Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Blais, shewit outline plans for year ahead

Student government president and vice president pursue greater involvement

By RACHEL O’GRADY

ssistant managing e ditor

a

i t was a busy summer for student body president and vice president b ecca b lais and s ibonay s hewit. b etween securing a bike-sharing program on campus, improving their diversity and inclusion initiatives, executing a f lick on the f ield event and laying important groundwork with u niversity h ealth s ervices, they’re ticking items off their to-do list every day.

b ut as the year actually gets started, b lais said she is excited to focus on the students.

“ i think the biggest thing … is just a growing presence of student government

in people’s lives,” b lais said. “ w hat i want is, at the end of the day, if you pluck a random student off the sidewalk and say, like, ‘how does student government help you?’ they’ll be able to name something. we’re just doing small, tangible things.”

That starts with her team — s hewit, her vice president, and p rathm Juneja, their chief of staff, most immediately.

“The three of us have been working together really well,” b lais said. “ i t’s very different from any partnership between a president, vice president and chief of staff before. we work in a very unique way.

festival finishes with ‘much ado about nothing’

By ALEXANDRA MUCK news writer

n ow in its 18th year, the n otre d ame s hakespeare f estival is drawing to a close with its summer production of “ much a do a bout n othing,” directed by d rew f racher. p erformed by the

n otre d ame s hakespeare

professional company that includes student apprentices as well as professional actors, the play runs from a ug. 15 to 27 in the p atricia g eorge d ecio Theatre in the d e b artolo p erforming a rts c enter.

g rant mudge, the r yan

Bike-sharing program comes to campus

By TOM NAATZ news writer

This year, l ime b ike — a bike-sharing program introduced to campus by the administration and student government — will sweeten the ride at n otre d ame. The program, which operates in several different places across the country, aims to give students an affordable

and sustainable mode of transport.

The bikes are currently available in s outh b end and on n otre d ame’s campus, and are coming soon to s aint m ary’s and h oly c ross. p atrons gain access to a bike by scanning a Q r code on the bike with an app available to download to a smartphone. a fter doing so, students may ride

the bikes anywhere in the given area — either s outh b end or n otre d ame’s campus. o nce they have reached their destination, a student would simply lock the bike and leave it wherever he or she is. a fter that, the bike is available for anyone to use.

This easy accessibility and convenience is perfect for

Renovations continue on Angela Athletic Facility

By SYDNEY DOYLE news writer

as the school year begins, renovations continue on the a ngela athletic facility on saint mary’s campus.

Julie schroeder-biek, the director of athletics at saint mary’s, said the the facility will

include a three-court field house for varsity teams, club sports practices and other student activities. There will also be an elevated track and dedicated spaces for yoga, pilates, spinning and other fitness classes.

The new facility will also house a cafe and social area for meeting with friends and the health and

counseling center.

The facility is projected to be fully completed in January of 2018, schroeder-biek said, but students and faculty will be able to start using the new building before that time.

“right now it is limited to

By ADRIAN MARK LORE Associate s cene e ditor

To put it bluntly, Laurel halo is the kind of musician who — while overflowing with talent — falls under everyone’s radar, never having produced a single record that fully captures the multidimensionality of her skills. c ontrast her with hyperdub labelmate Fatima Al Qadiri, who has turned heads with her sensational musical output, which is eye-catching on the surface but stale between the lines.

halo did score some notice with 2012’s “Quarantine,” a haunting record that fused sensual, slightly-off vocals with post-apocalyptic electronic production à la cyberpunk pulp fiction. h alo is forthright about her influences, which include everything from Philip K. d ick to free jazz to d etroit techno — sounds pretty cyberpunk to me – and her ability to convey these influences is not limited to the forty-some minutes of “Quarantine.” You can hear it through the cold techno of the excellent, altogether overlooked “hour Logic” e P and between the playful jazz interludes on “c hance of r ain” — both of which received tepid critical praise.

Fittingly, halo’s latest record, “d ust,” has been successful to the extent that it conveys the many facets of her artistic capabilities, more or less following the “Quarantine” model. Though the two records convey entirely different moods — or perhaps because of this — they demonstrate the ease with which h alo can navigate various spaces through her music.

For one, the first thing I noticed about “d ust” was its overflowing sass. The magnetic production on tracks like “Jelly” and “moontalk” should remind you of — and arguably outshine — dub producers like holly herndon or soPh I e . As a longtime halo fan, I’m tempted to add three exclamation points here to underline this exciting, wholly new artistic direction. Listening for the first time, I remember happily saying out loud: “Laurel halo, what are you doing?” b efore the record was released, I was happy to read that halo had been inspired by nigerian-American experimental vocalist Klein — who recently signed to hyperdub, by the way — and would be collaborating with her on “d ust.” Klein delivered a riveting impressionistic personal account on her dizzying debut, last year’s self-released “on LY,” and halo has taken after her with some of halo’s most unapologetic lyricism yet. Lead single “Jelly” is practically a diss track, with catchy lines like “And you are a thief and you drink too much.”

Though lyricism was never halo’s priority, on “d ust” she emerges as surprisingly personable, setting herself in stark contrast to the cold, “ghost in the machine” aura of “Quarantine.” but don’t let the basic “oh my gosh” at the start of “moontalk” fool you: halo’s shallow moments singe with irony, and she imbues the record with depth through meditative interludes of self-exploratory improvisation.

After halo pokes fun at superficiality, on “Koinos” for example, she delves into a hall of auditory mirrors that distort her voice just as real mirrors distort

the way we view our bodies. And the deadpan “Who Won?” seems to mock combative romance over dynamic yet oblique free jazz.

Unfortunately, it’s no coincidence that h alo’s best received records are the only two that heavily feature her vocals — even though her production skill alone is praiseworthy enough. but it’s true that “Quarantine” and “d ust” complement her rich electronic arrangements with strong narratives that are conveyed best through vocals, even — or especially — when heavily distorted and manipulated.

but it’s by fusing her techno and jazz sensibilities with ambitious collaborations that push h alo into new territory. halo has succeeded in creating a record that is quite unlike anything she has produced before, and quite unlike anything else released this year.

Contact Adrian Mark Lore at lore.1@nd.edu

“Dust”

Laurel Halo

Label: Hyperdub

If you like: Klein, Olga Bell, Holly Herndon

Tracks: “Moontalk”

By CHARLIE KENNEY scene Writer

sofia coppola isn’t just a director, she’s a writer. coppola has written and directed every one of her feature films since her 1998 debut, “Lick the star.” In her latest film, however, she encountered an entirely new issue — that of the reboot.

don siegel – the man who later made a name for himself with his crime thriller “dirty harry” – released an adaptation of “The beguiled” in 1971 with a cast including clint eastwood and elizabeth hartman siegel. he and his two screenwriters picked which scenes from the book to include on the screen, decided how to bring the characters to life and determined the films overarching tone more than 40 years before coppola even began producing her version of the film.

reboots aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Past films have been modernized and re-mastered throughout the years with varying levels of success. baz Lurhmann made “The Great Gatsby” a much more accessible and relatable film than Jack clayton’s 1974 predecessor, steven soderbergh’s “ocean’s 11” completely revamped Lewis milestone’s the 1960 version (which starred the legendary singers of the rat Pack), and the coen brother’s “True Grit” transformed its aged 1969 source material into a modern, relatable Western.

With coppola, however, a reboot is a very bad thing. coppola is an auteur storyteller. she’s at her best when she

can create a world and scenarios of her own and bring them to life. her original screenplays like “Lost in Translation,” her adapted screenplays like “The virgin suicides” and her own historical narratives like “marie Antoinette” boast an unchecked virtuosity. her movies to reach their peak when she is the judge, jury and executioner — or, in her case, the screenwriter, director and storyteller. but the story of “The beguiled” has already been told on screen, and she, merely retelling it in her own way, has little room to show her immense talent.

While she she did have creative independence during the production process and she did noticeably change the feel from that of the 1971 original, the ghost of siegel’s film was still a limiting factor. coppola chose to parallel siegal’s plot, and, in doing so, she fastened herself in the creative tracks of her predecessor. It’s a sad sight, knowing coppola and the creativity of her past movies.

With “Lost in Translation” coppola made a wandering empathy interesting and enthralling; with “marie Antoinette,” she turned a dark piece of history into cinematic beauty; and with “A very murray christmas” she put a unique spin on the christmas special. clearly, she has no creative deficiencies. It seems that her choice to adapt a film instead of a book, story or historical event suppressed her natural artistry. When directing a reboot, it’s incredibly difficult to break away from the influence of the preceding work. directors and screenwriters are always looking for good resources from which to borrow, and a fully produced feature film is the richest possible resource.

That said, the film isn’t all that bad — it just could have been better. It’s undeniably a sofia coppola film, just as aesthetically pleasing as it is mentally stimulating. visually it was brilliant and completely characteristic of her directorial style, but the unoriginal story fell short. missing her essential narrative quirks, the film wasn’t as funny and unexplainably entertaining as her works normally are. one has to ask why she chose to make the film in the first place. If spiegel adapted the book perfectly, why should coppola try to tweak perfection?

coppola is suited for the original, auteur filmmaking — a type of filmmaking modern cinema desperately needs. An original or newly adapted film, possibly set in modern day, would have done considerably more justice to the exceptional filmmaker.

Contact Charlie Kenney at ckenney4@nd.edu

“The

Beguiled”

Director: Sofia Coppola

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning

being belle for a day

The speech I wish the vice president had given

It is great to be back home in Indiana and humbling to be here at n otre d ame.

This summer, I had the chance to become a belle for a day. not a s aint mary’s belle, but belle from beauty and the beast. I had the opportunity to put on a glittering taffeta ball gown, step into belle’s ridiculously small shoes and entertain two dozen little girls — a feat that belle would probably hire someone to do for her, were she a real life princess.

I’m guessing they chose me because I’m elegant and extremely regal. o r because I was the only brunette working. e ither way, I agreed and was slotted to work the “c inderella ball” along with four other girls. Together, we became the main attraction.

That night, all the event planners were asking us if we were ready, as if we were all about to jump out of a plane. I’ve never really been ready for anything in my life, so I was pretty anxious. Traditionally, princesses are beautiful, womanly and elegant. being pretty and feminine is hard to do when you’re outside in 95 degree weather in a yellow monster of a dress. I was getting smothered by the tulle alone, forget about the endless barrage of glittery four-year-olds who all wanted their picture taken at the same time. some little girls hugged me and told me their name, age, address, phone number, color of their car and their parents’ costco member I d other little girls just stared at me with wide eyes and refused to come near me. one little girl would scream “princess” until one of us hugged her. This went on for an hour until she fell asleep in the middle of the dance floor. The whole event was really a blur, but I do remember the little things like waltzing with the little princesses and sitting in a circle singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little star” 17 times in a row. There were no breaks, so usually one princess would go out onto the dance floor and distract the little girls while the rest of us hydrated or shoved as many mini cupcakes into our mouths as we could. d uring the majority of the event, I was apathetic — this was just another dumb thing I was getting paid to do. but, as more and more little girls hugged me and told me how much they liked to read just like belle, or how they wanted to follow their dreams like moana, I started relishing my time there. The whole event made me cognizant of the fact that sometimes the world is not so nice to little girls. There’s a saying that girls mature faster than boys, and maybe this is because our society expects them to or forces them to mature faster. It seems like everyone has an opinion on how girls should look or act. It felt good to participate in an event that let little girls be little kids. no expectations, no negatives about appearance or demeanor, just kids, dancing, laughing and having a good time.

Contact Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys.edu

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

I am happy to be here with you today, but I know that some of you are not happy to see me. And I can see that freedom of speech is alive and well at n otre d ame. I applaud you for exercising it and respect you for standing up for what you believe in. I wish you would hear me out, but that’s okay. I get it. As a politician I am used to criticism and I have come to see disagreement not only as part of the job, but also as part of our task in these divisive times. It is important for us to listen to one another, and I hear you loud and clear. Let me share with you why I did the things that have made some of you so upset that you are willing to walk out of your own graduation ceremony. Fr. Jenkins in his generous introduction spoke of balancing civil rights for all and respect for the free exercise of religion. And he’s right. That’s what I strive to do as a person of faith and as a politician. I try my best to do that every day, but you know what? It’s difficult. I don’t condone discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, and I condemn intolerance. I said that when I was governor, and I say it again to you today. That is not who we are as Americans. b ut you tell me, can the government force a person of faith to do something contrary to the teachings of their religion? Isn’t that why the First Amendment has not only an e stablishment of r eligion c lause, but a Free e xercise of r eligion c lause, as well? Isn’t this why your university felt compelled to seek recourse in court when the government required it to go further than it could go and still stay true to the teachings of the c hurch?

As Fr. Jenkins said, confronting these challenges calls for near- s olomonic wisdom. I am a c hristian, a conservative and a r epublican, but I am no s olomon and I don’t think anyone else in government is, either. As a politician and policymaker, I know how difficult it is to balance these great principles of freedom. It can be clear in your own mind and heart, but still create controversy when translated into legislation despite the best intentions. Policy is difficult. And that’s another reason I accepted your invitation. What makes n otre d ame students different? I’ll tell you what I think as I’ve gotten to know you and especially as I listened this morning to the salutatorian’s inspiring invocation and that stirring valedictory

address. As students at a c atholic university, you have fully engaged with these questions about living your faith, about government and religious freedom. You’ve studied them in class, and you’ve discussed them with one another in your dorms. You’ve seen how they work in other countries when you studied abroad. You’ve learned from the service you’ve done and been humbled by the limits of good intentions. You’ve challenged others when you saw something wrong and at times you’ve discovered you were wrong when you thought you were right. You’ve questioned and you’ve prayed.

I want n otre d ame — its students and their families, your faculty, administrators, staff and alumni — to help me find the right ways to balance these great freedoms. Whether you studied political science or computer science, philosophy or physics, architecture or aerospace engineering, business or biology, whether you are c atholic, Protestant, Jewish, m uslim or none of the above, I know you will use your n otre d ame education to dedicate yourself to solving problems, creating policies and just thinking clearly and living right, treating one another with respect and decency. You will continue to talk, not only to those with whom you agree, but also to those with whom you disagree. As Fr. Jenkins said so well, speak the truth but listen, too.

c ivil liberties are ultimately about how we get along with one another. h ow does the majority religion treat the minority — and vice versa? h ow can we practice our faith without restricting the rights of others? The way to work for the good of all is to find common ground. Let’s find it together. Let’s not walk out. Let’s walk together. Let’s talk. Let’s listen.

Your Alma m ater begins, “ n otre d ame our mother, tender, strong and true.” That’s a good description of my Irish- c atholic mother who is here with us today, so I already knew something about how that works. b eing with you this weekend I have learned more about what that really means. As governor of Indiana, I always supported n otre d ame. Today, I can say I not only praise you, I love thee, n otre d ame.

Aug. 22

Devon Chenelle The Gadfly

Regretting Rousseau

It is difficult to find a better personal symbol of the s ixties, in both its aesthetic and values, than John Lennon. In his 1971 song “Imagine,” Lennon implores listeners “to imagine” there are “no countries,” “no religion” and “no possessions,” circumstances which, Lennon declares, would lead to “all the people” variously “living for today,” “living life in peace” and “sharing all the world.” Knowingly or not, Lennon and other figures of the counterculture were disciples of Jean-Jacques r ousseau, who paved the way for generations of egalitarians, individualists and naturalists who loathed the corruption that civilization and society putatively introduced into mankind’s soul when he began “The s ocial c ontract” by writing “man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” Was r ousseau right? Is man corrupted, degraded and deformed by the forces of society, tradition and culture? o r instead, will the removal of “chains” of state and society from the human lead to the pre-civilized lifestyles described by Thomas h obbes as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short?” To survey these questions, I will investigate different kinds of freedom to see whether their absolute attainment is positive for man.

The first freedom I will investigate is sexual freedom, mainly through its most potent flowering, the 1960s explosion of free love. For many in this era, the sexual status quo was an oppressive, misogynistic and antiquated relic. Free love advocates held that if we can remove society’s shackles and let human nature run free, particularly towards the pursuit of pleasure, sexual injustice will fade away. h owever, this is a misconception, because as c amille Paglia writes in her “ s exual Personae,” “society is not

the criminal but the force which keeps crime in check. When social controls weaken, man’s innate cruelty bursts forth.” As Paglia continues, “sexual liberation” is “a modern delusion,” for “we are hierarchical animals,” and thus “sweep one hierarchy away, and another will take its place, perhaps less palatable than the first.” What new hierarchy is that? It is one guided by the inherently conflictive nature of sex and the pursuit of pleasure, for Paglia notes “the continuum of sex leads to sadomasochism,” and the free pursuit of sex “expands identity but crushes individuals,” leaving no room for “liberal dignity of the person,” in free love’s hedonism. It is not patriarchal society’s oppression that introduces violence and power relations into sex, but the nature of the act itself. s ex is dangerous in nature, and liberation of it has consequences we don’t like.

The next freedom I will consult with is freedom from tradition. d uring the 1960s, the old dogmas were replaced with new ones that, in their immaturity, are confused and contradictory, and have not created a new cultural tradition, leading to cultural confusion and a loss of direction. Paglia in “The m agic of Images” writes, “I have become increasingly concerned about evidence of, if not cultural decline, then cultural dissipation since the 1960s, a decade that seemed to hold such heady promise of artistic and intellectual innovation,” commenting that “young people today are flooded with disconnected images but lack a sympathetic instrument to analyze them as well as a historical frame of reference in which to situate them.” We ought be more like Tevye, protagonist of “The Fiddler on the r oof,” who understood his need for tradition to keep balanced.

We arrive at the notion of freedom from society. Attempts to free ourselves from social constraints will only add more control and restrictions. In another passage from “ s exual

Personae,” Paglia writes “modern liberalism suffers unresolved contradictions. It exalts individualism and freedom and, on its radical wing, condemns social orders as oppressive. o n the other hand, it expects governments to provide materially for all, a feat manageable only by an expansion of authority and a swollen bureaucracy.” This inherent tension, highlighted in the conflict between competing conceptions of negative and positive rights, indicates the difficulty of breaking free from society.

The pursuit of perfect freedom appears to be a perilous quest. Paglia summarizes modern society as a place where, having broken free from traditional constraints, “men and women are suddenly free, but freedom is a flood of superfluous energy, a vicious circle of agitation, quest, satiation, exhaustion, ennui.” We have realized, as Paglia argues, that “moral codes are always obstructive, relative and man-made.” We must remember moral codes “have been of enormous profit to civilization,” for without moral codes, “we are invaded by the chaotic barbarism of sex, nature’s tyranny, turning day into night and love into obsession and lust.” Quite simply, humans need sexual mores, social controls, religious rules, cultural conventions and the whole suite of institutions and ideas that structure our behavior, for although they may be occasionally tools of oppression, these barriers from absolute personal freedom are far more constructive of good than they are destructive.

Devon Chenelle is a senior, formerly of Keough Hall. Returning to campus after seven months abroad, Devon is a history major with minors in Italian and philosophy. He can be reached at dchenell@nd.edu . “On résiste à l’invasion des armées; on ne résiste pas à l’invasion des idées.”

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

Dear Mr. Finn Wittrock

I want to start out by saying I am an enormous fan. I want to say I am your biggest fan, but I feel I have only scratched the surface in your talented portfolio of acting. The first time I saw you was as Greg in “La La Land,” a gripping performance where you showed your care for e mma s tone’s character m ia and the heartbreak she caused you. I think we both agree that Greg got a bad shake in that whole situation. You can understand then, that by the end of the movie I was quite surprised that she ended up with that sellout actor and not you, the caring ex-boyfriend whose brother had connections with Japan or c hina or wherever. I am mainly writing then to confirm what all the critics and movie theorists have been speculating. Is “La La Land II: The r eturn of Greg”

in production now, or are you waiting for the original “La La Land” hype to die down? e ither way, I cannot wait for this action thriller where you enact your revenge on all of h ollywood, and when the fires and smoke clear, only you remain. Jazz clubs and small theaters no more, there is only Greg. Please tell me this is the direction of the film, or else, frankly, I don’t know how many times I will watch it.

Your filmography does not stop at fake b est Picture Winners though. I also saw you in an episode of “ c riminal m inds” where your friend commits murders to replicate the Zodiac to impress you. I really enjoyed this role too because I’m sure you’ve experienced similar obsessions with your dashing good looks. Through the adversity

of being accused of murder by the b AU team (a team I respect very much), I was still baffled when it turned out you had also murdered someone. Goes to show the trust you conveyed on screen.

I have to admit those are the only times I’ve seen you perform. Your I md b page says you’ve also been in “Unbroken.” d id you know that? That’s impressive, I would imagine. Well, anyways, hopefully you can confirm your leading role in the “La La Land” sequel, and I hope you understand my enormous fandom.

Happy Birthday: finish what you start. Put time and energy into building better relationships with your friends, siblings and colleagues. concentrate on your interests in life and how best to enhance what you already have. Aim to live within your means and to focus on making financial gains and lifestyle changes that will give you greater leeway to take advantage of new opportunities. your numbers are 7, 18, 20, 24, 32, 40, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): make your input count. you can get ahead if you show dedication and are willing to go the extra mile. refuse to let anyone steal your glory or take credit for the work you do. Aim to make a lasting impression.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): gather information that will help you better relate to your peers or colleagues. greater involvement in activities that require teamwork will give you a sense of unity and belonging. your input will be valued and collaboration will pay off.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): hard work, taking action and following through with your promises and plans will help you avoid criticism and complaints. Pick and choose who you help carefully. not everyone will be worthy of the time, effort and wisdom you offer.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A day trip or spending time with someone you look up to or can learn from is encouraged. handle important partnerships with diplomacy. charm will get you what you want, and moodiness will lead to a stalemate. Avoid stubbornness.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): keep your thoughts clear and be precise when dealing with others. There is no room for misunderstandings that leave you vulnerable. Patience and practicality will be your ticket to getting what you want. stick to your budget.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): share your feelings and find out where you stand. don’t feel like you have to do what others want you to do. fight for equality and recognize that you have as much right as anyone else to pursue your interests, goals and beliefs.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Protect your personal secrets, passwords and feelings. don’t be fooled by fast talk. concentrate on what you can do to improve your surroundings, environment or status. reconnect with someone you have worked with in the past.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): your perspective and insight will be accurate, so don’t let someone lead you astray using fast talk or a pushy attitude. keep doing things your way and you will stand out for your effort, creativity and reliability.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): emotions will flare up if you let someone manipulate you. less talk and more action will make others be reluctant to get in your way. A short trip or educational pursuit will help you get ahead. be proactive.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): be selective when dealing with relationships, information or physical concerns. making the best choice for you or someone you love will be difficult due to changing circumstances. Aim for stability and make decision based on facts.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you feel you need a change, make it happen. Put in the time and effort required to gather information and crunch numbers. embrace a challenge. Proceed with confidence and be proud of your accomplishments. celebrate with someone you love.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A partnership will be on shaky ground if one or both of you refuse to recognize the problems that exist. be willing to compromise and be open to discussions. strive for equality and don’t offer more than you can handle.

Birthday Baby: you are sensitive, creative and generous. you are persistent and resourceful.

Football, school do not mix

Marek Mazurek Assistant managing e ditor

between all the “hot takes” and colorful personalities this summer, there’s often not a lot of room for anything else.

People like Lavar ball, stephen A. smith or c olin c owherd often steal headlines and as yesterday’s column pointed out, they don’t always deserve the attention. but lost in the headlines of the summer was Uc LA quarterback Josh rosen and his assertion that “football and school don’t go together.”

There were a few columns written about it (I recommend Pat Forde’s piece), a few people used rosen’s statement to make jabs at Alabama’s perceived lack of academic rigor, but by and large, rosen’s comments didn’t garner that attention they deserve.

The relationship between division I athletics and academics is complicated, but also extremely important for the future of college football. because rosen is right. Athletics and academics don’t go together on a fundamental level.

The biggest reason is that the system as it’s currently constructed does not benefit the players. At all.

I can already hear some of you saying, “but they’re getting paid via scholarships to get a great education. We shouldn’t feel sorry for these athletes.” but if you look closely at the education athletes get, are they really getting a fair shot?

Athletes are constantly required to take time away from studying for practice, workouts, traveling, media availability and everything in between. That lost time directly hinders performance in the classroom.

And beyond just grades, athletes don’t get a fair shake at the college experience. The time constraints placed on them by their sport means they can’t easily join extracurricular activities or socialize outside of their sport as well as other students.

Another point Pat Forde’s column emphasized is how athletes, especially for moneymaking sports like football and basketball, are steered toward less-intensive majors. even in less extreme cases, athletes can’t get into their desired class because the class conflicts with workouts or practice.

summer jobs and internships, which are often the key to landing meaningful employment after graduation, are harder for athletes to find because most sports seasons cut

into the summer months and many companies don’t want to take on short-term interns.

I’m not saying there are no athletes who find time to join clubs or take on more intensive majors, but the deck is very much stacked against them. but instead of just laying out why rosen is right, I’d rather lay out why the relationship between athletics and academics should be at the forefront of the sport’s mind.

To believe there’s no problem is naive and ultimately hurts the lives of the players you root so fervently for on saturdays.

As a college football community, something needs to change. It’s easy to live in the fiction world where athletes all go to class and get good grades and are still able to perform up to the expectations of their respective fanbases.

but it’s not 1960 anymore. The work and conditioning it takes to be an elite athletic program today is massively greater than it did back in the day.

This isn’t a conversation about whether athletes should be paid. This is a conversation about whether the current model of having student-athletes is at all viable. The “student” part of the student-athlete is becoming untenable, as schools will continue to push athletic results over classroom performance because they depend on the money that the sports bring in.

To think schools, in the currently constituted system, will look out for the student-athlete in the face of potentially millions of dollars of profits is also naive.

There are only two solutions in my mind and we, as fans of college athletics have to choose.

d o we choose to change the system to give athletes an actual shot at being students by giving them more time in the classroom and the library by reducing practice time?

o r do we ditch the “student” label and stop requiring elite athletes to go to class and allow them to simply focus all their attention on the field?

b oth paths presents cons, and the answer to that is the subject of another column. but rosen, and other college athletes brave enough to call it like it is, shouldn’t be ignored. Their concerns should be taken seriously by fans, coaches, administrators and teachers.

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

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

with minnesota on Friday night followed up by a 3 p.m. kickoff against Iowa on sunday with both games being played in Iowa city. This leads into another set of games the following week as part of the notre dame Invitational, the opponents being south carolina and santa clara for those contests. Throughout these games over the next couple of weeks, notre dame will seek to prove any doubters wrong who would see last year’s conference championship, the team’s first

since moving to the Acc, as just a mere fluke. critical to the success of the Irish will be the continued impact of some of the team’s playmakers from the first couple of games this year. Among those include sophomore forwards natalie Jacobs and Jennifer Westendorf, each of whom found the back of the net in sunday’s 4-0 win. The team has additionally seen some tremendous play out of some of the freshmen, perhaps most notably in the performances of midfielder sammi Fisher and forward eva hurm. Also worth noting is the impressive start by Littman who has now recorded back-to-back

shutouts to begin her career as a starter for the Irish. conference play in the Acc will not get underway for the Irish until sept. 16th when the team travels to r iggs Field in south carolina to take on c lemson. Until then, the team will look to develop its younger players and get a strong rapport going on a squad with high expectations for the 2017 season.

Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu

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

the team, and n otre d ame head coach b obby c lark said he believes the strengths of his captains should complement one another and propel the i rish towards a successful season.

“ i t’s amazing, [the players] nearly always pick the same players we would pick,” c lark said. “ o nce again they’ve done a really good job with this group — three good, strong personalities, but quite different. c hris h ubbard is somebody everybody likes — he’s got a good way with people, and so he’ll be good for the locker room. Jon is the epitome of being a really good player. h e does everything that will help make him a better player, so he’s a great example to all the players. h e’s a very determined, tough, hardnosed player that does everything well. Then you’ve got m att, who’s a really good spokesperson, thinks well and is a real leader on and off the field. s o i think they’re a really good combination, and i ’m pretty confident they’ll do very well.”

With its leadership in good hands, n otre d ame heads into the regular season as the n o. 10 ranked team in the country. The i rish wrapped up preseason play m onday afternoon with a 3-0 win over valparaiso at

home, with g allagher, sophomore forward John r ea and junior forward i an a schieris each tallying a goal. n otre d ame also tallied a pair of road victories the previous week, as the i rish downed o maha 2-0 in n ebraska before defeating d rake 4-1 in d es m oines, i owa. While just preseason play, it does not hurt that the i rish have a bit of momentum heading into the m ike b erticelli tournament, as the team will look to recreate the early magic of last year, where it won its first six games and earned the n o. 1 ranking. a lthough he hasn’t seen the team in a truly competitive game, c lark said he’s seen positive signs from the team heading into the 2017 regular season.

“ i think the team’s done well,” c lark said. “ i don’t think we’ve played a team that’s truly challenged us yet, but at the same time we’ll be challenged this weekend and we better be ready. We’ve done a lot of good things and we’ve had a look at a lot of players. They’re a lot of games to be played yet, so it’s too early to draw any conclusions, but we’re getting there.”

c lark and the i rish will soon have their hands full of challenging opponents, as n otre d ame’s 17-game regular season slates figures to be one of the toughest in the country. The i rish will face eight teams that qualified

Paid a dverT isemen T

for last season’s ncaa tournament, including 2016 c ollege c up qualifier n orth c arolina and seven other acc contests. b esides having to navigate likely the best soccer conference in the acc , the i rish must hit the road in s eptember as they square off against former b ig e ast foe uc onn and b ig 10 rival i ndiana, and will host n orthwestern and m ichigan at a lumni s tadium in early o ctober. The schedule appears daunting for the i rish, but as history will tell, c lark said he believes the team will be better for it in the long run.

“ e very year we always have one of, if not the toughest schedule in the country,” c lark said. “ i just feel like you find out who you are. Your chances of winning all the games are tough, but regardless if you’re good enough to win enough to get into the tournament, then we know we can play with anyone in the country. i think that’s important. There are no easy games … i like to play good games; i like to play tough games. o bviously the acc takes care of itself, and then you look for other teams that are good, and hopefully the guys get excited about that.”

The i rish will next take on s an d iego on f riday at 7:30 p.m. at a lumni s tadium.

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

Football

con T inued from Page 12

linemen, were named to the a P Preseason a ll- a merica team Tuesday. n elson, a senior, was named to the first team, while the graduate student m c g linchey made the second team. b ut despite the pair’s preseason accolades and success on the field, the team as a whole still has something to prove, coming off its first losing season under head coach b rian Kelly.

“What we have to see on the field is a team that is more disciplined, makes fewer mistakes and closes games out more effectively,” s warbrick said.

b ut s warbrick is looking deep into the future, past the 2017 season, at the moment. o ver the summer, he announced two two-game series that would be added to the n otre d ame schedule: one with sec opponent a rkansas, which will take place in 2020 and 2025, and the other with Wisconsin in 2020 and 2021. The Wisconsin series also marks the first two s hamrock s eries games announced since it was left absent from the schedule this season. n otre d ame will set up its home-away-from-home first at Lambeau f ield in g reen b ay, Wisconsin, and then at s oldier f ield in c hicago.

“ i wouldn’t call it so much a reboot of the s hamrock s eries. The only change we’ve made relative to the s hamrock s eries is a realization that we probably can’t do it every year. There will be others announced for future years as well. s o, there will be some years where we do it and some years where we don’t,” s warbrick said.

“This one’s a little different because we’re going to spread it across two games, one of which we have home broadcast rights to and the other one we don’t, so it will feel a little different. b ut otherwise it will be like a traditional s hamrock s eries.

“We do those and we continue to do them, again, for the reason of promoting the u niversity. We don’t just take a game to a city, we take the u niversity to those cities and we enjoy doing that. We think it’s good for n otre d ame. i n addition, as i indicated at the press conference, this is a great experience for the young men on the team and from a competitive perspective, it’s the sort of game we need to be scheduling.”

b ut for s warbrick, the s hamrock s eries is not the only exciting part of the two new series on the schedule. The main driving force behind them was the desire to give the i rish the strength of competition they need in order to remain competitive, which, he noted, is one of the main draws of remaining independent.

“We’re trying to make sure that for purposes of evaluating our resume at the end of the year, we have games against the major conferences whenever possible,” s warbrick said. “ … i recognize that from some perspectives, people believe we’re over-scheduling. Too many hard games. Part of being independent is stepping up to that challenge. i f you’re going to be independent, i think you have to schedule along these lines and we want to stay independent.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

Swarbrick discusses changes, expectations

By ELIZABETH GREASON sports e ditor

“ b rian [Kelly] will lead this team out of the tunnel opening day next year.”

n otre d ame director of athletics Jack s warbrick’s words to es P n .com from o ctober 2016 will ring true come s ept. 2, when the Irish take the field against Temple in the newly renovated n otre d ame s tadium. While the vote of confidence for his head coach drew criticism at the time, s warbrick said it is not something he regrets in the slightest. h owever, with a new slate of coaches underneath Kelly this season, s warbrick is looking for a different result from the team’s 4-8 debacle of season in 2016.

“You’re always looking for ways to improve your program. s ometimes you’re looking for ways to improve it off a very bad season and sometimes you’re looking for ways to improve it off a good season,” s warbrick said. “When you’re looking for ways to improve it off a very bad season, you make

more changes and you look at more things. And that’s what we did together. I’m very optimistic based on the changes we have made and what I see at practice every day that those changes will bare fruit.”

And in s warbrick’s mind, some of the changes that have been made to the football program — to the team mentality — have already begun to bare visible fruit, as the shift that has been made in the program’s culture over the course of the offseason has been a measurable one.

“The change in the culture is the thing that I can already see and evaluate and feel very good about,” s warbrick said. “I love the leadership among the team, I love the way they’re working and the attitude, so that piece of evidence is already in, if you will.”

Two of the leaders of the team, captains and likely early-round n FL draft picks Quenton n elson and m ike m cGlinchey, both offensive

Tri-captains prepare for difficult path to NCAAs

By JOE EVERETT sports Writer

After its season ended at the hands of Acc foe Louisville during the third round of the 2016 nc AA Tournament, the no. 10 Irish look to build on last season’s successes as they head into the 2017 campaign.

Although the Irish have lost several notables from last year’s squad, including midfielder evan Panken and defender brandon Aubrey, the team is returning seven starters and 12 monogram winners, headlined by reigning Acc offensive Player of the Year Jon Gallagher. The senior forward led all Irish players with 14 goals, seven assists and 35 points over 21 matches last season and will serve as one of notre dame’s three captains in 2017 season. Fifth-year senior defender matt habrowski and fifth-year senior goalkeeper c hris hubbard will join Gallagher in leading

Irish set for successful year

Alex Bender sports Writer

c oming into this season, hopes are high for n o. 24 n otre d ame.

The Irish are coming off an impressive 2016 campaign in which the team lost a single conference game all season, and many of the team’s key playmakers from last year will once again be strapping on the cleats for the blue and gold. As such, the buzz around Irish head coach Theresa r omagnolo’s squad will continue as long as it keeps up last season’s high level of play. And in two games thus far in the 2017 season, it is on the road to doing exactly that. r egular season play opened Friday when n otre d ame tied with b utler with the game finishing scoreless in the Irish home opener at Alumni s tadium. d espite a number of the players

coming off injuries and lacking practice minutes, n otre d ame was still able to control the attack throughout the match. Additionally, sophomore goalie b rooke Littman was given the nod in her first career start, a game in which she tallied two saves and notched a shutout. d espite some of the positives, the team left something to be desired out on the pitch, and the team answered the call by coming up with a huge 4-0 win over b all s tate on s unday. The Irish offense continued its strong efforts from last year, coming up with 23 shots — 13 of which were shots on goal — on the night. The four goal count marks the highest total by n otre d ame since s eptember of last season against Pittsburgh. The Irish now head into the weekend with a pair of games on the docket,