Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Former student files lawsuit against nd
Complaint becomes second current case against University
Observer Staff Report
a n unnamed former student filed a lawsuit against notre Dame on aug. 17 alleging the university orchestrated the closure of a t itle i X sexual assault case to facilitate the transfer of a notre Dame football player.
according to the complaint filed in the st. Joseph c ircuit c ourt, the female student — referred to as “Jane Doe” in the lawsuit — is suing for damages on the counts of negligence and invasion of privacy, breach of contract and violation of t itle i X on the
basis of gender bias.
i n January of 2016, Doe agreed to help an intoxicated notre Dame football player — referred to as “Jack roe” — return to his dorm room in a lumni hall, where she was sexually assaulted, according to the lawsuit. a t the time, Doe was enrolled at the g ateway p rogram at holy c ross c ollege, a program that facilitates the transfer process into notre Dame for select students who were not admitted to the university as freshmen.
Doe decided to deal with the incident in a private way
by simply avoiding contact with roe, the lawsuit stated. however, three months after the incident, a female notre Dame student approached Doe to ask for her anonymous support of a second victim who was hesitant to report an alleged assault by the same football player.
t his student took Doe’s story to the t itle i X o ffice, triggering the response of deputy t itle i X coordinator heather r yan, who summoned Doe to her office in a pril of 2016. Doe told r yan she did not want to
Former German president to lecture at Notre Dame
By TOM NAATZ news writer
former president of germany horst koehler will deliver a lecture entitled “citizenship in a global age: personal reflections on a political conundrum” at the mendoza college of business on wednesday. the lecture is part of a four-day visit from monday to thursday by the former head of state and his wife, eva luise koehler, to notre Dame. over
the course of the visit — sponsored primarily by the nanovic institute for european studies and the notre Dame institute for advanced study — koehler will also speak with faculty and students about various topics as wells as visit the harper cancer research center.
koehler has enjoyed a long career in public service. in addition to serving as the president of germany from 2004 to 2010, he also served as the managing
director of the international monetary fund (imf) from 2000 to 2004, and he will soon start a new job as the united nations’ (un) personal envoy for western sahara. he has also served in numerous roles in the german federal government. he has negotiated several international agreements on germany’s behalf, including the german monetary union with the former
Jenkins releases statement addressing DACA
Observer Staff Report
university president fr. John Jenkins released a statement tuesday condemning the repeal of Deferred action for childhood a rrivals (Daca) after attorney general Jeff sessions announced that the program would end.
“a decision to discontinue Daca would be foolish, cruel and un-a merican,” Jenkins said in the statement. “foolish because it drives away talented people the country needs; cruel because it abandons people who have done nothing wrong and have known life only in the
united states; and un-a merican because we have always welcomed immigrants to our land of opportunity.”
Jenkins promised notre Dame would continue to advocate for Daca students.
“in coming days, i hope to meet with congressional leaders to argue for a permanent fix to this pressing problem,” he said in the statement. “in the meantime, notre Dame will continue to support Daca students financially, maintain their enrollment even if congress fails to act and provide expert legal assistance should it become necessary.”
career e xpo connects students with employers
By SELENA PONIO a ssociate news e ditor
students — from freshmen to seniors — will be donning their nicest suits and blazers wednesday for the fall c areer e xpo. t he event will have a new location this year — notre Dame stadium, where students will network with company representatives in the concourse. t he fair will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Julie g ray, associate director of career operations at the c areer c enter, said 242 companies will be present for the event.
“ t hroughout the entire summer, we’re talking to employers working on logistics, working on set-up,” she said.
“ we generally start almost at the end of the previous year, so [in] m ay [we’re] sending out invitations. a s soon as we can get a date booked that’s when we start reaching out to employers.”
g ray said the fair acts as a mutual opportunity for both the students and the employers. students are given the chance to practice important networking skills and employers are given the opportunity to talk more about their brand, she said.
l ori a nn e dinborough, director of employer relations at the c areer c enter, said 85
see career eXpo PAGE 4
Observer File Photo
Students gathered in front of the Main Building on God Quad last fall to demonstrate their support for DACA students at Notre Dame.
Observer File Photo
The Fall Career Expo provides opportunities for students of all years to interact with and make an impression on potential employers.
Question of the Day:
What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of the Career Fair?
Felix Rabito sophomore Keenan hall “suits.”
Mary Ebberwein freshman ryan hall “Adventurous or opportunity.”
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Policies
Policies
The
The
The “Elements of Humanity: Primo Levi and the Evolution of Italian Postwar Culture” exhibit opens in Hesburgh Library’s
Books & Special Collections. This event is co-sponsored by Italian Studies at Notre Dame and the Hesburgh Libraries.
Today’s Staff
Corrections
The observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.
Career e xpo
companies come back the day after the fair to conduct interviews.
“ e very company that’s coming has an intention of recruiting n otre d ame students,” she said. “ i t’s a very successful tool in the whole recruitment sources.”
e dinborough said the goal of her team is to ensure that employers feel welcome and have everything they need to start recruiting. s he said for students, coming to the c areer e xpo is all about looking to the future. For this reason, the fair is not exclusively for juniors and seniors and she said she would encourage freshmen and sophomores to attend.
“a lot of times freshmen will be unsure of how
Lawsuit
participate in an investigation or disclose the name of her attacker for fear of retaliation, the lawsuit said.
a ccording to the suit, however, d oe received a note from r yan one month later saying she had discovered the name of the respondent and would be launching a Title i X investigation, which would call for the issuance of a no-contact order between d oe and r oe.
d oe told her father about the assault for the first time, concerned her name would be given to r oe, the lawsuit said. a fter multiple calls to the Title i X office, d oe’s father and u niversity administrators agreed there would be no action taken until the case of the “second victim” — the girl who reported d oe’s case — was fully investigated.
o ne week later, according the suit, d oe’s father received a message from u niversity associate vice president for student services b ill s tackman saying: “ n otre d ame is not obligated to obtain consent from either Jane or her father prior to providing her name to her rapist. We acknowledge we have received your written and verbal notice forbidding it, however, n otre d ame will proceed today to notify m r. r oe of the complaint, including its source.”
s tackman also said “no rock has been left unturned” when describing the u niversity’s investigation of the second case against r oe,” according to the suit. d oe and her dad reached out to this student, the suit said, and found she had not been contacted by the Title i X office since a pril.
d oe contacted her Title i X resource coordinator in June
to approach an employer,”
e dinborough said. “They certainly still need to do their research and understand the companies that they’re going to visit. r eally, for a freshman, it’s really about reaching out and finding out what they should do in the next couple of years to make them great candidates for that company.”
a ssociate vice president of career and professional development r yan Willerton said the process of networking at the c areer Fair can be broken down into three stages: meeting with a representative, interviews and a follow-up.
“This is a first-impression, a first-opportunity to learn about companies,” he said. “To gain more insight about their opportunities. s o those first seven seconds are critical. That really sets the tone.
to discuss campus housing options and her anxiety of crossing paths with r oe in the future. a ccording the suit, the coordinator suggested d oe close her Title i X case, citing it as a factor holding up r oe’s ability to transfer to another school and thus increasing d oe’s chance of running into him in the fall.
d oe agreed to close the case and r oe transferred to a Power Five football school with a clean record, where he is expected to play this fall, the suit said.
a ccording to the lawsuit, d oe completed the fall semester of 2016 at n otre d ame but withdrew from the u niversity one month into the following semester due to deteriorating physical and mental health.
The u niversity had no comment on the pending litigation.
You want to be memorable, you want a recruiter to recognize your name.”
Gray said aside from the c areer e xpo, the c areer c enter offers other resources that could help a student with their career search, such as resume reviews, interview preparation and i rish c ompass, a new networking platform that connects students with alumni.
“ i think realizing that when you’re looking at your career development, it is not
just one task. There are so many other things students can do,” Gray said. “ i t’s really important to look at that as a whole and not just one task at a time.”
Willerton said for seniors who are worried about getting a job after graduation, it is never too late. h e said the trick is not approaching the c areer e xpo or a pending graduation as a task. i nstead, he said, students should concentrate on not just finding a job, but finding a passion.
“This isn’t a transactional ‘go to the c areer Fair, find a job, graduate, start in the work world,’” he said. “This is more of a transformation experience and the c areer Fair is one piece of the puzzle. “ i t’s positioning themselves in roles, in opportunities that could really help them find success, meaning and impact in their lives. That’s the goal.”
Contact Selena Ponio at sponio@nd.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
Paid a dverT isemen T
JOHN WILSON s cene Writer
It’s 2017, and an emo band has the number one album in the country.
brand new’s latest and alleged final album, “science Fiction,” appeared somewhat out of the blue via Procrastinate music Traitors! breaking the Long Island band’s 8 year radio silence since their last album, “daisy.” even ardent brand new fans might find it hard to believe that a band whose most popular album came out in 2006 could have the top ranked album in today’s America, when most of their contemporaries are either broken up or legacy acts. In the years since “daisy,” the most prominent reminder of brand new’s impact has been the number of rising bands they have influenced. At first blush, brand new’s latest might be written off as a nostalgia act harkening back to a bygone era.
While the latter portion of that statement is currently being debated, “science Fiction” is certainly not an album from a band coasting merely on nostalgia. considering the pantheon of brand new albums, “science Fiction’s” ability to hold up against its predecessors is an accomplishment in and of itself. but the album also shows how the band has changed over time. While brand new has always been able to use quiet to its advantage — usually in service of scream capped crescendos — this album is by far the band’s most subdued. The first track, “Lit me Up,” begins with an eerie recording of a women describing a hallucinatory state and continues with vocalist Jesse Lacey barely getting louder than a whisper. on “could never be heaven,” Lacey gets personal about family without ever hitting that familiar crescendo. “451” goes louder
but also sounds like brand new trying (and succeeding at) roots rock.
everything from the album cover to the title hints that the album contains less emotional ferocity, especially for a band who have an album called “The devil And God Are raging Inside me.” some of the anger may have worn away with age, but a different kind of heaviness is still there. The emotion in earlier albums was usually angst directed towards the tropes of the genre, girls and jerks in the neighborhood. This time around the pain comes from Lacey himself, and it certainly feels more universal. on “can’t Get It out,” Lacey reaches peak intimacy detailing past struggles with negativity and depression. “some Logic/Teeth” ponders repeating mistakes and selfsabotage. It also marks the first song on the album where Lacey really lets loose with some vintage howls. The final song, “batter Up,” offers an apt mantra for the band. The chorus — “Give me your best shot, batter up” — concludes this final album fittingly with a slow burn fade out. one could imagine a scenario where, knowing this would be the end, the band opted to play it safe and recreate the pop punk formula of earlier work. The two singles the band released in the past few years even hinted that this unfortunate scenario would probably occur. Luckily, those singles did not end up on the new album, and, looking back, that misdirection may have been the band showing off — eschewing any pent up nostalgia. Finally, upon hearing this album, I began to think about another album that came out earlier this year. It hit me while shopping for last minute back to school needs in the superstor/modern music tastemaker bed, bath and beyond. “hard Times,” one of the hits from Paramore’s last album came over the in-store PA. normally, hearing
an enjoyable album in this kind of situation would lead to a good deal of embarrassment, but, in this case, it didn’t seem out of place. It reminded me that brand new and Paramore conceivably could have been booked for The Fest in 2006. The shift towards straight pop has done a lot for Paramore’s music, but it also makes it harder to talk about them as a rock band. That said, even though they took rather different sonic routes to get there, both brand new and Paramore made albums dealing with dark subject matter and found mainstream success when in a supposedly dead genre.
“science Fiction” is an ambitious and fulfilling send off for a band that has already cemented its status. Fans of emo are often depicted as journaling teens, and even if that stereotype holds up (see: the chorus of “soco Amaretto Lime”), the early success of this album proves that, even though these teens may have gotten older, the passion remains.
Contact John Wilson at jwilso29@nd.edu
“Science Fiction”
Brand New
Label: Procrastinate Music Traitors!
Tracks: “Can’t Get It Out,” “Same Logic / Teeth”
If you like: Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, Modest Mouse
s cene Writer
[ sP oIL ers ]
After just seven episodes, the dreaded “Game of Thrones” offseason has already returned. Fortunately, s eason 7 was the most jam-packed in the show’s history, so we have plenty to talk about.
This season had the highest expectations yet, and for the most part, it delivered with countless unforgettable moments.
c ersei’s monologue to e llaria in “The Queen’s Justice” ( s eason 7 episode 3) was horrifying, but I can’t pretend I wasn’t happy she finally got her revenge.
In the Loot Train b attle of “The spoils of War” ( s eason 7 episode 4), the d othraki finally took to the Westerosi battlefield, to great success. The battled showcased complexity, so it was difficult to decide who to root for. e ach faction sported main characters, as daenerys and d rogon confronted a Lannister army led by Jaime and bronn. having heroes on both sides heightened every second of the battle, forcing viewers to hold their breaths as they waited to see which of their favorites would survive.
“beyond the Wall” ( s eason 7 episode 6) saw the Army of the d ead in full action for the first time since the fifth season, and it was undeniably terrifying. Their sheer numbers were enough to overwhelm Jon and our other heroes, reminding us of the dangers
that threaten a divided s even Kingdoms. daenerys coming to the rescue with her three dragons was as incredible, just as v iserion’s death at the hands of the night King was devastating.
s eason 7 also gave us some of the show’s best performances. e milia c larke brought profound depth to the character of daenerys unseen in previous seasons. her on-screen chemistry with harington was so organic, it made the Jon-dany romance wholly believable. Likewise, her reaction to v iserion’s death was gut-wrenching. Additionally, nikolaj c oster-Waldau gave a nuanced performance as Jaime. You could feel his character’s lifetime of disgust with c ersei boil over when he finally left her and headed north. Though s eason 7 did a lot well, it had a few striking faults. s ome of its plot lines, for example, were difficult to believe. The s ansa-Arya conflict felt manufactured at every turn. I never doubted the two of them were working together to betray Littlefinger. The idea of seven men going north, fighting against the entire Army of the d ead, capturing a wight and bringing it south was perhaps the most ridiculous plot line in the show’s history. The fact that it worked was an even greater miracle.
s eason 7 also failed to continue the logic that successfully guided the show for years. e arly seasons demonstrated something that separated “Game of Thrones” from other similar dramas — a savage unwillingness to protect its heroes. When good people made bad decisions, they died. The untimely demise
robb and c atelyn all proved this. In s eason 7, Jaime should not have survived his charge on d rogon. Jon should not have escaped his solo fight with hundreds of wights. b y placing its main characters in a safety bubble, the show made it difficult to suspend disbelief. In a world as magical as “Game of Thrones,” viewers needed all the suspension of disbelief they could get.
As the show transitions to its conclusion, largescale battles and fast-paced action will move to the forefront. It’s important to remember, though, that cGI battles didn’t make “Game of Thrones” a cultural phenomenon. It wasn’t dragons, flaming swords or White Walkers, either — it was character and dialogue. The show took the time to develop storylines and give its characters remarkable depth so we could truly care about them. Unfortunately, s eason 7 didn’t seem to have much time for those little human moments that made previous seasons of “Game of Thrones” so extraordinary.
d espite its faults, I genuinely enjoyed s eason 7. As Tyrion once said, “A true history of the world is a history of great conversations in elegant rooms.” hopefully, somewhere amid the greatest battle Westeros has ever seen — s eason 8’s the War for the dawn — we’ll see more of those great “Game of Thrones” conversations that drew us all so deeply into “The World of Ice and Fire.”
Contact Patrick McKelvey at pmckelve@nd.edu
PATRICK McELVEY
of ned,
Football reflections (from a nonfootball fan)
Alexandra Muck news Writer
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I’m not the world’s biggest football fan. c onfession: I actually skipped the first game this past weekend. In my defense, a friend asked me for a ticket since her friend was coming in for the weekend and I didn’t want to deprive her friend of the opportunity to go to a game. however, my time at notre dame has given me an appreciation for the sport.
First, football is a form of entertainment for many. Though I may find my mind wandering to all the other things I could be doing during a four-hour football game, I am amazed at how many people are genuinely excited for every game. Listening to the crowd, you can hear the cheers rise and fall with the events of the game, as if they’re playing right along with the players. I highly doubt I will ever be that entertained by a sports game, but I appreciate that many people find entertainment value in the ever popular s aturday activity.
s econd, football is a social activity, which I had never really considered. Fans gather a group of friends, prepare gameday plans and look forward to the event as the highlight of their week. my ideal outing with friends may not be to a stadium, but I now realize how many people see it that way.
Finally, football — at least for notre dame — invokes school spirit like nothing else. With the cheers, chants and sea of notre dame shirts and gear, football games allow the notre dame community to express in a tangible way how much we love our school and how much we want to support our team. even though I have spent the last 200 words talking about how little I care for watching football, I still refreshed my internet browser every so often during the game this weekend to keep up with the score, just so I could know how my team was doing. While I doubt that I would follow the game if I attended another school, something about being in the notre dame community makes me want to feel a part of the larger student body, even if it is only by seeing whether we are winning the game.
To close, I would like to say some words to those in the notre dame football follower community. Game attendees: please know that I sincerely appreciate the effort you put into following the notre dame football games. You’re a primary reason why notre dame is so well-known for its incredible school spirit and enthusiasm. I know that you may have to work harder to make up for people like me who can’t quite bring ourselves to enjoy what appears to be a lot of guys in lots of equipment run around with a ball, but know that your efforts are not lost on the rest of us who may not share your enthusiasm.
Contact Alexandra Muck at amuck@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Unbowed, unbent, unbroken
Unbowed, citizenship — more than a birthright — is a vocation, is more than a document; it is a duty to uphold the ideological sentiments upon which the nation was founded in the first place. h ow often does this calling dissolve into a soft murmur? m illennia ago, in the age of ancient Greece, cradle of Western c ivilization, citizenship was earned. We know and admire the s partans, how through the “agoge” their children were chiseled into unwavering engines of death. c lad in bronze plates and draped in crimson cloth, it was only in the midst of the sheer brutality of combat that a Lacedaemonian earned the right to call himself a citizen of s parta. And what of Athens? Where democracy was born and suckled on the words of cloaked senators debating the erection of an aqueduct, or the impracticalities of agrarian reform, or the execution of some obscure sophist. o f course, many aspects of these societies are repugnant to our modern sensibilities. r ightfully so. Yet, regardless of their government’s inefficacies and moral shortcomings, there is something attractive in such audacious commitment to principle. The question, then, of the myriad of undocumented members of American society has never struck me as a matter of strict legalism. For if the only correlative of citizenship in our community is a piece of paper, something as arbitrary as having been born within the confines of a correct border, then I am afraid we’re underserving of the mantle of civilization. To be precise, clearly citizenship necessitates a technical legal definition and tangible forms to accompany it. h owever, there are measures far more consequential as to what makes an American. m any of these undocumented persons, especially those attending university, exemplify the ideals upon which this edifice, our nation, is founded, despite a lack of legal recognition.
Unbent is the resolve of these young men and women. c onsider for a moment the unequivocal, yet unimaginable hardships undocumented students brace. The transition from adolescents to university life can be difficult for anyone. h owever, to be an undocumented student means not only having no familial history of pursuing a higher education in the U. s .; it means you must live in incessant insecurity. Tuesday, the Trump administration formally announced the decision to end the d eferred Action for c hildhood Arrivals program ( d A c A). This program allows hundreds of thousands of undocumented youth the means to study, work and pursue some semblance of a dignified life in the U. s e nding the d A c A program is not only morally reprehensible, it as an utter waste of social capital. d A c A recipients were raised here. They attend our schools and worship in our parishes. They pay
taxes. They know no other home except the United s tates of America. They are citizens in every respect, except in name. That those among them who attend university somehow avoid breaking down into a state of utter despondency, and better yet, carry themselves with poise, striving in the face of social, financial and legal barriers, is incredible. I doubt I have ever met a s partan, but the fortitude these students have smacks of a warrior’s spirit and their enemy is far more elusive than any Persian horde.
Undocumented, it is spirit wherein lies all that is great in our republic. 20th century e nglish intellectual G.K c hesterton observed, “America is the only nation in the world founded on a creed.” What constitutes our American c reed? Free commercial enterprise, an adamant love for liberty and equality and a yearning for self-determined, vibrant communities. Yet, our history is rife with examples of government’s failure to live up to these principles. What is worse, under the pretense of propagating our civil religion, we have committed the greatest sins against it. We manifested our destiny through imperial conquest, warring with m exico over control of the Western territories, taking the lands of and disenfranchising those who had lived in those regions for generations. It is difficult to ignore the irony of the situation. When e va Longoria emphatically declares, “The border crossed us,” she means it literally. n o, open borders are not a viable means of rectifying the errors of our past. In fact, a country has every right to secure its boundaries and enforce legal avenues for immigration. h owever, for those who have cultivated a life here, for those who have strenuously scaled the echelons of our society, obtaining access to institutions of higher learning, and contributing to the economic growth of their local communities: these have earned their citizenship. They have been chiseled, sculpted into Americans. I implore all n otre d ame students who have any interest in assisting current dA c A recipients to reach out to the s tudent c oalition for Immigration Advocacy. Furthermore, all who desire concrete action against the injustices posed by this administration should reach out to their representatives and implore them to support legislation that allows Undocumented students a path to citizenship. For if our nation is predicated on a creed, these immigrants have received a baptism of desire. This, then, is a model of our civic values: to weather the threat of deportation, to live in fear that at any moment the fate of your entire family can be endangered and yet remain steadfast, resolute, Unbroken.
Ariel is a junior from the Bronx, New York, living in Dunne Hall. Please send your invectives and snapchats to pdoming2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Ariel Dominguez solidarity
The inefficiency of capitalist philanthropy
c apitalist philanthropy can be best described by the idea that what is lost through exploitation can be remedied by collecting excess funds from those who orchestrated the exploitation in the first place. For example, much of the surplus value extracted from workers in third world countries will go into the hands of the investors of multinational conglomerates; exploiting the resources and cheap labor of those countries while moving financial capital back to the first world.
The ceo of one such company then publicly declares that a fraction of the shareholders’ wealth will go towards helping impoverished communities in another country. In doing so, they have effectively martyred themselves in the eyes of the capitalist-owned media. The company then enjoys a tax deduction for their sacrifice and a bipartisan
boot-licking, even if the “donation” works in their favor, such as an improved transportation system that will double as a means of lowering factor costs.
This inefficient exchange is not limited to companies, and exists within governments, universities and porn websites. In each case, the humanitarian tasks carried out for an oppressed people are contingent on the return of investments which led to, or perpetuated, the oppression in the first place.
The U. s . in the last century has toppled entire governments in order to appoint leaders who are subservient to their foreign investments, and yet, is simultaneously regarded a generous god, donating to some of these same countries what amounts to pocket change for the global center.
e ven worse, this foreign “aid” acts as a mechanism to inhibit those countries from developing
infrastructure and an economy which would allow them to be economically independent from the first world. o ne example of this is the issuing of loans to developing countries with the condition of “structural adjustment.” This ensures that the target country reforms its political and economic policies (typically involving the destruction of social programs, privatization, restricted labor rights, etc.) in order to provide an attractive business environment for banks and other corporations in the first world.
o verwhelmingly, the transfer of wealth is from the third world to the first world.
Daniel Esparza senior s ept. 4
Accepting diversity
Vaishali Nayak
diversity c ouncil
I’ve often been asked by friends, relatives, hopeful high schoolers and their concerned family members what diversity means on n otre d ame’s campus. I’ve faltered in my attempt to describe it, never having had enough words or the right words to describe the experience. It won’t be a far stretch to call diversity on campus quite limited. If there wasn’t much to talk about, what could one say? s tudents who are perceived and perceive themselves as different often walk a fine line of retaining their individuality and blending in. In a sea of white, it can often seem daunting to flaunt your shade. As a shy freshman, I remember having initial reservations about getting involved with cultural clubs on campus. I had the irrational fear that it would not only limit me from exploring the remainder of the “ n otre d ame experience” but also that I would be perceived solely on the color of my skin. As I learned what the average n otre d ame student was like, I fixated over every difference,
big and small, in our lifestyles and our histories. The consequent denial of acknowledging our differences was my method of avoiding being the “token minority” in class debates about race, immigration and religion.
m y insecurities were laid aside during a chance conversation with an endearing senior who expressed going through a similar sentiment of confusion her freshman year. c onversing with her, I realized that by avoiding my interests and curiosity in order to fit in, I was probably going against the very core of what the n otre d ame experience stood for. With her help, I discovered the small but vibrant diversity at n otre d ame. The students I met had found ways of interweaving their identities into the n otre d ame story. I realized how no two student narratives were exactly the same and that these students had found ways to celebrate their uniqueness, rather than shy away from it. d oing so had not made them any less of a d omer or a Fighting Irish. I found people dedicated to using the spotlight, that being different at n otre d ame puts on them, to pursue engaging conversations and constructive actions on issues important to
them. And most importantly, they showed me how being involved with their cultural clubs along with their other commitments had not limited their n otre d ame experience, but had instead, enriched it.
There is no denying that diversity, at n otre d ame, is still a conversation in its growing stages. b ut in today’s troubling times, I believe it’s a conversation worth having. Given the burgeoning vibrant community and the inclusive spirit of the d omer Family, I have faith that the conversation won’t end here and that it will be steered in the right direction.
The Diversity Council of Notre Dame advocates for awareness, understanding, and acceptance on issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other intersectional identities in the Notre Dame community. The viewpoints expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Diversity Council, but are the individual opinions of the author. You can contact Diversity Council at diversnd@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
nhL feels effects of olympic ban
o n Tuesday morning, T sn hockey reporter d arren d reger reported that two nh L restricted free agents — s am b ennett of the c algary Flames and Andreas Athanasiou of the d etroit r ed Wings — could decide to play this upcoming season in the r ussian-based Kontinental h ockey League (K h L) instead of the nh L due to contract disputes with their teams.
We have been seeing that a lot this summer, as players like Lars Johansson, m ikhail Grigorenko, r oman Lyubimov and n ikita n esterov have decided to play in r ussia instead of resigning with their nh L team or a different nh L team.
b ut the news of b ennett and Anthanasiou possibly leaving to play overseas was surprising. b oth are considered young, promising players for their respective teams. b ennett was the fourth overall pick in the 2014 nh L d raft and was considered a possible cornerstone player for the Flames for years to come.
s o why would these guys possibly decide to play in a foreign country?
The o lympics are a big reason.
b ack in April, the nh L confirmed that it will not allow their players to participate in the upcoming 2018 Winter o lympics in Pyeongchang, s outh Korea, marking the first time since the 1994 Winter o lympics that the nh L won’t allow their players to participate in the games. This news was met with negative reactions from fans and many nh L players.
o nly amateur players, players currently playing in e uropean leagues — like the K h L — and minor league players who don’t have an nh L contract will be allowed to play hockey in the upcoming o lympics.
Former nh L player Ilya Kovalchuk, who is currently playing in the K h L, said in an interview back in July that one of the main factors why he elected to stay in the K h L was the upcoming o lympic Games.
The move makes sense for a number of reasons.
For these players, representing their country in the o lympics is a once in a lifetime opportunity. They view playing a year in a e uropean league as a small price to
pay for getting an opportunity to play in a setting like the o lympics.
Given that the rosters for o lympic teams in the upcoming games won’t be riddled with nh L all-stars, their chances of making their respective country’s team has never been higher. They feel like they have a good chance given their previous nh L experience.
The same goes for b ennett and Anthanasiou, who would most likely play for the two-time defending gold medal winning c anadian o lympic team if they do decide to play overseas this year.
What will be interesting to see is how many other nh L players will follow their lead and play overseas this season in pursuit of o lympic glory. veteran nh L players like Jarome Iginla and Jaromir Jagr have still not been signed by an nh L team. Will they decide to make the jump overseas for one last shot at o lympic gold?
What about nh L players currently signed to nh L contracts? m any have said they would still wish to play in the o lympics even though the league ruled against it.
Washington c apitals superstar Alexander o vechkin said he will play for his home country of r ussia in the o lympics even if the nh L ruled against it. When the nh L did rule against it in April, o vechkin said he still planned on playing in the o lympics no matter what.
“Yeah, I didn’t change my mind and I won’t,” o vechkin said. “ b ecause it’s my country. I think everybody wants to play there. It’s the biggest opportunity in your life to play in the o lympic Games. s o, I don’t know, somebody is going to tell me ‘don’t go,’ I don’t care, I just go.”
Washington c apitals owner Ted Leonsis has publicly stated that he will support o vechkin’s decision to play in the o lympics against the nh L’s wishes.
It will be interesting to see if any other nh L superstars follow o vechkin’s lead.
Whatever the case, the nh L’s decision not to participate in the o lympics will have a ripple effect on team rosters around the league this year.
Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
said. “Winning eleven state championships and competing nationally at the national cross country championship level … there’s a lot of confidence that comes along with that. With our program where it is right now — having done things on the national level the last couple years — we expect her to slide into a varsity top five spot for us from the first time out … starting next week at the national catholic meet.
“…o ver the last three or four days, she’s been infused into our varsity rotation, working out with [junior] Annie heffernan, [senior] Jessica harris and [junior] rachel da damio. she’s slid into that group very well. once she acclimates to a bit more run training, then we’ll start to see big steps forward for her.”
meanwhile, the men’s team has a much different look to it this year, in terms of both personnel and potential. Thanks to the efforts of assistant head coach sean carlson, this year’s roster has been restocked after high school recruiting and grad student transfers, and the team could see important production from its youngest all the way to its oldest members.
“The key to their resurgence has been coach carlson,” sparks said. “he’s taken over the last twelve months — both recruiting and coaching — and
he’s done a great job of bringing in eight freshmen, but also three transfers to bring some veteran leadership to the team. of course we have [seniors] brent Kennedy and Kevin Pulliam as the captains, but connor [ sheryak], e lijah [ silva] and bradley [Wattleworth] are three fifth-year seniors that have run at various levels of competition. so it’s a good balance: newcomers that have been competing at an elite level in the high school ranks, to go along with the fifth year seniors, and then to mix them in with the returning runners.
“…I’m particularly excited to see where [freshman] Yared nuguse and [sophomore] ryan schweizer end up,” sparks said. “They were the front end guys for us [at the crusader open], and those two were also the only guys [who run the mile] in that group, so they ran a pretty conservative first 5K. There are still a lot of question marks, and I know coach carlson has to figure out who’s going to run top nine next week. [Freshman] brian Griffith was a Foot Locker qualifier and was one of the top 40 guys in the country there last fall. [Freshman] v incent Zona was someone we didn’t know what his fitness level was, but he really stepped up and ran well last Friday. The list goes on and on, and I could list an attribute about all those freshmen that makes us excited about not only what they’re going to do this year, but for the next four
years.”
o verall, while the success and training of both the current men’s and women’s teams remains paramount, the coaching staff knows the future of the program is just as important this time of year, as sparks spoke about the recruitment process.
“something that’s unique about notre dame is our admission deadlines,” sparks said. “A lot of schools won’t start until after cross country’s over, but for us a big recruiting period is september and october. Part of that is that the type of kids you’re recruiting are proactive about making their collegiate decisions, simply based on their academic backgrounds and just being well-thought out, well-planned people. ... They have to apply to notre dame by december, so these months in september and october are a very busy season — for our current student-athletes, which sean and I are busy coaching and traveling with the team — but we’re also busy week in and week out with home visits and bringing kids [to campus] for visits basically every weekend.”
As it always does, the next few months will determine a lot for the notre dame cross country program, but if the dedication of the coaching staff is any indication, the Irish are trending up.
Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
Florida State rounds out top ten after week
Associated Press
Florida state slipped all the way to the no. 10 in The Associated Press college football poll after losing to Alabama and losing quarterback deondre Francois to a season-ending injury.
The crimson Tide is no. 1 again, securing 60 of 61 firstplace votes in the first Top 25 of the regular season. ohio state remained no. 2 in the media poll and received the other first-place vote. defending champion c lemson moved up to no. 3 on Tuesday. Penn state is no. 4 and oklahoma moved up to no. 5, meaning for the second straight week there will be a top-five matchup. The sooners play at ohio state on saturday.
Florida state was no. 3 in
the preseason poll and lost an opening-week showdown with Alabama, 24-7. Francois went down with a knee injury late in the game.
The seminoles will turn to freshman quarterback James blackman to start. Florida state hosts Louisiana-monroe this week, but the stiffer tests are coming soon. no. 16 m iami visits Tallahassee on sept. 16.
many AP voters said that Florida state they would not have dropped as far on their ballots had Francois not been injured. esPn’s rece davis said he would have had the seminoles no lower than no. 3 without the injury to Francois.
“I have them at a shaky seven now solely because their defense is filthy,” davis said.
Pat dooley of the Gainesville sun said he would have likely
one
had dropped Florida state to fifth or sixth this week without the Francois injury. Instead, dooley has the ‘noles ninth.
“That’s a different team without him,” he said.
Jason Galloway of the Wisconsin state Journal dropped Florida state four spots to seventh on his ballot this week and said the Francois injury was not a factor.
“I’ll allow FsU’s play on the field to drop them rather than simply assuming they’ll be worse without him,” he said. southern california slipped two spots to no. 6 after playing a tighter-than-expected game against Western m ichigan. Washington is no. 7 and m ichigan moved up 11 spots to no. 8 after it beat Florida. The Gators dropped five spots to no. 22.
Michael Ivey sports Writer
ncaa football
appeal had been denied by the ncaa, ending the chance that the former navy safety would play for the irish this season.
on the injury front, both junior defensive lineman micah dew-Treadway and graduate student tight end durham smythe are progressing nicely, Kelly said. dew-Treadway participated in full practice on Tuesday, while smythe practiced in a non-contact role.
against Temple, the irish dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, as the irish ran for more than 400 yards offensively, while registering 11 tackles for loss on the defensive end. For Kelly, both stem from notre dame’s mentality instilled by its new coordinators.
“chip Long was talking about a physicality and a demeanor in
running the football [when he arrived]” Kelly said. “it wasn’t about how many yards we were going to amass in total offense. it was about how we were going to exert our will in terms of running the football. so this is really just more about creating a mindset and building on that mindset. Look, we’re in game one, oK. We have to continue to build on this mindset. but it started in January. it didn’t start in august.
“ … it’s been the same message that these guys have heard every day. it’s been demanding, not demeaning, and we’re going to continue to demand that new line of scrimmage defensively, taking the football away defensively, and from an offensive standpoint, a mentality, a toughness in terms of running the football.”
against Georgia, however, the irish will have their hands full. on the offensive end, the bulldogs were the only team
to have two running backs ranked in the top-15 nationally, and both nick chubb and sony michel have returned this year. defensively, Georgia also returns a number of key contributors, including the team’s entire front-seven from last season. For Kelly, it’s strength against strength, and so ultimately controlling the line of scrimmage will be the key to the game.
“[it’s] Georgia’s offensive line against our defensive line and vice versa,” he said. “They’re going to feature both their backs. We’re going to feature our running game, and somebody’s going to come out on top. so it’s going to be an old-fashioned kind of find out who’s got that grit and determination, because somebody’s going to have to find a way to run the football late and control the line of scrimmage.”
Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu
on the fact that coaching the irish felt like a long-shot for her when she first applied for the head coaching job.
players that i’ve had,” mcGraw said. “it’s really something that i rarely do — usually i’m looking forward to what’s coming next. so, it’s really been great to talk to all the players and coaches and just to think about this 30-year career at notre dame. i mean, it’s amazing that i’ve been able to stay here that long, and i’m just so lucky to be here.”
While mcGraw is thrilled with the hall of Fame honor, she admitted she is more nervous than excited for the impending ceremony.
“[i feel] anxious, really anxious,” mcGraw said. “i got the dress, so i think that was my main stumbling block. … a fter that, i did the speech — had to turn that in last week. so hopefully i can enjoy it, but i’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen.”
mcGraw has arguably been one of the greatest draws to the sport of women’s basketball for much of the duration of her tenure at notre dame. once inducted, mcGraw will become one of only a handful of women in the hall of Fame — a fact of which she is well aware.
“i do take a lot of pride in that [being a woman in the hall of Fame],” mcGraw said. “i think it’s great for women to be recognized on the same par as the men. i think that, in the future, there’s going to be a lot more women, so i’m kind of happy to be blazing a trail.”
mcGraw was inducted into the Women’s basketball hall of Fame in 2011, but said that breaking through to the naismith memorial basketball hall of Fame felt like reaching the ultimate level of her sport.
“Well, i think it’s great for women in general just to know that we can achieve those things,” mcGraw said. “i think getting into the women’s hall of Fame was really exciting for me a few years ago, but this one just feels so much bigger. it’s just — this is it. This is the pinnacle. so, i think someday i am going to look back and really appreciate what i’ve had.”
mcGraw took the time Tuesday to look back to the beginning of her notre dame career, reflecting
“Well, i had had a little bit of success at Lehigh, but on a very small scale, and each year the ncaa tournament would roll around, and we would look at all the games in march and think, ‘someday, i want to be on the sideline coaching in a game like that,’ mcGraw said. “and then when the notre dame job opened, i was a little hesitant — i really liked it at Lehigh, i was really happy there — and [my husband] matt was the one who really pushed me to apply, and so i felt like, ‘What the heck, i’ll send my resume in and see what happens.’”
and what happened was mcGraw became one of the most highly regarded coaches of all time. many of mcGraw’s players go into coaching and many continue playing in the W nba and overseas. but mcGraw is also famous for turning out players who are more than just talented players.
“i love to hear the ones that continue playing and ‘i still here your voice in my ear,’” mcGraw said. “i think that really means something to me, and just to see the way they’ve flourished in the W nba and playing overseas, i think it’s been great to see their confidence grow, to see what they’ve become and know that the future is bright because there are some terrific leaders that we’ve had.”
While mcGraw will be reaching the height of basketball — women’s or men’s — this week, she noted there are two people who have helped her tirelessly along the way, and who will be standing beside her Friday: her husband, matt, and her son, murphy.
“Well, i couldn’t have done it without matt,” mcGraw said. “i mean, you have to have a great partner who can do so many things — it’s fallen to him to do so many of the things that most of the moms do, most of the wives do — so he has been so supportive. a nd having murph has really made it so much more fun. so, to have the two of them with me on Friday, that’s where the emotional part is going to come in.”
Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Irish sophomore defensive lineman Daelin Hayes fights past a blocker during Notre Dame’s 49-16 victory over Temple on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Hayes tallied four tackles in the game.
Observer File Photo
Irish head coach Muffet McGraw watches on during Notre Dame’s 8882 overtime victory over Purdue on March 19 at Purcell Pavilion.
nd women’s basketball
McGraw prepares for Hall of Fame ceremony
By ELIZABETH GREASON sports e ditor
Irish head coach muffet mcGraw discussed the preparations she has been putting in to add the words “hall of Famer” to her biography with the media Tuesday, as she readies herself for her induction to the naismith memorial basketball hall of Fame on Friday.
mcGraw is about to enter her 31st season as head coach at notre dame. And in her 30 years at the helm, she has guided her squad to 765 victories, 24 ncAA tournament appearances, 15 sweet 16 appearances, seven trips to the Final Four and the 2001 national title.
mcGraw said being named to the class of 2017 in April has created the chance to walk down memory lane with her former players and all those who coached under her, an opportunity she has relished.
“It’s been such a great time to reflect back on all of the assistant coaches, all of the amazing
Football Irish ready for sec challenge
By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Associate sports e ditor
heading into notre dame’s first home game against an sec school in 12 years, brian Kelly said his team is relishing the chance to play a team with as much notoriety as Georgia and its secondyear head coach Kirby smart.
“certainly have a great deal of respect for Kirby smart, and certainly know him from his days at Alabama when we played them obviously in the national championship game,” Kelly said. “experienced coach, has done a great job at Georgia … we’ve got a well-coached football team coming into town, a talented football team.
“ … This is the great part of being an independent football team in that you get these kinds of games, getting a chance to play against a team that’s regarded as one of the very best in the sec so our guys are excited about the challenge and looking forward to saturday night.”
two times the Irish played a team from the conference occurred in postseason games. In 2014, notre dame defeated LsU in the music city bowl, but lost the national championship to Alabama in 2012. For Kelly, however, chances to play teams as talented as those from the sec serve as a great opportunity, regardless of the final score.
“I think you walk away from those games, and you certainly know that the talent level that you’re going up against,” he said. “but you also know that it still comes down to your preparation and execution and that you’re capable of beating those teams. certainly we weren’t capable of beating Alabama [in 2012]. but we did against LsU [in 2014].”
“I think the takeaway is that your preparation and execution, you can beat, you know, with a notre dame football team anybody that you play.”
The biggest news of the day came on notre dame’s end, where Kelly revealed that sophomore transfer Alohi Gilman’s eligibility
see mcGrAW paGe 11 see FooTbALL paGe 11
nd women’s basketball
Turner to miss complete season
Observer Staff Report
n otre d ame senior forward b rianna Turner will miss the 2017–18 season after undergoing surgery for an A c L tear suffered during last year’s nc AA Tournament, she announced Tuesday via Twitter. Turner is set to receive a medical redshirt for the season and return for 2018–19.
Turner led the A cc in field goal percentage for 2016–17 (.619) and was second on the Irish in points (15.3). It was on the defensive end, however, where her impact was most notable, leading the A cc in blocks and winning her second consecutive A cc d efensive Player of the Year award as well as AP s econd-Team All-American recognition. Turner’s junior year built on strong freshman and sophomore campaigns: The forward won the A cc Freshman of the Year award in 2015 and A cc c oaches Player of the Year in 2016. h owever, during
n otre d ame’s 2017 nc AA tournament second-round meeting with Purdue, after scoring the last eight Irish points in under two minutes and looking set to add two more, Turner fell under no contact and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. It was later announced that Turner would miss the rest of the nc AA tournament and would need surgery in the offseason.
While the Irish were forced to play without a front court presence for the rest of the 2017 tournament, eventually losing to s tanford 76–75 in the e lite e ight, even without Turner the Irish have a potential option.
n otre d ame is filing a hardship waiver to grant immediate eligibility to 6’4” n ebraska transfer Jessica s hepard. While the nc AA is yet to announce a decision, the former All- b ig Ten selection would serve in a similar capacity as Turner has for the Irish.
Georgia (1-0) is the first sec opponent to play notre dame (1-0) at home since 2005; the last
Notre Dame readies for regular season, future
By JOE EVERETT sports Writer
As notre dame moves past its performance at the c rusader open and into the heart of its regular season, the coaching staff is busy preparing the Irish for both current and future success.
While the veterans of the team have gone through the rigors of a full cross country season, complete with hours on hours of training and preparation, for the newcomers to the team, there is a period of adjustment. on the women’s side, freshmen Anna sophia Keller is currently increasing her training regimen in preparation to run varsity at the national catholic Invitational on sept. 15, and associate head coach matt sparks believes the high school star will be able to successfully translate her talents to the college level.
“The thing we’re looking at for her is that she’s got a lot of big-meet experience,” sparks
Observer File Photo
Senior Brent Kennedy sprints for the finish during the National Catholic Invitational on Sept. 16, 2016 at Burke Golf Course.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish head coach Muffet McGraw crouches during Notre Dame’s 8882 overtime victory over Purdue on March 19 at Purcell Pavilion.
