Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, November 16, 2016
nd to roll out new Id card program
To increase security, Irish1Card will introduce cards with chips instead of magnetic strips starting next year
By MEGAN VALLEY
a ssociate news e ditor
a number of updates are in store for notre dame’s campus by time the fall 2017 semester starts: campus crossroads is projected to be finished, north dining hall and hesburgh library will be undergoing renovations, and, according to irish1card program director daniel Tormey, all students will receive new id cards.
“lots of people have their card, they don’t think about their card that much, it’s just their id card,” Tormey said. “They need it for their residence hall, they need it to eat, but other than that they don’t give it much thought. ...
Faculty and staff think about it even less. but, what we’re trying to do is make things more secure.”
To do so, the university will be switching from cards with
magnetic strips to using “smart cards” that contain a chip.
“[magnetic strips are] reliable, but it’s not always the most secure, and you’ll find a lot of schools are moving away from the [magnetic strips] or are starting to look at smart card technology and how to incorporate that into their programs,” he said.
“That’s what we’re doing. This new card will have a smart chip in it, and for students or staff, instead of handing over your card to swipe it, you’re just going to tap it on a reader. The technology there is much more secure than swiping it and just reading that information off.”
w hile Tormey said the notre dame card system was “reliable,” its roots in food services and campus dining meant that it wasn’t as much of a
see id cards PaGe 4
ccac explores nd, smc relationship with city
By KATIE GALIOTO news e ditor
The c ommunity/ c ampus
a dvisory c oalition ( ccac ) met Tuesday afternoon at the h oly c ross c ollege s t. Joseph a rts and s ciences b uilding to discuss ways to foster and improve the relationship between s outh b end, its residents and local college students.
The panel — which consists of city leaders, law
enforcement officers and residents of s outh b end, in addition to students and administrators from n otre d ame, s aint m ary’s, h oly c ross c ollege, i ndiana u niversity s outh b end and i ndiana u niversity s chool of m edicine- s outh b end — focused its n ovember meeting on safety and positive interactions between students and community members.
s outh b end police officer r obert h ammer said
as students — particularly those who live off campus — prepare to leave for the holiday season, they should be careful to lock up their belongings.
“ m ake sure windows are closed, curtains are down and alarms are set,” he said. “a nd if they do have an issue when they come back — if their house got broken into — we would like to know
NDSP responds to suspicious item
Observer Staff Report
pasquerilla west and Flanner halls were evacuated Tuesday afternoon due to a suspicious briefcase found on the northeast side of campus, according to an email sent to all students.
stepan center was opened for faculty, staff and students in the two buildings during the time of the evacuation. The email requested that those on campus stay away from the area. nearly two hours
after evacuation, members of the campus community were given the all clear, and the briefcase was determined not to be a threat.
“out of an abundance of caution, notre dame security police called in the south bend police department bomb squad,” university spokesperson dennis brown said in an email.
The briefcase was found to be empty, and students were permitted to return back into the buildings at about 2:30 p.m.
Consul general compares Brexit, Trump election
By TOM NAATZ news writer
s tephen b ridges, former b ritish a mbassador to c ambodia and current b ritish c onsul g eneral in c hicago, said the current political landscape is one dominated by populism.
i n a lunch discussion hosted by the n anovic i nstitute for e uropean s tudies on Tuesday at the m orris i nn, b ridges talked about the turbulence epitomized by the b rexit vote — the b ritish referendum to leave the e uropean u nion ( eu ) — and the election of d onald Trump. d iscussing
both issues in the framework of the relationship between the u nited s tates and u nited Kingdom, b ridges said neither event will have a catastrophic impact on a nglo- a merican relations.
i n his introduction of b ridges, Jim m c a dams, director of the n anovic
i nstitute, referred to three recent shocks in the world: b rexit, the election of Trump and the c ubs winning the world s eries.
“ o f the three, b rexit is the one i can speak the least knowledgeably about,”
b ridges said in reply, during his opening statement.
“ we’re winging it in b ritain.”
There’s a certain degree of uncertainty surrounding the terms of the b ritish departure, he added.
s peaking four days after a rmistice d ay — a holiday marking the anniversary of
see breXiT PaGe 4
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
A monitor at North Dining Hall takes a student’s ID card to swipe him into dinner. Student and faculty ID cards will contain chips rather than magnetic strips to increase security starting in the fall.
“To be able to play a song on the piano right after hearing it.”
Leah Jacob senior off campus “be super persuasive.”
Thomas Karam senior Keough hall “be a polyglot.”
Dan Yawman sophomore Fisher hall
“be able to professionally skateboard.”
Panelists discuss how to maintain public health in low-income urban areas during “Health and Wellness in Community” at Eck Visitors Center on Tuesday evening. The event was part of “Flourishing Communities: A Discussion Series.”
Today’s Staff
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Tunisian exchange student discusses culture
By MADELINE GREELY news Writer
r ahma Teyeb, an exchange student from Tunisia, shared the customs and traditions of her native country Tuesday as part of s aint m ary’s i nternational e ducation Week.
m ana d erakhshani, director of the c enter for Women’s i ntercultural Leadership, said s aint m ary’s has an exchange program with Tunisian students every semester.
“ s he was able to come through a grant that allows this to happen,” d erekshani said. “We will always have
one student from Tunisia at s aint m ary’s. … a s part of this program, r ahma must present about her country on campus as well as off.”
Teyeb, who is studying business at the c ollege for one year, is originally from Kelibia, a city in Tunisia with ancient origins. The country — located in the northeastern part of a frica, between a lgeria and Libya — is known for its architecture and art, which Teyeb said have m editerranean and r oman influences.
Tunisia has a population of about 11 million people, the majority of whom are m uslim and Jewish, Teyeb
said. The country’s main languages are a rabic, French and e nglish.
“ i speak all of these and also speak German,” Teyeb said.
a ccording to Teyeb, a recent revolution between 2010 and 2011 brought significant changes to Tunisia, which had particular implications for Tunisian women.
“ b efore the revolution, no one was covered,” Teyeb said. “The revolution brought us freedom of religious practice, and now 50 percent of women wear the hijab.”
Teyeb said Tunisian people value equality and love, as well as etiquette and respect.
s he said it is customary to ask strangers about their families and to kiss people on their cheeks as a gesture of hello and goodbye.
“ i n my country, it’s considered rude to not kiss or hug a stranger goodbye,” she added. “That has been an adjustment being in a merica.”
Tunisian people also value modesty — especially for women, who cover their bodies and heads with white dresses called “safsari,” Teyeb said.
“ i am the only woman in the family that is fully covered,” she said. “ i decided after the revolution to be covered. … That was around
2012, and [ i ] have been covered ever since.”
Teyeb said she has felt comfortable since coming to s aint m ary’s. s he said students have been open-minded and accepting of their differences.
“ s aint m ary’s has been an amazing community, and everyone is nice and kind in the way they greet each other,” she added. “ i don’t feel judged at all coming here, and no one has questioned me about the way i dress or my culture. … i feel comfortable.”
Contact Madeline Greely at mgreely01@saintmarys.edu
ndsP to accept food donations for parking fines
Observer Staff Report
n otre d ame s ecurity
Police ( nds P) Parking s ervices has begun to accept non-perishable food items as payment for parking tickets, the u niversity announced in a press release.
The department launched a Food for Fines program, which will run from n ov. 14 to d ec. 9, according to the release. e ach donated can or food good will cover $2 of
payments, and individuals can substitute donations for up to $60 worth of fines. a ccording to the release, donations will support People Gotta e at, a partnership of 14 pantries in s t. Joseph c ounty.
“ i ’m very proud of our staff for their persistence to see this program become a reality and i ’m excited to see the program’s impact,” nds P chief Keri Kei s hibata said in the release.
u nited Way of s t. Joseph
Paid a dverT isemen T
c ounty, a nonprofit working to reduce poverty, sponsors the People Gotta e at program. a ccording to the organization’s reports for 2016, participating pantries have served almost 26,00o families, 4,000 of which were first-time visitors to food pantries.
The release said the pantries are currently in need of soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese, h amburger h elper, oatmeal, nutritional drinks, boxed potatoes,
cereal, pasta, spaghetti sauce, bread, canned fruits and canned vegetables.
a ccording to nds P’s websites, drivers can be fined for parking on all u niversity property without a proper pass or decal. a n individual usually only receives a warning for his or her first citation.
Food for Fines is open to students, faculty, staff and visitors who have received a citation. d onations can be turned in during working
hours m onday through Friday in h ammes m owbray h all, according to the release.
“The inspiration for the Food for Fines program came from our staff in Parking s ervices,” Kyle Johnson, nds P director of finance and administration, said in the release. “They recognized an opportunity to help the n otre d ame community and our local community at the same time.”
that information as soon as possible.”
Tim s exton, associate vice president for public affairs at n otre d ame, seconded the advice.
“ i ’ve come to these for seven-and-a-half years, and i hear all the safety instructions that we give to our students,” he said. “a nd i thought i conveyed them well to my own kids. a nd unfortunately, my son — who lives east of campus in Legacy v illage — they had their place broken into and robbed.”
The students locked up the house, s exton said, but burglars kicked in the back door and stole the residents’ a pple laptops.
“ i think seven of the eight living there had their computers stolen,” he said.
o n the topic of safety, a driana r odriguez, legislative research assistant for the s outh b end c ommon c ouncil, said the city recently filed an ordinance to update the nuisance property code.
The current code says that if police, code enforcement or the legal department responds to repeated problem calls from local properties,
they can be fined increasing amounts and labeled a chronic problem property. The proposed changes to the ordinance would include responses from the fire department.
The group also discussed the enforcement of taxicab policies. n otre d ame student body vice president b ecca b lais said students have reported a number of incidents with local cab companies where they have felt unsafe.
“ i f it’s a safety concern, the student should always call 911,” h ammer said.
a shley c olborn, assistant city attorney for s outh b end, said students should also report incidents to the c ommon c ouncil, so they can issue citations or letters of warning to local companies or drivers.
i f a student can safely get the vehicle’s license plate number or cab number, they should report that as well, c olborn added.
b lais also said n otre d ame student government plans to launch a s afe b ar program in the spring that will train local bartenders in bystander intervention. The program has received approval and funding.
Contact Katie Galioto at kgalioto@nd.edu
the end of World War i , celebrated as veterans d ay in the U. s . — b ridges said modern e urope is not and will not be at war. b ut he also said b rexit was a part of “a real disruption” taking place in e urope. b oth the b ritish decision to leave the e U and Trump’s victory were part of a “real anger” at the political establishment in “democracy’s heartland,” b ridges said. People in both countries “want something new and different.”
“ i n the United s tates that was encapsulated by ‘ m ake a merica Great a gain,’ and in b ritain it was encapsulated by ‘Take back control,’” b ridges said, the latter referencing the slogan of those campaigning to leave the e U. a t the beginning of the talk, b ridges said he was in favor of b ritain staying in the e U. b ut he said there certainly are difficulties that come with being part of an international organization consisting of 28 very different member states, where consensus is necessary, but hard to achieve.
The vote mobilized the b ritish electorate in an
Id Cards
“campus-directed enterprise” as at peer institutions.
“You really need a system in place that supports the use of mobile tablets for doing attendance and event verification and those sorts of things,” he said. “There’s lots of functionality that exists out there, and you really need a system that’s scalable enough that you can adopt these certain technologies, and that’s
unprecedented way, b ridges said. m ore people — including three million citizens who were eligible to vote but had never done so before — cast their votes for the referendum, a better turnout than any election in b ritish history.
This result, b ridges said, represented the will of the b ritish public and cannot be ignored. h owever, the full implications of the vote are not yet clear.
“ i don’t have the definitive answers,” he said.
b ridges said since one of the greatest concerns of those who voted to leave the e U was immigration, he believes b ritain will eventually limit the free movement of e U citizens traveling to and from b ritain, which could entail limits on the free movement of goods.
h owever, he added, he thinks the b ritish economy “won’t fall off a cliff” and that London will continue to be a major international financial center.
“ i t is important that we get [ b rexit] right,” b ridges said. “ i t is important for the stability of the global community.”
The graves of b ritish soldiers who died in World
been our struggle for the last few years.”
in addition to switching to smart cards, flex point and domer dollar accounts will be accessible through GeT, which Tormey described as an “online card office” students can reach from a mobile app.
“What we have now works, but it’s been pieced together over the years, whereas this is something that’s easier to support and is much more consistent with the way we’re taking things,” he said.
There are two other main
War i dot the landscape of b elgium and northern France, b ridges said, one of the many examples of the connections it still holds to the e uropean continent.
“While we may be leaving the e uropean Union, we are not leaving e urope,” he added.
i n regards to the “special
changes Tormey said students will notice. students will be able to submit a photo for their ids, rather than taking one during move-in, and students who live in residence dorms that have internal card readers will be able to use their ids to enter their rooms.
“a lot of the stuff we’re moving towards is kind of back-end technical advancement or development,” he said. “it’s not the type of thing a user is going to see and say ‘That’s really helpful to me.’ it is, in the sense that it’s making things more secure and setting
relationship” between the United Kingdom and United s tates, b ridges said he thinks the alliance will continue to be among the strongest in the world.
“ b ritain is a ‘soft power’ nation,” he said. “ h owever, what sets b ritain apart and makes it a critical ally to the United s tates is our ‘hard power.’”
things the way they need to be.”
To replace one of the current id cards costs $30, which Tormey does not expect to change right away, although no decisions have currently been made.
“i can say now, honestly, we haven’t had the discussion about it,” he said. “not that it’s not a concern, but it’s just not the priority decision for us because right now we have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. That’s where our focus is right now. … For the time being, $30 is probably where it’s going to stay, at
b ridges said though the two countries have “a changing relationship,” the alliance’s fundamental principles — free trade “pursuing good in the world” — will remain constant.
Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu
least at first.”
To kick-off the id change on campus, Tormey said campus will be able to vote on a new design for the card in early January.
“We worked with marketing communications to come up with three designs for the card, and the idea is that we’d open up the voting initiatives to all of campus: students, faculty, staff, anyone who wants to vote,” he said.
Contact Megan Valley at mvalley@nd.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Stephen Bridges, the current British Consul General in Chicago, speaks in the Morris Inn on Tuesday night. Bridges discussed U.K.-U.S. relations in light of the Brexit decision and Donald Trump’s presidential victory.
By MARGARET HYNDS
e ditor-in- c hief
When my roommate maria informed me that snoop dogg (formerly known as snoop Lion, formerly known as snoop doggy dogg) and mega-millionaire lifestylemaven-turned-inside-trader martha stewart were teaming up for an unscripted cooking and talk show, I had high hopes for the enterprise.
The show is set up as a competition: martha and snoop take turns playing mixologist while they — accompanied by a merry band of guest stars — prepare their take on a dish.
Two episodes in, “snoop and martha’s Potluck dinner Party” has already featured guest stars Wiz Khalifa, seth rogen, Ice cube, Anderson .Paak, rick ross and Ashley Graham.
so, yeah. It’s a little strange.
The debut episode begins with snoop and martha entering the stage — which is set up as dueling kitchens, hers classic with copper accents and his tricked out and featuring what appears to be assorted potted herbs — sporting matching boxing robes as the dJ announces the challenge … a head-to-head fried chicken contest. on the line: a comically large “fried chicken championship” belt, which I imagine martha would have hung in between oil paintings of her pets over her fireplace. seth rogen is the first dinner party guest to arrive,
bringing a fire extinguisher as a housewarming gift so “we don’t all set ourselves on fire.” Wiz Khalifa enters stage left, toting a green bag dubiously labeled “secret ingredient.”
“I’m ready to kick your butt, snoop. I’m feeling competitive,” martha deadpans, as Wiz and snoop dance beside her and seth wonders how exactly he got there.
As a side note for those of you as confused as I was, The Atlantic tells me martha and snoop dogg have apparently been friends since 2008, when they made mashed potatoes (and later brownies) on her T v show “martha.”
once the chicken has been fried, the hosts and guests — now joined by Ice cube — sit down at the table to feast. but first, a party game: a truth and two thighs (a play on the ice-breaking classic Two Truths and a Lie). The segment is painfully awkward to watch, but we do learn that martha claims to have been struck by lightning three times, snoop’s best subject in high school was calculus and Ice cube studied architectural drafting.
And, it only gets weirder in the second episode, as martha, rick ross, snoop and Ashley Graham cook lobster. rick ross shows up with a jewel-studded cheese grater on a necklace for martha, before proceeding to get a little handsy. martha also makes sure to provide adequate vodka for the lobsters before they’re boiled alive, which, I suppose, is thoughtful in a sad sort of way.
As a whole, the show is objectively weird and a little forced. It’s truly neither a cooking show nor a lifestyle
comedy, rather wandering dazed and confused somewhere in between.
It has moments of comedic brilliance — as strange as it sounds, snoop and martha’s friendship seems genuine and leads to some hilarious back-and-forth — but the laughs are accompanied by moments rife with discomfort for those of us following along at home (see episode two, where rick ross closely massages martha’s shoulders for nearly a minute, and Ashley Graham hands snoop a bra she wore on the runway which “smells like her”). however, the show would shine brighter if snoop and martha were allowed to just be snoop and martha — without the guests, the bizarre props and the large studio audience interfering.
Contact Margaret Hynds at mhynds@nd.edu
“Martha
and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party”
Network: VH1
If you like: Justin Bieber’s Comedy Central Roast, “Martha Stewart Living,” Lobster
By JIMMY KEMPER scene Writer
Editor’s Note: This week, Scene had the opportunity to sit down with Brendan Kelly, a Notre Dame alumnus who is an executive producer and writer for streaming network Crackle’s television series, “The Art of More,” a drama which explores the intense and frequently ruthless world of New York City auction houses. We talked to Brendan about the changes coming to Season Two, the art of putting together these episodes and his previous work as a writer on “Weeds.”
scene: I just want to jump in and start talking about season Two of “The Art of more.” season one ended on a really dark note. Graham connor (christian cooke) just witnessed the death of his girlfriend elizabeth (savannah mason), he’s lost his job and he’s at this point where he almost killed himself in the final scene. so where do we go from here in terms of building this character back up? What’s his aim and objective for season Two now?
brendan Kelly: Looking at the last year, it was definitely a question of “oh god, where do we go from here?” he was certainly in such a low place, [so it was a question of] how do we organically build him from here and have him in the world we need him in. What does a guy like Graham do to get out of that mess? And we wanted him to try to be a master of his own destiny this year. You’ll see in the first episode, we pick up more or less close to where we left off and — rather than wallowing in grief and cowering — he’s got to right the wrongs and avenge
his past. he’s got, right off the bat, a few things he wants to take care of. he wants to find his girlfriend’s killer, he wants justice. really, this season is about finding justice and, in a sense, redemption for himself. Finding justice means not just bringing his girlfriend’s killer to light, but also himself, because he takes a lot of responsibility for what happened. so he starts on a path toward redemption for himself. he got caught up in a lot of things in season one that spun out of control and now he’s taking back control. of course, that is easier said than done and doesn’t exactly go the way he was hoping it would. he gets involved with problems much bigger than him — with the FbI and large-scale terrorism — all while just trying to get back to that life that he got into this for in the first place: to become successful in the art world. so he tries to keep afloat in the art world while also doing what he needs to do in the other world to get what he wants.
scene: This is a very different style of show from “Weeds.” how did you get involved with season Two? What’s your specific goal with your work here now?
brendan Kelly: I was very fortunate to come in for season Two and to join coming off of “Weeds,” which is a half-hour show — nominally a comedy, but it’s more of a drama with comedy. so we thought of it as a drama first. I’ve always kind of written that way. As a writer, I like to write both half hour and one hour formats, both drama and comedy. Any drama that I write, I like to have a little bit of comedy and any comedy I write, I like to have a little bit of drama.
I had written a pilot and a script that crackle had gotten hold of and very much responded to. They felt that
there was totally something similar with the direction that they wanted to push season Two in. We met, and I got a chance to watch season one and give my thoughts on potential ideas for season Two. crackle was great, they responded very well and we’re excited about my thoughts and visions for season Two. so we run from there.
scene: What’s been your favorite part of working on “The Art of more?”
brendan Kelly: That’s a good question, a tough one. There’s a lot of favorite parts. It might be kind of to the point I talked about, since we got to explore all these different eras of art and history. I came in as a fan of art. I very much appreciate art, but I’m not an aficionado by any means. Getting to explore art and that world was really exciting. That’s what pulled me into the show. First and foremost, this was a cool world we haven’t seen. I get to write cool stories about new things in that arena that I’ve never done or learned about before. on top of that, they were all great characters to start with, but they were also — in season one — not fully explored. season one set the table nicely. I felt very blessed to come into season Two with so much territory left to mine and explore, and that was great. on a purely personal standpoint, we shot in montreal. montreal is a fantastic city and I would recommend anybody to go there for a summer.
To read the full interview, please visit www.ndsmcobserver.com
Contact Jimmy Kemper at jkemper2@nd.edu
The notre dame bubble
When trying to describe this campus, we often make reference to the “ n otre d ame bubble.”
This “bubble” is often talked about as a negative, associating it with a sort of conformity to a like mindset that comes from shutting the outside world out.
b ut it really isn’t always a bad thing. As college students, there seems to be this pressure put on us to grow up quickly. s tudy hard, get an internship, get a job — all in the matter of a few years. The stresses that come with it? Just part of that daily grind you have to get through if you want to get somewhere. b ecause by the time you’re 22, you better be ready to take on the real world, where it only becomes harder.
And then, sometimes life likes to throw a little bit more at you.
For me, that’s been the struggles of my family: the physical health of my grandpa, who passed away just over a month ago; the mental health of my youngest brother; the anxiety of my parents, as they’ve had to deal with the brunt of both. And with everything going on in my life while it’s been happening, I never really got the chance to stop and cope with it all.
b ut it did all lead me to really appreciate the “ n otre d ame bubble.”
b ecause in times when things are tough, I’ve always known I could turn to my family for some stability. b ut when they’re the ones that are going through tough times, and they turn to you to be that very source for them? When they need you to be one of the few people in your family capable of giving the support rather than taking it? Well, it becomes a little more complicated.
And that’s the time I’ve leaned on my “ n otre d ame bubble,” or maybe I should say “bubbles.” I’ve really counted on the long-lasting friendships I’ve built with my classmates, through The o bserver, through m ock Trial, through m orrissey and other ways I spend my time here when I’m not struggling to keep up with the grind of school and life.
b ecause those groups have given me the greatest gift I can ask for right now: a few moments of reprieve during the days when things get difficult; the stability and foundation that’ve seemed lost at times over these last few weeks; the opportunity to simply be around people I can comfortably call family when I can’t be with the one I might want to be with at home.
Who cares if it means cutting ourselves off from the outside world for a while and pushing problems to the back of our minds for a little bit? Isn’t that what we all need sometimes?
m aybe this “bubble” isn’t such a bad thing after all. o r maybe it just took rethinking the way I thought about it. b ecause thinking of it this way has given me an appreciation for the simpler parts of life. I take greater joy than I ever have in just being around those people, even if it’s just a few minutes of enjoying their company and nothing else.
And that lesson — and the people who’ve helped me learn it — is one thing I can hold on to when it’s all said and done.
Contact Benjamin Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
leTTers To THe edITor
SMC Campus Ministry offers prayer after election
o n the day after the election, students, faculty and staff gathered in one of the chapels at s aint mary’s to pray for peace, healing and for our new governmental leaders. o ur president, Jan c ervelli, invited the campus community to make this response. b efore all else, we are a community grounded in faith, and we are a people of prayer, hope and trust.
The community at s aint mary’s upholds four core values and works to mold our lives according to them. o ur value of community exhorts us to remember that all members of the community are valued and that we are bonded together by a common purpose.
As campus ministers, we have met and talked with students who are experiencing fear, uncertainty and deep sorrow. We have also talked with others who feel certain that the future of our country will be better with the newly elected leadership. We want to affirm that whatever our differences, our faith calls us to respect the dignity of all
persons. Whatever our differences, we are and must remain bonded by a common purpose — love.
The nov. 9 community prayer reflected on a passage from c olossians that reminded us to “put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.” We believe in a s aint mary’s bonded together for the common purpose of loving one another. We stand against any acts of animosity, which by nature are contrary to love. We hope this time of transition and uncertainty can be marked on our campus and everywhere by notable acts of goodness and love, particularly toward those who are suffering.
In the weeks ahead, let everyone know we are s aint mary’s by our love.
Women will
m y friend and I sat outside the b asilica, o ur Lady in plain view, as we watched a compilation of h illary c linton’s campaign highlights. Tears came to our eyes, as the ups and downs flashed across the screen — moments of hope in nomination clinches, setbacks along the way. s he and I, and many of my female friends, took this election to heart. Finally, a woman to represent us! s omeone to show to us that it’s possible, a woman can do everything a man can do! n eedless to say, this election is a blow. And we manifested that in tears.
As we watched however, two men walked past. They looked over and suddenly erupted in laughter. As they walked away, one turned to the other and choked out, “all the women on campus are crying today” amidst his chuckles. And this sentiment perhaps hurt more than all of the election coverage I have been watching.
Yes sir, we are crying today. I cry because no one like me has ever been president. I cry because finally someone came close. I cry because my inspiration, and many young girls’ inspiration, lost today. I cry because of all the hateful rhetoric we have all heard this past year that personally hurt me and many of my friends. And finally I cry because someone finds our country’s shared pain, faults and challenges amusing. These next couple of weeks will be challenging. b ut there is still hope. A woman will become president. Women will be represented equally. Women will be respected. I believe in this. I will fight for this. And I will not be alone.
Jessica Kimmet Fr. Steve Newton
Emily Sipos-Butler
Regina C. Wilson c ampus m inisters, s aint m ary’s n ov. 13
Alexa Fedynsky senior n ov. 11
Ben Padanilam Associate sports e ditor
How to give great Christmas presents
lamenting that our kitchen didn’t have any good rubber spatulas. o n c hristmas morning, she opened up a package of new rubber spatulas and was thrilled.
It’s officially halfway through n ovember, which means that it’s close enough to c hristmas for me to get excited without sounding too insane. I love and cherish c hristmas, and excitedly wait for it every year. h owever, I am not one of those people from department store commercials who purchase new c hristmas sweaters each year and mutilate c hristmas carols to sing about the deals they got.
I love giving c hristmas gifts, and birthday gifts and all types of gifts. And I’ve been told I’m a very good at giving gifts. And lucky for you, I’m going to tell you the secrets of my success. s o in the spirit of the m agi, here it is — c ourtney Phelan’s anecdotal guide to giving great c hristmas presents:
First, clear your mind of any preconceived notions about giving gifts — even the notion that you have to give gifts. Gift-giving is never required; that would be taxation or bribery, not gift-giving. o f course, there are times when gifts are expected and recommended, but by their very nature, they cannot be required. If you do want to give someone a gift, but aren’t sure what, clear your mind of any ideas about what is or isn’t a good present.
s econd, pay close attention to your friends and family — do they ever explicitly say that they “really need a new ... ” or “keep forgetting to get ... ” something? I actually have an iPhone note that I keep all year round. Whenever a friend says something about what they would want or need or I get some inspiration, I jot it down. m y mother once spent most of o ctober and n ovember
If none of your friends or family have made such announcements about what they’d like, move on to the third step: think. Think about the person you want to get a gift for. Are they the type of person who values little trinkets and keeps them in their bedside drawer, like I do, or will they be annoyed by “crap”? What do they spend their free time doing? What kinds of things do they wear or carry with them? d o they have any obsessions or infatuations, like an animal or a sports team?
If you can think of a beverage or food they enjoy, and a thing they like, you’ve got a present. m y own roommate, for example, likes to sit and drink coffee out of big mugs. s he loves dogs, specifically pugs, corgis and French bulldogs. Last c hristmas, I got her a mug with a pug on it. Another friend of mine enjoys going out and spends her time with her three roommates in a tight-knit little squad. Two c hristmases ago, I got four shot glasses and puffy-painted their initials on them. It cost me around $6 and they still use them today. Going off that, my fourth piece of advice is to get crafty. Puffy paint, paint makers and s harpies are your best friend. A simple object like a wine glass or a picture frame can become your wine glass or picture frame with a few words or symbols.
And lastly, keep it simple. Think about the gifts or gestures that have meant the most to you. Think about your drawer or your box of important things — what’s in there? Is it scarves and gift cards? o r is it hand-written notes, pictures and small objects that have been marked as important to you? Things like that can easily be created. Try
printing off some pictures of you and giftee and writing notes on the back about how much you care for them or how fun that day was. It’s simple, yes, but things like that can be the most meaningful gifts, and they’re things your friend can look back on during tough times.
r emember that experiences, even simple ones, can be truly magical gifts. c hristmas spirit at colleges is marred by final exams and stress, but you can use that to your advantage. If you know a day is going to be tough for someone, have their favorite food or drink waiting for them at the beginning or end of it. A bowl of Kraft macaroni and cheese with a post-it note congratulating them on their hard work and scribble of a c hristmas tree could very well be perfect.
e xperience gifts do not have to be as big as concert tickets or as lame as coupon books. A nice-looking card or a note promising a nice dinner date or a trip to the zoo count. Just make sure to follow through on those promises if you make them.
Good gifts should say that you love them, either because you care enough to provide what they need, like the rubber spatulas, or because you’re giving them a reminder of why you love them, like the little notes I recommend. Keep a creative mind and an open heart when giving gifts, and they’ll know you love them.
And that’s my gift to you.
Courtney Phelan is studying English writing, secondary education, and French. She wants to be an English teacher, so that she can get paid to correct people’s grammar. She is in her final year at Saint Mary’s. Contact her at cphela01@saintmarys.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
stop blaming the e lectoral college
Going into the election, many people derided d onald Trump for asserting that the election was “rigged.” The news media put m r. Trump on blast. Late night comedians had a field day. Your Facebook friends, who are certainly experts on American politics, wrote full-length posts detailing why d onald Trump was wrong. People across the country mocked d onald Trump and affirmed the integrity and sanctity of the American electoral system.
This all changed n ov. 9. s uddenly, a day after d onald Trump was elected president, the system was rigged. The same people who had scoffed at d onald Trump’s assertion of a rigged election, now circulated petitions online, marched in the streets, and, once again, took their everdesired and expert opinions to the n ews Feed of Facebook. The common mantra of all these people could be summed up in a single phrase: “ d own with the e lectoral c ollege!” o pposition to the e lectoral c ollege is not a new phenomenon, nor is it all that surprising. At surface level, the e lectoral c ollege does seem like a bizarre and rather unfair way of electing a leader. And in elections such as this one, where the popular vote is at odds with e lectoral c ollege votes, the unfairness seems ever more apparent. h owever, a deeper study into the e lectoral c ollege reveals that it is not, as many argue, an arbitrary or outdated method of election. r ather, the e lectoral c ollege is a visionary institution implemented into our c onstitution in order to foster the ideals of republicanism and representative government. The e lectoral c ollege is a completely original
construction, not observed in any other nation. The system is certainly very strange. h owever, such a system is necessitated because the United s tates is inherently strange. The United s tates expands over a large area and possesses vastly different demographics, cultures and concerns in different regions. The degree to which the interests and concerns of different states within the nation vary differentiates America from nearly every other country on earth. r ealizing this uniqueness of the United s tates and in order to protect such varying interests, the Founders created the e lectoral c ollege.
The e lectoral c ollege preserves the sovereignty and importance of individual states. If not for the e lectoral c ollege, the president could easily be elected from a select few regions in the country, representing the interests of one particular demographic or faction in the nation. In today’s age, this would mean the president would likely be selected largely from c alifornia and the n ortheast, representing the interests of very large cities. The e lectoral c ollege, however, prevents this and forces presidential candidates to form broad coalitions and transcend regionalism.
m any people argue that the e lectoral c ollege destroys the concept of “one person, one vote.” In a sense, such people are correct. If we resorted to a strictly popular vote, the notion of “one person, one vote” would be more closely adhered to. h owever, our government is fundamentally constituted on the notion of respecting the sovereignty of states and representing the interests of all citizens of the nation, whether that be the interests of those in Los Angeles, c alifornia or h elena, m ontana. This notion of balanced representation is the reason why we have the s enate. While the h ouse of r epresentatives determines
the number of a state’s seats in the h ouse based on population size, the s enate allots two seats in c ongress regardless of the number of citizens in the state.
If one were to be opposed to the e lectoral c ollege, I would expect them to also be opposed to the institution of the s enate. After all, the s enate gives low-populated states the same amount of power as high-populated states.
It is obvious that our c onstitution was written with the aim to protect the interests of the individual states within our nation. s uch an objective is aspired for in the formulation of our legislative branch, the 10th Amendment and the e lectoral c ollege. A protection of state interests is absolutely fundamental to the United s tates. In essence, to be opposed to the e lectoral c ollege is to be opposed to the Founders’ construction of our government and vision for America as a federation of sovereign states.
I understand that this election cycle was emotionally tolling, filled with vitriolic rhetoric and personal attacks. m any people are unhappy with the results of the election, and I acknowledge that. h owever, to suddenly, after the results of the election, come to the conclusion that the e lectoral c ollege is an abomination seems a bit too convenient and very irresponsible. s imply put, if your candidate did not win, please do not blame the e lectoral c ollege.
Eddie is a sophomore from Orland Park, Illinois. He is majoring in economics and political science and considering pursuing law school after his time as an undergraduate at Notre Dame. He can be reached at edamstra@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Courtney Phelan
e nglish major in the real world
Eddie Damstra dinner Table Talks
Happy Birthday: share your thoughts and feelings. The truth will override what anyone else does to try and make you look bad or incompetent. believe and trust in yourself and your vision, and your sincerity will shine through. A change at home or to the way you live will add comfort and beauty to your surroundings and your life. Trust in your abilities. your numbers are 4, 15, 26, 32, 37, 42, 46.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take on a challenge and speak up about the way you feel and the discoveries you have made in your persistence to find the truth. you can make a difference if you work hard and try to ignore distractions.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): don’t get talked into helping someone who has ulterior motives. you need to take care of your own concerns first. An emotional plea will be based on information that isn’t factual. dig deep and proceed with caution.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): emotions will be close to the surface. make your personal insight your guide, and question any occurrence that appears suspicious. stick to the truth and demand the same in return. look at your options and act on your beliefs.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): listen carefully to what others have to say, and do your own fact-finding. If you are diligent about finding out the truth, you will come across information that can help you reach your goal without having to compromise.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): you can make things happen if you reach out to the right people. Interacting in activities or events that address your concerns will connect you to interesting people. A passionate approach to your life and your beliefs will pay off.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): keep a close eye on matters that have the potential to spin out of control. An emotional issue will leave you in an awkward position if you don’t counter rumors when they first begin. Take pride in the way you look and in what you do.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): step into the future with optimism and the realization that you can make a difference in others’ lives while also increasing the happiness in your own life. Take initiative and be willing to do the necessary legwork. embrace change enthusiastically.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): deal with personal assets, debts and health issues promptly. Planning for the future will ensure that you don’t get caught unprepared if something unexpected comes your way. discretion will be necessary, and personal improvements can be made. romance is encouraged.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): you’ll be torn between truth and fiction. don’t believe everything you hear. gather the facts and check motives before you side with one person or another. be true to yourself and your beliefs, not what someone else wants you to think.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): don’t let old problems surface. Take care of any pending matters quickly and move forward. someone from your past will not play fair. expect hidden motives to be involved in an offer you receive. be sure to ask what’s expected of you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): home improvements can be made. Intelligence combined with hands-on work will help you get the results you are looking for. Working from home or planning something that will please the ones you love will pay off.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): be careful who you share your secrets with. someone will be looking for a way to make you look bad or take advantage of you. don’t put yourself in a vulnerable position. focus on self-improvement. Birthday Baby: you are competitive, original and persuasive. you are tactful and secretive.
Jumble | dAvId hoyT
Jeff knurek
No comparison to fresh ice
Editor’s note: This week, Sports Authority columnists will attempt to answer the question, “What is the best sports venue?”
The luxury and expanse of Jerry World, the location and history of m adison s quare Garden, the lore of Augusta national and the o ld c ourse at s t. Andrews: Any discussion of the best sports venue in the world has to include categories and venues like these.
The best sports venue in the world has to have history. Its very name has to evoke emotions and passions in the hearts of those who hear it. It has to be a place whose visitors understand the hallowed ground upon which they tread, and a place that doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is. And, more than anything else, the ultimate sports venue has to be accessible.
It has to be a pond.
s pecifically a frozen one, or other expanse of solidified water, ideally in a park somewhere a little ways off the beaten path. It’s best on a winter’s night — one that’s cold enough to grab at your lungs for those first few deep breaths but where you can be perfectly comfortable in a medium to heavy sweatshirt, beanie and hockey gloves.
b ig snowflakes lightly drift to the earth on a windless night, the type of snow that deadens all sound around you. All sound except the crisp cutting of steel, muffled clanging of wood on ice and the slap of a puck landing perfectly flat on a surface that can be anything but.
Light comes from a soft streetlight or two and falls uneven across the skating surface, its shadows revealing every little bump, ridge and hole in something that often resembles the surface of the moon more than a freshly cut sheet in an nh L rink. The puck, sticks and blades catch in all of these little crannies, keeping the game lively and unpredictable. b ut after just a lap or two, a skater doesn’t notice anymore, instinctually understanding how to shape the play to match the ice surface. This is a place where hockey was meant to exist, where it will always exist and where it came into existence. e very sport has some sort of similar origin: s occer purists can claim any small patch
of grass or concrete as their own pond, and any open patch of concrete can become a basketball court.
b ut there is nothing greater than an open patch of ice in a snow that wraps a cloak around its skaters, shielding them from a world, even if just for a little while. A pond is an escape to hockey’s roots, and there is nothing better.
o ut here, there’s no WiFi to connect to, and it wouldn’t do any good even if there was because the cold kills your phone well before it even begins to touch your spirit. Ice has been known to break a few of those anyway, and your friends might just decide it makes a good puck if they’ve finally lost all of the ones they brought in the snowbanks that ring the ice surface.
o ut here, there’s no grounds crew to take care of things: The night’s warmup might just be the group going back and forth, back and forth across the ice sheet with shovels — or even just stick blades in more desperate times — to clear our own playing surface. And on those perfect snow nights, losers of the most recent game might just have to run through the whole process again.
o ut here, there are no giant television screens, $10 beers or giant pyrotechnic displays; no #hashtags, gimmicky promotions or side attractions designed to keep a crowd engaged. o ut here, the game is the experience, and that’s more than enough to keep us coming back.
The ice comes and goes with the seasons, here one day and gone the next. s ometimes it’s fleeting, and other glorious years, it just never wants to go away. c onditions can change so much from day-to-day, hourto-hour that you can never really know what you’ll get until you’re out there.
And that’s why when your friends call you up and tell you to get down to b eale or s outhside or m ain s treet or wherever the local spot happens to be, you grab your skates, throw on a hat and let everyone know you’ll be back at some point — maybe. Actually, who knows?
There’s no final buzzer at the greatest sports venue in the world.
Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
James, Irving lead cavs in Toronto takedown
Associated Press
c L eve LA nd — Lebron James had 28 points and 14 assists, Kyrie Irving scored 24 points and the c leveland c avaliers beat the Toronto r aptors 121-117 on Tuesday night to match the best start in franchise history after 10 games.
It was another tense matchup between the teams who met in last season’s e astern c onference finals and could get there again.
c hanning Frye’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 59 seconds left put the c avs up by one. c leveland then buckled down on defense, holding the r aptors scoreless until letting Kyle Lowry make a layup with 2.8 seconds left.
Kevin Love added 19 points and 13 rebounds for the c avs, who are 9-1 for the first time since 1976-77.
Lowry scored 28 and d emar d erozan added 26 for the r aptors, who complained about fouls called against Lowry and Jonas valanciunas in the final two minutes and a possible goaltending violation against the c avs that wasn’t called in the closing seconds. Toronto came in 5-0 in games where Lowry and d erozan combined for more than 50 points.
The c avs made 13
3-pointers and have dropped at least 10 in all 10 games, extending their league record to start a season.
After d erozan’s free throw put Toronto ahead 115-114, Frye knocked down his 3, and following a timeout, d erozan missed a jumper. The c avs called time with 41.3 seconds left and then ran a designed play for James, who got free for a layup to make it 119-115.
James extended the lead to five with a free throw and the r aptors missed several easy shots before Lowry’s layup got them within 120-117. c leveland’s Iman shumpert closed the scoring with a free throw with 1.8 left.
The r aptors played without starting forward d emarre c arroll, who was given the night off to rest his surgically repaired knee.
c avs guard J.r smith missed his second straight game with a sprained right ankle, leaving c leveland without one of its top outside threats and top defenders.
d erozan, the league’s leading scorer, took advantage of smith’s absence and nearly posted another 30-point game before coming up short of matching Wilt c hamberlain (1962-63) as the only players to score at least 30 in nine of their first 10 games.
d own nine in the
second quarter, the r aptors got back in it from long range as Terrence ross, norman powell and Lowry drained 3s in a span of 39 seconds.
t
ip-ins
r aptors: Toronto has been closely monitoring c arroll’s minutes as he continues to recover from right knee surgery. he also sat out s aturday’s game against new York. ... With so many shooters, and James’ passing ability, the c avs can stress defenses to the max. “They have that extra point guard on the floor in Lebron,” said Toronto coach d wane c asey. “he finds people the normal human being doesn’t see. It’s a challenge, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.”
c avaliers: hall of Famer o scar robertson sat next to c leveland’s bench. ... c oach Tyronn Lue is hopeful smith can return for Wednesday’s game at Indiana. smith needs three 3-pointers to pass d irk nowitzki for 15th place on the career list. ... G/F m ike d unleavy is off to a rough start in his first season with c leveland. Acquired from c hicago over the summer, d unleavy is shooting just 29 percent (8 of28). “We’re not worried about m ike,” Lue said. “he’s going to find his way.”
Blue Jackets stretch home win streak to six
Associated Press
coLumbus, ohio — cam Atkinson scored 37 seconds into overtime as the columbus blue Jackets rallied to beat the Washington capitals 2-1 Tuesday night.
Atkinson buried a wrister off a face-off from the right circle past capitals goaltender philipp Grubauer to win it and extend columbus’ home winning streak to six.
Zach Werenski scored the tying goal with just under seven minutes remaining for the blue Jackets, and sergei bobrovsky
stopped 26 shots.
nicklas backstrom scored late in the second period for Washington, and brubauer finished with 20 saves.
The blue Jackets started slow, struggling to penetrate Washington’s defense and getting off just 12 shots in the first two periods.
backstrom scored his second goal of the season when he skated through traffic and shot from the right circle past bobrovsky’s glove side with 4:17 left in the second.
The blue Jackets tied it with 6:58 left in the third when
Werenski rocketed a wrist shot off the post and past Grubauer. scoring opportunities were rare for both teams in the opening period, although columbus missed some passes early on that could have put them in productive situations. Washington got off six shots in the period, and columbus had just five as the blue Jackets blocked seven capitals shots.
The blue Jackets got some good looks and got off a couple promising shots on the back end of a power play at the beginning of the third period, but Grubauer held firm.
Zach Klonsinski Assistant managing e ditor
nhl | bLue JAcKeTs 2, cApITALs 1
s wimming
so far this year, being that it is a three-day meet. despite the unique format, Litzinger said he believes his team will be prepared for the meet and thinks they should be in a good position.
“i’m hoping we respond well to the three-day format,” he said. “We’ve been preparing for it all year, getting ready for these multi-day events, and all the meets and practice before this has been an exercise in preparation for these types of events. i feel good about the team and being used to this, and we will see how they respond, but we should be in good shape.”
on paper, this weekend will be the toughest competition notre dame has faced to this point. north c arolina state is ranked no. 1 on the men’s side and no. 6 on the women’s side, and there are a number of additional programs in the event ranked extremely high nationally as well. a s such, Litzinger said he expects his team to face some challenges but, ultimately, hopes are high for this weekend.
“it’s going to be one of the fastest invitationals in the country,” he said. “a round this time in the season, teams like to flex their muscles with training, and my expectation is that we will face some of the fastest times in the country. The hope is that we respond and step up to the level of competition. The whole point of our schedule has been to ramp up competition every week with increased competition, culminating in this. We’ve been preparing for this, and it should be a fun and exciting event for all of the programs involved.”
Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu
m bball
our level of competition and the energy we expend, we’re not going to go two hours [in practice], but we need to be at a high level. i talked to them after the game [ s aturday] about eight days where we can make a move, can we really be locked in? i have confidence in this group, because they have been a very mature group about focusing on the task.”
o ne player that figures to be a key for the i rish during the next week: junior forward and captain b onzie c olson.
“The one thing that’s always helped him, he’s such a warrior as a competitor,” b rey said of c olson. “ h e makes his teammates and his coach believe that we’re winning. h e’s just contagious as far as how he competes, especially on the road in tough atmospheres. c ameron [ i ndoor s tadium] was an example of that. h e has just continued to add to his game.”
a t 6-foot-5, c olson made his mark in his first two seasons through his offensive skill set and his defensive ability. n ow, however, b rey said the n ew b edford, m assachusetts, native has expanded his game dramatically.
“The two things that are just blowing my mind are that, through just 26 practices, [ c olson]’s second behind [freshman guard Temple Gibbs] and [junior guard m att Farrell] in assists, so he’s really making great plays in passing the ball,” b rey said. “a nd then what he’s doing from the 3-point line. Through the practices, he’s shot 45 percent from the 3-point line. a nd he’s using it the right amount. it really adds to our game. We can really be more of that four-around-one. The
competitive edge he has is really contagious, and it’s why we always have a chance.”
c olson said the transition to being a captain and taking on a larger leadership role has been exciting, and emphasized his role as a vocal presence on both ends of the court.
“[ i work on] staying focused and staying composed, making my voice heard on both sides of the court and on and off the court as well,” c olson said. “Just being a vocal leader and trying to lead by example. i ’m trying to focus on being vocal on defense, talking to everybody so our defenders on the perimeter can have confidence in themselves.”
The i rish picked up their first win of the season s aturday against b ryant in anticlimactic fashion. a fter leading by 12 points for much of the second half, the i rish finally put the b ulldogs (0-1) away in the second period’s later minutes to secure the 89-64 win. The only area in which the i rish struggled was from the 3-point line, shooting just 3-for-16. s enior guard and captain s teve vasturia, normally a sharp-shooter himself, said he doesn’t expect the 3-point struggles to continue for long.
“ i think when you have guys who can shoot the way they can on this team, it’s going to just get better,” vasturia said. “ i think it’s a good thing for this team, that we might not shoot it as well, but we still find other ways to score and get to the basket and get to the free-throw line. d oing that and not being one-dimensional is important.”
n otre d ame and s eattle tip-off at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Purcell Pavilion.
Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
Email Marek at mmazurek@nd.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
ALLISON CULVER | The Observer Irish sophomore guard Rex Pflueger defends a Bryant player in Notre Dame’s 89-64 win Nov. 12 at Purcell Pavilion.
ALLISON CULVER | The Observer Irish senior guard Steve Vasturia attempts to slow an opponent. Vasturia scored 16 points in the Nov. 12 win over Bryant.
