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Volume 51, Issue 117 | monday, april 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Seniors launch whiteboard campaign In anticipation of Vice President Mike Pence’s Commencement speech, students express opposition By LUCAS MASIN-MOYER Associate News Editor
For seniors Imanne Mondane and Jourdyhn Williams, the Universit y’s selection of Mike Pence as this year’s Commencement speaker represents an endorsement of the values supported by President Donald Trump, which they said silences certain minorit y groups. To combat what they believe w ill be the adverse effects Pence w ill have on campus, Mondane and Williams launched the #notmy c om menc ement s p e a k er campaign, which took place throughout the past week and consisted of students “holding a whiteboard in [their] hands w ith direct quotes from Pence that are racist, sex ist, homophobic, xenophobic,” according to the campaign’s Facebook page.
“For me personally, [Pence] represents the larger Trump administration,” Mondane said. “ … his administration represents something, and for many people on our campus, it makes them feel unsafe to have someone who openly is offensive but also demeaning of their humanit y and of their life and of their identit y.” This v isual aspect of this campaign was key to its success, Williams said. “It’s hard getting out there to get people to discussions that you want to be there,” she said. “A lot of times they don’t come until you show them ‘this is my face, this is how it’s affecting me,’ and so we wanted to make sure it was something that impacted ever yone, and not just those who are interested in coming to these things.” see CAMPAIGN PAGE 4
SMC students market makeup By SYDNEY DOYLE News Writer
Saint Mary’s students have brought the skincare and cosmetics company Ginamarie Products to campus through an internship in which they promote products on social media and compose monthly articles for the company’s website. Gina Marie McGuire, the owner of Ginamarie Products, has run the company by herself for almost 30 years, her daughter Christina McGuire, a junior at Saint Mary’s, said. She said this internship gives her classmates an opportunity to try the products she has used for as long as she can remember. “As her daughter, I’ve used the products my whole life, but now other people — especially here — are using it,” McGuire said. “Seeing that it actually helps people is the best part about doing this for me.”
NEWS PAGE 3
McGuire said her mom’s mission is to show women prioritizing the health of their skin leads to beautiful results. “It is to empower women — that is my mom’s main goal,” McGuire said. “You don’t want to just put a product on your skin without knowing what it’s about, knowing what’s in it. When you have healthy skin, beauty automatically follows.” Sarah Sniegowski, junior and Ginamarie Products intern, said the brand’s message goes beyond skincare. “Our mission statement is to be role models to all women and to make an impact on the women around us,” Sniegowski said. Sniegowski said this internship provides her with valuable business experience and the opportunity to try new products. “As GM girls, we get to try all the skin care and some of the see MAKEUP PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 5
Photos courtesy of Imanne Mondane
Members of the Notre Dame community hold signs with quotes from Vice President Mike Pence as part of the #NotMyCommencementSpeaker whiteboard movement, launched by two seniors last week.
Justice Friday examines implications of genocide By STEPHANIE SNYDER News Writer
By presenting on the Armenian and Yazidi genocides, Saint Mar y’s senior Katherine Elliot hopes she can prevent histor y from repeating itself.
During her presentation in Friday’s installment of Justice Friday, Elliot said her great-uncle was just a young boy liv ing in Tadem, Armenia when the Turks invaded his v illage. She said his mother rescued him from the debris, but when
he looked back at his mother across the river, he saw a Turk smash open her skull w ith a rock. “Obv iously he was able to escape,” Elliot said. “But even as an old man, he see ARMENIA PAGE 4
New director discusses study abroad program By GINA TWARDOSZ Associate Saint Mary’s Editor
Professor of biolog y Joel Ralston is the new director of the Saint Mar y’s Ecuador program called “Env ironments of Ecuador.” The trip predominantly sends biolog y majors to
viewpoint PAGE 6
Ecuador, but the inv itation is also extended to students who are interested in the env ironment. The program maintains a proactive cultural awareness aspect that strives for students to interact positively w ith the people of Ecuador, Ralston said.
ND W BASKETBALL PAGE 12
“We spend time in Quito, which is a large cit y in Ecuador, and in some local v illages as well,” he said. “Within our first days there, we participate in a ser v ice project in a v illage near Quito. That involves see ECUADOR PAGE 4
SOFTBALL PAGE 12
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TODAY
The observer | monday, april 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
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What’s the most stress-inducing thing at Notre Dame?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Ben Padanilam Managing Editor Katie Galioto
Asst. Managing Editor: Marek Mazurek Asst. Managing Editor: Rachel O’Grady Asst. Managing Editor: Megan Valley News Editor: Courtney Becker Viewpoint Editor: Mary Freeman Sports Editor: Elizabeth Greason Scene Editor: Nora McGreevy Saint Mary’s Editor: Martha Reilly Photo Editor: Emmet Farnan Graphics Editor: Lauren Weldon Advertising Manager: Molly McCarthy Advertising Manager: Alexandra Pucillo Ad Design Manager: Madison Riehle
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junior Sorin College
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junior Sorin College
junior off campus
“The Starbucks line.”
“Talking to girls.”
Maggie Arriola
Lucas Estrela
senior off campus
freshman Morrissey Manor
“My thesis.”
“Room picks.”
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Senior Annette Sayre performs her senior recital at Annenberg Auditorium in the Snite Museum of Art. Sayre performed voice pieces by Hugo Wolf, Claude Debussy, Joseph Haydn, Johann Sebastian Bach, Enrique Granados and Dominick Argento.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
“Brunelleschi’s Dome” 106 Bond Hall 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Author to speak about bestselling novel.
“Voices of Change in Cuba” Hesburgh Center 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. Carmelo Mesa-Lago will present.
Dirty Book Sale Hesburgh Library 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Cheap, used books for sale. Sponsored by Notre Dame press.
“Visualizing Fascism” Hesburgh Library 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Analysis of other ways to understand fascism.
Easter Break campus-wide all day Classes will resume for all students Tuesday, April 18th.
Marguerite Barankitse Lecture 102 DeBartolo Hall 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. On leadership and love for social change.
Christ’s Passion: Medieval Mystery Plays DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Dogs and Donuts 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. North Quad Take a study break to pet dogs and eat donuts.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Basilica of the Sacred Heart 6:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. Held in Lady Chapel.
Stations of the Cross Basilica of the Sacred Heart 7:15 p.m. See Campus Ministry website for events.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, april 10, 2017 | The Observer
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Higgins Labor Cafe examines ND licensees By ANDREW CAMERON News Writer
In Friday’s installment of the Higgins Labor Program’s (HLP) Labor Cafe discussions, members of the Notre Dame community gathered in the Geddes Hall Coffee House to discuss the supply chains of Notre Dame licensees Students from the Center for Social Concerns Fall 2016 Human Trafficking Seminar delivered a presentation on the the topic titled “Exploring the Risk of Forced Labor Within the Supply Chains of Notre Dame Licensees.” Dan Graff, director of the HLP, said Labor Cafe events
enable attendees to foster dialogue about pertinent social issues. “The Labor Cafe is an ongoing vehicle for discussion on contemporary labor questions,” Graff said. “It’s most of the time just a discussionbased convening, where we decide ahead of time that someone’s interested in talking about a particular issue, and they facilitate the discussion.” Seniors John Nolan and Michelle Kim and sophomores Maggie Feighery, Joseph Laski and Zoe Walker shared research they conducted about Notre Dame’s supply chains last semester
as their final project for the Center for Social Concerns Fall 2016 Human Trafficking Seminar. Feighery said the University policies in place lessen the risk of unethical labor practices in the supply chains of Notre Dame licensees. “We do have a code of conduct for our licensees that we expect them to adhere to,” Feighery said. “We also have a freedom of association policy. We don’t allow our licensees to make products in countries that don’t allow workers to unionize. There are nine countries on that list — among them is China. We’re a member of the Fair Labor
Observer recognized at ICPA awards ceremony Observer Staff Report
The Observer won 21 awards at the 2017 Indiana Collegiate Press Association (ICPA) awards Saturday in Indianapolis, including third place in the Division I Newspaper of the Year category and first place in the Best Overall Website category. The News department won second and third places for Best Non-Deadline News Story for Managing Editor Katie Galioto’s coverage of the death of Notre Dame student Theresa Sagartz and News Editor Courtney Becker’s story about increased competition for internships in the Mendoza College of Business, respectively. Galioto also won second place for Best Feature Story for her feature remembering South Dining Hall monitor John Ritschard, and the department additionally won third place for its coverage of the 2016 Laetare Medal decision in the Best Continuous Coverage of a Single Story category. The Sports department won three awards, including first place in Best Breaking News
Reporting for its coverage of the arrests of six Notre Dame football players in two separate incidents on one night. Editor-in-Chief Ben Padanilam won first place in the Best Sports Column category for his column arguing that head football coach Brian Kelly should be fired after poor leadership last season and sports writer Renee Griffin won second place in Best Sports Feature Story for her piece “Meet Notre Dame’s emerging star receiver” about sophomore wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown. The Scene department won four awards, including first place for former Scene Editor Erin McAuliffe’s piece “Frankie Cosmos moves on to ‘Next Thing’” in Best Review, and second place in the same category for former Online Editor Jimmy Kemper’s review of Usher’s “Hard II Love” album. McAuliffe and Kemper also won third place for Best Podcast along with former Associate Scene Editor Kelly McGarry and Scene Writer Adam Ramos for their “Nirvanacast.” Scene Writer Matthew Macke won third
place for his piece “Bottled nostalgia and the cultural feedback loop” in the Best Entertainment Column category. The Photo department won first place for both Best Sports Photo and Best Feature Photo for Photo Editor Emmet Farnan’s photos of sophomore wide receiver C.J. Sanders and the men’s basketball team celebrating, respectively. The Graphics department teamed up with the Photo department to take home third place for Best Special Section Cover for former Graphic Editor Susan Zhu and former Photo Editor Caitlyn Jordan’s “Breakout” Irish Insider cover. The Viewpoint section won first place for Best Opinion Column for Jordan Ryan’s piece “Out of many, one.” The 2016-2017 Editorial Board won second place for Best Staff Editorial for its piece on sexual assault alerts, “It was timely.” The Observer also took home third place for Best Themed Issue for the 2016 Freshman Orientation Edition, second place for Best Overall Web Design and third place for Best Use of Twitter.
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Association [FLA] , and our licensees are also members of the Fair Labor Association.” Despite these policies, as well as regulations mandating supply chain transparency, determining whether or not a product was partially made with unethical or forced labor can be an arduous task, Feighery said. “Supply chains are incredibly difficult to trace these days,” Feighery said. “A lot of that has to do with the rapid expansion of globalization. Even though information is spreading more easily, it’s not keeping up with how large the supply chain is getting and the different aspects
of it. It can have as many as eleven parts, from where the cotton is sourced to where it ends in your hand. There’s been an increase in forced labor, which we’re seeing a lot globally.” Laski said several companies — such as Patagonia and Apple — have taken proactive measures to combat forced labor in the manufacturing of their products. “The main thing we learned from this is even the best companies have trouble getting deep into their supply chains,” Laski said. Contact Andrew Cameron at acamero2@nd.edu
Panel connects gender, politics in Andean town By TOM NAATZ News Writer
Subject of the documentaries “Soy Andina” and “Soy Andina II: The Return,” Nelida Silva spoke alongside associate producer of both films, Doris Loayza, and associate political science professor Guillermo Trejo in a panel discussion that examined local politics and gender in rural Peru. Silva said she was born and raised in the rural Andean town of Llamellin, Peru but moved to New York when she was young and lived there for 20 years. In New York, Silva said she worked as an accountant before eventually returning to her hometown. “I decided to back to my village to teach women, so they could earn some money,” she said. Silva said she was proposed as a candidate for mayor of Llamellin, though she initially struggled to decide whether or not to run for office. “I wasn’t sure,” she said. “Candidates are seen as corrupt people.” The documentary “Soy Andina II: The Return” details Silva’s campaign to be mayor. Silva said she ran on a platform of economic development and ultimately lost the election. Traditional gender roles often deter women from becoming involved in politics, but her candidacy demonstrates women’s capabilities, Silva said. “Despite the macho system, which is dominated by males, there is more space for women,” she said. “However,
there were more receptive young people — some men, too, but not those who had a [stake] in politics.” Loayza said producing a movie featuring Silva’s political campaign was an arduous task that presented constant challenges, especially in terms of objectivity. “My role was not easy,” Loayza said. “We had to be objective.” Loayza said making two films about the same place brought about some challenges, especially concerning the locals’ perceptions of the documentaries. “The townspeople were developing the idea that the footage from the town was going to be big and disseminated internationally, which made it hard,” she said. Trejo said the film almost never discusses the country of Peru at large because Peruvian politics has a “more local dimension.” “There’s this idea that you leave but you never leave,” he said, “We are living in a reality with the question of universal citizenship. We are not trees. You don’t belong to one place.” According to Trejo, Silva’s gender played an integral role in the success of her campaign. “[Silva] was facing two enemies: political machines and the question of gender,” Trejo said. “It was interesting and infuriating. It is hard for a woman to be heard — not to speak up, because she was, but the audience wasn’t listening. It doesn’t matter if you have the [microphone].” Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | monday, april 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Armenia Continued from page 1
would start cr y ing when he would start talking about his mother and ever y thing he lost there.” Despite its small size today, Elliot said half of Turkey used to be Armenia. Before the genocide, Armenians would travel to Istanbul, Turkey and incorporate themselves in societ y, Elliot said. She said they even became some of the top marketers, doctors and brokers, but the Turkish disapproved of the Armenian successes. “They were a really successful group of people,” she said. “The Turkish saw this as a sign that they were stealing jobs and were taking advantage of the Turkish people and were therefore a t hreat to Turk ish people.” At t his t ime, nat iona lism in Turkey was g row ing, a nd t he Turks sta r ted to bla me minorit ies for t he issues in t heir count r y, El liot sa id. The Turk ish nat iona list mindset was t hat A rmenia n success ca me at t he ex pense of t he Turk ish. “They decided t hat t hey needed to a lienate t he A rmenia ns to t herefore get rid of t his t hreat,” she sa id. “They sta r ted by ta k ing away proper t y, g uns, a nd t hey wou ld ta x ex t remely high ly unt i l t hey eventua lly sta r ted k i l ling t hem of f.” There were mass deportat ions, ca mps a nd eventua l ly mass g raves as a resu lt, El liot sa id. “To t his day, if you go to Sy ria a nd ... some a reas of t he deser t, you w ill f ind sku l ls ever y where,” she sa id. “It is so dif f icu lt to f ind informat ion on western A rmenia because ever yt hing was burned, ever yone was k i l led a nd a ny books were seen as inva lid a nd not as superior as Turk ish tex ts.”
Despite t he mass k illings, Elliot sa id people st ill quest ion whet her t he A rmenia n genocide shou ld be labeled genocide, because if t he Turk ish admit t hat it was genocide, t hey w ill have to g ive back a ll t he la nd t hey took f rom t he A rmenia ns. “They use polit ica l pressure to make sure people are afraid to comment on it being genocide,” she said. “Even using the word ‘genocide’ [in reference to what happened to the Armenians] is illegal in Turkey.” Elliot said as younger generations of the Turkish are learning of Turkey’s histor y, the grotesque truth of the genocide is surfacing. “I’m hopeful because of the young people [in Turkey] who are coming out — they’re acknowledging [the genocide],” she said. It is essential to recognize the Armenian genocide as such because similar catastrophes are currently occurring in the world, particularly to the Ya zidis, Elliot said. She said the Yazidis are one of the oldest and most misunderstood religions in the world. Even though the religion has many parallels to Judaism, Yazidis are often mistaken as dev il worshipers and have suffered much persecution as a result, she said. “They are literally f linging themselves off this mountain to prevent IS from getting to them,” she said. “The U.N. has officially said it’s a genocide.” As students, Elliot said the best way the communit y can act on these events is to advocate for the cause. Students can donate to nonprofit organizations to help the oppressed escape, she said. “Few people know of these events and how big a problem it is,” Elliot said. Contact Stephanie Synder at ssnyder02@sainmarys.edu
Ecuador Continued from page 1
ser v ing lunch to the school children and interacting w ith them. The students also travel to a market to experience some of the foods and the Amazon Rainforest, which has a rich culture and shows us how the forest is used by the peoples of the Ama zon.” As the new director, Ralston said he w ill change the program ver y little. “There’s ver y few changes overall,” he said. “The trip was run by [Thomas Fogle] in the Biolog y department, and he set all this up, especially the Ama zonian culture part of the trip, including the market v isit and ser v ice project. The only new thing about the program is me.” Ralston said he is thrilled to be part of the program, as he is a biologist, ornithologist and natural lover of the env ironment. “I’m ver y excited,” he said. “I’m a biologist, and I’m interested in w ildlife and ecolog y. In particular, I study birds, so I’m really just excited to go to the rainforest and see all the birds.” Students attendees will
Campaign Continued from page 1
Mondane said she hopes t his event a llows students to spea k up for t heir rights. “W hat we want to do is give a voice to t hose who have been silenced,” Mondane said.“It’s not even a matter of feeling like t hey have been silenced — t hey have been silenced on our campus and in our countr y,” she said. Williams said not only does Pence represent t he policies of t he Trump administration, but he ta kes direct actions t hat warrant protest. “I k now t hat during his time as governor of Indiana and a lso during his campaign trail, a long w it h Trump, he has made offensive statements towards minorit y groups t hat affect me, like women and A frican-A mericans,” she said. The selection of Pence
Makeup Continued from page 1
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makeup products, and we also get to work on our blogging, photography and marketing throughout social media,” Sniegowski said. “We really focus on how it’s all clean cosmetics. All the makeup is water-based.” Madison Marshall, junior
experience both adventure and education, Ralston said. “We take a lot of biolog y students, so as a biologist one of the great things about the trip is we’re walking in the footsteps of Charles Dar w in, who famously v isited the Galapagos Islands,” he said. “The Galapagos were formative in his ideas about natural selection and evolution. As evolutionar y biologists and biologists in general, that’s one of the really cool things about it. Students get to see all he’s seen and use it to form their ow n understanding of biolog y. It becomes a real world aspect to the student’s learning. “For other students, the adventure of the trip is once in a lifetime. We go to the Andes, the Ama zon and the Galapagos. There are a lot of exciting activ ities.” Ralston said the trip focuses on conser vation and how students can become mindful of the world they live in. “Part of it is just opening their eyes to the incredible diversit y that ex ists on the planet,” he said. “Going to the Galapagos and sw imming next to a sea turtle or walking in the Ama zon next to a tree as big as a sk yscraper gives you a
different perspective on what we have on the planet to lose. And part of reading and getting ready for the course is learning about the cultures — how the people of Ecuador interact w ith the env ironments that we’re seeing, or how do the tribes in the Ama zon use the rainforest as a resource to support their culture and societ y? ” Ralston said he hopes the Ecuador program benefits students in more ways than one and prov ide students w ith a global awareness.. “I hope the takeaway is more than just an adventure,” he said. “I hope the program w ill be adventurous but also more than just a vacation. We get to learn about conser vation of w ildlife and our place in the world. There are things that we do here in Indiana that impact the rainforest and w ildlife around the world and people around the world. Seeing how different people around the world live, and how different ecosystems around the world are, we get to inform ourselves on how to be better humans.”
as graduation spea ker a lso v iolates t he Universit y’s Cat holic mission, Williams said. “I feel t hat is of fensive to such a large population here at Notre Dame, and I a lso believe it goes against certain Cat holic Socia l Teaching, which is somet hing t he Universit y likes to broadcast t hat it stands behind, but it picks and chooses when it wants to stand behind t hem,” she said. Mondane said she hopes t he campaign cha llenges t he dominant narrative t hat of ten ex ists at Notre Dame. “I t hink t hat if you could come across to t he people of our campus, t he professors, t he administrators, to [Universit y President Fr. John] Jenk ins, it would be ama zing,” she said. “Maybe t hen he would … t hink and act in regards to t he ot her people on our campus who are not white, conser vative
Cat holics.” Once a ll t he photos have been collected, Mondane and Williams said t hey w ill assemble Facebook and Tw itter pages to tell t he stories of students who participated in t he campaign. These pages w ill “hopef ully” ser ve as t he f irst step in fostering a greater dia log ue about Pence’s inv itation, Mondane said. “We’re going to have a follow-up discussion in t he weeks to come,” Mondane said. “Ever yone is welcome to t he discussion, and we’re going to have an event and advertise, but we rea lly want to get t he voices t here who may not agree w it h us and who may ta ke issue w it h what we’re doing. We bot h have an equa l platform, and we’re on an equa l play ing f ield where one narrative isn’t tota lly dominant of t he ot her.”
and Ginamarie Products intern, said she feels proud to promote Ginamarie Products because she can share her input and experiences with the world. “That’s our job, to get the word out and really inform people about how great Ginamarie Products are,” Marshall said. “And I can actually say that because I’ve actually used them.”
Marshall said this internship has made her passionate about skincare. “I just want everyone to take an interest in their makeup and their skincare and start really educating themselves about what they’re putting on their skin and what makeup they’re using,” Marshall said.
Contact Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys. edu
Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer at lmasinmo@nd.edu
Contact Sydney Doyle at sdoyle01@saintmarys.edu
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The observer | monday, april 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
By OWEN LANE Scene Writer
Fredrick Tipton, aka Freddie Gibbs, a gangster-rapper from Gary, Indiana is the closest thing South Bend has to a local rap star. Gibbs slowly rose to prominence through his prolific mixtape releases in the late 2000s and cemented his status as a top-tier rapper after his collaboration with Madlib on the excellent 2014 album “Piñata.” His raps frequently document the dangerous, gritty life of a black man in a decaying Rust Belt town. His diverse, adroit flow and low, gravelly voice provide his verses with their distinctive hard-hitting flavor. Gibbs’ latest effort, “You Only Live 2wice” finds the rapper at the most compelling crossroads of his career, following a 2016 rape allegation. “You Only Live 2wice” is Freddie Gibbs in prime form. His recent issues have certainly not stifled his rapping abilities; if anything, they’ve only stoked Gibbs’ fire. Opening track “20 Karat Jesus” is a two part track that is classic, A-1 Freddie Gibbs. The second half of “20 Karat Jesus” and the Kaytranada and BADBADNOTGOOD-produced “Alexys” are examples of the album’s extremely impressive production. Throughout the record, Gibbs switches up his immaculate flow and drops his gritty message over the sweet, haunting beats. The 30-minute-long album is only half as long as his two previous LPs. In the “More Life” playlist era of today, a short and cohesive LP is refreshing. The album’s biggest drawback is how familiar and consistent it feels for Gibbs. Even if Gibbs is being unadventurous in his style, his lyrical content is certainly captivating due to his overseas legal trouble in 2016. In early June 2016, Freddie Gibbs was arrested in France on an Austrian warrant,
By ADRIAN MARK LORE Associate Scene Editor
Here’s a record to judge by its cover: “World Eater,” the latest record by Blanck Mass (Benjamin John Power). The album art, which features a dog’s muzzle baring its teeth, is reminiscent of no wave band Swans’ brutal 1983 debut “Filth,” which features a pair of dentures on its cover. Perhaps the likeness is fortuitous, but other similarities are not so superficial. Though their approaches differ widely, both records are debilitating in their obscene and vicious energy, and overwhelming in their darkness. Most notably, the two records tackle related themes. In the “World Eater” liner notes, Power elaborates on the artistic vision that guided the record’s production, which was largely a response to current events: “As humans, we are aware of our inner beast and should therefore be able to control it,” he writes. He goes on to argue that, in spite of our unique ability to reason, humans remain incapable of placating these selfish drives. “Recent global events have proven this. The human race is consuming itself.” Though I trust Power’s earnestness, the same philosophy would be fitting in relation to virtually any Blanck Mass production. After all, narcissism, aggression and the desires of the flesh — well, these are Power’s thematic bread and butter. Just take a look at his 2015 record, “Dumb Flesh,” or his collaborative project with Andrew Hung, the noise-techno duet F--- Buttons. For that matter, take a look at the back cover of the “World Eater” booklet, a thunderous fractal-like
after a woman alleged that Gibbs raped her in Austria in 2015. Gibbs was extradited and finally charged with sexually abusing two women on August 16, 2016. A month and a half later, Gibbs was acquitted of all charges and returned to his fiance and toddler daughter in the United States. Listening to “You Only Live 2wice,” it becomes clear that the months Gibbs spent in foreign jails were painful and contemplative ones. Gibbs does not shy away from addressing the affairs of 2016. He is most explicit about the allegations on the album’s only single, “Crushed Glass,” openly denying any wrongdoing. He raps, “I just beat a rape case, groupie b–––– I never f––––– … ” Gibbs also released a video for the single in which he wanders through a desert in his dreams, only to awaken in his jail cell. As the album’s title suggests, Gibbs has returned to rap music with a positive outlook and focuses on the themes of redemption and reform on “2wice.” On “20 Karat Jesus” Freddie pounds out bars glorifying his “resurrection,” as the album’s provocative cover suggests. Gibbs both thanks God for giving him a second chance and reflects on his biological father, telling him to forget about friends because he will “ ... be solo in that coffin.” Gibbs may be relieved, overjoyed and grateful, but his dark, nihilistic past obviously haunts him still. On the closing track “Homesick,” Gibbs relates how he has to abandon some of his friends in order to prioritize his family. He both thanks his fiance for standing by him through his troubles and earnestly longs to be a new man for her and his daughter. In today’s world, it is easy for avid hip-hop fans to shrug off or even completely disregard the mildly misogynistic aspects of hip-hop. However, this album should make listeners contemplate an ugly dimension
of hip-hop which is too frequently overlooked. For instance, the song “Andrea” completely changes within the context of Freddie’s trial. Freddie raps about a woman he had sex with in the past and compares the relationship with her to Wi-Fi. In other circumstances, the lyric would be perceived as a clever, yet slightly problematic brag about his sexual prowess. However, after his ordeal last summer, the lyrics strike as a testimony to the harmful, misogynistic attitude prevalent in rap music. Listening to this album, I find myself wondering if Freddie learned anything from his ordeals last year. I certainly hope he did – and some of his lyrics suggest my hopes are not unfounded. I hope that the allegations about Gibbs were not even remotely true. I cannot reconcile one of my favorite artists committing a crime as horrible as sexual assault. Regardless of what occurred, the media attention around Freddie Gibbs’ allegations of last year provide an important launching pad for discussion about sexual assault in the hip-hop community. Perhaps Gibbs may have learned something himself.
image with a small, four-word instruction in capital letters: “Listen at maximum volume.” At maximum volume, the gripping evolution of the record’s disturbing introduction, “John Doe’s Carnival of Error,” is outright paralyzing. An uncanny music-box melody transports the listener to a haunted circus, the cyclical notes spinning slowly and lingering. The song swallows the listener in its abrasive techno, evocative of ecstatic, cocainefueled clowns. In the track’s rave-powered, overdriven climax, Power does not merely channel Daniel Lopatin’s recent output as Oneohtrix Point Never, but far exceeds the corny anti-ravemusic-but-still-rave-music sensibilities of Lopatin’s 2015 record “Garden of Delete.” In the next track, the amusement park ride jolts in the opposite direction and brings us to “Rhesus Negative,” the album’s brightest highlight. The track blends together everything effective about Power’s style: loud and looming drones in the background, dystopian synths and vocal samples in the foreground and the swelling synergy of classical instrumentation and layers of harsh noise to balance it all. For better or worse, the Blanck Mass project has never quite matched Power’s own work as F--- Buttons with collaborator Andrew Hung, but “Rhesus Negative” is about as close as he’s ever gotten. Overall, however, it’s true that “World Eater” is primarily for fans of music along the electronic-to-industrial continuum, or others curious to explore beyond the Power and Hung duo’s three brilliant records. After all, tracks like
“Please” and “Hive Mind” are well-executed but not particularly memorable, probably because the attempted sentimentalism is unfamiliar territory for Power. And while “The Rat” is excellent and “Silent Treatment” begins with the most exhilarating operatic flourishes you’ll ever hear, even these tracks are not particularly ambitious and linger over safe territory after the first few minutes. Indeed, his difficulty with developing musical concepts over extended lengths is perhaps Power’s major weakness, especially given that most Blanck Mass tracks are at least seven minutes long. Fortunately, this seems to be Hung’s contribution to F--- Buttons — at least in part. This is also why, though “World Eater” is an enjoyable record, listening to the duo’s output ultimately proves more rewarding instead.
Contact Owen Lane at olane@nd.edu
“You Only Live 2wice” Freddie Gibbs Label: Empire If you like: OutKast, 2Pac, WuTang Tracks: “20 Karat Jesus,” “Homesick,” “Alexys”
Contact Adrian at lore.1@nd.edu
“World Eater” Blanck Mass Label: Sacred Bones Records If you like: Ben Frost, Prurient, Oneohtrix Point Never Tracks: “Rhesus Negative,” “Silent Treatment”
LAUREN HEBIG | The Observer
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The observer | Monday, april 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
A North Dining Hall review Dominique DeMoe Graphic Designer
One thing people love about Notre Dame is the tradition. W hen prospective students come to campus for tours, they are often told that there is a campus-wide debate between the two dining hall options on campus: North and South. In this never ending debate, I would always choose North. Both because it is obviously the superior dining hall and because I am stubborn. However, my staunch support of North was before the dining halls renovation. Before the renovation, I loved North Dining Hall: I could walk in ever y Tuesday and Thursday morning and stay there until my 11 a.m. class doing homework or answering emails. I could meet my friends there ever y Saturday for brunch and laugh and have a good time. More recently, I have been limiting my time spent in North Dining Hall and that is because it is so alien to me, and because the chairs are ver y uncomfortable. The old North Dining Hall had a warm and nice atmosphere and it was always so bright and inviting. It was reminiscent of a pleasant retirement home, whereas the bright and harsh lights of the new dining hall remind me more of a hospital. One of my friends said that she sat on a panel with the designers of the new dining hall and their main concern was to make the dining hall as modern and contemporar y as possible. Ever yone was so excited about how different this new dining hall was going to be from what we already have on campus, and the designers talked about how they looked to other schools for inspiration. My only question is why the designers did not look more to the students and to campus for inspiration. I love Notre Dame for being Notre Dame and that is why I chose to go here rather than another school. Walking into North the day the new half opened, I was surprised and saddened to see how much character it had lost. It truly feels out of place when you compare it to all of the other buildings on campus. This may be the direction designers want to move in, in the future, but I think that what is special about Notre Dame is that it is different from other places and I loved North Dining Hall the way it was. Maybe my aversion to the dining hall is unfair and I need to give it more of a chance. Undoubtedly, I know that I will get used to it and come to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the old North Dining Hall. However, there are three things that I know for sure: the gray chairs have butt indents that are really uncomfortable, the chairs that have armrests don’t slide across the f loor so it is really hard to push them in and the food lines have no set direction to move in, so it is really a free for all in there. In short, the new North dining hall is modern and aesthetic but it doesn’t feel like home. It is still better than South though. Contact Dominique DeMoe at ddemoe@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
For the love of God, no war with Syria I recently saw a headline that said President Donald Trump was considering militar y inter vention in Syria in light of recent events. Marco Rubio is currently going viral making an impassioned appeal to American values and the need to oust Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Nikki Haley is condemning the Russian Ambassador in the U.N. over his countr y’s continued support for the regime. All of this is pushing us closer to a war in Syria, a war that would ser ve no purpose and end in absolute disaster for the United States. Let’s first be clear about what is going on Syria: a brutal dictator, Assad, is being bankrolled by Russia and Iran, with militar y assistance from Hezbollah, in a civil war against Al-Nusra, IS and other Jihadist groups. The civil war has caused unbelievable amounts of pain for the Syrian people, and thus the argument in support of this war is primarily humanitarian: Assad is a brutal, evil, dictator, and America must remove him, because, it is moral and the right thing to do. This is not just a bad idea; this is a horrendously idiotic idea that will result in the loss of thousands of American lives, achieve absolutely nothing, and has the potential to drag us into a war with Russia. Look at the situation at play: You have terrorist groups at war with a rogue dictator who is supported by a different terrorist group and bankrolled by two large regional powers. It’s a quagmire. Adding the American militar y to that situation will in no way alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. It will merely add yet another front in a brutal war, along which more civilians will be caught in the crossfire. Presuming that the United States does oust Assad, and presuming that for some reason Russia and Iran don’t go to war with us to stop that, and presuming that we decide we’re OK with basically fighting on the same side as IS and Al-Nusra, there’s the issue of what comes next. Setting up parliamentar y democracies has led to anarchy in Libya and Iraq, and in Eg ypt led to the rise of Radical Islamic Fundamentalists, the Muslim Brotherhood. Another option is to replace Assad with a different brutal dictator who will rule over that territor y with an iron fist and stop the anarchy. Though, if that’s the solution, then why remove Assad in the first place? We could also partition Syria, in some sort of 21st centur y Sykes-Picot, because we all know how well westerners drawing borders in the Middle East has gone thus far. Nation building has been a colossal failure wherever the United States has tried it, and will only lead to the U.S. militarily occupying yet another countr y and overextending
itself further. Not only is the idea suggested by the humanitarian argument a bad one, but it is based on f lawed logic. It is based on the notion that the United States should be pursuing some notion of “good” and should use its resources to advance this “good” in the world. This is false. The United States should pursue its own interests, and should only behave in a way that advances those interests. In no way, shape, or form, are the interests of the United States, or even the well being of her citizens, advanced from interfering in this civil war. So what should the United States do? I would argue nothing. We do not need to interfere in ever y civil war going on around the planet, we do not have the resources and we do not have a dog in the fight. Let our geopolitical foes in Russia and Iran bankrupt themselves to wipe out IS. Let our adversaries spend militar y, political and diplomatic capital to eradicate our enemies. As a nation, we will be better for it. Now many will call this argument immoral, that we should inter vene because people are suffering and that I must be some sort of monster for not advocating for this. These people are conveniently silent on Saudi Arabia’s atrocities in Yemen — should we inter vene there? W hat about the ethnic cleansing taking place in the Central African Republic? People are suffering there, should we send in the Marines? W hat about in Nigeria where Boko Haram is car ving out a terrorist state for themselves, should we send troops there too? W hat about in Venezuela where there are civilians star ving from lack of food? Those who say that I am immoral for not wanting to inter vene need to explain why we are not obligated to inter vene in all of these places, because their humanitarian logic dictates that we should. Finally, how is it moral, or the right thing to do to send Americans to die needlessly? How is it moral to make a mother bur y her son because of the crocodile tears of a politician? How is it moral to make a war widow because a senator was worried Russia might be gaining more inf luence than he considers ideal? How is it moral to make an American child grow up without his father because he was sent to die in a needless war thousands of miles away? We have fought too many wars, spent too many resources, lost too many men and achieved nothing. Enough is enough. No war with Syria. Dylan Stevenson senior Apr. 6
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7
Present and future Cole Feldman The Absurder
I want to use an investing paradigm to think about how we spend our time and see if we can build a strategy to maximize utility by investing in the right pursuits, allocating optimally between two securities: present and future. Let’s assume two modes, two options for how to spend our time: one is “present focus” and the other is “future planning.” Worn out adages seem to err toward present focus: enjoy the moment, focus on now, seize the day. Meditation, anti-anxiety techniques and spiritual self-help often prescribe some form of hyperfocus on the present as a well-being cure-all. Classic thinkers seem to err present as well. “Carpe diem” — aka, “seize the day” — actually comes from the longer, “Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero,” which appears in Book 1 of Horace’s Odes and more literally translates to: “Pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the next one.” Sophocles says, “Tomorrow is tomorrow. Future cares have future cures, and we must mind today.” And to a great degree this seems right. Other than memories and dreams, our ideas and sensations are about what we experience presently. It makes sense to match our focus to our experience. But I wonder if some future cares might have present cures, if some of tomorrow is in today. For example, it’s hard to “carpe diem,” if you haven’t studied for your exam tomorrow.
Certainly, as I’m coming to learn is true of most things in life, there is a balance. A balance between present and future, between enjoying what you have and striving for more, between smelling the roses and tunnel vision. My decision framework looks something like this: If (future utility from planning for future * probability of survival to experience that future) > (utility from present focus), then spend more time planning for future. Else if (future utility from planning for future * probability of survival to experience that future) < (utility from present focus), then spend more time focusing on the present. This assumes we are indifferent between experiencing utility now versus later (which, I actually think is a bad assumption, considering we get old and slow, so there might be a time value of life, but discounting the utility is too complicated). The most variability comes from your estimate for “probability of survival,” where a high probability will tilt the decision toward future planning and vice-versa. And this is where adages like “you only live once” and “no such thing as tomorrow” have relevance because life is short and probability of survival might not actually be that high, in which case I think it makes utility-maximizing sense to err toward investing more time in present focus. But then again, there are heights to be achieved that require a commitment to the future, a bet on the probability of survival, which then subjects the decision framework to risk-preference.
Where I think the true synergy of the balance exists is in habits and activities that simultaneously allow for both present focus and future planning, present enjoyment and future benefit: reading, doing work you’re passionate about, exercising in a form you love, eating food that both tastes good and is healthy. But then again, there are great present moments that are not so great for your future. For example, having one or two too many drinks at a party — great for the present night, not so great for the future morning. It’s not as easy as the math makes it seem. Because when you’re chopping at the roots, it’s hard to see above the treetops. When you’re having fun, it’s hard to think about the future. When you’re working hard, it slips your mind to stop and smell the roses. At least now, when your friend asks, “What would you do if you only had (insert small amount of time) to live?” Instead of giving your usual answer: “I don’t know, tell my family I love them, go paragliding, then jump off the Empire State Building.” You can say: “I’d make a present-future utility maximizing decision.” And if they don’t f lee the conversation immediately after that, you can show them your utility calculations. Pluck the day, my friends. Deep hows and outer spades, art and idiosingsongs; email colejfeldman@gmail.com, nonsense only, please. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Go with the flow Erin Thomassen The Examined Life
If you refuse to go with the f low, prepare yourself for a life full of annoying inconveniences instead of unexpected opportunities. I was reminded of this last Sunday, when I had just boarded a plane at O’Hare and was promptly informed that the first officer was sick and thus the entire plane had to deplane, wait two hours for another officer to be available, and reboard. This news was not well received by the majority of the plane. My neighbor cursed under his breath and shoved his tray table back to its full and upright position. Supermom let out a sigh as she bounced a baby on her hip and resignedly unfolded a stroller. Messy Bun demanded the Wi-Fi password, was refused it, and huffed off to Starbucks. This news did not please me at first, either. I was going home for a two-day interview trip and was disappointed that I would have even less time with my family than already anticipated. But I pictured my dad simultaneously tying his shoes and driving with his knees, telling me that life is better when you go with the f low. So I found a decently cozy seat, commandeered nearby outlets, and prepped for a lesson I was to teach the next day. As I spread out my laptop, note-taking binder and textbook, I realized it was easier for me to prep in the gate than on the plane. If I had gone straight home, I would have had a late dinner with my family. Travel exhaustion paired with a food coma would probably not lead to the best lesson planning. Thus I found myself thankful for the sick first
officer, who forced me to lesson plan, instead of annoyed at the delay. I spotted another human in the gate thoroughly enjoying her extended time in the airport. She was a toddler. She roamed around the pillars between gates and pushed on the trashcan to see if she could move it. She touched the nearby column and the trashcan at once. Which one was harder to push? Why was the trashcan colder to the touch? I, aspirational STEM teacher, fancied that she asked herself these questions as she explored her environment, a tactile learning master. In reality, she was probably not asking herself explicit questions about mechanics and heat transfer. However, she was curiously exploring and possibly making observations about her environment. In this way, this toddler was entertaining herself during the delay through the practice of science. She was able to appreciate the gate because she wasn’t obsessed with making it on the plane. The adults around her were not engaging in such exploration. They were scrolling through newsfeeds too fast to read anything and chowing down on airport Paninis. Even when they had time to do nothing at the airport, and thus notice what was around them, they filled their time with consumption — so much consumption that they weren’t able to appreciate what they were consuming. They did not pay attention to the Paninis because they were scrolling through information. They were not able to appreciate this information because they kept trying to get to the next information. They were caught in the cycle of always wanting to be somewhere else, doing something else. If they remain this way, they will never be content.
It’s OK to have an agenda. Google Calendar helps remind me of day-to-day commitments. At the same time, it is important to be open to a calendar change as a positive rather than a negative, a scenic route rather than a detour. It is important to be able to be in the present and go with the f low. Else you’ll die without having ever fully lived in the present. Going with the f low is not only important in airports, but also in larger-impact situations. I had been planning on completing Notre Dame’s ACE program since last April when I accepted my early admission offer. However, recent family developments made me realize I had to go home instead. After a talk with understanding ACE directors, I began planning for a new post-grad life at home. Instead of spring being a carefree glide to graduation, it was soon filled with rushed trips home, a f lurry of cover letters and days of missed class for interviews. Yet in the chaos and work was the discovery of amazing independent schools in the Boston area. I went from no options to a choice between too many amazing schools. I went with the f low of the unexpected and challenging situation and found blessings among the hardships. So when life doesn’t accord with your daily, monthly, or lifelong Google Calendar, go with the f low. It will save you a lot of upstream swimming and will allow you to enjoy the ride. Ms. Thomassen is a senior studying mechanical engineering. She lives at the Chateau off campus, with four friends and more crepes. She can be reached at ethomass@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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daily
The observer | monday, april 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Take better care of your health and well-being. Search for guidance from those you find inspirational. Change can be good if executed properly and within reason. Consider ideas carefully before you put them into play. Own what you do instead of just following others. Your time is precious, so make sure to stick to positive rather than negative influences. Your numbers are 4, 13, 22, 27, 32, 36, 41. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t give in to pressure when you should be resourceful and find ways to ensure that the choices you make are based on truth, facts and what is in your best interest. Walk away from troubling situations or peer pressure. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Assess your emotional state and check into alternative options that will encourage you to take better care of your finances and medical issues. Don’t be overwhelmed by the pressure being put on you by your peers, family or your lover. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t give in to manipulative individuals. Explore new territory, meet new people and form alliances with those willing to give as much as you. Equality should be your goal in all your relationships. Set high standards and stick to them. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep your plans simple and within your budget. It’s fun to treat others to a good time, but not if it leaves you stressed out about money. Offering your attention and affection will be more effective in the end. You can’t buy love. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Put a little love in your life. Socialize or make romantic plans. A day trip or attending an event that sparks your creative interest will encourage you to live life to the fullest instead of just going through the motions. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Love conquers all. Don’t hold back -- share your feelings and find out where you stand. It’s time to make changes that will improve your emotional well-being and stabilize your relationships with those you love. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Emotions will surface, causing a reaction that is best contained. Don’t let temptation or assumptions lead to regret. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and bring about necessary alterations that will promote a sense of calm and balance. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t try to fix what isn’t broken. Steady progress will be what leads to self-satisfaction and promising new developments. Perfectionism is fine, but knowing when to let go, move on and accept things as they are will be the key to success. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The world is a stage and you are one of the players. Observation, strategy and common sense will be necessary if you want to avoid being taken advantage of by someone using emotional manipulation to get his or her way. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Emotional negotiations can be formulated if you discuss your needs, what you are willing to offer and what you expect in return. Alterations to the way you live will bring greater stability and financial security. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): An emotional imposition should be questioned before you agree to get involved. Don’t feel guilty for not taking on too much. Offer alternatives that will lessen the burden for everyone involved, and you will make progress. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Find out what matters to someone you love. Knowing how to make improvements for those who depend on you will make your life easier. A romantic plan will improve your relationship with someone special. Birthday Baby: You are energetic, hardworking and loving. You are impulsive and assertive.
JUST ADD WATER | Eric Carlson & John Roddy
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
Wingin’ It | Bailee Egan & Olivia Wang
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sports
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, april 10, 2017 | The Observer
Sports Authority
track and field
Reevaluating the bullpen Alex Carson Senior Sports Writer
Just over five months ago, the Cleveland Indians came to bat in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win the World Series. In most years, this might be all you needed to know — a really good team went really far and nearly won it all. Happens to a bunch of teams. But most ball clubs don’t do that with their No. 2 and No. 3 starters unavailable — sorry, I’m not counting Danny Salazar’s three World Series innings with the Tribe trailing as him being “available” — let alone with their once-No. 5, suddenly No. 3 starter leaving a postseason game in the first inning after he cut his finger on a drone. Yet, with the guidance of manager Terry Francona and the left arm of reliever Andrew Miller, the Indians nearly won it all. Miller made 10 postseason appearances, all of which except one (World Series Game 7) ended with an Indians win. And every time he took the field, it felt like the situation was a little different. In the opening game of the postseason, and again in Game 3 of the World Series, Miller entered in the fifth inning and picked up the win. On the flip, Francona waited until there were two outs in the eighth to use Miller in Game 3 of the ALCS, keeping him in to record four outs and close out the game. Contrary to a reliever’s typical usage, Miller pitched more than an inning in each of his 10 outings last October (and November), with outings stretching from 1 1/3 to 2 2/3 innings in length. He only once threw fewer than 20 pitches, and had three outings where his pitch count stretched past 40. The discussion about how the Indians were overcoming injury quickly turned to a discussion about Miller — and, in part, concerning whether or not we’d see top relievers routinely recording six outs per game in the future. That conversation, though, misses the actual teachable point to be taken from Francona’s management last October. Miller’s long-duration outings were made possible by the nature of the postseason; teams never play on more than three consecutive days, and when teams take care of business early in their series, they get long spells of rest. Thus, long-term fatigue was never a true concern for
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Francona with Miller, like it would be during the regular season, when teams often go weeks at a time with a lone off day. The actual lesson, though, comes in understanding the idea of “leverage,” a term that seeks to measure the level of pressure at any point during the game. For an example, suppose it’s a one-run game in the bottom of the ninth, and the bases are loaded — this is, effectively, the most stressful moment in baseball, and thus, the highest-leverage play. While Francona didn’t necessarily follow the actual Leverage Index statistic to dictate his use of Miller, he at least did so in theory — if Miller could come in and get key outs in the seventh inning, it made closer Cody Allen’s job a lot easier in the ninth. Take Game 1 of the ALCS, when the Indians held a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning. With one out, Francona pulled Corey Kluber to go to Miller, who got two easy outs to set himself up to face the heart of the Blue Jays’ order in the eighth. With Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista due up, this — not the ninth — was probably the key moment of the game. And the Indians had their best reliever in for it. Miller took care of business, letting Allen record a relatively low-pressure save. Now, let’s set up a scenario: Your team holds a one-run lead with one out in the seventh, but your opponent has the bases loaded and its cleanup hitter at the plate. Who do you want on the mound to secure this crucial out? Your best relief pitcher, or a bridge reliever to get from your starter to your setup man and closer? I want my best option here, and I’ll worry about who gets the save when my team’s actually in the position to get it. We’re on the cusp of the next stats revolution in baseball, as we’ll start looking past the save as the key stat for relievers. Teams’ closers will enter more often in the seventh or eighth — because after all, what good is a closer if you never have the lead to use him? (Hello, Buck Showalter.) And that revolution will have started with Francona and Miller, who, despite not even being a closer, is the best reliever in baseball.
Personal records abound at Sun Angel Classic Observer Sports Staff
Notre Dame found success out west this past weekend, as the Irish set numerous personal records throughout the two-day Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State’s Sun Angel Track. The competition started Friday, where the Irish fielded athletes in only three events, but still made their presence known. Freshmen Logan Kusky and Shae Watkins competed in the open hammer throw and both set personal records, as Kusky improved his mark from 54.68 to 57.29 meters, while Watkins improved his record from 45.92 to 50.91 metes. In other action, senior Anthony Shivers recorded a 63.57 meter toss in the premiere hammer throw to earn fourth place, while on the women’s side, freshman Kassadee Ifft took fifth place in the pole vault with a height of 3.75 meters. Most of the Irish athletes
competed on Saturday, and continued to set personal records in all spheres of the event. Alexa Coubal highlighted the field events Saturday as she set a collegiate personal record in the discus, as her throw of 44.71 meters earned the Irish sophomore a sixth place finish. Senior Indi Jackson also joined in on Notre Dame’s success in the field events by throwing a season-best 15.96 meters in the women’s shot put premiere, finishing in fifth place overall. The Irish shone on the track as well. On the women’s side, freshman Summer Thorpe placed fifth overall in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.86 seconds, while freshman Madysen Hunter recorded a collegiate personal record with a time of 14.81 seconds. In the 200-meter dash, junior Payton Miller led the Irish by running a 24.79, earning herself a personal record and a fourth-place finish. Right
behind her, Hunter (25.26) and freshman Michaela Butler (25.40) finished sixth and tied for eighth, respectively. Miller also competed in the 400-meter and finished sixth, recording a time of 54.98 seconds. Junior Jordan Shead led the Irish in the 400-meter hurdles by placing fourth — crossing the finish line at 59.14 seconds. On the men’s side, senior Jacob Dumford finished the 800-meter race just .03 seconds shy of matching his personal record, placing seventh with a time of 1:51.82. Junior Kevin Pulliam recorded a personal record in the 1,500-meter race, recording a fourth-place finish with a time of 3:56.14. Fellow junior Brent Kennedy also set a personal record in the 1,500m, running a time of 4:01.89. Next up for Notre Dame is the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. The Irish will begin competition at noon on April 15 at Cardinal Park in Louisville, Kentucky.
Baseball Continued from page 12
compete and put you in a position to win,” Fiala said. “He did that again [Saturday]; he always does it. It’s huge.” The Irish were able to secure themselves the series sweep Sunday afternoon, defeating Georgia Tech 9-6. After falling behind 4-0 early on in the ballgame, Notre Dame was able to string together an enormous inning in the bottom of the third, scoring six runs off their 11 plate appearances in the inning. Over the course of the next few frames, junior starter Brad Bass was able to settle in, keeping the Yellow Jackets from tacking on any more runs during his six-inning performance. After letting the game get close in the seventh inning when Georgia Tech put on a couple more runs to cut the Irish lead to 8-6, Notre Dame got one back itself in the bottom of the seventh to make it 9-6, a lead it maintained the rest of the way. Aoki said he was happy with his team’s performance over the weekend in picking up its first ACC sweep of the season. “I was really pleased with the way we handled a little bit of the adversity that we at times created for ourselves,” said Aoki. “The way in which we bounced back, I think earlier in the year that
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish senior third baseman Kyle Fiala tries to beat a runner to the base during Notre Dame’s 4-1 win over N.C. State on March 31.
was something that may have spun out of control on us a little bit. I think some of the resilience that we’ve been able to build up from having made some mistakes in that department earlier in the year was really big.” Moving forward, the Irish will have yet another busy week, starting Tuesday with hosting Michigan State at 6:05 p.m., followed by Toledo on Wednesday before heading to WinstonSalem, North Carolina, for a weekend series against Wake Forest. Aoki believes his team
can be successful as long as it approaches the upcoming stretch with the right mindset. “We just have to keep grinding away. We have to worry about the next pitch and playing that as well as we can,” Aoki said. “We’ve got a busy week ahead of us with five games … we just have to keep trying to get better and just keep worrying about the pitch we’re about to play.” Conact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu and Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu
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wanted SUMMER
NANNY
JOB
IN
BEAUTIFUL JACKSON HOLE, WY: Domer family looking for ND/SMC student. Mid June - early August. Email
info@greymattersintl.com I am not throwing away my shot
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Sports
The observer | monday, april 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
McGraw Continued from page 12
the Class of 2014 and a former captain and All-American forward under McGraw, said McGraw sets an example in her preparation that she both demands from her players and that her players strive to follow. “She’s always had that never-quit competitive attitude that she instills in her players and that she demands from her players,” Achonwa said. “That’s always pushed me and always been in the back of my mind.” Her sentiments were echoed by those of Ruth Riley, the former First Team All-American center who clinched the national title for the Irish in 2001 and currently manages the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars. “I think her greatest strength is her intelligence and her competitive spirit,” Riley said. “Her ability to come up with a game plan and strategy and the process to achieve that throughout practice, even from the beginning of the season to reach your potential at the end of the season, just her basketball IQ is incredible. But, there’s also this motor that drives her every day that she steps on the court and the competition and desire for all of us to compete to our ability.” McGraw’s squads take “color tests” to examine the balance of personalities on the team, and according to Achonwa, McGraw is a gold: detail-oriented, efficient and decisive, a realist, firm and a planner. McGraw’s preparation for games, both on and off the court, is notoriously meticulous. McGraw’s work ethic is something that stays with her players, even after graduation. Former Irish guard, two-time captain and 2016 graduate Michaela Mabrey says that that work ethic is the most important lesson she learned from her former coach. “[She taught me that] nothing is ever given,” Mabrey said. “You know, obviously our program is something that, we’ve been to the Final Four [seven] times and we’ve made it far, but she said that this isn’t given. You can’t just walk into a gym and just because you have ‘Notre Dame’ on your chest you win the game. You’ve got to work, you have to continue to work hard all the time and I think that really hit me, and our team.”
“She never gave up on me.” For many players, even the very best, the transition from high school to college hoops is difficult. Every collegiate career has its ups and downs, and for many, those low points wear down self-esteem and confidence. Unless you have Muffet McGraw in your corner. This was especially true for Kayla McBride, a 2014 graduate and former All-American guard who helped McGraw lead the team to four consecutive Final Four appearances and three national title games. “We used to have these meetings once a week, usually,” McBride explained. “She just wanted us to pop in, check in, things like that. And at the end of every meeting, she’d just always tell me that I was the best player in the country. Especially
during my senior year, she was always continuing to instill this confidence in me. I could have the worst day of my career and I could have the best game of my career, and she always had this undeniable confidence in me and I just remember the way that she looked at me, with those piercing eyes, and that honesty. I still carry that with me today. “I can remember her getting on me in practices from the time I was a freshman. Even more so when I was a senior because she always expected so much out of me. But, it was in those meetings that I gained that confidence in her, and so when we got to those big moments, those big games, when we got on the court, it was easy for us to be connected and easy for me to have confidence because I wanted to be so great for her, because I knew she believed in me.” Struggling with self-confidence is a common theme among the players whose phenomenal careers were accompanied by some dark points. But another common theme is McGraw’s guidance pulling players from frustration to greatness. “After my freshman year when I didn’t play a lot, I was down on myself and I think she never stopped believing in me, and that’s what I love about her,” Mabrey said. “She never gave up on me.”
“We need you to be a beast.” McGraw is famous for expecting the very most out of her players, manifested in the success of her teams. But her players say that along with those high expectations, her ability to motivate and a mutual respect she shares with her players that gives them the desire to never let her down. “It’s like an intimidation factor with that, because, as a player, especially as a player who wants to be great, you always want honesty,” McBride said. “And she’s always going to give you the answer brutally honest, and that was something that I always admired about her.” In fact, “honest” was the word both McBride and Achonwa used to encapsulate McGraw. She is brutally honest, a quality that adds to the immense respect her players, the Notre Dame community and the general public have for her. Achonwa recalled this straightup approach particularly resonating with her in one moment leading up to the 2014 NCAA tournament. “I’m remembering this one time, we were watching film, and I remember — and it’s something that plays back in my mind once in a while and it has continued throughout my career — but we were watching film and she stopped the film and she, I’m paraphrasing what she said a little bit, but, long story short, she said ‘Ace, you’re an All-American. We need you to be a beast. We need you to be a beast on the block,’” Achonwa said. “And I had been shying away a little bit on the offensive end and she said — this is right before the tournament my senior year, before I injured my knee — and she said ‘You just need to be a beast. We know you can do it. We believe in you and we really just need you to be a beast,’ so, it was kind of more than a challenge than anything. And that’s how I took it. I
took it as a challenge. “And when we chatted about it a little bit more, later on, it was really just her challenging me, and so now if I’m ever doubting, I just think, ‘Be a beast, be a beast.’ And I went on before I got hurt in the tournament, I was averaging 20 [points] and 10 [rebounds], I think, something like that. So, it was a little bit of a kick in the butt, but it’s something that really pushed me. And she always did that throughout my four years and continues to do that. She really challenges players. She’s not going to coddle you, she’s not going to baby you. If you want that, you’ve got to go somewhere else. She’s going to push you to be the best you because she believes in you and she knows you can do it.”
“She truly, genuinely cared about me as a person.” What players say truly makes McGraw special, however, is not wins or stats or film; rather, it’s the love and respect she fosters in the locker room. “I think that was one of the things that drew me to her, is her honesty and how much she cared,” McBride said. “She truly, genuinely cared about me as a person — and that meant more to me than anything she could ever do for me on the basketball court.” Achonwa said players’ love for McGraw all goes back to her honesty. “It’s one thing to know to do the right thing, it’s another thing to have the guts to say and do the right thing, and I think that is her in a whole, that honesty right there,” Achonwa said. “Sometimes you don’t want to hear it, but she’s going
to tell you.” As a result of the connections McGraw has been able to make with 30 years worth of Notre Dame teams, her former players look back on the time spent with her with fondness and look at her as a person to emulate on the court and in life. “She expects a lot out of you as a person, as a player and then as woman,” McBride said. “She expects a lot out of you, more than a lot of coaches probably do. But, it’s backed up with this loving, caring, motherly nature. She has us over to her house and into her family and things like that, so it’s backed by this genuine love for her players and wanting to see us be successful, no matter what we do. I think that, accompanied with that fact that she’s so tough and she’s so competitive, it allows her players to grow.” For Riley, McGraw’s character, and the fact that she knew McGraw would both develop her basketball skills and her as a person, was a main selling point as she made her decision as to where to attend school. “[She is a] legend because of the impact that she’s made, not only at Notre Dame but for the game of women’s basketball and the sports world in general. And also, I think for women and girls’ empowerments, as well,” Riley said. “ … Clearly, she was very instrumental in the decision I made to come to the University of Notre Dame and I think it was a few things. The program that she had built up until that point, following their success and wanting to be a part of that, I really just felt like her personality and what the culture she created within the program, you know, I knew she Paid Advertisement
cared about us as young women, as student athletes. But there was also going to be an incredible opportunity for me to reach my potential and be a part of something great and she’s a leader.”
“I still hear her in the back of my mind.” For many college athletes, the relationship built with a coach is a four-year commitment. For McGraw’s players, this relationship is a lifelong one. As her players have gone their separate ways, she has stayed fully involved in their lives. This was especially the case for McBride, a current guard for the San Antonio Stars. McBride tore her ACL halfway through the 2016 WNBA season, at which point she was the Stars’ leading scorer and in the middle of a career-best season. “As soon as I got injured, Coach McGraw was probably one of the first people to text me about the injury,” McBride said. “She knows me, so she knows how competitive I am and how much I hate not playing, so she was one of the first people to tell me that it was going to be okay and that I’m going to be back better than ever and things like that.” However, it was not just in that time of need that McGraw was there for McBride. McBride attributes much of her professional success to her time playing under McGraw at Notre Dame. She still lives and plays by the mantra “Don’t settle for anything less,” something McGraw preached. “Because I think there was a point in my career, maybe my sophomore year, I think she kind of could tell that I was settling into a role that wasn’t for me and she always was
Sports pushing me to be a little bit more,” McBride said. “... I still hear her in the back of my mind, when I’m working out or in games or things like that. I still feel her on the sideline looking over at me like, ‘Come on, KMac.’” Mabrey’s Notre Dame career took her in a different direction. The Belmar, New Jersey, native took on the job of coordinator of program and player development for the women’s basketball program at the University of Miami. She said she owes her interest in coaching to McGraw. “I wasn’t really thinking about [coaching] that much, and I didn’t know if I wanted to play overseas at that point, and she came up to me one day and was just like, ‘If this doesn’t work out, you know you’d be a really good coach,’” Mabrey said. “And that’s kind of when the lightbulb clicked and I was like, ‘Hmm, maybe she’s right.’ She’s been right about a lot of things in my life, so really trusted her with everything.” Riley, who played professionally for over a decade and helped lead Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in 2004 before taking over as the Stars’ general manager in 2016, said everything she learned from McGraw has helped promote her career to the level it is today. “[Playing under McGraw] has helped me in every facet of my career, whether it was moving on to the WNBA and being an incredible foundation to build upon,” Riley said. “After four years at Notre Dame, I had the IQ from Coach McGraw, you know, work ethic, ability to experience success and the empowerment piece as well, the confidence that she breathes into her players. But I feel the same in my job now, just as an executive woman in the sports world, I am equally as grateful for what I’ve learned from her.”
“It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the Hall of Fame.” On April 1, McGraw was rewarded with an accolade many
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, april 10, 2017 | The Observer
consider to be the pinnacle of the sport of basketball — she was voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. McGraw was named a finalist for the Hall the previous year, but she did not receive the honor until her second attempt. She said, despite her impressive resume to date, she was not expecting to receive the honor this year. “I got the phone call and I assumed he was calling to tell me that I did not get in,” McGraw said. “And so, when he said, ‘It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the Hall of Fame,’ I just had a moment when I couldn’t catch my breath and almost burst into tears on the phone and it was just an amazing moment, and Matt [McGraw] was there with me, so we got to share it.” While McGraw herself may not have expected the honor, her former players felt she was unquestionably deserving. “I think she definitely deserves the distinction of being a Hall of Famer,” Achonwa said before the announcement was made. “I mean, you can just look at her track record in general. You can just look at the wins. If you look at purely the wins alone she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. If you ask players or people that have met her, she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. If you break down the film on her team plays and how smart her teams play, she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. There’s so much to go into it. “She’s a Hall of Fame person. Period. Her character. How much she gives to women’s basketball, she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. How much she gives to Notre Dame, she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I don’t want to say it’s long overdue, but she definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. “She’s one of the greatest coaches of all time of women’s basketball.” Riley said McGraw’s success is secondary to her legacy — the fact that she has built a successful program “the right way.” “Building a program, building Notre Dame to where it is today,
the amount of success she’s had, I think, alone merits her to be in the Hall of Fame,” Riley said before McGraw was named to the Hall of Fame. “ … But, beyond that, the way she does it, with integrity, with class, with character, doing things the right way, graduating her student athletes, she has the complete picture of what I would think defines a Hall of Famer.” For McGraw, the accomplishment is less a reflection on herself, and instead a chance to look back at the last 35 years as a head coach and 30 years at Notre Dame, especially considering she did not consider it a possibility when she took the job for the Irish. “I think the biggest thing is it gives you pause,” McGraw said. “You want to reflect back on, really, my whole career and all those people that had such a big part in it. So many amazing young women I was blessed to coach and so many assistant coaches. You don’t do anything in life alone, and this award is just the culmination of a lot of people helping me out.” “I’m sure I never even considered [that I could be in the Hall of Fame],” she added. “I know we went to the Hall of Fame way back when Matt and I first got married and it was kind of thrilling to go and look at the people that were in there at that point, 30 years ago, but I don’t think I ever started coaching to have any sort of awards. It was really just about the game and teaching the game.”
“I aspire to be like Coach McGraw.” Being a Hall of Famer is far from the end for McGraw, but the incredible legacy she has created, both on the Notre Dame campus and with each and every person and player she has touched, is already solidified. “I was out in Lexington, [Kentucky, on March 24] to watch the Sweet 16 game, and just when I saw her, she dropped what was in her hand and ran to me and we embraced,” Achonwa said. “It just goes to show the love that is
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still there and will continue to be there and how much she builds relationships and how much that relationship will always be there. I’m smiling when I’m talking about her because it should have been the scene from a movie. But the love for Coach McGraw is real.” McBride noted the extent to which McGraw shaped her life is more than she could have imagined. “I thank her, I love her and I wouldn’t be the player or person that I am today without her,” McBride said. “Without her pushing me, without her genuine, loving nature, her tough-mindedness, her intimidation at some points. I wouldn’t be the player or person that I am without her.” Mabrey, whose familial connection to Notre Dame runs deep, said she and her teammates viewed the tough dynamo of a coach in a maternal way from the moment they stepped out of the gym. “When she’s on the court, she’s very tough, but when she’s off the court, you can always come to her, you can always talk to her and always get advice from her. Because, at the same time, she was like our mom,” Mabrey said. “She was our mom away from home … and I think she knew that. I think she knew … we have other lives and that’s something she very much believed in. And I think that’s what made my college experience so great. She was always there to talk. I think that’s what made everyone’s relationship with her so strong.” Achonwa summed up the general feeling that so many of the people who have interacted with McGraw on any level experience. “I aspire to be like Coach McGraw, on and off the court,” she said. “ … I’m just glad, once again, that I made that decision to go to Notre Dame because those relationship with the players and the coaches and with the Notre Dame community that I will cherish and continue to grow.” Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu
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Softball Continued from page 12
runner since the fourth inning, but junior shortstop Morgan Reed hit a double to left field to open the ninth frame. Brooks singled to advance Reed and sophomore Melissa Rochford won the game for the Irish on a walk-off single to left field. And while Nasland put on a strong performance in the day’s first game, Beriont somehow managed to top her in the second contest of the doubleheader with a no-hitter, the first of her career. The Colts Neck, New Jersey, native was only one walk away from a perfect game as well. The Tar Heels pitching wasn’t slouching off either, and the game entered the bottom of the fourth inning scoreless. Notre Dame broke through in the bottom of the frame, however, as sophomore catcher Maddie McCracken and senior captain and center fielder Karley Wester picked up RBI singles. With a 2-0 lead, Beriont had the cushion she needed and took the the Irish their second win of the series with a three-up, threedown seventh inning to pick up her seventh win of the season. Notre Dame did not fare as well in the series’ final contest Sunday, however. Nasland took the mound again for the Irish, but this time around, the Tar Heels jumped on her in the first inning with a two-run homer. Beriont entered the game in the fourth inning. An RBI single extended the North Carolina lead to 4-0 and then 6-0 by the bottom of the fifth inning. The Irish tried to rally in the bottom of the inning as McCracken brought freshman second baseman Katie Marino home via an RBI single. North Carolina added another run in the sixth to seemingly put the game out of reach. But Notre Dame wasn’t done offensively. Ali Wester started a second rally in the sixth with a single and a big error by the Tar Heels brought her, and Brooks across the plate to put the score at 7-3. Two doubles — one from Rochford and one from senior right fielder Kimmy Sullivan — made it 7-4. A bases-loaded wild pitch in the bottom of seventh inning brought home Karley Wester, but Notre Dame fell just short offensively and lost 7-5. The 2-1 series victory puts the Irish at fifth place in the conference, just three games back of the Tar Heels. Notre Dame was swept by No. 1 Florida State back in early March, but since then, the Irish have won ACC-series against Virginia Tech, Louisville and North Carolina. The Irish will have another shot at a top team in the ACC next weekend when they travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, to take on North Carolina State. Before then, Notre Dame will play a non-conference tilt against Detroit-Mercy on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and IUPUI on Wednesday at Melissa Cook Stadium.
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nd women’s basketball
‘She’s a Hall of Fame person. Period.’ Former players reflect on McGraw’s career, legacy after her 30th year coaching at Notre Dame By ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Editor
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. “Full House” debuted. Michael Jackson released his follow-up album to “Thriller.” The New York Giants earned their first Super Bowl rings and Martina Navratilova defeated a young Steffi Graf in the Wimbledon finals. And a young, inexperienced Muffet McGraw stepped to the helm of the Notre Dame women’s basketball program with fewer than 100 career coaching wins under her belt and a hope — a hope that maybe she would, at some point, be able to turn nothing into a small something. Thirty years later, McGraw has managed to steer her team through uncharted territory, earning 853 total victories, 24 NCAA tournament bids, 15 Sweet 16 appearances, seven trips to the Final Four and one ever-elusive national title. And, on April 1, McGraw reached the pinnacle of the sport. A spot alongside the all-time greats
— male and female, professional and collegiate, players and coaches. A place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. McGraw’s legacy is undeniable whether inside Purcell Pavilion, on the Notre Dame campus or across the nation. Home crowds, 9,000 strong, all decked out in lime green, rise to their feet, clapping and cheering not just for her players but for the woman behind them and the program she has built. But in addition to building a program and a legacy, she was shaping and molding hundreds of young women into outstanding athletes, exemplary students and good people.
“There’s this motor that drives her every day.” McGraw’s will to win, willingness to prepare and competitive drive have, over the years, proven to be a recipe for success. In the eyes of her players, this drive is what sets her apart and helps her players to excel on the court. Natalie Achonwa, a member of see MCGRAW PAGE 10
Observer File Photo
Irish head coach Muffet McGraw cuts down the net after her team defeated Baylor 77-68 in the Elite Eight on March 29, 2015 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. McGraw has 853 career wins.
nd softball | ND 2, unc 1; ND 2, unc 1; unc 7, ND 5
baseball | nd 4, gt 3; nd 4, gt 3; nd 9, gt 6
Beriont throws no-hitter in series win over UNC Observer Sports Staff
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Irish junior pitcher Katie Beriont throws a pitch during Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over Eastern Michigan on March 29.
An extra-inning thriller and a no-hitter from junior Katie Beriont helped the Irish on their way to a 2-1 series victory over ACC-rival North Carolina this weekend. North Carolina (31-11, 10-5 ACC) started Game 1 of the double-header with a solo shot to give the Tar Heels a quick lead Saturday. But it was the only run North Carolina would score all night. Notre Dame (21-15, 8-7) answered back in the bottom of the inning as a single from sophomore first baseman Caitlyn Brooks plated sophomore left fielder Ali Wester. From the first inning onward, pitching dominated the game. Freshman Tar Heels pitcher Brittany Pickett went eight innings and gave up just six hits along with four strikeouts. But Irish senior Rachel Nasland was better. As the game dragged into extra innings, Nasland kept the Irish in it with seven strikeouts and only three walks — including a huge strikeout in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded. And the Irish capitalized. Notre Dame hadn’t recorded a base see SOFTBALL PAGE 11
Irish sweep Yellow Jackets By ALEX CARSON and ALEX BENDER Senior Sports Writer and Sports Writer
Notre Dame continued its midseason resurgence this weekend, sweeping Georgia Tech in an ACC series at Frank Eck Stadium to move within one win of .500 in the league. The Irish (13-17, 7-8 ACC) came from behind to win Friday’s series opener, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to win 4-3. After Georgia Tech (16-14, 4-11) got an unearned run in the first and an earned one off Irish junior starter Brandon Bielak in the fifth to take that 2-0 lead, the Irish bats came alive in the fifth, when an RBI single from sophomore center fielder Matt Vierling cut the deficit to 2-1. A pair of runs in the sixth — one scored off the bat of freshman pinch hitter Connor Power, the other off senior third baseman Fiala’s — gave Notre Dame a 3-2 lead, but Georgia Tech got an unearned run in the eighth off junior southpaw Sean Guenther to tie the game, 3-3. That set the stage for a winning run in the bottom of the eighth, when junior left fielder Jake Johnson singled home sophomore shortstop Cole Daily, who had
tripled to start the inning, to give Guenther the run he needed to secure the win in the top of the ninth. Saturday afternoon, one swimg was all the Irish needed to take another 4-3 win. With two down in the bottom of the second, Fiala got hold of a firstpitch fastball, sending it over the outfield fence for a grand slam that gave Notre Dame a 4-0 edge. “The kid left a fastball up in the zone and [I] put a good swing on it and it happened to go out,” Fiala said. Georgia Tech added unearned runs in the fourth and eighth, as Irish graduate student starter Michael Hearne toed the slab into the ninth before finally allowing an earned run with two outs in the final frame. That forced Irish head coach Mik Aoki to go to his bullpen, with junior right-hander Peter Solomon inducing a popup on his first, and only, pitch to pick up the save and secure the Notre Dame victory. Hearne’s 8 2/3-inning, eight-hit start is something the Irish are accustomed to, Fiala said. “We’ve gotten used to that, because any time he goes out and pitches, you know he’s going to see BASEBALL PAGE 9