PDF for Friday, April 13, 2012

University honors 10 with degree

Observer Staff Report

Notre Dame will award 10 honorary degrees at this year’s Commencement ceremony, in addition to the honorary degree given to commencement speaker Haley Scott DeMaria, the University announced Thursday.

DeMaria, a former Irish swimmer who made a remarkable recovery from injuries sustained in a team bus accident, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. Other recipients will be honored with degrees in science, law and engineering.

Jude Banatte, head of programming for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Haiti, will receive an honorary doctor of science degree. Banatte gained international recognition for his leadership in the response to Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. In the aftermath of the quake, Banatte visited hospitals, assessed medical needs and helped search for survivors and medical supplies. He has led CRS initiatives to provide temporary shelter for quake victims and traveled as an advocate for the country’s needs. A Haitian native, he earned a medical degree in 1991 and joined CRS.

Lead, connect, advocate

Summit unites student representatives in Washington, D.C.

By KRISTEN DURBIN News Editor

Though his term as student body president has officially come to a close, senior Pat McCormick will take his leadership to Washington, D.C., when he attends the National Campus Leadership Council (NCLC) Summit this weekend.

McCormick, who serves as a member of the NCLC Executive Committee, said the conference represents the culmination of his collaboration with both the Notre Dame community and collegiate student governments. The goal of

the summit is to form a nationally unifying student government entity that promotes “advocacy power for individual campuses and campuses across the country.”

“Over the course of the 20112012 term, we as a student government collaborated with other schools to form a coalition of campuses nationwide in partnership with the NCLC and its staff of young professionals,” McCormick said.

The summit will bring student leaders together through sessions at the White House and American University, he said. The representatives will address issues in

Peer council assists students

By NICOLE MICHELS News Writer

When a Notre Dame student is referred to the Office of Residence Life for a disciplinary infraction, they also receive an insert from the Peer Advocates of Judicial Council, a group that assists them throughout the process.

Senior Susanna Sullivan, President of the Judicial Council, said this service is a crucial resource for students unsure of whom to ask for advice when preparing for an encounter with Residence Life.

“I’ve been surprised about the number of people who have told us that they haven’t told their friends because [their infraction] is embarrassing … but these kids still need to tell someone,” Sullivan said.

Senior Morgan Pino, vice president of the Peer Advocates, said students look for reassurance during the process.

“Even just hearing [the possible consequences] are explicitly stated in DuLac can clear up issues,” Pino said.

Sullivan said Christopher Haug,

the Assistant Director of Residence Life, trains the Peer Advocates in the intricacies of the disciplinary process. This training allows them to provide the best assistance possible for students during the procedures.

“Chris has been great, he’s helped us with training sessions … and he had a mock hearing and mock conference for the peer advocates to learn about the process,” Sullivan said. “We also have resources in the office, from flow

charts as to how the process works and timelines [about when] to submit materials.”

Haug said the staff in the Office of Residence Life understands how easy it is for students to make occasional mistakes.

“The people in Residence Life actually are all humans, we love this place and Notre Dame, and we certainly know that our students are good people,” Haug said. “We

financial aid, campus sustainability, college accessibility and youth unemployment. Participants will also meet with policymakers to directly influence future legislation on these matters, McCormick said.

“This [summit] can serve as a means by which students nationwide can come together to confront shared challenges and advance broader national policy goals that are consonant with the concerns of individual student bodies,” he said.

The conference will facilitate

Professors discuss politics

By ABI HOVERMAN News Writer

Three professors discussed the values of presidential candidates in the fast-approaching fall elections during the “Holy Votes Debate” Thursday night in Washington Hall.

Moderator Michael Desch, Director of Political Science, said it is important for students to consider how various political parties embody the views of the Church in different ways.

“We hope this interchange will create some soul searching … about the platforms of the parties,” Desch said.

Sebastian Rosato, Director of the Notre Dame International Security Program was asked by event organizers to represent the Democratic Party, while Associate Professor of Economics Eric Sims was tabbed to speak on behalf of Republicans. Vincent Muñoz, Tocqueville Associate Professor of Religion and Public Life, was asked to present Libertarian views.

The views expressed by each respective professor are not-

Saint Mary’s prepares to welcome mothers

By KAITLYN RABACH News Writer

This weekend Saint Mary’s will continue the tradition of welcoming mothers from across the nation as it celebrates Junior Moms Weekend.

The weekend, sponsored by the class of 2013, will feature fine dining, tea and a ring blessing ceremony.

Victoria Thompson, president of the class of 2013, said she is looking forward to this weekend’s activities.

“[Vice president] Taylor Hans, my board and I started planning Junior Moms [Weekend] in November,” Thompson said. “It’s been a long process, but well worth it knowing that everyone will enjoy it in the end. “

A wine and cheese party kicks off the events Friday, she said. A silent auction will follow the tastings.

“I am excited for the wine and cheese [party and the] silent auction,” Thompson said. “Due to the generosity of parents and some local businesses, we were able to put

together 45 great baskets. I am anxious to see how much money we will be able to raise.”

Thompson said Saturday’s events will be highlighted by the blessing of the rings ceremony. The tradition has not been held for several years, she said.

“We really pushed for the ceremony because we felt that our class rings are an important part of our connection to Saint Mary’s, as current students and after we graduate,” she said.

Other events for the weekend include a tour of the Riedinger House, a tea party and a formal dinner at the Hilton Garden Inn, she said.

“We were able to come up with some really great ideas this year,” Thompson said. “We have a photo booth, a candy bar, [2011 Notre Dame graduate] Zach DuBois will be performing and our place cards are photo booth-sized picture frames for

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Felipe Campos

Junior O’Neill

“The Crusades.”

Garret García

Freshman

Carroll

“The Moon Landing.”

Ignasio Aranguren

Sophomore Dillon

“The invention of bacon.”

Kate Johnson Junior Walsh

“When the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.”

Madison Faller Freshman Cavanaugh

“The battle of Hogwarts.”

Professor Sebastian Rosato laughs at The Holy Vote: The Debate of the Century, which was held Thursday in Washington Hall. The event centered around the theme of government as it relates to values of Catholics and citizens.

In BrIef

Pablo Quan Junior Dillon

“The Moon Landing.”

today’s staff

News

Dan Brombach

Nicole Toczauer

Drew Pangraze

Graphics

Lauren Kalinoski

Photo Kirby McKenna

Sports

Conor Kelly

Matt DeFranks

Isaac Lorton

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Carrie Turek

Viewpoint

Amber Galik

Six puppies set free from a locked suitcase

TOLEDO, Ohio — What could be more adorable than six bulldog puppies sitting in a suitcase?

An Ohio man has been charged with animal abandonment after Humane Society authorities matched his name with a suitcase in which the six puppies had been trapped. The suitcase, allegedly belonging to Howard Davis, 53, had been left next to a garbage can in a Toledo alleyway.

The puppies were discovered after someone noticed their mother pacing around the closed suitcase.

Toledo Area Humane Society spokeswoman Cyndi

Condit told Reuters that Davis lives only two blocks from where the puppies were found.

“Howard’s name was on the tag of the suitcase and the mother was licensed to him,” Condit said.

Mother discovers newborn alive in morgue

CHACO, Argentina — A baby in Argentina was found very much alive in a morgue by her mother 12 hours after hospital staff had declared the baby dead.

The mother, Analia Bouguet, tells TeleNoticias TV that the hospital still has issued her only a death certificate for the infant rather than a birth certificate. Bou-

guet said she is planning to pursue a medical malpractice suit.

The Daily Mail reports that the baby was Bouguet’s fifth and was born prematurely.

Bouguet and her husband visited the morgue because they wanted to see their child one more time.

“The baby was there and they put the little casket on a stretcher. We looked for a bar to pry it open,” the baby’s father, Fabian Veron, said in a press conference.

The newborn has been named Luz Milagros, or “Miracle Light.”

Information compiled from the Associated Press.

Javon Bea , President/CEO of Mercy Health System, will speak today in the Jordan Auditorium from 10:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Lydia Goehr from Columbia University will present “The Agony of Improvising - on Broken Strings: Toward a Theory of Fit and Wit” today at 4 p.m. in 220 Malloy Hall

The Nanovic Institute of European Studies will be showing the film Pina (2011) today and tomorrow in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Cost $3-6

Allen Hemberger, Pixar Visual Effects Artist, will be discussing the general workflow of feature film visual effects, general cultural and lifestyle of VFX facilities, and answering questions tonight in 102 DeBartolo Hall from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering is hosting the event.

Student Union Board will be showing “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” (2011) tonight from 8 p.m. - 10:15 p.m. in DeBartolo Hall. If you miss this time, it will play again at 10:30 p.m. - 12:45 a.m. Cost $3

TransPose will host its Spring Show “Wonder: A Discovery of Our Nature Through Dance” this evening from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m in the Gallery and Reading Room of Jordan Hall of Science. Admission is free

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

TV icon discusses screenwriting

By MEAGHAN DALY News Writer

Five-time Emmy Award winner Bill Persky will discuss the craft of screenwriting in the “Golden Age of Television,” the first annual installment in the Spring Writers Series at Saint Mary’s. Persky will be joined by Adriana Trigiana, a New York Timesbestselling author and Saint Mary’s alumna, who will host the event on April 27 in Carroll Auditorium.

Persky said he began his television career in 1960. He said he created over 22 television pilots from 1975 to 1982 and became an icon during the so-called “Golden Age of Television.” Since then, he has been recognized for his work on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Kate and Allie,” “That Girl” and several others.

“I am constantly aware of what I’m doing in life and what other people are doing. I don’t write jokes … I just write life,” Persky said. “In fact, in all the shows that I’ve done there was a semblance to something that happened to one of the people working on the show … they were relatable.”

Persky said two main factors defined his success in the early years of television. The first was the originality of the writing. Writers were pure and uninfluenced by previous series as they are today, he said. Secondly, episodes challenged society and culture in ways they never had before, he said.

“We hadn’t watched [television,] we hadn’t grown up with it,” he said. “So everything from the 60s was pretty much without the influence of television. It was more about the influence of the life you were living.”

Persky said he loved each of the shows he worked on for a different reason.

“‘The Van Dyke Show’ was such an honor to be associated with because it was such a classic,” he said. “I love ‘That Girl’ in terms of what it did for young women at that time.

Kate and Allie is very dear to me because … characters in situation comedies sometimes never change, but Kate and Allie grew and changed and became stronger, more complete people.”

of how people should behave,” he said. “It’s embarrassing, but it’s a statement of our whole society at this point.”

Some television shows do incorporate elements from the “Golden Age of Television,” he said. “Modern Family” is one of those throwbacks.

“The subject matter [they’re] allowed to talk about would not have been available back then,” he said.

“I am constantly aware of what I’m doing in life and what other people are doing. I don’t write jokes, I just write life. In fact, in all the shows that I’ve done there was a semblance to something that happened to one of the people working on the show ... they were relatable.”

Bill Persky Emmy Award winner

Several aspects of society changed as the “Golden Age of Television” drew to a close, he said.

Most notably, the role of women was elevated in life and on television, Persky said.

Though he witnessed the rise of this trend, Persky said he has also witnessed its fall.

“Reality television has lowered the intelligence level and the expectations

“[But] actors from this sitcom are treated with the dignity and respect similar to the way [actors] were treated back in the ‘Golden Age.”

Persky said he and Trigiana will offer two master classes for Saint Mary’s students to attend as well. The first will be held on Thursday and is open to all majors. The second workshop on Friday is only open to English writing majors. Students are instructed to bring an idea for a sitcom for Persky and Trigiani to evaluate.

Contact Meaghan Daly at mdaly01@saintmarys.edu

Professor presents macroeconomic blog

By AMY KLOPFENSTEIN News Writer

Economics professor David Ruccio discussed the current economic crisis through commentary on his blog “Occasional Links and Commentary on Economics, Culture and Society” Thursday evening in Geddes Hall.

Russio said his blog considers local and global inequality through the presentation of data. He started his blog while on sabbatical in the summer of 2009 and previously wrote commentary on a personal website with little public exposure.

Since then, his blog has grown to average up to 1,000 views daily and has had more than 300,000 views since its creation.

The blog has led to many media appearances and his posts are frequently featured in the “Real World Economic Review” blog.

“Occasional Links and Commentaries” focuses on American macroeconomics. Ruccio said research for the blog was challenging since his specialties in Marxian

economics and development economics, did not cover macroeconomics.

Ruccio said he thoroughly researches issues prior to writing a commentary. These investigations result in four-to-eight blog entries a day.

“I don’t write about it unless I think I have something to say,” he said.

Ruccio said the most satisfying part of his blog is to hear people have found the information useful.

“Clearly, with 300,000 views, I reach a lot more people with this blog than I have through any book or article I have written, or any lecture I have given,” Ruccio said.

In the future, Ruccio said he hopes to apply for funding to pursue his research further. He said he would use the funding add longterm assistants.

The lecture was a continuation of the ongoing series sponsored by the Higgins Labor Studies Program.

Contact a my Klopfenstein at aklopfen@nd.edu

Mothers

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everyone to keep.”

Junior Caroline Keep said she has looked forward to this event since freshman year.

“I’m looking forward to spending the weekend with my mom and having her meet all my friends and their moms,” Keep said. “I think junior moms weekend is a wonderful tradition at Saint Mary’s … and it will be a memory we hold onto forever.”

Degree

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The University will also award mathematician Luis Caffarelli an honorary doctor of science degree. A leader in the field of partial differential equations and their applications, he has taught at the universities of Minnesota, Chicago, and Texas and New York University and Princeton University. He currently serves as a professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin. Caffarelli received the American Mathematical Society’s Leroy P. Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2009.

Dick Ebersol, a longtime television producer for NBC, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. His career credits range from “Saturday Night Live” to the Olympics, including eight of the top 10 mostwatched television events in U.S. history. Ebersol was also instrumental in acquiring the rights to televise Notre Dame home football games on NBC. He temporarily dropped out of Yale in 1967 to become television’s first-ever Olympics researcher, and he has worked to make NBC the home of the Games since 1992. For 22 years, Ebersol led the network’s coverage of professional baseball, basketball and football, including several Super Bowls.

Archbishop Wilton Gregory will be honored with a doctor of laws degree. The leader of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Gregory served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during his tenure as bishop of Belleville, Ill., in 2001, making him the first African-American ever to head an episcopal conference. Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Atlanta in 2004. He has written extensively on the liturgy and on Church issues, including pastoral statements on the death penalty, euthanasia and physicianassisted suicide.

Notre Dame will award alumnus Kevin Hasson an honorary doctor of laws degree. Hasson is founder and president of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonpartisan public-interest law firm that represents people of all faiths, from Anglicans to Zoroastrians. As a Notre Dame undergraduate, Hasson majored in economics and theology, and he received both a master’s degree in theology and a law degree from the University. He served in the Justice Department and advised the White House on church-state relations and constitutional issues under thenDeputy Assistant Attorney General Samuel Alito. He is the author of several works on religious liberty,. Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. Born in New York and educated in Turkey and London, Kent began his tenure at Coca-Cola in 1978 as a truck driver. He rose through the company’s management ranks in Central Asia and Europe until 1999, when he became president and CEO of the Istanbul-based Efes Beverage Group. He rejoined Coca-Cola after six years with Efes and was named CEO in July 2008.

Notre Dame alumnus Joseph O’Neill will be honored with a doctor of laws degree. A member of the Board of Trustees, O’Neill is the managing partner of O’Neill Proper-

Thompson said this tradition supports the college’s emphasis on strong women leaders and role models.

“I believe it’s common that many daughters look up to their mothers as a role model,” Thompson said. “Each student is able to meet her friend’s mothers and learn about each of them, what they do in their every day lives and increase her knowledge of what women can do to have a positive effect on our world.”

Contact Kaitlyn Rabach at krabac01@saintmarys.edu

ties, a Texas oil and gas production company founded by his father, also a Notre Dame alumnus and Trustee. His service to the University includes a tenure as president of the Notre Dame Alumni Association and a member of the College of Engineering Advisory Council. He is the benefactor of O’Neill Hall and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2001.

Rev. David Tyson, C.S.C., will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. A member of the Board of Trustees and former president of the University of Portland, Tyson currently serves as the provincial superior of the United States Province of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, a position he has held since 2003.

A Notre Dame alumnus, Tyson has served in several roles at the University. During his tenure at Portland, Tyson led a major expansion of its campus, endowed teaching chairs and funding, including a tripling of the university’s endowment.

James Wagner, president of Emory University, will be honored with a doctor of engineering degree. An award-winning teacher, prolific author and advocate of liberal education, Wagner has taught engineering at his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, and Case Western Reserve University, where he served as a dean, provost and interim president for five years. He became Emory’s president in 2003.

Former Dean of the Mendoza College of Business Carolyn Woo will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. After leaving her position as dean in 2011, Woo is now president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services. In 1981, she joined the faculty at her alma mater, Purdue University, where she later served as director of the Krannert School of Management and associate executive vice president for academic affairs. She began her tenure as Mendoza’s dean in 1997 and solidified Mendoza’s focus on ethics and its top ranking among undergraduate business schools for the past three years.

Program diversifies campus

By CAROLINA WILSON News Writer

The 2012 Hesburgh International Scholars Experience (HISE) will bring 60 accepted international students to the University on Saturday.

Julie Denkler, Assistant Director in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, said Notre Dame is greatly benefited by the Hesburgh International Scholars program and its ability to continue the diversification of the student body.

“A campus community is always benefited by diversity,” she said. “We see diversity in numerous ways, [such as] geographic diversity, cultural and ethnic diversity, racial diversity, as well as religious diversity among others.”

Denkler said this is the fifth year the Office of Undergraduate Admissions has brought international prospective students through the Hesburgh International Scholars Experience. This year the Office of Undergraduate Admissions accepted the most international students to date, with students from 22 different countries.

“Two years ago, we expanded the program to include students from Europe, and

this year, we invited students from Canada as well,” she said. “We are trying to give more of our top admitted international students the opportunity to visit campus and see for themselves whether Notre Dame is a place they might want to spend the next four years of their lives.”

Sophomore Paulina Rullán, an undergraduate leader for the HISE planning committee, said the diversity international students bring to campus is essential for an optimal college experience.

“Notre Dame puts a huge effort to bring the best international students and be part of our family,” she said. “This not only gives international students the opportunity to grow in another culture and have a great education from Notre Dame but it also brings diversity and makes the campus a more interesting educational institution for both faculty and students.”

Rullán said one of the events includes a meeting with University President Emeritus Fr. Theodore Hesburgh.

“The program was created in honor of Fr. Hesburgh’s interest and passion for international students,” she said. “We have an incred -

ible group of scholars coming to visit this year, and we thought that meeting with Fr. Hesburgh would just epitomize their visit.”

Sophomore Ignacio Aranguren, a 2011 Hesburgh International Scholar, said the HISE weekend prepared him for his time at Notre Dame.

“I remember feeling very thankful in the beginning of freshman year for HISE weekend,” he said. “It was really a great way not only to see life at Notre Dame first hand, but I was also able to meet the community that would be the essential part of my college experience.”

Aranguren said he hopes prospective students will take full advantage of the opportunities this university will offer to them.

“I hope [the Hesburgh scholars] understand how important they are to the University,” he said. “If they choose to be part of Notre Dame, they’ll be representing their family, country and culture at this school. Thanks to HISE, when they return in the fall, they’ll hit the ground running.”

Contact Carolina w ilson at carolina.e.wilson.267@nd.edu

continued from page 1

necessarily their views, but rather those of the party they were asked to represent by event organizers.

The three professors debated issues ranging from abortion to healthcare.

Rosato presented the liberal position in the abortion debate. He said the pro-choice stance allows for a common good available to many and that all issues should be considered before voting, despite its contradiction with Church teachings.

“A Catholic would only be participating in evil by voting for a pro-choice candidate if you voted for him purely for being pro-choice,” Rosato said. “You should not be a

one issue voter.” Rosato said liberal methods of lowering the number of abortions through socioeconomic support prove more effective than conservative methods. He said abortions declined by 12.6 percent each year [former President Bill] Clinton was in office, in comparison to the 7 percent drop during [former President George W.] Bush’s administration.

As the chosen representative to advocate for the Democratic Party, Rosato said Catholic voters must consider a careful balance of the effects of each issue.

“The church recognizes that no party is perfect, [and] all they should do is vote for the party that promotes the common good,” he said.

Sims said from the Republican viewpoint, the abortion

issue is the key reason Catholics should support conservative candidates. The Church aims to protect human dignity above all else, he said.

“In the U.S., there have been about 50 instances of capital punishment each year … but in the U.S. there are over 3,000 abortions a day,” Sims said. “Plainly put … we must as Catholics continue to speak out against it even if the odds are against us.”

Muñoz presented reasons for Catholics to align with the Libertarian Party, whose small government platform allows the Church to promote their views in all aspects of life. He said when government is only responsible for protecting individuals from one another, churches, families and private institutions shape moral development instead of law.

“Taxing is the taking of others’ labor,” he said. “Modern liberals and conservatives are committed to taking money and giving it to their friends to use it in pursuit of their version of the good life.”

He said modern politics exist in a post-Christian age, where Christianity is a minority view. As democracies reflect majority preferences, government then fails to be Christian.

“To preserve space for Christianity, we need to reduce the role of government,” Muñoz said.

Sims said while each party has its weaknesses and strengths, what is most important is participation in the political process.

“Make your voices heard, stand up for your beliefs, and don’t be ashamed of them,” he said.

Contact a bi Hoverman abihoverman@gmail.com

NCLC

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continuity between past and present Notre Dame student government administrations, as current student body president Brett Rocheleau, a junior, will accompany McCormick to the nation’s capital.

“[One thing] consistent … is our commitment to the idea of working simultaneously on issues of convenience and confidence,” McCormick said. “We hope that’s an example of the kind of student government we’ve tried to build, one that’s bigger and more capable of working on these issues simultaneously.”

Rocheleau said the conference’s breakout sessions and speakers will reflect the common interests of peers nationwide and allow for the exchange of ideas on these topics.

“There will be a lot of different perspectives on different issues,” he said. “Maybe one student government did something that worked that we can try to implement at Notre Dame. Hearing solutions to issues will be a great resource.”

Expressing the opinions and concerns of Notre Dame students is key at a national conference, Rocheleau said.

“Our main goal is to advocate for our students on a national level by talking about issues Notre Dame students feel similarly about, like paying for college and employment after graduation,” Rocheleau said. “There are related policies being worked on in Congress that may not get a lot of press … but there’s power in numbers, and if we get a lot of people behind something, we can make a big difference.”

The advocacy for student interests takes on a more influential role within the NCLC and paves the way for the nation’s future college students, McCormick said.

“This is a way to continue to amplify the voices of students who have advocated in the past and can now take them directly to policymakers in a more institutionalized way,” he said. “[The NCLC] is an infrastruc-

Advocates

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know that good people trip up once in a while and our current process allows for students to take pause, and then move on.”

Pino said the most important tip advocates give students is to maintain a good attitude.

“We emphasize that it is really incumbent on you and your attitude to affect the outcome,” Pino said. “If anything we’re trying to encourage honesty, [for the student] to not hold back, but students aren’t necessarily prepared to be as honest with Residence Life as they have to be.”

Haug said an open attitude will help students move on from the disciplinary incident after proceedings with Residence Life end.

“I think my advice to any student when coming in is just to remain calm, truthful and honest, and to know that the idea of Res Life is often more scary than [Res Life] itself,” Haug said. “Those of us here at Residence Life want to restore them to a full part in the community, that’s the most important part.”

Haug said the severity of the offense determines whether Residence Life meets with students in a hearing or a conference.

“Conferences are our more informal setting, with usually the student one on one with the officer from Res Life and if the student lives on campus, the rector comes as well,” Haug said. “A hearing is our more formal setting, which would be a student, three conduct officers and the rector if the student lives on campus … the hearing is also an opportunity for us to call in any pertinent witnesses.”

ture for future student governments to have a way into the White House, and we hope it will provide a way for students at Notre Dame to continue to engage national policymakers on issues of concern to our student body in the future.”

McCormick engaged in this advocacy in December 2010 when he represented student government at the White House and advocated for Notre Dame’s Playing for Peace initiative. He and other campus leaders spoke with Samantha Power, the senior director of multilateral affairs for the National Security Council and one of the architects of the Obama administration’s policy surrounding the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

McCormick said he and student government initially became involved with the NCLC through an advisory role with NCLC staff members. The team provided feedback for the development of the organization, which currently represents more than 8 million students on 150 college campuses nationwide.

In early 2012, the NCLC selected McCormick to serve on its Executive Committee, which consists of ten student body presidents who communicate with other student body presidents at universities in their geographical regions, McCormick said.

“We saw [the Executive Committee] as a valuable platform to advance our broader goals and exercise full determination of what we choose to advocate for and work toward on our own,” he said.

Although the conference focuses on current issues and concerns of U.S. college students, McCormick said it sets a precedent for future leadership of the country.

“The challenges we face as a country will be shouldered by us,” he said. “Whether it’s the national debt or the energy crisis … this will be an opportunity to work with other campus leaders nationwide and begin to articulate ways in which students can contribute to national policies.”

Contact Kristen Durbin at kdurbin@nd.edu

Haug said Residence Life is updating its disciplinary process.

“We’re cleaning house, going through our process … [and] how we deal with policy violations,” Haug said. “We’re seeing what is a little worn out or old, checking what some of our peer institutions are doing and asking around campus.”

Based on focus groups of students, faculty and staff on campus, he said Residence Life improves their plans in response to concerns voiced by those in attendance.

“One thing that came out of these meetings from the student perspective was, ‘We don’t want other students up in our business,’” Haug said. “We heard really clearly that they do not want other students to be a part of the decision-making office.”

Haug said Residence Life holds open office hours every Friday from 11 a.m. to noon to further its ability to respond to the concerns of the Notre Dame community. The alterations to the Residence Life process will be introduced in the fall.

Haug said the Peer Advocates are the best resource available for students who need to navigate the disciplinary process.

“I think that they’re underutilized for a group of great people who have a wonderful service to provide to the other students,” Haug said. “The thing is that they have received all of this training… [and] you have this really great group of people saying, ‘I’ll walk with the student on this journey.’”

Students can reach Peer Advocates through the Judicial Council at 574-631-5136 or at jcouncil@ nd.edu.

Contact Nicole Michels at nmichels@nd.edu

Zimmerman accused of ignoring dispatcher warning

Associated Press

SANFORD, Fla. — After weeks in hiding, George Zimmerman made his first courtroom appearance Thursday in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, and prosecutors outlined their murder case in court papers, saying the neighborhood watch volunteer followed and confronted the black teenager after a police dispatcher told him not to.

The brief outline, contained in an affidavit filed in support of the second-degree murder charges, appeared to contradict Zimmerman’s claim that Martin attacked him after he had turned away and was returning to his vehicle.

In the affidavit, prosecutors also said that Martin’s mother identified cries for help heard in the background of a 911 call as her son’s. There had been some question as to whether Martin or Zimmerman was the one crying out.

The account of the shooting was released as Zimmerman, 28, appeared at a four-minute hearing in a jailhouse courtroom, setting in motion

what could be a long, drawnout process, or an abrupt and disappointingly short one for the Martin family because of the strong legal protections contained in Florida’s “stand your ground” law on self-defense.

During the hearing, Zimmerman stood up straight, held his head high and wore a gray jail jumpsuit. He spoke only to answer “Yes, sir” twice after he was asked basic questions from the judge, who was not in the courtroom but on closed-circuit TV. The defendant’s hair was shaved down to stubble and he had a thin goatee. His hands were shackled in front of him.

He did not enter a plea; that will happen at his arraignment, which was set for May 29. Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, has said his client will plead not guilty. A bail hearing for Zimmerman probably will be held April 20, O’Mara said late Thursday.

To prove second-degree murder, prosecutors must show that Zimmerman committed an “imminently dangerous” act that showed a “depraved” lack of regard for

Two Coast Guard members fatally shot

Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Two Coast Guard members were fatally shot Thursday at a communications station on an island off Alaska in what officials said appeared to be a double homicide. They have yet to identify a suspect.

The victims were found at their work areas inside the Kodiak Island station early Thursday by another Coast Guard member, spokeswoman Sara Francis said.

Officials believe a third person was involved in the shooting, she said, adding the rest of the roughly 60 enlisted personnel and civilians working at the station have been accounted for.

Capt. Jesse Moore, commanding officer of the Coast Guard base on Kodiak, said the shootings likely occurred sometime between 7 and 8 a.m., soon after the two victims arrived for work inside one of the communication station buildings.

The captain said he was not aware of any threats or anything else that might have indicated problems at the station. The station is equipped with security cameras, but it was not yet known if they captured any evidence, he said.

Moore said the base was “deeply saddened” by the loss of two shipmates.

“This is a tragic event and we are going to do everything we can to look after the families of victims,

human life. The charge carries a mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life.

The special prosecutor in the case, Angela Corey, has refused to explain exactly how she arrived at the charge. But in the affidavit, prosecutors said Zimmerman spotted Martin while

patrolling his gated community, got out of his vehicle and followed the young man.

Prosecutors said in the affidavit that Zimmerman “profiled” Martin, who was unarmed and wasn’t committing a crime.

“Zimmerman ... observed Martin and assumed Martin was a criminal,” the affida -

vit said. “Zimmerman felt Martin did not belong in the gated community and called the police.”

Zimmerman told authorities that Martin attacked him as he going back to his vehicle, punched him in the face, knocked him down and began slamming head against the sidewalk.

Convicted terrorist sentenced

Associated Press

to take care of them and to protect the residents and citizens and other Coast Guard employees in Kodiak,” Moore said.

After the shooting, security was increased at the base, about 8 miles from the island’s largest city of Kodiak. Officials called on the city’s 6,300 or so residents to remain calm and vigilant.

Francis said added security was in place at the base and an adjacent school.

The station listens for radio transmissions from mariners and aircraft, Petty Officer Charly Hengen said. The staff is responsible for relaying distress calls to other Coast Guard stations and offices.

The station has “secure front doors,” Hengen said, and requires staff and visitors to show identification. Francis said visitors and those not actually working at the station are usually provided escorts.

The Coast Guard said the victims’ identities would be released after family members were notified.

The FBI said agents flew to Kodiak from Anchorage, about 250 miles away.

Rear Adm. Thomas Ostebo, the commander of Coast Guard operations in Alaska, was in New London, Conn., for a conference at the Coast Guard Academy but left ahead of schedule.

Ostebo could not be reached for comment.

BOSTON — A Massachusetts man convicted of conspiring to help al-Qaida was sentenced Thursday to 17½ years in prison after giving an impassioned speech in which he declared his love for Islam and said, “This is not terrorism; it’s self-defense.”

Tarek Mehanna, 29, an American who grew up in the wealthy Boston suburb of Sudbury, was found guilty in December of traveling to Yemen to seek training in a terrorist camp with the intention of going on to Iraq to fight U.S. soldiers there. Prosecutors said that when that plan failed, Mehanna returned to the United States and began translating and disseminating materials online promoting violent jihad.

“In your eyes I’m a terrorist. I’m the only one standing here in an orange jumpsuit,” Mehanna said in U.S. District Court in Boston. He later added: “America will change and recognize this trial for what it is.”

Mehanna was sentenced on four terror-related charges and three counts of lying to authorities. His family and supporters gave him a standing ovation and called out “we love you” as he was led from the courtroom.

During the sentencing hearing, Mehanna gave a

sweep of history and compared the suffering experienced by Muslims at the hands of Americans to the oppression inflicted on American colonists by the British. He mentioned Paul Revere, Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela, among others, and said he came to appreciate the plight of the oppressed against their oppressors as a 6-year-old boy reading comic books.

At times, he held up the picture of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl who had been raped by an American soldier and asked how anyone could not be angry about something like that.

Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz called Mehanna’s remarks “disingenuous” and said he came across as angry and defiant.

“Trust me. Tarek Mehanna is no Nelson Mandela,” Ortiz said.

Mehanna also suggested he was approached about becoming a government informant, recounting how he was told he had “to make a choice” during an encounter he had four years ago while leaving a hospital where he was working.

“I could do things the easy way or I could do things the hard way,” Mehanna recalled being told. He later added: “The hard way is

what you see before you.”

As Assistant U.S. Attorney Aloke S. Chakravarty offered a rebuttal at the conclusion of Mehanna’s remarks, Mehanna called him a liar and told him to sit down. The judge then called a recess. Ortiz said there’s no evidence that Mehanna was approached about becoming an informant.

U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. said Mehanna had become consumed with his religion in a way that was both admirable and horrifying.

“I’m frankly concerned about the defendant’s apparent absence of remorse,” O’Toole said.

Mehanna had faced up to life in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.

Prosecutors asked for a 25-year prison sentence, saying he lived a “double life,” appearing as a “dutiful and scholarly young man” to his family and community, but in reality, he “was a proponent of violence as a means of achieving political goals.” Chakravarty lodged an objection to the 17 1/2-year sentence imposed by O’Toole.

Defense lawyers sought a maximum sentence of 6 1/2 years. The defense says it plans to appeal Mehanna’s conviction.

Military reveals Afghan war plan

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Adm. Bill McRaven, the head of U.S. special operations, is mapping out a potential Afghanistan war plan that would replace thousands of U.S. troops with small special operations teams paired with Afghans to help an inexperienced Afghan force withstand a Taliban onslaught as U.S. troops withdraw.

While the overall campaign would still be led by conventional military, the handfuls of special operators would become the leading force to help Afghans secure the large tracts of territory won in more than a decade of U.S. combat. They would give the Afghans practical advice on how to repel attacks, intelligence to help spot the enemy and communications to help call for U.S. air support if overwhelmed by a superior force.

If approved by the administration, the pared-down structure could become the enduring force that Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak indicated Tues -

day at the Pentagon that his country needs, possibly long after the U.S. drawdown date of 2014.

McRaven’s proposal amounts to a slimmed-down counterinsurgency strategy aimed at protecting the Afghan population as well as hunting the Taliban and alQaida. It’s not the counterterrorist plan advanced by Vice President Joe Biden, which would leave Afghan forces to fend for themselves while keeping U.S. special operators in protected bases from which they could hunt terrorists with minimum risk, according to a senior special operations official reached this week.

Thousands of U.S. troops could remain in harm’s way well after the end of combat operations in 2014, tasked with helping Afghans protect territory won by U.S. forces.

The special operations proposal was sketched out at special operations headquarters in Tampa, Fla., in mid-February, with Central Command’s Gen. James Mattis and overall Afghanistan war command -

north Korea

Missile launch sparks international concern

Associated Press

PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea fired a long-range rocket early Friday, South Korean and U.S. officials said, defying international warnings against moving forward with a launch widely seen as a provocation.

Days after threatening to do so, a rocket lifted off at 7:39 a.m. from the west coast launch pad in the hamlet of Tongchangri, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said, citing South Korean and U.S. intelligence.

However, the launch may have failed, U.S. officials said in Washington. Japan’s Defense Minister Naiki Tanaka concurred.

“We have confirmed that a certain flying object has been launched and fell after flying for just over a minute.” He did not say what exactly was launched.

He said there was no impact on Japanese territory from the launch.

er Gen. John Allen taking part, according to several high-level special operations officials and other U.S. officials involved in the war planning. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the proposal has not yet been presented to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta or the White House.

The Pentagon asked the top officials to draft proposals to present to the White House after NATO allies decide how large a force to keep in Afghanistan, according to a U.S. official familiar with the administration’s deliberations.

Leaders of NATO nations are to meet May 20-21 in Chicago to discuss the war, among other issues.

The Pentagon by September will draw down the 23,000 troops that remain from the surge of 33,000 troops sent to Afghanistan in 2010 to buy time for the Afghan military and government to build both the numbers and expertise necessary to defend and govern themselves. Plans for the remaining 68,000 troops in Afghanistan are not yet complete, but most U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Allen, the commander of forces in Afghanistan, has indicated he would like to keep as many troops on the ground for as long as possible. But with a solid majority of Americans now against the continued U.S. presence in Afghanistan and the sped-up departure of some of America’s NATO allies from the war zone, the Obama administration is feeling some pressure toward a faster drawdown.

The McRaven plan could provide a way to shrink troop numbers quickly without leaving a security vacuum as U.S. troops depart, as has happened in Afghanistan before when NATO forces left an area.

being celebrated Sunday.

Space officials say the rocket is meant to send a satellite into orbit to study crops and weather patterns — its third bid to launch a satellite since 1998.

The United States, Britain, Japan and others, however, have called such a launch a violation of U.N. resolutions prohibiting North Korea from nuclear and ballistic missile activity.

Experts say the Unha-3 carrier is the same type of rocket that would be used to launch a long-range missile aimed at the U.S. and other targets. North Korea has tested two atomic devices but is not believed to have mastered the technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile.

In Pyongyang, there was no word about a launch, and state television was broadcasting video for popular folk tunes. North Korean officials said they would make an announcement about the launch “soon.”

North Korea had earlier announced it would send a threestage rocket mounted with a satellite as part of celebrations honoring national founder Kim Il Sung, whose 100th birthday is

unIted natIons

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has warned that the launch would be a direct threat to regional security and said the U.S. would pursue “appropriate action” at the U.N. Security Council if North Korea goes ahead with it.

According to projections, the first stage of the rocket was to fall into the ocean off the western coast of South Korea, while a second stage would fall into waters off the eastern coast of the Philippine island of Luzon.

North Korean space officials have dismissed assertions that the launch is a cover for developing missile technology as “nonsense.”

Annan urges Syrian troop withdrawal

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS — International envoy Kofi Annan told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday he was “encouraged” at the start of a fragile cease-fire in Syria but said the government failed to keep its pledge to withdraw troops and heavy weapons from cities and towns.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, the current council president, said Annan urged council members to demand that Syrian President Bashar Assad order his troops back to barracks.

She quoted Annan as saying in his video briefing to the council that “troops and heavy weapons remain in population centers.”

Annan asked the Security Council to quickly authorize the deployment of an advance U.N. team to monitor the cease-fire, ahead of the deployment of a larger monitoring mission. South Africa’s U.N. Ambassador Baso Sangqu said discussions on the text of a U.N. resolution authorizing the deployment would begin Thursday afternoon, and diplomats said it could be adopted as early as Friday.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cautioned that a single gunshot could de -

rail the fragile peace that started at 6 a.m. Damascus time. He urged both sides to refrain from provocation.

“It may be broken any time,” Ban said. “If and when there is another gunshot, even a small gunshot may give both sides the pretext to engage in another fighting. This is a very worrisome.”

Both Ban and Rice said the onus was on Syria to maintain peace.

“Its track record up until today has been dismal,” Rice said. “We hope, but we clearly remain cautious in our assessment, that today becomes the start of a new way forward. But I think, frankly, we have a year’s worth of evidence that leads us all to enormous skepticism.”

The Assad regime has been using force to put down a civilian uprising for more than a year, and at least 9,000 people have died, according to U.N. estimates.

Syria’s U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari reiterated to reporters that his government is committed to the success of Annan’s mission and insisted that “we have already complied” with the requirement in his sixpoint peace plan to pull back troops and equipment.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

I did it, guys. I finished my thesis, turned it in and celebrated accordingly.

When I initially signed up to write this Inside Column back in February, I knew it was due just days after my thesis due date. I wanted to use it to rant and rave about the process, telling all of the horror stories and late-night breakthroughs I had.

And then today came, the day before it’s due, and I realized that’s no longer important.

Amanda Gray News Writer

I mean, yes, my thesis is important, but I don’t want to talk about my thesis anymore. This Inside Column may very well be the last thing I write for The Observer.

With that in mind, let’s wax a little more philosophical, shall we? I’ve got some wisdom to impart, and only 450 (wait, now just 300) words left to do so.

I’ve learned how to write a thesis. But what have I really learned at Notre Dame?

I’ve learned to love — love anyone and everyone that comes into your life. Ready for a cliché come true? Life is really too short to fight, or to hold grudges.

Life on this college campus is even shorter. You’ve only got four years to make bonds with people that will last a lifetime — don’t waste that time on petty arguments or judgmental actions.

I’ve also learned to let go. If you knew me before college, you know that I have always been a type-A personality, crazy and super organized. And if you know me in college, you’d still say I’m the same.

But this year, especially these last few months, I’ve told myself on numerous occasions to let something be “good enough” and go spend time with the people who mean a lot to me.

In 20 years, what do you want to remember? Studying every weekend, or sneaking on to Duck Island, taking a spur-of-the-moment trip to Chicago, and dancing around your dorm room to 90s pop songs?

That’s what I thought.

I’ve also learned just how special this place is. I have moments when I’m near God Quad at 10 p.m., and in the quiet darkness I begin to hear the Basilica’s bells ring the alma mater, albeit out of tempo and tune.

I have to stop as the realization comes over me: I’m not going to be here in a few months. I’m not going to wake up in McGlinn, walk out the front door and see the Dome.

I realize I’m becoming the sentimental senior. I’m the one who tears up when giving tours to prospective students. I’m the one who won’t stop taking pictures.

I’m the one who finally broke down and bought a class ring, even though I always said it wasn’t for me.

So, in these last lines, let me thank you, everyone, for making this a ride of a lifetime.

Contact Amanda Gray at agray3@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Trayvon Martin case should be tried by a jury

In a sure-to-be hotly debated decision, special prosecutor Angela Corey announced that a grand jury will not examine the case of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old who was shot and killed in Sanford by self-proclaimed neighborhood watchman

George Zimmerman.

Editorial Board

The Oracle

Corey’s decision means that she alone will decide the fate of Zimmerman, who said he shot the teen in self-defense. Though the move may be an attempt to provide an unbiased ruling for Zimmerman in a case that has polarized the nation, a jury should still weigh in so that more than one person considers a very complicated case.

According to USA Today, only firstdegree murder cases require the use of grand juries in Florida, meaning Zimmerman will not be charged with first-degree murder in the case. Yet he could still be charged with a felony, such as manslaughter, and face a long prison stay — perhaps why he set up an online legal fees

edItorIal Cartoon uWIre

fund Monday.

The Martin family’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, told USA Today: “We want to beleive that this would be a positive sign that the prosecutor has enough information to arrest Trayvon Martin’s killer. The family is really trying hard to be patient and have faith in the system.”

Leaving a case this important up to one person does not guarantee the correct conclusion will be reached.

While we can assume that Corey may be more unbiased than certain individuals who have already formed opinions of Martin or Zimmerman, the arguably even more heated Casey Anthony case still held a jury trial even though jury members had been subjected to media speculation about the trial for three years.

Had Zimmerman and Anthony both been charged and tried immediately, the fanfare could have been avoided, resulting in an unbiased trial by jury. Yet in the Anthony case, the jury ruled against the popular position that Anthony was guilty of murder because of the lack of evidence presented. It is possible a grand jury

would offer a similarly objective verdict if Zimmerman was tried and is the very idea the justice system was based upon.

The case has already spurned massive protests, such as a sit-in that temporarily shut down the Sanford Police Department on Monday because student activists were blocking the doors. Regardless of the fairness of Corey’s ruling, if the case were to be settled swiftly and behind closed doors it could cause questions of its legitimacy to linger and protesters to become more fervent or even violent.

The Trayvon Martin case carries too many questions for it to be decided quietly by one person. The evidence surrounding the events of that night should be thoroughly vetted by a jury of Zimmerman’s peers and not left in the hands of a single individual.

This article originally ran in the April 10 version of The Oracle, serving the University of South Florida. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

“I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.”

Oprah Winfrey U.S. television talk show host

Gary J. Caruso Capitol Comments

Most readers believe that editorial pages like this one exist merely to express opinions and encourage dialogue. But pages such as “Viewpoint,” rooted not solely in the commercial domain but nestled in academic settings — and especially those of religious-affiliated institutions like Notre Dame — serve a more important life-setting role for young adults. Unlike the Wall Street Journal or New York Times, The Observer more directly enlightens students on how to mold their adult lives through stimulating debate, personal experience and simple entertainment. On this published grid lies a daily spark with the potential to ignite each young mind to think on its own and make independent judgments that may or may not agree with older generational teachings.

The most prized submission each day on this page is one that speaks on behalf of the few while enraging the many. Criticism of the Catholic hierarchy’s obstinate stale thinking is not a crusade against Catholicism, but a progressive voice moving to modernize and better the Church from within. Public protection of a woman’s personally guaranteed Constitutional rights by any elected Catholic representative is not necessarily support of abortion. Including antidiscrimination language that individually protects gay Catholics — regardless of Catholic dogma — is not an endorsement of any agenda by Notre Dame, but support of a human at Notre Dame. Broad concepts and their countering

letter to the edItor

Why these pages exist

criticisms that affect future generations can, and should, be formulated on this printed swatch of space.

Sharing equal time with those who disagree is the core freedom of our American value system rooted in and guaranteed by our magnificent U. S. Constitution. Such a powerful privilege peacefully quells the mob-mentality rule reminiscent of sustaining such historical horrors as those propagated by the Klu Klux Klan or Nazi Germany. The melody of equal opportunity to be free becomes so infectious across the globe through our instantaneous electronic world that governments fall whenever their citizens demand to be as democratic as the United States. Thousands of slaughtered civilian Syrians lie as testament against a tyrannical government in their recent quest to be like us.

These editorial pages must feature today’s less popular forward-thinking leaders who, throughout the rich history of the Roman Catholic Church, have thoughtfully challenged the status quo. In his Holy Thursday homily, Pope Benedict XVI indirectly mentioned one such thinker, a man who had portrayed the Vatican as an “absolutist monarchy.” Rev. Helmut Schüller, an Austrian priest who leads the “Preacher’s Initiative,” a call to disobedience, is supported by 400 Austrian priests and others worldwide. He contends that liberalizing the rules regarding marriage and women in the priesthood is a vital step for the survival of the priesthood and the Church. The number of priests in the U.S. alone has declined by a third since 1975. After all, change is not necessarily a detriment

Vision Walk

Did you know more than 10 million Americans are affected by blindness? This statistic is a sad reality for all ages, with many different causes and forms of blindness affecting children and the elderly alike. However, YOU can help! Research dedicated to curing blindness is taking place all over the country, as well as on this very campus!

Join the Fighting Irish in this Fight against Blindness at the Biology Club’s Vision Walk on Sunday, April 15th. Registration begins at noon on South Quad, in front of Rockne Memorial, and the event starts at 1 p.m. The Biology Club is so excited to sponsor an event to raise money for such a worthy cause and to promote awesome research in Notre Dame’s own Biology Department!

The walk, which will journey around campus favorites, will serve as a source of awareness of the disease and raise funds to seek the cure in sight. Registration is $10 for students and $15 for non-students.

An optional t-shirt is also available — it’s $7 for students and $10 for non-students. All monies collected will go towards the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the largest source of non-governmental funding for retinal degenerative disease research in the world. Read more about it at www.blindness.org.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this fight against blindness.

We hope to see you Sunday!

Katie Pieper junior Pasquerilla West Hall April 12

— for example, not too long ago, Notre Dame changed its traditional all-male status to ensure its own survival. Ultimately, the Church must also change.

This column is often flooded with anonymously posted comments that cowardishly misstate the Catholicism of an issue while criticizing an unpopular position espoused on this page. This writer also routinely receives personal thank-you emails from readers who believe they have no voice until it is written on these pages. Consequently, these pages and this column are bound to repetitively admonish politicians who blatantly flip-flop on policy stances, such as opposing abortion but supporting capital punishment. Likewise, since these opinion pages reside within a Catholic institutional setting, it is imperative to question the religious inconsistencies entrenched by a male-dominated hierarchy in an effort not to crusade against Catholicism, but to save it.

This writer also prides himself in the role of confronting political or religious hypocrisy as the lone, “whining voice in the wilderness” through this column. What would Jesus do? He would accept with open arms while seeking repentance. However, his lone call from the wilderness was a call for repentance focused on the heavens, not on whether or not a priest could marry. What would Newt Gingrich do? Gingrich began his Capitol Hill career as a lone vocal backbencher lobbing legislative bombs at the majority. Eventually, his persistent cries — while seemingly repetitive and whiny — nonetheless gave birth to an American historical political movement.

These pages also serve best when some strong enough to bare their souls share a personal period of crisis or doubt, like this writer who felt disenfranchised from the Church during Lent. Notre Dame is a magical Catholic Disneyland, replete with a vast majority of like-minded persons living likeminded ideals, with considerably less diversity than the real-life world that lurks beyond graduation. Yet, according to a study conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University on Catholicism on college campuses, a quarter of Catholic students and nearly 45 percent of all others do not attend church after graduation. Unpopular “whining” on these pages seeks to better church understanding without abandoning core values espoused by Christ.

How important are disagreeable thoughts? Ask those who seek democracy and are dying in the streets of Syria, or those freed from the tyranny of the Taliban in Afghanistan. They show why dissenting dialogue strengthens the faithful. That is why embracing those who challenge the majority is healthy. That is why these pages exist.

Gary Caruso, Notre Dame ‘73, serves in the Department of Homeland Security and was a legislative and public affairs director in President Clinton’s administration. His column appears every other Friday. He can be contacted at GaryJCaruso@alumni.nd.edu

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

Facebook’s purchase of Instagram

In yet another act of wistful money wasting, Facebook announced it would purchased the image-sharing application Instagram for a whopping $1 billion Monday. Let me share my overwhelming enthusiasm. Cough.

Alex Antonetz

The Lantern

I have long denounced Instagram as a platform for iPhone (and now Android) owners to take a vapid photo of a cloud or a tree and throw some kind of sepia-toned filter or a crappy blur tool over it in an attempt to make it look a lot cooler than it actually does. While that’s not what everyone does, that’s what a lot of people do, and it’s infuriating.

Blowing that up and allowing Facebook’s more than 845 million users the chance to do that is a scary thought. I’m already planning my strategy on whose updates to hide on my timeline.

Instagram is an app some describe as being for hipsters, even if the vast majority of the photos I see from my Instagram friends are of themselves at a bar with friends. There’s really no point in applying a filter that makes it look like the photo was taken on an old Polaroid camera when it’s just a photo of you so drunk that your brain is struggling to keep your left eyelid open.

With Facebook dropping more money on this deal than the gross domestic products of some small countries, I can’t help but think that money would be better spent somewhere else. There are millions of starving people around the world who have no concept of the

X-Pro II filter. They just want some soup.

At any given time during the day, my Facebook timeline is flooded with photos of corny quotes about love, something making fun of (politician who represents the party I don’t support’s name here), and “jokes” that appeal to the lowest common denominator, such as something witty like, “I just don’t like you because you’re stupid.”

It’s not exactly clear what, if anything, will change about Instagram with its new partnership, but if it means seeing photos of quotes saying “I’m with stupid” in sepia tone, count me out.

Instagram does have its benefits. It was a perfectly apt platform to share photos with your friends without the extraneous frills of Facebook. In that sense, I liked it. I just can’t really tolerate the lackluster “photographers” who get a little too carried away with the filters.

I don’t mean to sound like a pretentious curmudgeon, but I’m afraid of what a potential Facebook partnership could mean to Instagram. Instagram has its benefits, if you forget about all the faux-photographers who use it. It’s simple and easy, but if Facebook is going to throw your Spotify updates and what article you just read from the Washington Post on there, you can count me out.

This article originally ran in the April 10 version of The Lantern, serving the Ohio State University. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

This fashionista first laid stylish eyes on senior Bayo Omoyeni at a house party last fall. In a simple ensemble of jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket, he stood head and shoulders above the crowd. While a conversation sparked by said leather jacket evolved into larger musings on greater fashion trends, including Mr. Omoyeni’s Nigerian fashion origins, it became clear that this was a fashion summit led by Fashion Ambassador Mr. Omoyeni. Of course, the logical next step was a column. Without further fashion ado, read on as Mr. Omoyeni lets us in on the Nigerian fashion aesthetic.

Fashion by Felicia: So, Bayo tell us a little about your home fashion aesthetic.

Bayo Omoyeni: Well Nigeria is very diverse. With many different ethnic groups with different identities, there are over 300 languages which come with the people. In general, we divide Nigeria into three bigger groups. The north is home to the Hausa people, for example, and their traditional style is “kaftans”, and “babban riga”. They use a lot of plain white in their color palette and plain colors. For the men, you notice a lot of white attire with embroidery designs and colorful hats. Ladies don “abayas.” The people of the east and partly the south are generally referred to as the Igbo. The Igbo are known for the material they use, and patterns are their default — lots of black with red accents, such as necklaces. They also use walking sticks as part of traditional dress. I’m from the west, from the Yoruba people. As part of our traditional dress we have, for example, the Yoruba hat, made of a hand-woven

fabric, cotton, velvet or damask, and free in form so that you push it easily to one side when you wear it. Of course, there are combinations of these traditional fashion pieces between regions, it depends on your personal preference. For example, the Yoruba are known for the “agbada,” but it’s commonplace to see the Hausas wearing agbadas at different occasions.

F by F: So it’s practically an exchange of cultures through clothing?

Bayo: Yes, you can say that. This exchange happens on two levels. First off, we exchange within the country. For example, it is common to see someone from the west dressed in a loose fitting kaftan or an eastern lady

wearing a traditional Yoruba attire of “iro” and “bubba” for an occasion. Another level of this cultural exchange is a mixture of traditional Nigerian fashion with Western widespread fashion. For example, using traditional Nigerian fabrics and materials to make clothes of Western designs, or simply mixing up traditional and western clothing elements.

F by F: When do you wear Western clothing, traditional or this mix of the two?

Bayo: Well, of course, we were a British colony, so as Nigerians, we’re extremely influenced by both our traditional dress and Western dress. What you wear really depends on the occasion and your age. For example, to a wedding reception or birthday celebration for an older relative (basically the older crowd in general) you would wear traditional dress. An agbada made of the highest quality fine lace is a way of showing class and the time and money you’ve spent on your dress. What you wear is definitely a reflection on your family and their status, just like going out dressed nicely — being presentable — is. At a more

casual party with my friends, to relax, it’s mostly wWestern fashion and relaxed traditional attires — just like in the States. Fashion is here today, and in Nigeria tomorrow. Because of the weather it’s generally a t-shirt, khakis or shorts, and not a lot of layers because it is so hot. Generally, if you’re in your teens and twenties, you’re in Western clothing. Nigerians are very conscious of labels, just like Americans. You do see a lot of people mixing jeans with a shirt, and then a Yoruba or Hausa hat. Towards your late 20s and 30s, you’re more towards the traditional— a kaftan for a chill vibe may be the default.

F by F: So, apart from these cultural influences of both tradition and the West, what were your style influences growing up?

Bayo: My dad is definitely the most fashionable man I know. He dresses crazy well. I remember he taught me since I was a kid, noticing my clothes when I would go out, saying, “No, Bayo that shirt’s faded” or “The collar’s too big.” He definitely highly influenced my dress style. He also taught me it’s not what you have but how you wear what you have that counts. The fit is so important, not so much the label. My mother always taught me to make the best impression when I left the house. She always says you don’t know who you will run into during the day; you should strive to leave them with an impression of you that you’d be happy with and proud of.

F by F: When you came to Notre Dame, what was different about the fashion aesthetic?

Bayo: Well, my biggest surprise about Notre Dame was just how nonchalant people were, or at least guys were, concerning their dress. Even something small like wearing sweatpants multiple times a week,

letting shoes get dirty or wearing sneakers pretty much constantly was all sort of new to me. Back home, I can say that we are more involved in our dressing, at least for guys. As a freshman, I couldn’t go out with my friends without ironing my shirt the way I wanted it. If it wasn’t ironed properly I couldn’t go out because I didn’t feel comfortable. When I came to ND, I was very much a “prep boy” in my style. I could never layer back home but because of the cold here I had to layer, so I’d make an effort to pick color schemes and layer. I used to think and plan more than the average Notre Dame dude when it came to clothing. For example, I would wear sweater vests over nice shirts, khakis on a normal day. I wasn’t comfortable wearing trainers a lot, so I think I’d default once in a while to my respectable collection of leather shoes.

F by F: How has your style changed since coming to ND?

Bayo: It has significantly changed. In general now, I pay less attention to the detail of my clothes and I’m way more relaxed.

When I’m in London, though, with a lot of my Nigerian friends who study there, they’re so fashion-forward. It takes a bit of time for me to stop myself from defaulting to a simple t-shirt, trainers and jeans look.

When I still do they ask, “Is this the new fashion? What’s going on?” I still go for the chill vibe, though I’m easily the odd one out for a while. [I’m] just so chill now.

Whether Western, traditional or both, it turns out fashion is universal. Here’s to keeping the chill vibe going, fashionistas, internationally.

Contact Felicia Caponigri at fcaponig@nd.edu

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

Republicans and mommies around the world gasped in united offense. M.R.S.degree candidates fainted in horror. The Democratic National Committee sprinted into action. Mama Obama hit her Twitter feed hard.

When Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen opened her mouth on CNN Wednesday night and let slip a less-thanpolitically-correct comment, the political gods that be began molding and folding their responses in true partisan fashion. Abandoned and alone, the once prominent pundit Rosen is having the Worst Week Ever.

In a pointed comment calling out Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney

for his underdeveloped understanding of women, Rosen said his perspective was obviously skewed since his wife Ann, a stayat-home-mom, has “never actually worked a day in her life.” Oh no she didn’t!

Mommy Romney, perfectly groomed and poised like her polished hubby, responded in a politically savvy fashion.

“My career choice was to be a mother,” she said on Fox News.

“And I think all of us need to know that we need to respect choices that women make. Other women make other choices to have a career and raise a family, which I think Hilary Rosen has actually done herself. I respect that. It’s wonderful.”

And from then on, the issue was no longer about the economics of women, but instead who could suck up to progenitors more profusely.

Mama Obama quickly told her tweeps, “Every mother works hard, and every woman deserves to be respected.”

The White House disowned and disaffili-

ated itself from anything Rosen, claiming records that tracked numerous visits from a certain “Hilary Rosen” could be numerous Hilary Rosens.

Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz also took to Twitter and said, “As a mother of three there’s no doubt that raising children is work.”

Ann tweeted, “I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work.”

And for Ann, it certainly has been a handful. No matter how beautiful those Romney boys might be, there are five of them — who were born over an 11-year time span. Just as one became potty trained, another started using diapers. Just as one matured, another hit puberty. Just as one graduated college, another began. And if they’re as big of pranksters as their daddy claims to be, there’s no doubt Ann had her fair share of headaches.

However, Rosen’s point was bigger than simply telling Mommy Romney that by not working for a paycheck, she’s led a privileged life. Rosen was arguing that more attention needs to be paid to women who are both bread bakers and breadwinners. Her argument was well-intentioned, though the delivery was a little rough. The female vote is going to be crucial to whoever eventually calls the White House home in January, and Romney would be wise to heed Rosen’s message. Unfortunately for Hilary, this week proved that every Rosen has its thorns. While her point might have been valid, no one seems to be getting past its prickly language. Here’s to hoping she irons out the message before she’s doomed to the political grave.

Contact Adriana Pratt at apratt@nd.edu

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

By CARRIE TUREK Scene Writer

Each year for the past 20 years, Lollapalooza has drawn in hundreds of music fans from across the country. This year should be no different. Lollapalooza takes place each year during the first weekend in August at Chicago’s Grant Park. Lollapalooza (meaning “something wonderful” and “giant, swirly lollipop”) is the three-day music brainchild of Perry Farrell, lead singer of alternative band Jane’s Addiction. Though it is only April, Lollapalooza’s newly released lineup has fans making plans and plotting out the must-see shows of the summer.

In the past, lesser known artists have performed at Lollapalooza and later skyrocketed in popularity. Lady Gaga is one such example. Having performed on a side stage to less than wonderful reviews at Lollapalooza in 2007, she headlined in 2010. Walk the Moon performed as a non-headliner in Grant Park last year and released an EP through RCA Records in February.

Last year’s festival drew in 270,000 people over its three day span. Despite the increase in ticket prices, this year’s demand should be no different. ThreeDay Souvenir and Early Bird passes (at $75 and $200, respectively) sold out within hours. With over 115 acres of land for multiple stages, Lollapalooza’s popular festival boasts over 130 artists. Moving away from the more indie vibe it has had in the past into a more mainstream position on the music scene, Lollapalooza seems to have something to please everyone. Jampacked and full of energy, Chicago’s much anticipated and hallmark festival promises not to disappoint.

As usual, Lollapalooza will feature artists and groups from many different musical genres, including alternative, rock and rap. Headliners of the past two years have included Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons, Coldplay, Cee-Lo Green and Eminem. This year’s headliners and smaller acts have fans counting down the days until summer arrives.

Must-See Acts

Headlining this year’s festival are Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, a reunited Black Sabbath and Jack White. Other acts include well-known names like Florence + The Machine, The Shins, Franz Ferdinand and Passion Pit.

Food

This year, Lollapalooza welcomes rising groups like Fun. (now famous for top tracks “We Are Young” and “All the Pretty Girls”) and Walk Off the Earth (known for covers of “Somebody I Used to Know” and “Someone Like You”).

In addition to Lollapalooza’s traditional concert-type performances, festivalgoers can look forward to a bigger selection of electronic acts. Building off the success of Perry’s electronic stage, Lollapalooza will feature acts like Bassnectar and Avicii this year. The day-by-day schedule of performances has not yet been released.

The hot Chicago sun can make for exhausting days out in the open fields of Grant Park, but Lollapalooza has you covered. Food vendors are visible throughout the park. Many feature classic Chicago choices and newer, innovative meals. In the past, Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizza was available for an affordable price, as were Wow Bao’s Asian buns. Rainbow Cone offered their legendary fiveflavor ice cream cones as a sweet treat; and for the more adventurous, Grahamwich specialized in lobster corndogs. Vendors for Lollapalooza 2012 are not yet listed online, but if past vendors are an indicator of this year’s offerings, Lollapalooza fans should remain well-fed.

Three-day passes for Lollapalooza are available for $230 at lollapalooza.com. Single-day passes are also expected to be available later this summer. This year’s music festival will take place Aug. 3 through Aug. 5.

Contact Carrie turek at cturek@nd.edu

Evaluating the flawed NHL draft lottery

Vitt to miss a third of season

“With the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select Andrew Luck, quarterback, Stanford…” Relax, readers, the Colts and Redskins have not swapped positions, and Roger Goodell will announce April 26 that Luck is indeed heading to Indianapolis.

Sam Gans Sports Writer

The opening sentence is just a hypothetical if the NFL had a lottery to determine its top pick and Washington, assuming its trade with St. Louis still occurred, leapfrogged the Colts. A similar situation happened in the NHL this Tuesday.

While “Suck for Luck” enthralled fans of NFL cellardwellers this season, the NHL had a witty rhyme of its own for lower-tier teams: “Fail for Nail”. Russian winger Nail Yakupov is ranked as the consensus top prospect in June’s entry draft, a consolation for fans of a team that had to endure a season which resulted in 30th place out of 30 teams.

Except it didn’t work out that way. Unlike the NFL, where the worst team is automatically awarded the first overall pick, the NHL has a lottery system in which ping-pong balls decide.

The league-worst Blue Jackets had a 48.2 percent chance at landing the top pick, with the Edmonton Oilers – the secondworst team – having the next best odds at 18.8 percent. Odds decreased down the line. While each non-playoff team can win the NHL lottery, the maximum spots a team can move up is four. Should a team outside the bottom five win the lottery, the first pick stays with the worst team.

Things bounced Edmonton’s way and 2012 will mark the third year in a row the Oilers will pick first.

As a Blue Jackets fan, I felt pure disgust. But after some yelling and tears nearly shed (no shame), I took a deep breath and tried to look at it from an objective perspective. The lottery has been a debate in sports circles often. What’s the best way to go about deciding who gets the first overall pick?

I explained the NHL’s system above. The NBA also employs a lottery, but it can alter the draft

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order much more significantly than the NHL. In the NBA, the top three selections are chosen by the lottery and every nonplayoff team has a chance at the No. 1 pick. The NFL and MLB both award the top pick to the worst team the previous season.

The main argument in favor of the lottery system is it discourages “tanking”, or losing on purpose to get the top draft pick.

However, while fans (and perhaps secretly the front office) of a struggling team may be rooting for failure, the ones in control – the players and coaches – are still trying. They are playing and coaching for contracts and pride. And if the team is truly terrible, many of the players and coaches won’t even be with the organization years down the road when that draft pick makes its biggest impact. Therefore, the team that finishes last almost certainly wasn’t there from a lack of effort, but instead because they were just that bad.

Even if you were to say the players and coaches would tank on purpose, how does a lottery stop that from happening?

While the first pick may not be guaranteed for the worst team, it still has the best odds. So anything short of equal odds for all non-playoff teams wouldn’t stop tanking if a team wanted.

There are numerous problems in the lottery system. One is that it opens up conspiracy theories. Though I do not believe the lottery is rigged in the NBA or NHL, having a team win the lottery to pick first overall three years in a row (see the Oilers) or a team with a 1.7 percent chance to have the No. 1 pick and a hometown franchise player win the lottery (2008 Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose) brings about criticism and scrutiny that can be avoided.

And of course, the lottery can prevent the worst team – the one who needs help the most –from getting the top selection. Though some would argue a team shouldn’t be rewarded for awful play with a high pick anyway, professional sports leagues are at their best when there is lots of parity.

The NHL and NBA should abandon the lottery and follow the NFL and MLB.

Contact Sam Gans at sgans@nd.edu

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

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NEW ORLEANS — Sean Payton handed over control of his team to Joe Vitt once before and the Saints have decided to do it again.

The Saints Thursday named Payton’s trusted second-incommand their interim coach, despite the fact that Vitt will miss a third of the season for his role in New Orleans’ bounty system.

For his part, Payton received a season-long suspension — which begins Monday; Vitt, who takes over Monday, was handed a six-game suspension.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in his announcement that the team will address at a later time how to divvy up Vitt’s responsibilities during his six-week absence.

“It is important that we keep Sean Payton’s philosophy front and center during this season,” Loomis said. “Sean has been the driving force behind the tremendous success our team has enjoyed during the past six years, his leadership will be missed. But we need to set a course of action that gives us the best chance to win this season without our head coach.

“We considered a number of great options to handle Payton’s duties both internally and externally, but believe this will provide the most seamless transition for our players

and our coaching staff, allowing our offensive and defensive staffs to remain intact with the fewest changes,” Loomis continued. “This is the same structure we used last season during Sean’s knee injury.”

Vitt, who carries the titles of assistant head coach and linebackers coach, briefly stepped in as acting head coach last season when Payton broke his leg. Vitt also was interim coach with St. Louis in 2005 before joining New Orleans as part of Payton’s very first staff in 2006.

Vitt will be able to oversee the offseason training program and training camp before stepping aside for the first six weeks of the regular season.

The NFL played no role in the decision-making process.

“It’s the Saints’ decision,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, adding the team did not have to get approval from the league to make Vitt the interim coach.

Loomis said the Saints expect to have a plan laid out for Vitt’s absence by training camp.

“We are fortunate to have a great veteran coaching staff well equipped to handle this challenge,” Loomis said. “Joe and Sean have worked closely together to build our program, one of the most successful in the NFL in the past six years, and I have the fullest confidence that Joe will continue that success that Sean has brought us.”

The Saints’ assistants who can pick up the slack during Vitt’s absence include: offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. — Carmichael joined the Saints in 2006, began calling plays after Payton’s injury last season. Payton allowed Carmichael to continue calling plays through the final 10 regular season games of 2011 as the Saints went 9-1 and broke numerous NFL offensive records. — Kromer oversees the running game, will be entering his fifth season in New Orleans and like Carmichael has been mentioned as an up-and-coming head coaching candidate around the NFL.

— Spagnuolo was a head coach in St. Louis the past three seasons and defensive coordinator for the New York Giants’ 2007-08 Super Bowl winning team.

The decision gives Saints players a measure of certainty and direction as the Monday opening of the offseason training program approaches.

Still looming, however, are possible punishments for between 22 and 27 current and former Saints defenders that the NFL says participated in the crunch-for-cash bounty system that disgraced former Saints defensive coordinator has apologized for running for the previous three seasons.

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. 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.

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Day in History

On this day in 1997, 21-year-old Tiger woods wins the prestigious Masters Tournament by a record 12 strokes in Augusta, Georgia. It was Woods’ first victory in one of golf’s four major championships–the U.S. Open, the British Open, the PGA Championship, and the Masters–and the greatest performance by a professional

Irish athletes compete individually

By MATTHEW ROBISON Sports Writer

Although the season has ended for Notre Dame, some of its top fencers will compete in the United States Fencing Association’s national championships this weekend in Virginia Beach, Va.

The results do not directly affect Notre Dame’s standings in the NCAA, but Irish coach Janusz Bednarski said the competition gives him a good idea of where his team will be for next year, as well as confirmation that the program can prepare fencers for the next level.

“It’s always confirmation that we are not only strong on the collegeage fencing, but we are also strong and with dreams to be on Olympic teams,” Bednarski said.

One of the problems the Irish faced during their pursuit to repeat as national champions, which ended with a third-place finish at the NCAA championships, was the loss of their best competitors to the Olympic trials and training.

“This is important, psychologically important,” Bednarski said. “It won’t give us a higher position in NCAA at this moment. But it builds a foundation for next year.”

Those fencers will be back representing Notre Dame and themselves this weekend. In total, 13 fencers will represent the Irish. Eight of those fencers are currently competing for Notre Dame and were with the Irish all season: sophomore epeeist Michael Rossi, freshman epeeist Ashley Severson, sophomore foilists Nick Kubik and Rachel Beck, junior foilist Grace Hartman, senior foilist Radmila Sarkisova, freshman foilist Madison Zeiss and sophomore sabreur Kevin Hassett.

Sisters Courtney and Kelley Hurley will compete in the women’s foil. Kelley graduated from Notre Dame in 2010 and was a two-time first-team All-American during her time here. She competed in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and an NCAA champion in the same year. Courtney, a senior, competed for the Irish last season, a key figure in their national championship campaign, and has spent this year qualifying and training for the Olympics. She was a two-time firstteam All-American in 2009 and 2010.

Race Imboden and Gerek Meinhardt are both enrolled at Notre Dame, but have taken the year off to qualify for the Olympics. Meinhardt competed in the 2008 Olympics and won the 2010 NCAA foil crown.

Lee Kiefer, a women’s foilist, has

signed a national letter of intent to attend Notre Dame next year. She will compete this weekend as well.

The number could have been even higher, Bednarski said. Because the Irish were not allowed to hold formal practices for the event in the postseason, as well as the tough time it is academically at the end of the semester, some fencers decided not to make the trip.

“The whole team will observe how our leaders compete in a big battle,” Bednarski said.

The USFA national championship begin today and run all day through Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Virginia Beach, Va.

Contact Matthew Robison at mrobison@nd.edu

Kelly’s overtime blast lifts Bruins to victory

BOSTON — Chris Kelly’s newest piece of jewelry is a thick, padlocked chain that he wore around his neck after scoring the game-winning goal in Boston’s playoff opener on Thursday night.

The message: Try not to be the weak link

“He wasn’t,” Bruins goalie Tim Thomas said after Kelly’s goal on a long slapshot 1:18 into overtime gave the defending Stanley Cup champions a 1-0 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

“I had a good feeling that it was going to go in, and I had a good feeling about the guy who had the puck,” said Thomas, the reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy-winner. “I could tell he had something tonight. He’d been winging a few past me in practice the past few days.”

Thomas stopped all 17 shots he faced for Boston to earn his sixth career playoff shutout — four of them on Boston’s 2011 championship run. But he was matched for three periods by Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, a third-stringer making his playoff debut because of injuries to Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth.

Holtby made 29 saves for the Capitals, and he was still perfect when Thomas turned back Marcus Johansson with a toe save that started the Bruins on the break. Brian Rolston dropped it for Benoit Pouliot to clear the zone, and he pushed it up to Kelly.

At the top of the left playoff circle, Kelly uncorked a slapper that sailed over Holtby’s glove for the game-winner. That earned Kelly the necklace that has taken the place of last year’s good luck charm, a tattered windbreaker that the Bruins handed out to the star of the game during their run to the franchise’s first NHL title since 1972.

“It’s always nice to end it fairly early,” said Kelly, who

thought the shot deflected off a defenseman’s stick. “Goalies are so good now I think the days of going down the wing and beating a goalie are long gone. So I was pleasantly surprised to see it go in.”

Washington star Alex Ovechkin consoled Holtby on the ice while the Bruins celebrated their first victory in their quest to become the first repeat Stanley Cup champions since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. Game 2 is Saturday at the TD Garden before the series moves to Washington for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Thursday.

“The next game will be different,” Ovechkin said. “We know we can play against them. Holtby played a hell of a game. He was nervous but once he made the first save he calmed down.” Kelly, 31, had career highs with 20 goals and 39 points with a plus-minus of 33 that was tied for third in the league.

“The coaching staff has talked about how he has been the unsung hero this year,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “Scoring 20 goals something he has never done before - he hasn’t always had the same wingers. He has produced this year more than ever and been so reliable defensively.”

A 21-year-old veteran of just 21 NHL games, Holtby moved into the Capitals’ lineup because of Vokoun’s groin injury and a left leg injury to Neuvirth. He played in only seven games this season, but he started five of Washington’s final 10 games and finished with a 2.48 goalsagainst average.

He helped the Capitals kill off six virtually consecutive minutes of a man advantage at the end of the first and the beginning of the second period, along with Boston’s 4-on-3 power play later in the second.

“I got a little sloppy with some things, and those are the things I’ll need to make improvements on for the next game,” he said. “But, mainly, I wasn’t there for the boys in overtime and I’ll definitely be better for that.”

Seniors to conclude home career

By LAURA COLETTI Sports Writer

After a big win over Texas A&M, the Irish will try to continue their success when they face Louisville this weekend in their last match before the Big East tournament starts.

Notre Dame (17-7, 2-1 Big East) defeated Texas A&M in what was just their second home loss in their past 49 home matches.

“Almost everybody played well,” Irish coach Bob Bayliss said. “This should give us plenty of confidence as the season nears its conclusion.”

Notre Dame will take on the Cardinals (16-7, 0-0) in the latest of what has been a competitive history between the two teams. The Cardinals have been a talented program of late (consistently ranking in the top 15 over the past two years), but graduated a large senior class in 2011. One of the biggest ad-

vantages Louisville holds is the element of surprise, as they have a very large and talented freshman class the Irish have never faced before.

“We have a pretty spirited rivalry with the Cardinals,” Bayliss said. “Since they joined the Big East we have played many close, nail-biting matches. This year should be no different. Because they have some new faces, I think it puts more of an edge to things, as we have not yet seen several of their players. Their freshman class blends well with their two returning starters from 2011.”

The match will have an added element of nostalgia, since it will be the last home match for the careers of Irish seniors Casey Watt, Sam Keeton, Daven Brodess and Niall Fitzgerald.

“Certainly those guys want to go out in a way they will remember for a long time,” Bayliss said. “I am excited because

we seem to be peaking at just the right time. If we can play more solidly in our doubles we are going to be tough to beat going into [the Big East and NCAA tournaments].”

Although this is the final match of the regular season, Bayliss does not see this match any differently than he does any other.

“I try to approach every match with the same mindset,” Bayliss said. “Putting greater emphasis on one might jeopardize attitudes going in and put undue pressure on our guys. The only difference in how we are preparing will depend on the weather forecast and its bearing on needing to get some indoor time under our belts.”

The Irish are set to square off against the Cardinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Eck Tennis Center.

Contact l aura Coletti at lcoletti@nd.edu

Irish to face top-ranked Virginia

After nearly three weeks off from competition, the Irish will return to action this weekend when they travel to Charlottesville, Va., for the Virginia Invite. In their last time out March 25, the Irish claimed six race wins, including a 32-second triumph, against Indiana, Louisville and Purdue in Indianapolis. The day before, Notre Dame dropped a race to Ohio State.

The Virginia Invite features five ranked teams — No. 1 Virginia, No. 14 Cornell, No. 15 Michigan State, No. 18 Clemson and No. 19 Minnesota — along with Northeastern, Pennsylvania and San Diego. The Irish, Huskies and Toreros each received votes in the latest CRCA/ US Rowing Coaches poll. Action begins at 9 a.m. on Lake Monticello in Charlottesville, Va.

Saint Mary’s readies for MIAA opponent

By MATT UNGER Sports Writer

The Belles, winners of three of their last four contests, look to continue their recent winning ways and move into the top four of the MIAA in a doubleheader at Olivet this afternoon.

Saint Mary’s (16-8, 3-3 MIAA) recently split a road doubleheader against conference rival Hope on Wednesday. After taking the first game in a 3-0 shutout, the Belles dropped a heartbreaking, 11-inning affair, 9-7.

Meanwhile, Olivet (8-16, 3-3) also split a doubleheader on Wednesday against Adrian College, winning the second game 10-7. The Comets, however, have struggled in non-conference play, with just five wins. In addition, two of their three MIAA wins came against 2-18 Kalamazoo.

Despite Olivet’s struggles, Belles’ coach Erin Sullivan cautioned against looking past the Comets.

“Every year, Olivet is tough to take two wins from,” Belles coach Erin Sullivan said. “They’re a determined, middle-of-the-pack squad that finds a way to win.”

Sophomore Callie Selner will look to anchor the Belles’ pitching efforts this weekend, especially after her

performance on Wednesday. Selner carried the Belles in the first game as she allowed just five hits over seven innings. While she only struck out one, she induced bad contact from opposing batters and did not issue a walk.

“She really picked her spots well,” Sullivan said. “She’s a smart pitcher, and [catcher Megan Bedan] also called a great game.”

Selner leads the Belles with seven wins along with a 2.30 ERA and 53 strikeouts.

In the second game Wednesday, Hope appeared to be in control with a 5-0 lead in the seventh. However, the Belles rallied and tied the game on a two-out, two-run double by junior infielder Emily Sherwood. After tying the game again in the ninth and tenth, the Belles could not match Hope’s two runs in the 11th.

“[Despite the loss], the game was a positive for us,” Sullivan said. “We fought hard through 11 innings, and it was a game neither team wanted to lose. It makes us more excited for our next game.”

Following today’s game, the Belles return home for a non-conference doubleheader with Franklin College on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Contact Matt Unger at munger3@nd.edu

Sexton clinches victory for Belles over Bethel

By AARON SANT-MILLER Sports Writer

With the whole match riding on her performance, freshman Kayle Sexton showed maturity and toughness beyond her years. Sexton, playing at the No. 2 singles spot, clinched a 5-4 win for the Belles over Bethel with a dominant performance in her third set.

This was the first match for the Belles (9-6, 2-2 MIAA) in twelve days, but the rest didn’t appear to slow Saint Mary’s down against Bethel (10-7, 4-4 MCC).

“It was a great match,” Belles coach Dale Campbell said. “We have beaten Bethel a number of times before, but their team was stronger this year.”

ly displayed her talent to win that match.”

Outside of Sexton and Faller, freshmen Jackie Kjolhede and Audrey Kiefer managed victories for the Belles in singles. Surprisingly, the Belles struggled against Bethel in doubles, losing two of the three matches. Still, Sexton and freshman Shannon Elliot were able to take the second doubles match with an impressive 8-2 victory.

“I think we need to come out strong in doubles. It’s important to us to try to win two or three of those doubles matches.”

Dale Campbell Belles coach

Campbell said he was expecting a good matchup, but the match managed to even top his expectations.

“I was expecting a good battle, and it turned out to be an even better battle,” Campbell said. “It was a very good come from behind team win that shows the fight and ability of our team to win such a close match.”

Sexton was not the only Belle whose performance stood out to Campbell. Sophomore Mary Catherine Faller managed a 7-5, 7-5 win over Bethel sophomore Molly O’Grady.

“[Faller’s] opponent was perhaps a scholarship-level player,” Campbell said. “In Division III we don’t have athlete scholarships so she is a rare talent.”

O’Grady was Bethel’s coMVP last season, while also turning in an All-MCC season.

“[Faller] really played a pretty tough number one,” Campbell said. “I thought she was playing her best and real-

“Today, we didn’t come out as ready early on in doubles, so we got behind early,” Campbell said. “Usually we take care of business in the doubles matches where we appear to be at a little higher percentage this season compared to singles.”

This is an area where the Belles will look to improve when they play next. On Saturday, the Belles travel to Adrian for a conference match.

“I think we need to come out strong in doubles,” Campbell said. “It’s important to us to try to win two or three of those doubles matches.”

As a conference opponent, the matchup against Adrian (5-5, 2-3 MIAA) will prove to be important down the line for the Belles. Campbell said the match should also be a close contest, as Adrian is a muchimproved team from last year.

“I think we’ve had similar results against similar teams, so it should be a good match,” Campbell said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we had another very close match.”

The Belles will look to get their third win in a row and move above the .500 mark in the conference as they play at Adrian on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Contact a aron Sant-Miller at asantmil@nd.edu

Irish prepare for Border Battle

By LAURA COLETTI Sports Writer

The Irish will be participating in a meet of different sorts this weekend when they travel to Louisville for the Border Battle meet.

This meet, which features Notre Dame, Indiana, Kentucky and Louisville, pits the Indiana schools against the Kentucky schools in a contest between the “Hoosiers” and the “Commonwealths”.

“It’s a cool meet, because the two states are scored against each other,” senior pentathlete Maddie Buttinger said. “It’s a competitive atmosphere because you’re on a team with another school as well as on a team with your own school.”

“It’s definitely unique,” senior middle-distance runner Randy Babb said. “It’s definitely more fun than any other meet we run outdoors. It’s definitely competitive but it’s low-key, in that there’s only four teams, whereas at Stanford last weekend there were dozens of teams.”

The meet, while competitive, promotes camaraderie and includes a dinner for all of the athletes.

“It’s a fun meet,” Buttinger said. “There’s usually really good weather and people typically perform really well. It’s kind of a relaxed environment, so it’s different from other meets.”

“It’s a lot more low-key,” Babb said. “We’re definitely competing against IU [as well as the Kentucky schools] but it’s fun how they score the meet Indiana versus Kentucky. It’s the ‘fun factor’ that sets this meet apart from the rest and part of that fun is competing with IU.”

Last weekend, at the Stanford Invitational, many Irish athletes qualified for the NCAA Regional meet. With just three weeks until the Big East meet, many of the athletes are turning in strong performances.

“We’re coming off a strong indoor season and moving forward our goals are always the

smC golf

same: qualify as many people for [the regional meet], but most importantly, win the Big East meet.” Babb said. “It’s nice having that confidence coming off the indoor season and it’s going to inspire us coming up on the outdoor Big East meet.”

One of the Irish’s top performers, junior middle-distance runner Jeremy Rae, was recognized as the Big East’s Track and Field Athlete of the Week this week. Both Babb and Buttinger said that though this is an individual award, Rae’s success resonates with the team.

“It’s great to know he’s one of the top athletes in the country,” Babb said. “For him to win this honor again just shows how consistently he can compete at a

top level. For the team, it’s great to know we have a leader both emotionally and vocally for the team as well as on the track.”

The fact that this meet is only one day long will affect how the Irish prepare, Buttinger said.

“There are so many more events condensed into a short time,” Buttinger said. “You have to plan your events properly because there is a lot less time between them. You have to really make sure you’re warming up the whole time and planning.”

Notre Dame will help represent Indiana at the Border Battle in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday.

Contact l aura Coletti at lcoletti@nd.edu

Belles to face tough field in Illinois

By ANDREW CARDOZA Sports Writer

This weekend the Belles will travel to Normal, Ill., for Illinois Wesleyan’s annual Spring Fling Tournament to compete in their biggest meet of the season thus far.

“This meet gives us the opportunity to see where we are this far in the season,” Belles coach Mark Hamilton said. “We have to know what it takes to be a top ten team, but there is work to be done before that goal can be realized.”

In this two-day meet, the Belles will face a very competitive field featuring conference rival Olivet, the host Titans, DePauw, North Central College, Central College and Washington-St. Louis.

“This will be a great meet,” Hamilton said. “This weekend at IWU will be an important measuring stick for us, [as] five of the top-10 programs will be in the 18-team field. I expect noth-

ing but big performances and a fantastic finish to this weekend.”

In his squad’s final invitational of the year, Hamilton will look for team improvement and growth rather than focusing on the results. This will be the Belles’ last tournament to prepare for the MIAA and NCAA qualifier rounds later this month.

“We need to work on trusting our games, trusting what we practice and not be afraid to take it to the course in competition,” Hamilton said. “We need everyone to play well and give it their all. The beauty of a twoday meet is you can assess your growth and make adjustments accordingly, the next day.”

The Belles are coming off an encouraging performance from the Southwestern Invitational. Saint Mary’s competed against three nationally-ranked teams among other competition while placing fourth overall. The Belles hope to grow from this performance and use it to their

advantage in the upcoming twoday meet.

“This meet will not only be a physical meet but it will help our team grow as a whole,” Hamilton said. “We will learn a lot from this meet, find our mistakes and learn from them from the first hole to the last. Each member on the team will play a big role in their own learning process.”

The Belles will not only look for strong performances on the course but they will try to consistently play well as a team.

“Last meet was combination of disappointment and excitement,” Hamilton said. “Disappointed because we did not come away with a victory but excited about the progress we have made.”

Illinois Wesleyan’s annual Spring Fling begins Saturday and will continue Sunday in Normal, Ill.

Contact a ndrew Cardoza at acardoza@nd.edu

Seniors to play final match at home

By KELSEY MANNING Sports Writer

Irish seniors and co-captains

Kristy Frilling and Shannon Mathews will play their final match on Notre Dame’s campus Saturday as No. 19 Notre Dame takes on No. 40 South Florida.

The Senior Day matchup pits the Irish (15-7, 3-0 Big East) against a formidable South Florida squad that has won seven of its nine last contests. After defeating Texas A&M following back-to-back losses to Northwestern and Baylor, the Irish will look to close out their home season with another victory before their final regular season match at Louisville. Mathews stressed the importance of these last few matches.

“We only have a couple of dual matches left so in these last matches everything is important. Every point is really crucial across the board,” she said. “Having everybody competing really well [is important] because during a match moments can change really quick so making sure everyone’s playing every point in every game [is important].”

Mathews and Frilling, her doubles partner, are in the final stretch of illustrious college careers. This season, the duo rose to the top doubles spot in the nation at one point, and have now settled at No. 5. But Mathews said the rankings are not what matters to her.

“I don’t really focus on rankings that much, I just go out there and give it my all against whoever is on the other side of the court,” she said. “Obviously I’m going to compete as

hard as I can. I’ve been working on being really aggressive and coming to the net and taking balls. Moving forward in the court has been the emphasis I’m working on the last couple of weeks, as well as making sure I’m not hesitating.”

This aggressiveness has clearly paid off this season, as Frilling and Mathews have led the way for Notre Dame doubles. The Irish have captured the doubles point in 12 of their last 13 contests, and the senior duo have won nine matches against ranked opponents this year.

Mathews and Frilling have excelled in singles as well. Frilling has accumulated 221 combined singles and doubles victories, while Mathews has 191. Mathews is Notre

Dame’s highest ranked singles player at No. 54, and Frilling is ranked No. 105.

Led by junior Ecaterina Vasenina — who is currently ranked No. 42 in the nation with a 13-6 dual record — South Florida (15-7) recently defeated No. 45 Boston College. She is also part of South Florida’s No. 1 doubles team, ranked No. 49 nationally. The Irish are undefeated against the Bulls at home at 3-0 in the series, and will look to maintain that streak on Saturday.

Notre Dame takes the court against South Florida on Saturday at 3:30 pm at the Eck Tennis Center.

Contact Kelsey Manning at kmannin3@nd.edu

Aoki

continued from page 20

and if we win more pitches then we lose then more often than not it will give us the opportunity to have the outcome that we want.”

Notre Dame’s first two losses to Seton Hall last weekend came in extra innings, and four of the last five defeats were by a total of five runs. Aoki said the demoralizing effects of these close losses are more worrisome than any of Notre Dame’s on-field miscues.

“A couple of [the losses], especially in those Seton Hall games, we sort of heartbreak types of deals,” Aoki said. “I really think it sort of shook the team’s confidence a little, so if they can get over and work through that I think we’ll be fine.”

Aoki hopes the returns of sophomore first baseman Trey Mancini and junior outfielder Charlie Markson will spark the team. Mancini missed this week’s games against Michigan State and Western Michigan with an injury, while Markson has been sick and hasn’t played since Saturday’s loss at Seton Hall.

The pitching rotation will also see a bit of a shakeup as freshman right-hander Pat Connaughton is scheduled to start Sunday’s rubber match in the second weekend start of his college career. Senior righthander Will Hudgins will start Friday’s game, and sophomore righthander Sean Fitzgerald will get the ball for Saturday’s matinee.

Defense

continued from page 20

bowed out against the Blue Devils in the quarterfinals after again putting up just five goals.

Both those years, the defense played well enough to win when the Irish were eliminated and it was a lack of offense that ultimately caused Notre Dame’s season to end in defeat.

Earlier this season, it looked like once again the defense would have to carry the team. With the graduation of key offensive contributors in attack Colin Igoe and midfielders Zach Brenneman and David Earl, the Irish needed others to step up. The long-term loss of senior captain and attack Nicholas Beattie to injury in the season opener did nothing to help matters. As a result, the Irish scored just 22 goals through their first four games, including only three in an overtime loss to Penn State.

But since then, the Irish have picked things up on the offensive end, scoring at least eight goals in each of their last five games and reaching double digits three times.

While no one would confuse Notre Dame’s recent offense with that of No. 1 Virginia — the Irish still rank No. 51 in scoring offense in the NCAA out of 61 teams — the Irish are putting more goals on the scoreboard, thanks to the emergence of sophomore midfielder Jim Marlatt and freshman attack Conor Doyle, both in their first year of game action. Veterans such as senior attack Sean Rogers, sophomore attack Westy Hopkins, junior midfielder Ryan Foley and senior captain and midfielder Max Pfeifer have also elevated their play in late March and early April.

Notre Dame’s ultimate fate this season will be determined if the current offensive play can be continued, if not exceeded. Make no mistake, for Notre Dame to win a national championship, it will take both units to be firing on all cylinders. If senior defenseman and captain Kevin Randall, junior goalie John Kemp and the rest of the Irish defensive unit have an off day during the

Cincinnati (11-21, 1-8 Big East) comes into the weekend with a fivegame losing streak of their own, their third such stretch this season. Although the Bearcats haven’t had much success in conference play so far this season, Aoki said their lineup could still be a challenge for the Irish pitching staff.

“They’ve got a couple of guys in their lineup that are able to change the game with a swing of the bat; they’ve got a little bit of power in that lineup,” Aoki said. “They’ve been scuffling a little bit, too, so I really think that if we just do a good job of just worrying about ourselves I think we’ll be fine. They’ve had some up and down results but they’re a quality team.”

Aoki said the key to beating the Bearcats lies in keeping the number of Cincinnati base-runners to a minimum.

“I’m sure that were going to give up a couple RBIs to some of them over the course of the weekend, but if we do hopefully they’re of the solo-shot variety, not a multiple-run home run,” Aoki said. “I think our pitchers will do a good job of working and making sure that if they do hit a home run or something, that we haven’t helped generate any of their offense with walks or errors.”

Hudgins will throw out the first pitch against the Bearcats at 5:35 p.m. Friday at Frank Eck Stadium. Saturday’s game will start at 2:05 p.m., and the series finale will begin Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Contact Vicky Jacobsen at vjacobse@nd.edu

NCAA tournament, it won’t matter what the offense does.

The defense, however, has shown in the past that it can compete on the biggest of stages and there is no reason to expect anything different this year based on their play so far, as they currently rank No. 1 in the NCAA in scoring defense.

If players such as Rogers, Doyle, Marlatt and Hopkins can produce even more, the Irish could be very dangerous in May. Perhaps more importantly, if secondary scoring from midfielders like senior Eric Keppeler, juniors Pat Cotter and Steve Murphy and freshman Will Corrigan can develop, the Irish may be impossible to beat.

Sunday starts arguably the toughest stretch of the regular season when the Irish travel to Georgetown, then head to Villanova the following week before hosting Syracuse in the regular season finale April 28. While the Hoyas, Wildcats and Orange aren’t among the upper echelon of NCAA lacrosse this season, they are all quality opponents and provide no rest for the next three weeks. It’s an important time for the offense to further mesh as a unit against good competition and hopefully build up confidence heading into the Big East and NCAA tournaments.

Notre Dame lacrosse has reached unprecedented heights in recent years. The Irish finished the 2009 regular season undefeated for the first time in program history. The national championship loss in 2010 marked the first time the Irish ever played in the season’s final game. And the Irish reached No. 1 in the polls for the first time in the middle of last season. The team will even be featured in its own half-hour documentary at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon on NBC Sports Network. All that is great, but these Irish are looking for more. They’re looking for the ultimate prize.

The defense has won games. It’s time for the offense to propel Notre Dame to a championship.

Contact Sam Gans at sgans@nd.edu

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

Gumpf

continued from page 20

lineup. We have power and we have speed throughout the lineup.”

During its recent seven-game winning streak, Syracuse’s offense has shouldered the load, averaging just over eight runs per game. Senior outfielder Lisaira Daniels leads the team in batting average, runs, hits, slugging percentage and onbase percentage.

Irish sophomore pitcher Laura Winter leads a pitching staff that will be tasked with shutting down Daniels and her teammates. Gumpf said the Irish expect Winter, who leads the team with 13 wins and a 2.09 ERA, to be consistent at this point in the regular season.

“[Winter] has to be pitching well at this time of the year,”

Gumpf said. “On the mound we need to have great leadership and she has done that. She has proven herself and we expect that consistency from her.”

Gumpf said she is also looking for the team to reestablish its consistency in all other facets of the game.

“Up until [Wednesday] we had been running on all cylinders,” Gumpf said. [Recently] our hitting has become consistent and our defense has been really solid although we had a hiccup [against Rutgers] … We need to be pitching, hitting and playing defense well. If we do those things better than our competitors, then we will win every game.”

Aside from being a pivotal conference matchup, Saturday’s game against Syracuse is the second annual Strike Out Cancer game. The event raises money to fight pediatric leukemia and all proceeds go to Memorial Children’s Hospital.

“Last year at our Strike Out Cancer day we raised the most money of any NCAA softball team in the nation,” Gumpf said. “We want to exceed that [Saturday].”

The Irish, who will be wearing orange as part of the fundraiser, begin their weekend series against Syracuse with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium. Game three is scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m.

Contact Mike Monaco at jmonaco@nd.edu

Notre Dame’s 18-5 victory over Villanova on April 7.

Halfpenny

continued from page 20

the table but at the same time, we know that Allie is ready to go,” Halfpenny said.

The Irish also added a familiar face to Notre Dame women’s basketball fans — graduate student Brittany Mallory. Mallory, a high school All-American midfielder, joined the team as a defender this week after the Irish fell in the national championship game to Baylor.

“Collectively, we were a very excited unit to add someone with championship caliber experience and character to our team,” Halfpenny said. “Ultimately, Brittany decided to make the commitment with really no promises of anything.”

Halfpenny said Mallory will need to learn the new schemes and systems but had a good week of practice.

“It’s like watching her get back on the bike,” Halfpenny said. “Her hands are still there [along with] her quickness, her quick release, her defense is still there. She’s certainly a threat and we’re going to work her in when she’s ready.”

Senior attacker M.E. Lapham

continued from page 20

game and helping us move forward toward our goal of winning a national championship.”

Notre Dame (8-1, 3-0 Big East) has played just three road contests but has not lost away from Arlotta Stadium thus far.

Irish coach Kevin Corrigan said he expects the Hoyas (5-5, 1-1) to challenge Notre Dame, despite Georgetown’s record.

“They’re a very good team, very talented team and kind of what we’ve seen the last couple weeks in league play,” he said. “They’re a team with its back against the wall a little bit. They need a win, and we’re kind of a team that can give them life in their season. Anytime you’re in that situation, you expect to see that team’s best.”

Georgetown is looking to regain its winning record against the Irish after dropping its second straight game — a 13-12 overtime loss — Saturday at the hands of No. 20 St. John’s.

The Big East matchup will feature a talented Georgetown offense going against a dominant Irish defense. The Hoyas score an average of 9.4 goals per game, while the Irish defense allows just 5.4 goals per game.

Georgetown junior attack Brian Casey leads the team with 27 points, having recorded 14 goals and 13 assists this season.

Corrigan said the Irish must overcome pressure from the Hoyas in order to escape with a victory.

“They put pressure on you in a number of ways,” he said. “They are consistently pres-

suring you, whether it’s riding and clearing, whether on the offensive end or defensive end when they pressure you. Handling that and the speed of play and still making the appropriate plays will be the key for us.”

Notre Dame’s only loss came Feb. 26, when the Irish fell 4-3 to Penn State in overtime. Corrigan said his team has improved dramatically throughout the course of the season.

“I think we’ve been consistently gaining momentum through the season,” he said. “We’re confident in who we are and how we can be effective. We continue to learn about ourselves, and I’m happy with where we are.”

Georgetown’s roster features four graduates of Georgetown Preparatory School, while the Irish feature five former Little Hoyas, including Kemp.

Kemp said he and his former high school teammates have exchanged several lighthearted Facebook messages in anticipation of this weekend’s matchup.

“There’s a rivalry,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. Obviously, it’s good to see guys you played with in college moving up in the next level.”

The Irish will face the Hoyas on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

Contact Megan Golden at mgolde01@saintmarys.edu

leads the Huskies with 37 goals and eight assists while also corralling 24 draw controls.

Lapham became Connecticut’s all-time leading scorer in its game against Columbia. Senior attacker Kiersten Tupper provides a solid second option for the Huskies with her 23 goals and 15 assists.

“[Lapham] is a very shifty, lefty attacker that certainly is their go-to player,” Halfpenny said. “[Tupper] certainly has the ability to dodge and play make with her assisting ability. We going to obviously have to limit them and contain them.”

Halfpenny said Connecticut’s style of play could also cause problems for the Irish.

“They are very athletic, mainly a [one-on-one] driving team and, to be honest, we’ve struggled at time with teams that have hard, long [one-on-one] drives because it’s not exactly what we look like,” Halfpenny said. “They’ve been forcing a number of caused turnovers against great teams and that’s going to be something that we’re focused on.”

Notre Dame and Connecticut square off Saturday at 11 a.m. in Storrs, Conn.

Contact Matthew Defranks at mdefrank@nd.edu

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Friday, April 13, 2012

men’s laCrosse

Irish look to extend streak against Hoyas

By MEGAN GOLDEN Sports Writer

Coming off a dominant win over Providence, the No. 6 Irish are looking to extend their winning streak to eight as they travel to conference rival Georgetown.

Notre Dame’s defense showcased its talent against the Friars on Saturday, when it limited Providence to just one goal behind junior goalkeeper John Kemp’s seven saves.

Kemp said the defense will continue to stick to the game plan and improve on last weekend’s performance.

“First and foremost, [we need to execute] everything we work on in practice — communication, being clear with sliding and limiting their opportunities,” Kemp said. “We go into all of our games thinking the other team can beat us. It’s just another

Georgetown bound

Offense must power team to playoff success

Anyone who follows sports has heard the phrase, “Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.”

For the past two seasons, however, it’s been the opposite for Irish lacrosse.

In 2010, then-fifth year goalie Scott Rodgers carried Notre Dame all the way to the national championship game, before the Irish lost a heartbreaker 6-5 to Duke in overtime. Last season, it was again strong defense and goaltending that sparked Notre Dame to a 10-2 regular season record before the Irish similarly

see KEMP/page 18 see DEFENSE/page 17

Women’s laCrosse

Halfpenny urges focus for Connecticut game

By MATTHEW DeFRANKS Associate Sports Editor

For Irish coach Christine Halfpenny and No. 7 Notre Dame, this week felt like February all over again — and not just because of the weather.

Following their first home defeat of the season, Halfpenny said the Irish (9-2, 3-2 Big East) reverted to a camp-like week of practice to prepare for a road test against Connecticut (7-4, 0-3) this Saturday.

“We’re at the point in the season right now where it’s imperative that we stay focused on our daily improvement and really stay focused on our team goals,” Halfpenny said. “We got back to the drawing board this week and it was almost like a mini-preseason again so that we

nd softBall

can prepare for this final push through this month of April.”

Notre Dame split a pair of games last weekend, losing to No. 2 Syracuse 16-10 before rebounding to top Villanova 18-5.

In the win over the Wildcats, freshman goalkeeper Allie Murray garnered her first collegiate start, replacing junior goalkeeper Ellie Hilling, who missed the game with an illness. Murray made nine saves and allowed five goals to earn the victory.

Halfpenny said, despite Murray’s strong performance, Hilling will probably start Saturday, although she said the decision has not been made yet.

“Ellie’s been our starter all season and we feel really confident about what she brings to

HALFPENNY/page 18

BaseBall

Squad to host Cincinnati in series

By VICKY JACOBSEN Sports Writer

The Irish will attempt to halt a five-game losing streak when they host a three-game conference series against Cincinnati this weekend.

Irish coach Mik Aoki said his team may be feeling the pressure to break out of the slump.

“I think they lack a little bit of the confidence that they had early on, and so anything that goes a little bit against us brings back the insecurity,” Aoki said. “The guys are a little frustrated.”

Aoki said he’s been telling the Irish (17-15, 4-5 Big East) to play the games one pitch at a time.

“All I’ve been telling them is that let’s try not to focus on what the outcome is,” Aoki said. “Let’s just focus on trying to be as competitive as we can on every single pitch and try to win the pitch,

AOKI/page 17

Irish begin 11-game homestand against rival Syracuse

By MIKE MONACO

Sports Writer

After seeing its nine-game winning streak snapped in a 7-6 extra-inning loss to Rutgers on Wednesday, Notre Dame looks to get back on track when it hosts Syracuse on Saturday at Melissa Cook Stadium to kick off an 11-game homestand.

The Irish (20-11, 4-1 Big East) didn’t play a home game un-

til the 22nd game of the season, when the squad began its winning streak. After seven wins at home, Notre Dame won two games on the road before Wednesday’s loss. Now, coach Deanna Gumpf said she is hoping the Irish can get back to their winning ways.

“It’s about how we play and [Wednesday] we failed to do the little things really well and it hurt us,” Gumpf said. “We gave

up five runs in one inning, we had two errors, some walks, and we gave up some big hits. We can’t do those things and expect to win and be a championship team. We need to go back to what worked when we played really well, which was containing hitters and playing good championship softball.”

Syracuse (27-9, 5-1) stands in Notre Dame’s way. The Orange have also been surging lately,

winning seven in a row and 17 of their last 18 games.

“[Syracuse] is going to play well against us,” Gumpf said.

“All Big East teams seem to play well against us, but the thing is we need to focus on us. We need to concentrate on minimizing our mistakes and if we do that we will be just fine.”

Gumpf said the Irish are expecting to face Syracuse senior pitcher Jenna Caira, who is 17-3

with a 1.86 ERA on the season. Nonetheless, Gumpf said she expects the offense to have success against Caira.

“I think we match up well with them,” Gumpf said. “They have a good pitcher (Caira) but we have done a good job against her in the past. But we don’t need to focus on Syracuse … I think we have a really strong

see GUMPF/page 18