead space between them. The visual aesthetic of the film is clean, but the individual shots seem composed not to evoke meaning but instead to simply capture the back-and-forth
conversations. Perhaps this directorial choice is intentional, allowing Wilson’s words to stand by themselves, but this style disregards a central tenet of cinema, visually evoking themes expressed through dialogue and action.
In addition, the staged feel lends the film an uncomfortable distance from the audience. Again, this effect might be intentional, as Troy himself builds fences to separate himself from those closest to him, but it leaves the audience without a clear and powerful source of investment until halfway through the film, leaving the first half to character development and world building. There is no doubt that the first half is important, but without interesting directorial touches or other cinematic flourishes that enhance the story, there is no clear reason for Washington’s translation for the silver screen.
When Troy talks about building a fence, his friend bono comments, “some people build fences to keep people out ... and other people build fences to keep people in.” “Fences” brings a fascinating story to life, but instead of building fences to draw the audience in, these very same devices keep the audience out. With towering performances and powerful writing, “Fences” is by all accounts good — but I’m not sure it’s truly great.
Contact Nick Ottone at nottone@nd.edu
bansky and modern street art
Meagan Bens sports Writer
some people may adore him and his work, others may despise him with every bone in their body and want him behind bars. some may view his work as fine art, while others may see it as straight-up vandalism. Personally, as a visual communication design major, I view banksy as a modernday hero.
As an english graffiti artist with the pseudonym “banksy,” he uses his wit to create works invoking political and social commentary. banksy came into the spotlight during the 1990s for his provocative stenciled pieces in england, and now he has work in America, Australia, canada, France, Israel, Jamaica and Palestine. As an artist, he has no boundaries and risks imprisonment so he can have his thoughts heard. Without a doubt, he is one of the most daring artists who leads a new era of art and expression.
one of his famous pieces, and one of my personal favorites, is a London piece of a protester throwing a bouquet of flowers. The protester is not holding a grenade or a harmful weapon — he is holding something innocent and beautiful. The idea behind this piece is unexpected weapons. his simple, stenciled image of the protester in black and white, versus the out-of-place colorful flowers, suggests that we may be able to get more accomplished by negotiating kindly.
Another work that challenges the viewer is of a little girl frisking a soldier — a piece all about role reversals. The piece was created in 2007 and is located on the West bank of bethlehem. similar to his other pieces with children, the girl represents youthful innocence. her light pink dress contrasts with the olive green uniform of a soldier and his machine gun lying on the ground. The soldier is leaning on the wall that symbolizes the divide between Israelis and Palestinians. The role reversal comments on the children’s immunity to political conflict in the area. his picture of the girl and the solider is one of several pieces in his series on the West bank wall, which brought him international fame.
on a wall in brighton, england, outside a pub, banksy stenciled two male policemen passionately embracing each other and kissing. his gay-cop piece evokes a powerful social message because it challenges masculinity. Police are often seen as strong, hyper-masculine authoritative figures, while gay men are stereotypically thought to be less masculine than straight men. The piece can also be seen as addressing gay rights or attacking homophobia.
Another one of my favorite pieces is banksy’s “Follow Your dreams” piece found in boston. The image features a wornout male painter standing next to the painted phrase, “Follow Your dreams,” in uppercase letters. over the phrase is a red rectangle with the word “cAnceLLed” in white. most likely, everyone has heard a phrase similar to “Follow Your dreams,” and banksy is highlighting the notion that dreams cannot be “cancelled,” and he is making a comment on how government tries to control every aspect of our life. In particular, his work is placed in a low-income district of boston, giving the piece a deeper meaning and comment on class stratification. overall, I admire banksy’s passion for art, his use of his art as a platform for social criticism and his fearless attack on institutions. If you still aren’t convinced that this street artist is not a big deal, he was selected for TIme magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010, finding himself among others such a barack obama and steve Jobs. Although his identity is concealed, he advocates a direct connection between him and his viewers through his easily accessible and visible works on the streets. so if you have a minute or two, google him. I can guarantee his work will cause you to question the world we live in.
Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The selection of Pence as Commencement speaker
To all my fellow peers upset over the selection of m ike Pence as commencement speaker,
The great university of which we are a part provides each and every student with the chance to make the biggest leap in our lives whilst preparing us for our desired career path. This leap is simple: maturity. The University of notre d ame provides us with the opportunity to study ourselves and critique the person we have become. none of us should be happy with who we are, especially with who we were just a few years ago in high school. At notre d ame, we have the opportunity to meet and live with people from various backgrounds, and the diverse nature of these backgrounds makes them invaluable. There are students who come from all corners of the United states, bringing geographical diversity and a wide array of local cultures within the larger American culture. There are students from different nations, bringing with them not only geographical and cultural diversity, but also experience from societies different than our own. Then, there is the diversity each and every single student brings: our own experiences and opinions. notre d ame allows each and every single student to interact with people with highly varied backgrounds, experiences and ideas while bettering our skills for our careers. We get the opportunity to put aside conflicting viewpoints and try to understand each other on a human level. This allows us to hear viewpoints that we otherwise would have never heard within our own echo chambers.
With this said, I find it fascinating that some of my peers are protesting the selection of v ice President Pence as the c ommencement speaker for this year’s graduation. In an article previously published in The o bserver, students stated that Pence represents values that “silences certain minority groups” due to statements he made in the past. I want to take this opportunity to state this simple fact: e very single rational student at the University of notre d ame will never support any infringement on any person’s right to speak or any acts of attainder against people of any background in this country. however, it is vital for us to use reason to separate words from action. s ilencing of opinion and elimination of rights can only come about through actions. Words cannot silence one from speaking or prevent one from conducting his or her own life how
he or she chooses. Unless the former Indiana governor directly supports acts that try to do either of those two, qualms about v ice President Pence’s c ommencement speech seem to be rather unfounded. And with that said, it is important to note that v ice President Pence has not tried to suppress speech or minorities at all.
This leads us to a critical question: What does it say about an individual that a politician’s words make he or she feel like they are being silenced? The cliche “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is cliche for a reason: It is true. The words of a politician cannot harm any individual — only the actions of a politician can. It is also important to note that the very fact many students are upset at v ice President Pence’s past words means they have not learned the most vital part of civilized society: tolerating other points of view. An opposing point of view should never be decried as “making one feel unsafe.” The only way a person can feel that way is if they let that view emotionally impact their actions and cause them to act differently than if the opinion was not uttered. I’m sorry, but that is a sign of immaturity that will cause one to become functionless within actual society. not every single person in the entirety of society will agree with your opinions; this is a simple fact of life. What each and every student here must be willing to do is put personal animosity for words aside and instead recognize that the second most powerful person in the entire world has been invited to speak at our University. Whether that person was m ike Pence or Tim Kaine, it should not matter. We should be honored that v ice President Pence agreed to speak, and we should give him the respect we should be giving to all people: respect for his right to speak. Protesting his c ommencement speech is support of silencing his right to speak. e ach of us individually would not want our speech to be silenced, so the least each and every one of us can do is apply that same standard to the v ice President. I ask all students who have chosen to force themselves to feel unsafe over the v ice President speaking respect this basic standard of civilized society.
Christopher Klein sophomore April 24
Jennifer Cha The diversity c ouncil
American passport — a reflection
barcelona, s eptember 2015. I’d spent the day at Park Guell with some new friends at the hostel, exploring what seemed to me like a child’s mind come to life. There was something ethereal about that wonderland of colorful mosaic tiles and lumpy, crooked, checkered minarets, overlooking the hustling, humming city. Later that night, I found myself at o pium barcelona along the coast on the Passeig maritim, but I wasn’t quite feeling the mood. I walked out onto the beach — the gritty sand giving way beneath my sandals and the city lights hitting the water and dissolving into something more peaceful.
2 a.m. on the barceloneta is an assortment of strange bedfellows, brought together by the cheerful interstices of reason. here, a few dizzy bodies slumped against a trash bin, eyes swimming in drink. There, lovers curled up on blankets, serenely breathing each other in or otherwise engaged. me, called over by a gentle greeting from a dark-skinned,
middle-aged man sitting alone on the bare sand. “¿ c omo esta?” he was a man of s omali descent, having made a life as a fisherman after emigrating to spain by himself 13 years ago. We shared stories for two hours, my spanish halting and his fluid as the waves before our eyes. he spoke of taking his boat out onto the open sea for days on end, nights spent lying back with eyes skyward at an infinite expanse of stars in a deep quiet, dotted with sounds of the soft lick of water on wood. he spoke of coming back to the shore, of meeting people from all over the world on this beach, of how he imagined new York and san Francisco — places he’d only seen in photographs and would never be able to witness.
I listened in wonder tinged with sadness. Why, by mere circumstance of birth, did I possess this arbitrary piece of paper that would allow me to travel anywhere in the world, while his limited passport barred him from traveling outside the immediate eU? I did not pity him. I felt angry that we live within the confines of a system that can tell people — human beings — that they are illegal or unwanted or unloved. I wondered at the infinite ways that people
make a life — from what they’re been given or earned, despite corruption, violence and other powers that cater to the benefit of the few at the expense of the many. I can’t ignore these injustices, even if — and especially if — I benefit from them. maybe it is hard sometimes to keep going — to keep being kind, to keep hoping and dreaming and remembering and choosing to bear witness rather than turning a blind eye. but some things are simple, peaceful and kindred. Late-night conversations over samosas. A story you can get lost in. The gentle crash of waves on the shore.
The Diversity Council of Notre Dame advocates for awareness, understanding and acceptance on issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and other intersectional identities in the Notre Dame community. The viewpoints expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Diversity Council, but are the individual opinions of the author. You can contact Diversity Council at diversnd@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Congress is the most important governing body, and the most forgotten
I think some people have the impression that our president commands every aspect of our government. I cannot explain the way people are so quickly driven to anger about what our commander in chief does in any other way. Luckily, things are not quite as bleak as they seem. The real business of running a country doesn’t fall to a single person — rather, it falls to a larger body of representatives elected from every corner of our country. I can already hear what you are thinking, “I already knew that the c ongress was elected from each state and district.” b ut the recent events around decisions made by the new administration have made me wish to impart an interest in the legislative process that I find more interesting than the executive.
It isn’t by chance or mistake that the legislative body of our country was the first thing mentioned in the c onstitution. o ur country
was founded at a time of unequalled fear of a single leader, and that shows in the vast authority and responsibility imparted on the c ongress. e xecutive orders, used by the president, are relatively weak at creating long-term, lasting solutions to problems we face in our country. o ur federal legislative body, on the other hand, can — with the stroke of a pen (or a computer) — make meaningful change to our country that will last years into the future. Yet, these people, who in working together command so much of our country’s policy here at home and abroad, are the most disproportionately less-known people in respect to the authority they wield.
If we want meaningful change to happen, and mistakes by those sitting in the executive corrected, look not just to the presidential election to remove them — look for the body created to make the most meaningful change in each of our
lives. r esearch your representative and senators for what their positions on issues are, as they are your direct line to the movers and shakers in Washington. Their policy decisions have direct impact on your family, friends and prospects in the place you live. s imilarly, during election cycles, stay informed about who is running against incumbents. The h ouse of r epresentatives, for example, was meant to be the body most closely aligned to the will of the people. Let’s stop the trend of increasing re-election rates for these people who are held in such low opinion by the people that sent them there.
c hange happens in more places than just the presidency.
Kit Jones sophomore Feb. 9
letter tO tHe editOr
Happy Birthday: Take a serious look at your financial situation and strategize how you can lower your overhead. Taking on extra work is possible, but don’t do so if it will put you in another tax bracket. It’s important to divide your time equally between home, work, play and rest. Too much of anything will be costly both physically and emotionally. your numbers are 4, 12, 26, 28, 32, 34, 45.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Jump into action and do your best to take care of your responsibilities before someone complains. staying ahead of the game will put you in a positive position later in the day. don’t let anything interfere with your productivity.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s in your best interest not to share personal information with others. dealing with government institutions will be difficult if you are not up-to-date with your personal paperwork. keep your life and responsibilities as simple as possible.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): you will get back what you put in. offering your time or help to an organization or someone in need will bring great satisfaction, a sense of belonging and a chance to make new friends. Partnerships are featured.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): do something unique. use your imagination and you’ll come up with a creative idea or solution that will help you avoid a mistake due to someone else’s intervention. control your emotional reaction to changes at home or at work.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Travel to an interesting destination. explore your emotions and inner thoughts. engage in activities that will challenge you to do better and to offer more. Take your life and physical well-being seriously. self-improvement is encouraged.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Think twice before splurging on a luxury product that makes unrealistic claims to improve health, wealth or your appearance. you are better off taking a conservative approach to whatever you decide to do.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): l ook for reasons to do something, not for reasons not to. r efuse to let someone interfere with your plans or stop you from traveling to a destination that will help you get ahead. Partnerships look promising.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): don’t take on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. leave time to engage in the things you enjoy and to get together with the people who motivate and inspire you the most. don’t be afraid to do things differently.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): stop postponing the things you want to do because you are waiting for someone to join you. make plans and follow through. When you start living life your way, good things will happen. become the master of your destiny.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Put one foot in front of the other and refuse to be influenced by someone persuasive, impulsive and excessive. The fun will end if you find you’ve overstepped your bounds physically, financially or emotionally. look before you leap.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): look back and move forward. let your past guide you to a brighter future by adding confidence to the decisions you make regarding money, how you earn your income and who and what you want in your life.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): look for alternative ways to improve a situation that concerns you without jeopardizing your personal or professional goals. doing things differently will make others take notice. don’t neglect your health or relationships.
Birthday Baby: you are secretive, determined and goal-oriented. you are steady and patient.
Jumble | dAvId hoyT And Jeff knurek
sudoku | The mePhAm grouP
Just add water | erIc cArlson & John roddy
wiNGiN’ it | bAIlee egAn & olIvIA WAng
Likes and dislikes from nbA playoffs
R.J. Stempak sports Writer
With the 2017 nb A Playoffs well underway, here’s a quick list of likes and dislikes so far in the first round.
l ike: playoff l eBron
As a c avs fan, it worries me that Le b ron James is playing over 40 minutes per game, but he also gets a full seven days off because his heavy minutes’ load has led to yet another first round sweep. Playoff Le b ron is mean. Playoff Le b ron is shooting 54 percent from the field and 45 percent from three. Playoff Le b ron nearly averaged a triple double over the four games with the Pacers. It will be interesting to see how long he can hold this up, but if this first round series is any indicator, it looks like Le b ron and the c avs are on their way to another nb A Finals. We are lucky to be alive for this historic stretch by one of the greatest ever.
dislike: Fouls on threepoint attempts c ontact initiated by the defensive player guarding a player with the ball is not legal. r unning into a threepoint shooter, impeding his space or hitting his arm is a foul. Trying your hardest to get around a screen only for James h arden to hook your arm and go up for a shot should not be a three-point foul. It is unnatural. r ule it like the rip-through move, just have the offense take the ball side-out instead of giving them free throws.
l ike: t he entire oKChouston series
Ignoring the action mentioned above, this series has been almost surreal. r ussell Westbrook versus the world. James h arden and company tearing up the defense. s o many low-IQ shot attempts and silly turnovers that have led to ultra-exciting and unpredictable games. These guys are incredible, and it is incredible to watch.
dislike: injuries
e very year, this takes away from what can be awesome basketball to watch. This year the victim is the c lippers-Jazz series. b lake Griffin out for the remainder of the postseason with a toe injury, just as he was regaining form ( r emember
just a few years ago he was fourth in mv P voting). o n the other side, the Jazz have their own struggles, as center r udy Gobert is battling a knee injury and Gordon h ayward has food poisoning. I wonder if Utah is going to let him choose where he eats ever again. Luckily, both men are back for the Jazz, who I expect to take control of the series. Also, r IP Playoff r ondo for we may never see him again. h e gave his life to put the eighth seeded b ulls up 2-0 over the c eltics.
like: playoff tag-lines/rally cries
e very year these just get cheesier and funnier. m y favorite this year is the Utah Jazz’s #Take n ote. Get it? m usic puns. o ther notably cheesy tag lines for this year are c leveland’s # d efendTheLand, m emphis’ simple, but kind of sad # b elieve m emphis and a genuinely cool one Toronto, #WeThe n orth.
like: Being a spectator for teams hitting a wall and a crossroad
Toronto, Indiana and Portland, but specifically Indiana and Portland, are done with the current makeup of their teams. Paul George is going to leave and the Pacers are going to have to plummet into rebuilding mode, just a few seasons removed from being the first seed in the e ast and a dominant defensive force.
Toronto is getting bullied by m ilwaukee, a much younger and more inexperienced team, albeit the win last night. It looks like the ceiling for d e r ozan and Lowry is lower than the team expected, so changes will have to be made. You had a good run, d wayne c asey.
Lastly, Portland is going to have to move either c J m c c ollum or d amian Lillard, and it is not going to be Lillard. m c c ollum is a stud, and wherever he ends up is going to have a great chance to leap into title contention. b ut this just is not working out for the b lazers, and they need to flip him for more complementary pieces for d ame. And with that, bring on r ound Two.
Contact R.J. Stempak at rstempak@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
bucks pushed to brink of elimination by raptors
Associated Press
Toron To — n orm Powell scored a career playoffhigh 25 points, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 10 assists and the Toronto r aptors beat the m ilwaukee b ucks 118-93 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on m onday night.
s erge Ibaka scored 19 points and d e m ar d e r ozan had 18 for the r aptors, who can advance to face defending champion c leveland in the second round with a victory in Game 6 at m ilwaukee on Thursday night.
m any in the sellout crowd of 20,251 rose to their feet and chanted ‘ r aps in six’ in the final minute of the game.
Toronto lost Game 6 on the road at Indiana in the first round and at m iami in the second round last year, rebounding to win Game 7 at home each time. They were
| cUbs 14, PIrATes 3
eliminated in six games in the e astern c onference Final against the c avs, losing at home in the clincher.
d e m arre c arroll scored 12 points as all five r aptors starters reached double figures. c ory Joseph had 10 points off the bench for Toronto.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the b ucks with 30 points and nine rebounds while m alcolm b rogdon scored 19 points and Greg m onroe had 11. m ilwaukee has lost back-to-back games after routing Toronto 104-77 in Game 3.
m aking his second straight start, Powell connected on all four of his 3-point attempts and went 5 for 5 at the free-throw line. h e brought the crowd to its feet with a baseline dunk over Antetokounmpo and Thon m aker in the fourth quarter. Ibaka and Powell each scored nine points in the
first and the r aptors used a 17-0 run to open a 31-20 lead after the opening quarter. m ilwaukee committed five turnovers in the first, leading to 10 points for Toronto. After shooting 1 for 6 in the first, Antetokounmpo was a perfect 6 for 6 in the second, scoring 13 points to help the b ucks close the gap. Lowry had 12 for Toronto, which led 57-48 at halftime.
Powell scored 12 points in the third as the r aptors widened their lead again, taking a 90-73 edge into the final quarter. m onroe and Jonas valanciunas were called for double technicals after a minor shoving match under the m ilwaukee basket in the third. After valanciunas took exception to a hard foul from Khris m iddleton, m onroe pushed his own teammate out of the way so he could shove valanciunas.
Early offensive explosion leads Cubs over Pirates
Associated Press
PITTsbUrGh — Jason heyward is getting tired of talking about his rebuilt swing. c onsidering what the c hicago c ubs center fielder is doing at the plate these days, the conversation will soon flip from his new-look swing to the results.
heyward hit his third home run in four days, a sizzling line drive to rightcenter off Pittsburgh’s c had Kuhl in the first inning to set the tone in a lopsided 14-3 victory for the suddenly hot c ubs on monday night. heyward added an rbI on a groundout during c hicago’s five-run second inning as the defending World s eries champions won for the fifth time in six games.
A year after he hit just .230 while managing just seven home runs and 49 rbIs, heyward is at .294 with three home runs and 16 rbIs in 18
games so far in 2017.
“I’ve been there before,” heyward said. “h ad a down year before, didn’t go exactly how I wanted. h ad to put some work in and come back. It’s great to see. It’s not over. I’m not looking at it that way.”
Addison r ussell had a career-high four hits for the c ubs, who set a season-high total for runs and tied their season-high total with 17 hits. A little over two years after going 0-5 in his major league debut at P nc Park, r ussell singled four times while spraying the ball to all fields.
“I just put it in play and see where it goes,” r ussell said. “It’s working out. s eems like a pretty easy approach.”
b en Zobrist added three rbIs for c hicago. Anthony r izzo had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Kyle s chwarber, Kris b ryant and m iguel montero
all had two hits apiece. The c ubs are starting to get it going after a sluggish start, averaging 8.8 runs during their recent surge to first in the n L c entral. It has helped take some of the pressure off a pitching staff that is struggling to get any sort of consistency from its starters. “ s ome pieces are changed around but all in all if I’m producing, have s chwarbs here, him settled in for a whole year, there’s a lot of good things that can come from it,” heyward said.
c hicago scored four runs with two outs in the first inning off c had Kuhl (1-2) and added five more in the second to give b rett Anderson (2-0) all the breathing room he would need.
Anderson struggled at times with his command, walking six in six innings while striking out three and allowed three runs, one earned.
MlB
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on saturday, notre dame’s distance runners continued to place at the virginia challenge. for the women, a ragon finished first in the women’s 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:15.65, while harris finished close by in third with a new personal best of 4:16.56. sophomore a nna rohrer placed second in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:43.07. on the men’s side, junior Kevin Pulliam improved his personal record for the 10,000-meter run, finishing fifth with a time of 29:50.17. at the michael Johnson invitational, reigning acc’s men’s field Performer of the Week senior nathan richartz placed first in the pole vault with a jump of 5.41 meters.
“i was more than happy to finish in first,” richartz said. “since the weather conditions weren’t great, i think my finish shows mental fortitude to vault in tricky conditions. a lot of people talk up their shortcoming with conditions, use them as excuses, but i enjoyed the challenge and, overall, i am happy with the results. i also was not expecting the acc men’s field Performer of the Week, either, and it was a pleasant surprise to get it.”
a long with richartz’s notable performance, senior a nthony shivers had a 66.21-meter throw in the hammer throw to break his own school record by 0.61 meters. on the track, freshmen summer Thorpe and grace cronin finished the 100-meter
W tennis
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by a combined score of 24-1. The team will look to reverse their momentum in the first round of the acc tournament. The 10th-seeded i rish will face a 15-seeded Pittsburgh squad that
hurdles in sixth and seventh places, respectively, with personal-record times of 13.71 and 13.8 seconds, respectively. freshman michaela butler tied her personal record with a time of 12.12 in the 100-meter dash, finishing in fifth, and sophomore Zachary Zajdel placed fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.22, close to his personal-best mark. despite the weather, richartz said he was proud of his team’s performance, particularly his fellow senior’s school record.
“it was tough — it was a kind of a down meet because the weather was not ideal,” richartz said. “a nthony shivers won in the hammer, though, and had an awesome day. it wasn’t a great day for a lot of people, though, including our competition, due to the wind and cold. i personally had a terrible warm up and had a rough start before the meet.”
as for the next meet, the irish have a quick turn around and will be competing at the prestigious Penn relays in Philadelphia from Thursday to saturday and the gina relays in hillsdale, michigan, from friday to saturday. richartz said he is excited for the challenge.
“my goal for the next meet is to have another win and, ideally, have a jump over 5.50 meters or over 18 feet,” richartz said. “Yesterday, i lifted light weights. Today, i am doing some sprints at practice, and tomorrow, i will jump before i have to get on the plane Wednesday morning.”
Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu
finished last in the acc in the first round. i f they can defeat the Panthers, the i rish will get a chance for redemption against c lemson.
The i rish will begin the acc tournament Wednesday at 1 p.m. against Pittsburgh at b erry c ollege’s r ome Tennis c enter in m ount b erry, g eorgia.
M Golf
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i n the first round, the i rish lineup of senior b lake b arens, sophomore b en a lbin, sophomore Kevin c onnors, freshman d avis Lamb and senior m atthew r ushton all finished within the top 35. Led by b arens, who shot an even 72, good enough for 19th, the team finished with 293, and were in seventh place, only one shot behind no. 9 Wake forest.
With rain on the forecast for s unday, the final two rounds were both played on s aturday. i n the end, all five team members finished in the top 50, led by r ushton, who shot a seven-over 223 to come in 30th place.
d espite a less than ideal finish to the season, Kubinski applauded his team for their efforts.
“b lake’s ability to overcome two double bogeys in the first round and lead the team at 72 was a highlight, as was d avis Lamb’s three birdies in his last four holes to finish out that first round,” he said. “it’s impressive to see a freshman able to overcome some frustrating holes and play outstanding golf to finish a round. i think we saw that with Kevin too, who had a tough second round and, again, put it behind him to lead the team in the final round. m att r ushton did a nice job too. he hadn’t played in the lineup all semester but led our squad for the event.” a nd with a relatively young
squad, Kubinski and the i rish are already looking forward to next season.
“We’re really excited for 2017-18,” Kubinski said. “o ur starting lineup this season was largely 60-80 percent freshmen and sophomores, so the experience gained for so many returning players, coupled with the push up the leaderboard midway through this week, gives us a great deal of optimism that we can push into contention next season for an acc crown.
“We have some work to do but we have improved the last couple of years, now being in the acc , so it’s a matter of continuing to push each other, players and coaches.”
Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish sophomore Rachel Chong hits a backhand during Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Purdue on Feb. 22 at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish senior Matthew Rushton hits the ball off the fairway during the Notre Dame Kickoff Challenge on Sept. 3 at Warren Golf Course. Rushton finished 30th at the ACC championship with a seven-over 223.
Irish await long home stand after series loss
Observer Sports Staff
i n a three game series this past weekend in c harlottesville, v irginia, n otre d ame was able to walk away with one victory, but ultimately lost a tough series to n o. 19 v irginia. The i rish (18-22, 8-13 A cc ) continued to show their struggles on the road as they moved to 4-12 in away games on the year.
i n game one of the double header Friday, n otre d ame did gain the early lead as they went up 2-0 in the top of the first thanks to sophomore second baseman n ick p odkul who had a lead-off homer to start the game.
Four batters later, senior r yan l idge picked up a rbi single, to drive in sophomore center-fielder m att v ierling, who had doubled.
b ut the dangerous v irginia offense wasted no time in
see bAsebAll paGe 11
Dame’s 8-3 win over Toledo on April 12.
nd drops final match of season
Observer Sports Staff
i n its A cc regular season finale, n otre d ame traveled to c lemson on s unday looking to secure another critical win for seeding in the upcoming A cc tournament and end its recent losing streak. b ut the i rish struggled on the road, and the Tigers handed the i rish their fifth straight loss, this time by a score of 6-1.
The i rish (16-8, 7-7 A cc ) had a difficult time on the doubles court s unday, as the Tigers (12-11, 7-7) claimed wins on two of the doubles courts early in the day to put the i rish in a quick 1-0 hole. c lemson’s 32nd-ranked team of sophomores Ayan b roomfield and m arie l educ defeated i rish seniors m ary c loss and m onica r obinson, 6-3, and Tigers sophomore Fernanda n avarro and junior d aniela r uiz blew past i rish senior Jane Fennelly and freshman Zoe s pence, 6-2, to secure the doubles point for c lemson.
The i rish looked to climb out of that hole on the
singles court, but the Tigers came to play in the singles contests as well, taking five out of the six matches from the i rish. s ophomore r achel c hong was the lone member of the team to record a win, defeating r uiz by a score of 6-3, 7-6 in the sixth spot. r obinson lost her first set against l educ but showed resilience by winning the second set to extend her match. h owever, she would ultimately go on to lose the match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Junior b rooke b roda showed similar toughness, but came up short against b loomfield, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. The trio of c loss, s pence and junior Allison m iller all fell without winning a match, as the i rish top five all were defeated for the second straight match.
The i rish have struggled a bit of late, finishing the regular season on a five-match slide. s ince a tightly-contested 4-3 defeat to d uke on April 7th, n otre d ame have lost their last four matches
MeN’s GOlF | Acc chAmpionships
Notre Dame sets multiple records over weekend squad finishes 10th at Accs
By CONNOR MULVENA sports Writer
Facing quite a competitive field which included five of the nation’s top-25 teams at m usgrove m ill g olf c lub in c linton, s outh c arolina, the i rish finished 10th in the A cc championship with a three-round score of 900, 36-over par. For head coach Jim Kubinski, it was a tournament of missed chances.
“We felt we were in position to accomplish something pretty significant at about the midway point,” he said.“We had it six-under as a team with our guys playing holes 6 through 11 in that second round, which saw us move up to fourth at that point. We had beaten some top-ranked teams in that first round, so momentum seemed on our side. We just ran into a bad stretch finishing r ound two and, although we came out strong early in r ound three, with
three players under par, i think chasing as hard as we did took its toll.”
The A cc championship this year came with a course change from the usual o ld n orth s tate c lub of n ew l ondon, n orth c arolina to m usgrove m ill. And while the last-minute change caused some difficulties, Kubinski lauded the hospitality of the A cc staff and the m usgrove m ill crew.
“[ i t was] as impressive as i ’ve seen at any tournament in my career,” he said. …“ i think the only thing i would like to see altered there would be to transition some of the waste areas, areas just off the green, to traditional bunkers. p layers from all teams really struggled with the consistency of the waste areas, which would be o K for terribly errant shots but there were several waste areas within a few yards of the hole.”
By MEAGAN BENS sports Writer
The irish set multiple school and personal records at the virginia challenge in charlottesville, virginia, on Friday and saturday and the michael Johnson invitational in Waco, Texas, on saturday. The team split up this past weekend and sent distance runners to virginia, while most of the jumpers and sprinters went to baylor to compete.
on Friday, junior Jessica harris broke her own school record in virginia with a third place finish of 2:03.23 in the 800-meter run. graduate student danielle Aragon ran her fastest 800-meter run since the 2013 stanford invitational with an eleventhplace time of 2:07.27, and sophomore Kelly hart set an outdoor personal record with a time of 2:07.30. sophomore Annie heffernan wrapped up the day by finishing in second in her first 10,000-meter run, recording a time of 34:11.17, which is the 44th-fastest mark in the country this season.
BaseBall | virginiA 14, nd 4; nd 8, virginiA 2; virginiA 9, nd 0
LEAH BILLION | The Observer
Irish senior pole vaulter Nathan Richartz attempts a vault during the Notre Dame Invitational on Jan. 25, 2014.
Nd WOMeN’s teNNis | clemson 6, nd 1
traCK | virginiA chAllenge & michAel Johnson inviTATionAl
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish sophomore outfielder Matt Vierling readies to swing during Notre
