Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, February 1, 2017

n o T re d ame and s ain T m ary’s

university, students react to travel ban

International students, faculty face uncertainty in wake of executive order signed Friday

By EMILY McCONVILLE news writer

i n the five days since p resident d onald Trump signed an executive order on immigration, the approximately 30 notre d ame students from the affected countries, and the staff who assist them, have been uncertain about their futures.

“This is a big change, a big sudden change,” a rman m irhashemi, a ph. d. candidate in aerospace and

mechanical engineering from i ran, said. “ you don’t expect it, so you don’t know what to do with it.”

The executive order, issued Friday, stops u s . visas from being issued to nationals of i ran, i raq, l ibya, s yria and yemen for 90 days,; changes rules regarding refugees and s yrian nationals specifically; and calls for a review of the visa adjudication process, with the goal of preventing terrorism. notre d ame i nternational’s

Campus groups seek response to Trump petition

ERIN McAULIFFE | The Observer

Notre Dame students protest in solidarity with undocumented immigrants Nov. 9 in response to President Trump’s victory.

By SELENA PONIO

e ditor

a ssociate news

more than a month after they submitted a petition asking university p resident Fr. John Jenkins not to invite p resident Trump to speak at this year’s c ommencement, the notre d ame c ollege d emocrats and d iversity c ouncil are still waiting for an answer.

s enior co-president of c ollege d emocrats a ndrew

g alo said the petition had roughly 3,600 signatures when it was delivered to Jenkins in d ecember. g alo said the petition’s goal was only further reinforced with the new executive order Trump signed Friday, banning travel from seven muslim-majority countries.

“Fr. Jenkins has already called on the p resident to rescind this hateful, bigoted see peTiTion PaGe 4

( ndi ) d irector of i nternational p rograms, rosemary m ax, said most of the approximately 30 students from the countries affected by the order are graduate students in s T em fields, and many come from i ran.

i n addition, there are also “a handful of faculty handled by the order,” as well as two visiting professors who were slated to arrive next week, but now are most likely not able to enter the united states, university spokesman d ennis

brown said.

w hile all the current students were safely on campus when it was issued, m ax said the order still affects them.

“These are students who are busy doing amazing things for us,” she said. “They have family members in other countries. s ome of them have spouses in another country that they were hoping to go and see very soon, and so there are questions about whether they will be able to do those things in the next 90 days or not, and

what will happen after that — we just don’t know.”

The order sparked protests around the country, including in s outh b end. o n sunday, university p resident Fr. John Jenkins released a statement, condemning the order as “sweeping, indiscriminate and abrupt,” and urging Trump to rescind it. s aint m ary’s p resident Jan c ervelli also condemned the order. a ccording to

see order PaGe 4

Judicial council announces presidential, vp candidates

Observer Staff Report

The Judicial c ouncil announced two tickets for the upcoming elections for the offices of student body president and vice president.

Juniors b ecca b lais and s ibonay s hewit along with juniors r ohit Fonseca and d aniela n arimatsu Felippe both received the requisite 700 signatures to be eligible for the electoral process.

a debate is scheduled for Feb. 6, and the candidates have also been invited to a forum with the student group w e s tand For on Feb. 2. The election will take place Feb. 8.

i f neither ticket receives a majority of the vote, a runoff will take place between the two. s hould that be the case, a second debate is set for Feb. 12, and the final election will take place Feb. 14, according to the

Judicial c ouncil’s website.

The winning ticket will take office for the 20172018 term a pril 1, succeeding current student body president c orey r obinson and b lais, who is also the current student body vice president.

The b lais- s hewit ticket emphasizes “innovation, transparency and consistent outreach” according to

see elecTion PaGe 4

e xpo highlights sustainable opportunities

By MEGAN VALLEY and ELIZA HARRIS

ditor and news writer

e

ssociate news

a

a ny student who followed the green footprints in l aFortune s tudent c enter ended up at this year’s s ustainability u ndergraduate r esearch and e ducation e xpo hosted by the c ampus c oalition on r esearch and e ducation for s ustainability ( cres T). This is the third annual event for the coalition,

see eXpo PaGe 4

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Policies

Question of the Day:

Ankur Kumar sophomore Zahm house

“‘T-shirt’ — m igos.”

Emily Schneider junior cavanaugh hall

“‘paris’ — The c hainsmokers.”

Katie Schermerhorn junior pasquerilla east hall

“‘Toxic’ — britney spears.”

Kathleen Rocks junior cavanaugh hall

“‘a ll night’ — c hance the rapper.”

Sean Nanovic junior stanford hall

“‘saint pablo’ — Kanye west.”

Courtney Kelly junior pasquerilla east hall

“‘Just Tell me’ — nick yaryan.”

Today’s Staff

Corrections

The observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the

Structured Dialogue: (How) Can We Go on Together?

Geddes Hall 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. RSVP online.

Actors From The London Stage (AFTLS) present “Romeo and Juliet” Washington Hall 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Thursday

Lecture: Political Islam and America’s Long War Purcell Pavilion 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Open to the public.

Scholars Lounge and Concourse Open House Hesburgh Library 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Food will be provided.

Friday

The Future of Liberalism in the Age of Trump South Dining Hall 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. Lunch provided.

Men’s Hockey vs. Vermont Compton Ice Arena 7:35 p.m. - 9:35 p.m. The Irish take on the Catamounts.

Saturday

Indoor Cycling — Spring 2017 Freebies Rockne Memorial 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Arrive early; space is limited.

Kroc Institute

ScreenPeace Film Festival

DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 9:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Sunday

Kroc

made up of the e nvironmental c hange i nitiative, the John J. reilly c enter, the c enter for sustainable e nergy at notre d ame ( nd e nergy) and the sustainability minor, through which students found various opportunities for getting involved with sustainability on campus.

“ we hope students can get a better understanding of sustainable practices across campus,” managing director of nd e nergy ginger sigmon said.

a s a result, the e xpo brought together groups and organizations dealing with research, education, outreach, internships and resources, according to sigmon. w hile most groups are notre dame-affiliated, there are a few external groups. This variety attracts students with all types of interests, she said.

Freshman political science major bennett rogers attended the e xpo to gather information, as he is looking into a minor in

sustainability.

“i want to do farm law,” rogers said. “it’s my dream. i think it is important for me to have a background in sustainability, especially if i am going to work with farmers in the future.”

Freshman Tommy Jegier said he came to the e xpo because he is looking into a minor in energy studies, and because he was inspired by his earth focus class to learn more about sustainability.

“i’m here because i’m passionate about helping the environment and getting involved,” he said. “This was a great place to get information.”

according to sophomore student e nergy board member Tansy wang, students are encouraged to look at ways to be sustainable outside of research. wang said the board aims to emphasize ways to get involved with sustainability and to make renewable energy more of a prominent resolution.

rachel novick, director of the minor in sustainability, said the minor, which has a mix of

students that represent a good make-up of notre dame students, is a good resource for students to learn more about sustainability and renewable

m ana d erekshani, director of the c enter for women’s i ntercultural l eadership, no students of the c ollege are from the affected countries.

s oon after the order was issued, students from the seven affected countries received an email advising them not to leave the country. m ax said students were invited to come into or email notre d ame i nternational if they had further questions — but there was not much information to give in response.

For several days, the status of people from the affected countries who have green cards was still unclear. The Trump administration said sunday green-card holders would not be prevented from entering.

s ome notre d ame students who are citizens of one of the seven countries affected are also citizens of a country the administration did not name. i nitially, dual citizens were included under the ban, but m ax said dual citizens of some countries may soon be able to enter — but it isn’t clear which ones.

“s omeone from the u.K. but [who] was born in s yria might be able to travel, but it’s too early to tell,” she said. “it’s still very murky. i would say one

e lection

con T inued F rom page 1

official campaign materials.

b lais and s hewit include offering better follow-up resources and support for victims of sexual assault, hiring a d iversity and

thing is what’s on paper and what’s actually happening at the border — we’re trying to get our mind around those two things, so we can see how best to advise our students.”

i n addition, m ax said it isn’t clear whether students can change their visa status from, say, a student visa to a work visa if they want to get a job.

That, m irhashemi said, is a concern of many students set to graduate this spring. he said a common path for students after school is to get a temporary work visa in their field of study.

“e verything is on hold — all petitions and everything for anybody with i ranian origin, as well as the other six countries,” he said.

unlike many i ranian students, m irhashemi, who has been in the united states for seven years, has permanent residency, as opposed to a nonimmigrant student visa. b ut over the weekend, he spearheaded an effort to write a letter to Jenkins expressing concern over the scope of the executive order and gratitude towards Jenkins for his statement against it. 21 students from the affected countries signed it — 19 from i ran, one from s yria and one from i raq. m irhashemi, who was involved in political and human rights activism in i ran, said Trump reminds him of former i ranian president m ahmoud

i nclusion officer to oversee student training and pushing the u niversity to offer free s T d testing in s t. l iam’s.

The Fonesca- n arimatsu campaign is focused on “serving the community and guiding with a purpose,” according to their platform.

a hmadinejad, who was hostile to the united states, in that “both see the world in a binary.” he said he worries the order is contradictory to a merican values.

“ w hen you’re looking at the united states, you’re looking at a country with a rich history toward freedom and justice,” he said. “s o you don’t expect this happens in such a country. i think part of my concerns from this are what is going to happen both for me and — it’s not only something that affects the u s it affects everywhere.”

m ax said she hopes Trump will issue another executive order clarifying certain points in the first order, at which point ndi may host a forum to answer questions. i n the meantime, she said the university would continue to support those students.

“i nternational students — when they come here — there are so many barriers already to get here in terms of traveling, visa, expenses, new culture — and so just maybe keep in mind that these are people who are quite resilient. They’re great resources for our community, and students should feel free to reach out to them and talk to them, and welcome them again especially in this time,” she said.

Contact Emily McConville at emcconville@nd.edu

Fonesca and n arimatsu include moderated roundtable debates amongst groups of students, publishing a quarterly report on reported sexual assaults, m onday morning prayers with the student body president and broadening the g rab and g o options.

energy.

“The goal of the sustainability minor is to have students develop as leaders and make change in whatever field they go into,” she said.

Petition

and misguided order,” g alo said in an email. “ we agree, and we hope Fr. Jenkins goes one step further in choosing a different c ommencement speaker. we will certainly be more vocal until a decision is made.”

Jenkins issued a statement sunday urging Trump to rescind Friday’s execu-

“We agree, and we hope Fr. Jenkins goes one step further in choosing a different Commencement speaker. We will certainly be more vocal until a decision is made.”

Andrew Galo co-president college Democrats

tive order, which stopped visas from being issued to nationals of i ran, i raq, l ibya, s omalia, sudan, syria and yemen for 90 days, and to refugees of s yria indefinitely. it also banned all refugee entries for 120 days, required a review of visa adjudication processes and stipulated refugees can be admitted on a case-by-case basis, especially if they are religious minorities.

s enior r achel wallace, who is student union representative for d iversity c ouncil, said at this point, she thinks it is unlikely for Jenkins to invite Trump.

“a lot of the orders he’s

Contact Megan Valley at mvalley@nd.edu and Eliza Harris at eharris3@nd.edu

signed, particularly this last one … [are] so against what notre dame stands for,” wallace said. “The strongest point of content in our petition wasn’t necessarily that he goes against c atholic values — we were really focusing on student safety and inclusivity.”

i n the past, six presidents of the united states have spoken at c ommencement during their terms, with four of them speaking at the first c ommencement after their inauguration. Jenkins said he was undecided in continuing this tradition and extending the invitation to Trump in an interview with The observer on d ec. 2, before the executive order was issued. g alo said neither Jenkins nor his staff have reached out to comment on the petition. however, he said, they have heard from students, alumni and community members who share the same views. wallace said since the petition was submitted to Jenkins in d ecember, she figured there was a slim chance of them getting a response before break. however, she said, she did expect that by now it would have been addressed, and although it hasn’t, she still remains hopeful for a response.

“ we are looking to do some kind of follow-up, whether it’s ... a letter ... or if it’s more of an action,” wallace said. “ we’ve just been focusing on that whoever the speaker is ... they represent our values and that our students feel included. ... we want a confirmation that he’s not our speaker, and we can move forward from there.”

Contact Selena Ponio at sponio@nd.edu

By ADRIAN MARK LORE scene writer

a memory is an echo. powerful events and acutely felt emotions are burned into our minds; people and places trigger them and they repeat. sometimes the recollections haunt us, like tragedies we cannot get out of mind. w hen this happens, the repetition is slow and torturous. we relive the experience in all of its intense detail. a n echo is also a memory; the loops recur lest we forget.

The relationship between repetition and memory is the subject of william basinski’s acclaimed oeuvre. with “The disintegration loops” (2002–2003) he used deteriorating cassette loops to emulate the arduous burn of traumatic memory in the wake of the 2001 attack on the world Trade center; the loops’ slow yet peaceful disintegration into silence symbolized the imminence and inevitability of death more broadly. The pieces’ emotional power and transcendence have since reaped critical acclaim, and the collection is likely to remain basinski’s most recognized work and indeed his magnum opus.

“The disintegration loops” deserve mention in a review of basinski’s recent output because, like the “loops,” his newest record “a shadow in Time” is also inspired by death. released hardly over a year after david bowie’s passing, the two-track album is a solemn eulogy for the late artist. in fact, basinski is so forthright as to name the first piece “For david robert Jones” — using bowie’s birth name to title the commemoration.

The piece itself mimics his earlier work in one key way: the presence of ethereal loops as the building blocks of ambient drone. The entire track is composed of two loops, though it begins with a single one, which swells in volume while remaining blurred and distant in the soundscape. near the 6-minute mark, the second loop — a funerary guitar melody — descends over the piece. Their tempos are not aligned, and they seldom harmonize; the final notes of the guitar melody warp uncomfortably into dissonance, as though the instrument were going out of tune. unlike the “loops,” however, this track does not slowly crumble but rather fades out almost imperceptibly. This is surely intentional, representing timelessness — the endurance of bowie’s legacy — as opposed to the brittle fragility of disintegration. but the mourning also goes on. halfway through 2016, many jokingly theorized that david bowie had been, in the words of one fan, “the glue holding the universe together.” These comments were made in response to the months of ongoing violence and political turmoil across the globe that incidentally followed the musician’s death. w hile the observation is lighthearted, it illustrates two important realities: first, the special place that bowie occupied – occupies – at the heart of popular culture; and second, the prevailing sense of uncertainty that has carried many fearfully into the new year.

basinski sympathizes with us, in both regards. The record’s second, eponymous track is an eerie lullaby, the drone’s gentle evolution peaceful and ominous at the

same time — like a fatal fall reproduced in such slow motion that it plays out like a graceful dance. and the oppressive sense of uncertainty is the shadow in the track title, which the tragedies that marked the late year have cast over us.

a few nights ago, i had a nightmare in which, as a result of our conflicting political views, my closest family members shunned me during a rare visit. on waking, i felt an enduring, quiet horror, which then followed me throughout the day. The track “a shadow in Time” was an unexpected comfort. Feeling basinski also struggling with contemporary uncertainties, the subtle tensions on the track became an empathetic gesture. They say misery loves company, but this time it was desolation seeking understanding.

Contact Adrian Mark Lore at asanch11@nd.edu

“A Shadow in Time” William Basinski

Label: Temporary Residence

Recommended Track: “For David Robert Jones”

If you like: Stars of the Lid, Brian Eno

By ANDREW CAMERON scene writer

For better or for worse, the first thing people typically notice about north carolina-native five-man act rainbow Kitten surprise (rKs) is their name. walking to legends to watch them perform this saturday, i had to tell my friends coming to “ignore the name — they’re super good, i promise.” nonetheless, with a name invoking images very much alien to the typical alt-rock aesthetic, i can’t blame them for being skeptical beforehand. a fter rKs’s vibrantly heartfelt performance that night, however, i’d be amazed if anyone left with a trace of skepticism. The night’s opening act, bon Tempo, wasted no time before emphatically diving into their repertoire of singalong classics, spanning the decades from ’70s pop to contemporary alt-rock ballads. a fter a brief gap between sets, caamp walked onto stage. The duo soon launched into a set of lively folk rock reminiscent of a strippeddown mumford and sons or the lumineers. The audience was initially tepid, apparently both confused as to the identity of the band and possibly alarmed by the presence of a banjo at a rock concert. as the set drew to a close, however, caamp reinvigorated the stage with a soulful performance of their most popular song, “ohio,” which, according to their website, has over 400,000 streams on spotify and charted to the number four spot on the u s spotify viral chart. Though the performance certainly dragged at times, the band ultimately stepped off the stage to loud cheers and applause from the audience.

The crowd once again became restless during the set break. The clock nearly struck 11:30 p.m. before any sign of rainbow Kitten surprise appeared on stage; finally, lead singer sam melo stepped to the mic alone.

unlike the previous two performances, rainbow Kitten surprise began on a slower note. sam addressed the audience in a spoken word monologue, building up as his bandmates ran onto stage and took their places for an intimate performance of “a ll That and more (sailboat),” one of the band’s first songs. The band was immediately greeted with an outpouring of enthusiasm and the energy in the room only built as the band moved into upbeat tracks from their first album “seven + mary.”

rainbow Kitten surprise is an act playing music that does not conform with the expectations that arise due to their name — on their website, the band pays tribute to inspiration from Kings of leon and modest mouse, both of which are certainly apparent in their music. however, the full extent of their sound is unlike anything else i can find. i could tell you to imagine rhythmic alternative-folk rock, equally catchy and poignant, with painfully-introspective lyrics, and you might come close to a general understanding of rKs’s style. There’s still no way to accurately describe melo’s extremely distinctive vocals or the way the bassline has a way of always sending chills down one’s spine.

Throughout the performance, all the band members were lively and engaging. melo, with no instrument to restrict his movement, was all over the stage. his dramatic expressions, body movements and audience interaction made for an electrifying stage presence. several songs in, a group of students near the front held up a north carolina flag, which melo enthusiastically grabbed and held up to the audience.

rKs blazed through their set without losing momentum, hitting a majority of the songs they’ve released on their two albums to date, including their extremely popular “devil like me” (which also charted on spotify’s viral 50 chart) and two unreleased songs expected to be

on their upcoming album. a s the performance carried on, they shifted focus to their second album “rKs,” with its darker, more polished sound, with particularly standout performances of “goodnight chicago” and “cocaine Jesus.”

before playing “mr. redundant,” melo encouraged the audience to put both hands in the air and jump during the refrain, a request the audience eagerly obliged. Throughout the show, bassist charlie holt also addressed the audience several times, urging the crowd to “dance more.”

by the time they played their last song and left the stage, the students weren’t ready for the show to be over, and a chorus of “one more song” spread through the audience, not stopping until the band abruptly ran back on stage, instruments in hand. melo again rallied the crowd, as the dark, heavy bassline of “run” looped in the background, and the ensuing performance left the crowd hoarse from cheering on a shirtless melo rolling on the floor.

a fter the performance, both rKs and caamp stuck around to talk to some of the students and sign merchandise. holt told a circle of students huddled around him the story of rKs’ enigmatic name (apparently one of the band member’s closest friends and earliest supporters was in the icu for a critical case of meningitis and, on painkillers, suggested the name before the band played their first gig). The members of caamp, too, were eager to meet with students and talk about music. overall, the performance was an exhilarating — intimate yet polished. Keep your ears tuned for news of rKs: with their u s. tour just getting underway and a new album on the horizon, this band is going places.

Contact Andrew Cameron at acamero2@nd.edu LINDSEY MEYERS | The Observer

w hy am i majoring in business?

l ast semester, my advisor at mendoza’s undergraduate advising office asked me a simple, but tough question: “l auren, why are you majoring in business? you know, you don’t necessarily have to.” it would seem obvious that no, i don’t have to, but here’s some background. my name is l auren, i am a sophomore in breen-phillips hall, double-majoring in mendoza’s newest business a nalytics major and v isual communication design. most people on campus are surprised when they learn that i’m in the business school. Truth is, in high school i thought i wanted to major in marketing, but then i did one marketing student i nternational business council ( sibc ) project and learned an important thing: marketing is not for me. g ood to know, let’s cross that one off the list. well, then, i told myself that i was ‘undeclared’ and tried to be open-minded towards all of the classes that sophomore business majors take: accounting, finance, statistics, marketing, management, i T management — the works. This last year, i’ve crossed off a few more; accounting presentations made me realize the last thing i wanted to be was an accountant; finance with the legendary carl ackermann, while entertaining, taught me i couldn’t care less about inferring future stock prices and debt-equity ratios; and management felt like i was not learning any real applied skills, at least at the intro level — you see the pattern here.

l ike i said, people are surprised when they learn that i am a business major, and to be honest, i can see why. i have three design jobs on campus (including as the graphics editor of The observer), spend most of my time on projects for my few design classes and am the type of person to pick up and leave for a weekend to attend a hack-a-thon across the country and do design things.

so let’scircle back. w hy am i a business major? w hy am i sacrificing flexibility, study abroad, stable workloads and interesting classes to dedicate over 60 credit hours to classes i don’t necessarily have a lot of personal or career interest in?

w hen my dad asked me the same question over winter break, i didn’t have a ‘good’ answer for him. There is the surface-level answer which cites rankings, employment statistics, practicality, wellroundedness and future prospects, but i would say it comes down to the psychological principles of sunk-cost fallacy and escalation of commitment (which i learned in a management class; thank you, mendoza). i tell myself, “you’ve invested this much, you’ve told so many people you’re a business major and you might have come to notre dame because, at the time, it offered one of the best biz schools in the country.”

so here i am, still a business major. a nd a design major. i usually neglect to mention the first and emphasize the second, even though mendoza is my home college. i’m majoring in business analytics because it is brand new and so far, i have not encountered an introductory class that has explicitly indicated this major would be a bad fit for me. oh, and machine learning and sports data analytics sound like cool electives. we’ll see. is this what the notre dame career c enter means when they challenge us to identify our values, i nterests, personality and skills ( vips ) to make an informed decision?

Contact Lauren Weldon at lweldon@nd.edu

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

Pride before the fall

d ue to fundamental disagreements with some of Trump’s policy proposals and the reprehensible nature of his words and actions, i chose to vote for an independent candidate rather than support my party’s nominee for this election. i truly feared that d onald Trump’s pride had the potential to undermine the constitutional order of the u nited s tates and put the country in legitimate danger. h owever, these fears seemed to dissipate immediately after the election. p erhaps out of denial or simply false hope, i gathered a spirit of optimism after the election. i bought into the notion that “c ampaign d onald Trump” would be significantly different from “ p resident d onald Trump.” i convinced myself that he would tone down the inflammatory rhetoric, stop the childish name-calling and suppress his out-of-control pride.

u nfortunately, i have turned out to be wrong thus far. p resident Trump is no different than “c ampaign Trump.” s ince the election and even his inauguration, Trump has continued to play his role as serial insulter, using incomplete sentences on Twitter to belittle his critics. The targets of his affronts range from h ollywood actresses to u nited s tates intelligence agencies. h e is absolutely unyielding in his conquest to repay anyone who offers the slightest of criticisms with cheap, personalized attacks. i would not even be surprised to find one of those all-caps, exclamation-filled rants in the comments section of this article.

h owever, p resident Trump has moved beyond simply attacking people and organizations. h e has now waged a rhetorical war on the truth. Trump unabashedly pawns off provable falsities as facts. h e ordered s ean s picer to spend an inordinate amount of time lying about crowd sizes at the inauguration, perhaps the most trivial thing a president could concern himself when

just handed the reins of the free world. n ot too long after that spectacle, s picer found himself defending Trump’s investigation into mass voter fraud, of which there is no evidence for, by simply repeating that the p resident “believes it to be true.” e ven s ean s picer, the crowd size conspiracy theorist, seemed to suggest that Trump is alone in his belief of such mass fraudulent voting. e vidently, p resident Trump’s ego has grown so astronomically large that he believes he can “believe” facts into existence.

w ithout even mentioning some of his c abinet appointments or executive orders, Trump’s egotism alone has the capacity to harm the u nited s tates. i n fact, i believe Trump’s pride is a national security concern. w ho is to know how he would react if a world leader gets under his incredibly thin skin? h ow do we know he will uphold the c onstitution, even when it is inconvenient for him to do so? i truly no longer have confidence that he will not act on some of his authoritarian tendencies.

i am disgusted with Trump’s refusal to suppress his pride, because now it is only adding more unnecessary division to a nation inundated with disunity. Trump is driving a wedge between the press, intelligence agencies, the a merican people and reality. There was a time when some of his antics were amusing and relatively comical; that time has long passed. h e is now the president of the u nited s tates. i t is no longer a joke. p roverbs 16:18 says, “ p ride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” i f Trump fails to carrel his pride, it will be the entire nation, perhaps the entire world, that experiences such a fall.

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 the University of 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.

Just a note from a senior

i n i ’m sitting in my room fresh from m ajors n ight and find myself filled with nostalgia for the wide-eyed times of freshman year, as well as more than a little fear for the future of a rts and l etters. w orking at the history table, i spent the evening catching people’s eye as they walked past, asking, “ h ey, are you interested in history?” then seeing them give me the small-smilehead-shake, and move past.

o bviously i don’t expect everyone to jump with joy at the thoughts of learning about death, destruction, general misery and the inevitable folly of man for four years. h owever, i did hope to encounter at least a couple of other people like me.

o ver the course of the evening, we had a couple dozen kids come talk to us to get information about the major, pick up some literature and ask some questions. The one question they all asked was the one i feared the most: w hat exactly can you do as a history major after graduation?

i fear this question because, as a second semester senior, i truly do not know. i have no idea as of yet what i ’m going to be doing once m ay 21 has come and gone. a nd i have recently discovered that i am totally ok with that. The thing is, however, most n otre d ame kids are not.

i watched my m endoza friends scramble around for the entire first semester of junior year, going from interview to interview, knowing that if they nailed the “right one,” they could

land that crucial internship that would pave the way for them to full-time, post-grad employment. For the duration of “internship season,”as one of my finance friends so scarily called it, everyone had a crazed look in their eye. i looked vaguely at internship options, then decided to wait to see if anything i really liked came along. e ventually it did in the form of the b erlin summer program.

This past summer, i opened s napchat every day to see everyone and their mother working in c hicago or n ew york, wearing suits and kitten heels, spending their days in various skyscrapers. a t the same time, i was running around b erlin taking a couple of classes, practicing my g erman, immersing myself in b erlin’s amazing culture and researching for my senior thesis in the archives of the g erman Foreign o ffice. That seemed much more interesting to me than sitting in a cubicle staring at a spreadsheet five days a week.

d on’t get me wrong — if you actively enjoy learning something like accounting, then you should definitely study it and try to get an internship — and subsequent job — at an accounting firm. b ut if you love reading and writing, then you should pursue it. s tudy history, study e nglish, study classics. i f you took a foreign language in high school and enjoyed it, then study it. g et a summer language abroad grant or

participate in a summer study abroad program like b erlin, Toledo or m oscow. s tudy what you love now, while you’re surrounded by amazing professors and inspiring classmates. you have plenty of time to be bored later in life; take these four years to be interested, engaged and — more often than you might think — astounded. you don’t have to listen to me. a fter all, i ’m just a senior with no idea what she’s going to be doing in six months. b ut if you’ve read this far, at least ask yourself this question: w hen you look back on your time at this amazing university, are you going to remember more than just your trips to m ichiana’s hottest nightclub? w ill you be able to recall fascinating classes, professors or even reading assignments? i ’m a history and g erman double major with no idea what lies ahead other than an affirmative answer to those questions. d on’t let your fear of the unknown prevent you from studying something you truly love, and definitely don’t let pressure from your parents or peers prevent you from making the most out of your short time here. Try not to overlook the c ollege of a rts and l etters so easily. a fter all, there is a lot of meaning behind their slogan, “ s tudy everything, do anything.”

make a merica think again

c onsider the scenario: a 55 year-old farmer — father to three, grandfather of two and married for 20 years — endures a decade-long drought near Jalisco, mexico.

h is farm is subsidized, novel irrigation tactics are introduced, low-interest loans are given, but the inevitable occurs: h is crop runs dry, his debt surpasses $20K and he decides to take the only skills he knows further north, where pay is good.

This is exactly somebody our group of notre dame students encountered while spending winter break at the united states/mexico b order. a fter a semester studying immigration policy, we met with united states b order patrol officers, local ranchers and humanitarian aid groups to immerse ourselves in the complexities surrounding the border.

The a rizona-s onora border, extending over 350 miles, traverses peaks and trenches. it is a home to spectacular panoramas, unique wildlife and a culture that fuses nations. b y the turn of the 21st century, the deaths of more than 11,000 undocumented migrants was well under way in our own s onoran d esert. Today, a wall threatens to divide a land that

conjoins two great nations.

o peration hold the l ine and o peration g atekeeper, both c linton-era measures, closed the c alifornia and Texas borders, funneling migrants to the most dangerous and remote parts of the s onoran d esert. d eaths caused by dehydration and exposure soared after these laws were enacted, provoking local churches to band together and deliver aid to those who were dying in their own backyard.

For the last 20 years, humanitarian groups such as “no more d eaths” and “s amaritans” have trekked to remote sections of the a rizonan desert to drop off water, food and medical supplies along migrant trails. These groups have been charged for anything from littering to conspiring to transport illegal aliens over 30 times. never have they been convicted. never is humanitarian aid a crime. regularly, border patrol slashes water supplies. regularly, militia groups destroy food caches. e very week of the year, local residents and authorities find human remains along these trails in southern a rizona.

The decision to cross illegally is particularly disagreeable, but no one deserves to die. m igrants are

often deceived or ignorant of the geography of the southwest. The lights in the distance — a three-days walk through barren dessert — are mistaken to be c hicago. Those lights are Tucson, a city 1,745 miles away from c hicago. i llegal immigration will exist as long as a merica’s economical abundance persists. people come here for a better life today, just as the e nglish, spanish, French, polish, i rish and italians did decades ago. a wall will not prevent illegal immigration. it will further polarize this great country. Tunnels in mexico slither below our borders, only to emerge through the floor boards of abandoned homes. The instant b order patrol finds one tunnel, another is already being built. d on’t put money into the steel beams of isolationism. p ut it into our legal system, our think tanks and our research institutes. b efore we make a merica great again, let’s make a merica think again.

Thomas Doran sophomore Jan. 27

Happy Birthday: Take better care of your money, your health and your relationships with others. it’s important to look at every situation you face with openness and the ability to see your own faults as well as those of others. sizing up whatever situation you face and separating your emotions in order to devise the best solution could mean the difference between failure and success. your numbers are 3, 10, 17, 21, 24, 37, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): do the best you can and learn from the challenges you face and the experiences you encounter. a strict deadline combined with dedication and a desire to bring about positive change will result in rewarding opportunities.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): don’t let stubbornness cause you to miss out on something you really want to do. Tolerance, patience and compromise will help you bypass a situation that is standing in your way. Think for yourself and you will find workable solutions.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): observation will be your saving grace. being able to decipher what people are considering will give you the advantage you need to outmaneuver others and finish what you start. don’t waste time on idle chatter.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): show compassion toward your peers. you can avoid someone tampering with your reputation if you are thoughtful and sincere when offering suggestions or help. a little effort put into the way you look will be met with compliments. romance is encouraged.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): visit someone who can offer you wisdom, experience and new possibilities. emotional limitations will surface if you let anyone put demands on you. Take care of your chores and responsibilities quickly and move on to what you want to pursue.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): an unexpected change concerning financial, contractual or legal status can be expected. don’t feel the need to respond too quickly. Take your time and make the right choices. if someone pressures you, back away. aim for greater stability.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): put a little passion into the work you do. whether it’s a paying job or just taking care of your responsibilities, treat it like an audition. anything worth doing is worth doing well. your conscientious attitude will result in greater opportunities.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): you’ll do well at networking functions. sharing your ideas and concerns will draw in people who feel the same way. romance is on the rise and will encourage you to make a lifestyle change that is conducive to the goals you set.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): rely on the past or dig up the facts before you engage in something being hyped by the media. if you want to try something new or make a personal change, do so on your own and for the right reason.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): impulsiveness and overdoing it will be your downfall. rethink how you want to move forward. don’t stick to a rigid set of rules when thinking outside the box will make you stand out and help you advance.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): impulsiveness will lead to costly mistakes. make a move to work out any kinks before you jump into something prematurely. a disciplined approach will give you the stability you need to see matters through to the end successfully.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Focus on the positive aspects of life. offer help and encouragement to those in need. looking past any criticism or discord and pointing out what’s favorable will put you in a position that allows you to call the shots.

Birthday Baby: you are goal-oriented and a dreamer. you are determined and reserved.

Examining NBA trade possibilities

Ben Padanilam

a ssistant sports e ditor

The calendar has flipped to February, which means that among several key sporting events — including super bowl li — over the next few weeks, the nba trade deadline is fast approaching. it is an opportunity for teams on the cusp of the playoff to make final improvements to their rosters, whereas other teams will be looking to rebuild and move on from contracts or players who they might be losing come the offseason anyways. so in preparation for the weeks ahead of the deadline, here are some trades that would be interesting to see happen.

Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Clippers; Rajon Rondo and Austin Rivers to the New York Knicks; Jamal Crawford and Paul Pierce to the Chicago Bulls anthony needs out of new york. The bulls need to part ways with rondo. and the clippers have the pieces to make it happen. although financially difficult for them, the clippers acquiring anthony is the best basketball move the team can make as it looks to compete with the warriors and spurs in the west. losing pierce could hurt in the locker room, but he’s the piece that gets this trade done. The bulls can clear some of the tension in their locker room by swapping rondo for pierce and crawford, and getting out of the rondo contract allows them to absorb crawford’s large contract for one extra season.

For new york, the deal removes the drama and distraction the front office has created with anthony. They also get a good young scoring guard in rivers, and rondo — who would only be under contract for one season — makes rose expendable, which the Knicks — though they won’t admit it — would love come the offseason and impending decision on rose’s future with the team.

DeMarcus Cousins to the Phoenix Suns; Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, T.J. Warren and a 2018 first-round pick to the Sacramento Kings

The suns are an exciting, young team with a number of young players on the roster due to the large number of first-round draft picks from previous seasons.

w hat they do lack, however, is a star player to complement the talent of devin booker on the wing. enter demarcus cousins, who clearly doesn’t fit in with the Kings, despite the gaudy numbers he is producing from the center spot.

For the Kings, they get a still relatively young brandon Knight who would more than likely outpace the current production they’re getting from Ty lawson. The true prizes, however, would be the 19-year-old chriss, who has shown flashes of his immense potential this season, and the 23-year-old warren, who is the type of scorer on the perimeter the Kings thought guys like ben mclemore and Jimmer Fredette would be when they drafted them. and a future first-round pick — although it's not the likely top-five pick the suns will end up with this year — doesn’t hurt either, given the suns own both their first rounder and the miami heat’s top-seven protected pick next year.

Paul Millsap to the Boston Celtics; Amir Johnson, Tyler Zeller and a 2017 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks

The appeal of this trade is simple: millsap is an under-appreciated superstar on a hawks team with no chance for upward mobility in the east. sure, the hawks are a playoff team, but they are nothing more than that. The first-round pick from boston — which looks like it will be a top-three pick this year, since it actually belongs to the bottom-feeding brooklyn nets — provides them the perfect opportunity to begin to rebuild and eventually dump salary in Johnson this offseasonand Zeller next offseason.

The celtics, on the other hand, appear one piece away from setting themselves up to dethrone the struggling cleveland cavaliers as potentially the best team in the east. millsap gives them just that as a strong twoway player with the ability to play both inside and on the perimeter. Zeller and Johnson merely make the trade work financially but cost the celtics nothing more than two decent role players.

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

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

Wizards blow out Knicks to move into tie for first

Associated Press

washingT on ( ap) — bradley beal went shot for shot with c armelo a nthony and then some as the washington w izards blew out the new york Knicks 117101 Tuesday night to move into a tie for first place in the s outheast d ivision.

beal scored 28 points, markieff morris had 24 and John wall added 15 points and 10 assists as the w izards rolled to their fifth victory in a row and won for the 11th time in 13 games. beal was 12 of 18 from the floor, while a nthony was 10 of 17 for 26 points.

washington improved to 28-20 and tied the a tlanta hawks for first place. The w izards are the secondhottest team in the nba behind only the g olden state warriors, who also won 12 games in January.

w ith new york big man Kristaps porzingis out with illness, washington’s marcin g ortat was unchallenged inside and scored 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting.

a fter a back-and-forth first half, the w izards led by five at halftime but took control

early in the third quarter with a 16-2 run. The Knicks missed six consecutive shots after a nthony opened the quarter with a jumper and committed two turnovers to fall behind by 19.

Porzingis out porzingis’ absence wasn’t announced until about 20 minutes before tipoff. c oach Jeff hornacek didn’t mention the possibility of the l atvian being out during his pregame meeting with reporters.

l owe-d own w ith the teams meeting for the first time since sidney l owe’s on-court distraction Jan. 19, coach s cott brooks defended his assistant coach’s actions on the Knicks’ final possession. l owe was fined $5,000 and the w izards $15,000 for being on the court when new york’s c ourtney l ee said he didn’t attempt a shot because he heard l owe nearby yelling and believed it was a player who might block his shot.

wall stole the ball, and the w izards held on to win 113-110.

“he was on the court,”

brooks said. “i respect the nba’s decision, but anybody who knows me and knows sidney that he was not doing it to distract their player. he was instructing ( markieff morris) to stay up on c armelo and take him off the 3-point line because we were up 3. o nce we did that, he backed off before the Knick player got the ball.”

Tip-Ins

Knicks: g d errick rose missed his second consecutive game with a sprained left ankle. ... l ee has shot 6 of 25 in three games against the w izards, all losses. ... g brandon Jennings scored 21 points but shot 5 of 16. w izards: e xtended their home win streak to 15, tying the second-longest in franchise history. The bullets won 22 consecutive games at home in 1974-75. ... wall’s double-double was his 28th of the season and g ortat’s his 27th. ... a fter being held without a point in the first half, F o tto porter scored 10 in the third quarter and spent the fourth riding a stationary bike to keep his sore hip loose.

UNC escapes Pittsburgh

Associated

Press

chapel hill, n c. (ap) — no. 12 north carolina found itself in an unexpected fight down the stretch against the atlantic coast conference’s last-place team.

coach roy williams and the Tar heels didn’t panic. instead they embraced the situation, and it led to a gritty victory that might not impress very many people beyond their locker room.

north carolina held on to beat pittsburgh 80-78 on Tuesday night behind 20 points from Justin Jackson.

“some games, you’ve got to be tough at the end,” forward isaiah hicks said. “That’s why (williams) said in the huddle, ‘i like this, because it shows

toughness, and you’ve got to be tough to finish games.’”

Joel berry ii had 19 points, hicks added 18 and Kennedy meeks finished with 10 for the Tar heels (20-4, 8-2). The league leaders never trailed but also never got comfortable against the panthers.

cameron Johnson matched a career high with 24 points and hit a career-best six 3-pointers, michael young finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Jamel artis had 17 points for pitt (12-10, 1-8), which lost its seventh straight but kept this one tight throughout by shooting nearly 56 percent.

The panthers had a chance to win it at the buzzer after artis took an inbounds pass with 4.8

seconds to play and hurried down the right side before uncorking an off-balance 3-pointer that caromed harmlessly off the glass.

coach Kevin stallings said he told his team with about a minute remaining that “we’re going to have a chance to win this game, and ... dang if we didn’t.

“it wasn’t a great shot, but if you had given me a shot to win the game at the start of the night i’d have signed with a sharpie,” stallings added.

That came after artis made it 79-78 by hitting two free throws with 5.4 seconds left.

The panthers fouled hicks, who hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it a two-point game and set up the panthers’ final shot.

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f or r ent

Home for Rent, avail. 20172018. Near corner of Angela and ND Ave. 4 bdrm, 2 bath, $3500/m, utilities incl. Contact Julie: jlafleur@gmail.com

You’re on the phone with your girlfriend She’s upset, she’s going off about something that you said ‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do. I’m in the room, it’s a typical Tuesday night. I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like. And she’ll never know your story like I do.But she wears short skirts I wear T-shirts She’s cheer captain And I’m on the bleachers Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find That what you’re looking

for has been here the whole time. If you could seeThat I’m the oneWho understands you.Been here all along.So, why can’t you seeYou belong with me,You belong with me. Walk in the streets with you in your worn-out jeansI can’t help thinking this is how it ought to be.Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself,“Hey, isn’t this easy?”

s wimming

first three spots. The 1-meter diving had four i rish divers finish in the top six, with c oumos winning his second first-place diving finish of the weekend.

c oumos redshirted last season to train for o lympic d iving Trials, and he is back with a vengeance this season. h is wins in the 3-meter and 1-meter diving competition were a crucial factor in the i rish winning the i nvitational.

s imilarly, the i rish women posted strong relay times, which count for double the points of single races, throughout the i nvitational.

The 800-meter freestyle relay team made up of freshmen a bbie d olan, l auren h eller and r eilly l anigan, and sophomore Kyra s arazen set a pool record of 7:15.11 to claim the top spot.

The 400-meter women’s relay team also posted a strong performance.

“ s ophomore s ofia r evilak anchored that relay for us,” l itzinger said. “ s he had to swim against [ b adgers sophomore] c ierra r unge, who is a gold medalist from last summer’s o lympics. For her to lose by just a couple one hundredths of a second spoke highly of s ofia’s competitive drive there.”

b oth the men’s and women’s swim teams posted excellent times in this meet, but there is little time to celebrate. a ll eyes remain on acc championships in two weeks in a tlanta.

“ we’re going to be in great shape going into that meet,” l itzinger said. “Taking over a n otre d ame team that finished sixth in the league, it’s difficult to improve your placing after just one year of recruiting. g iven the work that our team has put in, i think we have a great chance to improve our placing. The ultimate goal is to win the meet, but that’s a process that’ll take time and work. we’re going to give it our best shot come February.”

Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu

no. 3 in the country, were even more dominant, dropping no more than four points against any team they faced. The women defeated w isconsin handily with a 26-1 victory, and continued their dominant streak by defeating v irginia 252, m ichigan and m ichigan s tate 24-3, c hicago 23-4 and mcKendree 25-2.

head coach g ia Kvaratskhelia expressed pride in the squad’s ability to clinch matches.

“it was immediately after our senior recognition ceremony, and perhaps we weren’t as locked in as we should have been,” Kvaratskhelia

said. “b ut coming back from being down 8-4 and 12-8 [in individual matches] was impressive — especially the latter. w hen we rattled off 5 wins to take a 13-12 lead, we were in good shape. m adi a ntekeier’s o T win put us at 13-12, and was huge.”

o n the men’s side, several players had notable performances including senior sabreur i an d wyer, who ended the day with a 9-1 record. s ophomore John c randall also posted nine wins with an overall 9-4 record at sabre, making him and d wyer the i rish leaders in victories. o ther strong contributors were junior sabreur i an Jones, senior foilist John c rumpler and freshman foilist n icholas s loan, each ending the day with 8-0

records.

o n the women’s side, junior sabreuse m adeline g allagher was the team leader with 17 wins and zero losses on the day. Freshmen c hristina b oitano, natalie d isher and r egina o’ b rien also made strong contributions posting 9-0, 8-0 and 7-0 records, respectively. The women’s epee team included strong performances by junior m ariea nne r oche with a 7-0 record to end the day, and sophomores a ntekeier and molly hudson, who were both 6-0 on s unday. i n the foil event, the team had four undefeated performances with junior r eagan Fitzgerald going 8-0 to lead the way. a lthough the i rish were dominant, the team still looks forward to next competition

with getting better in mind, said Kvaratskhelia.

“ we want to improve our consistency,” said Kvaratskhelia. “e ven though we may not have certain people available due to international competition, the people who we have need to step up. This weekend, the competition will be longer, and tougher, so consistency and depth are even more important.”

The i rish will return to competition s aturday and s unday for the northwestern d uals, hosted by northwestern but held at home at c astellan Family Fencing c enter while the w ildcats’ facilities are being renovated.

Contact Molly Murphy at mmurph40@nd.edu