Thursday marks not only the 13th anniversary of the sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but also one of the last years notre dame students, will distinctly and consciously remember the day’s events.
For students from new york city, those memories are particularly vivid.
Freshman Jessica cioffi’s father, Joseph, is a captain with engine 247 of the new york city Fire department, and will soon
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In honor of Sept. 11, 2001, the Notre Dame community bands together to commemorate the lives of the lost victims of the terrorist attacks. 2,977 flags will be displayed on South Quad today in memoriam.
Flags represent lost lives on South Quad
By CATHERINE OWERS news writer
in commemoration of sept. 11, 2001, 2,977 flags on south Quad will be displayed to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks. sophomore Jack connors said the flags will be set out the night before and will remain on the Quad until 5 p.m.
“each one of the flags represents someone who lost their life in the terrorist attacks on 9/11,” connors said. “They will be east of the flag pole, towards o’shag.” Fr. rocca will lead a prayer
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SMC Library raises eco-friendly awareness saint mary’s among top-ten economically diverse colleges
By KELLY KONYA
s aint mary’s e ditor
Editor’s Note: This is the third installment in a three-part series exploring the new initiatives at the Cushwa-Leighton Library, which will showcase the life of Sister Madeleva Wolff, cater to students’ writing needs and raise awareness for eco-friendly printing.
i n an effort to conserve resources and create awareness of ways to be more environmentally friendly when printing, the saint mary’s cushwa-l eighton l ibrary has spearheaded the initiative to display used printer-paper boxes on the main floor of the l ibrary.
The idea first came about during a meeting between a member of the l ibrary’s outreach team and reference team and librarian Jill hobgood, she said.
“we have been talking this idea over for a few years now about how much paper goes through the printer on the main
floor [of the l ibrary],” hobgood said. “w hile working the reference desk, we [librarians] constantly reload the printer throughout the day.”
hobgood said the outreach and reference teams were stunned by the official number of pages produced each year by the particular main floor printer, totaling nearly 500,000.
“The printer is by far the busiest printer on campus— more than the second and third printers in the l ibrary combined,” she said. “That’s a lot of paper.”
i n the 2013-14 school year, the pages printed and toner used cost the library almost $8,000, which could be better spent on new books or journals, hobgood said. i n addition, the amount of paper printed totaled 80 empty printer-paper boxes — the equivalent of 33 trees — each containing 5,000 sheets of paper.
The idea to create a display of empty printer boxes and stack see library paGe 4
By HALEIGH EHMSEN a ssociate s aint mary’s e ditor
saint mary’s received the no. 8 ranking on new york Times' list of most economically diverse Top colleges in the nation, published Tuesday. according to the article, the colleges in the ranking have all made significant changes in recruiting policies and have made compromises elsewhere to ensure that a diverse student body is a top priority. oftentimes, talented poor students who have traditionally excelled in high school, do not go onto top colleges, nor graduate from any college.
saint mary’s college p resident carol mooney said it is the college’s goal to meet the financial needs of every student and ensure all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, have the chance to receive a saint mary's education.
“we do not want any student to be unable to attend saint mary’s because she lacks the financial means to do so.
“a s part of our catholic mission to reach out to those with
the greatest need, the college must find ways to allow these students to pursue a saint mary’s education,” mooney said.
p resident mooney said the college is dedicated to educating all qualified students. i n the college's ongoing campaign, "Faith a lways, action now," the college has raised more than $23 million for such scholarships. compared to the other colleges in the new york Times' ranking, saint mary's has a
noticeably smaller endowment per student, at $80,000. a s stated in the article, vassar's (no. 1) endowment per student is $340,000, grinnell's (no. 2) endowment per student is $880,000 and harvard's (no. 6) endowment per student is $1.52 million.
v ice president for enrollment management mona bowe said the ranking accords with saint mary's mission to enroll qualified students who
Systems & Web Administrators (574) 631-8839 Policies
Question of the Day:
Abbey Santanello senior walsh hall
“walsh hall to Jordan.”
Shuyang Wang freshman pangborn hall
“pangborn to Jordan hall of science.”
John Pratt senior off-campus
“rolfs to south, after cycling practice.”
Alaciel Torres junior welsh Family hall “welsh Fam to debart.”
Abbey Dankoff junior lewis hall
“west l ake hall to debartolo.”
Brian Miller junior alumni
A rain puddle reflects the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Wednesday after a series of heavy storms hit campus. The rain may have put a damper on students’ Hump Day, but it provided a great opportunity for puddle-jumping fun.
Today’s Staff
News Kelly Konya
haleigh e hmsen e milie Kefalas
Graphics
s am c oughlin
Photo wei l in
Corrections
Sports Kit l oughran manny deJesus greg hadley
Scene e rin mc auliffe Viewpoint rex shannon
i n the sept. 10 issue of The observer, the graphic accompanying the article ‘c hanges to printing policy spark conversation’ incorrectly stated the point allotments for graduate and law school students. They are 3,500 and 4,250 points per year, respectively. The observer regrets this error.
Thursday
Faculty and Staff
Mass
Log Chapel
10 a.m. - 11 a.m. In memory of 9/11.
Artist Talk: Sue Coe
Snite Museum of Art
6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Open to the public.
Friday
Volleyball
Purcell Pavilion
4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Part of the Shamrock Invitational.
Women’s Soccer
Alumni Stadium
7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Notre Dame vs. Baylor.
Saturday
Film: “The Congress” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Also showing at 7 p.m.
Saturday Vigil Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Includes music by the Women’s Liturgical Choir.
Sunday
Mass at the Basilica Basilica of the Sacred Heart
11:45 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Music by the Notre Dame Folk Choir.
Reception for Fall Exhibits
Snite Museum of Art
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Free public reception.
Monday
Workshop: Crafting a Strong Grant Proposal
Brownson Hall
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Write a concise literature review.
Lecture: “Taking a Scientific Approach to Science Education”
DPAC
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Featuring Carl Wieman.
EMILY McCONVILLE | The Observer
Lecture explores international development
By GABRIELA MALESPIN news writer
notre dame’s Kellog institute for international studies hosted dr. sara sievers, a principal thought leader in international development from the earth institute at columbia university. her lecture, titled "making a difference in the world: connecting the personal and professional in international development," highlighted key strategies and requirements needed to implement effective changes in developing countries.
during her lecture, sievers highlighted how personal values and basic principles of international development frequently conflict when working within the developing country’s political context. sievers said the main question at the core of the discussion is how good ideas and good intentions are sometimes sidelined when applied to a realistic scale.
“This is where the personal and the professional become important," sievers said. "we can sit around and talk about all these glorious principles of millennium
development goals, but if we violate that in the compounds that we live in, what does that say about who we are and what we really believe?”
according to sievers, nigeria stands as a prime example of case studies in international development, due to its ecological complexity, relatively high economic disparity and maternal and infant mortality.
“[nigeria is] a large country with a very complex federal system,” sievers said. "There are relatively few places in the developing world that are more complex than
nigeria."
sievers said one of the greatest difficulties she faced during her work in nigeria was living and working in a high-income household while witnessing the economic hardships faced by a local underprivileged family. sievers was unable to help the lower-income family due to bureaucratic restrictions.
sievers said the experience of not being able to take immediate action helping is one of the most painful dilemmas that workers in developing countries must face.
“basically i was living in a
violation of the things that i hold most profound,” sievers said. “at some point you have to be able to take care of the people you can touch, the people that are closest to you. don’t treat them like a statistic."
w hile universities remain important developers in aid strategies for developing countries, their theoretical approaches have difficulty translating because of the intricacy of political and economic structures, she said.
Contact Gabriela Malespin at gmalespi@nd.edu
Professor recalls rebuilding of Nagasaki
By JEREMY CAPELLOLEE news writer
in the first lecture of the “nuclear nightmares: hiroshima and nagasaki in historical context” exhibit, sr. yoko hamada, professor at nagasaki Junshin catholic university, delivered a historical account of the establishment, destruction and subsequent rebuilding of Junshin girls’ school after the atomic bombing of nagasaki.
hamada said part of the rebuilding efforts of Junshin girls’ school after world war ii was thanks to John Francis o’hara, who at that time served as bishop of buffalo and president of the university of notre dame.
hamada said that o’hara, sent to Japan by pope pius the X ii in 1946 to assess the condition of the church, visited Junshin girls’ school in the aftermath of the bombing and helped fund the construction of a new campus.
Junshin girls’ school, founded by a fledgling order of sisters in nagasaki, first opened its doors in 1935 to 28 girls, hamada said. by 1939, enrollment had swelled to 387 students, 33 of whom comprised of the inaugural graduating class.
The beginning of world war ii, however, caused much hardship for students, hamada said. For a school run by a religious congregation, the persecution was especially harsh.
“The public had a strong
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resentment to christianity as a foreign enemy religion,” she said. “The content of education, including religion, was strictly under control by the government. sisters were not allowed to wear habits, and could not say prayers in latin.”
hamada said war efforts to manufacture weapons and ammunition meant most people lacked clothing, food and school supplies. during this time, children were sent to work in ammunition factories.
“in 1944 our students were sent to factories ... instead of going to school," hamada said. “The education system was shut down.”
on august 9th, 1945, however, Japan’s war time-efforts came to an end, and nearly with it,
Junshin girls’ school, hamada said.
“at 11:02 in the morning, the atomic bomb exploded,” she said. “The beautiful town became a devastating inferno. since our school was located very close to the hypocenter, the damage was extensive.
"since the factories where students worked were also close to the hypocenter of the bombing, many died in the factories. others died at home under the care of their family. in the end our school was 207 students out of 700 students.” in 1946, with the help of donations gathered by bishop John o’hara, the sisters began constructing a new campus for their school.
senate
since then, both the campus and student enrollment have grown. Today, Junshin girls’ school has an enrollment of over 1,000 junior high, high school and kindergarten students, as well as nearly 200 university students, hamada said.
hamada said that Junshin girls’ school still commemorates the events of aug. 9, 1945 and also the efforts of bishop o’hara in rebuilding the school.
“every year on august 9th, a memorial service is held in the presence of our students with their whole families. we pray for the atomic bomb victims, as well as for bishop o’hara,” she said.
Contact Jeremy Capellolee at Jeremy.CapelloLee.1@nd.edu
senate discusses student stress
By JESSICA MERDES news writer
student senate met wednesday night to discuss mental health resources and general stress levels of students at notre dame. The goal of the conversation was to begin an ongoing dialogue about student experiences with stress and how the university's resources can better assist the issues.
student body vice president matt devine began the meeting by asking the group in attendance if students are aware of their stress levels and how the levels impact their lives.
The group discussed the stigma that exists when students admit to and seek mental health resources; however, the representatives also noted that the dorms serve as support system for students, giving them friends nearby to talk to about stress.
Kristen gates, a representative from walsh hall, said she thinks the stress levels of students stems from the desire to succeed.
“There is such a high expectation for notre dame students to
be extremely involved and excel in academics while holding it all together, but this idea of perfection has negative effects on student stress levels.”
senate plans on holding three focus groups in the future to further gauge student perception on mental-health resources.
senate also voted to pursue a discussion with the registrar about the university’s auditing policy, which entails being able to sit in on a class and receive credit without paying for the class.
student body president lauren v idal also presented the state of the union to the senate. v idal discussed the senate's most recent accomplishments, including the oh’snap program, as well as other goals for the year. vidal encouraged students to be catalysts of positive change in the campus and the world.
“we must look to a time when we have all already graduated and how our actions now will effect students for generations to come," she said.
Contact Jessica Merdes at Jessica.L.Merdes.2@nd.edu
Lecture kicks off World War I centennial series
By GUIDO GUERRA news writer
i n order to commemorate its centennial, d an l indley, associate professor of political science, spoke about the First w orld w ar in the a nnenberg a uditorium on w ednesday. l indley's discussion of w orld w ar i , started off a five-part lecture series, hosted by the n anovic i nstitute for e uropean s tudies.
“The question is what’s changed from then to now,” l indley said. “ w ho cares about w orld w ar o ne anymore? i t’s very important in history; it was known as ‘The g reat w ar,’ [and] 'The w ar to e nd a ll w ars.' u nfortunately, that did not turn out to be the case.”
b eginning with the very start of the war in 1914, l indley reviewed the assassination of a rchduke Franz Ferdinand of a ustriah ungary and the effect of tight alliances and all-ornothing mobilization on the war’s frontier.
“ n ationalism is another
Flag
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service at the memorial at 5 p.m, connors said.
“There will be a few readings, and then Fr. rocca will say a few words and bless the flags," he said. connor said the memorial will act as a visible reminder of all those who died in the attacks.
factor here … it’s taken to hyper-nationalism with strong doses of social d arwinism," he said. "The idea that nations have to fight each other to show their worth ... w ould we have a war if we thought fighting was good?”
l indley described the conflict as being of a scale and
“Who cares about World War One anymore? It’s very important in history; it was known at ‘The Great War’ [and] ‘The War to End All Wars.’”
Dan Lindley associate professor political science
scope simply unimaginable in contemporary times.
The first day of the war is a good example, as the b ritish army lost the equivalent of one percent of their country’s total population, he
“it was such a significant event in our nation’s history," connors said. "it’s been a while now, and people don’t really remember it as much as they really should.
“it’s just a great way to remember all those who lost their lives.”
The memorial is sponsored by the young americans for Freedom, a new club beginning the process to gain official recognition from the university and
complete assignments online, rather than printing all the items needed for class.
them near the printer is a tangible way to show students how much paper is used and wasted, hobgood said.
“ we want to try to show people in a visual way how the resources are overused,” she said. “This way, having it right in front of you, it is really impactful.”
hobgood said there is also a bulletin board nearby the printer displaying other useful facts about this initiative for students to read over while waiting for their pages.
“ we aren’t suggesting that people just stop printing, but there are little things you can do that will add up in the long run,” she said. “For example, making sure to print on both sides of a page, or deciding not to print a title page of an article ... things like that will save paper as well as print limit money.”
hobgood said many of the c ollege’s professors have remained receptive to the goal of saving paper by giving students the option to read or
said.
" i magine if in one battle, we lost 3 million people," he said. " i t’s unfathomable. a t verdun, [the French and g ermans] started that battle with 37 million artillery shells ... [it's] rather unbelievable.”
l indley also compared the damage done by w orld w ar i ’s artillery campaigns to the impact of the atomic bombs on h iroshima and n agasaki, showing pictures and describing how they leveled cities to a very similar degree.
“ w e talk about the human cost, but there’s a permanent cost to the beauty which is e urope, and the lovely history that was there,” he said.
l indley introduced a tool of his own creation, the ' l indley w ar p rediction Table,' which is available on his website. h e said the table features a variety of categories to diagnose relations between two nations and the chances of a conflict arising. s uch groupings include rapidly shifting power,
cosponsored by the Federalist society at notre dame law school.
“The club is a campus education and activism club," connors said. "it’s sponsored by a larger
scapegoating and ethnic brethren abroad.
m idway through the lecture, l indley played a threeminute snippet of s tanley
“We talk about the human cost, but there’s a permanent cost to the beauty which is Europe,
and the lovely history that was there.”
Dan Lindley associate professor political science
Kubrick’s 1957 film p aths of g lory, an anti-war piece set in the trenches of the w estern Front. This was part of an effort to emphasize the brutality of the combat and its s isyphean nature with days spent fighting over feet of terrain, he said.
d an g raff, the director of undergraduate studies in the department of history, said the lecture series exemplifies the intellectual life of n otre d ame, one where faculty are personally
national organization, which is young america’s Foundation. There are close to thirty other colleges who are doing this same event with their help.” connors said the flags were
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connecting with students in an intimate way. m oreover, he said he stresses the interdisciplinary nature of the series, which is highlighted by the history department as an “ e xploring h istory” event.
The next lecture of the five-part series will be delivered by d r. Tait Keller of r hodes c ollege at 4.30 p.m. on w ednesday, o ctober 8th. The lecture, along with the following three lectures, will take place in the a nnenberg a uditorium of the s nite m useum of a rt.
Contact Guido Guerra at gguerrap@nd.edu
donated by both the american legion in south bend and young america’s Foundation.
Contact Catherine Owers at cowers@nd.edu
s enior m adison m aidment said she noticed the display during the first week of classes and was immediately interested.
“i am always surprised by s aint m ary’s ‘green’ initiatives, and it is no wonder that the l ibrary followed suit,” m aidment said. “The display is small now but is growing, and it has already made me more conscious about how much i’m printing at a time.”
m aidment said it is nice to have a daily reminder in the l ibrary to be environmentally aware, as it is the first place many students start their days.
“i hate throwing away huge stacks of paper, and it’s nice that so many of my classes have transitioned to offering assignments and readings online,” m aidment said. “p art of being ‘green’ and eco-friendly is doing little things each day, and it’s awesome that the l ibrary is playing its part.”
Contact Kelly Konya at kkonya01@saintmarys.edu
be promoted to chief, she said cioffi, who is from staten island, said sept. 11, 2001 began much like any other school day, but quickly became confusing and frightening.
“i was in school that day, and i didn’t really know what was going on, of course, but everyone started freaking out all of a sudden,” she said. “my dad is a firefighter with the new york city Fire department, so he was on call that day. w hat happened is my mom ended up picking me up from school and taking me home.
“my dad didn’t come home for three days. he was missing and he was in the rubble. he was trying to find survivors. [he did] a lot of first aid response, trying to help people. it was a really scary time because being so young and innocent, i would ask a bunch of questions like ‘w here’s dad, when’s he coming home?’ and then my mom would burst into tears because she didn’t have the answers.
“i remember when my dad called back to let us know that he was okay, that he was safe. it was a very short call, but my mom started crying again. it was just good to know he was safe.”
Junior laura anderson, who lives in westchester county, just
north of manhattan, said she recalled a feeling of safety and calm in school despite the turbulent events of the day.
“i have very vivid memories of sitting in my first grade class and having my teacher called out in the hallway, and when she came back in she was very obviously upset, her eyes were red from crying,” anderson said. “as a first grader, i was very confused. really shortly after that, a ton of parents started coming in and picking up kids. it got to the point at about 10:30 in the morning or so, i think we only had five children left in the classroom.
“my teacher used to put on music and dance with us, and on this day when only five of us were left in class, she still tried to keep that sense of normalcy and she put on music and we were waltzing around. i just remember feeling that something was wrong but feeling that i was really safe because everyone was doing a really good job protecting us.”
Junior amber Thomas, whose father is a new york city police officer, said people's moods and the constant television coverage made her realize the gravity of the situation, even at a young age.
“i knew something happened where all the firefighters and police officers were needed,” Thomas said. “my mom was very anxious and i wasn’t used to
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seeing her like that.
“i remember going home and watching Tv and all they kept replaying was this building getting hit by this airplane. it felt like they were playing it on a loop for hours. it was the only thing i saw that day. my mom was on the phone constantly, talking to family members.”
Junior chris Filos, who lives in scarsdale, north of manhattan, was home sick from school on sept. 11, and said he particularly remembered his mother’s anxiety because his father worked in manhattan.
“i was always very good at understanding when something important was going on, when something serious was happening, so i didn’t necessarily know the nature of what was going on, but i knew it was something important,” he said.
“my mom kind of forced me into another room. … she shut the door on me because she didn’t want me to see the T v my mom was really emotionally distressed and frazzled wbecause my dad actually worked in the world Trade center complex, not in one of the two buildings, but it one of the buildings across the street. obviously it was impossible to get in touch with anyone that day because all the cell towers were clogged up, so [my mom] had no idea where he was. … eventually, my dad did come home. … he was covered in a little bit of dust.”
sophomore Julia Kim, who lives in Queens and went to a high school a few blocks from ground Zero, said the lack of transportation and communication on sept. 11 only added to the confusion and fear.
“because we were on such high alert, i think you weren’t allowed to take the trains,” she said. “i know some people walked from manhattan across the bridges. it was a commute that would usually take you 30 minutes had to be walked. none of the phones were
working because so many people were using them at the same time.”
in the aftermath of the attacks, a nderson said the entire new york community, including school children, mobilized to aid in the recovery effort.
“The fact that people kicked in so quickly is amazing,” she said. “The next day, we started making bag lunches to send down to the rescue workers. we were making little boots for the [rescue] dogs because their feet were getting cut and charred.
“i think it was really striking to see how people kicked into action so quickly. a lmost everything became about ‘how can we help?’ even the littlest kids [helped]. we were in first grade and we were bagging lunches. a ll the children were given jobs to help because it allowed us to feel like we were contributing and not just being pushed out and told ‘don’t watch.’”
Junior rachael biscocho, who lives on staten island, said annual remembrances are a special time in new york, where most people were somehow directly affected by the attacks.
“on staten island especially, i feel like there’s a lot of people who have family members on the police force or in the fire department, and those are some of the greatest casualties from 9/11,” biscocho said. “so everyone knew at least one person who had been affected by it.”
“i love how everyone comes together on that day, though. we all are there to support each other in a time of remembrance.”
coming from an Fdny family, cioffi said the attacks affected a lot of friends and family.
“because i was brought up with the fire department, i knew a lot of people, people i considered my uncles and other fatherly figures to me, some of whom perished and some of whom got sick afterwards,” she said. “it affects a lot
of people more than you think it would.”
as he has grown up, Filos said the memories of sept. 11 become less and less frequent, but he still wants to share his experience to help others better understand the impact of the attacks.
“i don’t want to say it’s something i think about often, because it’s not,” he said. “but every once in a while, something sparks a memory and i’ll think about it and reflect on it for a couple of minutes.”
“i always enjoy talking about it with people who weren’t there and don’t have those personal experiences, so they can get a better understanding of what it was like to be there and know people who were involved.”
cioffi said the attacks gave her a better appreciation for first responders, like her father.
“it makes you appreciate what people do,” she said. “my dad puts his life on the line every time he goes to work, and i was never fully able to realize that until i learned more about the events. being so young, i never really understood, but as i grew up i was able to learn more about it and appreciate what he does everyday.”
a nderson said the 9/11 attacks have remained an emotional topic, but something people must talk about in order to honor and remember those who died.
“our schools knew this was going to be something that would affect us, so they talked to us about it,” she said. “w hen you’re at the point where so many of your friends’ families are directly affected … i think they did a good job giving us the resources to be okay and to feel alright, but still making us very aware that we could still help. it was an important thing; we couldn’t just push it aside. we had to do something about it. we had to remember.”
Contact Jack Rooney at jrooney1@nd.edu
are ready to learn, work hard and make a difference in the world.
“we first look for students with the academic background we feel will result in a successful academic performance at saint mary's,” bowe said. “but beyond the academics, we look for students who are well rounded: aware of the needs of others, strong in their faith, willing to go the extra mile, athletes, performers and artists.
“a wide variety of backgrounds and interests makes for a rich community where learning happens outside of the classroom as much as it happens in the classroom.”
director of the office for institutional research daniel Flowers said the article reflects the college’s ongoing efforts to provide education to students from all economic backgrounds, which began nearly 20 years ago.
“[ny Times] calculated a 'college access index' that looks
at the percentage of students receiving pell and the net-price for low and middle-income families while taking into account our financial resources as measured by the endowment size,” Flowers said. "They found that out of the universe of top colleges with a four-year graduation rate above 75% (about 100 institutions) we were near the top of the list in terms of this access index.
“we've also experienced one of the largest increases in students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds from 2007-08 to 2012-2014, from 14 percent to 24 percent,” Flowers said. “only vassar and a merican saw larger increases."
bowe said the admissions team does not consider the ability for students to pay a requirement for admission.
“a fter acceptance, the financial aid team works very hard to make saint mary's a reality for as many students as possible,” bowe said. as a member of the enrollment team for almost 20 years, bowe said she is proud of the missiondriven, ethical approach to
recruiting the next generation of belles.
“it is a team effort, from our colleagues that raise the funds for scholarships, to our professors and student life professionals, who tend to the needs of our students,” bowe said. “a nd not only do we make it possible for students with less financial means to choose saint mary's, we make it possible for them to stay and graduate on time.
“we will continue to be good stewards of the resources that our amazing donors have made possible. we hope to continue to provide access to students who find saint mary's to be a great fit for them.”
Flowers said the ranking proves that saint mary’s is true to their mission of pioneering education.
“in sum, we're living our mission as there aren't many other top-quality institutions out there doing more for low and middleincome students than saint mary's college," Flowers said.
Contact Haleigh Ehmsen at hehmse01@saintmarys.edu
I’m singing in the rain
Jodi Lo a ssociate photo e ditor
These past few weeks i have had a constant companion with me at school. i t has been there when i eat, when i sleep and even during football games. n o i ’m not talking about my phone, my id card or anything as simply material as that. w hat i am talking about is the rain that has been with us for almost every day since we’ve started school, and as i write this, it looks like it’s going to rain again. i have nothing else to talk about, so instead i ’m going to talk about my appreciation of rain.
i grew up for a majority of my life in the p hiladelphia suburbs and let me tell you rain is awesome in the n ortheast. i t makes everything green and vegetation grows like weeds because rain is always present. s o imagine my remorse when i had to move to a desert! a desert – a lbuquerque, n ew m exico. s ure you can say that cacti are green and that the lizards are also greenish but it isn’t the same. There is a reason why most desert themes have warm colors consisting of red, orange, pink and brown, and it’s because rain simply isn’t there. m y stucco house was a tan color, my car was a golden brown color, and even the inside of most places were built with wooden fixtures which was, you guessed it, brown. i spent my high school years chomping at the bit to go to an environment where i have green grass, green trees, and an unofficial green school color and i ’ve loved every single moment of this greenness.
s ure the rain can be a nuisance once in a while. For example, i had to take senior pictures today and apparently half of the requirement was to also walk through paths of water that reached my shins. b ut imagine a place without rain. w ithout rain, the halls without air conditioning would still have their box fans on at full blasts blowing more hot air into their rooms. The grass would be crunchy and hurt to stand on as we all stood in crowds listening to the pep rallies. a nd football games aren’t miserable, shout out to the seniors who know what i am saying from the Fall of 2011.
s o before you walk out of your halls to go to d e b artolo or the dining halls cursing the rain, take it from a girl who knows what it’s like not having rain. s top and appreciate it. h aving rain is much better than not having it at all.
Contact Jodi Lo at jlo1@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
nudity and y ik yak
nudity. This conspicuous subject was launched to the pinnacle of all social media spheres as september rolled in. The impetus for this was a group of unidentified hackers succeeding in an unprecedented breach of apple’s online storage service, icloud. These hackers leaked nude pictures of famous celebrities for the world to see.
a round the same time, i was introduced by a friend to a new social media application, yik yak. unfortunately, the close timing of these events was not ideal. yik yak, for those of you who don’t know, serves as an anonymous, virtual bulletin board for fellow users on a college campus. The lack of identification leads to significantly more obscene and abusive content (colloquially known as “yaks”) than other social media outlets. it is similar in some ways to anonymous Facebook and Twitter accounts like nd confessions or nd crushes.
due to the nature of yik yak, looking at yaks on my friend’s phone during the early days of september consisted of a tsunami of explicit references to individual’s activities that would have been better kept private. moreover, i found it to be a haven for unleashing a barrage of insults on others without the consequences of the perpetrator being identified as rude or cruel. worse yet, although yik yak is targeted at colleges, high school students across the country have used yaks for alarmingly hurtful cyberbullying that has disrupted school communities, and in some cases, even spurred death threats warranting multiple school evacuations.
of course, the yaks from notre dame did include many humorous comments, entertaining stories and curious thoughts. a nonymous messages can also serve good purposes for those who need support, but are afraid to ask in person. however, this doesn’t seem to be the goal for many users.
yik yak’s designers did incorporate a function for users to vote down a yak until it disappears, but in many instances, the most troublesome yaks seem to be voted up more than any others. perhaps some users have taken to bolstering this medium to justify their own behavior with a modified, anonymous mob mentality. popular approval through social media, however, will never be enough to satisfy the heart of a man or woman and, in the end, we still must take responsibility for the lives we lead.
yik yak is a powerful application that is dangerous on
multiple fronts. not only can it be a vehicle for hurting others’ reputations or self-image with impunity, it also elevates commentary that degrades human dignity. psychiatrists are demonstrating that social media can lead to damaged self-esteem, greater loneliness and depression. That said, some yaks are, quite simply, directly traumatic.
Knowing all of this, i arrive at two persistent thoughts. First and foremost, i have resolved to avoid yik yak and other anonymous messaging services. in my view, i don’t need those negative thoughts bombarding my mind all day. in the words of buddha, “w hat we think about, we become,” and i would rather value my interactions with those i know and love. For those who continue to use yik yak, i challenge you to institute the golden rule in your yaks – please refrain from bullying and abuse.
my second train of thought explored the cultural reasoning for this phenomena. is it possible that an impersonal, digital world with such a strong emphasis on holding the attention of others by being distinctive or sexy has damaged our sense of empathy? have we lost the distinction between private and public? The icloud hackers clearly violated the privacy of the celebrities in the leaked photos. closer to home, i remember one yak from a student on our campus who witnessed another student posting a derogatory yak about her. is it not evident that no anonymous bubble exists? people can be deeply hurt by our inconsideration and we would all do well to remember that. Furthermore, has a spirit of inevitability pervaded our culture so deeply that we are willing to tolerate individuals unmistakably savoring an opportunity to objectify women? with an epidemic of sexual assaults occurring on college campuses, we should be speaking out against demeaning language like that which assailed social media after the photos were leaked. perhaps my vision of a society devoid of gratuitous mistreatment of others is quixotic, but today, on the 13th anniversary of the fateful 9/11 attacks, we should remember the value of solidarity. community will always be the greatest security for humanity, and if our actions undermine that unity, we alone are responsible for the ensuing pain.
Dan Sehlhorst is a junior studying economics and political science. Hailing from Troy, Ohio, and a resident of Zahm House, he looks forward to conversation about his columns and can be contacted at dsehlhor@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
edItorIaL Cartoon
Daniel Sehlhorst we’ve l ost o ur Quorum
A capital idea: not for the squeamish
c onvicted murderer c layton l ockett took 40 minutes to die when he was executed by lethal injection in a pril of 2014. Just 14 minutes into the procedure, the ostensibly sedated murderer attempted to rise from his gurney and speak audibly. Just months later, the execution of Joseph wood took nearly two hours. d uring his death, wood is recorded to have gasped nearly 600 times.
i n both cases, the states responsible for the executions were using an experimental sedative called m idazolam. This drug has become the go-to for lethal injections as more “traditional” execution drugs like pentobarbital have been pulled from the market by conscientious manufacturers. yet m idazolam’s track record at sedation is obviously spotty. l ethal injection, once touted as painless and easy death, is quickly proving to be anything but.
The debate surrounding the death penalty in a merica has many ethical, religious, and constitutional components. w hile we will hopefully one day achieve consensus on whether or not our country ought to practice capital punishment, this will clearly not happen anytime soon. i n the meantime, death row inmates will keep dying. Therefore, regardless of your stance on the death penalty, it’s imperative that we have a conversation about the methods used to kill the condemned.
o n paper, the current cocktail of lethal injection drugs sounds like an excellent method of execution — the condemned criminal is gently sedated while
Letters to the edItor
his vital functions are powered down one by one. but differing rates of metabolism, clogged needles and a host of other problems have resulted in a high rate of botched executions, about 7.1%, according to a mherst’s a ustin s arat. c learly, a better procedure is needed, and the answer can be found in the only method with a zero percent botch rate — the firing squad.
c onsider the advantages of shooting a prisoner full of lead instead of potassium chloride. b ecause death by gunshot relies on physically traumatizing the body’s vital systems rather than chemically shutting them off, issues of toxin resistance or body composition are rendered moot. a ny convict shot half a dozen times at close range will die quickly, with far less opportunity for the anguish seen in the deaths of l ockett and wood. For example, consider the execution of utah’s ronnie l ee g ardner, who was pronounced dead only two minutes after being shot in 2010. c an it really be argued that he suffered more than those whose deaths took hours?
a dditionally, participation in a firing squad requires none of the special training needed to handle or administer killer drugs — anyone competent enough to operate a rifle could be eligible to serve out the execution. w hereas lethal injection depends on many complex mechanisms, both artificial and organic, to work as intended, the probability of a rifle malfunction is slim.
it’s also unlikely that ammunition or arms manufacturers will raise moral objections to their products being used to take life. a fter all, many of these companies already advertise weapons to both police and civilians for use on criminals. e ven if
these companies do try to boycott the death penalty, police departments doubtless have sufficient stockpiles of weaponry to carry out all necessary executions for the foreseeable future. a s a result, the justice system will not be forced to use “experimental bullets,” as they’ve had to do with m idazolam.
The squeamish, of course, will object that the firing squad is too gruesome a death to be used in a civilized society. g iven the agony evidently suffered by victims of lethal injection, that case is becoming increasingly more difficult to make. moreover, the practical result of both execution methods is the same — a dead convict. The firing squad even provides the same diffuse responsibility associated with lethal injection. Just as only one of the technicians sending drugs down the condemned’s iv tube actually administers a fatal dose, one man on the firing squad can be given a blank round or a dummy bullet. a s an execution tool, the rifle need be no more psychologically traumatizing than the needle. a nd considering the fate of the man on death row are the sensibilities of the headsmen really a priority?
o f course, it’s possible to argue that our society ought not to execute criminals at all. such a position is certainly worthy of consideration and vigorous debate. but if we can’t agree on that, can we at least agree that we shouldn’t torture criminals to death?
Stephen Raab is a junior studying chemical engineering. He lives in Alumni Hall and can be reached at sraab@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
ncaa’s poor decision concerning penn state
a s i am writing in regard to the ncaa reversing the sanctions levied on p enn state university. it is abhorrent that the ncaa abolished the sanctions levied on p enn state university. i understand the decision followed a positive report from former s enator g eorge m itchell’s organization dla p iper; however, the ncaa’s decision has undermined justice for the victims.
i have read the report, and while it is nice to see penn state’s recent commitment to ethics, nothing changes the fact that penn state as an institution allowed for rape and molestation of young men. The hurt and horror of those experiences will never go away and now the ncaa has diminished their justice.
i have heard arguments that the sanctions were unfair to the players, that they did nothing wrong
and sanctioning penn state will only continue to hurt these players. This is false. The ncaa correctly allowed current players at the time the ability to transfer without penalty. most of those on the original team have graduated or had the opportunity to transfer. a ny student committing to penn state the past two years would have known they would not be able to play in bowl games.
w hile i understand the concept of “getting time off for good behavior,” an institution that knowingly overlooked the rape of a 10-year-old boy should not, under any circumstance, be forgiven so easily. a lthough penn state’s sanctions did not even last two years, for more than 15 years Jerry s andusky was able to prey on young men. d uring which time the university, from the university president down to graduate assistants, covered up the assaults.
To close, i wish to share with you a grave statistic: one in six men are sexually abused or assaulted. a ccording to the c enter for d isease c ontrol, it is largely believed to be an underestimate due to the social stigma men face of reporting the abuse against them. i ask you to reflect on the message sent to that one in six and what it says about the values of the ncaa how could an institution that fostered the abuse of children be let off the hook like this? b y overturning the initial ruling, the ncaa is essentially saying that justice for victims is merely temporary.
Jeffrey Homan graduate student Fischer g raduate r esidence s ept. 10
Racial profiling on campus
a t the excellent forum on recent events in Ferguson, mo., hosted by p rofessors Jason ruiz and d ianne p inderhughes as well as ruiz’s class, “m ixed r ace a merica,” a senior brought up the persistent issue of racial profiling by nd police on campus. This racial profiling leads to black students, especially black men, being stopped repeatedly as they go
about their daily activities on our campus. i would like to know what is being done to stop this unfair treatment. w hat is ndsp doing to ensure that all members of our community are being treated fairly and not hassled? b ecause it is a hassle and an affront that our students are being stopped and questioned on a regular basis when others are not. The question
may seem to pale beside the gross violations of civil and human rights in Ferguson, but it matters.
Sarah McKibben professor department of i rish l anguage and l iterature sept. 10
Stephen Raab l et’s Talk smart
By Caelin Miltko scene editor
This weekend is football’s first away game, meaning all of us domers staying on campus will have to find other ways to entertain ourselves. luckily, l egends has two consecutive nights of musical acts.
Thursday, the electro-pop duo c herub hits the l egends stage, after releasing their first album, “year of the caprese,” on may 27. hailing from nashville, Tenn., their first single, “doses and m imosas,” was number 43 on billboard’s rock a irplay chart and 23 on the a lternative songs chart in February.
c herub consists of Jordan Kelley and Jason huber, who met while both studying music production at m iddle Tennessee state university.
The concert at l egends is their fourth stop on “The c hampagne showers” tour. The pair just finished a summer tour, hitting up festivals like bonnaroo and glastonbury. i n June, they performed on conan.
w hen asked about their genre in an article by The guardian, they said, “it’s p rince on ecstasy. we’d wanna just say pop just because it’s got the catchy hooks and the feel-good vibe that we feel like a lot of pop
songs have. maybe old school pop songs.” ghost beach and gibbz will be opening for them.
The new york-based ghost beach have performed with acts such as i magine dragons, david guetta, vampire weekend and robin Thicke.
ghost beach released its debut album, “blonde,” in march. popmatters described the album as “the soundtrack to a neon-swathed beach house party, a joy ride on a cool summer night, or a nostalgia-fueled recreation of the original passion p its.”
gibbz is a brooklyn-based singer and producer, whose debut single was released in march. gibbz produced, wrote, and sung “a gain and a gain” all by himself.
i f you’re too busy to see the concert Thursday, make sure you don’t miss what’s happening in l egends on Friday. Two-time olympic gold medalist shaun w hite brings his band, bad Things, to perform for the notre dame student body.
The band consists of singer davis l ed uke, bassist Jared palomar (a former member of the band augustana), guitarist a nthony sanudo, drummer-vocalist l ena Zawaideh, and guitarist shaun w hite. They
played l ollapalooza in 2013 and the Firefly Festival this summer.
Their self-titled debut album was released last January.
The band got the chance to play one of the four headlining saturday night stage slots at l ollapalooza in 2013 after death grips didn’t show.
according to rolling stone, w hite began playing the guitar after winning a Fender stratocaster from a snowboarding competition.
“it was like a trophy — you weren’t even supposed to play it. a nd i just fell in love with it,” he said in the interview.
members l ed uke and palomar admit to hesitation when they first looked into joining a band with worldfamous snowboarder shaun w hite. but both said they felt better about it after meeting with w hite, according to interviews in rolling stone and grantland.
The c herub concert starts at 10 p.m. on Thursday and the bad Things concert kicks off Friday at 10 p.m. These l egends concerts should not be missed.
Contact Caelin Mitko at cmoriari@nd.edu
By JIMMY KEMPER scene writer
Ten years ago, the music industry was a different place: cds were relevant, records were irrelevant and streaming services were just an optimistic thought. my personal music collection consisted of born in the usa, help! and whatever jingoistic album Toby Keith had just released. needless to say, i didn’t have a clue what death From above 1979 was, or how they had cemented themselves as a great band with “you’re a woman, i’m a machine.” They broke up before i even had an ipod.
Fast forward to 2011, and death From above 1979 announces a few shows and plans to start recording again. Fans were shocked, taking on “you’re a woman, i’m a machine” seemed to be a near insurmountable task. in spite of these fears, dFa’s new album, “The physical world,” drags you right back into the sounds of dance punk that gripped the mid-noughties and tears it up with a vengeance.
The album opener, “cheap Talk,” kicks off right where “you’re a woman, i’m a machine” left off: flinging you off a cliff into a dark, intense basin filled with grungy, groovy riffs and angsty, sarcastic lyrics about lost innocence. i was thrown by just how catchy and accessible the first few tunes felt. “cheap Talk”, “r ight on, Frankenstein!”, and “virgins” are short enough to keep listeners interested, but thick enough to have them digging for more. with
the majority of the songs cutting off before the threeminute mark and the whole lp wrapping up in 35 minutes, dFa does not give listeners a moment to breathe. overall, this album feels just as tight and well put together as the last one did, but trades abrasiveness for accessibility – by no means a bad thing – as dFa retains the intense essence that made them so special ten years ago.
This essence permeates the whole album. “virgins” and “nothin’ left” capture the rebellious punk spirit that was so central to the first album. lyrics such as, “there’s nothing sacred to me” and “there’s no love lost and none found” recreate the swaggering, care-free attitude that was found in “you’re a woman, i’m a machine.” leading singles, “Trainwreck 1979” and “government Trash,” rip into listeners and fill them with a passionate, rollicking energy. with such wonderful tracks, dFa shows that they know how to give their fans exactly what they want. This time, though, the songs are more fun, more exciting and even more danceable. such surprising changes definitely make death From above 1979 more accessible to a wider audience, while their core punk spirit still satisfies the most hardcore of dFa fans.
The most surprising and, ultimately accessible song is “w hite is red.” if a few years ago someone had said death From above 1979 would write a power ballad reminiscing about fast cars, fun girls and disapproving parents, they probably would’ve been banned from whatever internet forum they tried to voice a dissenting opinion on.
The lyrics scream bruce springsteen, the melodies model The Killers and the attitude explodes with arena rock power. “w hite is red” is an unanticipated piece of awesome that shows death From above 1979 is multifaceted and able to transcend their dance punk roots. even when death From above 1979 doesn’t break its mold, it still offers substantial, high quality hits that blow the mainstream alternatives out of the water. in an age of a rctic monkeys, imagine dragons and other bands that have slowed down to the point of flat lining, it’s refreshing to hear death From above 1979’s aggressive, tireless tunes again. “The physical world” is a solid album, the kind that gets more enjoyable and more meaningful with each listen.
Contact Jimmy Kemper at jkemper2@nd.edu
“The Physical World”
Death From Above 1979
Label: Last Gang Records
Tracks: “Cheap Talk,” “White is Red
If you like: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem, Liars
By Jared Clemmensen s cene writer
if you’ve been living under a rock since aug. 19, you may have missed out on what has arguably been the biggest pop culture phenomenon since miley cyrus thought she could twerk — nicki minaj’s “a naconda” music video. The difference between minaj and cyrus? nicki actually has license – and the assets – to twerk. a nd she’s not afraid to sing about — and show off — her aforementioned assets in the video. if you’ve been having trouble trying to make sense of the different criticism and praise of the video, i’m here to clarify … or perhaps just make things more confusing.
w hether or not you like minaj or her video, the numbers are astounding. sitting at 145,115,466 views as of wednesday, the video accumulated 19.6 million views within 24 hours of its release. The feat broke vevo’s previous 24-hour record held by miley cyrus with 19.3 million views of her “wrecking ball” video.
if you haven’t seen the video, i highly encourage it – if only just to stay culturally relevant. There has been a lot of controversy over the message minaj is trying to express: some argue her image is positive, some say it is negative.
THURSDAY
What: Cherub
When: 10 p.m.
Where: Legends how much: Free
be sure to catch the electropop duo who played bonaroo and glastonbury this summer. Their single “doses and m imosas” is quite the earworm and reached no. 23 on the a lternative songs chart. head over to l egends for what is sure to be a groovy show.
i’m here to argue that it establishes nicki’s place as a new feminist model, albeit in a very different vein than beyoncé’s “i woke up like This/everyone is Flawaless” philosophy. For those struggling to see this side of the video, its choreography, nicki’s verses and, perhaps most of all, the lap dance nicki gives drake at the end of the video all play to the idea. i would like to bring up big sean’s 2011 “dance (a$$) remix” video as a reference, in which minaj makes a cameo not unlike drake’s in “a naconda.”
The contrast between these videos could not be more drastic. in the big sean video, we are barraged with images and lyrics pertaining to the objectification of women — nothing new to hip-hop, and the rap music world did not cause a stir when this video was released. a lthough some criticize minaj’s overt sexuality as being inappropriate, when we consider the male presence, or lack therof, in the video, the hyper-sexualized outfits and choreography take on a different meaning.
w hile big sean tells countless scantily clad women (including minaj herself) to “shake that ass” in his video, the only male to appear in “a naconda” is drake. a lthough a powerful recording artist in today’s entertainment industry, he doesn’t even make a contribution to the song – existing merely as a visual prop. drake is clearly made
FRIDAY
What: bad things
When: 10 p.m.
Where: Legends how much: Free
you’ve seen shaun w hite snowboard on T v... now see him play guitar irl! The two-time olympic gold medalist comes to campus with his band, bad Things. They played lolla in 2013 and Firefly this summer, so be sure to see them when they’re in walking distance and tickets are free.
to look like something of a fool. he is left speechless by nicki’s aggressive demeanor and ownership of her body. upon making a move to grab nicki’s ass, something we wouldn’t bat our eyes at in most hip-hop videos, nicki slaps him away — asserting that her body can be appreciated (she’s attractive and she knows it) but not taken advantage of.
This isn’t to say nicki can do or has done no wrong. “a naconda” represents a key culmination of the growth she has exhibited over the course of her career, within which there are definitely instances of her subjecting herself to the objectification of men or failing to channel her anger in an articulate way. however, here she is the owner of her sexual self-worth. minaj rejects traditional beauty concepts through an aggressive celebration of a different body type.
w hen it comes down to it, there is no single definition of feminism nor one way of being a feminist. nicki has found her own niche and established a unique, empowered image. only one thing is certain: nicki minaj doesn’t care what you or anyone thinks of her, and perhaps that makes her the ultimate feminist.
Contact Jared Clemmensen at jclemmen@nd.edu
GLA
SATURDAY SUNDAY
What: shamrock series
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Indianapolis how much: $40 for students
a fter last weekend’s victory, the team is rearing to take the field again. a nother night game not too far from campus promises a boisterous time. be sure to go if you can, busses are available. g o i rish, beat boilermakers! ( we may need to shorten that.)
What: “medea”
When: 3 p.m.
Where: dpaC how much: $16 for students
helen mccroy, better known as narcissa malfoy in the harry potter films, stars in the national Theatre’s take on euripides’ powerful tragedy. medea bears two sons in exile, is abandoned by her husband, faces banishment and is seeking revenge. intense. g o see it and get #cultured.
IndyCar Series
has
formula right
i grew up a little over two hours down the road in i ndianapolis. i n addition to being around high school basketball and cornfields, growing up in i ndiana means you’re surrounded every may by my favorite sporting event in the world, the i ndianapolis 500. a nd, of course, if you were to make a buzzfeed list about sports in i ndiana, you’d have to put the 500 alongside peyton manning, reggie m iller and the 1954 m ilan h igh school basketball team that inspired the movie “hoosiers.”
a s a kid, i heard stories about a ndretti, Foyt, mears and unser. a nd one of my most cherished memories is meeting helio castroneves at a local car dealership and then going back the next year so he could sign the picture of the two of us. but despite my love of open-wheel racing, i’ve found it harder and harder each year to maintain an interest in nascar so, no, please don’t ask me if i’m a nascar fan next time i tell you i’m from i ndianapolis. w hereas the open-wheel cars used in Formula one and the i ndy car series are sleek, the stock cars used on the nascar circuit are slower. w hereas the i ndy car series races on a nearequal combination of unique road, street and oval courses, nascar features a litany of triovals and superspeedways — tracks that, from week-to-week, seem similar.
a nd perhaps more than anything, the i ndy car series doesn’t have a gimmicky “c hase for the sprint cup”-type format to determine its champion. especially one as poor as the format nascar is employing for this year’s c hase. before i rip in to the rest of it, i’ll give credit where credit is due: nascar’s major change in qualifying for the c hase was a positive. The series emphasized drivers that won races — all 13 series regulars that won a race qualified for the playoff — over drivers that simply paraded around the track to turn in top-five finishes, guaranteeing their spot in the final setup. but past that? it’s poor at best. The c hase starts with 16 drivers and more or less resets them to the same point total.
Then three races come along and the bottom four are eliminated. That’s fine, and the same thing is repeated twice over the next six races, leaving the series with four competitors for the championship going into the final race. cool, i guess. but that brings us to the point where — if it hadn’t already been done with the institution of the c hase in the first place — nascar completely jumps the shark. simply put, the driver out of the four who has the best finish at homestead-m iami speedway on nov. 16 will be the series drivers’ c hampion. e nd of story.
That — above everything else — is the most frustrating part of the current nascar setup for someone that, quite frankly, already isn’t a big stock car fan. i nstead of saying, “every race leading up to the finale matters,” one just simply has to cross their fingers and hope nothing goes wrong on the final day.
l et’s put it more bluntly. brad Keselowski has four wins this season, more than anybody else on the circuit. l et’s say he wins four of the first nine races in the c hase — it would be impressive but it’s still entirely possible — and no other driver wins more than one. he’d have, at worst, twice as many victories as the second-mostwinningest driver in the series this year but could very well be taken out in a first-lap wreck. a nd then we’re all supposed to believe he wasn’t the driver that deserved the title win on the season? please.
For the series that instituted green-white-checker finishes, has “competition cautions” after it rains and randomly finds debris on the track when it wants to bunch the field back up to create a better show, the “c hampionship race” idea is perhaps its worst gimmick yet.
oh, yeah, and did i mention the i ndy car series championship has been decided on the final race of the season for nine straight years without magically needing to reset the points four times in the final ten races?
Contact Alex Carson at acarson@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Goodell questioned by Congress over Rice case
Associated Press
washingTon — members of c ongress from both parties on wednesday questioned n F l c ommissioner roger g oodell’s handling of a domestic violence incident involving former baltimore r avens running back r ay r ice.
Twelve democrats on the house Judiciary c ommittee sent g oodell a letter calling for greater transparency from the n F l , and republican s en. dean heller of nevada said g oodell had not acted swiftly enough to punish r ice.
“i fear the failure of the n F l to understand the scope and severity of this act of domestic violence has already led to significant damage for vulnerable members of society,” heller said, adding that he was “highly disappointed” that g oodell and the n F l did not take severe action against r ice until after a security video of r ice punching his thenfiancee on a casino elevator was made public.
“b y waiting to act until it was made public you effectively condoned the action of the perpetrator himself,” heller wrote in a letter to g oodell. “i cannot and will not tolerate that position by anybody, let alone the national Football
l eague.”
The letters by heller and the house democrats both state that the n F l’s prominence gives the league a special obligation to forcefully address issues of domestic violence.
“given the important role the n F l and the other major professional sports leagues can play in shaping public perceptions concerning domestic violence, it would appear to be in the public interest to have the highest level of transparency associated with reviews of potential misconduct,” said the letter, signed by rep. John c onyers, d -m ich., and 11 other democrats. c onyers is the senior democrat on the Judiciary panel.
The letter notes g oodell’s statements in media interviews that league officials did not see the elevator video until monday. The r avens released r ice on monday and the n F l suspended him indefinitely after the website T m Z released video of the incident. g oodell initially had suspended r ice for two games.
The d emocratic letter said g oodell and the n F l have not stated how aggressively the league sought to obtain the video and how law enforcement agencies responded.
g oodell told cbs on Tuesday that “no one in the n F l , to my knowledge” had seen a new video of what happened on the elevator until it was posted online. “ we assumed that there was a video. we asked for video. but we were never granted that opportunity,” g oodell said.
Two videos, one released by T m Z sports and another shown later to The a ssociated p ress by a law enforcement official, show r ice punching fiancee Janay p almer — who is now his wife — and knocking her unconscious. The videos show more detail than an initial video released by T m Z in July that showed r ice dragging p almer from an elevator. g oodell has previously said he “didn’t get it right” with r ice and the league set up new penalties for domestic violence: a six-game suspension for a first offense, at least a year for a second.
“ we welcome your recent willingness to change the n F l’s policies regarding issues of domestic violence,” the d emocratic lawmakers said in their letter, “and we also believe other major professional sports leagues should consider making their policies public and reviews transparent as well.”
Braves best Strasburg and Nationals to avoid sweep
Associated Press
washingTon — a aron harang outdueled stephen strasburg, Justin upton drove in three runs and the atlanta braves avoided a series sweep in washington with a 6-2 win over the nationals on wednesday.
The braves snapped a threegame losing streak as harang (11-10) held the nl e ast leaders to one unearned run over seven innings. upton’s rbi single in the sixth broke a 1-all tie, and he added a tworun double off reliever r yan mattheus during a three-run seventh.
strasburg (11-11) allowed
three runs and seven hits in six innings. bryce harper homered for washington, which had won three straight.
b.J. upton homered for the wild card-contending braves. washington leads atlanta by eight games in the division.
washington won the opening two games of the series, and success against atlanta has been historically difficult for the nationals and strasburg.
The nationals dropped to 6-10 this season against the braves, though they had won five of the previous seven games. They have not swept atlanta in washington since 2008.
strasburg has not earned a win against the braves since aug. 21, 2012. i n four starts this season against atlanta, the righty is 0-2 with a 7.18 era The nl strikeout leader fanned eight, but lost for the first time since august 8. strasburg entered with a 3-0 record in his previous five starts.
harang struggled recently, going 0-3 with a 7.98 era in his last three starts. That version didn’t show wednesday. he struck out nine and surrendered six while improving to 2-0 with an 0.90 era versus washington this season. Kevin Frandsen had three singles for the nationals.
Alex Carson sports writer
CROSSING TWNHM
mLb | aTlanTa 6, washingTon 2
Belles fail to overcome Trine
Observer Staff Report
a fter coming out on top its previous two conference games, s aint mary’s miaa winning streak was snapped at two when conference-rival Trine defeated the b elles, 3-1, on wednesday at a ngela a thletic Facility.
The b elles (3-5, 2-2 miaa ) got off to a quick start in the first set, with senior middle hitter m elanie Kuczek tallying four kills in a row. From there, both teams traded points back and forth until the score was tied at 14. Then, the Thunder (6-1, 2-1) ripped off three points in a row to take a 17-14 lead, and they would not lose that lead again, as Trine took the first set of the match, 25-21.
The second set was even more of a seesaw affair than the first set, with the scoreboard tied at 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The Thunder would again go on a three-point run, which led to a s aint m ary’s timeout.
Junior outside hitter Katie h ecklinski and senior outside hitter Kati s chneider recorded kills to bring back the b elles, with a solo block by s chneider tying up the score at 20. Trine would again take the lead at 23-21, but a block by Kuczek and sophomore setter c laire m c m illan would help the b elles take a 24-23 lead. From there, the b elles would break through the 12th tie of the set and capitalize on two Trine errors to take the set, 26-24.
The third set saw the Thunder take firm control of
the game, going on streaks of four- and five-consecutive points in order to compile a 15-9 lead. Though the b elles were able to narrow the gap to five points when they reduced the score to 15-10 and later to 18-13, the Thunder were simply too strong and took the set, 25-16.
That led to what ended up being the deciding set of the match. much like the first set, both teams were able to keep the score relatively close until the end of the fourth set. s aint m ary’s built an early lead, but the Thunder went on a five-point run to take the lead by a score of 17-14. From there, the b elles were able to draw close again when blocks by sophomore settler l exi g rady and freshman middle hitter l eah b uck made the score 20-19 in favor of Trine, but that was as close as the b elles would get.
From there, the Thunder went on a three-point run that ended up proving the difference. Trine held on for a 25-20 set victory, and went on to win the match, 3-1.
s chneider and h ecklinski were the linchpins for the b elles, as the duo led all players with 14 kills each. e lsewhere, s chneider compiled a team-high 19 digs, and h ecklinski was close behind her with 17. Kuczek led all players with five blocks on the night.
The b elles have the rest of the week off and will resume play Tuesday, when they host top-ranked c alvin at home. g ame time is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Domestic violence investigations continue
Associated Press
carolina panthers pro bowl defensive end greg hardy has been convicted on two counts of domestic violence and is still playing. ray mcdonald of the san Francisco 49ers also remains active while he is being investigated for abuse allegations.
The panthers and 49ers have not publicly discussed details of their investigations, saying only that they are following the nFl’s lead in waiting for the legal process to run its course.
The cases have similarities to that of ray rice, who was released this week by the baltimore ravens and suspended indefinitely by the league after an explicit video surfaced of him hitting his then-fiancee.
a law enforcement official told The associated press on condition anonymity that he sent a copy of the video to the league in april.
panthers owner Jerry richardson broke down in tears wednesday night when talking about domestic violence at an award ceremony in his honor, saying he would be remiss if he didn’t “acknowledge an issue weighing heavily on our sport and our society.”
“w hen it comes to domestic violence, my stance is not one of indifference,” an emotional richardson said after receiving the award against indifference for his business and civic contributions in charlotte from the echo Foundation, a nonprofit education organization. “i stand firmly against domestic violence, plain and simple.
“To those who would suggest
paid a dverT isemen T
that we’ve been too slow to act, i ask that you consider not to be too quick to judge. over the course of our 20 years, we have worked extremely hard to build an organization of integrity.”
richardson left the event without taking questions.
despite richardson’s plea, the nFl is under scrutiny for its wait-and-see approach in domestic violence cases like hardy’s.
Judy harris Kluger, a former new york city judge and now executive director of sanctuary for Families, is anxious to see how the league handles the two pending cases.
“i think the test for the nFl will be what they do with the other people who are charged now,” Kluger said. “a nd i don’t imagine there’s a videotape of that. w hat else did the nFl think happened in that elevator? so yes, it’s a very graphic depiction, and they took the action they took now. but i think all of us will be looking to see what they and other organizations do going forward.”
w hile mcdonald has not been charged, hardy has been convicted on two counts of domestic violence. he has appealed and a hearing is scheduled for nov. 17. hardy, one of the stalwarts on the panthers’ stout defense, is making $13.1 million this season as team’s franchise player. he had four tackles and one sack in carolina’s season-opening victory.
Though he has already been found guilty, the league is sticking by its policy to wait until the appeal process has been heard before making any decision on a possible suspension.
“The hardy matter is under review,” league spokesman greg a iello said. “The case has not been resolved by the court.”
san Jose police are still actively investigating the aug. 31 incident involving the 6-foot3, 290-pound mcdonald and detectives will turn over findings to the santa clara district attorney’s office for review, sgt. heather randol, a police spokeswoman said wednesday. mcdonald is scheduled to appear in court on sept. 15.
Though hardy has appealed his conviction, the panthers don’t have to wait for the nFl to take action. They have the option to bench hardy — or release him.
The ravens did not take action, opting to wait for an nFl ruling, though they now say they let their fans down. w hen asked wednesday if the panthers made the right decision allowing hardy to play, coach ron rivera replied, “we are going through the process and while we’re in the process we’re not going to comment about the situation.
“it’s a very tragic situation that is going on and we’re going from there,” rivera said of the rice case. “i have a tremendous amount of empathy and respect for the people who are in this situation. it’s very difficult.” rivera said hardy did not practice because he was given a “personal day” wednesday. hardy used the time to meet with his attorney. chris Fialko confirmed in an email that he met with his client but wouldn’t elaborate on the specifics of the meeting.
l ittle’s success in goal for the i rish this year is not surprising, considering the impact she made in her freshman campaign.
before the Tulsa, okla., native came to notre dame, no goalkeeper had started more than 20 games for the i rish since the 2010 ncaa title squad. c ompeting for the starting spot against a sophomore and two juniors, l ittle impressed then-coach r andy waldrum enough to earn the opening-match start against i llinois. From there on out, l ittle has become one of notre dame’s most reliable players, logging over 2,000 minutes in the net and allowing .89 goals per game. she allowed only two goals in the ncaa tournament, both of which came off penalty kicks.
at the season’s end, l ittle was voted most valuable freshman on the team, ahead of midfielder morgan a ndrews, who led the team in goals and was named acc freshman of the year.
“That meant a lot to me,” l ittle said. “it was very humbling and a very proud moment knowing that my teammates
thought that much of me to vote for me to win that award.”
l ittle was the first freshman since 2010 to start every single match, and only the third freshman goalkeeper to do so in program history. w hile waldrum departed in the offseason and new coach Theresa romagnolo arrived in the spring, l ittle remained notre dame’s go-to option in goal. a fter sitting out the exhibition season, she returned to the starting role and allowed one goal over the first two games of the year, winning both matches. The sole goal she surrendered came on a corner kick from i llinois in the 22nd minute of the game.
The i rish, however, stumbled during the notre dame i nvitational on aug. 29, after taking an early lead against no. 7 Texas Tech only to surrender two second-half goals within 25 seconds of each other. l ittle struggled on both scores, with one of the shots glancing off her glove into the net. a fter the loss, l ittle did not play in the team’s 2-1 loss to usc two days later.
“a fter the weekend we had, especially losing to [Texas] Tech that way and then usc , we just came back with the mentality of representing the name across our chests
[in] everything we do, the big things [and] the little things,” l ittle said. “ we really pounded that mindset in the next week.” l ittle and the i rish bounced back when they traveled to s anta c lara, c alif., to take on the no. 24 broncos. The notre dame defense blanketed s anta c lara, allowing just one shot on goal, which l ittle saved, while the offense produced two goals for the 2-0 win.
“i knew that if i made a mistake, my back line and my team had my back and i had theirs’,” l ittle said.
l ittle also benefits from a veteran defensive line that includes senior s ammy s cofield and junior captain Katie naughton, she said. still, as the season goes on, l ittle said she wants to develop as a defensive leader in her own right.
“There are moments when i think i am somewhat of a leader,” l ittle said. “but you can always grow and become a better leader, obviously. ... The team goal is to win the national championship and my goal is to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
l ittle and notre dame take the pitch at a lumni stadium on Friday to face baylor at 7 p.m.
Contact Greg Hadley at ghadley@nd.edu
Belles to run Calvin Knight
By ALEX CARSON sports writer
a fter a second-place finish at the w abash h okum Karem on a ug. 30, the b elles will head to their second meet of the season s aturday in g rand r apids, m ich. to compete in the 27-team c alvin Knight i nvitational.
The Knight i nvitational — hosted by c alvin, a fellow miaa school — is the only five-kilometer race of the season for s aint m ary’s, and b elles coach Jackie b auters said she is eager for the opponents her team will go up against this weekend.
“ w e are really looking forward to racing at c alvin this weekend,” b auters said. “ i t should be a great opportunity for the team to race against some great competition.”
i n addition to c alvin, the b elles will face conference rival a lma, as well as regionally-ranked squads in c ase w estern and d e p auw.
a t the w abash h okum Karem nearly two weeks ago — a six-mile relay race in which teams of two runners alternate “legs” — s aint m ary’s was led by sophomore b rittany b eeler and freshman r eilly p ieri. The pair put in a time of 36:54.6 while the b elles also got scoring contributions from the pairs of freshmen n atalie h awks and c aitlin b lum and juniors a llie d anhof and Katelyn d unn, who finished in 10th and 11th place respectively. h owever, b auters said the race was more of an opportunity for her team to get ready for the rest of the year.
“ w e really use the h okum Karem as a fun, low-pressure season opener to get back in the racing mindset,” b auters said. w hen the b elles travel north this weekend, they will be running at the same course where the miaa conference championships will be held n ov. 1. That
race, like every other race the b elles will run after the Knight i nvitational, will be six kilometers long and b auters anticipates seeing how her group of runners performs on the course.
“ w e have a very large pack and i ’m interested to see how they work together as well as how we can maximize this pack as the season progresses,” b auters said.
a nd not only is the course the same one the b elles will be running seven weeks later, but the weather might prove to be similar — s aturday’s forecast calls for a temperature in the mid-50s when the gun sounds at 10:45 a.m. — and b auters thinks that her runners can post solid times in the conditions.
“ i t’s looking to be a nice fall day, so i hope to see some great results,” b auters said.
Contact Alex Carson at acarson@nd.edu
EMILY McCONVILLE | The Observer Irish sophomore midfielder Morgan Andrews chases down the ball in Notre Dame’s 2-1 loss to Texas Tech on Aug. 29 at Alumni Stadium.
smC Cross Country
WEI LIN | The Observer
Irish junior Alex Lawson sets up to hit a shot in Notre Dame’s match against Valparaiso on April 13. The Irish won the match, 6-1.
Football
con T inued F rom page 16
“[i] went through a lot of growing pains and struggles [as a freshman],” clausen said. “we weren’t very good. my freshman year there, we were just grinding away and everyone said if it doesn’t kill you it only makes you better.
“The next year it got better.”
clausen started all 13 games in 2008 and threw for 3,172 yards and 25 touchdowns, as notre dame finished 7-6. The irish had “a heckuva team” in 2009, clausen said, but stumbled to a 6-6 mark.
“we just couldn’t pull off a few of those wins,” he added.
after forgoing his senior season in south bend, the panthers nabbed clausen with the 48th overall selection in the 2010 nFl draft. clausen earned his first career start in week Three against Tampa bay and took the first snap in nine of the remaining games.
“my rookie year felt the exact same as my freshman year at notre dame, being out there, getting thrown out there, myself not being great and being a little banged up, it was just tough,” clausen said.
after not playing in 2011 and 2012 as cam newton grabbed hold of the starting job in carolina, clausen tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder in the 2013 preseason finale.
“i was just rehabbing and just waiting to get another opportunity,” clausen said of this past offseason.
m tennis
improve isn’t something he’s worried about, s achire said.
“ w hile we are extremely proud of the results and ranking that we attained last year, those are not our main focus,” s achire said. “ o ur main focus always centers around each individual player improving every day and ultimately developing into the best player that he can be. There are multiple aspects of each of our players’ games that can continue to get better, so it’s not very difficult to motivate our guys on a daily basis when their focus is in the proper area.”
l ast season, the team was led by senior g reg a ndrews who finished his final year ranked 25th in the country in singles. This year, the plan for the team is to come together throughout the season, s achire said.
h e said that the most important thing for his team to remember is that all members of the team are accountable for one another on the court and in practice.
“ o ne of the really, really fun things to see as a coach is how different players assume different roles on the team from year to year,” s achire said. “ d espite graduating three great seniors,
“it was kind of frustrating not getting more calls early on. but patience is a virtue.”
in filling some of the passing time, clausen returned to notre dame in november and spent roughly a month finishing his degree.
“it was kinda freezing when i was out there,” clausen said with a laugh. “but i promised my parents that i would go back there. it meant a lot to me, and i know it meant a lot to the notre dame people.”
six months later, the bears signed clausen. now, he takes his second chance in stride, returning to a backup role as a veteran.
“i think going through what i went through at notre dame helped me throughout my nFl career so far,” clausen said.
“Just growing through age, growing through good times, bad times,” clausen said, when asked how he’s grown as a person. “you’re gonna grow up coming into notre dame being an 18-, 19-year old kid, trying to go in there and compete as a true freshman.
“coming out of high school, i didn’t lose a game, so it was tough on me going through that first year as a freshman losing games like we did.
“but just to overcome adversity. That freshman year at notre dame really helped me my rookie year and the past four years that i’ve been in the league.”
Contact Mike Monaco at jmonaco@nd.edu
including g reg a ndrews who was such a dominant force in our program, we return seven talented guys who have all started over 20 matches during their careers at n otre d ame. This experience will undoubtedly serve us well, and i expect the leadership of the team to emerge from this pack of players. w hile we probably won’t have one dominant leader, like g reg was last year, i expect that
void to be filled by multiple players and enable us to have great continuity throughout our team.”
Contact Manny De Jesus at mdejesus@nd.edu
For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: ryan phillippe, 39; colin Firth, 53; amy irving, 60; Joe perry, 63.
Happy Birthday: you have more options than you realize. expand your interests and take on extra responsibilities that will allow you to add to your resume. look at the big picture and don’t be afraid to express your ideas and to offer your expertise. establish your position aggressively, pursue your goals, and work diligently to stabilize your personal, financial and professional future. your numbers are 4, 11, 15, 26, 34, 40, 47.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): what you want and what you need are not the same. don’t allow anyone to guilt you into spending to prove your love or dedication. speak up for your rights and begin making travel plans.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): love problems are likely to arise due to a situation being blown out of proportion. if someone begins to overreact, you are best to lay out the facts in a diplomatic manner and carry on with your day. avoid hasty decisions and arguments.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): home, friends and socializing will all lead to an interesting revelation regarding someone you find inspiring. a work relationship based on a creative connection will bring about a chance to try something new. love and romance will bring you happiness.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): say less and do more. you may be torn between what someone wants and what you can afford to do. put greater emphasis on bringing a unique and interesting alternative to an opportunity that can alter your life or a friendship.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): an emotional challenge must not be allowed to take over. call in favors or schedule your time so that you can take care of situations as they arise. don’t leave anything to chance. use your imagination and skills to find solutions.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): check in with people you have worked with in the past. a new development will create an opportunity that interests you. partnerships formed now will be unique. get what’s being offered in writing. security should be your first concern.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): welcome change and turn each new adventure into an interesting prospect. mix and match the past and present plans to come up with the perfect set of circumstances. don’t fold under pressure or give away too much. equality should be your goal.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): be receptive to different philosophies and ways of doing things. your ability to mix the old with the new, coupled with your uniqueness and vivid imagination to offer something special, will be well received.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The information you pick up while participating in a cause will help you meet people willing to include you in a money-making plan. your financial intake, as well as your living conditions, can improve.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): don’t take on any personal debt or meddle in emotional situations that can cost you a good friendship. listen, but don’t voice your opinion or take sides. you would be wise to mind your own business and focus on your responsibilities.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): a change in the way you earn your living or what you learn that will ensure a bright future is apparent. believe in your ability to excel at whatever task you are given and you will make a noteworthy impression.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): you will pick up unusual ideas if you get involved in functions related to work or a plan you want to pursue. you will find a solution to a financial slowdown that will get you back in the game.
Birthday Baby: you are compassionate, courageous and insightful. you strive for peace and equality.
Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.
Inc. All Rights Reserved. Find us on
the above cartoon. THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk
KnureK
With second chance, Clausen aims to start
Former Irish quarterback returns to the Midwest as the backup for the Bears
By MIKE MONACO s enior sports writer
The bright spotlights have shined down on Jimmy clausen for years.
From the undefeated days at oaks christian high school in california to three seasons as the starting quarterback at notre dame to a starting role as a rookie with the carolina panthers, clausen was as recognizable a young quarterback as any from 2005 to 2010.
The blonde-haired, california native graced the glossy pages of sports illustrated as a high-school junior, dubbed “The Kid with the golden arm” and considered a possible “once-in-a-generation talent.”
but now, more than 1,300 days removed from his last regular-season appearance, the former irish quarterback finds himself out of the spotlight, positioned on the chicago bears sideline, backing up quarterback Jay cutler. Though he’s away from the national gleam, clausen knows his helmet is within reach.
“you can say it’s easier [not being
the center of attention], but obviously i want to be a starter in this league,” clausen said recently by phone after stepping off the practice field.
in early June, the bears signed clausen, a former second-round pick who started 10 games for the panthers in 2010 but did not play over the next three seasons. clausen’s four-year rookie contract expired at the end of the 2013 season, and the bears scooped him up over the summer, providing the 26year old a second chance.
“it means a lot,” clausen said of his opportunity. “For [chicago head] coach [marc] Trestman and [chicago general manager] phil emery to give me an opportunity here, just to come in and compete, that’s all i can ask for. i just had to go out each and every day and make the most of it and whatever happens in the end, happens.”
what clausen wants to happen, of course, is to get another crack as a starting quarterback. he beat out Jordan palmer for the backup job in chicago, but cutler is entrenched with the bears and just began his sixth consecutive season atop the depth chart. still, clausen said he
prepares each day as if he’s the starter.
“i’ve had to go out each and every day and act like i am the starter because you’re one play away,” he said. “it’s actually tough in some circumstances because you don’t get to have all the reps the starter does get, so you have to be in it mentally each and every day and just take mental reps and take some extra throws after practice to get the reps in.”
clausen’s current situation now is quite different to what he experienced in his initial stops in south bend and charlotte, n c., respectively. The no. 2 overall player in the nation in the class of 2007, per 247sports’ composite rankings, clausen enrolled early at notre dame, joining the irish for the spring 2007 semester. after dealing with offseason elbow surgery, he started the second game of the season against penn state, marking the earliest in a season an irish freshman quarterback had started since 1972 (when freshmen regained their eligibility). clausen notched nine starts in 2007, but the irish finished just 3-9.
l ittle stands her ground between the posts sachire seeks national titles
By GREG HADLEY
a ssociate sports e ditor
a s the minutes dragged by and n o. 4 s tanford did not score, n otre d ame sophomore goalkeeper Kaela l ittle felt no pressure. w hen regulation time ran out, overtime began and the n o. 19 i rish could not manage any offense, l ittle still did not cave. a second overtime came and went, and still l ittle held on. w hen it was all said and done, n otre d ame (3-2-1) tied the c ardinal (4-0-1), 0-0, to cap off a two-game unbeaten road trip in c alifornia. i t was the first time s tanford has been shut-out all season and l ittle’s third clean sheet of the year. s he set a season high in saves, with six, and weathered 14 shots over 110 minutes of play.
“[ w hen] you’ve gone 90 minutes without giving up a goal, 20 extra minutes ... comparatively, isn’t that much,” l ittle said. “ g oing into overtime, our mindset was that the defense is happy with a tie and the offense, we’re going for the win. i n the end we got our result.”
By MANNY DE JESUS sports writer
a s n otre d ame prepares for its first contests of the season, second-year head coach r yan s achire is readying for another run towards the national championship. l ast season, the Fighting i rish finished 13th in the nation during s achire’s first season, which marks the program’s highest finish in the past two decades. b efore coming to n otre d ame, s achire helped coach the b aylor b ears to a semifinals appearance in the 2005 national championship. d uring his time as an assistant coach, the i rish reached two straight ncaa n ational c hampionships in 2008 and 2009. n ow as head coach, s achire said that the expectations for this year’s team are higher than ever.
“The expectations for our players and for our program this year are
extremely high,” s achire said. “ w e are confident that we can play and win at an elite national level, if we approach the year with the right perspective. o ur main message to our players consistently focuses on maximizing each day and getting the absolute most out of everything that we do. o ur goal as a group is to improve more than any other team in the country, and to do that our players know they have to be locked in on getting better every single day.”
s achire said he has also stressed the importance of growing as an individual player before trying to create a strong team chemistry. a s a former dominant player at n otre d ame himself, s achire said that when his players get on the court, they compete as individuals with the goal of the team in the back of their minds. m otivating the players to continue to
nd Women’s soCCer
men’s tennIs
EMILY McCONVILLE | The Observer Irish sophomore goalkeeper Kaela Little rolls the ball out to her teammate in Notre Dame’s 2-1 loss to Texas Tech on Aug. 29. see w soccer paGe 14 see m Tennis paGe 14
Observer File Photo
Former Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen, pictured on the Oct. 15, 2009 Insider cover of The Observer, is now the backup for the Bears.
