Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, February 6, 2019

siegfried Hall fundraises for homeless

Mission Center facilitates vocations fair

By CATE VON DOHLEN news writer

h oused in a small office on the edge of s t. Joseph’s lake, the h oly c ross m ission c enter’s web stretches across the globe.

r ecently, center director

Fr. m ike d e l aney attended w orld youth d ay in p anama where he and h oly c ross representatives from eight different countries held a vocations fair from Jan. 22 to 26. a ccording to a release from the c ongregation of h oly c ross, the fair, which centered on the theme “ i am the s ervant of the l ord,” was created to engage young people spiritually and help guide them in vocational discernment.

“ i t gave me the opportunity all day every day to meet with young people,” d e l aney said. “ i personally talked with people from over 65 countries.”

The center is sponsored by the u nited s tates p rovince of the c ongregation of the h oly c ross. a ccording to its website, four main institutions of higher learning are affiliated with the religious order in the u nited s tates: n otre d ame, u niversity of p ortland, k ing’s c ollege and s tonehill c ollege. a t each of its locations around the country and world, h oly c ross supports education, vocational discernment and community service. h oly c ross parishes, schools, social ministries — which include anything from youth programs to medical clinics — and other forms of outreach have been established in countries around the world, d e l aney said.

“ w e have many roles.

o ne is to help support what was traditionally called missionary activity of the

By MARIAH RUSH news writer

p eople on campus may see men wearing less clothes than a normal s outh b end

February day would typically require and holding out s olo cups with a request for money wednesday. i f so, they should not be alarmed — it’s just s iegfried h all’s signature event, d ay of m an, in full force.

a s it is the 13th year for the event, s iegfried has the basics down for the d ay of m an: wear skimpy clothes — most often their bright event t-shirts, shorts and flipflops — to class and around campus all day and ask for donations that will go to the s outh b end c enter for the

h omeless.

a ccording to sophomore k ieran w url, one of four event commissioners, the d ay of m an first originated when a s iegfried resident forgot his coat one cold winter day, and realized others less fortunate than he dealt with the cold in this fashion every day.

“ h e realized that there are people in the s outh b end community that are homeless and go through it every day, fighting the s outh b end cold wind. s o he gathered a group of his friends, went out and started asking for money for donations for the homeless and then it kind of turned into a s iegfried

smc student government promotes lemonade mass

By McKENZIE LOOKEBILL news writer

i nstead of returning to their dorms after wednesday m ass in the s acred h eart c hapel in l e m ans h all, s aint m ary’s students can now join their fellow b elles for refreshments and snacks complimentary

London

By MAX LANDER news writer

The a ctors From The l ondon s tage will once again be performing s hakespeare at n otre d ame’s washington h all on wednesday, Thursday and Friday. This time, the team will be performing the famous tragedy, “ k ing l ear.”

a ctors From The l ondon

of the s tudent g overnment a ssociation.

Junior Terra n elson, along with a nna Zappa, who serve on the mission committee for student government, helped organize the event with k athy o gden, student body vice president.

“ k athy approached us in the beginning of the year

about possibly creating a signature dorm m ass,” n elson said in an email. “a nna and i loved this idea and talked to [vice president for mission] Judy Fean about starting this as soon as possible. a nna and i both wanted to create a culture of

s tage is a group that has a longstanding relationship with the u niversity. i t usually performs on campus once a semester as part of a larger tour of the u nited s tates. p eter h olland, associate dean for the arts and m c m eel Family c hair in s hakespeare studies, helps organize most s hakespeare productions on campus.

h olland said n otre d ame has been working with a ctors From The l ondon s tage, which s ir p atrick s tewart and d r. h omer “ m urph” s wander founded in 1975, for nearly 20 years.

“For the the last 18 years, we have been their u s base,” h olland said. “ we help organize all their u s

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Ciara Donovan freshman Lyons hall “Printmaking.”

Gabby Grant freshman Lyons hall

“bible and Its Interpretations.”

Christopher Wall junior sorin college

“Technical concepts of v isual effects.”

Daniella Koterbay

junior Pasquerilla east hall “Introduction to Theater.”

Lilly Chamberlin sophomore holy cross hall “sustainability.”

Patrick Starner

junior o’neill Family hall “stage combat.”

The Saint Mary’s Cushwa-Leighton Library displays a special collection of books to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The holiday has its origins in China, but is celebrated by many East Asian cultures as a part of Lunar New Year celebrations.

t he next f ive D ays:

Wednesday

Stories of Grace Dillon Hall Chapel

7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

An evening of prayer and reflection featuring storytellers.

Theatre: “King Lear” Washington Hall

7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Actors from the London Stage return to Notre Dame.

Thursday

“Railroads and the Transformation of China” by Prof. Elisabeth Köll South Dining Hall

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Artful Yoga Snite Museum of Art

5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Join yoga instructor

Steve Krojniewski for this series of classes.

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Reception: “Revisions: Contemporary Native Art” Snite Museum of Art 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Mojo Mickybo OneAct Play Washington Hall

7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

The Irish Theater of Chicago presents.

Saturday

Bridal Expo Duncan Student Center

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Vendors, fashion show, live cellist and prizes.

Oscar-Nominated Short Films

DeBartolo Performng Arts Center

6:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Short films of all types.

Sunday

Concert: Christopher

tradition from then on,” Wurl said.

Wurl said members of s iegfried will collect money in-person all day Wednesday, as well as through a venmo account — @ d ay o f m an2019. e ach section in the dorm will take shifts at both dining halls during high traffic times, and will also be outside of d e b artolo h all in the morning.

While the temperature for this year’s event will be above freezing — around 40 degrees — Wurl hopes it will go down some.

“The standard is flipflops, shorts and a t-shirt, but people can go over or under that … we want to just try to actually put yourself in the shoes of a homeless person to experience what they might be feeling,” Wurl said.

Apart from its signature event, s iegfried maintains a relationship with the s outh b end c enter for the h omeless and tries to help the center and its residents whenever possible.

Patrick d avis, a senior commissioner for the event, said a couple dorm members help out at the shelter every weekend, and the dorm has worked with the clothing company Patagonia to donate coats.

“It goes beyond just the day itself and more has to do with s iegfried’s relationship with the c enter for the h omeless,” d avis said. “We send a couple of kids every weekend to the c enter every weekend to help out with whatever they need — cleaning up, organizing clothes, food or just sitting and talking with the residents. … We want people to see another

side of s outh b end that not many n otre d ame students have seen.”

o ver the years, s iegfried has raised a combined total of about $130,000 in donations, and $18,000 last year alone. According to Wurl, the hall’s goal for this year is to reach — and potentially break — the $20,000 mark.

“We’re just hoping that members of the n otre d ame community will feel generous,” Wurl said.

“I know it’s going to be warmer this week than last week,” d avis said. “ b ut I’m sure everyone can remember what it was like to be outside last week, and imagine what it would be like to be stuck outside for longer than a few minutes.”

d avis and Wurl mentioned the steps s outh b end has taken in the last week in light of the extremely cold weather to open their doors to anyone in need, and touched on the homeless issue the entire country faces.

“There’s several hundred people who depend on the h omeless c enter. … Kids, women, children and families are depending on the h omeless c enter for their meals, and in situations like last week with staying overnight on days where it’s very cold,” Wurl said. “ s o there’s really a need for it in the s outh b end community, but honestly all over the United s tates it’s also a problem.”

Contact Mariah Rush at mrush@nd.edu

touring, which schools coast-to-coast they’re going to be visiting.”

h owever, the group does not host your average play production, because Actors From The London s tage is not your ordinary theater company. The entire cast of the play will be performed by only five actors with no director, minimal costumes and props, a couple light cues and not much else.

“This is theater unlike any other kind of theater — there is no director,” h olland said. “ s o these actors are basically locked into a room for some weeks and told, ‘ c ome out with a show.’”

This means the company, made up of actors r ichard James- n eale, Ffion Jolly, Tricia Kelly, Fred Lancaster and Jonathan d ryden Taylor, will each be playing multiple roles, splitting a total of 24 among the five of them.

s ince there are always only five performers, the company’s approach to the show must be both improvisational and innovative.

Tricia Kelly, who will be playing the major roles in both King Lear and the d uke of c ornwall, said the group relies on “solving problems in an elegant and hopefully witty way.”

s he also spoke to the fact that the play presents challenges to the actors because, in many cases, female actors must play male characters and viceversa, a practice becoming more and more common in s hakespearean plays, offering new takes on old classics.

“I am a female actor playing the role of a king and a father,” Kelly said. “It’s a different, more complicated set of ideas and concepts to deal with as an actor.”

The production of King Lear is not all the actors will be doing with their time at n otre d ame, however. They will also be helping run workshops and teach classes, not just within the c ollege of Arts and Letters, but all across campus.

“They also go into the m endoza school because, if you’re a business major, think [of] how often you have sat through a Powerpoint presentation by somebody who really cannot talk,” h olland said. “They go into the Law s chool, they work with some of the law students on how you should speak in a courtroom and how you make sure that people can hear your voice. They go and work in the architecture school because, if you’re designing buildings, actors understand space in a very different way from anyone else.”

While the company has been rehearsing for a while, this will be the second stop for Actors From The London s tage on a 10stop tour schedule across the country.

Jason c omerford, the audience development manager for Actors From The London s tage at n otre d ame, said while the actors figure out their roles in rehearsals, live performances are different.

“It’s fun to watch them work in front of an audience — the spontaneity of it,” c omerford said. h aving just arrived in s outh b end from r ice University in h ouston, performances are scheduled for Feb. 6, 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Washington h all. Tickets are available for purchase online at shakespeare.nd.edu before the shows..

Contact Max Lander at mlander1@nd.edu

Lemonade

community and fellowship after weekly Wednesday m ass.”

m odeled after n otre

d ame’s signature m asses, Lemonade and Le m ans m ass was chosen in order to be inclusive to as many students as possible — because everyone loves lemonade.

“We wanted to have a latenight snack that was beloved and refreshing,” n elson said. “Popcorn is usually gluten free, dairy free, nut free, et cetera, making it in a healthy snack for all b elles. As for lemonade, we wanted the m ass to have a catchy saying. Lemonade and Le m ans just had a nice flow. m any dorms at n otre d ame have signature m asses — m ilkshake m ass, m ass s nacks at s tanford on s unday, et cetera — and we wanted to bring that same energy and excitement for

m ass at s aint m ary’s. We could see that many b elles would travel off campus to attend m ass so we decided to bring that same love for m ass [to] our own campus.”

In each dorm at s aint m ary’s, there is a chapel, making the convenience of attending m ass high for those who live on campus and in the dorms. Although convenient, attending the same chapel each m ass lacks diversity of location. These kinds of events can help give those who do not live in Le m ans the chance to attend another hall’s building’s m ass.

“I think [after- m ass events are] a good time for people to regroup and talk with their friends; it promotes fellowship,” first-year student e mily Tomczak said.

“ h aving food is always an incentive, whether that is good or bad and it will draw people in to attend the service. f or me, I went to see how good the lemonade was

and how the service was conducted.”

While f r. s tephen n ewton said he enjoys the community-building aspect of a signature m ass, he also stresses the separation of the events.

“I really appreciate it. Whatever we can do to create and sustain community around the liturgy is great,” n ewton said. “It is good to have people continue what they experienced in the liturgy outside the chapel, but that event is separate and distinct from m ass. Things we have done in the past that are somewhat similar include b irthday s unday, when we have cake after the 7 and 9 p.m. m asses in each of the dorms.”

The Lemonade and Le m ans m ass will be held every Wednesday at 9 p.m. in the s acred h eart c hapel on the third floor of Le m ans.

Contact McKenzie Lookebill at mlookebill01@saintmary’s.edu

c hurch — over time the words have changed a bit — but what that does is it takes us to the places internationally where we serve: in Asia, primarily in b angladesh; in Africa — Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana; and in Latin America, especially c hile and Peru. b ut we also do work with other countries such as h aiti, India, b razil and m exico,” d eLaney said.

Along with its missionary work, the c ongregation of the h oly c ross has also established schools in the countries it serves.

“We have our donors and our benefactors — always a big part of it — but what we try to do here at the m ission c enter is to raise the level of internationality across our province and at our ministries,” he said.

“What we’ve striven to do at the [ h oly c ross] universities [is] help them understand this connection that you’re at a h oly c ross school and [these missions are] also part of h oly c ross and there’s a way to link this.”

d eLaney, who has visited each and every country where h oly c ross missionaries serve, identified four main areas of focus for the mission center: advocacy for programs that benefit and support women and children, environmental efforts, work with immigrants, refugees and indigenous people and peace initiatives.

“ o ur common theme is seeking peace where we can and helping people to live that way,” he said.

s everal n otre d ame organizations and residence halls have partnered with the center to support the h oly c ross’ global outreach. Among the many include b engal b outs and b araka b outs, which raise money for h oly c ross schools in b angladesh and e ast Africa, respectively, and h oward h all’s Totter for Water, which last fall helped fund new bathrooms for a school in Plaisance, h aiti.

The University of Portland in particular raises money for many of the h oly c ross missions, d eLaney said.

“ e very single dorm at the University of Portland is doing at least one mission project,” he said. “At n otre d ame we’re not there yet, but the ones that are doing it are doing a great job.”

d eLaney said he hopes n otre d ame’s relationship with the h oly c ross will continue to grow in the future. h e said he encourages students to attend events that fund h oly c ross initiatives.

h e said events like c avanaugh h all’s annual “ c av c ornhole” and a 2K run-walk that supports a prenatal and neonatal center in n airobi are other examples of on-campus h oly c ross fundraisers.

“They raise a lot of money, but most importantly, they raise awareness,” d eLaney said.

h e encourages each residence hall to host a h oly c ross m ission c enter project and for students to remember the important work the h oly c ross does.

“I don’t consider what we do charity work,” he said. “What we are doing is assisting our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world.”

Aside from organizing events for residence halls and clubs, d eLaney said, a handful of n otre d ame students have done research on h oly c ross missions. s tudents interested in conducting research for h oly c ross may consult the center for resources or even travel to h oly c ross satellites to do research in other countries. h e said one student is currently doing a project on environmental issues in Latin America and their effects on the indigenous people who live there.

“ o ne of the things we really strive to do with our colleges, for example, is to look to support these projects so our students can do good work,” he said. “ m aybe it pertains to their major but they also see that they are connected to something bigger by being a student at n otre d ame, or h oly c ross c ollege or s aint m ary’s, or wherever they are that they are part of something bigger and that’s called h oly c ross and where we serve in the world.””

Contact Cate Von Dohlen at cvondohl@nd.edu

By DESSI GOMEZ scene Writer

c ountries collide in netflix’s newest addition to its collection of culinary coverage. “The Final Table” provides a glimpse into worldwide cuisine with a competitive edge. Twenty-four chefs from around the world team up in pairs to cook for a spot at the final table amongst nine legendary chefs from different countries.

A global cooking show calls for an arena to match, and “The Final Table” delivers. Twelve decked out cooking stations complete with stoves, ovens, refrigerators and much more sit in two rows across the stage. Judges watch chefs compete from a elevated ledge, getting a view of all the cooking action. spotlights shine on the chefs as they work, and at the beginning of each episode, the teams stand stoically in the dark awaiting their next challenge. As soon as the dish and constraints are announced, each team scrambles to the large pantry stocked with every ingredient imaginable to craft their culinary masterpieces.

The first nine episodes challenge the chefs to create the national dish of a certain country, to be tasted

and judged by three celebrities from that country. The three critics determine the best dish of the night, as well as the worst three dishes. The chef teams who have landed in the bottom three must cook again, this time with the challenge of incorporating and highlighting a certain ingredient chosen by the respective legendary chef that awaits the winner at the final table. The ingredient resembles the country around which the episode centers. From the bottom three, one pair of chefs gets eliminated once they have cooked their final plate.

It all starts in mexico, where the 12 pairs take on the task of creating tacos that resonate with their mexican origin while also showcasing each team’s style and strengths. In the second episode, paella stars as spain’s national dish. An e nglish breakfast faces the competitors in the third episode, and feijoada represents brazil in episode four. In India, the star dish is murgh makhani, or buttered chicken; however, it must be prepared with a vegetarian substitute for the meat. The bottom three teams then have to construct a dish starring coconut to avoid being sent home. o nce the competition reaches the United states, the remaining chefs put their spin on

Thanksgiving dinner, and the bottom three prepare dishes featuring pumpkin for renowned chef Grant Achatz. In Italy, each team crafts a masterful dish of pasta.

episodes eight and nine bring the heat as the competition narrows down in Japan and France, respectively. Japan challenges the last five teams with kaiseki, a multiple-course meal made with small portions. In France, the final four competing teams must cook hare a la royale, with the bottom three confronting a final ingredient challenge dictated by the egg. Two teams are eliminated at the end of the France episode. For the final episode, the four remaining chefs compete as individuals to create a plate that represents them, just as the nine legends who await them at the final table have done.

s o much knowledge can be gained from this series in regard to cooking and culture. The nine national dishes tell stories about their home countries. e ach competitor teaches viewers new nutrition facts as well as cooking methods. o verall, this series unites viewers with its all-encompassing global gastronomy. Contact Dessi Gomez at dgomez5@nd.edu

By RYAN ISRAEL scene Writer

Jonatan Aron Leandoer håstad’s latest album, “nectar,” is to his musical career what a finsta is to a rinsta.

For readers without Instagram accounts, let me explain: the “finsta” is the latest social media trend that has captured the hearts of young people everywhere. Finsta, an abbreviated term for “fake Instagram,” stands in contrast to the “rinsta,” or “real Instagram.” on a rinsta, there’s a pressure to keep up a certain cleanand-neat public appearance to your followers, some of whom may be co-workers or employers. on a finsta, however, things are much different. Finstas often involve goofy usernames like “young_ juul_lord” or “mattysmokes,” and finsta posts are usually funny, dumb, inappropriate or some mix of the three — basically, anything a person would not want to share with their hundreds of rinsta followers. Finstas normally have a small number of followers — usually only close friends — compared with a rinsta, which could have followers in the hundreds or thousands. In essence, finstas provide an important outlet for nonsensical personal expression away from the critical eye of the masses — unless, of course, a finsta post is screenshotted. but that’s a different story.

For Jonatan Aron Leandoer håstad, his rap persona, Yung Lean, was his rinsta. As Yung Lean, the 22-year-old swedish rapper was the forerunner of the “sad boy” or cloud-rap genre. his brand of hazy, melancholic music

garnered respect from Frank ocean, earned him a hit with the track “red bottom sky” and inspired a number of other artists to push the boundaries of rap such as bladee, Pouya and $uicideboy$.

but along with this success, Yung Lean simultaneously acquired an image to maintain — one of drugs, darkness and depression — and expectations to meet. so, in an effort to find an outlet for personal expression without the weight of being Yung Lean, håstad adopted a “finsta,” so to speak: a new name, Jonatan Leandoer127, and a new genre of music.

“nectar,” which håstad released in January of 2019 under the name Jonatan Leandoer127, is by no means a rap album. stylistically, it differs sharply from all of håstad’s work as Yung Lean. The album lies somewhere between a number of genres, incorporating elements of indie, art and punk rock, country and folk. “Tangerine Warrior (Freestyle),” which is not a freestyle in the traditional sense, beautifully transitions from riotous trumpets to a somber piano outro.

In the same album, “off With Their heads” sounds like an early-00’s indie-rock song, with loud drums and a reverb heavy guitar. on the track, and against the instrumental backdrop, håstad’s writing shines in a way that it didn’t on his work as Yung Lean. “Tales from unknown rabbits were the only thing you can see/And they jumped across like small, small town politicians trying to get their word across without using any social media or anything,” he rambles in his customary monotone and removed style. his lyrics maintain the darker, dismal themes found

on Yung Lean tracks, but the same themes layered over upbeat instrumentals carry a different meaning. “Take this key and take me to the end/Lugubrious treason, trench coats out of town” off “Wooden Girl” and “Who’s the man with the sapphire eyes/Who used to watch me in my room at night?/spider arms, black teeth and eyes/make me wanna kill ’em all somehow” off “my Guardian” stick out as particularly icy verses.

“nectar” is a lot like a finsta post: unpolished and a little rough around the edges. nevertheless, it’s still worthy of acclaim. It finds håstad exploring a different direction, free from the constraints of the Yung Lean name and persona, and doing it well. Jonatan Leandoer127 may always come second to Yung Lean and remain håstad’s finsta — but if he ever decided to switch things up, it could serve as a very exciting rinsta.

Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu

“Nectar”

Jonatan Leandoer127

Label: YEAR001

Tracks: “Off With Their Heads,” “Wooden Girl,” “Tangerine Warrior (Freestyle)”

If you like: Yung Lean, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement

Leaving my comfort zone

h allo again from Innsbruck! m y first semester here has just ended and a muchneeded month long break has started. (The semester timing in Austria is different than the timing in the United states.)

here’s a small list of what have I learned this semester: how to navigate through airports and train stations, how to be stranded, how to live in a small city, how to travel alone, how to choose courage and how to be alone.

These are things I probably would not have learned at home, whether at s aint m ary’s or in my hometown. I am a fan of my comfort zone. I like my nice little box of places I know and people I know. studying abroad in Innsbruck has truly forced me out of that box in a way that going to college last year didn’t.

s aint m ary’s is only 45 minutes from my hometown. I can get home by car or by train. I saw my family probably once a month last year. o ne of my best friends from high school, by chance, also decided to attend s aint m ary’s so I already had a friend when I arrived at smc s o, while going to college was scary, I wasn’t really that far outside of my comfort zone. here, I am a nine-hour flight away from home. I haven’t seen my family since I left in s eptember, my friends since August and won’t see most of them again until July. I came to Innsbruck knowing no one. While I do have the benefit of having an old host family from an exchange program I took part in during high school, they don’t live in Innsbruck.

b eing out of my comfort zone has helped me to be more adaptable. Traveling is learning how to go with the flow. e very time I have made travel plans, something has gone awry whether it be as simple as having to stand on a two-hour train ride or as complicated as delayed trains and trying to catch your connecting train. It’s again an utter act of trust and faith. I’ve learned that, somehow, the traveling problems will work themselves out. Worrying about them only hinders my ability to adapt to the new situation.

And here at the end of this semester, just as I had gotten used to how life is in Innsbruck, it’s changing again. s ome people in the program left to go back to the U. s s everal more people are coming to join the program.

Through all of this, I’m realizing that the best personal growth really does only happen by going through the hard stuff, by leaving the comfort zone that I love so much. c hange is hard, but the discovery of what I can do that I didn’t know before is better.

Contact Erin Grimes at egrimes01@saintmarys.edu

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

Ralph Northam: Hypocrisy reigns supreme

Last week, a yearbook photo of v irginia d emocrat Gov. r alph northam surfaced, featuring him and a friend in blackface and Ku Klux Klan robes. d emocrats and republicans alike are calling for his resignation, but northam, despite apologizing, intends to keep his job.

support has dwindled, but the outcry against northam has been largely minimal. It seems that liberals have attacked Trump with wild accusations of racism for three years with zero backing, but when one of their own is featured in an old problematic photo, racism is easily swept under the rug. When first covering the story, cnn “mistakenly” labeled northam as a member of the G oP with a ( r ) next to his name on the headline. It seems that they just can’t wrap their heads around the prospect of someone on the left being racist, but alas, racism is an issue that the d emocratic Party does not like to truthfully address. noted antis emite Louis Farrokhan is an ally and friend of rep. m axine Waters, but the party does not like to talk about that.

As one might recall, it was not long ago that another prominent government figure was under fire for his yearbook. supreme c ourt Justice brett Kavanaugh had his high school yearbook excessively scrutinized for secret messages, gang rape alliances and misogynistic phrases that simply didn’t exist. In the case of northam’s yearbook, however, where anyone can spot the transparent racism, the mainstream media and left-wing elite do not feel that it requires any attention. Furthermore, Kavanaugh’s yearbook was published while he was a kid living at home with his parents. northam was in medical school, an adult well into his 20s. should northam not be held more accountable as an adult?

regardless of where a person may stand on the political spectrum, it is obvious that racism is not funny and is never excusable. Putting politics aside, r alph northam should step down purely to maintain the dignity of his current office. The people should be able to have trust in their politicians, and with that photo casting a shadow over the integrity of northam’s office, the people of v irginia will never again be able to feel confident in their governor.

While the photos are inexcusable and reprehensible, today’s culture of outrage, social media leaks and identity politics give the matter an air of unfairness to northam. b y no means is this a defense of his actions, but it is an indictment of today’s instant gratification and shock-value culture. The value of digging up old photos, videos, journals or letters from 30 years ago is very little. o ften, it is one person who does an outrageous amount of research on an enemy or political opponent and, after an exhaustive investigative process, scrounges up an old photo or document from the enemy’s adolescence or young adulthood, then posts it on Twitter or sends it to news outlets. The outlets then air it on T v and make it a viral hit on social media, using their favorite word, “bombshell,” to describe every new report.

This type of journalism is dangerous because it caters to the visceral side of human nature, the side that is ready to tear people down for any misstep without any context. In the rapid news cycle of today, the c ovington c atholic students were brutally treated on Twitter and in the news, receiving death threats before all the facts came to the surface. As it turned out, as the world now knows, the students acted admirably in the face of hours of verbal abuse. Again, r alph northam should not be excused for his costume, as it is racist regardless of the context. however, the practice of digging up old tweets and photos sets a dangerous precedent. Forgetting context and ruling out the possibility that people were once young and naive perpetuates a witch hunt mentality that brings out the worst in the new American identity politics obsession. r alph northam did something racist and unpatriotic in medical school. The photos are disturbing and wrong. The morally correct move would be to resign with dignity from his office. Instead, he denied that he was in the photos and stood firm in his desire to serve v irginia. The American people may have been able to forgive him if he had given a better apology and owned up to his actions, but the half-truths and outright lies he has given since the photo leaked is evidence enough that he is not a proper fit for the office of governor.

Jack Zinsky is a sophomore from Tinley Park, Illinois, majoring in finance. He writes for the rights of the right. He can be reached at jzinsky@nd.edu

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

Perpetrator of genocide or catholic hero?

Jackie O’Brien domer debates

University President Fr. John Jenkins’s decision to cover the offensive and demeaning murals in the m ain b uilding depicting the conquest and genocide of c hristopher c olumbus is a wonderful step in the right direction toward acknowledging the actuality of American and c atholic history, as well as respecting every student and person who steps foot on our campus.

The pushback this decision has received, however, is emblematic of the wrong type of freedom advocated for by many on campus and throughout America. The idea that we have the fundamental right to idolize all historical figures in publicly-accessed spaces, no matter what they may have done, in an effort to acknowledge the totality of history.

This is fundamentally wrong. c olumbus committed a genocide against the native people who resided in the land that he invaded. Within 60 years of c olumbus landing in the c aribbean, only a few hundred Taino native people were left on their island, where they had previously numbered 250,000. c olumbus forced them into labor and servitude, while others were murdered or died from disease brought by the crew. In the d ominican r epublic, c olumbus issued a harsh crackdown on a revolt of the native people, protesting the terrible conditions, which resulted in

many of their deaths.

In terms of his role as an emblematic c atholic, rather than bringing c hristianity, and c atholicism specifically, to America, he forced it upon the people, leaving them little option but to follow. Why is this who we look toward as the hero and figure for c atholics who faced persecution in America? Is there no one better? Isn’t this the larger question that we should be asking?

This is not the type of freedom of thought and expression that we should be fighting for. This type of freedom, while allowing some people to express their views, completely disregards the valid feelings of those who have dealt with a history of oppression that continues to this day.

And here, I believe, lies a vital distinction. While it is true that c atholics faced severe discrimination in America for more than a century, we no longer face this type of discrimination today, and our history of oppression is widely acknowledged. h owever, when you examine the historic treatment of n ative Americans in America, the story looks different. They faced genocide, cultural destruction, forced assimilation and a government-organized attempt to undercut their economic prospects. To this day, they still face various and systemic forms of oppression. Yet, we still celebrate c olumbus d ay every year.

There is something to be said in acknowledging the annals of history, and what covering these murals could mean in that respect. Are we covering the reality of our history as people who live on

stolen land? Are we refusing to acknowledge the realities of c atholic missionary history? I don’t think so. r ather, we are refusing to allow this history, a history of oppression and death, to be idolized as a defining feature of our most prominent community building.

The frustrations that the n ative American s tudent Association of n otre d ame have experienced for years are far from superficial. To have the genocide, servitude and conquering of native peoples depicted in grandeur throughout the walls of our Golden d ome is an affront to the true nature and horror of history. And covering the murals is not covering history, it is rejecting the idealization of a figure who has for centuries been revered for the utter destruction of a previous culture, and a favored under the false narrative of spreading c atholicism to America, rather than imposing it on the native populations.

Thank you Fr. Jenkins, for acknowledging the importance of student voices on campus, especially those of minority students, and taking a step in the right direction of respectful and true freedom of expression.

Jackie is a junior at Notre Dame majoring in political science and peace studies. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, in her free time she can be found discussing politics or the personal merits of Harrison Ford. All questions can be directed to: jobrie21@nd.edu

The views expressed in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Observer.

Fr. Jenkins: It is time to lead.

In June of 2018, news broke that c ardinal Theodore mc carrick had been accused of sexual abuse of a minor 48 years ago and that the review board of the Archdiocese of new York found the allegation to be “credible and substantiated.” mc carrick has since been accused of also abusing an 11-year-old boy for a continuous 20-year period. The vatican is now investigating a third instance of abuse of a minor by mc carrick. It has also been revealed that mc carrick was accused of sexually abusing seminarians, abusing his power by preying on vulnerable adults under his control. Pope Francis has removed mc carrick from the c ollege of c ardinals — an unprecedented decision — and sentenced him to “observe a life of prayer and penance in seclusion.” It is now evident that mc carrick will not receive a canonical trial and will instead be subject to an administrative penal process. This signifies that the evidence is overwhelmingly clear that mc carrick is guilty and the University should rescind mc carrick’s honorary degree without delay.

In 2008, c ardinal mc carrick delivered the commencement speech at notre dame and received an honorary doctor of laws degree. Yet, despite the response from Pope Francis, the Archdiocese of new York and catholic groups around the globe, notre dame has refused to rescind mc carrick’s degree. In a letter to the University community, Fr. Jenkins stated that although notre dame finds the actions of mc carrick to be “reprehensible” it will not make any decisions regarding his degree until a final decision in a case, after a canonical trial in rome, is made. notre dame should be at the forefront of combatting the clerical abuse crisis in the roman catholic c hurch. As both an iconic institution and a leader in

catholic education, notre dame is responsible for setting a precedent of c atholic morality to which the world should look. Though Fr. Jenkins’s comments calling for a conclusion to the judicial process before rescinding mc carrick’s honorary degree are founded in the precedent of his approach to bill c osby’s honorary degree, this is a vastly different situation. The actions of bill c osby and cardinal mc carrick mirror each other, but there is a fundamental difference — mc carrick’s status as a prominent member of our catholic community, and a long history of association with our University, compels us to strongly condemn his actions.

Fr. Jenkins issued a statement earlier this school year saying that catholic institutions that do not protect those who cannot protect themselves were guilty of “perversely exploiting the vulnerable and corrupting the young.” he continued to say that some bishops have done more to protect the wolves than the sheep. It is imperative that Fr. Jenkins act decisively and without delay so that his actions match his rhetoric as regards this crisis. notre dame should, as Fr. Jenkins stated, be a place that protects the vulnerable and nurtures the young. Just as we have stood tall to protect our dAc A students and have remained steadfast on protecting all life, so too must we make it clear that notre dame will stand with survivors of sexual abuse, and specifically survivors of the clerical abuse crisis. As students have said before, refusing to stand against a perpetrator of sexual assault sends the message that we are embarrassed to be associated with sexual assault survivors, and we are not willing to break the silence surrounding sexual assault.

Fordham University, catholic University of

America and the University of Portland have all rescinded honorary degrees from mc carrick. The University of Portland, another holy c ross institution, cited its “commitment to fostering a world that is free from sexual assault, sexual harassment or other forms of violence” in its revocation. s o too should notre dame be committed to a world free from all forms of violence, especially sexual assault. honorary degrees are supposed to be given as a marker of a contribution that someone has made for the betterment of society. mc carrick’s heinous transgressions render his possession of such a degree absurd, a truth well-realized by our fellow catholic institutions. It is disquieting — disturbing, even — to see our institution, refusing to take a stand on this deeply serious issue affecting our catholic community.

As notre dame students, we are called to lead. We ask the administration to do the same.

Gates McGavick senior, student body president

Corey Gayheart senior, student body vice president

Briana Tucker senior, student government chief of staff

Student Government Department of Gender Relations

Student Government Department of Faith & Service

Feb. 5

Happy Birthday: Pay more attention to important relationships, your health and how you present who you are and what you can do. Turn this year into one of personal growth, enlightenment and striving to reach higher standards and professional goals. l eave the past behind you, and focus on the moment and what life has to offer. c hange begins within. your numbers are 1, 5, 18, 26, 34, 42, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): l earn from mistakes, and consider the best way to improve what you have to offer. An act of kindness will make you feel good as well as make a difference to someone struggling. romance is going to be highlighted.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): refuse to let emotions get in the way of your responsibilities. A problem can be fixed if you are open about what you want to see happen. b e the one to make a difference, not the one to cause concern for anyone.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If you want change, make it happen. refuse to let someone bully you or lead you astray. make your home a safe place where you can chill and enjoy time spent with family and friends. focus on relationships and personal improvements.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): step outside your comfort zone and see what life has to offer. l ook at possible partnerships and how you can work alongside someone who will contribute as much as you do. Avoid a risky venture or making an impulsive purchase.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A playful, energetic attitude will lead to success. network and socialize with people who are as enthusiastic as you are, and good things will transpire. Personal improvements will boost your morale and make you irresistible. l ove is in the air.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): d on’t mince words when dealing with youngsters or seniors trying to take advantage of you. set a standard that will ensure everyone stays in line and takes care of his or her responsibilities. It’s time to take charge and be responsible.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): you may want change, but some of the people your choices will affect may not. g et the go-ahead before you make a move that may cause havoc. concentrate on personal growth and improvements, not trying to change others.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): l ook at all sides of a situation and you’ll come up with a plan that will encourage others to pitch in and help. d on’t let someone from your past cause problems that will upset your current friendships or a love relationship.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): you’ll attract plenty of attention. Put your energy into something constructive. fixing up your personal space to suit some of the projects you want to pursue will help push you in the right direction. Physical improvement is favored.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): you’ll face opposition if you are too vocal about what you plan to do. focus on perfecting your plans before you decide to share. someone will take advantage of you or steal your idea if you are too transparent.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put your best foot forward. Partnerships, professional gains and personal change are within reach. e nthusiasm and following through with your promises will lead to greater opportunities and the chance to earn your living doing something you enjoy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): c hannel your energy wisely. you can get into wan argument or you can make good use of your time. helping others can be good for the soul and offer insight into a situation you have been avoiding. o bservation will be enlightening.

Birthday Baby: you are energetic, open-minded and fair. you are sensitive and compassionate.

Drop the excuses not to watch

Courtney Becker editor-in-Chief

After the most painful-towatch Super Bowl in recent memory, I figured the time was once again ripe to point out my favorite obvious fact: Criticisms of women’s basketball are nothing more than sexist excuses not to watch women succeed at a sport.

The number of people who say women’s basketball isn’t worth watching because it’s boring, the offense is less entertaining than it is in men’s basketball and “UConn will end up winning it all anyway” is absurd. These claims are even worse when you take a few things into account.

Golden State vs. Cleveland, Clemson vs. Alabama, New England vs. anyone

Yes, Connecticut won the NCAAW title four years in a row, from 2013 to 2016. But the Huskies haven’t even appeared in the title game for the past two tournaments, losing in the semifinals both times.

Meanwhile, over in the NBA, Steph Curry and the Warriors look primed to head to a fifthstraight NBA title series, and with LeBron now with the struggling Lakers, it looks like Golden State won’t have to worry about those pesky Cavaliers — for the first time in four years. Some basketball fans apparently can’t stand to watch a team of women build a dynasty but have no problem with watching the same two teams meet in the NBA Finals four times in a row — with the team that employs a 3-point heavy offensive scheme winning the title three times, by the way.

Or how about college football? Should we all not bother to tune in because we all know Clemson and Alabama are going to meet in the College Football Playoff anyway? In fact, aside from the appearance of Notre Dame rather than Georgia, this year’s playoff teams were exactly the same as last year’s. Yet somehow I didn’t hear the same people who claim women’s basketball is not worth watching say the same thing about NCAA football.

And seriously, if you’re willing to watch Bill Belichick win six Super Bowls in nine appearances with the same quarterback over the past two decades, you can get over Geno Auriemma doing pretty much the same thing with a greater variety of players in women’s college basketball.

Virginia Tech 47, North Carolina State 24

Offensive inefficiency and lack of scoring excitement are bad arguments against women’s basketball.

Just one day before the

lowest-scoring Super Bowl in NFL history, NC State posted the lowest score in NCAA men’s basketball since the implementation of the shot clock. Sure, you could post a 30-second clip on Twitter of a bad offensive series from a women’s basketball team and mock that, or you could just take a look at the stat lines from this game.

The Wolfpack only put up 14 points in the first half and 10 in the second, shooting 16.7 percent from the floor. They were ranked No. 23 at the time. And it’s not like then-No. 12 Virginia Tech shot lights-out. The Hokies only scored their 47 points on 36 percent shooting for the game.

Many top-25 women’s college basketball teams often put up 24 points by the end of the first quarter and 47 by the end of the half. But yeah, men’s basketball is unquestionably superior 100 percent of the time.

Women’s basketball is great simply on its own merit

All that having been said, you don’t have to take away from another sport to recognize how much fun women’s basketball is to watch.

Last year’s NCAAW Final Four was unbelievably thrilling, with both semifinals going into overtime and two of the three games — including the national championship — ending on clutch buzzer-beaters. If you didn’t watch it just because you have some twisted idea that men are superior to women, you missed out.

And individual players are also exciting to watch. Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon currently holds the NCAA record — men’s and women’s — for triple-doubles with 15. She’s already broken her own record twice.

Teaira McCowan has 58 blocks on the season for Mississippi State and is averaging a doubledouble. The ferocity she plays with and her celebrations after a play are also super entertaining.

And Grambling State’s Shakyla Hill just notched her secondcareer quadruple-double last weekend. For context, there has only been one quadruple-double in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history.

If you’re still dismissing women’s basketball, you need to rethink your reasons. Some of the greatest athletes in the country are doing some amazing things in that arena, and because they’re women is no excuse not to watch.

Contact Courney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu

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

LeBron takes worst loss of career versus Pacers

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points and the Indiana Pacers tied an NBA franchise record by making 19 3-pointers in a 136-94 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, handing LeBron James the most lopsided loss of his career.

James’ teams lost by 36 points twice previously.

Myles Turner had 22 points and Thaddeus Young finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to help the Pacers pick up their third consecutive victory.

James had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his second game back since injuring his groin on Christmas Day. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter.

JaVale McGee had 16 points for the Lakers, who have lost two straight and six of their last eight. This

time, the Lakers never had a chance.

Bogdanovic barely needed two minutes to reach double figures as he staked the Pacers to a 10-2 lead, a deficit from which Los Angeles never recovered.

After the Lakers closed to 12-8, Indiana scored five straight, extended the lead to 28-21 and used a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from e dmond Sumner to make it 33-26 after one quarter.

Aaron Holiday’s 3 early in the second quarter gave Indiana a 42-28 lead. And when Los Angeles finally cut the deficit to 44-34, the Pacers answered with a 14-4 run.

They led 69-43 at the half, extended the lead to 83-53 on Tyreke e vans’ 3 with 7:31 left in the third quarter and the Lakers never got closer than 25 again.

In addition to playing without All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, Doug McDermott sat out with bruised ribs. Turner

started despite a sore knee. ... Indiana set new seasonhighs with 69 points in the first half and their final total. The Pacers avoided their first season sweep by the Lakers since 200910. Coach Nate McMillan tied Jack Mc k inney for No. 7 on the franchise’s NBA victories list with 125. Indiana improved to 10-1 this season when seven or more players score in double figures. Domantas Sabonis, Aaron Holiday and e dmond Sumer each had 17 points. Cory Joseph finished with 13. The Pacers have won four games this season by 30 or more points, matching their highest single-season total since 1993-94.

“We’ve had a couple good games, but it’s still going to take some time for us to really establish the way we want to play, not just establishing the way we need to play,” Turner said. “We’ve got to keep going.”

Capitals best Canucks as Ovechkin hits 1,180 points

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — T.J. Oshie scored as part of a dominant performance, Braden Holtby made 30 saves and stopped a penalty shot and the Washington Capitals beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 Tuesday night in Jay Beagle’s return to his old home arena.

Alex Ovechkin assisted on Oshie’s 16th goal of the season to pick up his 1,180th career point and become NHL’s alltime scoring leader among r ussian players. Ovechkin went into the game tied atop that list with former teammate Sergei Fedorov. Oshie, whose penalty late in a loss to Boston on Sunday hurt the Capitals’ chances of coming back against the Bruins, was at his best against the Canucks. He forced the turnover that led to his goal, flipped the puck over defenders for a scoring chance in the first and

created another one in the second.

Holtby made 13 saves and denied Bo Horvat on a penalty shot in a busy second period to help the struggling Capitals pick up two important points. Holtby was run over by Horvat prior to e lias Pettersson’s goal with 7.6 seconds remaining and was attended to by a team athletic trainer before finishing the game.

Brett Connolly and Jakub Vrana scored third-period goals for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who had lost eight of their previous nine games.

Markus Granlund also scored for the Canucks, who lost for the second consecutive night and have dropped three of four. Forced to start each side of this back-to-back because of an injury to rookie Thatcher Demko, Jacob Markstrom made 17 of his 28 saves in the first period to keep the Canucks in it.

The game was Beagle’s first time facing his former teammates after playing parts of 10 seasons with the Capitals and helping them win the Stanley Cup last year. Beagle, who signed a $12 million, four-year contract with Vancouver, got a standing ovation from the crowd during a video tribute in the first period and a hug from Ovechkin after it was over.

Canucks D Alexander e dler will miss at least a week with a concussion from a scary fall to the ice Monday in Philadelphia. Coach Travis Green said e dler needed stitches, but X-rays showed no facial fractures from hitting his head on the ice. Junior G Mike DiPietro backed up Markstrom after Demko injured a knee Monday in warmups and went back to Vancouver for an M r I. Capitals D Lars e ller returned to the lineup after missing a game with a lower-body injury.

w Lacrosse

and were two of the topthree scorers on the team. Attacker h owe raked in 55 points during her first season in collegiate lacrosse, scoring 40 goals and assisting on 15. s he led the team in goals and points, becoming the first freshman since 2014

to score 40 goals. h er teammate Aldave contributed 45 points from her midfield position, while also dominating the draw. Aldave set the school record for draws in a single season with 98, making a strong impression on her coach, who complemented the midfielder.

“I think she was easily in the conversation for being one of the strongest

s oftball

hitting .365 with 20 runs batted in. she was also a nightmare for opposing catchers, stealing 15 bases on 17 attempts. Wester was named to the Acc all-tournament team last season and will likely hit out of the leadoff spot once again for the Irish to start this season.

sophomore outfielder Abby sweet and senior infielder/ pitcher cait brooks will look to support Wester at the top of the Irish lineup. The pair combined for 64 runs batted in and 12 home runs last year, hitting .333 and .272, respectively. The duo will look to begin building on last year’s numbers in mexico this weekend.

sophomore pitcher Alexis holloway also returns for the Irish. holloway was on the mound for 228 of the 374.1 defensive innings the Irish played last season, and posted a team-leading 2.55 er A along with a 22-15 record over 45 appearances. As a freshman, the workhorse pitcher was named to the all-Acc second team as well as the n Fc A m id-Atlantic All-region First Team, becoming just the third notre dame freshman pitcher to earn FirstTeam all-region honors in program history.

The Irish will begin their opening weekend against duke

midfielders in the country, alongside her m c d onogh [ h igh s chool] teammate [junior midfielder] s avannah b uchanan,” h alfpenny said.

As dangerous as the Irish are on attack, however, they are supported by a solid base in defense. s enior defender h annah Proctor will look to keep opponents at bay, as she has done throughout her career with the Irish. n amed a Preseason h onorable m ention All-American by Inside Lacrosse, Proctor has played all 38 games over the past two seasons, starting all but one. In that time, her strong performances have kept prospective attackers out of the net frequently.

b ehind Proctor, senior goalkeeper s amantha Giacolone has been a mainstay in the net since her freshman year. c oming off a season where she led the A cc in save percentage and was named First Team All-A cc , Giacolone will look to continue to provide quality goalkeeping for the Irish.

Leadership is key for any successful sports program. For leadership, h alfpenny will be looking toward the juniors and seniors, about whom she is very excited about and expects to step up to the challenge.

“They’ve seen a lot, they’ve been through a lot, they’re weathered in terms of understanding what the season feels like, what it entails,

who our opponents are and how important every single game is,” h alfpenny said. With a fairly young squad that contains six freshman and 10 sophomores, the team captains will be essential in maintaining a sense of stability and continuity in the attitudes of the team. And while it is no secret that the A cc is one of the strongest conferences for women’s

lacrosse, with returning production all over the field, the Irish look to return as a threat in the conference this season.

o pening their respective seasons, the Irish and Golden e agles are scheduled to face off Friday at 3 p.m. in m ilwaukee.

Contact Wally Osterberger at wosterb2@nd.edu

on Thursday inside mexico’s nancy Almaraz stadium. The blue devils took two out of three games in south bend last year against the Irish, but failed to advance out of the play-in round of the Acc tournament last year. on Friday, the Irish will turn their attention to Liberty. The Flames and Irish are both currently listed just outside the college softball rankings.

The tournament schedule does not get easier from there, as the Irish will take on no. 9 south carolina and no. 2/3 Washington in their next two games. The saturday doubleheader will serve as perhaps one of the tougher tests the Irish will have to face this season, as the Gamecocks and the huskies could provide what may likely be tougher competition than what the Irish will see in the Acc, as just one Acc team ( no. 1 Florida state) was listed in the preseason softball rankings.

Looking ahead to the full season, the Irish will compete in a series of weekend tournaments before Acc play kicks off with notre dame traveling to take on the defending-champion seminoles in the middle of march.

The Irish aim to start their season in full swing, beginning by facing the blue devils on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 9:30 p.m.

home in the second round.

Long gone are the days of Pat c onnaughton and Jerian Grant, of d emetrius Jackson and Zach Auguste or even of steve vasturia and v.J. b eachem. Truthfully, one could argue that the program has been on the downtick ever since the infamous 201415 season. That season, notre d ame stormed its way to an Acc tournament title, defeating blue-blood programs north c arolina and d uke on consecutive nights in Greensboro, north c arolina, to earn the program its firstever league title in what was just the school’s second year in the Acc . That team went 32-6. It nearly knocked off then-undefeated Kentucky in the e lite e ight of the nc AA tournament, but a last-second heave by Grant from the corner sailed over the rim as the buzzer sounded, bringing an end to notre d ame’s incredible tournament run.

That season was, I would argue, the peak of notre d ame men’s basketball in the m ike brey era. That was his most talented and perhaps the deepest team he’s had during his time here. To a casual fan, it appears that this year the program has hit rock bottom; that the Irish may be stuck in mediocrity for a while, never again to re-capture the magic of that 2014-15 season.

Then again, there might just be a rainbow after the rainstorm.

Why do I bring up the 201415 season, other than to laud it as the golden period of notre d ame basketball in the last 20 years?

Well, because the previous

and sit at second-to-last in the A cc standings, just above Wake Forest. While m iami has certainly faced the gauntlet of A cc play thus far in its schedule, the h urricanes also have losses against r utgers, Yale and Penn in the non-conference portion of their schedule. m iami has especially struggled on the defensive side of the ball this season, and currently ranks 94th overall in KenPom (77th in offense, 130th in defense).

h owever, one bright spot for the h urricanes this season has been 5-foot-7 sophomore point guard c hris Lykes, who has emerged as the leading scorer and distributor for m iami, recording 16.7 points and 3.4 assists per game. A quick and shifty player, he averages 1.5 steals per contest and shoots 32.5 percent from deep.

year, the Irish weren’t good.

In fact, the Irish finished the season 15-17, with a disappointing 6-10 record in conference play — their first year in the Acc notre d ame’s season included early, embarrassing home losses to Indiana state and north d akota state and a 2-5 record in January Acc play. The Irish struggled to make key plays down the stretch and lost many close games — their season ultimately ending with a first round exit in the Acc tournament.

s ound familiar?

When you’ve been a fan of notre d ame basketball for this long, these trends start to emerge. This year’s team appears to be on a similar trajectory to that 2013-14 team. And now you begin to see where I’m going with this: c ould next year’s team completely turn it around?

I obviously don’t know the answer, and I do know that m ike brey and the Irish coaching staff have a long way to go if they want they want to achieve as significant a turnaround as they did five years ago, but I have reason for optimism.

e verybody’s coming back next year, r ex Pflueger included. The current Irish freshman will all have a full year under their belts, and the team as a whole will have a lot more upperclassmen and overall experience to lean on. now, let’s get realistic and practical: What would have to happen for the Irish to get back in Acc title contention next season? Last week, brey addressed the biggest need his team currently has right now.

“We have a little bit of a problem going and getting a bucket off the dribble when we don’t get anything off our

o n Wednesday, Lykes will battle against a familiar face: Irish freshman point guard Prentiss h ubb. The two were high school teammates at Gonzaga c ollege h igh s chool in Washington, d c , and helped lead the e agles to the 2017 Washington c atholic Athletic c onference title while combining for 843 points with 112 assists. Irish head coach m ike b rey commented last week on h ubb’s importance, discussing his role on the Irish offense and his leadership ability.

“ h e has to go look to score for us,” b rey said of h ubb on Thursday. “ d riving it to the hole, making plays. h e and d ane [Goodwin] have the ability to go get a shot and make a play and kind of break the pattern, and so I want [ h ubb] to build on that. … h e’s got a great voice. h e pretty much is our point guard … guys look to him, and so he kind of needs to be a leader even now at the end

movement. s omebody that can just go get a shot — that has been a problem for us,” brey said Thursday before practice. “ … I do think Prentiss [ hubb] and d ane [Goodwin] will become that, and if they want to go ahead and do it in February, that would be okay.”

Through an incredibly challenging and frustrating season, brey has kept a level head, and he is doing the right thing by throwing his young guys out there and letting them play — even if it hurts to see them get crushed by v irginia and d uke this season. The belief is that, as fire forges metal, the Irish will become all the stronger through those defeats. Therefore, to get back to where they want to be, a lot of individuals need to gain experience and up their game. John mooney is the

of his freshman year.”

Mooney

The Irish junior forward has recorded a double-double in eight straight games, and is now averaging one for the season (14.5 points and 10.9 rebounds) — the only Acc player to do so. mooney is now tied for fourth all-time at notre d ame for consecutive double-doubles, Luke h arangody’s record of 11 in the 2008-09 season now within sight.

mooney is now the first player since Tim d uncan for Wake Forest in 1996-97 to record eight-straight doubledoubles. The 6-foot-9 junior forward has made a significant improvement in his game this season, having averaged only 5.6 points per game last season.

The Irish and the hurricanes are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. at the Watsco c enter.

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

perfect example of what the Irish need from several players next season — a guy who made a big jump in his game during the offseason. That’s what happened with the 2014-15 team, and that’s what needs to happen with this one.

“[We’ve] talked about recruiting a bunch, and then offseason development. … I think you have to when you’re in the situation we’re in, as far as what are your goals for the guys returning and that type of thing,” b rey said Thursday. “They’re all coming back, so it’s a matter of what you do in the offseason and development. … Who do we feel can make a big jump? A mooney jump. c ould we have two guys, three guys make those kind of jumps? We’re going to need that.” o verall, it’s hard to say if the Irish are trending in the

right direction. I don’t expect brey’s squad to make a massive turnaround this season, but I do expect them to keep improving and growing as seen in their performance against b oston c ollege. After all, with everybody returning, this season can be viewed as a series of practices for next year’s run. s o while this season may be filled with even more embarrassment and frustration, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Wait out the rainstorm, and if history is any indication, there will be a rainbow waiting on the other side, and maybe even a pot of gold.

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

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

nd men’s basketball

Irish to look build momentum as a program

Squad looks for second-straight win versus Miami

By JOE EVERETT sports editor

Aiming to build off its 79-73 win over b oston c ollege, n otre d ame continues its road trip this Wednesday as the team heads down to c oral Gables, Florida, to take on m iami.

The Irish (12-10, 2-7 A cc ) were led on s aturday by junior guard n ikola d jogo, who scored a career-high 21 points to lead n otre d ame over b oston c ollege for its second win over the e agles this season. n ow, the Irish look to build a little momentum with a second-straight win as it prepares to take on another struggling A cc opponent in m iami.

This will be the 23rd meeting between the two programs, the all-time series tied at 11-11. b oth teams are experiencing down years, as the h urricanes (9-12, 1-8 A cc ) have lost five-straight games

see m bbALL PaGe 11

ND eager to start season off strong

By WALLY OSTERBERGER sports Writer

Women’s lacrosse at n otre d ame has been a model of consistency over the course of Irish head coach c hristine h alfpenny’s tenure, regularly making the nc AA tournament. h owever, after failing to do so last season, the Irish are eager to right the wrongs of 2018.

h alfpenny, when asked about the team’s goals for the season, expressed an optimistic attitude toward the 2019 campaign.

“Well, we actually have some overarching goals for the future,” she said. “The first one actually is to start fast.”

A fast start would work wonders for n otre d ame, as the Irish have an opportunity to win some important games early on before a stretch of important clashes later on in the season against several teams in the preseason top-20 rankings, such as Acc foes b oston c ollege,

s yracuse and d uke.

The Irish start out the season in m ilwaukee this Friday as they clash with m arquette. c oming off a good season, m arquette provides a morethan-capable challenge for the Irish and is not one h alfpenny is taking lightly.

“They are gritty, scrappy, I think they play hard, I think play to their game-plan and they are very well-coached,” h alfpenny said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to go on the road and have an opener against a somewhat familiar opponent.”

After one of the best seasons in their program, m arquette will come for the Irish, but it is a challenge that the Irish are more than ready to face head on. In fact, head on is just how the Irish like to play. h alfpenny will rely on the attacking instincts of her players, especially sophomores m addie h owe and Andie Aldave. Last year, both started all 19 games

ND has history of rebounding from bad seasons

editor

The Irish are finally trending in the right direction. Perhaps, one might argue, on multiple levels.

And while n otre d ame (1210, 2-7 A cc ) pulled out a 7973 win over b oston c ollege this past s aturday to finally snap its five-game losing streak and gain back some semblance of respectability this season, the reality is that this isn’t n otre d ame’s year. In fact, neither was last year, as injuries to thenseniors b onzie c olson and m att Farrell derailed n otre d ame’s hopes at a postseason run in the nc AA tournament. Instead, the Irish landed in the n IT after just missing out on a bid to the b ig d ance, and they were subsequently knocked out by Penn s tate at

see evereTT PaGe 11

notre dame to open season at mexico tourney

Observer Sports Staff

notre dame is ready to escape the frigid weather in south bend for sunnier days in mexico. The Irish will begin their season with the threeday Puerto vallarta college c hallenge in Puetro vallarta, mexico.

The team will look to build off of a strong 2018 season, which saw them earn the fifth seed in the Acc tournament and a trip to the conference semifinals. The Irish season ended with a 6-1 loss at the hands of eventual Acc and national champion Florida state, and then a failure to advance out of the Lexington regional of the nc AA tournament. The Irish have more than the regionals on their mind this season, as they return eight of their nine leading hitters by batting average and three of their four pitchers from 2018. headlining those returning is senior outfielder Ali Wester. Wester appeared in all 57 games for the Irish last season,