PDF of The Observer for Thursday, January 17, 2013
Controversy surrounds Te’o
University confirms story of girlfriend’s death to be hoax, claims linebacker to be victim
By ANDREW OWENS
a ssistant managing e ditor
lennay kekua, the girl believed to have been former irish linebacker manti Te’o’s girlfriend and who was reported to have died of leukemia in september, never existed.
after an afternoon of questions and swirling controversy, notre dame director of athletics
Jack swarbrick addressed the situation, originally reported by deadspin.com, at a press conference wednesday evening.
swarbrick said Te’o received a phone call from the number he associated with lennay kekua while he was in orlando in early december for an espn awards show that took place dec. 6.
“w hen he answered it, it was a
person whose voice sounded like the same voice he had talked to, who told him that she was, in fact, not dead,” swarbrick said.
Following the phone call that day, Te’o received what swarbrick called “persistent” contact from the number; the frequency dissipated in time because Te’o stopped responding, swarbrick said.
Te’o waited to act on the situation until he went home for christmas on dec. 21 because he wanted to speak with his family about it in person, swarbrick said. w hen he returned to campus, Te’o alerted head coach Brian kelly and defensive coordinator Bob diaco before swarbrick was notified.
swarbrick said he met with
Mendoza adds graduate business program
By CHRISTIAN MYERS news writer
The mendoza college of Business plans to add a master of science in Business (msB) to its graduate school offerings in June 2013.
roger huang, kenneth r meyer professor of global investment management and interim dean of mendoza, said the students will be non-business program college graduates with
students plunge into cities
By MADDIE DALY news writer
instead of spending winter vacation relaxing or earning money, several notre dame students donated their time to the underprivileged in their own backyards through the center for social concerns’ urban plunge program.
Bill purcell, the center’s associate director for catholic social tradition and practice, said this year’s theme was “raising voices in the city.”
urban plunge is a one-credit learning course that focuses on urban poverty in the united states,
purcell said. students participate in a 40-hour immersive volunteer experience, usually in cities close to their homes.
purcell said 210 students were chosen out of 280 applicants to this year’s program. These participants attended three preparatory class sessions about catholic social tradition late in the fall semester.
various professors taught the class sessions, including mary Jo Bane, a political science professor from harvard university who specializes in poverty studies, purcell said.
chris weber, a sophomore from
chicago, ill., said he decided to participate in the program after hearing positive feedback about urban plunge from his roommate.
“From him, i learned that it would be a service trip over winter break,” weber said. “when i saw that there were a couple of sites located in chicago, i thought, ‘why not?’”
weber said he did not know what to expect from the experience but was confident it would be worthwhile.
“even after the three urban plunge classes before break, i had
little to no work experience.
The program will teach business fundamentals that will open the door to career opportunities, huang said. The program’s content will reflect the mission of the university.
“The [program’s] mission is to have ‘business for the good,’” huang said.
This mission motivated the emphasis on ethics in the program’s business fundamentals curriculum, huang said.
“a n important part of business fundamentals is business ethics,” he said.
huang said the msB program lasts one year and is comprised of three semesters: summer, fall and spring. students will complete 44 hours of coursework, he said.
The program will include two specialized courses that will connect each student’s
grc educates nd about stalking
By KATIE McCARTY news writer
The gender relations center (grc) wants students to know how to protect themselves from unwanted attention.
as part of national stalking awareness month, the center is hosting a campaign titled “stalking: k now it. name it. stop it.”
emmanuel cannady, assistant director of outreach services at
the grc, said the campaign aims to educate people about stalking in order to reduce its prevalence. “stalking takes many different forms and is underreported,” he said. “The definition of stalking has more to do with impact versus intent. a ny form of unwanted contact that causes anxiety and fear is stalking.”
grc representatives will man informational tables in
see sTalking PAGE 5
BRANDON KEELEAN | The Observer
Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick spoke at a press conference Wednesday regarding the story of Manti Te’o’s girlfriend revealed to be a hoax. Te’o is expected to comment publicly soon.
Scene Desk (574) 631-4540 observer. s cene.e ditor@gmail.com Saint Mary’s Desk jbarwi01@saintmarys.edu
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Policies
The
Anthony Abordo senior o’neill hall “peregrine falcon.”
Federico Segura sophomore duncan hall “giraffe.”
Jane Goodson freshman walsh hall “dogs.”
Have a question you want answered? Email obsphoto@gmail.com
Jordyn Conover junior ryan hall “ke$ha.”
Meaghan Hannon sophomore mcglinn hall “dolphin.”
Pat Walsh sophomore o’neill hall “snakes.”
A film crew from EA Sports interviews a Notre Dame student outside Notre Dame Stadium. The crew was on campus to film a promotional video for a competition to determine who will appear on the cover of the next edition of its popular “NCAA Football” video game series.
Want your event included here? Email
All
“Is Promoting Democracy in the Middle East a Mistake?” Hesburgh Center for International Studies
4:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
Friday
“Roe and the Culture War that Followed” Reckers
12 p.m.-2 p.m.
Professors for Lunch
Film: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
9:30 p.m.-11:15 p.m.
Based on a novel by Stephen Chbosky.
Saturday
Indoor Track and Field Invitational
Loftus Sports Center Meyo Field 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Chicago Sinfonietta DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
7:30 p.m.-9:20 p.m.
A performance by America’s most diverse orchestra.
Sunday
Mass at the Basilica Basilica of the Sacred Heart
11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Music by the Folk Choir.
Moreau Day Scavenger Hunt Coleman-Morse Center 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
Campus Ministry staff will provide clues.
Monday
Prayer Service for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Main Building Rotunda 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Reception to follow.
“Sexual Abuse in the Church: Where Are We Now?”
McKenna Hall
7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
Lecture by Kathleen McChesney.
MICHAEL KRAMM | The Observer
College extends Mooney’s contract as president
By KAITLYN RABACH news writer
The s aint mary’s c ollege Board of Trustees announced monday in a press release it would extend the contract for c ollege p resident c arol a nn mooney’s contract until may 2016.
mooney began her presidency on June 1, 2004. she is the c ollege’s first president who is also an alumna of s aint mary’s.
“There is no doubt that my s aint mary’s education shaped my adult life,” mooney said. “my experiences and education at s aint mary’s made me well prepared for law school and the world. my law background then helped me become a practical administrator.” under mooney’s leadership,
s aint mary’s is currently developing many new projects, including the s ophia p rogram, a learning outcomes-based curriculum. The c ollege is applying that particular program to the c lass of 2016.
“There are many programs i would like to see fully implemented within the next couple of years,” mooney said. “s eeing the s ophia p rogram being fully implemented into the c ollege’s curriculum is something very important to me. i am also looking forward to doing some fundraising for the science building to be renovated and for an a ngela [a thletic Facility] expansion.”
The Board of Trustees recently voted to approve a plan to add some co-educational graduate programs to the c ollege within the next few
years.
“This project is being executed by [ s enior v ice p resident and d ean of Faculty] d r. patricia Fleming and will be under my direction,” mooney said. “it will be nice to see these graduate programs come to life within the next couple of years.”
s ome people who work beside the president expressed pleasure that the c ollege extended her contract.
“i am so excited she is staying,” v ice p resident for student a ffairs k aren Johnson said. “she is an amazing leader and a great role model.”
students like junior c arolina Tapia shared cupcakes with the president yesterday in the student c enter atrium to celebrate her contract renewal.
“i think this is great news
Saint Mary’s President Ann Mooney celebrates the extension of her contract with Saint Mary’s students Wednesday.
for the college and our future,” Tapia said. “[ mooney] is a s aint mary’s graduate and never
hesitates to get to know the students. she is a great asset to this community and i am very happy to see she will be with us for a few more years.”
Contact Kaitlyn Rabach at krabac02@saintmarys.edu
Plunge
no greater understanding about the nature of the service i would be doing in chicago at the amate house site,” weber said. “however, i was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming atmosphere there. The house staff was kind, funny, entertaining and generous.”
weber said he felt at home after getting to know everyone through conversation, games and prayer.
“over the course of the next two days, my fellow notre dame volunteers and i visited four different locations to lend our help,” weber said. “we were able to get a sampling of various services: decorating rice krispies treats with the elderly, packing donated food goods at the greater chicago Food depository, helping out a creative writing workshop for eighth graders and helping teach addition and subtraction to first graders.”
weber said urban plunge changed his view of chicago and opened his eyes to an entirely different way of life.
“Through these experiences, i was able to experience a whole different side of chicago,” weber said. “additionally, i was privileged to meet amazing people from different walks of life, and i met some great fellow volunteers. For these reasons, i am glad that i participated in such a great service trip.”
purcell said the urban plunge program predates the center for social concerns, where it is currently housed.
“The program started in 1967 at notre dame and started to expand outside of notre dame in the 70s,” purcell said.
as the urban plunge projects continue, weber recommended the service opportunity to others.
“i would highly suggest that everyone tries an urban plunge at least once,” he said. Contact Maddie Daly at mdaly6@nd.edu
saint mary’s plans career networking event
By CAILIN CROWE news writer
saint mary’s students looking for professional work experience can learn about internship opportunities at the indiana internship expo on Jan. 30 in lemans hall’s reignbeaux lounge.
The expo, sponsored by saint mary’s cross currents program and funded by the lilly endowment initiative to promote opportunities through educational collaboration, is open to students of all majors and will
feature fall, winter and spring internship opportunities in indiana.
assistant director of the career crossings office [cco] kim patton said the lilly endowment is a grant bestowed upon saint mary’s to support efforts by indiana companies to employ Belles after graduation.
patton said south Bend’s center for the homeless, northwestern mutual life insurance and Financial services, downtown south Bend, inc. and Quality dining, inc. will be among the employers in attendance.
students should not be afraid to look beyond the indiana internship expo to land their dream internship, patton said. The cco is available to students on an appointment basis.
“we always encourage students to come in and meet with us one on one because we can talk to students about their resumes, networking, interviews, et cetera,” patton said.
Belles can also look to the cco website for help in their job searches, patton said.
“The cco’s website is not just
your monster or career Builder website,” she said. “it’s actually zeroing in on internships. we provide the general sites to find internships, but also the more specific sites for opportunities in areas like biology, publishing, nursing, nonprofits, green jobs and of course tons more.”
students can also search for internships by following the cco and employers on Twitter and noting opportunities they post, patton said.
patton said networking via linkedin and the alumnae
resource network allows students to contact potential employers and learn of job openings.
“we encourage our students to utilize the alumnae resource network to network with alumnae who are working in the field students are interested in,” patton said. “it’s a wonderful tool and all of the alumnae [in the network] have chosen to be in the network so they know students will be contacting them.”
Contact Cailin Crowe at ccrowe01@saintmarys.edu
n orth d ining h all, s outh d ining h all and the l aFortune s tudent c enter, c annady said. The c enter will also hang posters with stalking facts and statistics in residence halls.
s talking takes many forms and is difficult to define, c annady said. i t can include sending unwanted gifts, texts, phone calls, pictures or contact on social media sites.
“There can be many mixed messages about what exactly stalking is, but the key word is ‘unwanted,’” c annady said.
The majority of victims are stalked by someone they
know, c annady said. s ixtysix percent of female victims and 41 percent of male victims are stalked by a former or current partner. o ne in six women and one in 19 men have been stalked.
“ m en and women both underreport the crime, but for different reasons,” c annady said. “ m en tend to see stalking as merely annoying, not a potential threat, whereas women actually fear reporting the crime.”
s talking transcends all 50 states, c annady said, but many people are uninformed about its seriousness. Two-thirds of perpetrators stalk their victims once a week, and many more stalk their victims daily.
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s talkers fit no psychological profile, he said. m any move locations and are difficult to track.
c annady said victims may suffer from anxiety, insomnia, depression and changes in behavior. h e said friends should look out for these signs in one another.
“ i f you think you are being stalked, keep a log of all contact,” c annady said. “This can be used for evidence. Be aware of who has access to your accounts on social media. i f you think you are being stalked, do not hesitate to call ndsp [ n otre d ame s ecurity p olice].”
Contact Katie McCarty at kmccar16@nd.edu
undergraduate background to the business world, huang said.
“we’ll try to make it more personal and individualized in that sense,” he said.
The university’s career center will help students find employment opportunities where they can put their new degrees to use, he said.
huang first proposed the msB program after meeting with deans from other private business schools in notre dame’s peer group, he said. mendoza also conducted its own market assessment of the demand for business education, which indicated a niche for the proposed program.
“w hat we found is that there’s a growing demand for business education among non-business college graduates,” huang said.
The business schools at duke university, university of Florida, university of virginia, a rizona state university, wake Forest university and catholic university of a merica have similar master’s programs, huang said. he said the master of management studies program at duke’s Fuqua school of Business was a model for the new msB program at mendoza.
“we improved on the duke program to come up with the current curriculum of our new program,” he said.
huang said efforts to improve the curriculum will continue in order to meet the needs of nonbusiness graduates hoping to enter the business world.
“right now we are focusing on getting off the block,” huang said. “once our program is established, however, we want to keep improving it to be the best in the country.”
huang said he also hopes to complement the new program with similar ones in the future. in particular, he said he would like to create a more specialized program in finance.
huang said such master’s programs would complement the msB program and the established masters of science in accounting (msa), which provides specialized training in accountancy.
The maximum number of students the program will accept each year is 110, huang said, but he does not expect full enrollment in the first year.
“The first class will likely be smaller because we have not yet implemented our full marketing strategy, but in the future we hope to not exceed 110 students,” he said.
huang said the college is currently accepting applications for the first class of the msB program and the application deadline is march 15.
Contact Christian Myers at cmyers8@nd.edu
Te’o on dec. 27 and 28 after the linebacker returned to campus for practice leading up to the Jan. 7 Bcs national championship game. in those meetings, swarbrick interviewed Te’o about the chain of events.
“i want to stress, as someone who has probably been as engaged in this as anyone in the past couple of weeks, that nothing about what i have learned has shaken my faith in manti Te’o one iota,” swarbrick said. “The same great young man, great student and great athlete that we have been so proud to have be a member of our family is the same guy tonight, unchanged in any way, except for, as he indicated in a statement in his release, the embarrassment associated with having been a victim in this case.”
Following the meetings, swarbrick met with university leaders and they made the decision to acquire the services of an
independent investigative firm. swarbrick said he met with Te’o’s parents — Brian and ottilia Te’o — on Jan. 4, and the family made the decision to release the story sometime the week of Jan. 20.
swarbrick refused to release many of the details regarding Te’o’s perceived relationship with kekua, saying it’s “manti’s story to tell.” he added that the university does not plan to publish the investigative firm’s results. swarbrick said he does not know the details of when or how Te’o plans to speak about this, but said it could come as early as Thursday.
swarbrick said authorities have not been alerted to the case, due in large part to the lack of criminal activity such as extortion.
swarbrick said Te’o never met with anyone claiming to be kekua in person and that the entire relationship was conducted electronically and over the telephone. Te’o had spoken of falling to sleep in bed with kekua on the line in a story that appeared in the oct. 1
issue of sports illustrated.
“There were lengthy, long telephone conversations,” swarbrick said.
“The issue of who it is, who’s playing what role, what’s real and what’s not here is a more complex question than i can get into.”
The comments contradicted published reports in october that Te’o met kekua in person in palo alto, calif., in nov. 2009 when notre dame played at stanford over Thanksgiving weekend.
“i’ll let manti provide the details, but as i said earlier in this press conference, when manti took me through the entire story from start to finish, when he first described the contact, he used the verb ‘met,’” swarbrick said. “For him, the fact that they connected online, that they met online, was consistent with using that verb.
“not one that i might have chosen, but it was for him. and the timing was consistent with the playing of that game.”
stanford university
spokesperson lisa lapin issued the following statement to The observer regarding kekua’s alleged enrollment at the school:
“we’ve had no student attending stanford by that name or any other similar name.”
additionally, dan anderson, an employee at the los angeles county department of coroner, told The observer there is no record of lennay kekua or anyone with a similar name dying in the county from sept. 11 to 13. it had been reported that kekua died in carson, calif., sometime around those dates.
Te’o released a statement to espn wednesday afternoon in which he said the situation has been “painful and humiliating.”
“This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, i developed an emotional relationship with a woman i met online. we maintained what i thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and
on the phone, and i grew to care deeply about her,” Te’o said.
“it further pains me that the grief i felt and the sympathies expressed to me at the time of my grandmother’s death in september were in any way deepened by what i believed to be another significant loss in my life.”
until Te’o speaks in more detail, the controversy surrounding the star player who helped return notre dame to national prominence on the field will continue to build. But swarbrick made it clear throughout wednesday’s press conference that Te’o has the university’s full trust and support.
“There’s a lot of tragedy here,” swarbrick said. “There’s a lot of sorrow here. But the thing i am most sad of, sad about is … that the single most trusting human being i’ve ever met will never be able to trust in the same way again in his life. That’s an incredible tragedy.”
Contact Andrew Owens at aowens2@nd.edu
Islamist militants claim hostages in Algeria
Associated Press
algiers, a lgeria — in a desert standoff deep in the sahara, the a lgerian army ringed a natural gas complex where islamist militants hunkered down with dozens of hostages wednesday night after a rare attack that appeared to be the first violent shock wave from the French intervention in mali.
a militant group that claimed responsibility said 41 foreigners, including seven a mericans, were being held after the assault on one of oil-rich a lgeria’s energy facilities, 800 miles from the capital of a lgiers and 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from the coast. Two foreigners were killed.
The group claiming responsibility said the attack was in revenge for a lgeria’s support of France’s military operation against al-Qaida-linked rebels in neighboring mali. The u s defense secretary called it a “terrorist act.”
The militants appeared to have no escape, with troops
surrounding the complex and army helicopters clattering overhead.
The group — called katibat moulathamine or the masked Brigade — phoned a mauritanian news outlet to say one of its affiliates had carried out the operation at the a in a menas gas field, and that France should end its intervention in mali to ensure the safety of the hostages.
Bp, the norwegian company statoil and the a lgerian state oil company sonatrach, operate the gas field. a Japanese company, Jgc corp, provides services for the facility as well.
in rome, u s defense secretary leon panetta declared that the u s. “will take all necessary and proper steps” to deal with the attack in a lgeria. he would not detail what such steps might be but condemned the action as “terrorist attack” and likened it to al-Qaida activities in pakistan, a fghanistan and in the united states on sept. 11, 2001.
a lgeria’s top security official, interior minister daho ould
kabila, said that “security forces have surrounded the area and cornered the terrorists, who are in one wing of the complex’s living quarters.”
he said one Briton and one a lgerian were killed in the attack, while a norwegian and two other Britons were among the six wounded.
“we reject all negotiations with the group, which is holding some 20 hostages from several nationalities,” kabila said on national television, raising the specter of a possible armed assault to try to free the hostages.
The head of a catering company working on the base told the French Journal de dimanche that helicopters were flying over the complex and the army waited outside. There were even reports of clashes between the two sides and a member of the militant group told the mauritanian news outlet the islamists had already repelled one assault by a lgerian soldiers late wednesday night. it was not immediately possible to account for the discrepancies
in the number of reported hostages. Their identities also were not clear, but ireland announced that they included a 36-yearold married irish man. Japan, Britain and the u s. said their citizens were taken. a norwegian woman said her husband called her saying that he had been taken hostage.
hundreds of a lgerians work at the plant and were also captured in the attack, but the a lgerian state news agency reported they were gradually released unharmed wednesday.
The a lgerian minister said it seemed the militants were hoping to negotiate their departure from the area — a notion he rejected. he also dismissed theories that the militants had come from libya, a mere 60 miles (100 kilometers) away, or from mali, more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) away.
kabila said the roughly 20 well armed gunmen were from
a lgeria itself, operating under orders from moktar Belmoktar, alQaida’s strongman in the sahara. in washington, u s state department spokeswoman victoria nuland confirmed that “u s. citizens were among the hostages.”
The caller to the nouakchott information agency, which often carries announcements from extremist groups, said the kidnapping was carried out by “Those w ho signed in Blood,” a group created to attack countries participating in the offensive against islamist groups in mali.
The masked Brigade was formed by Belmoktar, a oneeyed a lgerian who recently declared he was leaving the terror network’s a lgerian branch, alQaida in the islamic maghreb, to create his own group. he said at the time he would still maintain ties with the central organization based in a fghanistan and pakistan.
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AP
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed during a news conference in Rome on Wednesday that American citizens are among the hostages taken by an Al-Qaeda group in a standoff in Algeria.
AlGEriA
Boeing investigates alleged flaws in 787 design
Associated Press
The federal government grounded Boeing’s newest and most technologically advanced jetliner wednesday, declaring that u s. airlines cannot fly the 787 again until the risk of battery fires is addressed.
The Federal aviation administration’s emergency order affects only united airlines, the lone u s. carrier to operate 787s. united said it would put passengers on other aircraft and work closely with the Faa and Boeing to review its fleet of six dreamliners.
The Faa action came on the same day that Japan’s two biggest airlines — which fly almost half of the world’s 50 787s — voluntarily grounded them pending full safety checks.
Boeing said it was working around the clock with investigators.
“we are confident the 787 is safe, and we stand behind its overall integrity,” Jim mcnerney, company chairman, president and ceo said late wednesday in a statement.
The Faa decision was another setback for a plane that was supposed to establish a new standard for jet travel but has instead been beset by one mishap after another.
The latest trouble arose when pilots for Japan’s all nippon airways smelled something burning and
received a cockpit warning of battery problems on a flight from yamaguchi ube airport in western Japan to Tokyo. They made an emergency landing wednesday at Takamatsu airport in western Japan, and passengers evacuated using inflatable slides.
an inspection found that a flammable liquid had leaked from the main lithium-ion battery below and slightly behind the cockpit. investigators found burn marks around the damage.
Japan’s kyodo news agency quoted a transport ministry investigator as saying that the liquid leaked through the electrical room floor to the outside of the aircraft. The transport ministry said the leak could have led to an accident.
That problem followed a Jan. 7 battery fire aboard a Japan airlines plane parked at Boston’s logan airport. Both incidents involved the same type of battery, raising worries that the jet’s electrical problems could be more dangerous than previously thought.
“anytime you have a fire on board — whether it’s the battery that has caused it or a passenger that caused it or another electrical component — that’s a very a serious situation on an aircraft and something not to be taken lightly,” said kevin hiatt, president of the Flight safety
Foundation.
so far, no one has suggested that the plane’s fundamental design can’t be fixed. But it’s unclear how much will need to be changed.
The remedy could range from relatively quick-and-easy improvements to more extensive changes that could delay deliveries just as Boeing is trying to speed production up from five planes per month to 10.
The 787 is the first plane to make extensive use of lithium-ion batteries, which have been the focus of concerns in the past for their potential to catch fire. The Faa issued a special rule for their use in the 787. The plane has two batteries — the
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main one near the front and a second one in the rear.
Boeing and the airlines will need to move quickly to determine whether the problem is a flaw in the batteries themselves, in the plane’s wiring or in some other area that’s fundamental to the plane’s electrical system.
Boeing has booked orders for more than 800 of the planes from airlines around the world attracted by its increased fuel efficiency.
The jet’s lightweight design makes it more of a fuel-sipper, and it’s so lightweight in part because it uses electricity to do things that other airplanes do with hot air
vented through internal ducts. so a 787 with electrical problems is like a minivan that won’t haul kids. it goes to the heart of what the thing was built to do.
Before it carried paying passengers, the 787 was closely reviewed by inspectors from Boeing and the Faa mike sinnett, chief engineer on the 787, said last week that the plane’s batteries have operated through a combined 1.3 million hours and never had an internal fault. he said they were built with multiple protections to ensure that failures “don’t put the airplane at risk.”
In this photo taken by a passenger and distributed by Japan’s Kyoto News, passengers left a Boeing 787 after it made an emergency landing in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 16.
insidE ColuMn
all but a job
i consider myself a well rounded person. i get good grades, i make a mean pecan pie and i have a sparkling set of pearly whites. it would seem i have it all in life (in Twitter-speak, i’m #blessed). however, there is one gaping hole in my existence: a job. w hereas most of my friends have their lives lined up after graduation, i still have no clue what i will be doing or where i will end up. ideally, i would like to eventually host the fourth hour of the “Today show,” but i realize i may need a backup plan. here are some potential career paths i believe i am exceptionally well qualified for. chapstick model: a fter my teeth, i would say my favorite body part is my lips, especially my lower lip. i wouldn’t go so far as to say it is a ngelina Jolieesque, but it definitely could hold its own on any hollywood red carpet. w hat better way to show off my best physical asset than as a chapstick model? Fun fact: my favorite flavor of chapstick is raspberry lemonade.
cheese taste tester: you know how parents always talk about how they don’t have a favorite kid, but they love their kids in different ways? That’s how i feel about cheese. mozzarella is like my quiet, reliable child, always making a pizza tasty. parmesan is spunky, adding some kick to a pasta dish. g oat cheese is flashy and outspoken. i mean, maybe i could even save myself some cash and never have kids and just keep a lot of cheese in my fridge.
human shark bait — news flash: i love sharks. i have a shark backpack, a shark apron, shark shirt, shark pillow and even shark underwear. shark week is my favorite week of the year. w hile i am terrified of dogs (my friends used to have to put them in their crate before i came over for play dates), i absolutely adore sharks. w hat better way to make friends with a shark than as human shark bait? no, i wouldn’t actually be eaten. Think of it as me playing a friendly prank on one of my future finned friends.
castmember on a “real housewives” show: i like to gossip. i like white wine (chardonnay, please). i’m blonde. i talk really loudly. i can flip a table just fine (i’m looking at you, Teresa). i don’t care if the rest of the cast is Beverly h ills born-and-bred, i could definitely hold my own in terms of sass. i think i would fit in perfectly.
so if you’re an employer looking for a chapstick model, cheese taste tester, human shark bait or a new (and young, male) castmember for a “real housewives” show, or any combination of the above, i’m your guy. until then, i’ll just have to enjoy being funemployed.
Everything old can be new again
welcome back, and — though it feels like an inaccurate term when it’s 21 degrees outside — welcome to the s pring s emester 2013. l ikely you have some new courses, a new schedule, some super-clean notebooks and folders recently purchased at home or from the bookstore. a new semester almost always provides a chance for a fresh beginning. s ort of like n ew year’s or l ent, only with an academic twist: “ i will start my papers earlier than the night before they’re due,” “ i will review my notes after class” or “ i will quit checking Facebook during class.”
This past Tuesday, January 15, marked the anniversary of a littleknown beginning here at n otre d ame. 169 years ago Tuesday, the i ndiana legislature officially chartered the university, “ l’ u niversité de n otre d ame du l ac,” as Fr. e dward s orin, csc , named it in his native French, or “The u niversity of o ur l ady of the l ake.” p erhaps you’ve already heard the famous story about Fr. s orin’s arrival in n ovember of 1842, when he looked out over the wooded and snowcovered property from up between c orby h all and o ld c ollege, and — thinking he saw only one lake under all that snow — dedicated n otre d ame to the care of m ary, o ur l ady. a t the time of Fr. s orin’s brave
(some might say improbable) beginning, the c ongregation of h oly c ross, the religious order of priests who sent him from France into the “mission territory” of i ndiana, was still close enough to its own beginnings that Fr. s orin knew well the founder of the c ongregation, Fr. Basil m oreau, csc . Fr. m oreau, now called “Blessed” to signify his onestep-away-from-sainthood status, knew the c atholic c hurch in France needed a bold new beginning after the French r evolution. h is priests, brothers and sisters tended to the re-education of the children and families in France who had been deprived of religious instruction and parish life. h owever, even at the same time Blessed Basil wanted to bring the faith to mission territory and — lucky for the future n otre d ame — i ndiana fell squarely into that category. Fr. s orin’s five hundred acre woods and (as he would soon realize) two lakes became the site of the third c atholic university established in the u nited s tates.
The essential, inspirational influence of the c ongregation of h oly c ross remains central to n otre d ame. o ur beginnings are always with us in the best sense of the word, no matter how many times our campus and academic communities here welcome new students, begin new semesters, offer new majors, dedicate new buildings or open new residence halls.
w hether we are new here or have been a part of the community for
many years, we can draw upon the zeal and energy of the c ongregation of h oly c ross and challenge ourselves at the same time, to contribute the best of who we are to what n otre d ame will become.
This s unday we will celebrate the Feast d ay of Blessed Basil m oreau, csc , in each of the residence halls, at the Basilica, and at h oly c ross parishes all over the world. o n campus, the “Think you know m oreau?” scavenger hunt will give clue-hunters a chance to explore this place in a whole new way (here’s a clue for you: sign up at campusministry.nd.edu).
January is a month for the brave at n otre d ame: i t’s cold, dark, and sometimes knee-deep in snow. i t’s a time for new beginnings and re-commitment to our community, our work and our studies. But Januarys at n otre d ame have grown out of a brave legacy since they were nothing more than what Fr. s orin’s imagination could describe. a s he wrote to Fr. m oreau during those very early and difficult days, “ we shall not fail to find a blessing here.” n ow it’s our turn to find the blessings and to offer our own as well.
Kate Barrett is the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Ministry in the Office of Campus Ministry. She can be reached at kbarrett@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Kate Barrett Faithpoint
EditoriAl CArtoon
Sam Stryker a ssistant managing e ditor
a t 9:35 a m on d ecember 14, 20-year-old a dam l anza, wearing military armor and equipped with a rifle and two handguns, shot and killed 20 children and six adults. The carnage was horrifying, with the medical examiner confirming that each dead child sustained between two and 11 bullet wounds. words cannot describe the evil and horror that occurred, but i use words in this letter to conservatives that something has to be done about guns in a merica. s andy hook is just one of the 61 a merican mass shootings since 1982, most notably c olumbine in 1999, v irginia Tech in 2007, Fort hood in 2009, the shooting of a c ongresswoman in 2011 and the mass shooting at a movie theater in a urora this past summer. s adly, a merica does not just have a major problem with mass shootings, but overall homicides by firearms as well. a merica has 3.2 murders per 100,000 people as a result of firearms. To some this may not seem like many, but it does in comparison to other industrialized countries, such as France (0.1), c anada (0.5), the uk (0.2) and s witzerland (0.8), the second highest country. not surprisingly, a merica also leads the
it’s time to do something about guns in a merica
world in guns per 100 people with 88, nearly double as the next highest country, s witzerland (46). a ccording to the c hildren’s d efense Fund, 2,800 children die every year as a result of gun violence, which is the equivalent of a s andy hook shooting every other day.
g un laws will not prevent every shooting and it is possible that gun laws would not have prevented s andy hook (although most of the children were killed by an assault weapon that was purchased legally). s andy hook symbolizes the horror of a merica’s gun violence epidemic and the need to do something about it. i f there was ever an event that called for new controls on guns, it is s andy hook.
w ithout doubt, the safest and most efficient way to prevent another s andy hook is to enact common sense, reasonable gun laws that allow people to purchase certain handguns and shotguns, but do not allow them to buy assault weapons, limit the number of guns one can purchase and end purchases to the mentally ill. This must occur on the federal level, because city and state gun controls are weakened by guns that pour in from places with less strict gun laws.
a s what usually happens after a mass shooting, conservative politicians refuse to take any major steps about restricting access to guns or
No regrets, one request
we have no regrets. we booked our hotels after p itt. we booked our flights after usc we prayed we would win tickets in the lottery. 99% of us didn’t. we appealed to our spouses and better sensibilities that this was a once in a lifetime event. They submitted. a nd then we paid way too much for tickets. we begged our parents to take the grandkids for a few days. They couldn’t say no. we had used up our fun tickets for the year by January 7. we flew from places like r hode i sland, s outh d akota, i daho and Texas. we arrived in s outh Florida to eternal sun and optimism. we may have had a cocktail (or two). we saw dear friends we haven’t seen in 10, 15, 20 years. we felt an energy, a passion and a part of something that we haven’t felt in a long, long time. i t felt like home. we tailgated like champions. The Blues and g reens outnumbered the r eds at least 3 to 1. o f the 55,000 d omers in the stadium, we were the 40,000 who stayed until the clock said 0:00. we have no regrets. we would do it all over again, even if we already knew the ending. we thank you. we have one request. a t one of the
greatest games in our history, we failed to acknowledge maybe our greatest tradition, and that is standing together as one family and singing our praise to our Beloved l ady of the l ake. o ur feeling of emptiness in the stands grew ever deeper when we could not acknowledge the good fight and send off our team properly for having one of the greatest seasons we can remember, and for giving all of us alumni the opportunity to experience what we did. m aybe it was the overwhelming grief of the moment. m aybe it was the bureaucracy of the o range Bowl c ommittee and their stages and ensuing presentations. But i ask you, next time, make it happen. g ive us the opportunity to thank the team for a tremendous season, and show us a little love for the sacrifices we all made to be there in support. m isery loves company, and we all could have used a little family love around about 0:00. we are nd
Andrew Nachman c lass of 1997
s t. e dward’s h all Jan. 16
steps to prevent mass shootings (even if they may say differently in public). c onservatives usually reference the s econd a mendment of the c onstitution as an argument against new gun controls. a mericans do have the right to bear arms, but no democracy can have a right without restrictions. i n a merica, the First a mendment protects the freedom of speech, but the s upreme c ourt has ruled one cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theater, nor can one defame someone’s reputation. There have to be limits. a nd as the s upreme c ourt has ruled before, gun controls can coexist with the s econd a mendment. w hat is perhaps the most perplexing is how many conservatives simultaneously identify as “pro-life” and oppose common sense gun controls. ny Times columnist Thomas Friedman perhaps put it in perspective the best: “i n my world, you don’t get to call yourself ‘pro-life’ and be against common-sense gun control — like banning public access to the kind of semiautomatic assault rifle, designed for warfare, that was used recently in a c olorado theater ... ‘p ro-life’ can mean only one thing: “respect for the sanctity of life.” a nd there is no way that respect for the sanctity of life can mean we are obligated to protect every fertilized egg in a woman’s body, no matter how that
egg got fertilized, but we are not obligated to protect every living person from being shot with a concealed automatic weapon … The term ‘pro-life’ should be a shorthand for respect for the sanctity of life. But i will not let that label apply to people for whom sanctity for life begins at conception and ends at birth. w hat about the rest of life? r espect for the sanctity of life, if you believe that it begins at conception, cannot end at birth.”
s andy hook was just one of a string of mass and solo shootings that comprise a merica’s gun violence epidemic, which without question is partially due to the high prevalence of guns in our society. But even with scenes of crying parents and cold, hard numbers, conservatives still refuse to do anything to prevent gun violence. w hether it be out of courage or conviction, guilt or anger, i ask my conservative friends to support common sense gun controls that still allow people to bear arms, but could help lower the high prevalence of gun homicides and the mass shootings in a merica.
Adam Newman is a senior political science major. He can be reached at anewman3@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
a rmstrong’s future
renowned ex-cyclist lance armstrong is expected to appear on the oprah winfrey network this week to admit his use of banned performance-enhancing drugs before his memorable seven Tour de France victories. But as the world reacts to armstrong’s confession, the question remains as to how the world should view the man once considered the most influential athlete in the world and the legacy he leaves behind — which includes the livestrong Foundation, which has raised more than $470 million to fight cancer.
There is no denying the despicable reality of armstrong’s actions, even more so his emphatic dedication to lying about them. armstrong cheated and lied about doing it under oath during a court deposition in 2005 and in the media multiple times after that. armstrong will have to face many people regarding his actions — the world anti-doping agency, all of his past sponsors, all of his past team mates, all of the people who claimed he was doping before and all of his fans.
But nobody understands the seriousness of his actions more than armstrong himself. more than anything that armstrong has accomplished, recovering from his reputation will turn out to be the second most trying feat he will ever face. regardless of the implications that doping will bring,
armstrong’s influence extends far beyond his accomplishments as an athlete. when he was 25, he was diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain. armstrong battled through cancer, got back on his bike and won the Tour de France seven times in a row. it made for an inspirational story and armstrong lived the life of a celebrity and hero for years after that. he was one of the few bicyclists who was a household name and an inspiration to those affected by cancer. his story forces the public to question the standards we place on athletes and the pedestal we put them on just to watch as they notoriously fall. while there is no sense or humility in rationalizing armstrong’s actions, there is humility in allowing armstrong — and his foundation — the chance at a normal and vitriol-free life as long as he tells the truth. armstrong, like the majority of people, was prone to the inevitable cadence of feats and failures that define the human condition. despite how much he may have disappointed those who looked up to him, it would be unwise for us to overlook his contributions outside of professional cycling and his storied battle against cancer.
This column originally ran in the Jan. 16 edition of The Oracle, serving the University of South Florida.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Adam Newman s cientia potentia e st
lEttEr to thE Editor
uWirE
The Oracle Editorial Board The o racle
By CLAIRE STEPHENS s cene writer
david o russell’s “silver linings playbook” follows pat, recently out of a medical hospital on plea bargain after beating his wife’s illicit lover nearly to death. pat, who had long been undiagnosed for bipolar disorder, is determined to get in shape and get better to get his wife back, who now has a restraining order against him. Back home, pat’s worried parents urge him to take his medication and spend more time with them to heal his relationship with his football-obsessed father. instead, he meets Tiffany through a mutual friend, who also struggles with mental illness after the death of her husband. Their awkward, quirky and sometimes inappropriate demeanors both attract and repel each other in this rom-com with bite.
unafraid to be messy, stressful and frustrating, the film tackles real life problems by focusing on family, forgiveness, mental illness, life and love. “silver
linings playbook” draws in the audience to the characters and the family to make them feel like a part of the drama, helpless on the sidelines to stop everyone from descending into the slippery slope of past mistakes.
often more driven by drama driven than by comedy, the film still retains a dry sense of humor of the awkward and socially inappropriate pair. lawrence’s sharp, sassy, sometimes ruthless character is the perfect foil to cooper’s hopeless, optimistic fixation on his wife. deniro, the obsessive, relentless father with football superstitions and gambling problems further complicates and limits pat as he struggles to find his silver lining.
The movie is careful and insightful with its portrayal of mental illness — including ocd, bipolar disorder and depression — and mixes it with the struggles of living, coping and moving on. every character is affected by the trails of family life and marriage, and the rest of the cast plays an important role in the story.
The film is able to cover issues of such weight without becoming melodramatic
or cliché, maintaining the romance in a realistic, well-paced way. it’s not opposite attraction, forbidden love or hopeless romance; perhaps their relationship is destined to be, but with truly challenging obstacles including a spouses, mental illness and family wounds.
“silver l inings playbook” works so well due to the stellar performances by cooper, lawrence and deniro — perfect for the roles and delivering the quality of acting expected of them. The rest of the cast, including chris Tucker and Julia stiles, give the story believability and depth, and the film is not surprisingly nominated for multiple best ensemble cast awards.
unlike most rom-coms or romance dramas that give away the ending in the trailer, “silver linings playbook” creates moments of actual drama and suspense, especially at its close. The characters are so well developed and liked that the audience knows the fragility of their minds and fears for their wellbeing the high stakes of their actions. Though the ending was still fairly predictable, this rom-com takes the audience along for a ride most
movies in the genre can’t hope to compete with.
Though it likely won’t win the academy award for Best picture, “silver linings playbook” is a great showcase for cooper and lawrence’s abilities to play both drama and humor convincingly to move a story. “silver linings playbook” is an entertaining combination of both genres for both genders.
Contact Claire Stephens at cstephe4@nd.edu
“Silver Linings Playbook”
The Weinstein Company
Directed by: David O. Russell
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence
By WILLIAM NEAL
s cene writer
in the midst of oscar season, i spent my winter break catching up on all of the highly acclaimed films of the past two months. without question, this has been an outstanding year for film as every movie i saw, whether it was “life of pi,” “les misérables” or “a rgo,” i was convinced that not another film could top it.
This past weekend, however, i spent two and a half hours watching kathryn Bigelow’s (who in 2010 won best picture and director at the academy awards, beating out her ex-husband, James cameron, with “The hurt locker”) latest militaristic work, and i was blown away. To call her “Zero dark Thirty” a great film is an understatement, as this movie is an achievement on nearly every level.
if you aren’t familiar with the story line of the film, “Zero dark Thirty” focuses on the investigative journey of a resilient cia operative named maya, played by Jessica chastain, as she spends 10 years diligently hunting osama bin laden. at the very start of the film, audiences face a black screen with a composite of haunting audio recordings from the day of the world Trade center attack, painfully
reminding viewers of the tragedy on sept. 11, 2001. From here, we jump two years later to find an al Qaeda detainee being mercilessly tortured. it is here that maya’s story, as well as the controversy behind this film, begins.
maya, an agent recently stationed in pakistan, slowly begins to immerse herself into the dark and confusing world of terrorist tracking, attacks and interrogations.
Through the years of her search, maya quickly rises within the cia rankings as well as al Qaeda’s hit list. chastain effectively conveys the emotional maya’s struggle as her character faces years of hardships and personal loss in her efforts to find bin laden.
The story culminates into a series of events in 2011 as an elusive courier who maya has been tracking, abu a hmed, eventually leads her to a mysterious compound in abbottabad, pakistan. within this compound are women, children and one man who, suspiciously, never steps outside.
Because bin laden was never identified within the house, it was a highly risky move for the a merican government to pursue this lead, but maya’s determination and confidence convinces her cia
superiors to move forward with the stealth raid on this secure pakistani compound.
The raid itself, following a team of u s navy seals called the “canaries,” uses first person perspective and night vision to allow for a more immersive and gripping experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen on film before. From the moment the canaries break into the compound to bin laden’s death, you will be at the edge of your seat.
if it weren’t for Jennifer lawrence’s performance in “silver linings playbook,” i would say Jessica chastain has the oscar in the bag. she is outstanding as an incredibly determined and strong-willed agent whose constant struggle throughout her ten-year journey only fuels the fire for her mission. in a film filled with many familiar faces, chastain has the acting chops to stand out among them all and truly bring to life one of the strongest female leads in recent years.
For a film that certainly portrays u s. interrogation tactics in a negative light, this film received its fair share of criticism from the u s. government. countless members of congress, including sen. John mccain, spoke out against the film for being inaccurate. That being said, none of the major political figures of the past decade,
including presidents Barack obama and george Bush and vice president cheney, are portrayed in any sort of negative light.
The movie may have its share of inaccuracies, but for a story that reveals so much about the inner workings of the government, it may be for the best. Bigelow did an outstanding job with her attention to detail, making every scene of this movie mind-boggling.
The directing, acting, writing and overall production of this film is impeccable, and it is ludicrous that Bigelow has been snubbed from the “Best director” title at the oscars this year. i firmly believe that “Zero dark Thirty” is the best film of the year.
Contact William Neal at wneal@nd.edu
“Zero Dark Thirty” Annapurna Pictures
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow, Chriss Pratt
Starring: Jessica Chastain
By WILLIAM NEAL
s cene writer
w hen it comes to adapting a musical for the big screen, there’s little the director can tweak from the original source. “les misérables“ is no exception, especially because of its status as one of the most adored musicals of all time. i’ve been a longtime fan of the play myself, and having the opportunity to see it on the big screen with such an incredible lineup of talent was enough to hook my interest.
This isn’t the first time “les mis” has been adapted into a movie — the original starred liam neeson, the man who can do it all — but what was so intriguing about this new take on it was that for the first time in a musical film, the actors would be singing live on camera. usually, the actors just lip-sync to a recorded track. The result is a near three-hour film that, while having its fair share of flaws, is an overall success. keep in mind i say this as someone who is familiar with the musical, and for those of you who are going in blind, there’s a chance you’ll have a far different opinion. w hat makes this film a success is that it stays faithful to the original musical and features some remarkable performances.
“les misérables” was originally adapted
from its novel of the same name written by victor hugo, and since its birth on the stage it has experienced the closest thing to a cult following that a musical can have (except maybe “rocky horror picture show”). set in 19th-century France, les mis tells the story of valjean (hugh Jackman), who is released from prison after a 20-year sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. with the help of a bishop (played by the original valjean, colm wilkinson), valjean starts a new life by breaking his parole and assuming a new identity. The only problem (aside from the rise of the French revolution) is that valjean must avoid his old nemesis, inspector Javert (russell crowe), who is on the hunt for him after his parole violation. Through his journey, valjean adopts the orphaned girl cosette (first played by isabelle a llen then a manda seyfried) after the passing of her mother and his previous employee, Fantine (a nne hathaway). The second act continues their story years later amidst the French revolution as we meet a younger crew of characters. les mis is filled with struggle, violence, romance, and plenty of death. Though the story is not a positive one (just look at the title), audiences have for years fallen in love with this memorable and layered cast of characters.
Jackman does a remarkable job carrying this film as the lead. he’s had years of experience in musical theater, and there is no denying that Jackman has talent. Because i’m sure you haven’t heard this enough times yet, a nne hathaway knocks it out of the park in her 20-minute role as Fantine and her performance is the crown jewel of the film. her performance of “i dreamed a dream” is shattering. The emotional and vocal range of these two actors is stunning to say the least. russell crowe’s performance, on the other hand, falls short in comparison. The guy is an amazing actor, and while he got his start as a singer, it’s clear that crowe doesn’t belong in a musical. eddie redmayne gives an excellent performance as marius and provides a much-needed sense of emotion and energy to the final act of the film. seyfried performs well as cosette and sings beautifully, despite some out-of-control vibrato. samantha Barks as eponine can definitely sing, but lacks the needed emotional range. sacha Baron cohen (yes, Borat is in this movie) and helen Bonham carter don’t stand out vocally but do bring a well-needed dose of humor to the film.
director Tom hooper, who also directed “The k ing’s speech,” was definitely ambitious in his latest project, but between the
massive spectacle and some outstanding performances, many of the story’s themes become lost. “les misérables“ is about how the sum of our cumulative life choices is what alters the course of history, yet it’s easy to miss that lesson by the film’s end.
Though 160 minutes without intermission is a lot to ask out of an audience, but hooper still delivers an entertaining and faithful rendition of this beloved classic. The film as a whole is uneven, yet when it’s good, it’s fantastic. in the end, hooper’s “les misérables“ should be recognized for its amazing collaboration, performances and effort.
Contact William Neal at wneal@nd.edu
“Les
Misérables”
Working Title Films
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe
By ANKUR CHAWLA s cene writer
“django unchained” paired great writing and directing with even better actors to be one of the biggest movies of the holiday season and on the oscar shortlist for best picture of the year. Quentin Tarantino is known for his unique, out of the box and often-controversial films, and “django” is no exception. in the so-called “spaghetti western” Tarantino explores the pre-civil war south and the attitudes of and towards a frican a mericans.
Jamie Foxx plays django, a former slave who is purchased and freed by a bounty hunter, dr. schultz (christoph waltz), interested in the bounty on django’s former owner. Their escapades are marked by witty dialogue and a dark humor surrounding the characters and racism of the time. however, only when the eccentric, wealthy landowner calvin candie
(leonardo dicaprio) and his troupe of house slaves, advisors and his awkwardly close sister are introduced did the movie pick up.
a fter working with dr. schutlz, django sets his focus on reuniting with his wife he was separated from, Broomhilda, who had been purchased by candie. The interaction of candie with those around him provides an, albeit extreme, window into the atmosphere of the early 1800s and actors such as samuel l . Jackson and dicaprio work incredibly well together. The beauty of the movie comes from the depiction of characters and the persona Tarantino gives them. much like in “inglorious Bastards,” christoph waltz is impeccable in taking on his character, whether he is a vicious nazi commander or whimsical dentist turned bounty hunter, and it is no surprise he won the golden globe and is an oscar frontrunner. Though largely overshadowed, Jackson’s
role as the humble sidekick to dicaprio’s wealthy landowner is the best acting in the movie.
That being said, in my opinion Tarantino over sensationalized the issue of race simply for the sake of making a shocking film with the overuse of a particular word and repetition of dialogue and expressions. i understand the need to be historically accurate and building the backdrop of the movie, but it was done so to the point of excess.
Beyond the controversial nature, “django” was also incredibly long at over two and a half hours, and seemed to drag at times. w hile admittedly most of the film’s humor and comic relief came during the dead time that didn’t move the plot forward, there was both too much build up and several times where the movie felt like it could have, or should have, ended. still, as a whole “django” was vintage Tarantino, with incredible acting and
at times brilliant dialogue. i do hope, though, that in the future, Tarantino does not make cameos in his movies and tries to limit them to a reasonable length.
Contact Ankur Chawla at achawla@nd.edu
“Django Unchained”
The Weinstein Company
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio
Armstrong to AP: ‘People can decide’ the truth wilson deserves rookie of the year
at the end of a career, when everything is said and done, a player is judged for whether he or she won in the big games. so why do the playoffs not matter in choosing the nFl rookie of the year?
realistically it comes down to three players, and surprise, they are all quarterbacks. The first overall pick of the 2011 nFl draft, a ndrew luck; the second overall pick, robert griffin iii; and the 75th overall pick in the third round russell wilson, who was drafted to be a backup behind assumed starter matt Flynn. sorry a lfred morris and muscle hamster (rookie nickname of the year goes to doug martin, hands down). if the playoffs were more of a factor, then russell wilson would be named the 2012 offensive rookie of the year.
each of these three phenoms took their respective team to the playoffs. luck amassed an 11-5 record with the colts, rgiii led the skins to a 9-6 record (one win was k irk cousins’) and wilson led the seahawks to a 10-6 record. But only one has a playoff win under his belt — wilson. each resume is extremely impressive, but if we are going by who wins in the clutch game, wilson should be the offensive rookie of the year.
yes, a ndrew luck has the most passing yards ever for a rookie (4,374) and one more win (11), and robert griffin iii has the most rushing yards in a rookie season (815) and a higher quarterback rating (102.4). But wilson came out of nowhere, tied the record for most touchdowns thrown in the regular season by a rookie (26) and, most importantly, took his team further in the playoffs than either luck or rgiii a ll of this he did starting from the third spot on the depth chart, while the other two were already locked in as starters. luck and rgiii had leeway to make mistakes (luck’s 18 interceptions), but wilson had to go out every week, be
nearly immaculate and win, because he knew that the pressure of a three-year, $19.5 million contract was right behind him. yet he flourished and outshone luck and rgiii in the playoffs.
The voters are not supposed to take the playoffs into consideration, but they should. w hen arguing over who’s the best of the best, sports writers and fans always end up at the point in conversation where the ultimate trump card must be played — the championship card. it’s simple, whoever wins when the win is most important, is the best.
The regular season does not matter at all, if there are no results in the playoffs. a sk dan marino or Tony romo. no one cares if you lead 199 of the 200 laps at the daytona 500 and then not win the race (no one really cares about nascar anyway, poor example). if people only cared about the regular season, there would be no need for the wild card berth in the playoffs. w hich means no fun or drama at the end of the season (yeah, i’m looking at you, english premier league). The wild card, as the name states, makes the game more interesting. it adds a michael Bay spark and an m night shyamalan twist to the playoffs, giving that one team an opportunity to mix things up and take its second-half-hotstreak all the way to the championship game.
russell wilson is exactly that — a wild card. he was not guaranteed a spot, but he did the most with what he earned. he may not have had the same passing or rushing yards as the other two candidates, but he simply got the ball in the end zone, scored more points than the other teams and won clutch games. a nd if it wasn’t for pete carroll, we might be watching wilson this weekend. overall, the wild card trumps the ace and king every time.
Contact Isaac Lorton at ilorton@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Associated Press
lance a rmstrong said viewers can judge for themselves how candid he was in his interview with oprah winfrey.
“i left it all on the table with her and when it airs the people can decide,” he said in a text message to The associated press.
a rmstrong responded to a report in the new york daily news, citing an unidentified source, that he was not contrite when he acknowledged during monday’s taping with winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs. a lthough the first installment of a two-part interview doesn’t air until Thursday night, there has been no shortage of opinions or advice on what a rmstrong should say.
livestrong, the cancer charity a rmstrong founded in 1997 and was forced to walk away from last year, said in a statement wednesday it expected him to be “completely truthful and forthcoming.” a day earlier, world a nti-doping agency general director david howman said nothing short of a confession under oath — “not talking to a talk-show host” — could prompt a reconsideration of a rmstrong’s lifetime ban from sanctioned events. a nd Frankie a ndreu, a former teammate that a rmstrong turned on, said the disgraced cyclist had an obligation to tell all he knew and help clean up the sport.
a rmstrong has held conversations with officials from the u s a nti-doping agency, including a reportedly contentious face-toface meeting with usada chief executive Travis Tygart near the denver airport. it was usada’s
1,000-page report last year, including testimony from nearly a dozen former teammates, that portrayed a rmstrong as the leader of a sophisticated doping ring that enveloped the u s postal service team on the way to title after title at the Tour de France. in addition to the lifetime ban, a rmstrong was stripped of all seven wins, lost nearly all of his endorsements and was forced to cut ties with livestrong. according to a person with knowledge of the situation, a rmstrong has information that might lead to his ban being reduced to eight years. That would make him eligible to compete in elite triathlons, many of which are sanctioned under world anti-doping rules, in 2020, when a rmstrong will be 49. he was a professional athlete in the threediscipline sport as a teenager, and returned to competition after retiring from cycling in 2011.
That person also said the bar for a rmstrong’s redemption is higher now than when the case was open, a time during which he refused to speak to investigators.
The person spoke on condition
of anonymity because he was discussing a confidential matter. a rmstrong, who always prized loyalty on his racing teams, now faces some very tough choices himself: whether to cooperate and name those who may have aided, abetted or helped cover up the long-time use of peds. “i have no idea what the future holds other than me holding my kids,” he said. a rmstrong left his hometown of austin, where the interview was taped at a downtown hotel, and is in hawaii. he is named as a defendant in at least two pending lawsuits, and possibly a third. The Justice department faces a Thursday deadline on a decision whether to join a whistle-blower lawsuit filed by former teammate Floyd landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for doping. That suit alleges a rmstrong defrauded the u s. government by repeatedly denying he used performance-enhancing drugs. a rmstrong could be required to return substantial sponsorship fees and pay a hefty fine. The ap reported earlier that Justice department officials were likely to join the lawsuit.
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UNPLANNED PREGNANCY? Don’t go it alone. Notre Dame has many resources in place to assist you. If you or someone you love needs confidential support or assistance, please call Ann Whitall at 1-0084 or Karen Kennedy at 1-5550. For more information, visit ND’s website at: http://pregnancysupport@nd.edu
1974 - Marcus Spriggs, offensive tackle (Buffalo Bills)
1974 - Sharon Marie Ferris, NZ, yachter (Olympics-96)
1974 - Vesko Kountchev, Bulgarian musician
1974 - Yang Chen, Chinese footballer
1975 - Tom Jenkinson, English musician (Squarepusher)
1975 - Freddy Rodriguez, Puerto Rican-American actor
1975 - Rami Yacoub, Swedish songwriter/producer
1977 - Ali el Kattabi, soccer player (Sparta)
Isaac Lorton sports writer
Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey speaks with cyclist Lance Armstrong Monday during taping for their interview that will air today.
Eagles get their man, hire Oregon’s Kelly
Associated Press
philadelphia — in the end, chip kelly chose the nFl , giving the eagles their guy.
philadelphia hired kelly on wednesday, just 10 days after he decided to stay at oregon. The 49-year-old kelly, known as an offensive innovator, becomes the 21st coach in team history and replaces a ndy reid, who was fired on dec. 31 after a 4-12 season.
he’ll be introduced at a news conference Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the eagles’ practice facility.
kelly, who was 46-7 in four years at oregon, interviewed with the eagles, cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills in a two-day span after leading the fast-flying ducks to a victory over kansas state in the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 3.
The eagles are known to have interviewed 11 candidates, including two meetings with seahawks defensive coordinator gus Bradley. a ll along, kelly was thought to be philadelphia’s first choice in a long, exhaustive process that took many twists.
“chip kelly will be an outstanding head coach for the eagles,” owner Jeffrey lurie said in a statement. “he has a brilliant football mind. he motivates his team with his actions as well as his words. he will be a great leader for us and will bring a fresh
energetic approach to our team.” on the day he fired reid, lurie appeared to be describing kelly when he said he wanted to find a “real smart, forward-thinking coach” who is “strategic, a strong leader, very comfortable in his own skin.”
The enigmatic kelly reportedly was close to signing with the Browns after a long interview Jan. 4. he met with the eagles for nine hours the next day, setting up a soap-opera scenario in which the eagles were competing with Browns ceo Joe Banner, their former president and longtime friend of lurie who left the organization after a falling out. But that roller coaster ended when kelly opted to remain — temporarily — in eugene, ore.
“it’s a very difficult decision for me. it took me so long to make it just because the people here are special,” kelly told keZi-T v “The challenge obviously is exciting for me, but it’s an exciting time and it’s a sad time — saying goodbye to people you love and respect, and i wanted to make sure i talked to my players and did it in the right fashion and talked to our staff. i feel i did.”
The eagles interviewed two other high-profile college coaches — penn state’s Bill o’Brien and notre dame’s Brian kelly. Both of them elected to stay with their schools.
Bradley was considered by
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many to be the leading contender, though former cardinals coach ken w hisenhunt and former ravens coach Brian Billick were in the mix.
That all changed when kelly had a change of heart.
The visor-wearing kelly built oregon into a national powerhouse. The ducks went to four straight Bcs bowl games — including a bid for the national championship against auburn two seasons ago — and have won three conference championships.
kelly originally went to oregon in 2007 as offensive coordinator under mike Bellotti. Before that, he was offensive coordinator at new hampshire, where he started devising the innovative hurry-up offense the ducks are known for now.
oregon finished last season 121. The team was ranked no. 1 and appeared headed for another shot at the national championship until a 17-14 loss to stanford nov. 17.
ducks athletic director rob mullens said wednesday that kelly called him at 7:15 a.m. psT to tell him he had changed his mind: “he wasn’t sure if that opportunity would present itself again, so he felt this was the right one at the right time.”
mullens now faces a coaching search amid recruiting season.
“i’ve turned the page,” mullens
said. “i was surprised when i got the call this morning, but as the leader of this organization, my focus is on moving forward and that’s what we’re doing. i’m laser focused on what’s next, and that’s finding the right fit to lead oregon football.”
it’s unknown whether the possibility of ncaa sanctions based on oregon’s use of recruiting services factored into kelly’s reversal. he indicated in a rizona that he isn’t running from anything.
“we’ve cooperated fully with them,” he said. “if they want to talk to us again, we’ll continue to cooperate fully. i feel confident in the situation.”
kelly doesn’t have any pro coaching experience, but aspects of his up-tempo offense are already being used by new england and washington.
The eagles fired reid after two forgettable years. a late flurry brought the team to an 8-8 finish last season, but this season, philadelphia endured an eightgame losing streak, and dropped 11 of its final 12. a 3-1 start soon washed away, and reid’s 14-year tenure ended not long after. within a week, reid was kansas city’s new coach.
still, kelly has tough shoes to fill. reid won more games than any coach in franchise history and led the eagles to nine playoff appearances, six division titles, five conference championship games and one super Bowl berth.
kelly and the eagles have the no. 4 overall pick in the draft as well as some talented players on offense who could fit his uptempo scheme. running back lesean mccoy and wide receivers desean Jackson and Jeremy maclin seem like an ideal match. Quarterback nick Foles, however, isn’t.
“i’ve never run the zone read,” Foles said after the season. “i’m more of a dropback guy. i’ve been under center. i’ve been in the gun. if i can adapt, i want to. But i’m not a zone-read quarterback.
some people are gifted with different things. That’s just not one of my skill sets. i can work on the speed in the offseason and get better with that. But i’ve always been a dropback guy in the pocket. i’ve been able to make plays on my feet throwing the ball or running for a first down.” on the other hand, michael vick could be perfect. But it’s unlikely the eagles would want to pay the $16 million they’d have to shell out for an injury-prone quarterback, who will be 33 next season.
kelly had high praise for Foles after oregon beat a rizona 56-31 in september 2011.
“i’ll tell you what; i’m glad nick Foles is graduating,” kelly said at that time. “i catch myself watching him in awe sometimes. nick is a hell of a football player. That kid’s a warrior. he’s as good as anyone in the country.”
others interviewed by lurie, general howie roseman and president don smolenski were former Bears coach lovie smith, atlanta assistants mike nolan and keith a rmstrong, former Broncos offensive coordinator mike mccoy and Bengals offensive coordinator Jay gruden.
The first eagles to react to kelly’s hiring on Twitter were defensive players.
defensive end Brandon graham wrote: “happy to have chip kelly!! now it’s time to get to work!”
safety kurt coleman wrote: “welcome chip kelly to the eagles family. can’t wait to see what he brings to the team in 2013!”
oregon’s players gave kelly a gatorade bath at the end of his last game, and some seemed resigned to their coach moving on.
“we’re all behind him,” quarterback marcus mariota said. “he’s someone that you can look to and learn a lot of life lessons from. w hatever happens, happens. we’ll see where it takes us.” kelly took the road to philadelphia and the nFl
AP
Former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly answers a question during media day for the Fiesta Bowl in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Jan. 3.
Livestrong, Sporting Kansas City sever ties
Associated Press
kansas ciT y, mo. — The loss of trust — not money or a tarnished reputation — led sporting kc to sever ties with the cancer charity founded by lance a rmstrong, according to a team official.
But sporting kc chief executive robb heineman also said wednesday the “tumultuous environment” that developed before the cyclist admitted using performance enhancing drugs also played into the major league soccer team’s decision to end the relationship.
“The severance for us was about violating the trust of a partnership. That’s what they did. does lance bleed over into that? certainly,” heineman said. “w hether anyone wants to say it or not, he’s connected to the foundation. he’s why we have to always answer questions around him. ... it’s something you can’t get away from.”
sporting kc announced Tuesday the team was changing the name of livestrong sporting park to sporting park and ending its novel arrangement with the charity that began in 2011. under the naming rights deal, livestrong didn’t pay to have its name on the $200 million soccer stadium in kansas city, kan. instead, the team promised to donate $7.5 million in stadium revenues to livestrong over six years.
heineman said the decision came after espn reported that livestrong recently said sporting still owed $750,000 of the $1 million promised to the foundation in 2012. heineman said the team doesn’t owe livestrong any money, but he would not discuss the contract.
“w hen they started to, for the lack of a better term, start to drag us through the mud a little bit in public around the relationship,
that’s just nothing we have an interest in,” heineman said. “i would call it inaccurate, unfair and a breach of confidentiality. i think that’s at the core of any of this.”
But he said it’s difficult to parse how much the loss of trust in livestrong because of the contract discussion in the media and a rmstrong’s doping admission played into the end the partnership.
“it’s a hard thing to say because one is so connected to the other,” he said. “if this would just have been about lance and his reputation would we have made the same decision at some point? potentially. potentially.
“Because what this has begun to do over time as i mentioned to you is erode the focus of what we and the partnership were all about,” he said. “it wasn’t about answering questions about what lance did or didn’t do.”
heineman said sporting and livestrong had discussions for several months about their partnership but would not go into detail about those discussions.
“i think as the tension and as the tumultuous environment continued to kind of surround livestrong, we kept working with them around how can we modify things,” heineman said. “i think that what we saw was the brand was evolving .... a nd for us the vision of livestrong always was it was going to be much bigger than one person.”
a rmstrong resigned from the board of directors for livestrong in november after a report by the u s a nti-doping agency accused the cyclist of helping run “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen” within his u s postal service and discovery channel teams.
a rmstrong had persistently denied doping until this week when
he admitted to oprah winfrey he used performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career, which included seven straight Tour de France victories. The first installment of the two-part interview airs Thursday night.
greg lee, chief financial officer for livestrong, said in an emailed statement that it was the charity that terminated the agreement with sporting kc, and the
foundation doesn’t discuss specifics about arrangements with its partners. he said his role is “to ensure compliance by our corporate partners.”
“if a partner doesn’t live up to the terms of our agreement, we have no choice but to bring that agreement to an end,” he said.
Foundation spokeswoman katherine mclane also said while livestrong “did not receive
a significant portion of the revenues it was promised, it still invested nearly $40,000 in programs to serve people affected by cancer,” at several kansas city area institutions. mclane also said in an email that livestrong will continue to invest such programs in the kansas city area.
sporting park is scheduled to host the mls a ll-star game on July 31.
The home stadium of Sporting Kansas City, formerly named Livestrong Sporting Park, has a new name following a disagreement between the Major League Soccer team and the cancer charity founded by Lance Armstrong.
abraham expected to play against 49ers
Associated Press
F lowery Branch, g a. — it’s too early for the a tlanta Falcons to know how much defensive end John a braham will play in s unday’s n F c title game.
a braham, the n F l’s active sacks leader, made it through just 15 snaps in last week’s divisional playoff victory over s eattle before aggravating a left ankle injury that forced him to leave in the second quarter.
“ you don’t want to lose a good player,” Falcons defensive coordinator m ike nolan said. “ we won the game, so there’s something we did right. But it does change things.”
The Falcons are making contingency plans in case a braham is unable to play at full strength against the s an Francisco 49ers on s unday at the g eorgia d ome.
a braham, who has not been available to speak with reporters this week, missed practice on wednesday even though coach m ike s mith listed him as having limited participation.
But it’s clear that the Falcons (14-3) will be pleased to have a braham on the field for any length of time against s an Francisco (12-4-1).
“he’s a sack master,” linebacker s ean weatherspoon
said. “That’s what i like to call him — Father a be. we look forward to getting him back out there this week. i think the guys that had a chance to play in his absence did a good job stepping in and doing what they need to do in order to
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help the team get the win.”
a braham, 34, was initially hurt in the regular season finale loss to Tampa Bay, limping off the field with the help of trainers.
c oach m ike s mith said that he expects the 13th-year
veteran to start on sunday. e ven so, the Falcons are giving reserve ends c liff m atthews, Jonathan m assaquoi and l awrence s idbury more work this week in case a braham has to make an early exit.
m atthews took the balance of the work against s eattle, playing 46 snaps and making two tackles opposite k roy Biermann, a tlanta’s other starting end.
a braham, though, is a special talent.
“o bviously he’s an integral part of this defense,” Biermann said. “ w hen you lose a player like that, it kind of puts a little bit of strain on you, but the guys behind him know that they’ve got to step up, play that role and get it done.”
The 49ers present several problems for a tlanta’s defense.
Quarterback c olin k aepernick is coming off an impressive playoff win over g reen Bay, passing for 263 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 181 yards and two T d s. he set an n F l singlegame record for yards rushing by a quarterback.
s mith knows the Falcons must do their best to contain k aepernick in the pocket while keeping tight coverage on receivers m ichael c rabtree and r andy moss and tight ends vernon d avis and d elanie walker.
r unning backs Frank g ore and l a m ichael James also create issues in the passing attack, too.
“They have playmakers at both levels with their offense,” s mith said. “ you’re going to have to put together a plan to try to slow down certain
aspects of it. it’s a very explosive offense they’ve created.”
Though a braham’s 122 career sacks rank 13th on the n F l career list, he hasn’t had one since nov. 29 when he took down new o rleans quarterback d rew Brees to help seal a 23-13 victory.
The following week, a tlanta won its second n F c s outh title in three years.
Before the Falcons traded for him in 2006, a braham had a long injury history in six years with the new york Jets. he’s overcome assorted ailments and offseason surgeries with a tlanta, however, and has missed just two games over the last six seasons.
“ w hen you watch the film, he played through the pain a little bit,” strong safety w illiam moore said. “it was hard to even tell. he rotates a lot, so i didn’t even know he was out at one point.”
moore learned of a braham’s absence soon enough while s eattle quarterback r ussell w ilson and the s eahawks were carving up a tlanta’s defense in the second half. a fter vance walker sacked him early in the third quarter, w ilson completed 13 of 18 passes for 230 with two T d s.
The Falcons did a decent job covering deep routes, but they struggled badly in trying to defend tight end Zach m iller and other targets w ilson hit in the middle of the defense.
“Those were still miscues on our end,” free safety Thomas d e c oud said. “ we were short on a drop here or there or someone didn’t carry someone here or there. Those things were more about us rather than things that they did.”
Injured Falcons defensive end John Abraham, center, speaks with fellow linemen Kroy Biermann, right, and Jonathan Massaquo during a break in drills at the team’s headquarters in Flowery Branch, Ga., on Wednesday. Abraham is expected to play Sunday against the 49ers.
High-powered Flying Dutch roll over Belles
By KIT LOUGHRAN sports writer
s aint mary’s fell short in its efforts to take down no. 3 hope c ollege last night, as the Flying d utch secured an 87-41 victory in holland, m ich.
The Belles (5-12, 3-5 miaa) anticipated a tough fight coming into the game and planned to stand strong in their defensive tactics, s aint mary’s head
coach Jennifer henley said. however, the Belles struggled to shut down the potent offense of the Flying d utch (15-1, 7-1). The victory was a return to its usual dominance for hope, as it bounced back from its first loss of the season against no. 2 c alvin (13-1, 7-0).
s aint mary’s junior guard shanlynn Bias led the team with 15 points, combining 5-of-10 shooting from the
floor with five free throws. Freshman forward e leni shea scored eight points, while senior guard k ayla wolter added six points and three steals for the Belles.
The depth of the veteran hope bench showed against the young s aint mary’s squad.
d espite the loss, which shut down the Belles’ two-game winning streak, the young team continues to power
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through the season without getting caught up with winning or losing, henley said.
a fter the loss, s aint mary’s will now look to rebound when they take on olivet (10-6, 6-2) on s aturday in olivet, m ich.
Facing the c omets (10-6, 6-2), who secured a close 6258 victory over rochester on wednesday night, should be another difficult matchup for the Belles, and will force the
team to lock down their play on the defensive end of the floor.
“o ur effort in preparing for games is more concentrated on the defensive end of things,” henley said. s aint mary’s will play olivet at 3 p.m. s aturday at the c utler e vent c enter.
Contact Kit Loughran at kloughr1@nd.edu
Belles senior guard Annie Doyle looks to pass to a teammate during Saint Mary’s 66-63 win over Wheaton on Nov. 15, 2011. Hope defeated the Belles 87-41 on Wednesday night. Junior guard Shanlynn Bias led the team with 15 points.
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Assists
calabrese notched an assist on the lone goal scored by junior center T.J. Tynan on the power play in a 1-0 win at michigan state last Friday and another in a 4-2 loss at Bowling green on Tuesday.
“i think being poised with the puck [is the biggest improvement i’ve made this season],” calabrese said. “i think making better puck decisions and helping out on the power play here — i didn’t get on the power play
week layoff.
calabrese said monday, before the team’s most recent loss to the Falcons on Tuesday, the irish learned from last season’s late fade.
“i think we learned a lot from last year,” he said. “i think this year, our mindset’s a lot different at this point in time than it was last year. our past three games since break have all been on the road. in the past three years, we’ve had a game at home to kind of be a tune-up game to be prepared for a road stretch. a ny time you play college hockey,
“So I think it’s a quiet and calm confidence in him, but he does do a good job with his teammates and I think he does a real good job in his approach to not just the game, but situations within the game that are sometimes stressful.”
Jeff Jackson Irish coach
until the end of the year last year — just being able to contribute that way.” last season, the irish went 126-3 in 2011 before going 7-12-0 in 2012 for a final season record of 19-18-3 and no ncaa tournament appearance. This season, the irish were 14-4-0 in 2012, but have dropped three of their first four games since the turn of the calendar after a three-and-a-half
it’s tough to win on the road, so we’re not panicking. everyone’s positive. But that is in the back of our minds, what happened last year.”
calabrese and the rest of the irish next hit the ice Friday, when they’ll take on a laska in the compton Family ice a rena.
Contact Sam Gans at sgans@nd.edu
SUZANNA PRATT | The Observer
Senior defenseman Sam Clabrese clears the way for senior goaltender Mike Johnson against Lake Superior State on Dec. 1. Calabrese has been a team leader this season.
Confidence
con T inued F rom page 20
— shooting 17-for-38 on the year. But l oyd can score in a variety of ways. s he can drive, she can cut backdoor and she can get out in transition. a ll in all, she averages 13 points per game, just two per game shy of team leaders senior guard s kylar d iggins and junior guard k ayla m cBride.
d efensively, she’s a nuisance. Though just a fivefoot-10 guard, she pounds the glass as hard as any post player, averaging 5.7 rebounds per game, good for second on the team behind junior forward n atalie a chonwa. s he attributed her rebounding ability to a
mindset ingrained in her by n otre d ame’s coaches.
“Boxing out and rebounding is something we do every day in practice, so it’s kind of like a habit,” l oyd said.
o n a team that features a number of veteran scorers, including d iggins and m cBride, l oyd said she has found her niche as the utility guard, a scrappy player who can score, rebound and defend.
“[ m y role] depends on game situations,” l oyd said.
“a t times, i can be a really good passer. i can score at certain times. i just try to do what’s needed. a lot times it helps with s kylar on the floor because everyone covers s ky. s o there’s opportunities
to score.”
m oving forward, l oyd said she knows she needs to continue to improve. s he pointed out several areas on which she needs to focus.
“There’s always things to help improve my game,” l oyd said. “ you can always improve ballhandling, knowing the offense a little bit more and personnel. r eading the defense is something that’s still hard to do. i ’m trying to watch film and stuff to get better everyday.”
u p next for l oyd and the i rish is a home matchup s unday against s t. John’s.
Contact Matthew Robison at mrobison@nd.edu
Belles return recharged and ready to compete
By D.H. KIM sports writer
a fter a week of training and competition in m esa. a riz., s aint m ary’s will face a tough conference test this Friday, when they host miaa foes c alvin and k alamazoo.
Both c alvin (2-3) and k alamazoo (1-2) will pose as stiff challenges to the Belles, as they both placed higher than s aint m ary’s (03) at the c alvin w inter i nvite
“Those are some of the toughest teams in the conference, and generally we don’t have a positive history with them,” Belles senior captain g enevieve s pittler said. “But we will still go out and swim our best.”
i n spite of their earlier defeats, the Belles are looking primed to improve in this weekend’s action, in part due to their winter training trip to a rizona. a fter spending much of the nine-
“Those are some of the toughest teams in the conference, and generally we don’t have a positive history with them, but we will still go out and swim our best.”
Genevieve Spittler senior
on d ec. 1. The k nights and h ornets placed fouth and sixth respectively, while the Belles finished in a distant 11th.
day trip working as a team in the pool, s pittler said the team should be ready for their dual meets at n otre d ame.
“ w e’re facing tough conference opponents, but we will be ready,” she said.
Friday’s meets are especially significant for s aint m ary’s, as the dawning of 2013 has brought the miaa c hampionships ever closer. a fter facing the k nights and h ornets this weekend, the Belles will have just one more conference meet — a Feb. 2 dual meet against o livet — before traveling to the conference championships in Jenison, m ich.
But while the championships loom ever closer, s aint m ary’s is focused only on the next step in the journey, and that’s finding it’s first win of the season this weekend.
The Belles will host c alvin and k alamazoo on Friday at the r olfs a quatic c enter. The meets will begin at 7 p.m.
Contact D.H. Kim at dkim16@nd.edu
sMC sWiMMinG & divinG
KIRBY McKENNA | The Observer
Junior guard Kayla McBride takes the ball down the court against Georgetown on Tuesday, as Loyd trails closely.
GRANT TOBIN | The Observer
Now-sophomore Anna Nolan swims backstroke at the Defiance Invitational on Nov. 12, 2011. The Belles return from their winter training trip and begin competition at home Friday. Saint Mary’s will next swim against conference matchups Kalamazoo and Calvin, who both have defeated the Belles in the past.
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Trent Ford, 34; kate moss, 39; debbie allen, 63; John carpenter, 65. Happy Birthday: pursue opportunities. step into the limelight and discuss your plans for the future. The way you embrace your goals will bring you support and interest. change is apparent, but not all will be easily acquired, especially if it has to do with personal or domestic matters. Focus on work and protecting what you have earned. your numbers are 2, 9, 12, 22, 26, 33, 40.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): enjoy life. stop worrying about things you cannot change. a force play may affect your current status. an old friend will help you find the strength and courage to reach goals you’ve only talked about in the past. embrace change.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): you must regroup. Taking on other people’s responsibilities will be detrimental. Focus on reaching your goals and acquire a position that will give you greater freedom. love and reputation will be key to your happiness. don’t neglect either one.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): put energy into getting ahead by taking care of what’s expected of you. you must maintain a state of calm if you want to be taken seriously in the future. do what you can to the best of your ability.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): show emotions and share your thoughts and you will resolve pending issues that have left you standing idle in the past. it’s time to make a concerted effort to make a choice and let others scramble to fit into your plans for a change.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): don’t allow temptation to take over, leading to added expense or a waste of time. Be progressive and constructive in your actions and focus on ways to improve what you do and how much you can earn with the skills you have.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): you have options that can lead to fruitful endeavors if you keep a sound mind and realistic outlook. social networking will pay off by connecting you to people who have something to share. Take advantage of what’s being offered.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): domestic matters will escalate, causing concern for how you should move forward. make plans to visit a destination you find comforting and conducive to finding a solution you can achieve with the least amount of turmoil. act quickly and avoid prolonged grief.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): a realistic approach toward situations that concern friends, relatives or your community will put you in the spotlight. love and romance are highlighted and can help you find peace and happiness through shared accomplishments. let your intuition guide you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): you will lack practicality due to emotional deception and unrealistic expectations. step back and look at the big picture and you will know what’s required of you in order to make your life better at home or at work.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take time out to revisit an old idea or project you left unfinished. reestablishing a friendship with someone you find inspiring will lead to future options that can increase your earning potential. reveal your true feelings and prosper.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): past experiences will help you make a good judgment call now. you can offer an ultimatum to someone you feel has taken advantage of you. Fixing old problems will ensure that you can continue down a path that leads to a better lifestyle.
PISCES (Feb. 19- March 20): put greater emphasis on communication and working with institutions, government agencies or any other organization that can benefit you with grants, loans or intellectual assistance. participating in humanitarian causes or volunteering your services will enhance your love life.
Birthday Baby: you are popular, unique and imaginative. you strive for reform and justice.
juMblE | david hoyT and JeFF knurek
sudoku | The mepham group
hiGhly PunlikEly | chrisTopher Brucker
Deadly shooter
Freshman guard starts her collegiate career as scoring machine, key player in Irish victories
KIRBY McKENNA | The Observer
Freshman guard Jewell Loyd drives the ball down the court in the 79-64 victory over the Bulldogs.
consistent shooting has been a key factor in the success the Irish have experienced this season.
hoCkE y
By MATTHEW ROBISON sports writer
From the moment she first stepped onto the court in p urcell p avilion, freshman guard Jewell l oyd has dazzled i rish fans, scoring 20 points in an 88-28 exhibition win over e dinboro.
s ince then, she’s been nothing but spectacular.
The Big e ast honored l oyd on m onday as the conference Freshman of the week, the third time she has received that award this season. i n a 75-71 overtime win at s outh Florida on Jan. 8, l oyd notched her first career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
a lthough l oyd said she appreciates the praise, she recognized that it’s just a product of hard work in practice, something she needs to continue.
“ i thank them for giving me that award,” l oyd said. “But i ’ve got to stay grounded and
keep getting better. i couldn’t have done that without my team. i ’ve still got to work. i t’s awesome that i got it but i ’m not getting caught up in that.
Two days later, she scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 71-46 win over r utgers in p urcell p avilion. s imply put, l oyd can do just about everything on the court. a s a highly touted recruit from n iles west h igh s chool in c hicago, l oyd’s success as a four-year starter did not take long to translate to the collegiate level.
“ i t’s a different game, a different style of play,” l oyd said. “The confidence i get from my team and my coaches helps me. w hen you step out onto the court you can’t think, ‘ o h i ’m just a freshman, i ’ve got to just pass the ball.’ They give me the confidence to just shoot.”
From behind the threepoint line, she’s deadly
veteran calabrese anchors the i rish defense
By SAM GANS sports writer
in the two seasons preceding the 2012-2013 campaign, irish senior defenseman sam calabrese played a significant role for notre dame, racking up top minutes and scoring a total of 34 points with a +14 rating in 82 games. his role has expanded this year, however, as the lone senior on no. 5 notre dame’s blueline. calabrese said one of his biggest strengths is an ability to stay calm in tense situations, a skill he tries to use to impact younger teammates.
“i try to be the backbone back there, and not be the voice of reason, but i’ve been in a lot of situations and as we approach the second half here, i’m going to try to keep everyone looking on the next game and not trying to look too far ahead, just try to keep everyone focused on the process. … Just being here for four years, you realize that each day, you have to come to the rink and prepare for your next game,” calabrese said monday. “you can’t look too far ahead, so being the veteran i am back there and the only senior, i think it’s my job to make sure everyone’s focused on the right
things and the right goals, which are day-to-day getting better.”
irish coach Jeff Jackson shared the same sentiments about calabrese’s play.
“[calabrese is] a very calm kid and he plays the game that way,” Jackson said monday. “as a senior, i think he’s done a good job in a leadership role, and i think his demeanor helps us in those chaotic times that we face during games, and even potentially during the season, just because he’s probably more mature, he’s been through this now for four years, and i think that experience of the highs and the lows, he’s probably able to handle as well as anyone.
“so i think it’s a quiet and calm confidence in him, but he does do a good job with his teammates and i think he does a real good job in his approach to not just the game, but situations within the game that are sometimes stressful.”
calabrese has scored nine times in his career. Though he has yet to light the lamp this season, his nine assists on the season have contributed to the success the irish (15-7-0, 11-3-00 ccha) have achieved thus far.
