PDF Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, January 23, 2013

‘Thinking outwards’

Graduates find Notre Dame degree informs careers in nation’s capital

By MEGAN DOYLE managing e ditor

washingTon — The night before indiana sen. Joe donnelly, then a member of the house of representatives, was set to cast a

ballot on the a ffordable care act in 2010, he received a phone call from one of his constituents.

The voice on the other end of the line was university president emeritus Fr. Theodore hesburgh, and he wanted to

advise donnelly on health care reform, the senator’s communications director elizabeth shappell said in an email Tuesday. but hesburgh didn’t tell donnelly, a 1977 alumnus and a

1981 graduate of the law school, how to vote.

“Fr. Ted simply told then-congressman donnelly to vote his conscience,” shappell said.

observer selects next top editor

Observer Staff Report

The observer general board elected associate sports editor a ndrew gastelum as the 2013-14 editor-in-chief on Tuesday. a native of los a ngeles, gastelum is a junior Film,

Television and Theatre and romance languages double major with a minor in Journalism, ethics and democracy.

By MADDIE DALY news writer

‘Leadership the FBI way’ Fair highlights service groups

w ith a resumé boasting high-profile casework at the F bi , service at the united s tates c onference of c atholic b ishops and risk assessment at d isney, d r. k athleen mc c hesney’s career has been anything but boring.

mc c hesney, the third woman recruited into the F bi and former third-ranking executive, offered experiential advice on leadership in the second lecture of the p rovost’s d istinguished women’s l ecture series entitled “The p rivilege to s erve: l eadership the F bi way” on Tuesday.

mc c hesney said it takes a certain type of person to develop into an exceptional leader.

“Two of the most important qualities of leadership deal with people and challenges,”

mc c hesney said. “a leader has to like people, i mean really like people, to work with them, serve them, do things for them and genuinely enjoy their company.”

however, mc c hesney said leaders cannot always expect the respect and friendliness to be returned.

“a s a leader you’re going to

make decisions that people don’t like,” mc c hesney said. “ you want people to respect you, and if they like you that’s a bonus.” d espite the hierarchical nature of the F bi , every member is required to be both a leader and a team player, she

By CHARITHA ISANAKA news writer

students hoping to reach out and address issues in the south bend and surrounding areas will have the opportunity wednesday, when the center for social concerns (csc) will host its annual social concerns Fair.

The fair will provide students a chance for direct interface with local volunteer groups, said a nnie cahill kelly, director of community partnerships and service learning at the csc

“This will provide students the opportunity to meet directly with local community organizations and student clubs that have a focus in the south bend community,” kelly said.

There will be 30 local nonprofit organizations represented at the fair including the center for the homeless, girl

scouts of northern indianamichiana and the robinson community learning center. eleven student groups will also be present, including mentorship program Teamwork for Tomorrow, a merican red cross club of notre dame and circle k kelly said the annual event has consistently brought in an impressive showing from the student body.

“This will the 14th fair that i have done and over the years it has been great,” kelly said. “it’s great to see students who know they want to be involved in the community come through and make those connections. “ michelle peters, who works with community outreach at st. Joseph regional medical center, said the variety of organizations

Policies

Question of the Day:

Beatrice Brenner sophomore mcglinn hall

“perfect circle.”

Delaney Pfister sophomore mcglinn hall

“e xistentialism.”

DJ Boyce sophomore o’neill hall

“wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man.”

Elisa Rantanen senior ryan hall

“something in color.”

Jimy Encomendero graduate student off campus “giraffe.”

John Rieth junior Fisher hall “saxophone.”

Today’s Staff

Corrections

The observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. we do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. i f we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.

p.m. Catholic Mass.

Sunday

Film: Newsies (1994) DeBartolo Performing Arts Center

2:00 p.m.- 4:05 p.m Inspired hit musical.

Vespers Concert Basilica of the Sacred Heart

7:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Women’s Liturgical Choir.

washington

donnelly cast his ballot in favor of the legislation that next day.

hundreds of thousands congregated on the national mall on monday to watch president barack obama swear his oath of office and begin a second term as a merica’s commander in chief. now, as the tourists leave, those who work in and around the federal government remain to walk the halls of the w hite house, the floors of the house and senate and the streets of the nation’s capital.

a mong them are a number of notre dame graduates who have chosen to pursue careers in public service at the federal level. Their presence in the capital and government is one that reflects the call of a notre dame degree — a call to devote one’s life to serving others.

donnelly began his career on capitol hill in 2006 in the house of representatives. as he builds relationships with other legislators, he said there is a certain respect associated with his notre dame education.

“primarily so much of what we do here is based on the relationships you have with one another,” donnelly told The observer in an interview. “w hen you work with other legislators, your word is your bond. so those are the kinds of things that when people look at you, they say, ‘can i count on them to be great partners in this? will they work hard to make sure it all works?’ a nd notre dame teaches you all those things.”

a government undergraduate and a law school graduate at notre dame, donnelly lost his first race for the house in 2004. he was successful in 2006 and began his career in washington, a city he said he had only visited a handful of times before on school trips with his children.

w hen donnelly was a student at notre dame in 1976, republican sen. dick lugar was elected to his seat to represent indiana. Thirty-six years later, donnelly is succeeding lugar, stepping into the senator’s highly contested seat as a democrat.

“The reason i ran was i thought that by doing it, i could make a difference for our country, and that’s what we’re taught at notre dame, is to try to make a difference,” he said. “a nd that’s what i try to do.”

donnelly began his term in the senate as fiscal cliff

negotiations rattled capitol hill. his background at notre dame has prompted him to again approach the country’s woes with his conscience, just as hesburgh recommended to him years ago.

“in regard to fiscal issues, part of the approach i have is that we have a moral obligation to my children, to the grandchildren we may have someday, to the younger people in this country that we should not be permitted to burden you with debt that we’ve run up,” donnelly said. “This is a moral issue. … This is intergenerational theft if we don’t do this right.”

in the whirlwind of the new term, donnelly is finally almost done with the process of setting up his office in the basement of the russell senate office building. he joked that his office has always been a “way station” for notre dame students and graduates away from south bend.

a mong them is 2008 alumna elizabeth shappell, who was once student body president and played flag football with donnelly’s daughter. she now runs media communications for his office.

shappell said the student interns and other workers that enter their office from notre dame bring a certain level of energy and leadership. They are often required to spend hours taking calls from the senator’s constituents, answering their questions and passing their needs to his staff.

“They bring not only a fantastic work ethic and a high intelligence level and the capacity to get work done in a very efficient way, but a great attitude and a high intelligence level that you know they’re in it for the right reasons,” she said.

These volunteers often move farther in politics and join the ranks of others from notre dame in government, donnelly said. a nd those ranks include some important names. Four graduates were elected to the house in november — democrat peter visclosky in indiana and republicans peter k ing in new york, michael kelly and keith rothfus in pennsylvania. 1993 graduate rob nabors works as w hite house director of legislative affairs and is obama’s chief congressional liaison.

These names, the high-profile elected officials and government members, are not the only notre dame names in washington. but they are the tip of a legacy notre dame is paving for itself among

a merican leadership, bringing the values of one dome to another.

John sturm has a firm handshake and a knack for storytelling. he should — he was the manager of the notre dame student radio stations when he was an undergraduate in 1969 and a member of the blue circle honors society, a service club comprised of student leaders across campus.

sturm has been in washington for years and did work in government as a lawyer for the Federal communications commission briefly after he graduated law school at indiana university. but he spent the majority of his career with the newspaper association of a merica (naa), serving as its president for 16 years and lobbying congress on behalf of the newspaper industry until he retired in 2012.

he is now the associate vice president of federal and washington relations at the university, a new position created this past summer. sturm, a registered lobbyist, represents notre dame’s interests in washington by trying to share with elected officials that the school is “so much more than saturday afternoons.”

“The great thing about working with the government, around the government, is the chance to have an affect on public policy,” sturm said. “The most important thing is to represent the interest of your client or your employer to the best of your ability.”

w hile he is not a politician by trade, sturm “works the hill” to help find grants and funding through for university research through the national science Foundation, the department of defense and other agencies. he is also active on other higher education issues and policies in student aid, tax policies related

to charitable deductions to the university and other legislative debates that affect notre dame.

“w hen you represent notre dame, it’s a marvelous opportunity to present to the elected officials what notre dame really stands for, the notion of doing good as well as providing a great education and great research activities and efforts.”

sturm said hesburgh offered “a voice of moderation and good sense,” as well as an example for notre dame graduates who become involved in any kind of political or government work in washington.

“The old line was, ‘Fr. hesburgh is everywhere except notre dame,’” he said. “That’s not a criticism. it’s just that he was very busy here in washington and a lot of other places around the world because he was … not only notre dame’s president but an ambassador for the catholic faith, for the university, and the best known cleric there was in public service.”

“it’s thinking outwards instead of inwards,” he said.

condoleezza rice never wanted to be in politics. she wanted to be a pianist.

“i started my undergraduate years as a piano major but soon realized that i was good but not quite good enough for a concert career,” she told The observer in an email interview. “i decided to change my major and wandered into a course at the university of denver on international politics taught by Josef korbel, who was [former secretary of state] madeleine a lbright’s father. Through dr. korbel, i found my passion for the soviet union and my life’s work.”

w hen she graduated from denver in 1974, rice traveled to notre dame to pursue a graduate

degree. her experience in south bend was key to cementing her growing love of international issues, she said.

“i decided to do my master’s degree at notre dame because the university had a very strong reputation in soviet studies, economics and international politics,” she said. “it was the perfect combination for me.”

even for a woman who would later serve as a secretary of state, the idea of settling in a new and unfamiliar place was daunting to rice.

“i landed very late at the airport and was frankly a little unnerved,” she said. “it was my first time away from home. Then, driving into campus, i saw the golden dome and, from that moment on, i knew that i was in the right place.”

as a student in the 1970s, rice came to notre dame as the university began to integrate women into its campus. Female graduate students at the time lived in lewis hall with the sisters of the holy cross — the dorm doubled as a convent and a residence hall.

“i also remember something rather silly,” she said. “The women’s dorms had laundry facilities in the basement. The men had their laundry picked up and done each week. at the time, i don’t remember wanting to comment on it but i certainly would have now.”

despite the challenges of integration, rice said the university made “rapid progress” toward successful coeducation.

“i’ve been particularly impressed at the extraordinary success of women’s athletics — basketball, soccer and other sports,” rice said. “i cheer loudly for both the sons and daughters

e ditor

a resident of morrissey manor, gastelum has led several sports beats, including football, men’s basketball, baseball and women’s soccer.

“i’m humbled by this truly incredible opportunity to lead The observer,” gastelum said. “it’s exciting to take on this challenge and put my best effort into it.”

gastelum became associate sports editor in the spring of 2012 and helped lead coverage of notre dame football’s run to the national championship. he has also covered notre dame men’s basketball and baseball.

“a ndrew has done an exceptional job as a leader in the sports department, especially in working individually with writers to help them improve,” outgoing editor-in-chief a llan Joseph said. “i’ve really enjoyed working with a ndrew for the past three years, and i’m excited to see how he uses his passion to take The observer to new heights in the next year.” gastelum said he looks forward to continue learning from his experience at The observer.

“There is always something special you can learn from your experiences and the people around you,” he said. “i’m absolutely thrilled to do that and continue the vision of this great organization.”

gastelum will take over as editor-in-chief on march 4.

SMC club prepares for fundraiser

By CAILIN CROWE news writer

The saint mary’s dance marathon committee remains hard at work planning for the event, a student-led fundraiser benefitting the r iley hospital for children scheduled for march 23.

a s the event nears, l iz k raig, executive chair of corporate sponsorship, is focused on increasing participation and donations.

“my goals for our time before the marathon are to encourage dancer registration and expose the marathon to as many local corporate sponsors as possible,” k raig said.

w hile there are numerous existing relationships with local businesses, k raig said she hopes to both build on those in place and to draw in new

sponsorship.

“we have a strong support system with our local corporate sponsors,” she said. “i would love to see our valued relationships continue to grow. i am excited to reach out to the new

“Dance Marathon is unique in that it is a studentrun organization that benefits something bigger than ourselves.”

Amy Tiberi president Dance Marathon

businesses and corporate supporters in the next few months.”

buffalo wild wings, one of the existing sponsors, will be

hosting a fundraising event wednesday night. salon rouge, another local business offering assistance, will be hosting a salon night at the college on Jan. 31, the night before the a ll school Formal.

in hopes of garnering donations from as many participants as possible, the dance marathon team is running a “Zero Zeros” campaign, which encourages each dancer to raise at least one dollar.

dance marathon president a my Tiberi said she was pleased with the organization’s diverse fundraising efforts.

“we fundraise online, with “give back” nights, through the letter-writing campaign, corporate sponsorships, merchandise sales, personal donations and events,” she said. “we have tried our luck at basically every type of fundraising you can think of.”

k raig attributes the success of the fundraising to the efforts of her fellow planners.

“i love being a part of the dance marathon team. it is fun to plan awareness and fundraising events,” she said. “dance marathon is unique in that it is a student-run organization that benefits something bigger than ourselves.”

getting out into the community and building relationships with sponsors and beneficiaries alike adds to the fulfillment, she said.

“having the opportunity to visit r iley hospital for children and create relationships with local families and fellow belles makes it one of my favorite organizations to be involved in at saint mary’s.”

Contact Cailin Crowe at ccrowe01@saintmarys.edu

represented gives students the chance to explore their different service interests.

“it is a great event, allowing agencies to highlight their organizations and opportunities while allowing the students the chance to match those with their career and/or personal goals,” peters said. “i look forward to the fair each year.”

The event is open to all students, staff and faculty of the notre dame, saint mary’s and holy cross college communities.

“we hope everyone feels a sense of invitation even if they haven’t been engaged in the south bend community so far,” kelly said. “we hope for students to come to have conversations and to learn more, second semester seniors and freshmen [alike].”

The fair will be held in geddes hall beginning at 6 p.m. wednesday.

Contact Charitha Isanaka at cisanaka@nd.edu

of 2008

alumna Elizabeth Shappell, communications director for Senator Donnelly’s office, praised their Notre Dame interns.

washington

of notre dame.”

rice graduated from notre dame in 1975 and then pursued a doctoral degree from the university of denver’s graduate school of international studies. she taught political science at stanford university, and her work eventually brought her to washington.

in 1989, she became director of soviet and east european affairs with the national security council, later serving in a number of advisory positions for both president george h w bush and president george w bush, including national security advisor. she became the first woman appointed as secretary of state in 2004, and she served from January 2005 to 2009.

rice, who has returned to her teaching post at stanford, said her notre dame education

has continued to stay with her throughout her work in government.

“The further i have progressed in my career, the more opportunity i have had to champion causes and shed light on humanitarian issues,” she said.

“This sense of duty comes from numerous points in my life, one being that notre dame stressed the importance of religious integrity and the philanthropic spirit.”

like other notre dame graduates, rice cited hesburgh, who was university president while she was a student, as an example for her work in international affairs. hesburgh himself championed humanitarian issues on an international level and served on numerous government committees.

“Father hesburgh encouraged us to think about those who were less fortunate,” she said. “in fact, we had a day of

paid a dverT isemen T

fasting and donated the money to good causes. This experience reminded me to think not just about high politics but about the good that can be done if we are focused not on ourselves but on those who are truly in need.”

Junior wendy hatch is not yet a graduate of the university, but she too is in washington right now. she is a student in the washington program, a semester-long experience working, studying and living in washington d c. The alternative study abroad program is designed for students with an interest in politics or journalism. hatch, a political science and chinese double major, wants to work in international politics. she stood in the crowd in front of the capitol on monday, watching from a distance as the president swore his oath of office.

she was far from the capitol steps, and a tree blocked her view of the nearest big-screen T v but she, like many notre dame students before her, could still see something meaningful in washington — a future.

“in four years, we could be one of those people sitting in one of those chairs … next to president obama,” hatch said after the ceremony. “we could be senators, representatives, in congress, in someone’s cabinet. we’re smart, we’re capable.

“if we wanted that position, if we wanted to be that person, we could be.”

Contact Megan Doyle at mdoyle11@nd.edu

said.

“e veryone in the F bi is expected to be a leader at one time or another, even if you don’t have the formal title,”

mc c hesney said. “The people we hire are mission-oriented, so it is very easy to get them to step up and volunteer for cases that might not be all that attractive.”

mc c hesney used two very well-known cases to highlight examples of exceptional leaders.

mc c hesney first referenced s pecial i nvestigator b ob walsh’s handling of the infamous unabomber case, when h arvard graduate Ted k aczynski mailed bombs across the country in an increasingly sophisticated plot.

“[ walsh] was a very innovative leader. h e always believed the case was going to be solved even when others didn’t,” she said. “he continued to search outside the box and look for new resources and additional sources.”

mc c hesney recalls being contacted by walsh while living in l os a ngeles, when he requested her assistance on the case. w hile she was too busy with her own cases to dedicate resources away, what walsh did next solidified his superior sense of initiative and captured mc c hesney’s attention.

“b ob brought everyone to s an Francisco and had a specialist come to brief us on the latest news from the case,” mc c hesney said. “b ecause he took the time to inform us and get us involved, the next time he called me for resources he got them right away.”

“ i n 1995, [ k aczynski] wrote a 35,000-word manifesto and sent it to the n ew york Times, threatening to continue mailing bombs if they failed to publish it,” m c c hesney said.

“ it was the F bi ’s decision to ask the n ew york Times to publish it because we felt that, from a law enforcement standpoint, it was the best and smartest thing to do. it was a big risk for the Times but eventually ended the case. it was a long-term case

so it was hard to maintain focus, but that’s the job of leader and that’s exactly what b ob did.”

w hile walsh displayed leadership over a long period of time with his unabomber case, the next case’s leader, s pecial a gent s heila horan, exhibited composure under pressure following the bombing of the u. s . e mbassy in k enya and Tanzania. horan immediately deployed over 900 agents to a frica, the largest deployment of agency personnel up to that point.

m c c hesney said h oran’s team was quickly able to identify the bomb conspirators as four a l Qaida members. s he attributed h oran’s success to her preparedness and established relationship network.

“it is very important to establish your liaison with people you think you’ll have to work with in crisis situations early on so you’ll know each other and trust each other,” mc c hesney said. “ s heila immediately began those relationships and was very respectful to people like the ambassador and president of k enya.”

mc c hesney said horan faced substantial challenges as not only an a merican, but a woman, operating on mission in the a frican nation.

“ s heila had to designate jobs having to do with health and safety, welfare, culture,” mc c hesney said. “ s he had to learn what things you could and could not do as a woman or foreigner in a frica, make sure everyone knew certain hand signals that would be insulting — there was a lot of training on the fly.”

d espite the stress and challenges of leadership, mc c hesney told the audience it was a gift she hoped many of its members would experience.

“ w hen you find things you’re passionate about and somebody pays you to do that, that’s a great privilege, and i wish that for all of you,” she said.

Contact Maddie Daly at mdaly6@nd.edu

snow day? please?

dear notre dame administration:

it’s freezing.

in fact, it’s below freezing and that’s pretty much all i’ve heard in the past 24 hours. it doesn’t help the psyche to have wind whipping tiny flecks of ice into your face as i’m sure you understand because you may also find yourself walking through the wind tunnel that is south Quad.

we as a student body have been driven into floor-length parkas, face mask-style scarves and hats pulled down below our eyebrows. and it really isn’t pretty.

The only course of action is to declare tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 24, a snow day. imagine the dangers that we students face each day as we traverse the arctic tundra on foot and in cars. even if snow does not continue to accumulate in the next day, consider this gift your repayment for not relieving us of our academic duties Tuesday.

seniors making the voyage from such far off places as irish row saw their commute time nearly tripled from five minutes to 15. visibility was poor in the early morning as light flurries sprinkled across the white sky. The streets were unpaved as late as 10 a.m. and cars were in danger of sliding out into the intersection.

if that’s not enough, walking to class yesterday i almost twisted an ankle losing my footing. would you want that on your conscience? w hat about the earache that frequently accompanies increased exposure to blistering winds? not for me. how about the persistent dry skin that comes from such an abrupt change in the weather? rude.

i feel like the student body would benefit from a long weekend spent preparing for the apparently present winter. admittedly, we procrastinated. we should have expected this, particularly if we’ve been at this school for more than one year.

but if you recall, last year’s winter was so mild that we’ve lost our midwestern edge. so instead of saying that we forgot to do our snow-prep homework, let’s just call this an extension.

instead of walking across this admittedly beautiful snow-sprinkled campus, i would much rather be curled up on a couch reading one of the many new books i’ve purchased from hammes bookstore. it would be the perfect opportunity for us to all recoup from the stresses of syllabus week and finally take the time to get our lives organized. i know the rest of the seniors would surely appreciate it.

i thank you greatly for considering my proposition and look forward to reading the email in which you cancel all of my classes for the day.

a ll the best, courtney cox

Contact Courtney Cox at ccox3@nd.edu The

I am an American

i n 2012, the united states witnessed another polarizing election in a merica. barack obama vs. m itt romney. republican vs. democrat. l eft vs. right. This particular election was the first presidential election i could place a vote in, like many other notre dame students. For this reason i paid special attention to the campaigns, the debates, the papers and the news’ commentaries leading up to the november election. w hen all the votes were in and counted, obama prevailed in the popular and electoral vote, but just barely over a romney ticket that held right in there with the incumbent president almost 50-50. l ooking at a county-by-county map of the election, romney dominated the map, which was largely red with blue spots near big city hubs. nevertheless, p resident obama renewed his title as m r. p resident on monday at the inauguration in washington d c a s an a merican, i hold a great esteem and respect for the leader of the free world, and acknowledge the blessing we have as a nation to be able to elect our own leaders.

i was not upset over the outcome of the election, even though i voted for romney, but i was troubled by something more profound. a fter seeing the results of the election, i concluded both candidates were not the right choice for a merica. a n election in which one candidate barely gets more than 50 percent of the popular vote hardly shows us which candidate the a merican people have decidedly chosen to lead them. a n election like the one in 2012 demonstrates how polarized our nation

is today, a bad predicament. it is hard for good to come out of any situation where only half of the people are satisfied and the other half is dissatisfied. This is why a merica did not need obama or romney to be its president the next 4 years. we need someone better. we deserve someone better. we need a leader who will have the convincing support of a merica. For if we are not united, we will not stand. we don’t have to look far to see the bad effects of extreme polarization in our political system. simply recall the recent debacle with the looming fiscal cliff towards the end of 2012. w hy are we so divided? w hy has every election in recent memory come down to just a few votes? part of the problem is our nation is separated into two main groups: r ight and left, democrat and republican. each group has its own ideas, precepts, beliefs and morals (or rather lack of morals).

our first, and debatably best, president, g eorge washington, led our nation in some of our most difficult years when the nation was just forming after the revolutionary war. washington warned our new nation in one of his last speeches as president of the dangers of political parties forming in the united states. washington had begun to see the effects of the Federalist party and the democratic-republican party as well as the issue of having two large powers be always fighting for control over the nation, sometimes blatantly disregarding the demands of the a merican people. it seems like over 200 years ago, our first president cautioned us of the very issue that currently plagues our political system. is it possible for our nation this far into its history to get rid of these abominable political parties that repress

a mericans from moving forward? it is very feasible, but only if we the people make it change. That is the great thing about our democracy: we make our government what we want it to be. a ny complaints about the incompetency and inabilities of congress, our judicial system or even our p residents come back to us because we as the a merican people put them there.

i agree with washington and that our political party system is holding a merica back from its true prosperity. This is why when i went to register to vote, i was disappointed i had to select to become a member of one of the mud-slinging, agenda-pushing, powerthirsting political parties. i selected no affiliation. i do not, however, consider ‘none’ to be my political identity. i f you asked me my political affiliation, i would not boast of being a republican or democrat. i would humbly tell you, “i am an a merican.” many politicians, civic leaders, community workers, volunteers and a merican citizens all proclaim this same theme: unity amidst our differences. yet still we must talk about this issue. l et us reach out to one another, to our friends, family, teachers, congressmen, senators, governors, mayors and president, and let them know we want progress and not congress.

i pray p resident obama will uphold the great values and morals of our nation as our leader as we move forward as one nation under g od, indivisible and with liberty and justice for all.

Carter Boyd is a freshman studying science-business. He can be reached at cboyd1@nd.edu

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

Shooting down bad arguments

e very time a merica experiences a mass shooting, conservatives flock to the airwaves and re-use the same old arguments against gun controls. hopefully, i can shed some light on why many of them are misguided. ( b ig thanks to e zra k lein of The washington p ost for pointing me in the direction of much of the data.)

1. Fewer mass shootings would occur if more people were armed.

The belief that having “good people” armed can prevent mass shootings has not proven true in the past. There were armed guards at c olumbine (13 killed and 21 injured), v irginia Tech had its own police department (32 killed and 17 injured) and Fort hood is a military base (13 killed and 29 injured). moreover, shootings create panic, and it may thus be difficult to for authorities to differentiate “good guys” and “bad guys,” creating an unnecessary chaos that could lead to more injuries and deaths.

2. There are many other factors that lead to gun violence, such as the prevalence of mental illness.

a ccording to the oecd, roughly the same proportion of e uropeans suffers from a mental illness as a mericans, suggesting homicides by

leTTer To The edITor

firearm would be somewhat similar. however, a merica has four times as many deaths by firearm per 100,000 people, 3.2 times as the next highest developed country, s witzerland (0.8). o ther notable e uropean countries are much lower than this. g iven the numbers, this difference cannot be explained merely by the prevalence of mental illness, but it can be explained by the prevalence of guns: a merica has nearly twice as many guns per 100 people (88) as the next highest developed country (46).

3. most mass shootings occur with guns purchased illegally.

mother Jones magazine recently compiled a list of the 61 mass shootings — shootings when four or more people are killed — since 1982. They found that the guns were purchased legally in 49 of the shootings.

4. i f someone is crazy, they will still try to hurt people regardless if they have a gun.

c an you imagine a politician saying “a l-Qaeda is a major threat to a merica, but these people will do anything to kill a mericans, so as a result it is not really worth trying to stop them because they will always find some way?” o f course not. s trangely, this argument has become acceptable when discussing gun deaths, as many people reason, ‘i f someone is determined to kill all those people, no

barrier will stop them, therefore we should not impose gun regulations.’ however, common sense gun controls can make it harder for people who should not own weapons, such as the mentally ill and criminals, limit the number of rounds a gun can get off, limit the number of guns purchased at a time and limit the type of gun one can buy. a ll can be used to deter shootings, or limit the number of fatalities in a shooting if one occurs.

6. g uns may kill, but one can use also use other objects, like a baseball bat to kill. s hould we outlaw baseball bats?

g uns are by far the most common weapons used in homicides. d epartment of Justice data reveals that between 1976 and 2005, approximately 64 percent of homicides were due to guns. b etween 1973 and 2005, guns were responsible for 92 percent of law enforcement officers killed. There are many objects, like a baseball bat, that could potentially be used to kill people. The main difference is these objects have a main purpose other than killing, while the main purpose of a gun is to kill.

7. p ublic opinion is against gun controls.

i ndeed, over time polling has shown that people are against more gun controls. a ccording to g allup in 1990, 19 percent of people wanted less strict

gun laws or laws to be kept the same while 78 percent of people wanted stricter laws. i n 2010, g allup found 54 percent of people wanted less strict gun laws or laws to be kept the same and 45 percent wanted laws to be stricter.

however, when asked about specific gun controls, people tend to favor them. a cnn poll conducted in a ugust found 96 percent of people believe a background check should be used when someone buys a gun, 57 percent support a ban on the manufacture, sale and possession of semi-automatic assault guns and 60 percent support a ban on the sale and possession of equipment known as high-capacity or extended ammunition clips.

These are just some of the responses to common anti-gun control arguments. s adly, gun rights advocates too often ignore wisdom and data and cling to ideology and preconceived notions when discussing gun policy, making it almost impossible to curb the high number of mass and solo shootings that plague this country.

Adam Newman is a senior finance major. He can be reached at anewman3@nd.edu

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

Too late for hockey seating complaints

i am a graduate student and a hockey fan, and have been to nearly every single i rish home game over the past several seasons. i wholeheartedly agree notre dame students need to form a great student section; the team is more than deserving of it. here’s the problem: you guys don’t show up. at nearly every single game, other than the marquees, the student section is nearly empty; rows upon rows with one or two people in them. it’s a pathetic lack of support for a team

that has made a name for notre dame in elite college hockey, and looks terrible to viewers watching the games on television. you write in and give excuse after excuse for reasons why you can’t go. ‘it’s a football weekend?’ There are zero home games on football saturdays. w hy not use some of your enthusiasm for the football game to cheer on your hockey team the night before or the day after?

The general public is clamoring for these tickets. a lot of the games have

been sold out for months, with people willing to pay over face value so they can get in to see this team play. a ll the while, more than half of the student section is completely empty. so now, when the university decides to sell some of those seats to people who really want to be there to support the team, the stars finally align for you to decide to go to a game and you throw a fit because someone else is in the seat you want?

i f you want to build a great student

section, get your friends together and get out there every weekend. The team is in a rough patch and could use the lift right now. g et to the games when the doors open and stake out a seat, or better yet, buy season tickets and you’ll never have to worry about getting in again. you were about three and a half months late this time.

Alanna Sedgwick graduate student off-campus

washingTon — a gathering of the Founding Fathers in 1776 would have looked a lot different than the gathering of state leaders and bystanders monday when president barack obama swore his oath of office to begin his second term. petticoats and doublets are out now, but the crowd took full advantage of its freedom of expression with its fashion choices and accessories. we’ve come a long way from the ruffles, corsets and high stockings of 1776 — i’ll never complain about that — but patriotic spirit was apparent both in the crowd’s energy and its attire.

president barack obama was technically the center of attention monday as he began his second term as our commander-in-chief on the steps of the u s capitol building. a nd while news outlets reported the details of his inaugural address and the promises he made for his next four years, many eyes glanced over his dapper but dull suit for a look at his leading lady. First

lady michelle obama stepped out into the cold morning air clad with class in a long navy checked coat designed by Thom browne, a 1988 notre dame graduate. needless to say, the FloTus was looking fine.

The president and his wife chose the more understated route when they got dressed monday morning — fine. but the real showstoppers were in the crowd, truly touting their patriotism with all manners of stars, stripes and obama gear. multimedia editor sarah o’connor and i got our first taste of what we would see through the rest of the weekend when we walked into our hotel lobby saturday afternoon. The gift shop steps from the front entrance boasted all manner of accessories and inauguration gear. shoppers could pick up a t-shirt with the president on the front or a tote bag sporting the entire obama family. a nd if that wasn’t enough, the shop sold water bottles with the First Family on the front for $2.50. The crowning glory would put a bit more of a dent in the national debt, though — a letterman jacket with

obama’s face on the back for $550. our hotel gift shop wasn’t the only vendor of inauguration day swag, however. on every corner, which was physically far away for most of the people standing on the mall during the ceremony, vendors gave attendees the option to pin obama swag on their coats and scarves. The cold, blustery day lent itself perfectly to buying a new beanie, whether it was bedazzled with an image of the president’s face or simply a knit version of the a merican flag. personal favorite: a t-shirt bearing the images of obama and dr. martin luther k ing Jr., with the caption “dream Team.” even as we laughed at what we termed “obama swag,” i couldn’t help but think about these idyllic images printed and reprinted on almost every surface imaginable across the capital. The crowd cheered and waved flags and shouted the president’s name. everyone watched as sasha and malia obama stepped out onto the capitol steps to watch their father pledge himself to the presidency yet again. one woman sitting next to me cheered more loudly

for michelle obama than anyone else, and she wondered out loud if bangs like the First lady’s would look good on her own face. inauguration day is a day to put aside the normal routine of our lives, the congressional catfights and the destructive bipartisanship. inauguration day is also a day to celebrate the successful transition of power in the united states, the structure of checks and balances in our government and the sacrifices one a merican makes to lead the country as commander-inchief. w hether or not we agree with the president’s politics, inauguration day is a day to celebrate being a merican — and for all the laughing i did at bedazzled hats and flag pants, it was a day on which i felt more connected to my country than i ever have before. a nd a merican is a style that will never go out of fashion.

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

Contact Megan Doyle at mdoyle11@nd.edu

First there was the moving printing press. Then there was the telephone, the internet and then texting. but nothing has quite revolutionized the way we communicate as snapchat has, the smartphone app that allows users to send a picture message to a friend for a designated amount of time (up to 10 seconds). a fter that time period, the picture disappears forever. ostensibly created for men like a nthony weiner, snapchat has taken the world, including notre dame’s campus, by storm. it is impossible to go a day without walking around campus and seeing someone puckering up to take a selfie, which you know inevitably will be sent as a snapchat. but not all snapchats are created equal. i have become increasingly frustrated with friends who do not follow proper (if unwritten) snapchat etiquette. The following is a list of guidelines to ensure that you snapchat like a champion today.

Time is of the essence

snapchat is called “snapchat” for a reason. nothing peeves me more than receiving a 10-second snapchat with one of my friends. it’s the iphone equivalent of trying to read “war and peace” in one sitting. i just don’t have that type of attention span to look at the same image on a screen for a full 10 seconds. if i wanted to see your ugly mug for more than six seconds, i would go onto Facebook and look at your photos from high school. keep it short and sweet, and never send a snapchat that lasts more than six seconds. it’s the appropriate amount of time that i can register on my iphone screen what i am seeing, but not too long that i get bored.

The more chins, the better Face it: you aren’t the second coming of cindy crawford. The purpose of a picture message that disappears just second after the receiver views it is to look as ugly as possible. we know you are beautiful in real life, just have a sense of humor about it and pretend like you fell off the ugly tree and hit a couple of branches hard on the way down. don’t try to look hot. if you need to play visual tricks and look better than you actually are, use instagram. otherwise, pucker up and

make that disgusting face.

you’re not the next Van Gogh a fter the classic 10-second snapchat, my next biggest beef with the app is when people start utilizing the pen tool and scribbling all over the picture they just took of themselves. Throw in the inevitable text message in the snapchat and you have visual overload. w hen you start drawing on your snapchat, you look like an over-caffeinated preschooler, not the second coming of michelangelo. stick to the classic snapchat format of ugly picture and simple text, and you have a winning combination.

send a message i hate when someone just sends me a picture of just them making a funny face. like, i know there is a reason that you appear constipated, but work with me here. That is why the text you include in your snapchat is so crucial. Things that are important in a snapchat text are wit and brevity. get short and to the point, and make me laugh. This isn’t John adams and Thomas Jefferson communicating about the state of the nation, you don’t have to be serious. i want to know about how grossly full you feel after eating a big meal or you dressed in sweatpants commenting on your netflix situation for the evening. grammar doesn’t matter. in fact, mistakes are encouraged. For instance, if you send me a photo of yourself in a gray hoodie eating a massive bowl of ice cream, an appropriate message would be “Fattie 4 lyfe!!!” it shows that you have a sense of humor and don’t take your impending obesity seriously.

This isn’t texting don’t go asking me serious, lifealtering questions like “going out tonight?” in your snapchat, because i’m not going to respond. Texting is the appropriate method to communicate about important information, snapchat is its flirty cousin. Frankly, it takes too much time and effort to consider your question, take an appropriate picture, draft a response and send it to you. Just text me.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Contact Sam Stryker at sstryke1@nd.edu

Patriots need competitive fire

The new england patriots need to be more like their wives.

a fter a 28-13 loss to the ravens in the a Fc championship, it has been eight years since the supposed dynasty of the northeast has won a super bowl. relative to other teams, this may not seem like a big deal, but when winning is your repertoire, people start to get lofty expectations and take notice of your absence at the end of the year.

don’t get me wrong, i despise the patriots as much as the next guy who hates winning teams. it is just odd the patriots have become so un-clutch ( i understand the pats made it to the a Fc championship, an impressive feat, but they haven’t looked to be the same team lately).

at home, quarterback Tom brady was 67-0 in games when he led at the half, and coach bill belichick was 72-1, including a 71-0 streak, in games when he led at half. The patriots went into halftime leading 13-7, but the ravens did not care about the statistics, and the patriots didn’t seem to care about anything in the second half.

new england’s performance was sloppy in the second half, characterized by three turnovers, a non-existent run game and inaccurate throws. w hen the ball was thrown well, there were more drops than a bad dubstep song. brady went 29for-54 with two interceptions, both in the fourth quarter. it was the first time since week two of 2009 new england failed to score two touchdowns. The pats were clean-slated.

in the end, Tom brady just sat there, doing his best “depressed rgiii” impersonation, as he watched the ravens head off to the super bowl. a nd that is what the patriots have done lately: sit there complacently, without the same fire and tenacity they used to have for winning. belichick has been searching his sleeves for some tricks, but cannot find the magic anywhere.

on the patriots’ website in the comments section, many fans were saying that the patriots

did not look like they came out to play in the second half and had a sense of entitlement (or maybe, as ravens linebacker Terrell suggs put it, arrogance). This is why i proposed the patriots need to be more like their wives.

l ast year, after wes welker dropped a pass in the super bowl that looked to be going for a touchdown — or at least a first down — Tom brady’s wife, gisele bundchen, called out the wide receiver, saying, “my husband cannot [expletive] throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. i can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times.”

This year, welker’s wife, a nna burns welker, also lashed out (and later apologized). instead of targeting brady, she went after ravens’ star linebacker ray l ewis, writing on Facebook, “proud of my husband and the pats. by the way, if anyone is bored, please go to ray l ewis’ w ikipedia page. 6 kids 4 wives. acquitted for murder. paid a family off. yay. w hat a hall of fame player! a true role model!” burns welker seems to be a bit of a sore loser after her husband’s team lost, and there is no need to attack a person’s offfield life, but why were none of the new england players fired up or angry after last year’s loss, or after this year’s loss? The patriots seem to go into games expecting to win, especially going into the second half winning, because that’s what they do and the statistics are still in their favor. instead, they should play the game with the mentality that they are the best and they will not let another team take that title away from them. i am not condoning calling out a teammate publicly or attacking another player’s personal character, but a good sense of competitiveness and fire is needed for the fans to see, and the wives of the patriots are doing a better job at it then the players themselves. Tom brady and the pats seemed to have lost the ice in their veins. maybe it’s the ugg boots.

Contact Isaac Lorton at ilorton@nd.edu

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

rockets look to regroup

Associated Press

housTon — it’s been an ugly new year so far for the houston rockets.

They snapped a seven-game losing streak with an ugly win in charlotte on monday and were finally back on their own practice floor Tuesday after playing nine of their first 12 games of 2013 on the road. w here to begin?

The rockets averaged 115.8 points during a five-game winning streak from dec. 31-Jan. 8. They’ve averaged only 94.1 points in the eight games since, and lead the league in turnovers (16.5 per game) heading into wednesday’s game against denver.

coach kevin mchale doesn’t see the offense as the rockets’ most glaring issue at the moment. houston also ranks last in points allowed (103.23 points per game), and fixing the defense is mchale’s most immediate priority.

“That’s been a concern,” mchale said. “The offense is going to come and go, we’ve missed a lot of shots during this stretch and we’ve had a lot of turnovers. but we’ve got to tighten up defensively.”

Following houston’s 117-109 loss to the l os a ngeles clippers last week, forward chandler parsons bluntly evaluated the rockets’ defense. The clippers shot 54 percent from the field and went 11-of-19 from 3-point range.

“There’s no excuse for guys just getting blown by or getting just dominated,” parsons said. “man up, play better.”

houston then dropped games at dallas, indiana and minnesota, a skid that culminated in a players-only meeting over the weekend. The rockets won in charlotte by outscoring the bobcats 26-13 in the final quarter — a glimpse of the kind of defense they need to play.

“w hen we don’t get stops, it doesn’t allow us to get out on transition, where we’re best,” parsons said. “it should start

on the defensive end, all of us, individually and collectively. Focus in on that.”

mchale said houston’s defensive improvement has to start down low. center omer a sik is having a solid first season in houston, averaging 10.3 points and 11 rebound per game. but he’s averaging only 1.1 blocks per game, and the rockets lack any shotblocking presence to scare off opponents.

“you’ve got to start off by protecting the paint,” mchale said. “The best way to protect the paint is having two 7-foot2 guys who can block shots all over the place. That’s hard to find, so the next best way is to find bodies. we’ve got to put bodies in the paint and we’ve got to keep people out, we’ve got to take away layups and we’ve got to get defensive rebounds.”

That leads to easy baskets, but those seem harder to come by lately, too.

James harden was the last rocket on the floor Tuesday, pouring in one 3-pointer after another. he’s played like the star the rockets were hoping he would be when they nabbed him from oklahoma city in a stunning trade in late october.

harden ranks fifth in scoring (25.9 points per game) and has been houston’s high scorer in

22 of 23 games. but with overall scoring down and turnovers up, the most obvious player to scrutinize is point guard Jeremy l in, who was benched and replaced by newcomer patrick beverley in the fourth quarter on monday.

l in didn’t speak to the media on Tuesday. he’s had a hotand-cold first season with the rockets after he skyrocketed to worldwide fame in new york about this time last year. he’s had his moments — 38 points in a loss to san a ntonio, 22 points and nine assists in a win over the k nicks in his return to madison square garden — but he’s also struggled in stretches, especially with his outside shot. mchale is quick to point out that l in is still only 24 and has only 68 starts in his nba career.

“Jeremy’s ok,” mchale said. “Jeremy is a young guy who’s been up and down before. w hen you’re a young fella, you have some ups and downs and that will be the case with a lot of guys. no big deal, he’s going to be fine.”

The rockets have 12 games remaining before the nba’s a llstar weekend comes to town. They seemed upbeat after Tuesday’s practice, but harden acknowledged that the young team’s confidence was damaged by the recent slide. AP

Sacramento plans to keep Kings

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson introduces his plan to keep the Kings in Sacramento during a press conference Tuesday.

Associated Press

sacramen T o, c alif. — s acramento mayor kevin Johnson had a stern warning for s eattle super s onics fans who are excited about the prospect of the nba returning to the p uget s ound next season.

“d on’t celebrate too early,” he said.

i n front of a cheering c ity hall crowd filled with fans and public officials Tuesday, Johnson introduced the first part of his four-step plan to keep the s acramento k ings in c alifornia’s capital city.

The three-time nba a ll-star turned mayor unveiled 20 local investors who have pledged at least $1 million each to be part of a group that would buy the franchise. Johnson said the major partner he hopes will anchor the last-ditch deal to keep the k ings from moving to s eattle will be revealed as soon as this week.

“ we’ve been here before,” Johnson said. “o ur backs have been against the wall. They told us it wasn’t going to happen. but each and every step along the way, as long as there is time on the clock, our community always finds a way to stand up for itself.”

unlike the last two years, s acramento is up against a group that already has signed agreements to acquire the k ings and build a new arena for the franchise.

The mayor’s announcement came a day after the maloof family announced a deal to sell the k ings to a s eattle group that includes investor c hris hansen and m icrosoft c hief e xecutive steve b allmer. The signed purchase agreement is still pending a vote by the nba b oard of g overnors.

The group will buy 65 percent of the franchise, which has a total valuation of $525

million, and move the team to s eattle and restore the super s onics name, a person familiar with the decision has said. That means the group will pay a little more than $340 million.

The person spoke to The a ssociated p ress on condition of anonymity because the deal is waiting to be approved. hansen’s group also is hoping to buy out other minority investors.

The main stipulation Johnson is counting on is that the maloofs are still allowed to receive other offers until the league approves the sale, which the mayor expects to take until at least a pril, when owners meet in new york. The deadline for teams to file for relocation for next season is march 1, though that has been extended the last two years for the k ings.

Johnson said he has spoken with more than one heavyhitting investor to back the plan and produce a “fair and competitive offer” to the nba he also said prominent s acramento-area lawyers have offered to work pro bono for the city’s cause.

“i just say to the fans in s eattle: be cautiously optimistic. b e smart. but this isn’t about our city against their city, or one mayor against another mayor,” Johnson said. “ we have something that’s ours and we want to keep it, and we’re going to do everything we can to make s acramento the final resting place of the s acramento k ings.”

The final three phases of the mayor’s “playing to w in” plan are finding the major financer to compete with the s eattle group’s offer, demonstrating the city’s commitment to a new downtown arena and showing the strength of the s acramento market. none of those crucial pieces have been announced.

finished 19-14, but her real success came in doubles with k ellner. Together, k ellner and m c g affigan went 28-8, the best doubles record for the i rish in 2012, and advanced to the second round of the ncaa tournament. m c g affigan has also been named to the b ig e ast a cademic a ll- s tar Team three years in a row.

o verall, however, m c g affigan said her greatest accomplishment is the development in the type of player she has become.

“The coaches have really helped me adapt to college tennis,” m c g affigan said. “ i think now they’ve helped me with my game so that i can adapt to whoever i ’m playing and if one thing isn’t working i can turn to another

strategy.”

w hen the season ends, so will m c g affigan’s competitive career, as she pursues a career in marketing. h owever, m c g affigan said tennis will always play a part in her life.

“ m y entire family plays tennis, as well,” m c g affigan said. “ w hen we get together we all definitely make it out to the courts to have a little fun out there.”

u ntil her career as a college tennis player is over,

m c g affigan said she is still focused on this season and on leading her team to the Final Four.

m c g affigan and the i rish are next in action s aturday when they face g eorgia Tech in l incoln, n eb., at 3 p.m.

Contact Katie Heit at kheit@nd.edu

belles train for adrian

By KIT LOUGHRAN

s ports w riter

c oming off a tough 87-63 loss to o livet last s aturday, s aint m ary’s looks to regain its footing with a win against a drian on wednesday night.

The b elles (5-13, 3-6 miaa ) fell behind quickly after an initial lead in the first half against the c omets (12-6, 7-2), who took the reins of the game with three consecutive three-pointers. d espite their efforts to gain a lead, the b elles could not find a way to dig themselves out of the hole. s aint m ary’s coach Jennifer h enley said the team can learn a lot from this loss and has room for improvement.

“ i am disappointed with our lack of rebounding against o livet,” h enley said. “ i thought our rebounding effort was lacking.”

d espite the loss and disappointment in rebounding,

several individual members of the b elles squad did experience great success on the court. Junior forward k atherine wabler earned career-high marks with 13 points, four steals and six rebounds. Freshman forward k rista k napke scored 13 points, while junior guard s hanlynn b ias and freshman guard b ernadette Jordan added eight points each for the b elles.

e ven with two straight losses, s aint m ary’s is fully prepared mentally and physically to take on a drian (4-13, 3-6), h enley said.

“ w in or lose, we very quickly turn our focus to the next opponent,” h enley said.

“c ertainly no one likes to lose, but we learn from it and

move on.”

a drian enters the game against s aint m ary’s coming off a loss, as well. The b ulldogs lost 67-58 to a lbion (5-12, 3-6) this past s aturday. d espite a similar record, h enley said records never really tell the story of a team.

“ you can’t take anyone for granted,” h enley said. “ we still prepare the same way despite who we are playing.”

The b elles still look to maintain their heavily defensive-based strategy against the b ulldogs, h enley said.

s aint m ary’s will play a drian on wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the a ngela a thletic Facility.

Contact Kit Loughran at kloughr1@nd.edu

s ophomore guard m adison c able will rely on this veteran leadership today, as she returns to familiar territory. m c g raw said the m t. l ebanon, p a., native will have to control her excitement during the homecoming.

“ g irls handle it different ways,” m c g raw said of playing in front of hometown fans. “ s ometimes, you go to the hometown, and they’re so anxious that they don’t play as well. s he’s going to have a lot of people there watching her for the first time playing in front of the home crowd. s he’s been playing really well, practicing really well, and i think that’s the key; just do what you do in practice, and you’ll be fine.”

a mong other things, c able and her teammates have been practicing offensive schemes for situations late in the shot clock.

wildcats clinched the doubles point.

play well.

“ i think we play the same way home or away,” she said.

“ i think when you have good leadership, you’re not going into any gym and feeling

like you have to play a different game because you’re on the road as opposed to being at home. i think we keep our same routine, we do the same things we do at home, and, when you have veterans leading you, i just think it makes everything easier.”

“ we worked the last two days on what our plan is for the late shot clock, and i think it worked pretty well,” m c g raw said. “ i ’m happy with it, and i ’m anxious to see us execute it in the game.”

The i rish will have a chance to showcase some of the new offense beginning at 7 p.m. tonight against the p anthers in the p etersen e vents c enter in p ittsburgh.

Contact Cory Bernard at cbernard@nd.edu

paid a dverT isemen T

“we are still working out the kinks in doubles, but we are only an inch away from being very good,” moros said.

Junior ryan bandy put notre dame on the board when he leveled the score at one, winning the no. 6 series against kumar 7-5, 6-3. The wildcats bounced back to take the lead once again when balaji beat irish freshman Quentin monaghan 7-5, 6-3 in the no. 3 singles spot.

pecor won the first set in the no. 4 position, but pasareanu won the final sets 6-2 and 6-4 to stretch the wildcat lead to 3-1.

no. 110 moros closed the gap to 3-2 for notre dame after winning

back-to-back 7-5 sets to win the no. 2 singles. in the no. 5 spot, irish sophomore wyatt mccoy had a good start with a 6-3 win in the first set, but wildcat senior chris Jackman came back to win the next sets 6-0 and 6-4, respectively, to take the clinching point. no. 80 andrews closed out the night in the no. 1 slot by coming back from behind to beat wolf 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

“i’m proud of our guys for the effort they gave in singles,” moros said. “our younger guys are working very hard and i know they will deliver next time they’re in a tough situation.”

The irish travel to norman, okla., to face harvard and either oklahoma or memphis on Jan. 26 and 27, respectively.

Contact Megan Finneran at mfinnera@nd.edu

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: balthazar getty, 38; guy Fieri, 45; diane lane, 48; John hurt, 73.

Happy Birthday: don’t underestimate what you are capable of doing. shoot for the stars and don’t look back. you’ll have greater perspective regarding how you can get from point a to point b flawlessly. larger quarters or changing your lifestyle to suit your current needs will lead to greater happiness. Think and take action and you will reach your set goals. your numbers are 2, 6, 16, 24, 26, 38, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): an offer you cannot refuse will develop if you are generous with your time, knowledge and suggestions. don’t limit the possibilities because of someone who cannot make up his or her mind. stick to your game plan.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): ulterior motives will be behind an offer you receive from one of your peers. proceed with caution. you may be best to do your own thing and forego having to get involved in a situation that may not be in your best interest.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): you know what you want and how to go about getting it. put your best foot forward and dazzle everyone with your ability to present something unique. greater prosperity will come through the connections you make now. speak your mind.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): plan to visit an interesting destination or take part in an event that will open your eyes to different cultures or ways of doing things. The experience you have now will help you pick and choose better options and ways of doing things.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take more time to secure partnerships with people who can make a difference to your future. expanding your interests and your circle of friends will help you develop an alternative way to make your money grow. say what’s on your mind.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): don’t make a fuss. deal with what’s being asked of you and you’ll gain respect and find time to do something you enjoy. socializing or getting involved in a new pastime will brighten your day. love is in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): you can make a good impression by sharing your knowledge, skills and suggestions as well as offering hands-on-help to someone you feel has potential. physical activity will help you look your best as well as spice up your social life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Fix up your home or utilize your space to better suit a hobby or project you want to pursue. Taking a serious look at your life and what you want to do in the future will help you make a decision regarding current partnerships.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): emotions will be difficult to contain. make sure you address issues that have been bothering you or pending for some time. The changes you make now will help you deal with past and present relationships. ask for what you want.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): avoid making unnecessary changes. you are best to stick to what you know and do best. problems while traveling or dealing with friends, relatives or neighbors will develop if you aren’t willing to compromise. gossip will be misleading.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):you’ll be faced with a choice that can alter the way you live. visitors will offer suggestions that can help you move ahead with your plans. sharing your thoughts can hurt a relationship that has been dear to you in the past.

PISCES (Feb. 19- March 20): keep life simple. avoid overdoing it mentally, physically or financially. Too much of anything will lead to rumors. a change of heart or plans will help push you out of harm’s way. someone you are close to will take you by surprise.

Birthday Baby: you are inventive, entrepreneurial and a compassionate communicator, friend and advisor.

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women’s BaskeTBall

Irish prepare for Panther play

Notre Dame aims to add to its record 10 straight conference road wins

By CORY BERNARD

s ports w riter

n o. 2 n otre d ame has won a school-record 10 consecutive road games in b ig e ast regular season play, and they hope to make it 11 tonight at p ittsburgh.

The i rish (16-1, 5-0 b ig e ast) last dropped a conference road game on Feb. 28, 2011, in a heartbreaker to d e p aul, 70-69. i n order to continue the streak, they must beat an inexperienced p anthers squad who has yet to record a win in the b ig e ast this season. d espite the obvious discrepancies in records, i rish coach m uffet m c g raw said p ittsburgh (9-8, 0-4) will present n otre d ame with another test.

“ well, it’s a very young team,” she said. “They don’t have any seniors on their team, and they’re getting

better. They’re much improved from last year and playing at home, where they’re going to be a lot more comfortable.”

Junior guard-forward a sia l ogan leads the p anthers in both points (15.5) and rebounds (7.5) per game. m c g raw said the 6-foot l ogan will challenge n otre d ame’s interior defense.

“ s he’s really playing well,” m c g raw said. “ s he’s a really aggressive post player. s he can score in a lot of different ways away from the basket. i think she’s a challenge for a post to guard because she’s not your typical post player.” n otre d ame cannot rely upon the energy of a home crowd as the p anthers will, but according to m c g raw, the more experienced i rish do not need friendly confines to

see panThers PaGe

Wildcats snatch victory

By MEGAN FINNERAN sports writer

no. 30 notre dame faced its toughest competition up to this point in the season Tuesday night when it played no. 37 northwestern. The undefeated wildcats (5-0) beat the irish 4-3 in a close match. The loss marked the first for the irish (21) in dual meet play, following two 7-0 sweeps saturday against marquette and western illinois.

“we knew [northwestern] was a good team and would fight hard and they delivered,” senior blas moros said.

northwestern took the first point of the night in doubles play. The irish pair of junior billy pecor and freshman a lex lawson in the no. 2 slot lost 8-5 to northwestern senior sidarth balaji and junior raleigh smith. in the no. 3 slot, irish juniors ryan bandy and matt dooley were overpowered by northwestern sophomore a lex pasareanu and freshman mihir kumar to finalize the first point for the wildcat squad. in the no. 1 slot, notre dame junior greg andrews and senior spencer Talmadge were trailing 7-6 to senior spencer wolf and freshman Fedor baev, but the match did not finish before the

lone senior adjusts to leading role

By KATIE HEIT s ports w riter

a fter watching her three older sisters play d ivision i tennis in the b ig Ten, senior c hrissie m c g affigan had big shoes to fill when she first took to the court for the i rish.

m c g affigan, who was named a co-captain this year along with junior Jennifer k ellner, said she broke away from the rest of the family when she chose a school outside of the b ig Ten, but the decision paid off. n ow early in her final season, m c g affigan said she is ready to give the i rish (2-0) everything she has.

“ i t’s bittersweet going into spring knowing it’s my last season,” m c g affigan said. “ i ’ve been trying to put it all out on the line.”

To improve her game going into her final season, m c g affigan spent extra hours with assistant coach k elcy Flores in private lessons. h er dedication to the team and to improving her own game has not gone unnoticed by her teammates.

“There hasn’t been a day

when she gave less than 100 percent in practice,” junior b ritney s anders said. “ s he has proven to fight for every match.”

a s the only senior on the team and one of the captains, m c g affigan has begun to adapt to her leadership role on the team. s he attributes how she behaves as a captain to the role models she has had in the past.

“a ll three previous years i ’ve had great captains to look up to,” m c g affigan said. “They’ve been really great role models for me. The girls on the team also expect good things of me, so i think i ’ve come into my role well.”

m c g affigan, who hails from d avenport, i owa, claimed her place in the starting lineup as a freshman when she earned the title of b ig e ast Freshman of the year, finishing with a 16-10 singles record. i n her second year with the i rish, m c g affigan finished 2015 in singles, splitting her time between the n o. 4 and the n o. 5 spots. l ast year at n o. 5 singles, m c g affigan

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