Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, August 22, 2017

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Volume 52, Issue 2 | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Community observes historic eclipse Notre Dame physics department hosts viewing for students and faculty outside Jordan Hall

By ANDREW CAMERON News Writer

Starting at 11 a.m., students, faculty and their families congregated in front of Jordan Hall to watch the first total solar eclipse the United States has seen since 1979.

The event, hosted by the physics department and officially running from noon to 4 p.m., offered visitors views of the sun from three telescopes, and organizers passed out free specialized sunglasses for safely watching the eclipse. The first “contact” of the moon with

the sun at Notre Dame was at 12:57 p.m., and the eclipse lasted until 3:44 p.m., according to the College of Science’s website.

W hile Notre Dame’s campus was over 200 miles north of the eclipse’s path of totality (where the sun is completely obscured by the moon), spectators were able to see roughly 89 percent coverage as the eclipse reached its “totality” (maximum coverage for the area) at 2:22 p.m. Additionally, two of the classrooms in Jordan see ECLIPSE PAGE 4

ELIZABETH GREASON | The Observer

Students and faculty view the total solar eclipse in front of Jordan Hall of Science on Monday afternoon.

South Bend experienced 89 percent totality, lending the afternoon an unusual silvery light.

Welcome Weekend fosters new relationships

By NATALIE WEBER Associate News Editor

Welcome Weekend drew to a close Monday, concluding orientation activities for incoming first-year and transfer students.

Junior Prathm Juneja, student government chief of staff, said he thought this year’s Welcome Weekend staff and student government volunteers did a great job of creating an “all-inclusive” environment

for new students.

“I think what we did best was trying to establish a welcoming, incoming connection individually to really show that student government really cares about our students,” he said. “Everyone here can be really connected and it should be an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other.”

Freshman Carmen Bolivar, also a resident of Lewis Hall, said moving into her dorm helped her feel welcomed

during her first few days at Notre Dame. Her older brother knew a sophomore Welcome Weekend ambassador in Lewis, who she met during the weekend.

“I think just seeing her and starting to meet everyone in Lewis was super fun,” Bolivar said. “I think just having that as my first experience coming into Notre Dame really made me feel more in the see ORIENTATION PAGE 3

Scrimmage introduces stadium changes The University opened the renovated Notre Dame Stadium on Sunday with the New and Gold Game, a scrimmage open to the public that simulated a real game day experience. The New and Gold Game was a chance for those in attendance to preview new stadium features such as video

board, renovated concourses and new benches in the general seating area.

For the Notre Dame cheerleaders, Sunday’s scrimmage also offered the opportunity for new members to adjust to performing in front of a crowd and returning members to get back into the atmosphere of the season.

Senior cheerleader MaryKatherine Nagengast said she appreciated being

able to cheerlead during a football game without the pressure of performing in front of a television audience in addition to the live crowd.

“The scrimmage was awesome,” she said. “It was a good opportunity for us to train our new-coming cheerleaders. … It’s a great opportunity for us to get back to why we love cheerleading,

News PAGE 3

Scene PAGE 5

Viewpoint PAGE 7

By COURTNEY BECKER News Editor

see SCRIMMAGE PAGE 4

Saint Mary’s senior completes NASA internship

By STEPHANIE SNYDER News Writer

Saint Mary’s senior, Emily Najacht, spent eight weeks of her summer working as one of 32 interns conducting research with The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) in Palmdale, California.

According to NASA’s website, SARP is a summer internship opportunity for rising undergraduate seniors that allows students hands-on research opportunities relating to the student’s degree. Najacht, who is majoring in chemistry and environmental engineering, said her summer research related to air quality in Los Angeles.

Najacht said she was both concerned and excited to begin the internship, especially when she and the other interns went to listen to lectures from people like Dr. Mike Brown, the professor who declassified Pluto as a planet, shortly after they arrived.

“We showed up and there were a lot of lectures from high

Football PAGE 12

and mighty people,” she said.

“It was definitely intimidating.

“I thought this was going to be tough, and it was,” Najacht said. “But by the end of it, there were others who were just as determined as me and it made it all the better.”

The SARP research process began with students flying on the NASA C-23 Sherpa and B-200 King Air planes in order to take air samples from Los Angeles. Najacht said once they got the data they needed, they split into four groups.

“Each group was assigned a mentor and then we decided what we wanted to do,” she said. “The research was on our own.”

Najacht and her group focussed on isoprene concentrations emitted from plants in the San Joaquin Valley. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, isoprene is an organic compound emitted mostly by plants that are able to tolerate higher levels of heat. Najacht and her group used the isoprene see NASA PAGE 3

Women’s Soccer PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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Did the solar eclipse live up to the hype?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Matt Jansen

Greg Perenich

sophomore Duncan Hall

senior Alumni Hall

“Not really since I didn’t get to see totality like my friends from home.”

“My expectations weren’t met — they were exceeded.”

Meaghan Flynn

Natalie Boyce

sophomore off campus

junior Welsh Family Hall

“No because it didn’t get very dark, but looking through the glasses was pretty sweet.”

“Yes because it was fun to see everybody watching it all together.”

(574) 631-4542 bpadanil@nd.edu

Ali Thomas Jr.

Alex Hadley

Managing Editor

sophomore Duncan Hall

senior Morrissey Manor

“I thought it was really cool as I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Well I couldn’t really look at it so no.”

Editor-in-Chief Ben Padanilam Managing Editor Katie Galioto

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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Selena Ponio Ciara Hopkinson Kelli Smith

Tobias Hoonhout

Photo

Scene

Chris Collins

Viewpoint Bailey Boesch

Ben Padanilam

Brian Boylen

Graphics Susan Zhu

Corrections A story that ran in Friday’s edition incorrectly stated the cost and square footage of the Campus Crossroads Project. The Observer regrets this error.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Seniors Nick Casias, Kevin Decker, Wyatt Kurtz and Aidan Shaughnessy from Dillon Hall play wiffle ball behind their dorm Monday afternoon. Tuesday marks the first day of classes for the fall semester at Notre Dame.

The next Five days:

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Classes Begin campus-wide all day The Fall 2017 semester begins with the first day of class.

Art Attack DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Free food, art and more.

Group Fitness Class Registration Opens campus-wide 7:30 a.m.

Registration is ongoing.

Volleyball vs.

Valparaiso Compton Family Ice Arena 7 p.m.

Part of the invitational.

175th Anniversary Mass and Picnic campus-wide 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The conclusion of the Notre Dame Trail.

ND Shakespeare Festival Decio Theatre 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Actors perform “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Feed Your Faith South Quad 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Free food from local food trucks will be served.

Trivia Night Legends 9 p.m.

Everything on the Legends’ Student Menu is $5 or less.

Men’s Soccer vs. San Diego Alumni Stadium 7:30 p.m.

The Irish take on the Toreros.

Volleyball vs. Rhode Island Compton Family Ice Arena 12:30 p.m.

Part of the invitational.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | The Observer

Program fosters informed cultural perspectives

By MARTHA REILLY Saint Mary’s Editor

Thousands of miles separate Saint Mary’s from the Middle East and North Africa, but the Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) once again aimed to bridge that gap by inviting 20 women from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan and the Kurdistan to campus over the summer.

According to student program coordinator and senior Marilla Opra, the College’s Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL) instills values of confidence and hope in participants, granting everyone the distinct opportunity to grow in understanding.

“There are a bunch of different chapters of SUSI, from agriculture to technology,” Opra said. “The one Saint Mary’s does explores women’s leadership, and only four universities are chosen to host this branch.”

While in the United States, the participants took classes at Saint Mary’s, journeyed around Washington D.C. and formed close bonds with the SUSI staff, according to student program coordinator and junior Angeline Barthel.

The participants learned about the realities of life in America, she said.

“Generally, these women have really great experiences meeting other people,” Barthel said. “They normally have positive experiences relating to being Muslim in America, so hearing about racism and Islamophobia gave them a new perspective.”

The program succeeds at initiating an effective cultural exchange, according to Opra.

“It really fosters diplomacy and not only changes their conceptions of the United States, but it changes our perceptions of their home countries,” she said. “For me, I’ve learned so much about these places that … there are so many misconceptions about.

In reality, it’s programs like this that empower [women] and help them to make a change in their country.”

The change SUSI inspires participants to make, Opra said, is to establish initiatives in their countries that benefit women and the community.

“Part of the program is that they have to design an action plan,” she said. “They see a problem in their country, and they think about a creative solution to it. They do seminars on how to implement the program, how they would find funding, who would they contact, what sources of support they have. They get to present those at the end, and the SUSI staff picks the best, and if the women want to, they can apply for a grant from the State Department to actually really implement them.”

Barthel said she emerged from the summer as a more informed citizen of the world, and this enhanced mindset was made possible by the classes she took at Saint Mary’s.

“Having the perspective of wanting to know more about the world around me has given me this curiosity and helped me get to know their cultures more,” she said.

The program is renewed every three years, according to Opra, but funding for SUSI might not be granted under the current presidential administration.

“It would be a really unfortunate missed opportunity if we weren’t able to do it again,” Opra said. “There’s concern that the new administration will cut the program altogether, so Saint Mary’s might not even get to apply for the grant at all.”

Opra said she feels lucky to have learned more about Islam through interacting with the SUSI participants.

“I’ve gotten to go to different mosque services, and I’ve discovered that I really enjoy them and think that they’re really beautiful,” Opra said.

“Especially here in Michiana, the Islamic Center is so warm and welcoming, and they do so much for the community that I didn’t even realize.”

The Saint Mary’s campus left a lasting impression on the SUSI women, according to Opra.

“They love the idea of becoming a Belle, and they really adopt the whole ‘once a Belle, always a Belle’ mindset,” she said.

“They’re constantly posting pictures of Saint Mary’s and talking about how they miss their South Bend home.”

The College benefits from the program too, Opra said. “[SUSI] really fosters an international community and takes the Saint Mary’s name abroad,” she said.

Opra said she will never forget the summer that enhanced her perspective and changed her approach to life.

“As we were saying goodbye, one woman who always wore a particular pair of earrings every single day … said ‘These are my favorite earrings. I wear them every day, and I want you to have them because you were one of the biggest parts of this summer that changed my life, and I want you to always remember me,’” Opra said. “And then, one of my Tunisian friends gave me a beautiful red dress that she had and also wanted me to have it so that I could remember the experience and the exchange that we had. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that selflessness.”

Contact Martha Reilly at mreilly01@saintmarys.edu

3

NASA Continued from page 1

concentration levels as a probe to look at the ozone layer in the area.

Previous studies have shown that higher levels of aerosol found in the ozone layer may be due to heightened levels of isoprene. Based on Najacht and her group’s research, they have speculated the higher concentration of isoprene found in the air may be due to the droughts that have hit California.

Najacht said sometimes the research could be frustrating because it went in a different direction than the group was expecting.

“You would go in one direction and then find out that wasn’t the direction you needed and starting over,” she said. “The mentors were helpful in helping me to get over any roadblocks I came across.”

She said community living with the other interns also helped to make the work less daunting.

“We lived in a home together,” she said. “It was great family living and a good way to get to know everyone from around the country.”

The interns’ experiences were not limited to one NASA facilit y. Najacht said on the weekends they would go on field trips to other NASA facilities and to hike around California.

However, Najacht said one of the main highlights of her trip was the presentations the interns gave to a large group of people from NASA. Although Najacht does not

Orientation Continued from page 1

family and really connected to everyone.”

Freshman Carina WaltonRoberts, a resident of Lewis Hall, said her favorite event was the class photo.

“I liked Domerfest but I think the most fun would probably be the class picture that we took,” she said. “They took it from the football field and we stood like the band does in the ND shape.”

Sophomore Dea Meissner, said she and other transfer students were divided into small groups which allowed them to get to know other students. Meissner said it was especially helpful for those who were not Gateway

Write News.

Photo courtesy of Emily Najacht

Emily Najacht completed a research internship for NASA in California. She was one of 32 interns in the student program.

plan on continuing to pursue research, she said she learned skills that she can apply to a possible future career in industry.

“It definitely gave me an insight as to what research is and what it entails,” she said. “It shaped what I’m going to do w ith my future plans.”

Najacht attributes her success in the NASA program to her Saint Mar y’s education.

“I feel like it gave me the tools to overcome adversit y while also giv ing me the experience of diversit y,” she said. “I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life.

Mov ing to California and meeting all new people w ith a liberal arts education has allowed me to jump in that much quicker.”

Fellow Saint Mar y’s senior, Mar y Green, said she has often seen Najacht working hard late at night in Trumper, the Saint Mar y’s computer lab located in

students — students who enroll at Holy Cross College during their first year of studies and transfer to Notre Dame during their sophomore year.

“I think they did a good job of breaking people into small groups because I think the hardest part is no one knows each other or you’re in a situation where half of the people are Gateway and you’re not Gateway,” she said.

Sophomore Kyla Kosidowski, a Gateway transfer student, said each small group was led by upperclassmen who had transferred to Notre Dame in previous years.

“They were really willing to help us with anything we needed, and … they were just more than happy to help

Email us at news@ndsmcobserver.com

Cushwa-Leighton Librar y.

“We had organic and biochemistr y together,” Green said. “She’s always a fun person to be around to tack le a hard subject.”

Dr. Jennifer Fishov itz, assistant professor in chemistr y and physics at Saint Mar y’s, has taught Najacht in prev ious classes and said she recognizes Najacht’s passion for env ironmental engineering through her class work and participation in Saint Mar y’s Affiliates of the American Chemical Societ y (SM A ACS).

“She was always ver y curious. A sure sign of a scientist,” Fishov itz said. “I have Emily again this semester in our Advanced Chemistr y Lab, which is more independent and research-based than other labs and I’m really excited to see what she brings to the class from her experience at NASA.” Contact Stephanie Snyder at ssnyder02@saintmarys.edu

us with anything that we had questions on,” she said. “So that’s been nice, [having] a support system from people who’ve already been through the same thing we have.”

Junior Margaret Meserve, Cavanaugh Hall’s Welcome Weekend co-captain, said it was rewarding to see the event come together this weekend. “ … You go into things like this with a little bit of anxiety because it’s kind of your baby,” she said. “We’ve been working on it since the spring so I think we started in April. It’s a long time of planning … but it really just ended up being a success so I think it went really well.”

Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Scrimmage Continued from page 1

and just get back to the fun of it instead of worr y ing about the cameras and ever yone watching. And you just get to do what you love.”

Senior and Notre Dame leprechaun Joe Fennessy said his favorite aspect of the scrimmage was seeing the special features the v ideo board offers for home football games.

“One thing I thought was

great was [at the New and Gold game] you could see a little bit of ever y thing,” he said. “They had behind-thescenes stuff about some of the players — so the crowd is getting to really know the players they love even more.

You’ve got little fans in the crowd that they’re show ing on the jumbotron — that’s cool. You see a little girl in a little cheerleading uniform w ith her poms, and you can see how young it starts for people who love this school.

So that was really exciting.”

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Sophomore Tony Jones, Jr. catches a pass during the scrimmage which also featured the marching band and cheerleaders.

Eclipse Continued from page 1

held viewings of NASA’s live stream of the eclipse, and physics professor Grant Mathews gave a short lecture on the phenomenon and its importance as the eclipse neared totality.

Among the many volunteers present, helping with the telescopes, handing out glasses and answering questions about the eclipse, Ben Rose, a sixth-year physics Ph.D. student, expressed his satisfaction with the event.

“It’s a little bigger than we were expecting,” he said.

“Some people were proposing some incredible numbers, and we haven’t quite reached those yet, but it’s definitely up there on the higher levels of what we were expecting. I would call it a great success, because we were able to engage all these people and talk to them about the eclipse.”

Rose said that hosting an event for such a rare astronomical phenomenon was important for multiple reasons.

“One is getting the

community to interact with scientists — getting them to understand what they do and what they think and who they are,” Rose said. “Because scientists are trying to learn new things and communicate with people, and if you don’t trust the people who are doing the investigations, then you can’t trust the results, so I think it’s just always a good thing to get scientists out of the labs and into the community.

“The eclipse in particular is great for our country, because it’s going coast to coast and everyone will get to see something. Because of something that universal, I think we really need to do something with it — it’s something everyone is going to experience, and it’s a great way to explain scientific techniques, and a great way to explain with a practical thing you can see.”

Sophomore Amanda Ferraro came to the event early to get glasses. She said she came because she is “really interested in science and astronomy, so it’s really cool to experience something that only happens once in such a long time.”

L i k e u s o n F a c e boo k . f b . c o m /n d s m c o b s e r v e r

The v ideo board w ill connect the fans — particularly the student section — w ith the action on the field, as well as the band’s and the cheerleaders’ attempts to excite the crowd, Fennessy said.

“I can’t wait until that v ideo board gets going and whips the crowd into a frenzy,” he said. “I know they’ve got some surprises in store for us, [and] I think at night games it’s going to be huge. … As a cheerleader — as the leprechaun — it’s really exciting, the idea of working w ith the v ideo board to get the student section going, get the crowd louder. I think, done right, we can really work together w ith ever yone so I’m excited about it.”

The close-up nature of the footage on the video board, Nagengast said, will make Notre Dame football games a more “personal” experience.

“I think it’ll make it more personal, if anything,” she said. “Just because you get to see and hear better what’s going down on the field and … you get to be down on the field with them. So I think it’s going to make it a closer, more personal experience.”

W hile some fans might be worried that any changes to Notre Dame Stadium would

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

The New and Gold game on Sunday was meant to simulate a game day experience and preview features, such as the new video board.

take away from the historic Notre Dame football game experience, Fennessy said fans shouldn’t be worried about losing the essence of the University.

“Everything seems really well done, top-notch, but also keeping the tradition of Notre Dame,” he said. “I’ve been able to see the locker rooms and some of the concourses, the new benches and my personal favorite [new feature] is the opposing tunnel. … W hile it’s definitely a big change, it does not get

away from what Notre Dame is all about.”

If fans embrace the changes, Fennessy said, the game day experience could end up being improved.

“I just hope everyone comes out excited,” he said.

“Change can be a little scary, but I hope people embrace it and at the end of the day it’s just another opportunity to show off our love for Notre Dame.”

Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu

ANDREW CAMERON | The Observer

Nearly 4,000 people gathered, more than the thousand expected, in front of Jordan Hall to watch the eclipse and take advantage of the free specialized glasses and telescopes for safe viewing.

Fortunately, the weather proved not to be a major issue, and the large crowd applauded as the sun became visible just as a cloud passed.

Many viewers lingered for some time after totality passed, but the large crowd quickly thinned. After the event, physics professor and one of the primary organizers of the event, Grant Mathews, said the event exceeded his

expectations.

“We set up the telescopes behind Jordan Hall, and handed out as many eclipse glasses as we had, which wasn’t quite enough for the crowd,” he said. “We had a little more people than we thought we would — between three and four thousand people. Personally, I thought a thousand, maybe two thousand, but it was great … It’s

just beautiful to see the sun and the machinery of the heavens. One of the telescopes wasn’t working, and so I spent a long time trying to get it working. It had kind of a festive atmosphere, and we even had a cheer right when the cloud passed right when totality hit.”

Contact Andrew Cameron at acamero@nd.edu

5

The observer | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

By ADAM RAMOS Scene Editor

Mac DeMarco is one of the few artists I actually enjoy listening to in interview. His mix of bubbly optimism, unwittingly smooth dad-vibes and silly demeanor form a contradicting spectacle that is both hilarious and admirably cool in every sense. I therefore hold his music recommendations very highly — which is where I first heard the name Kirin J Callinan. While Callinan’s blend of pop bears little resemblance to Demarco’s tranquil rock melodies, the connection between the two is more personal. On Callinan’s recently released sophomore full-length record “Bravado,” the Aussie, along with a few friends — Demarco included, joyfully mix humor and pop to form one of the year’s most exciting records.

To start, let me be clear here, “Bravado” is not a comedic record. Yet, I can’t think of many recent records, comedic or otherwise, that are as humorous. Much of this discrepancy can be explained by Callinan himself: the man simply breathes comedy. If you don’t know what I mean just watch his short but hilarious “Behind the Music” style mockumentary. Even the music videos released in support of the record convey a similarly cheeky ambivalence, each starring the Aussie sporting his signature pencil mustache and mullet.

The confounding, but ultimately provoking question behind all of the fanfare quickly becomes: If it’s all one

By NORA MCGREEVY Scene Writer

It’s a Monday morning in Santiago, Chile. I’m squished into an overcrowded metro car. Somebody’s elbow juts into my spine and a woman right next to me snacks loudly on a candy bar. It’s hot, and I’m stressed.

For a second, I close my eyes and push an earphone deeper into my ear, so as to catch the voice playing into my headphones: “Imagine the color blue. Now picture it deeper. Now picture it sharper, almost electric. Picture the kind of blue that is the deepest blue you have ever experienced...”

Rush hour commutes can sap the life out of a person if you aren’t careful. Most mornings, I rely on podcasts to make the commute bearable. In particular, Abbi Jacobson’s new podcast series, “A Piece of Work,” makes me look forward to my time alone on jampacked metros.

In “A Piece of Work,” Jacobson teams up with the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) to provide an auditory tour of some highlights in MOMA’s immense collection of modern works. Jacobson works both as an illustrator, writer, producer and actor in “Broad City,” with her co-star Ilana Glazer, so the podcast reflects the same wacky spirit that pervades “Broad City” and many of Jacobson’s other comedy routines.

Like any good tour guide, Jacobson unites and presents seemingly unrelated pieces in unexpected and exciting ways. For instance, in my favorite episode, “#3: How Questlove Learned to Love Silence,” which I quoted at the beginning of the article, Jacobson discusses Yves Klein’s “Blue Monochrome (1961)” and compares it to meditation. She then interviews Questlove — a professional musician — about the merits of silence.

In the nine episodes of the podcast, the first

big joke, why is the music so good?

The first minute of album opener “My Moment,” with its mournful guitar melody, brooding vocals and mellow synths, reflects the darker energy of Callinan’s previous record “Embracism.” And then there’s a drop — a tangible transition into a brighter and more vibrant palette.

Suddenly the track breaks into a euphoric, Notre Dame stadium-worthy anthem, Callinan and underground Montreal vocalist Sean Michael Savage the omnipresent emcees beckoning the audience to “join us” and to “make some noise.” It’s so corny that it’s actually inviting, the first of many paradoxes Callinan uses to ground the humor within the context of his pop. And while the jokes often function this way, the amount to which they dominate a song changes from track to track.

On “Live Each Day” Callinan tells the painfully heartwarming story of a man who lives each day — an ethos adopted either after a final conversation with a dying father, or after reading a fridge magnet, Callinan can’t remember. The bubbly mix of bouncy synths and guitar chorddriven verses exists somewhere between southern-rock and early 2000s top-40 pop. And it works, likely due to Callinan’s probably-insincere confidence. Throughout the track, he amusingly questions the meaning behind his trite title, “(Live each day like it’s your last)/ Go rollerblading round the Beverly Hills/ (Live each day like it’s your last)/ Shrug off the urge to systematically kill.” Sure, he’s just poking fun at stale expressions, but when such a message is sung over such decadent pop, the meaning is

oddly confounding.

Just as the comedic styles range from song to song, the sonic palette frequently shifts, a testament to Callinan’s freaky grasp on the past 20 years of pop music. “Telling me This” is Callinan’s foray into hokey love ballads, followed by the bass heavy EDM-tinged “This Whole Town.”

Both songs feature guest vocalists, providing Callinan distinct foils in completely separate soundscapes. Indie rock veteran Weyes Blood even makes an appearance on track “Friend of Lindy Morrison.” Yet despite these rapid changes, Callinan rarely misses a beat, his vocals effectively transforming to match the environment around him. The result is a mostly entertaining listening experience from front to back.

After putting up with every joke, style change and ridiculous lyric, Callinan unleashes the final act, the album title track “Bravado” — a song so infectious it may very well end up being the best pop song of the year. Bright synths are only outshined by Callinan’s passionate voice on the song, with energy building on each proceeding chorus. Production wise, the song is a successful mix of many of the preceding tracks’ styles. “It was all Bravado” Callinan roars throughout the track — and maybe that’s the answer to the question I posed before. Time in and time again, the album viscously makes the case that pop music doesn’t have to take itself seriously to be effecting.

So why look too far into it, isn’t it all just bravado anyway?

season traverses an impressive landscape of modern artists, including — but not limited to — Jo Baer, Beatriz Gonzalez, Marcel Duchamp, James Turrell, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Sol LeWitt. Jacobson also boasts a long list of guest speakers: MOMA curators, conservationists, researchers, writers, artists, comedian Hannibal Burress, “Rookie” editor Tavi Gevinson, RuPaul and Questlove, to name a few. In one fantastic bit, Jacobson visits the conservation lab of MOMA to speak with curator Ellen Davis.

She describes walking into the room to find a Picasso resting against a table — “it’s like casually hooking up with a Picasso!”

Jacobson revels in the questions that don’t have easy answers. She asks the fundamental questions, starting with the most simple — such as, “What is that?” and “What on Earth was that person thinking?” She then moves deeper: “What am I supposed to feel when I look at art? What does this mean? Does art have to be beautiful?” Jacobson doesn’t hold back on her opinions, and certainly doesn’t shy away from controversy in the art world. She often riffs on the title of the podcast when she gets to an especially thorny subject. “That, you guys, is a piece of work!”

The biggest drawback to the series stems from the limitations of the podcast format itself. Jacobson possesses a remarkable gift for painting word pictures, but it’s still difficult to visualize exactly the work of art she’s talking about, especially if I’ve never even heard of the artist before. MOMA compiles a gallery of the works discussed in each episode, but not every piece is included — so it remains up to the listener to venture through Wikipedia pages and the MOMA website to get a grasp on exactly what artwork Jacobson and her friends chatted about on the latest episode.

In many ways, though, this problem indicates that

Jacobson and her peers at the MOMA are succeeding in their work — the podcast invites its listeners to mull over the pieces of art they hear about. Jacobson offers no easy answers, but rather invites her listeners into an extended exploration of the works she discusses.

I’m back on the train, heading home after a long day, and through the grimy metro window I catch a hint of setting sun over the Andes. The sun’s rays filter through smog and blend with the fluorescent lighting of the train, and I think of an episode where Abbi and writer Samantha Irby visit a James Turrell skylight.

Turrell mixes and juxtaposes natural and artificial light sources in vast, open spaces — they look kind of like this window on the metro. I glance at my phone, and I notice the “@” symbol — and I’m instantly reminded of an episode where Jacobson traces the aesthetic inspiration behind the simple yet elegant design.

The more I listen to this podcast, the more art begins to infiltrate stealthily into my daily life. In that respect, Abbi Jacobson’s new podcast is a truly impactful — you guessed it — piece of work.

Contact Adam Ramos at aramos6@nd.edu

Contact Nora McGreevy at nmcgreev@nd.edu

“A Piece of Work” Abbi Jacobson Provider: WYNC Studios Episodes: “#3: How Questlove Learned to Love Silence.”

If you like: modern art, “Broad City,” comedy

SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

6

The observer | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

The rise of the playlist Adam Ramos Scene Editor

As the digital age continues to swallow every component of our millennial generation, life continues to change rapidly, seemingly by the day. Almost every industry, from telecommunications to automotive, has witnessed dramatic shifts within the past 20 years or so.

The music industry is no different, and as streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music continue to become the norm, physical methods of consuming music have become more of a novelty than anything else.

Music lovers all over the world, myself included, have discovered firsthand the changes that have resulted from this shift to streaming. Whether it is the declining interest in album art and presentation, the declining record sales revenue and subsequent increases in live performances or the reduced emphasis on the cohesive album, it is hard to tell exactly if these changes have been overwhelmingly positive or negative for the industry at large.

Yet, one facet of the switch to streaming that I believe is now and will continue to be generally positive is the growing importance of the playlist. For those who live under a proverbial rock, a playlist, very simply, is list of songs that is played either in order of shuffled. A playlist allows a music listener to enjoy a previously curated queue of songs without fiddling with a device. Playlists are often used during exercise and in party settings, but increasingly playlists are being used just for casual listening. While the idea of the playlist has been around since the days of the mixtape, today the playlist has become more important than ever, a reality that brings with it some very positive outcomes.

Just as the mixtape was often used back in the day as a way of sharing music between friends and family, today the playlist has inherited a similar role, albeit on a much bigger scale. Because almost all music is now consumed digitally, sharing playlists has become extremely seamless. The result of such rapid and constant music sharing is the resurrection of a social dynamic that has been mostly forgotten. While online publications are certainly liable to provide readers with music recommendations, the ability to receive personally selected music picks from a trusted peer was once reserved for the confines of a record store.

However, today is different, and as streaming services continue to integrate social media functionality into their platforms, music listening and sharing is more social than ever.

While the digitalization of music is responsible for giving both artists and consumers alike greater exposure to each other, in many cases, the playlist has become the vehicle for this process. Third party tastemakers have found great success in bolstering the popularity of smaller and lesser known artists by curating and sharing specific playlists. Even streaming services have begun to dabble in playlist creation, helping further expose new artists to new audiences.

Spotify has continued to play with the idea of computer generated playlist, beginning with their “Spotify Discovery Playlist” and more recently with their “Your Daily Mix” functionality. Both have been met with mostly positive response — a testament to the growing importance of the playlist format.

Will the playlist stick around as the dominant way to consume music? Maybe, but only time will tell. Until then you can find me bothering my friends with thematically specific and annoyingly eclectic playlists.

Contact Adam Ramos at aramos6@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Don’t expect anything this semester Expect nothing and you will enjoy everything.

This sentence seems contradictory, but the idea it captures is one of the most meaningful nuggets of wisdom I’ve mined from my time at Notre Dame. It has the power to make the ordinary extraordinary, to make every day spectacular from the moment you hop out of bed, and to make life monumentally more joyful. To explain how I need to note a few things first. Let’s start with our minds.

A human brain is perhaps the best biological supercomputer on the planet. Amidst its long list of accolades is the sensible ability to simplify. In other words, our brains are great at taking the extremely complex, diverse and unpredictable world, and projecting it onto our mind’s eye in a simpler, more uniform and more stable format.

If our brains didn’t reduce life’s complexity in this way, we’d have a hard time making it out the door each morning. The world is just too complicated to completely comprehend and still continue to function. But we get by because our brains are great at minimizing distractions; showing us only the details they deem we’ll need to navigate through each day and attempting to block out the rest.

Put another way, life is like an extremely busy retail website on Black Friday, and our brains are like pop-up blockers that help us focus, for the most part, on what we’re actually looking for. But impeding interruptions isn’t the only way our brains make life simpler. They also form expectations, which function like a web browser’s autofill feature.

Just like a browser predicts what we’re going to type, remembers our passwords and suggests the pages we frequently visit, our brains reduce uncertainty by forming expectations about what future situations will hold. Then, we can interact with these familiar and comfortable expectations, rather than having to figure things out each time on the f ly.

Think about it. We generate expectations for almost everything, and when we don’t know what to expect from something, it tends to terrify us.

Getting in the car and driving somewhere doesn’t make us uncomfortable because we expect other drivers to stop at red lights, use their turn signals, and stay in their lanes. W hen they don’t, our expectations aren’t met and driving becomes much more difficult and sometimes frightening.

In much the same way, something like a first date is bound to give us butterf lies. It’s full of uncertainty, and we rarely know what to expect — which is why first dates usually makes us more nervous than our daily commute. But there’s a paradox in our brain’s predictive tendency, because which situation is more meaningful: driving along a familiar road or going on a first date with someone you barely know?

W hile expectations enable our minds to deal with complexity, they also limit our capacity for finding joy in everything we do. They scare off serendipity and create a foretold mold that reality can never completely fill. In “The Loss of the Creature,” Walker Percy presents this paradox to us by explaining why we’ll never be able to gaze at the Grand Canyon and see it in all its grandeur; the way that Garcia Lopez de Cardenas did when he first discovered it.

Percy suggests that our minds won’t be able to fully appreciate the beauty before us, because we’ve already built up expectations about what the canyon should be. Consequently, the sightseer who’s read brochures and travel blogs won’t measure her satisfaction by how wonderful the canyon really is, but by the degree to which it conforms to her preformed expectations.

All this goes to say that we’ll never fully enjoy anything if we expect something from it, because our ability to absorb the awe of what’s actually happening around us will be limited by what we expected to happen in its place. For example, consider a rainy Monday morning. If you expect a sunny day, it’s easy to become disappointed when you peer out a window and see gloomy grey skies instead.

On the contrary, if you expect nothing from that Monday, you’ll jump out of bed and find many things to appreciate. You’ve got the fresh air that follows a storm to breathe, lots of great friends to see, and comfortable clothes to wear.

These things are just a morsel of the treasure that that rainy Monday contains, but they’ve already made it a spectacular morning full of joy and gratitude.

The trick is that, by expecting nothing to be given to us, everything we receive becomes a gift.

It isn’t always easy to do, because our brains will try to fight us along the way, but if we can eliminate expectation this semester, we’ll also find it possible to enjoy everything.

The key is keeping a keen eye out for joy; appreciating everything that life sends our way; and if things get especially challenging, taking solace in the simple fact that we get to spend another day studying what we love, surrounded by people who love us, at the greatest university on Earth. W hen we know where to look, happiness isn’t hard to find.

Matt is a senior studying anthropology. His favorite animal is a human and he is fascinated by faith and evolution. You can usually find him wandering barefoot by the library or wondering about life by the Geddes fireplace. Please direct any questions or comments about his articles or afro to mwilli41@nd.edu and don’t forget to be awesome.

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

Join the conversation.

Submit a Letter to the Editor: Email viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

Thoughts from a place of nostalgia Caroline Humphreys Kindred

I sit here trying to write about love as I kill the ants crawling over my computer keys.

I’m in Thailand, and seemed to confuse “simple” and “rustic” when looking to get away and unblock my chakras or whatever soul searching I had in mind. My friend Steph sits opposite me, applauding the mosquitoes she can’t quite catch.

We returned to Thailand after visiting years before, when 10 high-schoolers from around the world serendipitously signed up for the same adventure— something called “Come With Nothing”— and left home with a change of clothes in a backpack. All of us bonded over complaining: too much rice, not enough fruit and finding ourselves in the wide unfamiliar. Leaving Thailand introduced me to the concept of reverse culture shock, when the person who left home wasn’t who returned.

Steph and I spend a lot of time talking about that first trip. We brought ourselves to tears — both from laughing and nostalgia — but Round Two isn’t quite the same. We tried to recreate something that

didn’t exist anymore. That couldn’t, really. We even retraced some of the same paths and put ourselves in the way of similar experiences, but so much is different now.

The first time I was a fearless 16. I face-planted into my first love, and created some of the most important relationships in my life today. I’m proud of the girl I was for being so brave with her heart, so beautifully vulnerable. But while reliving old memories, I realized that who I am now is far closer to who I want to be, and that the raw innocence of five years ago has been smoothed out by time and experience. I’d been living in the past for so long that I barely recognized how far I’d come.

But living in the past seems like my regular trip from reality. For example, I have In-Case-YouThink-About-Reaching-Out Stories on reserve for when I wallow in the memories of old boyfriends.

During one of these Netflix & Chills with loneliness, I told my sister that I worried about never finding someone better than the boy I left, and she told me that I shouldn’t. She said I’ll be wiser and stronger because of this experience. I will be able to love more people regardless of whether I want to or not, and one day look back on his memories without the

bitterness of now. She also said that the world really is beautiful, and much too naive and random to be cruel, to hurt this much forever. So I followed her advice to move on, and my wise 13-year-old sister was right. Per usual.

Gazing across the mass grave of insects, I see that the kinship Steph and I built brought us back to Thailand. Though it started during “Come With Nothing,” unique experiences are what help solidify equally unique connections, not the other way around. This realization took time and perspective, but also led me to closure: the ability to accept the past as nothing more than the stories I tell myself, and move forward with deeper understanding for my experiences and appreciation for those who shared them. And if I carry the relationships with kindred spirits — like Steph — into the future, and learn to find closure with the rest, I have to believe that the best days are always ahead.

Caroline Humphreys is a senior studying political science and peace studies. Find her at Whole Foods and here, chumphr1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Save the philosophy At Irish Rover meetings, I sometimes catch a sideways glance when the staff is reminded that I’m a finance major. At business events, I tend to get a raised eyebrow when I mention I’m a theology minor.

Does the business world need its next generation wrestling with thorny moral questions? Aren’t think pieces in college newspapers the realm of liberal arts majors? Fortunately, at Notre Dame I’ve never had to make these distinctions.

Last fall President Jenkins announced “the most significant changes to Notre Dame’s core curriculum since the late 1960s.” These changes will impact the incoming Class of 2022 allowing them more flexibility in course selection. Most significantly students will no longer need to take a second philosophy course. In its place, will be a new Catholicism and the Disciplines requirement.

Although these changes appear minor, they align with an ongoing trend in higher education: the steady decline in philosophy, theology and other liberal arts requirements. The fear is that students will go through Notre Dame without being exposed to the philosophical theological fundamentals of the Christian Faith, but rather bits and pieces here and there. Historically, at Notre Dame the primary vehicle by which the Catholic intellectual tradition is transmitted to students is through the liberal arts curriculum. But with our material success in recent decades, there has come a temptation to forget the past. The University of Notre Dame, like its secular peers on the coasts, owes its very existence to the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages. When the University of Cambridge was originally granted its papal charter, all undergraduate students, were known as “artists” for their commitment to the liberal arts.

The Middle Ages was not a simply an era of blind allegiance to the Church. To the contrary, it was a

time of academic and intellectual freedom where faith collaborated with reason to hasten the advance of the academic disciplines. Well known historian and Ph.D Thomas Woods has said, “It was the Church’s worldview that insisted the universe is orderly and operates according to fixed laws. Only buoyed with that confidence would it have made sense to bother investigating the physical world or develop the scientific method.”

For science to be born nature had to be de-animized. Because God is rational and orderly, His creation must be rational and orderly as well. Scientific truth is not subject to the whims of local gods and goddesses, but to the natural laws of nature’s God. Today, prestigious universities, including Notre Dame, are under pressure to abandon talk of ‘truth’ in favor of political narratives. Yet “truth” remains the foundation of the American legal system, mathematical problem solving, the scientific method and all philosophical thought. Once truth is discarded political narratives replace facts, and the process of free inquiry is halted.

In classical thinking, both the arts and the sciences are rightly ordered toward the search of the truth. The physics of Newton and the biology of Harvey, like rest of the liberal arts, can be viewed as a collection of stories containing essential themes, meanings and truths. These stories tell the tale of a people, diverse and contentious, in a centuries-long, existential struggle to better understand themselves and their relationship to God. Stories unite a disparate people, creating a culture and defining important societal mores. The Roman Empire, once renowned for its virtue eventually grew corrupt, stopped telling its stories and collapsed. The historian Edward Gibbon described Rome’s degeneration thusly, “The end comes when we no longer talk with ourselves. It is the end of

genuine thinking and the beginning of the final loneliness.”

Philosophy is the golden thread that unites the liberal arts, providing a shared vernacular across academic disciplines. A Ph.D in any field stands for “Doctor of Philosophy,” a moniker whose Greek origin means “lover of wisdom,” reminding us that truth is the common language we share and that within philosophy and theology is the structure by which to think about every other discipline.

As a finance major at the nation’s finest business school, I have become a staunch defender of the liberal arts. In my humanities courses I’ve studied the canticles of Dante, the speeches of Lincoln and the confessions of St. Augustine. These encounters with the great minds of history have taught me that there is more to education than the memorization of numbers or rote professional training. We live in a moral universe where every decision has consequences that extend far beyond ourselves. Eventually, every person will be faced with difficult choices which cannot be escaped. These decisions, the ones that ultimately define our character, will not require a formula, but rather the wisdom to discern good from evil, and the courage to act on that discernment.

In its popular media campaign of the last 10 years Notre Dame rhetorically asks “What Would You Fight For?” Wouldn’t it be nice if, assuming the mantle of leadership our university answered — the liberal arts. In some respects, Notre Dame is one of the last bastions of Catholicism in higher education. If Notre Dame forsakes its commission to teach the great truths of philosophy and theology, who will be left to defend the things we hold sacred?

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Michael Singleton senior Aug. 19

8

DAILY

The observer | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Take some initiative. Get into the fast lane and position yourself where the action is. Your ability to bring about change and to follow through with your plans will put you light years ahead of anyone who chooses to compete with you. Share your triumphs with the people who love and support you, and be gracious toward those you outmaneuvered. Your numbers are 2, 13, 15, 21, 26, 34, 49.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Make your morning count. High energy coupled with hard work will allow you leisure time at the end of the day. Physical changes will turn out to be costly and unsatisfactory. Don’t rely on others.

Learn from past experience.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Idle time will lead to a dispute. Concentrate on what you want to achieve and use your intelligence and ingenuity to help you stay on top of whatever situation you face. Make personal relationships a priority.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Engage in projects that will bring you closer to your partner, children and those you care about. Positive changes at home will encourage you to expand your interests and pursue professional advancement.

Set a realistic goal and move forward.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Find contractors or colleagues who can help you make changes at work or at home. Don’t be afraid to do things differently. Use your past experiences and your imagination to come up with a plan that will improve your life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t hold back. Step up your game and play to win.

You’ve got all the right moves and the discipline to finish what you start.

Taking the initiative to get ahead will lead to bigger and better opportunities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your imagination will lead to new endeavors. Stay focused on personal changes that will make you more appealing, enterprising or marketable. Set the course you want to pursue and get moving. Trust in yourself, not in what others say or do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Get ready to make changes to the way you deal with financial, medical or contractual matters. Look at the big picture and aim high.

Don’t let indecision cause you to miss out on a chance to get ahead.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Do your own thing. Use your talent to create something that will make you happy or bring you pleasure. Physical changes or researching different lifestyles and beliefs should be a priority. A conscious effort to broaden your outlook is favored.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t follow the crowd. Set your own boundaries and goals. Look for an opportunity to travel, gain experience and discover what life has to offer. Take the initiative and turn your dreams into a reality. Discipline and hard work will pay off.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Look over your personal papers or the documents of someone you are taking care of and you will discover something unusual. Follow through and find out your options. A gift, reward or financial gain is heading your way.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Nurture important partnerships. The help you offer others will be reciprocated. Jump into action if you face a challenge and you will make an impression that will lead to a unique opportunity. A change in income looks promising.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): An honest assessment of the way you are doing things will be required if you want to make the best choices and stay on course. Not recognizing your talents and how best to use them will cost you.

Birthday Baby: You are outgoing, popular and persistent. You are astute and passionate.

wingin’ it | olivia wang & Bailee egan

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Draw comics.

Email Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

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SPORTS

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | The Observer

9

Sports Authority

LaVar Ball has gone too far Ben Padanilam Editor-in-Chief

At first, it was funny.

Or at least it was supposed to be. One man offering outlandish quotes as if he was giving out candy on Halloween and predictions so bold that reporters couldn’t help but put a microphone in front of him.

But now, it’s no longer funny.

It’s no longer appropriate. And it’s no longer, and arguably never has been, newsworthy.

Enough is enough. People need to stop giving LaVar Ball a platform and condemn him for the virus that he is, infecting basketball with his amoral attitudes.

Now for a long time, people have seen Ball as a marketing genius. They say he has helped to earn his sons scholarship offers from UCLA, did all that he could to position his oldest son — Lonzo — to be a Los Angeles Laker, and turned his youngest son — LaMelo — into one of the most polarizing and watched high school players since LeBron James.

But if you really look at what he did throughout this summer, you have to ask yourself two questions: Is he really a genius? And is he really doing this for his kids?

The answer to both is a resounding no.

Perhaps Ball’s act started with his kids in mind, but it certainly has not been that case for quite some time. When the ridiculous $495 price tag was announced for his son’s shoe, he defended the price saying, “I liked the way it sounds” and proclaiming “Let Nike and Adidas and Under Armour — they battling below me. … I’m better than them. I’m a step above.”

So the brand that supposedly represents the family, and which Lonzo was supposed to be the headliner for, is really all about LaVar. Just like his ridiculous comments about being able to beat Michael Jordan one-on-one — they add nothing to his sons’ brands, but certainly keep the spotlight on himself.

But sure, no one actually thinks LaVar Ball can beat Jordan in a game. People said those comments were funny and most definitely harmless.

His comments about women certainly aren’t, though.

Too many people ignored his misogynistic attitude when he told Kristine Leahy to “stay in her lane” for simply asking how many Big Baller Brand sneakers he had sold on Fox Sports’ “The Herd” on May 17. When she pressed him on that remark and the remark he also made about reporter Jason Whitlock’s weight — saying “he can’t comment on anything but snacks” — Ball threatened her with his reply: “I never disrespect women. But I’ll tell you what,

if you act like that, guess what?

Something’s coming to you, and it’s okay.”

His attitude was the same just two months later at his son’s AAU tournament, when he threatened to pull his team off the court if a female official who gave him a technical foul wasn’t removed from her position. And when Adidas embarrassingly and regretfully obliged to appease LaVar, the man bringing crowds into its building, that gave Ball the platform to abuse that referee, saying “she’s not in shape” and that “she needs to stay in her lane because she ain’t ready for this.”

Except she was in shape and had the experience. As a referee of Division I women’s games at the collegiate level, she was more than qualified to be at that game. After all, she had spent more time at the Division I level than Ball himself ever had.

And it makes his comments all the more despicable.

Ball can offer all the excuses he wants, but nothing can dismiss that sort of behavior. He’s been given a platform by media outlets like ESPN and Fox Sports to express these attitudes on a public stage and influence the minds of his almost cult-like fan base. LaVar Ball draws crowds, and many of those crowds look up to him. And who they’re looking up to is a misogynist who represents the values that should be shunned, not embraced in the world of sports.

Just as problematic as his misogyny is his expletive-laced rants that earn him the technical fouls in the first place and his decision to twice walk his team off the court in the middle of its games because of them.

As a youth coach, you have influence over what type of men or women your players become.

You teach them the game and the etiquette it requires.

LaVar Ball has taught his players that disrespecting women, breaking the rules and quitting when you don’t get your way are all a part of the game. And his fans saw the same lessons unfold, but the consequences were fame, a microphone and the power to dictate youth basketball tournaments.

Enough is enough. It’s about time the media taught LaVar Ball a lesson — that his values are not welcome in sports, particularly at the youth level, and that he is not worthy of the national platform they have given him up to this point.

Because it takes many people to build up the next generation, but it only takes one to tear it down.

Observer File Photo

Irish sophomore forward Jennifer Westendorf looks to push the ball into the Cougars’ defense during Notre Dame’s first round loss in the NCAA tournament to SIUE on Nov. 11, 2016, at Alumni Stadium.

W Soccer Continued from page 12

opposite end, Kaela Little, who also graduated in May, racked up 1969 minutes as goalkeeper last season, and was the 2016 team co-MVP. She started all 21 games for the Irish, and had career bests in GAA (0.41), saves (91), save percentage (.910) and solo shutouts (13): numbers impressive enough to rank fourth nationally in save percentage, fifth in shutouts, and seventh in goals against average.

Notre Dame’s first game of this 2017 season and home opener ended in a 0-0 tie against Butler last Friday. No. 18 Notre Dame controlled possession for the majority of the match and totaled 15 shots against

the Bulldogs, including four shots on goal, while the opposing squad finished with only six shots on the day. Sophomore goalie Brooke Littman had her first career start and had a relatively quiet day, only making two saves in the clean sheet. The draw marked the first time in 11 games that the Irish did not manage a win against Butler.

The Irish took on Ball State Sunday afternoon for the first time in program history and snagged their first victory of the season. Sunday’s home game at Alumni Stadium seemed to mimic the team’s previous game, with the scoreboard showing 0-0 after the first half, but the offense sparked to life in the second 45 minutes. At the 58 minute mark, sophomore Natalie Jacobs netted the first

goal of the season, and soon after Westendorf, who led the team with five shots, scored goal number two. The Irish kept the momentum going and gained a 3-0 lead when graduate student Sandra Yu attacked the Cardinals defense and scored with an assist from the combination of Westendorf and freshman Eva Hurm. In the final sixty seconds, Notre Dame continued to press the Ball State backline.

Freshman Sammi Fisher took a shot that rattled off the crossbar and found the feet of senior Katie Uhler, who was able to connect on the rebound for her first career goal and sealing Notre Dame’s 4-0 win in convincing fashion.

The Irish next come up against Minnesota this Friday at 6:00pm at UI Soccer Complex.

Observer File Photo

Irish graduate student midfielder Sandra Yu carries the ball up the field during Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over Clemson on Oct. 6, 2016, at Alumni Stadium. Yu scored one goal in Notre Dame’s 4-0 win Sunday.

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wanted Sitter for 2 kids, Mon morning or Wed afternoon, walk from ND

Guess who just got back today? / Them wild-eyed boys that had been away / Haven’t changed, haven’t much to say / But man, I still think

them cats are great / They were asking if you were around / How you was, where you could be found / I told them you were living downtown

10

Sports

The observer | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Football Continued from page 12

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush tucks the ball and scrambles from the pocket during Notre Dame’s New and Gold scrimmage Sunday at Notre Dame Stadium.

Padanilam Continued from page 12

and potential, but also clear holes in need of being plugged.

Sure, there are plenty of new faces leading the way for this Irish squad: offensive coordinator Chip Long and defensive coordinator Mike Elko headline a bevy of new faces on the coaching staff. Junior Brandon Wimbush takes over for nowNFL signal caller DeShone Kizer at quarterback.

And sure, there were certainly some changes that were clear in Sunday’s scrimmage as well: The emphasis on tempo that Long was hired to bring to the table was apparent from the get-go, and the number of screen passes and plays designed to get playmakers the ball in space was significantly higher than what was seen at any point last season.

But in spite of all those changes, much was the same Sunday. The offense shined at times while stalling at others, and the defense was youthful but unimpressive.

Wimbush was extremely efficient and effective, throwing for 168 yards at a 14-for-18 clip.

Junior wideout Equanimeous St. Brown displayed the talent that drew rave reviews in fall camp, while sophomore receiver Chase Claypool answered the challenge — at least for one day — that head coach Brian Kelly laid out for him to show more consistency.

And as good as the play at receiver was, the play of the secondary was just as uninspiring.

Irish wideouts had plenty of cushion on just about every branch of the route tree, and that conservative approach

still did not help the defensive backs keep their man in front of them, often leading to big plays down field.

Both St. Brown and Claypool found themselves wide open for big plays down field, while freshman safety Isaiah Robertson got beaten on a wheel route on consecutive plays — the second of which led to a touchdown before the half. Throughout most of the scrimmage, sophomore quarterback Ian Book looked as good as Wimbush, raising further concerns for what many believe to be a very deep secondary group.

The playcalling certainly exposed the Irish secondary, as the scrimmage consisted of passing, passing and more passing. While there are several reasons why the Irish might have decided not to run — maintaining the health of its stable of running backs, wanting to see give Wimbush as many reps in the stadium as possible — it was nonetheless surprising to see a decidedly lack of run plays called by an offense that many expect to be run-heavy. This was particularly true in situations where passing was especially dangerous, such as the screen pass called for the offense’s own 3-yard line that was nearly intercepted in the end zone by the defense.

So what does this mean for the Irish just two weeks ahead of its Sept. 2 opener? Does it mean the same disappointing result could be in store for this upcoming season?

Not necessarily.

If the expectations are 10-2 or playoff contender for this Irish squad, then yes, disappointment could be on the horizon given last year’s problems

may not have been solved.

But if the expectation, as Kelly put it following the scrimmage, is to truly improve one day at a time, then disappointment is not necessarily the most likely outcome.

Despite going 4-8 last season, Notre Dame was a competitive team in all but one of its contests. It was a 1-7 mark in one-score games that doomed the Irish — an inability to close games out or capitalize on opportunities down the stretch that sent the team spiraling to the stark opposite of its preseason hype.

So while the Irish might not have solved all of last season’s problems this offseason, the fact is that they realistically didn’t need to in order to flip their record and turn in a winning season. They simply need to chip away at those problems and make strides towards becoming the team that closes out games, particularly on the defensive side of the football.

The talent was there last year, but now it has added the experience that wasn’t.

So what did Sunday’s New and Gold scrimmage really teach people about the 2017 squad?

Well, nothing really new from 2016.

But it did do one thing: remind everyone that small, weekly improvements could very well make a drastic difference come the end of the season for a very talented Irish team.

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

that can change. Quickly.

Sunday’s scrimmage was a big one for the receiving corps, with St. Brown, sophomore Chase Claypool and sophomore Javon McKinley having standout performances.

In his postgame remarks, Kelly called the scrimmage a “big day” for Claypool in particular.

“You saw Claypool make a couple plays today,” Kelly said. “We’ve been looking for him to kind of step up and be a little bit more consistent.

We’ve been pushing Chase — he’s a great kid. He wants that.

He wants us to stay on him, and he’s learning and developing the traits.”

Claypool only recorded five receptions for 81 yards last season, but with Torii Hunter Jr. graduated and sophomore Kevin Stepherson seemingly out of the mix, there’s a lot of playing time to go around.

“I think we have really good depth. We’re going to play a lot of them, they’re all going to contribute in some fashion,” Kelly said. “I think we have a marquee player in [St. Brown], and then I think we have a lot of really solid football players that will contribute.”

And while Claypool and junior Miles Boykin look to be the most likely candidates to join St. Brown among the elite ranks of receivers, St. Brown said until that happens, he’s prepared to step up his game.

“I need to step up, be more vocal,” St. Brown said. “Right now, I’ve been mainly leading by example. I’ll be more vocal during the season, help the young [receivers] out, because they’re looking up to me and some of the older guys for counseling and leadership, so that’s going to be one of my major roles this year.”

In addition to his leadership behind the scenes, St.

Brown already appears to have strong chemistry with Wimbush, who looked for the big target from Anaheim, California, on multiple third down situations.

“I’ve been catching balls from him since high school,” St. Brown said of his relationship with Wimbush. “We have a great relationship on the field and off the field, so that’s definitely going to help us out throughout the season.”

Kelly and wide receiver coach DelVaughn Alexander have a lot of pieces to choose from with Claypool, Boykin and junior C.J. Sanders all showing signs of life. And that’s not to mention the new transfers seniors Cameron Smith and Freddy Canteen and tight end Alize Mack.

“I really think that each one of them has a little bit different trait,” Kelly said. “Each one is a bit different as a player. Boykin is obviously rangy.

Claypool obviously big, physical kid.”

St. Brown also said he likes the depth at the position, especially when the Irish go uptempo on offense.

“It’s important with the offense, with how fast we go, to have subs that can perform in high-pressure situations,” St. Brown said. “Going as fast as we go, we’re going to need some plays off. You can’t run forever, that’s good.”

Now, the only thing the receivers need to do, is prove themselves. Of players not named Equanimeous, only Kevin Stepherson and Sanders had over 10 catches in 2016.

Mack missed the season due to an academic suspension and Smith and Canteen are transfers.

But with a revamped offense and a new gunslinger under center, there may be a lot more household names coming from the receiving corps.

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish sophomore wide receiver Chase Claypool leaps and hauls in a pass during Notre Dame’s New and Gold scrimmage Sunday.

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The observer | tuesday, august 22, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Football

Scrimmage offers preview of Irish squad St. Brown leads deep receiving corps heading into 2017

ND in similar position as 2016, which is fine for now

By MAREK MAZUREK

Ben Padanilam

Assistant Managing Editor

Editor-in-Chief

Preseason expectations for the Irish offense are understandably high.

First-year starting quarterback Brandon Wimbush has been getting a lot of hype. Emphasis on a lot.

And there’s been nothing thus far to suggest he won’t live up to it. On top of that, Irish head coach Brian Kelly has a significantly better record with a first-year starter at the helm of his offense than with more experienced quarterbacks.

Then, there’s the offensive line, which sports two future draft picks on the left side in Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson.

A solid quarterback and a stalwart offensive line are great to have, but the truly elite offenses in college football also boast playmakers at the receiver position.

Right now, Notre Dame has just one elite receiver — junior Equanimeous St. Brown — but see FOOTBALL PAGE 10

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush steps into a pass during Notre Dame’s New and Gold scrimmage Sunday at Notre Dame Stadium. Wimbush was 14-for-18 passing in the scrimmage.

The atmosphere of Sunday’s New and Gold scrimmage reflected precisely that — the excitement of new buildings, stadium renovations and a video board that could make Notre Dame Stadium that gold standard of college fields as far as intertwining tradition and innovation.

But the team that took the field for the scrimmage did not really seem all that different from last year’s 4-8 squad.

Granted, it’s hard to come away with real takeaways when analyzing the quality of play in an intrasquad scrimmage that features red jerseys, a running clock and an intentionally unexciting special teams display.

But the preview of 2017’s rendition of Notre Dame football just 13 days ahead of the Temple matchup looked eerily similar to the 2016 version: plenty of talent see PADANILAM PAGE 10

ND Women’s soccer | ND 0, Butler 0; ND 4, Ball State 0

ND looks to build off promising ’16 campaign Observer Sports Staff

In the 2016-17 season, the Irish went 13-3-5 overall and 7-1-2 in the ACC. Despite consistently facing ranked teams, Notre Dame only lost one conference game — a 1-0 defeat to Virginia on Oct. 9, which also was the team’s only home loss during the regular season. The Irish won their last game of the regular season in a conference bout with Miami to clinch a share of the ACC title, Notre Dame’s first conference title since the program moved to the ACC. In the ACC tournament, the Irish beat North Carolina State 1-0 in the quarterfinals, then lost 2-1 to North Carolina at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina, despite beating the Tar Heels 1-0 earlier in the season.

Following the strong regular season performance, Notre Dame entered the NCAA tournament in a great position to push deep into the tournament as a No. 2 seed. However, the dreams of a national title hit an early roadblock when the Irish faced Southern Illinois Edwardsville in the first round

of the tournament. After both teams failed to score in regulation, Notre Dame was upset 4-5 in penalties to end their positive season on a disappointing note.

For this season, the Irish have some key returning players for 2017. In the attacking half, sophomore Jennifer Westendorf leads the line, after topping the squad with six goals as a freshman last season. Notre Dame also has a wealth of experience on the roster, including sisters Kaitlin and Taylor Klawunder, who return as seniors this season. Taylor was one of the leaders for the team in minutes played last season, racking up 1826 minutes at midfielder.

Kaitlin played only 602 minutes as a forward, but still managed to finish third in points with seven points via three goals and an assist.

But the team also has some big shoes to fill. All-ACC first team forward Kaleigh Olmsted graduated last year after a strong season including four goals and five assists, and she tied Westendorf for the most points on the team with 13. At the

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

see W SOCCER PAGE 9

Irish sophomore forward Jennifer Westendorf sends a corner kick towards the box during Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over Missouri on Sept. 4, 2016, at Alumni Stadium. Westendorf scored six goals for the Irish last season.