Print Edition of The Observer for Thursday, December 8, 2016

dorms continue c hristmas traditions

Notre Dame community gears up for holiday season with unique decorations, customs

By NATALIE WEBER news writer

as the semester winds down, many dorms come together to celebrate christmas with different traditions.

as part of its celebrations, alumni hall has a candlelight mass each year. according to alumni hall president matthew krach, everyone wears formal attire to the mass, which he says is well-attended.

“everyone wears suits and ties and dresses up, and usually it’s a standing-room-only mass, so it’s pretty good,” krach said. “we have this hanging advent wreath near the altar, and for each advent

mass we always have one of the shorter freshmen try and light the wreath with one of the lighters, and it always takes like five minutes for them to actually get it lit.”

The dorm also hosts a christmas party each year for those who have volunteered in the dorm during the semester.

“we have a christmas dinner for anyone who’s contributed to the dorm in any way, like any commissioners, or eucharistic ministers or people who play in the band,” krach said.

in the days leading up to christmas, Breen-phillips hall hosts its christmas-themed formal

see decor PAGE 5

Students discuss photography, gun violence Former reagan advisor emphasizes discourse

By AIDAN LEWIS

n ews w riter

Tasked with contributing a photograph about gun violence in a merica to the s nite m useum of a rt, four students in the p hotoFutures program unveiled their choices at the museum wednesday evening.

The students selected a photograph from photographer c arlos Javier o rtiz’s “ we a ll we g ot” project. The image focuses on a pool of blood while a little boy’s blurred

face stares into the camera. s enior c hristine a nspach said the decision was difficult, since the group needed to hone in on the message they wanted to deliver.

“ i t ultimately came down to, ‘ w hat do we want to say about gun culture?’” a nspach said. “ we can’t say everything. we wanted to pick a photograph that would raise questions for students in the future. s o we thought, how, as millennials, are we

see phoTo PAGE 5

By NICOLE CARATAS saint mary’s e ditor

i n 1981, Bay Buchanan was appointed as the youngest treasurer in a merican history, serving under p resident r onald r eagan. Buchanan spoke wednesday at s aint

m ary’s, criticizing political correctness and ewmphasizing the importance of political debate.

Buchanan said she has seen a tendency for people on the left to work to empower women, but only when those women have the same

point of view as them. “ you cannot have it both ways,” she said. “ you cannot call on all women to be bold, to stand up, to be heard, not to be afraid, that this is your human right, and then to

Student groups petition against Trump invitation

Observer Staff Report

members of the notre dame college democrats and the diversity council penned a petition asking university president Fr. John Jenkins not to invite president-elect donald Trump to speak at the 2017 commencement ceremony. every president of the united states since dwight eisenhower (except Bill clinton, whom the university did not invite) has spoken at the first commencement ceremony since his election. in an interview with the observer on dec. 2, Jenkins said he had not decided whether to extend an invitation to Trump.

The petition asks Jenkins not to continue the tradition, citing Trump’s behavior towards mexican immigrants and women and his appointment of former Breitbart news executive steve Bannon as his chief policy strategist.

“This behavior is not consistent with our mission at the university of notre dame,” the petition reads. “his hateful rhetoric towards people of color, his embrace of sexual assault and his utter lack of respect for opposing viewpoints not only render him unfit for the oval office, but unfit to set foot on our campus.”

The petition also asks Jenkins to declare notre dame a “sanctuary

campus,” protecting undocumented students. at a november prayer service, Jenkins told notre dame’s undocumented students the university would “do everything we can to ensure that you complete your education,” and he later signed a statement in support of the deferred action for childhood arrivals (daca) program, an action which the petition applauded.

“however, we fear for the safety of so many of our classmates, peers and community members should the president-elect deliver the commencement address in may,” the petition continued.

peTiTion PAGE 5

Copenhagen unveiled as study abroad location

By EMILY McCONVILLE news writer

i f students of science, technology, engineering or math want to study abroad during the academic year, the best options for most of them are l ondon, d ublin or perth, australia.

That will change next year. due

to a student petition and notre dame international’s (ndi) effort to increase the number of sTem students studying abroad, the danish institute for study abroad (dis) in copenhagen, denmark, will become an official notre dame study abroad program in the fall of 2017.

ndi director k athleen o pel, who oversees the program,

paid a dverT isemen T

paid a dverT isemen T

said d enmark is particularly suited to students in sT em fields.

“c openhagen’s very environmentally conscious, sustainable,” she said. “Their city is designed in such a way that it takes advantage of bicycles, ... [which] makes it possible for students to do lots of different explorations.”

according to the dis website, programs of study include biomedicine, computer science, environmental science, neuroscience and sustainability, fields which can sometimes limit students’ study-abroad options elsewhere. o pel said applications for next year, which were due in november, were limited to sT em majors.

“having those kinds of options in a place where you can still take history and literature and philosophy just made a lot of sense,” o pel said.

o pel said a handful of sT em students attended dis on academic leaves of absences over the past few years, but then students came forward asking ndi to add dis to its official programs.

“it got very good reviews, so i then went over to visit and spend the week there, going to classes, doing everything a student would do and getting this educator’s workshop,” she said. “i found it to be a really extraordinarily good program, so we were excited

about saying, ‘l et’s make this possible for more students by making it an official program that you didn’t have to petition for.’”

Four notre dame students who specially petitioned to go to c openhagen are currently attending the dis program, and one will go this spring, o pel said. The first official group will go next fall, and though o pel said there was a “high level of interest” in the program, ndi does not yet know how many notre dame students it will send or how many dis will take.

o pel said dis emphasizes learning in many forms. e ach “core course” of the program takes weeklong “study tours” to other parts of europe — such as studying arctic biology in iceland. more than 200 electives are offered, according to the dis website. There are also on-site courses and volunteering opportunities.

“every part of the program is designed to be a learning experience,” opel said. “w hen you are taking a course, it’s not just in the classroom taking lectures. you’re taking tours around the city, you’re going to various sites where your area of interest, your core class, has something that would be valuable to learn.”

students can choose to live in apartments with other students, with host families or in a living-learning community

studEnt sEnAtE

focused around a particular interest, such as cooking.

“i f you’re in a living learning community, let’s say that all during the day, you’re focused on let’s say biomedicine and you’re very scientific, but when you come home what you really enjoy is cooking, and that’s one of your hobbies,” o pel said. “ you can join the culinary living-learning community, and they will invite guest chefs, people will cook together, they’ll go to places where you’ll find local produce and learn local recipes, they’ll do things to encourage, and there’ll be a coordinator for that living environment.”

opel said she thinks students currently in copenhagen have had a positive experience so far.

“i’ll know better after the students get back, because the first group is still there, but i have gotten a couple of emails that tell me that it’s fantastic, life-changing, that it’s extraordinary, that they’re really excited,” she said. “study abroad is always exciting. This is a particularly exciting new program because it is different from our others in that, i don’t know if any of our other programs include a weeklong study tour with professors and all the other things they’ve arranged for students.”

Contact Emily McConville at emcconv1@nd.edu

robisnon delivers

‘state of the student union’

By DEVON HARFORD news writer

a mid donuts and hot chocolate, senate discussed last-minute business, planned for the new semester and heard from student body president corey robinson.

The meeting began with the official swearing in of new senators: sage guynn from k nott and michael semanek from seigfried. a resolution was also passed that edited the student union constitution’s non-discrimination clause to include age and veteran status.

robinson then gave his state of the student address.

“we are living in uncertain times,” he said.

But uncertainty, he said, was not a setback.

“uncertainty leads to necessity and creates innovation,” he said.

robinson highlighted the successes of the senate during the past semester, including the creation of a sustainability committee and race relations week.

“The rule book has gone out the window,” robinson said. “we have a choice. go down the well-trodden path or blaze a new trail.”

he called on the senators to consider how they can better represent the student body.

“a re we really the united voice of our student body?” he said. “do you represent your dorm or your section? This is the crucial crossroads.”

he concluded by encouraging students to follow their ideas.

“we can make the student government what we want,” he said. “Blaze your own path. some will say you’re wasting your time, but many will follow you.”

a fterwards, committees met to make some tentative goals for the next semester, including editing the Taxi Bill of r ights, getting better coffee in the dining halls and sending out information on new dining hall hours.

Contact Devon Harford at dharford@nd.edu

santa is real

a bout 10 years ago, my dad referenced “ yes, v irginia” in an email to me. i didn’t get the reference at the time, so i looked it up. i n 1897 v irginia o ’ h anlon, an 8-yearold girl, wrote a letter to the n ew york s un newspaper asking the editors to tell her if s anta c laus is real or not. The editors responded with an editorial in which they wrote, “ yes, v irginia, there is a s anta c laus. h e exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound to give your life its highest beauty and joy.”

This editorial has really stayed with me over the years, and, for obvious reasons, i always find myself thinking about it during the c hristmas season. s poiler alert: s anta c laus — the living, breathing man with a red suit, a sleigh and eight or nine flying reindeer (depending on whether or not you count r udolph or you’re a purist) — is not a real person. But, as the s un editorial eloquently points out, s anta c laus is real.

s anta exists in the love, generosity and devotion of parents who stay up until the early hours of the morning to keep their kids’ belief in s anta c laus alive for at least one more c hristmas. h e also exists in the love, generosity and devotion of people who donate their time, money and effort to bringing s anta c laus to kids whose parents might not be able to afford to do so. h e exists in the childhood excitement and innocence that leads to kids waking up at 6 a.m. to make sure s anta c laus has visited their house in the middle of the night. h e exists in the spirit of the c hristmas season, which, in the end, is about giving and loving and the good in humanity that we don’t pay enough attention to throughout the year. Basically, he’s everyone who passes a belief in s anta c laus down to others, no matter how they do so.

r egardless of one’s religious beliefs, i think we all start to appreciate a universal spirit of c hristmas as we grow older. c hristmas isn’t about getting presents, and s anta isn’t about giving them as an incentive for little kids to behave throughout the year. i nstead, c hristmas is about giving and s anta c laus is the perfect symbolic representation of this ideal. There’s a reason s anta c laus has been around for so long with different incarnations in so many cultures: w ithout s anta, “there would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. w e should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.”

w e’ve heard a lot lately about how divided this country is, but i ask you to set any divisions or political discontent aside for a moment this c hristmas to bring some joy to the world by giving someone a reason to believe in s anta c laus again. Because “he lives, and he lives forever” to “continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu

The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

lEttErs to thE EdItor

Thank you students and staff

d ear n otre d ame students and staff, m y life changed for the better the moment i stepped onto the university of n otre d ame’s beautiful campus. The one goal i had set in my mind to achieve was to become a better man, a n otre d ame man. a fter growing through many trials and triumphs, the thing i ’ve learned most from my experience was that if you don’t believe in yourself first, then no one else will. i believed in becoming a better man and succeeding through any circumstance, and i can say that i ’ve truly accomplished that. i often refer to the famous quote from the movie “c atch m e i f you c an” that was well put by Frank a bagnale: “Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse wouldn’t quit. h e struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and

crawled out.” i ’ve put my heart, soul and passion into the university, the football program, the s outh Bend community and the i rish community worldwide. i have the unbelievable honor to represent this university to the fullest as a student and soon-tobe alumni. Thank you to the amazing students and staff that i ’ve met through the years for helping me grow into the person i ’ve always wanted to be. i love the i rish and will always be an i rish alum no matter where i go! i look forward to keeping in touch. l et’s change the world!

g o i rish!

letter to professor watchlist

r ecently, an organization called Turning p oint usa unveiled p rofessor w atchlist, a website listing the names of professors “that advance a radical agenda in lecture halls” of u s . colleges and universities. n otre d ame professors are among those listed as advancing “leftist propaganda” in their classes. i n response, a number of n otre d ame faculty sent the letter below to p rofessor w atchlist.

d ear p rofessor w atchlist, w e, the undersigned faculty at the u niversity of n otre d ame, write to request that you place our names, all of them, on p rofessor w atchlist. w e make this request because we note that you currently list on your site several of our colleagues, such as p rofessor g ary g utting, whose work is distinguished by its commitment to reasoned, fact-based civil discourse examining questions of tolerance, equality and justice. w e further note that nearly all faculty colleagues at other institutions listed on your site, the philosophers, historians, theologians, ethicists, feminists, rhetoricians and others, have similarly devoted their professional lives to the unyielding pursuit of truth, to the critical examination of assumptions that underlie social and political policy and to honoring this country’s commitments to the premise that all people are created equal and deserving of respect.

This is the sort of company we wish to keep. w e surmise that the purpose of your list is to shame and silence faculty who espouse ideas you reject. But your list has had a different effect upon us. w e are coming forward to stand with the professors you have called “dangerous,” reaffirming our values and recommitting ourselves to the work of teaching students to think clearly, independently and fearlessly.

s o please add our names, the undersigned faculty at the u niversity of n otre d ame, to the p rofessor w atchlist. w e wish to be counted among those you are watching.

John Duffy e nglish

Ani Aprahamian physics

Francisco Aragón i nstitute for l atino studies

Doug Archer hesburgh l ibraries

Carolina Arroyo political science

Katrina Barron mathematics

Kevin Barry k aneb center

Christine Becker Film, Television, and Theatre

Gail Bederman h istory

Patricia Blanchette philosophy

Susan D. Blum a nthropology

Catherine E. Bolten a nthropology and peace studies

John G. Borkowski psychology

Bruce Bunker physics

Elizabeth Capdevielle university writing p rogram

Matthew Capdevielle university writing p rogram

Robert Randolf Coleman a rt, a rt h istory & design

Brian Collier i nstitute for e ducational i nitiatives

Philippe Collon, e xperimental nuclear physics

Michael Coppedge political science

David Cortright k roc i nstitute for i nternational peace studies

Mary D’Angelo Theology

Antonio Delgado physics

Denise M. Della Rossa g erman

Michael Detlefsen philosophy

Tarek R. Dika p rogram of l iberal studies

Jane Doering g ender studies

Jean Dibble a rt, a rt h istory & design

Margaret Anne Doody e nglish

Kevin Dreyer Film, Television, and Theatre

Amitava Krishna Dutt political science

Stephen M. Fallon p rogram of l iberal studies and e nglish

Stephen Fredman e nglish

Christopher Fox e nglish

Judith Fox l aw school

Mary E. Frandsen music

Jill Godmilow Film Television & Theatre

Karen Graubart h istory

Stuart Greene e nglish and a fricana studies

David Hachen sociology

Matthew E.K. Hall political science

Darlene Hampton First year of studies

Susan Harris e nglish dec. 7

a n island in the sea, or yosemite?

w hich island will it be this year?”

“ well, we’ve already been to a ruba, the d ominican r epublic and h awaii, so this year we are hitting up c ancun! w hat about you?”

“ we can’t decide. There are simply too many tropical destinations!”

a s much of a #firstworldproblem this situation is, come the last few weeks before any break from school and this conversation, along with many others just like it, are all-too common. i have met quite literally dozens of classmates who have been on multiple tropical island getaways, some to destinations so exotic that i couldn’t even tell you their names. d espite n otre d ame students’ propensity for vacations, i can count the amount of people i have met at school who have been to even just one of a merica’s very own n ational p arks with the fingers on one hand. d on’t get me wrong — i enjoy a sunny beach and fruity cocktail just as much as the next person, especially during a s outh Bend winter. h owever, with such spectacular destinations only a road trip away, n otre d ame students could benefit from taking a break from a ruba and trying their hand at a national park instead.

yellowstone, a merica’s first national park, was signed into law by p resident u lysses s g rant in 1872. s ince then, 57 other parks, ranging from the desolate desert of d eath valley to the marshy swamplands in the e verglades, have been created in order to allow the common man to experience the spectacular beauty within the borders of our very own nation.

i t is no big secret that participation in outdoor recreation provides a range of well-documented

benefits, including mental and spiritual wellbeing, an increase in self-esteem and an appreciation for the natural and cultural environment in which the activity is taking place, as well as health benefits derived from involvement in physical activities. i t is a blessing to lay on a beach with an endless supply of fruity drinks, but the restorative power of being surrounded by pristinely fresh air and nature is a reward in itself. a side from the demonstrated benefits to one’s health, the national parks provide a memorable vacation without the exorbitant price tag usually equated with a trip to an exotic location. r ecently a friend told me he had factored $1,500 into his budget for next year, solely for spring break. i n i ndiana, where minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, a student would have to work 207 hours just to pay for that week-long extravagance. For some, it is worth it to relax at an all-inclusive resort or party at p anama c ity Beach for five days straight. But those looking for a cheaper alternative need look no further than within a merica’s parks. p art of the experience of a national park trip comes form the road trip itself, so a plane ticket is unnecessary. a s for the park itself, in 2016 it costs $30 for one vehicle and all its passengers to access the park for seven days. Tack on the price of a tent (which could most likely be borrowed from a friend), or even a few nights in a cabin, and you are nowhere close to that $1,500 price tag.

i have never been able to relate to my peers as they discuss their upcoming vacation plans, because i have never been on a “tropical vacation.” i have, however, been to 21 of the 58 parks our nation holds dear. g rowing up, i would nag my parents, attempting to persuade them to let up and take us to Jamaica or the Bahamas — basically anywhere that did not involve a 16-hour

car ride and hiking. l ooking back with some perspective, i would not trade those trips for any sun-soaked beach. i t was at the very bottom of the g rand c anyon that i learned the true meaning of grit, knowing that i had to somehow stick it out and get to the top again. s tanding alone on h alf- d ome peak in yosemite, almost 9,000 feet in the air, i learned just how small, but at the same time, how powerful, i was. l ying alongside o ld Faithful, hearing wolves howl and gazing up into the heavenly spectacle that is a night sky completely unobstructed by man-made light, i came to terms with a faith i had been doubting and questioning for some time. i have spoken to people from all walks of life, some who travelled halfway around the world to take part in the same hikes or rafting trips i had the opportunity to enjoy.

John m uir, naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the u nited s tates and one of the pioneers of the n ational p arks s ervice, once claimed, “The clearest way into the u niverse is through a forest wilderness, for in every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” a s students at n otre d ame, we pride ourselves on seeking out knowledge, discovering truths and barreling through adversity. w ith this in mind, visit a n ational p ark for your next vacation.

The universe is yours.

Aside from incessantly quoting “Hamilton” and other perfect works of theater/film, Lucy Collins majors in economics and history, is a sophomore at Notre Dame and is often found trying to balance her hopeless romanticism and nearly constant cynicism. Please direct comments to lcollin8@nd.edu

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

The wave of populism continues

voices were not being heard to unseat the ruling class of old guard politicians, arguably personified by h illary c linton.

The wave of populism continues to flood e urope with the italian referendum held this past weekend.

italians voters were faced with the opportunity to vote yes to a constitutional reform that would alter the division of powers within their legislature and increase control by italy’s central government. italy’s p rime m inister m atteo r enzi vocally supported the measure, which would have strengthened his position as p rime m inister. w ith 70 percent voter turnout, italians voted 60 percent “no” and 40 percent “yes” to the referendum. r enzi confirmed on d ec. 4 that he will resign as pm as a result of this crushing defeat. he stated after the vote on s unday, “when you lose you cannot pretend that nothing has happened and go to bed and sleep. m y government ends here today.”

This vote sparks yet another e uropean nation moving towards populist values.

The term populism is frequently used to describe and even justify seemingly unrelated events such as Brexit, the election of d onald Trump and the italian p rime m inister’s downfall. p opulism has now come to define a political movement consisting of large segments of a population, often the lower and middle classes, challenging the rule of dominating elites, often the existing ruling class. p opulism is not confined to any social or economic class nor is it necessarily associated with a conservative or liberal agenda. it is frequently defined as being anti-establishment and anti-corruption. i n the context of p resident-elect Trump, populism manifested in the mobilization of those whose

a nalysts believe this vote is a huge victory for “eurosceptic and nationalist parties.” p opulist parties in italy, such as the anti-establishment n orthern l eague and Five s tar, see this as a boost for their efforts. Following the referendum, n orthern l eague leader m atteo s alvini wrote: “ v iva Trump, viva p utin, viva la l e p en e viva la l ega!” The Five s tar movement, if it succeeds in electing the new prime minister, has vowed to conduct a referendum on italy’s continued membership in the eu, arguing that membership has crushed opportunities for the working middle class.

w hat does this mean for the e uropean union? we aren’t quite sure. This is yet another instance in which establishment and strong central governments are being harshly rejected. w ill we continue to see a rejection of the status quo and the continuation of a populist wave in the west? o nly time will tell. a s one possible indicator, in preparation for upcoming elections in m arch, the anti-eu political parties in the n etherlands have been gaining momentum and are now polling as the largest or second-largest party across the nation, making possible an italian-like outcome. Though analysts say this is highly unlikely in the n etherlands, did anyone expect d onald Trump to be elected?

a ustria may be a bright spot and a sign of hope for the e urozone. The Trump equivalent candidate, n orbert h ofer, lost his presidential bid, signaling a win for the eu h owever, h ofer did win 46 percent of the vote using closed border rhetoric similar to our president-elect.

we may now safely assume that voters in

western democracies are prepared to send packing members of government who are seen as elitist, entitled, arrogant and possibly corrupt and replace them with anti-establishment candidates. w hat exactly is next for e urope is hard to predict, though a rejection of the entrenched government in italy clearly cuts a path for reform movements in both the n etherlands and France in the spring of next year.

italian banks have been struggling since the global recession in 2008, and they did not respond well to the outcome of this referendum vote. Though the e uro fell then immediately restabilized, shares in italian banks have fallen drastically even in an environment where e uropean stocks generally are rising. s adly, this event will not help one of e urope’s worst performing economies. w hat we don’t need in today’s interlocked economy is e uropean instability, political, economic or otherwise. The eu continues to deal with unresolved issues following the debt crisis in g reece. The west does not need italian banks being punished for political uncertainty, as they have been the last several days. The eu and the united s tates do not need an existing italian debt problem to escalate into a g reece-like crisis. The practical lesson to be learned from the 2016 rise of populism in the west is that e urope and the global economy must be prepared for the continued rejection of the political status quo.

Jordan Ryan a junior resident of Lyons Hall, is a political science and peace studies major with a minor in Constitutional studies. She can be reached at jryan15@nd.edu

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

Happy Birthday: Take your time and pick and choose what you want to do carefully. d on’t think too big or set unreasonable goals. Take one step at a time and build a strong base to ensure your plans are secure. p roblems with communication will surface if you don’t trust in your own knowledge and judgment. your numbers are 6, 9, 15, 21, 24, 37, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take pride in what you do and stay tuned in to what others expect. keeping a balance between what you want to do and what you have to accomplish will help you reach your goals and gain satisfaction in the process.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take good care of your health, reputation and your assets. l et your intuition help you make the best decisions. a conservative approach to finances, business and how you are going to move forward will help you avoid setbacks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): e motional interaction can go two ways. r efuse to let anyone take advantage of your kindness or generosity. a sk questions that are relevant to the situation before you offer physical assistance. Take care of your own personal and physical needs first.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): a djust things to meet your needs. Back up your findings and your desire to get ahead with innovative ideas and an open mind. you can get others to listen if you choose the right words. moderation and diplomacy are encouraged.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): i nteract with people who challenge you and give your all. your abundance of energy and desire to reach the finish line will prove that you are the right person to bring about positive and lasting change. p lay to win.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): it will be difficult to know which way to turn or who to believe. d o your research and put your mind at ease before making a decision. p roblems with children or seniors will surface. a n alternative plan will be your best option.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): c onsider alternative ways to improve your health and to deal with matters concerning your colleagues. a problem with a pet or elderly family member is best dealt with quickly. d on’t lose sight of what’s truly important to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): d on’t get angry; get busy. you can bring about positive changes to the way you live or how you get along with your coworkers if you make an effort to compromise. s elf-improvement projects will pay off.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): it’s up to you to stay on top of matters. l isten to what’s being said and ask for a written commitment before you proceed. e motional matters will surface due to a lack of information or understanding.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): l et your imagination wander and it will lead to some interesting ideas. keep a little in reserve when it comes to your energy levels. Too much of anything will be your downfall. Be patient and stay healthy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): d o your best to take care of responsibilities and finish what you start so that you can move on to bigger and better things. Take advantage of an opportunity that will improve your life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be careful how you deal with friends and relatives. c hoose your words wisely and refuse to let anyone dump unwanted responsibilities on you. r espond with encouragement, not hands-on help. d o something creative to take your mind off of your worries.

Birthday Baby: you are intuitive, determined and ambitious. you are aggressive and worldly.

The

Woods is back and ready to play

h e’s back.

h e’s not better than ever, but he’s back and that’s what matters.

Tiger woods’ return to golf was honestly significantly better than i expected. i had visions of a rusty woods, making double bogeys left and right. i certainly was not expecting to see glimpses of the Tiger of old. i wasn’t rooting against him, i just genuinely didn’t think he would pull off anything resembling an impressive showing in his first event back, especially after the controversy surrounding his withdrawal from the s afeway o pen in o ctober and the immense pressure that would inevitably be on him after 17 months away from the game.

w hile his 72 holes saw their fair share of missed shots, i think woods’ first outing in over a year and a half was a solid one. a ll four of his rounds, with the exception of the second, had their ups and downs. But woods’ high points rivaled those of his opponents, although he struggled to keep hot streaks alive and to maintain a high quality of play throughout the tournament. But that’s something that will come more with time, as he gets back into the swing of playing in pga Tour events again. But when you’re making highlight reels alongside Jordan s pieth and h ideki m atsuyama, not because of your name but because your shots are the same caliber as theirs, you’re doing something right.

w hile he may not be back in full force, Tiger is back. a nd i ’m glad Tiger is back. g olf missed him. g olf needs him.

There is simply no one else who can draw interest or viewers like Tiger woods can. This is even more true now. i f Tiger had been unable to return, his career would have been unsatisfying. it would have left fans with a bad taste in their mouths. h aving the man who was on track to be the greatest of all time

go down to an injury would have been one of worst endings imaginable to one of the best careers anyone has or will ever have.

w hile i stand by what i said earlier in the year in that woods should have played in the s afeway o pen after committing to play, seeing woods ready to go was fun. s eeing him smile again was fun. a s Tiger’s former selfproclaimed biggest fan, i am glad to see him pain-free and playing golf well once again. h owever, despite what i consider to be a fairly good showing in his return, i think l as vegas has lost its mind in making Tiger’s odds to win the m asters in a pril 201. woods will continue to make major improvements between now and then, but i can’t see how a man who finished four-under-par at an unofficial tour event in the Bahamas he hosted can suddenly become one of the favorites to take home a green jacket. There probably isn’t anyone still playing today who knows a ugusta better than Tiger woods.

But you can’t make mistakes at a ugusta national if you’re going to be successful. a nd Tiger’s eight bogeys and six doubles at the h ero world c hallenge certainly prove that the man has not yet regained his immunity to mistakes.

Tiger’s performance last weekend restored my faith that he has the ability to win another major and maybe even another green jacket this year, or at some point down the road if he can stay healthy. But i would not consider him a favorite until he proves his game is sustainable and that he can compete on a bigger stage in an event that matters. i don’t know if he will be able to catch Jack n icklaus’ record at this point, but i won’t rule it out.

But i won’t get ahead of myself. For now, i ’ll just say: “ welcome back, Tiger.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

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

cavs’ Big Three blow out a nthony, k nicks at msg

Associated Press

new york — l eBron James scored 25 points, kyrie irving and kevin l ove also surpassed 20, and the cleveland cavaliers crushed the new york k nicks 126-94 on wednesday night.

James had nothing to say wednesday morning about k nicks president phil Jackson and not much more about his decision to not stay with the team in a donald Trumpbranded hotel, but he and the cavs made a loud statement at madison square garden. it was their second straight win after a three-game skid, and they did it easily in handing the k nicks their worst loss of the season. irving led cleveland with 28 points and l ove scored 21, 16 in the first quarter.

Brandon Jennings scored 16 points for the k nicks, who had their four-game winning streak snapped and lost for the just the third time in 10 games. he started for derrick rose, who missed his first game of the season with lower back pain.

Tristan Thompson grabbed 20 rebounds for the cavs. They played without guard J.r smith, who returned to cleveland for additional testing after hyperextending his left knee monday in Toronto. it was the first meeting since James was angered when

Jackson referred to his friends and business partners as a “posse” last month in an espn interview. James refused to answer questions at the cavs’ shootaround about Jackson, who watched the game from his usual seat a few rows back of center court.

l ove and irving made consecutive 3-pointers to kick off a 20-4 spurt that extended a one-point lead to 34-17 and the k nicks never really recovered. They trimmed it to nine late in the first half, but James had a ferocious dunk during the cavs’ run of six straight points, and another burst to open the second half pushed it to 71-48 on irving’s 3-pointer.

t ip-Ins

cavaliers: it was a rough first quarter for former k nicks guard i man shumpert, who missed a layup and a breakaway dunk, when he appeared to hurt his hand after hitting it on the rim. ... i rving came in averaging 28.4 points in five games at msg, his highest in any arena. k nicks: a nthony was presented with his usa Basketball olympic championship ring before the game. he shared usa Basketball male athlete of the year award earlier wednesday with kevin durant after winning his record third gold medal in r io.

... The k nicks welcomed back a number of former players during a 70th anniversary season celebration, and former coach Jeff van gundy, working the game for espn, got a big ovation when shown on the overhead video screen.

l ebron’s l odging

James said the decision not to stay at the Trump soho was a personal preference and not a political statement. he said it was the first time he hadn’t stayed in the team hotel — some other players also changed hotels — though he did ride the team bus as usual to the morning workout.

bad back rose left the k nicks’ victory over m iami on Tuesday in the third quarter and was still feeling pain when he arrived wednesday to meet with team doctors, who sent him for an mri exam to make sure there was nothing structurally wrong.

up next cavaliers: host m iami on Friday. The cavaliers have won the last three meetings in c leveland.

k nicks: v isit sacramento on Friday to open a five-game trip in the west. The k nicks just beat the k ings here on sunday, 106-98.

Gordon, Harden too much for Lakers to handle

Associated Press

housTon — eric gordon made a career-high eight 3-points and scored 26 points to help the houston rockets cruise to a 13495 victory over the los angeles lakers on wednesday night.

James harden added 25 points in three quarters for the rockets. They scored a season high and extended their winning streak to a season-best four games.

The rockets were up by 12 in the third quarter, then had a 22-6 run to make it 96-68 and put the game out of reach with about 3 minutes left in the quarter.

houston made four 3-pointers and got a nifty one-handed dunk from clint capela in that run to pad the lead.

gordon already had four 3-pointers 7 minutes into the first quarter after making each of his first four attempts. it was his seventh straight game with at least four 3-pointers, which is a franchise record.

houston has its longest winning streak since taking five straight in January.

lou williams led the lakers with 24 points. They have lost four in a row, their longest skid of the season.

The rockets led by 18 after a layup by gordon to start the second quarter. it was the only shot he made that wasn’t a 3-pointer. The lakers got going after that, using a 17-6 run to cut the lead to 51-44 about five minutes before halftime. Brandon ingram made two 3-pointers in that stretch and Jordan clarkson capped the run with a 3.

houston got back on track after that and had pushed the lead to 67-52 with 1.4 second left in the half. lou williams cut the deficit after that when he hit a 3-pointer from beyond half court at the buzzer.

m bball

con T inued F rom page 16

on s aturday. notre dame is having its best start to a season since the 1973-74 campaign, when the team started 12-0, but senior forward v.J. Beachem said he is convinced that this start is just scratching the surface of what they can accomplish against the w ildcats (9-0).

“i think we can honestly hit another level,” Beachem said. “personally, myself, i haven’t been shooting the ball well really all season, so i think i have a whole other gear left in me, and i think we all have another gear in us as far as how we’re defending and moving the ball.”

i f the i rish can truly hit another level of offensive efficiency, they’ll undoubtedly be among the nation’s best given how high they rank across multiple statistical measures. The i rish are 13th in assists per game (19.0), 16th in 3-point percentage (41.3 percent), first in free-throw percentage (85.9 percent), first in assistturnover rate (2.34) and 10th in scoring offense (88.9 points per game).

Brey praised the team Tuesday on how well it can space the floor, move the ball efficiently and find good looks from beyond the arc. however, he said he recognizes that against a team like v illanova, the i rish have to become more aware of knowing when driving to the basket is the better option.

“The 3-point line is a weapon for us — i don’t want to go talking percentages — just take what the [defense] gives us, but always be mindful when we have a driving opportunity to take it after some movement. we’ve probably have talked about that a little bit more. even v.J putting it down and getting a hand-check or two.”

The w ildcats were 15th in the country last season in points allowed, giving up just over 63 points per game. They are on pace to match that effort this season, allowing just 62.6 points per game. The most difficult challenge for notre dame will be getting through v illanova’s 3-point defense that allows just 28.1 percent from beyond the arc.

“They really guard, and nova has never changed that way,” Brey said. “ we’re going to have to work harder on the offensive end, and i think a big challenge for us will be if we have an empty offensive possession, can we be mentally tough enough to go back and guard?

That’s a thing we really have to talk about over the next couple of days.”

Beachem echoed that concern in emphasizing the need to remain consistent throughout the game. a gainst Fort wayne, the i rish held the mastodons to just 23 points in the first half but then allowed 49 in the second half.

“i think we just got to be sharper for our 40 minutes,” Beachem said. “ we weren’t really that sharp in the second half [Tuesday], so being sharp for 40 minutes will put us in a great position to be in that game.”

Brey acknowledged the underdog status the i rish will carry heading into s aturday, but said that notre dame has never been shy of playing under the lights against big time programs.

“i think we were thought of as more of an ni T team, and we still certainly have a lot to earn before we’re smiling on march madness. s o that was a nice motivator for them,” Brey said. “They heard that ‘ w ith four n B a guys gone, what do they have really left?’ i always felt that we had a good nucleus coming back that knew how to win, and they certainly have played on big stages — our nucleus — and have delivered on big stages, like s aturday afternoon, so they’ll be really ready.”

Following s aturday’s matchup, the i rish will take a week off and then return to the court on d ec. 17 to take on no. 18 p urdue at the c rossroads c lassic in i ndianapolis. The i rish then compete against c olgate and st. peter’s at home before starting conference play.

notre dame kicks off its acc slate against p ittsburgh on new year’s eve on the road. The i rish then face off against no. 11 l ouisville and c lemson at home before embarking on a road trip that includes traveling to m iami, v irginia Tech and Florida state.

w ith the biggest game of the season in front of them, the i rish are confident in their chances of taking down the defending national champions.

“ we’ve got a huge challenge in front of us s aturday, but we’ve been in games like this before.” Beachem said. “ we’re really excited about it. we know how great of a team they are.”

notre dame tips off against v illanova on s aturday at noon at the p rudential c enter in newark.

Contact Manny De Jesus at mdejesus@nd.edu

hockey

con T inued F rom page 16

against umass-lowell on nov. 17, the irish were whipped by the river hawks, 4-1, in a game that wasn’t that close.

The very next night notre dame flipped the script, controlling the game en route to a 4-1 victory of its own.

last weekend, the irish struggled through the first 40 minutes against umass on Friday night, finding themselves down 3-0 after two periods. Though the notre dame ended up losing 5-4, the momentum from a fourgoal third period carried over in saturday’s 3-0 victory.

Jackson said this inconsistency has roots in notre dame’s offensive struggles to get to the front of the net.

“it’s probably been more about our inability to score that’s led to the problem,” Jackson said. “and then there’s nights where we look fine. we score four goals. But in those games where …we play against a really good goaltender or a hot goalie, and we get shots but we don’t necessarily get the type of gritty chances in front of the net that we need to score against a really good goalie. Because that happens against good teams: you’re going to run into good goaltenders, and you have to find a way to get a little bit grittier in

and around the net area.”

Jackson said the team needed to find ways into these dirty areas.

“you kind of expect that from the big guys, and i see it from our energy guys but they just don’t finish all the time,” Jackson said. “guys like [sophomore forward] Jack Jenkins or [freshman forward] cal Burke. cal Burke has had a history of being a pretty good offensive player, but he’s snake-bit right now in and around the crease area. sometimes even our bigger guys, sometimes they get pushed out of that area. … it’s grit, it’s fortitude, but it’s also being strong on your skates and strong over your stick so your stick doesn’t get lifted up. you’re just competing for those pucks in the dirty zone.”

Jackson said the irish were emphasizing these battles in practice in the week leading up to umass.

“we’ve started doing a little bit more consistently competitive stuff from an offensive perspective,” Jackson said. “it’s kind of a tough thing to practice to be better or grittier offensively, but … we have to do them. we have to put our guys in uncomfortable situations to get them to respond when they get into those situations in a game.”

The emphasis appeared to work somewhat against umass. on sophomore defenseman Bobby nardella’s goal, notre dame’s third of four in the third period of Friday’s game, freshman forward

cam morrison and junior forward Jake evans were screening the umass goalie. sophomore forward andrew oglevie got the scoring started saturday by putting home a rebound opportunity, and morrison causing havoc in front of the net allowed evans to blast in another rebound for notre dame’s second goal of the game.

it’s a trend that will need to continue for the irish to find success against Boston college and freshman goaltender Joseph woll, who is allowing just 2.48 goals per game while posting a .918 save percentage en route to a 10-5-1 record in net.

The eagles are also outscoring opponents 71-46, led by senior forward matthew gaudreau, younger brother of current calgary Flames forward Johnny gaudreau. The younger gaudreau paces the eagles with 22 points while sophomore forward colin w hite leads the eagles with 10 goals.

“i’d like to go into the second half with a little momentum if possible,” Jackson said. “i think this season hasn’t been poor, but it just hasn’t been great.”

The irish can continue building that momentum with a victory over the eagles. puck drop is saturday at 7:10 p.m. at compton Family ice arena.

Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu

Irish junior forward Kathryn Westbeld attempts to stay in front of a UConn player during Wednesday’s loss. The Irish fell behind early, but a strong second quarter propelled them to level the game at halftime. Notre Dame struggled to score in the second half against the Huskies defense, and fell to the defending champions 72-61.

Greason

con T inued F rom page 16

the huskies. This game did not affirm that uc onn is the best team in the country right now, it simply solidified the huskies’ ranking.

i fully believe notre d ame is one of the two best teams in the country at the moment. But the huskies were playing the shell of the full-bodied, vibrant i rish team that could have and should have stepped onto the court. w hile notre d ame can play like one of the top two teams in the country on a regular basis, it did not wednesday.

There were bright spots in the game, without a doubt.

The i rish scored 15 points off the bench, compared to uc onn’s four.

Freshman guard Jackie young came off the bench to spark multiple runs with her four steals.

Junior forward Brianna Turner scored 16 points and snagged 12 rebounds despite a complete offensive breakdown.

a nd there were bad breaks in the game, without a doubt.

young injured her ankle and was forced to leave the game with three minutes left. notre d ame had just eight attempts at the free-throw line, compared to uc onn’s 20, which was arguably due to some the officiating.

But, notre d ame converted on just four of those eight free throw chances, while the huskies made all but one. more than anything, however, there was poor play on the part of the i rish

throughout the game.

l osing is no fun. But it’s even worse when it comes as a result of failing to perform at the level of which you are capable. w hen the secondranked team in the country fails to make a single 3-point shot until the second quarter, the loss is going to sting a little bit more. Because if those two teams had faced each other on notre d ame’s best day, or even a slightly better one, the storyline of the game — particularly the second half — would have been totally different and the outcome could have been turned upside down.

e veryone has off days; it’s just unfortunate that notre d ame’s off day came on the most anticipated matchup of the season.

w hile uc onn’s defense was

paid a dverT isemen T

strong, it was not outstanding. it did not do anything special that threw the i rish for a loop. They simply could not get a shot to drop in the first quarter, causing them to rush their offensive sets, which exacerbated the problem. This issue carried over throughout most of the game, with the exception of the second quarter.

The offense was inefficient and incapable of scoring. it repeatedly failed to get the ball inside to Turner. s ophomore guard m arina m abrey, who had an explosive showing against the huskies last season, failed to pick up a single point until she scored the final points of the game. m abrey is supposed to be a perennial offensive powerhouse, but she wasn’t wednesday. s ophomore guard

a rike o gunbowale is used making layups effortlessly, no matter how many people she has to drive through to get to the basket. But she could not get a single one to drop, scoring only nine points. The second best team in the country does not wait until over halfway through the third quarter to score its first points of the second half.

w hile senior guard l indsay a llen took responsibility for the lack of offensive production after the game, the fact of the matter is that the team as a whole did not play well. The mental factor of the i rish facing off against uc onn cannot be overlooked and it probably played a role in notre d ame’s slow start to both halves and its inability to slow the uc onn offense, especially in the paint and in transition. But more than anything, it was just not notre d ame’s day.

we saw glimpses of the i rish team the country was expecting to step onto the court. There were moments when the offense ran flawlessly. There were plays that made everyone in p urcell p avilion believe they were watching the top two teams in the nation. But overall, we were not watching a top-two matchup. we were watching the two best teams in the country, one of whom grew increasingly frustrated with itself. uc onn did not stop notre d ame. notre d ame stifled itself. notre d ame absolutely deserves to be one of the top two teams in the country. it was simply the wrong day to have an off day.

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

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

nd womEn’s bAskEtbAll | uconn 72, nd 61

Irish falter in second half; fall to No. 1 UConn

Notre Dame’s home winning streak snapped by Huskies

By RENEE GRIFFIN sports writer

n o. 2 n otre d ame was stuck playing catch-up to n o. 1 c onnecticut all night wednesday, falling behind from the outset, then fighting back, then allowing the huskies to widen the margin again.

a final surge never materialized, and the i rish (8-1) lost 7261 at a packed p urcell p avilion to cement uc onn’s spot at the top of the rankings.

“Just really disappointed in pretty much everything: execution, ability to get the ball to [junior forward Brianna Turner], just completely ineffective offensively,” i rish head coach muffet m c g raw said. “ … i ’m surprised. i really didn’t expect that. we’ve got some things to work on.”

it wasn’t the first time the n otre d ame was left behind by the huskies (8-0), who now have 83 wins in a row and six

ND ready for challenge against No. 1 Villanova

By MANNY DE JESUS sports writer

Just moments after walking off the court following its 87-72 win over Fort wayne on Tuesday night, no. 23 notre dame had its matchup against no. 1 v illanova on its mind.

“ we got our hands full,” i rish head coach m ike Brey said. “it’s a great opportunity for us. They’re really good. mentally and physically tough, but we’re pretty good too. it’s two similar programs, and Jay’s [ wright] a good friend back from the hofstra and d elaware days and the old Big e ast days. … it’s kind of an ncaa tournament feel. i’ve heard they’ve sold a lot of tickets, so we’re excited. o ur guys were talking about it two minutes after the game, so they’re really excited.”

The i rish (9-0) travel to newark, new Jersey, to face the defending national champions at the p rudential c enter

ND picked the wrong day to struggle offensively

a rankings flip-flop between formerly no. 1 notre dame and no. 2 connecticut on monday that left many surprised and confused. it marked the first time in over a decade the top-ranked team was jumped without a loss and wednesday’s matchup between no. 1 uconn (8-0) and no. 2 notre dame (8-1) was supposed to decide which of the two was actually the best in the country.

a nd while the huskies will maintain their top ranking after stretching their winning streak to 83, they will not do so after beating the second-best team in the nation. They may have taken down the second-ranked team, but they certainly did not see notre dame’s best. They did not see the skill and prowess that put the irish at the top. w hile notre dame has absolutely earned its ranking, it did not put up its best fight against

i rish offense seeks consistency

By ZACH KLONSINSKI

a ssistant managing e ditor

as no. 14 notre dame heads into saturday’s matchup with hockey east rival no. 4 Boston college at compton Family ice arena, irish head coach Jeff Jackson and his squad are still looking for consistent production in close games as the end of the semester nears.

“it’s just been a little bit of inconsistency in our game,” Jackson said. “and it generally comes offensively, more than anything else, but we break down in those close games when we’re not scoring.”

saturday marks the last time the irish (8-6-2, 4-3-1 hockey east) host the rival eagles (13-5-1, 8-0-1) as hockey east foes, as well as the marquee game of notre dame’s 2016-2017 home slate. The matchup also provides notre dame with the opportunity to wash away some of the sting from last year’s 4-0 loss against the eagles at compton.

The irish struggled in close games against top competition last season, but Jackson said he’s been “surprised” and “disappointed” by

notre dame’s frustrations so far this year.

“i think we start stressing a bit where we don’t finish, and it leads to like last game [a 2-0 loss to clarkson on nov. 26] where we give up a 2-on-0 on a four-on-four situation,” Jackson said. “and those things just can’t happen because you have to win a game like that 1-0 or 2-1. That’s what i’m hoping for.”

The clarkson loss isn’t an anomaly, but at the same time the irish have also looked like the top-10 preseason team that began the season. The variation has been wild:

during notre dame’s loss to uconn on oct. 27, the irish dominated most of the first period but couldn’t break through with a goal. Two defensive breakdowns in the final minutes of the period, however, sent the irish to the locker room down 2-0 after a period where they controlled the vast majority of play. The next day the irish opened the flood gates while thumping the huskies, 6-2.