Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, September 22, 2017.
Walsh Hall crowns mr. O’Neill as mr. Nd
Junior Adam Kulam wins annual pageant highlighting talents of male residence halls’ contestants
By THOMAS MURPHY news writer
walsh h all hosted its 17th annual m r. nd p ageant, which invites men from each of notre d ame’s male dorms to compete for the ultimate title of “ m r. nd,” on Thursday.
The m r. nd p ageant is walsh h all’s signature event, with all proceeds from ticket sales benefitting Joseph a cademy — founded 34 years ago by notre d ame alumni to assist young students with learning disabilities — in c hicago.
Junior e lizabeth c ameron, who organized the pageant with sophomore holly h arris
this year, said it serves as an opportunity for each male dorm to display an aspect of the dorm personality.
“[ m r. nd ] is very representative of all the dorm communities,” c ameron said. “ it’s a super fun, eclectic event.”
walsh awards three different titles to contestants: “ m r. nd,” the top honor chosen by walsh h all’s rector and two a ssistant r ectors as well as the reigning m r. nd champion; “ m r. walsh,” chosen by the women of walsh h all; and “Fan Favorite,” chosen by the crowd through a text-poll. c ameron said winners
Speaker offers feminist, conservative perspective
By ALEXANDRA MUCK news writer
FoX news contributor, author and spokeswoman for the libre i nitiative rachel campos-duffy spoke on being h ispanic, modern-day conservatism and feminism at an event in the carey auditorium on Thursday night. The lecture, titled “si se p uede: l atina and conservative,” was sponsored by notre dame young a mericans for Freedom and the notre dame college republicans.
campos-duffy discussed her
New course at College promotes civil discourse
By NICOLE CARATAS senior news writer
This year, saint mary’s is offering a class on civil discourse in hopes of promoting dialogue on campus.
The one-credit course, which will begin after fall break, will focus on different controversial issues and promote civil discourse between students from across the political spectrum, philosophy professor megan Zwart — who started the course — said.
“you have this cross-selection
of viewpoints, and we’ll find ways to discuss those ideas,” Zwart said. “The intention is not to become expert on these areas. it’s to acknowledge that global citizens and participants in a democracy have to be able to identify good views to hold, evaluate their own views [and] engage with views they disagree with, so we’re trying to build the skills to do that. it’s not about convincing people of certain particular positions or of using arguments to bludgeon other people
students follow football season while abroad
By LUCAS MASIN-MOYER news writer
There are a few places where smoke machines are almost always a welcome addition — under the stage at a concert, in the background while a magician wows you with a dazzling new trick or set just off stage in a
performance of “ m acbeth” to give the performance an air of mystery.
The very select set of circumstances where smoke machines enhance a situation do not usually include having them under your feet while trying to watch football in a e uropean club at 2 a.m., but for junior Katie
l utz, it was the only way to watch the Fighting i rish take on g eorgia on s ept. 9.
“a lot of n otre d ame kids showed up in their game day gear, their t-shirts, their sweatshirts,” l utz said.
“ e veryone else at the club was wearing party clothes. i t was an odd atmosphere.”
l utz, who is studying at
u niversity c ollege d ublin in i reland this semester, is one of many n otre d ame students participating in one of n otre d ame i nternational’s 48 study abroad programs this fall. m ost of these students — who are participating in programs in cities ranging from d ublin to Jerusalem to b eijing — still
seek a way to be connected to campus while abroad. For these students, watching n otre d ame football by any means necessary helps create this connection.
Junior r yan hergenrother, who cheered alongside l utz at the “l iving room” club for see FooTball paGe 4
PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer
Junior Adam Kulam, a resident of O’Neill Hall, beat 12 other contestants to win the title of Mr. ND, Walsh Hall’s signature charity event, on Thursday night at Washington Hall.
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Rachel Campos-Duffy spoke about Hispanics, conservatism and feminism in a lecture Thursday night in Carey Auditorium.
Senior Michael Finan and Dillon Hall rector Fr. Paul Doyle prepare milkshakes after Dillon’s “Milkshake Mass” on Thursday night. The hall tradition began in October of 1997, and any leftover milkshakes go to Welsh Family Hall, Dillon’s sister dorm.
Friday
“The Struggle for Ireland’s Soul”
Geddes Hall
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
University of Oxford professor to lecture.
Quetzal
Leighton Concert Hall
7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Concert performed by Chicano band. Tickets available at DPAC.
Saturday
Streaming of “The Beatification of Fr.
Stanley Rother”
Geddes Hall
10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Open to the public.
“Museum Day Live!”
Jordan Hall of Science
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Smithsonian event is free, but ticketed. Reserve tickets online.
Sunday
Mass
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
10 a.m.
An additional Mass is served at 11:45 a.m.
St. John’s Bible
Concert
Leighton Concert Hall
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Featuring live music, dance and Scripture.
Monday
Information Session: International
Summer Service
Learning Program
Geddes Hall
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
“Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design”
Eck Visitors Center
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Pieces from the Art
COURTNEY BEÇKER | The Observer
the Georgia game, said attending these game watches helps keep the n otre d ame community relevant while abroad.
“The best way to experience the community at n otre d ame is in n otre d ame s tadium,” he said. “ e ven though we’re away from that, it’s nice to have a lively sense of community even when you’re so far away.”
h ergenrother said students are able to bring stadium traditions with them wherever they watch the games.
“We managed to do pushups,” he said.
While being able to watch the game in a club was a unique experience, Lutz said, it was not without its problems.
“The difficulty with the time change is that when the club closes at 2:30 a.m. and it’s halftime, they do not care it’s only halftime,” she said.
Lutz said the students were forced to quickly take a cab back to their dorm, where they all crowded around a laptop and watched the
game on a live stream until 4:30 a.m. as the i rish ultimately fell to the b ulldogs.
s taying up until all hours of the morning to watch football games has become commonplace for junior m ontana Giordano, who is studying abroad in Perth, a ustralia this semester.
For the first game of the season — with a 3:30 a.m. kickoff time in Western a ustralia — Giordano said he and other n otre d ame students in Perth were stuck in a sparsely populated area of the country.
“We didn’t have good WiFi connection because we were in the middle of the wheat belt in a ustralia, so i pulled up the radio broadcast,” he said. “a fternoon games are pretty tough because they’re at 3:30 in the morning here. s o you either go to bed early or stay awake the whole night.”
Giordano said these late nights and early mornings spent huddled around a radio broadcast — as n otre d ame fans did more than half century ago — helped to bring together the students, many of whom were not close friends before.
“ i t’s really cool, you get to bond with the n otre d ame people here a little more by
enjoying the games together,” he said. “ i t’s just a good experience.”
This enjoyment of games did not come without a twinge of longing to be back in s outh b end for the game, Giordano said.
“You also sort of have the feeling that you’re missing out — you see everyone’s snapchats and see everyone at the game,” he said.
i t is this connection to the team and the University that motivated Giordano to go to extreme lengths to tune in to watch the Fighting i rish, he said.
“We should be dedicated fans,” Giordano said. “You should watch the game wherever you are.”
Lutz echoed Giordano on the need to take four hours a week — no matter what time it is or where she has to watch — and find a way to watch the i rish on s aturdays or the occasional early s unday morning.
“ i am emotionally invested in this team and they can’t let me down,” she said.
“Just because i ’m on a different continent doesn’t mean i ’m going to miss out on the best season of the year.”
Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer at lmasinmo@nd.edu
who have different views, but trying to listen to other people’s views, see how their experience gives rise to those views.”
Zwart said the class will be predominately discussionbased. she said the first few classes will hone in on one issue — such as free speech or abortion — and the final class will be a public event for the saint mary’s community, held dec. 5 and led entirely by the students in the class.
Zwart came up with this course when her students approached her about wanting a place to discuss heavy issues in a classroom setting, she said. she then applied for and received a campus compact Fund for Positive e ngagement Grant, which was given to 40 campuses across the nation to promote positive engagement.
“during the election season, when i felt like the conversation around these issues was so disordered, i would see people posting on social media … and i would love to talk to that person,” Zwart said. “i’m immensely curious about what makes people tick and why they hold the views they do. it wasn’t that i felt angry or that i felt so strongly that frustration
was the response, it was really more a curiosity.”
i n order for the class to run, Zwart made sure to screen students who were interested to make sure a wide array of viewpoints would be represented. she said the class would not have run if only people who identify as liberal or as conservative would have signed up.
“i hope they get to engage with a lot of other experiences and viewpoints that aren’t their own in a spirit of curiosity rather than defensiveness,” Zwart said.
Zwart said she also hopes students will reflect on their views and their personal values and make sure they line up, thus aiding them when they discuss with people who hold different views.
“i think that people are way more able to hear other people’s views when they see those views as flowing from authentic core values,” she said. “You may not understand those values, but if you understand the person’s view as an outgrowth of that, then you are less likely to have a breakdown in communication — you’re more likely to understand that as an authentic belief, even if you disagree with it.”
Contact Nicole Caratas
Paid a dverT isemen T
MIKE DONOVAN scene Writer
“hey dudes! For those of you who don’t know us — which is, like, all of you — we’re J v band club, from the middle of nowhere. If you could, er, I don’t know, like buy our cds or some s---, we’d totally appreciate it. It’s a three-hour van ride home, and we’re hoping to make it the entire way this time. cheers F------! Let’s blow the f------ roof off this dump!”
so begins the bacchant enterprise that is rockamura Fest — with three young gentlemen, two low powered amps, one sweaty house, no money and a slew of “scene” types gathered to celebrate the aimless rebellion of ham-fisted lo-fidelity rock and roll. over the course of the night, the nakamura co-op hosts 23 more student acts — each with a completely original set list. between acts, bands and attendees discuss performances, creative plans, possible collaborations and potential shows. J v van club sells its cds — hopefully enough to make it home.
In Ann Arbor, at the University of michigan, the dIY spirit has a home.
now consider notre dame’s nearest equivalent — the wholesome Lakeside music Festival — a place where, hot dog in tow, you can see some of our school’s most interesting student musicians offer their original material against the wrath of administrative oversight and a certain band’s fratty covers of “mr. brightside.” If any potential components of a notre dame student scene exist in this setting, they’re probably drowning in vanilla ice cream.
We also have Acousticafe, a weekly open-mic event during which student musicians can blow minds and melt faces, provided they do so at a volume conducive to studying.
If a notre dame student wants to push artistic boundaries — if he or she wants to really put on a show — what are they to do?
To answer this question, I spoke with Julia steiner (’14) who, along with dave sagan (’15), started the acclaimed band ratboys in her first year on campus. she attributes its birth not to a bustling scene but to her class Facebook group.
“dave posted something in that group, and I saw that he was playing bass in that picture. We kinda just made a plan to meet up when we got to college — to get together and play music. At that point we didn’t know anyone else, or hadn’t met anyone else on campus who played music,” she said. “It started out mostly in my dorm room.”
“eventually we met a couple of people who were also kinda doing that sort of thing,” steiner continued, speaking about the band Francis Luke Accord, whose art studio became a haven for steiner and her bandmates. on campus, steiner and sagan kept their operation
low-key.
“When we started playing together and had few songs, we put together these random little shows throughout campus,” she said. “It was just me and dave. I was playing acoustic guitar; he was playing electric guitar.”
These shows that were for the most part unsanctioned took place in the dorms — or, in one instance, the basement of bond hall.
“That’s part of the fun,” steiner explained. “breaking the rules.
“We actually did play one full-band show in the basement room of breen-Phillips on a saturday night. That was one of the ones where we actually did ask for permission. The other ones were kind of rogue. It would’ve been cool to get exposure. To get people to come. Pretty much just word-of-mouth.”
but steiner credits the south bend music scene for helping ratboys realize its potential as a band.
“The best thing, really, was when we were able to have a car and started going into south bend,” she said. “We met tons of really good local musicians who had nothing to do with notre dame. That was really important. It’s hard to get off campus sometimes, and I feel like people make the assumption that there’s not much out there.”
When I asked her if there was anything we could do to revamp the on-campus music scene, steiner stressed the importance of artistic direction and a keen ear.
“I think it’s important to, first of all, think about what you want. There was something really special about the underground aspect of what we were doing. on the one hand, you want people to enjoy and experience what you’re doing, and you want to meet people who are doing the same thing — but it’s also special to create things in isolation.”
steiner also spoke to the dangers of notre dame’s reputation as an artistic dead zone.
“I just think it’s important for students to realize that, even though notre dame has this reputation, your peers are talented in many ways. There are kids in every class who are artists and make really cool art, even if it’s not apparent. Keep your ear to the ground and listen for it. We’re not a flash in the pan.”
With steiner’s words in mind, I decided to track down one of notre dame’s most promising current artists — singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist sophomore Felix rabito — to get his thoughts on notre dame’s student music scene.
rabito, like steiner, started writing early.
“I did [my music] mostly before,” he said. “It started in high school. When I was like 16 or 17, I started writing music.”
rabito expressed disappointment about the lack of community among creative people on campus. he reflected steiner’s point about the unchecked potential of our student body.
“It’s definitely isolated. I feel like, at notre dame, there’re so many really talented musicians. I mean, people are talented in general. but I feel like creativity, especially songwriting ... there’s not a lot of that.” The perception, he claimed, is that “a lot of people think it’s a waste of time, even though [songwriting is] the most intrinsically joyful thing I do.”
rabito does, however, believe that an artistic community can form naturally, if students are open to it.
“I don’t think you can force anything,” he said. “I was talking to Ladibree [sophomore rapper], and she voiced a similar opinion. bree and I were talking about trying to create a grassroots culture that fosters creativity. Finding people who like to write and encouraging them. We were actually thinking about having a grassroots show.”
As a child of the famed new orleans music scene, rabito had experienced the grassroots music culture first hand.
“Growing up in new orleans was really great,” he said. “In a lot of places it’s frowned upon for guys to sing and talk about their feelings, but new orleans is a special place — it’s always been so accepting. concerts in backyards and abandoned lots. everyone started writing; everyone started painting.”
This kind of atmosphere — one in which students engage in creativity to build community — suits notre dame’s core values. rabito specifically cites the school’s vibrant faith scene as a possible catalyst for an artistic movement.
“Today, especially in music culture, we all have this idea of individuality. This individual, or personal, idea that it’s cool to not conform; it’s cool to be better than things,” he said regarding indie and alternative music scenes. “but faith,” he continued, “helps you focus on the way you’re connected with those around you. It’s a path to empathy. That’s really what these esoteric indie artists are looking for. empathy.”
“It’s a big misconception,” he concluded, “that faith is non-conforming.”
notre dame’s culture may not be cut out for an edgy, misfit-ridden music scene in the vein of the University of michigan. The community, I think, is a little too welcoming for a serious countercultural movement against it. but that doesn’t mean we can’t build a music scene on our own terms.
As both steiner and rabito remind us, there’s a lot of talent here on campus. If a few people are willing to make the effort — starting bands, hosting shows, getting the word out — a scene will start to grow. In due time, we may even have our own versions of rockamura, where musicians and fans gather by the hundreds to celebrate notre dame’s creative life. but, before any of this can happen, we need a first mover.
Building our home under the Dome
Last week, Notre Dame announced that beginning with the class of 2022, the University will require students to live on campus for six semesters.
Although vice president for student affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding said during a town hall held Sept. 13 that the administration sees this decision as “solidifying a trend that already exists,” many students in attendance expressed disappointment and frustration about the requirement.
Every student has a different experience while living in a dorm on campus. While student life in the dorms may be the best aspect of the Notre Dame experience for many, for others it may be the opposite . Currently, the majority of Notre Dame students choose to live on campus for six semesters, while 15 percent of juniors and 2-3 percent of sophomores choose to move off campus.
Regardless of your views on the new policy, every student on campus now has the distinct opportunity to vocalize his or her opinions in order to work with University administrators and improve the dorm culture at Notre Dame before the requirement takes effect. Although the changes to residential life will not affect any current students, we as a student body have the opportunity to shape residential life — and the Notre Dame experience — for classes to come.
Along with the announcement of the six-semester requirement, the University informed students of
plans to build two new dorms, an initiative to make dorm culture more consistent across campus and possible senior incentives for those who remain on campus past the required six semesters. The plan for the senior incentives “was necessarily a bit vague,” Hoffmann Harding said at the town hall, to allow for greater collaboration between University administrators and students.
Possible incentives Hoffmann Harding suggested in a Sept. 12 interview with The Observer included additional leadership roles for seniors in dorms, more flexible meal plans and greater autonomy for senior room picks. Students now have the opportunity to give feedback on these ideas and suggest ideas of their own by engaging in a conversation with University administrators.
Additional engagement among dorm communities and across campus could also serve to ease the transition to the six-semester requirement. At Saint Mary’s, students are already required to live on campus for six-semesters, and one byproduct has included a more closely-knit, campus-wide community. Following the College’s example, Notre Dame could supplement the dorm community by strengthening the campus community at large.
The conversation regarding these new policies must extend beyond ideas for possible senior incentives and additional bonding exercises. For some Notre Dame students, the decision to move off campus stems from more than just the desire to explore new food options or live with friends who were previously spread across several dorms on campus.
Students at the town hall raised significant concerns with the changes, ranging from financial difficulties, to minority students feeling alienated or targeted in dorms, to survivors of sexual assault feeling trapped on campus with an assailant. These are very real concerns for some members of the Notre Dame community and ones we need to address if the six-semester requirement is to be effective in enhancing residence hall culture.
Will the University offer additional financial aid to students who might not be able to afford to live on campus for six semesters? Will the administration work with minorities on campus and groups which represent them to address the difficulties of being a member of an underrepresented community in a dorm? Will survivors of sexual assault be able to move out of a dorm that might remind them of where they were assaulted?
We urge students to speak up and ask these questions in a constructive way as we work toward improving our dorm and campus cultures, and we ask the administration to offer more opportunities for students to do so. These questions — along with many others that may not have been asked yet — cannot be answered in a single hour-long town hall meeting.
Most students already choose to remain on campus as part of the residential community at Notre Dame. By embracing the fact that this community is going to change, we have the potential to ensure it changes for the better. We can ensure that those who would choose to move off campus are as happy to remain on as those who would choose to stay.
Preventing Catholic jihadist judges
Had Notre Dame law professor Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearing to serve as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the seventh circuit been scheduled in the late 1590s, William Shakespeare may have based an entire gossip and rumor-filled chapter on judicial political posturing in his comedy, “Much Ado About Nothing.” But unlike Shakespeare’s original writing, political forces in this case could not be joined to satisfy the situation, thus not culminating in any celebratory marriage dance. Barrett’s nomination is a chess piece in a long-term scheme by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to delegitimize former President Barack Obama by stonewalling his judicial nominations and pack the judiciary now that a so-called “friendly” executive occupies the White House.
Barrett’s nomination is like — using Notre Dame imagery — hiring high school football coach Jerry Faust for the University’s head coaching position after bypassing eminently qualified college coaches while keeping the position open for years. Barrett has no judicial opinions or experience on the bench other than clerking for President Ronald Reagan appointee District of Columbia Appeals Judge Laurence H. Silberman and iconic conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The vacancy Barrett would fill remained open through a legislative procedural veto known as a “blue slip” (no hearings are held on a nominee until both senators from the state of the nominee returns their blue slips). Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) held up Obama’s 2015 nominee to the court, Myra Selby.
In Selby, senators would have interviewed a former Indiana Supreme Court Justice who spent most of her career as a highly regarded expert in healthcare law. Selby was recognized on the Best Lawyers in America’s health-care law list for seven consecutive years. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) praised
Selby’s nomination, saying that she “has been a trailblazer, as the first woman and first AfricanAmerican to serve on the Indiana Supreme Court and the first African-American partner in a major Indianapolis law firm.” Selby would have also been the first African-American to sit on the seventh circuit from Indiana.
At Barrett’s hearing, though, senators could only examine her scholarly, theoretical treatises to establish their opinions of her judicial philosophies — some of which obviously pandered to the doctrine of her religious employer. Her article, “Catholic Judges in Capital Cases,” strongly criticized Justice William Brennan’s statement about faith wherein he took an oath to uphold the law, and that “there isn’t any obligation of our faith superior” to that oath. Barrett replied, “We do not defend this position as the proper response for a Catholic judge to take with respect to abortion or the death penalty.”
The hearing turned to Barrett’s mention of judge recusals when she hinted that she might impose such upon herself during several types of cases. Even a friendly ally on the panel questioned her. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) asked Barrett, “I’ve read some of what you’ve written on Catholic judges and in capital cases and, in particular, as I understand it, you argued that Catholic judges are morally precluded from enforcing the death penalty … please explain your views on that because that obviously is of relevance to the job for which you have been nominated.”
Herein lies the crux, which Professor Barrett should note. You will not preside in an academic theoretical world as a “Catholic” judge. You will be in an arena outside of Catholic Disneyland as an American judge whose spirituality should guide your legal moral compass to apply current law collectively alongside the legal moral compasses of “Muslim” judges, “Jewish” judges, “Protestant” judges and “Atheist” judges. As is referenced in the courtroom, Barrett “opened the door” of testimony by writing “Catholic judge.” The chorus of senators who grilled Barrett on her judicial philosophy and
potential rulings did not question her faith. Unlike the protestation on LinkedIn’s Notre Dame Alumni Network page or the eloquent defense of Professor Barrett’s faith by University president John Jenkins, no one questioned her faith, but whether she would apply the law by deferring to her faith.
Barrett must answer the overriding question with clarity: Would you hold the Catechism with equal weight through your proceedings like the principles of Sharia law might guide an orthodox “Muslim” judge who uses his religious principles that form a portion of the Islamic religion? Barrett’s writings seem to strictly follow the vatican’s direction. It is important that the judiciary does not act based on religion, against our forefathers’ plan that this nation is strongest whenever we embrace a multitude of philosophies absent religion.
Unfortunately, Senate Republican Leader McConnell’s theft of the latest Supreme Court seat and his refusal to allow Obama to appoint his share of judges portends of future unrest. Rigging the Supreme Court to skew 5-4 for particular philosophy will haunt our society someday. Judges are wise to strive for the type of reputation as our first woman Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who ruled on the merits of each case, not on a philosophy or dogma that easily could count her vote before the court deliberated.
If appointed to the bench, Barrett would be wise to rule on complex matters without adhering to simple religious doctrine. For Barrett, only time will judge if we shall again quote Shakespeare saying, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame ‘73 American Studies major, serves in the Department of Homeland Security and was a legislative and public affairs director at the U.S. House of Representatives and in President Clinton’s administration. His column appears every other Friday. Contact him on Twitter: @GaryJCaruso or e-mail: GaryJCaruso@alumni.nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Gary J. Caruso Capitol Comments
happy birthday: you can dream big, but when it comes to actually putting your ideas into play, it is best to be cautious and moderate. building a solid foundation for your future plans will encourage greater stability and give you more maneuverability as your ideas develop. refuse to let personal or emotional issues cloud your vision or push you in the wrong direction. your numbers are 7, 12, 22, 25, 33, 37, 46.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): emotions will have to be grounded if you want to avoid getting into a situation that can affect your reputation or status. look for opportunities that arise due to the hard work and dedication you put into your pursuits.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): business or personal trips will be enlightening. The information you gather and the people you encounter along the way will encourage you to make changes to the way you move forward. Physical changes will make you feel good. romance is highlighted.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Work with people you look up to and who have something to offer you in return. g etting ahead will be based on how well you recognize an opportunity when it comes along and how you take advantage of what’s offered.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): share your thoughts, but be willing to accept the response you get in return. everyone is entitled to an opinion, and accepting and respecting others’ points of view will give you greater freedom to think and do as you please.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): greater involvement in activities that include relatives or friends will lead to projects that you can work on as a team. suggestions someone offers will change the way you choose to move forward. live in the moment.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): stand your ground if someone tries to talk you into something expensive or unnecessary. The past will come back to haunt you if you are easily swayed or agree to something just because you want to fit in.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): choose your words wisely when dealing with partners or those who can make a difference to the outcome of something you want to pursue. Arguing will not help you get your way, but friendly persuasion or offering an incentive will.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): be cautious when dealing with a fast talker. g et the lowdown before you agree to be involved in something you know little about. someone’s charm will not be enough to bank your life savings on. do your own thing.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): choose to make self-improvements. What you do to satisfy your dreams, hopes and aspirations will make a difference to the way others treat you. do your homework before you put your plans into motion.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): back away from anything that appears to be overly expensive or impractical. look for the best way to spend your time and your money. If someone is persistent, make your position clear. Play it safe and stay focused on your plans.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): g ood fortune is within reach. look at the opportunities that interest you and take a leap of faith. Trust in your ability to incorporate something you enjoy doing into your daily routine. live healthy and work hard.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): emotional issues will escalate rapidly if you jump to conclusions prematurely or make rash decisions that affect the ones you love. Take a step back and consider the consequences of your actions before you take on a new challenge.
Birthday Baby: you are impulsive, persistent and dogmatic. you are proactive and confident.
Jumble | dAvId hoyT And Jeff knurek
sudoku | The mePhAm grouP
wiNGiN’ it | olIvIA WAng & bAIlee egAn
baseball is back, enjoy the ride
This weekend, baseball enters back into the national spotlight.
That’s right folks. Although college and professional football certainly claim an enormous amount of viewership and prestige, it’s around this time of year America’s national pastime finally lives up to its namesake.
People often complain that baseball isn’t fun or exciting enough of a sport to watch. And while that argument may hold weight throughout the dog days of the regular season, come late september and throughout october, it’s hard to find a sport more captivating and unpredictable than baseball.
This season promises more of the same. Whether it’s the race for the pennant, division or wild-card, teams now have approximately 10 games left to compete for 10 uber-coveted postseason spots.
And once a team makes the postseason, anything can happen.
The chase starts this weekend. It’s almost win-or-go-home at this point. As of Thursday afternoon, five teams were within four games of the minnesota Twins — who currently hold the second wild-card spot — in the American League wild-card race. Whether you’re the Los Angeles Angels (two games back), the Texas rangers (2 1/2 games), the Kansas city royals (3 1/2 games) or the seattle mariners and Tampa bay rays (both four games back), every game from now on can be considered a must-win game, which automatically increases the tension and worth of every game, every inning, every pitch.
The national League wildcard race is even tighter, and it may likely have a crazy finish. As of Thursday, the colorado rockies held a one-game lead for the second-wild card spot, while the milwaukee brewers are just one game behind and the st. Louis cardinals only 2 1/2 games back. With colorado’s lead slowly dwindling over the past few weeks, it’s safe to say that this race will likely come down to the wire, and that the three-game series between milwaukee and st. Louis next weekend in busch stadium — the final series of the regular season for both teams — could very well determine which one of those teams gets a shot at winning the World series in october.
however, it’s not just the wildcard races that cause intrigue and excitement as the regular season winds down. every team currently in position for a postseason berth is jockeying for the
best seeding possible to increase their chances of reaching the World series. cleveland and houston will battle for the no. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in the AL over their last 10 games, while boston will aim to stave off a surging new York club (three games back of boston) to earn the American east divisional crown. There are races everywhere.
As such, these final three series of the regular season will pit rivals against rivals and contenders against contenders. And now that the chips are down, the contenders will separate themselves from the pretenders. It starts this weekend, and the nL central race is a perfect microcosm of this reality. currently, the chicago cubs are 3 1/2 games ahead of milwaukee and five games ahead of st. Louis. starting this Thursday, chicago and milwaukee will square off in a pivotal four-game series at the brewers’ miller Park — a situation which could end in a milwaukee sweep and a takeover of first place in the central, or a series win for the cubs to almost guarantee themselves a division crown. however, if the brewers take three of four, and the cardinals win their series against the Pirates, then it suddenly becomes a three-horse race entering the final week, where the cardinals have the advantage of hosting both the cubs (four-game series) and the brewers (three-game series) to end the season.
suddenly, a team five games back entering the weekend appears a legitimate threat to seize the divisional crown. crazier things have happened — and that’s the point. Time and time again, we’ve seen teams get hot at the right time and ride that wave all the way to a postseason title. baseball isn’t like the nbA, where you know the Warriors are going to make the Finals, or even the nFL, where you can pretty much count on Tom brady and the Patriots to be there in the end. The field is wide open, and the championship is anybody’s for the taking. so embrace baseball this time of year. As we saw last year with the cubs winning their first World series in 108 years, postseason baseball is magical, mysterious and plain unpredictable fun.
The fun starts this weekend. so go ahead, enjoy the ride. baseball is back.
Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Albin for another strong performance, as his 66 in the third round last week helped him climb to third overall in the individual standings. h e simultaneously catapulted the team into the fourth place position for the tournament.
Last season, the Irish also got off to a strong start, finishing fifth out of 14 teams in the university of s an Francisco o lympic c lub Intercollegiate. h owever, the team struggled in the second tournament of the season, finishing 14th out of 16 teams at the g eorgia s tate m aui Jim Intercollegiate. The Irish aim to avoid stalling in the second event of the season this year, and Irish head coach John h andrigan explained that the team is focusing on their growth and improvement, rather than comparing itself to the
s occer
early stage of this gauntlet is to conserve energy and recover physically between games. he commented on how the players are holding up so far.
“Physically we’re good,” c lark said. “When you get into two games a week, regeneration and just getting ball touches [is key]. You want to preserve all their energy for the game … and get their legs back under them, and I think we’ll be that. They all looked quite good
competition.
“Instead of focusing on the competition, we are mainly focusing on what we are able to do as a team and how we can continue to get better,” h andrigan said. “We honestly had a pretty good first tournament, but there are a few things we need to key in on in order to improve this week. If we can do that, then we will be fine against the competition.”
h andrigan noted that he has been to the s hoal c reek course previously, and believes that will give his team a leg up by being able to prepare appropriately.
“I’ve been to this course before so I know what to expect, which is nice because I was able to help my guys prepare for this type of golf course,” h andrigan said. “We have been doing a couple of things this week to help us prepare for this event. It definitely helps having a previous relationship with the golf course to
yesterday, there was nobody worse for wear after the b owling g reen game, which was pleasing, so I think we’ll have a full complement for [ v irginia Tech].
Looking to preserve their energy, c lark commented that the Irish won’t have had much standard practice time before they head to b lacksburg, v irginia, both in terms of physical exertion, but also in terms of tactical preparation.
“It was really just working with the fitness coach,” c lark said. “There was no actual practice and nothing tactical — they didn’t touch a ball
be more prepared and know what to expect.”
h andrigan said he hopes his team repeats and improves on its strong performance last week during his second tournament ever as head coach at n otre d ame.
“We are looking to improve on our [fourth place] finish in the first tournament of the season, to be honest with you,” he said. “There are a couple of stats that we were not happy with — mainly our scrambling stats and short game statistics around the green. h owever, we had a really good practice today working on those shots that we didn’t do too well on; some of the practice consisted of mainly technique and the other part of it was hardcore repetition. We improved on those areas at our facility today, and I think we will do better at the tournament because of that.”
Contact Brenna Moxley at bmoxley@nd.edu
yesterday. It was really just a lot of stretching, running, some movement, ice baths and normaTec compression. s o that’s where we are — our trainer is going to give me the official fitness report — but it’ll be quite light today.” b ack on the Acc grind, notre d ame will look to handle its business on the road as it previously has this season against both uc onn and b oston c ollege. The match will kick off against the hokies at 7 p.m. at Thompson Field in b lacksburg, v irginia.
Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
Joe Everett sports Writer
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Irish senior defender Patrick Berneski looks to pass the ball upfield during Notre Dame’s 2-0 win over San Diego on Aug. 25 at Alumni Stadium. Berneski has started in all six games for the Irish this season.
Nd WomeN’s Golf
Notre Dame departs for Schooner Fall Classic
Observer Sports Staff
This weekend, the no. 15 irish women’s golf team will travel to norman, oklahoma, for the schooner Fall classic. coming off the heels of a program record 854 for the 54-hole, par 72 minnesota invitational, notre dame looks to keep up the pace in its fourth ever trip to the oklahoma University-hosted
tournament.
The schooner classic will take place september 23-25 at belmar Golf club in oklahoma.
The field will feature 14 teams, including tough competitors like no. 3 a labama, no. 10 oklahoma and no. 11 Florida state.
set by irish head coach susan holt, notre dame’s lineup for the weekend will consist of
said “a vibrant offensive motion will push The m anor to victory.”
the chains. The only points scored were by m orrissey after an interception returned for a touchdown put them on the board. c arroll, the smallest men’s dorm on campus, is led by fresh faces and bleached hair. c harlie Prince, Jake o ’ h ara, Jack m c c lintock and Tom c affrey are only some of the notable freshmen gearing up for c arroll this season.
c arroll was eliminated in the early rounds of the playoff journey in 2016, but aim to make a name for themselves this year. i n order to do this, the vermin must focus on extending depth to their game by being a force by both long shots and consistent runs.
The vermin and h ighlanders are set to face off this s unday at 3:30 p.m. at r icci Family Fields.
Contact Ellie Olmanson at eolmanso@nd.edu
morrissey vs. f isher
By CASSIE CORBIN sports Writer
The tradition of crossquad rivalry intensifies as the m orrissey m anor and the Fisher Green Wave battle each other this weekend. a fter losing many graduating seniors, the composition of m orrissey’s team has altered greatly. h oping to avoid a repeat of last year’s early elimination, sophomore captain Tom s levin
s levin said m orrissey is returning to its roots for the upcoming game.
“ o ur strategy is to go back to what has worked in the past: to go the ground and pound game, to keep running the football and chip away at the other team’s defense,” s levin said. “a nd just go three, four yards at a time and pick up the first down. We just want to keep moving on the field.”
h owever, while m orrissey is strengthening its offensive line, Fisher is working on a strong, revamped defense. a lthough the game was postponed due to weather, Fisher held the lead in last week’s matchup against d uncan.
r iding on this success, senior captain d an r idzik altered Fisher’s defensive line during practice this week in anticipation of certain plays.
“We know we have the assets to execute on the field,” r idzik said. “ b all security was one of the main things we had highlighted. We’re doing well with that but we need to work on tackling and wrapping up.”
With each side looking to bring home the championship this season, both m orrissey and Fisher’s focus on traditional fundamentals should make for a competitive game.
m orrissey takes on Fisher this s unday at 3:30 p.m. at r icci Family Fields.
Contact Cassie Corbin at ccorbin1@nd.edu
junior emma a lbrecht (1), junior isabella diLisio (2), freshman abby heck (3), junior maddie rose hamilton (4), senior and newly-named team captain a lison snakard (5) and sophomore mia ayer (individual). Last year at the schooner classic, a lbrecht finished 10th and recorded a then-personal-best 211 over three rounds, a milestone bested only by her performance
siegfried vs. s orin
By JACK ZINSKY sports Writer
The s iegfried r amblers and s orin o tters come together in Week 2 of the interhall season on s unday, each with something to prove.
s iegfried, coming off of a semi-final appearance last season, looks to continue the momentum gained from a near-perfect 21-0 defeat of Knott last week. The shutout surely put the rest of campus on notice, but senior captain d rew d e b aker said there is always room for improvement.
“ e ven though we played well last week, we can always improve our execution,” d e b aker said. “ i hope the week of practice allows us to add a few more things into our system as well.”
a fter starting the season on such a strong note, s iegfried faces a challenge against the o tters, who are a non-traditional opponent for the r amblers. d e b aker said they want to maintain the potency of the offense.
“ o ffensively we want to stay balanced between the pass and the run,” d e b aker said. “We have great depth at our skill positions, and our line brings grit as well.”
While s iegfried is looking to continue its recent stretch of excellence, s orin is coming into this game looking to establish itself despite a 14-0 loss in Week 1. a fter the loss of their quarterback last week to an ac L tear, the o tters were forced to alter their offensive attack. s ophomore captain e ric r equet said his team has to make some adjustments for the upcoming game.
“We’re going to change it up a little bit,” r equet said. “We’re not going to rely as much on passing anymore. We’re going to be more run-heavy.”
The defense played a large
two weeks ago at the minnesota invitational, where a lbrecht tied for the lowest individual threeround score in school history (210) en route to placing seventh overall. diLisio also enters the schooner Fall classic with some momentum, as the junior finished 10th at the minnesota invitational after shooting two rounds in the 60s to finish with an overall score of 211, while
role in keeping it close last week, and for the o tters, it is essential that the defense can continue to step up. The game was tied at zero in the fourth quarter, and the s orin quarterback’s injury was a blow to its Week 1 hopes. e ven with a backup signal caller and a relatively small team, r equet said he believes in his squad.
“We only have 16 or 17 guys — we’re really small compared to most teams, so it’s a lot more difficult,” he said. “The fact that we can hold teams to low-scoring games with a few people says a lot.”
a nticipating a defensive battle, the r amblers and o tters kickoff at 1 p.m. at r icci Family Fields.
Contact Jack Zinsky at jzinsky@nd.edu
Keenan vs. st. e dward’s
By PETER BALTES sports Writer
The Keenan Knights and the s t. e dward’s Gentlemen are set to compete in Week 2 of the interhall season, each coming off a very different result in Week 1.
s t. e dward’s (1-0) is looking to build off an incredibly strong showing in their season’s inaugural game, a 24-0 victory over Zahm. The Gentlemen performed well on both sides of the ball, and senior captain a lex s chelhorn said he was very pleased with his team’s overall performance. The defense appeared effective in particular, preventing Zahm from picking up a single first down.
“ d efensively, our linebacking corps as a whole are all just great players,” s chelhorn said. “They didn’t let anyone by them this week.”
final round 67 was tied for the lowest round of the tournament. a fter a sixth place finish at the schooner classic last season, the irish ladies will look to improve this year. They have been paired for the first round with the no. 23 University of Florida and baylor University.
The rounds will begin at 10:40 a.m. saturday, 10:10 a.m. sunday and 9:10 a.m. monday.
i t was not merely the defense that carried the day for the Gentlemen. s chelhorn also emphasized the trust the team has in the offensive side.
“The offense got moving when we needed to,” s chelhorn said. “ i t was a good start to the year to get the confidence going.”
s chelhorn said he remains confident that his team will be in a good position for success again this week.
“We’ve just got to play to our strengths,” he said. “We’ll have to figure out where our team’s strengths lie and how we can exploit Keenan’s weaknesses.”
Keenan (0-1) fell 14-6 in their opening contest against a talented s tanford team that won the interhall championship last year. d espite this setback, the Knights, led by junior captain d an n euson, are hoping to bounce back against s t. e dward’s.
“ i think we’ve shored up and fixed some of the gaps we have in our game plan, and we’re looking forward to s t. e d’s,” n euson said.
n euson said he sees a team that still has plenty of talent and will certainly be competitive going forward.
“We’ve got a fantastic quarterback in [junior] d an Lindstrom,” n euson said. “We’ve got a strong core of guys on defense.”
i n light of the Gentlemen’s strong showing last week, n euson said he understands that the game will pose a challenge, but is hopeful for Keenan’s prospects both in this game and the rest of the season.
“We’re hoping to defeat a team that’s been a lot better than they have been in past years,” he said. “We’re hoping to get our game plan locked down and to propel ourselves to bigger victories down the line.”
The Knights will kick off against the Gentlemen at 2:15 p.m. on s unday at r icci Family Fields.
Contact Peter Baltes at pbaltes@nd.edu
meN’s sOCCer
Top-ranked Irish travel to take on Hokies
By JOE EVERETT sports Writer
Again finding itself at the top of the college soccer world, n o. 1 n otre d ame looks to keep its perfect start intact as it travels to b lacksburg, v irginia, to face v irginia Tech this Friday.
Last season, n otre d ame (6-0-0, 2-0-0 A cc ) also started a perfect 6-0 and earned the n o. 1 ranking before a road loss to Louisville ended both. This season, the potential roadblock comes in the form of the h okies (3-40, 0-2-0 A cc ), who will undoubtedly present another tough challenge for n otre d ame. d espite v irginia Tech’s winless start in A cc play, as the h okies fell to both d uke, 3-1, and v irginia, 2-1, Irish head coach b obby c lark noted that the Irish have never had an easy time pulling out a win at v irginia Tech since joining the A cc , and that Friday’s matchup should by no means be considered an easy game.
“They look like all A cc teams,” c lark said. “They’ve
got some very strong players and look to have a big team. They’ve got good size and they look very well-balanced from the bits of the game I’ve watched. Their game against v irginia was a very close game, so, it’s just another grinder. o ur past two visits to Thompson Field were difficult games. … We’ve never really taken them apart there at all. They’ve been really hard, tough games, so going into the game that’s how I’d see it at this point.” r esuming A cc play after its 2-1 non-conference win over b owling Green on Tuesday night, n otre d ame has officially entered the heart of its regular season schedule, as the Irish will play two games a week on Tuesdays and Fridays while consistently facing top-tier conference and non-conference opponents, exemplified by n otre d ame’s visit to n o. 2 Indiana next Tuesday. Therefore, for c lark, the most important thing for n otre d ame during the
Notre Dame readies for Shoal Creek Invitational
By BRENNA MOXLEY sports Writer
n otre d ame will compete in the s hoal c reek Invitational hosted by the University of Alabama at b irmingham in s hoal c reek, Alabama, on m onday and Tuesday. n otre d ame is coming off a solid performance at the b adger Invitational in m adison, Wisconsin, last week, finishing fourth of 16 teams in the first contest of the season for the Irish.
The s hoal c reek Invitational will feature fierce competition, including n o. 11 Wake Forest, as well as two teams receiving votes in the nc AA coaches poll: o le m iss and n orth Florida.
The Irish will be bringing freshman d avis c hatfield, sophomore h unter o strom and juniors b en Albin, m iguel d elgado and Kevin c onners to the tournament. n otre d ame will look toward
squads set for second week
Carroll vs. duncan
By ELLIE OLMANSON sports Writer
The c arroll vermin and d uncan h ighlanders are set to face off this s unday, where both teams will be looking to obtain their first win of the season as last week’s games were postponed until o ct. 8 due to inclement weather.
Although they were down 12-7 to Fisher in the third quarter when the game was halted, d uncan proved capable with ball movement and defensive skills and were led by senior quarterback m atthew Kase. The h ighlanders appear to have experience as a factor this year and will aim to make another appearance in the interhall championships.
s ophomore captain Kyle Tomshack said he believes his team has been using last week’s performance against Fisher as motivation against c arroll.
“This week we’ve been focusing on correcting our
mistakes from last week and making sure they don’t happen again,” Tomshack said.
“As our first game showed, there are many places for the team to improve. We focus on getting better everyday.” d uncan put forth a fight in last year’s interhall championship game against s tanford, but fell just short 7-6. o nly a year before, d uncan was not known for its football abilities after going winless in 2015, to which its residents took attention to and made a priority.
Tomshack highlighted the importance of working as a team in order to obtain these goals.
“We believe that if we play together as a team, we have the ability to beat anyone,” Tomshack said.
o n the other side, c arroll fought m orrissey for nearly three quarters before a lightning warning stopped play. It was an even match with little movement of
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Irish senior midfielder Blake Townes looks to change fields and play the ball out to the wing during Notre Dame’s 2-0 win over San Diego on Aug. 25 at Alumni Stadium. Townes has one assist on the season.
Irish junior Miguel Delgado follows through on an approach shot during the Notre Dame Kickoff Challenge on Sept. 3, 2016.
