Evaluation committee appoints new bank in response to student survey results
By CHRISTIAN MYERS news writer
on-campus banking options are set to look different for students and staff next year, with changes in the l aFortune student center and aT ms around campus.
a branch of 1st source bank will replace the notre dame Federal c redit union ( ndFcu ) branch currently housed in l aFortune. a n announcement of the change was sent to all students and staff via email Thursday.
sophomore drew carmona, the student government
representative on the evaluation committee responsible for the decision, said the university chose 1st source from an initial pool of 13 financial institutions.
“we put a lot of thought into what was best for the university and what was best for our students and staff,” carmona said.
“we selected 1st source as the new campus branch bank partner because 1st source has the ability to offer flexible solutions that best meet our unique needs.
“we wanted a financial institution that could meet the needs of the university’s cashiering services, as well as
offer quality services and consumer banking.”
carmona said, as the new partner bank, 1st source will take over several duties formerly performed by ndFcu
“1st source is going to administer various functions, like student account payments, department deposits, event/startup cash and cashing checks,” he said.
The transition likely will be completed over the summer, carmona said. The new 1st source branch will open July 1, and there will also be several 1st
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Week promotes positive body image
By CATHERINE OWERS news writer
This week, the gender issues committee of student government is trying to promote conversation about body image and understanding through love your body week.
“we have a lot of students here who are perfectionists,” monica daegele, director of the gender issues committee, said.
“everyone is well-rounded and talented at a number of things. but with that kind of perfectionist mentality can sometimes come dangerous behaviors and obsessions. The point of love your body week is to bring into perspective this mentality that a lot of students have.”
daegele said the events planned for the week will emphasize that body image issues are relevant to both men and
women.
“eating issues, body-image issues, they are not just a female problem. a lot of men struggle with them, as well,” daegele said. “a lot of research done in the past 10 years has illustrated that there are so many undiscovered body image issues for men. i think people would be surprised at the number of men who feel
see body PAGe 3
Festival celebrates c hinese new year and culture
By EMILIE KEFALAS news writer
on sunday, the c ollege’s c hina night celebrated the sights, sounds and senses of the c hinese new year. c ollege provost and senior vice president patricia Fleming said the free event, hosted by the c hinese cultural c lub in o’l aughlin auditorium, featured 15 acts open to the public. The club served c hinese
see china PAGe 4
By ABI HOVERMAN news writer
a fter months of preparation, an entirely student-run production of “legally blonde: The musical” opens this weekend as pemco’s main-stage winter show.
pemco, the primary student musical-theater group on campus, chose the pop musical for its upbeat nature and vocally demanding female parts, director and sophomore Jacob schrimpf said.
“This seems like a traditional fit for the actors and resources of pemco,” he said. “The overall
vibe of our group right now is very fitted to the show. we definitely have the right performers. we have a lot of energetic people in the group, which is great because the show is very high energy.”
a fter former producers and directors chose the winter show’s production team in may 2013, schrimpf said he and the producers chose “legally blonde” from a list of four musicals.
“The rights for the show just came out a few years ago, so there hasn’t been a lot of time for amateur groups to perform it yet,
see blonde PAGe 4
MARIA MASSA | The Observer
LESLEY STEVENSON | The Observer
Pasquerilla East Hall residents hold an Elle Woods sign to represent the main character of “Legally Blonde.”
EMILIE KEFALAS | The Observer
The Saint Mary’s community celebrated the Chinese New Year and various aspects of Chinese culture Sunday in Carroll Auditorium.
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
Ning Zhou sophomore off campus
“at the bottom of l ake du l ac.”
James Mullen freshman Keough hall
“he’s the statue on top of the dome.”
Jill Chipley sophomore lyons hall
“he’s under the lyons a rch because that’s the best place to be.”
A hawk enjoys a meal on God Quad on Feb. 7. Judging from the imprints on the snow, there appears to have been a fight between the bird and its squirrel prey. The squirrel lost.
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Graduate Student Union.
Bengal Bouts prelims Joyce Center
6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Proceeds go to Holy Cross missions in Bangladesh.
Tuesday
Tunnel Tours Power Plant
8 a.m. - 3 p.m. For grad students only, part of Graduate Appreciation Week.
“The Naked Truth” 155 DeBartolo
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. On advertising’s image of gender, with Jean Kilbourne.
Friday
night will focus on how advertising portrays male and female bodies.
uncomfortable with their body, who are trying to fix parts of their body.
“in the past, the eating disorder fact sheets we’ve used have largely focused on women, and this year we have one for women and one for men.”
daegele said love your body week will address the stereotype that men don’t have eating issues or body issues.
“it’s really quite the opposite — i think one of the statistics is that 43 percent of teenage boys have said they feel uncomfortable with their bodies,” she said.
daegele said events for the week include free recsports classes and presentations by the university counseling center and the office of alcohol and drug education. a talk Tuesday
on wednesday, there will be a screening of the documentary “happy,” which analyzes happiness in various parts of the world.
“essentially what it looks at is what really makes people happy,” daegele said. “it does a great job of putting everything into perspective and allowing a greater message to be received.”
daegele said representatives from the university counseling center and office of alcohol and drug education will discuss disordered eating Thursday evening.
“They’re going to make it very applicable to notre dame,” she said.
‘The title of the presentation is ‘eliminate the F word’ — ‘F’ being ‘fat.’ That’s a common theme that will also be present throughout the week, getting students to
paid a dverT isemen T
understand the negative effects it can have on everyone.”
on Friday afternoon, there will be free massages in the sorin room of the laFortune student center, daegele said. recsports will host a workshop sunday that teaches women how to utilize weight rooms.
“There’s a huge stereotype that women shouldn’t lift weights or build muscle,” daegele said. “This will walk women through the different weights available and show how lifting weights is actually very good for you.”
daegele said the events of the week will take a holistic approach to body appreciation.
“we want to show why our bodies are important to us and why taking care of our bodies is so important,” she said.
Contact Catherine Owers at cowers@nd.edu
Students sell Nicaraguan goods in bookstore
By CHARLIE DUCEY news writer
The nicaraguan-based custom elevation, a company founded by three notre dame students in 2012, continues to expand its sale of handicrafts to improve the lives of artisans.
co-founder and senior christian estrada, who is from nicaragua, said custom e levation bases itself on the principle of fairness.
“it is about giving the artisans a chance,” he said. “it is about letting them do what they love and getting paid fairly.”
estrada said the company has developed new handmade products since it began selling its goods at the hammes notre dame bookstore in april 2013.
“we expanded our product line to fit the likes of our various customers,” estrada said. “in the collegiate market, we have added the salbeke hand-woven bag. we introduced this product in early december and have received quite a bit of attention.”
The company introduced the new products after assessing the marketability of the a maka hammocks featured in the company’s first product launch.
“The hammock has proven to be a very tough product to sell because of the lack of sum-
“It is about giving the artisans a chance. It is about letting them do what they love and getting paid fairly.”
Christian Estrada co-founder Custom Elevation
mertime activities around notre dame and the high price point due to royalty expenses, transportation and packaging,” estrada said. “This is why we introduced the salbeke.”
estrada said the artisans employed by custom e levation work out of a renovated building in the nicaraguan city of masaya, where the production of handicrafts stretches back many generations.
“The conditions in masaya in
general are still very bad. given that the artisan community is extensive, it will be hard to fix this problem right away, but our vision is to help change the lives of as many artisans as possible,” estrada said. “by eventually expanding to more and more universities and institutions, we will be able to increase the size of our facility and the number of workers we employ.” between business classes and collaboration with recent
“The conditions in Masaya in general are still very bad. Given that the artisan community is extensive, it will be hard to fix this problem right away, but our
vision is to help change the lives of as many artisans as possible.”
Christian Estrada co-founder Custom Elevation
notre dame alumnus roberto pellas, estrada said he has met with officials from Texas c hristian university (Tcu ) and the university of Texas at austin to market custom e levation’s products bearing the logos of each institution.
“i just met with Tcu’s licensing director and it went very well,” estrada said. “we have basically secured a license with them and will most probably start selling at their bookstore around June.”
i n addition, estrada said custom e levation has set its sights on the corporate logo market.
“This will be pretty much like the collegiate market in that we will personalize our products with institutional logos,” he said. “we are also selling our generic products [without logos] at different boutiques in nicaragua and here in the states.”
Contact Charlie Ducey at cducey1@nd.edu
MARIA MASSA | The Observer
cuisine in the dining hall after the performances.
a lice siqin yang, advisor for the c hinese cultural c lub, said this year’s event featured folk dances, music using traditional c hinese instruments, songs, theater and games meant to incorporate the audience into the festivities.
The c hinese new year, also known as the spring Festival, began Jan. 31, yang said. she said as a native c hinese person, it is one of the most important festivals she celebrates.
“it is the time for family reunion, like Thanksgiving and c hristmas in the united states. people away from home would try their best to go home for the holiday and for reunion,” yang said. “it is hard for most c hinese overseas to do that. it is nice that we can celebrate the festival here, together at s aint mary’s.
“it is like a family reunion for c hinese international students and many others.”
yang said the event was a cultural learning experience for s aint mary’s students and the s outh bend community.
“c hina night is a show that celebrates c hinese new year and diversity on s aint mary’s campus,” yang said. “it offers a platform for international cultural exchange and an opportunity for s aint mary’s students, faculty and staff and local community people to interact and learn more about c hinese language and culture.
“it is very important for all of us to learn multiple languages and diverse cultures in today’s interdependent world.”
First-year student yaqi s ong, co-president of the c hinese cultural c lub, said s aint mary’s first hosted c hina night in 1967 and again in 1969 in celebration of c hinese new year. she said the festival has been rebooted since the creation of the c hinese cultural c lub in 2008.
The club and its 20 registered members held a dumpling party on c hinese new year’s eve of 2013 and 2014, song said. she said the club also has coordinated with the dining hall to serve a c hinese-themed dinner near the c hinese new year.
s ong said she receives support from the c hinese Friendship a ssociation at notre dame, notre dame students and holy c ross students.
“i’m honored to be one of
source aT ms around campus.
carmona said students are free to do their personal banking with any financial institution. he said the main office of ndFcu on moreau drive will remain open and there will still be several ndFcu aT ms around campus to serve those who have accounts with
the co-presidents of c hinese cultural c lub because i think c hinese culture is just like any other stunning culture in the rest of this world,” she said.
“They are all so beautiful.
c hildren and saint mary’s students who attended the event received red envelopes as a traditional c hinese new year’s gift, yang said. i n c hina, celebration of the new year often includes the use of firecrackers at midnight and the exchange of red envelopes with monetary gifts from relatives.
“The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and
“It is very imprtant for all of us to learn multiple languages and diverse cultures in today’s interdependent world.”
Alice Siqin Yang advisor Chinese Culture Club
is supposed to ward off evil spirits,” yang said.
yang has been the show’s advisor since 2008 and teaches mandarin c hinese at the college. she also coordinates the a sian and a frican studyabroad programs, including the c hina summer p rogram and the c hina semester p rogram in shanghai and nanjing. yang said she has taken saint mary’s students to c hina three times in the past few years. yang encouraged students to study abroad in c hina during her presentation at c hina night.
“it is becoming more and more important to learn the c hinese language and culture in the interdependent global society that we live in today,” yang said. “saint mary’s strives to bring together women of different nations, cultures and races so that students can have a richer educational experience.
“a s part of the s ophia p rogram, the c ollege’s new general education program, s aint mary’s encourages students to understand the aspects of culturally diverse environments in order to communicate more effectively across cultures.”
Contact Emilie Kefalas at ekafal01@saintmarys.edu
ndFcu
“i f anyone has an account with ndFcu, they can keep it. They can still bank with them,” carmona said.
carmona said the evaluation committee also reviewed results from a student-banking survey conducted in the fall and found most students do their banking with large, national banks. The university plans to add aT ms for some of these
which is exciting,” he said.
schrimpf said cast selection was particularly difficult because more than 100 people auditioned for only 25 parts.
“it was amazing because we could have cast the show two or three times over with the amazing talent we had come in,” he said.
senior emily nash, who plays the lead role of elle woods, said she joined pemco her freshman year when she auditioned for the company’s main-stage winter production. she said she is excited to see the growth in the quality of the group’s productions over the years.
“The fact that it’s students having put together this entire show without any professional assistance is a big deal,” she said. “it’s cool to see the costumes, props, staging and set come together, knowing it’s all put together by young adults, makes it really unique.”
nash said she appreciates the unique opportunity she has had to participate in musical theater even though she has no formal vocal or theatrical training.
“audition, and keep auditioning, because you never know what they’re looking for, who they might need, and what spot they need filled. … it’s a really low-key, accepting, relaxed environment,” nash said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
schrimpf said the cast has been rehearsing for four hours a day, five days a week, since Thanksgiving, making participation a serious commitment for students.
“people are really passionate
banks, in addition to the other campus banking changes.
“we’re looking into expanding our aT m offerings to fulfill the needs of as many students and employees as possible.” carmona said. “we are reaching out to a few national banks to see if they would be willing to place an aT m on campus to service consumers who already have accounts with them, to help minimize bank
about it, so people make it a priority, but it requires a lot of time management to balance the production and schoolwork,” schrimpf said. “it’s a demanding process.”
as a Film, Television and Theatre major, schrimpf said working on the show offered the opportunity to apply what he learned in his theater courses to a real production. a lthough he receives no academic credit, he said he enjoys the chance to explore future career possibilities.
“i find that things in my classes inform my decisions as a director, and my experience as a director is informing my learning,” he said. “This is helping me figure out if this is something i’m looking at pursuing professionally or not.”
not everyone in the production studies theater academically, schrimpf said.
choreographer maggie miller majors in chemical engineering. miller, a junior, has been active in dance company and recently discovered musical theater, although she began dancing when she was five.
“i didn’t do theater at all until last year,” she said.
a lthough audiences may be familiar with the film version of “legally blonde” and have expectations for the main characters, nash said the musical features a more developed, quirky role for elle.
“Knowing that there are certain expectations from the people who originated the role and taking those expectations and trying to live up to the role at the same time has been really challenging but fun,” nash said.
nash said she loves the musical version of “legally blonde” even more than she likes the
fees — such as aT m withdrawal fees. That’s something very important to our students.”
The process behind these decisions began in october 2013 with the formation of the evaluation committee, led by p rocurement services and composed of representatives from Treasury services, the controller’s o ffice, human resources, the student activities o ffice and student
movie.
“The premise of the movie is so ridiculous and fun-spirited that putting it in a musical setting, … adding over-the-top theater elements, takes it to another level that makes it even more fun,” nash said.
beyond unique elements like two live dogs as on-stage characters, nash said the pop genre of the musical offers a relatable style of music and dance that is familiar and accessible for students, both on stage and in the audience.
“it’s a show where the music encourages you to let loose,” she said. “it’s really fun that way and makes the dancing more modern. … it’s fun that we can relate really well and bring that to the stage.”
schrimpf said pemco’s hard work for the past three months makes the production exciting to watch.
“it’s a special group of people, and the show is a joy to watch,” he said. “if people are looking for a few hours to escape their stresses, this is a great opportunity.”
miller said she looks forward to sharing the production with students.
“it’s a hilarious show, you can’t watch it without smiling,” she said. “it’s really upbeat. it’s so much fun. if you want to be put in a good mood, you should come. i still am laughing at rehearsals.”
performances of “legally blonde” will be Thursday, Friday and saturday at 7:30 p.m. in washington hall. Tickets are available in advance at the laFortune box office.
Contact Abi Hoverman at ahoverma@nd.edu
government. a fter establishing the committee, members sent a request for proposal to 13 banking institutions, carmona said. The committee used the proposals to narrow the group down to a few finalists and heard a presentation from each of them in January.
Contact Christian Myers at cmyers8@nd.edu
LESLEY STEVENSON | The Observer
Students rehearse for Pasquerilla East’s rendition of “Legally Blonde.” Cast members have rehearsed four hours a day, five days a week since Thanksgiving. The show premieres on Thursday.
the naKed trUth: advertising’s image of gender
Presented by:
J EAN K ILBOURNE
“ l ect U rer of the y ear ,” n ational a ssociation for c amp U s a ctivities
“O ut O f the banal and c O mm O nplace ads we abs O rb each day with O ut believing O urselves influenced , J ean K ilb O urne creates a p O litically s O phisticated and frightening tapestry h er
J ean K ilbourne , e d . d., internationally acclaimed media critic , author , and filmma K er , is K nown for her ability to present provocative topics in a way that unites rather than divides and that encourages dialogue w ith expert K nowledge , insight , humor and commitment , she moves and empowers people to ta K e action in their own and in society ’ s interest
t he award - winning films “K illing U s s oftly ,” “ s pin the B ottle ,” and “ s lim h opes ” are based on her lectures s he has twice received the l ecturer of the y ear award from the n ational a ssociation for c ampus a ctivities and was named by t he n ew y or K t imes m agazine as one of the three most popular lecturers on college campuses s he is the author of C an ’ t B uy M y L ove : H ow a dvertising C H anges t H e w ay w e t H ink and F ee L and s o s exy s o s oon : t H e n ew s exua L ized C H i L d H ood and w H at P arents C an d o to P rote C t t H eir k ids . FEBRUARY 18, 7-8:30 PM
photo by a nél van der m erwe
INsIDe COluMN
Swoonin’ for the Sixties
Kelly Konya s aint mary’s e ditor
i know what you’re thinking: the sixties is possibly the most controversial decade in history, and this girl is probably obsessed with the revolution of the careless, bob dylan-loving hippies. (and i am, in a way.) i, too, had my own preconceptions about this era, but they were uprooted while studying the decade this semester.
my class recently finished reading Tom wolfe’s “The electric Kool-aid acid Test,” a non-fictional account of Ken Kesey and his comrades, the pranksters, as they frequently trip on lsd
The pranksters tour the west coast in a technicolor van, hosting a series of “acid tests.” The gang would spike gallons upon gallons of Kool-aid and — to put it simply — trip, sometimes with hundreds of people.
The basic movement of the story seemed much like Jack Kerouac’s “on the road” on lsd: travel somewhere, take acid, meet new friends, repeat.
but by the end of the tale, i sympathized with Kesey and the pranksters, despite their relentless desire to haze the world around them. we talked in class about how they hoped to find the means to transcend into an altered state, an idea people practice every day by meditating, listening to music, watching certain movies and even by doing extra-thrilling sports, like skydiving. i had never considered this sort of transcendence being possible without drugs, and Kesey didn’t either, which was why, for me, the ending was so sad.
The group continually “entered the door” of a distorted, spiritual reality, only to be thrust backward once their lsd trips had ended. at the closing of the book, not to spoil anything, Kesey and the tiny number of remaining pranksters are in a dark garage, playing the electric guitar and repeatedly singing, “we blew it.”
even though i knew their adventure would have to end somewhere, just like most fads of the sixties, i couldn’t believe Kesey had come to this conclusion after all the transcendental ideas and insight he had obtained and preached.
grateful dead soundman owsley stanley, the man behind the group’s best-cooked lsd, even told Kesey all of his self-proclaimed discoveries and religious experiences only happened because of the drugs.
it’s true, obviously, and while it’s fun to read about the pranksters’ adventures, i think it’s a story that needs to be read cautiously. a part of me wishes the crew could have sustained the values they learned from their trips, but in reality, none of it would have been possible without the drugs.
Just like the hippies of the sixties, Kesey and crew came face-to-face with the realization that they had to find a way to nourish the blurred, drug-inspired realms of love and happiness without the drugs, which, to me, boosts the fact that we make our own happiness.
dreaming of summer
i love winter — just not after valentine’s day. a fter a while, the initial amusement of making little crunching sounds everywhere i go is literally overshadowed by the south bend permacloud. i n light of my winter depression, i thought a little daydreaming was in order. you see, while my love of winter comes with a few caveats, my love of the summer is truly unconditional.
a s the temperatures in the bend rise above freezing, winter’s blanket will pull back to reveal innumerable opportunities for fun in the sun. summer is coming (eventually), so i am counting down my favorite spots to enjoy the return of the sun this semester.
south bend is home to more than 70 beautiful parks. Think about that for a moment. you could enjoy a different park every single sunny day of this semester. i can’t talk about all of them here, but i’d like to highlight two. The first is the potawatomi Zoo. The zoo is located approximately two miles south of campus. The zoo is i ndiana’s oldest
eDItOrIAl CArtOON
and is home to 400 animals. it is an often overlooked, yet excellent, spot for a date. The second park is the white water rapids course downtown. no, i am not kidding. unfortunately, the course does not open until June this year, but underclassmen and any students staying here this summer should definitely check it out. The e ast race waterway is less than two miles away from campus and costs $5 per person, per run.
The i ndiana d unes state park is an interesting natural landmark that combines the sights and feel of a beach with thousands of acres of hike-able landscape. The dunes are a bit of a haul from notre dame. The 52-mile trek will require a car, but rest assured, the trip is worth it. The dunes are a beautiful place to spend the weekend appreciating the natural beauty of l ake m ichigan.
my final recommendation is the potato c reek camp grounds. The grounds are home to the 327-acre worster l ake and offer a host of services, including canoe rentals, hiking trails, volleyball and, most importantly, a flushing toilet. The park is 12 miles southwest of campus and is well regarded.
now, you might be thinking, “aw, man, why did i leave my eight-room jumbo tent at home.” well, have no fear! rec sports offers a service that, in my opinion, is under-marketed. v ia the o utdoor adventure tab on the office’s website, you can obtain all forms of camping equipment, including tents. spring, summer and warm days are just around the corner. i realize by giving you all of these ideas so early in the semester i am being a bit of a tease. however, i hope that you will use the time to plan some adventures for yourself. occasionally, the m idwest gets a bad rap. sure, the winters are rough, and the temperature doesn’t always stay at a balmy 75 degrees, but we do have many natural wonders to explore. g et out and experience it.
Email your predicaments to the GreenMan at askthegreenman@gmail.com and let him answer you with a sustainable twist. The GreenMan will be here every other week to provide you with insights you never knew you were missing out on until now.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Audrey Hepburn American actress
Christian Nofziger a sk the green man
letters tO the eDItOr
health care requires more than just doctors
a s a result of the particular challenges pre-medicine majors face, these students are often viewed as some of the most ambitious students on campus. i don’t disagree. unfortunately, the flip side is that students who drop pre-medicine or do not decide to go to medical school are too often seen as “not good enough.”
i am saddened to think there are former pre-medicine students who were pushed out of pursuing a health-care career because they saw a track in the sciences as a medical-school-or-bust degree. however, this issue permeates the administrative level, emphasizing our narrow view of health-care provision. There is extensive support for pre-medicine students and a severe lack of support for students pursuing health-care careers outside of medical school. deceivingly, though, the pre-professional major, the “p reparing for health p rofessions” class and the center for health sciences advising nominally appear to support these students.
i understand that if there isn’t a significant demand for health-care advising outside of pre-medicine students, then there won’t be as many resources available. however, if notre dame claims to support students pursuing “health professions,” it is fair to expect support and even encouragement from both fellow students and administrators for students pursuing other careers in the health care field.
There is a growing shift that will hopefully expand notre dame’s support for students interested in health care beyond pre-medicine. at the graduate level, this will be the second year for the master of science in global health program at the e ck i nstitute. “u s healthcare policy and poverty,” a recently added seminar within the center for social concerns, is expanding students’ ideas of health care into policy. nationally, the 2015 mcaT will expand pre-medicine students’ exposure to liberal arts classes, hopefully broadening the perception of healthcare beyond the physician-patient relationship.
i do not intend to diminish the role of physicians in health-care or pre-medicine majors at notre dame. These are integral people who shape much of the health-care environment, but i want to invite students and staff to consider emerging health-care careers and to respect the function of these jobs, both at notre dame and within the health-care system.
Emily Mediate
junior lyons hall Feb. 16
Do you believe in science?
i was thinking about global-warming nudge science in general. science takes a theory for how something works in the world and either proves it, disproves it or says that, currently, the answer is not known. This is usually done with evidence. so, what do people using the scientific method say about whether or not global warming is happening? a re they credible? is science credible?
i f you don’t think or believe global warming is happening, you don’t think the scientists are correct. by the scientists, read almost every scientist who has studied this particular question. i f you don’t believe these people, these scientists, these experts in the field, then you don’t believe in science.
i f you still don’t believe in global warming and thus don’t believe in science, then do me a favor, give me your cell phone. give me your clothes. give me your accessories. give me your home and everything you own. w ithout science, none of the modern conveniences would be possible. i n fact, without science, more than half of the people reading this would be dead by college age, due to some curable disease, lack of food or general violence.
name one thing in your life science did not contribute to. oh, the bible, you say? w hat’s it written on? w hat is used to write it? paper and ink are the result of science, trial and error, testing the hypothesis or the theory. w hat else do you have?
you are free to overlook the wonders of science and, thus, global warming; you are the hoax. you’re hoaxing yourself into believing manure (which also turns out to be a result of elementary science when it comes to farming). a lso, give me your phone, seriously, especially if it is new and has more memory, because my phone doesn’t have enough.
Rob McKeon
uWIre
The power, potential and purpose of the human mind
Aishwarya Gogoi The daily c ougar
To call it a beast would be deriding it for its potential, but it is definitely powerful enough to drastically change millions of lives. i t has always remained and shall continue to be the most influential weapon of all time. This beast is so potent yet underrated because everyone has it.
The beast is, of course, the power of the human mind. The mind can create millions of ideas to change worldwide systems and practices — and above all, change you. d eepak c hopra, an i ndian- a merican author who writes on holistic health, believes one should prioritize developing the mind rather than the brain.
The difference is subtle but crucial.
i t is how we differentiate between a blood pumping organ called the heart and another that feels emotions.
This beast that lies within all of us is tame and, if worked upon, can turn out to be one’s biggest strength. i t makes a powerful speech stir a crowd or an opponent fold in a game of cards. The biggest challenge is recognizing your own ability and nurturing it.
we have some of the best minds rotting in basements playing video games and watching adult movies. There is no one to blame but themselves for wasting the gifts they possess.
The mind can be one of the most lethal weapons of all. The biggest events in history — from the downfall of empires to the bombing of cities — are outcomes of a few sharp but destructive minds. i n “The a rt of w ar,” s un Tzu said, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting,” explaining how victory is a result of strategy, not strength.
u nexpected results may also
baffle us in sports. a n underdog overthrows a top-notch player and emerges as the winner. i t is shocking all the more because it takes courage and a balanced mind to outperform someone who is considered the best. h alf of the game is played in the minds of the players, making them dominate or surrender to an opponent.
i t is a playground for the battle of the sexes. women are often blamed of playing mind games, but the contrary is also true. m en have also proven to play their cards brilliantly, gaining insight as to how and why girls behave as they do. b ecause of the glass ceiling that women face in the corporate world, they are compelled to be assertive and shrug off intimidation from their peers.
m any successful people dropped out of college before graduating but later proved others wrong, confirming the belief that every individual has the capability to do more — but it does not mean that academic institutions fail to identify and nurture talent.
p erhaps a human mind’s capability is beyond the understood norm. g rades have never proved to be the yardsticks of measuring competence in the real world. i f one has faith in what they do and why they do it, nothing can stop them from excelling in it. That is the strength the mind gives us. n o tribulations or odds can make a determined person fall back.
h umanity has seen the best and worst outcomes of this beast. w hat you think can make you or even break you. i t depends on how a person wants to tame it.
This article was originally posted Feb. 16 for The Daily Cougar, the student-run news organization for the University of Houston.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
seemed slightly concerned. hmmm. maybe falling down wasn’t such a bad idea.
my ponytail and mentally prepared myself to meet my future valentine.
i was running out of time to find a valentine, so i did what any self-respecting, self-empowering woman would do. i ran to rolfs. as soon as i stumbled in, they knew i didn’t belong. was it my mascara-laden lashes? my sneakers that were six-inch wedges in disguise? no matter. i ignored the stares and feigned interest in my fingernails. seeing that the house was packed, i realized that it was not the best time to make my workout début. i should have seen it coming. every place on campus has its moment in the sun. The bookstore is the place to be in late august, the library during finals. The cardio room is curiously popular right before valentine’s day. once the pack of ponytails realized that i was not going to hop on an elliptical and try to pedal faster than them, they whipped out their phones and logged back onto pinterest. if synchronized searching were an olympic sport, these girls would take the gold. i wandered into the weight room to weigh my options. They weighed more than i could bench-press, so i swiveled around and headed back into the lobby. i walked with purpose to make up for my lack of purpose. i stumbled upon a flight of stairs, or more accurately, stumbled down a flight of stairs. i sprung up and glanced around the basketball courts, hoping no one witnessed my downfall. a gaggle of guys in bro-tanks
i wasn’t about to interfere with fate, so i flung myself back on the floor, groaning dramatically. i could play the damsel in distress. i hadn’t graced the stage since i played Townsperson number Two in “romeo and Juliet,” but the talent was still there, waiting to surface and shower my fans with shakespearian sonnets. The blonde with blue eyes jogged over to play my knight in shining armor, and i mentally raised the roof. but he was approaching too quickly — curse those bulging calves. i had to scramble to scoot around so that he would get a view of the more attractive half of my face. he must have glimpsed my right, less photogenic side, because he sprinted past me and headed straight to the water fountain.
i clutched the handrail and dragged myself up to a standing position. i wasn’t about to fall out of character, so i limped slowly up the stairs, hoping one of the other lads would come offer a hand. nada. i looked over to find that my audience was too distracted with a game of knockout to notice the knockout right in front of them. i huffed and marched up to the third floor, forgetting to limp the rest of the way.
Then i found the track. a fter semesters of searching, i finally found a place where it was completely acceptable, even encouraged, to chase after boys. i spotted a tall one in front of me. come on legs, you can go faster.
i set my eyes on the prize and sprinted until i was only three feet away. i slowed down for a second to fix
i ran up beside him to find that he had earbuds in. no matter. he probably has exquisite taste in music. i coughed conspicuously to attract his attention. he glanced my way, turned up his music and picked up his pace, leaving me in the dust. i tried to cheer myself up by telling myself that he couldn’t have been my soul mate, because he was listening to miley cyrus.
Five minutes later, i was breathless. not because a boy had taken my breath away, but because i hadn’t run since the fitness test. i decided to call it a day, Feb. 12, to be exact, and headed back to my dorm.
The wind stung my ears, but not as much as the pain of rejection did. i envisioned another valentine’s day spent alphabetizing my tea collection. it just wouldn’t be as exciting the second time around.
Then i realized: st. valentine was single! it may have something to do with a vow of chastity, but that’s a minor detail. The only way to honor st. valentine on his special day is to abstain from dating culture, like he did. it would be cruel to enjoy a romantic evening, since he was not allowed to.
so, that’s the reason why i was color-coding socks on valentines day. it was not at all because i could not find a date.
Contact Erin Thomassen at ethomass@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
By EMILY McCONVILLE s cene writer
“The graduate” has long since entered the canon of pop culture as the quintessential cougar story — benjamin brockman, a recent college graduate lacking direction, begins an affair with his father’s colleague’s wife, mrs. robinson, before falling in love with her daughter, elaine. The 1963 novel by charles webb was adapted four years later into a film starring dustin hoffman and a nne bancroft, propelling both hoffmann and the duo simon and garfunkel (with their song “mrs. robinson”) to greater fame.
For the novel’s 50th anniversary, radio theatre company l a. Theatre works has taken its stage adaptation on tour, including three dates at the debartolo performing a rts center (dpac). as with most productions by the l a. Theatre works, the cast contains seasoned stage and screen actors, with matthew a rkin (“law & order”), heidi dippold (“The sopranos”), brian Tichnell (“The newsroom”), Tom virtue (“even stevens”), diane adair, Jill renner and darren r ichardson. but l a. Theatre works is not a traditional theatre company. according to its website, the company, with its radio-theatre style, records plays for national public radio, the bbc and a host of international broadcasting organizations.
in one sense, i imagine watching the live performance is something like watching a dressed-up version of one of their studio recordings — on Friday night, several microphones lined the stage, surrounding a table containing a range of objects, from zippers to fabric to beer bottles. during a scene, the actors stood at the microphones and spoke their dialogue facing forward, speaking to each other but at the audience. There was limited physical action and almost no props, and when an actor mimed pouring a drink or unzipping a dress, technicians used the objects at the table to create sound effects. The result is an intensely audial experience, the unquestionable emphasis on hearing, as opposed to sight.
except that’s not quite true. w hile the adaptation of “The graduate” did not have normal sets and staging, its lack of visual material actually created an extremely interesting visual experience.
The show did have costumes and some props — a sheet, for instance — so it was not completely like a speech event, where business-attired high schoolers attempt to recreate a movie scene. still, because the actors faced forward most of the time, i was forced to determine for myself where each character was supposed to be in the scene — for example, whether benjamin and mrs. robinson were lying side-by-side in bed or facing each other from opposite ends of the room.
reorganizing the concept of space in such a way allowed for a tremendous amount of innovation, both in terms of acting and staging. sometimes the soundeffects people became part of the performance. For example, in a scene in which mr. robinson breaks down a door, actor matthew a rkin was not holding an ax — but the sound-effects guy was. sometimes the actors would break their own rule about facing forward, physically interacting with each other at just the right moment to add extra gravity (or comedy) to a scene. it’s an intelligent kind of theatre and theatre-watching, one that i found enjoyable and rewarding.
The show’s run ended saturday, so there won’t be another opportunity to see “The graduate” on campus. l a. Theatre works does, however, come to notre dame fairly often, so look for their next tour. in addition, notre dame seems to host a number of non-traditional shows — the recent performance of “as you like it” at washington hall and the “intergalactic nemesis” series, a “live comic book” at dpac, come to mind. so, in the absence of the play, go watch “The graduate” movie if you haven’t seen it yet — it is hilarious. a nd keep an eye out for l a. Theatre works and all audio-based shows that will challenge and delight you. it’ll be worth your while.
Contact Emily McConville at emmconv1@nd.edu
Erin Thomassen s cene writer
By KEVIN NOONAN s cene e ditor
don’t sit in the front row at an improv show.
well, don’t sit in the front row at an improv show if you’re alone.
well, actually, don’t sit in the front row at an improv show if you’re alone and it’s valentine’s day.
That lesson learned aside, though, holy moly — The second city’s redco touring company put on an unbelievable show Friday night at washington hall.
redco, one of the three touring companies from the famous chicago improvisational comedy theatre, performed a two-hour set combining “best of” sketches from The second city’s archives, original material and live improvisation based on suggestions from the audience.
my role in the fun came after the intermission, when two members of the cast sat on the edge of the stage playing old women and asked audience members what they were doing at the show. since i was lucky enough to be at the show courtesy of The observer, my seat was located in the very front row, just right of center stage, at the perfect location for this kind of interaction with the cast.
being the soundly ethical, marriedto-my-job journalist that i am, i was, of course, alone at the show, regardless of it being valentine’s day, and the cast members turned the whole thing into a hilarious bit. i had fun, the cast seemed to have fun and the audience found my aloneness generally hilarious.
That personal experience with public humiliation aside (don’t get the wrong idea, i was out of breath laughing at the whole thing), the whole show was fast-paced and fun, even with sketches that could’ve been pulled from anytime in more than 50 years of archives. The second city tends to shy away from pop-culture references, which leads to material that’s less easily dated and more rooted in human nature that holds up throughout decades.
in some cases, according to redco member Jasbir singh, the cast updates an old sketch to make sense in contemporary society, and with great success.
“There’s a scene where i get to play this guy who’s really lonely, and he
listens to a podcast,” singh said. “it’s a back and forth with this podcast, but the podcast is obviously not listening, and that’s really cool. That’s actually an adaptation from a sketch from second city from 1961, where it was a guy who listened who listened to a vinyl and tried to make friends with the vinyl.”
one of the most memorable sketches from the night featured eddie mujica, who, according to stage manager dan grimm, is only on tour until the beginning of march when he’ll join the next second city eTc revue in chicago, as a corrupt senator with a distinct JFK-style accent. Facing an ethics investigation, he grows more and more ridiculous in responses to moral and ethical situations that had the audiences in tears with laughter. material and characters like this have a timeless quality and may have been performed in the past by famous second city cast members, like John belushi, a my poeher, stephen colbert, gilda radner, bill murray, Tina Fey or chris Farley. singh said current cast members look to these former performers for inspiration but put their own spin on characters and performances.
“w hen we do the ‘best of,’ we study the people who originally did it, and then we try to respect that and put our own twist on it. not even our own twist, really — there’s just one way that you can do it. you end up making it your own, which is kind of an honor to get to do,” singh said.
redco only stopped at notre dame for the one night, but there are plenty of chances to see them again across the country, as grimm says they are almost always on tour.
“we tour all the time,” grimm said. “we’re not like reo speedwagon and have like a concert leg. That’s a pretty dated reference. let’s just say we’re not Kanye and doing the yeezus tour.”
Take an evening and go catch redco next time they play in driving range of south bend, or, if that’s not you’re thing, take the south shore line to chicago and see “The second city’s 102nd revue” on the mainstage or “a clowncar named desire” on the eTc stage, both featuring new material and currently playing every weekend.
Contact Kevin Noonan at knoonan2@nd.edu
MARIA MASSA | The Observer
a ll-star games not worth hype
wait, why have there not been any nba games on T v for a few days?
oh, that’s right. yesterday was the nba a ll-star game, aka the most boring day in professional sports.
i’m not saying the all-star festivities for the nba specifically make for the most uninteresting day — rather, all of these games in professional sports combine to create one massive snoozefest.
i n theory, all-star games should be great. They bring the best players together on one court or field for a contest with loads of talent and fun. neither team has a weak spot because each squad features the best its league has to offer.
but that’s never how all-star games turn out because they just do not matter.
i n the grand scheme of things, what do the players get out of the game? sure, their first selections are usually special and another piece of reinforcement that their hard work has paid off.
but besides the selection, they get nothing. They only play a few minutes, when they might throw up a few 3s, maybe get one at bat, push someone into the boards or run a route or two. That’s about it.
w hat do the fans get? nearly nothing, as well.
They pay way too much to see a game into which way too little effort is put, just so they can say, ‘i saw l ebron James or peyton manning or derek Jeter or sidney crosby compete in person.’sure, and one time, i saw gisele bündchen pose for a photo for the paparazzi, so let’s call it even.
Take a look at the nba a llstar game, where they play less defense than they would in a normal game — which is really saying something for the nba on the other end of the court, players put up uncontested shots and throw down unguarded dunks. but what is the thrill of a jam if you cannot posterize anyone?
The nba tries to make its all-star weekend a little more captivating with the saturdaynight festivities, including the dunk contest. but even that has declined in recent years from the days of d wight howard throwing the ball through the hoop while dressed as superman.
The event is no longer exciting because no noteworthy players are part of it. The dunk contest would be much more worthwhile for viewers if it had
at least one player the average fan would want to see. give me James or Kevin durant and a few no-names, and i would watch. but give me a handful of nba b-listers, and i’ll change the channel, if i even tune in at all.
The nhl a ll-star game, quite frankly, is better in years when it does not take place. i n those years, the league skips the festivities so its players can use their break to play in the olympics, as they are doing this year. competing for a gold medal is much more interesting than competing for — wait, do players even get anything for winning an all-star game?
hockey tried a new approach with its draft format for team selection, but in reality, the league only created that to add another event to the all-star slate that can be televised and bring in more ad dollars, so its conception certainly was not for the fans’ benefit.
The n Fl p ro bowl is probably the worst of all four leagues’ games because it is held so late in the season that not even the fans really care. p reviously, it was played after the season ended, so fans were already done with football after the super bowl. now, it is played the week before the big game, so the players that fans really want to see are not allowed to compete.
For an all-star game to attract interest at all, it needs to be played in the middle of the season and not at the end, when fans are ready to move on to the next sport. but that schedule is not feasible in the middle of the n Fl’s 16-game regular season of grueling matchups and too many injuries to count, so an all-star game just would not work in football.
The one exception to this general disinterest in anything all-star related is the mlb’s game because it does everything right that the other leagues do wrong. mainly, the “m idsummer c lassic” has something at stake, as the winning league’s world series representative earns home-field advantage in october. plus, its sideshow, the home run derby, features star players competing in the next day’s game, so fans have an interest in watching. so, forgive me because i watched olympic ice dancing instead of the nba a ll-star game, but at least its victors actually won something.
Contact Mary Green at mgreen8@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Happe qualifies in Seattle; Irish compete in Ohio
By EVAN ANDERSON sports writer
w hile most of the team rested from competition, notre d ame sent athletes to g eneva, o hio, this weekend for the spire i nvitational.
g raduate student n ick h appe also went to s eattle for the husky c lassic in an attempt to qualify for the ncaa c hampionships.
o ne week removed from hosting the meyo i nvitational and with just less than two weeks before the acc i ndoor c hampionships in c lemson, s c ., i rish coach Joe p iane elected to rest many of his athletes, including graduate student Jeremy r ae. r ae’s time of 3:57.25 in the meyo m ile last week set school and personal records and set him solidly atop the acc in his signature event. however, h appe, whose solid time of 3:59.58 claimed third in the event, went to washington in the hopes of qualifying nationally in the 3,000-meter run.
h appe’s fourth-place finish in the race with a time of 7:54.39 accomplished just that.
p iane said his main goal for the weekend was to qualify h appe for ncaa s and that
he was very happy to see that happen.
“n ick h appe qualified in the 3,000 … for sure,” p iane said. “That time ranks him 10th in the country. he’s definitely in.”
w hile h appe went west, the i rish sent most of their athletes — 20 on the women’s side and 16 on the men’s — to o hio for a second-to-last tune-up before conference championships. a mong the female athletes who traveled were senior Kelly c urran, whose event record time of 4:37.10 in the women’s meyo m ile also ranks first in the acc , sophomore m argaret b amgbose and senior m ichelle b rown. b rown won the 400-meter dash and set a meyo i nvitational record with a time of 53.15 seconds.
a mong the men were senior a ll-a merican p atrick Feeney and fellow sprinter and junior c hris g iesting, who also took home first in the 400-meter dash last weekend with a time of 46.38 seconds.
i ndividually, the i rish got strong performances from a number of athletes. Feeney and g iesting finished second and third, respectively, in the 400-meter with times of 46.39 and 46.44 seconds, just behind p ittsburgh senior
b rycen s pratling.
b amgbose also took home a second-place finish in the women’s 400-meter with a time of 54.24 seconds. however, the i rish fell just short of qualifying the women’s distance medley relay p iane had targeted.
“ w hat we wanted to accomplish was to qualify a number of relays,” p iane said. “ we have another meet next week, and that goal remains the same.”
however, p iane also said his focus was starting to shift toward readying his teams for acc and ncaa championship competition.
“ we have two main things we are focused on right now: getting kids qualified for ncaa s and getting ready for acc s,” p iane said. “ we have a lot of kids that are very talented but a little banged up right now, and we want them to be fully healthy heading into those events.”
The i rish are back at home s aturday to host the a lex w ilson i nvitational at the l oftus s ports c enter as a final test before the acc i ndoor c hampionships begin Feb. 27.
Contact Evan Anderson at eander11@nd.edu
Mary Green sports writer
ZACH LLORENS | The Observer
Graduate student Nick Happe runs in the Notre Dame Invitational on Jan. 25 at Loftus Sports Center. Happe finished fourth in the 3,000-meter run at the Husky Classic on Saturday in Seattle.
Notre Dame sweeps weekend tournament
By CHRISTINA KOCHANSKI sports writer
The irish earned a perfect record in the Jacksonville university Tournament this weekend with two victories over no. 23 louisville and one victory over Jacksonville.
The irish (6-1) started the weekend with a 6-3 comeback win saturday morning over the cardinals (4-5). after falling behind by two runs in the top of the fourth inning, notre dame scored five unanswered runs to claim its first victory of the tournament. That was also the only time the irish would play from behind during the weekend.
irish coach deanna gumpf said last weekend’s 3-2 comeback win over auburn was important for saturday’s win against the cardinals.
“That wasn’t the first time we had to make a comeback during this early part of the season,” gumpf said. “we did it last weekend, and it’s good that we’re getting practice with this.”
senior right-hander laura winter tossed the first four innings before freshman righthander rachel nasland took over in the circle. Freshman outfielder Karley wester led the team with two runs and three rbi, including
a two-run, game-tying single in the fourth inning.
senior shortstop chloe saganowich led the team overall in the tournament with four runs. saganowich scored one in the first win against louisville, one in the 9-1 victory against Jacksonville (4-4) and two in the 11-4 rematch against the cardinals.
gumpf said the weekend featured many impact players who helped lead the team to its undefeated weekend.
“we had some kids really show up and make an impact,” gumpf said. “The pitching staff really hung in there and came through.”
The irish used its three pitchers — winter, nasland and left-hander allie rhodes — throughout the tournament. rhodes, who threw a no-hitter during last weekend’s auburn plainsman invitational, pitched five innings of one-run ball in the 9-1, five-inning victory over the dolphins on saturday.
although the irish jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second inning and slowed the scoring pace throughout the rest of the game, gumpf said the team never relaxed its intensity.
“[The lead] allowed us to take a deep breath, but you don’t want to take too deep of a breath,” gumpf said. “i’ve seen [Jacksonville]
paid a dverT isemen T
come back many times, and we really couldn’t take our early lead for granted.”
The irish rounded out their triumphant weekend with a sunday win over the cardinals. notre dame jumped out to an early lead once again, scoring seven runs in the first inning. Junior outfielder emilee Koerner, who was named to the preseason espnw all-america First Team, contributed a lead-off home run and two rbi in that decisive first inning.
although individual impact players were important to notre dame’s success in the tournament, gumpf said teamwork was also critical.
“one thing i like was that we were really playing together well,” gumpf said. “everyone was feeding off of each other and picking each other up.”
The irish will look to ride this weekend’s success into the mary nutter collegiate classic in cathedral city, calif. The irish will face six teams over the course of four days, starting Thursday with pacific and byu notre dame will also face uc davis, california, cal state Fullerton and oregon.
The i rish won the first game of their openingweekend series against n o. 24 Florida a tlantic in b oca r aton, Fla., but lost control of the final two, losing both games by double-digit margins.
“ i t was kind of a tale of two different teams,” i rish coach m ik a oki said. “ i thought g ame 1, we did a good job of making the pitches when we needed to and making the plays when we needed to and getting some timely hitting. The other two games were disappointing, personally. we didn’t pick the ball up and make simple plays.”
s enior right-hander s ean Fitzgerald, one of just three seniors on the team, earned a win in his third openingday start s aturday afternoon. n otre d ame (1-2) took an early 2-0 lead when junior right fielder r obert youngdahl knocked in freshman second baseman c avan b iggio with a home run to left-center in the first inning.
The o wls (2-1) pulled even in the bottom of the first, but Fitzgerald held Florida a tlantic hitless for the next three innings. h e did not give up another run before leaving after the fifth inning.
“ s ean Fitzgerald did a really good job,” a oki said. “ i think a recurring theme of the weekend is we’d like to see our pitchers be in the strike zone a little bit more, but … s ean was able to make the pitches when he needed to, and when s ean was on the mound we were able to make the plays we needed to. h e was the beneficiary of a couple of well-turned double plays.”
The i rish had little trouble getting to Florida a tlantic starter a ustin g omber. b iggio earned his first collegiate rbi in the third inning, when he scored senior catcher Forrest Johnson on a sacrifice fly. Junior r yan b ull immediately followed with a solo home run. The i rish added two more runs in the fourth and three more in the seventh to finish the afternoon with a 9-2 win. youngdahl and b ull both went 2-for-4 with a homer on the day, while Johnson notched the first three-hit game of his career.
“ i think r obert youngdahl did a really good job in right field and at the plate,” a oki said. “ c avan b iggio, new to our program, obviously, as a freshman, i thought he was
really good at the plate. h e made a couple of errors that were of that unforced variety, but overall, i was pleased with the way he played.
“ r yan b ull is playing a brand new position this year; i thought he acquitted himself very well. s o there are some positives.”
b ut the i rish could not keep the o wls off the base paths or the scoreboard in s aturday’s nightcap, which the i rish lost, 16-6.
s ophomore right-hander n ick m c c arty gave up seven runs (three earned) and left the game during the third inning. The bleeding, though, was far from over. Freshman right-hander r yan s moyer allowed two runs of his own during the remainder of the third inning, and Florida a tlantic scored three more in the fourth and added runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
n otre d ame committed six errors in the loss and added three more s unday.
“ i think the most disappointing thing about the way in which we went about playing defense in g ames 2 and 3 is that they weren’t difficult plays, and they really were unforced errors,” a oki said.
“They kind of compounded, and in both [ m c c arty’s] and [junior pitcher] s cott Kerrigan’s cases, they compounded and the innings got away from them. i nstead of coming up in a situation where we gave up two runs, we gave up five.”
Kerrigan, who did not play in 2013 because of shoulder surgery, faced many of the same problems as m c c arty during his own start in the series finale s unday afternoon. Kerrigan gave up eight runs (three earned) in less than three innings in an eventual 13-3 loss.
“ i think for both n ick [ m c c arty] and s cott [Kerrigan], things just kind of got away from them a little,” a oki said. “ b ut you learn. i t’s a learning experience. i t’s a tough way to learn a lesson, but they’re a little better having gone through it. i f this helps those guys have 12 more really good appearances, then it was worth the couple of blotches that we took as a result.”
The i rish only have a few days to regroup before heading back down south for the i rish b aseball c lassic, which will be held at n elson wolff s tadium in s an a ntonio, beginning Thursday.
Four years ago, notre d ame brought in one of its largest recruiting classes ever, a group that has shaped the program ever since.
o n the strength of its seniors, particularly, goaltender s teven s ummerhays, notre d ame dug itself out of a rut and grabbed two key late-season results.
s ummerhays stopped 83 of 85 shots and the i rish seniors accounted for four of the team’s five goals as notre d ame earned a 2-2 tie Friday and a 3-0 win s aturday against p rovidence at s chneider a rena in p rovidence, r i
The weekend didn’t get off to the start the i rish (17-12-2, 6-9-2 hockey e ast) wanted, as the Friars (15-9-6, 7-7-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead late in the first period Friday. b ut it could have been much worse for notre d ame early on, as p rovidence launched 33 shots in the first two periods alone.
b ut s ummerhays held off the onslaught, allowing the i rish to tally the next two goals to get back in the game. s enior center T.J. Tynan came streaking out of the penalty box in the second period to score the first goal. r oughly six minutes later, Tynan recorded the 100th assist of his career when he fed sophomore left wing s am herr. p rovidence did sneak in a second goal before the time expired, sending the game to an overtime that ended scoreless, giving each team
one point in the standings. s ummerhays finished the game with a career-high 47 saves, and i rish coach Jeff Jackson credited him with a great effort in goal.
“ s teven s ummerhays had a really good weekend for us in goal,” Jackson said. “Friday, he gave up too many rebounds, but he made some big saves for us, which allowed us a chance to get back into the game after we fell behind 1-0. he was tracking the puck really well.”
The tie came after notre d ame had lost four of its last five, and the i rish carried the momentum into s aturday’s game. s enior forward d avid g erths got them started six minutes into the game when he one-timed a slapshot over the shoulder of Friars sophomore goaltender Jon g illies, breaking a 35-game goalless streak.
The i rish followed that goal up with another rare sight of late — a power-play goal.
w ith the man advantage, senior winger Jeff c ostello held the puck at the point, then made a pass down to the opposite side of the crease. herr passed up a shot and, instead, found senior forward b ryan r ust across the crease for the easy, pretty goal.
The goal was notre d ame’s only conversion on 10 attempts over the weekend.
Jackson said he hopes the man-advantage goal will help his power-play units get back to basics.
“g etting a goal will help
them,” he said. “ we’re looking for consistency, and trying to get a goal per game of the power play is huge for us. we just need to keep getting pucks through to the net.”
s ummerhays was once again huge in net for the i rish as the senior made 36 stops to blank the Friars for his sixth shutout of the season. Though his team provided a pair of goals, s ummerhays could never relax until c ostello’s empty-netter with 39 seconds remaining iced the game.
“ s aturday night, [ s ummerhays] was even better,” Jackson said. “ he was taking those shots into his body and did a really good job of controlling those rebounds.”
w ith three regular-season games remaining — two against b oston university at home this weekend and one against league-leading b oston c ollege on the road — the i rish are tied for seventh in the hockey e ast standings.
“ we need to keep playing with the desperation we played with this weekend,” Jackson said. “ we made a real effort to do the little things, the gritty things, that help you win games. we have to continue to battle in those areas on the ice, where the game is won and lost.”
The i rish host b oston university at c ompton Family ice a rena on Friday and s aturday at 7:05 p.m.
Contact Jack Hefferon at wheffero@nd.edu
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish senior center T.J. Tynan celebrates after a goal in Notre Dame’s 2-1 loss to Maine on Feb. 7. Tynan notched his 100th career assist Friday.
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish senior goaltender Steven Summerhays crouches in net during Notre Dame’s 2-1 loss to Maine on Feb. 7. Summerhays recorded his sixth shutout of the season Saturday, making 36 saves.
i rish roll in season opener vs. J u
By GREG HADLEY sports writer
no. 5 notre dame opened up its regular season sunday with a dominant 19-7 win over Jacksonville at everbank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.
The irish (1-0) stormed out to a 3-0 advantage six minutes into the game and would never relinquish the lead. The dolphins (0-2) managed just three goals on seven shots in the first half, as notre dame rolled to a 12-3 halftime lead.
“it’s easy to get sloppy in a game like this, when you go up big early, but we didn’t do that,” irish coach Kevin corrigan said. “The boys played smart and with good discipline.”
early in the game, the irish dominated possession and put heavy pressure on dolphins senior goalie pete deluca. notre dame unloaded 24 first-quarter shots and 56 in total. irish sophomore attackman matt Kavanagh and junior attackman conor doyle led the way with three goals apiece, but corrigan said the entire offense played exceptionally well.
“[matt and conor] did what our whole offense did,” corrigan said. “They moved really well without the ball. it wasn’t just that they got the ball and beat their guy to the goal, although they did that too. it was their play off the ball that created opportunities for themselves and for the midfielders.”
Thirteen different players scored for the irish, but arguably the strongest performance of the night came from senior midfielder and face-off specialist liam o’connor, who won 19 of 25 face-offs and added a goal.
“if i had to pick just one thing that we did really well
today and that was very heartening, it would have to be liam o’connor’s play,” corrigan said.
“he’s battled his way back from knee surgery. he didn’t play at all in the fall and was limited in the preseason, but he had a great game today and it was the product of a lot of hard work that he put in.”
Jacksonville was plagued with possession issues all game, turning the ball over 22 times and losing 77 percent of faceoffs. The dolphins struggled to get shots off, recording just 18 and only forcing five saves from the irish goalies.
notre dame’s defense, which
ended last season ranked 10th in the nation in goals allowed, surrendered four goals in the first three quarters before taking out the starters.
“i think we played very well,” corrigan said. “at the end of the day, three of the seven goals we gave up were man-down and we played a lot of people. i think we played most of our roster tonight, at least on the defensive end of the field.”
in goal, junior conor Kelly earned the start over freshman shane doss after the two spent the preseason competing for the starting job. Kelly yielded four goals but added four
paid a dverT isemen T
saves, while doss came on in the fourth quarter. he allowed three goals and had one save.
corrigan said Kelly would remain the starter in the near future but said doss could continue to see playing time.
“Those two guys have been battling throughout the fall and spring,” corrigan said. “conor is our starter right now but we have great confidence in shane as well. it’s a good position for us to be in.”
The irish host no. 7 penn state on saturday.
Contact Greg Hadley at ghadley@nd.edu
has tried to emphasize the importance of sparring and gaining fight experience.
“over the past few years … the captains, especially this year, have been trying to really send out the message to the novices and also to the returning guys, that the best way to get better at boxing is to actually box,” yi said. “we’ve also tried to make a much more controlled environment for sparring. we’ve been emphasizing safety a lot.
“overall, most of the novices have sparred far more than i did when i was starting out, and i think a lot of that comes back to the coaches and the captains really emphasizing the importance and the tone of sparring.”
The program would not be the success that it has become without the dedication and commitment of its coaches, most of whom are volunteers, yi said. several coaches are bengal bouts veterans who have championships to their name.
“we have some great coaches that have been here a long time,” yi said. “nate walker works for recsports and has been here for four or five years. in that time, his role has grown from beyond an administrator to more of a coach. he even hops into the ring and spars sometimes with the younger guys. i couldn’t even tell you how long Fr. brian daley has been with the club, but he’s a great coach who works personally with a lot of the guys.
“none of what we do would be possible without all of our coaches.”
The finals take place in purcell pavilion, and espn3 will televise the championship round online, as the network did last year.
The bouts begin tonight at the Jacc Fieldhouse, continuing through the quarterfinals Thursday and the semifinals Feb. 25, before concluding with the finals march 2 in purcell pavilion.
Contact Greg Hadley at ghadley@nd.edu
ZACH LLORENS | The Observer
Sophomore attackman Matt Kavanagh led the Irish with three goals and three assists in Notre Dame’s 19-7 win over Jacksonville on Sunday. Thirteen Irish players scored in the win.
Irish drop ACC opener to BC
By ALEX WILCOX sports writer
a fter months of excitement and anticipation heading into a new conference, no. 11 notre dame dropped its acc opener to no. 17 boston college, 15-10, saturday at the loftus sports center.
The irish (1-1, 0-1 acc) and the eagles (1-0, 1-0) battled back and forth throughout the first half, which featured six ties and three lead changes, as both teams went into the locker room tied 7-7.
boston college opened the second half on the offensive, as eagles junior midfielder mikaela rix scored one of her six goals of the day just 10 seconds into the half. w hile the next 10 minutes of the game featured the same backand-forth action the first half saw, the eagles never trailed in the second half.
irish junior midfielder caitlin gargan scored her fourth goal of the game with 20:56 remaining to pull notre dame within one and make it 11-10. gargan’s goal proved to be the last surge for the irish, and bc took advantage and pulled away.
a fter a free-position goal by rix at the 19:33 mark put the eagles up 12-10, irish coach christine halfpenny pulled junior goalie a llie murray in favor of freshman
liz o’sullivan.
“i think [o’sullivan] did a good job,” halfpenny said. “i think her strengths played a little bit into those low-angle shots that bc likes to take.
“They weren’t pressing the goal as much when liz came in, so, to be fair, it was a totally different style of offense that liz saw when compared to a llie, but we were thrilled with the two huge saves she made coming in cold late in the game. so we’re excited to see that depth at the goalkeeper position.”
o’sullivan immediately came in and made the two big saves, but boston college’s dominant ball-control offense proved too much for notre dame to handle, as the eagles added two more goals before the 15-minute mark to stretch their advantage to 14-10.
From there, boston college bled the clock and tacked on an insurance goal by rix with 7:17 to play.
halfpenny said she was not surprised with how well boston college played.
“i thought they were a little bit underrated, watching them play last season, but we didn’t underrate them by any means,” halfpenny said. “we feel that they pose a lot of problems offensively,
the same way we do. credit to bc, they took advantage of all possessions and wanted it a little more on the draw control to get some of those important ones when the game was still tight.”
w hile it is unusual for the team to play conference opponents so early in the season, halfpenny refused to blame the schedule for her team’s performance.
“This is what conference we are in, this is what our season is going to look like, so this is where we take this one and move on,” halfpenny said.
The loss will prove to be a learning point for the young irish, halfpenny said, and pointed to parts of the game the team has to improve.
“Just the little things,” halfpenny said. “picking up the ground balls, playing a little more mature when scouting our one-on-one matchup in the draw circle. we need to mature. we feel good about where we are, and now it’s just early in the season, and it’s an awesome opportunity to take this game, learn from it and get better from it.”
The irish next play saturday in a noon home contest against stony brook.
Contact Alex Wilcox at awilcox1@nd.edu
M basketball
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team-high 17 points, despite enduring a scoreless streak in the middle of the game spanning nearly 25 minutes across both halves. i rish senior guard e ric a tkins added 16 points and shot 4-for-5 from behind the arc. g raduate student forward Tom Knight posted 10 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench for the visiting team.
v.J. b eachem scored five points in 11 minutes and sophomore forward a ustin b urgett logged 12 minutes in just his third game back after heart-related health concerns.
“Tom Knight and a ustin b urgett gave us great energy and minutes, and so did v.J. b eachem,” brey said. “ you know, rotating those guys in with our two ironmen really helped us, and we’ve got to continue to do that.”
in 1996, notre dame defeated georgia Tech, 76-69, in atlanta. mcgraw said with the long gap between games, she is not quite as familiar with the yellow Jackets as she otherwise would be.
“They’re going to be a big challenge for us,” mcgraw said. “we’ve never played them before, so we’re watching film trying to learn as much as we can about them.”
georgia Tech enters the matchup on a four-game winning streak that has pulled it from the bottom of the acc to sixth place in the conference.
senior guard Tyaunna marshall has led the way for the yellow Jackets and earned a spot on the midseason watch list for the naismith Trophy, given to the top player in college basketball. marshall became georgia Tech’s all-time leading scorer Feb. 6 and was named espnw’s national player of the week on Feb. 10.
marshall and freshman guard Kaela davis are the only yellow Jackets to average at least 10 points per game. They also lead the team in minutes per game and steals.
“[georgia Tech has] some really good players,” mcgraw said. “Tyaunna marshall is one of best in the conference, and Kaela davis is an outstanding freshman.”
Three irish players joined marshall on the naismith watch list. notre dame’s three players
“o ur offensive efficiency was really good throughout the game,” i rish coach m ike brey told und.com. “i think we’ve got a feel for how to play better offensively than we did in January, and that efficiency helped us. i thought we got big defensive stops, and in the second half we didn’t let them bang down any threes. we were alert to guarding the arc.”
The i rish shot 50.9 percent from the field and held b oston c ollege to 43.4-percent shooting for the game. The e agles hit only one of five attempts from long-range in the second half after nailing six of nine in the first period. s ophomore guard o livier h anlan led the e agles with 18 points in the losing effort.
brey said he was impressed with the performances put on by c onnaughton and i rish sophomore forward Zach a uguste, who hails from m arlborough, m ass. a uguste scored 10 points four-of-six shooting from the field.
“That’s really being a man,” brey said. “ you’ve got everybody here and you deliver. most guys wilt a little bit. he delivers, and i’m just as proud of Zach. w ith all their people here, to come back and win in b oston, very important. b ut c onnaughton set the tone for us.”
a ccompanying s unday’s game was the announcement that i rish freshman guard d emetrius Jackson would rejoin the team monday after not being with the team in consecutive contests for academic issues.
trailed only no. 1 connecticut, which had four players named. senior guard Kayla mcbride, senior forward natalie achonwa and sophomore guard Jewell loyd lead an offense that ranks first in the ncaa in 3-point shooting, shooting percentage, second in scoring margin and assists, and third in points per game. against boston college, all three players scored in double figures to help the irish
half.
georgia Tech upset no. 11 north carolina on Feb. 6 but has not defeated a top-five opponent since 2009. The yellow Jackets are 4-4 on the road this season.
The irish take the court against the yellow Jackets tonight in an acc matchup at purcell pavilion. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
second
Contact Greg Hadley at ghadley@nd.edu
The win is notre d ame’s first in a true road game this season. The i rish had lost all six of their away games, with the lone win away from home coming in a neutralsite game against i ndiana in i ndianapolis on d ec. 14. The victory also gives notre d ame back-to-back wins since it beat c anisius and d uke on d ec. 29 and Jan. 4, respectively.
c onnaughton and a tkins each played 40 minutes in the contest, but the i rish also received 42 combined minutes from three players off the bench. i n addition to Knight’s strong performance, freshman forward
“he had a great week,” b rey said. “he’s caught up. we’ll see him tonight when we get back to the locker room. he’ll be back in practice. he’ll travel with us to m iami [for wednesday’s game]. he needed time to catch up and get back into good habits. he’s done that in the last week. i’m very proud of him and i’m thrilled he’ll be rejoining us.”
l ooking to extend its winning streak to three games, notre d ame will travel to face m iami on wednesday in c oral g ables, Fla.
Contact Joseph Monardo at jmonardo@nd.edu
JOHN NING | The Observer
Irish sophomore guard Kayla McBride looks to drive in Notre Dame’s 101-62 win over Syracuse on Feb. 9. McBride scored 18 points in the win.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish junior guard Eric Atkins drives in Notre Dame’s 73-62 loss to North Carolina on Feb. 8. Atkins notched 16 points on Sunday.
Happy Birthday: Thoughts must be followed by actions. d on’t hesitate to put your plans into motion. The more you do, the less regret you will have. d on’t hold back when you know you should be moving forward. not everyone will be pleased with the choices you make, but it’s clear that the people standing by your side are meant to be in your life. your numbers are 3, 5, 13, 26, 31, 37, 46.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take time to assess important relationships. put more time and energy into finding out more about someone’s background. Feeling self-assured will enable you to make a personal decision that can alter the way you live and who you live with in the future.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): g etting away from home and the trials and tribulations that are worrisome can help you reassess and make adjustments that will improve your outlook. make the changes necessary to your happiness. l ove is in the stars.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Think outside the box. Take the initiative to do things differently. d on’t limit what you can do because others lack ingenuity. Turn a negative into a positive. Trust in your abilities and pursue your goals.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): you will be offered an unusual opportunity if you take a trip or attend a conference or event that utilizes your skills. romance is on the rise, making this a good time to rekindle a relationship or meet someone special.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): you may be disillusioned about your current financial status. price out any item you want to purchase or expenditure you plan to make. l ook for the cheapest alternative, but don’t go into debt unnecessarily. a poor investment will drag you down.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): explore new hobbies or social activities that will introduce you to interesting people. combine helping others with making an impression on someone you think is special. put love and romance at the top of your to-do list. make an emotional promise.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): o bserve events and circumstances that are occurring at home or with someone putting demands on you. consider your choices and plan to make changes that will ensure your happiness. a serious talk will help you establish your position and options.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): you can prosper by expanding your interests and friendships and by taking part in community or cultural events. The ideas you get from the company you keep will help you initiate positive changes to the way you live and do things in the future.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): stick to the truth. a ny deviation you make will be considered meddling or deceptive. protect your reputation and personal relationships from outside influences. play it safe. strive to be organized, prepared and upfront. success depends on you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): open up about your thoughts and plans, and make your choices based on the reaction you get from others. l et go of the past and you will move forward with lightning speed, ensuring that you reach your destination on time and without regret.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): w heel and deal until you get what you want. d on’t let anyone or anything stand in your way. make your intentions clear and move forward with those willing to stand by your side. c hange is required, and plans should be played out.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): a prosperous partnership that eluded you in the past can now be assembled. o ffer a fair deal and make concessions for past mistakes. once you’ve established your position, the investment will help you resolve pending financial problems.
Birthday Baby: you are responsive, passionate and determined. you are precise and productive.
JuMble | david hoyT and JeFF KnureK
Break out the brooms
Irish sweep season series with BC behind Connaughton, Atkins
By JOSEPH MONARDO a ssociate sports e ditor
irish junior guard/forward pat connaughton had spoken about sunday’s game against boston college as a sort of homecoming for himself.
but come game time, the reality was boston college would reserve the home-court advantage for itself against a notre dame team still seeking its first road win of the season.
but connaughton started off feeling right at home, and the irish took it from there. The a rlington, mass., native hit his first five shots from the field and scored 11 points in the game’s first 11 minutes, as notre dame (14-12, 5-8 acc) defeated boston college (6-19, 2-10), 73-69, in chestnut hill, mass.
connaughton finished with a
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ND
WOMeN’s
bAsketbAll i rish welcome gT to p urcell
By GREG HADLEY sports writer
no. 2 notre dame is off to its best start in program history and returns to purcell pavilion on monday, looking to extend both its conference and home winning streaks against georgia Tech.
The irish (24-0, 11-0 acc) are coming off an 82-61 win over boston college on Thursday, which pushed them past the 2000-01 national-championship squad’s 23-0 start. They also have won 31 consecutive regular-season conference games, a streak that stretches back to the 2011-12 season, when notre dame was still in the big east. at purcell pavilion, the irish have not lost since december 2012, a stretch that includes 23 wins. still, irish coach muffet mcgraw said she saw room
for improvement against the eagles.
“i think rebounding was the problem [against boston college],” mcgraw said. “we need to rebound better.”
The irish outrebounded boston college, 28-26, far below their average rebound margin of 10.3 per game. The yellow Jackets (17-8, 7-5) average 7.8 more rebounds per game than their opponents, including 18.1 offensive rebounds per game, nearly six more than the irish surrender to their opponents. mcgraw said notre dame needs to be tough on the glass, especially on the defensive end.
“it’s going to be up to our defense [whether we get the win],” mcgraw said.
This matchup will be only the second game between the yellow Jackets and the irish.
84th bengal bouts kick off this week
By GREG HADLEY sports writer
months of intense training and years of tradition will collide monday at the Joyce athletic and convocation center Fieldhouse in the preliminary rounds of the 84th installment of bengal bouts. each fall, hundreds of men begin training for the annual boxing tournament, which raises funds for the holy cross missions in bangladesh. This year, 135 boxers are set to compete in the tourney, which begins monday. in order to compete, each boxer begins training in the early fall, must spar at least three times before fight night and raise $500 for the missions in bangladesh. every year, several senior fighters travel to bangladesh on a service trip to teach english. last year, the fights raised more than $100,000.
The fights themselves are a unique tradition of camaraderie and competition, bengal bouts president and captain daniel yi said. in training, conditioning is
a constant point of emphasis for all fighters.
“conditioning is pretty constant throughout the year,” yi said. “we do mostly body-weight workouts. That includes a lot of pushups, squats and other things like that.”
yi is the defending heavyweight champion and has boxed throughout his college career, but most boxers come into the program with no prior fighting experience. For these younger and more inexperienced boxers, coaches spend most of their time focusing on the basics, yi said.
“we’re all working towards a common goal, and that’s to learn boxing,” yi said. “we go over and over the basics. no one in this program has worked too hard on maintaining the basics of boxing. w hen you’re in the ring and it’s the third round and you’re tired, it’s the basics that save you.”
Those basics are tested early and often in the ring. The club
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Observer File Photo
Senior captain and Bengal Bouts president Daniel Yi lands a punch during a heavyweight fight in last year’s Bengal Bouts. This year’s Bouts begin this week, with the preliminary round tonight.
EMILY McCONVILLE | The Observer
Irish senior guard Eric Atkins drives during Notre Dame’s 68-64 win over Clemson on Tuesday. Atkins finsihed the game with 16 points.
ND Women’s Lacrosse vs. Boston College Baseball at Florida Atlantic
