PDF for Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Gay students discuss coming out at Notre Dame

Campus environment challenges members of LGBTQ community who wish to publicly disclose sexuality

Ex-worker

pleads guilty

Observer

Staff Report

A former University employee in Notre Dame’s Office of the Registrar pled guilty to four counts of voyeurism last week in the St. Joseph County Superior Court.

Don G. Steinke was originally charged with one count of voyeurism, but the State of Indiana added three more counts on Feb. 28, according to court documents.

The state agreed not to file

VOYEURISM/page 5

By SAM STRYKER News Editor

Editor’s note: This is the second installment in a three-part series about the experience of LGBTQ students at Notre Dame in light of recent requests that the University grant club status to a gay-straight alliance.

Before coming to Notre Dame, senior Jason G’Sell said he anticipated the University would be a place where he could come to terms with his faith and sexuality, whereas in high school, only a few friends knew he was gay.

“I wanted to go to college and be an out person,” he

said. “I wanted people to have this assumption that clearly, I had been out forever.”

For gay students, college presents the opportunity to start fresh with new friends and a new environment. Yet students said deciding when to come out can be an intensely personal decision that often involves overcoming both internal and external boundaries.

Sophomore Mia Lillis said she was prepared to be open about her sexual orientation before coming to Notre Dame, but waited a month into her freshman year to come out because of her experience with freshman orientation. She

said after telling her roommates, word “gradually got out” to the rest of her dorm.

“[My roommates] were perfectly awesome with it,” she said. “I didn’t encounter any problems with anyone in the dorm.”

However, Lillis did encounter some trials in coming out that she said are unique to the campus environment found at Notre Dame.

“You take on such a big responsibility when you come out here. Not that necessarily you are going to receive a lot of discrimination, but you are taking on the role of educat -

Community addresses discrimination

By NICOLE MICHELS News Writer

Members of the Notre Dame community met in a town hall meeting to discuss recent incidents of racial harassment and to collaboratively address the need to foster a more inclusive University community Monday night.

“A Call to Action in Regards to the Discriminatory Incident” came about after the racial harassment of two minority student groups on campus, the Black Student Association (BSA) and the African Students Association (ASA). The student body was informed in a Feb. 24 email that within

the span of a week, both organizations had fried chicken parts placed in their mailboxes in the LaFortune Student Center.

Student body president Pat McCormick said the goal of this meeting was to respond to the incidents and improve the spirit of inclusion and community on campus.

“This is an opportunity for the community to stand in solidarity, [an opportunity] to look forward and not just to heal, but to effectively expand inclusion in the Notre Dame family more fully,” McCormick said.

KPMG executive reflects on ND, career

By MARISA IATI News Writer

When he received a degree in accounting from Notre Dame in 1977, John Veihmeyer, chairman and chief executive officer of KPMG LLP, did not anticipate being an accountant his entire career.

Thirty-five years later, he’s still in the business.

“I had been convinced that joining a firm like KPMG was going to

give me a lot of opportunities to be exposed to a whole host of things that would help me decide what I did want to do,” Veihmeyer said. “The important thing is joining a firm that’s going to be open to challenging you in different ways.”

Veihmeyer visited campus Monday to speak about careers in public accounting and the world marketplace. He met with several faculty members, as well as current students who will work at branches of the Big Four accounting firm this summer.

Veihmeyer said he makes career decisions by predicting where he will be in five years if he chooses a given option, rather than solely considering

short-term goals.

“Every time I came to that decision, I clearly decided that the path I was on [at KPMG] was going to advance my career faster and further,” he said. “I think everybody’s career is a winding road … I think your best decisions are decisions that are made with a three to five year horizon, not with a 12-month horizon.”

Veihmeyer said people should seek enjoyable careers by eliminating options that do not interest them.

“What I love to see people do is join organizations that are going to give them that opportunity to explore a little bit, see what they like,” Veihmeyer said. “If you don’t enjoy it, you’d

better find something else to do because you spend too much time in your career to not really love what it is you’re doing. But … I think that’s a journey, not an overnight decision.” Young professionals should take responsibility for managing their careers without trying to predict every step along the way, Veihmeyer said. Additionally, they should collaborate with other people, seek out mentors and develop global perspectives by studying abroad or interacting with students from other countries.

Veihmeyer said his Notre Dame experience taught him how to succeed in business

Saint Mary’s announces speaker

Observer Staff Report

Businesswoman Mellody Hobson will deliver the 2012 Commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Saint Mary’s, the College announced Monday. Literacy advocate and businesswoman Kathleen Flynn Fox, a 1974 Saint Mary’s alumna, will also be awarded

see SPEAKER/page 5

see OUT/page 4 see KPMG/page 5

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today’s staff

News

Kristen Durbin

Marisa Iati

Adam Llorens

Graphics

Lauren Kalinoski

Photo

Mackenzie Sain

QuestIon of the day : What are you most excited about for spring break?

D.J. Boyd sophomore Fisher

“Hazing the pledges with the boys and Tom Dunn. #nookisslow”

Alex Jarocki junior Stanford “Spring training with men’s rowing in Tennessee. R’Irish!”

Lilia Draine freshman Cavanaugh

“I’m excited to go home and shower barefoot.”

Liz Garvin sophomore Welsh Family “Calling Carl Ackermann.”

Sarah Miller sophomore Welsh Family

“Going to Fort Lauderdale.”

Sean Wolohan sophomore Fisher

“Celebrating our interhall hockey championship with the boys and Danny Milling. #nookisslow”

Detroit area woman stalked by aggresive turkey COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Oakland County woman says she’s become a prisoner on her own property, stalked and harassed by a 25-pound turkey.

Edna Geisler calls the foul bird “Godzilla.” The 69-year-old told the Detroit Free Press that the turkey wanders near her Commerce Township property each day from nearby woods. She recently couldn’t get to her front door after a trip to the grocery store.

Sports

Sam Gans

Joe Wirth

Isaac Lorton

Scene

Maija Gustin

Viewpoint

Ren Brauweiler

CorreCtIons

The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.

“I have to go to the post office at 6 o’clock in the morning to avoid him,” said Geisler, who has been bumped and clawed.

She has tried changing

her schedule but this turkey is no dummy. A friend, Rick Reid, said the turkey went after him, too, when he opened the door on his minivan.

“He tried to come right in the door,” Reid said. “He bit me on the elbow.”

Pennsylvania man tries highfiving cop who gave DUI TYRONE, Pa. — Police say a central Pennsylvania man thanked and tried to highfive the officer who flagged him down for driving without his lights - only to then be arrested on a drunken driving charge. The Altoona Mirror reports that Gerald Decker was driving early Feb. 19 when a Tyrone officer no-

ticed that Decker’s car didn’t have its lights on and flagged him down.

Officer Adam Bonsell says Decker told him, “Thanks, buddy,” and tried to highfive him. Bonsell told him, “That’s not how it works” and gave Decker field sobriety tests.

Police say Decker’s bloodalcohol content was 2 1/2 times the legal limit for drivers.

The charges were recently mailed to Decker.

Online court records don’t list an attorney for the 27-year-old Decker of Tyrone. His phone number isn’t listed.

Information compiled from the Associated Press.

Hesburgh Library will host a workshop to teach participants how to use RefWorks from 1:30 to 3 p.m. today in Room 247 Registration is open to students and faculty.

The Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering will host the seminar, “A Coupled Electro-Chemo-Mechanical Framework for Diffusion and Deformation in Solids ,” in Room 138 of DeBartolo Hall from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. today

The Center for Ethics and Culture will host the lecture , “ Emotion and Virtue in Thomas Aquinas ,” in Room 118 of DeBartolo Hall from 4 to 5 p.m. today

Will H. Moore , professor of political science at Florida State University, will deliver a lecture titled “Dissent, Repression and the Outcomes of the Arab Spring” in Room C103 of the Hesburgh Center for International Studies from 4 to 5:30 p.m. today

The Institute for Educational Initiatives and the Notre Dame Ski Club will host a film screening of “Skiing Everest” at Carey Auditorim in Hesburgh Library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today

The Howard Hall “Chapel Crawl” will hold Mass in Badin Hall at 10 p.m. tonight

To submit information to be included in this section of The Observer, email detailed information about an event to obsnews.nd@gmail.com

Leaders customize crime database

By NICOLE TOCZAUER News Writer

Campus Life Council’s regular meeting was postponed Monday afternoon, as members met with Notre Dame Security Police (NDSP) Sgt. Keri Kei Shibata to customize the online CrimeReports database. The customization is part of an ongoing initiative to improve interactive campus security.

Shibata said the meeting sought to analyze University maps and define neighborhoods within campus based on geographical landmarks. Doing so, she said, will provide students with access to the most relevant security information for their area of campus on the CrimeReports website.

“[We’re drawing] lines on the map in a way that makes sense for students and staff on campus,” Shibata said.

Student body president Pat McCormick said creating campus neighborhoods would make the CrimeReports database more user-friendly for student users.

as much information as possible in an interactive way.”

Chief of staff Claire Sokas said CrimeReports would alert students, faculty and staff about reported events occurring in their respective neighborhoods.

“Our goal was to identify the best way of utilizing CrimeReports on campus, in a way that would make sense to students based on where they live.”

Pat

McCormick student body president

“Our goal was to identify the best way of utilizing CrimeReports on campus, in a way that would make sense to students based on where they live,” he said. “We also wanted to give

One proposed neighborhood would include South Quad, West Quad, Carroll Hall, the Morris Inn, the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore, Main Circle and the bookstore basketball courts, she said. Other neighborhoods will include campus parking lots.

“The parking lots are where students are the least aware of where crime is going on, but

need to be the most aware,” Sokas said.

Ed Mack, rector of O’Neill Hall, said the Notre Dame CrimeReports information would be useful to residents of the hall.

“All my guys would be interested in [the] D6 [parking lot],” he said.

Student body secretary Katie Baker said NDSP will distribute flyers containing the CrimeReports web address, instructions for using the site and information about the CrimeReports iPhone mobile app. McCormick said student government was grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with CrimeReports to improve accessibility to campus safety information.

“Our hope is for the system to continue advancing on campus,” he said.

Contact Nicole toczauer at ntoczaue@nd.edu

Expert educates SMC students on stalking

By JILLIAN BARWICK News Writer

In popular representations, stalking is often brushed off as a laughable issue. But Michelle Garcia, director of the national Stalking Resource Center, told Saint Mary’s students stalking is no laughing matter.

“We toss around the word ‘stalking’ too often because of movies and stalking being portrayed in a light way, like in comedies,” Garcia said. “The Stalking Resource Center really wants to get across that stalking should not be taken lightly in any way.”

havior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.

“However, this definition is not what the state of Indiana uses, nor is it the definition Saint Mary’s uses,” Garcia said. “This is our working definition.”

Each year, approximately 6.6 million people are stalked in the United States, Garcia said.

“We toss around the word ‘stalking’ too often because of movies and stalking being portrayed in a light way, like in comedies.”

Michelle Garcia director Stalking Resource Center

The Saint Mary’s Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) hosted the event Monday. Megan Loney, senior member of the BAVO student advisory council, shared her own personal experience with stalking.

“We’ve all seen television commercials and the news portraying victims of stalking the Hollywood way,” Loney said. “Unfortunately, stalking is overlooked.”

Loney came in close contact with stalking when a friend’s ex-boyfriend stalked her friend during her junior year of college.

“I was familiar with the basics, but I soon realized that stalking was way more than I could have imagined when my friend became the victim,” Loney said. “After seeing the emotional effects on my friend, the issues became more personal to me.”

Loney said the experience motivated her to become an advocate for stalking awareness.

“I couldn’t change the perpetrator’s actions, but I knew I could do my part as an advocate for making people aware of stalking and the issues individuals face when being stalked,” Loney said. “Michelle Garcia and the Stalking Resource Center are great outlets for more information on stalking and a place to help victims.”

“We know this based on research from a study looking at stalking,” Garcia said. “Last year, we released a national report which found how many people are actually stalked in one year.” Garcia said roughly 60 cases of stalking are reported on Saint Mary’s campus each year. This statistic corresponds with the targeting of young people in cases of stalking.

“18- to 24-year-olds have the highest rate of victimization of stalking, which increases the rates of stalking on campuses,” Garcia said.

In most cases, stalkers are not strangers to their victims and are often people in close proximity to the victim, such as co-workers, classmates, neighbors, family members and current or past romantic partners, Garcia said.

Stalkers are also taking advantage of the widespread use of technology to pursue their victims, Garcia said, and identity theft is another popular technique utilized by stalkers.

“I couldn’t change the perpetrator’s actions, but I knew I could do my part as an advocate for making people aware of stalking and the issues individuals face when being stalked.”

Megan Loney senior member BAVO student advisory council

“Two-thirds of stalkers pursue their victims at least once per week, and 78 percent use more than one means of approach,” Garcia said. “Weapons are used to harm or threaten victims in about 20 percent of cases.” Garcia said stalkers are driven by a variety of personal motivations, including rejection and obsession.

The Washington, D.C.-based Stalking Resource Center, a branch of the National Center for Victims of Crime, is one of the nation’s leading organizations on stalking, Garcia said.

Prior to joining the Center as its director in October 2006, Garcia worked with stalking victims for more than 20 years. She said definitions of stalking are flexible.

“Our definitions of stalking all vary from one another,” Garcia said. “The Center defines it as a pattern of be -

“Why do they do what they do? There may be some level of insecurity and some level of fear,” Garcia said. “They may want to regain control in the relationship cases … There is no one single motivation for stalkers.

“Obsession of another person causes most cases we see on TV and with celebrities,” Garcia said. “Often in these types, the offender often has some type of mental disorder and has some delusional belief that they are destined to be with the victim. This is a small percentage of cases, however.”

Contact Jillian Barwick at jbarwi01@saintmarys.edu

continued from page 1

ing people,” she said. “A lot of people here have not met gay people before coming to Notre Dame. That gets really tiring after a while, to explain over and over again.”

For those who do wish to come out, the environment at Notre Dame can be daunting. Senior Sam Costanzo said the campus environment initially prevented him from being open about his sexual orientation.

“I wanted to be who I was publicly,” he said. “I knew I couldn’t because it was just so grating. It rubbed up against so many gendered expectations of people here.”

Costanzo said he was cautious whom he came out to when he came to Notre Dame, waiting until second semester of freshman year to come out to people in his dorm.

A difficult experience

Costanzo said being a gay student at Notre Dame was not the only thing he struggled with freshman year. He overstretched himself academically, struggled with his faith and coming from a largely Hispanic area of Texas, experienced “culture shock” at Notre Dame.

As a result, Costanzo said he attended University counseling for most of his freshman year.

here,” she said. “I guess I didn’t really feel comfortable enough with myself to correct that assumption.”

Students encounter a heterosexual mentality immediately upon arriving on campus with freshman orientation, G’Sell said.

“Immediately you get there, and you are paired up with a girl dorm, and you’re tied to a girl’s wrist and you’re walking around together and you’re supposed to find your wife,” he said. “Everything is focused on these heterosexual relationships.”

Sometimes, coming out during college is not a given.

Senior Rocky Stroud said he had no immediate plans to come out at Notre Dame, as he wished to keep his sexual orientation private.

“I didn’t think people needed to know. I didn’t want all those pestering questions like ‘When did it start? How are you doing? How did your parents take it? Did any of your friends change?’” he said. “I didn’t want all of those questions you don’t want to answer. I didn’t want my life to change.”

However, Stroud said a friend revealed Stroud’s sexual orientation at a party while he was with his older sister. He said his coming out experience was not ideal, as he did not want his older sister, a student at Saint Mary’s, to find out in such a way.

“I knew if I was going to really develop on a philosophical or spiritual level personally, in relation to Catholicism and the tradition I was raised in, I was going to have to come back here.”

The year culminated when Costanzo attempted to kill himself by swallowing several different medications, but could not keep them down. After the incident, his rector took him to the hospital where Costanzo called his parents, his academic advisor and his older sister, who attended Notre Dame at the time.

Sam Costanzo senior

“It was an emotional rollercoaster those few days, mainly because I was at a party with my sister,” he said. “When she found out, she had a meltdown. She was in the bathroom crying.”

[I am] is incompatible in some aspects with [my] faith.”

Like Costanzo, G’Sell said he chose to attend Notre Dame for reasons relating to his faith. He thought Notre Dame would be a school where he could come to terms with his sexual orientation as it related to being a practicing Catholic.

However, G’Sell said he soon realized the process of reconciling the two was not going to be as easy as he thought.

“Even though you have some incredibly intelligent Catholics here, no one has the answers,” he said. “There is no easy solution to reconciling these two things.”

G’Sell said he approached his rector in Duncan Hall to help deal with the relationship between his faith and sexuality.

out,” he said.

There are also internal issues students need to struggle with, Stroud said.

“I wouldn’t say personally it was a fear of coming out to the Notre Dame population I was afraid of. It was maybe admitting to myself I was gay,” he said.

Coming out as a female at Notre Dame is also different than coming out as a male, Lillis said, because of preconceived notions in respect to masculinity and femininity.

is much more of a personal choice than it is with a guy.”

Despite the challenges he has faced as a gay student, G’Sell said he appreciates how these obstacles have been beneficial to his Notre Dame experience.

“It hasn’t been without its struggles. At the same time, I don’t think that’s a problem necessarily. I think it’s good to struggle,” he said. “In a way, I’m grateful it hasn’t been a walk in the park.”

Costanzo said his sister chastised him for not approaching family members for help. He said he was angered by her reaction, as she hadn’t shown concern before.

“I knew she was wrong,” he said. “It was infuriating, the supposed value she was placing in our family relationships because for me, they had been compromised a while ago.”

Following his freshman year, Costanzo took a medical withdrawal from Notre Dame and studied at the University of Texas at El Paso. He said he decided to return to Notre Dame both for academic and personal reasons.

“I knew if I was going to really develop on a philosophical or spiritual level personally, in relation to Catholicism and the tradition I was raised in, I was going to have to come back here,” he said. “There wasn’t going to be a better place for me to do that.”

Deciding when to come out

Lillis, who came out as bisexual in middle school and later as a lesbian in high school, said her openness with her sexuality was swiftly challenged during freshman orientation.

“I was not planning on being in the closet per se, but FroshO kind of changed my mind … It basically set the precedent that being straight is assumed

With his younger sister and mother in town that same weekend for a football game, Stroud said he came out in one fell swoop.

“It all happened in one day — 24 hours, done.”

Though he said the circumstances for his coming out experience were less than ideal, Stroud said he is ultimately glad it happened because he would not have been able to come out on his own.

“I wish it happened differently, [but] I’m okay with the fact it happened, because I don’t think I would have had the courage or determination or necessity to come out myself,” he said.

Faith and sexuality

Though Costanzo said he is not a practicing Catholic anymore, it wasn’t until he set foot on the Notre Dame campus that the relationship between his faith and sexuality became a problem.

“The religious thing and the gay thing were two separate things in high school, and it wasn’t until I got here that they were really convergent,” he said. “This deeply personal, meaningful but not allencompassing aspect of who

“He didn’t give me any sort of mind-blowing answer and he didn’t have any solutions for me, but what he did do was really important,” he said. “He just welcomed me, not only to the hall, but to the Church.”

G’Sell said there was another benefit to living in Duncan, a new dorm at the time.

“I felt it was important because [Duncan] didn’t have an identity and there was no stereotype,” he said. “I know it is much more difficult for guys that live in dorms that have really strong heterosexual identities.”

’I’m grateful it hasn’t been a walk in the park’

Had she attended a different school, Lillis said she believes she would have approached coming out very differently than she has at Notre Dame.

“I think I definitely would have come out off the bat, because I was in the closet for a month,” she said. “I don’t think I would have stayed in the closet at any other place. I would have been out from the start.”

“From the guys I’ve met and been with who aren’t out of the closet ... either it is personal, they are afraid for family reasons or culture reasons, or just in general the fear of coming out.”

Rocky Stroud senior

Stroud said it is difficult for some gay students to come out at Notre Dame for several reasons.

“From the guys I’ve met and been with who aren’t out of the closet … either it is personal, they are afraid for family reasons or culture reasons, or just in general the fear of coming

“Guys, if they are in any way gender bending, then other men are going to label them as gay no matter what, so it’s like they might as well come out,” she said. “Whereas with girls, we can gender bend as much as we want and no one assumes that they’re gay. For a girl to come out, it definitely

The third installment of this series will examine the gay community’s underground network at Notre Dame and student experiences being in relationships on campus. It will run in Wednesday’s Observer.

Contact Sam Stryker at sstryke1@nd.edu

continued from page 1

while maintaining a high level of personal integrity.

“Notre Dame is a natural extension of my family, and I think that … prepared me very well for the career that I’ve had,” he said. “[At KPMG], how you treat other people is as important as the result that you ultimately drive toward, and I think a lot of that was really reinforced here at Notre Dame.”

No. 1 in football and unranked in the business school, and now it’s kind of the other way around,” Veihmeyer said.

Veihmeyer said he loves visiting campus and supporting the University because of its unique spirit and culture.

“If you have to try to explain what makes Notre Dame special, then they’ve already missed the point.”

John Veihmeyer CEO of KPMG LLP

In the more than three decades that have passed since Veihmeyer graduated, he said the University has stayed the same in some ways, but flipped in others.

“When I was here, we were

Voyeurism

continued from page 1

any further charges arising from investigation of the case, according to court documents.

As part of the plea agreement, a six-year cap was placed on any total executed sentence Steinke receives.

On March 7, 2011, a woman found a pen camera aimed at the toilet on the floor of a women’s bathroom in Grace Hall. The pen camera was turned over to Notre Dame Security Police (NDSP), according to court documents. Steinke allegedly admitted to placing the camera in the women’s restroom with the intent to re -

“If you have to try to explain what makes Notre Dame special, then they’ve already missed the point,” he said. “I feel really lucky that I had Notre Dame and KPMG, both of which are great places … There’s a special feeling and a special culture that’s hard to explain. If you’re part of it, you’ll understand it, and if you’re not part of it, you’ll never understand it, so there’s no sense trying to explain it.”

Contact Marisa Iati at miati@nd.edu

trieve the camera and download the recorded video content.

Notre Dame declined to comment further on the additional charges.

“We were made aware of the camera, we investigated it and made the arrest,” University Spokesman Dennis Brown said. “We disabled the operation and worked closely with the prosecutor and law enforcement. We’re confident that the criminal justice system would play itself out appropriately and that certainly is what has taken place.”

St. Joseph Superior Court Judge Jerome Frese took the plea under advisement and set sentencing for April 26 at 9 a.m.

Speaker

continued from page 1

an honorary doctor of humanities degree at the ceremony, according to a press release.

Susan Fitzgerald Rice, a 1961 College alumna and member of the SMC Board of Trustees, will receive the President’s Medal for her “exceptional contributions to the life of the College and society,” the press release stated.

Meeting

continued from page 1

ASA vice president Christian Moore and BSA chair Brittany Suggs both confirmed the acts of racial harassment against their respective groups.

Because she was previously informed about the fried chicken found in the ASA’s mailbox, Suggs said she took immediate action after finding the same in her organization’s mailbox.

“The BSA had items in its mailbox before, which we saw as [events] that could be disregarded,” Suggs said. “With this particular incident, I was going to treat it the same way, but it was the moment in which I found that the same thing happened to ASA a week ago that it resonated with me that this isn’t right.”

Suggs said this incident constitutes just one part of the bigger picture of the racial dynamic on campus, as many similar cases go unreported.

Students were given the opportunity to share personal testimonies of experiences involving harassment and discrimination at Notre Dame.

“[We wanted] to really give people to opportunity to talk,”

Hobson, a Chicago native and Princeton University graduate, is the current president of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based money management firm where she is responsible for firm-wide management and strategic planning, according to the press release.

Hobson is nationally known for her expertise in financial literacy and investor education. She has appeared as a financial contributor on “Good Morning America” and ABC’s

Suggs said. “We usually only talk about these things in our own groups and in our own communities, but to talk about it in a public place is very different and raises awareness.”

The event called for dialogue about discrimination in classrooms, dorms, student life and campus systems and resources.

Junior Victor Cruz said he was initially thrilled to start anew at his new “home under the dome,” but he has never felt at home at Notre Dame.

“I have been targeted because of my accent, because I speak Spanish and because of my dress,” Cruz said. “My voice will not go silenced … our God did not make us so that we should live subpar lives and suffer at the hand of ignorance.”

Other students expressed similar discontent with the degree of acceptance in Notre Dame’s academic community.

Junior Nick Ochoa said he is frustrated by professors who expect minority students to represent the opinions of their respective ethnicities.

“That’s the attempt of the professor to understand a different perspective, but it really puts you on the spot,” Ochoa said. “Was it my fault for assuming that professors would be a little more considerate when talking about students and their perspectives?”

Sophomore Linsday Rojas and junior Gabi Hernandez said they have experienced discrimination in Notre Dame residence halls.

During her sophomore year, Hernandez said she approached her rectress about planning the dorm’s multicultural events, but she was outraged by the rectress’s idea that Hernandez could be a “learning mechanism” for other international students.

“[I thought] What? I’m here as an educational tool on your behalf?” Hernandez said. “No, I’m not, I’m a student here. If I want to share my experiences with you, share my culture with you, that’s a different thing.”

Rojas said her freshman year roommate articulated racist remarks and assumptions to her. When Rojas approached her rectress about the situation, she said she was told to “just get over it.”

“She said, ‘The University wants their freshmen to work out their problems, so if she says anything to you, you say something racist right back,’” Rojas said. “I basically didn’t live in my dorm the second semester of my freshman year.”

Students also discussed instances of discrimination involving NDSP, peers, hall staff, professors and other members of the Notre Dame community.

Following the student testimonials, McCormick shifted the discussion to practical solutions for moving forward in discourse on racism and discrimination.

Hernandez said she thought

“World News Tonight.” She currently serves as a weekly finance expert of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show radio program and is a contributor to Black Enterprise magazine. Additionally, her financial expertise has been profiled in a number of well-known publications including Essence, Fortune and the New York Times.

Commencement will take place May 19 at noon on Le Mans Green.

a three-pronged approach would work best to combat these issues, with a focus on getting respect, giving respect and creating a respectful atmosphere.

“We need to open up to everyone and to be more inclusive,” Hernandez said. “Everyone has something to teach you, and you have something to teach everyone.”

Senior Nneka Ekechukwu said some of the most frequent perpetrators of racial stereotyping and discrimination at Notre Dame are in positions of authority, so she believes concrete training methods should be implemented to dispel these stereotypes and encourage constructive dialogue.

“In particular, the role that NDSP has played in these stories has been terrible. NDSP is supposed to be this force that helps us to feel safe on campus … they should have to undergo diversity training, sensitivity training and screening before being employed,” Ekechukwu said.

Though proposals differed in some ways, all agreed the Notre Dame community must be extended to include all of its members, not just the racial or ethnic majority.

Suggs said student leaders will sift through the meeting’s presentations to find overarching goals and repetitive trends and use these findings to approach the University administration.

“We will come up with a concrete list of our plans to make sure that we have that accountability there,” Suggs said. “We will make sure that we as students are aware of those plans, and hold the administration publicly accountable.”

Iris Outlaw, director of Multicultural Student Programs and Services, said the event was a step in the right direction towards providing the Notre Dame community with a sense of students’ experiences with discrimination on campus.

“It was useful for students and faculty to hear some of others’ experiences, but it was even more crucial that some solutions were offered tonight,” Outlaw said. “This should give the administration here some foundation, some different ways of looking at how we can address some of the issues brought to light.”

Suggs and McCormick both said eliminating discrimination is not an overnight process.

“This will take patience and time, but this town hall meeting was a step in the right direction,” Suggs said. “I like to say that we have to begin and finish everything with God at the forefront of our minds, keeping in mind the overall mission of the campus: fostering the ideals of spirit and community.”

Contact Nicole Michels at nmichels@nd.edu

InsIde CoLumn

Downton Abbey

Almost everyone who knows me knows that right now, I probably love one thing more than anything else in my life — “Downton Abbey.” Several of my friends are currently rolling their eyes or calling it “Downtown” while a few others are cheering me on.

Most of you have probably at least heard of this hit British import (which airs on PBS here in the states) by now. You may have seen the “Downton Abbey” as done by Spike TV sketch on “Saturday Night Live” or perhaps you’ve even ventured into the world of Edwardian England yourself.

Regardless of how you’ve come across it, let’s make something clear — “Downton Abbey” is one of the best shows in recent television history. However, a lot of you won’t like it. If your typical TV fare rests more in “100 Ways to Die” than in “Boardwalk Empire,” you probably won’t like “Downton Abbey.” The PBS drama follows the lives of an aristocratic family upstairs and their group of servants downstairs. The series begins in 1912 immediately after the sinking of the Titanic and has, over the course of two seasons, taken us to the beginning of the 1920s.

It may not sound like your cup of tea, but don’t be so quick to shirk it off as just another archaic costume drama — because that, it is not. “Downton Abbey” is a fresh and intensely compelling look into the lives of people of different classes in the days before and during World War I.

First and foremost, this means good drama, only rather than doctors and 1950s ad executives, this story focuses on people with accents and beautiful costumes. If you give “Downton Abbey” a chance, you are sure to be sucked in by the love, lust and intrigue found in every episode. The characters are compelling and while the British series has fewer episodes than a typical American season of television, this means that every episode is packed full of action. The quality of writing, acting and storylines rarely falters.

“Downton Abbey” might just be the most engrossing show on television right now, despite the fact that it is set a century ago in another country. What seems most interesting is the way it deals with issues of class at a time when that issue is at the forefront of the American consciousness. This PBS costume drama has swept across the country, winning fans like Patton Oswalt, who live-Tweeted the episodes as he watched. Sadly, the second season of “Downton Abbey” just ended and America will now be waiting almost a year for the third to come along. So now is your chance to catch up. And boys, this is not just a girl’s show. While its audience is primarily female, there are enough male characters and storylines that can win over even the toughest guys. You can claim you’re just watching it for your girlfriend, anyway.

“Downton Abbey” is simply a joy to watch. Despite its sometimes harshly real storylines, including those about the ravages of war, it possesses an optimistic and positive attitude often missing from our increasingly cynical television landscape. “Downton Abbey” celebrates life more than anything, so put away the attitude and just enjoy the ride.

Contact Maija Gustin at mgustin@nd.edu

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

Believe in the run

I don’t admit this to many people, but I often find myself up far too late watching old Nike commercials on YouTube. It’s seriously addicting — once you watch one video, you have to watch another, and another. By that point, you are feeling so motivated and inspired that you just want to go for a run. However, you can’t go for a run because it is too late, so you just keep watching videos. Also, the songs from the commercials make great additions to any race playlist.

Carolyn Green Guest Columnist

On one recent such evening, I discovered an ad campaign for Nike Running, which employed highway signs as promotional pieces. The signs were the kind typically used to advertise construction zones, but instead of being placed alongside the freeway, the signs were used as mile markers for a marathon. When I read the sign marking mile 15, I immediately thought of the Holy Half. “Running never takes more than it gives back,” the sign read. “Believe in the run.”

Though we have the ability to run to Michigan and back, many of us do not venture into the greater South Bend community nearly enough. The Holy Half Marathon is an opportunity to train for and complete a 13.1-mile race, undoubtedly an amazing accomplishment in itself, but also an opportunity to give back to South Bend. One hundred percent of the proceeds generated by the Holy Half Marathon are donated to local charities. This year, the Holy Half will be sponsoring two charities: Hope Ministries and the St. Joseph County Public Library (SJCPL).

As Sarah Greenawalt, director of Community Outreach at Hope Ministries, puts it, “The participants, donors,

coordinators and volunteers of the Holy Half are directly impacting the lives of men, women and children who find hope, healing and opportunity at Hope Ministries.”

Hope Ministries began in 1954 as Hope Rescue Mission in downtown South Bend. Now, it primarily operates out of the Family Life Center on Lafayette Boulevard where 18 families (including 30 children), 16 single women and 40 single men are offered free transitional housing. Hope residents are also offered addictions recovery, adult education, free meals, the Hope4Kids early childhood development and parenting program, spiritual development programs, counseling and life skills development. The programs at Hope Ministries are unique in their emphasis on Christian discipleship, grace and accountability, allowing residents to support each other, challenge one another when needed and to hold one another accountable in love.

Moving forward, Hope Ministries strives to strengthen its services to families and other under-served people in the community. In particular, Hope Ministries is in need of a new kitchen to continue to provide, prepare and serve nearly 300 free meals a day, every day of the year. In reference to the Holy Half, Greenawalt says, “The funds and awareness that are raised will allow vital services and programs to be offered to our neighbors in need, which can ultimately lead to lasting, life transformation. Thank you for your endurance and perseverance to run for us!”

The SJCPL also serves as an important community hub, providing technology, programming and materials to better enrich the lives of those who take advantage of the library’s resources. Jennifer Phillips, the communication executive at the library, says, “Our goals are always

connected to our area’s needs. We strive to be cutting edge but still do our best to remain down-to-earth.”

For Phillips, it is not enough to simply be an organization frequented by the community. The library aims to use the resources they have to plant seeds in the community and truly make a difference in people’s lives.

“Our various locations — including our website — are always under consideration as far as what we can do better. For us, that is the essential question that allows us to grow and be relevant,” Phillips said.

Phillips and the SJCPL are honored to be a part of this year’s Holy Half Marathon. The recognition of the SJCPL as a beneficiary of the Holy Half helps connect the SJCPL to the community and validate that they are moving in the right direction.

“As an institution that works to better educate our surrounding areas we are so grateful to the University of Notre Dame and all those involved in this charitable function,” Phillips said.

When you run the Holy Half marathon, you run for more than yourself. Greater than any athletic accomplishment is the difference you will make to South Bend. As the Holy Half website states, “Run for good.”

I leave you with the words of another Nike ad, which quotes a poem by Robert Frost: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.”

Carolyn Green is the student director of the Holy Half Marathon. She can be reached at cgreen9@nd.edu

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

Quote of the day

“Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no

questions, they pass no criticisms.”

George Eliot English novelist

WeekLy poLL

What are you doing for spring break?

Visiting friends Going home

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Going on a cruise Vote by 5 p.m. Wednesday at ndsmcobserver.com

This Republican primary makes me sick

It isn’t that I don’t understand why Republicans or Tea Partiers might want a smaller government, lower taxes, more aggressive foreign policy, etc. I don’t agree with these ideologies, but I can sort of see where they come from.

Arnav Dutt Guest Columnist

No, my problem with this primary can be encapsulated in two mantras or principles that voters and their candidates keep falling back on. The first is the slogan, “anyone but Obama.” The other is the notion that the president needs to be “a regular guy” and not a “snob.”

“Anyone but Obama” (or “ABO”) is actually a pretty popular Tea Party slogan. It is shouted at rallies, painted on signs, posted on websites and invoked in interviews by thousands of people who so disapprove of President Obama that they believe that anyone else would do a better job in his place. Here is why I think this slogan is stupid:

1. If this slogan were literally true, then I feel like I could easily reach a compromise with the people who articulate it. President Hillary Rodham Clinton, anyone? A quick inter -

Letters to the edItor

net search will verify that she is not Barack Obama.

Perhaps this is a tad unfair. Clearly, this criterion does not apply to anyone like Obama, or to the left of him. So, “Anyone but Obama” should be understood, “Anyone but Obama, or anyone like him.”

2. What does Obama stand for, then? Is Obama really that bad? Could anyone actually do his job better than he does it?

Just a guess, but no one who backs up his or her distaste for Obama with reasons would commit to accepting just anyone other than the President. Could you do a better job? Take your time answering that. Even if you and the President are separated by deep ideological differences and you think you are right and he is wrong, it does not logically follow that you would be a better president.

Furthermore, it isn’t clear that these morons even disagree with Obama as much as they think they do. I am personally blown away by the misconceptions that dominate many criticisms of Obama. Forget the Tea Partiers.

The remaining mainstream Republican candidates have people believing

NEDA Week

As many may have noticed by the abundance of eating- and body-themed activities on campus, last week was National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. In order to spread the word, many students banded together to spread awareness about this dangerous and highly prevalent set of disorders that affects men and women across the globe. Some of you may have participated in an eating habits questionnaire that was circulated early in the week, and for that we thank you! It was amazing to hear real feedback not from a national survey, but from one so much closer to home.

One of the most important things this survey taught us was that there is an overwhelming drive for thinness at Notre Dame, with well over half of the respondents answering that they engage in dieting or wish they were thinner. Over 70 percent also expressed that they felt a pressure to be thin on campus. However, there was one result that we felt was extremely positive and necessary to report: Nearly 75 percent of Notre Dame students stated that they were happy with their bodies and the way they look! It’s important that we as a community embrace the many body types, cultures and appearances that are represented on this campus and recognize the beauty in them all.

As eating disorders become more prevalent in American culture, especially in a collegiate setting, we challenge you to spread the word and be aware of the dangers. Further, love your body for all of the amazing things it can do for you! From dancing an Irish jig on those rickety benches freshman year to walking across the stage on graduation day, it is important to care for our bodies so they can continue to care for us. So, if you have concerns about your own (or a friend’s) health, please visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org to learn more about these issues.

Sheridan Jost senior off campus

29

Obama to be a Marxist, a socialist or even a Marxist and a socialist. Rick Santorum thinks Obama wants everyone to go to college.

The most damaging misconception about him of them all is the notion that he has raised taxes, tripled the yearly budget deficit since he took office and dramatically increased the national debt. He probably longs for the days when people just thought he was a Muslim or a Kenyan citizen.

The thing is, Obama is nothing like this at all. On the contrary, he is closer to being the perfect Republican candidate than he is to being a tax-raising, elitist, Marxist, socialist foreigner (necessarily so). You’d think the real Obama would pass the “Anyone but Obama” criterion.

That’s what has been really scary about this campaign. The truth hasn’t mattered at all. Republican voters, or at least the ones who are dictating the pace and direction of this primary, will sooner vote for someone who tells them what they want to hear than what they need to hear. And these voters trust candidates whose views on the economy and healthcare are reductive, if they are coherent or even extant. This election has shown that

voters are drawn to plans that are simple, bold and easy to understand. Anyone could come up with most of them.

I think simplicity is a great reason to suspect a plan is going to fail. The candidates and policy-makers we choose are being chosen to deal with harder-than-average problems. Average people don’t know the first thing about the economy, health care or foreign policy. So, candidates and policymakers ought to be above average, right?

I think it’s safe to say that anyone who denies this lacks knowledge and respect for these issues. And to lack respect for the well-being of America’s economy, health care and foreign policy is to lack respect for this country and its inhabitants. And yet this Republican primary has been a contest to demonstrate proficiency in this for four months and counting. It really doesn’t help that Super Tuesday falls during midterms week.

Arnav Dutt is a junior. He can be reached at adutt1@nd.edu

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

Think before you speak

When I was 13, I accidentally kicked my soccer ball over our fence and into the woods. Finding my ball surrounded by thorns, I mumbled a certain expletive. My father’s bionic hearing kicked in and from our back porch he sent me straight to my bedroom — grounded. His rationale? “Smart people don’t use dumb words.”

Teenage me thought he was being ridiculous, but more recently I came to this conclusion: Instead of “expletive,” I should have reached into the depths of my vocabulary and evoked a more accurate way to express my feelings. To my father, a “bad” word was cheap and lazy, and I was better than that.

Tomorrow, Notre Dame will join hundreds of high schools and universities in a global effort to stop the hurtful use of the word “retard(ed).” As members of the Notre Dame community, we are called to recognize all human dignity. Still, many will question the necessity of eradicating this word.

Fewer are using “retard” to refer to people with disabilities, but things like “my phone’s retarded,” still remain. Every time we use “retard” to mean “dumb” or “undesirable,” we are perpetuating a pattern of exclu-

sion already burdening those with disabilities. Instead of the excuse, “I wasn’t saying it about anyone with a disability,” what we are really saying is, “I acknowledge that with this word comes a history of hate and unmerited stereotypes, but I continue to use it because I can’t think of anything better.”

So here is my challenge: Be better than that. If you still think using the R-word jokingly doesn’t hurt, I encourage you to ask some of Notre Dame’s extraordinary buddies, clients or athletes how they feel when they hear the word “retard.” The discrimination exemplified by the use of this word is all too real.

Tomorrow, thousands of students will join the more than 15 million who have pledged not only to change their language, but their attitude. I encourage you to take two minutes in the dining halls or LaFortune and do the same. Pledge to think before you speak.

Dialogue still needed

Thank you to everyone involved in bringing Loyal Daughters and Sons to Notre Dame’s campus this year. From those who were brave and generous enough to share their stories, to the writers who interviewed them and faithfully adapted the stories to the script, to the actors who portrayed them with sensitivity, to the crew who facilitated every aspect of the performance, to the producer and director who so skillfully shaped LDS — you crafted a moving performance and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to witness it this weekend.

During the performance, I laughed at some skits, I cried at others. I nodded in agreement to some, clenched my fists in response to others. Throughout it all, I was proud of the students involved and awed by the power of their convictions and their commitment to bringing these stories to life. I was hopeful that this performance would spark an important dialogue on campus.

And so I was doubly upset to receive the email from

NDSP on Saturday informing us that yet another sexual assault had taken place on campus this weekend. My thoughts and prayers go out to the student who was attacked. And I urge all Notre Dame students to accept the call to dialogue issued by Loyal Daughters and Sons that this weekend’s event proves is sadly still needed. The play’s program says it best: “A play about sexual violence and sexuality, ‘Loyal Daughters and Sons’ is based entirely on interviews with Notre Dame students. Through this performance we hope to share the diversity of experiences and beliefs at Notre Dame, as well as the struggles and strength of survivors of sexual violence, in order to promote awareness and foster discussion about sexuality and its place at this school.”

Abigail Palko Director of Undergraduate Studies Gender Studies Program

Mar. 4

CommenCement SpeakerS

Notre Dame announces its commencement speaker at no specific time. But since the University typically makes the announcement a few months before the ceremony, we shouldn’t have to wait much longer to hear who will send off the class of 2012. Though I cannot speculate who will show up in May, based on history, I can speculate who won’t be giving a speech.

We will not be hosting the Will Ferrell-Amy Poehler-Adam Sandler genre of comedic speakers who have graced the ceremonies of numerous Ivy League institutions. Nor will we welcome a contemporary novelist to deliver an address that reads like a story, the likes of David Foster Wallace’s brilliant speech at Kenyon College or J.K. Rowling’s at Harvard. A famed college dropout like Steve Jobs won’t be urging graduates to “stay hungry, stay foolish” as they embark on their post-grad plans.

Though students may wish Notre Dame would throw a curveball and invite an outrageous comedian or tortured author to pass along advice, history proves that the University has a “type.” Since the foundation of Notre Dame, almost every commencement speaker falls into one of these categories: politician or government affiliate, one ordained in the Catholic Church or employee of NBC. It may seem restrictive, but these categories have still brought riveting, controversial characters to the Notre Dame commencement ceremony. And as with any rule or standard, there have been exceptions.

In 1942, J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, delivered the commencement speech. Almost 70 years later, Leonardo DiCaprio played him in a film that reawakens Hoover’s private struggle with his sexuality, a secret that would have made him a divisive speaker on campus today. Earl Warren, the 14th chief justice of the United States, spoke in 1957, only three years after his court ruled to begin desegregation in the Brown v. Board of Education case. Lady Jackson, a British economist and writer interested in sustainability and development in poor countries, spoke in 1966 before women could even attend the University.

Presidents galore have offered their words of wisdom to the student body at commencement. Eisenhower (1960), Carter (1977), Reagan (1981), George H.W. Bush (1992), George W. Bush (2001) and Obama (2009) all addressed Notre Dame seniors, to the praise or dismay of alumni benefactors.

And in recent years, three NBC news personalities have taken the podium at graduation: Tom Brokaw (1993), Tim Russert (2002) and Brian Williams (2010). It’s no coincidence that Notre Dame sustains a strong relationship with NBC television.

Entertainer Bill Cosby surprisingly came to ND in 1990, and in a preceremony speech to a smaller crowd, singled out a football player and criticized his low GPA. Even though that does not set a precedent for other entertainers who are possible speakers, it may have been enough to prevent the institution from courting comedians, actors, etc.

Notre Dame sticks to what they know in this arena for a reason. Everyone acknowledges a “strong alumni network” as one of Notre Dame’s trademarks, and unfortunately, that is compromised when a controversial figure is welcomed on campus.

Every 20-something wants to hear from their favorite actor, musician or author, but looking at Notre Dame’s track record in respectful retrospection makes me think graduates of any class will do the same of their particular speaker. For one reason or another, political or personal, one should be able to explain how their commencement speaker was relevant to their graduation moment.

Contact Marissa Frobes at mfrobes@nd.edu

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

By MEGHAN THOMASSEN

Scene Writer

The 54th Annual Collegiate Jazz Festival rocked Washington Hall Friday and Saturday, bringing together some of the best brass bands from across the country.

The festival featured nine ensembles, including Notre Dame’s Jazz Band I and New Orleans Brass Band. The professional judges, guitarist Pat Martino, organist Pat Bianchi, tenor saxophonist Diego Rivera, guitarist Carmen Intorre Jr. and trumpet and flugelhorn player Bob Lark, also performed Friday night.

Student programmers sophomores Sam Bungum and Rob Martin organized the event. They were responsible for inviting judges and ensembles, as well as planning the event’s logistical details.

“We had a wide range of sounds and combinations to choose from, but it also depends on what kind of experience they’ve had in the jazz world,” Bungum said. “We have to go after multiple people, because some people might have scheduled their events many months in advance.”

Availability might have been one of the biggest difficulties Bungum and Martin faced, but they said they were still able to reserve some of the best jazz musicians in the country.

Martino is a jazz guitarist who dropped out of high school to play jazz in Harlem. By the age of 16, he was performing in one of the most famous bands in New York City and has been playing with the best jazz musicians of the world ever since.

judge Michael Pedicin was unable to attend. Bungum said Rivera dropped everything to perform that night.

“He played extremely well, especially under the circumstances,” he said.

The bands performed a variety of pieces, each characterized by skilled soloists and unified ensembles. The Alma College Percussion Ensemble started the weekend off with a bang — a full steel drum set overtook the stage. The group was synchronized and the beat syncopated. It was a combination of jazz club cool and Jamaican heat.

The Western Michigan University Advanced Jazz Combo featured a top-notch saxophonist and drummer. Their best number was the student-arranged piece “For Harlan,” a wild drum piece that shook the hall.

The Notre Dame Jazz Band I performed with red ties popping against their all-black attire. The group’s program ranged from Duke Ellington to John Clayton to their very own director, Larry Dwyer. Junior vocalist Allison Jeter had the Ella-inspired pipes to steal the show with “Sophisticated Lady” and “A Tisket A Tasket.”

Next week, Martino will fly to Dubai to play in the Dubai Jazz International Festival.

Bianchi, one of the best up and coming jazz organists, also performed. Having performed with Martino for a few years, their playing styles complemented each other well.

Intorre Jr. is a drummer who has played in New York since he was young. Martino discovered him at a gig and brought him into the group.

Lark, a professor of jazz studies at DePaul University, directed the honors band Bungum played in when he was in eighth grade.

“I remember working with him and he did a great job,” Bungum said. “He plays in some of the best big bands in Chicago.”

Rivera, a tenor sax player and professor of jazz studies at Michigan State University, was a lastminute addition to the judges’ table. Bungum received news Friday morning that due to health issues,

The Alaska Fairbanks Jazz Combo, or UAF Jazz @ Six, had a fantastic, full-bodied sound. Trumpet player Luke Nielsen serenaded the crowd with his solo in “Quiet River” and Keenan McKirgan was brilliant in his trombone solo in “Being With You.”

The Virginia Commonwealth University Small Jazz Ensemble might be small, but their sound was smooth and sultry. A self-directed group, they have five members: tenor saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass and drums.

Campus favorite Notre Dame New Orleans Brass Band, fondly known as MOBB, channeled funk, jive and the famous New Orleans second-line beat into their program, which included the Notre Dame Fight Song.

The Bowling Green State University Lab Band I evoked a hazy, late-night vibe. Alto saxophonists Nicole Hassel and Christine Wehr were the standouts, thanks to their jiving director David Bixler.

Finally, the Virginia Commonwealth University Jazz Orchestra I featured killer bongos and a toe-tapping bass line in each of their pieces, as well as an exceptional lead trombone player and tenor saxophone soloist. As the most visible component of VCU’s music program, the group is comprised of mostly jazz students. Their director was charmingly enthusiastic, gesturing loudly every time a member rocked a solo.

The Judges’ Jam on Friday night was also a shining moment in the festival.

“It was great … absolutely great,” Bungum said. “Pat Martino’s sound is so distinctive and he lived up to one of his nick-names … the fastest guitar player in the west.”

Martino also brought in Lark and Rivera to jam on jazz standards and play solos on a few of his original charts.

“Some of the best jazz in the country was happening right here,” Bungum said.

The festival also had a free clinic for jazz enthusiasts, novices and veterans to interact with the judges about the music.

“One gentleman who’s played drums for 50 years said it was one of the best clinics he ever attended,” Bungum said.

Bumgum was particularly impressed with Martino.

“He talks about music as life. It was very eye-opening,” he said. “Each judge talked about their take on technique or jazz in general and the difference between jazz as a business and an art form.”

The top five sports TV theme songs of all time

It’s been well covered in this space over the past two weeks, but we’ve been in a bit of a sports dry spell lately.

over it in his 2004 hit “Heart of a Champion.” Pretty cool, but not enough to push it past the classic at No. 3.

League looks into Saints’ Williams

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Now that the NFL has uncovered a big-money bounty program for players in New Orleans, it likely will zero in on other teams Gregg Williams worked for.

Jack Hefferon Sports Writer

The Big East tournament begins today, and will conclude this weekend along with every other major conference, ending with the spectacle of Selection Sunday. That will lead directly into March Madness, which will march on to the Masters, the NHL and NBA playoffs, and yes, even the return of baseball. Before we know it, it will be football season once again.

But last weekend, with the specter of midterms looming over campus, that all seemed unattainably far away. The horizon was beginning to lighten, but the sun of spring sports had not yet risen. Faced with such a scarcity of conversation topics, my roommates and I argued — all in the name of procrastination — over the best sports broadcast theme songs ever to grace network television.

Yup, we were that bored. But I apologize for nothing.

A great theme should immediately set the tone for the upcoming event, and should be recognizable enough that the first couple of bars have you turning for the nearest TV. It should be lively enough to get you excited for the event, even in passing in a 15 second commercial. And it should be established enough that it harkens back to previous years, to the exact places you were for the event’s best moments.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the top five sports themes of all time:

5. College Football on ABC

This theme unfolds slowly, and brings to mind the imperial power of an ancient Roman triumph. It’s a Saturday night staple in the fall, always there for sneaking in one more powerhouse matchup after candlelight dinner. Its grandeur practically demands an awesome blimp shot of a venue like the Rose Bowl, accompanied by Brent Musburger announcing that indeed, “You are looking live” at something special.

4. NBA on NBC

I’m not much of an NBA fan anymore, but “Roundball Rock” always brings me back to the legendary, inyour-face series in the late ‘90s between the Knicks and Pacers. It was a time when the league was rough and tumble, played defense and its stars didn’t decide to team up and hang out together in Miami Beach. Its full, orchestral sound commands attention, plus Nelly rapped

personaL

UNPLANNED PREGNANCY? Don’t go it alone. Notre Dame has many resources in place to assist you. if you or someone you love needs confidential support or assistance, please call Sr. Sue Dunn at 1-7819 or Ann Firth at 1-2685. For more information, visit ND’s website at: http://pregnancysupport@nd.edu

3. Monday Night Football

This is probably the most recognizable theme on the list. The first four notes immediately let everyone in the vicinity know it’s Monday night, and helped make MNF a true event in itself when it was established in 1970. Plus, I’m bundling it with “All My Rowdy Friends,” which Hank Williams Jr. traditionally updated for every week’s matchup. Unfortunately, Williams was pulled off the broadcast last year after comparing a sitting U.S. president to Adolf Hitler, leaving no one to ask us that all-important question: “Are you ready for some football?”

2. The Masters

A total change of pace on our list, but awesome nonetheless. This calming, piano-and-flute melody makes all seem right and beautiful in the world. It rolls along as slow and smooth as Rae’s Creek and brings out the best of Jim Nantz, as he calls us in as “friends” in his sleeptime whisper. The song, much like the tournament itself, feels frozen in time, and it will always bring me back to watching Tiger and Phil with my dad on the warm April Sundays of my youth. Augusta is revered almost to the point of being a holy site, and the theme could easily be confused with an acoustic hymn in church. It’s fitting then that, as it often does, the Masters will once again conclude on Easter Sunday, with nature and nostalgia in full effect.

1. NCAA Basketball on CBS

Our ultimate theme jumps right into the action, but somehow finds a way to continue building energy all the way through, just like the tournament it accompanies. Following Selection Sunday, basketball fans everywhere will hear this song hundreds of times over the course of a month. It accompanies Greg Gumbel’s game breaks, Bill Raftery’s explosions and every time the score update bar appears at the bottom of the screen. I honestly can’t wait for those first eight bars come Sunday, and that’s the goal of any good sports theme.

So it may have been a struggle to survive the past few weeks in the sports world, but all that is about to change. I can hear it coming.

Contact Jack Hefferon at wheffero1@nd.edu

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

Mark Twain Quotes: When angry, count four; when very angry, swear.

i have been studying the traits and dispositions of the “lower animals” (so called) and contrasting them with the traits and dispositions of man. I find the result humiliating to me.

What’s the use you learning to do right, when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?

That means the Titans, Redskins, Jaguars and Bills probably should all expect to hear from the league soon.

Williams has admitted and apologized for running a bounty pool of up to $50,000 over the last three seasons that rewarded players with thousand-dollar payoffs for knocking targeted opponents out of games while he was the Saints’ defensive coordinator.

He will meet Monday with NFL investigators in the New York area, according to two people familiar with the NFL’s investigation of the bounties. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because details of the continuing investigation are not being disclosed. ESPN first reported the meeting.

“It was a terrible mistake,” Williams said in a statement Friday night shortly after the NFL released the report. “And we knew it was wrong while we were doing it.”

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Sunday in an email to the AP that the investigation was far from over and that the league will continue “addressing the issues raised as part of our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of the game.”

Before joining the Saints, Williams was the defensive coordinator in Tennessee, Washington and Jacksonville, and the head coach in Buffalo. In January, he was hired by new St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher to lead the defense.

Former Redskins safety Matt Bowen said Williams had a similar bounty scheme when he was in Washington. Former Bills safety Coy Wire told The Buffalo News that an environment of “malicious intent” was in place when he joined the team in 2002 — when Williams was the head coach. Wire said Williams promoted “financial compensation” for hits that injured opponents.

The NFL said payoffs were made by the Saints for inflicting game-ending injuries on targeted players, including quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. “Knockouts” were worth $1,500 and “cart-offs” $1,000, with payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs.

No punishments have been handed out, but they could include suspensions, fines and loss of draft picks. Several players around the league have said the Saints and Williams weren’t the only ones with such a system.

“I knew they existed,” former All-Pro guard Alan Faneca told the AP. “If I hadn’t heard of it, I

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guess I just assumed that it went on. I wouldn’t say that I knew of a team that did it all the time, more just in big games.”

Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who was suspended for two games this season for stomping on an opponent and has been fined frequently by the NFL for rough play, insisted Sunday his team had no bounty program.

“I don’t take part in those things and nor do my teammates and nor my coaches. We don’t allow that,” Suh said. “For me, personally, and I know my teammates, we don’t want to put anybody out,” he added. “Especially me, I would never want anybody to target me to take me out, so why would I do it against somebody else?”

Aiello said the NFL would look at “any relevant info regarding rules being broken.”

All payouts for specific performances in a game, including interceptions or causing fumbles, are against NFL rules.

“I’ve been around teams where players put up money for game goals like kickoff tackles inside the 20, 100 yards rushing, defensive turnovers,” said Faneca, who retired last May after playing 13 seasons for Pittsburgh, the New York Jets and Arizona.

The NFL also warns teams against such practices before each season.

“The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for ‘performance,’ but also for injuring opposing players,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said of the Saints in a statement Friday. “The bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player

safety and competitive integrity.”

The league said 22 to 27 defensive players were involved in the program. Its findings were corroborated by multiple, independent sources, and the pool amounts peaked in 2009, the year the Saints won the Super Bowl.

The 49ers were surprised when the Saints called 18 first-half blitzes in the teams’ exhibition opener last August, won 24-3 by the Saints in the Superdome. New Orleans sacked the San Francisco QBs six times: two on Alex Smith and four against backup rookie Colin Kaepernick.

One Saints player fined last season for flagrant hits was safety Roman Harper. In Week 14 against Tennessee, he made two hits that drew a total of $22,500 in fines. Harper was fined $15,000 for roughing the passer on a helmetto-helmet hit, and another $7,500 for unnecessary roughness when he pulled down receiver Damian Williams by his helmet after a long catch and run. The tackle likely stopped Williams from scoring, and Gregg Williams defended Harper’s aggressiveness on that play after the game.

“If that guy doesn’t want his head tore off, duck. Because that’s how we’re playing. He needs to duck, OK? And that is exactly what you have to do,” Williams said. “One of the things about playing in this league is that your mental toughness, your physical toughness, all that kind of stuff works hand in hand. And I love Roman Harper and the way he plays, and evidently a lot of other people and players in the league do, too, because they keep on voting him to the Pro Bowl.” AP

from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024

Dining

Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

“Classic.” A book which people praise and don’t read.

To string incongruities and absurdities together in a wandering and sometimes purposeless way, and seem innocently unaware that they are absurdities, is the basis of the American art, if my position is correct.

in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to obtain.

Whoever has lived long enough to find out what life is, knows how deep a debt of gratitude we owe to Adam, the first great benefactor of our race. He brought death into the world.

Do not put off till tomorrow what can be put off till day-after-tomorrow just as well.

Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.

Good breeding consists in concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person.

The radical invents the views. When he has worn them out the conservative adopts them.

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.

268 days till Thankstaking 2012. it’s pretty safe to say CA is excited.

Thunder top Mavericks 95-91

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook scored 24 points, Kevin Durant added 22 and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final eight points to escape with a 95-91 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night and run their home winning streak to 13 games.

Westbrook answered Dirk Nowitzki’s fourth 3-pointer of the final period by hitting one of his own from the right wing to get Oklahoma City within 91-90 with 2:25 remaining, and Dallas didn’t score again.

Serge Ibaka hit two free throws with 46 seconds left to give Oklahoma City the lead, and Jason Terry missed two shots down the stretch for the Mavericks.

Nowitzki finished with 27 points but didn’t touch the ball on a key possession when Dallas was down by two with 13 seconds left.

Instead, Terry and Jason Kidd passed the ball back and forth with Kidd getting stuck under the basket before tossing it right back. Terry missed on a short jumper along the right baseline that would have tied it, and Westbrook hit two free throws to ice it after grabbing the rebound.

James Harden had 16 points and Kendrick Perkins grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds for West-leading Oklahoma City.

Terry ended up with 18 points and Ian Mahinmi added 13 points, all in the first half, after being pressed into action when starting center Brendan Haywood was hurt just seconds into the game.

Already short-handed at center, the Mavericks lost Haywood

on the opening possession of the game. Haywood won the tip-off, then got the ball inside before missing a shot and landing with his left foot on top of Perkins’ left foot. He hobbled up the court to foul Durant and then headed to locker room and did not return.

Dallas was already without reserve center Brandan Wright because of a concussion.

Mahinmi had seven points, including a three-point play, during a 15-5 run late in the second quarter, and Kidd’s 3-pointer from the top of the key made it 52-42 with 1:20 to go before half-

time.

The Thunder scored the final three points of the first half and then were able to reverse a seven-point halftime deficit during the third quarter. Oklahoma City scored the first seven points after halftime to tie it at 52 on Westbrook’s jumper from the right elbow with 9:24 left, then pulled ahead with another string of seven consecutive points late in the third.

Durant got ahead of the defense for a two-handed dunk and converted the ensuing free throw for a 68-61 Thunder lead with 1:33 remaining in the third.

Deng, Rose lead Bulls to seventh straight win

Associated Press

CHICAGO — A dynamite third quarter by Derrick Rose and the Bulls denied Indiana any chance of a second straight win in Chicago.

Luol Deng scored 20 points, teaming with Rose in a decisive rally that sent Chicago to its seventh straight victory, 92-72 over the Pacers on Monday night.

“We had a lot more energy in the second half than we did in the first half,” Deng said.

Rose added 13 points and nine assists, hitting three 3-pointers while Deng had two in the third as the Bulls blew open a close game.

“We fought our way back into the game,” Rose said. “Our energy was kind of low and shots weren’t falling. But we rebounded the ball and finished the game pretty good.”

Joakim Noah had 17 rebounds to lead the Bulls to a dominating 60-32 edge on the boards. Chicago outscored the Pacers 20-4 on secondchance points. John Lucas III scored 13 points, one of three Chicago reserves in double figures.

“We struggled offensively in the first half,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “In the third quarter, we had great energy and imposed our will. The rebounding is what got us over the hump.”

Paul George scored 21 points for Indiana, which had a six-game winning streak snapped. George Hill scored 17 points off the bench.

“Give credit to the Bulls,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “They had all the hustle stats. Won all the loose balls and obviously kicked our butts on the glass. “ The Bulls improved their league-best record to 32-8. Chicago stretched its lead to 2 ½ games over Miami atop the Eastern Conference and to seven games over Indiana in the Central Division.

said. “Especially a team that we might face in the playoffs.”

After the game, Rose sounded was more conciliatory.

“They’re a good team,” Rose said. “The last time we played them, they beat us here. Now we just have to deal with them. They put up a fight every time we play them. We’re used to. I think it makes us better as a team.”

Bulls guard Richard Hamilton left the game after just 1:23 had elapsed with a right shoulder injury. He did not return.

Ronnie Brewer came on for Hamilton and had 12 points and seven rebounds in 39 minutes. Fellow reserve Taj Gibson added 10 points and nine boards.

“Thibs always tells us to be ready because you never know when you’re time is going to come,” Brewer said. “Whenever we come in, we have to try to bring energy and change the game one way or another.”

Indiana led by three two minutes into the second half when the Bulls went on a 20-4 spree that featured a pair of nine-point runs. After starting the game by missing nine of his first 10 shots, Rose capped the first run with a 3-pointer to put Chicago up 53-47.

“We definitely got stagnant,” said Pacers forward Danny Granger, who was held to 11 points. “We didn’t get a lot of movement. They picked up their intensity and we had some bad turnovers that led to layups on the other end.”

Indiana closed within four before Chicago hit three consecutive 3-pointers, one by Rose and the last two by Deng. His long one from straight on as the shot clock expired put Chicago up by 13.

“We struggled offensively in the first half. In the third quarter, we had great energy and imposed our will. The rebounding is what got us over the hump.”

Tom Thibodeau Bulls coach

The Pacers were trying to win a seventh straight game for the first time in eight years.

“They really picked it up defensively,” George said. “We deferred to them. Everybody on their side stepped up when we somewhat had Derrick Rose contained. Everybody else stepped up.”

Chicago avenged a 95-90 loss to the Pacers on Jan. 25, one of just two home losses this season. Rose was irked after that game because of what he perceived to be Indiana’s excessive celebration on the court after the game ended, saying “I can’t wait till we play them again.”

“You don’t want to lose to a team twice in a row,” Deng

The Bulls extended the lead to 19 by the time their third-quarter burst ended. Chicago outscored the Pacers 3313 in the period, held Indiana to 6-of-22 shooting and outrebounded the Pacers 18-7. Rose had 11 points and five assists to lead the charge. Rose rested for the entire fourth quarter as Indiana could get no closer than 13 points. When the Pacers looked like they might make one last run, Rose began to stretch but ultimately settled back onto his seat and watched from the sideline.

“I’m not worried about the shots that I miss,” Rose said. “Amnesia. I know that when I get things going, it’s pretty hard to stop.”

The Pacers are looking forward to their next test against their division foe.

“We still have games to play (against the Bulls) in Indiana and it will be a different story,” Granger said.

Women’s hockey sweeps Spartans in home finale

Men’s rugby falls to Sooners; Women’s volleyball splits with Purdue, sweeps Butler

Special to The Observer

Notre Dame was back in action this weekend, beating Michigan State on Saturday and Sunday 3-2 and 4-1, respectively. These games were a rematch of the team’s first pair of games in November when the Irish traveled to East Lansing, Mich., where Michigan State swept.

In the first game, the Irish started strong when senior Kristin Hepburn was able to beat the goalie for a 1-0 lead 15 minutes into the game off assists from sophomores Meaghan Ayres and Maddie Schneeman. Within a minute, the Irish scored again when freshman Suzanne Fitzpatrick took the puck into the offensive zone and found freshman Tori White in the slot. With only the goalie to beat, White didn’t miss.

Finding themselves in a quick 2-0 hole, the Spartans took a timeout and were able to shift the momentum in their favor.

Two minutes later, the Spartans found the back of the net and by the end of the first period had tied the game 2-2.

Following the intermission, the Irish took back control of the game. A shot from the point led to a rebound and a scrum in front of the Spartan net. The Spartans were unable to clear the puck and senior Brinya Bjork found freshman Kelsey Osinski, who slammed it home under the goalie to give the Irish the lead back for two minutes into the second period. Then it was up to the Irish defense to keep the lead.

Freshman Kaleigh McLaughlin was particularly strong for the Irish defense clearing out the Spartan players in front of the net. Sophomore Caroline Thomas and juniors Mara Catlaw and Veronica Ryan kept the Spartans at bay. The star of the game was senior goalie Elissa Cmunt. Playing in her last game for the Irish, Cmunt turned the Spartans away at every opportunity with some tremendous saves and overall strong play in the second and third periods to ultimately seal a great 3-2 Irish victory.

On Sunday, the Irish were out to prove that Saturday’s win was no fluke, and after an even start, sophomore Kate Bowie took a shot from the high slot that snuck under the Spartan goalie for a 1-0 lead eight minutes into the game. Later in the period, Ayers found White to give the Irish a 2-0 lead. Not wanting a repeat of Saturday’s game when Michigan State came back to tie the game, the Irish didn’t let up. Early in the second period, Fitzpatrick was able to find the back of the net off assists from White and Catlaw. The last Irish goal was scored later in the period when Hepburn tipped a shot from Thomas for a 4-0 lead.

With such a big lead, the Irish seemed to relax, but freshman goalie Mary Salvi had a strong game and did not allow the Spartans to gain momentum. Freshman Megan Covington, playing out of position on the wing, had a great game and helped the Irish repel every Spartan attack. The Irish cruised to a 4-1 Senior Day victory and gave promise for the coming years.

Led by seniors Bjork, Hepburn and Cmunt, and coached by senior Tim Gannatti, junior Derek Wolf and sophomore EJ Borg, with special advisor junior Kev-

in Nugent, the team finished the year with a 10-3 record.

Women’s Volleyball

Women’s volleyball has made huge strides in its short existence, as evidenced in this week’s Butler Invitational. The Irish opened play by splitting two games with Purdue C, dropping the first game 25-21 before rebounding for a 25-20 victory. The club then swept a pair of games from each of its next two opponents, defeating Western Kentucky 25-23 and 25-16 and the host Bulldogs 25-16 and 2523.

Sophomore libero Alex Doctor had a stand out performance all day long. The club will next play at Michigan State in three weeks.

Equestrian

The Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Equestrian team travelled to Chicago this past weekend for the first horse show of the semester, hosted by Augustana College. Despite the cold weather, the team enjoyed a successful weekend, with one rider qualifying for regional finals and several others closing in on qualification.

Junior rider Mia Genereux started Saturday with an excellent ride in open fences to claim first place honors with sophomore Katie Walsh, freshman Katie Sylva and junior Amy Giordano earning second, third and fifth, respectively.

Sophomore Stephanie Nearhos and junior Maureen McQuillan laid down solid trips to earn fourth and third places in the intermediate fences class, with senior Sarah Lusher earning first place in her first intermediate jumping class with an exceptional course.

In the novice fences classes, senior Amanda Leon and junior Whitney Preisser each jumped to third place in their sections with lovely trips. Senior Catherine Mikkelsen laid down solid rides in the alumni fences and flat classes to take fourth place in both. In the open flat classes, Genereux and Walsh won their respective sections, and Giordano, freshman Katie Sylva and senior Victoria Scheid followed close behind taking the third, fourth and sixth places.

For the intermediate flat class, Nearhos claimed first with an outstanding ride, McQuillan received second and Whitney Preisser earned the fourth place honors. Leon garnered the fourth place honors in novice flat, with junior Patty Walsh taking third in their first show of the year.

To wrap up the day, freshmen Shannon Noonan and Rebecca Bullis and junior Ellen Moriarity earned second, third and fourth spots respectively in their walktrot-canter sections with superb rides. The team took home overall third place behind Wisconsin-Madison and WisconsinLacrosse and Genereux was the high point rider for the day.

Sunday kicked off with a pair of well-earned first places from Genereux and Walsh in the open fences classes, with Sylva and Giordano following closely, coming in second and fourth. In the intermediate fences class, Nearhos jumped to first place with an outstanding course. Lusher earned fourth and McQuillan placed sixth in the intermediate class as well.

Senior Mana Espahbodi and sophomore Sarah Dalton received the fourth and sixth place honors with solid rides in the novice fences class. In the alumni section, Mikkelsen claimed a pair of fourth places. In the open flat classes, Scheid and Walsh each took second place in their sections, with Giordano, Genereux and Sylva finishing up well with the third, fifth and sixth places.

The intermediate flat riders were also successful, with Nearhos placing third, McQuillan placing fourth and Preisser placing fifth.

Leon received third place in the novice flat class. Sophomore Annie McCarthy took home sixth place in her first show with a great ride in the walk-trot-canter class and Moriarity garnered first place honors to finish the day.

The team placed third out of 12 teams for the day behind Wisconsin-Madison and WisconsinLacrosse. Walsh was the reserve high point rider for the day and also qualified for regionals in the open flat.

The team will travel to Madison, Wisc., in two weeks for the final show of the season and the regional finals.

Men’s Rugby

The Irish travelled to Norman, Okla., over the weekend to take on Oklahoma. The weather was a balmy 60 degrees, but there were high winds that affected play throughout the game.

The match started with physical play from both sides. The Irish and the Sooners traded

and Western Kentucky

blows for the first 15 minutes of the match. The Irish defense held strong with the Sooners advancing the ball very close to the goal line. Eventually though, the Irish capitalized on a scoring opportunity and made the most of it as junior Sean Peterson made a kick to put the Irish up 3-0. Things looked to be going in favor of the Irish as junior Ryan Robinson sprinted up the sideline to score. Peterson made a great kick to put the Irish up 10-0. The Sooners came storming back, though, to take a 12-10 lead into halftime.

The beginning of the second half started with a pair of Irish tries by sophomore Tom Hickey. The Irish started playing their brand of rugby, but the Sooners erased their 22-10 deficit and went up 29-22 with about 10 minutes left in the game. The Irish had many chances during the Sooners’ rally to increase their lead but couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities. The last 10 minutes were hard fought, but the Irish couldn’t manage a score before the whistle blew. It was a difficult loss for the Irish to swallow, who will look to rebound next weekend against Life University in Charlotte, N.C.

Men’s Volleyball

The No. 1 men’s volleyball club was unable to participate in a conference tournament this weekend due to a snowstorm and poor travel conditions.

Squash

The Notre Dame Squash Team partnered with Net Impact to host a hunger awareness dinner

Feb. 21. Net Impact is a club interested in making a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of leaders who use business to improve the world. This dinner was made possible for those interested in learning more about the subject of world hunger. Jennifer Warlick, director of the Poverty Studies program at Notre Dame, spoke at the event.

It was an informal and informative dinner that addressed themes like inequality, poverty and starvation. As students arrived, they received a number from one through six, designating the table they were to sit at. After the seats were filled, students found out that table one represented the upper class, while six represented the lowest class in the room.

Table one received a four course catered meal before tables three through six received anything at all. Tables three through six received a small bowl of rice while table one was devouring its cake. Eventually, everyone else received the same food but for a while, it was clear that those not sitting at table one were clearly dissatisfied and frustrated.

These were the exact emotions the planners had hoped participants sitting at the lower class tables would feel as they saw others receiving better treatment, as this is a situation very few Notre Dame students are in at home. It was in its own sense an eye-opening activity.

People were very satisfied with the event. Warlick said the event was very informative and clear,

Belles look to start fast at home against Warriors

By AARON SANT-MILLER Sports Writer

While getting the first win of the season is important, getting the first home win also creates a special momentum for a team’s season. Saint Mary’s will look to capture that momentum Tuesday at home against Indiana Tech.

The Belles (1-1) are coming off a dominant victory Sunday over Olivet College, in which they swept all three doubles matches and won five of the six singles matches for an 8-1 victory. Belles coach Dale Campbell said this win brought confidence back to the team after a rough season opener against regionally ranked Case Western.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Belles coach Dale Campbell said. “We’re positive, but we know we have to keep doing better.”

While the odds look good on paper for Saint Mary’s, as Indiana Tech (0-4) lost to that same Olivet team that Saint Mary’s defeated 8-1, Campbell said the Belles are not overconfident.

“We’re going to continue to work hard in practice,” Campbell said. “We’re going to continue to work on our fitness.”

Saint Mary’s is hoping this hard work, coupled with athletic ability, will pay off. But they want to maintain a certain level of mental toughness and intensity as well, Campbell said.

“Primarily, we want to continue to play more aggressive against our opponents,” Campbell said. “We’re going to need a more aggressive game to fare well against our conference opponents.”

Tuesday will give the Belles an opportunity to attack with this aggressive mentality, Campbell said, where a certain amount of focus will be paid to the No. 1 singles matchup.

“[Indiana Tech’s] number one player [freshman Stephanie Perez] is a pretty decent player, so it should be a good match up,” Campbell said.

Perez, despite her youth, is already putting on an impressive campaign. She will face off against the Belles’ own No. 1 singles player, sophomore Mary Catherine Faller. Faller performed well against Olivet and looks to bring that same dominance to the match Tuesday.

“[Faller] played a good match [on Sunday] against a veteran conference number one and got a win,” Campbell said. “I think that will help her bring a little confidence and it should be a fun one to watch.”

With the spotlight on Faller and the Belles, the team will look to shine at home against the Warriors at 6 p.m. tonight at Notre Dame’s Eck Tennis Pavilion.

Contact Aaron Sant-Miller at asantmil@nd.edu

Coaching

continued from page 16

was just great to have around, because even though she wasn’t as good as the other kids she worked hard and did a lot of things just helping the team.

“Then my niece played for me. Kali was unbelievable for us. She came in ranked pretty low in the juniors but was a great doubles player and just came in and beat a lot of kids who were ranked ahead of her. She got a lot better and did a great job.”

Louderback said one of the best parts of coaching at Notre Dame is the reunion atmosphere of home football weekends, when he gets to catch up with many of his former athletes.

“One thing I really enjoy is the fall, because we have so many kids that come back to football games,” Louderback said. “You

Diggins

continued from page 16

much of this season’s success can be attributed to her outstanding play, Diggins was quick to defer praise, particularly towards sophomore guard Kayla McBride.

McBride, who appeared in just 19 games last season due to an off-court issue, has emerged as one of Notre Dame’s leading scorers. McBride chipped in 15 points Monday, one of four Irish players to finish in double-digits in scoring.

“I think Kayla is a player who can score, who can rebound, who can guard a big, guard a guard — she can do it all,” Diggins said. “She’s really taking advantage of her opportunities when she gets the ball. She said

know they really enjoy getting to come in and getting to spend some time here. They’re having families now and they’re bringing their families back, and that’s something that I really enjoy.”

Although football weekends can feel like team reunions for former teammates, Louderback said one of the most difficult parts of being a collegiate tennis coach is getting freshmen to buy into the team atmosphere.

“You never know how freshmen are going to handle it, because they’ve always playing for themselves and maybe for a coach or parents. Now all the sudden, they’re being counted on to win matches not only for themselves but also for their teammates, their school [and] fans,” Louderback said. “Some of them thrive in it, some of them struggle in it. You just never know when you recruit kids.

“But I try to let them know immediately that the bottom line is

winning team matches and if they lose fighting out there and our team wins they should be happy.”

Although Louderback has now coached for 32 years, he said that his favorite part of collegiate tennis hasn’t changed since he was a student-athlete himself at Wichita State.

“I really enjoy when we get the chance to compete, get a chance to go on the court and play other teams,” Louderback said. “I enjoy practice — it’s great — but I just really enjoy playing matches, and when I was in college that’s how I was as a player, too.”

Louderback will oversee the Irish as they travel to Hawaii over spring break. They will kick off their island series with a match against Texas Tech in Honolulu on March 12 at 5 p.m.

Contact Vicky Jacobsen at vjacobse@nd.edu

we’re getting it to her where she’s comfortable, [but] she knows where to go.

“I think she’s playing her role to a tee.”

With just one game remaining before the NCAA tournament, Notre Dame is also playing its role to perfection. A Big East tournament title win Tuesday would all but secure the Irish a

Defense

continued from page 16 scoreboard.”

Notre Dame has always emphasized defense as the major component in its success. Coach Kevin Corrigan and assistant coach Gerry Byrne have made Notre Dame a premier defensive club over the years.

“We have had a strong defense as long as I’ve been here,” Randall said.

This season has started even better on the defensive end than past years. Last season, the Irish gave up 16 goals during the first three matchups, but were also scoring more goals on the offensive end.

“Our strength this year is a product of many things, [including] our work in the offseason and preseason, consistent preparation for other teams during mid-week practices, the ability of younger guys to learn our defense and roles and a little luck,” Randall said.

Randall’s role has evolved slightly during his tenure on the back line.

As a freshman, he started only two games and collected eight appearances. Since then, he has started every game for the Irish. This season, however, the title of captain combined with his presence as a senior and returning starter has given Randall added responsibility.

“I suppose earlier in the year, primarily during the fall semester, my role as a senior was to bring the younger guys up to speed,” Randall

coveted No. 1 seed in the national tournament.

“We are right in position where we want to be,” Novosel said. “Going into tomorrow night’s game, there is no doubt that we want to go in and win that [championship] for coach.”

Contact Chris Masoud at cmasoud@nd.edu

said. “Being in-season now, we all have a firm grasp of who we are individually and as a unit.”

The Irish do not like to characterize themselves as falling into one category of defense or another. Rather, Randall said they want to play sound, fundamental lacrosse, believing that is the best way to keep the ball out of the back of their own net. This could be mistaken for being conservative, he said, but that is not necessarily the case.

“We have a few simple but important rules and roles, and our adherence to these is what makes our defense effective,” Randall said. “Within our defense, there is some room for individual risk-taking, but probably less so than on other teams.”

Although the Irish defense has gotten out to a fast start, Randall said there is always room for improvement. Indentifying those flaws starts in the film room, while solving them happens on the practice field every day.

“We watch clips of every game a day or two afterwards and the coaching staff will always find areas of improvement,” Randall said. “At this point, we are fine-tuning small details of our defense that have resulted in goals or quality shots throughout our first three games.”

The next contest for the Irish is a road matchup with Hofstra on March 10 at 3 p.m.

Contact Matthew r obison at mrobison@nd.edu

Armstrong shines, Irish struggle in rain-shortened event

By DREW PANGRAZE Sports Writer

Notre Dame finished 13th

in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate over the weekend in Hilton Head, S.C., when the event ended earlier than expected due to rain.

The team arrived Friday and played the Long Cove Golf Club consistently the first two days. Heavy rains Saturday afternoon, however, forced the players to end their second rounds early after only 12 holes of play.

The Irish struggled Sunday morning as they finished up their second

School

continued from page 16 academically and prepare for medical school.

“Notre Dame was kind of a school I had always wanted to go to,” Koter said. “I wanted to go to a place where I knew I could get a good education.”

Yet Koter said balancing his majors in French and Science Pre-Professional with Division I diving has not been easy.

“It’s difficult to spend as much time studying as you would like at the end of the day when you woke up early for practice and practiced again in the afternoon,” Koter said. “It’s been very difficult, but not impossible.”

Koter said mental toughness has been the key to both his diving and academic success.

“It helps to get in a zone,” Koter said. “Diving is a pretty mental sport. Overcoming mental barriers is really the key to doing well.”

Finishing ninth in the 3-meter event at the Big East championships in February, Koter recorded his lowest place overall at the championships in his collegiate career.

“I didn’t have as good a Big East meet as I would have liked,” Koter said. “I think the pressure got to me somewhat.”

For Koter, this season has had a different feel than his others on the team.

“This season was a bit of struggle for me,” Koter said. “It wasn’t everything I’d expected or hoped it would be. I’ve trained better and have definitely become a better diver. It just hasn’t translated into results.”

Koter hopes next weekend’s NCAA Zone championships will offer him a chance to redeem his Big East performance.

“Hopefully, I can relax a little more this weekend and just enjoy diving,” Koter said. “I’m just looking to improve on where I hoped I would have been at Big East.”

Koter will travel to Bloomington, Ind., with the rest of the Irish diving team to compete at the NCAA Zone championships Friday through Sunday.

Contact Jonathan warren at jwarren3@nd.edu

rounds. Collectively, the Irish played the remaining six holes 24-over-par Sunday morning. This knocked them from sixth place down to 13th.

The tournament was called off following the conclusion of the second round Sunday. The third and final round of competition was not played due to 4 inches of water that accumulated on the course between noon Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday.

Freshman Ashley Armstrong performed strongly, individually finishing in a tie for 14th place in the tournament.

Sorenson

continued from page 16

her efforts were not enough to qualify her for the NCAA national meet.

“You have to place in the top 16 in the nation during the regular season [to qualify for nationals],” Sorenson said. “Since I’m not going to nationals, it’s all about training for [the outdoor season]. I’ll be getting back into some harder workouts.”

The season’s transition to the outdoor season means Sorenson must make some transitions of her own.

“For me, it means running 100-meter hurdles instead of 60-meter. Relays are also introduced that we don’t have [during the indoor season],” she said. “It also brings on a lot of traveling. Since we have a big indoor track, we host a lot of indoor meets. For [the outdoor season], we travel a ton. We’ll be going to Florida, Texas, Alabama and California.”

As the Irish begin to look forward to the outdoor season, Sorenson has set some big goals for herself and her team.

“I still have my eyes set on winning Big East for the women’s team,” she said. “We went from eighth place during indoor last year to fourth this year. We did have a lot of great performances, but we also had a lot of hiccups and I know our women’s squad can do a lot better. I know we can improve a lot more, even further than we’ve come.”

Personally, she wants to keep pushing her own boundaries.

“I just want to keep [getting personal records],” Sorenson said. “I’m trying to get my hurdle times for the outdoor season lower and hopefully make it to nationals.”

Sorenson and the rest of the Irish travel to the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala., after Spring Break. In the meantime, several members of the men’s and women’s squads will be participating in the NCAA indoor championships in Nampa, Idaho this weekend.

Irish coach Susan Holt said she was pleased with Armstrong’s effort, but also said Armstrong could have accomplished more.

“She had it to threeunder at one point on Saturday, but finished Saturday with three straight bogeys,” Holt said. “She played well, but could have played really great.”

“This is the third time we’ve put ourselves in a position to pick up a quality win and not taken advantage.”

fifth tournament of the year, and first this spring. Holt said that though the result was not what the Irish were hoping for, she is optimistic.

Susan Holt Irish coach

The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate was the team’s

“This is the third time we’ve put ourselves in a position to pick-up a quality win and not taken advantage,” Holt said. “It’s disappointing, but more opportunities lay ahead.”

The Irish will head down

to LSU for a tournament this weekend.

“I’m looking forward to us playing like I know we can,” Holt said. “I know we have a talented group.

“I have huge expectations for our team going forward. I would be less disappointed if I thought our team wasn’t that good, but that’s not the case. I know we’re better than we have been playing.”

The Irish travel to Baton Rouge, La., for the LSU Tiger Classic this Friday through Sunday.

Contact Drew Pangraze at apangraz@nd.edu

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

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Bring on UConn

Dominant performance leaves Irish one game away from title

By CHRIS MASOUD Assistant Managing Editor

Triggered by a 10-2 run in the contest’s opening minutes, No. 3 Notre Dame walloped No. 25 West Virginia 73-45 in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Monday night to advance to its second straight tournament title game. After falling to the Mountaineers in their only home loss of the season Feb. 12, the Irish have now beaten every team in the conference at least once.

“We’re really happy to be able to avenge our loss,” Irish coach Muffet McGraw said. “We played well right from the start. We got out of the gate offensively and shot the ball extremely well. Defensively,

men’s sWImmInG

we did a much better job on their guards … We had good balance today, which we didn’t have last time, so overall [I’m] just really pleased with the win.”

Notre Dame (30-2, 15-1 Big East) never trailed the Mountaineers (23-9, 11-5) and led by as many as 30 points with less than five minutes remaining in the second half. Senior guard Natalie Novosel paced the Irish with 18 points, including a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc, as the team shot 42.6 percent for the game.

In its sixth appearance in program history, Notre Dame will contend for the conference tournament title in a familiar tilt with Connecticut (28-4, 133), who dismantled St. John’s

Koter excels on diving board and in classroom

By JONATHAN WARREN Sports Writer

When junior Ryan Koter fractured and dislocated his elbow during gymnastics practice as a 12-year-old, he knew his career as a gymnast would never be the same. Faced with diminished prospects in that sport, he decided to try diving.

He found he could utilize many of the same skills he had learned in gymnastics without placing as much physical stress on his elbow.

“I was disappointed at first, but I fell in love with diving,”

Koter said. “I like it a lot better than I did gymnastics and am lucky to be able to do it. “I think I’ve had more success than I probably would have in gymnastics because of that. In the end, I think it turned out to be a good thing.”

Koter found success in high school diving, earning three All-American honors before choosing to attend Notre Dame for its academic reputation. A National Merit Finalist in high school, he wanted to challenge himself

see SCHOOL/page 14

74-43 on Monday. The Huskies have defeated the Irish in each of their six tournament final berths, but Notre Dame has beaten Connecticut in three straight matchups, including the last two during the regular season.

“I think it’s great for our school, particularly in the season we’ve been having,” junior guard Skylar Diggins said. “This is great for us being able to advance. We’re excited for the opportunity to compete for a Big East championship.”

Diggins, who finished with nine points, six assists and three steals Monday, was named the Big East Player of the Year on March 2. While

see DIGGINS/page 13

tennIs

Louderback stresses importance of teamwork

By VICKY JACOBSEN Sports Writer

The last time the head coaching position for the women’s tennis team was open, current Irish coach Jay Louderback was reluctant to even apply.

At the time, Louderback was coaching both the men’s and women’s teams at Iowa State.

“I really wasn’t looking to leave Iowa State,” Louderback said. “I was trying to decide if I wanted to coach men’s or women’s, and I really wasn’t sure which way I wanted to go yet.

“But the job opened up and [current Irish men’s tennis coach Bob] Bayliss called me and kept saying, ‘just apply, get an interview,’ and the Colorado coach, who was a good friend of both of ours, kept saying I needed to go and look at this. So I came here and interviewed and as soon as I came here, I thought, ‘Oh my

gosh, I’m an idiot, I should have been wanting this all along.’”

That was in 1989. Since then, Louderback has coached 23 Irish squads, 20 conference championship-winning teams, 12 All-Americans and two family members — his daughter, Bailey, a 2008 graduate, and niece, All-American Kali Krisik, who graduated in 2010.

Coaching family can be tricky, but Louderback was prepared for the potentially thorny situation.

“When I was coach at Wichita State the first recruit I signed was my sister,” Louderback said, referring to Krisik’s mother, Jan. “I was pretty hard on her, being my sister. She was a hard worker, not the greatest athlete ever, but she competed well. And I think that really helped me when then I started coaching my daughter. She didn’t play much for us, but she

men’s LaCrosse see COACHING/page 13

Sorenson has eyes set on outdoor season

By LAURA COLETTI Sports Writer

Nevada Sorenson admits she is forgetful.

“In the past, I’ve had this tendency of forgetting my shoes, my spikes, even my uniform,” the junior sprinter said. “I’ve lost my keys at a meet before. It’s something I worry about.”

Sorenson had nothing to worry about at the Big East meet two weeks ago, when she ran a personal-best time of 8.36 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles to take first place.

“It was really great to run

my best race and get the gold,” she said. “I didn’t expect to win going in. I think I was ranked third. Some of the other girls I was running against didn’t do their best, so it was a little bit of luck and a little bit of me running my best race, but luckily it all pulled together.”

Sorenson’s victory helped the Irish place fourth overall at the meet. She finished sixth in the same race this past weekend when Notre Dame hosted the Alex Wilson Invitational. Unfortunately,

Randall leads Irish defense

By MATTHEW ROBISON Sports Writer

Senior captain Kevin Randall has anchored Notre Dame’s defensive corps this season, and in doing so has helped the Irish find success. Randall and the Irish defense have allowed only 12 goals through three games on the young season.

The senior was also selected to the Big East weekly honor roll for his efforts in a 6-5 win Saturday over then-No. 18 Drexel.

“Holding opponents to three, four or five goals is a matter of pride,” Randall said. “Our hard work throughout the offseason and preseason as a defense is validated by a low number on the