Tournament to begin today PostSecret founder speaks Institute leader gives lecture
By AMANDA GRAY News Writer
The secret that impacted PostSecret founder Frank Warren the most was the secret he never saw.
“The only reason I know this secret exists is because of an email I received from a woman who said she wrote her secret on a postcard, thinking it was going to make her feel better, but when she saw it staring back at her, she felt horrible,” said Warren, the founder of PostSecret, a community art project to which people send in postcards with secrets. “She tore the postcard in half and decided in that moment that she would never be the person with that secret again.”
Warren founded PostSecrets in 2004 and has toured for the last five years with PostSecret Live, which took place in Washington Hall on Wednesday night.
SUB Ideas and Issues coordinator Tricia Corban said the event was cosponsored by the Student Union Board (SUB), the Junior Class Council and Notre Dame’s chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness.
At the event, Warren shared secrets that did not make it into the five PostSecret books, as well as some secrets of his own. Students also had the opportunity to share secrets via four microphones set up around the auditorium.
Warren said the tour is special for college campuses.
“I think the project resonates with young people more than anyone else, and so I feel like the conversation I have on college campuses is so much more meaningful because young people are just more aware of what’s happening online,” he said. “But more than that, I think that they are at a place in their lives where they are more authentic with themselves and trying to figure out what’s true in the world.”
Frank said he doesn’t like to think of himself as a performer, but because he’s given hundreds of lectures, he notices differences and similarities with each new place he visits.
“One thing I noticed abo -
The annual Bookstore Basketball contest features 669 teams
By TORI ROECK News Writer
Winning Bookstore Basketball, the largest 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world, earns the victors considerable campus bragging rights. But finishing in the top 10 most creative team names is an equally impressive feat.
Senior Bobby Curley, co-pres-
ident of Bookstore Basketball, said this year’s honorees include the teams “Parisians in Africa,” “Ball So Hard My Rector Try to Fine Me” and “Deuteronomy 28:5, ‘Blessed Shall Be Your Basket.’”
“The best part of [Bookstore Basketball] in the early rounds is the creativity,” Curley said.
This year’s open bracket features 669 teams, down from
last year’s record of 739, Curley said, and play begins today. The women’s bracket has yet to be finalized.
Even though the beginning of the tournament is less serious, Curley said as the field dwindles, students’ competitive natures become apparent.
“In the end rounds, you see
see BOOKSTORE/page 7
Panel presents talk on service
By AMY KLOPFENSTEIN News Writer
In preparation for Saturday’s CommUniversity Day, a panel of directors from South Bend service organizations addressed students about volunteering in the South Bend community Wednesday in DeBartolo Hall. Milton Lee of the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, Sarah Stewart of Unity Gardens
and Jennifer Knapp Beudert of the Robinson Community Learning Center discussed the struggles their organizations face in assisting the South Bend community.
Beudert said she is optimistic about the future of the South Bend community.
“Every day I get the chance to see great things happening for kids,” Beudert said.
The Robinson Center provides everything from youth
after-school tutoring to senior computer classes, Beudert said, and it impacts an estimated 10,000 people through either direct or indirect means. Students have the opportunity to volunteer as tutors, as well as to participate in the Take Ten program, which focuses on teaching students conflict resolution techniques, she said.
By KRISTEN DURBIN News Editor
With rising anxieties about population growth, global warming, fossil fuel use and the Earth’s food supply as a bleak backdrop, Dr. Wes Jackson, president of the Land Institute, explained his organization’s initiatives to change global agriculture in a public lecture Wednesday.
The Kansas-bred Jackson, who has worked as a professor, an author and a farmer, said the Institute’s work and research aims to solve the “problem of agriculture” presented by tilling annual seeds through the development of revolutionary perennial grain hybrids.
“The Land Institute is about breeding perennial grains that will allow us to bring processes to the farm that have been denied with the annual [grain planting] tradition,” Jackson said.
These hybrid perennial grains generate higher yields due to their complex root systems, a large ratio of vegetation to grain and a longer photosynthetic period, Jackson said, which makes them a sustainable alternative to annual planting practices that drain soil resources and require large amounts of carbon-rich energy.
“If these perennial plants reduce erosion risks, manage nutrients better, produce higher yields … what’s holding us up [from planting them]? What else do we need to hear? What do we do?” Jackson said. “With perennials, the ecosystem becomes a more powerful conceptual tool.”
Jackson outlined what he calls the “3.45-billion-yearold imperative” of all life to consume energy-rich carbon to sustain growth and its influence on monumental stages in the development of human civilization, including the first Mediterranean agricultural revolution, the use of forest carbon during the Bronze and Iron Ages and the discoveries of coal, natural gas and oil as sources of energy.
As humans became increasingly dependent on energy for agricultural production, policies and institutions changed
MACKENZIE SAIN / The Observer
A member of the ‘Sieg Pizza Boys’ team dives for a loose ball during a game in last year’s Bookstore Basketball tournament.
JULIE HERDER/The Observer
Milt Lee, left, Jen Knapp Beudert, center left, Sara Stewart, center right, and moderator Jay Caponigro, right, address students Wednesday about volunteering in South Bend.
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Drew Williams junior Stanford
“South is too confusing, North.”
Tina Andry sophomore Pasquerilla East
“North. There is no mosh pit to get your food.”
Julie Cleveland sophomore Cavanaugh
“North. The architecture is more aesthetically pleasing.”
Maureen Choman senior Lewis
“North, I like the mints they have.”
Colonel Michael Chinn, 7th Brigade Commander and Cadet
Kentucky, presents the MacArthur
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Lunch-goers by the hundreds bust a move in Sweden
STOCKHOLM — Some workers in Sweden have found a rather offbeat way to spend their lunch hour. Actually, on-beat is more like it.
Dripping with sweat and awash in disco lights, they dance away to pulsating club music at Lunch Beat, a trend that started in Stockholm and is spreading to other cities in Europe.
The first Lunch Beat was held in June 2010 in an underground parking lot in Stockholm. Only 14 people showed up. But they had so much fun they immediately planned another event. Word spread, and now the
Swedish capital has monthly Lunch Beats that attract hundreds. on, 29, came to Lunch Beat with more than a dozen people from a government office.
“It’s great,” she said. “We’ll go back sweaty together.”
Tweeters catty over reports Medvedev’s pet fled MOSCOW — Russians who view President Dmitry Medvedev as Vladimir Putin’s lapdog flashed their claws over news reports that Medvedev’s cat had run away.
Medvedev, attending a summit in India, tweeted late Wednesday that the fluffy feline named Dorofei wasn’t missing after all.
But by then it was too late to stem a deluge of catty remarks on Twitter, where the pet was a top Russian topic.
One user said Dorofei wanted to teach his master how to be independent.
Another posted a doctored photo of Putin in a fur hat with cat’s ears and the caption: “Dorofei? No, haven’t seen him.”
Although Putin left the Kremlin in 2008 and shifted into the premier’s job, he has far overshadowed Medvedev. Putin recently won election to a new term as president and has promised to name Medvedev premier.
Information compiled from the Associated Press.
Nick Brandt senior Stanford
“I like turtles.”
In brIef
A workshop titled “Library Workshop: Using RefWorks” will teach students to use the software to organize and generate bibliographies today at 4 p.m. in Room 247 of the Hesburgh Library
NASAND will host an art battle today called “Breaking Tradition: A Contemporary Look at Culture” at 5 p.m. in the Dooley Room of LaFortune.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters Association of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s will host a fundraiser at the Five Guys at Eddy Street Commons today from 5 to 9 p.m. Ten percent of the sales will benefit the club.
The Creative Writing Program will host a reading by British poet Richard Berengaren, who will read his own work today at 7 p.m. in the McKenna Hall Auditorium The event is open and free to the public.
Pangborn Hall will present a fashion show called “Project Pink: Fashion Extravaganza” today at 7 p.m. in the Oak Room of South Dining Hall. Benefiting SOS Rape Crisis Center, all clothes modeled by the student will be auctioned after the show.
Freshman Class Council will host a class-wide bonfire as part of the “Fire and Ice Two Day Event” today from 8 to 10 p.m. on Holy Cross Hill. S’mores will be served.
To submit information to be included in this section of The Observer, e-mail detailed information about an event to obsnews.nd@gmail.com
MACKENZIE SAIN/The Observer
Commander at Fort Knox,
Award
senior Mihai Iancu Wednesday. The award
schools annually as the top ROTC programs in the country.
Association finalizes constitution
By KRISTEN RICE News Writer
This year’s members of the Saint Mary’s Student Government Association (SGA) met for the last time Wednesday before the new officers assume their roles April 1.
For their last order of business, members of SGA finalized the new constitution.
The student body must vote on the revisions, and 25 percent of students who vote must approve for the constitution to go into effect.
There will also be a banquet after Easter break to celebrate the new structure of SGA and the leaders from this year who made it possible.
Current members of SGA also shared their favorite memories of the year.
Student body president Nicole Gans said she is especially proud of the changes made in the SGA structure.
“My favorite moment was when we all agreed upon the restructuring of SGA,” Gans said.
Amanda Lester, public relations commissioner in charge of social media, said her favorite memory from the year was a particular event.
“My favorite activity was the bowling night,” she said.
As turnover draws near, Gans reminded the board they all need to pass on a binder of the materials they used to those assuming their positions next week.
“Everyone in this room has affected the student body this year ... and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls.”
Nicole Gans student body president
Karen Johnson, vice president of student affairs, who advises SGA, said she was impressed with the work SGA did this year.
“This is the most exciting year I’ve had,” Johnson said. “Thank you for a great year, and I’m very proud to be your advisor.”
Reflecting on the year as a whole, Gans said she was really grateful to work with such a talented group of students this year.
“Everyone in this room has affected the student body this year … and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls,” she said.
Contact Kristen Rice at krice01@saintmarys.edu
MBA students win case competition
By CAROLYN HUTYRA News Writer
Notre Dame MBA students swept first, second and third place at the 2012 Arthur W. Page Society CaseWriting Competition in Corporate Communications this week in New York.
According to a press release, the winning projects focused on the 2010 Carnival Cruise Line fire, Groupon’s initial public offering and the Sony PlayStation network crash respectively.
Professor James O’Rourke, the faculty advisor for the projects, said Notre Dame has a good track record in the competition, which judges communications cases to be used in an educational setting.
“[The Arthur Page Society has] sponsored, for probably a dozen years, an annual case writing competition to expand the body of knowledge, to influence how communication is practiced and taught,” O’Rourke said. “Notre Dame has
won the case writing competition more often than any other school.”
O’Rourke said the key to success in the competition is to tell a good story.
“In writing a case study our aim is never to identify heroes and villains,” he said. “We’re not trying to make management look good or look bad. We’re trying to tell a story that will become the basis for a classroom discussion.”
Students who participated in the competition are enrolled in a course called Corporate Communication, O’Rourke said, which surveys a variety of topics within the area of communications.
“The students choose from among a world of issues out there bearing down on companies every day,” he said. “These issues might focus on employee communication, media relations, crisis management, investor relations, lobbying and legislative liaison. It may be an image, identity or reputation issue.”
The cases created in the classroom are submitted to competitions and can also be published, O’Rourke said.
“In the past 20 years, we have published more than 250 cases,” he said. “Notre Dame cases are in use in 131 colleges and universities in this country and about half that many schools overseas.”
O’Rourke said students spoke to important people in the business world to prepare their projects.
“I provide [the students], if I can, with contacts in the business, and we set up telephone interviews with executives,” he said. “That provides us with answers to questions that aren’t addressed in the business press, and it also gives us an opportunity to ask them about strategy and tactics in dealing with these issues.”
Laura Divel, Russell Cramer and Sam DeLemos received first place for their project analyzing the causes of a Carnival Cruise ship that caught fire at sea, lost power and went rudderless in the Pacific Ocean near Mexico for over a week, O’Rourke said.
“It was a story well told, but it was also thoroughly documented,” he said. “It was scrupulously fair. They did not look to point blame in any direction.”
Divel said the people they contacted for the project set theirs apart.
“I think one of the things that set our case apart was that we interviewed [Tim Gallagher], the vice president of public relations at Carnival,” Divel said. “It made it a little more interesting because we got a little bit of what was going through his mind.”
Third place winner Shawn Do said he and his project partner John Hsu sought to tell the story of the Sony PlayStation Network crash as fairly and accurately as possible.
“The material itself basically talked about when the crash went down [and] how Sony had hidden the facts from everyone for about a week or so,” Do said. “We basically laid out the timeline and how it all transpired.”
Divel said the hard work her group put into the project was worthwhile.
“It was definitely challenging, and we worked a lot of hours on it, but we enjoyed it,” Divel said. “I think the research was the biggest component of it and making sure we had accuracy because there is so much information out there. Our case was a crisis management case so the news media likes to take that up and publish a lot of details on it, and you have to distinguish what is fact.”
Contact Carolyn Hutyra at chutyra@nd.edu
Group to address distracted driving Event to raise money for hospital
By TABITHA RICKETTS News Writer
First-year student Morgan Carrol is forming a new committee at Saint Mary’s to promote distracted driving awareness and prepare for a lecture in April.
“I’m looking for students who understand the danger [of distracted driving] and who aren’t afraid to speak out about their views, who understand it’s important,” Carrol said.
Diveeta Thompson, founder of Stop Texting AND Driving Distracted (STANDD), will address Saint Mary’s students on the perils of distracted driving April 25.
“She’s going to talk about her story,” Carrol said. “Her own son [Rodney Thompson] was killed in a texting and driving accident.”
According to the STANDD website, the organization’s mission is “to encourage individuals to Stop Texting AND Driving Distracted, while promoting safety and empowerment through knowledge, education, and purpose.”
Thompson has been featured in multiple newspapers and radio shows and spoken at churches, high schools and universities. She even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2010, according to the STANDD website.
Carrol said she hopes the lecture will teach students how dangerous it can be to drive distracted.
“I want them to come see the
bigger picture and how little things like texting and driving can take away from life,” Carrol said. “Hopefully there’s a big enough turnout to bring awareness to that and bring [the committee] more members who understand how important this is.”
She said she was inspired to combat distracted driving after hearing Thompson speak.
“When I was a senior in high school, she came to speak at my school, and I was very moved by what she had been through and what she had done about it,” Carrol said. “I realized, this isn’t okay ... It was something that I wanted to take into my own hands and help.”
Carrol said she wants the committee to put up a series of fliers and sponsor promotions to publicize the event.
“We are going to come together to promote fundraising and collaborate ways to bring awareness to texting and driving,” she said.
She said the committee will sell STANDD bracelets at a table in the student center atrium leading up to the event.
“There are also pledge forms that we have where students can pledge not to text and drive,” Carrol said.
Contact tabitha Ricketts at tricke01@stmarys.edu
By MEAGHAN DALY News Writer
From noon to midnight Saturday, over 300 Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students will bust a move for Riley Hospital for Children at the Dance Marathon in the Angela Athletic Facility.
Dance Marathon executive member Maureen Parsons said she hopes the event will teach students about the work Riley Hospital does.
“I think the biggest challenge we face each year is trying to convey to students how awesome of an organization Riley Hospital truly is.” Parsons said.
According to the Riley Hospital website, the Indianapolis hospital is one of the nation’s premier children’s hospitals, and Dance Marathon president Rebecca Guerin said Riley does not turn patients away for financial reasons.
pating in Dance Marathon,” Parsons said.
Parson said the theme of this year’s Dance Marathon is “Animal Kingdom”. The event will feature games, crafts, performances, food and even live animals, she said.
“What keeps me so connected to Dance Marathon is the feeling that you get when you see how many people you are helping and how grateful they are for all the hard work our college puts in for this cause.”
Amy Tiberi executive member Dance Marathon
“I think the biggest challenge we face each year is trying to convey to students how awesome of an organization Riley Hospital truly is.”
Parsons said between 15 and 20 families of children in the Riley Hospital will attend the event, and they will share their stories throughout the day.
Maureen Parsons executive member Dance Marathon
“Until you hear a Riley child share his or her story, you really do not know the impact of partici-
The Dance Marathon will also cross over with Saint Mary’s Lil’ Sibs weekend, Parsons said. Lil’ Sibs participants will take part in the marathon from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and a “Silly Safari” will take place during that time.
Amy Tiberi, executive member of the Dance Marathon, said the goal of this year’s event is to exceed the $63,000 raised last year by 20 percent.
Guerin said she expects this year’s event to be a success.
“As the year comes to an end,
it has been so gratifying to see so many college-aged students want to be a part of something so selfless,” Guerin said. “I think that our Animal Kingdom-themed marathon [this] weekend is truly going to be our best marathon yet. From the exotic animals to the glowstick rave hour, it’s going to be a blast!”
Tiberi said Riley Hospital is a cause close to her heart.
“I am so passionate about this cause because I know people who have personally been affected by Riley,” Tiberi said. “What keeps me so connected to Dance Marathon is the feeling that you get when you see how many people you are helping and how grateful they are for all of the hard work our college puts in for this cause.”
Saint Mary’s students can register for the Dance Marathon in the Student Center Atrium, and Notre Dame students can visit www.nd.edu/~medinfo. Day-of registration will begin Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the Angela Athletic Facility.
Contact Meaghan Daly at mdaly01@stmarys.edu
Senate approves new members
By MARISA IATI Associate News Editor
Student Senate passed a resolution Wednesday proposing the continuance of the Campus Bike Shop and approved three students for student government positions during the 2012-2013 term.
Student body president Pat McCormick also delivered his third and final State of the Student Union address, as required by the undergraduate student body constitution.
The resolution asked the University to “take definitive actions to provide or make space for a Campus Bike Shop” before the start of the fall 2012 semester. It requested the shop be a free service and “serve students sustainably by using salvaged parts and the labor of student mechanics.”
Senate approved sophomore Elizabeth Garvin and freshman Anh Ta for assistant student union treasurers. The group also approved sophomore James Slaven for director of publicity of the Student Union Board.
Senate approved junior and current student body secretary Katie Baker for chief of staff.
The group selected two recipients of the Irish Clover Award from eight nominations. The award is given to students, faculty, staff or administrators who have demonstrated exemplary service to student government.
Senate also chose one recipient of the Frank O’Malley Teaching Award from five nominations of
four faculty members. The honor is intended for a professor who has had an outstanding impact on undergraduate education at the University.
Student body vice president and president-elect Brett Rocheleau said the recipients of these awards will be announced Tuesday at the Student Leadership Banquet.
In his State of the Student Union address, McCormick said his administration united the various branches of student government to increase cohesion.
“Our Student Senate now brings every stakeholder within the Student Union together in one meeting to expand inclusion as fully as possible in the advocacy of student government,” he said.
“We are especially grateful to both Notre Dame students and local police for a dramatically improved relationship between the student body and law enforcement.”
McCormick said the recently enacted Indiana Lifeline Law will make medical amnesty state law July 1.
“This is a law for which students across Indiana have long advocated, and we are grateful to state legislators for their recognition that in emergency situations, student safety has to be the first priority,” he said.
“We have been united by our hope that something new was possible this year, something that has never happened before. It was the hope that students might write a new chapter in Notre Dame’s history.”
Pat McCormick student body president
The administration enhanced constituent services and improved student safety, McCormick said.
“This year, we held regular meetings with local law enforcement representatives, held a Safety Summit on campus and a variety of other events aimed at educating students about how to stay safe and serve as good neighbors in the South Bend community,” he said.
Student government also advanced an agenda “for students in charting a course for the Notre Dame project,” McCormick said. He said parts of this effort have included a sustainability initiative, the Playing for Peace tournament and food security in South Bend.
“We have been united by our hope that something new was possible this year, something that has never happened before,” McCormick said. “It was the hope that students might write a new chapter in Notre Dame’s history.”
Contact Marisa Iati at miati@nd.edu
Panel
continued from page 1
non-profit that grows free healthy food for the community, and Stewart said it is difficult to ensure people have access to nutritious food.
“We can’t afford not to grow and share healthy food,” Stewart said.
Unity Gardens also focuses on community health and nutritional education, Stewart said. Through this organization, Stewart said she hopes to foster a connection among people, their community and the environment.
and for-profit companies.
Lee said students should become more socially conscious and interact with a wide variety of people.
“Make your world smaller and learn from other people,” Lee said.
Stewart also said students should pursue service opportunities within their areas of interest.
“Get involved with things that connect with your passion,” she said. “We will be changed and so will you.”
“Get involved with things that connect with your passion. We will be changed and so will you.”
Sarah Stewart Unity Gardens director
Lee said hunger-insecurity, particularly among youth, presents a major challenge to the South Bend community.
Beudert said many students are afraid of leaving campus, but through community involvement, they not only have rewarding experiences, but also develop a more positive attitude toward the South Bend community.
“Take care of yourself first, and through that strength you can give to others,” she said.
“Make your world smaller and learn from other people.”
“We want to ensure that kids have a healthier future, a brighter future,” Lee said. Stewart said students should help out community organizations and create student advisory councils to work with local non-profit
Sarah Stewart Unity Gardens director
CommUniversity Day will take place Saturday, when students from Notre Dame, Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s and IUSB will volunteer at sites throughout South Bend to foster community involvement.
Contact a my Klopfenstein at aklopfen@nd.edu
continued from page 1
how competitive Bookstore Basketball can get,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent out there.”
Curley said showing off students’ talent in the tournament allows for others’ talent to be cultivated. 100 percent of the profits from Bookstore Basketball go to Jumpball, a charity founded by a Notre Dame alumnus which sponsors free basketball camps for underprivileged children in Jamaica, he said.
“When you’re signing up for a team, you’re signing up for tons of fun and it’s a huge Notre Dame tradition that makes Notre Dame unique,” Curley said, “[B]ut on top of that, you’re making a whole new team possible for kids who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to play any basketball.”
Curley said he traveled to Jamaica last summer to coach one of Jumpball’s camps.
“They’ve kept a lot of kids out of trouble,” he said, “and the biggest thing is that it gives [the kids] … good role models.”
Curley said students should come out to support Bookstore Basketball both as players and spectators.
“We want a lot of people out there,” he said. “It’s a place to be social, see a lot of people you know and generally have a good time. And in the end rounds, you can see basketball talent that you would see if you paid to go see a game.”
This year’s championship game will be at night to encourage more students to attend, Curley said. Sophomore Allison Smith said the social aspect of Bookstore
Basketball most appealed to her.
“Last year my sister was a senior, and I went to one of her Bookstore Basketball games,”
Smith said. “She dressed up really weirdly, and it looked like a lot of fun.”
Smith said her team, the Invisible Super Ponies, hopes to craft creative outfits involving puffy paint.
“I can play basketball and be stupid at the same time,” she said.
Junior Aaron Stumpf said tradition is a big factor in Bookstore Basketball’s success.
“It’s an opportunity for the entire Notre Dame community to come together to play a sport they love,” Stumpf said. “And who wouldn’t want to say I played in the largest 5-on-5 outdoor basket-
ball tournament in the world?”
Stumpf said his team, “Fab Can’t Read,” pokes fun at Fab Melo, the center on the Syracuse men’s basketball team who was ineligible for many games this season for academic reasons.
“[We chose our team name] because well, he can’t read,” he said. “And we strongly dislike Syracuse.”
Stumpf also said Jumpball is an appropriate charity to receive the profits of Bookstore Basketball.
“They teach more than just the dream of making it big as a professional athlete,” he said. “They teach teamwork, discipline and give hope to those less fortunate.”
Contact tori Roeck at vroeck@nd.edu
U.S. army increases Afghanistan security
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan have assigned “guardian angels” — troops that watch over their comrades even as they sleep — and have ordered a series of other increased security measures to protect troops against possible attacks by rogue Afghans.
The added protections are part of a directive issued in recent weeks by Marine Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, to guard against insider threats, according to a senior military official. And they come in the wake of a spike in attacks on U.S. and coalition forces by Afghans, including the point-blank shooting deaths of two U.S. advisers in Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior.
Some of the changes have been subtle, others not so much.
In several Afghan ministries, Americans are now allowed to carry weapons. And they have been instructed to rearrange their office desks there to face the door, so they can see who is coming in, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the internal directive.
While Allen did not detail the new measures in a briefing earlier this week, he acknowledged that changes had been made.
“We have taken steps necessary on our side to protect our-
selves with respect to, in fact, sleeping arrangements, internal defenses associated with those small bases in which we operate,” Allen said, adding that now someone is “always overwatching our forces.”
The security measures came after the U.S. military mistakenly burned Qurans and other religious materials in February, triggering anti-American demonstrations and riots. And on Feb. 25, two U.S. military advisers were gunned down at their desks in one of the most heavily guarded ministry building in Kabul.
As a result of the shootings, more than 300 advisers were pulled out of the Afghan ministries. So far, several dozen have returned, but many will not go back until additional security measures are put in place by the Afghans. That would include better vetting procedures, background checks and physical security measures at the ministries. The military official also said some advisers may not return, since commanders have determined that some may no longer be needed in the jobs.
The military official said Allen issued the directive “to get every single troop in the war zone to read it and think” — and to emphasize that troops should be aware of their surroundings as they go about their jobs.
MACKENZIE SAIN / The Observer
Teams ‘Tough Luck, Valiant Effort’ and ‘Hey Jason, You’re Captain’ clash in their April 5 game of last year’s tournament.
Jackson
continued from page 1
accordingly, especially the passage of three influential American agricultural bills by 1914, Jackson said
“In [19th-century] Britain … people began to realize they didn’t need slaves if they had power and energy,” he said.
“In Civil War America, the establishment of the landgrant college system democratized knowledge in every state and spread it throughout newly acquired territory.”
Jackson said the postWorld War II development of the Haber-Bosch process of ammonia production from nitrogen is “responsible for 40 percent of the standing crop of homo sapiens today.”
is that it survived, whereas [annual monoculture] crops died.”
Jackson said exploring the potential of ecosystem agriculture, or “agroecology,” as a model for sustainable agriculture presents a major challenge to human thinking, but its benefits could provide solutions to agricultural problems.
“If we look upward to the ecosystem level, there are answers to questions we haven’t learned to ask,” he said.
“The last green revolution gave us a tripling of yields, but its principles are not good. The mission of the next synthesis is to move agriculture from an extractive to a renewable economy and rescue us from the fallen world.”
Wes Jackson Land Institute President
But this innovation also began the transformation of modern American agriculture into a carbon-hungry, fuel-guzzling industry that relies on large government subsidies and has produced a “dead zone” at the end of the Mississippi River the size of New Jersey, Jackson said.
“As a general law, high energy destroys information of a cultural and biological variety,” he said.
“If we look upward to the ecosystem level, there are answers to questions we haven’t learned to ask.
Since [Rene] Descartes and [Frances] Bacon, the hardest thing to overcome for our industrial minds ... has been the reductive approach to problems that pays no attention to emergent properties present at every level .”
In addressing modern agricultural practices that rely on fossil fuel-derived fertilizers, annual grain subsidies and large-scale industrial farming, Jackson said the logical solution is to look to nature’s self-sustaining ecosystems as models of perennial polyculture and survival, such as tropics and grasslands.
Warren
continued from page 1
coming here is how ideal that theater [Washington Hall] is,” he said. “It’s a wonderful theater. It’s just set up so well. In a lot of ways it’s a more beautiful theater and better accustomed for events than modern theaters are.”
Warren said he has more than half a million secrets in his home, coming from countries all over the world.
“The fact that seven years later I’m still getting about 100 postcards every day from around the world for a total of over a half-million still surprises me to this day,” Warren said.
Warren posts around 20 new “Sunday Secrets” to the PostSecret website every Sunday. The website receives more than seven million hits a month.
“Every postcard comes to my house, and I read every secret and I keep them all,” he said. “I think it’s a singular, precious archive.”
With so many secrets arriving, he said it’s difficult to select the weekly secrets he chooses to display.
“Since [Rene] Descartes and [Francis] Bacon, the hardest thing to overcome for our industrial minds … has been the reductive approach to problems that pays no attention to emergent properties present at every level.”
In order to reverse the destruction caused by current agricultural methods, Jackson said he and some of his colleagues in sustainable agriculture hope to implement sweeping changes in American farming practices over the next 50 years, with a goal of flipping grain percentages to 80 percent perennial and 20 percent annual.
“It’s harder than you think, to select the weekly secrets,” he said. “And not just to select them, but to arrange them. I try and tell a different story every week with people’s secrets, connecting them so that they’re not just twenty voices, but this complete conversation that’s greater than the sum of the postcards.”
Including the website and all of the books, he said he has shared less than five percent of the secrets he has received, but he hopes the
secrets he has shared make an impact.
“If you open up your heart and mind to a secret, you’ll see a kernel of the truth that you can learn from,” he said at the event.
Warren said he is now trying to find a way to share the secrets from the now-defunct PostSecret App, which ran for three months but was shut down after misuse in the comments portion of the application. The application allowed users to submit secrets digitally, and more than 2 million secrets were shared in its limited time.
“I just received a drive with all of the PostSecret App secrets on it,” he said.
“It’s got three terabytes, and it took three days to transfer. I hope to have a book or a searchable database of the secrets.”
No matter how the secrets are shared, Warren said the program has given him and countless others the ability to finally look at the secrets within themselves.
“I think a part of the beauty of PostSecret is the courage people see in these vulnerable secrets every week. I think that kind of courage is contagious,” he said. “When you see it, you feel it, and it inspires you to join the conversation.”
For more information on the project, visit www.postsecret.com. To mail Warren a secret, address a postcard to: Frank Warren, 13345 Copper Ridge Rd., Germantown, MD 20874.
Contact a manda Gray at agray3@nd.edu
Wes Jackson Land Institute President
Jackson said he has helped develop a 30year mission for a sustainable “green revolution” that would send 110 Ph.Dlevel scientists to various locations around the globe to implement these new agricultural practices.
“Those … ecosystems are real economies. They use … sunlight and recycle materials,” Jackson said. “The genius of the Kansas grasslands during the Dust Bowl years
“The last green revolution gave us a tripling of yields, but its principles are not good,” he said. “The mission of the next synthesis is to move agriculture from an extractive to a renewable economy and rescue us from the fallen world.”
Contact Kristen Durbin at kdurbin@nd.edu
AMANDA g RAY / The Observer
PostSecret founder Frank Warren addresses the audience at Washington Hall on Wednesday night.
ALEX PARTAK / The Observer
Land Institute president Wes Jackson speaks to a crowded auditorium on Wednesday night.
Romney moves closer to Republican nomination
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — After a three-month struggle, Mitt Romney edged into the mopup phase of the race for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday, buoyed by Newt Gingrich’s decision to scale back his campaign to the vanishing point and Rick Santorum’s statement that he would take the No. 2 spot on the party ticket in the fall.
Romney campaigned by phone for support in next week’s Wisconsin primary while he shuttled from California to Texas on a fundraising trip, praising Gov. Scott Walker, for “trying to rein in the excesses that have permeated the public services union.” The governor faces a recall election in June after winning passage of state legislation vehemently opposed by organized labor.
Romney aides eagerly spread the word that former PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush would
bestow a formal endorsement on Thursday, although they declined to say whether former President George W. Bush has been asked for a public show of support.
Seven months before Election Day, there was ample evidence of a preparation gap with the Democrats.
A spokesman at the Republican National Committee said the party had recently opened campaign offices in three states expected to be battlegrounds this fall and would soon do the same in seven more.
By contrast, Obama’s reelection campaign has 18 offices in Florida, nine in Michigan, a dozen in Ohio, 13 in Pennsylvania and seven in Nevada, according to officials. While Romney was campaigning in last winter’s Iowa caucuses, Democrats claimed to have made 350,000 calls to voters as part of an early organizational effort.
And while Romney is still
raising money for the second half of the primary campaign, Obama recently reported $84 million in the bank for the general election.
Not that Romney was leaving the primary wars behind.
He and Restore Our Future, a super PAC that supports him, were outspending Santorum and his allies on television by a margin of more than 4-1, with an attack-heavy diet of television ads.
There was no let-up in Santorum’s criticism of Romney, whom he said is “completely out of sync with America” and “uniquely disqualified” to lead the party against President Barack Obama.
Colorado blaze sparks action
Associated Press
CONIFER, Colo. — Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on Wednesday suspended the use of state prescribed burns like the one that may have caused a deadly wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes near Denver.
The Colorado State Forest Service says the 6-square-mile fire started after a controlled burn last week that was meant to reduce vegetation. Instead, the blaze went out of control Monday when high winds gusts blew embers across a containment line and into unburned forest.
Hickenlooper said the ban on such fires on state lands, including state parks, would be in effect until a review of the wildfire is complete.
Also Wednesday, Colorado’s deputy state forester apologized for the fire. The Colorado State Forest Service announced that an ember apparently jumped a containment line Monday and started the blaze.
“This is heartbreaking, and we are sorry,” Duda said in a statement.
The ban doesn’t affect land controlled by the federal government — which accounts for over a third of Colorado. However, Hickenlooper urged counties and federal agencies to also consider suspending such burns for now.
Meanwhile, some 400 firefighters from several states were focusing on building containment lines around the wildfire, which broke out Monday. Until now, the fire’s erratic pattern has forced firefighters to focus on protecting homes, not stopping the burn.
“We’re going to try to take a bite out of this fire,” Jefferson County sheriff’s spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said.
Air tankers dropped retardant and two National Guard helicopters dropped water to assist firefighters on the ground. Smoke from the fire created haze around Denver, obscuring views of the Rocky Mountains.
As crews dug lines around the fire’s perimeter, a search team was using dogs to look
on Tuesday.
for a woman missing in the fire zone. Her home was among 27 destroyed or damaged in the blaze.
The bodies of Sam Lamar Lucas, 77, and Linda M. Lucas, 76, were found earlier this week at their destroyed home. Their cause of death was pending.
Hickenlooper said he doesn’t blame some of the 900 evacuated homeowners in the mountains southwest of Denver for being angry.
“Their houses have been destroyed. Their lives have been changed forever. It’s not their fault,” Hickenlooper told KOA radio.
Later Wednesday, some local sheriff’s deputies started taking homeowners of destroyed homes into the burn area to see what was left of their homes. On a tour for reporters, thin white smoke rose from valleys. Charred appliances were all that remained of some homes.
A Forest Service manager
who helps plan for prescribed burns, Jane Lopez, said the state usually performs them only in spring and fall. Prescribed burns are planned as far as three years in advance, she said, but they don’t go forward unless weather conditions meet requirements. She said everything was done properly.
“You don’t burn unless all the parameters are met,” Lopez said. She didn’t comment on the governor’s planned burn order but said, “We’re at the end of the prescribed burn season anyway.”
Conifer resident Don Heiden, who was displaced by the fire, said he wasn’t ready to blame the government.
“Accidents happen. If there was negligence, they’ll figure it out,” said Heiden, who was watching televised aerial shots to see if his home was still standing. “To me, it’s more of an act of God.”
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gestures while speaking at a medical device company in San Diego, Calif. on March 26.
A slurry bomber glides over the Lower North Fork wildfire as it burns southwest of Denver
The wrong side of history
Dwindling talent, swelling attitude
Newman Scientia Potentia Est
Wirth Sports Writer
In case you have not heard, Tiger Woods is back — or so the “experts” say. They also said he was “back” after he took the lead in the final round of last year’s Masters (and then proceeded to choke it away.) He was also “back” after he won the Chevron World Challenge this past December with a whopping 17 other players in the field.
Now experts claim he is back after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend, which only had two of the world’s top 10 players in the field.
I understand that Tiger Woods is one of the few athletes who can transcend sports and bring in an entirely different audience to the game so he gets more hype both from the sports world and from the general media, but with this win, he now has as many wins on tour this year as George McNeil, yes, the George McNeil.
So before everyone starts penciling him in as the Masters’ favorite, let’s try to remember that there are other players with names like McIlroy, Mickelson and Westwood who have had much stronger years to this point and who have much stronger major track records in recent seasons.
The fact is, Tiger Woods will never be fully “back,” and sports fans have to accept that. He will never be the Tiger Woods of 2000 again. Heck, he will never be even the Tiger Woods of 2007 again. Long gone are the days of Tiger routing fields by ten strokes. At this stage of his career Tiger is what he is — a top 15 player who will win a few tournaments a year with maybe the occasional major. To think he will be as dominant as he once was is foolish. Tiger is 36 years old and, after multiple surgeries on his knee and Achilles tendon, he is an old 36, and time is catching up.
Tiger’s golf game may never come back, but, unfortunately, his whining and temper tantrums on the course seem to be in full swing. Even in winning last week, anytime his shot was just slightly off, he would complain as if the “Golf Gods” were out to get him — it was never his fault. Instead of tipping his hat to the gallery after a shot, he is generally cursing that the shot was not better.
Some call that his competitive fire, I call it unprofessional. Tiger is consistently curt with media and his playing partners, and, despite their undying support, he shows little to no recognition of his fans. Tiger’s overall disregard for golf etiquette is embarrassing and off-putting.
Do not get me wrong, I respect Tiger’s talent, but that is about all I respect about the man. Golf is traditionally the ultimate gentleman’s sport, and Tiger certainly is no gentleman.
Contact Joe Wirth at jwirth@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members”. This quote by Mohandas Gandhi reflects a belief held by most Americans that markets cannot always effectively allocate resources towards those who hold little market power, such as the sick, elderly and poor. Beginning with the Progressive Era in the early 1900s, American policy became more directed towards both protecting and assisting these Americans. The most significant steps came with the creation of Social Security (old age retirement insurance) in 1935, Medicare (health insurance for the elderly) in 1965 and Medicaid (health insurance for the poor and long term care insurance for the elderly) in 1965.
At the time of their creation, these programs were extremely controversial. But due to their effectiveness at helping the disadvantaged, they have become wildly popular. This is why those (both Democrats and Republicans) who created Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were on the “right side of history.”
However, these programs will become dangerously costly over coming decades due to two trends. The first trend is the aging of the population. After WWII, there was a major increase in population growth where 80 million Americans were born between 1946 and 1964. These Americans are known as the “baby boom” generation. The first “boomers” turned 65 (hence becoming eligible for Social Security and Medicare) in 2011, and 10,000 will turn 65 every day for the next two decades.
The second trend is the rising cost
of health care. Over the past three decades, health care has grown roughly three percent faster than gross domestic product and will continue to grow at a slightly slower, but still unsustainable pace over coming decades. This rate compounded over many decades will dramatically raise how much every American spends on health care.
The combination of these two trends will cause spending on these programs to skyrocket. While projections are difficult to make because of different assumptions and uncertainty, the numbers are all bleak. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently projected that by 2021, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest on the debt will take up nearly all tax revenue. By approximately 2050, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will take up all tax revenue, and by 2080, Medicare and Medicaid will take up all tax revenue. If these numbers do not scare you, I do not know what will.
While there may be nothing more important to the fiscal future of the United States than to reform these programs, there is nothing more difficult. The dependence that older Americans have on these programs, combined with their high participatory rates in elections and the unfortunate reality that older people can be easily fooled and scared by politicians have made reforming these programs the “third rail of American politics.” (Electricity runs through the third rail on a train track. If you touch it, you get electrocuted.) The irony is that most reform proposals only affect those who are 55 or younger and preserve current benefits for anyone older. Even still, nearly every time that either party proposes reform, the opposing side, instead
of proposing an alternative solution, works to vilify the proposal to gain the senior vote.
As these programs, deemed unreformable, grow and take up a larger and larger portion of the federal budget, lawmakers will most likely cut the “low-hanging fruit” in the budgetspending on critical investments like education, innovation, infrastructure and scientific research. Even though investment spending has fueled American prosperity since its conception, its short-term payoff is small, making it very easy to cut relative to the difficulty of reforming Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. To make cuts in these areas would be misguided as the world becomes more globalized, technologically advanced and competitive.
As I said earlier, those who created Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were on the right side of history for doing so. But if the status quo continues, and these programs go unreformed, America will accumulate fiscally unsustainable amounts of debt as critical investments are cut. As a result, America will begin the slow but steady decline over the next half-century towards a fiscal future that would make even the Greeks cringe. Then, when today’s old are gone and today’s young are old, future generations will reopen the history books and curse those who refused to reform Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to the wrong side of history.
Adam Newman is a junior finance major. He can be reached at anewman3@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Quote of the day
“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson Essayist & poet
Weekly poll
What did you think of the Third Eye Blind concert? It was awesome! I went for Hoodie Allen I didn’t get a ticket Who’s Third Eye Blind?
Adam
Joe
edItorIal Cartoon
Chaos once again reigns in the Middle East as Syria is engulfed in rebellion against the feared Assad regime. For years, Bashur al-Assad and his family have oppressed the Syrian people and have fomented violence in the region to maintain power. Now in the wake of the Arab Spring, public revolt has boiled over and violence has erupted as the people try to rid themselves of Assad. More than 9,000 people have died since the uprising started a year ago. The United States already has had the green light for war in Syria for quite some time. We not only have an obligation to stop Assad from killing his own people, but the Syrian government is also responsible for the direct and indirect deaths of U.S. servicemen in Iraq during the Iraq War. Hundreds of
Mark Easley Elephant in the Room
The Syrian crisis
Syrian foreign fighters poured into Iraq to wage jihad against the United States. Money, guns and bombs also passed through the border to aid militias and insurgents fighting against U.S. forces. And for all the world knows, Saddam Hussein’s alleged weapons of mass destruction could have been moved to Syria before the invasion of Iraq began. Assad and his government are guilty of crimes against humanity, being a state sponsor of terrorism and acts of war against the United States and Iraq. For even more icing on the cake, the Assad regime has also caused serious trouble in Lebanon with its occupation of the country from 1975 to 2005 and aiding the terrorist organization Hezbollah. This meddling has caused conflicts with Israel that has made the people of Lebanon and Israel suffer. Assad has been an enemy of free people since he took power and he rightfully deserves a spot in the axis of
letters to the edItor
Monologues to dialogue
I acted in “Show Some Skin: The Race Monologues,” and I had the privilege to embody an anonymous submission from the Notre Dame community in front of over 750 students, faculty, family and friends. On behalf of everyone involved with “Show Some Skin,” I offer my sincerest gratitude to you who came out on Friday and Saturday — many of you sitting on the Carey Auditorium steps and filling the aisles — to support us and learn about our cause. We also thank the faculty who wrote the “Reactions to ‘Race’” letter to the editor in Tuesday’s edition of The Observer. That being said, I am surprised and disappointed that the only mention in The Observer about “Show Some Skin” — a student-run production that gave credibility to the fledgling racial dialogue happening on campus — came from a faculty letter to the editor. In light of the ASA and BSA and Travyon Martin incidents, “Show Some Skin” couldn’t have been timelier. However, if we are to improve racial relations on campus, our primary media outlet, The Observer, cannot simply publish an article about a student government-run town hall meeting and then stop paying attention.
Having gotten both positive reviews and constructive criticism for “Show Some Skin” from postperformance surveys, Facebook wall comments and word-of-mouth, I hoped that The Observer would have written a review, summary, interview or editorial and open the discussion to those who were not able to attend the performance. Not everybody agrees that we need to have racial dialogue on campus, but ignoring this performance only precludes progress and frustrates those invested, including the directors who worked on it for over a year and counting. After dealing with a very real and raw monologue, written by someone from my own beloved dorm whose identity I do not know, I hope that others at this University are more open to hearing and accepting others’ stories, starting with the very media in which we are to find our voice. I am sure the courageous people who shared a piece of their souls in the form of a monologue would agree with me.
Kristina Flathers freshman Lewis Hall
Mar. 28
evil.
What complicates the situation is more external than internal. While Syria is heavily armed and well funded, I have no doubts the U.S. military will wipe the floor with their defenses and bring Assad to justice. These paper tiger regimes in the Middle East simply can’t stand up toe-to-toe with the U.S. in a fight. What is troubling is the significant Russian and Chinese presence in the country. Both countries are there to increase their access to resources as well as solidify their sphere of influence in the region. Some fear that engaging and removing Assad militarily could cause some backlash from one or both of the countries, perhaps even a bold military response.
President Obama certainly doesn’t want to deal with a conflict against two of our biggest rivals (in an election year nonetheless,) so for this reason alone it is unlikely we will see U.S. and interna-
tional forces deployed in Syria. However, a braver man would be able to call that bluff. Just as we were near powerless to stop the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, Russia and China would similarly be powerless and foolish to stop an invasion of Syria. With the backing of the international community and strategic deals to appease Russia and China, it is very possible to achieve a regime change and return peace to Syria. Would I trust Barrack Obama to do it successfully? If Egypt and Libya are any indicators — No way, Jose! It doesn’t look like help is coming any time soon for the people of Syria, and for that I am truly sorry.
Mark Easley is a senior computer science major. He can be contacted at measley@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
South America, anyone?
The end of the year is approaching, and I am willing to bet there is at least one other senior out there who doesn’t have definite plans for after graduation. Well fear not fellow nomad, I’m here to propose a solution for you. I am looking for someone to accompany me as I backpack through South America. I plan on leaving the first week of October and will tentatively travel for about a year. I am not looking for someone to travel the whole time, just long enough to assuage my parents’ worries. If you don’t already have plans, this is an excellent opportunity to do some volunteer work, experience new cultures, improve your Spanish and cross some things off the ol’ bucket list. Equipped with a backpack and a tent, the opportunities are endless. I’m searching for someone who is adventurous, so I’ll leave my proposal short and sweet — which should be more than adequate for the true adventure enthusiast.
Please email me at acarro01@saintmarys.edu if you are interested or have any questions. Peace.
Google Play could be new competition for Apple
Recently Google replaced its old Android Market with the shiny new Google Play. Whereas the old Android Market was centered (obviously) on Android phones, Google Play sits dead-center on the Google toolbar used by PCs and smartphones alike.
Ryan Kindel Daily Trojan
The service offers music, movies, books and games in one online marketplace. While obviously somewhat aping iTunes, Google Play differs in one major way from Apple’s mega-lucrative media service: Google Play stores all your media in the cloud, i.e., on the Internet, so you never have to download that song or game or book or whatever you want to have. You can simply stream your whatever of choice from the web, without ever properly downloading it to your computer.
Google Play is not the first cloud-based entertainment service. Netflix and Hulu have transformed the entertainment industry with their online subscription-based video-streaming services. With iTunes Cloud, Apple let users sync media across all their newfangled gizmos. Netflix and Hulu, however, have limited themselves to movies and TV shows, and
iTunes Cloud does not actually store media in the cloud. Google Play marks the first major attempt at omni-entertainment streamed strictly from the cloud.
iTunes will not be quivering in its boots quite yet. While Google Play talks big (offering “millions of songs and books” and “thousands of movies”), its selection compared to Apple’s is pretty weak, and users who want e-books or movies will more likely turn to a service built specifically for that medium. And competitors can take comfort too in the fact that Google’s ambitious side projects often fizzle. (Who remembers Google Wave?)
But then Google has never been a company one sneezes at. If Google Play gets some traction now, it could become a formative milestone in modern entertainment, the final step away from physically having one’s music toward having a license to hear it.
This article originally ran in the March 27 version of The Daily Trojan, serving the University of Southern California.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Alicia Carroll senior St. Mary’s Mar. 28
By COURTNEY ECKERLE
Scene Writer
Trashcan lids and youthful exuberance gave Delta Spirit both acclaim and a sense of destiny when they first hit the scene in 2006. With hype for their third and latest fulllength album “Delta Spirit” snowballing from a successful SXSW appearance and tour with My Morning Jacket, it seems as though the band might finally break into mainstream consciousness.
There have been a few setbacks, including a lackluster “History from Below” sophomore album and a brief sojourn with trio Middle Brother for lead singer Matt Vasquez. The venture was a singer/ songwriter project with Taylor Goldsmith and Deer Tick’s John McCauley.
But armed with new guitarist Will McLaren, the band set to work in Woodstock, N.Y., on this album.
Last year, the band told Rolling Stone they were sick of being shoved into the Americana genre. They spoke of incorporating into this album their “love of hip-hop, the ‘90s progressive production” and finding slow jams “closer to Montell Jordan than Neil Young.”
Although they were among the best of Americana bands, this determination for genre growth produced a solid album with perhaps more general appeal.
However, the band may have put aside some of their unique voice. Most of the songs feel like televisions songs — they work well in the background because they don’t distract from the scene too much. This is a real departure from previous albums centered on rowdy, gut bursting howling from Vasquez.
The band has said that this album is its first eponymous album because it has finally found its voice. The name draws up images of a spooky deep south of blues and hoo doo. “Delta Spirit” sounds much more like something out of
By: Delta Spirit
Label: Rounder Records
their home state, with the first single “California” an ode to it. Vasquez’s backwoods-barjukebox howling brings enough of the blues to “California” to carry along current fans, jumping up and down the musical scale like a raspy Tarzan. It doesn’t hurt that he has an ideal look to go along with his haunting voice either, like a swarthier Stevie Ray Vaughn.
“Money Saves” has a rhythm and chord progression with edge that is reminiscent of previous works, specifically “Bushwick Blues.” Starting off with a high pitched tongue roll, “Telling the Mind” is also a more familiar track with its out of control pace and creative arrangement.
The album’s opening track, “Empty House,” is like running in slow motion. You know it is actually moving quickly, but you feel it very slowly. It is without a doubt one of the most compelling tracks on the album. The band champions the blue collar worker over a great guitar hook with the opening line, “Glinting gems, in the concrete I paved / One every couple of feet / They got mixed up, in the lyme and the sand / Nobody noticed, but me!”
Considering Delta Spirit’s initial appeal with their fresh and creative trashcan banging and exuberant “I Think I’ve Found It EP” sound, this album comes as a mild disappointment. The songs aren’t always ideal for Vasquez’s voice, but that comes off well, as more importance placed on a collaboration of band taste than strategy on how best to display him.
There are more ballads than up-tempo heart kicking songs that gave the band their niche. However, it may serve as the impetus to get the band the attention and appeal they need to indoctrinate new listeners with the Delta Spirit. The band members made this album, for better or worse, for themselves — a modern rarity that should be applauded.
Contact Courtney Eckerle at cecker01@saintmarys.edu
Top Tracks: “Empty House,” “California,” “Money Saves,”
“Otherside”
Why fairytales? Why now?
Pop culture tends to follow trends. Consumers and producers alike latch onto ideas they like. Consumers eat up all the movies, TV shows and other paraphernalia that businesses and studios churn out. This cycle continues until the current big thing runs its course and the public finds something new interesting. That former current big thing is still trying to hang on: vampires. That new big thing people are engrossing themselves in now: fairytales.
storylines and bad acting, the new fairy-tale movement seems to be headed that way.
The problem is that people have trouble finding a new spin to put on these old stories. Putting them in modern context only goes so far.
From “Nosferatu” (1922) to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003), vampires have always held a degree of popular interest. But when teenage and young adult girls opened the first book of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series in 2005, pop culture was changed forever. Well, at least for the next few years.
But now it seems, after two popular TV shows and as the last “Twilight” movie comes out, the trend is coming to an end, to the delight of some and the sorrow of others. Don’t fear though. For those who don’t want to leave the fantasy world yet, the pop culture world has a new trend for you: fairy tales. In this genre, you don’t have to limit yourself to just vampires and werewolves. Now you can run the gamut with every sort of imaginary and fantastical creature you have missed since your parents stopped telling you bedtime stories.
The question, though, is whether this trend is any better than the vampires. Both Hollywood and the small screen are trying to accommodate this new trend. But just like vampires got old fast because of tired
“Enchanted” (2007) did a good job of bridging that gap, but mostly because it was a children’s movie, and so the writers could take certain liberties.And that’s one of the problems with this genre. It is too easy for the plot to get too ridiculous and magical that the film or show becomes childish.
For example, look at “Mirror, Mirror,” Julia Roberts’ newest movie, which hits theaters Friday.It’s a new take on Snow White, but based on the trailers, it seems to take on too much. It wants to appeal to too big of an audience and in doing so loses whatever charm it had.
It has devolved into purely a children’s movie, which is unfortunate as it has Roberts’ big name and talent. ABC’s “Once Upon A Time” also fell into this trap of trying to do too much, and the plotlines just got lost. But even if a movie or TV show doesn’t totally lose itself, putting these stories we grew up with into modern context often don’t resonate with viewers.
In these times of economic hardship and high divorce rates, audiences are less willing to shell out upwards of $10 to see yet another ragsto-riches or love-at-first-sight story when they themselves are having trouble finding a job or suffering through divorce.
It’s hard to find those stories heartening when they have that fantastical element — you know it’s not real life, so there’s little hope that it can happen to you. This is, however, a national trend, so clearly the pop culture business is doing something right. NBC’s “Grimm” does a relatively good job of putting a new spin on the fairy tale story. It combines the always-popular crime drama genre with the new fairy tale trend, which is unique and entertaining. The highlight of this trend so far, though, will be “Snow White and the Huntsman,” which opens June 1. Charlize Theron is terrifying yet compelling as the Evil Queen, and the plot twist of the huntsman looks appealing, especially with Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman. Kristen Stewart as Snow White is disappointing, however, but hopefully she won’t bring down the whole movie.
As a trend, pop culture could do worse than fairy tales. There was obviously a reason we all loved them as children, so if anything, we’ll tune in as adults just to reminisce. But we can only hope that this trend does not end up with Kristen Stewart and a sickly pale Robert Pattinson as the faces of this trend.
Contact Mary Claire O’Donnell at modonne5@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Mary Claire O’Donnell Scene Writer
Lily Collins as Snow White in the upcoming film, “Mirror Mirror.” AP
“Delta Spirit”
“Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” SUB Movie
When: 10 p.m.
Where: 101 DeBartolo Hall
How Much: $3
Tom Cruise is as Tom Cruise-y as ever, but be that as it may, this movie is still the first “Mission Impossible” sequel to match the excitement and quality of the 1996 original. The entry of Jeremy Renner into the series and the expansion of Simon Pegg’s role put this movie over the edge into the “must see” category.
Notre Dame Chorale Spring Concert
When: 8 p.m.
Where: DPAC
How Much: $3
Notre Dame’s own Chorale will perform its annual spring concert Friday night in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, a performance that will range in works from the Renaissance to those of contemporary composers. In May of 2011, the Chorale performed for the Pope and the Cardinals in Rome. If they’re good enough for the Pope, they’re good enough.
“A Separation” When: 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Where: DPAC
How Much: $3
This Iranian drama, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, follows a married couple living in Tehran as the wife wants to leave the city but the husband feels he needs to stay in order for his ailing father. The wife’s attempt to file for divorce is denied, and the film depicts the heartbreaking events that ensue during the couple’s separation.
Guest Organ Recital Series When: 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Where: DPAC How Much: $5
The Department of Music presents John Thiessen, a Baroque trumpeter who the New York Times described as “brilliant,” Craig Cramer, organist, and Keith Collins, Baroque bassoonist, Sunday in DPAC. The performance will include pieces from some of the greatest artists of the Baroque era.
By MAIJA GUSTIN Senior Scene Writer
The world of Westeros is looking stark. Or, rather, Stark.
HBO’s hit fantasy series “Game of Thrones” returns April 1 for its second season which promises warring families fighting for the throne — including the aforementioned Starks — and as much intrigue, lust and political conniving as the beloved first season.
That word “fantasy” may have turned you off from “Game of Thrones” almost immediately. But if you’re still reading, rest assured that the show — based on the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series of novels by George R.R. Martin — is much more than greasy men in armor storming castles and non-human creatures wreaking havoc on medieval-esque towns.
“Game of Thrones” will appeal to the thirst for epic fantasy of “Lord of the Rings” fans, but with a much grittier and less family-friendly tone. The show combines this with the character drama of “Mad Men,” the political machinations of “The West Wing” and the, um, sensuality of “True Blood” for something that is far more than just fantasy.
Be prepared, though. There are practically an encyclopedia’s worth of characters (with tons more coming in Season Two) living in this complex kingdom of
geographic jurisdictions, each with their own distinctive brand of politics and justice. The fight for the throne is the product of a long history of coups, battles, murder and exile with no clear end in sight.
Let’s not forget, too, that “Game of Thrones” is violent, bloody and only at home on this premium pay cable channel.
But, complicated and coarse as it is, “Game of Thrones” is one of the finest shows on television today. Impeccably written, each episode does full justice to the source material while exploiting its specifically visual medium to expand on,
rather than just reiterate, the original stories.
The cast is filled to the brim with incredible talent, both old and new, though don’t expect to recognize most of them. Sean Bean, who played Boromir in “Lord of the Rings,” does lead the cast as Ned Stark.
With a fine attention to detail and an emphasis on location shooting, rather than a reliance on CGI effects to create a backdrop, “Game of Thrones” pulls you into a new world at once familiar and foreign. Its vivid depictions of the frozen North, the sun-baked South and the deserts of exile are magical in a wholly realistic way.
All this has contributed to “Thrones’” critical adoration, picking up major Emmy — which notoriously shuns “fantasy” series — and Golden Globe nominations and wins in every area.
“Game of Thrones” isn’t just a critical favorite, though. It earns big audience numbers for HBO and has set a record for HBO’s DVD and BluRay sales. Regardless
of its high quality of production and its critical acclaim, “Game of Thrones” is ultimately just really good, entertaining TV.
And that holds true whether you like fantasy or not.
It should also be noted that, while “Thrones” does participate in a lot of the sensationalized, lascivious behavior that HBO shows are often known for, it also presents some of the strongest, most compelling female characters on contemporary television. In fact, one could easily argue that it is these very women — and not the men — that drive the show.
“Game of Thrones” returns to TV screens on Sunday, April 1. If you are new to Westeros, you’ll probably want to catch yourself up on the many events of Season One before diving into Season Two. With only 10 hour-long episodes in Season One, though, and compelling story arcs and cliffhangers to drive the narrative along, that shouldn’t be too difficult.
Luckily, HBO will be playing all 10 episodes on HBO2 leading up to the premiere.
Just remember: In the game of thrones, you win or you die. And that where once came winter now comes war.
Magic fits in perfectly as new Dodgers owner
Five months ago, I proclaimed the Wicked Witch of the West was dead. Who would have known that it would take this long for him to melt away as if it were Magic?
$3-5 billion television deal on the table from FOX or Time Warner.
Johnson, Kasten buy Dodgers
Associated
Press
NEW YORK — One Los Angeles institution is buying another.
Andrew Gastelum Associate Sports Editor
No more “Who’s your owner?” chants, no more ESPYs jokes and no more fan boycotts. Just say the Magic word. What the Dodgers needed was a return to their roots, that laidback, yet competitive fire stoked by the O’Malley family back in the day before we let corporate America control the biggest team in the country’s second biggest market. And if you ask anyone about the figure who epitomizes Los Angeles sports, that answer is Magic Johnson.
Don’t say baseball teams are businesses. Ask any owner in the game today where his/her intentions are and the response will be to win. Some are just louder than others. And ask them what made them buy a franchise, and they will say it was for the challenge.
These guys have made money their entire life, probably to the point where it starts to get boring doing the same thing. And if you look at those who possibly tried to make it a business — Frank McCourt, Fred Wilpon, Tom Hicks — everything turned on them.
Don’t say baseball teams are entertainment, either. Don’t lump sports in general with movies, music or shows. Who goes to a three-hour long, nineinning baseball game to be entertained? In fact, the common complaint about baseball is that it is too long or too boring. Doesn’t sound like entertainment to me.
So if it’s not for making money and it’s not just for having fun, why did his group invest an astounding $2 billion? Magic did this to win, the desire that has driven him in everything that he has done. He wanted to blow away his competition for the title of owner, and bring this team a championship — thus going down in history as the greatest Angeleno ever.
Critics and economists blast the world-record $2 billon price tag, but this is not about business. And if you argue that Magic’s group made a bad business decision, look at the potential
ClassIfIeds
But to put this deal in perspective, the last break-thebank sale in baseball was the Cubs in 2009 for $845 million. That shows two billion reasons how much this team means to Magic’s group. At that point, it’s like a seven-footer in basketball. After 6-foot-5, everything is just plain tall. Likewise, after one billion dollars, it is just a ton of money. The price of winning becomes priceless, as it should be.
And since we are talking in basketball terms, Magic’s best assists have yet to come.
Magic has way too much at stake to make this a business decision. As Wale puts it, he’s just trying to be legendary, and his reputation in L.A. stretches from Inglewood to L.A. Live and now to Chavez Ravine.
And the best part is he knows that if he messes this up, L.A. turns from the city that made him a star to the one that runs him out of town.
But let’s not forget he did this with help.
Mark Walter and Guggenheim Partners (a $100-billion financial services firm) will provide the financial backing, but Walter has made it clear that he wants to win a championship above all else.
Meanwhile, Stan Kasten remains the underdog of the whole situation. Thrown to the background while Magic takes the spotlight and Walter pulls out the checkbook, Kasten built the Braves dynasty of the 1990s with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Chipper Jones. Atlanta won more in his tenure than any team in baseball and now he has Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and unofficial 2011 MVP Matt Kemp to build a winner.
People who know me well know two concrete things: I can’t carry a conversation too far if it is not about sports and I love my city. The Dodgers hit each spot and always have for me and millions of others.
LA is sunshine, beaches and a laid-back attitude. And now you can finally throw the Dodgers back into that definition.
Poof, just like Magic.
Contact Andrew Gastelum at agastel1@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
A group that includes former Lakers star Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten agreed Tuesday night to buy the Dodgers from Frank McCourt for a record $2 billion.
The price would shatter the mark for a sports franchise. Stephen Ross paid $1.1 billion for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in 2009, and in England, Malcolm Glazer and his family took over the Manchester United soccer club in 2005 in a deal then valued at $1.47 billion.
Mark Walter, chief executive officer of the financial services firm Guggenheim Partners, would become the controlling owner.
The deal, revealed about five hours after Major League Baseball owners approved three finalists for an intended auction, is one of several steps toward a sale of the team by the end of April. It is subject to approval in federal bankruptcy court.
“I am thrilled to be part of the historic Dodger franchise and intend to build on the fantastic foundation laid by Frank McCourt as we drive the Dodgers back to the front page of the sports section in our wonderful community of Los Angeles,” Johnson said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, the Dodgers said McCourt and “certain affiliates of the purchasers” would acquire the land surrounding Dodger Stadium, including its parking lots, for $150 million.
“If they invested that much money, I’m sure they’ll invest to get us a winner,” said Tommy Lasorda, the Dodgers’ retired Hall of Fame manager. “I wish them all the luck, and I admire them. I know both of them. I know Magic from the day he came into Los Angeles as a basketball player for the Lakers.”
The acquiring group, called Guggenheim Baseball Management, has several other investors, among them Mandalay Entertainment chief executive Peter Guber, Guggenheim Partners president Todd Boehly and Bobby Patton, who operates oil and gas properties among his investments. Kasten is the former president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.
“I am truly honored to have partnered with such talented individuals and to be associated with the Dodgers organization,” said Walter. “We look forward to building upon the legacy of the Dodgers and providing long-term stability to one of the most revered franchises in baseball.”
The 52-year-old Johnson played 13 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships and three MVP awards in a Hall of Fame career.
He retired from the NBA in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He briefly came out of retirement during the 1995-96 season and had a short stint coaching the Lakers. Since leaving basketball, he has been very successful in business, investing in movie theaters, a production company and restaurants.
He has also been an activist in the fight against HIV.
“I’m upset he didn’t cut me in,” current Lakers star Kobe Bryant said. “I’m going to have to talk to him about that.”
McCourt paid $430 million in 2004 to buy the team, Dodger Stadium and 250 acres of land that include the parking lots, from the Fox division of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., a sale that left the team with about $50 million in cash at the time. The team’s debt stood at $579 million as of January, according to a court filing, so McCourt
stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars even after a $131 million divorce payment to former wife Jamie, taxes and legal and banking fees.
Kasten is expected to wind up as the team’s top day-today executive.
The other two finalists were:
— Stan Kroenke, whose family owns the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids. He also is majority shareholder of Arsenal in the English Premier League.
— Steven Cohen, founder of the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors and a new limited partner of the New York Mets; biotechnology entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong; and agent Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group. It remains to be seen whether Major League Baseball will challenge the deal in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, where the case is before Judge Kevin Gross.
Under an agreement reached by MLB and McCourt in November, a private auction was to be held among the finalists and McCourt was to select the winner by Sunday. The sales agreement is to be submitted to the bankruptcy court by April 6, ahead of a hearing seven days later, and the sale completed by April 30, the day McCourt is to make a divorce settlement.
website at:
http://pregnancysupport@nd.edu
Take Me Out to the Ballgame By Jack Norworth Katie Casey was baseball mad, Had the fever and had it bad. Just to root for the home town crew, Ev’ry sou, Katie blew. On a Saturday
Sports legend Magic Johnson and baseball executive Stan Kasten are part of a group that bought the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2 billion.
Williams elimated in quarterfinals, ready for rest
Associated Press
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Venus Williams sagged in the wooden changeover chair as if it were a cushy recliner, her head tilted back, her tank on empty.
She rose slowly to play the final two games and lost both, but grinned as she walked to the exit, perhaps because she was headed for a well-deserved rest.
Weary after winning three consecutive three-set matches, Wil-
liams was eliminated Wednesday by Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open, 6-4, 6-1.
“It was disappointing not to be able to feel my best today,” Williams said. “I was able to keep it close in the first set and try different strategies, but it was definitely a mental battle, and today I didn’t conquer the mental part of it.”
Williams’ serve lacked its usual velocity, and by the final game she wasn’t even chasing shots in the corner. The tournament was her first since the U.S. Open last August, where she withdrew after being diagnosed with a fatiguecausing autoimmune disease.
“It has been a great tournament,” she said. “Obviously I’m disappointed and would have liked to have gone further, but it’s a great start.”
Eager to keep points short in the 85-degree sunshine, Williams charged the net often but frequently had to lunge for shots. She committed 38 unforced er-
rors to 10 for Radwanska, and won only five of 26 points on her second serve.
“It was pretty hot out there,”
Radwanska said. “Maybe that was why she didn’t look that good.”
In the men’s quarterfinals, 2009 champion Andy Murray overcame an upset stomach and early deficit to beat No. 9-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Two Williamses were eliminated in 18 hours. Younger sister Serena lost Tuesday night to former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki.
Venus needed a wild card to enter the tournament because she’s ranked 134th. The three-time Olympian’s goal has been improve her ranking enough to qualify for the London Games, and she’s projected to climb next week back into the top 90.
In the past, the cutoff for making the Olympics has been around 68th. Teams will be chosen based on rankings in early June.
Radwanska, ranked a careerbest No. 4, advanced to the Key Biscayne semifinals for the first time. She’s 0-4 this year against top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and 24-0 against everyone else. She beat Williams in 2006 but had since lost five consecutive meetings.
“Of course she had some time off last couple of months,” Radwanska said. “But she’s still a great player. I really had to play very well today to beat her.”
Williams overcame a match point in the third round against Aleksandra Wozniak on Sunday night, and said she was up until 4 a.m. afterward. She recovered to beat No. 15-seeded Ana Ivanovic on Monday.
Williams said her ailment requires her to save all her energy for tennis, but she strayed from that approach with a day off Tuesday.
“I should have rested more probably,” Williams said. “After a while you start to feel like maybe everything’s behind you. I definitely learned maybe if you’re doing something right, don’t change it.”
Her energy reserve appeared low from the start of the quarterfinal, and she lost the first seven points. Radwanska took advantage of Williams’ lethargy by hitting several drop shots for winners and pouncing on weak second serves.
When Williams had a chance at an easy overhead, she walked up to the ball flat-footed. Facing break point early in the second set, she mustered only a 72-mph first serve, well below her norm of 110 or more.
Williams lost the final six points, dumped her last shot into the net and began looking ahead to the clay-court season. She plans to play next week at Charleston, S.C.
Venus Williams returns a shot against Agnieszka Radwanska in the Sony Ericsson Open on Wednesday. Radwanska won the match 6-4, 6-1.
Deadly shootings in France prompt updated security
Associated Press
LONDON — Britain has planned for a dizzying array of security nightmares surrounding the Olympics, including a coordinated attack like the London transit bombings, a dirty bomb or a cyberattack.
In the wake of France’s deadly shootings, one scenario weighing heavily on the minds of security officials is the self-starter operating with little or no help from others.
And, they admit, there are limits to what security personnel can do.
has the capability to listen in on people’s telephone conversations and monitor their online communications. Surveillance units have also been attached to troops serving in places such as Afghanistan, specifically to gather intelligence that may lead back to Britain.
There are also special teams to look at suspect financial transactions — an aspect of anti-terror strategy that gained more attention following last year’s terror attacks in Norway.
“Every Olympic venue will be specially protected, but of course, when you are in the street, people waiting for the bus waiting to go to an Olympic venue could be a target.”
“You cannot exclude something similar,” said Denis Oswald, head of the International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission for the London Games.
Denis Oswald coordination commission head International Olympic Comimttee
“Every Olympic venue will be specially protected, but of course, when you are in the street, people waiting for the bus waiting to go to an Olympic venue could be a target.”
Mohamed Merah — a 23-year-old Muslim extremist who says he trained in Afghanistan — claimed responsibility for killing paratroopers, Jewish children and a rabbi in a weeklong shooting rampage in the French city of Toulouse. Police shot him dead last week after a 32-hour standoff.
French politicians have painted him as a “lone wolf” killer. But police are looking for possible accomplices, and suspicions grew that he had help when it turned out an apparent video of the attacks sent to the Al-Jazeera news network was not sent by Merah.
French officials say Merah moved in extremist Muslim circles in France and had been to Afghanistan twice. He told police he had trained in the Pakistani militant stronghold of Waziristan. He also had a long criminal record and a brother who had been suspected in a 2007 network that sent militant fighters to Iraq.
But French officials say there wasn’t enough evidence of a threat to put Mohamed Merah under regular surveillance. Olympic security officials face a similar problem with some Islamic radicals in Britain ahead of the games.
“The reality is that there are hosts of people like this and most of them will never do anything,” said a British government official who spoke on condition of anonymity to the AP because of the sensitivity of his work. “You can’t follow everyone around.”
That doesn’t mean Britain isn’t one of the most high-security nations in the Western world.
Since British suicide bombers killed 52 people during rush-hour attacks on July 7, 2005, MI5 and police counterterrorism units have vastly boosted their intelligence network. The country’s surveillance agency, known as GCHQ,
Rightist extremist Anders Behring Breivik’s set off a 2,100-pound (950-kilogram) fertilizer bomb in the heart of Oslo that killed eight people before going on a shooting rampage at youth camp that left 69 dead. Breivik’s name came up on a list of people who had transferred money to Polish chemical firm under scrutiny in an international anti-terror initiative — but Norwegian authorities didn’t investigate further because his order was so small.
“The profile of these loners is different to what we saw with the four suicide bombers in 2005,” said Noman Benotman, a former jihadist with links to al-Qaida who still maintains contacts within the jihadist community. “Many of them have some training, a strong conviction and they manage to stay off the radar for the most part.”
Although the 8,000-mile torch relay starts in May — more than two months ahead of the games — security and law enforcement officials are bracing for a number of potential threats as the torch snakes though Northern Ire -
land, the Republic of Ireland and parts of the U.K.
Inside Britain’s domestic spy agency of MI5, a clock counts down the minutes before the torch arrives in England.
“To terrorists, the Olympics present a golden opportunity because they know they will get the world’s attention,” said Benotman, who now works as an analyst for the London-based Quilliam Foundation. “It doesn’t really matter whether they kill seven or 70.”
“To terrorists, the Olympics present a golden opportunity because they know they will get the world’s attention.”
ligence to suggest a credible and specific threat to the games, officials have spent years taking precautions for the Olympics since London won the bid the day before the 2005 attacks.
Noman Benotman analyst Quilliam Foundation
Although there is no intel-
Britain is already known as a leader in ‘Big Brother’ surveillance — there are nearly 30 CCTV cameras near George Orwell’s house alone in North London. The author of “1984” warned more than six decades ago of a time when it would be nearly impossible to escape from the
watchful eyes of the state.
For the games, more cameras will be added to Britain’s 4.3 million, and some will be used in conjunction with advanced facial recognition software and databases that can match vehicle registration numbers to names.
Olympic venues have also been designed with security threats in mind — special shatterproof glass has been installed, structures have been built with advice from explosives experts and pathways have been laden with curves and gaps deliberately meant to slow down a potential attacker.
“If you look at the Internet, there are web sites calling exactly for these types of lone-wolf attacks,” said Rob Wainwright, head of The Hague-based Europol, which will be sharing databases with law enforcement officials during the Olympics.
London police officers stand guard outside of the Olympic beach volleyball venue Wednesday.
Heightened security has been put in place in the wake of a terrorist shooting in France.
Phelps and Lochte revive rivalry at Indy Grand Prix
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Michael Phelps wants to prove he’s still the world’s best swimmer.
Ryan Lochte believes he can still beat Phelps head-to-head.
Welcome to the next installment of the world’s hottest swimming rivalry, which will be replayed three times over the next three days at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. While the meet is filled with past Olympic medalists and future Olympic hopefuls, there are two swimmers everyone will be watching — including the rivals themselves.
a preliminary heat even forced the most decorated American Olympian to swim in a consolation heat for the 100 freestyle in Austin, Texas. At least he won that race.
Things may be about to change for the record-setting swimmer from Baltimore, who reiterated he would retire following the Olympics.
“You find people who bring out the best in you, and [Lochte] definitely brings out the best in me.”
“You find people who bring out the best in you, and he [Lochte] definitely brings out the best in me,” Phelps said Wednesday, less than 24 hours before the meet begins.
Michael Phelps U.S. swimmer
After winning a record eight Olympic gold medals in Beijing four years ago, Phelps told the audience he’s finally rediscovered his passion for swimming, established new goals and rededicated himself to the sport that turned him into an international star. He declined to explain those goals.
But Phelps acknowledges he hasn’t been himself in the run up to the London Olympics, the final event of his career.
On Wednesday, during an informal discussion at a local Boys and Girls Club, the 14time Olympic gold medalist told about 100 children and workers his results over the past three years were “horrendous.” Just two months ago, a subpar performance in
Clearly, Phelps doesn’t plan to coast through his farewell tour, which explains why he’s entered in five events this week — the 100 free, the 100 and 200 fly, the 200 IM and the 400 IM, an event he once swore he would never compete in again.
“The biggest thing is if I want to achieve the goals I’ve set, I’ve got to be in tip-top shape,” Phelps said. “Part of that is swimming longer races. The 400 IM is the toughest race and the most painful one.”
Lochte hasn’t exactly been in top form recently, either.
After winning five gold medals and beating Phelps twice at last year’s world championships, he had a miserable performance at the U.S. winter nationals and, like Phelps, was relegated to that consolation heat in Austin.
Some of the poor times can attributed to his training schedule. But when Phelps and Lochte are swimming against one another, good things tend to happen.
“No matter where I’m at in
my times, I’m going to go up to the blocks and race — whether it’s Michael or anyone else,” Lochte said. “It’s fun. Every sport needs a good rivalry and I’m glad to have that rivalry with such a great athlete.”
For the Indy fans, this week could produce a rare treat. Lochte also is scheduled to compete in five races and will face Phelps three times — in the 100 free and 100 fly on Thursday and perhaps the premier event of the weekend, Saturday’s matchup in the 200 IM. The contest pits the two fastest Americans in the event. It’s a rematch between the 2008 Olympic gold and bronze medalists. And Lochte will try to hang onto the world record in a pool that Phelps has been known to break records in.
we swim so many different strokes against each other. Crocker and I really only swam one event. But it is fun.”
Fans aren’t the only ones who will be watching.
Brendan Hansen, a former Olympic teammate of Lochte and Phelps, acknowledges he’s been paying attention, too, and believes it’s the kind of rivalry that can help the whole American team.
“It’s fun. Every sport needs a good rivalry and I’m glad to have that rivalry with such a great athlete.”
Ryan Lochte U.S. swimmer
“What they have is a healthy rivalry,” said Hansen, who is attempting a comeback at age 30. “No matter what happens, going into London, those are two guys you can build off, that you can feed off of and they’re definitely going to be the backbone of this U.S. team.”
And with Lochte pushing him, it could happen again.
“Every rivalry is different,” Phelps said. “(Ian) Crocker and I was different from what Ryan and I have. Ryan and I,
Regardless of what happens in Indy this week or at this summer’s Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb.
Other prominent swimmers competing in Indy include Missy Franklin, Cullen Jenkins, Kara Lynn Joyce, Dana Vollmer and Dara Torres.
Michael Phelps takes a breather during practice Wednesday as he prepares for the Indianapolis Grand Prix, which begins today. Phelps will be reviving his rivalry with Ryan Lochte.
Prime minister bans Syrian officials from Olympics
Associated Press
LONDON — Dozens of officials in Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime will be blocked from attending the London Olympics, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed Wednesday as he pledged to make the event “the greatest show on Earth.”
Cameron said those subject to international travel bans and asset freezes would not be able to attend the sporting spectacle, which takes place from July 27 to Aug. 12.
“I don’t think we should punish the athletes for the sins of the regime, so Syria will be taking part in the games and that is right,” Cameron told reporters as he held talks with International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, who was in town for the IOC’s final inspection visit before the games.
“But let’s be absolutely clear, Britain has led efforts within the European Union and elsewhere to institute asset bans, travel freezes and punishing sanctions against this despicable regime. Anyone covered by one of those travel bans will not be welcome in London,” Cameron said.
A total of 41 organizations and 127 people linked to the Syrian regime have had European Union sanctions imposed upon them, including Assad’s British-born wife, Asma. Dip -
lomats have conceded they could not prevent her from entering Britain, but insist they do not expect her to try to travel to the U.K.
Britain’s Home Office, which is responsible for border control, will need to decide whether to grant a visa to attend the Olympics to Syrian Olympic Committee president Gen. Mowaffak Joumaa, a close Assad aide who is not currently covered by sanctions.
The ministry can deny entry if it feels an individual’s presence in Britain would not be “conducive to the public good.”
Cameron said he, Rogge and London organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe used their talks to discuss transport, security planning and attempts to make sure ordinary people benefit from the legacy of the London Olympics.
The British leader — who said he runs and plays tennis once a week — insisted a key goal was to raise public participation in sports, particularly among young people. Cameron later played a game of badminton in the garden of his Downing Street home with Coe and two schoolgirls.
A key benefit from the Olympics would be “the inspiration people will feel when they see great British athletes, whether rowing in a race, riding on a bicycle or running on the
track,” Cameron said. “It’s well known that this has a transformational effect.”
“That’s the bit you can’t touch, but it is very, very powerful and I think can bring the country together,” he said.
Rogge also met with former British Olympic stars Denise Lewis, Darren Campbell and Princess Anne, the daugh -
ter of Queen Elizabeth II, who competed in equestrian events at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
“London has raised the bar on how to deliver a lasting legacy. We can already see tangible results in the remarkable regeneration of east London,” Rogge said.
The IOC delegation is meet -
ing with London organizers through Friday to check on preparations, the 10th and final visit by the full coordination group since the British capital was awarded the games in July 2005.
“We are happy at the IOC,” Rogge told reporters, when asked about London’s readiness to host the events.
British Prime Minister David Cameron held a news conference Wednesday announcing that dozens of Syrian officials will be banned from the upcoming Olympic Games.
Ichiro leads Seattle to season-opening win in Japan
Associated Press
TOKYO — Ichiro Suzuki gave his fans in Japan a performance to cheer about.
Suzuki had four hits in his return home, Dustin Ackley homered and singled in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 3-1 Wednesday night in baseball’s season opener.
“It was very special to open in Japan,” said Suzuki, who spent nine seasons in Osaka with the Orix Blue Wave. “I wanted to have fun and give the fans something at this special time and wanted to share a special moment with them.”
Major League Baseball and the players’ association are using the series to assist rebuilding in Japan following last year’s earthquake and tsunami. A group of players and coaches traveled to the disaster zone on Tuesday to conduct a baseball clinic.
Felix Hernandez combined with two relievers on a six-hitter as MLB opened its season in Tokyo for the fourth time. The continent switch didn’t help the A’s, who became the first team to
lose eight straight openers since Philadelphia from 1985-92, according to STATS LLC.
Seattle and Oakland complete their two-game series Thursday. The rest of the big league teams start to get going April 4, when the renamed Miami Marlins open their new ballpark against the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.
A capacity crowd of 44,227 at Tokyo Dome was a sea of flashbulbs every time Suzuki came to bat. He got a standing ovation when he took his position in right field in the final inning.
Dropped from leadoff to third in the batting order as he started his 12th big league season, Suzuki singled in the first when be beat shortstop Cliff Pennington’s throw after his grounder over the mound was deflected by Oakland starter Brandon McCarthy.
Suzuki singled on a grounder to shortstop in the fourth, singled to center in the sixth and had an RBI single to center in the 11th.
“We’re trying to stretch out the lineup and have the guys feed off each other,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. “I think Ichiro hitting in the third
spot is the right place. We’re going to be a very offensive ballclub this year.”
The 38-year-old Suzuki set a big league record with 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons before falling short last year.
“He’s a hitting machine,” said Oakland manager Bob Melvin, who managed Suzuki with the Mariners in 2003 and 2004. “It doesn’t matter where he bats in the lineup. That’s what he does — hit.”
Ackley homered in the fourth off McCarthy, and Oakland’s Kurt Suzuki doubled in a run in the bottom half. The score remained 1-1 until the 11th, when Brendan Ryan doubled against Andrew Carignan (0-1), Chone Figgins sacrificed and Ackley singled to center.
“I was able to put a good swing on that one,” Ackley said. “Our team is off to a good start, and that’s all that matters.”
Jerry Blevins relieved, Ackley stole second and Ichiro Suzuki singled for a two-run lead. Brandon League closed it out for the save.
Tom Wilhelmsen (1-0) got the win with two hitless innings.
Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, who signed a $36 million,
four-year contract with Oakland, was 1 for 3 with a seventhinning double and two strikeouts in his major league debut.
Hernandez, coming off a 1414 season, allowed five hits in eight innings, struck out six and walked none, throwing 104 pitches.
While Oakland threatened repeatedly, the A’s were 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
“They got bigger hits than we did at the end,” Melvin said. “We hit some balls hard, but they just didn’t get in.”
McCarthy gave up one run and six hits in seven innings with three strikeouts and no walks.
AC Milan holds Barcelona to scoreless draw at San Siro
MILAN — AC Milan held Barcelona to an entertaining 0-0 draw on Wednesday in the opening leg
of the quarterfinals, the first time in 30 matches and more than two years that the Spanish team had been held scoreless in the Champions League.
The last time Barcelona failed to score in the Champions League was in the 0-0 draw with Rubin Kazan in November 2009.
“There’s a first time for ev-
erything,” Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. “Milan is happy with the result and that’s a real compliment for us. Not scoring away from home does penalize us a bit, as I think we will have to score twice to go through.
“They are strong in so many aspects, I don’t think one goal will be enough. But the pitch will be better than this one, so there’ll be a bit more speed. We’re used to playing to win.”
Barcelona players complained about the state of the pitch, with lumps of turf flying up with every tackle and players slipping constantly.
“It’s a shame the pitch isn’t suited to a game of football, Inter and Milan deserve a better pitch,” Guardiola said. “In the past few years we’ve won a lot, we’ve also lost and drawn. But whatever the result we’ve never been a team to complain about the referee or anything. To be the best you need to overcome these difficulties.”
Milan will find out in the return leg at the Camp Nou next Tuesday how much it will regret Robinho’s woeful miss early on, while Barcelona should’ve had a first-half penalty when Alexis Sanchez was brought down by goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.
Lionel Messi, who has scored 55 times this season, had a goal rightly ruled out for offside at the San Siro.
This is only the second time a match between these two European heavyweights has ended scoreless in 14 meetings.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who spent an unhappy season at Barcelona, was also kept quiet although he should have done better with two opportunities.
“I’m happy,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “The lads put on a good performance, they interpreted the game as they should have done, attacked strongly and defended well when they had to. It’s a good result to
go to Barcelona with. It will be a difficult game but two out of three results will favor us.
“Next week I want a game like that of four-five months ago when, especially in the first half, we had several brilliant chances which we then wasted. So I want to have the same chances next week.”
These teams also played each other in the group stage, with defending champion Barcelona beating Milan 3-2 in November in their last matchup. And the opening stages of this game appeared to promise a similar amount of goals.
Madrid forward Robinho should have scored in the third minute.
Milan attacker Kevin Prince Boateng’s shot crashed off defender Gerard Pique and the rebound was headed on by Ibrahimovic to an unmarked Robinho just outside the six-yard box, however the Brazilian shot over the crossbar.
Milan was almost made to rue that missed opportunity immediately, Messi drilling the ball low across the face of goal.
Barcelona went close when Abbiati spilled Messi’s shot but Antonio Nocerino managed to clear off the line with Dani Alves sliding to try and tap it into the net in the ninth minute.
The Spanish side should have had a penalty after a well-worked free kick came to Sanchez, who beat the offside trap, rode a tackle from behind and was then brought down by Abbiati as he rounded the goalkeeper.
Ibrahimovic had his first sight of goal in the 20th minute, shooting straight at goalkeeper Victor Valdes. But Barca was starting to get into its stride to dominate possession as Milan struggled to carve out opportunities.
A lovely Barca move followed by a one-two between Xavi and Messi finished with the midfielder’s shot being parried by Abbiati.
Associated Press
Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki has one of his four hits in Seattle’s 3-1 win over the A’s on Wednesday at the Tokyo Dome.
uefa ChampIons leaGue
Notre Dame snatches doubleheader victories
By MIKE MONACO Sports Writer
Less than 24 hours after blasting a walk-off home run to beat Western Michigan on Tuesday, junior catcher Amy Buntin was back at it, as she and the rest of the Irish offense carried the team in a twogame sweep of Toledo on Wednesday at Melissa Cook Stadium.
Notre Dame (14-10) exploded for five runs in the seventh inning Tuesday to snag a come-from-behind win over the Broncos, and the bats remained hot from the start Wednesday, as the Irish won the first game, 9-1, in a shortened fiveinning game. Buntin, who leads the team with a .377 average and 25 RBIs, launched her fifth home run of the season in the first inning and had a two-run single in the third.
“Amy Buntin has been on fire lately,” senior outfielder Alexa Maldonado said. “She had a [heck] of a day.”
Freshman outfielder Emilee Koerner tacked on another two runs in the third with a double, and the Irish added three more in the fourth to make it 8-0. Aside from Buntin’s home run, the key to the offense was putting together good at-bats with consecutive hits, Maldonado said.
“We talked about stringing together hits and producing runs for our pitchers,” she said. “When a pitcher pitches and allows no runs all game we should put the other team away.”
Notre Dame put the Rockets (7-19) away quickly. Sophomore pitcher Laura Winter tossed four innings, struck out five and only allowed two hits. Winter (8-6) leads the team with 95 innings pitched, and opponents are only hitting .206 against her on the season.
With Winter in control on the mound, the Irish ended things early in the fifth inning when fresh-
smC softball
man infielder Jenna Simon ripped an RBI double to score junior pitcher Jackie Bowe.
The Irish bats struggled out of the gates in the nightcap, but the team found its groove in time to secure an 8-0 win. Notre Dame broke through in the third when senior infielder Dani Miller plated a run with her sacrifice fly.
The Irish pushed another run across in the fourth when freshman infielder Katey Haus belted her third home run of the season to give her team a 2-0 lead. From there, the offense erupted with six runs in the fifth inning. Maldonado and Koerner each drove in two runs in the inning and Notre Dame took a commanding 8-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Maldonado raised her batting average to .355 and her team-leading on-base percentage to .424.
“I believe that I’m doing well [recently],” Maldonado said. “I’ve had a lot of walks lately, which is different for me.”
O’Donnell stymied the Toledo offense even after the Irish broke the scoreless tie. The right-hander tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout, going six innings and only walking one batter. Maldonado said the two-game sweep puts the Irish in prime position as they head into a weekend series against Connecticut on a three-game winning streak.
“We set our goal to go undefeated at home and in conference games,” Maldonado said. “We are using these wins to just build off one another and make sure that the positive energy we have now keeps going.”
The Irish open up Big East play Saturday against Connecticut (1311) at noon at Melissa Cook Stadium.
Contact Mike Monaco at jmonaco@nd.edu
Belles focus on pitching, look to continue streak
By NICK BOYLE Sports Writer
Saint Mary’s will aim to carry on its winning ways when No. 18 Carthage visits this afternoon. After dropping four contests in a row, the Belles have bounced back with three consecutive wins coming into today’s game.
“I think we had a little slip in there with the losing streak,” Belles coach Erin Sullivan said. “We were questioning our hitting after playing a lot of games in a short period of time. We got out of [our slump] Sunday, and then played really well on Monday. It just took some confidence, trusting the work we put in and being better prepared mentally.”
Since Carthage (10-2) is one of the better teams in the area, Sullivan said today’s contests will be a good test for the Belles (13-5) and prepare the team for their upcoming conference schedule.
“We want to make sure we play well [against Carthage],” Sullivan said. “We don’t want to make any mental errors. They are one of the best teams in the mid-west and
nd
Women’s traCk and fIeld
Irish aim for Big East qualifiers
By AARON SANT-MILLER Sports Writer
With only three competitors, the Irish carried more than their own weight Wednesday when three multi-event athletes from Notre Dame traveled to Austin, Texas to compete in the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Senior Maddie Buttinger and freshman Carly Loeffel represented the women in the heptathlon, while junior Ted Glasnow represented the men in the decathlon.
Both women competed in the first four events of their heptathlon, with Buttinger finishing the day in seventh and Loeffel finished the day in 20th. On the men’s side, Glasnow competed in a total of five events, finishing in 19th.
“I think Maddie is doing well, if she has a better second day,” Piane said. “She, of course is a very good 800-meter runner, so she will do very well in that tomorrow.”
Piane also said Buttinger’s goals extend beyond the competition tomorrow, as she looks to the NCAA championships.
“I would expect Maddie, if not tomorrow, to at some point qualify for the NCAAs,” Piane said.
“Right now, we’re trying to get our athletes qualified for the Big East [tournament], so that’s what they will be looking to do tomorrow.”
Joe
Piane Irish coach
“Our athletes did perform pretty well,” Irish coach Joe Piane said. “So, yes, I would say we’re off to a pretty good start.”
Buttinger managed top-five finishes in two of her four events, taking the first spot in the shot put with a toss of 12.34 meters and fourth place in the high jump with a leap of 1.69 meters. Buttinger had a little more difficulty in the field events, finishing 16th in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.82 seconds and finishing 11th in 200-meter dash with a time of 25.42 seconds.
The meet was Loeffel’s first collegiate outdoor event. With less experience, Loeffel did not achieve quite the same success as Buttinger. She did finish 16th in both the shot put and the high jump with a toss of 10.29 meters and a leap of 1.6 meters. She struggled somewhat more in the other two events, as she finished 18th in the 200-meter dash (26.35 seconds) and finished 19th in the 100-meter hurdles (15.47 seconds).
Glasnow also struggled to match the bar Buttinger set. Like his teammates, Glasnow saw more success in the field events, with an 11th-place finish in the shot put (11.83-meters), a 13th place finish in the high jump (1.87-meters) and a 16th-place finish in the long jump (6.80-meters). On the track, Glasnow finished 19th in the 400-meter dash (52.80 seconds) and 23rd in the 100-meter dash (11.54 seconds).
“Ted is right where he should be,” Piane said. “Ted is very solid all around and he is showing that.”
The athletes’ performances are far from over. The two women have their second batch of four events tomorrow and Glasnow has his second of five events. All three will look to take advantage of this second day and move up the leaderboards.
“I expect all of them to keep doing what they started and remain solid,” Piane said. “But, this is our first heptathlon and decathlon se we’ll find out a little bit more about [our specific expectations] tomorrow.”
Three more athletes will represent the Irish tomorrow as well. The Irish will send sophomore Meghan Moore and juniors Alex Bavis and Dean Odegard to the Eastern Illinois Multi-Event Invitational in Charleston, Ill.
These three athletes will look to match the standards set by their teammates Wednesday in the Lone Star State.
“I’m sure they will do well also,” Piane said. “Right now, we’re trying to get our athletes qualified for the Big East [tournament], so that’s what they will be looking to do tomorrow.”
The busy week for the Irish continues tomorrow as they compete in both the second day of the Texas Relays and the first day of the Eastern Illinois Invitational. On Friday, some of the Irish will wrap up their performances in Charleston, Ill., while others will begin the first day of the Purdue Poehlein Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind., which continues through Saturday.
Contact aaron Sant-Miller at asantmil@nd.edu
will prepare us for the good teams we will play in conference.”
To compete against Carthage, the Belles will need to be sharp both offensively and defensively. Sullivan said this sharpness needed to start with pitching.
“We need our pitchers to come out sharp,” Sullivan said. “They need to get ahead in the counts and cut back on walks. Our hitters also need to be sharp and have quality at-bats. We’ve had too many pop-up outs and strikeouts recently.”
With conference play coming up quickly, Sullivan said she hopes her seniors will be able to step up for the team.
“Our seniors are all playing well right now,” Sullivan said. “For us to succeed, we need our leaders to step up and always be at the top of their game. They want to have a good season and need to challenge themselves to always bring their best.”
Saint Mary’s hosts Carthage today with the first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Contact Nick Boyle at nboyle1@nd.edu
Kubinski
continued from page 24
ing averages of all time on the teams they’ve been on is a great testament to how good of players they’ve been.”
The trio’s most successful season thus far came during their junior year when the Irish took home eight top-two team finishes. Scodro led the Irish last year with a scoring average of 73.3, while Walker and Usher finished the year with scoring averages of 73.9 and 74.9, respectively. Not only has the trio brought success to the program, but they have also
changed the style of play, Walker said.
“I think the three of us sort of revolutionized the program in terms of the style of players that we are,” Walker said. “The three of us are longer hitters and more aggressive. I think that when all three of us started to travel in our sophomore year it kind of gave a new dynamic to the team.”
“I think all three of us sort of revolutionized the program in terms of the style of players that we are.”
Yet, the influence Scodro, Walker and Usher have made reaches beyond just their play on the course. Having played on the team for four years, the seniors have now become leaders.
Chris Walker Irish senior
According to Kubinski, the Irish recently had a team meeting to discuss the struggles the team experienced in their last two tournaments.
“In the team meeting, Max spoke right up,” Kubinski said. “When he speaks, there is no questioning the young guys are listening and gaining confidence and really excited to finish off this season in a big way. Tom and Chris have always been the same way.
“I think without that leadership, a coach is really searching for things, but with those guys it really puts us in a great position to finish off this season on a high note.”
Among the trio, Scodro has grabbed the most headlines in his four years. He was just named Big East Golfer of the Week for the second consecutive week and his current season stroke average is the lowest in school history at 71.43.
“Max is just getting better and better,” Kubinski said. “I think his stroke average this spring is as good as anyone’s we can remember so he is doing just an outstanding job.”
Having played in every event this year and last, Walker has been a stalwart in the Irish lineup. Of the three seniors, Walker has made some of the biggest improvements since he came to Notre Dame as a freshman.
“It’s great to see Chris now
as a senior and the strides he has made these last three years — his emotional maturity, dedication to the game,” Kubinski said. “He has not necessarily shown this spring, but the last couple of years, shooting a 67 in down in Texas last year, and the capability he has, winning all four matches at The Match Play, just shows a lot to show what he has done to grow as a player and as a person.”
Finally, Usher has achieved his fair share of success in the past four years. While he has struggled in his senior year so far, Usher tied for first in the Big East Championship his sophomore year and won the St. Mary’s Invitational his junior year.
ally coming around. I am really excited to watch the three of them play at the [All American Intercollegiate at The Woodlands Golf Course] and then go to the Big East championship and NCAAs.”
Despite the achievements of the senior trio over the past four years, they are not done yet. The Irish have not reached the NCAA finals since 1966, but they are hoping that can change this year, Walker said.
“I think more than anything, [we] three seniors have never been to the national championship finals and that’s smething that at the start of the year we really set up as a goal for us and for the team.”
Chris Walker Irish senior
“Tom has been older than his age since he arrived,” Kubinski said. “He is just such a mature young guy. He had an injury last spring which took him back a little bit and he made a swing change in the fall, but he is re-
Hudson
continued from page 24
compiled a team-high .411 average with two home runs and 22 RBIs in 23 games.
Aoki said he is hoping to hang on to his veteran catcher for a senior season, but is proud of the progress Hudson has made since joining the Irish program.
“I really do think he’s elevating himself into a position where he’s a seventh- or eighth-round [draft pick],” Aoki said. “Hopefully we hang onto him, [but] if not I’m pleased with what he’s done. His at-bats are such good at-bats, he just makes people get him out and he’s not afraid to hit with two strikes and part of that goes back to him having offensive
“I think that more than anything, [we] three seniors have never been to the national championship finals and that’s something that at the start of the year we really set as a goal for us and for the team,” Walker said. “I think that the three of us really have that in our minds right now and that’s something that we really want to accomplish.”
Contact Peter Steiner at psteiner@nd.edu
ability.”
Part of the challenge for any catcher to produce offensively is to overcome the natural wear and tear inherent to the position. Despite Hudson’s swelling offensive output, he said he remains more concerned with defense and handling the pitching staff than his offensive output.
“Growing up, all my coaches said, ‘If you’re going to be a catcher, then be a catcher.’ I really thank all my coaches from high school and Little League for stressing defense first,” he said.
If Hudson continues to put up the numbers he has to this point in 2012, his coach can’t be disappointed in his catcher, not even selfishly.
Contact a ndrew o wens at aowens2@nd.edu
ASHLEY DACY/The Observer
Senior Max Scodro adjusts the flag during Notre Dame’s sixthplace finish at the Fighting irish Gridiron Golf Classic on Sept. 26.
Seniors
continued from page 24
ly three seasons later, Louderback said memories like Mathews’ quarterfinal victory and senior Kristy Frilling’s perfect record at No. 1 doubles in dual matches her sophomore year are only a small part of the reason why he is proud of his senior co-captains.
“All they’ve really cared about is how well we’ve done as a team,” Louderback said. “They both have made sacrifices during their four years of either playing wherever they’ve played in the lineup or with [different] doubles partners, and I’ve never heard a complaint from either one of them about anything. That’s probably the thing I’m most proud about, just the way they’ve handled being great teammates.”
past,” Mathews said. “Our freshman year we had really good leaders on the team with [current assistant coach] Kelcy Tefft, who was our senior captain at the time, and Katie Potts, and we just learned a lot from those two.”
Louderback also said the pair’s success — they are currently the No. 1 doubles tandem in the country — meant they had little difficulty gaining the respect of their younger teammates.
“It’s a little easier for them since they’re our best two players,” Louderback said. “They’ve both worked really hard to get to where they are now, and that gives them the ability to be able to tell kids whatever they feel.”
“They’ve both worked really hard to get to where they are now, and that gives them the ability to be able to tell kids whatever they feel.”
Jay Louderback Irish coach
Mathews said she and Frilling found it easier to take control of the team after seeing so many good examples in their earlier years.
“In a way it’s been an easy transition, for the both of us, to step into those leadership roles as we came to be seniors because we just wanted to follow in the footsteps of the great leaders that we’ve had on our team in the
Coaches
continued from page 24
the Brian Kelly era. In case you don’t remember, the offensive line under Charlie Weis was, well, not so stellar. While Weis recruited big, talented linemen, those linemen never reached their full potential. They got bigger, sure, but were regularly manhandled in terms of speed and technique. It’s why Jimmy Clausen struggled so much under center.
Warinner revamped that entire offensive front and quietly made it one of the strengths of the 2011 squad. The offensive line’s improvements were most noticeable in the run game, which had an outstanding year under former running backs coach Tim Hinton. Running back Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray nearly pulled off dual 1,000-yard seasons, and they often had gaping holes to run through — they couldn’t have racked up those yards without them.
Now Warinner and Hinton have offices 280 miles to the southeast in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, where they are on Urban Meyer’s Ohio State staff. Former offensive coordinator Charley Molnar left to take a head coaching job at Massachusetts.
The faces are a mix of new and old.
Former safeties coach Chuck Martin is back on the other side of the ball to replace Molnar. Kelly approached Bob Elliott from Iowa State to replace Martin and convinced Tennessee offensive line coach Harry Hiestand to take over Warinner’s duties in 2012. Other staff members switched some of their duties to cover the remaining holes. By and large, last year’s staff worked. It remains to be seen if the new one will.
Hiestand and Elliott are wellregarded coaches, but will they
Frilling said she and Mathews try to keep their role as captains enjoyable.
“I would like to think that we are fun yet ‘get the job done’ kind of leaders,” Frilling said. “I think we both try to lead by example and be positive role models for all of our teammates.”
Louderback said the team will miss their captains’ attitudes along with their talent following graduation.
“Besides them being really good players, their dedication to just doing whatever we have to do to win, I think that’s probably the thing we’re going to miss the most about them,” Louderback said.
be able to build the same rapport with their players as the previous coaches could?
Martin has experience on the offensive side of the ball, but he inherits a squad searching for a quarterback among four competitors who just lost their most regular coach. Can Martin pick up where Molnar left off?
The answers to these questions will largely determine the outcome of the 2012 season, especially considering the difficulty of the upcoming slate.
If the offensive line struggles, it really doesn’t matter who’s under center. If the safeties can’t keep receivers in front of them, the talents of the monster defensive line are all for naught.
It comes down to that oft-clichéd word: fundamentals. Position coaches are where players learn and develop fundamentals, and without fundamentals, Notre Dame isn’t going to beat BYU, much less Oklahoma.
Of course, Kelly is ultimately responsible for the successes and failures of his football team — he hired these coaches, after all. Head coaches, however, have to delegate to their assistants. Kelly simply doesn’t have the time to make sure Jamoris Slaughter knows the proper footwork to pick up a post route or to teach Zack Martin how to properly read a zone blitz. Those responsibilities fall upon the assistant coaches.
Assistant coaches won’t get the most press. They definitely won’t get anything close to the most discussion at water coolers and on message boards. But they’ll determine this season’s outcome — and with it, the future of Kelly’s career at Notre Dame.
Contact Allan Joseph at ajoseph2@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Frilling said she isn’t ready to give up competitive tennis just yet.
“I am hoping to play professional tennis after I graduate,” Frilling said. “It’s pretty hard so we’ll see where that takes me. I don’t know if I will truly ever be able to quit tennis. It’s hard to just stop doing something that has played such a prominent role for my entire life.”
Although Mathews will start a
Defense
continued from page 24
Slaughter — who will also drop down and play outside linebacker — and Zeke Motta will anchor the unit Diaco described as a year-long project.
“The defensive backfield is going to require a massive amount of work and maybe even some game day management,” Diaco said.
Last year, Jackson and Wood — the two cornerbacks currently at the top of the depth chart — each played in at least 10 games and combined for 16 tackles. Gray and Blanton, meanwhile, recorded 96 total tackles.
“I feel like I have big shoes to fill with Gary and Blanton gone,” Jackson said. “I’m just trying to transition more to being a leader for my teammates.”
Wood saw significant playing time in Notre Dame’s 31-17 loss to USC on Oct. 22, when he matched up with Trojans star receiver Robert Woods for much of the game.
Woods finished with 12 catches for 119 yards. Wood, however, recorded Notre Dame’s only interception return for a touchdown in the 45-21 blowout win over Maryland on Nov. 12. Jackson, a former receiver,
consulting job at a firm in Chicago after graduation, she said tennis will continue to play a role in her life.
“I think I’ll definitely play tennis for the rest of my life — it’s one of those lifetime sports, which I think is amazing about tennis,” Mathews said. “Definitely not having practice every day will be a little bit different. Competitive tennis won’t be at the forefront of my life for the next couple of
served primarily as a kick returner on special teams last year, returning three kicks for a total of 32 yards. Collinsworth also earned playing time on kick returns, averaging over 20 yards per return. Diaco said Collinsworth’s energetic style is contagious.
“He’s a werewolf,” Diaco said. “I love that guy. That guy is hard not to like. He is all energy, he is a highcollision player, he is fast when he steps on the gas pedal. If your energy bucket is a little empty, hang around Austin a little bit and it will be filled back up in a hurry.”
years, but I’ll definitely continue playing on the weekends and in the summer and that sort of thing for fun, so I won’t hang them it forever.”
Frilling and Mathews will lead the team into action against DePaul (10-5, 1-0 Big East) at the Eck Tennis Pavilion at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Contact Vicky Jacobsen at vjacobse@nd.edu
they all need to play. Whether we like it or not, they all need to play.”
Big recruiting coup Fresh off a big recruiting weekend that saw some of the premier high school juniors on campus, Notre Dame claimed five new commitments to its recruiting class for 2013.
“There is going to be guys rolling in and out at corner, they all need to play. Whether we like it or not, they all need to play.”
Bob Diaco
Irish defensive coordinator
Because of the inexperience and lack of depth at cornerback, Diaco said the Irish will not have a set depth chart by the end of spring practice.
“I feel like I have big shoes to fill with Gary [Gray] and [Robert] Blanton gone ... I’m just trying to transition more to being a leader for my teammates.”
Bennett Jackson Irish defensive back
“I don’t think that is going to happen,” Diaco said. “At the end of the day, we’re not really going to know what they’re going to do until they get in the game. We can try as hard as we want to simulate real live action, but until there is real live action, it’s not the same.
“There is going to be guys rolling in and out at corner,
Since March 24, offensive linemen Colin McGovern, Hunter Bivin, Mike McGlinchey, quarterback Malik Zaire, athlete Rashad Kinlaw and wide receiver Corey Robinson all committed to the Irish. Every player is at least a three-star recruit, according to Rivals.
McGovern, Bivin and McGlinchey all are 6-foot-7 or taller and each weigh at least 280 pounds, giving the Irish size and depth on the offensive line.
Zaire, a 6-foot-1 quarterback from Kettering, Ohio, is a mobile quarterback and will join the crowded stable of gunslingers already enrolled at Notre Dame, which includes dual-threat options in junior Andrew Hendrix and sophomore Everett Golson. Robinson, the 6-foot-4 son of basketball legend David Robinson, committed late Tuesday night. He was also being courted by Wake Forest and North Carolina.
Contact Matthew De f ranks at mdefrank@nd.edu
ASHLEY DACY/The Observer
Irish seniors Kristy Frilling, left, and Shannon Mathews prepare to return the ball during Notre Dame’s 6-1 loss to Duke on March 3. The seniors are focusing on enjoying their last matches as college athletes.
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football
Young defensive backs are still ‘in progress’
By MATTHEW DeFRANKS
Associate Sports Editor
Say goodbye to former Irish defensive backs Harrison Smith, Gary Gray and Robert Blanton. Say hello to Notre Dame juniors Bennett Jackson, Lo Wood and Austin Collinsworth.
Just a year after the Irish secondary started four seniors, Notre Dame will trot out a youthful defensive backfield low on experience, but high on potential.
“[The secondary] is a work in progress,” Irish defensive coordinator Bob Diaco said.
“We have a couple of stalwarts at safety who played a lot of reps a year ago. Those young guys behind them are a work in progress. We’ve got a bunch more that are going to be added to that group in August.”
Senior safeties Jamoris
see DEFENSE/page 22
baseball
Young blood
g
Hudson noticed by pro scouts
By ANDREW OWENS Assistant Managing Editor
After junior catcher Joe Hudson went 1-for-3 with three RBIs on Sunday to cap off a 4-for-10, seven-RBI weekend and an Irish sweep over Pittsburgh, Irish coach Mik Aoki said that’s not the production he wanted out of his starting catcher.
“From a selfish standpoint, I wish he was hitting .290 and we didn’t have all the scouts in the stands looking at him,” the Irish skipper quipped.
It’s no surprise that national scouts have taken notice of what Aoki has known for a while now: Hudson can hit.
“Part of [his production] is on the assumption that he didn’t have a lot of offensive ability … He has good hand-eye, and for a kid hitting with strong power numbers, he doesn’t strike out a lot, he’s taken a lot of walks, he’s making pitchers pitch to him and I think that’s the key,” Aoki said. “It’s not that for his first two years that he was without offensive ability, it was just not necessarily welldirected offensive ability.”
After hitting .264 as a freshman with one home run and six RBIs in 22 games and .239 with no home runs and 14 RBIs in 53 games as a sophomore, Hudson has finally put it together in his third year at Notre Dame.
Hudson said this season he has benefitted from an improved approach and has stayed “locked-in” mentally during each at-bat.
“It all comes down to hard work in the offseason,” he said. “I feel very comfortable
with these coaches … They’ve taught me so much about the game of baseball and life and I couldn’t speak higher about those guys. It’s really nice to see the success correlates to the field.”
Prior to the start of the sea-
son, Aoki said he expected a surge in protection from his catcher, though Hudson said he didn’t expect it to be this high — through Tuesday’s loss to Illinois-Chicago, the catcher
Changes in coaching staff may bring success
There are some familiar faces, and a couple new ones.
The offseason saw a highprofile departure join a former Notre Dame coach, while new additions are onboard for the spring.
Most importantly, this group will have more to do with the success of the 2012 season than any other.
No, I’m not talking about quarterbacks. I’m talking about assistant coaches. Former offensive line coach and run game coordinator Ed Warinner was one of the unsung heroes of the first two years of see COACHES/page 22
men’s Golf
Veterans redefine Irish technique, standards
By PETER STEINER Sports Writer
In their four years at Notre Dame, seniors Max Scodro, Chris Walker and Tom Usher have led the Irish to a Big East Championship title, an NCAA tournament regional appearance and a combined five individual tournament wins.
Considering the Irish failed to record a tournament win three years ago, the impact these three seniors have had on the
Women’s tennIs
Irish is undeniable. But even though these seniors’ success is easily seen in the statistics they have compiled, it is even easier to understand their achievements through the words of their coach.
“Without these three guys and their contributions, I don’t know where we would be,” Irish coach Jim Kubinski said. “They have done a tremendous job and to have the top three scor see KUBINSKI/page 21
Senior doubles partners find success in leadership
By VICKY JACOBSEN Sports Writer
On one Texas night three years ago, then-freshman Shannon Mathews was in position to boost Notre Dame into the top level of college tennis.
“We were in the quarterfinals playing Baylor in the NCAAs, and she was the last match on,” Irish coach Jay Louderback said. “The score was 3-3, and it came down to her match. We were in Texas so there was a huge Baylor crowd and they were really nasty; they were on Shannon like crazy.” Mathews went on to win the
third set, 6-4, clinching the match for the Irish and sending Notre Dame to its first Final Four in program history.
“Having all my teammates cheering and being able to clinch the match [was incredible],” Mathews said. “Just being able to share that moment with my teammates and bringing Notre Dame into a position in the NCAA tournament where we had never been before was really an amazing, amazing experience that I will never forget.”
But two Big East titles and near-
see HUDSON/page 21 see SENIORS/page 22
RANT TOBIN/The Observer
Irish sophomore tight end Troy Niklas races down the field during a March 24 practice. Niklas, a linebacker in 2011, has moved positions to provide depth at the tight end position.
ASHLEY DACY/The Observer
Irish junior catcher Joe Hudson awaits a pitch during Notre Dame’s 12-4 win against Easter Michigan on March 20.
