Notre Dame’s winter career fair fosters professional connections, improves student networking skills
By CLARE KOSSLER news writer
companies and employers representing a wide range of industries came to the Joyce center on Thursday night for the career center’s winter career and internship Fair. students of all class years attended the fair, which featured dozens of employers including deloitte, abercrombie and Fitch, pricewaterhousecoopers, general electric and many others.
bp representative and notre dame alumna Therese anderson said the career fair offers the opportunity for employers to recruit students from a variety of backgrounds and majors.
“we come here because bp is huge,” she said. “we have so many different business divisions and different areas that we have a need
for engineers; we have a need for business majors; we have a need for all different majors and all different students, and we always find such great students here, so we keep coming back.”
anderson said the career fair is a great opportunity for students to explore job opportunities and find jobs they love.
“i work for bp; i’ve worked there since i graduated, and i found my job here at the career fair, and that was 13 years ago,” she said.
sophomore James pratt said he attended the career fair to improve his networking skills and gain exposure to different types of jobs and employers.
“i wanted to gain the experience necessary for looking for opportunities as i advance in years here at the university,” he said.
hypnotist performs at saint mary’s college
By NICOLE CARATAS news writer
The s aint m ary’s s tudent a ctivities b oard ( sab ) brought hypnotist d r. Jim w and to campus on Thursday. The free event was open to all students, including n otre d ame and
Spin-A-Thon to raise breast cancer awareness
By KATIE GALIOTO news writer
From 12 p.m. today to 12 p.m. saturday, students and members of the south bend community will cycle at studios located at the rockne memorial gymnasium and k nollwood country club in granger to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer
during the annual pink Zone spin-a-Thon.
sharla l ewis, special events coordinator for the notre dame women’s basketball program, said the women’s basketball team, recsports and college of science co-host a spin-a-Thon each year to support the pink Zone initiative.
“The women’s basketball coaches’ a ssociation began
the pink Zone initiative, formerly known as ‘Think pink,’ in 2007 by challenging the top-20 women’s basketball programs to try to collect the most money for breast cancer research and treatment, while simultaneously bringing awareness to this deadly disease,” lewis said. “it’s no longer a challenge
Alumna endows first Islamic Studies chair
By ANN MARIE JAKUBOWSKI editor-in-c hief
l ast week’s announcement of the u niversity’s first ever endowed professorship in i slamic studies marks a major milestone for the new k eough s chool of g lobal a ffairs, since it is the first endowed chair to be instituted in the s chool.
The m irza Family p rofessorship of i slamic Thought and m uslim s ocieties was established with a $3 million gift from alumna s usan s cribner m irza in honor of her late husband m uzzafar “ m uzzi” m irza, according to a u niversity press release.
s cott a ppleby, dean of the k eough s chool, said n otre d ame’s c atholic identity gives it a distinctive opportunity to study i slam.
“ we think that n otre d ame as a c atholic university has a real advantage in
understanding i slam and studying it,” he said. “ w hile i slam and c hristianity are very different in their historical development and in their doctrines … we as a c atholic university have a particular insight into what it means to be religious in a secular world.”
s cholarship on i slamic culture will better inform matters of policy, development and conflict resolution, which are key to the k eough s chool’s commitment to “integral human development,” a ppleby said.
“The mission of the k eough s chool … points to the need for efforts at eliminating poverty, ending armed conflict, advancing human rights and improving the general conditions of human existence,” he said. “a ny of those efforts should take into account not only the economic and
WEI LIN | The Observer
Students mingle with employers at the Career Center’s winter career and internship fair. For this year’s fair, Notre Dame hosted Deloitte, General Electric and others in the Joyce Center.
see keough PaGE 5
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Dr. Jim Wand hypnotizes Saint Mary’s students. Wand has also worked with celebrities like Jay Leno and Conan O’ Brian.
“‘The game of l ove’ by santana Ft. m ichelle branch.”
Rebekah Hall freshman mcglinn hall
“‘Jackie and w ilson’ by hozier.”
Sabrina Singh freshman walsh hall
“‘l i.F.e g o e s o n’ by noah and the w hale.”
Pope Francis offers a warm smile from his corner in the Campus Ministry office in the Coleman-Morse Center. The Campus Ministry office provides a welcoming environment for students to share in fellowship and prayer throughout the school year.
Staff
Corrections
in a Jan. 29 article about a presentation to the student senate about a new First year course, paul manrique, the program director for new student engagement in the office of the vice president for student affairs, was inaccurately described as the sao program director. The observer regrets this error.
5:30
KARLA MORENO | The Observer
Faculty group performs music from Bach concert for christian unity promotes global peace
By OWEN LANE news writer
e nsemble nd, a musical group which consists of four professors from n otre d ame’s d epartment of m usic, performed the music of Johann s ebastian b ach on Jan. 25 at the d e b artolo p erforming a rts c enter.
e nsemble nd ’s members are associate professor of piano John b lacklow, assistant professional specialist of piano d aniel s chlosberg, associate professor of cello k aren b uranskas and assistant professional specialist of violin Tricia p ark. e ach member also specializes in performance in his or her role as a professor at n otre d ame.
b lacklow said ensemble nd chooses pieces which are written for groups but which also provide room for solos, reflecting the ensemble’s members’ individual talents.
“ i n the professional music world, many musicians are exclusively soloists or exclusively ensemble players, but it so happens all four of us have strong interests in both solo playing and ensemble playing and have had careers that have embraced these two areas,” b lacklow said.
b lacklow said the ensemble plays once or twice a year at the d e b artolo p erforming a rts c enter, and the individual faculty members in the group have their own performances
throughout the school year. h e said s chlosberg will appear in a duo-piano concert and a voice-piano concert, b uranskas will appear as a soloist with the s outh b end s ymphony c hamber o rchestra and p ark with the g esualdo Quartet, which is the quartet-in-residence at n otre d ame.
h e said the nature of the pieces the ensemble plays allows faculty members to balance their work in ensemble nd with their work as professors.
“ we rehearse any time that we have a performance coming up,” b lacklow said.
“ i t helps that we include the solo portions because then we can practice on our own, without the difficulty of coordinating schedules.”
b lacklow said performance is one of the most important aspects of being a music professor, akin to researching and writing books for scholars in other disciplines.
“ p erforming and recording music is our mode of research into the amazing and vast body of music in the world,” b lacklow said. “From our own experiences as performers across the world, we are able to share our experiences in the guidance of the talented nd music majors in our studios.”
b lacklow said e nsemble nd will not perform together again until the fall of this year.
Contact Owen Lane at olane@nd.edu
paid a dverT isemen T
By PETER DURBIN news writer
s everal student worship groups will come together tonight for the c oncert for c hristian unity, a compilation of works meant to promote peace and unity in the world.
k aren s chneider- k irner, director of the n otre d ame c elebration and h andbell c hoirs, will oversee the musical production.
“ it’s always a pleasure to get to meet the various student leaders, to see their commitment to their ministry and to hear their beautiful voices and the spirited songs they offer,” s chneiderk irner said.
The event will take place Friday at 7 p.m. in the k eenan- s tanford c hapel.
“ it’s appropriate that we are in a sacred space that is centrally located on campus, and the wonderful acoustics of the chapel are great for singing,” s chneider- k irner said.
g roups performing include the university of n otre d ame c elebration c hoir, a choir which performs at football m asses in the d e b artolo p erforming a rts c enter; Totus Tuus; a student worship band which is part of the Four:7 c atholic Fellowship group; voices of Faith g ospel c hoir; c oro p rimavera, a s panish-language choir;
Hypnotist
h oly c ross students.
sab president and senior a rianna Thelen said the group decided to book w and because it wanted to host a different kind of performance.
“ we decided to bring in d r. Jim w and because we were looking to bring something unique to smc ,” Thelen said. “ we have not had a hypnotist come in years and thought it would be a great experience for smc students.”
sab vice president and junior c olleen m ichael said w and, who hypnotized about 30 students during the performance, is “highly qualified.”
Thelen said w and has performed for over 30 years and does over 200 performances each year. wand has worked with celebrities such as Jay l eno, c onan o ’ b rian, r ascal Flatts, and Jeff p robst and has appeared on programs on c omedy c entral, she said.
and musicians from the i ron s harpens i ron i nterdenominational Fellowship, who perform at p rotestant p raise and worship services.
s chneider- k irner said each group will contribute a piece to the celebra -
“When we open ourselves up to other ways of living and thinking, we can join together to work for justice and peace around the world.”
Karen Schneider-Kirner director of ND Celebration and Handbell Choirs
tion, which will culminate in numbers sung by all the groups.
“ e ach group is teaching a representative piece of their repertoire to the combined forces, and everyone sings ‘with full heart and voice’ the other groups’ repertoire,” s chneider- k irner said. “ it’s a beautiful thing to witness.”
s chneider- k irner said the musical accompaniment will include pianists, guitarists, percussionists, flautists and violinists.
“The sheer sound of all these united voices is powerfully moving,”
Thelen said once participants are hypnotized, the performance became a comedy show.
“ d r. Jim w and does anything from having the students dance and sing to having them think they are supermodels,” Thelen said.
“ n o matter how the students participate, the show will be very entertaining for everyone who comes.”
Junior k aylee Titsworth said she did not remember most of the experience. s he said being hypnotized felt like falling asleep, and the show, which ran about an hour an a half, felt like it was only five minutes long.
“ i remember him telling people to go to sleep … but i don’t remember him doing it to me,” she said.
o nce she was told about things she had done onstage, Titsworth said she started to remember more.
w and said anyone being hypnotized would wake up feeling re-energized, as if they had slept for up to eight hours.
“ i was tired at the beginning of it,” Titsworth said.
s chneider- k irner said. s chneider- k irner said although c hristian unity week was last week, the event was scheduled for this week to allow students to attend both the concert and last week’s m arch for l ife. “ w ith 700 students out for the r ight-to-l ife m arch, we wanted to time this when the majority of our students would be around to help celebrate with us,” she said.
s chneider- k irner said she hopes the change to a Friday night will attract more students to attend.
“ i n previous years, we’ve done a prayer service with combined choirs on a Thursday night, which never attracted great crowds of students, as sometimes it’s hard to add in something extra during the work week,” s chneider- k irner said.
a lthough the tradition of c hristian unity dates back to 1908, s chneider- k irner said its message is particularly relevant in today’s world.
“ w hen we open ourselves up to other ways of living and thinking, we can join together to work for justice and peace around the world,” she said. “This fractured world can use much more unity of mind and heart centered around love that stems from our c reator.”
Contact Peter Durbin at pdurbin@nd.edu
“... i feel more [energized], but i ’m not hyper.”
Freshman m akena h enell, who was also hypnotized, said the show felt like it lasted over an hour, but her memories of what she did during that hour are spotty.
“ i felt fuzzy in the head,” she said. “…. i felt like i had to make him really happy, and i felt like i had to give the audience a show.”
The purpose of the event was to foster community, m ichael said.
“ i t is an opportunity to have fun, laugh and create memories together,” she said.
Thelen said sab has hosted and will host several similar events throughout the year.
“ we hope to accomplish many things by running these events such as offering relaxing breaks from academics, encouraging campus community and providing opportunities that students could only get from a college,” she said.
Contact Nicole Caratas at ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu
Writer shares struggle as gay Christian
By ALLISON SANCHEZ news writer
in a lecture at saint mary’s college entitled “godly but gay,” south bend writer and speaker Joel barrett shared his experiences as a baptist pastor, getting married to a woman and attending three years of ex-gay therapy before deciding to accept himself as gay.
barrett said he grew up in a christian fundamentalist church whose members were hostile to homosexuality.
“i grew up in a church where the preachers would mock feminine men as a way to bond with the congregation,” barrett said. “They would talk about how all gays should be put on an island so that they could die from disease and burn in the hellfires of
damnation.”
“w hen you spend your whole life knowing that god hates you for something you have no control over, you start to believe it,” barrett said. “i remember there were days where i would look at myself in the mirror and think every bad thought about myself in hopes that if i hated that person enough, i could separate that person from myself.”
barrett said he considered his homosexuality a spirituality problem, which he tried to solve by going to a baptist college, becoming a pastor, getting married and having children.
“The goal was to be this good godly person, and that’s what i wanted to be,” he said. “i’ll just keep trying to do that because i didn’t know what else to do, and if no one knew i was gay, i could
Professor explores Dante’s ‘Vita Nova’
By JEREMY CAPPELLO LEE news writer
professor of dante and italian studies Zygmunt baranski spoke Thursday on the significance of dante a lighieri’s early work the “vita nova” as part of a yearlong lecture series, “dante’s other works.”
“The common designation for dante’s other writings was to call them minor works,” baranski said. “The one point i think is very important to stress is that they are anything but minor. each of them makes a major contribution to western artistic and intellectual culture.”
despite being relegated by scholars as a minor work, dante’s “vita nova” reveals a linguistic ingenuity that precedes his better-known work, the divine comedy, baranski said.
“in the ‘vita nova,’ everything he’s doing at every level is new,” he said. “he develops a new form of literature, a new form of criticism.”
baranski said dante’s vision for the “vita nova” is a characteristically ambitious one.
“Fundamentally, the ‘vita nova’ is a work about salvation ... which can have a bearing upon any reader to try to work out his or her relationship with god,” he said.
w hile it is a work complex enough to engage the educated elite, the “vita nova” also appeals to a broader audience, baranski said.
“The basic point that he’s telling us is accessible to the simple ... the morally pure person,” he said. “dante is working on different levels ... his texts never have a single audience.”
in a break with western literary tradition, dante combines
keep being godly, but if the moment ever came where someone found out i was gay, then i could no longer be godly because that had been made very clear to me.”
still, barrett said keeping his secret was “a long slow spiral.”
“w hen you’re holding in this secret it doesn’t just stay there; it has to explode at some time,” he said.
barrett said he eventually called a straight conversion therapist.
“There is no science behind any of it … i was so in need of therapy that it actually helped me,” he said. “There was no lack of love in my childhood home or in my current life. it made me realize that i couldn’t accept this love because it was conditional; i knew that the only way to see if their love was real was to tell
people around me.”
barrett said he began to develop more authentic relationships with others, but he felt no change in identity, after three years of biweekly group meetings, weekly counseling sessions, retreats and conferences, barrett said he decided to “admit who i was.”
“i remember feeling really scared about coming out and what god would do,” he said. “i had a talk with him and said, ‘i’m going to start living as a gay man. if you have a problem with it, will you please let me know?’ none of the terrible things my baptist church told me would happen have happened.
“i have never retreated, never regretted. i don’t believe in ex-gay therapy. w hile it didn’t hurt me, a lot of people have recanted it or come out with books that it did a
he said. “with our company in particular it just helps if you
lot of damage. if it had come at a different point in my life, it could have been really destructive for me.”
barrett said while he does not hold the same faith he had as a child, he is not bitter about religion.
“i look at it in the light that faith is important,” he said. “The god i was taught about, i don’t believe in that god. i’m very open to god showing me what he is; i find church in unexpected places with different people.
“Today i am married to my husband, together we raised my three children. my kids love us, they’re proud of us, we’re proud of them … life is good and i love it.”
Contact Allison Sanchez at asanch01@saintmarys.edu
dame students because notre dame fosters the development of communication skills in students.
christian and secular ideas of love in his writing, baranski said.
“he brings these elements together in order then to funnel them towards a christian resolution based on salvation,” he said.
baranski said many scholars, however, do not view the “vita nova” as a literary innovation but instead believe it to be a necessary preparation for dante’s future works, a perception he said fails to recognize the “vita nova’s” value in itself.
“i think there’s been a tendency to banalize the text,” baranski said. “people tend to consider the work in light of the [divine comedy] ... that somehow all the books that dante wrote before ... were written to prepare for the [divine comedy].”
barasnki said scholars have also overlooked the significance of the prose sections of the “vita nova” compared to the poetry sections, failing to consider the work as a whole.
“you’ve got to look at the text as a whole,” baranski said. “[scholars] have overwhelmingly focused on the poetry, and have tended to push the prose into the hinterland.”
baranski said there is evidence that dante later edited certain poems in the “vita nova” to better fit the narrative of the work.
“dante is a great self-propagandizer,” baranski said. “[“The vita nova”] ... is part of the fiction that he’s constructing, of someone who has experiences, writes poems about them, and at a later stage, realizes that all these experiences...come together to reveal to him a divine providential truth.”
Contact Jeremy Cappello Lee at jcappell@nd.edu
“being a sophomore, i wanted to get a sneak peak as to what type of opportunities might be in my future.”
in addition to networking skills, J. cameron wiethoff, a representative for the cancer Treatment centers of america, said communication skills are crucial in securing jobs and internships.
“having social and personal communication skills is essential to be successful in relationships,”
“If you know what you want to do, that comes across in the way you present yourself.”
Therese Anderson analyst for BP
know how to make relationships, nourish those relationships.”
wiethoff said the cancer Treatment centers of america has a history of recruiting notre
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“we’ve had a lot of success with notre dame students,” he said.
anderson said the most desirable students and prospective employees are those who appear confident and composed.
“confidence is huge. if you know what you want to do, that comes across in the way you present yourself,” she said.
Contact Clare Kossler at ckossler@nd.edu
material aspects of being a human person but also the spiritual, cultural, religious dimensions.
“a nd so in the k eough s chool, we want to place the study of religion around the world in a prominent position because religions are so critical to building peace, fostering human rights and developing societies from the inside. … u nless we can understand as profoundly as possible the religious sensibilities and values and practices of the people we’re partnering with to develop their societies, we’ll miss something. we’ll miss a big part of the puzzle.”
The need to understand religion as not only a set of practices, ideas and belief but also as a “lived experience” and way of life plays a central role in the s chool’s goals, a ppleby said.
“This kind of understanding will help us think through the challenges of how to be in solidarity with people who are trying to overcome poverty, oppression, conflict and other challenges to human flourishing,” he said.
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Ted b eatty, associate dean of academic affairs at the s chool, said the m irza gift is “a crucially symbolic moment for the s chool.”
“Thinking about [the k eough s chool]’s first endowed chair at a c atholic university being in i slamic studies points to the way we want to think not narrowly but very broadly, in an integrated way, in the 21st century,” b eatty said. “ i nterdisciplinary work will certainly be one of the big themes of the s chool.”
i n the press release, m irza said her life was “immeasurably enriched” when she married her husband, who was an immigrant from p akistan, and continued to learn about his heritage.
“ l earning about the rich culture of the m uslim society he grew up in and the i slam faith of his extended family, and sharing that with our three children, i realized quickly that despite our dramatically different upbringings — i was raised i rish c atholic in suburban n ew Jersey — we shared common values of the importance of family, friendship, education, generosity, humor and faith,” she said in the release. “ o ur children and i lost m uzzi way too soon. b ut i can think of no greater tribute to him than establishing a permanent catalyst for understanding and bridgebuilding between cultures and religions.”
a ppleby said i slam is still undergoing a decades-long internal conflict on many different fundamental questions, which makes it increasingly more important
paid a dverT isemen T
to understand the religion and its people.
“These fundamental questions include the role of jihad, what jihad means for today, relationships internally within i slam, m uslims in conflict with other m uslims and its relationship to the broader world,” he said. “ we see this in the headlines every day.
“a nd so we need to understand i slam as accurately and with as much nuance as possible because it’s so important to the world today. … i f we somehow don’t understand i slam, we miss one-sixth of the world’s population and that would be foolish.”
a ppleby said the person who fills the chair could specialize in any discipline from theology to history to philosophy to ethics or beyond.
“a t this point, we want someone who has a profound understanding of modern i slamic thought and society,” he said.
b eatty said the s chool is still in the early planning stages before its opening in a ugust 2017, but current discussions have focused on a more specific formulation of its academic program and a faculty hiring plan.
“The s chool will be seeking to not only support scholarly research in topics of religion, peace studies and global affairs generally, but also to support ways we can contribute to policy and public affairs,” he said.
The s chool will finally bring together several units that have previously been existing independently, including the k ellogg i nstitute for i nternational s tudies, the k roc i nstitute for i nternational p eace s tudies, the n anovic i nstitute for e uropean s tudies, the l iu i nstitute for a sian s tudies and the i nitiative for g lobal d evelopment.
“The s chool brings together these different units and works within them to support what they do and make the whole of the s chool greater than the sum of its parts,” he said.
c urrently, leaders are developing the curriculum for a two-year professional m asters program in global affairs, geared toward training people for careers with nongovernmental organizations, government or the private sector.
“ we have not yet defined a scope of the subject matter within the s chool,” b eatty said. “ we really want the k eough s chool to be a catalyst for undergraduate programs across the u niversity too, enriching the way undergraduates can think about global affairs.”
Contact Ann Marie Jakubowski at ajakubo1@nd.edu
f undraiser
among the top programs, but we continue to participate in the initiatives.”
gregory crawford, dean of the college of science, said notre dame’s fundraisers are unique because a large portion of funds raised are used to support local cancer patients.
“we have raised more than $150,000 to help women in the community who cannot afford mammograms receive them,” crawford said. “Fighting cancer is a large part of the college’s research effort, including the excellent work underway at the harper cancer research institute. w hile we are passionate about finding treatments and cures for cancer, we also fight cancer by helping people in our community this way.”
l ewis said 20 percent of donations are given to the kay yow cancer Fund. The other 80 percent are given to saint Joseph regional medical center and r iver bend cancer services.
“our goal every year is to continue to raise breast cancer awareness on campus and in the community,” l ewis said.
“Through our efforts, we are able to help someone that may not have the financial means to get the treatment and support they need.”
Tabbitha a shford, fitness and instruction coordinator for recsports, said the objective for this year’s event is to fill all 20 bikes in the cycling studio at the rockne memorial gymnasium for all 24 hours of the event.
“The more people we get to come out, the more money
and support we raise for breast cancer,” a shford said. “ideally, for all 24 hours our entire studio will be full.”
crawford said the participating groups’ fundraising goal for the event is $30,000.
“Through the event, we also hope to bring people together to focus on the needs of those in our own community,” he said.
For a $10 donation, participants in the spin-a-Thon receive a t-shirt and water bottle. The event will provide participants with food and chances to win prizes. participants can sign up and donate online or on the day of the event. additionally, each hour of the event will feature a different theme.
“one hour might be an actual cycling class, while another might just consist of watching a movie or playing a game,” a shford said. “it’s as intense and interactive as you want it to be.”
a shford said the spin-aThon is a great example of the notre dame community’s dedication to service to those in need.
“a lot of dorms or club sports teams sign up to cycle together,” a shford said. “it’s awesome to see such a large turnout from our own student population.”
crawford said the event is a good way for notre dame to connect with the greater south bend community.
“The unity and commitment of our partners both on campus and beyond are an inspiration to everyone as we seek to solve problems and serve the well-being of others,” he said.
Contact Katie Galioto at kgalioto@nd.edu
Photo courtesy of RecSports
Students pedal away at the 2014 Spin-A-Thon. This year, the 24-hour event will feature a spin class and other activities.
Photo courtesy of RecSports
For a donation of 10 dollars, Spin-A-thon participants will receive a t-shirt and a water bottle. The fundraising goal for the event is $30,000.
Time is flying
Brian Lach multimedia e ditor
i t seems like just yesterday i was just a tiny toddler tumbling around campus with my parents, eager to see a n otre d ame football game, even though i hadn’t the faintest idea how everything worked. m y only care in the world back then was how many of the different sights i could see during my brief visits to campus. b ut now that i ’m here, i worry that if i blink, i just might miss it.
Fast forward to 2015, and i ’m already almost three-quarters through my college career. l ittle did i know back then that i would eventually get to come to s outh b end for more than just the occasional football game, but what i really didn’t expect was just how quickly time would pass in my time at n otre d ame.
i still remember freshman year, unpacking my room, making new friends, learning my way around the grounds. Teaching myself all the lingo was a must —“okay guys, we’re sitting right-right in sdh at the Jesus table.” p addling for my life at the swim test, barely surviving the fitness test, Theology and p hilosophy and requirements galore. Football. Tailgating. n otre d ame.
s ophomore year, too, has come and gone. Friends become closer, you feel entitled to laugh at freshmen asking where g eddes h all is and you start to think that maybe dorm parties aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. you graduate to being a tour guide whether you like it or not, flaunting your knowledge of the campus to tourists. m ajors are declared, classes get harder, nights get longer — but in the end, it’s still all worth it.
a nd now, even junior year feels fleeting. a nswering career fair after career fair. a nswering the question of “ d o you have an internship yet?” Junior p arents weekend is just around the corner. Friends are abroad. o lder friends are getting ready to graduate, and you’re starting to feel old compared to everyone else. e verything is beginning to come full circle and as senior year looms ahead, i find it hard to believe that i only have one year left. s ure, this might sound sappy and sentimental, but i ’m positive many of you know exactly what i ’m talking about. i hope we are all able to make the rest of our time here last.
a s l ou h oltz famously said, “ i f you’ve been [to n otre d ame], no explanation is necessary. i f you haven’t, none is adequate.”
Contact Brian Lach at blach@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
ESPN lawsuit raises questions
e di T orial
we’ve read espn ’s lawsuit against n otre d ame, and it has answered only some of our questions.
r emaining legal questions will be debated and resolved at an upcoming trial. b ut whether ethical questions will be answered remains uncertain.
a t stake legally is the classification of n otre d ame s ecurity p olice ( ndsp ) as a public or private agency. i f public, ndsp would have to provide access to public records under i ndiana law.
i ndiana employs a p ublic a ccess c ounselor ( pac ) who provides non-binding legal advice on such matters, and three previous advisory opinions classified private university security police as private entities, which are therefore not subject to i ndiana public access law.
o ne of those opinions argues ndsp ’s powers were granted “not to ndsp, but to ‘the governing board of an educational institution.’” Therefore, although ndsp exercises police powers granted by the state, it does not do so directly, which keeps the agency private.
r egardless of whether it is private or public and whatever way it acquired its privileges, ndsp officers have police powers, such as the ability to carry weapons and arrest suspected offenders. Those powers should not go unchecked.
The lawsuit cites ndsp ’s website as stating the force “is fully authorized as a police agency by the s tate of i ndiana” and officers “have the same legal authority as any other police officer in i ndiana.”
i f the department has the same powers as any other force in the state, why is it not subject to the same checks? c itizens have access to public documents in order to ensure public officials responsibly use their power to act faithfully in the name of communities and for their good.
we thank ndsp officers for their service to the community but question the organization’s desire for secrecy. i f ndsp can make arrests, why can’t the public
access those records, as they could in the case of an arrest made by the s outh b end p olice d epartment?
The policy keeps campus policing matters internal, but that means we who are being policed have no way to know how our complaints, investigations or disciplinary procedures are dealt with.
i n response to a 2010 complaint to the pac from The c hicago Tribune, the pac writes the complainants sought access to records “pertaining to sexual assaults and/or witness tampering on the university of n otre d ame campus.”
That’s serious information that remains inaccessible to the public.
a community should trust its police force, but that does not mean having blind faith in its operations. Trust requires transparency and an appropriate balance of power. c ommunities trust their police forces because these agencies are staffed by good, diligent, honest people, who perform their job well and offer opportunities for citizens to pursue and find the answers to questions.
w hen police can broadly deny access to records, communities lose those channels for pursuing productive questions. w hen communities ask questions and police respond, however, everyone benefits.
The court might find ndsp ’s refusal to make documents public lawful. b ut that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for our community.
we have tried but failed to think of a reason why withholding records would benefit the community more than releasing them would. w hat community interest does this serve that would outweigh the benefits of open communication between police and campus?
i f there is such a reason or interest, we genuinely hope to hear it. we hope to move beyond asking what’s legal and how many loopholes we can count in the law. we hope to hear dialogue on what’s actually best for our campus and its safety.
w hether ndsp is public or private, n otre d ame needs to answer these questions.
Editorial Cartoon
Alex Caton modest p roposals
Up close learning, far away
i f you are a sophomore or ambitious freshman, then you’ll soon get an email telling you whether, after all the information sessions, recommendation requests and essays you pounded into your m ac b ook at the last minute, you have notre d ame’s blessing to spend a semester in this or that corner of the world.
“ s tudy abroad” evokes images of getting tossed from a bar by a bouncer with a funny accent, petting alpacas as you overlook m achu p icchu, taking the ever-reliable r yan a ir across e urope from hostel to hostel and posting every step of the journey for all of Facebook to “like.”
w ith that in mind, i became less and less sure last year about giving up a semester and a football season for washington d c ., a place i thought i could plug into via c - span c utting away from notre d ame to venture into the exotic and unfamiliar can be scary. m y biggest fear two autumns ago was venturing into the banal. “This Town” speaks e nglish in a flat, familiar accent and the only strange animals you’ll see are caged in the national Zoo and in c ongress.
b ut if you like politics and policy, then don’t confuse proximity with familiarity. m y experience in d c . was an educational adventure that i could not have had elsewhere and certainly not on-campus.
p ossibly the only reason to tolerate the exponentially-growing tuition and fees to attend a school of this caliber is to be constantly surrounded by talented and interesting people — peers and professors who will push you to discover or realize plans you might not have know about otherwise. b reaking the bank even further to study in another part of the world makes sense only if it puts you in touch with people who are just as interesting (if in completely different ways) and provides you some other intangible benefit unavailable to you in s outh b end, i ndiana.
i n d c ., i found a town full of young, fascinating and underpaid people who want to help other young, fascinating and underpaid people. m y semester there put me at the same tables as b ob woodward, a titan of investigative reporting, and w hite house d eputy c hief of s taff r ob nabors, a notre d ame graduate whom The washington p ost called “the most important player you’ve never heard of.” i worked four days a week in a senator’s office and witnessed how a bill does or does not become law, what political grandstanding looks like in person, the difficulty of explaining your boss’s stances on foreign policy to constituents when it “hits the fan” and p aul r yan’s widow’s peak.
There are types of learning that are only accessible by travel. you could read about high rates of burnout among junior h ill s taff, or you could sit in on a meeting between a 26-year-old legislative
aide out of p rinceton and two lobbyists making 10 times her salary. you could swim for months in empirical studies on the polarization of c ongress and the electorate over the past four decades, or you can watch up close as a combination of forces beyond the comprehension of veteran congressional staffers pushes the nation to the point of considering default. you could read m ichelle nunn’s leaked campaign memo and its page on “message discipline,” or you could get chastised by your supervisor for giving an off-the-record statement to keep an angry constituent from coming unglued on the phone.
m y study “abroad” in d c . might only make sense for somebody whose dad made them watch “meet the p ress” from the age of four onward. b ut i think there’s a lesson there for how to make your off-campus experience a continuation of — or a starting point for — your personal notre d ame adventure. w hether it takes you to our nation’s capital, another nation’s capital or somewhere in between, do your research and don’t miss out on the up-close learning experiences away from northern i ndiana. a t the very least the weather will be better.
Alex Caton is a senior political science major in the one and only St. Edward’s Hall. He welcomes commentary at acaton@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
From the g olden dome to the classroom
Dennis Latimore guest writer
p laying basketball for the Fighting i rish was a huge part of my life at n otre d ame. i loved my classes in o ’ s haughnessy h all, my friends, nights at Finny’s b ar, but i also always looked forward to the next time i could step onto the Joyce c enter floor in my blue and gold jersey. p laying basketball taught me so much — from how to execute offensive plays and improve my free-throws, to time management and teamwork. b ut it wasn’t until i thought about what i wanted to do after i ’d hung up my jersey that i realized how playing for n otre d ame had prepared me for a job few of us on the team had given much thought to: teaching. i first realized the parallels between my life as a basketball player and the work on education’s front lines when i noticed the paradox of success for many a frican- a merican college-athletes: often achieving on the sports field and falling behind in the classroom. i wanted to explore the multitude of factors causing this opportunity gap. i also knew i had the potential to serve as an example against the stereotypes facing children of color. s o i applied to Teach For a merica, where i planned to hold my students to high expectations, support them on the way to meeting them and show them that their futures were their own to design.
a s i found my feet in the classroom, i had to grow quickly in areas like explicit instruction and classroom management. a s i did, many of the traits that had propelled me to my starting spot at n otre d ame, drove my work as a teacher forward too. a ll those times you had to play, and play well, in front of thousands of people — that taught you how to perform under pressure. Those games where you knew you were the underdog, but you continued to push forward — That translates to resilience. The hundreds of hours you’ve spent playing the game with your teammates, working together to strategize, communicate and press toward your goals — these built the foundation of skills and mindsets that principals and parents look for in the teachers they want for their kids. a s Fighting i rish, we hold ourselves and each other to high standards. d aily, we live out our community’s commitment to resiliency, teamwork and overcoming adversity. a s a teacher, i bring those mindsets to the classroom and work to cultivate them in my students. m y kids and i are a team and, in order to succeed, we have to work together, communicate, trust one another, take responsibility for and learn from our mistakes and overcome the significant challenges in front of us to reach our goals. i n short, we have to leave it all on the court.
a nd when we reached our goals – when my students began to write and express their emotions, create poetry and articulate their thoughts
and speak with confidence and conviction — i felt the same rush i used to get from dunking in front of 9,149 screaming fans in the Joyce c enter. That feeling that drives your commitment to your sport – that sense of deep pride that comes only after practicing and working and persevering to do your part for the people counting on you – it doesn’t go away when you trade your jersey for a jacket and tie. a s athletes, we strive to jump higher, run faster, push farther. w hen we become teachers, we ask our kids to do the same – give their all and reach new heights. i t’s a legacy that lives on long past any conference title or national championship.
o ne of my proudest moments in the classroom was hearing Tyler, a fifth-grade student who started the year reading at a second-grade level, begin to practice reading fluency lessons daily. h e attended intervention, retook tests, completed homework and ultimately built the work ethic to read 136 words per minute – one word above grade level. v ictory never tasted so sweet.
Dennis Latimore is a former forward for the Fighting Irish (Notre Dame ’05) and a Teach For America alum. He teaches 7/8th grade English at ICEF Inglewood Middle Charter Academy and is head basketball coach for View Park High School in Los Angeles, CA.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
By MADDIE DALY a ssistant scene editor
calling all football, food and February fans: this sunday is super bowl X li X as well as Feb. 1, so we have double the reason to celebrate (or mourn for secondsemester seniors like me who are just that much closer to graduation). This year, the seattle seahawks and (controversial) new e ngland patriots will go head to head to fight for the title. however, even if you are not the biggest sports fan out there (like myself, who has no loyalty whatsoever to either team), you can still partake in the day’s festivities and have a grand ol’ time.
First of all, at least in my opinion, the most exciting part of most super bowls comes in between minutes of play; the commercials are what keep me watching. This year’s commercials have remained for the most part mysterious, but most of the usual contestants are participating, so we can keep our expectations high.
besides the commercials and the
football, another great reason to huddle around the television sunday is for the halftime show. out of three potential acts, k aty perry was chosen to be the main performer, beating out coldplay and r ihanna. k nown for her over-thetop performances, perry will be sure to put on a great show for everyone. i n addition, just a few weeks ago she announced that l enny k ravitz will also be appearing on stage — perhaps to appeal to a wider audience.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, if nothing else interests you about the super bowl, how can anyone deny that the food itself is reason enough to put down the books and “watch” the biggest football game of the year? admittedly, my roommates and i are less excited this year, as we have all gone on a health kick due to the rapid approach of spring break, but i have found some reasonable recipes for sunday that won’t (severely) blow any diet.
Zucchini f ries i ngredients:
2 zucchini
¼ cup milk
½ c. shredded parmesan cheese
½ c. seasoned breadcrumbs vegetable cooking spray
p reheat oven to 425 degrees. cut zucchini into 3-inch sticks. w hisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add milk. combine parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place zucchini on sheet. bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown. (courtesy of health.com)
m ini Corndog muffins
i ngredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup certified gluten-free cornmeal
1 cup gluten-free baking blend or
all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 - 10 all-beef hot dogs, cut into 1” bites
p reheat oven to 375 degrees. combine butter and sugar in a bowl, then whisk to combine. add eggs, then whisk to incorporate, and then add buttermilk and whisk to incorporate.
i n a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour and salt, then stir to combine. w hisk into wet ingredients in two batches.
spray a mini-muffin tin very well with non-stick spray, then spoon one tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup.
bake for 8 - 12 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown. cool in mini-muffin tin for five minutes before serving. store leftovers in the refrigerator, then re-heat for 20 - 30 seconds before serving.
Contact Maddie Daly at mdaly6@nd.edu
By JOHN DARR scene writer
i discovered the p unch brothers in the ideal hipster way. d rifting through the pixelated expanse of hip music blogs, i fatefully stumbled upon a “b est a lbums of 2012” list from the depths. a n album titled, “ w ho’s Feeling young now?” stood atop the list, perhaps asking me if i was indeed too youthful to check out a record the blog had labelled “bluegrass.” i was 19 and ready. 45 minutes later, i was convinced that the grass really was bluer on the other side of the fence.
The brilliance of p unch brothers is their fusion of complex indie-rock songwriting with standard bluegrass instrumentation and virtuoso performance. it isn’t every bluegrass band that covers k id a , after all. however, p unch brothers is more than just a musical genre mish-mash. “ w ho’s Feeling young now?” showcased gorgeous arrangements and production, filling every nook and cranny with one stringed instrument or another. c hris Thile’s vocals coaxed, snarled and soared to fit his clever lyrics, managing to shine
atop the band’s collective sound. unfortunately, the latest record is struck by the “phosphorescent blues,” as its title suggests. The fifth record from the p unch brothers jumps from one style of music to the next but seems to have a great bit of the magic the band captured on previous albums. g one are bursts of energy and great rushing tempos that make bluegrass so engaging. g one are the bone-chillingly beautiful moments that highlighted “ w ho’s Feeling young now?.” The pretty melodies and catchy choruses are less pretty and less catchy. The record is instead chock-full of overlong transition periods between areas of interest that serve essentially as stretches of merely pleasant jamming. b ecause of this, “The phosphorescent blues” often falls clumsily under its own weight. “Familiarity,” the album’s opener, is a primary example of this. The track shifts from section to section with interesting yet underwhelmingly gripping chord progressions. unanchored by any verses or choruses and lacking a rewarding latter half, “Familiarity” does, in fact, seem familiar upon first listen because
there’s absolutely nothing that would make it stand out as new or unusual. u ltimately, the track is 10 minutes of dead weight at the opening of the record that inspires very little more than a press of the skip track button. The rest of the record presents better but similarly disappointing tracks. “Julep” is a pretty, ambling track that clumsily attempts and fails to reconcile the themes of a relaxing drink and dying in one’s sleep. The next track, “passepied,” is a rather nice d ebussy cover that recalls the penguin c afe o rchestra without making a case for its superiority to the aforementioned group’s material. The songs on “phosphorescent blues” that most recall the best of the band’s previous record, singles “i blew it o ff” and “my oh my,” play as less-energetic versions of their predecessors. The folky crescendo-to-choir end of “l ittle l ights” recalls sufjan stevens but can’t stand next to those tracks (see any track on “m ichigan”). i n fact, the only outsideinspired track that merits its place on the record is “b oll weevil,” a stompalong jam which could easily hold its own on the “o brother, w here a rt
Thou” soundtrack.
There’s ambition and inspiration aplenty on “phosphorescent blues,” but this time around, the p unch brothers don’t seem to make the most of it. i n the past, they’ve seamlessly adopted different styles of songwriting and arrangement into the bluegrass sound, creating unique and excellent takes on disparate kinds of music. it’s not a record that signals the downfall of the band, but rather one that acts a placeholder until hopefully superior songs arrive in the future. here’s to hoping for another blog-worthy p unch brothers record in the future.
Contact John Darr at jdarr@nd.edu
“Phosphorescent Blues” Punch Brothers
Label: Nonesuch
Tracks: “I Blew It Off,” “Boll Weevil”
If you like: Mumford & Sons
SARA SHOEMAKE
k anye west is a genius.
That’s why the rapper/artist/mogul premiered his new music video for the song “o nly o ne” on “The e llen d e g eneres show” yesterday. The video, directed by spike Jonze and co-starring daughter north west, is an adorable accompaniment to k anye’s collaboration with p aul mc c artney. w hat’s more, k anye’s accompanying interview with e llen showed the artist’s new style for 2015: fatherhood. i n order to get a better idea of why it was brilliant of k anye to premiere his new video on daytime television, just look back on his appearance on the talk show last year.
w hen he premiered his music video for “b ound 2” on “The e llen d e g eneres show” last year, the video was laughed off, parodied or rejected by the mainstream (and especially e llen’s audience). but k anye’s choice to debut the video on daytime television with one of a merica’s most beloved celebrities was by no means a mistake. k anye knows e llen’s audience, and the video appropriated the very a merican culture that tunes into the show every day, making it his own. The move represented the message of “ yeezus” as a whole: a commentary on race and culture in a merica, and k anye wanted not just the attention of his fans, but of the whole country ( i should note that i’m not the first person to make this claim. There has been plenty of online discussion about and analysis of the video, critics like Jerry
s altz and ayesha siddiqi have written about this at great length).
w hat’s most interesting about the interview, though, is that despite the video being mocked and dismissed, k anye’s appearance on the show was still wildly successful. unlike his appearance with Jimmy k immel, west expertly released the “b ound 2” video and embraced e llen and all of her viewers’ reactions with open arms. w hether people “got it” or not, west walked away laughing with the audience (and maybe at them, too).
it makes sense then that k anye would premiere his newest video with e llen at his side. he knows, like last time, he can reach a far and wide audience with the help of his friend and host. This time, however, k anye’s message was clear: he’s a family man. a lovable, charming family man.
The video opens on k anye standing outside and alone, with a shooting style like that of amateur home footage (albeit beautiful amateur home footage). he is soon joined by daughter, north, as the pair walk hand-in-hand, intercut with shots of k anye holding and singing to the two-year-old. it’s a beautiful video that accompanies an emotional song — e llen explains that “o nly o ne” is written in the voice of k anye’s mother singing to him.
a long with sharing the video, k anye opened up about his joys, fears and experiences as a new father. he says that being married and having a family has made him a “better human being” and gives the classic husband lines about compromise and doing whatever his wife, k im k ardashian ( west), wants.
it’s clear that while k anye shares
that he “hasn’t found the vibe” for his new album, his vibe is 100 percent dad. The video and interview introduces a new k anye with a full-fledged family man image. i mean, the song is in collaboration with p aul mc c artney — can you get more dad than him?
w hen i talk about k anye’s new persona or image, however, i’m not suggesting he is being disingenuous by any means. There’s no reason to doubt that the experience of fatherhood has impacted the artist, or that he’s excited to share it. k anye is a loving father and husband — and i love hearing about it — but i also think his appearance with e llen is just as intelligently calculated as his last one was.
k anye deliberately and perfectly introduces his image as a family man, but the best part of the interview is his response when e llen follows up a question by describing k anye as “calmer” and “less angry.” he half-agrees, but never apologizes for being angry in the first place. he responds, “There’s things i’ve done in the past that were considered negative, but i was really jumping in front of the tank for other people, or for culture, in a way. s o now, i always have to have that in my mind that i have a family that i have to protect, too.”
k anye’s rhetoric is perfect. he never backs down from anything he has said and instead redirects the conversation back to his family. he also directs the conversation to his collaboration with adidas, opening up about being an artist and trying to gain acceptance and creative opportunities when the rest of the world thinks of him as only a rapper.
“my daughter, she wants to express herself but she just doesn’t have the words for it,” k anye said. “For me, there’s so many things i want to do with film and clothing, and i just didn’t have the words or the resources or the backing or the perception that i could do it, being a rapper.”
This is the same message k anye has delivered for years in interviews that were mocked and parodied by people like k immel. now, squeezed in with his jokes about being a father and husband, this self-disclosure is just an easier, sugarcoated pill for his audience to swallow.
a gain, i don’t think k anye is being anything but honest in sharing his feelings about fatherhood. k anye’s new video is representative of the person he is today: a dad, a husband and an artist. he’s also a mastermind — promoting his music and adidas line on national daytime television with a smile. he artfully talks about his growth without ever saying sorry or dismissing the person he has been. i nstead, he basically says to e llen, “i’ve been here the whole time.”
it’s not that k anye is a new man or a “calmer” man, or that he ever really needed to be — it’s just that he knows that now people are finally willing to listen.
now that he is finally getting a merica’s ear, i can’t wait to hear what else he has to say.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Allie Tollaksen at atollaks@nd.edu
Allie Tollaksen scene editor
Tracking Cavaliers’ erratic season
Tyler Wojciak sports writer
immediately after lebron James announced his intention to return to the cleveland cavaliers, expectations for the team skyrocketed. with the contract extension of all-star point guard kyrie irving and the trade that landed elite power forward kevin love, the cavaliers became the favorites to win the eastern conference basically overnight.
w hile some nba analysts suggested that these expectations were a bit premature, no one could really blame cleveland fans for being so enthusiastic about their chance at winning the city’s first major sports championship since 1964. with the best basketball player in the world and a perennial all-star accompanying irving, their star-in-the making, fans had every reason to be excited.
but as the cavaliers enter the second half of their first season with James, irving and love, it is clear that they have not lived up to those expectations. w hether they ever really had a chance to do so without going undefeated up to this point is up for debate, but no one can argue that this team has experienced a rocky start.
Through 47 games, the cavaliers are 27-20, currently fifth in the eastern conference standings. embarrassing losses to bottom-tier teams such as the 76ers and the knicks and a few blowout losses at home have been storylines this season, and media reports that suggested tension between the players and new head coach david blatt certainly have not helped matters.
i’m certainly not arguing that the cavaliers don’t have a lot of work to do if they want to compete with the likes of the bulls, hawks or wizards to win the eastern conference. but writing off this team completely at this point in the season would be imprudent.
w hen critiquing this cavaliers team, most are compelled to compare them to the 2010-2011 miami heat team — the first year for miami’s big three of James, chris bosh and dwyane wade. but when making these comparisons, fans and analysts alike have a tendency to only look at the final product of that heat team and forget about the similar struggles they faced during the first half of that season.
The miami heat started off the year with a 9-8 record through the team’s first 17 games. There were even media reports that suggested tension between James and heat head coach erik spoelstra, and it was very clear that the newlook heat were struggling to mesh their new stars’ games together. some fans of the nba had already
started proclaiming the team as a “bust.”
amid all of the negative media attention, the heat went 21-1 over the team’s next 22 games. looking like a completely different team, the players were able to mesh their playing styles to form one of the most dominant teams in basketball. ultimately, the heat lost a six-game series in the nba Finals to the dallas mavericks, but it was clear that miami was going to be a force for years to come.
w hile many have been waiting for the cavaliers to figure out how to play with each other and go on a hot streak like the heat did, it must be understood that this cavaliers team is very different than that particular heat team. neither love nor irving have ever played in an nba playoff game, while wade had already won an nba championship when James joined the heat, and bosh had played in several playoff series. The only cavaliers player outside of James with any significant playoff experience is anderson varejao, but he is out for the season with a torn achilles tendon. The heat roster had an average of 9.8 years of nba experience per player, compared to the cavaliers’ figure of 8.6. despite the lack of experience among key players on the cavaliers roster and the disappointing start to the season, one cannot argue that the team is loaded with talent. The flashes of greatness when the team works together have become more frequent, most notably during the team’s current eight-game winning streak. w hether or not this streak will continue and resemble that of the heat’s 21-1 tear in 2010-2011 is yet to be seen, but it appears that the cavaliers are beginning to mesh like most expected to happen long ago. recent trade acquisitions in J.r smith and Timofey mosgov have already impressed in just their first few games, and once newly-acquired iman shumpert recovers from a shoulder injury, the cavaliers could be even more dangerous.
after a rocky start, the cavaliers are nearly at full health once again and are entering the second half of the season with a full head of steam. i’ve backed off from my preseason prediction that the cavaliers were going to represent the eastern conference in the nba Finals at the end of this season, but i fully expect the cavaliers to be a serious force throughout the second half of the season and into the postseason.
Contact Tyler Wojciak at twojciak@hcc-nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Loving shines in Buckeyes’ win over Terps
Press
Associated
columbus, ohio — marc l oving scored 19 points and d’a ngelo russell added 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead ohio state to an 80-56 victory over no. 16 maryland on Thursday night.
Jae’sean Tate, starting his third game in a row, added 16 points and eight rebounds for the buckeyes (17-5, 6-3 big Ten), who have won three in a row — including the last two over ranked opponents at home.
dez wells had 12 points and Jake l ayman 10 for maryland (18-4, 6-3), which had won four of five.
melo Trimble, who came in leading maryland in scoring at 16.3 points per game, had a forgettable night. he missed all eight shots from the field, including four 3-pointers, and ended up with three points, one rebound and one assist. one of the top rebounding teams in the conference, the
Terrapins were pummeled on the boards, 51-32. ohio state was 10 of 17 behind the arc, with l oving making all five of his 3-point attempts.
a head by eight points at halftime, the buckeyes took control early in the second period.
up 41-32 just 3 minutes in, the buckeyes went on a rapidfire 7-0 run. shannon scott assisted on Tate’s layup, then slashed through the lane to flip in a drive. russell then fed sam Thompson for a 3 in front of the home bench to make it 48-32.
l oving hit consecutive 3s to push the lead to 54-38 with under 14 minutes left, and maryland never got the deficit down to single digits again.
russell, the big Ten’s most recent player and freshman of the week, was spectacular in the opening half, scoring 12 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists.
The buckeyes led 16-15 after
wells’ 3-pointer at the 6:35 mark — but the Terrapins didn’t score again for the next 2:58. They missed all five shots from the field with a turnover. meanwhile, ohio state strung together several stops on defense while making enough plays at the other end to go on a 12-0 run.
a fter l oving hit a pull-up jumper and l ee a foul shot, russell showed why many nba mock drafts have him going among the top five picks should he elect to leave school early. he hit a long, arching 3 in transition while being fouled, then converted the free throw for a four-point play. he later took advantage of a late-recovering defender to hit another 3. Tate then popped in two free throws for a 28-15 lead.
russell later added another highlight play. w ith the Terrapins hedging on a pick at the top of the key, he twice dribbled behind his back and, with two defenders on him, poured in another 3.
Tennessee narrowly defeats Kentucky
Associated Press
le X ingTon, ky. — isabelle harrison and c ierra burdick combined to score 25 secondhalf points and sixth-ranked Tennessee held on to edge no. 10 kentucky 73-72 victory Thursday night.
Trailing 33-27 just after the break, the l ady vols’ two post players took charge inside to seize control of a game that was tight throughout.
harrison scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half, while burdick added 12 of her 16 in the final 20 minutes as Tennessee (18-3, 8-0 southeastern c onference) earned its first true road win over a top-10 opponent since 2008.
makayla epps’ consecutive 3-pointers got kentucky (16-5, 5-3) to 73-72 with 1:16 remaining and the w ildcats had several chances to win it in the final 16 seconds. but epps and Jennifer o’neill missed jumpers, Jordan reynolds blocked a lexis Jennings’ shot with 2 seconds left and a ndraya carter blocked o’neill’s jumper as time expired.
bashaara graves added 11 points and harrison had 10 rebounds as Tennessee shot 67 percent after halftime for its 14th win in 15 games that extended its sec-best winning streak to 15 games dating to last season.
epps scored a game-high 23 points, including three 3-pointers for the w ildcats, who made 8 of 19 from long range but lost for the third time in five games. o’neill and Jennings had 12 points each for kentucky.
The l ady vols also ended their two-game slide in memorial c oliseum while ending kentucky’s 13-game streak on its home floor. but it took weathering a furious final sequence in which the w ildcats had several good chances that bounced off the rim.
motivated to stay within reach of the sec leaders, the w ildcats figured to make it tough for their biggest rival. That set the stage for more intrigue in the schools’ first meeting since the l ady vols earned a 71-70 win over the w ildcats in last year’s sec
tournament championship. considering they’ve split the last two games by four points, the back-and-forth first half that followed wasn’t a surprise.
momentum seemed to lean toward Tennessee thanks to its 2-3 zone defense that frustrated a kentucky team that started poorly from the field. The l ady vols used it to build a 20-15 lead through 15 minutes before Jelleah sidney’s seven points down the stretch, mostly on putbacks, lifted the w ildcats.
o’neill shook off three initial misses to make three of five attempts for seven points, while Jennings added a putback as kentucky outscored Tennessee 16-5 en route to a 31-25 halftime lead. not bad considering the w ildcats shot just 31 percent.
Tennessee wasn’t done, drawing within 54-53 thanks to six straight points by burdick before harrison and a rial massengale each added five. The tone was set and the l ady vols went on to a big win to stay unbeaten in league play.
s aint m ary’s fell to conference opponent Trine, 70-58, at a ngela a thletic Facility on wednesday night.
The Thunder (12-7, 6-4 miaa ) got off to a quick start in the first half, scoring the first 12 points of the game and cruising to an early 27-8 lead. The b elles (3-16, 1-9) answered with an 8-4 run with baskets by junior guard s arah m acius and sophomore forward k elsey r onan to make the score 31-16 with just over six minutes left in the first half. The Thunder responded with a 12-7 run to close out the half and go
into the locker room with a 43-23 halftime lead.
“ we did not get off to a great defensive start on wednesday,” s aint m ary’s coach Jennifer h enley said. “ we had troubles matching up in transition, and Trine shot the lights out. we adjusted some things at halftime and played a much better second half.”
The b elles cooled the Trine offense in the second half, allowing only 27 points. b elles’ senior guard a riana p aul, junior forward e leni s hea and junior guard s arah m acius combined to score the last 12 points of the game, but it was not enough in the end and the
b elles lost by 12 points.
Three s aint m ary’s players were tied for most points on the team in the contest. s ophomore forward k elsey r onan scored 11 points and added four rebounds, s hea had 11 points to go along with five rebounds and one steal and p aul netted 11 points, pulled down nine rebounds and had five steals. s aint m ary’s shot 34.9 percent from the field and made 65 percent of its free throws. Trine shot a blistering 6-for-7 from beyond the three point line for a 85.5 percent 3-point field goal percentage in the first half alone and finished the game shooting 64.3 percent from beyond the arc.
“ i n preparing for h ope, we can’t come out flat on defense,” h enley said. “ h ope is a solid team and recently [moved to the ranking of] n o. 12 in the country among d ivision iii schools. we certainly have a challenge on s aturday, but a great opportunity to play some tough competition.”
The b elles and the Flying d utch will square off at a ngela a thletic Facility on s aturday at 3 p.m.
Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu
ND travels to face top-flight field
By ANDREW ROBINSON sports writer
p reparing for what could potentially be a season-defining performance, notre dame is set to travel to Fayetteville, a rkansas this weekend, where it will face a daunting field in the razorback i nvitational.
The i rish has faced increasingly stiff competition as its season progressed, and the upcoming i nvitational is posed to continue this trend. The meet boasts a field of 14 teams, 10 of which are ranked in the top 25, in either or both of the men’s and women’s polls.
“we have to be ready,” i rish coach a lan Turner said. “The preliminaries, so to speak, are over – we’re really getting into the meat of the season, facing a lot of the powerhouse programs this weekend.”
a rkansas, the host of the meet, is currently the no.3 men’s team and the no. 5 women’s team, while no. 2/1 Florida has the strongest overall team, based on rankings. no. 4/3 Texas a& m, no. 10/7 Texas, no. 7/10 stanford, no. 15/11 Florida state and no. 16/13 oklahoma state round out an impressive list of programs featured in the invitational whose men’s and women’s teams are both ranked.
Turner said he believes the meet will be a pivotal moment for the i rish.
“one of two things is going to happen,” he said. “we’re either going to step up and use this to rocket ourselves into being a top-20 program, or we’re going to get beat pretty bad and potentially struggle the rest of the season. so this meet right here could definitely be a turning point for our team.”
i n addition to housing some of the top track and field athletes in the country, a rkansas’
facility for the invitational will help create favorable conditions for a fast meet. The banked 200-meter track at a rkansas’s randal Tyson Track center has a reputation for being one of the fastest indoor tracks in the world, with several collegiate and world records having been set there.
“it’s very conducive to running very fast 200-meter [dash], 400-meter [dash] and 4x400meter [relay] times,” Turner said. “i wouldn’t be surprised if we have several school records broken this weekend.”
i n particular, Turner said he is looking forward to the performance of senior and twotime a ll-a merican sprinter c hris giesting, who looks to break the school record of 45.92 seconds in the 400-meter race.
i n the women’s 400-meter, Turner said junior sprinter margaret bamgbose also has the potential to break the notre dame record, which currently stands at 52.73 seconds.
The meet features several top long-distance programs, including stanford, oklahoma state and a rkansas, which Turner said provides a great opportunity for notre dame’s long-distance duo of senior Jake k ildoo and junior m ichael c levenger to make their mark in the 3000-meter race.
“our top athletes are used to this level of competition, so we’re expecting them to lead the way,” Turner said. “w hen you put a lot of top athletes on the track at the same time, you’re going to get some incredible times.”
The i rish will compete in the razorback i nvitational this weekend with the first gun going off at 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. saturday.
Contact Andrew Robinson at arobins6@nd.edu
WEI LIN | The Observer
Freshman Hunter Holton, left, and junior Brent Swanberg compete in the 60-meter hurdles during the Blue and Gold Invitational on Dec. 5.
Irish welcome
No. 15 Michigan
By BEN PADANILHAM sports writer
no. 19 notre dame will welcome no. 15 m ichigan to e ck Tennis pavilion this sunday at 2 p.m. for an early-season top-20 showdown.
Following a doubleheader sweep against western m ichigan and detroit mercy on Jan. 17 in their season opener, the i rish (2-0) will host a wolverine squad about to embark on its first road trip of 2015. m ichigan (2-0) is coming off wins against yale and Tulsa and will host Tennessee on s aturday before it travels to take on the i rish.
i rish coach Jay l ouderback said he believes the team’s season opener served as an opportunity to gauge the team’s depth and view potential lineups, which will benefit his players going forward.
“o ne of the biggest things [from the doubleheader] was that we tried a couple of different lineups in doubles,” l ouderback said. “o ne of our kids was out that will be back this week, but it helped us [to] get a chance to see what we wanted to do in doubles. That was a big factor. a nd we got to play some different ones in singles because we played two matches in the one day. it helped us get our depth [so we know] what we’re going to do if we get some injuries.”
l ast weekend, the i rish had a bye weekend, something they are not used to this early in the season, l ouderback said. w ith the extra time off, the team struggled in practice last week but has managed to rebound over the last few days, l ouderback said.
The team is also adjusting to a new format in its matches, which the players were
mEn’s tEnnis
nd preps for northwestern
By RYAN KLAUS s ports w riter
a fter splitting a pair of matches in the i T ak ickoff weekend, the n o. 14 i rish continues its home stand this evening against n orthwestern.
The i rish (2-1) opened last weekend by beating n o. 24 o klahoma s tate, 4-3, which put them in the championship match against n o. 13 c olumbia. d espite winning the doubles point against the l ions (2-0), the i rish eventually lost 4-2.
“ we were really proud of the effort our guys gave over the weekend,” said i rish coach r yan s achire. “ i t’s nice that this is a little bit of a quick turnaround s unday to Friday. The mindset has kind of been to get our legs back underneath us and make sure we’re fresh and healthy going into tomorrow night.
first exposed to in the season opener. s ome of the changes include no warmups between opponents prior to a match, removing advantages so that any point scored after deuce wins that game and shortening doubles matches from eight games to six.
“everything is really short, and it goes a little quicker than normal,” l ouderback said. “it’s something that each match we play, we’re going to get used to it a little bit more.”
The matchup against a highly-ranked m ichigan team provides notre dame with two significant opportunities, l ouderback said. First and foremost, the coach said he wants his younger players to gain some much needed experience.
“ we have two [girls] who will be playing in really their first big-time dual match, which is good,” l ouderback said. “s o it will be good to see how they react in a tight, tough match because m ichigan is [ no.] 15, so it should be a really good match for us.”
l ouderback also said he hopes this matchup provides the top of the i rish lineup with a strong test.
“They’re very good at the top of their lineup,” l ouderback said of the wolverines. “Their top three players … are three of the top-five in our region. i think their strength is at the top of their lineup, so it will give us a feel for how good we think we can be at the top of our lineup.”
notre dame will square off against m ichigan on sunday at 2 p.m. at e ck Tennis pavilion.
Contact Ben Padanilham at bpadanil@nd.edu
“a t the same time, we’ve gotten to address some of the individual needs in our guys’ games that they maybe struggled with last weekend and have tried to cover those weaknesses up heading into tomorrow night.”
Though the i rish have only played three matches so far this season, this will be the first time they will play following a loss.
“c ertainly you want to see a team that is determined and hungry not to see the same fate that we saw on s unday,” said s achire. “The energy has been good in practice. The attitude has been good. The effort has been good. s o i have every reason to feel very confident that we will play a great match tomorrow night. The biggest thing for us is being the most competitive team in the building.”
The match against the w ildcats (2-2) is the first of several upcoming contests against b ig Ten teams for n otre d ame. a fter playing the w ildcats on Friday, the i rish will host i llinois on m onday and will also take on m ichigan, w isconsin and o hio s tate in February.
“o bviously, we’re very fortunate that there are a number of top-30 schools and programs that are within driving distance of our campus,” s achire said. “ we typically play all of those [ b ig Ten] teams during our nonconference schedule just due to the proximity of the campuses.”
l ike the i rish, the w ildcats played at an i T a - k ickoff weekend event this past weekend. n orthwestern defeated a rkansas on s aturday 4-2, which set up a s unday match with host n o. 2 o klahoma, where the
w ildcats fell 4-1.
The match against n orthwestern continues a series of home contests for n otre d ame that started last weekend and will continue through Feb. 8.
“The scheduling just worked out that way, but we’re going to take advantage of it,” s achire said. “ we love playing in our building. we love playing at home. we feel like we have a strong
home court advantage here and there is something to be said for keeping your guys in a familiar and comfortable environment. we’ll be able to sleep well, rest well, be healthy and hopefully play our best tennis.”
n otre d ame is set to take on n orthwestern at 5:30 p.m., at the e ck Tennis p avilion.
Contact Ryan Klaus at rklaus1@nd.edu
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish sophomore Mary Closs connects on a shot during Notre Dame’s 4-3 loss to Georgia Tech on Feb. 21.
MICHAEL YU | The Observer Irish sophomore Eddy Covalschi follows through on a shot during Notre Dame’s 4-3 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday.
senior guard and team captain pat c onnaughton said of his team’s recent comebacks.
“There’s just something about us that when we’re down, we never think we are out. we are able to rally around each other; someone sets a spark, and then we’re able to make plays. i think we’d like to improve so that we don’t get ourselves in those kinds of situations.”
i rish coach m ike brey said a lot of the credit for notre dame’s comebacks belongs to c onnaughton and grant.
“ we make a habit of [falling behind], but you can’t say enough about our two seniors,” brey said.
s aturday, notre dame puts its undefeated acc road record on the line against p ittsburgh (13-8, 3-5). The panthers started out the season 7-0 at home, but they are just 2-2 at petersen events c enter in conference play after dropping games to c lemson and no. 10 l ouisville.
The panthers have struggled this season, ranking 183rd nationally in points per game (67.3), 175th in rebounds (34.9) and 165th in field-goal percentage (43.7%). p ittsburgh, which finished 11-7 in the acc last season, lost guard l amar patterson and forward Talib Zanna, last season’s leading scorer and rebounder, respectively, to graduation.
s ophomore forward m ichael young has taken the reigns as p ittsburgh’s scorer this season, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding with 13.2 points and 7.8 boards per game.
l ast season, p ittsburgh defeated the i rish, 85-81, in overtime at p urcell pavilion on march 1; however, grant did not play in that game. This year, the senior has solidified himself as one of the best players in the country, and brey said grant deserves to be considered among college basketball’s elite.
“he’s got a big basketball iQ,” brey said of grant. “he knows our sets, he knows our system. he loves the moment. he is such a bright lights, big stage guy. he’s really clutch.” i n three of the team’s last
paid a dverT isemen T
four games, grant has scored at least 23 points and dished out at least six assists. h is 6.7 assists per game are tied for seventh in the country. The senior said he believes notre dame has become an elite team after a 15-win year last season.
“ we are definitely up there,” grant said. “obviously, [ no. 2] v irginia is undefeated. They came in here and beat us, but hopefully we get another shot at them. i definitely think that we are in the top tier. “
The i rish look to push their winning streak to six games when they travel to the peterson e vents c enter to play p ittsburgh on s aturday at 12 p.m.
Contact Manny De Jesus at mdejesus@nd.edu
freshmen defensemen, they’ve got a young goaltender i think,” Jackson said of the w ildcats. “… There’s some similarities between them and us. They’ve always been a good program, they’ve always been well-coached and they’re gonna be challenging ... they had a tough weekend last weekend and so did we.”
Jackson pointed to taking care of the puck as a key area of focus heading into the series.
“For us it’s about trying to sustain possession, make good plays at both blue lines to where we don’t turn pucks over,” Jackson said. “They’ve got a very good group of forwards and if you make mistakes with the puck, they’re gonna come after you.”
w hile the i rish have struggled as of late, they still sit seventh in the h ockey e ast standings; a three-point weekend would jump them into fifth, while a pair of wins could see them climb as high as fourth.
“To me, i met with our leadership group and the most important thing is that we need to try to come up with points every weekend,” Jackson said. “… we have to take care of the games in our building as much as possible.”
a fter this weekend’s series with n ew h ampshire and a trip to m aine next weekend, the i rish finish their season playing three top-15 teams – home series with n o. 12 p rovidence and n o. 14 b oston c ollege sit on either side of a trip to n o. 2 b oston u niversity — and Jackson said that the team is conscious of their tough finish ahead.
“ we want to put ourselves in the best position in the conference standings so we can go into the playoffs on a positive note,” Jackson said.
“… i t’s going to be tough
when you finish off your season with p rovidence, b oston u niversity and b oston c ollege.”
d espite handing freshman goaltender c al p etersen four consecutive starts, Jackson said that he has not written off sophomore c had k atunar as an option at the position.
“ i ’m not done with c had,” Jackson said. “… i don’t want to lose c had mentally; i gotta keep him sharp, and i still think he has the ability to be a number-one guy. c al had moved ahead of him a little bit, and c had is certainly still in the mix to play this weekend.”
“[ c al] had a great game Friday night. … s aturday, i thought that he could have stopped a few of the goals and that’s where i have to get him over the hump. you have a good night, and then you have to come back with a good night.” a fter starting the year with just a six percent success rate through 21 games — a mark that was last in the nation — the i rish power-play unit has scored in five straight games. “ we have to sustain it,” Jackson said of the powerplay success. “ we’ve been getting a goal a game and if we can sustain that, it helps us a lot.
“ b oth units are scoring too and that’s a great thing.”
l ooking to defend their home ice, Jackson said the i rish find an extra spark when the crowd is a factor.
“ w hen the student section is full and the band is there in full complement, it’s an impressive building and our team feeds off of that,” Jackson said. “ i t creates a home-ice advantage for us. o ur guys, when they see that, they get energized.”
p uck drop for tonight’s game between the i rish and w ildcats is slated for 7:35 p.m., while s aturday’s contest is set to get underway at 6:35 p.m.
Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish junior left winger Sam Herr attempts to wrap a shot around the net during Notre Dame’s 3-3 tie against Connecticut on Jan. 16.
JODI LO | The Observer
Irish sophomore guard Demetrius Jackson drives past a defender during Notre Dame’s 77-73 win over Duke on Wednesday.
forward Taya r eimer also had a standout game, the most recent in a chain of solid efforts.
“Taya r eimer had 10 rebounds,” m c g raw said. “ s he’s really doing her job on the boards, doing a fantastic job. s he’s been close to a doubledouble i think the last couple games in a row. s he’s really put together a good string of rebounding games.”
The inside game was one of the most significant strengths n otre d ame exhibited against v irginia Tech, m c g raw said.
“ i thought we really rebounded well,” m c g raw said.
“They only had single-digit offensive rebounds, and that was probably the best stat of the game.”
n otre d ame will next take on wake Forest (10-12, acc 1-7) at home s unday. i rish assistant coach c arol o wens said n otre d ame will have to focus on containing wake Forest’s star player, senior forward d earica h amby.
“The core of their team is d earica h amby,” o wens said.
“ s he’s one of the best post players in the country, we believe, let alone our conference. s he’s the glue person,
the one that gets their offense going. They have a very young team with the exception of her, with three freshmen. h owever, they’re a very athletic team.”
o wens said n otre d ame will utilize its advantages in the outside game to minimize the influence of h amby.
“a lthough wake Forest is a good 3-point shooting team, the key is again limiting h amby on the inside,” o wens said. “ s he’s a special player. you’re not going to keep her scoreless, of course, but any time we can get her not catching the ball, that’s a good possession for us. i think we have a lot of experience on the perimeter. we need to really execute and find opportunities and attack them on defense.”
The d emon d eacons will visit p urcell p avilion to challenge the i rish on s unday at 1 p.m. s unday’s game will also be the team’s annual ‘ p ink Zone’ game, honoring former n orth c arolina s tate coach k ay yow, who succumbed to breast cancer in 2009. d onations from the game benefit both local and national breast cancer foundations, and the i rish will wear special pink jerseys with pink accenting.
Contact Renee Griffin at rgriffi6@nd.edu
JODI LO | The Observer
Irish freshman forward Kathryn Westbeld goes up for a jump shot during Notre Dame’s 88-77 win over Tennessee on Jan. 19 at Purcell Pavilion. Westbeld played for 23 minutes against the Volunteers.
Edited
by Will Shortz No. 0907
card, 1-800-814-5554.
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.
Happy Birthday: put more emphasis on home, family and making the positive changes that will ensure greater success in both your personal and professional life. balance should be your goal, and stability the end result. Financial improvements are doable if you make an innovative investment, sell what you don’t need, cut corners and accumulate what will grow in value. your numbers are 2, 9, 13, 21, 23, 38, 43.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): discuss your options with someone you have worked with in the past. don’t let an emotional incident interfere with your productivity or how you get along with someone of influence. make the appropriate changes to help you advance.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): expanding your mind and your self-awareness will bring about a change of attitude and an increased appreciation of friendships. you can influence others by sharing your thoughts and offering an alternative way to live.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): your curiosity will mount. Trying something new will bring you in contact with people who can influence your life. don’t be too eager to make a leap of faith. your research will show that you are better off following your own path.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): romance, a trip to exotic destinations and trying something new will give you the boost you need. good fortune awaits if you are willing to put more effort into the way you present who you are and what you want.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): deception is apparent where money and joint ventures are concerned. you can make changes, but do so for the right reasons and only after you have done sufficient research to warrant moving forward. Too much of anything will work against you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): re-evaluate your current personal and professional relationships. if you feel someone is working against you, look at your alternatives and do whatever is necessary to avoid creating a scene. rely on facts and figures, not hearsay.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): size up your situation and make your move. you have plenty to gain by using your intelligence to maneuver your way through any discussion that can have an impact on your relationships in business or in your personal life.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): someone close to you will show signs of instability. look for a unique way to compensate for someone’s loss or confusion. positive change will help to bring you closer together and improve the way you live and do things in the future.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): don’t let someone’s personal interest in you cause confusion. you are best to make positive changes at home that will help you re-evaluate what you already have. someone pretending to offer what you want will mislead you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): don’t allow the changes going on around you to cause stress. if you don’t like something, make positive moves rather than complain. revert back to the situations, people and places that have worked best for you in the past.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): don’t let opposition scare you. Focus on your family, your home environment and making changes that will bring greater happiness and joy to you and those you love. don’t give in to someone trying to control what you can and cannot do.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): keep a tight lip to avoid being called a meddler. emotional matters will escalate quickly, causing problems for you that can influence your personal and professional status. don’t fold under pressure or reveal sensitive information. observe, but do not take action.
Birthday Baby: you are inquisitive, trendy and sensitive. you are unique and intuitive.
Puzzle by Martin Ashwood-Smith
jumblE | david hoyT and JeFF knurek
sudoKu | The mepham group
HiGHly PunliKEly | chrisTopher brucker
domE nuts| aleXandria wellman
nd womEn’s basKEtball | nd 74, virginia Tech 50
i rish power to early lead, hold on over hokies
By RENEE GRIFFIN sports writer
n o. 4 n otre d ame defeated acc foe v irginia Tech on Thursday in a 74-50 rout in b lacksburg, v irginia, and will return home to face wake Forest on s unday.
The i rish (20-2, acc 7-1) took a commanding 4317 halftime lead and never looked back. The h okies (1011, acc 1-7) had trouble getting into a rhythm on offense and stopping i rish scorers on defense.
“ i felt we got off to a pretty good start,” i rish coach muffet m c g raw said. “The first half was good, i liked the tone that we set. we executed well offensively, we guarded them pretty well, so i was pleased with what we were doing.”
n otre d ame could not quite replicate its success from the first half in the second but still maintained a secure lead, m c g raw said.
“ we got a little bit complacent with the lead,” m c g raw
said. “ we could’ve been a little more in touch in the second half. we missed a lot of free throws, missed a lot of layups and didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, and we didn’t guard them quite as well in the second half. i think that’s the youth of our team, sometimes not having the killer instinct.”
m c g raw said she also liked the performance of bench players who played significant minutes as the starters rested with the game in hand in the second half. Freshman forward k athryn westbeld especially stood out, she said, netting a career-high 17 points.
“ i thought k athryn westbeld and [junior guard] h annah huffman in particular both played very well,” m c g raw said. “ k athryn offensively was very aggressive, really did a nice job. h annah was a really good high-post player against v irginia Tech.”
m c g raw said sophomore
see w bball PaGE 14
Notre Dame looks to stay perfect on road in ACC play Russo suspended for weekend games
By MANNY DE JESUS sports writer
no. 8 notre dame is only the second team in the ncaa to reach 20 wins thus far into the season, and after a win against no. 4 d uke on wednesday, it is riding a five-game winning streak into a matchup with p ittsburgh on s aturday.
a lthough the i rish (20-2, 8-1 acc ) are second in the conference, four of their last five contests have been comeback victories. Jan. 14 against g eorgia Tech, notre dame was down by 12 near the end of the first half to g eorgia Tech on Jan. 14 before storming back to win. The i rish also mounted a comeback win after being down 12 points against m iami (Fl.) on Jan. 17. notre dame overcame an 18-point deficit against north c arolina state on sunday, and i rish senior guard Jerian grant led yet another comeback wednesday after his team trailed by 10 points midway through the second half.
“it’s the winning mentality,”
By ALEX CARSON sports writer
notre dame will be without senior defenseman robbie russo when it hosts new hampshire for a two-game series at compton Family ice a rena tonight and saturday.
russo, the nation’s leading scorer amongst defensemen, was suspended two games following an incident in the final minute of a 4-2 loss at northeastern on saturday. russo was initially handed a two-minute slashing minor, however, upon further review, hockey east opted for the suspension.
“The slashing play by russo was deemed a dangerous play that was subject to supplemental discipline,” hockey east director of communications brian smith said in an email response to a request for comment. “it was similar to an incident from the previous season where there was a swinging slash on a player shooting into an empty net and a two-game suspension was issued.
“hockey east received input from others who are in the business of issuing supplemental
discipline and their responses ranged from one game to three games. as safety of the athletes are a major concern to the league, a two-game suspension, consistent with precedent, was deemed the appropriate league response.”
irish coach Jeff Jackson was unavailable for comment on the suspension; however, he discussed russo’s contribution to the team this season wednesday.
“[russo]’s been huge,” Jackson said. “… he plays with poise offensively, and he’s learned to be able to mix defense with offense.” w hile notre dame (10-13-3, 5-4-3 hockey east) will be without russo as it looks to rebound from an empty weekend at northeastern, it will get center dawson cook back this weekend after the freshman missed the last three games with a concussion.
The wildcats (8-14-2, 3-8-1) sit tied at the bottom of the hockey east standings after being swept by maine last weekend. Jackson drew parallels between new hampshire and his team.
“They have three or four
JODI LO | The Observer
Irish junior guard Jewell Loyd rises up for a shot during Notre Dame’s 88-77 win over Tennessee on Jan. 19 at Purcell Pavilion. Loyd led all scorers with 34 points and chipped in five rebounds and four assists.
mEn’s basKEtball
HoCKE y
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish senior guard Jerian Grant drives to the hoop during Notre Dame’s 77-73 win over Duke on Wednesday.
