Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, April 28, 2017

Bookstore Basketball referee dismissed

Tournament official relieved of duties following ‘racial comment’ directed towards player

By LUCAS MASIN-MOYER and ELIZABETH GREASON associate news editor and news writer

The annual bookstore basketball tournament is intended to encourage friendly competition for a common, positive cause. This environment came into question Thursday evening, as a referee was dismissed mid-game following a “racial comment” directed at a player.

during a quarterfinal bookstore basketball game, holy cross junior Ja’mare washington, a member

of the “big bodies” team, argued a foul called against him by the referee officiating his game.

holy cross junior Kasey schaffer, a fan in attendance, witnessed an “inappropriate” interaction between washington and the referee in question, as the referee made a comment that seemed to call washington’s intelligence into question.

“The [referee] called a foul on [washington], and he was frustrated by it and made a comment about how she should read the rule book or something, and then she

Bookstore teams approach finals

By NATALIE WEBER news writer

o ver 500 teams signed up to participate in the bookstore basketball tournament this year. o n sunday, that number will be narrowed down to one champion after the four remaining teams compete in the Final Four round on Friday and sunday’s championship game.

Junior reed hunnicutt,

captain of “The p ractice s quad” — the number two seed team in the open bracket — said his team has had to adjust to new opponents, but they have been able to successfully adapt.

“a lot of us practice with the women’s team — that’s why we’re called ‘The p ractice s quad,’” he said. “s o we play together a little bit

TournamenT PAGE 4

gala to host award ceremony

By NICOLE CARATAS senior news writer

The gay and lesbian alumni group of notre dame and saint mary’s (gala) will host an award ceremony this weekend to honor Kristen matha, who graduated from saint mary’s in 2003, with the Thomas a dooley award.

chair of the notre dame and saint mary’s chapter of gala Jack bergen said this award was named after Tom dooley, a former notre dame student who served in the navy.

“The dooley award was established to recognize individuals who have been leaders in

advancing the human and civil rights of lgbT individuals,” bergen said. “our organization chose dr. dooley as an inspiration for his courage, passion, commitment and for helping others and his love for notre dame. it also happens that he was a gay man who unfortunately had his military career end way too early as a result of his [sexual] orientation.”

matha said she is honored to receive this award, and is also excited for the opportunity this weekend will present to others in the community.

“For some folks, this might be

responded to him — literally in the exact words, she said: ‘do you even know what a book is,’” schaffer said.

after hearing the comment from the sidelines, schaffer said she and other fans in attendance were taken aback by the apparently racially insensitive statement toward washington, who is black.

“ ... all of our jaws just dropped, and the player was like, ‘did you really just say that?’” she said. “The game just kept going.”

The bookstore basketball commission said the statement

made by the referee was inexcusable and that the referee was dismissed mid-game.

“The bookstore basketball and student activities staff take appropriateness during the tournament very seriously,” the commission said in a statement via email. “when made aware of the incident, bookstore volunteers immediately told student activities staff on duty. sao staff spoke with the lead referee, and the referee involved was asked to leave in the middle of the game — as we would ask any player, spectator or individual

present should they act or speak inappropriately.”

holy cross senior and “big bodies” captain Thomas rowe said he made the bookstore basketball staff members who were present aware of the incident, although he was unable to hear the comment first-hand.

“i was the one who talked to the people that were running bookstore, just letting them know what was going on,” rowe said. “ obviously [i was] defending my

Fisher Hall prepares for 25th annual regatta

By SOFIA MADDEN news writer

The men of Fisher hall are in high tide preparing for notre dame students to make a splash saturday at 1 p.m. at the 25th annual Fisher regatta. Truly their 30th year hosting the regatta, junior regatta commissioner Jack Kessler said Fisher has commemorated this competition each year as a “25th annual” event in order to create a timelessness in their yearly tradition.

and one of the highlights of the year for many students.”

a fun-filled competition for all residence halls and clubs, the regatta has registered 25 boats thus far, but expects to have 30 by race day, Kessler said.

Junior regatta commissioner patrick murday said the residents of Fisher particularly look forward to hosting the regatta every year, enjoying each aspect of dorm bonding that precipitates from planning such a large competition.

contributes to the event in some way, Kessler said.

“about 25 Fisher residents are on the Fisher committee, but the whole dorm tends to help out during the week leading up to the race,” Kessler said.

Throughout the week, men from Fisher have been making arrangements for the regatta, spreading awareness through social media, assisting with selling regatta tank tops and announcing the tournament throughout campus, Kessler said.

“approximately 1,000 students from notre dame attend the regatta each year,” Kessler said. “it’s a three to four hour event,

“The regatta is the ultimate culmination of brotherhood in Fisher,” he said.

w hile excitement for the closing an Tostal event has resonated see gala PAGE 4 see regaTTa PAGE 3

almost every Fisher resident

Professors debate foreign policy, North Korea

By TOM NAATZ news Writer

i n the inaugural a lexander h amilton s ociety ( ahs ) debate — held in the h esburgh c enter a uditorium — n otre d ame faculty member d avid c ortright and Georgetown professor m atthew Kroenig debated whether or not “ s ecretary of s tate r ex Tillerson is correct in saying that the policy of strategic patience with n orth Korea should end.”

ahs is an “independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, membership organization dedicated to promoting constructive debate on basic principles and contemporary issues in foreign, economic and national security policy,” according to the organization’s website. The national organization was founded in 2010, and this is the n otre d ame chapter’s first year as a group on campus.

d uring the debate, Kroenig, a national security expert who worked on m itt r omney’s presidential campaign in 2012 and m arco

r ubio’s presidential campaign in 2016, argued that it was time to move on from strategic patience.

Kroenig’s opening statement centered on three points: the definition of strategic patience and why it failed, what a new approach would look like and what a new policy specifically would entail.

“Throughout the 1990s, n orth Korea’s nuclear program continued to advance,” he said. “The outside world engaged with n orth Korea, they would agree to halt the program and pocketed concessions, then n orth Korea would make threats, we’d negotiate, they’d get goodies and the cycle would continue. n orth Korea was blackmailing the U. s . and international communities, and using negotiation to extract concessions.”

Kroenig described President b arack o bama’s administration’s decision to halt this strategy and essentially do nothing, hoping that n orth Korea would collapse on its own.

“The result is that the

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threat has continued to grow,” he said.

Kroenig discussed n orth Korea’s growing nuclear stockpile and increasing capabilities, saying there is a broad bipartisan consensus that something needs to be done or else the U. s . will be living under the threat of a n orth Korean nuclear attack.

h e said a new policy would need a diplomatic and defense component. i n this regard, Kroenig cited the 2015 agreement with i ran regarding its nuclear program as an example.

“We need to give them the choice of either making a deal, or economic sanctions and a potential military engagement,” he said.

Kroenig alluded to a problem with applying this strategy to n orth Korea, and said the United s tates and its western allies do little business with the reclusive regime. o ne solution to this problem would be increased engagement with c hina, n orth Korea’s closest ally, Kroenig said, but this strategy presents challenges because c hina prioritizes n orth Korea’s existence as a buffer state over its denuclearization. To get around this problem, Kroenig suggested sanctions against firms that do business with n orth Korea as a potential way

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con T in U ed F rom PaGe 1

around the problem and a way to get n orth Korea to the negotiating table, given that such an approach worked with i ran.

Finally, Kroenig said the U. s . must work with regional allies currently faced with the threat of n orth Korean nuclear aggression in the meantime.

“Until negotiations pay off, we have to defend ourselves and our allies,” he said. n ext, c ortright took the podium.

“ i don’t agree with strategic patience, i don’t think it’s worked and i don’t think doing nothing is a viable option,” he said.

h owever, c ortright said the threat from n orth Korea is not currently as dire as it is often made to sound.

“Yes, n orth Korea has a couple small grade nuclear weapons, but they have not refined technologies for more complex weapons,” he said. “While patience is not the answer, neither is panic, paranoia or provocation. Pressure [is] not enough.”

c ortright laid out a plan incorporating cooperation with the c hinese, sanctions and inducements designed to get n orth Korea to the negotiating table. h e cited a 1994 agreement between Pyongyang and outside powers, the a greed Framework,

teammate … i went into the bookstore to get a drink, and when i came back a couple of my buddies said, ‘Yeah, [the referee is] gone now.’”

The commission said it plans to pursue further action to reiterate its stance on appropriate conduct with its referees.

regatta

throughout campus this week, murday said Fisher hall’s anticipation has been building since august.

“The regatta is the first tradition most Fisher freshman learn about, and because it doesn’t actually happen until spring, everyone’s suspense builds throughout the year,” he said.

Kessler said the residents appreciate the opportunity to make an impact on campus with such a large signature event.

“We’re a small dorm,” he said. “We don’t host many other events around campus, so this is our chance to make our mark and engage with the entire campus in a way that touches the whole University.”

Fisher especially appreciates the honor that accompanies bringing the notre dame student body together, murday said. in addition to connecting the notre dame community, murday said one of the regatta’s main functions is working toward

where n orth Korea agreed to halt its program in exchange for concessions and which eventually broke down. c ortright also floated the i ran d eal as a possible model. h e said there was a great need for clear a merican objectives for its dealing with Pyongyang, questioning Tillerson’s “surrender, then we’ll talk” attitude.

c ortright said the United s tates first needs to “sit down calmly with c hina and make a plan with them.” n ext, the so-called s ix Party Partners, including s outh Korea, Japan and r ussia, need to be brought into the process. This group, c ortright said, should agree to a new set of sanctions in advance, but only implement them if n orth Korea refuses to negotiate.

o nce negotiations have commenced, c ortright said the U. s . should implement a set of “sanctions and inducements,” including cutting off n orth Korea from international financial markets, suspending joint a merican military exercises with s outh Korea, opening up the possibility of diplomatic normalization with n orth Korea and other objectives in a similar vein.

Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu

“additionally, we plan to speak again with the lead referee regarding our expectations in an effort to ensure inappropriate behavior does not occur in the future,” it said.

raising funds for local elementary school st. adalbert.

“This is the grade school that Fisher has been collaborating with for the past three years,” he said. “We’ve built a better relationship with them each year, and this year we would like to raise a total of $10,000 throughout the year for the school.”

money raised from Fisher fundraisers throughout the year — including their fall car smash event, as well as a clothes drive, will be put toward this cause — murday said, but the regatta’s earnings create the most profound impact on their monetary goal.

“i think that this year we will meet our fundraising goal,” he said. “This year’s funds will build a new science lab for st. adalbert. in the past, we’ve raised money to build a new gym floor, and the previous year’s went toward a new facade for their building.”

as Fisher’s relationship with st. adalbert has grown closer each year, so have the residence hall’s efforts to reach out to the school in a tangible manner, murday said. in order to grow closer with the elementary school, Fisher has

Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer and Elizabeth Greason at lmasinmo@nd.edu and egreason@nd.edu

invited the st. adalbert student body to participate in regatta events on campus this week, Kessler said.

“We’ve invited some of those students here to play spikeball and show them around the dorm,” he said. “This fundraiser isn’t just about the money. We’re really trying to form a connection with the school.”

While pride and glory may sound like prize enough, Kessler said there will also be a chance for the most superior sailors on campus to win proof of their boating skills.

“The winning boat’s prize is not only a trophy, but also a pair of golden oars and a $100 chipotle gift card,” he said.

murday said notre dame students from all residence halls and clubs will come together to celebrate spring with this end-of-theyear competition.

“People come to the regatta to watch their friends crash their homemade boats, [and] enjoy the free music and food,” murday said.

Contact Sofia Madden at smadden@nd.edu

By JIMMY KEMPER senior scene Writer

Father John m isty is a difficult artist to write about. no other musician right now inhabits the same space that he does: a space that exists somewhere in the heart of indie and Americana rock, hidden under so many layers of irony, sarcasm, self-loathing and pseudo-intellectual babble that it’s nearly impossible to capture the core of his persona. s ometimes, the boundaries between Father John m isty, the character and stage personality, and Josh Tillman, the man behind the act, blur so much that it’s uncomfortable to engage with the music, especially when a misinterpretation could become the subject of a Twitter rant.

h is latest album, “Pure c omedy,” is both the culmination and rejection of all these weird idiosyncrasies that make Josh Tillman such a compelling character to follow. For the first time since he donned the Father John m isty moniker, Josh Tillman has stripped back all of his ironies and insecurities to reveal the soul at the center of his work. What we find there is absolutely terrifying.

“Pure c omedy” reflects of America as it is right now: a deeply divided, deeply troubled land rapidly hurtling towards the hellfires of an artificially intelligent dystopia – a reality that Tillman finds hilarious.

h is approach on “Pure c omedy” radically different from his last effort, 2015’s excellent “I Love You honeybear.” o n “honeybear,” m isty spent the entire album working through all of his personal flaws within the context of the societal expectations, gender politics and religious narratives surrounding marriage before conceding on the final verse of the

penultimate track “holy s ---” that none of it mattered as long as he and his wife genuinely loved each other. From there, Father John m isty gently carried us to the album’s closer and his magnum opus, “I Went To the store o ne d ay” – a reflection on the serendipitous moment when he met his wife and an elegy to the romantic possibilities of the future. With the ending, m isty left us with a sense of optimism to set against the absolute insanity of the human experience.

“Pure c omedy” replaces “honeybear’s” optimism with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, depression and bitterness that radiate forward from the first lines of the opening track.

To be fair, the country’s sociopolitical climate has changed so much since “honeybear,” that the shift in tone feels not only justified, but absolutely necessary. m isty, by turning “honeybear’s” self-critical approach outward, brings the rest of the world to his level.

he leaves no stone unturned, viscerally condemning and mocking anything that’s made its way through his newsfeed in the past few years, even taking the time in the middle of his 13-minute ballad “Leaving LA” to turn his condemnatory stare back inward and brutally ridicule himself with unprecedented honesty. he approaches the insurmountable task of satirizing every American institution and ideology with a knack for lyrical wit second only to the incomparable Kendrick Lamar.

Wittiness aside and barring a few gems, “Pure c omedy” isn’t worth listening to more than once. Lyricism alone can’t carry the entire album. m isty’s traditional American ballad approach – one hand on the guitar, another on the piano – accentuates the excellent lyrics but doesn’t add meaning or variety to

the album. “Total e ntertainment Forever” is the exception, employing a stunning jazz line at the song’s climax to juxtapose the wild but grounded entertainment of the past with the bleak and infinite joys of the dystopian future. It’s an excellent moment that puts the rest of the album’s compositions to shame. It also makes me wonder if “Pure c omedy’s” lyrics would be better served if m isty had instead offered them as a collection of poems.

For all of the its flaws, “Pure c omedy” is a remarkable achievement that showcases m isty’s impressive ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist. Like the aforementioned Kendrick Lamar, m isty authentically captures a wild array of emotions – all of the anger, confusion and sorrow that make up post-election America. When critics reflect on 2017’s year’s best music in d ecember, I have no doubt that “Pure c omedy” will find its way onto a number of the lists. m isty, after all, paved the way for how we engage with this new America, mainly by laughing at at the absurdity of it all.

Contact Jimmy Kemper at jkemper2@nd.edu

“Pure Comedy” Father John Misty

Label: Sub Pop

If you like: Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens

Tracks: “Total Entertainment Forever”

By NORA McGREEVY scene e ditor

o n the second floor of LaFortune s tudent c enter, there is a lime green hallway. In that lime green hallway, there is a radio station. And in that radio station, there will be 10 hours of interviews this weekend.

W v FI’s fourth annual r adiothon will take place sunday from noon until 10 p.m. dJs at the station will interview over 25 bands, artists, campus talent, dank meme makers and internet trolls amongst the station’s 8,800 vinyl records, 33 pizza boxes and 4 microphones.

The ten-hour-long event will fundraise for La c asa de Amistad, a local organization and community center for h ispanic youth and adults from the m ichiana community. Proceeds from donations from r adiothon will be donated to fund summer programming and college visits for teenagers at La c asa. Those who donate will also be entered to win prizes, including gift certificates to c hicory c afe and Papa John’s, tickets to a show at Ignition music Garage and merchandise and gift cards for vegetable b uddies, a local music venue.

The program boasts an impressive lineup of

interviewees. meredith Graves, the frontwoman for the band Perfect P----, will be on air – in 2014, s cene dubbed her band’s song “Interference Fits” the best song of the year for Graves’ soul-baring, brutally personal lyricism. s adie d upuis, the eclectic and talented front for s peedy o rtiz and the solo force behind s ad13, will also participate. In november of last year, she released “s lugger,” her first solo album under the s ad13 stage name. s cene gave it a glowing review for its inclusive, powerful statements about self-acceptance and its “sparkly” vibes. The list of exciting featured bands and artists continues: highprofile s axophonist c olin stentson, The Frights, The Walters, b owerbirds, r ingo d eathstar, Tennis, Xiu Xiu, d arlingside and Las rosas will all participate in the event.

s ome interviewees hail from campus itself. The show will host a few notre d ame student musicians, both past and present. members of bands Twiga and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will join in – both bands have members who are alumni of the University. The station will also interview current freshman student brianna c onnor, who goes by the stage nation Ladibree. Ladibree has performed in W v FI’s studio before and also was interviewed by

s cene earlier this semester. The station will also host Felix r abito, another notre d ame student whose song “Anna, muse” on spotify currently has nearly 200,000 listens.

o n the less musical side of things, the station will also host b ecca blais, the current student body president, as well as what they’re terming “m ichiana’s hottest meme-m akers” – that is, the kids who run the nd meme page, c aylee m ahon and Pat m yron, and Wei c ao, a notre d ame student whose short video of Father Jenkins spiraling into the stratosphere feat. techno music has garnered 1.3 thousand likes in the Facebook group. speaking of memes: Ken m , online persona of self-decribed professional Internet troll Kenneth mc c arthy, will also share his thoughts and experiences in the world of memes. Editor’s note: Wei Cao served as The Observer’s multimedia editor for the 2016-2017 school year.

W v FI’s r adiothon will also feature an interview with Kevin Lozano, in response to Lozano’s February article in Pitchfork, “d oes c ollege r adio e ven m atter Anymore?” The conversation promises to be fruitful, timely and fascinating.

Contact Nora McGreevey at nmcgreev@nd.edu

Dear Yen

death of a company brings death of a town

bethesda, maryland, located several miles outside of Washington, d c ., and famous for the naval Facility where President John F. Kennedy’s autopsy was performed, is a vibrant mix of restaurants and shops. It’s always busy. It’s small yet urban enough that you can walk everywhere. People from giggly adolescents to old married couples walk through the town no matter the season.

The town’s focal point is the barnes and noble bookstore. here, people of all ages gather. Young, enthusiastic readers snatch as many books as they can carry off the shelves. In fact, An odyssey online article entitled “50 Things only dmv [district, maryland, v irginia] natives can relate To” listed the statement “the bethesda barnes and noble was your childhood” at number 26. It serves as a destination for teenagers wandering through the town. old friends meet for coffee in the interior starbucks. during the sweltering d c summer, shaved ice is on sale in the plaza outside. A menorah and c hristmas tree mark the holidays in the same place.

The surprise march 31st announcement that the barnes and noble was closing stunned bethesda. As a result of a rent issue, the store will close at the end of the year.

A petition to save the store gathered over 4,300 signatures. A local resident, quoted in “bethesda magazine,” said that it felt like “the death of a friend.”

The demise of the bethesda barnes and noble is indicative of a wider trend. Local institutions are dying, and with them the communities they serve. American society is starting to balkanize into echo chambers and bubbles. People deal with people like them. The store was a rare venue where people from different walks of life could come and interact. such places are disappearing quickly.

Technology has played no small part in this phenomenon. Through our phones, the world is at our fingertips. Why patronize community gathering places when we can talk to friends and entertain ourselves on our phones? Why meet new people when friends are just a text message away? Why read a book when you can watch netflix? corporations also deserve blame. The only reason the barnes and noble is closing is because the landlords want more money. many community based small businesses throughout the country have faced similar problems when huge corporations move into town. Granted, barnes and noble is a national chain. but the problem is the same: locals can’t keep up with big business, and the character of the community suffers.

There are many reasons the country is divided. but the lack of shared places and experiences has a huge part in the fragmentation. It’s easier to live in a bubble when all of the community gathering places are gone.

Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu

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

h ow can I fairly represent the life of “the other?” e ven if I can represent it, how can I use language, any language, to capture the totality of her life? h ow can I make you understand, empathize or, at least, listen, to the story of a life that is not your own?

s hould I start with “the story below belongs to one of us?” or should I start with “Year 1975. United s tates army pulled out from s outh v ietnam?”

h er family left n orth v ietnam and escaped to c hina. They stayed in c hina for a year, but c hina was poor at that time, so “you know, parents always want better for their kids and we set sail for h ong Kong. Illegally. I was 19.”

They were on the ocean for two weeks, in a wooden boat, “no land no nothing, only a little radio.” s he could not bring many things onto the boat. “They said you can’t bring a lot of food so we only brought cookies and water. That’s why I don’t eat cookies no more.”

When she got to h ong Kong, she was immediately put into a camp. “ m ore like a jail because at night they count head to make sure nobody’s missing.” Where could they go? s he found herself trapped on a small island she did not remember the name of. “Ping c hau. Ping c hau?” The island had walls on three sides. The side that did not have a wall looks into the great ocean. s he found herself in the jail with a cohort of refugees — “people from all kinds of countries.” If these people from all kinds of countries didn’t have a “sponsor,” they could not leave the jail. s he took care of daily duties on the island, eating, sleeping, talking, loving, hating and perhaps most importantly, waiting. s he stayed two years in that camp, until one day — “ m y brother sponsored me to go to West v irginia. b ut when I got there we had to find another sponsor. s omeone from here sponsored us.” o n June 1, 1981, she and her brother arrived at s outh b end.

“I couldn’t communicate with others, so I carried a dictionary everywhere.” The sponsor family set the rule that for two hours a day, she could only speak e nglish. “ m y parents were with me and they followed that rule too.” Living with another language was hard. “The kids in that house, five or six years old, say ‘you want some more?’ all the time. o ne day they were playing games. They wanted me to play but I didn’t want to play so I say ‘you want some more?’ That’s the only thing I could say. They say yes, yes, yes.”

Their sponsor said she needed to go to high school. “ s o, me and my brother went.” s he couldn’t understand the classes at all, except for mathematics. s he went to the public library and learned e nglish from A bc with the volunteers there. “And I went back home and watched s esame

s treet and got my G ed in two years.” G ed, General e ducational d evelopment, measures proficiency in science, mathematics, social studies, reading and writing. Passing the G ed test gives those who do not complete high school, or who do not meet requirements for high school diploma, the opportunity to earn their high school equivalency credential. s he chose to work instead of staying in school and going to college. “I should have stayed.”

s he first worked as a waitress. “I also worked at factory and was a nurse.” Then the factory moved to m exico and she opened her own restaurant in town in 1993. “Then I came here, been at s outh d ining h all for almost 15 years. I like the kids.”

s he had supported two of her four kids through college. “I told them, I took care of you, you got to take care of me.” s he laughed. “I used to work two jobs, one in the afternoon to 9:30 p.m. then 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. m y kids see so they know they should work hard without me telling them.”

Yen made stir-fry for me almost every Friday night. I gave Yen my plate of vegetables and noodles.

“ d o I get to do whatever I want with this?” Yen smiled widely. Under the bright yellow light, her silver nose pin shone with pride.

“Yup,” I said. “Just not too spicy.”

Yen took out a frying pan from somewhere under the counter, waved it in the air as if it were her victory, put it on the stove.

“What kind of meat?”

“c hicken, please.”

Yen added three full spoonful of chicken, thought for two seconds, and added a fourth spoonful. s he added a whole bunch of sauce into it – soy, oyster, teriyaki and something I did not even know the name of.

When I found myself debating passionately in classes about what human rights were, when I found myself argue loudly with friends whether Pence should be speaking at c ommencement, when I found myself writing columns after columns on “urgent questions,” I thought back on Yen’s quiet life. I told myself to remember her story so that next time when I walked out of the dining hall, I would be able to smell of the newly cut grass, the misty air and the tantalizing hope instead of my own faint perfume. Thinking of these, I heard Yen’s words once again — “You know what my son got me for birthday? A big T v.”

Rebecca Feng is a senior at Notre Dame, double majoring in Accounting and English, but travelling and living abroad is her real education. She read Shakespeare and old English poems in Scotland last semester and interned at Forbes Magazine Asia business channel in New York this summer. Email her at yfeng2@nd.edu for story ideas and comments.

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

Protect our planet

on monday evening, dozens of mint wrappers were scattered between the two sets of doors leading to south dining hall.

Those who made a hasty decision to casually toss aside their useless pieces of plastic likely intended to make their lives easier by disposing of meaningless waste. Perhaps they did not knowingly contribute to a destructive cycle of violence against our shared planet, instigate the death of animals — likely campus squirrels and rabbits — and thwart the naturally occurring food-chain process. but they did.

Though it may seem trivial to dwell on something as seemingly insignificant as mint wrappers, individuals too often evade their social responsibility to care for the environment by arguing that one more piece of plastic on the ground won’t destroy the earth; that 10 extra seconds of running water won’t prolong droughts; that three hours of leaving the overhead lights on in an empty dorm room won’t drain energy reserves; or that their conservation efforts cannot possibly mitigate the harm inflicted on the planet. but they can.

With curriculums that emphasize ethics and justice — notre dame recently initiated a new resiliency and sustainability minor tailored to engineering students — the University and the college demonstrate confidence in their students’ capacities to apply lessons from the classroom to the outside world and to enact change both on campus and in the surrounding community. similarly, students should never doubt their agency. We need to understand how our actions can inflict serious consequences on the very environment that has nourished and sustained us for our entire lives.

on April 8, notre dame students participated in a number of environmentally friendly service projects in south bend, Indiana, as part of the University’s annual

service initiative, back the bend. o ver this past weekend, several students attended south bend’s march for science, contributing to a national movement that demands research and development earn substantial government funding. Unfortunately, some individuals believe participation in such public displays of support for the environment is the only way they can make substantial differences in the condition of our deteriorating planet. by insisting they do not have the time, energy or money to protest, buy a Prius, install solar panels or engage in other, more demanding acts of sustainability, some people consider themselves useless assets in the battle against climate change. here, they solidify their roles as mere perpetrators of — rather than respondents to — a global phenomenon whose ruinous effects they have the power to reduce. not all love for the earth needs to manifest itself in grand displays of public support. holding onto your mint wrapper for an extra 20 seconds until you can dispose of it, turning off the lights when you’re not in the room and drinking from a reusable water bottle can all make visible differences in the longevity and well-being of this planet. no act is too small to matter. With that sentiment in mind, the University promotes recycling on game days and even challenges dorms to promote energy conservation through events like megawatt madness. similarly, the college celebrates Paperless day by urging professors not to distribute handouts and by encouraging students to type their notes. Institutional initiatives such as these remind students of what they should always be doing but far too often neglect: living with compassion for the earth and remaining cognizant of the hazardous effects their seemingly casual actions could bring about.

Another effective call for individuals to regard the planet with the decency and respect it deserves comes in the form of earth month, which is currently being celebrated. In the same way students care deeply about human injustices, we must understand the plight our planet is forced to endure when we waste resources, when we take cruises, when we cut down trees, when we kill animals, when we drive — and

even when we toss aside mint wrappers. Pope Francis makes this comparison between disadvantaged residents of the earth and the earth itself throughout his encyclical “Laudato si’,” in which he refers to the planet as “the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor.”

responding to the violation and destruction inflicted on the earth each day is not merely a good deed or a considerate gesture. All residents of this shared planet — particularly those notre dame and saint mary’s community members endowed with premier educations which expose them to the harsh realities of climate change — have a moral obligation to inflict as little damage as possible to our collective home.

Perhaps the first person to let go of his or her wrapper when exiting the dining hall dismissed the action as inconsequential, wrongly believing one piece of soft plastic on the ground could not possibly do any harm. And perhaps the next few litterers followed the same thought process, assuming the custodial staff would easily pick up five or six wrappers, failing to account for the fact that a gust of wind could easily blow the waste outside. o ver time, the small pile enabled subsequent individuals who dropped their wrappers to justify their carelessness, since they were merely exhibiting the same behavior dozens of others did before them.

When students exit the doors of south dining hall, fresh peppermints in their cheeks, a simple fact often slips the mind: our planet doesn’t get healthier by itself. While earth month is as good a time as ever to raise awareness and take action, climate change — one of the biggest crises our world is facing right now — does not go away once the calendar flips to may. The challenge is to continue these efforts and make environmentally conscious decisions a part of one’s daily routine in the long term.

Lead by example. engage in the little tasks. next time, throw away the wrapper. continue to think critically about what else you can do for our common home. You don’t have to do a lot, but there’s a lot you can do.

civility and public discourse

r ecently in the Letter to the e ditor section of The o bserver, there was an article written in response to a previously published opinion piece. I came across the following in that article: “It will always be a painful truth that there are people out there like you, [ m s./m r. so and so], who oppose the right to [such and such].” What concerns me is neither the person nor the issue prompting this response, but the form of the response itself. For most of the article, the writer seems deliberate about addressing the person she is challenging (and she addresses him directly throughout) in a respectful manner. however, it appears that in the concluding paragraph she cannot resist adding the above invective against her opponent.

What I take issue with here is the blatant lack of civility expressed by the writer. The phrase, “It will always be a painful truth that there are people out there like you,” could reasonably imply, “The earth would be a better place if you were not a living inhabitant thereof.” Though I am inclined to believe (or at least to hope) that a student of the University of notre d ame would never intentionally make such a suggestion concerning a fellow student, those expressing themselves in a public forum must consider the implications of what they

write. moreover, we must recognize the danger in addressing an opponent instead of an opinion. It is all too easy to lapse into attacking our opponent instead of the view we oppose.

Although it is not a matter of rights or law to show civility toward someone with whom we disagree — I have no right to have my opinions accepted or even respected and freedom of speech means that I am not immune from criticism of myself or my opinions — it is a matter of morality. b y civility, I mean the civic virtue (one pertaining to the behaviors of persons as members of a particular society) concerning the proper ways of expressing criticism toward those with whom we disagree. There are two motivations for endorsing civility as a civic virtue. First, as the American philosopher John r awls describes in his book “Political Liberalism,” we live in a society where people have drastically different opinions. Additionally, people will never unanimously agree on most matters. r awls expresses this sentiment succinctly as the fact of “intractable pluralism.” If we wish to have a united yet pluralistic society, there must be a way to mediate between these differences peacefully. The second reason for endorsing civility is because it is a necessary condition of solidarity. I consider

it obvious that it is better for Americans to work together toward the common goal of a just and productive society than to fall deeper into a bitter rivalry with one another. For a society to have both plurality of opinions and solidarity, civility in public discourse between those of differing opinions must be fostered.

o ne practical implication of civility which the quote I introduced at the beginning of this article disregards is the aversion to making ad hominem attacks in arguing for our beliefs and opinions. In this sense, ad hominem attacks include both those meant to discredit another’s position and rhetoric meant to belittle an opponent morally or intellectually. Though we may rightly say a position is immoral or irrational, to attack those who hold that view as such is usually uncivil whether or not such criticisms of them are true. c ivility may not be a requisite for a society to exist, but it is necessary for a society based on and committed to mutual respect. I take it for granted that this is the type of society most of us would like to live in.

Happy Birthday: use your insight and ability to detect how others will respond to your advances. d on’t hold back or give in to anyone who tries to take over or push you in a direction that will hurt your chances of advancement. your dedication and hard work will lead to success and put those who oppose you at arm’s length. your numbers are 4, 10, 14, 23, 33, 41, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): k eep original ideas to yourself until you have had a chance to flush out any flaws. s omeone you respect will give you valuable information that can shape the way you move forward personally.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): g etting along with your peers, family and partners will be necessary if you want things to run smoothly. c hoose your words wisely and be sure to include everyone in your plans. diplomacy will go a long way when dealing with others.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): l ook over financial papers and prepare your taxes or other government documents carefully. not disclosing information will lead to problems that could make it difficult for you to move forward. having a clear conscience will ease your stress.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A partnership can take on a double meaning. Personal and professional gains can be made if you get involved with the right people. keep your thoughts and feelings out in the open to avoid giving anyone a false impression.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): keep your emotions under control when doing business with someone who may not see things your way. use your intelligence, experience and knowledge to handle whatever situation you face to bring about positive results. Practice what you preach.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): business trips, educational pursuits and networking will help you advance your objectives. Take time to nurture a relationship you have with someone special. sharing your feelings, intentions and concerns will help you move forward. romance is in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A joint venture will help you get ahead. collaborate with someone who has the skills you lack, and vice versa, and it will help keep the momentum flowing. Take an interest in physical activity that promotes better stamina and health.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Personal gains can be made if you work hard to improve your health, physical appearance and your relationships with others. your unique way of doing things should be viewed as a plus, not a negative, by those you associate with.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): e motional confusion will set in if you let someone guilt you into something you really don’t care to do. make decisions that will bring you the most in return. keep demanding people at a distance and pursue your goals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A unique change to the way you live or the choices you make will help you avoid encounters with individuals who may cause you grief, concern or other complications. l ook out for your own interests and well-being.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): s omeone from your past will tempt you to get involved in something that can influence your financial standing. Joint ventures will not be to your advantage and should not be considered. d o your own thing and be secretive about what you do.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): focus on quality, not quantity. l ook for an alternative way to help solve a problem. g et together with someone you haven’t seen for a long time. The encounter will help you see a situation with greater clarity.

Birthday Baby: you are tolerant, strategic and adaptable. you are intelligent and enthusiastic.

There’s still hope for the Bulls

“I’m going to lie? We’re a confident team, but you don’t think you’re going into boston and getting two.”

The eight-seeded bulls were up two games to zero on the topseeded celtics after dominating boston in two road games last week. Yes, as the quote above insinuates, even dwyane Wade was surprised.

but for most basketball fans, the sheer notion that the bulls could become just the sixth no. 8 seed to oust a conference regular season champion was entirely plausible before the series even began. The bulls had the series’ definitive best player, Jimmy butler, in a league dominated by superstars. by most metrics, boston is one of the weaker no. 1 seeds in playoff history. boston has struggled to rebound all season, a weakness that has manifested itself in allowing average nbA big man robin Lopez to become an offensive rebounding machine. And unfortunately, boston’s best player, Isaiah Thomas, has had to play under abnormal and tragic circumstances after his 22-year-old sister chyna passed away April 15.

In short, despite just sneaking in as the conference’s no. 8 on the last day of the regular season against a laughably light version of the already-terrible brooklyn nets, the list of possible advantages for chicago in round one was far from rudimentary, which contributes to the premise of this piece: The 2016-2017 chicago bulls are possibly the most polarizing team to be a fan of in nbA history.

As of a week ago, any bulls fan asked to describe this season’s team would likely use words such as frustrating, maddening, infuriating and a host of other synonyms for these adjectives. starting with upper management, the current bulls roster was constructed by two of the sport’s most inept front office executives, John Paxson and Gar Forman, who have made a number of head-scratching transactions that have given fans no clear indication of whether or not the team would undergo the rebuild that is necessary to ever position themselves as true championship contenders. between the offseason and the entirety of this season, Forman and Paxson have committed a large number of dollars to two declining and largely apathetic former superstars, dwyane Wade and rajon rondo, toyed with trading their actual superstar Jimmy butler an uncountable number of times, tried to assemble the worst shooting backcourt in nbA history in the same

era of the league that has proven that long-distance shooting is the most effective method to winning championships and made a “rebuilding” trade with the oklahoma city Thunder at the trade deadline in February that involved the bulls sending away draft picks and quality veterans for useless bench fillers cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony morrow. consequently, every playoff victory and any sense of vindication for Forman and Paxson is, and should be, universally grotesque for bulls fans everywhere. The decision-making from the team’s top two executives is worthy both of criticism and dismissal. The fact that a series win over the celtics would implicitly strengthen the job security of these two individuals and suggest that their vision was the correct direction for the franchise is an independent tragedy that lurks in the background of any postseason euphoria. And it’s not just the front office that has been frustrating for bulls fans throughout the season. rajon rondo spent much of the season being a poor man’s version of vintage rajon rondo, with noticeable regression in everything but his unlikable personality, which was on full display during the team’s social media feud in January and his suspension for throwing a towel at an assistant coach early in the season. dwyane Wade, the hometown hero who was somehow able to convince chicago fans that his decision to come to the bulls was anything but a financial one, was only consistent in his inability to give 100 percent; the veteran routinely skipped practices, threw his harder-working teammates under the bus and was clearly not planning on returning from his late-season elbow injury until he realized the bulls were on the cusp of the playoffs. combine these two supposed “alphas” with a ragtag group of mostly unexciting young players and average nbA veterans and it’s not too difficult to see why the team’s legitimate superstar, Jimmy butler, spent most of the campaign outwardly frustrated.

Yet, the team that has subjected its fans all season long to frustrating personalities, mindboggling decision-making and inconsistent effort finds itself in a position to pull off a huge upset and perhaps compete for a chance to get to the conference finals. As a bulls fan myself, let’s just hope that the inconsistency and disappointment doesn’t again become pervasive.

Contact Ryan Klaus at rklaus1@nd.edu.

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

Notre Dame to compete in races at IU

By Observer Sports Staff

n otre d ame travels to b loomington, Indiana, this weekend for the d ale e ngland c up on Lake Lemon. The event features varsity Four and varsity e ight competitions.

The event will be hosted by n o. 16 Indiana and the field will be made up of n o. 17 d uke and s an d iego, along with the Irish. The scoring system awards each

crew 36 points for winning First varsity e ight, 27 for earning second place, 18 for third place and nine for fourth place; additionally, teams receive 24 points for winning First varsity Four, 18 for second, 12 for third and six for fourth.

In past years, n otre d ame has enjoyed success at Lake Lemon, as evidenced by overall first place finishes in 2014 and 2016. The nationally-ranked competition

this season poses a challenge for the Irish.

This is the final regatta of the regular season for n otre d ame, after which it will enter two weeks of preparation for the upcoming A cc championship in c lemson, s outh c arolina.

The regatta will take place on Thursday and Friday, with races commencing at 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., respectively, at Lake Lemon in b loomington, Indiana.

Yankees sweep red sox in short, two-game

bosTon — n ew York

Yankees starters failed to record a complete game in all of 2016 — the first time in franchise history that’s happened.

m asahiro Tanaka ended that slump this season before April was up.

Tanaka pitched a threehitter to outduel c hris s ale and earn his first shutout since 2014, and the Yankees beat b oston 3-0 on Thursday night.

Tanaka (3-1) struck out three and threw only 97 pitches for his fifth career complete game — his first since Aug. 15, 2015, which was also the last for n ew York.

“I knew that we were facing a good pitcher in c hris s ale. Knew how important one run could be, so I tried to go out there and put up zeroes,” said Tanaka, who earned his 10th win in his last 11 decisions dating to last season. “A lot of people thought c hris s ale had the upper hand, the way he was pitching.”

Tanaka retired the last 14 batters he faced and only allowed one runner to reach second base as the Yankees earned their fifth straight victory over the rival r ed s ox. Aaron h icks had two hits and scored twice, and m att h olliday had two hits and two rb Is.

s ale (1-2) nearly matched Tanaka most of the way, allowing only one unearned run over the first eight innings before giving up three straight singles to start the ninth, when the Yankees added two more runs.

“We had a chance going into the ninth,” he said. “I just completely took the wind out of the sails.”

Yankees pitching coach Larry r othschild said Tanaka spoke before the game of the challenge of facing s ale.

“ h e went toe to toe with c hris s ale,” manager Joe Girardi agreed. “ h e knew he couldn’t afford to give up a whole lot of runs. (There was) more pressure on him, in a sense, and he really rose to the occasion.”

adding on

s ale stumbled in the fourth, when h icks singled, took second on a groundout, third on a passed ball and scored on h olliday’s sacrifice fly. The Yankees chased s ale when h icks, c hase h eadley and h olliday all singled to start the ninth and score another run.

h eath h embree gave up a single to s tarlin c astro to make it 3-0 before Aaron Judge popped out to the catcher and c hris c arter grounded into a double play.

In all, s ale was charged with two earned runs and eight hits in eight-plus

series

innings, striking out 10 and walking none. h e joined Pedro m artinez, r oger c lemens and Jon Lester as r ed s ox pitchers with 10 or more strikeouts in four straight starts.

Non-support

The r ed s ox have scored four runs total in s ale’s five starts this season. b oston, which scored the most runs in baseball last season, has scored 13 total over its last seven games, losing five and getting shut out three times.

“I don’t think our guys, on a day c hris is pitching, they feel like they’ve got to do more,” manager John Farrell said. “We’ve had great ballgames pitched against us by quality starters. I don’t think it’s because c hris is on the mound.”

Bunts

s ale is 4-2 with a 1.31 er A in eight career starts against Yankees. ... Jacoby e llsbury of the Yankees did not reach base for the first time in 26 games stretching to the end of the 2016 season. ... The starters are the top two on the all-time list for strikeout-to-walk ratio since 1900 among pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched. Tanaka had a 4.94 K/ bb ratio entering the game, and s ale’s was 4.83. ... The game took 2 hours, 21 minutes, the shortest game between the teams since 1994.

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for f riday’s game.

“We’ve lost to them the past two times — i think what we did this week was just taking what we did wrong from the last game and just basically improving as much as we could this week,” i rish senior defender g arrett e pple said. “a lot of guys took a lot of time to prepare this week. We understand what they’re trying to do. … [We’re] just preparing as much as we can — that’s all we could really do, and i think we did a pretty good job this week in doing that.”

Yet, that preparation for postseason play has been something the i rish have been experiencing throughout the season, as their schedule featured games against each of the teams currently ranked in the top five nationally.

“ i t gives us a chance to gain experience against the best teams in the country,” e pple said of the team’s regular season schedule thus far. “ … We know that we’re going to end up playing very good teams in the playoffs, so to get that experience early in the regular season — whether we win

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think any notre d ame team has done it, so that is the goal. We’ve got two more to go, and the next game should be really tough, so we’ll take it from there.”

No. 2

Team 2 def. No. 9

4 Sick Bodies, 1 Sick Bode

s econd-seeded Team 2 topped ninth-seeded 4 s ick b odies, 1 s ick b ode 21-5 in the final game of the e lite e ight on Thursday.

c aptain of Team 2 junior r eed hunnicut led his team with his strong ball-handling skills and dynamic layups.

Team 2 was on top from the get-go, but the momentum slowed down when the opposing squad continuously tipped the ball out of bounds or caused Team 2 to turn the ball over. b oth teams relied on their speed in the game, but 4 s ick b odies, 1 s ick b ode took a more aggressive and physical approach, while Team 2 used its height to its advantage.

a fter halftime, Team 2 went on an impressive run, advancing the score to 15-5. Team 2 did not stop there, and went on a 6-0 run to finish the game 21-5.

hunnicut was impressed with his team’s performance and emphasized the team’s defensive strength.

“i think the game went really well,” hunnicut said. “i loved our defensive pressure

or lose — we’re going to learn from that. a nd i don’t think a lot of other teams that we’re going to play at the end of the year — they may or may not have that experience, so it definitely gives us an edge. a nd we know what we have to do to beat those teams moving forward.”

b ut the i rish will not just be relying on their preparation to make deep postseason runs in the acc and ncaa tournaments; e pple, senior midfielder s ergio Perkovic and junior longstick midfielder John s exton all learned Thursday that they had earned a ll- acc team honors for the season. e pple said the honors are a testament to the team’s depth and talent, and the awards just go to show that the i rish have multiple players they can rely upon to step up when needed.

“ i think we just rely on a lot of guys to step up and that changes from week to week,” e pple said. “ i t changes from the first five games of the season to the last five games of the season, so … i [think it’s about] if someone’s not playing as well, someone else [steps] up. … i think we have a lot of playmakers on this team [and] a lot of leaders, especially on the field, and i

and even though we gave up two easy layups and made a couple of small mistakes tonight our defense was impressive overall.”

hunnicut said he feels confident going into the f inal four, explaining that if Team 2 works together and does its best, it can reach the finals.

“i f we play our best we can compete with anybody,” hunnicut said. “We have really great chemistry and we are facing a good team with great athletes in the next round, but if we try our best we can come out on top.”

No. 11 Menard def. No. 3

Big Bodies

no. 11 menard upset n o. 3

b ig b odies from holy c ross c ollege during Thursday’s quarterfinal game, 21-14.

menard opened up the scoring with back-to-back layups, putting it up 2-0 early in the game. f rom there, the game would go back and forth as both menard and b ig b odies patiently used the inside paint to score their points.

a s the first half progressed, the game got physical, but both defenses stood their ground. The first half concluded with menard leading b ig b odies 11-6.

menard captain d eclan Zidar said that the wind was a challenge throughout the game.

“We made layups, but it was too windy to make jumpers,” Zidar said.

To open up the second half, b ig b odies came out firing, led

think we rely on each other to make ourselves better and, if we’re not playing that well, we have them to kind of lean and rely on if we’re not having the best game.”

b ut now, n otre d ame has its sights set on turning that preparation and talent into a win against d uke, which would avenge their 11-8 loss on a pril 8 to the b lue d evils at Koskinen s tadium. This time around, e pple said the team just has to cut down on the simple mistakes and take advantage of the scoring opportunities they were able to produce but failed to cash in on the earlier loss.

“ i think, offensively, the score didn’t really reflect how well we played or the potential goals that we had to score,” e pple said. “We had a ton of good looks in that game — we just didn’t really cash in, and their goalie … was outstanding that game. s o, on the offensive end, we’re not getting too down on ourselves.

“ … d efensively, the way we played — it’s a lot of simple mistakes that we had to correct. i think they scored like five goals in the first quarter, and then we ended up having pretty good defense on them the entire game. s o going into [ f riday], i think

by holy c ross junior m adison mc c affrey, a guard for holy c ross varsity team.

d espite a brief comeback attempt, b ig b odies fell short, falling to menard 21-14.

Zidar was pleased that his team finished with a win.

“We’ve made plenty of layups and back cuts throughout the game,” Zidar said. “We were hitting the boards hard.”

for b ig b odies, senior Thomas r owe was happy with his team’s overall performance over the course of the tournament

“o ur team was a very good team,” r owe said. “We were fortunate to receive the n o. 3 seed. i wouldn’t change this team for the world; they were great teammates to me and it’s been a great time out here.”

Zidar and his team now looks to prepare for the f inal four.

“We just need to work on our rebounds,” Zidar said. “We’re not the biggest team, so we would have to box out and rebound.”

No. 4 Truman Jobs def. No. 5 Closet Cliques

The no. 4 Truman Jobs defeated the no. 5 c loset c liques in Thursday’s e lite e ight matchup, using their dominance on the glass to seal the 21-15 victory.

The tough, physical game started off close, with the game tied at 6-6 after the first 10 minutes. The c loset c liques got into foul trouble

Irish junior defenseman John Sexton runs across the field during Notre Dame’s 11-10 loss to Syracuse on April 1 at Arlotta Stadium.

we’re kind of focusing on the things we did well the last three quarters of that game and kind of translating that into f riday’s game.”

The i rish and b lue d evils will square off in their acc semifinal matchup f riday starting at 8:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to take on the winner of s yracusen orth c arolina on s unday at noon.

early, committing four personal fouls before the Truman Jobs recorded any fouls.

The Truman Jobs used their size inside to grab offensive rebounds, rarely ending a possession without at least one. s enior Jacob m atuska led the team in scoring and rebounding, providing the push it needed to take an 11-8 lead at the half. Truman Jobs senior captain James g anas said m atuska was a key to the team’s success.

“Jacob m atuska was the mv P,” g anas said. “he came up with the most points and came up with the most rebounds. he did everything for us today.”

The second half went much like the first, with the Truman Jobs controlling the glass. They converted several free throws after the c loset c liques put them into the bonus.

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

The c loset c liques threatened to come back with a quick 3-pointer, making the score 15-12, but the Truman Jobs hung on.

Thanks to a big performance from their center, the Truman Jobs won the game 21-15. g anas said the dominance on the boards by their younger players led to the team advancing to the f inal four.

“The freshmen were key today,” g anas said. “They played the game of their life. They came up with the rebounds and played bigger than they are. They just sealed the deal.”

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu, Brenna Moxley at bmoxley@nd.edu, Kyle Barry at kbarry@hcc-nd.edu and Darcy Dehais at ddehais@nd.edu

Pitch no. 13 was true, dropping e astern m ichigan freshman second baseman d rake Peggs into a 0-1 hole awaiting mc d onald’s 14th offering.

“it was supposed to be an inside fastball,” mc d onald said.

Peggs lined it into shallow center.

“it ran over the plate,” mc d onald said. “ he got his barrel out to it and hit it up the middle.”

The streak over, and with a runner on base with only one out, i rish head coach m ik a oki walked out of the dugout and called down to the bullpen for junior lefty s ean Guenther, notre d ame’s closer.

Just like that, the fleeting moment was over. mc d onald’s final line: 1 1/3 innings, four strikeouts and one hit on 14 pitches.

“e verything was working today,” mc d onald said. “Fastball, changeup, especially the slider. b ut i was especially able to locate the pitches and just working off of that really worked out.”

“he’s dominated the bottom half of the strike zone,” a oki said of mc d onald. “When he has the fastball going and he throws the breaking ball off of it, he’s been pretty tough. [Tuesday] he was really good. c ame in in a tight little spot and got a punch out, then pitched a really clean inning after that.”

i ndeed, mc d onald took just 11 pitches to go 1 1/3 innings Tuesday against valparaiso, though he only recorded one strikeout. i n his last three appearances, dating back to a pril 18 against c entral m ichigan, mc d onald has tossed five scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out seven

Softball

Paid a dverT isemen T in is awesome because they’re a ranked team, they’re really good, they’re sec and they’re going to prepare us for regionals, and that’s what we want.” i n order to come away with a victory, Gumpf said the i rish will have to stick to the successful formula that netted them their five-inning triumph over the Wildcats on Tuesday: an aggressive mindset that results in them

batters. he has averaged just 11.8 pitches per inning.

“he’s hit for us this year, too,” a oki said. “ i think of Patrick as just a baseball player. he’s been able to do a good job of keeping his emotions in check. i think he does a good job and just work from pitch to pitch. he’s able to execute his pitch and not get to caught up in the ups and downs or get caught up in the game situation. a nd he’s done that. it’s really nice to see his growth as the year has gone on.”

mc d onald — who has also made 20 appearances, 19 starts, in the outfield for n otre d ame this season, recording

attacking the r azorbacks pitching staff from start to finish.

“We have to attack the ball,” Gumpf said. “We have to make things happen early. We know we have to put bat on ball, and i think if we do that and put the ball hard on the ground, we’re going to make a lot of good things happen.”

This weekend is especially important to the i rish because it marks the program’s seventh annual s trikeout c ancer weekend. a s part of the weekend, Gumpf said 14 children who are currently battling cancer will be in attendance for s aturday’s doubleheader, and the program will look to build on the over $185,000 it has raised for pediatric cancer patients in the previous six years of the event.

“This is our favorite weekend of the year,” Gumpf said. “i think if you ask any player on our team who has played before, they will say this is by far their favorite weekend of

14 hits — said working with both the pitchers and the fielders has kept him engaged this year.

“it’s a little bit more difficult,” mc d onald said. “ b ut it’s not bad as long as you have 100 percent focus in what you’re doing at that time — like if you’re hitting, then all your focus is on hitting, and if you’re pitching, all your focus is on pitching.

“You just have to dedicate a little bit more time to it.”

mc d onald and the i rish turn their focus to acc foe d uke this weekend in an important series for acc postseason seeding. The top 12 seeds after the regular season

the year. a nd i think it’s because we’re playing for more than just the game; we’re playing for more than just ourselves; we’re playing for something bigger. a nd when you’re able to put that orange [uniform] on and know that you’re playing for all these kids who are fighting cancer.

“ … When you have those kids there watching you and you’re playing for them, i think it makes the game a little easier. i think it makes the game not so crazy. i love the fact that we’re able to give back to families who are struggling and who are fighting right now.”

The i rish and r azorbacks will first take the field for a doubleheader s aturday — with the games scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. — before wrapping up the series s unday with first pitch scheduled for noon.

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

advance to the championships, where they play in four pools. c urrently, seeds no. 8-12 are all tied with an 8-13 conference record — including notre d ame and the b lue d evils (22-21, 8-13) — while b oston c ollege and Georgia Tech sit at 6-15 in the final two spots.

notre d ame finishes its conference slate by hosting d uke and no. 2 Louisville — the conference’s current top seed — then taking to the road against the e agles (16-22, 6-15), all three-game series.

“We try to keep the same approach that we’ve been on for seven weeks or so now,”

a oki said of the big weekend ahead. “ … b ecause quite frankly, whether it goes really well or it goes really poorly, it really doesn’t matter because, when it’s all said and done, where we want to be at the end of the year is not going to be dictated by this particular weekend.

“i ’ve felt good going into every series all year long.” notre d ame and d uke, weather permitting, take to the Frank e ck s tadium turf for a double header at 4:05 p.m. Friday and 1:05 p.m. s aturday.

Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu

ND readies for Strikeout Cancer

By BEN PADANILAM

e ditor-in- c hief

With just two weeks until the Acc championship tournament, notre dame will host no. 24 Arkansas for a nonconference series as part of its seventh annual strikeout cancer weekend.

The Irish (28-18, 11-10 Acc ) are coming off a 10-2 mercyrule victory over northwestern on Tuesday, and now they will look to build up their resume as they near the nc AA regionals with a series against a nationally-ranked razorbacks squad. despite a poor record in conference play, the razorbacks (29-18, 6-15 sec ) should pose a serious challenge to the Irish, head coach deanna Gumpf said. Their conference record is deceptive in that they are one of 10 ranked sec teams, and they boast a staff er A of 2.45 on the season.

“Arkansas does a lot of things well,” Gumpf said. “I would

say it starts in the pitching circle. They have four really good pitchers, and I think it starts right there for them. And they’re a very powerful team. … We have to play good softball.”

The weekend matchup marks the second unusual schedule occurrence for the Irish this week: Tuesday’s game against northwestern was just the second time this season the Irish have gone on the road for a midweek matchup, and the first that was not over a break in the academic school year, while the series with Arkansas will be the first weekend series in recent memory for the Irish that was not against a conference foe.

“It’s never happened before, but I don’t think it matters on this weekend,” Gumpf said of playing non-conference weekend games at this point in the season. “I think any opponent is a good opponent and, quite frankly, having Arkansas come

see soFTbALL paGe 11

Notre Dame and Duke set for ACC tournament

By BEN PADANILAM e ditor-in- c hief

n o. 7 n otre d ame will travel to d urham, n orth c arolina, this weekend to compete in the A cc tournament, taking on n o. 3 d uke on Friday in the first round of the four-team championship.

The Irish (7-3, 2-2 A cc ) and b lue d evils (11-3, 3-1) meet for the third straight year in the conference’s postseason tournament, with d uke having won each of the last two matchups. The b lue d evils also hold an advantage entering this year’s contest, as d uke is hosting the A cc tournament on its campus at Koskinen s tadium. Given their familiarity with their opponent and losses in previous years, the Irish have spent the week especially focused on their preparation

Irish prepare to take on Blue Devils at home

By ZACH KLONSINSKI senior sports Writer

For 13 pitches, Patrick m c d onald was immaculate.

The freshman right hander entered n otre d ame’s eventual 5-0 win over e astern m ichigan on Wednesday evening in the seventh inning with the Irish ahead 1-0.

n ine pitches, nine strikes and three strikeouts later — baseball’s “immaculate inning” — he led the Irish (20-22, 8-13 A cc ) back into their dugout.

“I didn’t know until I got back into the dugout and my teammates told me,” m c d onald said, noting he could not remember throwing such an inning before.

m c d onald kept the streak going when he returned to the bump in the eighth inning against the e agles (1724, 8-4 m A c ). h e struck out the first batter he faced — in three pitches. Twelve pitches, 12 strikes, four strikeouts.

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bookstore Final Four set

By JOE EVERETT, BRENNA MOXLEY, KYLE BARRY and DARCY DEHAIS sports Writers

no. 1 finnigan’s def. no. 8

St. a ndrews

Top-seeded Finnigan’s overcame an early deficit to n o. 8 s t. Andrews to win 21-13, continuing its march towards a third-straight b ookstore b asketball championship Thursday evening. Although Finnigan’s entered as the heavy favorite, s t. Andrews came out firing — hitting shots from all over the court to build an early 6-3 lead. Finnigan’s adjusted by switching to a zone defense, which disrupted s t. Andrews’ offensive rhythm — allowing Finnigan’s to begin imposing its will upon the game. Pulling ahead by halftime by a score of 118, Finnigan’s wore down its opponent in the second half, eventually reaching the free throw line and effectively sealing the game. Finnigan’s senior captain c onor c olpoys said his team performed well against stiff

competition.

“I thought we played well,” c olpoys said. “[ s t. Andrews is] a good team, one of the few teams that have two big guys, and we like to pound it inside, so that was a tough matchup for us — they play really physical. We got off to another slow start — down [three points] was the largest deficit we’ve faced — but then we settled in a little bit. We were able to get out in transition and switched to a zone, which I think we settled into nicely, got a lead by halftime and then held them off from there.”

Finnigan’s, which includes n otre d ame varsity walkon graduate student Patrick m azza, is the prohibitive favorite in the tournament, but now has a target on its back every game. c olpoys said he is aware of the challenge of going for a three-peat.

“It’s tough,” c olpoys said. “Three of us have been playing together and we’re trying to get three straight. I know h oly c ross did it but I don’t