PDF for Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s

THe Bald & THe BeauTiFul

Students shave heads to raise funds, awareness for St. Baldrick’s Foundation

By MARISA IATI Associate News Editor

For the past four springs, members of the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s communities shaved their heads and fundraised to support St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s childhood cancer research.

Senior Catherine Soler, organizer of The Bald and the Beautiful (TBAB), said the initially small-scale project has grown into a three-part event, involving more than 1,500 people last year.

Soler said TBAB, held Wednesday through Friday in the LaFortune Student Cen -

ter, was born in 2009 when the Freshman Class Council service committee hosted a St. Baldrick’s event. She said approximately 150 people helped raise $26,000 the first year.

“The next year we were like, ‘Well, we want to open it up. We want to be able to include more people, people who maybe don’t want to shave their head, but want to be a part of it,’” Soler said.

The committee created an option for people to purchase hair extensions and donate their hair to benefit Pantene

see HISTORY/page 6

South Bend teen used faith, hope to beat cancer

By SARAH MERVOSH Senior News Writer

It was every mother’s worst nightmare.

Tonya Ebright of Elkhart was only 22, juggling a toddler, an infant and a full-time job when her daughter started sleeping more than usual and complaining that her bones hurt.

When she took 3-year-old Destinee Smith to the doctor’s office, she was told her daughter had strep throat. Another time, it was scarlet fever. But Ebright knew something more was going on.

Eventually, Ebright obtained an appointment at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. There, Ebright got an answer: her daughter had leukemia.

“It was a huge life adjustment,” Ebright said. “Your normal becomes different.”

After the diagnosis, Destinee had to be taken to the hospital three times a week for treatment, and was often hospitalized for days at a time as she battled high fevers.

During those bouts of fever, Destinee sometimes experienced

see CHILDREN/page 4

Nobel Prize winner lectures on justice, social change

By AMY KLOPFENSTEIN News Writer

Harvard professor and 1998 Nobel Prize winner in Economics Amartya Sen delivered the 18th annual Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy Tuesday night. Sen is also this year’s recipient of the Notre Dame Award for International Human Development and Solidarity. His lecture stressed the importance of positive so -

cial change in the world.

University President Father John Jenkins welcomed Sen and praised his work in justice and development.

“[Sen’s work] touches the heart of what we are about at Notre Dame,” Jenkins said.

Sen opened his lecture with a quote from Nietzsche about humanity’s tendency to focus on the negative aspects of life. Rather than contradicting Ni-

see LECTURE/page 5

and Nobel

By SARAH MERVOSH Senior News Writer

When sophomore Kalie Holdren first dyed her hair electric blue a few weeks ago, she got a lot of “strange looks.” But once in awhile, someone will ask her why she did it, and she’ll get the chance to explain.

“I decided to do it all blue when I realized that I could kind of promote [The Bald and the Beautiful] and also ovarian cancer specifically, after finding out that blue was the awareness color for it.”

But come Thursday, Holdren will say goodbye to her unusual hairdo in exchange for another one when she shaves her head to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

Because Holdren had previously dyed her hair natural colors, she was unable to donate her hair. Instead, she decided to dye her hair blue and then shave it to raise awareness for cancer.

Holdren said she was inspired because her mother is a survivor of melanoma, and her uncle and grandfather both passed away from cancer-related causes.

“Cancer is kind of prevalent in my family,” she said. By dyeing and then shaving her hair, Holdren said she hopes to support and be in solidarity with individuals with cancer.

“Having dyed my hair blue kind of gives me the same sense of having something different from everyone else,” she said. “Everyday I kind of have to explain why it’s blue. And then when I shave my head, I’m going to have to explain why I won’t have hair. In a way, that kind of relates to how people who have cancer [have to explain.]”

Holdren has raised $400 so far and will donate the funds when she shaves her head Thursday.

“A lot of people ask me if I’m nervous and to be perfectly honest, I’m not really that nervous about it,” she said. “I know that it will help people.”

Contact Sarah Mervosh at smervosh@nd.edu

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Post Office Information

Erin Ward

junior Howard

“I loved last year’s green, so maybe something bright again.”

Daniel Kwasnieski

freshman Stanford

“I always wanted a purple one, like the ‘Shake down the thunder’ Shirt.’”

Kasey Puls fifth-year off campus

“Anything but that awful gold color from a few years back.”

Have an idea for Question of the Day?

Natalie Geiger

senior off campus “Navy blue.”

Matthew Sushinsky

senior Alumni “Green.”

offbeat

French police seize 13 tons of tiny Eiffel Towers

PARIS — Paris police say they’ve seized some rather unusual contraband: around 13 tons of mini Eiffel Towers.

Police official Pierre Coric says a Paris souvenir shop owner, her husband and her son also were arrested in the weighty trinket-seizure Friday.

The three are accused of selling the mini towers at tourist spots including the Louvre and the actual Eiffel Tower without a permit.

today’s staff

News

Anna Boarini

Bridget Feeney

Ann Marie

Jakubowski

Graphics

Lisa Hoeynck

Photo

Sarah O’Connor

CorreCtIons

Sports Kelsey Manning

Conor Kelly

Laura Coletti

Scene

Mary Claire O’Donnell

Viewpoint

Meghan Thomassen

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

The operation, led jointly by French customs, social security and the police transport division, followed several months

LocaL Weather

of surveillance of the souvenir shop. Police say the boutique illegally rakes in some 1 million Euro ($1.31 million) per year. If 13 tons seems like a heavy load, it pales in comparison to the real Eiffel Tower, which weighs in at 11,100 tons.

Fleeing bus driver takes Vietnamese cop on wild ride HANOI, Vietnam — A Vietnamese traffic cop went on a wild ride in Hanoi, clinging to the windshield wipers of a moving bus for nearly a kilometer (0.6 mile) after the rogue driver tried to avoid a ticket, police said Friday.

Traffic police 2nd Lt. Nguyen Manh Phan or -

dered the bus driver to pull over the 39-seat passenger coach Monday, said a police officer in Ba Vi District outside Hanoi.

The driver allegedly refused to show his paperwork and drove off - but not before Phan leaped onto the front, he added.

The driver, Phung Hong Phuong, eventually pulled over after being chased by police and residents.

Phuong was arrested for allegedly acting against public officials, an offense that carries a maximum three-year prison sentence, the officer said.

Information compiled from the Associated Press.

Drew Williams junior Stanford “Neon pink.”

In brIef

The Bald and the Beautiful fundraiser begins all day today in LaFortune Student Center. Students can cut and donate hair, shave their heads, or buy hair extensions to support pediatric cancer patients.

The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team takes on Vanderbilt today at 2 p.m. at Arlotta Stadium. Student tickets cost $3.

A physics colloquium titled “Understanding the universe using rare isotopes” will be held today at 4 p.m. in 118 Nieuwland Hall of Science.

The Notre Dame women’s softball team takes on Valparaiso today at 5 p.m. in Melissa Cook Stadium. Student tickets cost $3.

The Annual Presidential ROTC Pass In Review will be held today at 5:15 p.m. in Arlotta Stadium. At the event, Fr. Jenkins will present awards to distinguished midshipmen and cadets. The event is free and open to the public.

The Creative Writing program continues its MFA student reading series tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Carey Auditorium of the Hesburgh Library. The event is free and open to the public.

An informational meeting about the Notre Dame women’s club soccer team will be held tonight at 8 p.m. in 101 DeBartolo Hall.

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

Students design “Sweet’”fundraiser

By JILLIAN BARWICK

Saint Mary’s Editor

Saint Mary’s students can reward their sweet tooth while also supporting a good cause this Thursday, thanks to several seniors working on a class project.

Chrissy Carson, Amanda Noesen, Michelle Rozman, Erika Scoliere and Kelly Smetana had no difficulty in choosing Hannah & Friends as their charitable cause for a marketing management class at Saint Mary’s.

“Hannah & Friends is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and adults with special needs,” Rozman said. “We chose this foundation because they have impacted the South Bend community in such a positive way. Our group feels that Hannah & Friends’ mission is inspiring, and we wanted to help support the work they do.”

After picking the charity, which was founded by former

Irish football coach Charlie Weis and his wife Maura, the group decided what type of event to use as a fundraiser for the foundation.

“We chose [frozen yogurt shop] Let’s Spoon as our event location because of its popularity among students and the community, and because it is a lot of fun,” Rozman said.

“Customers can create their orders exactly as they want, so there is something for everyone.

“We wanted to pick a location that would appeal to all ages and with the weather getting warmer, we thought Let’s Spoon would be perfect for our event.”

The theme of the event is “Let’s Eat Something Sweet.” Rozman said this reflects the group idea behind the event of having a fun place for people to get together while supporting a great cause.

After the group knew they wanted to collaborate with Hannah & Friends and Let’s Spoon, they shared their ideas

with both organizations to discuss how to get the event up and running.

“Our event requires a lot of planning,” Rozman said. “We have been working with both Hannah & Friends and Let’s Spoon for weeks leading up to the event.”

The group worked with APimage to design a t-shirt for the event, Rozman said.

“The people from APimage were so helpful and guided us through the design process, listening to our suggestions and making recommendations based off their expertise,” she said. “We love the way the shirt turned out, and hope everyone else does as well.”

Students can visit Let’s Spoon on April 19 with vouchers downloaded from www. hannahandfriends.org/calendar. The group will also be selling the shirts for $10 at the Student Center today during lunch and dinner hours.

Contact Jillian Barwick at jbarwi01@saintmarys.edu

Senior named top designer in the region

By ANNA BOARINI News Writer

Senior Ryan Geraghty did not become an industrial design major to win awards. He said he picked his major because it focuses on solving problems and communicating new ideas through form and function.

However, Saturday, Geraghty was named the top industrial design student in the Industrial Design Society of America’s Midwest district. Geraghty beat eight other seniors to win the award in Chicago.

Notre Dame students have won top honors five of the past six years. Geraghty said this speaks to both the talent of students, as well as the work of industrial design professor Ann-Marie Conrado.

“This [award] is in large part to Ann-Marie Conrado. She is a driving force and had touch in every one of my projects,” he said.

To continue this line of Notre Dame prestige, Geraghty said he had to earn the right to represent the University at the conference.

“All the seniors present their portfolios to a group of professional designers and the group gets together and decides what senior best represents Notre Dame and who has the best portfolio overall,” he said. “That person wins the merit award and represents Notre Dame at the conference.”

Geraghty’s portfolio was comprised of three projects: patented meal preparation bowls designed his junior year, his work with fair trade artisans in Nepal and his senior thesis, Honed Ultra Sonic Harmonies (HUSH).

At the conference, Geraghty had seven minutes and 30 slides to present his work.

To make sure he used his time wisely, Geraghty said he practiced his speech 50 times the night before presenting.

“I rehearsed to the point of losing my voice, but it was perfectly timed,” he said.

A panel of five district chapter chairs judged the student’s presentations.

“At the conference you are judged on three things: your poster displaying your work,

the presentation you give and the visuals of your presentation and the breadth of work you have done,” he said.

Geraghty said each of the projects he presented set him apart from the other students.

“My work showed more of my process,” he said. “For the bowl project, it showed that I started with a problem. I didn’t set out to design bowls, I set out to save space in a kitchen when you are preparing a meal.”

Geraghty said he spent about two months working on a cutting board idea, and then realized it would not work, so he started over and completely changed the idea.

“The judges really liked that, because it shows when I found a problem, I readjusted,” he said. “I didn’t set out to design bowls, I set out to fix a problem.”

What set his work in Nepal apart was what types of products he was designing, Geraghty said.

“As for Nepal, that really spoke to my interest in not just designing cheap consumer goods that are designed to be thrown out in a year … They are things that also help a group of people who are very talented,” he said.

Geraghty said he faced strong competition for the award from other entrants.

“There were actually some very, very impressive senior projects from the other students, one in particular from [senior] Greg Katz [from the] University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign,” he said. “He had a very cool thesis involving an x-ray tablet … A doctor could place a tablet over someone, and actually see xrays over the person.”

Geraghty said HUSH was inspired by the “cone of silence” from the movie “Get Smart,” and works to increase concentration by masking distracting sounds with white noise and directional speakers.

Geraghty said his thesis stood out from Katz’s because he was able to build a working model.

“What kind of separated my stuff was I had a substantiated it a bit more, I had built a working model,” he said. “The technology isn’t there yet for his stuff, so he couldn’t substantiate it.”

Contact a nna Boarini at aboari01@saintmarys.edu

Children

continued from page 1

hallucinations.

“That was very scary … She told me one time that she was talking to her angels,” Ebright said. “I was like, ‘Please don’t take her home right now.’”

As her treatment progressed, Destinee lost her hair more than once.

“That was hard,” Ebright said. “It would come out in clumps and she would just cry.”

Sometimes, hospitalizations could last up to a week, during which Ebright would drop everything to stay with her daughter. Meanwhile, she had a full-time job and was still breast-feeding her six-month-old son.

“My son couldn’t be around Destinee at all, because he had been exposed to chicken pox,” Ebright said. “As a mom, that was the hardest part, was trying to be the mom to both of them and be with Destinee the whole time, and then be with him too.”

Ebright said her family’s Christian faith and support from loved ones helped her family stay positive during Destinee’s illness, but there were moments when she feared her daughter wouldn’t make it.

At one point, Destinee’s blood counts got dangerously close to zero. Ebright had been told that when that happened, that would be “the end.”

“We just immediately got

on our knees and started praying,” Ebright said.

That was 14 years ago.

Now, Destinee Smith is a cancer-free high school junior who relishes her long, brown hair.

She’s what her mom calls a “fighter.” And she’s also a giver, as she volunteers to help those currently fighting their own battles against cancer and other medical conditions.

She will speak tonight at the kickoff event for The Bald and the Beautiful, an annual event at Notre Dame where students donate their hair to raise funds and awareness for cancer research.

tend the event as well.

Both girls experienced hair loss as a result of chemotherapy treatment.

“I remember definitely being taunted, being called a boy and stuff,” Smith said. “I always wore a bow on my head so they would know that I was a girl.”

Robison said as a young girl, she found an upside to being bald.

“Have hope. [Don’t] let it bring you down, because there is always a fighting chance that you are going to make it. Be happy, and live life as much as you possibly can and experience everything that you want to do.”

Destinee Smith cancer survivor

“I like giving hope to those that are going through it, to know that it doesn’t all end badly,” Smith said. “There is still hope that they’ll make it through it, and live the life that they want to live.”

Seventeen-year-old Paige Robison, who also overcame childhood leukemia and was in South Bend Memorial Hospital’s pediatric oncology program with Smith, will at -

“The best thing about it was that my mom would take gel pens and would draw on my head,” she said.

“It was just the coolest thing, I loved it.”

Robison said students shaving their heads and donating hair

through The Bald and the Beautiful means a lot to children who are currently battling cancer.

“I just think that makes it so much easier for them,” she said. “They can see older adults supporting them, and I think that just makes all the difference.”

Both Robison and Smith have previously donated their hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit that provides hairpieces to children suffering from medical hair loss.

Smith said she did it “to give back,” but added, “I love having long hair now that I can have long hair.”

When Smith speaks at The Bald and the Beautiful tonight, she hopes to share a message with children in attendance fighting battles with cancer.

“Have hope. [Don’t] let it bring you down, because there is always a fighting chance that you are going to make it,” she said. “Be happy, and live life as much as you possibly can and experience everything that you want to do. To just celebrate [life] because it could be taken away from you.”

Smith has lived out that message in her 17 years, and is determined to take advantage of what she views as a second-chance.

“I have big dreams and goals that I want to see come true,” she said.

Smith wants to turn her love of cooking — she makes a mean lasagna and chicken enchilada — into a career, and plans to go to culinary school after high school.

She hopes to open her own bistro one day, striving for the perfect mix between Starbucks and Panera Bread.

Smith said her family now goes on with life as normally as possible, letting her battle with cancer fade into a memory. Like most mother-daughters, Smith and Ebright strive to find a balance between independence and staying safe, and next

weekend, Smith will attend her junior prom.

But since a high school friend died of leukemia a few weeks ago, Smith said her fight with cancer has been on her mind more than usual.

“It’s just kind of a ‘That could have been me’ kind of thing. It kind of just gives me a different perspective to live every day to the fullest,” she said. “I want to make sure that I do everything that I’ve set out to do, just because I could not have had that chance.”

Ebright said she thinks there is a certain serendipity to Smith’s experience and her namesake.

When Ebright first became pregnant, she decided on the name “Destinee” because she felt God had given her a child for a purpose. But in watching her daughter fight leukemia so early in life, Ebright sometimes wondered what that purpose was.

Now, Smith’s namesake has come full circle.

“I think she’s still a work in progress, but I know she has a purpose and there is a reason for her to be here,” Ebright said. “I, at one point in time, said, ‘I know what her destiny is.’ I think that she really will be a good helper and mentor to others because of things that she has gone through in her life.”

And Smith shares her mother’s vision.

“I just want to see that something good comes from me staying here,” she said.

Contact Sarah Mervosh at smervosh@nd.edu

Students advocate “Equal Pay Day”

By BRIDGET FEENEY

Associate Saint Mary’s Editor

While many students spent yesterday afternoon in class or at lunch, junior Laura Corrigan and senior Cat Cleary advocated for equal pay. The Saint Mary’s students stood on the steps of the South Bend courthouse with Mayor Pete Buttigieg as he declared yesterday “Equal Pay Day.”

“Equal Pay Day” is a recognized day across the nation intended to promote awareness for the fact women are paid less money than man, Cleary said.

“It takes a woman 15 and a half months to earn what a man makes in a year,” she said. “Women earn 77 cents for every one dollar men earn. People will brush this issue off and say it isn’t relevant, but it is.”

Corrigan and Cleary, sponsored by a grant provided by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), have been working all semester on projects and programs that promote the mission of the AAUW.

“The mission of the AAUW is to break through barriers for girls and women,” Cleary said.

During Spring Break, Cleary and Corrigan decided they wanted to devise a way to promote “Equal Pay Day” in the South Bend community. After reaching out to the local AAUW branch, the League of Women Voters of the South Bend area, the South Bend Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and the Gender and Women’s Studies Department at Indiana University South Bend, Corrigan and Cleary drafted a letter to Mayor Buttigieg. The letter requested the mayor commemorate April 17 and bring awareness to the issue.

“We wanted to draw attention to this issue,” Corrigan said. “[Women] have a lifetime of earnings ahead of us. Think how much money that is — the wage gap really adds up.”

At noon on Tuesday, the mayor honored the letter’s request.

During a press conference with reporters, business men and women and other community leaders, Mayor Buttigieg declared April 17 “Equal Pay

Day.” The declaration was in sync with other organizations, protests and events throughout the nation also dedicated to promoting equal pay.

“We were one small part of a larger movement,” Cleary said. “There were larger movements occurring all across the country.”

Corrigan and Cleary said the process was relatively smooth and they were not worried about making their hopes of “Equal Pay Day” in South Bend a reality.

“I know Buttigieg is very committed to social issues,” Cleary said. “I wasn’t worried; I knew we would have his support for this issue.”

Corrigan agreed with Cleary, saying Mayor Buttigieg was a valuable assets to their work to promote “Equal Pay Day” in South Bend.

“[Buttigieg] said it was important that men should care about this issue, too,” she said. “It’s not just a woman’s issue. It is important that everyone is aware about this problem.”

Contact Bridget Feeney at bfeene01@saintmarys.edu

Lecture

continued from page 1

etzsche, however, Sen said the world is full of hardships.

“The world in which we live, I fear, is, in fact, ugly and bad,” said Sen.

However, Sen’s said his seemingly pessimistic view is in the context of the many injustices in the world. He said by failing to address and acknowledge the many instances of poverty, injustice, and violence, humans also lose the opportunity for positive social change.

“The common tendency to ignore how nasty the world is helps many injustices to remain unexamined and remedied,” Sen said.

Sen said people should not focus on instituting justice, but rather removing sources of injustice. What needs to be eliminated from the world can be agreed upon, Sen said, but disagreement about what will make the world “perfect” will exist. In such circumstances, eliminating the

injustice should take priority over attempting to achieve an ideal society, he said.

Sen also stressed the importance of freedom in establishing justice.

“Freedom is not only among the most valued ideas in the world, it is among the most feared human conditions,” Sen said.

Sen said many oppressed people adopt a cheerful mentality to cope with their situation. Meanwhile, the oppressors are those who fear the consequences of liberation.

“Those who are afraid of freedom tend to be afraid of the freedom of others,” said Sen.

Sen finished his lecture by restating the Nietzsche quote. However, he did not end with on a note of defeat, but a call to engage and rectify injustices.

“We can rise to the challenge with reasoning and a better understanding of the problems we need to address,” Sen said.

Contact a my Klopfenstein at aklopfen@nd.edu

Obama looks to target oil price manipulation

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama pushed Congress Tuesday to give oil market regulators more muscle to deter price manipulation by speculators, the latest White House response to determined Republican attacks on administration energy policies amid high gas prices at the pump.

Obama wants Congress to strengthen federal supervision of oil markets, increase penalties for market manipulation and empower regulators to increase the amount of money energy traders are required to put behind their transactions.

“We can’t afford a situation where some speculators can reap millions while millions of American families get the short end of the stick,” Obama said at the White House.

The plan is more likely to draw sharp election-year distinctions with Republicans than have an immediate effect on prices at the pump.

The measures seek to boost spending for Wall Street enforcement at a time when congressional Republicans are seeking to limit the reach of federal financial regulations.

The president’s $52 million proposal comes as Republicans have been hammering Obama on his energy policies, recognizing the political cost of high gas prices on the president. Obama’s plan would turn the tables on Republicans by taking aim at Wall Street’s role in the oil price chain.

Obama was joined during his Rose Garden remarks by Attorney General Eric Holder, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler, and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz.

The president didn’t shy away from casting the issue in partisan terms, drawing attention to Republican op -

position to a plan to end tax breaks for oil and gas companies.

“So here’s a chance to make amends,” he said.

Even before the White House announced Obama’s plans, House Speaker John Boehner called it a political ploy and criticized the president for not using authority he already has to deal with such problems.

“The president has all the tools available to him if he believes that the oil market is being manipulated,” Boehner told reporters Tuesday. “Where’s his Federal Trade Commission? Where is the SEC? He’s got agencies there. So instead of just another political gimmick, why doesn’t he put his administration to work to get to the bottom of it?”

Boehner used the acronym for the Securities and Exchange Commission, whose duties include regulating markets.

Senior administration officials who put together the proposal stopped short of blaming market manipulation for rising gas prices, but said they wanted to curtail the ability of speculators to take unlawful advantage of oil price volatility.

“The price is affected by a variety of factors,” said Brian Deese, the director of the White House’s National Economic Council. “Obviously, instability in the Middle East as well as growth projections across the globe are affecting global oil markets all the time.”

Meanwhile, the average price of a gas at the pump has dropped slightly but is still higher than it was at this time last year.

“None of these steps by themselves will bring gas prices down overnight,” Obama said. “But it will prevent market manipulation and make sure we’re looking out for American consumers.”

History

continued from page 1

Beautiful Lengths, which turns hair into wigs for women with cancer. Soler said the group named the event “The Bald and the Beautiful” after their adviser jokingly suggested the name in an email.

“It was hard to really convey everything I think in the name,” Soler said. “We liked it, it was kind of catchy, and I think it sends the right message.”

The money raised by selling colored hair extensions benefits Memorial Hospital of South Bend, and Soler kids treated in the pediatric oncology unit often come to the event.

“We contemplated giving the hair extension money to the American Cancer Society, but we thought it was really important to give back to Memorial, and we liked the local and national component of it,” she said.

The money raised for Memorial supports its young adult cancer survivorship program.

“I think that’s just a really neat connection that we have with them, because the hair extension money goes directly to people who come to our event and help us, and also goes towards a cause that if one of us were to have cancer right now, or had cancer as a child, we would be included in that age-range,” she said.

have personal connections. They know someone who had cancer, a family member has cancer, something like that.”

Soler said although the core 15 people planning The Bald and the Beautiful have remained the same throughout the years, the group has expanded.

“This year there’s about 30, 35 people, maybe more than that, who are planning it, and they’re all different age ranges, all different clubs, all different halls,” she said. “And so it’s just really fun that you don’t necessarily have to belong to a certain association to be a part of it.”

Participants in TBAB find solidarity with people suffering from cancer, Soler said.

“I would say that we just feel really lucky to be a part of an event that’s able to combine all the great things that I think about Notre Dame … the ability of people here to work hard, and put the greater good before themselves,” she said. “We’re just constantly blown away by the community … That’s by far been the best part for me.”

“I mean it’s easy to get caught up in … classes and extracurriculars and things like that, and Notre Dame students are obviously really busy, but these three days are just an awesome example of getting back to what’s actually important and helping people.”

Elle Metz TBAB committee member

The colors of the hair extensions represent different types of cancer, Soler said.

“You could come in and say, ‘I want yellow for bone cancer, I’d like pink for breast cancer and blue for ovarian,’ whatever it is,” she said. “People can kind of do that in honor of different people.”

Soler said almost 1,800 people participated in TBAB last year and raised $46,500. This year, she said several residence halls and sports teams will be involved. The football team will participate in a kick-off event Wednesday at 6 p.m.

“It was very hard in the beginning to get sponsorship from students, friends, organizations, anything, just because no one really knew, but we have a lot to talk about now … and people come to the event,” Soler said. “And one of my favorite parts is that it’s very upbeat, and while it’s for such a great cause and there’s definitely time for memoriam and honoring people, it is really just fun.”

Senior Elle Metz, a TBAB committee member, said she enjoys seeing the support people show to those who shave their heads, especially girls and women.

“We have five or six girls already signed up to shave their heads this year, and their friends will come out with posters, and everyone is so supportive of them, which is great,” Metz said. “It’s inspiring to hear the stories as to why they do it and why they feel so strongly. A lot of people

ND supports interfaith acceptance

By SARAH VERY News Writer

Notre Dame Campus Ministry wants to provide opportunities for members of all faith traditions to encounter God in their daily lives. Brett Perkins, head of Catholic Peer Ministry and Protestant Student Resources, said Notre Dame seeks to remain steadfast in its mission, and provide opportunities for those of other faiths.

Perkins said groups like Iron Sharpens Iron (ISI) helps to provide those opportunities.

“Iron Sharpens Iron operates as both a Student Activities [Office] club, and as the principal interdenominational Christian ministry at Notre Dame,” Perkins said. “ISI responds to the need felt by our Christian students who aren›t Catholic, to have a place where they can come together for prayer, praise and worship and fellowship.”

from her home in Ohio to Notre Dame had an effect on her faith as a United Methodist Christian.

“I never feel like my faith is being suppressed at [Notre Dame], if anything, I attend Mass more, because it’s so convenient in the dorms,” she said. “However, sometimes it is difficult, because in order to go to a Protestant Mass, I’d have to go off campus.”

“I never feel like my faith is being suppressed at [Notre Dame], if anything, I attend Mass more, because it’s convenient in the dorms. However, sometimes it is difficult, because in order to go to a Protestant Mass, I’d have to go off campus.”

Metz said coordinating The Bald and the Beautiful has been a special experience.

“I mean it’s easy to get caught up in … classes and extracurriculars and things like that, and Notre Dame students are obviously really busy, but these three days are just an awesome example of getting back to what’s actually important and helping people,” she said.

Soler said the TBAB committee will ensure the event continues after most of the coordinators graduate in May. She said the Class of 2013 has expressed interest in organizing the event in the future, and it might also become a joint signature event for residence halls.

“I hope that we can come back in ten years and donate our hair to The Bald and the Beautiful, and I can bring my kids and donate their hair,” she said. “I’m just always supremely impressed by how generous and selfless everyone who works on this event is, and so giving of themselves and their time, and I’m constantly inspired by the people who work at this event … I think it’s just an amazing demonstration of the true spirit of Notre Dame students.”

The stress and busy-ness of coordinating The Bald and the Beautiful finally pays off during the three-day event, Soler said.

“Within the first hour of the event, we’re still scrambling, getting ready, and then you see someone shave their head and the kids show up and you just stop and think, ‘This is worth every single minute of the effort,’” she said. “We all just always stop and kind of pause at the event, and you can see even big football players or like our guy friends, everyone’s just so moved by what’s going on, and I think it’s really cool.”

Contact at Marisa Iati at miati@nd.edu

Perkins said Iron Sharpens Iron also ministers to a large number of Catholic students who are looking for a ministry that focuses on all that unites followers of Christ, regardless of church affiliation or denomination.

Campus Ministry also offers opportunities to answer the questions of non-Catholic students about Catholic culture and faith.

“The ‘Catholicism 101’ sessions have been offered a few times over the years to provide an opportunity for nonCatholic students of various backgrounds to ask questions about the Catholic Christian faith that surrounds them on campus,” Perkins said.

Freshman Annaleigh McDonald said her transition

Perkins said Campus Ministry offers students resources to attend church services in their denomination.

Annaleigh McDonald freshman

“We have an online church directory and ride list that helps students find local churches or other places of worship, including those for Jewish or Muslim students,” he said. “The directory includes entries for churches of over 25 different traditions and denominations.”

Even with resources like the church directory, many students attend Catholic Mass with their friends.

“The presence of so many of our fellow Christians at Catholic Masses on campus means especially that Catholic Christians need to be ever watchful for ways that they can make the Mass more inviting and/ or accessible to others, that all might find there a welcoming

spiritual home,” Perkins said. Notre Dame has other faithbased organizations for students, such as the Jewish Club, which offers opportunities to celebrate the holidays and attend lectures off campus. Freshman Ali Buersmeyer said students on campus are respectful and often eager to learn about her Jewish faith, though many do not know much about it. Even with the acceptance she feels, Buersmeyer said it is not always easy to observe her faith on a predominantly Catholic campus.

“Last week I observed the Passover by following the traditional diet free of any wheat, corn, beans, rice, pork, or shellfish for eight days — it was very hard to find Passoverfriendly options in the dining hall, ” she said.

According to the Campus Ministry website, there is also an active Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Notre Dame. The goal of the organization is to provide resources for Muslims, as well as to cultivate understanding and respect with other faiths. In the past, MSA has arranged Quran reading group, dinners, lectures, films and comedy shows.

Contact Sarah Very at svery@nd.edu

Volleyball

As the crush of joggers around the lakes, presence of lax bros on the quads and appearance of the sun might suggest, spring has descended upon Notre Dame’s campus. With it comes the reemergence of one of Notre Dame’s finest traditions. It’s not Bookstore Basketball, or the Fisher Regatta, or even the annual quarterback auditions held on the practice fields. Rather, it’s a tradition unlike any other: Carroll Hall sand volleyball.

Brian Hartnett Sports Writer

You heard that right, a tradition originating from Notre Dame’s only “off-campus” residence hall. Okay, you probably still can’t locate Carroll on a campus map, but for me and other Vermin, sand volleyball is as integral to the Carroll experience as Carroll Christmas and biking.

My first exposure came hours after I initially walked onto Far Quad. Before I had even transformed my room into a livable space, I heard fierce shouts coming from Carroll’s expansive front lawn. I observed a band of shirtless upperclassmen engaged in an intense game of sand volleyball, replete with digs, kills and many spikes.

As someone whose volleyball experience was limited to high school gym class, I was slightly intimidated, and took a few weeks to actually wander onto the court. Minutes into my first game, I discovered I was competent enough to hit the ball over the net, but more importantly, I found I was really enjoying myself. So, one game turned into two, and two turned into a streak of multiple contests.

After trying to discover the root of my volleyball fever, I came to an important conclusion: Playing sand volleyball allowed me to discover the famed sense of community fostered by Notre Dame’s residence halls, something I thought only existed in guidebooks. On the volleyball court, I was viewed not as a nameless freshman, but as an equal contributor to the team’s success.

Thus, I relished earning compliments from my fellow Carroll residents when I made a rare highlight, or lifting another’s spirits up when they made a mistake. Working toward a common goal helped break down barriers to conversation in the awkward first month, allowing me to more easily meet people.

Additionally, sand volleyball represents the perfect escape from conflicting pressures in the life of a Notre Dame student. After a stressful week, nothing is more soothing than escaping the bustle of campus and enjoying a nice match on a sunny day. Notre Dame may be the opposite of a warm-weather school, but it’s easy to forget that when I’m playing beach volleyball, listening to the booming music and enjoying views of the Golden Dome.

Several months into my Notre Dame experience, I finally consider myself a Carroll sand volleyball junkie. I know all the intricacies of “Carroll rules,” rules that allow players to go over the net in pursuit of the ball and are the reasons why the Carroll volleyball net resembles a slice of Swiss cheese. I have taken the court in February, nearly catching hypothermia, and have participated in an opening-day ceremony more befitting of the Super Bowl. I even decided to test my skills against other halls in interhall volleyball.

So, with temperatures in South Bend becoming more bearable, I invite everyone to make their way to Carroll and participate in a fine Notre Dame tradition. Just don’t complain when we make you play Carroll rules.

Contact Brian Hartnett at bhartnet@nd.edu

A Christian’s guide to stressing out

It was at the 10:30 p.m. Dillon Hall Mass last Sunday night that I saw it. I opened Mass with the Sign of the Cross, and as I looked up in greeting — “The Lord be with you” — it was staring back at me. Late-semester fatigue. Stress. You mumbled

Fr. Lou DelFra Faithpoint

“And also with you,” with an energy and interest that was slightly less than awe-inspiring. So, I mentally cut my homily in half, and doubled my volume, but the message was clear: “Father, we love Jesus, but unless he’s writing my papers this week, please keep it short!”

I’ve always found it hard to know what to pray for during stressful days, and the last weeks of the semester are almost inevitably stressful — some of the most difficult days of the year. I often find myself, on days when the heat is on and I’m behind, sending up prayers of desperation — prayers that ultimately only feed my stress, and of course produce no grade-changing miracles. Days of performance-induced stress offer a real spiritual challenge, and the way to meet that challenge is never clear.

Why is it so hard to pray during stressful times? Perhaps because, though Jesus does offer us a way of peace, it is not a simplistic way. On the one hand, Jesus continually offers us words of comfort, like “Come to me, all you who are burdened, and I will give you rest. For my burden is light.” And many other consoling words and actions, such as “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” or the calming of the stormy sea.

But this is only part of his message. The Gospels, it must be admitted, include equally prevalent references to Jesus’ sleepless nights, stressful confrontations and the daily self-sacrifice he takes upon himself and demands of others: “If you wish to follow me, be prepared to take up your daily cross.”

So, how to pray during stressful days?

How to take Christ’s words of consola-

edItorIal Cartoon

tion seriously (“Take courage, for I have conquered the world!”), allowing Him to calm our hearts? How to hear his call to the self-sacrificing work that he invites us to engage (“Give away what you have and come follow me!”), enkindling our hearts to embrace the present challenges of our daily lives?

Perhaps one answer, which is not nearly as simple as it sounds, is to try not to allow either of these two realities — Christ’s consolation and Christ’s call to give ourselves away selflessly – to eclipse the other. The overemphasis of Christ’s consolation, without any nod to his call to sacrifice on his behalf, can lead to escapism — and often procrastination. And this, of course, just leads to more stress, rather than breaking us out of the stress cycle. On the other hand, the overemphasis of Christ’s call to carry our crosses, without any experience of Christ’s constant and unconditional love for us, can lead to an overblown sense of the challenges before us, a distorted view of the importance of our work, inner anxiety and even eventual burnout. So, neither emphasis on its own seems to bring the true peace of Christ.

We need to search for prayer that both reassures and provokes us, that both calms and inspires, relieves and strengthens. We need prayer that puts our work into a proper perspective, focuses our desire, and galvanizes our energy to engage the work. This is not easy or straightforward prayer.

As always in prayer, our primary image of God is extremely determinative here. If we see God primarily as the “great escape,” someone to whom we run to make our troubles disappear, we set up the near-certain result of disappointment and its accompanying increase of stress. Jesus constantly searches in prayer for the presence and consolation of his Father, and we can see the peace and confidence with which this presence fills Him, especially at stressful moments. Yet, in these prayers,

Jesus rarely asks His Father to do things that make His life easier. Rather, He asks for the reassurance of God’s presence and clarification of God’s will, or often asks the Father for the ability to complete works that relieve other people’s sufferings. This understanding of His work as fitting into the plan of God, and as ultimately benefiting others besides Himself, brings Jesus peace.

If, on the other hand, our primary image of God is a divine taskmaster, who demands only our continual excellent performance while contributing little to the endeavor — and for my fellow perfectionists, this is always a temptation — we run the risk of praying to a God who is merely a projection of our own ambitions, or other authority figures in our life. That our stress is not relieved by such prayer is hardly surprising. But this God too is not to be found in the prayers of Jesus.

Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is a beautiful example for our purposes. For here, He seeks true peace in the midst of the greatest stress, placing the challenge of His cross directly into the hands of God, yet without a sense of escapism — “Father, if this cup can be taken from me …” Yet, it also asks for the perspective, strength and hope that make His cross meaningful: “But reassure me of Your will, and knowing that this work is in Your plan, and will benefit others, this will be sufficient to give me peace and strength to carry the load.” Perhaps in His prayer at Gethsemane, in the hours before Jesus’ final challenge, we can find a model, and a way to pray for true peace during stressful times.

This week’s column is written by Fr. Lou DelFra, director of pastoral life for ACE and member of Campus Ministry. He can be reached at delfra.2@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Quote of the day

“Science

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe German novelist and scientist

Treat others as we desire to be treated

Overt harassment is far from the only difficulty faced by non-heterosexual people at Notre Dame. Workplace discrimination against non-heterosexual employees is a fact of life here.

Notre Dame offers employees non-wage “family” benefits — health and life insurance, tuition benefits, widow and widower benefits, family medical leave, parental leave, access to athletic facilities, etc. as long as the non–employee spouse is “a husband or wife as defined or recognized by the State of Indiana,” and any children are biological “children, step-children [or] children under legal guardianship,” according to the Notre Dame Human Resources website. Since same-sex marriage is not yet legally available in Indiana, and legal parental status is often unavailable to a nonbiological parent, employees in samesex relationships are denied the benefits awarded by Notre Dame to married employees, even though their circumstances may be analogous in every way.

That is, one employee with dependents may be exposed to much more risk, and be effectively paid thousands of dollars less each year, than another employee with dependents in exactly the same job, at exactly the same wages.

A few scenarios may help clarify the consequences of this policy. Imagine John and Joan, a married couple with two small children and no connection to Notre Dame, and Mary, a long-time Notre Dame employee.

1. John and Joan die in an accident. Their old friend Mary becomes legal guardian of the children, who become

eligible for health insurance and Notre Dame tuition benefits.

2. Joan dies. John later meets Mary. They fall in love and marry, and he and the children become eligible for all Notre Dame benefits.

3. John dies. Joan later meets Mary. They fall in love, and vow lifelong commitment to each other. If an Indiana judge is willing to grant Mary a secondparent adoption, the children may become eligible for Notre Dame benefits. Joan remains ineligible no matter what.

4. John abandons his family and divorces Joan but doesn’t surrender his legal parental status. Joan later meets Mary. They fall in love, and vow lifelong commitment. Mary has no way to get legal parental-status. Neither Joan nor the children are eligible for Notre Dame benefits.

To continue this last scenario: doing without health insurance and avoiding the expense of doctor visits, Joan learns too late that she has cancer. The medical bills, uncovered by insurance, drive Joan and Mary into bankruptcy. Mary can’t afford to quit her Notre Dame job, and she can’t get family leave to be with Joan while she is dying. Notre Dame won’t cover counseling for the children, either.

Had Mary married John, and John were the person who developed cancer, all Notre Dame benefits would of course have been available, to him and the children. Note that in all of these scenarios, the identity of the Notre Dame employee, Mary, doesn’t change, and neither does that of the children to whom she becomes a parent, who under some circumstances will be eligible for benefits, and under others, won’t. All that changes are the legal ramifications

of different combinations of facts about Mary’s mate: male or female, widowed or divorced. The award or denial of employment-based benefits here has nothing to do with the individual employee, but with the gender and marital history of her partner. Does this seem just?

One response might be that Notre Dame should deny benefits to employees with same-sex partners because the Catholic Church disapproves of homosexuality, or at least of homosexual activity (although all the couples hypothesized above could be celibate life partners, and it wouldn’t affect their benefits). The Church also disapproves of such things as fornication, divorce and atheism, but Notre Dame does not deny benefits to employees or their dependents because of them.

Since same-sex couples have yet to achieve legal recognition here, the University is within its legal rights in refusing them recognition itself. The most obvious reason for it to cling to the current, limited, nondiscrimination clause is to guard against the possibility obligating itself to anything more than the law now requires, in this area and others. To do no more than the law now requires: is that the standard to which we aspire?

Before 1965, marriage between blacks and whites was illegal in Indiana — automatically void, and punishable by fines and up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Officiants at such marriages were also prosecutable. Notre Dame would have been doing no more (or less) the law required if it refused to recognize the marriage of a black employee to a white spouse because they were not husband and wife “as defined or recognized by the State of Indiana.” It could have

Reintegration requires reform

This past weekend, President Barack Obama traveled to Cartagena, Colombia to attend the Summit of the Americas, hosted by the Organization of American States. Although the summit made progress in easing inequality and other gaps between the United States, Canada and Latin America, the debate stalled over the issue of whether to reinstate Cuba into the OAS and allow the country to attend future summits.

Many Latin American nations have criticized the United States for its embargo on Cuba and its continued practice of isolating the island nation. However, to include the oppressive regime of the Castro brothers into the OAS, weeks after it committed oppressive crackdowns on peaceful democratic protesters, would be to disgrace the principles of American foreign policy and society. It is in the interest of the region to reintegrate Cuba, but such an action must be taken solely with the aim of promoting a more democratic and open Cuban government. Thus, giving Cuba membership in the OAS must be in response to signs that the Cuban regime is submitting to interna-

tional pressure — not just U.S. pressure — to reform their governmental institutions.

U.S. relations with China were improved under the Nixon administration through increased contact and China’s reintegration to the international community. This should be the same objective of any U.S.-Cuban policy. The idea that the Cuban regime can be waited out, or that it will fall under its own volition from internal pressures, has proven, at least in the short term, to be unrealistic. Therefore, the U.S. must move to reform the Castro government through engagement and reintegration. However, this process must be started in response to signs from the Castro government that it is willing to reform. Such interactions must be driven, like our opening to China, with the expressed aim and unrelenting pressure to restore Cuba’s democratic institutions, and to promote greater freedom for the Cuban people.

Whether or not American policies, specifically the embargo, are either functional or beneficial to progress in reforming Cuba or the U.S.-Cuban relationship are irrelevant to this argument. The issue at hand is whether the incorporation of Cuba into the OAS

and its inclusion in its summits will promote reform in the island nation and foster better relations between the United States and Cuba. Some argue that international organizations can better pressure its members than individual states. However, Iran and North Korea have shown that such international pressure is not sufficient or effective in curbing their nuclear development. Therefore, the premise that including Cuba in the OAS will allow the OAS and the U.S. to better pressure the Castro government is misguided. By contrast, allowing Cuba to join the OAS at this time, weeks after the government’s crackdown on peaceful protestors during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the nation, would demonstrate that the regional community is willing to ignore — and to legitimize — the illegal and inhumane practices of the Castro government in the name of regional integration.

Further, it is not in the interest of the OAS to include the nation of Cuba. As ideological differences have grown between the United States and the leaders of Latin America, the OAS has become less relevant to regional affairs. Therefore, including Cuba in the organization would only add to the

forbidden the celebration of mixed-race marriages on campus. Did this happen, even while Fr. Hesburgh was serving on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights? I don’t know, but I hope not.

The law may still permit discrimination against same-sex couples, but it does not demand or justify it. Many organizations, including Catholic institutions such as DePaul, Georgetown, Fordham and Boston College, offer them the same benefits as married oppositesex couples receive — and were already doing so before some of their jurisdictions legalized same-sex marriage. It is perfectly possible to consider homosexual practice sinful without condoning inequitable compensation for Notre Dame employees who cannot yet legally marry their mates.

In denying equal pay for equal work and ostracizing some of its families, the University’s standard practice seems far from the “Spirit of Inclusion”:

“We welcome all ... precisely because of Christ’s calling to treat others as we desire to be treated. We value gay and lesbian members of this community as we value all members of this community ... We consciously create an environment of mutual respect, hospitality and warmth in which none are strangers and all may flourish.”

I invite a substantive public response from the administration of the University.

Julia Marvin is an associate professor in the Program of Liberal Studies. She can be reached at garagemadrigal@yahoo.com

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

ideological polarization, and contribute to further inaction in addressing the pressing concerns facing the region, such as the drug war and economic deficiencies and inequalities. The addition of Cuba would add strains to the debate within the OAS, as it would incorporate longstanding conflicts that are unlikely to change, subsequently stalling any actions aimed at addressing a variety of other issues that the OAS is in a position to address.

To incorporate Cuba into the OAS would reward the Castro regime for its brutal crackdowns on peaceful protesters, as well as legitimize such action within the spoke of promoting regional integration. The isolated island nation must be eventually reintegrated into the regional community. However, this process must begin with signs on the part of the Castro brothers that their regime is open to reform and is willing to follow international standards of governing.

This article originally ran in the April 17 edition of The Dartmouth, serving Dartmouth College.

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

Since 2008, Notre Dame students have been going bald to support childhood cancer research by participating in The Bald and the Beautiful, or TBAB. Men brave enough to channel their inner Bruce Willis and a few brave, possibly even heroic, women have gone bald to raise funds for this amazing event. This year, I will be one of those men.

My Story I grew my hair for more than nine months for this event. What could have possibly caused me to do this? Well, I was reading an article online and it had these two tips: Every guy should shave his head at least once in his life, and every guy should let his hair grow past his ears at least once in his life. And then I read about TBAB. So I let it grow.

I hoped it would be long enough to donate to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths. In order to qualify, hair has to be eight inches long from the ponytail. Unfortunately, I don’t quite make the cut. My hair is quite long though — about eight-and-a-half inches. As a male who has never had long hair before, it was quite the experience. I had to use conditioner consistently. I

bought hair gel for the first time since sixth grade, and I even had a shampooing schedule, so my hair wouldn’t be too frizzy throughout the week. I now know way too much about hair, more than I ever needed to know. However, this was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I learned I like my hair to be about five inches long. I learned the difference between shampoo and

By KEVIN NOONAN Scene Editor

conditioner (I seriously didn’t know). Without this experiment, I would never have learned these things.

Most importantly, though, I realized how lucky I am to even have hair. I hope everyone comes out this Wednesday through Friday to support someone participating in TBAB. Several other Dillon Men and I will be shaving our heads on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in LaFortune. Come on out and support us and childhood cancer research. Donations can be made at bald.nd.edu, or in person at LaFortune.

President Obama called it his favorite television show. Many have called it the greatest television show of all time. Grantland, Bill Simmon’s entertainment-sports blog, named one its central characters as the greatest in television history.

HBO’s “The Wire” is a mastery of entertainment, social criticism and the illustration of reality rarely seen in any storytelling medium, not just television. And on top of all that, it’s awesome.

This is not some Shakespearean drama, with dull and boring episodes aimed only at higher meaning and subtext. The show, at least in its inception, is a police drama, with a body count to rival any of the most action-packed and violent shows on television.

What separates “The Wire” from most run-of-the-mill police dramas, however, is its determination to tell the story of a city and its people above all else.

The show is set in Baltimore, and each of the five seasons of the show focuses on a different aspect of the city. The first is an in-depth look at the drug-trade in the inner city, the second looks at the illegal smuggling in the city’s port, the third examines the political system, the fourth explores the Baltimore school system and the fifth and final season sheds light on the media.

What will I do when I go bald? Will I have phantom-hair syndrome? I honestly do not know what will happen. Such a drastic change is kind of crazy for most people. And, I have to be honest, it’s a little scary. However, I know that what I am doing will make someone who is much worse off than me have a chance at a life, or at least a little bit of hope. Even if I look terrible when I’m bald, I know that I have made a positive impact on someone else’s life, and that is more important than anything style-related. However, I’m going to try my best to pull it off.

Contact Sean Fitzgerald at sfitzge3@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Kenneth Williams) — the aforementioned winner of the Grantland contest — were real people that you could run into if you took a wrong turn while visiting Baltimore. Of course, if it’s Omar, that’s one hell of a wrong turn.

The show was created in 2002 by author and former Baltimore police reporter David Simon. Many of the events in the show draw their inspiration from the experiences of Simon and his writing partner Ed Burns, a former Baltimore homicide detective and public school teacher.

Simon calls the show a visual novel, with the storytelling aimed at longer arcs and therefore a larger payoff in the end, instead of the common formula approach of a one-story-per-show seen in many television dramas.

Another aspect of the realism in the show is the casting. The show has no high-profile stars, which has a few effects on the audience perception of the show. First, with no recognizable faces, viewers have no preconceived notions about the character because of the actor. Second, a bit more morbidly, with no stars in the show, the audience knows any character could die at any time, and the producers don’t have to commit to a character because of the actor playing him or her.

The consistently broadening scope of the show meant that as the show went on, more and more characters entered the story, and some characters that were main players one season found their roles diminished in the next, and vice versa.

But every character, no matter how big or small they seem in the show, has their own unique background. It makes for fascinating television, because every second of the show features a character that seems like a real person. That in turn makes the show feel very real, as if Detective McNulty (Dominic West) and Omar Little (Michael

“The Wire” didn’t win any major awards during the course of its run, and for the most part, the actors have not used the show as a trampoline to bigger success. But it is still without a doubt one of the greatest television shows of our generation.

Unfortunately, it’s not currently on Netflix Instant streaming, meaning in order to be seen, it must be rented or ordered by mail for Netflix or even, God forbid, purchased.

But it’s worth the money. If for no other reason, you’ll appreciate the respect and fear writers like Bill Simmons and Jason Whitlock have for Omar and his whistling way.

Contact Kevin Noonan at knoonan2@nd.edu

A visit to speak about trade in the Western Hemisphere? Definitely presidential. A trip to hang out with Colombian prostitutes? Not so much.

U.S. Secret Service agents and military personnel are under fire for allegedly spending time with a certain set of ladies during their South American trip last week. While they supposedly pursued the rendezvous before President Barack Obama arrived, they’re feeling its repercussions long after its end.

Adriana Pratt Senior Scene Writer

American Secret Service and military men, you may have had your night of fun, but now you’re having the worst week ever.

Eleven Secret Service agents and at least ten military personnel are under investigation for misconduct, allegedly keeping the company of at least 20 women late into last Wednesday night, according to CBS News.

While prostitution is legal in Colombia, paying for special attention ahead of Obama’s visit garnered these gentlemen a whole lot more than they bargained for. Once the media caught wind of the breeze blowing down south, headlines exploded and investigations ensued.

When Obama arrived at the summit in Cartagena, he said the U.S. has “never felt more excited about prospects of working as equal partners with our brothers and sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

I don’t think this is what he meant.

If the allegations are true, the United States isn’t going to look too fabulous. All this suspected fun time with friends comes at a price — literally.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the senior Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, was none too pleased with the developments.

“Could they have planted bugs, disabled weapons or in any other way jeopardized security of the president or our country?” she asked in a New York Times article.

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Monday the team was embarrassed.

“We let the boss down, because nobody is talking about what went down in Colombia other than this incident,” Dempsey said.

The cat was let out of the bag after one woman supposedly demanded an additional payment of $170, according to The Washington Post. An agent got upset and the ensuing dispute drew hotel attention, The Post reported.

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan acted quickly, and the Secret Service put 11 agents on administrative leave Saturday in lieu of the allegations. They’ve been stripped of their “top-secret” clearance and lost their official identification and firearms.

Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said there is no reason to believe security was compromised, but the team will still conduct investigations to be safe.

While a casual dalliance might have been the intention, an exploding scandal is the reality. Men in charge of protecting the president are in a quandary, as their ability to protect themselves and America’s reputation comes into question.

It sounds like the Secret Service’s services might need some fine-tuning and maybe a little reworking. Perhaps some time to reflect, regroup and refocus could serve the gentlemen well. As the situation continues to develop, one thing is for sure: the Secret Service’s secret ain’t a secret anymore.

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 BRENNA WILLIAMS Scene Writer

Some people are very good at remembering special events. I am not one of them. My friends are lucky if I remember their birthday during the same calendar month, let alone the correct day.

For people like me, who often have to run out the door to a birthday party or social gathering after finding out about it five minutes beforehand, and also need to bring some sort of food in tow, this week’s recipe, Crispix Drops, is for you. If you have 15 minutes and these five ingredients, there is nothing stopping you from wowing crowds with a treat that tastes delicious, with minimal effort and time. As an added bonus for the non-bakers out there, this is another recipe that doesn’t use an oven!

Ingredients:

2 cups butterscotch chips

1 cup chocolate chips

Tip: Use your favorite kind of chocolate.

1 1/2 cups peanuts

Tip: You can use chopped or whole peanuts, depending on what texture you want.

4 cups Crispix cereal

Tip: The recipe I was given didn’t say to crush them, but it might make the mixing easier if you slightly break them up.

Instructions:

1. Combine chips in a large pan and warm on low heat until melted. Stir until smooth.

Tip: The instructions didn’t say to use a double boiler, meaning putting the pan of chips over a pot of boiling water on the stove instead of applying direct heat, but I heated my chips this way, as I am accident-prone and burnt chocolate is awful.

2. Remove from heat. Add nuts and cereal. Stir until well-coated.

Tip: Add the nuts and cereal slowly, about a cup at a time to make mixing easier.

3. Use two spoons to drop cookies into haystack-like shapes on waxed paper or foil.

4. Let set until firm.

Tip: If you are getting ready to go out, make these, set the trays in the fridge or freezer while you get ready, and they will be well-set by the time you’re ready to head out the door.

This week’s recipe came from South Bend community member Bridget Dutile, who is quite the baker. Bridget told me that these easy Crispix Drops are by far her most popular treat, and with a total of 15 minutes of cooking, there is no reason not to make these. This recipe makes about 24 drops, plenty to give to your friend as a birthday treat, or to share at a gathering. As always, I welcome recommendations for my next baking adventure!

Contact Brenna w illiams at bwillia9@nd.edu

sports authorIty

In young MLB season, problems can be fixed

Clemens’ perjury trial continues

Owens Assistant Managing Editor

One NFL regular season game. That’s the equivalent of the 10-or-so games Major League Baseball teams have played to this point in 2012. While a weekand-a-half is hardly insignificant, it’s way too early to proclaim your team division champs, or relegate them to cellardweller status.

If the entire season was determined after 10 games, the Orioles, Blue Jays, White Sox, Nationals and Mets would be among the 10 clubs reaching the postseason, and the Dodgers would enjoy the perk of home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.

While we’re at it, why don’t we throw the Cubs into the mix for kicks and giggles?

While trends from the first 10 games of the season are about as reliable as Professor Trelawney’s Divination class, there have been some pretty big headliners early in the 2012 campaign.

Red Sox drama continues

After an epic collapse to choke a playoff berth away in 2011, the only cure for Boston was the hope that comes with the start of a new season. Apparently, it’s not that simple.

After enduring a threegame sweep in Detroit, a sweep that included three blown saves and a 10-0 beatdown, Boston realized it takes more than banning beer from the clubhouse and naming a new manager to right its ship.

Especially when the new manager tries to push the buttons of a clubhouse leader like Kevin Youkilis by questioning his commitment to the game.

Youkilis’ teammates made it clear their support is with him, not the skipper, so Valentine rightly backed off after realizing his blunder.

Combine that with Jacoby Ellsbury’s dislocated shoulder, and the Sox have a lot of work to do if they’re going to reach the postseason for the first time in three years.

ClassIfIeds

Giant pitching problems

Giants stud starting pitcher

Tim Lincecum delivered his best outing to date Monday. The only problem is he surrendered five runs on eight hits in six innings in his best outing.

The former Cy Young award winner has failed to pitch into the seventh in any of his three starts, and has given up nearly twice as many hits as innings pitched (22 and 13 2/3, respectively) in his three starts.

While Lincecum has the opportunity to (and likely will) bounce back sooner or later, he won’t be handing the ball off to closer Brian Wilson, who will undergo elbow reconstruction surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2012 season.

With question marks surrounding two of their most important players, and a strong start by the rival Dodgers in an all-of-the-sudden formidable NL West, the Giants’ prospects are looking less and less rosy by the day.

Ozzie still being Ozzie

It took all of four days for new Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen to make headlines because of his mouth, not his team’s play.

“I love Fidel Castro ... I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that [expletive] is still here,” Guillen told Time magazine, before being suspended April 10.

For the most part, Guillen’s controversial remarks target umpires and the happenings of a baseball game, but this time he really crossed the line. Especially as the manager in Miami. With a beautiful new stadium hoping to attract fans. In Little Havana.

He’s fortunate he only received a five-game suspension for his comments, which he apologized for last week.

In true Ozzie form, he’s taken the attention away from a team that could contend, and a ballpark that can pique fans’ interest, and put the spotlight directly on himself.

Luckily for all three of these teams, it’s only April 18, and there’s 28 more weeks of baseball to go.

Contact Andrew Owens at aowens2@nd.edu

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

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — One potential juror was questioned for 68 minutes. Another for 64 — and he didn’t even make the cut. Along the way, Roger Clemens’ lawyer offered some clues as to his strategy once testimony gets under way, including a challenge to whether Congress had a legitimate purpose in holding the hearing at which the seven-time Cy Young Award winner testified — and whether Clemens’ testimony was voluntary.

The laborious task of selecting a jury for the Clemens retrial resumed Tuesday and might not be done by the end of the week, with the judge and lawyers for both sides parsing prospects’ thoughts on topics as disparate as Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong, Twitter and the reputation of the Justice Department.

“To be completely honest, I dislike Barry Bonds. ... Truthfully, I believe he actually did it. I believe he used drugs,” said one man, a graphic designer who nevertheless was asked to return after he expressed neutral feelings about Clemens.

The court is narrowing the initial jury pool of 90 down to 36, from which to select the final 12 jurors and four alternates who will decide whether Clemens lied when he de -

nied using steroids and human growth hormone before a U.S. House committee in February 2008. The extra 20 are needed because Clemens’ lawyers are allowed to strike 12 and prosecutors, eight — without giving any reason.

By the end of the second day, only 32 Washingtonians had been questioned, with 15 — 11 women and four men — meeting the initial approval of U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton.

Jury selection will continue at least through Thursday, and no session is scheduled for Friday. Even the judge’s “10-minute break” in the morning ended up lasting 25 minutes.

“Things aren’t going as fast as I thought,” Walton said early in the afternoon.

Finding potential jurors without some preconceived opinion about the case — or whether it’s worth the time and expense for the government to pursue it — has been challenging. Among those who were excused was the woman who told the judge: “I feel like I know too much.”

She said she had discussed the case with friends and added: “I frankly question the legitimacy of bringing this to this court.”

It was during questioning of one potential juror that Clemens’ attorney Rusty Hardin raised the issue of whether Clemens truly “voluntarily appeared” before Congress. Clemens was not subpoenaed to testify at the

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

Lyrics: Somewhere Over the Rainbow Performed by Judy g arland Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There’s a land that I’ve heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue And the dreams that you dare to dream, Really do come true.

Someday I’ll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where troubles melt like lemon drops, High above the chimney tops, That’s where you’ll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly Birds fly over the rainbow Why then, oh why can’t I?

Lyrics: The Rising Bruce Springsteen Can’t see nothin’ in front of me Can’t see nothin’ coming

2008 hearing, and the government has always maintained that he testified on his own will.

Clemens’ lawyers also filed a memo with the court that argued the government must show that the hearing was a “competent tribunal.” The memo listed a dozen “examples of Congressional conduct that exceeds the power to investigate,” including “asking a witness to appear before a committee to give him an opportunity to tell his side of the story.”

“There’s going to be a challenge by the defense as to the propriety of the hearing ... and the way it was conducted,” Hardin told one juror. Clemens, wearing a dark pinstriped suit and red tie, remained silent during the proceedings, listening to the questioning and often looking at notes.

Among the potential jurors asked to return was lawyer who is a distant relative of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller. Among those excused was a woman who realized serving on the case might lead to domestic disharmony.

“You’re in that Clemens case, aren’t you?” she said her husband asked as they rode in the car after Monday’s session.

“Judge said for me not to talk about this,” she said she answered.

“We did not talk the whole night,” the woman said. “I said, ‘This ain’t going to work in my house.’” AP

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.

Knicks keep division title hopes alive with victory

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Carmelo Anthony had 35 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double, and the New York Knicks made 19 3-pointers to keep alive their Atlantic Division title hopes with a 118-110 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

JR Smith and Steve Novak both scored 25 points for the Knicks, who overcame a season-high 43 points from Paul Pierce and moved into sole possession of seventh place in the Eastern Conference while trimming Boston’s division lead to 3½ games. The Celtics would have wrapped up their fifth straight Atlantic title with a victory.

Instead, the Knicks staggered them with a record-tying 14 3-pointers in a 72-point first half and equaled their season high by finishing 19 of 32 behind the arc. They improved to 14-5 under interim coach Mike Woodson.

Tyson Chandler had 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting for the Knicks, who finished one short of their franchise record for 3s, set last season.

Kevin Garnett scored 20 points for the Celtics, who fell out of a three-way tie for fourth in the East with Atlanta and Orlando. Rajon Rondo had 13 points and 13 assists.

Playing without the injured Ray Allen, the Celtics got a brief scare in the third quarter when Rondo landed hard on his back going for

a rebound and remained on the court for a few minutes while being attended to before remaining in the game.

Woodson has repeatedly said the division title was his goal, even though the Knicks’ 18-24 record when he took over always made that unlikely. Boston coach Doc Rivers said he’s never talked to the Celtics about winning a division title or congratulated them for doing so, but there’s no doubt it’s worth having this season. Division winners are guaranteed to be seeded no worse than No. 4, avoiding Chicago or Miami until at least the second round.

Allen missed his fifth straight game when he felt pain in his right ankle Tuesday morning. He had gone through the morning shootaround and Rivers assumed he was set to play before the pain returned. Neither was sure if Allen would play Wednesday against Orlando.

Allen, the NBA’s career leader in 3-pointers made, would have fit in perfectly in this game.

The Celtics jumped to an 8-2 lead, but the rest of the first half belonged to the Knicks. New York scored the final 10 points of the first quarter, going up 32-26 behind 12 points from Anthony and 63 percent shooting.

The Knicks then scored eight straight points to open the second quarter, capping an 18-0 run when Smith’s 3-pointer made it 40-26 with 9:16 left. Consecutive 3s by Mike Bibby and Smith later made it 54-35 midway through

the second, and the lead reached 20 points when Novak was fouled while making a 25-footer, falling backward out of bounds and into the arms of Woodson — the only time anyone got near a Knicks shooter in the half.

Novak hit two more before halftime, the Knicks taking a 7253 lead into the locker rooms as The Gap Band’s “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” played over Madison Square Garden’s speakers. But Pierce had 17 points in the third quarter to get the Celtics back into it, and the Knicks led 96-84 after three.

When Rondo landed hard in the third quarter, a long jumper by Anthony was reviewed by officials as the Celtics attended to him on the court and changed to yet another 3-pointer.

The Celtics finally got within single digits late in the game, with Pierce scoring four straight to cut it to 112-106 with 3:07 left. But Novak hit two 3-pointers around a jumper by Rondo, putting it away at 118-108.

Notes: The Celtics played without swingman Mickael Pietrus, who was sent back to Boston with knee pain that Rivers assumed was caused by playing on three straight nights after a lengthy absence with a head injury. ... The Knicks play their next three on the road and have just one home game remaining, next Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. ... The Celtics finished 1-6 this season on the road against division rivals.

Braves take advantage of Met miscues in 9-3 victory

Associated Press

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves finally beat the New York Mets, taking advantage of shaky defense to hand Johan Santana the shortest start of his career in a 9-3 victory Tuesday night.

Tyler Pastornicky’s tworun double highlighted a five-run second that finished off Santana. Randall Delgado (2-0) won it for the Braves, who lost their first four games against the Mets this season.

Two costly errors — Jason Bay dropped a fly ball, Ike Davis made a wild throw — led to a pair of unearned runs against Santana (0-2), who allowed just one run in his first two games.

He was lifted after 1 1-3 innings, finished off by Jason Heyward’s run-scoring single that made it 6-0. Santana had never gone less than three innings in his previous 265 starts.

The night turned cool and blustery after an afternoon storm front moved through Atlanta, forcing the teams to use the indoor cages for batting practice.

The swirling winds led to some adventurous plays in the field. Leading off in the bottom of the first, Michael Bourn lifted a fly ball to deep left that looked like an easy out for Bay. After all, he had leaped above the wall the night before to prevent a homer by Jack Wilson. This time, the ball deflected off the side of Bay’s glove at the edge of the warning

nCaa football

track, an error that left Bourn at second base. He tagged and went to third on Heyward’s fly out, then did it again on Chipper Jones’ sacrifice fly.

The Braves blew it open in the second. Dan Uggla led off with a walk, Matt Diaz singled to center and Freddie Freeman kept fouling pitches off until he got one he liked from Santana. On the 11th pitch of the at-bat, the first baseman lined an opposite-field double into the left-field corner to bring home Uggla.

Pastornicky followed with another opposite-field double, this one just inside the first-base bag to give Atlanta a 4-0 lead. Then, with Delgado putting down a bunt, Davis made an illadvised decision to take a shot at Pastornicky instead of the sure out at first. It would’ve been close even with a good throw, but Davis flung it far wide of the bag, the ball skipping down the left-field line while Pastornicky trotted home.

Bourn finally made the first out of the inning on a grounder to second, but Heyward’s RBI single to left-center ended Santana’s night. He gave up four hits, walked one and didn’t strike out anyone — the first time that’s happened to him as a starter.

The Mets took advantage of an Atlanta defensive miscue in the fourth. Bay lifted a popup behind second base, but Uggla never saw it and none of his teammates arrived in time to make the

Petrino’s mistress leaves post with university

Associated Press

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The former mistress of fired University of Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino has resigned from her position with the program, school officials announced Tuesday.

Jessica Dorrell’s decision to step down as the football team’s studentathlete development coordinator was mutual and there are no immediately plans to re-fill the job, Athletic Director Jeff Long said in a statement.

Dorrell will be paid about $14,000 to settle “all matters between the parties.”

“While Ms. Dorrell had a legitimate right to apply for and accept a position within the football program, the circumstances surrounding the former coach’s decision to hire her compromised her ability to be effective in such a position,” Long said. “She and I believe she should have the opportunity to move on.”

As part of her resignation, Dorrell agreed she would not attempt to sell or profit from her affiliation with Razorback athletics, officials said. Dorrell didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday night.

Long fired Petrino last week for not disclosing that he was having an extramarital affair with Dorrell, as required by conflict of interest rules

catch. The ball fell to the ground, giving Bay a fortuitous double. He scored on the first of three straight two-out hits, Josh Thole’s single to center. Kirk Nieuwenhuis kept it going, and pitch-hitter Mike Baxter ripped an RBI single up the middle to make it 6-2. Delgado escaped a potentially big inning by getting

Ruben Tejada to pop out to Freeman against the railing in front of the Braves’ firstbase dugout.

Tejada swiped at his bat in disgust, knowing he had missed a chance to get the Mets back in the game.

The Braves regained their six-run lead in the fifth against Ramon Ramirez.

Diaz had a sacrifice fly and

Freeman drove in his second run of the night with a two-out single. Delgado went 5 1-3 innings and allowed three runs and seven hits. Kris Medlen got out of a jam in the sixth by striking out David Wright, pitching 2 2-3 scoreless innings. Juan Francisco added a pinch-hit homer for the Braves in the eighth.

at the school.

Dorrell, a former Arkansas volleyball player, was a Razorback Foundation fundraiser before she was hired over 158 other applicants for the coordinator position. Petrino announced March 28 that Dorrell would take over the position at a salary of nearly $56,000.

Their affair became public after the two went for a motorcycle ride April 1 and skidded off the road, putting Petrino in the hospital and resulting in a police report that contained her identity.

Long has said the two were in a relationship for a “significant” amount of time. Phone records show they exchanged more than 4,300 text messages and nearly 300 phone calls over the past seven months, and possibly photo and video content.

She was placed on leave after news of the affair broke.

Petrino has apologized and said he would not appeal his firing and seek any of the $18 million buyout that was part of his contract. He had the option to appeal as part of the seven-year contract he agreed to in December 2010. The contract was for more than $3.5 million annually and carried the $18 million mutual buyout clause in 2011 and 2012.

Cleveland signs Damon to one-year deal

Associated Press

CLEVELAND — Johnny Damon has left the on-deck circle. He’s officially with the Cleveland Indians.

Next stop: The starting lineup — and maybe the 3,000-hit club.

The 38-year-old outfielder signed a minor league contract on Tuesday, the next step before he joins the major league club and possibly moves into a permanent spot in left field. The sides agreed on a $1.25 million deal last week, when the Indians were off to a sluggish start with a team batting average below .200.

However, general manager Chris Antonetti said he had been in talks with Damon and his agent Scott Boras long before the Indians opened 1-4. The Indians believe Damon, entering his 17th season and with an impressive resume of postseason experience, can keep them keep climbing in the standings.

“We still think he has some quality baseball in him,” Antonetti said.

Damon, who can earn another $1.4 million in performance bonuses based on plate appearances, is excited about joining the Indians — his seventh AL team. He’ll be reunited with former teammates Shelley Duncan, Derek Lowe and Casey Kotchman.

“They’re a team that’s building for the future, but they also have a chance to win now,” Damon said. “That’s a good thing to have. They locked up a few players and I know they might be working

on a few more, possibly. It’s that right mix. A team that’s as youthful as they are, and adding a guy like Derek Lowe during the offseason, and now adding a guy like me, hopefully we can give them a boost and some experience.”

Damon is at the team’s year-round training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., getting game ready after not being in a spring camp for the first time since he was picked in the first round by Kansas City in 1995. Damon, who needs 277 hits to reach 3,000 in his career, will likely spend some time with Triple-A Columbus before joining the Indians.

Damon thinks he can be ready soon.

“I feel like I can be ready in a week,” said Damon, who spent Tuesday running, shagging flies and lifting weights. “I kept myself in pretty good shape during the offseason. That’s why I don’t think it’s going to be too long. But, I also understand that when the Cleveland Indians do get me, I need to be in great shape and just be healthy and ready to go.”

When he’s brought up, Damon will likely take over in left field for Duncan, a parttime player in the past who has been starting this season. Duncan was needed in left because the Indians had to implement an outfield shift, moving Michael Brantley over to center with Grady Sizemore on the disabled list following back surgery.

Duncan has delivered. He leads the Indians with a .320 average entering Tuesday night’s game in Seattle.

Once Sizemore returns, Antonetti said it’s possible the Indians could carry five outfielders — Damon, Brantley, Duncan, Sizemore and ShinSoo Choo — the rest of this season.

Damon knows there are no guarantees he’ll play every day. He’ll have to earn playing time and continue to produce to stay in manager Manny Acta’s lineup.

“I understand the game and how guys can get hot and you can’t take them out of the lineup,” he said on a conference call. “I also understand that I can get hot and it can be tough to get me out of the lineup. I’m here for the team. It’s not a story about me. It’s a story about the Cleveland Indians adding another guy to help them throughout the season. Whatever role it’s going to be — a platoon thing or an everyday thing or spell guys when they’re tired, play a little first — I’m up for whatever.”

A career .286 hitter, Damon also brings the Indians leadership and playoff experience. As Antonetti said, Damon is “universally respected” and can serve as a mentor to some of Cleveland’s younger players. But the Indians believe his biggest impact will be between the lines despite approaching 40, when most major leaguers have retired.

Last season, Damon batted .261 with 29 doubles, seven triples, 16 homers, 73 RBIs and 19 steals in 150 games for the Tampa Bay Rays. It

was the 16th consecutive season Damon has played at least 140 games, a feat he shares with only Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson and Pete Rose.

Damon has appeared in 59 postseason games for the Rays, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

The 3,000-hit milestone is right in front of him, but Damon said it was never a personal goal.

He’ll retire one day, but he’s not planning to stop anytime soon.

“I’m playing to win,” he said. “I’m playing for the Tribe fans. I’m playing for the Indians organization. I’m not really playing for myself. Obviously, I always want to go out there and play well and treat the game with respect, but there’s a lot of fans out there that really wanted to see me keep pushing and keep fighting.”

“I wasn’t ready to pack it up. So 3,000 could be on the horizon, but if it comes or not, when I leave this game I want to make sure there’s no regrets. As long as I keep doing what I did last year, and hopefully this is a successful year, I’m going to keep going.”

continued from page 20

reer victories, and boasts a 33-inning stretch void of earned runs. McGee may not appear in this game if the Crusaders choose to save her for their three-game series against UIC beginning Saturday, but if she does, the Irish lineup is ready to shatter her streak, Buntin said.

“Tomorrow we plan on playing seven innings of

Notre Dame softball,” Buntin said. “We have to focus on winning each inning by playing solid defense and putting the ball in play hard. Having confidence in our team that we can get the job done is another key aspect that needs to change within our team.”

The first pitch in Notre Dame’s matchup with Valpraiso will be thrown at 5 p.m. tonight in Melissa Cox Stadium.

Contact Megan Finneran at mfinnera@nd.edu

continued from page 20

“I really think they have one of the best players in the country in Ally Carey,” Halfpenny said. “She can really make a difference on the draw, so that will be an area we focus on.”

On the other end of the field, the Irish will look to continue thriving off a balanced attack. The team has had eight or more players score in each of the past two games, which means opposing defenses can’t single out any one player to key on, Halfpenny said.

“We have offensive systems, but at the same time there’s a lot of freedom to be creative within it. Everyone needs to contribute in their own unique way,” Halfpenny said. “A key component to our success this season is that we’ve had eight to 10 scoring threats in any given game. When we’re able to do that, it makes it difficult for any defensive scheme.”

The season is beginning to wind down for the Irish, and as it does every game takes on increased importance for postseason seeding and securing a spot in the NCAA tournament. But even with all the pressure, the Irish insist the furthest they are looking into the future is this afternoon’s opening faceoff.

smC softball

“Right now we’re just taking things one game at a time and one day at a time,” Halfpenny said. “There’s so many new things this year that we’re just staying focused on the little things, and letting those take

care of the big things.”

The Irish and the Commodores will square off at Arlotta Stadium at 2 p.m.

Contact Jack Hefferon at wheffero@nd.edu

Belles drop doubleheader at home

By NICK BOYLE Sports Writer

Saint Mary’s dropped both games of its home doubleheader Tuesday afternoon, falling to conference-foe Trine by scores of 7-1 and 6-1.

Trine got off to an early start in the first game, scoring runs in the first four innings to lead 6-0 halfway through the contest.

The Belles (20-10, 5-5 MIAA) attempted to rally in the bottom of the fourth, with freshman outfielder Victoria Connelly pushing across a run with an RBI single.

Unfortunately for Saint Mary’s, Trine thwarted the Belles’ rally attempt, and didn’t allow the hosts another run.

“We had some great at-bats, but just couldn’t score the runners we had on,” Belles coach Erin Sullivan said. “We missed out on timely hitting.”

smC Golf

Trine would score once more in the contest, with the game ending with a score of 7-1.

Though they created many chances, the Belles struggled to get runs on the board.

“We left bases loaded twice in the first game, and ended the game with 10 left on base, so that hurt us a lot,” Sullivan said.

The second game was much of the same for Saint Mary’s, with Trine stringing together several early hits. The visitors’ prowess at the plate paid off for the Thunder in the fifth inning, as they scored six runs to take a 6-0 lead. This would be the only scoring of the game for Trine.

Sullivan said the Thunder were able to capitalize on the Belles’ errors in the fifth inning.

“Our pitching was good, but Trine was able to string hits together and managed to score on our mistakes,” Sullivan said.

Saint Mary’s responded right away in the top of the sixth, with junior catcher Morgan Bedan’s RBI fielder’s choice putting the home team on the board. Saint Mary’s strung together two more hits together in the inning, but were ultimately kept from scoring again. “It was a good team effort, but we took ourselves out of the games with our mistakes,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said she hopes her team will get another chance to play Trine in the MIAA tournament in a few weeks.

“We are hoping to face them again in the tournament, and make the necessary adjustments to take away a win,” Sullivan said.

The Belles next travel to Albion College for a doubleheader Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Contact Nick Boyle at nboyle1@nd.edu

O’Brien leads squad to NCAAs

By BRENDAN BELL Sports Writer

In the first round of the MIAA tournament and NCAA qualifier, Saint Mary’s sophomore Doyle O’Brien continued her dominance on the links, placing first overall with a score of 71 to pull the Belles into first in the fourteam field.

O’Brien’s 71 led the rest of the field by six strokes, and sparked the Belles’ first-round score of 324, which was 21 shots better than second-place Olivet. It was not just O’Brien contributing for the Belles, as Saint Mary’s placed four total golfers in the top-10. O’Brien has now shot the lowest score for Saint

Mary’s in the last three outings. Following behind O’Brien for second place was sophomore Paige Pollak, who shot a 77. Belles senior captain Natalie Matuszak and freshman Janice Heffernan tied for eighth place, both shooting an 88. After playing some challenging courses in the past few weeks, the Belles recorded a team score of 324 — the lowest single-day performance of the season for Saint Mary’s.

With momentum in the right direction and the Belles peaking at the right time, Saint Mary’s has now secured a strong lead over its three competitors in the MIAA conference tournament. Whichever school wins the tour-

Hudgins

continued from page 20

about how to get places, and what to do with this and that, so he definitely helped.”

In addition to fielding calls from their mother to assure her Mac was well taken-care of, Will said it has occasionally been difficult to balance his roles as team captain and older brother.

“It’s been kind of tough for me as a senior and as a captain, just to avoid any favoritism when it comes to Mac,” Will said.

“I think I hold Mac to a higher standard. I think the great thing is that most of the guys on the team really like Mac, and that makes everything a lot easier.”

Irish coach Mik Aoki, who coached twin brothers during his tenure at Boston College, said the key to managing siblings is to avoid assuming they have similar personalities.

“I just try to deal with each kid individually,” Aoki said. “I think they deserve that. Will and Mac are two very different kids, and they play

two different positions.”

Aoki said having siblings on the team helps his program.

“I think it’s neat. It’s one of the great things about Notre Dame. There is a lot of legacy and family and all those different types of things here, and to have that in the baseball program is great,” Aoki said. “They’re two great kids and they come from a great family, so we’re really happy to have them on the team.”

Will said he has enjoyed both his time on and off the field with his brother.

“I think the upside is that I get to hang out with Mac at baseball, but then we try to hang out away from baseball,” Will said. “When we’re at baseball, it can be kind of stressful and we’re more worried about what’s going on on the field.”

And when the two do hang out, their competitive tendencies still come out.

“We’re typical brothers. We argue and compete about everything,” Will said. “It just happens at Notre Dame now.”

The Hudgins brothers, and their teammates, will return to the field Friday when they take on Georgetown in Bethesda, Md., at 7 p.m.

Contact Vicky Jacobsen at vjacobse@nd.edu

nament after two more rounds of competition will qualify for the upcoming NCAA championships, set to take place at Zollner Golf Club in Angola, Ind.

The Belles visited Zollner Golf Club in the fall, where they shot a collective score of 342. Now, Saint Mary’s is revamped, with a new set of golfers that did not compete in the fall season.

The Belles will travel to Marshall, Mich., for the second round of the NCAA qualifiers, holding a 21 stroke lead over Olivet.

Saint Mary’s will tee off at Medalist Golf Club starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 27.

Contact Brendan Bell at bbell2@nd.edu

Ozzie Guillen returns as Marlins defeat Cubs 5-2

Associated Press

MIAMI — There was no protest and just one heckler. The only boos were directed toward the plate umpire, and by the eighth inning Ozzie Guillen’s Miami Marlins had the crowd in such a happy frenzy that the roar shook the clubhouse.

Guillen made a victorious return to the dugout Tuesday night, and pitchers Josh Johnson and Heath Bell snapped out of earlyseason slumps to help beat the Chicago Cubs 5-2.

When the dugout emptied and Guillen joined his players on the field for the postgame celebration, there were only cheers from the crowd.

“It was great to perform and hug Ozzie again,” Bell said. “We really want to win for him and try to put all that other stuff behind him.”

Guillen returned from a fivegame suspension imposed after his comments praising Fidel Castro caused a backlash in South Florida, especially among Cuban Americans.

Johnson allowed two runs in seven innings and Bell earned the save after several rocky outings. Streaking Hanley Ramirez broke a 2-all tie with a three-run homer in the eighth, his third.

For Guillen, the win was a relief.

“Thank God this day is over with,” he said.

No demonstrations targeted at Guillen were evident, although a

screaming fan in the second deck did call the Marlins manager an insulting name several times midway through the game. There were boos when Guillen ran onto the field to complain about a call in the seventh inning, but they were for the ump.

Guillen said what he heard from the crowd was supportive.

“Everything was pretty nice,” he said. “It made my day a little easier. I appreciate the way people were, not just with me but with the team.”

Some fans had pledged to stay away in protest. Announced attendance was 24,544, by far the smallest in five games at the Marlins’ new ballpark.

The game was tied at 2 when Jose Reyes reached on an error by second baseman Darwin Barney to start the Miami eighth.

“It seems like when something like that happens, something bad is going to happen,” Barney said. “It was just not a good way to start that inning. It’s my fault.”

Reyes took second on a passed ball and Emilio Bonifacio walked. Ramirez, who had a game-ending single in the 11th inning Sunday, followed with a homer off Rafael Dolis (0-1).

Johnson was in the clubhouse when Ramirez came through.

“This thing was shaking,” he said. “I was like, ‘Something good must have happened.’”

Ramirez has gone 8 for 12 with seven RBIs in the past three games to hike his average from .133 to .286.

“That’s what I’m here for — to drive in runs,” Ramirez said.

With the retractable roof open on a 76-degree night, both teams struggled for runs much of the way. The Marlins went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position, while the Cubs grounded into four double plays.

Johnson had a solid outing for the first time in three starts, lowering his ERA from 8.38 to 5.94.

“Two things very nice happened today besides the win,” Guillen said. “One was seeing J.J. throw the ball the way he did. He needs that, and so do we. And the second thing was the opportunity for Heath Bell to go out there and do what he does best.”

Bell, an All-Star closer acquired during the Marlins’ offseason spending binge, pitched a perfect ninth for his first save in three chances.

“It was like a huge weight off my back, plain and simple, I’ll be honest,” Bell said. “I’m trying to get my teammates to trust me, and this is a good start.”

Steve Cishek (1-0) pitched a hitless eighth and has yet to allow run in eight games.

The Cubs’ Ryan Dempster remained winless in 12 starts since Aug. 16 even though he lowered his ERA to 1.33. He pitched six innings and gave up two runs, both unearned because of his errant throw to first on a grounder.

“I wish I could have thrown the ball better to first base,” he said. “The results would have probably been different.”

Moyer’s win makes him oldest in MLB history to earn victory

Associated Press

DENVER — Jamie Moyer turned in a vintage performance in becoming the oldest pitcher to ever win a major league game.

The 49-year-old Moyer threw seven masterful innings and Dexter Fowler hit a two-run homer, helping the Colorado Rockies hold on for a 5-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Moyer (1-2) was sharp all evening as he picked up his 268th career win, tying him with Hall of Famer Jim Palmer for 34th on the career list.

Relying on a consistent cutter and mixing in a 78-mph fastball, the cunning lefty gave up just six hits and two runs — both unearned — as he kept the Padres hitters at bay and off balance.

That’s been a winning recipe for Moyer over a career that’s stretched nearly a quarter century and included 689 games.

Anthony Bass, a pitcher half Moyer’s age, went five innings and gave up three runs. Bass (0-2) also had a career-high seven strikeouts.

Moyer earned that elusive win for the ages in his third start of the season. His is 49 years, 150 days old.

That’s important to note since before Moyer’s gem the oldest pitcher to win a game in the majors was Jack Quinn of the Brooklyn Dodgers on Sept. 13, 1932, when he was 49 years, 70 days old.

Rex Brothers pitched the eighth and Rafael Betancourt survived a rocky ninth — giving up a solo homer to Nick Hundley and putting two more runners on — before striking out Yonder Alonso to earn his third save in as many chances.

About the only blemish to the night were two more errors by smooth-fielding shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, giving him six already this season. The Gold Glove winner had six all of last year.

His fielding error in the seventh proved quite costly and nearly spoiled Moyer’s place in the record books. With two on and one out, Tulowitzki had a routine double play ball go right through his legs, leading to a run. Jason Bartlett brought in another with a sacrifice

fly to right to cut the lead to 3-2.

Moyer ended the threat by getting pinch hitter Jeremy Hermida to ground out to second on a 76mph cutter.

The Rockies added two insurance runs in the eighth as Michael Cuddyer doubled in a run off former Rockies closer Huston Street and Wilin Rosario added a sacrifice fly.

Away from the mound, Moyer hardly looks like a kid anymore. He has gray streaks in his hair and frequently dons reading glasses that sit perched on the tip of his nose. This betrays his age too: He’s on the verge of receiving his AARP card.

But once he steps on the mound that youthful exuberance returns.

He’s transformed into a kid again, sprinting out to the mound after each inning. He looked more

like a spry rookie than a veteran nearing retirement.

Moyer enticed the Padres to hit into three double plays, despite warnings before the game by Mark Kotsay — the one player who’s consistently hit Moyer — to remain patient. Then again, it’s difficult to lay off a pitch that looks so juicy.

The aged wonder used his wealth of experience to his advantage against the young Padres, six of whom weren’t even born when Moyer made his major league debut in 1986. That included Bass, who has fond memories of Coors Field after winning his debut in the hitter friendly stadium last June.

Fowler gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead in the third when he laced an 83-mph changeup from Bass into the bleachers in right field.

Rosario added an RBI double in

the fourth. Rosario was in the lineup after starter Ramon Hernandez experienced a little soreness in his left hand after a swing he took the night before.

Kotsay’s first plate appearance of the season was a single in the opening inning. Kotsay was activated off the disabled list on Monday after missing the first 10 games with a strained right calf muscle.

That his first hit should be against Moyer hardly comes as a surprise since the 36-year-old Kotsay has a .583 lifetime average against Moyer. They even exchanged friendly grins after each of Kotsay’s two singles.

The two veterans haven’t faced each other since June 13, 2006, when Kotsay was with the Oakland A’s and Moyer a member of Seattle Mariners.

Before the game, Kotsay was giving pointers to his impressionable teammates on how to hit Moyer’s methodical pitches.

“Be patiently aggressive,” Andy Parrino recounted. “Make him come to us a little bit more. Oh, and make him stay in the strike zone. Because there’s a reason he’s been pitching for so long.”

Moyer doesn’t have a blazing fastball, but he does have this — pinpoint precision.

Padres manager Bud Black certainly appreciates the cleverness of Moyer, marveling from the dugout at the vintage pitcher who went to spring training without a guaranteed roster spot and performed his way onto the team. He missed all of 2011 as he recovered from a surgically repaired ligament in his elbow.

“It’s a great story,” Black said.

continued from page 20

the Belles’ schedule. The third matchup is against Hope College. Hope (12-6, 5-0 MIAA) boasts a solid overall record and is undefeated in the conference, which makes things even tougher for the Belles, Campbell said.

“Hope is usually one of the strongest teams in our conference,” Campbell said. “So, realistically, perhaps we may have to win all three to make a mark in the tournament.”

As such, it’s an uphill struggle for the Belles. On either Thursday or Friday, the Belles will make the trip to Adrian to try to pull out a win and reach a .500 mark in the conference. Until that match is scheduled, the next date on the Belles schedule is home against Kalamazoo on April 24. That matchup will begin at 4 p.m. at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

london express

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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

baseball

Brothers in arms

By VICKY JACOBSEN Sports Writer

When Irish senior righthanded pitcher Will Hudgins and his younger brother, freshman outfielder Mac Hudgins, were growing up, their three-year age gap kept them from competing on the same teams — but it definitely didn’t keep them from competing with each other.

“I’d say pretty much our entire relationship is based around competing at almost everything, including eating,” Will said. “The youngest child [brother Jay] learned that he had to eat all his food really fast, because Mac and I would take it if he didn’t eat it fast enough.”

Video games also proved to be a contentious activity.

“Video games are very, very competitive, except Mac usually wins,” Will said. “That really frustrates me.”

“I win a lot of stuff,” Mac said. “I remember the time I beat [Will] in putt-putt and [he] wouldn’t talk to me the whole way home.”

But when it came time for Mac to look at colleges, Will put aside any miniaturegolfing grievances and lobbied for his younger brother

smC tennIs

to join him in South Bend. “He helped convince me to come here,” Mac said. “At the same time, he didn’t really need to because it’s Notre Dame, and it’s where I wanted to go at the end of the day.”

Going gets tough for Belles on road ahead

By AARON SANT-MILLER Sports Writer

Wins are important to the Belles regardless of the opponent, but the real focus for the team is making a mark the conference. Monday, Saint Mary’s struggled to do that, falling to MIAA foe Calvin 6-3 at home.

“[Losing a third conference game] definitely puts us behind our goals,” Belles coach Dale Campbell said. “We would have to do something extraordinary at this point to get ourselves in the conference tournament to be honest.”

To get into the tournament, Saint Mary’s (9-7, 2-3 MIAA) would have to finish the season as one of the top-four teams in the conference. The loss to Calvin (5-10, 3-2) puts Saint Mary’s in seventh in the MIAA standings.

Against the Knights, the match started rough in doubles, an area where Saint Mary’s usually performs well. Calvin was able to win both the first and second doubles, despite both matches seesawing back and forth and coming down to the wire. The Knights claimed the first doubles match 8-6, and squeaked out the second win, 9-8, in a tiebreaker set. The Belles did manage a tight victory in the third doubles match behind the solid play of sophomore Margaret Boden

and freshman Jackie Kjolhede.

“We had really close games in the doubles, and it felt like perhaps those matches were the key,” Campbell said. “It would have been good to win all three doubles based on our performance in singles.”

In singles, the Belles fell to the Knights in four of the six matchups. Sophomore Mary Catherine Faller pulled out a close victory for the Belles in the first singles spot. Faller was able to battle through a super-tiebreaker set to grab one of the two Belles victories in singles. In addition, freshman Shannon Elliot turned in a win for the Belles at the third spot.

Campbell said the road gets tough from here on out for the Belles.

“We need to beat Adrian and we need to beat Kalamazoo at the minimum,” Campbell said. “That makes it really tough on us.”

The Belles had been slated to play at Adrian this past Saturday, but due to inclement weather and heavy rain, the game has been postponed to either Thursday or Friday. The date of the matchup will be set tomorrow.

Kalamazoo and Adrian are two of the remaining three conference matchups left on

Women’s laCrosse

Irish to face Vanderbilt in midweek competition

By JACK HEFFERON Sports Writer

Coming in hot off two of its largest wins of the season, No. 7 Notre Dame will look to keep the momentum rolling today when it takes on No. 19 Vanderbilt in a rare midweek matinee.

After receiving their first two losses of the season backto-back against No. 14 Loyola and No. 2 Syracuse, the Irish (10-2, 4-2 Big East) were forced to go to the drawing board, and back to basics. Since then, the team has rebounded in a big way, besting Villanova and Connecticut by a combined 20 goals.

far, but it will be tested once again by the deceptively tough Commodores (7-6, 1-4 ALC).

While its record might indicate a middle-of-the-pack team, Vanderbilt has turned in some surprising victories nationally this season, and Halfpenny said the Commodore offense is one of the best in the country.

Mac also said his older brother helped him ease into college.

“I was with him a lot at first,” Mac said. “I would ask him a lot of questions

nd softball

“We did a lot of work last week before Connecticut, knowing that what we did then would directly be benefitting us for these two games this week, as well,” Irish coach Christine Halfpenny said. “We went back to the fundamentals last week and we got better at them, and we were able to see that progression throughout the course of the game at UConn. So I was really pleased with that.”

That simplistic approach has succeeded for the Irish so

“We’re going to have to contain their high-scoring offense,” she said. “You’ve got to respect what they can do with that ball. They move it around, and are able to thread the needle with their passes. They have a selfless style of offense, so that means our defense has to be ready, and has to play a step ahead of their offense.”

Chief among the concerns for the Irish defense will be Commodore senior midfielder Ally Carey, who leads the team in shots, goals and points. But while Irish junior goalkeeper Ellie Hilling will be focused on Carey’s shot, Halfpenny is more worried about the senior’s ability on the draw, where her 64 draw controls place her in the nation’s top-10.

Squad looks to rebound after loss

By MEGAN FINNERAN Sports Writer

Following a one-run loss to Syracuse, the Irish look forward to a fresh start when they host Valparaiso tonight. The Crusaders (28-10, 12-0 Big East) carry an 11-game winning streak, but in the past 30 meetings of the two teams, the Irish (21-13, 5-3) have taken every victory.

This year’s squad hopes to reach number 31 tonight, but the Irish are not focused on the figure, according to junior catcher Amy Buntin.

“We have prepared for Valpo in the same way we prepare for any team, and focus on how we can be the best Notre Dame softball team,” Buntin said.

Notre Dame’s most recent loss Sunday came courtesy of a pair of home runs by Syracuse in the seventh and eighth innings. The Irish also struggled to find hits and shut down the Orange bats. While Notre Dame put together two hits, Syracuse managed 10.

The Irish split with Syracuse on the first day of their series, winning the first game 4-3 before falling 8-2 in the afternoon. In the win, the Irish handled Syracuse’s nine runs with tough defense. This weekend, Buntin said the team knows defense is key in

preventing opportunities for its opponent.

“Coming off those two losses from Syracuse, we need to be able to shut the door or finish the game,” Buntin said. “We were able to produce runs, but we gave Syracuse too many opportunities to score.”

Valparaiso brings senior pitcher Sam McGee to South Bend, recently named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week after pitching a pair of shutouts last week. McGee also holds the program’s record for ca -

see MCGEE/page 15

see HUDGINS/page 16 see HALFPENNY/page 16 see CAMPBELL/page 18