Print Edition of The Observer for Thursday, September 1, 2016
Committee releases final report
Latest step in core curriculum review process regroups course requirements, rethinks AP credits
Observer Staff Report
a fter taking feedback on a draft report released in n ovember, the c ore c urriculum r eview c ommittee released its final report w ednesday by committee co-chairs m ichael h ildreth and John m c g reevy in separate emails to the faculty and student body. The report recommended
changes to the u niversity’s undergraduate course requirements and policies and is the result of a two-year curriculum review process. i ts recommendations may be implemented for the class of 2022.
The major changes recommended in the report are a reduction in the number of required math and science courses and a modification
of the requirements relating to the arts, humanities and social sciences.
c urrently, an undergraduate student is required to take two courses each in math and science, and a course each in history, social science and the fine arts or literature. u nder the changes to the math and science requirements outlined in the report, a student would take
pokemon go sweeps nd
By NATALIE WEBER news writer
For those born during the 1990s, the word “monster” might not have conjured images of a malevolent creature lurking in the closet or under the bed. rather, it might have described a much more pleasant part of childhood: pokemon. This summer, pokemon go, an augmented reality game, allowed those who loved pokemon as kids to reconnect with their childhood and introduced a new generation to the game. notre dame students staying on campus over the summer
were no exception.
seniors debbie greif and Julia Tombari first saw the trailer for pokemon go when it debuted in september 2015.
Tombari said the game was supposed to be released in February but was pushed back.
“That was disappointing,” greif said. “a nd then we thought it was going to be may.” it wasn’t. it was mid-June before the game was demoed at the e3 trade conference, with a tentative mid-July release date.
pokemon go instead came out in early July.
“i heard about it within 20 minutes,” greif said.
players earn points and level up in pokemon go by collecting pokemon and supplies. once the player reaches level 5, they can join one of three teams: Team mystic, Team instinct or Team valor. The teams battle to dominate gyms, which are landmarks where players can go to battle others with their pokemon.
There are several pokemon gyms on campus, including main circle, “Touchdown Jesus” and a lumni stadium. Tombari and greif plan on starting a club this year to allow
see poKemon paGe 5
one class each in “quantitative reasoning” and “science and technology,” and one additional course in either.
a student also would choose one course in art, literature or advanced language and culture, one course in history or social science and one integration course or a course in an undetermined “way of knowing.”
The report recommends
continuing to require students to take two theology courses, the m oreau First year e xperience course and a u niversity seminar in the first year. The report also recommends continuing to require students to take a foundational philosophy course but allows a student to take either a
Saint Mary’s receives patent
By NICOLE CARATAS s aint mary’s e ditor
The pharmaceutical industry is littered with different drugs and different versions of those drugs. w hile most ingredients serve a purpose, sometimes, the pharmaceuticals manufacturers buy ingredients that are of lowquality or even inactive that lower the effectiveness of the
drug.
To solve this issue, s aint m ary’s professor of chemistry and physics Toni b arstis worked with notre d ame professor of chemistry and biochemistry m arya l ieberman, notre d ame d uda Family professor of engineering p atrick Flynn and a team of s aint m ary’s researchers to
see paTenT paGe 5
Goodwin to lecture at SMC
Observer Staff Report
The s aint m ary’s department of humanistic studies announced presidential historian and p ulitzer p rizewinning author d oris Kearns g oodwin as this year’s speaker for the c hristian c ulture l ecture on o ct. 4.
a ccording to a press release, g oodwin, called “a merica’s historian-in-chief,” will explain and analyze the u s presidency and discuss how c hristianity has influenced governing practices during the lecture.
g oodwin, who wrote awardwinning biographies about lyndon b . Johnson, Theodore roosevelt, w illiam howard
Taft, Franklin d roosevelt and a braham l incoln, will tell stories “that illuminate the inner complexities of a merican leaders,” the press release stated.
“ w e are thrilled and honored to welcome d oris Kearns g oodwin to s aint m ary’s,” professor of humanistic studies John s hinners said in the press release. “ i t’s especially exciting to have her here to share her insights just a month before the upcoming historic national election.”
a ccording to the release, g oodwin worked with s teven s pielberg on the
see goodwin paGe 5
see reporT paGe 5
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Junior Brian Pulawski uses his phone to play Pokemon Go on God Quad. The brand, which originated in the 1990s, has been experiencing a popularity renewal after it was adapted for smartphones.
Ben Wdowik sophomore sorin college “Fort collins.”
Zachary Hamar freshman Zahm house “l isbon, portugal.”
Jade Martinez sophomore Flaherty hall “south bend.”
Sebastian Lopez sophomore o’neill hall “yonkers, new york.”
Mark Davidson fifth year Fischer graduate residence “w itchita, Kansas.”
Maria Palazzolo sophomore mcglinn hall “rome.”
Kansas State University professor of physics Bharat Ratra presents a lecture Wednesday in Nieuwland Science Hall. The lecture explored several dark energy models and their role in explaining the universe.
Today’s Staff
Corrections
i n the aug. 31 issue of The observer, the sponsors of “a conversation with u s supreme court Justice ruth bader ginsburg” were misidentified. The event is sponsored by the o ffice of the p resident, notre dame l aw school and notre dame student g overnment. The observer regrets this error.
Thursday
Yoga in the Galleries Snite Museum of Art
4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Relax and recharge through Artful Yoga in the Snite.
Student Standups and the Humor Artists Legends 9 p.m. Comedy shows.
Friday
ND Volleyball vs. Coastal Carolina Purcell Pavilion
7 p.m.
The Irish take on the Chanticleers.
ND Women’s Soccer vs. Illinois State Alumni Stadium
7 p.m.
The Irish take on the Redbirds. Saturday
ND Men’s Golf Kickoff Challenge Warren Golf Course Clubhouse all day Open to the public.
ND Volleyball vs. Purdue Purcell Pavilion 7 p.m.
The Irish
Intramural Sports Registration IMLeagues.com
JOY QIAN | The Observer
Constitutional amendment simplifies procedure
By RACHEL O’GRADY a ssociate news e ditor
Following an all student government retreat before the start of the school year, the notre dame student senate formally met wednesday for the first time this academic year.
student body vice president becca blais opened the conversation with the introduction of an amendment to the student union constitution.
“[The amendment] essentially suspends some of the more cumbersome parts of parliamentary
Observer Staff Report
procedure … essentially, it gives me the opportunity to use discretion when using parliamentary procedure, thus sort of streamlining the entire senate process,” blais said.
blais said the suggestion resulted from discussions she had this summer with members of student senate.
“what’s happened in the past is that some people in the past have learned it really well and used it against people who don’t know it really well, which has silenced discussion because the people that did know it well would be able to shut down those that didn’t with the
rules,” she said.
parliamentarian monica montgomery said she would closely monitor the utilization of parliamentary procedure, even with the passage of the amendment.
“if i do see that people are being silenced, or it’s getting out of control, you know, i think it would be beneficial to keep it condensed,” montgomery said.
mcglinn hall senator maria palazzolo echoed their sentiments.
“i think this is a good idea, because parliamentary procedure really has basically held back some of our meetings, so overall this
seems like a good idea,” palazzo said. “i think because a lot of us are new, it could really streamline things, which would additionally be beneficial.”
senate approved the amendment, with one abstention. additionally, Flaherty hall senator Jade martinez was nominated to the position of campus life council (clc) liaison.
“i like the idea of having really close contact with the powerful people who do things,” martinez said. “The clc discusses some really important topics ... on campus.”
student body president corey
robinson said the clc is important in getting initiatives passed up to the administration.
“if anything is passed in the clc, erin hoffmann harding has to look at it and respond within seven days, which is pretty big,” robinson said.
martinez was unanimously confirmed, and said she was excited about the opportunity.
“i’m excited to talk about sexual assault prevention and how that’s handled, and overall, just campus safety,” martinez said.
Contact Rachel O’Grady at rogrady@nd.edu
Keough hall room floods New lab expands research abilities
a fire sprinkler in Keough h all deployed without the help of a fire Tuesday afternoon, flooding one room.
a notre d ame Fire d epartment officer at the scene said the sprinkler went off in a dorm room. university spokesman d ennis b rown said b uilding s ervices, the r isk m anagement and s afety o ffice and the notre d ame Fire d epartment worked to preserve property on the
second floor and “to some extent” on the first floor.
b rown said the r isk m anagement and s afety o ffice will replace damaged items, “with hall staff providing support and assisting with immediate needs.”
paid a dverT isemen T
By AIDAN LEWIS news writer
in February 2016, the notre dame Turbomachinery laboratory opened its doors at ignition park in south bend for the first time. The lab’s director, research assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering Joshua cameron, said this new facility opens the door for more advanced turbomachinery research.
cameron said turbomachinery encompasses machines that “move or compress gases or fluids,” as well as machines that “extract power from gases or fluids.”
“it’s the type of machinery you would see in a jet engine,” he said. notre dame’s first turbomachinery laboratory was built in 2003, and since then, researchers have collaborated with jet engine manufacturers like general electric and honeywell, cameron said.
“it seemed like every year someone would ask for something bigger, faster or hotter,” he said.
in response to this demand, cameron said the turbomachinery team went to the notre dame administration in 2014 to ask for a larger, more advanced research facility.
“The administration asked us to go even bigger than we had really proposed initially,” he said. according to the lab’s website, the facility is 25,000 square feet and cost around $36 million to build. cameron said the city of south bend and the state of indiana were both instrumental in the lab’s construction.
“both the state and the city are excited to have aerospace industry in this region,” he said. “a big applied laboratory like this holds a lot of interest for industry, so we attract a lot of industry sponsors. Their engineers visit us; they spend time out here, and, eventually, the hope is that some of those sponsors would collocate and help bring up a whole
industry of aerospace here in south bend.”
one of the most notable pieces of technology in the new lab is the air plant, cameron said.
“The air is at high pressure and high temperature, and there’s a lot of it,” he said. “we can move about 50 pounds of air per second.”
cameron said the facility allows his research team to perform much more intense tests.
“These facilities are dedicated to applied research as opposed to fundamental research, so you need the high temperatures and pressures in order to demonstrate technologies at a high technology readiness level,” he said.
if a part passes this rigorous testing, cameron said, it can then be used in an actual product.
Five notre dame graduate students work at the lab in conjunction with 40 professional scientists, technicians and engineers, cameron said.
“The graduate students interact with that staff on a daily basis to learn how to do all this work, and then eventually to produce their own new science,” he said.
one of the main focuses of current research is to make turbomachines more efficient, cameron said.
“our goal is to improve the efficiency of both power generation and propulsion,” he said. “These turbomachines are used in a lot of different industries, not just aerospace … so anytime we can improve efficiency — lowering the amount of fuel used to produce that power — it has a broad impact across many different industries.”
cameron said the lab will also be focusing on safety and reliability, since “machines are expected to work perfectly all the time.”
Contact Aidan Lewis at alewis9@nd.edu
develop a device that detects these ingredients — a device which received the first patent ever awarded to s aint m ary’s.
The patent is for a p aper a nalytical d evice ( pad ), a chemically-treated card-like device that can can detect
“Receiving a patent for the first time felt fantastic. For me, this was a dream come true.”
Toni Barstis
Mary’s professor chemistry and physics
multiple chemical components in a pill or capsule, including substitute drugs or fillers that may be added in place of an active ingredient.
The pad is first treated with reagents, chemicals which help detect the chemical composition of pharmaceuticals. it then is scraped across the suspicious drug and subsequently dipped in water. The water moves up the device and allows the chemicals and the drugs
Goodwin
film “ l incoln,” partially based on her book “Team of r ivals: The p olitical g enius of a braham l incoln.” s he won a p ulitzer p rize for her book “ n o o rdinary
Time: Franklin and e leanor r oosevelt: The h ome Front in world war ii .” s he regularly appears on network and cable news shows, as well as daytime and
to mix. This reaction produces colors which indicate the composition of the pharmaceutical.
b arstis said she was inspired to research the pad after she audited a fabrication course at n otre d ame. “ i simply fell in love with devices,” she said. “ i wanted to explore ways to combine my love of chemistry with my new love of fabricating devices, so i reached out to my friend at nd nano, affiliated faculty member d r. m arya l ieberman. Together, we developed what is now referred to as the ‘ pad s p roject.’”
r eceiving a patent for the first time felt “fantastic,” she said.
“For me, this was a dream come true.”
a ccording to b arstis, the s aint m ary’s team that worked on the pad s project is currently working on two more projects. They are screening over 600 pharmaceutical samples collected in n epal this past summer and examining a second patent application for the c ollege, which involves a different fabrication and design of a pad
Contact Nicole Caratas at ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu
late-night talk shows, and she has been a consultant for pbs and h istory c hannel documentaries, including Ken b urns’ “The c ivil war.”
s he earned a p h. d. in government from h arvard u niversity and was an assistant to Johnson during the last year of his presidency.
The lecture will take place in the o ’ l aughlin a uditorium at 7:30 p.m. a dmission is free with a ticket. a book signing and reception will follow.
paid a dverT isemen T
report
second philosophy course or one in “ c atholicism and the d isciplines,” a new category of courses that cover c atholic topics but can be in any field.
i f accepted, the changes in the report will be the most significant changes to the core curriculum in more than 40 years, the email said.
pokemon
con T inued F rom page 1
students to connect with other players, both from their own teams and rival ones.
“ d ebbie and i , over stir-fry bar, discussed the possibility — jokingly — of making a club out of this game when it came out eventually,” Tombari said. “ s ix months later when it actually came out, we decided to talk about the idea again, and since then, we established a Facebook page that has roughly 280 members.”
Tombari and g reif said they are seeking official club status with the u niversity.
“ w e’d have a lot of events, like the group just going out to catch p okemon, going to
a ccording to the email sent to students, each college council or equivalent body, the Faculty s enate and the a cademic c ouncil will have the opportunity to discuss the report’s recommendations.
“g iven that these changes are the most substantive to the c ore c urriculum since the late 1960s, we are not eager to rush deliberation of the recommendations,” the email stated.
i n order for the report’s recommendations for changes to take effect, the a cademic c ouncil, followed by u niversity p resident Fr. John Jenkins, will have to approve the proposal.
parks and stuff where there are rare p okemon available,” g reif said. “ w e want to have team activities.”
s enior b rittany d ymm, another of the 100 million players who downloaded the
“I think it definitely helps create relationships, especially for people who may not be as extroverted.”
Julia Tombari senior
app, said she appreciates the competitiveness that comes with the game.
“ i like doing it because i like going for walks, and it’s a funny way to be
“ i f approved by a cademic c ouncil and, ultimately, the u niversity president, the new core curriculum would presumably take effect in fall 2018, allowing adequate time for various units on campus to plan for the changes,” the email stated.
goal-oriented when you walk,” she said. “ i ’m also really into Fitbit challenges, so i pair myself up with that and go for a walk, try to hatch an egg. o ther than that, there’s a competitive aspect to it with the gyms. you can see who’s on top of the gyms. you can see who is kind of winning at that moment.”
Tombari said the games help players connect with others.
“ i think it definitely helps create relationships, especially for people who may not be as extroverted,” Tombari said. “The game is a way for people to come together over something they all nerded out about a while ago.”
Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu
CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer
Saint
advice for sophomores
as the new year gets started, everyone has advice for freshmen; there are entire shelves of books in your local barnes & noble about adjusting to college life. most freshmen need some sort of help, but they’re not the only ones.
i’d like to address the sophomores out there.
The summer after my freshman year at notre dame, adults — grandparents, aunts, uncles, older cousins, family friends, people i had just met making small talk — kept commenting on how, having completed my first year of higher education, i had “it figured out now.”
but i hadn’t figured it out. i didn’t even know what “it” was. college? life? my future? i wasn’t a freshman anymore, but i had a new major and still felt like i had no idea what i was doing. i didn’t have an internship or a research opportunity for the summer; i had a paper delivery route, making slightly less than minimum wage. rather than feeling like i had entered a new stage of college where i magically knew everything, i felt more lost than ever because all of my peers seemed to be ahead of me.
my sophomore year came and went and i was halfway through with college. i still didn’t have a summer internship — despite having devoted entire weekends to applications — hadn’t done any research on campus and had just added an ever-practical english second major to balance out my studies in the program of liberal studies. my parents were exactly as thrilled, as you’d expect. i was a rising junior and i still hadn’t figured anything out.
in the middle of summer, my situation brightened. i had emailed a local paper back during school to inquire about an internship. i hadn’t gotten a response, but in June they asked me if i was still looking; their first intern, a college graduate, was quitting because she found a full-time job at another paper. i ended my summer with a (paid!) internship at mlive, the biggest local news source in michigan.
This semester, i have the opportunity to intern (unpaid!) with a literary journal and to work for the college of a rts and letters’ office of communications. a career in publishing doesn’t seem so far out of reach as it did just a few months ago.
i’m a junior, not a sophomore, and this is the first time i’ve felt even remotely confident in what i was doing and pursuing while attending notre dame. i still wouldn’t say i’ve “figured it out,” but i think i’m closer.
so, sophomores, things will work out. or maybe they won’t; i’m not a blind optimist, that’s a very real possibility, depending on your specific goal. but even if your plan is in the process of falling to pieces or it does later this year, or the next, or after you graduate, now is not the time to panic about failure or the future or whatever abstract and/or far-off thing is stressing you out. i promise, most of your classmates probably aren’t better than you; at least, not by much.
you’re not already a quarter of the way through college; you’re only a quarter of the way through college. This is still the beginning. you have plenty of time.
Contact Megan Valley at mvalley@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
‘I am an American’
i illegally entered the united states on July 23, 2003 when i was eight years old. i remember it clearly, it was a blistering hot summer day on the u s.–mexico border. i remember the rushed atmosphere and the hushed conversations all through the day. my mom told me we were going on a vacation, and my uncle taught me to repeat my first english words: “i am an a merican.” The fact of that day is that i was being smuggled across the border by an a merican lady i had never met, but whom i was told was now my “mom.” i was taught this phrase, “i am an american,” to recite in case the border patrol officer were to direct his attention towards me during the transit. i complied. i crossed. a nd i began my life in the shadows.
The next 13 years were not easy in retrospect, but the naiveté of my youth coupled with an optimistic view of the world gave me light even during the darkest, most uncertain parts of my undocumented life. i went to school, and was told to come home immediately after the final bell. i was told to keep my mouth shut about where i was born and where i lived. as the oldest, most mature and most independent one of my siblings and cousins, i was appointed after-school caretaker of four younger, rowdy children at the age of 10. meanwhile my mom, aunt and uncle worked from dawn to dusk, leaving before we woke for school and returning by the time we were supposed to be in bed. we remained hidden inside of the crowded trailer home in which we lived, trying to stay under the radar. we existed in a state of inexistence, hidden from the world except for school and work out of the fear of being discovered and deported. This was what i believed to be the norm for many years; this was my childhood: a lonely, silent world.
These circumstances that plagued my childhood are not the exception; they are the reality that is lived not only by millions of undocumented immigrants but by other vulnerable communities, particularly those of color. indeed, certain aspects of living without legal status are particular to the immigrant population, but a lack of status resulted from material poverty, a lack of financial security, inaccessibility to healthcare, education or precarious family structures, exacerbates many other factors that haunt many communities of color and of low socioeconomic status. it was not until i obtained legal status in high school that college became an option. i got accepted to a prestigious, high-ranking and private university. a nd i left my home in a hurry without even glancing back to see the reality of which i was ashamed: my first chance of escape. now, i am a senior at this great university, and i am on track to build a life decidedly different from that of of my childhood.
unfortunately, the situation for millions of immigrants who cannot escape these circumstances remains the same, unable to access higher education despite the drive, and without a clear path of ever gaining any sort of legal status that would ever help them gain any sort of worker protections from exploitation. during these last three years of being away at university, my eyes were opened. at university, i did not deny who i was because nothing i could ever do then or even today can erase the facts that i am mexican. i was born in mexico, speak spanish and love my family and heritage. but the reality is that being away did teach me to be proud of who i
was, and made me realize that i was riding toward success squarely on my mother’s hard work. i saw the privileged and extravagant lifestyles of many of my peers, but rather than letting jealousy flare within me, a humbling force overwhelmed me. it forced me to see that, despite my incredibly dire circumstances growing up, i was given this opportunity to succeed, yes, but even more than that: the opportunity to help the community on whose hard work and toil i was standing.
For whatever reason, perhaps by providence and grace, i did not fall through the cracks, as millions before me have, and surely as millions more after me will, and i — we — must not forget this incredible privilege. a nd though as a child i had felt forgotten and abandoned, i now have realized that i was never alone. i have been riding high as a result of the hard work of my mother and family who were always there, sacrificing their lives to make a living for me. i am forever indebted to the community that has fought so hard to be able to exist in this country, a country that has forgotten them and — now more than ever — tells them they are unwanted and condemns their role in building the greatness of this nation. This is why i am becoming an advocate for my community.
The question is, “how?”
nearly two months ago — nearly 13 years since i entered the united states — i stood before an immigration official, in a crowded little office for my citizenship interview. i passed.
i am going to be an american citizen.
as this piece of information sank in, my mind and heart were filled with the countless uncertainties and aspirations from the previous 13 years. will i ever belong in this country? will i ever be a full member of society? w hat am i going to do now? i understood that, as an a merican citizen, i — and all of us — need to fight for the rights and protections of those who are vulnerable, whether a piece of paper says they are citizens or not, because they are human beings with stories, struggles, goals and dreams that must be protected, and yes, as enumerated in the constitution.
next week, i will stand in front of a judge with my hand in the air pledging allegiance to my new country, and in doing so, i will be faced with the question: w hat will i do to better my country and protect my vulnerable community?
The answer lies at home, in individuals such as my mom, whose hard work does not earn them much more than minimum wage, but whose determination and love for their family allow them to pursue their a merican dream. The answer lies in the millions of children who are being forgotten by our society because they live in a system that stigmatizes the undocumented, and that stigma is worse than harnessing innate talents and spreading the gifts god has given us. we must, and we will, fight for our government to extend equal protections and rights to this vulnerable community.
From now on, when i utter the words i was taught 13 years ago, “i am an a merican,” now true, i will carry an obligation to repay my community of everything they have done for me.
Cesar Estrada senior aug. 31
INsIde ColumN
Megan Valley news writer
Out of many, one
i was blessed to have been raised in a community with significant ethnic diversity. i n fact, this past summer, two of my closest friends became united states citizens. This process, which took months to complete, culminated in an inspiring ceremony during which they, their families and other newly minted citizens recited the oath of a llegiance to the united states.
reflecting on the paths taken by my friends, and especially their parents, i realize the obstacles they’ve had to confront on their way to citizenship and cultural integration. They attended citizenship classes, learned e nglish and adopted often peculiar a merican customs as their own, all in the interest of fitting in and feeling as if they belong in a merica. i n short, assimilation was and remains their top priority. They desperately want to become a mericans.
we now find ourselves in the midst of a morally legitimate debate focusing on multiculturalism versus assimilation. The preservation and even promotion of multiculturalism in a merica is an important component of what defines a mericans. however, in the rush to fulfill what may be perceived as a politically correct mission of promoting multiculturalism, we must guard against those who, for illegitimate purposes, are resisting the positive unifying influences of assimilation.
For those of us who are third, fourth or even fifth generation a mericans, we’ve been raised in an environment filled with what should be the unifying values of a merica: equality of opportunity, adherence
to the rule of law, a deeply embedded work ethic and a deep respect for individual rights and liberties. of course, we never had to assimilate into this culture. it’s part of our dna i ronically, however, many a mericans have lost sight of the unifying values of these cultural similarities, values which are often more strongly embraced by immigrants. i n many respects, immigrants act more “a merican” than do many a mericans. This unfortunately is especially true of many who have assumed political and other leadership positions.
we now regrettably live in an era characterized by the politics of division. we’ve forgotten how to celebrate, appreciate or even tolerate one another’s differences. The debate which continues between black l ives matter and a ll l ives matter is a stark demonstration of the erosion of the fundamental belief that a mericans all share common goals and aspirations. The h ispanic population has been especially victimized by this political game of divisiveness resulting from the ongoing debate over our nation’s immigration policy.
we now run the risk of losing our unified national identity because of the intentional fragmentation of our population. politicians, professional agitators and others, looking for political and financial gain, promote racial and political divide. i n the blind pursuit of votes or profit, we are all being neatly classified and segmented as white, black, l atino, a sian, men, women, straight, gay, young, old, progressive, conservative, high income, low income, or other overly simplified labels. it is simply wrong to pit these groups against one another, especially for political gain.
we similarly cannot substitute the need for national unification in the interest of political correctness or
a blind reverence for multiculturalism. a s a braham l incoln so appropriately observed, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” The time has come for us to embrace and even celebrate our differences in the context of recognizing that there are not countless a mericas, one for each group labeled by some politician. There is but one united states of a merica and we are all a mericans.
we ask that immigrants coming to a merica assimilate or integrate into our culture by adapting their way of life to ours in order to achieve a sense of belonging or feeling part of a greater society. i n reality, every a merican could do a better job of assimilating into our society. we need to regain our sense of unification while preserving our diverse cultural contributions. slicing and dicing a merica in order to create social unrest and class resentment serves no legitimate purpose. we need to refer to ourselves as a mericans before any other descriptor. The lessons of our founding fathers cost but a penny as the phrase“e pluribus unum” is inscribed on every cent — “out of many, one.” we are and shall remain a nation of many, and from those many, we must become one. a merica needs to reject the smallness of the politics of division and rediscover the pride in being simply an a merican. only by taking these steps can we begin to address the self-inflicted wounds created by our present social conflicts.
Jordan Ryan, junior resident of Lyons Hall, is a major in political science and peace studies and minors in constitutional studies. She can be reached at jryan15@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
stop marginalizing young women voters
w ith the upcoming election, Facebook seems to have turned into a never-ending stream of politically charged videos. everyone likes to think that the latest “you won’t believe w hat the she-devil c linton did This Time” or “15 reasons w hy you a re l iteral Trash i f you vote For Trump” video will be potent enough to sway the thoughts of their 3,000 Facebook “friends,” or will at least incite conversation. a recent video shared by an old classmate opened my eyes to a particular issue that seems to be pervasive throughout this election cycle. The particular video, titled “ young women need to watch This before voting h illary,” was ironically shared by a 19-year-old male. w ithout even touching upon political affiliation or personal beliefs, one should notice an issue with a young man sharing a video telling women the same age as him what they need to know before voting in november. i n this video, a woman pleads towards a specific group of young ladies — ones who are not “politically savvy,” but, “just regular young women who don’t obsess over politics.” she orders girls to “put down the snapchat, put away the flower crowns and listen up.” it took me a minute to realize that the speaker is not even remotely joking. she continues to say that young women are particularly susceptible to being brainwashed into voting for h illary c linton by the celebrities they idolize and the hosts of make-up tutorials that, apparently, us women are so prone to watch. The issue with this video is far from political. it would be no different if someone had created a similar video, replacing c linton with Trump. The problem
is that this woman, along with the hosts of dozens of other videos that can be found with a quick g oogle search, is assuming that the “normal girl” is not interested in politics and is easily swayed by the political stances of their favorite celebrities. The pervasive idea that almost all young women can be blocked together into one mindless, celebrity-addicted category is frankly demeaning, and belittles a whole category of voters.
p rofessional athletes have also spoken up about their particular allegiances. basketball’s Kareem a bdul-Jabbar and Jason c ollins, as well as former yankee a lex rodriguez, are on h illary’s side, while Tom brady and nick mangold have offered support for Trump. it is commonly accepted that many young men watch sports and often idolize the players, yet there aren’t any videos warning them of the dangers of listening to a particular athlete’s political beliefs. young men are not told that their political opinions are invalid because of their gender. according to recent polls, one of c linton’s biggest struggles is support from young female voters and at the last s anders election rally, many young women stated in interviews that “they would never vote for someone on the basis of gender alone,” yet there exists the perplexing idea that all women are so set on having a female in the o val o ffice that they are willing to sacrifice their political ideologies in order to back c linton. a s far as the idea that the “normal girl” does not put as much interest in politics as she does her makeup routine, one need only look at statistics to see the truth. according to a national university study done by the national s cience Foundation, 51 percent of students pursuing a graduate degree in political science are female. o nly 36 percent of those eligible to
vote between the ages of 18-24 participated in the election of 2012, and of that percentage, 40 percent of eligible women voted compared to the 38 percent male participation rate. young women are one of the most active blocks of voters, and yet they are still regarded as a hopelessly illogical group who must be corralled away from mindless voting based on gender or idolatry of celebrities.
w hat makes the video i watched particularly disappointing is that a young woman makes it — a woman who views herself as special, or particularly different from other females because she has an interest in politics. i will be the first to admit that i do not know exactly where i stand in regards to party platforms, and am still trying to figure out exactly where my political beliefs fall. This is why this stereotype is particularly harmful — it treats young women who are excited to fully engage in the political process for the first time as if they are no better than mindless children. it makes them question themselves on matters that should be personal opinions.
at the end of the day, enjoying politics and watching makeup videos are not mutually exclusive — it does not take a unique, rare breed of female to understand the intricacies of the election and to make a sound decision when it comes to voting.
Aside from incessantly quoting Hamilton and other perfect works of theater/film, Lucy Collins majors in economics and history, is a sophomore at Notre Dame and is often found trying to balance her hopeless romanticism and nearly constant cynicism. Please direct comments to lcollin8@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Jordan Ryan words of w isdome
Lucy Collins stuck in the m iddle
By ADRIAN MARK LORE s cene writer
Kevin barnes is ambitious, let’s give him that. The front man of indie-rock outfit of montreal is going on 43, and over the course of 14 studio albums — and as many extended plays and live records — he has scarcely ever allowed the band to settle into anything like habit or normalcy. The band’s first few albums harken back to ‘60s psychedelic pop and bowie’s charismatic art-rock, while the mid-2000s followed the bedazzled funk of prince. Then followed an arc of three full-length albums that served as a continuation of the overwrought glamour made incarnate in barnes’ purported alter-ego, the effervescent georgie Fruit.
seemingly exhausted of those albums’ baroque affect, barnes opted on 2013’s album “lousy with sylvianbriar” for a more stripped-down, twangy sound reminiscent of bob dylan’s country-rock. That album marked a new, ongoing era of the band’s career that has been defined — for better or worse — by frequent stylistic shifts and unpredictable creative whims. in fact, it seems that drawing from an eclectic array of genres and styles for each new album is barnes’ new modus operandi. on last year’s “aureate gloom,” for example, he drew heavily from the progressive rock tradition while still conserving the band’s telltale approach to dynamic, caffeinated songwriting. There was reason, thus, to be intrigued, if not excited, about of montreal’s latest release, the full-length “innocence reaches”.
even before listening to the album itself, however, the record’s cover art was an immediate red flag. i judged a book by its cover, but anyone well-acquainted with this band could tell you why an explosively colorful sleeve that features female anatomy in gratuitous detail is bad news coming from barnes. The musician’s obsession with gender is not academic, romantic or even well-informed, as made evident on lead single “it’s different for girls.” The title is an omen for the lyricism itself: rather than expressing his positive fascination with women, barnes’ comically rigid understanding of femininity is cringe-worthy if not creepy. but that’s not the worst part. w hen the music itself is not insipid, it is abysmal. according to barnes, the record draws from recent trends in electronic music in order to shape a more relevant and cutting-edge sound, but it is a mystery why he thought that emulating artists like a rca and Jack Ü — musicians with exceedingly different styles in their own right, mind you — would best help him accomplish this.
The opening track, “let’s relate”, seems to copy the uninspired dance music of i biza nightclubs, and features a vocal performance that is simply uncomfortable to boot. he commits most strongly to the aesthetic on “a sport and a pastime,” which borrows from grimy pop outfit p urity r ing, but the song feels clumsy; barnes is simply unable to navigate the foreign sonic territory. The only electronic-based track that works well is “nursing slopes,” and this is precisely because
the electronics complement — rather than shape and guide — the vocals and songwriting. on one hand, it is admirable that barnes is willing and able to push his music further beyond its comfort zone than ever before. however, but for this very same reason the album is a recipe for disaster. The project’s ambition is simply misguided; everything about barnes’ vision is incompatible with his actual strengths as a musician. perhaps it is possible to marry psychedelic indie rock, industrial bass music and trap, but to expect to carry out such a polygamous affair over the course of a single record — no less as a solo musician — is unrealistic if not egomaniacal. usually i encourage innovation above artistic safety, but it’s become increasingly clear that barnes needs to play to his strengths to craft a strong record.
Contact Adrian Mark Lore at asanchez11@nd.edu
“Innocence Reaches” Of Montreal
Label: Polyvinyl
Reccomended Track: “Gratuitous Abysses”
If You Like: Olivia Tremor Control, School of Seven Bells
Happy Birthday: use past connections to get ahead now. c alling in favors and offering incentives will help you get what you want. d on’t let personal limitations deter you from doing your best. p roducing what’s expected of you will also allow you to make personal changes that will ease your responsibilities and stress at home. your numbers are 8, 12, 21, 26, 34, 38, 41.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep an open mind, but don’t buy into something that sounds too good to be true. d etermine what’s important to you and find the best way to go about getting what you want. d on’t rely on others or let anyone take advantage of you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taking on more responsibilities will be limiting, but could also bring rewards. d ealing with children or handling other people’s money will give you a greater sense of what you would like to do professionally. d on’t be afraid to make a change.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): c onstructive criticism can help you avoid making a mistake. p roblems with people who are a poor influence will arise. d on’t allow anyone to put you in a vulnerable position. p rotect against loss, abuse and being used. d iscipline will be required.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Taking part in a cause you believe in will change your opinion about someone. d o your homework, ask questions and don’t overreact. b e open to expanding your knowledge as well as your friendships.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): you’ll be amazingly on target with your choices. s can the internet for alternatives to the way things are being done, and you will come up with solutions to problems that will impress your friends and colleagues.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): you or someone close to you will experience an emotional revelation that will change the dynamics of your relationships. e xplore your options before taking someone’s word as gospel. Questioning things is good, but acting out of fear is not.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): personal alterations will make you feel good about the way you look. a serious talk with someone you want to collaborate with will result in an opportunity to explore a new project and partnership.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Trust in the people who have stood behind you in the past. your ability to draw people together will be your saving grace. l eave time for romance and don’t forget to celebrate your victory with someone you love.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): l et go of the past. i f someone wants to reconnect, remember why you parted ways in the first place. Temptation, indulgence and emotional manipulation are all apparent. Keep your wits about you and your thoughts to yourself.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): b ack away from emotional manipulation. you will be better able to make quality decisions if you stay level-headed and refuse to let others intervene. a unique twist to the way you handle personal matters will pay off.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): not everything will be as it appears. d on’t make assumptions. a money matter needs to be addressed before you can take on more debt. incorporate the ideas you have used successfully in the past to get ahead now.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): refuse to give in to uncertainty or pressure. d o your due diligence and get to the bottom of any situation you face. not everyone you deal with will be honorable regarding his or her intentions.
Birthday Baby: you are compassionate, adaptable and intuitive. you are wellrounded and proactive.-
Jumble | david hoyT and JeFF KnureK
sudoku | The mepham group
JusT add waTer | John roddy & eric carlson
It’s never too early for
Time is sneaky. it seemed like a only a few days ago i was watching notre dame let stanford drive all the way down the field in 30 seconds. surely it was just last week that a labama won its fourth championship in seven seasons?
w hat’s that you say? it was actually six months ago? oh … well in that case, we might as well jump into the 2016 season. a nd most columns like this start with playoff predictions, because, you know, people care about who makes the playoff, apparently.
a nd in my most humble opinion, the four teams that will make the 2016 college Football playoff are: Tcu, a labama, clemson and michigan.
let’s start with Tcu, probably the most surprising team on my list. The big 12 was left out of the inaugural college Football playoff (cFp) and you’d have thought that every citizen in Texas, oklahoma and nebraska had forcibly been given a root canal. There was much bellyaching and talk of adding a championship game to the big 12 schedule with the goal of giving the conference a better chance to send a representative to make the conference lots of money — er, i mean, to represent the conference on college football’s most prestigious stage. but then last year, oklahoma made it in without a championship game, no problem. so big 12, you don’t need a championship game, but you do need a better nonconference schedule.
a nyway, i got distracted, sorry. This season, Tcu has the perfect schedule to make the cFp, which is to say, they have the right mix of tough opponents in winnable games. now what do i mean by that?
Tcu plays three teams ranked in the ap preseason Top 25: no. 23 baylor, no. 3 oklahoma and no. 21 oklahoma state. Three ranked opponents is a pretty good schedule. it shows some challenges, but the kicker is that the horned Frogs play both oklahoma and oklahoma state at home. if Tcu can find a way
playoffs
to sneak by oklahoma on oct. 1, it’s smooth sailing the rest of the way for gary patterson and company.
i think baylor will fade — partly due to its sexual abuse scandal — and oklahoma state at home shouldn’t be too hard. plus, the horned Frogs do go into darrell K. royal stadium to face what will be an improved Texas team. That will boost their strength of schedule in the eyes of the committee as well. They’re a dark horse for sure, but then again, so is Katy perry.
a labama is pretty self-explanatory. They’re just simply a great team and honestly, i’d bet money on a middle school team making the cFp if nick saban was coaching it. besides, the sec is so tough, the crimson Tide can afford to lose two games and still make the cFp, provided they win the conference.
For the acc representative, i went back and forth between clemson and Florida state, but ultimately, i feel Florida state’s schedule is too tough. The seminoles have five ranked opponents on their slate right now, while the Tigers only have two. a nd i don’t quite believe in sean maguire. maybe because his name just sounds too much like mark mcgwire. don’t get me wrong, the seminoles will be a good team, they just won’t make the playoff.
a nd lastly, michigan. it truly pains me to compliment the school up north, but Jim harbaugh is a heck of a coach. michigan would have been right in the middle of the playoff hunt last year if they hadn’t, you know, had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown in the final two seconds of the michigan state game. That play is still on the minds of wolverine players and fans alike, and that’s going to drive them to a playoff berth, taking down ohio state along the way. i have predictions for 2017 as well, but let’s just wait on those, shall we?
Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
rangers rout mariners behind odor’s two shots
Associated Press
arling T on, Texas — r ougned o dor followed his game-ending shot Tuesday night with two more homers wednesday, and the Texas r angers completed a sweep of the s eattle m ariners.
new teammate c arlos g omez had the blast that mattered most in finishing off the three-game set — a grand slam off Felix hernandez that sent the r angers on their way to a 14-1 romp over the m ariners.
a fter sinking s eattle to third in the al west, the division-leading r angers get three at home against second-place houston, which comes in a lot hotter than the m ariners but still 8 1/2 games back.
“ s o far the body of work speaks for itself,” Texas manager Jeff b anister said. “ we still have some work to do.”
o dor tied a career high with five rbi s and a drian b eltre and r yan r ua also homered as the r angers tied their season high with five homers. Texas (80-54) moved a season-high 26 games over .500 with a fifth straight win and gave s eattle its fifth loss in a row.
The m ariners went 1-6 on a trip that started at the c hicago w hite s ox after finishing a homestand with two straight losses to the yankees.
“ we need to pick it up, no doubt,” manager s cott s ervais said. “g uys are down a little bit and rightfully so.”
The r angers matched the 1999 and 2012 Texas teams as the fastest to reach 80 wins.
o dor had a two-run shot for a 10-0 lead in the seventh and a three-run homer in the eighth, and leads the team with 27 home runs. o n Tuesday night, his two-run
homer in the ninth gave Texas an 8-7 win.
“ we’ve been playing well,” o dor said. “ we’re just going to try to do the same thing the next game.”
m artin p erez (9-10) pitched six shutout innings despite giving up seven hits and three walks.
hernandez (9-5) matched a season high by allowing six runs in his shortest outing, coming out after four innings in his first loss since m ay 27. b eltre’s 25th homer of the season was a two-run shot in the fifth.
Up next both teams are off Thursday. seattle lhp a riel m iranda (11, 4.98 era) will open a home series against the a ngels on Friday night. Texas rhp a .J. griffin (6-3, 4.39) gets the opener of a home series against houston, which has won 10 of 12.
Giants defeat Arizona for Moore’s first home win
Associated Press
san F rancisco — m att
m oore struck out seven over 5 1-3 innings for his first career victory at a T&T p ark, and the s an Francisco g iants beat the a rizona d iamondbacks 4-2 on wednesday.
m oore walked off in the sixth to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd. The left-hander had lost his initial two home starts since being acquired from Tampa b ay.
m oore (2-3) gave up one run and five hits in his first game since losing a no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth inning at d odger s tadium.
m anager b ruce b ochy was careful not to overwork m oore, who was done at 92 pitches after throwing 133 during the no-hit try at l os
a ngeles.
b uster p osey drove in a pair of runs for s an Francisco, which is in second in the nl west behind l os a ngeles.
s antiago c asilla relieved s ergio r omo with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth and struck out yasmany Tomas. c asilla finished for his 29th save, giving up Jake l amb’s two-out homer in the ninth.
s helby m iller (2-10) was called up from Triple- a r eno to start. p itching in the majors for the first time since being sent to the minors on July 14, he allowed two runs and six hits in six innings.
p osey doubled home a run in the first. h unter p ence added an rbi single later that inning in his second game back after missing three with a strained right hamstring.
a ngel p agan had an rbi
double in the seventh and p osey hit a sacrifice fly as the g iants added insurance.
s an Francisco third baseman e duardo n unez got hit by m iller’s 91 mph fastball in the left ribcage area but stayed in the game in the bottom of the sixth after an athletic trainer and b ochy checked on him.
a rizona dropped just its fifth game in the last 16 at a T&T p ark.
The g iants wrapped up their tough a ugust at 11-16 and now leave on a 10-game, 11-day road trip beginning with four games at w rigley Field against the runaway nl c entral-leading c hicago c ubs.
“This road trip is big. They’re all big now,” b ochy said, noting of the c ubs series: “ i t’s critical. i don’t know if it’s quite make-or-break.”
Marek Mazurek sports e ditor
Belles prepare to kick off season nationwide
By DANIEL O’BOYLE sports writer
s occer
s aint m ary’s will open their season this weekend at home this weekend when they face m anchester and m ilwaukee s chool of e ngineering at the b elles i nvitational tournament.
The games will be the first for b elles head coach Jesse u rquhart, who took over as s aint m ary’s coach this season. u rquhart said he and the team are excited to begin the 2016 season.
“The b elles have put in a lot of work preparing for the opening weekend and i would expect us to keep trending upward,” u rquhart said. “ o ur returning players have had a strong preseason and our first-year players have hit the ground running. The returning players are reinvigorated and excited to kick off the season and a new brand of b elles’ soccer. The first-year players are equally as excited to finally kick off their college soccer career.”
m anchester posted a 5-102 record last season playing in the h eartland c ollegiate a thletic c onference. msoe posted a 15-7 record that saw the r aiders win the
nacc championship, before a first-round defeat in the ncaa tournament to miaa champion c alvin. u rquhart said both teams pose a challenge for the b elles.
“ b oth teams will likely look to impress in their opening weekend so i would expect hard, fast paced play,” u rquhart said. i expect both teams to be well organized and energized to kick-off the season.”
niaa side Kalamazoo will also take part in the invitational. The b elles will face m anchester at 5:30p.m. on Friday, before msoe at 3:00 p.m. s aturday.
Volleyball
The b elles will travel to g eorgia this weekend to open their 2016 season at the e mory Tournament.
i n a packed weekend, s aint m ary’s faces the c ollege of s aint b enedict, b irmingham s outhern and s aint Thomas before taking on the hosts.
s aint b enedict comes into the tournament with some recent success, making it to the ncaa tournament last season under the leadership of honorable mention a ll- a merican junior setter m egan p ekarek. b irmingham s outhern posted a 25-6 record last
season, ending with a defeat to e mory at the ncaa tournament. s aint Thomas finished 9-17 last season, good for eighth place in the m innesota i ntercollegiate a thletic c onference. e mory finished the 2015 season with a 34-4 record, earning a #1 seed in the m t. b erry
r egional for the ncaa tournament, where they were defeated in the regional final by h endrix c ollege.
a fter two successive 15win seasons, the b elles will hope to build on their recent success with a strong start to the 2016 season.
s aint m ary’s will face the
c ollege of s aint b enedict at 2:00 p.m. Friday, before playing b irmingham s outhern at 7:00 p.m. the same day. o n s aturday, the b elles will face s aint Thomas at 11:00 p.m. and e mory at 1:30 p.m.
Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu
paid a dverT isemen T
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer
SMC senior defender Emily Rompola passes the ball down the field in the Belles’ exhibition game at the Purcell Athletic fields on Aug. 23. Rompola is one of three captains for the 2016 season.
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer SMC junior libero McKenzie Todd bumps the ball in
olmsted said one major influence on her development as a player was class of 2015 graduate elizabeth Tucker, who was a captain in olmsted’s first year with the team.
“i’m sure a lot of seniors would feel this same way, but liz Tucker was a really big influence on a lot of us,” olmsted said. “she was a great leader, a great captain and above all a great teammate. she put the team above herself in every situation and she was always there if you needed to talk to someone.”
drawing from experiences in her personal life, olmsted said she learned what mindset to have on and off the field from her uncle, a navy seal.
“my uncle Thomas has also been a huge inspiration to me,” olmsted said. “he has tried his hand in a million different crafts and always seems to be amazing at what he does. he is incredibly persevering and i’ve always thought about him when things get tough because nothing gets tougher than being a navy seal.”
as one of the most experienced members of the current squad, olmsted will be trying to fill the same leadership role for the five freshmen newcomers in 2016 that Tucker did for her in 2013. she said she realizes she has a job to do this season that goes beyond her performance on the field.
“This year, our motto is ‘fight for 29,’ which is a team effort to
get everyone fighting for the person next to you,” olmsted said.
“we’ve been focusing on this as we start off the season so far and i think ultimately we’re going to get the best out of people when they know they are playing for others, so that’s the mentality we hope to keep moving forward.”
That team mentality and camaraderie has been present from day one this season, olmsted said.
“Just this preseason we had a team tournament of games where we all dressed up in costumes and got assigned a partner,” she said. “it was a great team bonding experience and we had a ton of fun, plus it was great for getting people out of their shells right at the start of the season.” with the fun and games
paid a dverT isemen T
behind the irish (3-1-0) as the season gets underway, olmsted said she has high hopes for the season, but that it will come down to desire.
“i really feel that we can take this season as far as we want to take it,” olmsted said. “it comes down to that mentality of not just fighting for yourself but fighting for the rest of the team as well. w hen it comes to our goals for the season, a word that keeps coming up is fight, and while there are a variety of goals that are specific to each and every position on the team, we have collective goals, highest among those being to fight for each other.”
Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu
m Golf
con T inued F rom page 16
into this season.
“ i t was a really nice confidence boost knowing that i could make match play of the u s . [ a mateur c hampionships] just because those were some of the best amateurs of the world,” b arens said. “ c oming down to the last three holes, i had to make three really good pars, and i had three putts that i had to make. o ne was a six-footer, one was a 10-footer and the other a 20-footer, and i made all three of them, so it was really nice to know that i can perform under that kind of pressure, and that’ll definitely carry over in the season.”
b arens is also confident in his team’s chances of claiming first in its home opener s unday.
“ i ’m confident that we’ll
perform well,” b arens said.
“ i t’s big because it’s going to be the first real test for the freshmen as they get their first real taste of experience, and also, for the rest of the guys, it’s been three months since we’ve played a team event for n otre d ame, so it’ll be nice to get back into that rhythm going into next week in s an Francisco.”
l ast season, the i rish tied for second with iupui with a team score of 579 as Toledo took the title in the n otre d ame Kickoff c hallenge. s enior m atthew r ushton led the charge for n otre d ame with a tworound score of 136 and six under par. The i rish are hoping that with their third consecutive home start they can reclaim the title against d etroit c ollege and v alparaiso.
Contact Manny De Jesus at mdejesus@nd.edu
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer
Irish senior forward Kaleigh Olmsted passes the ball to a teammate in Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over Wisconsin on Aug. 21.
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish senior Blake Barens follows through on a putt at the Battle at the Warren on Apr. 16 at Warren Golf Course.
on the offensive line this year — junior center sam mustipher, senior right guard colin mcgovern and junior right tackle alex bars — but if you ask senior left tackle and captain mike mcglinchey, irish fans shouldn’t expect much different out of the five-man crew in 2016.
“i think it’s been a pretty good and seamless transition,” mcglinchey said. “The guys in our room pay very close attention and have paid very close attention to how things are done and how you’re supposed to play the game.
“ … obviously, the experience is gone, but i don’t expect any kind of drop off or anything like that. The three of them are so talented and they’re gonna show some people that they have the stuff to get it done, too.”
an inexperienced receiving corps bigger than notre dame’s losses on the offensive line, though, are the losses in the receiving game: 82.2 percent of the team’s 2015 receptions walked out the door at season’s end, either through graduation, the nFl draft, retirement or suspension.
w hile senior receiver and captain Torii hunter Jr. said the irish will still have playmakers at receiver, the team is also adding a new dimension this year: increased height.
“[There are] a lot of guys that have a lot of playmaking ability,” hunter said. “we’ve got a lot of bigger guys. we’re probably as big as we’ve been in a while at the receiver position. we’ve got [freshman] chase claypool, [sophomore] miles boykin, [sophomore equanimeous st. brown].
“ ... They’re big, they can jump, they can catch, they’re fast and they just have a lot of playmaking ability. you’ll be able to see that this year.”
Counting on the run game
during his Tuesday press conference, irish head coach brian Kelly made a point to say the irish would run the ball against Texas. he called it an “absolute certainty.”
That excites senior Tarean Folston and the other players in the running back room — a position group that, uncharacteristically for this irish team, has considerably experience.
“That’s definitely nice [to hear],” Folston said. “our running back room is old in a sense. we’ve got young guys, but we have the most guys that have seen playing time as far as our position, i feel like. we’re ready. i’m ready.
“ … w hether i run the ball 20 times or the whole group runs it 50 times, we’re all ready.”
Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu
paid a dverT isemen T
ZACH LLORENS | The Observer
Irish senior offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey crouches at the line of scrimmage in Notre Dame’s 24-20 win over Temple at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 31. McGlinchey was named one of four captains for the 2016 season.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish senior wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. lands in the endzone after catching a touchdown pass in Notre Dame’s 42-30 win over Pittsburgh. Hunter Jr. is a captain for the 2016 season.
Notre Dame ready to open season on the road
By ALEX CARSON
a ssistant managing e ditor
For the first time in 10 years, n otre d ame will open its season with a true road game s unday when it plays at Texas. m ix the firstgame nerves with a hostile, 100,000-person-plus crowd, and the n o. 10 i rish will be playing in a high-profile environment this weekend.
Those nerves are natural, senior linebacker and captain James o nwualu said, but they’re also not a bad thing.
“ p regame jitters, i think, are good,” o nwualu said.
“ e verybody’s going to be nervous. o lder guys even get nervous, so just focus on your job.”
o nwualu said those jitters might be present for the first drive, but that after that, they shouldn’t be a concern.
“ i always give it a drive [to settle in],” o nwualu said.
“ e ven as vets, you’re still trying to get settled in throughout the first drive, especially on the defense.”
Texas’ high-tempo offense
The l onghorns will play fast this year offensively — it’s what new offensive coordinator s terlin g ilbert has brought from past stops at Tulsa and b owling g reen — and that presents a different look to an i rish defense with a slew of new faces.
b ut senior defensive lineman and captain i saac r ochell said the biggest difference in facing an up-tempo offense is mental, not physical.
“ i t’s just a mentality thing,” r ochell said. “ you’ve got to be ready to get the call and get your feet in the grass and get ready to play.”
“ … i t’s something we’re used to and we’re conditioned for. we work a lot of tempo scenarios against our offense, ‘cause they’re pretty high-tempo, so it’s nothing new.”
Turnover on the offensive line
There are three new starters
see TeXas paGe 14
Notre Dame senior linebacker and captain James Onwualu
Thomas in Notre Dame’s 30-22 win over the Yellow
Olmsted emulates former captain in leadership role
By ALEX BENDER sports writer
Three years ago, Kaleigh olmsted arrived at notre dame as a freshman from The woodlands, Texas, ready to help in any way she could. now a senior, she plays a huge role both as a scorer and a leader for the no. 23 irish.
she played in 61 games over her first three years with notre dame, starting in 44 games. she’s increased her production on attack every year, scoring two goals as a freshman, three as a sophomore and four last year. could she have envisioned things going the way they have?
“no, i definitely did not,” olmsted said. “i wouldn’t say i’m a very pessimistic person, but going into freshman year i didn’t see myself getting any playing time that first year and just thought i would try to get into some minutes sophomore year and work with what i had. but i couldn’t have envisioned things going as they have up to today.”
on
rish tee off at home for
By MANNY DE JESUS sports writer
n otre d ame begins the season s unday with their annual n otre d ame Kickoff c hallenge at warren g olf c ourse.
The i rish, who finished 10th in the acc last season, are looking to take an experienced group and make a significant jump in the conference and nationally.
“ i definitely expect us to make regionals,” senior b lake b arens said.
“ w e haven’t done that in the last three years, since i ’ve been here. w e didn’t lose a single starter from last year, and it looks like we’ll have, at least for the Kickoff, a freshman who’s actually going to be playing as our n o. 1 guy for the tournament.”
i t’ll be yet another year in which the i rish start a freshman in a seasonopening tournament. This year, freshman h unter o strom, who will play as
the n o. 1 seed, is expected to produce for n otre d ame as it looks to place first in the Kickoff c hallenge. i n addition to o strom and b arens, n otre d ame’s roster will include seven returning players and two more new faces in freshmen John Felitto and d avis l amb.
b arens, who is one of n otre d ame’s more experienced returners, competed in the u s a mateur c hampionships a couple of weeks ago at o akland h ills c ountry c lub in b loomfield h ills, m ichigan. b arens made it past stroke play, scoring a 69 in the first round and a 72 in the second to squeak into match play, where he eventually lost to sophomore Zachary b auchou from o klahoma s tate.
b lake said his experience at the tournament was critical in his development as a player and leader heading
Nd womeN’s soCCer
meN’s Golf
CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer
Irish senior forward Kaleigh Olmsted dribbles the ball forward in Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over Wisconsin at Alumni Stadium on Aug. 21. see olmsTed paGe 13 i
