Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, March 18, 2016
Saint mary’s names three valedictorians
College announces names of three students chosen to represent the Class of 2016 at Commencement
By NICOLE CARATAS
saint mary’s e ditor
saint mary’s announced the names of three students who will represent the class of 2016 as valedictorians during the college’s 169th commencement.
The three honorees are paige a ldrich, a nnie cavalier and a lex vizard. a ldrich is a chemistry and mathematics double major, cavalier is a chemistry major with a concentration in biochemistry and a minor in biology and vizard is an accounting major with a concentration in finance and a minor in mathematics. a fter graduation, a ldrich
said she plans to study nuclear chemistry at michigan state university’s graduate program.
vizard said she will be working at ernst & young in chicag, while cavalier will attend medical school at loyola university in chicago.
vizard said she was surprised when she found out she was one of three valedictorians.
“i never thought there would be three,” she said. “i thought there would be some sort of tiebreaker. i never really thought about getting it. it wasn’t an explicit goal, but i was very excited
PAGE 3
nd launches Jerusalem gateway Lecture explores effects of modern socioeconomic gap
By RACHEL O’GRADY a ssociate news e ditor
notre dame international (ndi) launched a global gateway program in Jerusalem this spring in order to offer more opportunities in israel for notre dame students, academic director for the program robert smith said.
“w hen notre dame international introduced the gateway concept a few years
ago, the plan was to begin establishing gateways where the university already had a strong presence,” smith said in an email. “Tantur ecumenical institute has been operating in Jerusalem, with strong notre dame support, since 1972. it made sense to establish a gateway here. not only is Jerusalem a world heritage city with a role to play in relation to
By COURTNEY BECKER news writer
robert p utnam, the peter and isabel malkin professor of public policy at harvard university, gave a lecture on Thursday based on his book “our Kids: The a merican dream in crisis,” about the differences in opportunities for kids from affluent families and kids from low-income families.
p utnam said while a merica
has grown in several ways in the last 50 years, opportunity gaps have become an increasing problem in this country.
“we’ve made a lot of progress on many fronts, but in one important way, a merica has moved in the wrong direction over the past 30 or 40 years,” p utnam said. “a merica is now fairly far down the road towards moving toward a twotier hereditary class system in a merica, and that would make
this a very different country.” This problem is not only due to income inequality, p utnam said, but also because people are now more frequently living “class-based lives” and interacting with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds less often.
“a merica has become a more unequal society in economic terms,” he said. “a little
see eFFecTs PAGE 4
Liturgical choir travels to Europe for annual tour
By EMILY McCONVILLE news writer
rome — on march 6, the notre dame liturgical choir found itself in the loft of the salzburg cathedral, the 17th-century austrian church where wolfgang a madeus mozart was baptized.
Joining the parish choir, the l iturgical c hoir sang at the g erman-language mass. Junior l ara dulin said the cathedral, with its large interior and high choir loft, was her favorite church of the trip to come.
“i found this one to be the prettiest for its simplicity and
many windows with natural light shining in,” she said.
The performance at the monastery was the first stop of the choir’s spring break tour through central europe, a trip which took them from the picturesque town of salzburg to a nearby abbey to the country’s capital, v ienna, to the c zech capital of p rague.
The choir has toured internationally since 1995, and this year 53 of the choir’s 70 members made the trip, tour director ned vogel said.
Photo courtesy of Camilla Tassi
Members of the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. The group’s annual spring break tour included multiple stops in Austria and the Czech Republic.
“went to class, watched basketball, and hung out with friends doing festive things.”
Jackson Fox junior st. edward’s hall “Thrived.”
Ryan Hennessy sophomore duncan hall
“e njoyed being a dude socializing with other people, possibly of the opposite gender.”
Amanda Ball sophomore walsh hall
“support[ed] su B!”
Sean Kilmer sophomore siegfried hall
“woke up early to i rish music and was happy due to my i rish roots. no comment about class.”
Zach Janicki sophomore siegfried hall
“played football on the quad.”
Actor Liam Neeson posed on the red carpet at the premiere of “1916: The Irish Rebellion” at DeBartolo Performing Arts Center on March 3. Neeson narrated the film, which examined the causes and consequences of the Easter Rising rebellion in Ireland in 1916.
Niemeyer
‘aphasia’ producer discusses rehabilitation
By KATHRYN MARSHALL news writer
carl mcintyre made the movie “aphasia” in 2010, five years after a stroke damaged 80 percent of his brain’s left hemisphere, thus severely impairing his processes of communication. mcintyre shared the movie and his presentation, “hope is a Four letter word,” in carroll auditorium at saint mary’s on Thursday night.
susan latham, chair of the department of communicative sciences and disorders at the college, said aphasia is a communicative disorder that inhibits language but not intellect, resulting in the loss of the ability to speak and listen.
“carl starred as himself in a short film, recounting his story to adapt to the incredible changes in his life,” she said. “now, he tours around the world, presenting the movie and motivating people with his story.”
Before his stroke, mcintyre worked as a teacher, actor and salesman. in the movie, mcintyre reenacts a year and a half of therapy and learning following the stroke, indicating how losing the ability to communicate changed both his and his family’s life. a presentation given by mcintyre followed the movie.
“having a stroke sucks,” mcintyre said. “aphasia really
sucks. Before i had a stroke, life is good. ... Job is voice — actor, teacher and really good sales. ... But after stroke, everything’s different. i can’t speak, and i can’t read or write. nothing, absolutely nothing.”
a year and a half after the stroke, he hadn’t improved, mcintyre said. Being trapped in one’s head is a prison where there are disappointments everyday, he said.
“i remember saying, ‘live or die, i don’t care. i’m over life,’” he said. “Bad place, really dark, dark place. But carl is carl and most times i’m happy.”
mcintyre’s recovery was a multi-step process. The first step was to mourn and realize he was no longer the same as the ‘old carl,’ he said. he then wrote the word ‘acceptance’ on a large paper pad — the second step towards recovery.
“i’m still here,” he said after writing the word. “i’m still relevant and no fear — fearless. ... There is hope, hope is everything. no love, no life. ... i love to live again, and i love hope.”
another step in the process is hope, mcintyre said, and the final step is progress. no matter if it’s big or small, progress every day matters, he said.
he said he is lucky because he is still able to walk, and even though his right side is weaker and his timing is off, he is still able to toss
paid a dverT isemen T
a baseball with his son.
mcintyre said having purpose is also very important.
“my brain is always on,” he said. “and faster every year because i’m working every day. ... i’m trying.”
mcintyre said once insurance ran out and he could not pay for certain therapy programs, he did, and continues to, learn to speak again through free study subject programs at various universities. when learning to speak, associating words with pictures is necessary — such as breaking the word “when” into “w-hen,” while thinking of the bird, he said.
The best advice he can pass onto future speech therapists and families is patience, he said.
“lot of patience because today is a good day, tomorrow not too much,” mcintyre said. “But patience can never quit. ... i’m lucky because friends help life back ... and understand i never be the same. my brain is fine. i can’t speak, but i’m no dummy.”
“one person understands me, i’m over the moon,” he said. “i know i never be the same, and every day is hard. But every day is good too. possibilities, endless possibilities. ... aphasia, still sucks, but i win every day and you can too.”
Contact Kathryn Marshall at kmarsh02@saintmarys.edu
Jerusalem
con T inued F rom page 1
most global conversations about faith and politics, but we already had a strong presence here through Tantur.”
The new location provides a plethora of new experiences for interested students, smith said.
“The Jerusalem global gateway provides an important location for research and collaboration for many aspects of the university of notre dame. i have received concurrent faculty appointments in the department of theology and the new Keough school of global a ffairs. Jerusalem is an ideal place to study the intersection of theology and global affairs, so i anticipate many programs with that sort of emphasis,” he said.
according to smith, the program will encourage other members of the notre dame community in Jerusalem to host or attend additional conferences.
“i am eager to engage in conferences and symposia in Jerusalem that further enhance the already stellar reputation of the university of notre dame,” smith said. “The gateway is a place for collaboration; we intend to collaborate locally, regionally and globally on ways to address a wide variety of topics.
“Beyond study abroad opportunities, i look forward to working with professors, program directors and academic departments on campus to increase the number of students and researchers having meaningful experiences in Jerusalem. we have
Graduation
con T inued F rom page 1
and proud to be able to represent my class.”
cavalier said during her college search, she initially did not have saint mary’s on her radar because her mother graduated from the college in 1988. she said she wanted to go somewhere that felt more like a place of her own, but then she came to the college to visit.
“w hen i came to visit, i was walking through the buildings and talking to professors and students,” cavalier said. “it just felt like the right fit.”
aldrich said saint mary’s has helped make her accountable for her own life.
“i’ve learned a lot about the world around me and realized that i need to match what i believe with my actions,” she said. “i’ve also struggled with my faith throughout my life, so i took a critical look at my beliefs and have deeply improved my spiritual life.”
cavalier said the close relationships between students and professors make saint mary’s special.
“it makes the classroom experience so much better,” she said. “you don’t feel like you’re being talked at. That gave me a lot of confidence to speak up in class and share my opinions. … i think that confidence is what i’ve gained in general, but also the ability to be independent and leave here with
a long-standing partnership with the Kroc institute and the Keough school [of global a ffairs] to utilize the services of the gateway.” according to the ndi brochure, the aims of the global gateway include “supporting undergraduate study and multidisciplinary scholarly engagement.”
“Jerusalem is a complex, multilayered environment,” smith said. “if you have a research interest or a more general interest in the intersections of religion, culture and politics, this might be a place you’ll want to visit. i look forward to hearing ideas from students, staff and faculty about how some time in Jerusalem would benefit research and learning goals.”
This summer, the gateway will host two sessions for more than 30 students, smith said. The gateway will also serve as a site for international summer service learning programs (isslps) for students pursuing service learning in a variety of contexts.
smith said he is excited to be part of the ndi global gateway community.
“each gateway is a place for the people and programs of the university to encounter a significant global context, but we also function in ways that bring elements of our context into our universities. The process of internationalizing the university means that we build relationships around the world to significantly expand our academic horizons,” he said.
Contact Rachel O’Grady at rogrady@nd.edu
no doubts of the success that i will see in the future. i don’t doubt my ability to do things that i want to do.”
vizard said the college and the sophia program, saint mary’s liberal arts curriculum requirements, helped her gain confidence in all areas of her life.
“it’s caused me to try a lot of new things,” she said. “i took a lot of classes that i probably would have never tried taking, and i ended up really enjoying them. i think it’s caused me to expand my mindset and grow as a person in general.”
cavalier said she is proud to a saint mary’s student because of the college’s larger community.
“you can graduate from a state school or another larger private school, and you don’t ever really go back or associate yourself with the school after that,” she said. “i know i will have ties to this school and this area for the rest of my life. i know it is a place i will always come back to, a place that i’m always going to miss.”
aldrich said she is proud to be graduating from a college that produces strong, kind, driven women.
“i could have learned information from textbooks,” she said, “but it wouldn’t have compared to the rounded education that i’ve gotten from the caring, intelligent professors at saint mary’s.”
Contact Nicole Caratas at ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu
less well-known but actually, i think, maybe more portentous is that we’ve become, also, a more segregated society in terms of social class. … increasingly, we’re either living in rich enclaves with other rich folks, or in poor enclaves with other poor folks, and fewer and fewer of us are living in mixed or moderate-income neighborhoods.”
a nother contributing factor to this issue is that social connections within these different communities have decreased, as well, p utnam said.
“social bonds, community ties within a family, within a community, within the working class in a merica, have seriously deteriorated over the last 30 or 40 years,” he said. “The social bonds that used to be an important part of life in working-class a merica are now much weaker than they used to be.”
putnam said these factors are combining to divide a merica into two categories, creating problems for kids in a lower class.
“The fact that we’re economically more unequal, the fact that we’re sociologically more segregated, the fact that
working class people — the social ties that used to be an important part of our lives — are fragmenting and becoming much, much weaker — what are the implications of all that for kids?” he asked. “even in little towns all across a merica, we can see these trends driving a merica toward a two-class society.”
putnam said one particularly harmful mindset that has developed is being concerned only with one’s own offspring instead of all children throughout a merica.
“over the course of the last 30 or 40 years in a merica, the meaning of ‘our kids’ — that is, our sense of our responsibility to other kids in town, apart from our own — has shriveled, so now when people say ‘our kids’ they mean their own biological kids,” he said. “That shriveling of our sense of responsibility for other people’s kids is the core problem here. … That failure to worry about other people’s kids is a key moral failing.”
despite this negative trend, though, there is reason to believe a merica can solve the problem of opportunity gaps, putnam said.
“i’m optimistic that we can solve this problem, and it is because this is not the first time that a merica has faced this
kind of a problem,” he said. “a mericans recognized the problem and began to fix the problem.”
putnam said the solution to this problem in the early 19th century was the invention of the public high school.
“[The public high school] was aimed to narrow the opportunity gap to make it easier for everybody, all kids, to have a fair chance in life,” he said. “Free, public, secondary education for all kids in town — that idea was invented in a merica in 1910. nowhere else in the world were there free, public secondary schools for all kids. … it was the best public policy decision a merica has ever made.”
type of change may be sparked by anyone who cares enough to get involved in his or her community and offering hope that a merica can solve this problem once again, putnam said.
“Big change in a merica more often comes from the bottom-up than the top-down,” putnam said. “it mostly comes from smart, engaged, ordinary civic activists and civic leaders looking at their own community and saying, ‘we’ve got some problems here, how do we fix it?’”
Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu
paid a dverT isemen T
con T inued F rom page 1
vogel said he worked with a travel agency that specializes in trips for religious choirs, which organized performances at the abbey, salzburg cathedral and two churches each in vienna and prague.
The performances ranged in type and length: at the Benedictine melk abbey in austria, the choir performed a 20-minute concert for a small community of monks, while at the historic church of our lady before Tyn in prague, it gave an hour-long public concert, vogel said.
The choir’s normal repertoire — the songs it sings at sunday morning Basilica masses — ranges from renaissance to contemporary songs, and choir president eric Thompson said the tour performances consisted mainly of those pieces. But the change of venues helped bring some of the pieces to life.
“many of the composers that are important to our choir’s repertoire lived in these cities for much of their lives,” he said. in between the performances was time for sightseeing. Thompson said some choir members went to the vienna state opera and the city’s easter markets, while vogel said members visited the nonnberg abbey in
Contact Emily McConville at emcconv1@nd.edu c hoir
salzburg, which famously housed maria von Trapp of “The sound of music” fame.
“our director, dr. andrew mcshane, makes a good effort to balance performances and practices with free time to explore,” Thompson, who has been on four choir tours, said. “one of the best things about this trip is that we had more time for sightseeing than on some of our previous tours.”
dulin, who traveled to europe for the first time with the choir, said she enjoyed the guided tours of each city, but the places where they performed were a form of sightseeing themselves.
“Traveling to salzburg and vienna as a choir is kind of like traveling to the cradle of civilization,” dulin said. “we sang at so many beautiful churches, many of which were historic cathedrals in the centers of these old cities. we got to see some beautiful examples of Baroque and gothic architecture, some of which dated back to as early as the eighth century.” vogel said choir members got to know each other as well as the cities they visited.
“my favorite part of the trip was getting to know people in the choir that i didn’t know very well beforehand,” vogel said. “i made some really great new friends thanks to this tour.”
By ALI LOWERY s cene writer
w hatever your opinions on a riana grande, it’s guaranteed you’ve had one the 22-year-old artist’s several Billboard-topping singles stuck in your head at some point since she showed us all the “The way” in 2013. her debut album, “yours Truly,” garnered critical and commercial success for its sugar-sweet lyrics and mariah carey reminiscent vocals from the young former child star. “my everything”, grande’s sophomore effort, effectively elevated the singer from her former nickelodeon persona, and scene writer matt munhall noted that the album moved grande “toward the epicenter of Top 40 without ditching the tweens just yet.”
we now arrive at march 10, 2016, and
grande has just dropped her first official single from “dangerous woman,” the upcoming third studio album formerly known as “moonlight.” grande was motivated to change the name of the project in order to be “empowering to [her] fans.” The decision seemed to stem from the artist’s recent endeavors in social justice territory, her essay on sexism following grande’s split with rapper Big sean made headlines last June and an interview during which she shut down two radio dJs misogynistic and heteronormative comments went viral early this past november. “i feel like my personal growth is reflected in the sound,” a riana told her fans during a recent live chat surrounding the news of her album release. “To me, a dangerous woman is someone who’s not afraid to take a stand, be herself and to be honest.” add another fierce feminist pop
diva to the list.
a s far as the single itself is concerned, the title track from “dangerous woman,” its sound has a sultry waltzlike vibe that’s comparable to The weeknd’s “e arned it,” a track he wrote for the “50 shades of grey” soundtrack. even the “dangerous woman” album cover, a black and white headshot of grande clad in a leather bunny ear mask, is evocative of the controversial best-selling book-turned-blockbuster and perhaps symbolic of a riana’s final stages of transformation from her former “good-girl” image to full on daring female entertainer, à la r ihanna. no, the song is not necessarily groundbreaking, but it’s new territory for grande as she continues to show her range of vocal abilities beyond breathy r &B/pop crossover hits. The singer’s stint on “saturday night l ive” on march
12 was praised not only for her comedic prowess as host but also for her powerful performances of “dangerous woman” and “Be a lright,” a dance-y pop number that will also appear on the album, recalls a Jess glynne summer hit. a nother derivative track, but all-in-all enjoyable and yet another example of the fresh performer’s attempt to step outside the proverbial generic pop box. a riana grande is most definitely coming into her own and should be on everyone’s radar as she moves with full force into her own space within the pop industry that’s already filled with strong female icons. “dangerous woman” will be released may 20 and the single is currently available to purchase and stream on most major platforms.
Contact Ali Lowery at alowery1@nd.edu
By BOBBY WOZNIAK s cene writer
we live in a world obsessed with massproduced goods and rapidly changing technology. economic advancement and monetary gain are top priorities as people advance forward in the pursuit of fame, fortune and recognition. w ith social media platforms dominating the formation of our popular culture, there is a clear infatuation with transforming oneself into a product that seems appealing to others and proves one’s “success” in life. w hether you admit to participating in this culture or not, its palpable presence has had an enormous influence on artistic creation through the past few years.
a fter a four-year hiatus, the eccentric and nonconformist santigold is back with a satirically brilliant album that serves as a social observation on these very ideas of consumerism, capitalism and narcissism. “99¢,” the philly-based artist’s third studio album, delivers an energetic and diverse approach to personal and societal reflection, overlapping various sonic textures and genres while providing a humorous yet intellectual commentary on the current state of our world (the album cover pointedly pictures her shrink-wrapped
in a package containing random knickknacks and sellable products, for goodness sake). santi w hite, the woman behind the santigold moniker, has reemerged with a keener sense of awareness and wit that shine through an upbeat sound that strays from her previous darker records, the critically acclaimed 2008 debut “santogold” and 2012’s equally good follow-up “master of my make-Believe.”
The opener “can’t g et e nough of myself” sets the sarcastically egotistical and superficially self-empowering tone of the album, utilizing cheery pop and flute instrumentals to construct an overly positive ambiance. santigold’s seemingly narcissistic lyrics immediately establish her social satire on vanity and consumerism, with the first line of the song boasting, “i f i wasn’t me, i can be sure i’d wanna be.”
The very next song, “Banshee,” furthers her commentary, the singer describing a “banshee on [her] shoulder” that serves as a societal voice. The entity speaks to her, telling her how to act and how to portray herself in a consumerist culture filled with superficialities and useless products. a n evident desire to let go of the voice and free herself of the social pressures resonates throughout the track, backed by fun and
energetic sounds that contrast her relatively serious symbolism and contribute to her sarcastic message. standout “c hasing shadows” provides a peek into santigold’s self-reflective process as she rap-sings about the challenge of staying true to herself in a competitive, moneyobsessed industry. she is concerned about losing time and her ability to leave behind a music legacy, yet she exhibits a steady confidence in her fight to control her creative endeavors and overarching success.
a lthough the album, as a whole, is not as sonically intense nor grime-based as her previous records, it possesses just as much diversity between tracks, with contrasting beats and unique sounds. i ncorporating elements of pop, new wave, trap, reggae and rock, santigold maintains her signature sound while providing something that’s socially relevant and musically refreshing. “rendezvous girl,” for example, sounds like a “99¢” take on the incredibly popular “disparate youth” off her sophomore album, beginning with a similar introduction that transforms into a more airy and saccharine beat rather than the latter’s deeper and darker verses. at times, “99¢” does become almost too sarcastic, bouncing between genuine satirical observations on society
and cheesy, overly happy-go-lucky textures that detract from her distinct sound. however, santigold’s creativity and musicality shine clearly throughout the record, reaffirming her thematic claims. w ith “99¢,” she forces listeners to consider her social commentary on consumerism while also allowing them to simply jam out in true santigold fashion, showing that, indeed, her “brand of vainglory is much better for your health.”
Contact Bobby Wozniak at rwozniak@nd.edu
“99 Cents” Santigold
Label: Atlantic
Tracks: “Can’t Get Enough of Myself,” “Chasing Shadows,” “Run the Races” If you like: M.I.A., Sleigh Bells, Azealia Banks
A letter to my sisters
Rachel O’Grady a ssociate news e ditor
“ h ere’s to strong women — may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.”
— u nknown
i want my sisters, c aroline and a lexandra, to know that it isn’t about being women. For my last column, i wrote about how we are o ’ g rady’s and therefore we “try, don’t cry.” But it is fundamentally important to clarify what i mean by that — it should never, ever hold you back.
To my sisters, there is nothing you cannot do, and i do not mean that in a classic, cheesy way. i do not mean you should ‘shoot for the moon, and if you fall, you will land amongst the stars.’ n o. you will not ‘land amongst the stars’ if you fail. you will fail. i t will hurt. There is no protecting you from any of that; i can’t tell you it won’t absolutely kill you when you don’t get into that college, or you didn’t get that solo in the dance.
i can’t tell you it won’t hurt. i can’t tell you that you won’t be devastated. i can tell you that it will pass.
you both know, more than anyone, the amount of rejection i have faced in my life. you two will likely never face that level of rejection, and for that, i am incredibly happy for the both of you. But things will hurt in this life, and i want you both to know no matter what, you can make it through it.
Beyond that, however, i want you to know being a girl does not disqualify you from anything. g o for whatever you want in this life. you deserve everything. you are incredible, and there is nothing you cannot do, and i don’t mean that in a cliché way, i mean that sincerely. There is nothing you cannot do, and i do not want you, for any second, to think you are not wholly capable, particularly because of your chromosome pair.
i t is continually amazing to me that we, three girls in a family of all girls, have not turned out to be entirely feminist. s urprisingly, the complete opposite has been the case, and for that, i am proud. d o not let your chromosome set define you. d o not be held back by anyone, or anything. d o not let any feminist movement cause you to think you are not able to do anything you want. e ven as i write this, the cliches pain me, because i can feel you rolling your eyes and reading this in your sarcastic voices, but if i could impart one piece of advice to you, it is to not be afraid, of anything. i know both of you have not experienced this struggle yet, particularly because we all have not been raised in the way to think ‘the world (or men) are against us.’ But as you continue in your lives, i cannot overstate the importance of fearlessness, and the degree to which you actively need to express that throughout your life. you both make me so proud to be your sister on a daily basis. you are both so smart, talented, capable and moreover, incredible beyond words. c ontinue being like this. c ontinue living the life you are meant to live. c ontinue fighting the odds and winning.
Contact Rachel O’Grady at rogrady@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
e lecting Trump, Bernie or a cat
Caruso c apitol c omments
This is about a n otre d ame student movement — angered and disgusted like our prevailing political anti-establishment feelings currently fueling the d onald Trump and Bernie s anders candidacies — that elected a kitten as s tudent Body v ice p resident. d uring my junior year spring semester, i was among eight other candidates running for the student body presidency against a spontaneous joke ticket that mocked student government. w hile we establishment candidates ran for president, the joke ticket ran for c ampus King by featuring a “ p rime m over” with “ u ncandidate the c at” as his vice president. u nfortunately for me, after u ncandidate produced a fake id proving that it was a student, the kitten and its selfdeclared royal running mate who donned a Burger King crown defeated all nine of us in two election rounds.
To illustrate my uniquely liberal v ietnam war raging time on campus, students enjoyed beer kegs throughout campus, including at dormitory parties. c igarette machines strategically sat on alternating residence halls floors, amid an openly smoking campus. a lcoholic beverages could be staged anywhere on the campus grounds. i n fact, my hall, l yons, won third place for the best homecoming float, and student government presented with a keg of beer.
o ur sitting student body president ( s B p ) — clean-cut, serious-minded and the first student of h ispanic heritage elected to lead student government — betrayed the student body after it had demonstrated with a high Bernie s anders-like revolutionary turnout of support after the u niversity announced kegs would be banned from campus. s everal hundred students packed our c ampus l ife c ouncil meeting, so many the overflow moved the audience to the e ngineering a uditorium but still fell short of seating the colossal crowd. o ur s B p assured us “the administration has seen your resolve and support, so i will work with them.”
o ur student empowerment moment was our first successful populist movement. h owever, the s B p betrayed our idealistic determination by selling out at the negotiating table. r ather, he secured a personal letter of recommendation from u niversity p resident r ev. Theodore m h esburgh, c s c . to the yale l aw s chool indicating that if yale accepts anyone from n otre d ame, he should be the first admitted. That injustice sat so sourly with us that a decade later when he ran for a nationwide alumni office, he lost. Through his deep u niversity affiliation, he was listed again on the alumni senate ballot — a rare second chance with so many alumni also available. we extracted our revenge against him as alumni, but not as students.
s ometimes it matters where you fall in the batting order, especially if you are the one beaned after a batter hits a grand slam. The year following our s B p betrayal, i ran for student body president. w ith such contempt, frustration and bitter
feelings festering at the time, the student electorate was aggressively anti-establishment. w ithin that atmosphere, a p rime m over announced his candidacy from the second bathroom stall of his campaign headquarters in the fourth floor lavatory, where he also held visiting hours for 15 minutes each day. h is 12-point program included, among others, creating an oligarchy of himself and his close friends while abolishing all current student government institutions, taking over The o bserver so that he and the paper could see eye-to-eye on every issue and sending out “feelers” to other s t. m ary’s schools nationwide while conducting a Friday night fact-finding trip across the highway at the local s t. m ary’s to ease 25 years of hostility. h e attributed his run to never having any close friends in childhood, so he “was looking for some sort of affirmation.”
w hile mocking student government, he appeared from behind a burning bush (trash can) on his residence hall balcony to counter his critics “who have fought us with slander, rumors and a great deal of truth.” h e staged his own kidnapping and adopted the graduation march song commencement hymn, “ p omp and c ircumstance,” as his theme song which constantly blared out of windows across the campus. h is campaign genius lay in his brilliant satire.
Just like several of this year’s u s . presidential so-called “establishment” candidates, many of us who ran against the King would have worked tirelessly to seriously overcome past disappointments. we were just as angry and frustrated, but our wild mob electorate shut out reason and issues to vote against our previous s B p the only way they could, by voting for a joke. i was the only candidate to win a dorm — my own l yons — in the first round where the King won all others but did not reach the minimum threshold. i n the runoff against the surviving serious establishment candidate (not me), the King won by a record-setting 65.7 percent of the vote and only lost c avanaugh h all by four votes.
i ronically, the King had always planned to “satirize the election and then drop out of it.” h owever, students craved his antics; once an estimated 1,300 students stood beneath his balcony to hear him. a fter his election, the King summarized that for the electorate his antics were “something meaningful to say, and the students responded.”
Thus far this year, only anti-establishment u ncandidate the c at owns a nomination. That may portend sad tidings come the summer for s anders and n ovember for Trump. o nly p rime m over miracles can alter those destinies.
Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame ‘73, 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 at @GaryJCaruso or via email at GaryJCaruso@alumni.nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Gary
lEttErS to thE Editor
The scorched-earth strategy of the GOP
one of the major campaign issues arising in this 2016 cycle is the appointment of a new supreme court justice. w hat was once a decided issue – the current president making the appointment regardless of how close he is to completing his term – has become something republicans believe they can contest. l ed by senate majority l eader m itch mcconnell, senate republicans in contested races, for fear of losing support of their conservative bases, are turning to mcconnell’s unconstitutional position.
Those contested senate races include sen. pat Toomey, r-penn..; sen. Kelly ayotte, r-n.h.; and sen. rob portman, r-ohio. These republicans are following mcconnell’s lead.
sen. dan coates, r-ind. is retiring after this term. By
submitting to senate race gop politics, he is setting up whoever his successor will be to take the same stance.
This extreme stance will not be well received come november. moderate republicans who are disgusted by the gop establishment flouting constitutional duty will almost certainly vote for democrats. democratic candidates in these elections have already ripped apart the gop position. candidates including former admiral Joe sestak of pennsylvania, g overnor maggie hasson of new hampshire, and former g overnor Ted strickland of ohio have all spoken out against their challengers’ constitutionally dubious position. even republican sen. susan collins of maine is uncomfortable with gop playing politics over the supreme court, objecting to the political maneuvering
on both sides of aisle on the very recent death of Justice scalia. if sen. coates wishes to leave behind a respectable legacy, he should not submit to m itch mcconnell’s obstructions of the constitutional duty of the president to appoint a new justice. democrats are on the right side of the issue. This will play out well for sestak, hasson, and strickland when they challenge republican incumbents in november. For i ndiana, senate candidate Baron h ill will likely join the ranks of sestak, hasson and strickland.
Thank you from the Jumpball family
To all the Bookstore Basketball participants and volunteers, we want to let you have a made a huge difference to the boys and girls in Jamaica and h aiti that took part in Jumpball. l ast year, over 600 boys and girls were able to take part in a series of free basketball clinics. most of the participants are from impoverished communities where there are few organized activities for kids to take part in. i n places where there are no handouts and few activities for children, Jumpball, the organization we founded and have run for over the past 20 years, provides for children to learn life skills through sports: self-esteem, teamwork, dedication, sportsmanship, camaraderie and of course
the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of basketballs.
s omething as simple as a day of fun on the basketball court really does make a difference. w hether it is simply a day of fun and bonding with other boys and girls or if it is an experience that changes the course of their life, Jumpball has an impact. a nd therefore — you all have an impact — thanks to your generous donations. you truly do play so they can play.
The Jumpball “family” is a real thing. it is alive and well in h aiti and Jamaica and it is certainly alive in s outh Bend. a s two nd grads, our bond with the university has strengthened through the
participation between Bookstore and Jumpball over the years. we have never been prouder of our alma mater and we are reminded of that every year thanks to your selflessness.
Thanks everyone for helping to make a difference beyond the basketball court — have a fantastic tournament!
1995
Chad Sutcliffe class of 1995 Feb. 29
Objections to the Laetare Medal decision
we are deeply disappointed and discouraged by notre d ame’s announcement that v ice p resident Joe Biden and former s peaker of the house John Boehner will receive the l aetare medal at this year’s commencement. The l aetare medal is presented annually to an a merican c atholic “in recognition of outstanding service to the c hurch and society. it is considered the oldest and most prestigious award for a merican c atholics.”
Fr. Jenkins explained the university’s basis for its decision: “o ne of our great challenges today is people who disagree often will vilify, attack, demean the opposition and then they cannot work with the opposition. o ne of the great c atholic concepts is the common good. w hat is the common good? you and i may disagree, or Boehner and Biden may disagree, but we have to recognize that whatever we think, we have to act for the common good.
“o ne thing i hope we do at the university is we try to bring our students to understand they can disagree but they need to talk to one another, reason with one another and despite differences, they should always respect the other person and not demean.
“unless we do that, we cannot work together, we cannot serve the common good. we are just in this gridlock of antagonism that is all too common today.”
most would agree the tone of our politics could be improved, but Fr. Jenkins’ call for civility is a mistaken basis upon which to decide who is worthy of the l aetare medal. By awarding the l aetare medal to Biden and Boehner, the university discredits the award, which ought to honor an a merican c atholic for service to the c hurch and society rather than make a point about the character of political dialogue.
The university has made a mistake, one that
devalues the l aetare medal and reflects poorly on the judgment of the university’s leaders. unfortunately, this unacceptable decision is exacerbated by the fact that notre d ame has once again scandalized faithful c atholics across the country, as it did when it honored p resident Barack o bama with an honorary degree at commencement in 2009.
Joe Biden is a c atholic who served as one of d elaware’s two senators for 36 years before becoming vice president in 2009. d uring his years in the s enate, he was undoubtedly one of the most rabidly partisan senators. he did more than anyone in washington to turn the confirmation process for s upreme c ourt nominees into a political bloodbath. he has repeatedly applauded the s upreme c ourt’s ruling in r oe v. wade. For some of his years in the s enate, he received a zero rating from prolife groups. it was not always so. e arly in his career Biden opposed abortion. By the mid-1980s, however, he had evolved out of what he called a youthful reliance upon his c atholic faith, a reliance he now repudiates.
Biden supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and voted against a ban on human cloning. he embraces same-sex marriage and the hhs mandate, which requires religious institutions such as notre d ame to facilitate coverage of contraceptives and abortifacients under its healthcare plans — notre d ame itself is suing the federal government for relief from this mandate. Biden’s positions on all these issues are directly contrary to c hurch teaching. h is public service has not been “to the c hurch,” but largely against the c hurch.
The united s tates bishops write, “The c atholic community and c atholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given
awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
we object to notre d ame’s decision to honor v ice p resident Biden with the l aetare medal. g iving the award to s peaker Boehner at the same time does not alleviate the scandal committed by the university’s blatant disregard for the injunction of the c atholic bishops.
a s students of this university, some of whom will graduate in m ay, we are disappointed notre d ame has failed in this instance to live up to its c atholic mission. we deserve to see the l aetare medal given to an a merican c atholic who merits it by having served as an outstanding example for c atholics and having performed real service to the c hurch in this country.
Tim Bradley senior
Alexandra DeSanctis senior
Christina Gotcher senior
Sophia Buono sophomore
Hailey Vrdolyak senior
John Kill sophomore
Madeleine Cook junior
Eileen Madigan sophomore
Henry Dickman junior
Michael Moss junior
Joshua Gluch junior
James Herrick IV senior Feb. 29
Kieran Phelan sophomore Feb. 24
Bill Maloney class of
Happy Birthday: Thank matters through thoroughly. Time is on your side, so don’t let anyone push you into something you aren’t ready to explore. rely on your skills and talents to help you reach your goal. This is a year of opportunity, so do your best to let go of fear and embrace new beginnings. d on’t let a challenge deter you from getting ahead. your numbers are 6, 14, 21, 27, 32, 36, 49.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): c hoose to get along with others and to look for healthy alternatives. l ook inward and find meaningful ways to make personal improvements. a n interesting turn of events will improve a partnership.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): home, family and friends should be your focus. d iscussing plans that you want to put into play will bring you closer to the ones you love and give everyone something to look forward to. d on’t procrastinate -- make it happen.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): d on’t take on responsibilities that don’t belong to you, but don’t ignore those that do. a realistic and fair approach to what you face will be the only way to get past what stands in your way. d on’t overreact.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep an open mind and you will be amazed by the information you are given and how you can put it to good use in your everyday life. romance will lead to a promising adventure with someone you love to spend time with.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): s how off a little. it’s in your best interest to let others know what you are capable of doing. d on’t be shy when it comes to taking charge and being responsible. The difference you make will be appreciated and acknowledged.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take the initiative and do what you can to help those less fortunate. your actions will lead to an encounter with someone who can help you bring your own dreams to fruition. a partnership will fill a void you have been experiencing.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): c heck out every option before making a decision. Take your time and observe what’s going on around you. d on’t let anyone make you feel as if you are being left behind. d o things on your own terms and at your own pace.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): g et involved in something you’ve never done before. new or unusual experiences will get your creative imagination flowing and encourage you to follow through with an idea that could turn in to a moneymaker. l ove is highlighted.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): e xpect to face opposition from someone who is trying to control your life. it’s likely that you’ll have to make unexpected alterations to the way you live. p rotect your assets, possessions, your reputation and your health.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): you don’t have to join in if someone makes a last-minute change that disrupts your plans. l ook for a way to carry on and you won’t miss out on something you want to do. you’ll obtain valuable insight from an unusual encounter.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): revisit an idea and tweak it to fit the current trends. your ingenuity and desire to do something unique will help you forge ahead. high energy coupled with discipline will be your ticket to success. personal improvements will be satisfying.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): p ut the skills and talents you are passionate about in to play, and you will come out a winner. your ability to wow others with your unique approach to life will result in a partnership and profitable joint venture.
Birthday Baby: you are compassionate, intuitive and expressive. you are proactive and precise.
To receive The observer in your home, complete the form below. make checks payable and mail to: The observer p o. Box 779 notre dame, in 46556 enclosed is $130 for one academic year enclosed is $75 for one semester
JumblE | david hoyT and JeFF KnureK
Sudoku | The mepham group
JuSt Add wAtEr | John roddy & eric carlson
flinG by SPrinG | riley mccurrie
March Madness
inspires reflection
with march madness finally underway, we’ve reached one of my favorite points on the sports calendar. instead of trying to make sense of this year’s chaotic tournament, however, i thought i’d try something a little different. Below is my personal ranking of the best events on the (roughly) annual sports calendar.
10.) army-navy football game passion. That’s the word i’d use to sum up army-navy and kick off the countdown. sure, it’s only a few hours, but american flags, flyovers, fireworks and even hand-painted helmets (please keep those, navy!) all make this one of the greatest spectacles in the american sports world. w hile they’ll rarely have the caliber of player that is fit to win a heisman on the field (Keenan reynolds got snubbed), there’s still raw passion on the field over who sings second, even if it’s been “anchors away” the last 14 years.
9.) The first The masters commercial of the year yes, it’s about five seconds long (if that), and, no, there’s not exactly a date this always happens — i usually see it around the nFl’s conference championships or super Bowl — but the instant the piano version of dave loggins’ “augusta” comes on, there’s hope that spring is just around the corner and images of azaleas in bloom lift me briefly into golf heaven.
8.) The Kentucky derby like The masters’ theme song, the Kentucky derby is a short experience: i only religiously watch “my old Kentucky home,” the call to post, and the race itself. But its reputation as the fastest two minutes in sports never disappoints. w hile not on this list, the Belmont stakes also make the cut it in years where there’s a Triple crown threat.
7.) The open championship at st. andrews although the open at st. andrews isn’t a yearly event either, it still easily makes my top 10. if it were annual instead of unofficially every five years, it would be much higher on this list. regardless, returning to the home of golf and watching players cross the swilcan Bridge is, simply, special.
6.) women’s world cup
To further highlight just how ignorantly american i am of the FiFa world cups, i actually find myself more invested in the women’s version. Being a newcomer to the soccer — er, football — world, the men’s tournament might supplant it in the coming years for me, but i’ve been vastly more invested in the women’s version because the united states has found success in recent tournaments.
5.) The summer olympics
This is basically army-navy, but on a longer, grander and international scale. The pageantry of the opening and closing ceremonies coupled with all of the different competitions and raw emotions every event evokes is second to none in the sports world. The only choice i had to make was which version i enjoyed more. …
4.) The winter olympics and for me, that choice wasn’t difficult. i’ll admit i’m biased toward winter events, living in cold areas for most of my life, but i find myself more invested in the winter olympics. hockey, i’m sure, is a large reason why, but even “mundane” events like cross-country skiing and curling hook me. you really can’t go wrong either way, but give me the cold.
3.) First four days of march madness distinguishing between the second and third spots on this list was extremely difficult, but in the end, lingering views on the amateur debate finally won out for me. still, the first four days (excluding the games in dayton) of the tournament almost always provide the greatest underdog stories of the sports year on a nonstop basis. it loses its luster once my teams and the cinderellas are out, but there’s no other four-day sporting event i’d want to watch more. well, almost.
2.) The masters
This shouldn’t be a surprise given no. 9, but The masters capture every sort of emotion for me. history, nostalgia, tranquility, the beauty of nature and the arrival of spring all combine beautifully. oh, yeah and there’s the golf part, too. and Jim nantz’ “hello friends. welcome to a tradition unlike any other.” and the green jacket, one of the most iconic trophies in sports, trailing only no. 1 on this list.
1.) First round of the stanley cup playoffs
The only debate i had about the top spot in my countdown was whether to include the whole stanley cup playoffs or just a part. The entirety of the playoffs felt too long for this list, so then it came down to the first round or the Finals. i chose the latter because, in the spirit of the first four days of march madness that inspired this list to begin with, the first round is full of non-stop hockey featuring four games every night for a week and a half between the best teams and players in the world. For me, there simply isn’t a greater stretch in the world of sports.
Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Belles optimistic after first spring tournament
By TONY ZAPPIA sports writer
saint mary’s traveled to peoria, arizona to participate in the george Fox invitational held at westbrook village golf course on saturday and sunday.
The Belles combined to shoot a 90-over-par 658 to finish eighth out of the eight participating teams over the two-day tournament. The winning team, george Fox university, finished 65 shots ahead of saint mary’s with a 28-over-par 596. saint mary’s head coach Kim moore was optimistic about the Belles’ performance at the george Fox invitational, though.
“i would say i thought it was a success,” moore said. “i know we didn’t finish very high, but this tournament was mainly for us to get a chance to practice and play outside. The competition at this event was very strong and the majority of the teams had opportunities to play outside before arriving,
and we did not. our overall team score was better than last year at this time, and we had some very respectable scores on a course that played a little longer then we were used to at 5,940 yards.
“ … obviously, there were shots left out there and not everyone played their best, but we are looking forward to the next couple weeks of practice and getting prepared for our next event in st. louis.”
The two day tournament was the first event of the spring season for the Belles who are looking to improve on a fourth place finish in the miaa conference last season. Freshman Taylor Kehoe, an important part of the team’s success in the fall season averaging the third-best 18-hole score on the team, led the way for the Belles posting a first round 10-over-par 81 and a second round eight-over-par 79 putting her in a tie for 21st place individually. Junior captain ali mahoney finished second for the Belles
with scores of nine-over-par 80 and 14-over-par 85. Junior captain courtney carlson rounded out the Belles lineup with an overall score of 24-over-par 166, while seniors Katie Zielinski and sammie averill hit 29-over-par 171s. sophomores Kelsey conkright, isabella speedon and courtney Quinlan also participated as individual players. conkright carded her collegiate best on sunday, posting a 79 on the final day of the tournament.
The Belles have three more tournaments before entering into competition for the miaa’s automatic bid to nationals.
The Belles’ next tournament, the st. louis invitational hosted by washington university, will take place at the beginning of april at gateway national golf links where the Belles will look to bounce back against another solid field.
Contact Tony Zappia at azappia@nd.edu
Saint Mary’s breaks four records in win
By ALEX BENDER sports writer
on wednesday evening, saint mary’s picked up a win in dominating fashion on the road, as the Belles cruised to a 17-2 victory over concordia chicago.
The game started off with a face-off win by saint mary’s freshman midfielder Kate Kelly, and the Belles took little time getting on the scoreboard as sophomore midfielder clare Theisen buried a shot in the back of the net with barely over one minute on the clock. For Theisen, the opening score was her tenth goal of the season.
This set the tone for the entire game as the Belles (2-2) continued to dominate on face-offs throughout the entire game. Freshman attack molly stout netted her fourth goal of the season just a couple minutes later and her fifth goal ten minutes after that.
The next few minutes saw a barrage of goals by the Belles coming from Theisen, Kelly and junior attack lauren Telford and sophomore attack hanna makowski.
The struggles would continue to pile up for concordia chicago (07) as it faced difficulties gaining control of the ball, evidenced by the Belles’ 12-0 lead at the half.
saint mary’s tacked on another goal to start the second half to make it 13-0 before the cougars finally got on the board. seven different Belles were able to net at least one goal while four players scored at least three goals. Kate Kelly led the way with four goals while Theisen, Telford and makowski all added three goals.
Freshman midfielder rachael leonard also tallied a school-record three assists in the win.
Ball possession was a key for the saint mary’s victory. The Belles finished the game with 30-20 advantage in ground balls over the cougars; the team also outshot its opponent 36-9 during the game.
saint mary’s head coach amy long said she was pleased with her team’s performance.
“we played well last night,” long said. “many of the ideas and strategies we have been working on in practice were executed very well last night. our motion on attack is looking much better
and i was excited we had such a high scoring output. our defense played a solid game and limited the scoring opportunities for concordia chicago, which made for a great night in goal for both of our goalies.”
The Belles were able to break a couple of records throughout the game, as the 15 goal differential marked the largest margin of victory in the program’s history. in addition, saint mary’s 17 goals were the most scored in a single game, while the two goals against the team mark the fewest number of goals given up.
Following the victory, the Belles are now 2-2 on the year, and they will be looking to improve further as they head to ohio northern on saturday.
“i expect our team to be challenged more than we were in last night’s game,” long said. “i also expect our team to rise to the challenge and play a great game against a stronger opponent.”
The game against the polar Bears is set to begin at 1 p.m.
Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu
Zach Klonsinski a ssistant managing e ditor
Notre Dame to welcome Wake Forest in ACC play
Observer Staff Report
a fter a trip to the c aribbean where they swept liu Brooklyn, n otre d ame returns to acc action Friday against w ake Forest at e ck Tennis p avilion.
Before the trip to p uerto r ico, the i rish (9-5, 3-2 acc ) hit a rough patch, losing two consecutive matches to s yracuse and m iami after accumulating a four-match winning streak. The i rish now sit at 3-2 in acc play and will look to improve their conference record against the d emon d eacons (12-4, 2-3 acc ). The last time the i rish and the d emon d eacons went head-to-head, n otre d ame came away with a 7-0 victory a pril 3 of last year in w inston- s alem, n orth c arolina.
The d emon d eacons
baseball
needs some experience out there. s o i feel good about where we’re at.”
north c arolina s tate, meanwhile, split a two-game series against i ndiana s tate at home this past Tuesday and wednesday, dropping wednesday’s contest against the s ycamores, 11-7.
Both the wolfpack and the i rish sit near the bottom of the conference standings now, but despite notre dame’s three losses to the c ardinals (15-2, 3-0), a oki said he still took some positives away from the series, as the i rish lost two games by a single run and nearly matched last year’s conference champion blow for blow.
“i thought save for the first inning of the second game, we pitched it incredibly well all weekend long, and i thought we defended it — again, save for that one inning … very well,” a oki said after the losses to l ouisville.
“i thought our at-bats allweekend long were incredibly competitive against a really elite pitching staff, which aside from that one inning i thought we matched
them pitch for pitch essentially. a nd so i’ve been really encouraged by the way in which we’ve competed.” d espite that, a oki is shuffling his rotation slightly this weekend. Junior right-hander r yan s moyer will start the first game as he did against l ouisville, but sophomore left-hander s ean g uenther will move up from the final game of the series to the second, while sophomore righthander Brandon Bielak will be bumped in favor of junior left-hander s cott Tully. v ierling might come in for relief as he did against Toledo, but he is also one of notre d ame’s top offensive weapons, batting .304 in 15 starts this year with two home runs, tied for the team lead with fellow freshman outfielder c onnor s tutts, who collected one of his long balls against the r ockets on wednesday.
notre d ame faces north c arolina state in its second acc series of the year this weekend at d oak Field at d ail p ark in r aleigh, north c arolina. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday and s aturday and 1 p.m. sunday.
Contact Greg Hadley at ghadley@nd.edu
to contend come the final round.”
a fter last week’s performance, the i rish have had a week of practice and preparation to get ready for their biggest test yet.
“ w e just need to play three solid rounds, and the girls know that,” h olt said. “ w e didn’t get that done out in a rizona, but i feel good, especially in the fact that we got better each day and a couple of our players know
started their season by winning nine consecutive matches. s ince then, however, the team has lost three of its last five, including two in a row against n o. 19 g eorgia Tech and n o. 3 n orth c arolina.
a fter they play n otre d ame on Friday, w ake Forest’s tough stretch of matches continues at home against n o. 10 v irginia on s unday.
n otre d ame also enters the heart of its acc schedule after Friday afternoon’s matchup, as the i rish travel to take on n orth c arolina s tate and n orth c arolina before facing n o. 8 d uke on a pril 3.
The i rish have momentum, however, after sweeping the Blackbirds (0-8) in p uerto r ico by a score of 7-0. a ll six i rish singles matches were
the lsu course and have played it. w e’ve got three freshmen in the lineup that will be there for the first time, but it’s been that way for them all season with every course they’ve played, and they’ve been pretty quick to adjust and learn the golf course so i think we will be fine.”
The Tiger c lassic will provide an important stepping stone for the team as the conference and national tournaments loom on the horizon. i t will be the first times the i rish have faced multiple acc foes at once,
decided in two sets, and junior m ary c loss did not lose a single game.
a gainst w ake Forest, n otre d ame will look for its top two athletes, senior Quinn g leason and junior m onica r obinson, to deliver strong performances. g leason is 14-6 in singles play this year, while r obinson is 12-5. The pair is also n otre d ame’s n o. 1 doubles team with an 8-6 record on the season.
The i rish also sport an emerging sophomore in w est c hester, o hio native Brooke Broda. Broda is 16-1 on the year, including a record of 10-0 in dual play. Broda has played in the n o. 5 singles spot for the i rish up to this point in the season.
n otre d ame is set to kick of its match against w ake Forest on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at c ourtney Tennis c enter.
and h olt said it should serve as a good measuring stick heading forward.
“ e very time we compete, it’s just gaining a little bit more experience — like i said, we have three freshmen in the lineup,” h olt said. “ i think it will help us to see where we are at with the top teams in the conference there, so it is just a good test for us all around.”
The i rish will compete in the lsu Tiger c lassic this s unday through Tuesday.
Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer Irish senior Quinn Gleason looks to hit a backhand during Notre Dame’s 6-1 win over Indiana on Feb. 20 at Eck Tennis Pavilion. Gleason is 14-6 in singles play and 9-7 in doubles action this season.
m tennis
a string of three losses. The h urricanes will face Boston c ollege before playing the i rish on s unday. The i rish are 2-0 against the h urricanes under s achire.
a gainst two conference opponents, s achire said the team will look to improve offensively after working on doubles play over the break.
“ w e have been working hard on our offensive plays and our ability to attack our opponents,” s achire said. “ i n addition, we have spent some time getting our doubles back up to the level we were playing at prior to spring break.”
n otre d ame’s season has been inconsistent thus far, containing a threegame winning streak and a four-game losing streak. a ccordingly, another aspect of n otre d ame’s game s achire said the team has been working to improve is its mental toughness.
“ o ne of the main goals that we have is to have our players be able to maintain focus on their tactics and game plan during the most pressure-packed situations in a match, and ultimately, not allow their focus to drift away from what it takes to be successful in the key moments of a match,” s achire said.
s enior a lex l awson looks to factor big in n otre d ame’s upcoming acc matches. l awson has been climbing up the all-time i rish doubles win list, and is now tied at 3rd place with 88 total wins. a head of l awson on the all-time wins list are former players Jakub p ietrowski with 95 wins and g reg a ndrews with 93.
i f the weather allows it,
n otre d ame will play in the c ourtney Tennis c enter against d uke at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, and against m iami at noon s unday.
Contact Jackie Brebeck at jbrebeck@nd.edu
paid a dverT isemen T
Softball
base to start the bottom half of the inning for n otre d ame. Two batters later, freshman third baseman m elissa r ochford, the reigning acc p layer of the w eek, singled to right-center field to score w ester and give the i rish a 1-0 lead.
n otre d ame kept attacking in the frame, as senior first baseman m icaela a rizmendi knocked in two runs with a single to right field. Three batters later, senior right fielder m egan s orlie lined a bases-loaded double to the right-field gap and was driven in by the next batter, sophomore left fielder Bailey Bigler, to extend n otre d ame’s lead to 7-0.
“ o ne of the things we’ve done really well, typically, is getting off to a strong start,” i rish head coach d eanna g umpf said. “ i actually like being visitor, we’ve done a really great job of being visitor this year because we score first. … For us to come back and score all those runs changes the whole dynamic of the game.”
s orlie’s double prompted the Falcons to change pitchers, as senior Braiden d illow replaced the struggling starter, junior Briania c ombs.
a fter building a large lead in the first inning, the i rish sailed smoothly the rest of the way. n asland retired
the side in both the second and the third innings and finished her day with three strikeouts while picking up her seventh win of the season.
“ i loved r achel [ n asland] today,” g umpf said. “ d id they hit the ball a couple of times? yeah, but she got them to do what she wanted them to do, and r achel had really great presence on the mound.”
The i rish ran into a rough patch in the fourth inning when sophomore Katie Beriont replaced n asland on the mound. The Falcons got runners on first and second base, but r ochford turned a double play to end the inning.
“ i liked the way Katie came in, and she got us some ground balls,” g umpf said.
“ i don’t think she was very sharp in the [fourth] inning, but she still got away with it, and that’s a really good sign. The [fifth] inning she did a much better job.”
n otre d ame added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. w ester reached on an infield single and stole her 21st base of the season before scoring on an error by Falcon’s senior right fielder m arina c obbs. Two batters later, sophomore shortstop m organ r eed scorched a double down the right-field line to plate another two i rish runners and put n otre d ame up 10-0.
The game ended one inning later via mercy rule.
s ix i rish players tallied at least one r B i in the game, and seven players recorded at least one hit. g umpf said the key to the team’s offense is its ability to stay within itself.
“ i think we’re not trying to do too much,” g umpf said. “ i think we are the most successful offensively when we know what works for us and stay in our ballgame. i think our team’s done a great job of figuring out what really works for us.”
n otre d ame will continue its homestand and extend its 18-game winning streak next week when the i rish face e astern m ichigan on Tuesday followed by m ichigan s tate on w ednesday. g umpf said she is excited for the homestand because the team has been on the road for the last couple of weeks.
“ i t feels really nice to be home,” g umpf said. “There’s nothing like playing in m elissa c ook s tadium. There are so many advantages of being here. n umber one, we get to sleep in our own beds. n umber two, we know this field so very well. n umber three, we’re comfortable here, and i think it’s tougher for teams to come in here and play us here because it’s such a great place to play.”
Tuesday’s first pitch between the i rish and e agles is set for 5 p.m. at m elissa c ook s tadium.
Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer
Irish sophomore shortstop Morgan Reed fields a grounder during Notre Dame’s 10-0 win over Bowling Green on Thursday at Melissa Cook Stadium. Reed drove in two runs for the Irish in the victory.
BECKI JEREN | The Observer Irish senior Alex Lawson connects on a backhand during Notre Dame’s 6-1 win over Michigan on Feb. 13 at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
12
nd SoftbAll | nd 10, Bowling green 0
Complete team effort leads Irish to victory
By MAREK MAZUREK sports e ditor
a fter nearly a month of road games, n o. 19 n otre d ame grabbed a 10-0 victory in its home opener Thursday night against Bowling g reen. w ith the win, the i rish (223, 3-0 acc ) improved their all-time record against the Falcons (11-11, 0-0 mac ) to 15-6.
Junior r achel n asland started on the mound for the i rish and faced some trouble early on. a fter striking out the Falcons’ leadoff hitter, n asland gave up two consecutive singles before striking out the next hitter and getting a flyout to left field to end the frame.
r iding a 17-game winning streak into the game, the i rish wasted no time in jumping out to a lead. Junior center fielder Karley w ester singled and stole second
nd womEn’S Golf
nd set for lsu Tiger c lassic
By TOBIAS HOONHOUT sports writer
n otre d ame will head down south this weekend for the lsu Tiger c lassic, a tournament boasting nationally ranked competition. i n Baton r ouge, l ouisiana, the i rish will be up against n o. 2 a uburn, n o. 16 o klahoma and n o. 21 lsu , as well as acc foes n o. 13 w ake Forest, n o. 17 n orth c arolina, n o. 20 d uke and n orth c arolina s tate.
“ i think it will be a good test for us,” i rish head coach s usan h olt said. “ i t’s that time of year where we need to see where we stand among the top teams in the country trying to prepare for ncaa s, so it’s a really good opportunity for us to play them head-to-head, at the same time and golf course with the same conditions, and see how we match up.”
l ast weekend, the i rish came in fourth at the c lover c up in m esa, a rizona, which they hosted. The i rish stumbled in the first round of
play, but managed to make up ground, ending with a team score of 10-over par 874 — 16 shots back of the winner smu a mong the top performers for the i rish were senior captain Talia c ampbell, who recorded her tenth top-10 finish of the season with an even par 216, and freshman m addie r ose h amilton, who closed out a strong final-round with a score of 69 to come in 17th place with a four-over par 220.
“ w e have five solid players and we just need at least four of them to show up every day, and we’ve done a pretty good job of that overall this year … and we just need to capitalize more on scoring opportunities that we present ourselves with,” h olt said. “ w e play close, but don’t convert all of the putts that we need to, so we just need to give ourselves more opportunities to score. i f we can do that, then i think we are going to have a chance
bASEbAll
squad readies for wolfpack
By GREG HADLEY s enior sports writer
Fresh off its first home game of the season, n otre d ame will try to carry the momentum from its mid-week win over Toledo onto the road as it faces n o. 13 n orth c arolina s tate in a three-game series this weekend.
The i rish (7-8, 0-3 acc ) pounded the r ockets, 10-3, on wednesday to near the .500 mark early on in the season, but i rish head coach m ik a oki’s squad has already gotten off to a poor start in acc play this year, getting swept by n o. 5 l ouisville on the road last weekend.
The wolfpack (14-5, 1-2), like the c ardinals, are coming off an ncaa tournament berth last season, but their start to conference play in 2016 has been similar to that of the i rish, as they dropped two of three to unranked Boston c ollege last weekend.
s till, n otre d ame enters
this weekend’s matchup with momentum after cruising past Toledo. The i rish offense collected 12 hits, its secondhighest total of the season, while senior right-hander m ichael h earne struck out a career-high seven batters while retiring 12 of the last 13 batters he faced. h earne yielded the mound after five innings, and four i rish relievers revolved through to keep the door firmly closed against the r ockets, a performance a oki said he was pleased with.
“ i t was nice to get our bullpen guys some work in the back half of that game,” a oki said. “[ s enior right-hander] d ave h earne got in there for an inning, so hopefully he feels good. … [Freshman right-hander] m att v ierling got in. … h e gave up a home run but i think m att is a kid whose role on the mound needs to expand, and he
mEn’S tEnniS
Notre Dame seeks key wins against ACC foes
By JACKIE BREBECK sports writer
a s n otre d ame enters the heart of its acc schedule, it will look to secure a pair of wins against d uke and m iami this weekend.
“ w e are really excited about the opportunities this weekend,” i rish head coach r yan s achire said. “Both d uke and m iami are great programs with really talented players, and we are looking forward to the challenges that we will face.”
The Blue d evils (7-8, 1-2 acc ) had a rough start to their season, winning only two out of their first eight matches. h owever, they have been on an upswing, winning five out of their last seven games. d uke is 21-28 in the all-time series against the i rish (8-8, 2-2 acc ). m iami (6-6, 1-1 acc ), on the other hand, is coming into its match against n otre d ame after
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer
Irish junior Rachel Nasland delivers a pitch during Notre Dame’s 10-0 win over Bowling Green on Thursday at Melissa Cook Stadium.
BECKI JEREN | The Observer
Irish senior Quentin Monaghan fires a forehand during Notre Dame’s 7-0 win over Ball State on Feb. 7 at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
