Print Edition of The Observer for Thursday, March 23, 2017

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Volume 51, Issue 105 | thursday, march 23, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND London students safe after attack College checks abroad students’ status Observer Staff Report

Notre Dame has confirmed the safety of its 167 students currently studying abroad in London following a terrorist attack Wednesday near the British Houses of Parliament and Westminster bridge, according to a University press release.

Nine students were interning with the Parliament during the time of the attack, according to the release.

Many of the other students were at the University’s

London Global Gateway, located in Marian Kennedy Fischer Hall near Trafalgar Square, or Conway Hall, Notre Dame’s residential facility located near Waterloo Station and King’s College London.

Additionally, all students from other study abroad programs who registered their travel plans with Notre Dame International have been accounted for and are safe, University spokesman see SAFE PAGE 5

Notre Dame remembers Travis McElmurry

By LUCAS MASIN-MOYER Associate News Editor

Students, faculty and administrators came together Wednesday to remember Travis McElmurry, a firstyear law student who died March 12.

University President Fr. John Jenkins presided over a memorial Mass held in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, during which Fr. Pat Reidy delivered the homily and talked about the pain losing a loved one often brings.

“It’s a fearful thing, to love something death can touch,” he said. “We fear

COURTNEY BECKER | The Observer

see McELMURRY PAGE 3

Faculty and students gather at the reception for first-year law student Travis McElmurry, who passed away March 12.

Fordham professor Journalist speaks delivers civil rights lecture on concussions

By NICOLE CARATAS Senior News Writer

In the midst of increased race-related activism across the United States, Fr. Bryan Massingale, professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University, spoke at Saint Mary’s on Wednesday about the new civil rights movement in America and redeeming the

American soul.

Massingale said he tried to come up with a depiction of a racially just society, but was unable to do so.

“I am not able to know what a racially just society would look like, or a just society at all, as it is something that I and none of us have ever experienced,” he said. “Trying to envision somewhere in advance of no where is an

extremely difficult task.

“W hat are we striving for, what do we stand for, what is the goal of the struggle for justice, for the struggle against social evils based on disparaging of differences based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity? W hat does justice look like, what does see CIVIL RIGHTS PAGE 5

By ARTHUR ZHAO News Writer

In 2007, former New York Times investigative reporter Alan Schwarz started writing a series of stories reporting on the staggering rate of concussions amongst NFL players, leading to new regulations and a congressional hearing. In his talk at Jordan Auditorium on Wednesday, Schwarz discussed

his research process and how his interests in sports and math informed his research.

Schwarz said that after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in math, he started to write as a sports journalist. At the end of 2006, Schwarz began to receive information about brain damages of football players from see CONCUSSION PAGE 5

PEMCo’s ‘Grease’ premieres Thursday

By MARIE FAZIO News Writer

The Pasquerilla East Musical Company (PEMCo) is shaping up to perform “Grease” March 23-25 on the Washington Hall main stage.

Senior Morgan Rice, who is a producer for the show, said the musical was previously performed as PEMCo’s third main stage musical production in 2000, and 18

NEWS PAGE 2

members of this original PEMCo “Grease” cast will be in attendance at the Saturday show.

Seventeen years later, PEMCo executive producer, senior Amanda Bartolini, said PEMCo has grown quite a bit in terms of budget and the show is going to ref lect these increased capabilities.

“We really have a strong

Photo courtesy of Jake Ricci

see GREASE PAGE 3

Cast members of the Pasquerilla East Musical Company’s “Grease,” practice “Those Magic Changes,” one of the show’s musical numbers. The show will run from Thursday to Saturday at 7 p.m. each night.

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

SCENE PAGE 9

FOOTBALL PAGE 16

FENCING PAGE 16

2

TODAY

The observer | thursday, MARCH 23, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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What is your favorite Disney Channel movie?

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junior Pasquerilla East Hall

junior Pasquerilla East Hall

“The Even Stevens Movie.”

“Mom’s Got a Date with Vampire.”

Louis Bertolotti

Noah Sarky

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junior Caroll Hall

“The Luck of the Irish.”

“Eddie’s Million Dollar CookOff.”

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junior Lewis Hall

junior Caroll Hall

“The Lizzie McGuire Movie.”

“Max Keeble’s Big Move.”

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Thursday

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Saturday

Sunday

Monday

PEMCo Performance: “Grease” Washington Hall 7 p.m.

PEMCo’s spring show runs through Saturday.

Last Day for Course Discontinuance Campus-wide Last day for students to drop a class without a withdrawal mark.

Indoor Cycling — Spring 2017 Freebies Rockne Memorial 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Cycle for speed and take on the hills.

Misa en Espanol (Spanish Mass) Dillon Hall 1:30 p.m.

All are welcome to come celebrate mass.

Notre Dame Hijab Day Fieldhouse Mall 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Hosted by the Muslim Student Association.

“What Does Trump’s Election Mean?”

Hesburgh Library 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

A conversation on the Age of Trump.

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Evening prayer is held every Sunday.

An Evening With Rosie Rios Isban Auditorium 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

“The Woman Behind the New $20 Bill.”

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Lucas Masin-Moyer Alexandra Muck Marie Fazio

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Student Senate

Senate reviews health services

By ANDREW CAMERON News Writer

Sharon McMullen, director of University Health Services (UHS) spoke to student senate Wednesday about current and future changes to UHS. The meeting also featured Student Union Board (SUB) executive board nominations and the passing of resolution SS1617-33, regarding the release of mental health information and student awareness of UHS. McMullen discussed the current state of UHS and changes within the department.

“College health is essentially an academic retention program,” she said. “Colleges recognize that wellbeing is essential to learning, and so we provide our services so you can achieve your academic goals.”

The department has recently undertaken two major strategic initiatives — implementation of electronic medical records and the reorganization of the department, McMullen said.

“We have made the tectonic shift from writing with a pen on paper and we have entered the digital age,” she said.

McMullen said UHS was the 40th campus organization to undertake a “robust” reorganization process designed by the

University.

“Our goal for this reorganization is to optimize our scope of services and our hours of operation to meet student need,” she said.

UHS determined necessary changes based on student surveys, McMullen said.

“Here’s what you’ve told us — college students go to college between nine and five,” she said. “How come we can only see a provider between nine and five?

We are benchmarking the data that we have crunched, and are building a new and improved, and reinvigorated department. Communication to the entire community, including to you, our most important stakeholders, will happen this summer.”

Another topic McMullen said she was asked to talk about was walk-in fees.

“One of the things that college health does is help young adults become good consumers of healthcare ... walking into a healthcare provider is not going to serve you well when you leave university,” she said. “The idea behind the walk-in fee is a disincentive — something to make the patients think a little bit and call before they come in.

The SUB executive board nominations followed McMullen’s presentation, with the

members rising to answer questions from the senators. Junior Madi Purrenhage responded to a question about future changes within SUB. “We’re really trying to get more people involved with the program and involved with planning, and so there’s been some structural changes to achieve that,” she said.

“There’s been a big push this year to get as many people who want to get a role to have a role.”

The SUB executive board was approved by the senate vote.

Members of First Undergraduate Experience in Leadership (FUEL) presented resolution SS1617-33. The resolution was titled “A resolution supporting song-term mental health care information being released and greater student awareness of University mental health services.”

In a brief panel, the members of FUEL summarized their plans for reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and endorsing a movement to improve mental health services on campus.

The resolution was approved by unanimous vote.

Contact Andrew Cameron at acamero2@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, march 23, 2017 | The Observer

Grease Continued from page 1

tech team and we wanted to emphasize that but we also wanted to have a big enough show to emphasize all the talent we have — over 100 people came to try out,” Rice said.

Senior Samantha Squeri is directing the show and said she collaborated with a group of producers to choose “Grease,” taking into consideration factors such as budget and talent pool.

Squeri and Rice said they were drawn to redoing “Grease,” a notorious fan favorite, and giving it a better message to make it more accessible in today’s world.

The current production team hopes to take the well-known story in a new

direction. This performance differs from the 2000 performance not only in the fact that it will utilize never-before-seen lighting effects, but also in the stronger feminist message it conveys.

“It’s definitely going to be a new production based on the way that our director is taking it,” Bartolini said.

Though the storyline and songs from the musical are well known, Squeri was not exactly devoted to the musical’s sometimes controversial message, which she said was originally intended as a satire. Squeri said instead she opted for alterations to the show that will give the audience an opportunity to think about something deeper.

“At the end, Sandy isn’t changing for him, she’s changing for her … she’s coming more into her own,

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being more comfortable with her own self, her own person and her own sexuality. We are trying to show that the Pink Ladies encourage her to be who she wants to be by the end, and it just so happens that being more confident in herself makes [Danny] more attracted to her,” Squeri said.

Sophomore Mario Simone, who plays Danny, said the role was difficult to prepare for due to the new direction of the show.

“We basically created a new character for Danny, where he’s not as interested in Sandy as an object and more in her as a confident new person,” he said.

In addition to thematic changes, some of the songs may sound unfamiliar to audience members, as they are in the original musical, but not the 1978 movie version.

“People are going to hear music that’s probably new to them … people will be entertained by the classics but get some new stuff as well,” Bartolini said. “It’s worth their time to invest in seeing

McElmurry Continued from page 1

to risk t he pa in, t he sorrow.

Of course, if we on ly love a litt le, we ca n on ly a litt le … [but] we da re to live w it h our whole hea r ts, our whole sou ls.”

This g rief, Reidy sa id, is of ten indicat ive of how much a person mea nt to us on ea r t h.

“W hen someone we k now dies, we f ind out how much we rea lly loved t hem — t he more we hur t, t he more we loved,” he sa id. “That hur t stays w it h us forever, it helps us to remember t he person we so deeply loved a nd it reminds us t hat t he Paid Advertisement

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Photo courtesy of Jake Riccir

Members of PEMCo’s cast for “Grease” rehearse one of the musical numbers for the show. Tickets are on sale in the Lafortune box office.

it again.”

Rice said she was confident that the production will be a success.

“We’re hoping that with this production we can bring more than just entertainment value and bring home a more important message,” Rice said.

Performances will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets are on sale at the LaFortune box office at $7 for students and $10 for general admission.

person we loved w i l l never forget us.”

One must remember t his love, Reidy sa id, when remembering McElmurr y.

“We bring Trav is to t he Lord tonight t hrough our love a nd prayers,” he sa id.

Through t his love, Reidy sa id McElmurr y cou ld t r u ly be at peace.

“Trav is McElmurr y rests w it h God tonight,” Reidy sa id. “He rests f rom t he problems, t he doubts, t he insecurit ies a nd fea r, he rests f rom a l l t he worries in his hea r t, he rests f rom a ll t he brokenness of t his world.”

Cit ing a reading f rom t he Gospel of Ma rk read at t he ser v ice, Reidy ta l ked about

how it is necessa r y to rema in open to hea ling for t he process to ta ke place. “[Those who sought Jesus] on ly ha lf ex pected t hat hea ling was possible, as if t heir condit ion of brokenness was cont ingent on no one else seeing,” he sa id. “That’s t he t hing about da rk ness in t he gospels — it’s a lways hiding somewhere.”

A f ter t he memoria l Mass, t he Eck School of Law held a recept ion in Eck Commons to honor McElmurr y’s memor y.

One of McElmurr y’s professors, associate professor of law Br uce Huber, sha red a ref lect ion at t his recept ion.

“I join a l l of you tonight in mourning t he loss of our peer, our student [a nd] our brot her, Trav is,” he sa id. “… Wit h our brot her Trav is, ma ny of us had not yet gotten to k now [him] wel l a nd had not yet ex perienced t he joy of communit y w it h him, yet we st i l l bea r t he burden of g rief [a nd] cer ta in ly of dismay.”

Huber sa id t he st reng t h of t he Not re Da me communit y wou ld help it endure t he loss of a communit y member.

“Communit ies suf fer. It is as t hough, by sha ring our lives w it h so ma ny ot hers we ga in a n enormous blessing, a nd yet simu lta neously render ourselves t hat much more v u lnerable to pa in a nd to g rief,” he sa id. “… It is often sa id, a nd for a ver y good reason, t hat one of t he enduring ha l lma rks of Not re Da me is t he st reng t h of t he communit y t hat ex ists here.

The communit y brings us g reat good.”

Contact Marie Fazio at mfazio@nd.edu

Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer at lmasinmo@nd.edu

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News

Civil Rights Continued from page 1

justice feel like? Such questions take us beyond abstract intellectualizing and move us into the realm of animating visions, guiding ideals and sustaining dreams, yet these questions are of great urgency.”

Massingale said he would not attempt to answer these questions, but he turned to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to begin to address them, referencing King’s principle of the soul of a nation.

“Dr. King viewed the mission of the Southern Leadership Conference as being the transformation of

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, march 23, 2017 | The Observer

a society, not merely social change,” he said. “King knew that America’s problem was bigger than legal segregation of Jim or Jane Crow. Because the country’s long and dark history of genocide, slavery and segregation, he knew that without a moral transformation, racism would continue to mutate into different forms even after legal segregation was dismantled.”

Segregation in America ended, Massingale said, but integration has failed. He said this could be seen in the way American cities were laid out — predominantly African-American communities tended to be separated from predominantly white communities.

“To redeem the soul of America, what King meant was we have to go deeper beyond superficial surface changes, laws and customs,” he said. “Those are necessary, they’re important, but they’re only a first step. The true solution to the nation’s problems requires a transformation in moral values.

It requires articulating what those values of the nation are.”

Massingale said King’s principles could be seen even in modern movements, especially the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Racism is a soul sickness,” Massingale said. “It’s a profound warping of the human spirit, one that enables

human beings to create communities of cold, callous indifference towards their darker sisters and brothers.

Stripped to its core, racism is that disturbing interior disease that enables people to not care for those that don’t look like them.”

Massingale said the way to fully solve the issue of racism is more than just political policy, but more a matter of changing the countr y’s morals.

“The problem we face in America is not that we have a President Trump,” he said.

“President Trump is us. He’s the American psyche — our shadow side on steroids. He simply ref lects our ambivalence toward the weak, our

pursuit of national strength, our belief in American exceptionalism, the belief that we are special in a way that no one else in the world is.

So removing Trump alone. … will not solve the problem.

We have to interrogate the American soul.”

People have the power to make the changes necessary to end racism, Massingale said.

“Social life is made by human beings,” he said. “The societ y we live in is the result of human choices and decisions. That mean that human beings can change things.”

Concussion

national population,” he said.

“Something is going on here.”

When Schwarz told NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that four out of four football players he observed suffered from concussion symptoms, Goodell refused to believe it.

Schwarz’s persistent research with mathematical modelings further convinced him of the cause-and-effect relation between repetitive head collisions and concussions. Several months later, Schwarz said he obtained the NFL’s research on brain disease, which was conducted by the University of Michigan. Schwarz said this critical study revealed that NFL retirees aged 30-49 are 19 times susceptible to memory

problems, while NFL retirees aged above 50 have six times the chance of having memory-related diseases, compared to all U.S. men.

Despite the consequences of Schwarz’s stories, he said he never harbored any resentment against the sport itself.

“I’ve never said that football should be banned. I’ve never said that there should be different rules, anything like that,” Schwarz said. “My whole point is just that ‘Look, there’s an increase of risk.’ People should know about that so that they can make better-informed decisions for themselves and their kids.”

Safe

safety of its students studying abroad in other programs that may have been traveling in London at the time of the attack, associate director for international education Alice Yang said in an email. The College currently has one student studying at Oxford University and others in various European countries, Yang said in the email.

Continued from page 1

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Alan Schwarz speaks at Notre Dame on Wednesday. Schwarz broke the news on the connnection between football and concussions.

5

his friends, which caught his attention.

“I, like everybody else, thought [a] concussion was a brain bruise,” he said. “But it can bring on early Alzheimer-type symptoms — cognitive impairment, cognitive decline, memory loss … that’s pretty awful.”

Schwarz said he observed four consecutive football players diagnosed with concussions — he figured there must be a correlation between playing football and concussions.

“The chance for these players to have this disease is greatly higher than the

Contact Nicole Caratas at ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Arthur Zhao at szhao4@nd.edu

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Continued from page 1

Dennis Brown said in an email.

Saint Mary’s did not have any students in London this semester, and the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership is currently working to confirm the

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The observer | Thursday, march 23, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Take a road trip

Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’ is a masterpiece Lucy Collins Stuck in the Middle

Marek Mazurek Assistant Managing Editor

This spring break I got the opportunity to do something that was once an integral part of Americana.

I went on a road trip.

Specifically, I, along with two other members of The Observer made the 14-hour round-trip drive to Buffalo, New York, to cover the men’s basketball team in the NCAA tournament.

Despite the snowstorm warnings on the drive up, and the rain all the way back, the drive itself was maybe the best part of the trip for me.

For some people, being stuck in a car for long period of time with other humans is their personal definition of hell. For others, like me, getting time to just relax and chill out with other people while zipping by the great American countryside is a positive experience.

It’s nice to get away from the daily routines and regular places of our everyday lives and set off for somewhere a few states over. Maybe it’s just me, but I like watching the different houses go by and imaging what their residents’ lives are like. And if you’re lucky enough to have a guide like former Assistant Managing Editor Alex Carson, you can actually learn a lot about speed traps, road paving techniques and normal traffic conditions along the Ohio Turnpike.

And then there’s the music. The tunes, the jams, the funky bass — whatever you want to call it.

The traditional, correct road-trip music is classic rock and that’s where I’m in my element. Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Foreigner, Journey; anything in that vein of upbeat, driving classic rock is acceptable.

If classic rock isn’t your thing, some Iggy or Eminem or anything you can blast and sing along to works just fine, as well.

And one of the most underrated part of road trips is the length of time you have to listen to all your jams. Do you like Pink Floyd, but never have time to finish their concept albums? Do all your friend like “Hamilton,” and you’ve been meaning to find some time to sit down and really digest it? Turn it on for the drive and take it all in.

Unfortunately, with so many flights available and increased television coverage of major events, road trips are falling out of vogue. Why watch your favorite team play live when you can watch it on high-definition TV? However, this is the wrong mindset to have. Driving is often cheaper and really isn’t that much slower than you think when you consider that you spend about two hours before each flight going through security. And that’s not to mention delays and cancellations. Weather can’t cancel a road trip as long as you’ve got guts.

But really, the most important and enjoyable part of the drive is building relationships. It makes existing friendships stronger and potential friendships emerge. Heck, road trips can be a great way to tell if your romantic partner and you are compatible. My mom, in fact, took a road trip with one of her former boyfriends and found out that he, while a great guy, just wasn’t quite what she wanted in a relationship.

So don’t underestimate the power of the road. It can be a fun experience and one that is sadly falling out of fashion. Whether you’re a collegiate newspaper trying to cut costs, a group of friends going to Las Vegas or a couple taking a romantic getaway, top off your tank and hit the road.

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Over break, I finally had the chance to burst the “Notre Dame bubble” and catch up with the rest of the world. No, I did not spend my break reading up on all the current global turmoil and political disasters. Instead, I headed to the movie theater with some friends to see the latest movie craze — Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” I’ll be the first to admit that I had no idea what to expect. I’d seen all the hype the movie was getting, but seeing Peele’s name front and enter led me to expect a stupidly funny parody a la “Scar y Movie.” Perhaps the raving reviews from intellectuals and celebrities alike, as well the 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (it was only kept from 100 percent by one critic — the ver y same one who prevented “Toy Stor y 3” from reaching the coveted perfect score) should’ve clued me in that this movie was a lot more than a farce.

Chris and Rose are a perfect couple, young and beautiful. The fact that he is black and she is white wasn’t even a blip on their radars — until she decides to bring him home to meet her family. Without giving too much away, “Get Out” took me by complete surprise by being simultaneously one of the most wickedly funny and terrif ying movies I’ve ever seen. The unique thing about it is that there’s little that separates the moments that made me laugh versus the ones that caused me to jump in fear. The most scar y elements of the film were tinged in a ver y purposeful humor — take the scene where a young white man uses a lacrosse stick as a brutal weapon, for instance.

Aside from the jump-scares (and there were plenty), what really makes this movie scar y is the fact that the horror isn’t disguised by a mask-wearing psychopath or a disfigured monster. The real terror shines through in the almost-recognizable elements of ever yday society that Peele masterfully

shaped into a sinister and bloody tale.

My laughter f lowed freely at first, when the absurd behavior of the white people seemed foreign and comically stereotypical. Eventually, however, my giggles shifted to more of a ner vous titter, as I checked around the theater to make sure it was okay for me to laugh; I began to recognize that I was witnessing behavior that I had experienced in my own life, if not quite as exaggerated. Rose’s pedantic father, who humbly shows off all his luxuries and memorabilia from his extravagant travels while giving Chris a tour of the home, could be one of any successful person from my neighborhood. The borderline-insane brother represents the extreme mentality of the incredibly privileged and well-off frat star. “I would have voted for Obama for a third term if I could” is tossed around, both in the movie and in real life, as a meager attempt to show just how not-racist someone is. These minor details and characteristics of Rose’s white family and friends seem unimportant until their far more sinister intentions are slowly revealed as the movie continues.

I left the theater in as state of shock, tr y ing to w rap my head around what exactly I had just seen and how I felt about it. To be honest, I’m still forming new thoughts and opinions about the mov ie. One thing for certain, however, is the Jordan Peele defied ever y expectation I had for this film, and created a masterpiece horrorcomedy that won’t be going any where any time soon.

Aside from incessantly quoting “Hamilton” and other perfect works of theater/film, Lucy Collins majors in economics and history, is a sophomore at Notre Dame and is often found trying to balance her hopeless romanticism and nearly constant cynicism.

Please direct comments to lcollin8@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Join the conversation.

Submit a Letter to the Editor.

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7

Wordplay individuals should not be misled by the acrid smell of such an effort.

Ray Ramirez The Crooked Path

Partridge in a Pear Tree I was poring through the newest volume of the Journal of Known Etymology (Vol. 9, April 2017), when I spied a few items that looked ripe for sharing with informed and educated readers. Please enjoy them in moderation and do not over-inflate your mind beyond recommended safe limits.

Red Herring We are most familiar with “red herrings” as plot twists in detective stories contrived to mislead the audience into believing the wrong suspect committed the crime. One origin story is of a fugitive dragging a red herring (reddened when smoke cured), along the ground to set up a stronger misleading scent trail for hounds to follow. More likely is the explanation from the BBC nature series by David Attenborough, “Something Fishy,” rarely if ever seen in the U.S., which features dramatic footage of a pack of murderous sea lions chasing adorable herring across the North Atlantic. In one of evolution’s clever — albeit cruel — tricks, in each school of herring one or two fish are born bright red. The sea lions chase after the ruddy mutants and — to the sound of a solemn minor chord — the rosy fish are eaten by the pinnipeds while normally hued herring escape. Satiated by the altruistic fish, the sea lions move on, and the remaining fish swim free.

A red herring is also a type of logical fallacy, known in Latin as “ignoratio elenchi,” or “ignorance of refutation.” A person employing such a fallacy completely ignores the conclusion to be refuted. For example, in response to concerns about what recent tax returns might indicate regarding potential conf licts with, say, Russia, a (narrowly) elected official under scrutiny might produce — directly or via a likely leak — a 12-year-old partial tax return that puts the person in a supposedly positive light. This red herring of a response may well fool a dog or a sea lion, but cautious

This phrase, which is the stopping point for yet another mind-numbing verse of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” originated with British schoolboys gently poking fun at a beloved instructor.

Apparently the old don was fond of blowing and rubbing his large, pear-shaped nose. In an effort to get at a dry and somewhat recalcitrant f leck of mucosa, he attempted to slyly slip a digit up one nostril. His vigorous exertions to loosen and retrieve the object were likened by certain of the lads under his care as “hunting for a partridge in the old pear tree.” Exactly how the phrase made its way into the rambling song about seasonal gifts is not clear. The song is sometimes touted as having been a way for persecuted Catholics in England to teach important religious traditions in a “coded” form, even though the Anglicans pretty much followed the same lessons, and the song apparently was French in origin. A more probable explanation is that the song was created as a method to extract confessions from prisoners, especially when delivered A cappella.

Acronyms The use of acronyms has a long tradition, and many common words are attributed to the shorthand use of the initial letters of an underlying phrase. “Posh” is often endorsed as an abbreviation for “port out, starboard home,” this cabin location being perhaps cooler, with north-facing rooms favored by rich passengers traveling from Britain to India (apparently prior to the invention of window shades). This class-conscious explanation is well thought out, and likely incorrect. A more direct origin is the Romani, also known as Gypsy, term “posh,” meaning “half,” as in “half a crown.” If a performer found that amount tossed into an upturned hat (as opposed to a penny) then the contributor would indeed be seen as posh.

Another overwrought fictional acronym is “tips.” W hile many cherish the idea the word is an acronym for “to insure prompt service” or “to insure promptness” (for the singular “tip”), this is another word that is simply too simple to be accepted for what it is: a good old Anglo-Saxon word that means pretty much what it says, the tip or the top. Take a bit off the bill for a meal, add it back in to thank the wait-person, and there you have it. Here’s an etymological tip: If the word predates the 20th Century, odds are good it did not start out as an acronym, as the mania for acronymic compression is largely a product of more recent military and government nomenclature.

Take for example the Affordable Care Act, which has been shortened to the ACA, and even nicknamed “Obamacare,” as a contraction of Obama’s role in championing the ACA. Recent attempts to “repeal and replace” the ACA have produced the American Health Care Act. The AHCA sets itself apart with a four-letter acronym, even though “healthcare” is an acceptable word. One supposes the extra word was included to avoid the acronym “AHA,” the involuntary sound of surprise at how much or how little the AHCA actually changes the ACA, depending on whether or not you pay for your own healthcare. If the AHCA has any support at all, it comes largely from the conservative end of the political spectrum, so I propose it should more correctly be designated as the Conservative American Care Act or CACA. As CACA makes its way through the lengthy and convoluted halls of power, and the nation strains at its arrival, we anticipate CACA will be dragged across our path as a posh answer to our health problems. Red herrings are beginning to smell better already.

Ray Ramirez is an attorney practicing, yet never perfecting, law in Texas while waiting patiently for a MacArthur Genius Grant. You may contact him at patrayram@sbcglobal.net The views expressed in the column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Pence ‘an exceptionally bleak choice’ I graduated from Notre Dame way back in the ’80s, and have been a proud alumnus ever since, even as my left-leaning tendencies have increased over the years. However, the “Com-Pence-ment” — ironically announced in the alumni newsletter next to an article about “Healing our divided nation” — has left me confused. I simply cannot square Fr. Jenkins praise of Vice President Pence’s personal moral conviction with what feels to me, at a very basic gut level, is an administration with no clear moral compass. It would be hard to imagine, for instance, Jesus praising the latest Congressional Budget Office scorecard.

Pence, Trump and others should absolutely be allowed and encouraged to speak their minds and promote their positions on our campus, but does it have to be Commencement? Commencement is an opportunity to give clear moral and ethical advice to students. It can be spiritually uplifting to everyone in the room, it can bring the campus together and it can elevate our institution in the eyes of the world by reinforcing our values. I’m afraid that the selection of Pence fails on all accounts, and is an especially bleak choice for many graduates this year.

On the positive side, maybe Mr. Pence will be

better than my Commencement speaker, who was merely boring, and will inspire a new generation of graduates to become more politically active than those of us in the ’80s, who could only manage to protest the removal of Cap’n Crunch from the dining hall menu.

Congratulations on graduating. Looking forward to meeting some of you in the future.

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverViewpnt

John Kennedy class of 1986 March 16

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CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer

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The observer | thursday, march 23, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

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CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer

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DAILY

The observer | thursday, march 23, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Don’t leave anything to chance. Look at every situation carefully and find a workable solution. Letting matters linger will make life more difficult. Make alterations to the way you do things and be willing to cut corners and act frugally. The choices you make will determine your future. Invest in yourself and the skills you require to reach your goals. Your numbers are 3, 12, 16, 23, 37, 45, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take the high road when dealing with adversity or those who voice emotional differences. What you accomplish will count far more than getting involved in a stubborn stalemate. Focus on yourself and the ones you love. Romance is highlighted.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Emotional uncertainty and confusion will set in when dealing with peers, superiors and relatives. Concise communication will help, but questioning any responses that leave you feeling doubtful should be a priority.

Walk away from temptation.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t stop learning. Gather the facts and be open to suggestions. High returns will come from being prepared and offering sound solutions and plans. Don’t put up with anyone using emotional manipulation to take advantage of you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Channel your energy into something you enjoy doing.

Take part in a rally and you will feel good about supporting a cause you believe in.

Nurture important partnerships instead of taking extreme actions. Patience will be required.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Travel and education are highlighted. A professional challenge will require your undivided attention. Use your intelligence to find solutions and be willing to work with others in order to get things done. Anger will impede your productivity. Say little but do a lot.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A business trip or partnership looks promising.

If you put in the time, you will get what you want. Negotiate on your own behalf and you will avoid being taken advantage of or getting too little in return.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Relationships will pose a problem. Absorb what others are telling you and don’t react until you have found a way to deal with the situation reasonably. Enforce discipline and offer love and peace rather than cacophony and confusion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Share your thoughts at networking events or when dealing with friends, family or children. Your input may not always be taken favorably, but it will have an impact on those you care about. Be true to yourself and offer truth and love.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t mix business with pleasure or you will lose the upper hand. Put your efforts into getting ahead and improving your life both at home and at work. A personal commitment to someone you love will improve your relationship.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Mounting opposition will leave you in a quandary.

Back up and consider your options. Don’t engage in a confrontation with someone who is unpredictable or impulsive. Protect what you have, dismiss pressure tactics and take back control.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Secrets are best kept that way. If you divulge information in a moment of emotional turmoil, it will lead to an argument that you will regret. Stay calm, listen carefully and use whatever information you can gather to bring about positive changes.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Turn something you enjoy doing into a way to boost your income. Start by volunteering your services and see where it leads.

Change can be good if you go about it the right way. Make sure your motives are honorable.

Birthday Baby: You are emotional, talkative and friendly. You are adaptable and excessive.

JUST ADD WATER | Eric carlson & John roddy

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Draw comics.

Email Ben at bpadanil@nd.edu

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SPORTS

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, march 23, 2017 | The Observer

Sports Authority

ND Women’s Tennis

Villanova reverts to heartbreak Michael Ivey Sports Writer

W hen Kris Jenkins sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the national championship game for Villanova last season, it didn’t seem real.

The ending itself was spectacular. But who it was happening to made it even more head scratching.

Villanova, the same team who made losing in the round of 32 as a No. 1 or 2 seed a routine thing, not only made it past the round of 32 in 2016, but won the national championship on a buzzer-beater.

It’s over. The run of disappointment for Villanova had finally ended. The Wildcats beat high-powered teams Kansas, Ok lahoma and North Carolina in hardfought games during the tournament on their way to the championship.

It was the opposite of what people were expecting. They had f lipped the old narrative of postseason disappointments on its head. This was the beginning of the new Villanova.

Then Saturday happened.

The Wildcats had entered this season’s NCA A Tournament as the Big East regular season and tournament champions and the overall No. 1 seed in the field of 68 teams. They looked like they were going to have a clear path to the Elite Eight and a potential matchup with Duke to go to the Final Four.

The Wildcats drew Wisconsin in the second round. Wisconsin finished the Big Ten regular season on a downward spiral before reaching the Big Ten tournament championship game.

Still, Villanova was favored to defeat the Badgers and continue their run towards defending their title.

But Villanova fell behind early and trailed most of the game. Despite making a late comeback and holding on to their lead for a little while, the Wildcats couldn’t finish off the Badgers and lost a 65-62 heartbreaker.

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It was an all-too-familiar feeling for Villanova and its fans (and anyone who picked Villanova to go far in their March Madness brackets).

Since making it to the Final Four in 2009, Villanova has failed to advance beyond the round of 32 in seven of the last eight years.

A lmost ever y year has been marked by great regular season success followed by postseason disappointment.

The Wildcats earned a No. 2 seed in the 2010 tournament, only to lose to Saint Mar y’s in the round of 32. After losing to George Mason in the first round of the 2011 tournament, the Wildcats failed to qualif y for the 2012 tournament. After losing to South Carolina in the first round in 2013, the Wildcats won the Big East regular season tournament in 2014 and earned a No. 2 seed in the tournament.

They fell in the round of 32 to eventual national champion Connecticut.

2015 looked like it was finally going to be the year.

Villanova won the Big East regular season and tournament championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament. But, in all too familiar fashion, the Wildcats lost to North Carolina State in the round of 32 in the game that gave us the cr ying piccolo girl.

The image became a symbol of Villanova’s continued postseason futility, raising their fans’ hope for glor y before smashing them with an early postseason exit, ranking them up there with the Washington Capitals or the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Then Villanova won it all in 2016 and shredded the postseason choker label forever. Or so we thought.

Last year now looks like a one-year exception rather than the beginning of something new.

Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Irish look to start new streak versus NC State Observer Sports Staff

The Irish will play host in a matchup with North Carolina State on Friday, just after having their eleven-game win streak snapped by Virginia, and now sit at 14-2, with a 5-1 record in the ACC. Singles play will likely continue to be a strong point for Notre Dame (14-2, 5-1 ACC), as senior Monica Robinson and junior Brooke Broda each came away with

singles victories against the Cavaliers.

Notre Dame struggled in doubles against Virginia, losing both of the matches that finished. In the match before the streak-snapping loss, Notre Dame won all three of its doubles matches against William & Mary.

N.C. State (12-7, 1-5 ACC) will bring a talented roster into South Bend to take on the Irish. Wolfpack senior Martina Frantova and freshman Anna

Rogers are the nation’s 30thranked doubles pair coming off a dominating win in their most recent match against Boston College. N.C. State sophomore Bianca Moldovan, meanwhile, blanked her most recent opponent 6-0, 6-0 in singles.

The matchup between the two ACC foes will begin at 4 p.m. at Courtney Tennis Center Friday. The Irish face a quick turnaround, hosting Miami on Sunday.

SMC SPORTS

Belles win nailbiter in overtime at Illinois State Observer Sports Staff

Lacrosse Saint Mary’s lost three games over spring break, but bounced back with a thrilling 17-16 record comeback win in overtime over Illinois Tech.

The Belles (1-3) lost 19-9 to Smith (7-1) to open the break period. The squad trailed within three minutes of play and found themselves in an early 6-2 hole that they could not recover from. Sophomore midfielder Kate Kelly scored two goals and recorded nine draw controls.

Against Wooster, the Belles trailed 4-1 within five minutes but cut the lead to 8-7 late in the first half. However, two goals just before halftime and three just after helped Wooster (5-1) to an 18-13 win. Kelly scored four goals and added six draw controls.

Against Western Connecticut (3-3), the Belles trailed 5-1 early and — despite cutting the lead to 5-4 halfway through the first half — couldn’t stay in the game and eventually lost 199. Freshman midfielder Mary Singler scored three goals.

Against Illinois Tech (6-1), the Belles looked set for another defeat trailing 13-7 after a 6-0 run and the score at 15-9 with under 12 minutes left. With only three minutes left, the Belles still trailed by four, but Singler — who scored a program-record seven total goals on the day — scored four goals in the final three minutes before Kelly scored the overtime winner after a Scarlet Hawks turnover.

The win marked the biggest comeback in Saint Mary’s lacrosse history.

The Belles will play Ohio Northern on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Softball In a busy spring break, Saint Mary’s started its season with two wins but finished their spring games in Florida 4-6 before splitting a two-game series with Aurora.

The Belles (5-7) got off to an ideal start on their opening day, defeating No. 21 Manhattanville 5-0 before beating Western Connecticut 9-3. Against Manhattanville (5-7), junior pitcher Morgan Raymer was a single out away from a nohitter and didn’t let a single runner on base until the fifth inning.

Although she allowed a double with two outs in the game’s final inning, a flyout ensured the onehit shutout win. Against Western Connecticut (8-6), junior center fielder Cassie Young went 3-for4 while junior second baseman Kelsey Richards recorded 4 RBIs on two hits, including a two-run homer.

The following day, however, the Belles dropped their first two contests to Ohio Wesleyan (4-6) and Bethel (1-12). Junior pitcher Jessica Alberts allowed only four hits and recorded seven strikeouts in the defeat to Ohio Wesleyan, but the Belles bats couldn’t get going.

Saint Mary’s defeated UMassBoston (8-2) 10-0 in five innings, as Raymer pitched four more shutout innings on her way to another win. However, Raymer recorded her first loss and gave up her first runs of the season later that day to Anderson in a 5-1 defeat.

In two extra innings games, the Belles lost to UW-Stevens Point (7-11) 4-3 in eight innings before dropping a game with Rochester 7-6 in 10 innings. The Belles then lost 6-0 to Millikin before defeating Marywood (0-7) 11-0 in five innings in their last game in Florida. Junior shortstop Jamie

Young went 3-for-3 with four runs scored against Marywood while Alberts pitched the shutout.

The Belles also split two games with Aurora (7-5), losing the first 4-3 but winning the second 6-1.

The Belles trailed 3-0 after two innings in the second encounter and 3-1 when junior pitcher Mary Green came into the game in the fifth inning, but a five-run sixth inning helped earn Green the relief win.

The Belles will play Wheaton on Friday at 3 p.m.

Tennis Saint Mary’s won one of its five matchups over spring break, recording a comfortable win over Goucher but losing to UW-La Crosse, Saint Scholastica, William Smith and St. Norbert.

Against No. 15 UW-La Crosse (15-2), sophomore Elizabeth Preister recorded the only Belles win, a 6-4, 6-2 victory, while every other Belles player and doubles pairing lost.

Against Goucher (2-3), the Belles completed a sweep, with senior Sam Setterblad and sophomore Monica Davy both coming through in singles tiebreakers. However, against Saint Scholastica, the Belles lost 6-3, splitting the singles contests thanks to wins from Preister, junior Maddie Minaudo and freshman Meaghan Flynn but failing to win a doubles match.

Against William Smith (5-3), the Belles were swept, failing to win a singles set and winning only two games in the doubles, before a close encounter with St. Norbert.

Three singles matches went to a tiebreaker with the score at 3-3, but Saint Norbert won two out of the three to emerge as 5-4 victors.

The Belles will play Wheaton on Friday at 7 p.m.

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Sports

The observer | thursday, march 23, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND WOMEN’S GOLF | Clover CUP

ROWING | Cardinal invitational

Notre Dame takes seventh against tough opponents

By JACK CONCANNON Sports Writer

Notre Dame hosted the sixth annual Clover Cup tournament at Longbow Country Club in Mesa, Arizona, over the weekend. The Irish finished seventh in a loaded field of 15 with a +23 over the three days. No. 4 Arizona State led the way, with No. 25 Oklahoma, No. 2 Florida State, Houston and TCU rounding out the top five.

Hosted hundreds of miles away from South Bend, Notre Dame’s Clover Cup has become a staple tournament in the world of women’s college golf, routinely drawing the country’s premier programs to compete.

“This was the deepest field and best-ranked that we’ve ever had,” Irish head coach Susan Holt said. “Arizona State and Florida State are ranked in the top five and Oklahoma is ranked in the top 25. We ended up having a really great event.”

The tournament got underway with a familiar face leading for the Irish. Sophomore Emma Albrecht posted a +3 over the three days, good for first on the team and tied for 16th amongst the entire field. She never had a

round worse than +2, and gave the Irish consistent golf over all three days of the tournament.

Sophomore Isabella DiLisio came out firing in the first round of the tournament, posting a 5-under-par 67 in the first round that included two eagles.

This was the best round that any of the Irish posted over the whole weekend. It was also the third-lowest score that was posted that day, just one shot off Oklahoma’s sophomore Julienne Soo and Houston’s junior Courtney Tibiletti for the daily lead. DiLisio would cool off slightly as the tournament progressed, posting a 77 and 76 in the second and third rounds, respectively, to finish with a +4.

Senior Jordan Ferreira, freshman Mia Ayer and sophomore Maddie Rose Hamilton also put up scores that would end up counting for the Irish. Ferreira’s second-round 73 was the thirdlowest any Irish golfer posted on the weekend, and she finished +7 for the tournament.

“We have a lot of balance on this team,” Holt said. “We have five great players that can go out and shoot well at any time.

Isabella’s first round was a great round, and Emma’s been really

solid all spring. For Emma to be that consistent is a real positive.”

The Irish were ranked eighth out of all the teams coming into the field before the tournament began, and ended up finishing in seventh.

“Overall, I thought play was pretty good,” Holt said. “I think we all certainly hoped we would play a little bit better. We’re still not as consistent as we need to be throughout our lineup, so we’re working to get better.”

The Irish will get a weekend off from competition, then travel to Wake Forest to participate in the Bryan National Collegiate tournament hosted by Wake Forest.

“That’s going to be a great field, so we need to take advantage and beat a few teams ranked ahead of us,” Holt said.

“With our national ranking, we need to capitalize on this tournament to improve our ranking.

We had practice today, so we’ll keep working on the things we need to get better at.”

The Irish will next compete on March 31 in the Wake Forest Bryan National Collegiate.

Irish improve times at regatta Observer Sports Staff

Notre Dame opened their spring season at the sixth annual Cardinal Invitational in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in decent form over spring break.

The Irish put forward four different boats for eight races over the weekend of March 11 and 12. They found moderate success with a collection of second and third-place finishes while boasting a first-place performance by the third Varsity Eight boat in its second race, which pulled a time of 7:00.22. Most boats improved

Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC | UNITED STATES 8, Puerto Rico 0

US defeats Puerto Rico Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The eagle has landed on top.

The United States routed Puerto Rico 8-0 to win its first World Baseball Classic in four tries on Wednesday night behind six hitless innings from Marcus Stroman.

The Americans planted their eagle statue mascot on the mound in celebration, a blue cap jauntily hanging from one of its large wings.

“It’s a different feeling when the USA is on your chest,” first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “We wanted to get the U.S. back on top of the baseball world, and we did that.”

For a sport known as America’s pastime, the U.S. had struggled since the WBC began in 2006. Twice, the Americans lost in the second round and they went out in the semifinals in 2009.

This time was different.

“These guys were here to do their best,” Team USA general manager Joe Torre said. “The thing I marveled at was how quickly they came together, and Jimmy (Leyland) deserves a lot of that credit. They’re just a great group who understood what this event is all about.”

Accepting the gleaming silver trophy from baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, manager Leyland told the crowd, “This is for the men and women who serve our country.”

After the final out, the

Americans massed on the mound, hugging and highfiving while fireworks exploded in center field. Some of them grabbed a U.S. f lag and circled the warning track, waving it in celebration with fans in the stands.

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in time in their second races compared with their firsts.

This upward trend spilled into Sunday when each of the four boats raced one final time. Notre Dame secured one third-place and two second-place finishes and was again led by a victory from the third Varsity Eight. This boat won its race by 10 seconds over second-place host Louisville, finishing with a time of 6:46.32.

Notre Dame will travel to Austin on March 25 for their next contest at the Longhorn Invitational.

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ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, march 23, 2017 | The Observer

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M Tennis

ND set to take on Virginia Tech

By MICHAEL IVEY Sports Writer

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish sophomore Alex Lebedev reacts to scoring a point during Notre Dame’s match against Northwestern on Feb. 24 at Eck Tennis Pavilion. On Sunday, Lebedev lost his singles match against the Cavaliers.

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Notre Dame is set to take on conference foe Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Friday.

Irish head coach Ryan Sachire said he expects a challenge from the Hokies (6-8, 1-3 ACC).

“Virginia Tech is a good team,” Sachire said. “It’s going to be a tough match.

It’s on the road dow n in Blacksburg, and any road match in the ACC is going to be a challenging one and we know that. We’re expecting it to be really close and really competitive and we’re going to have to earn ever y thing

that we get. We played them now the last three years and all of the matches have been ultra-competitive. We expect the same thing this time around and hopefully we can go dow n there and play well and compete well and come out w ith a w in.”

The Irish (9-6, 1-2) are coming off of hosting a doubleheader in which they lost to No. 2 Virginia 6-1 and beat DePaul 7-0.

Against Virginia, freshman Guillermo Cabrera recorded the only singles v ictor y for the Irish, w inning in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in singles. Against DePaul, however, the Irish won across the board in singles and doubles.

Sachire said his team w ill go through the same practice routine they usually go through to prepare for the Hokies. “[We’ll] get the week going w ith a practice on Monday and kind of build as the week goes on,” Sachire said. “We’ll leave on Thursday morning and get a good practice in dow n there on the courts in Blacksburg and be ready to tee it up on Friday. It’s not a long week. We only have a few days to prepare, so we have to be prett y efficient w ith our preparation and get a good practice in on Thursday when we’re dow n there.”

Sachire said his message to his team before the match w ill be to play aggressive and play to the level he knows they are capable of play ing.

“We know we’re a good team and we know they’re a good team and we’re going to need to play well to w in,” Sachire said. “I think it’s about getting our guys to perform at their optimal level and if they feel rela xed and confident, they’ll have the best chance to do that.”

The ACC match begins at 3 p.m. on Friday.

Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu

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The observer | thursday, march 23, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Softball Continued from page 16

and Wester slid in safely to give Notre Dame the 2-0 lead.

And the Irish weren’t done.

Later in the inning, with runners still on second and third, Marino blasted a line drive to deep right field. The Spartan right fielder couldn’t handle it, and Brooks scored from third to make it 3-0. Senior right fielder Kimmy Sullivan walked to load the bases again and designated player Sara White walked as well to bring in another run.

Irish junior pitcher Katie Beriont rolled in the second inning on the help of a double play and a diving stop by Marino, but the Spartans got on the board in the top of the third as junior outfielder Lea Foerster clubbed a line drive home run to right center field.

The Spartans managed to put two runners on with two outs, but Beriont found a strikeout to end the inning with just one run given up.

The Irish answered back in the bottom of the third as sophomore third baseman Melissa Rochford and Marino got on base. White walked for a second time and loaded the bases for sophomore catcher Maddie McCracken with one out. Michigan State switched

to freshman pitcher Jordan Watson, but McCracken took Watson’s first pitch on the ground into left field to score a run and put the Irish up 5-1.

In the fourth inning, senior Rachel Nasland replaced Beriont on the mound. Nasland put up a scoreless frame — despite a hit batter — with the help of two more diving plays

by Marino.

Marino said she felt her big defensive plays were a product of the tone set by Wester’s home run theft in the first inning and that her play in turn helped build momentum for the rest of the game.

“My defense is my favorite part of the game,” Marino said.

“We’re a team about momentum and we’re really focused on getting momentum ourselves so once we could continue the momentum from the first inning into the rest of the game.

That was big for us.”

The Spartans closed the gap in the fifth frame as a triple from sophomore left fielder Ebonee Echols drove in Foerster to make it 5-2. Echols scored on a sacrifice fly one batter later and the Michigan State deficit was down to just two runs.

However, the Irish were determined to put the game away.

In the bottom of the fifth, freshman Madison Heide fouled off six pitches before knocking

Sports

a towering homer to left field to score herself and White to make it a 7-3 ballgame.

Later in the inning, both Wester sisters reached base on infield hits and Brooks walked to load the bases, still with no outs. Reed picked up her third RBI of the day with a walk and Rochford took a pitch off the elbow to score another run, making it 9-3. A few batters later, Heide came back up and singled with the bases loaded to end the game via mercy rule, 11-3.

Next up for the Irish is Virginia Tech. The Hokies (1313, 3-6 ACC) come to town for a three-game set that is currently scheduled to start Friday evening. Gumpf said she thinks the team can take the lessons it learned from Michigan State and apply them to Virginia Tech.

“I look at Virginia Tech and I think they’re a lot like Michigan State,” Gumpf said. “They have pitchers who keep them in ballgames who do a nice job and their hitting is definitely their strength. We have to be in charge of ourselves and making sure we’re making those same great plays against Virginia Tech because they can flat out hit.”

KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer

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Junior pitcher Katie Beriont winds up to deliver a pitch during Notre Dame’s 11-3 win over Michigan State on Wednesday.

Sports

Football Continued from page 16

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, march 23, 2017 | The Observer

his skillset. Plus, he’s a really smart player.”

Offense play back? We’re going to play Asmar out there as well.

The first four teams we play are run-heav y teams and we may need a little bit of an Asmar Bilal out there as well. So that coordination is more of a work in progress.”

Kelly said he wants to keep Tranquill at safety to help teach the young position group the ropes, but said the rover position fits his skill set well.

“We all know what [Tranquill’s] strengths are,” Kelly said. “He’s a solid tackler. I don’t think there’s any safety in college football who wants to get matched up oneon-one with a skilled slot receiver. This would minimize that when you play him closer to the ball as a rover and he’s pretty quick off the edge. I think we put him in a really good position to maximize

On the offensive side of the ball, the focus remains on junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush, who will take the reins of Kelly’s offense.

Wimbush spent part of his spring break in California with quarterback coach George Whitfield. Kelly said he likes that Wimbush stayed active, but said sessions with external quarterback coaches don’t vastly improve any player.

“I have no problem with him working out with George Whitfield,” Kelly said. “George really doesn’t work on the specifics to the offense. George is really working on the quarterback and throwing the football and moving the pocket. … When it comes to the playbook, when it comes to his teammates, when it comes to his coaches here, Brandon understands that when the rubber hits the road, those are

the guys that matter the most.

He knows when it’s time for Notre Dame football, he knows where the focus is.”

In Kelly and offensive coordinator Chip Long’s offense, Wimbush will have opportunities to run, but will not get many designed quarterback runs, Kelly said.

“He’ll be a runner in the offense,” Kelly said. “Do we want him to carry the ball 20 times?

No. I don’t think you’ll have a situation where we’re calling quarterback power, or single runs. He’ll have options, hand it off, throw the ball on the perimeter. I think you’ll have that more than you’ll have proscribed quarterback runs.”

On the offensive line, a pair of current freshmen are engaged in a tight competition for the right tackle slot. Kelly said he plans to shift senior Alex Bars to right guard and open up the tackle spot for either Tommy Kraemer or Liam Eichenberg.

“I think there’s a very competitive situation with

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Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg at that tackle position,” Kelly said. “I think we would prefer to get [Bars] in at the guard position. We know that he can play the tackle position. Those two freshmen are the two guys we’ve mapped out the right tackle position for. They’re going to battle.”

Injury update Junior defensive lineman Elijah Taylor suffered a Lisfranc fracture in his foot during practice, Kelly said, and he expects Taylor to be able to be fully cleared in July.

“He had a Lisfranc fracture, we had surgery,” Kelly said. “We’ve had good success with their repairs. [Taylor] got stepped on in the second practice. We’ll be able to train around the injury, full range of motion moving around in June, probably full clearance sometime in July.”

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

15

M Lax Continued from page 16

without the ball,” Corrigan said.

“They move the ball very, very well — their passing is very good. And they don’t settle for bad shots, and so that puts a lot of pressure on you as a defensive team.”

But the Irish have a talented offense of their own, as they have averaged over 11 goals per game this season. The scoring has often started with sophomore attack Ryder Garnsey, who leads the team with 12 assists and 24 points on the season. Corrigan said Garnsey’s passing has been a big part of Notre Dame’s offensive success, as it enables the offense to run effectively within the team’s system.

“I think he’s getting a lot of assists because guys are moving very well,” Corrigan said of the sophomore. “Ryder’s got great eyes and great hands, and he can get the ball to people. But if people aren’t moving and getting themselves open, then he’s not going to have the same opportunities. I think they’re doing a great job of doing that for him. He’s been, certainly, a big part of our success, and I think it wouldn’t be happening without the other guys doing the job that they’re doing so well.”

The Irish offense is all the more dangerous when captain and senior midfielder Sergio Perkovic is firing on all cylinders. Despite leading the team with 32 shots, he had only scored four goals on the season prior to last Saturday’s win over Virginia. But in the 11-10 overtime victory, the senior scored three goals on just five shots in a performance that earned him ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

“All shooters want to see the ball go in. And it seems like when it’s easy, it’s easy and when it’s hard, it’s hard, but that’s just the way it is for shooters in any sport,” Corrigan said. “But I think [Perkovic] didn’t take any bad shots, he didn’t force things, he let the game come to him so, as a result, the chances that he got were all really good chances.

And if he gets really good chances, he has all the confidence in the world that he’s going to make those consistently.”

However, Corrigan said the Irish will need both the offense and defense to be playing at the top of their game when the they welcome the Buckeyes on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Arlotta Stadium, as he believes Ohio State will be a difficult matchup given its confidence level and excellence in several areas of the game at this point in the season.

“They’re playing extremely well right now,” Corrigan said. “They’re playing kind of an aggressive, fullfield style where they’re riding with nine and 10 guys a lot of times, and they’re pressing transition and really trying to get some easy goals.

They’re facing off well [and] they’re playing good defense. They’re just playing well in a lot of areas of the game right now, and I think it’s going to be a real challenge because they’re playing so well and so confidently coming off [their] last two games.”

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

16

The observer | thursday, march 23, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

FOOTBALL

FENCING

Kelly emphasizes tackling, outlines Wimbush’s role in offense

By MAREK MAZUREK Assistant Managing Editor

With the Blue-Gold Game under a month away, Notre Dame’s spring session intensified Wednesday as the team went through its first day of practice with pads.

“There wasn’t a big dropoff today,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. “Usually, you go two days and then you take a week off. It only took us a couple of periods to get back up to form. That was nice to see. We forced the action early with some contact and I think that was the right move because it got everybody in the right frame of mind for how we want to practice.”

One of the main focuses of the first padded practice was tackling — an area of the game the Irish struggled with last season. “[I] felt like we needed to make up for a little lost ground, got in tackling today for the first day,” Kelly said.

“That’ll be an emphasis, we’ll

tackle this spring, try to make up for a little lost ground we had.

“I thought we need to tackle a little bit, I thought we were soft in our practices. ...

I thought we needed to thud the back more instead of tagging off, it built a lot of bad habits. Our backs need to get hit a little bit. I made sure that was part of our practice routine that had been missing [before].”

In addition to working on tackling, the defense is in the process of figuring out who will play the rover position in defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s new defensive scheme.

Kelly said the team is currently testing out a number of players including senior safety Drue Tranquill and junior linebacker Asmar Bilal.

“I think we have to really figure out what the coordination is going to be at the safety position,” Kelly said. “How much does Drue play down at rover, how much does he see FOOTBALL PAGE 15

ND SOFTBALL | ND 11, Michigan StATE 3

Bats lead Irish to decisive win

By MAREK MAZUREK Assistant Managing Editor

In its first home game of the year, Notre Dame came away with an 11-3 victory over nonconference rival Michigan State on the back of 11 hits — all of which were RBIs — by eight different players.

“It’s just really good to be home,” Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf said. “We’ve been on the road a long time and we’ve had a lot of tough trips, playing 13 ranked teams, you always wonder if it’s going to pay off or not. We’re going to let it pay off and today it showed it’s paying off.”

Notre Dame (13-13, 1-5 ACC) almost fell behind in the first inning as Michigan State (158) got a runner on first with two outs. Spartans senior Sarah Gutknecht smashed a pitch to straight-away center field. The ball would have cleared the fence to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead, but Irish senior captain Karley Wester leapt and snagged the ball to rob Gutknecht of the home run.

Kiefer ranked No. 1 Observer Sports Staff

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish senior safety Drue Tranquill walks off the field after Notre Dame’s 45-27 loss to USC on Nov. 26 at Los Angeles Coliseum.

Irish senior foilist Lee Kiefer rose to the No. 1 spot in the world rankings after becoming the first American female foilist to win two FIE (International Fencing Federation) Grand Prix gold medals, defeating Marta Martynova of Russia, 15-4.

She is also the first American female foilist to achieve the No. 1 world ranking, but she is not the only Notre Dame fencer to reach that pinnacle.

Former Irish sabreur Mariel Zagunis was also world No. 1 for a period of time.

Kiefer was a member of the United States Olympic Team at the 2012 London Games and 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and has won three consecutive NCAA titles. She was also named a First Team AllAmerican in her first three years at Notre Dame.

Kiefer looks to defend her NCAA title the next time she takes the strip in the NCAA championships, which begin Thursday at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.

Men’s lacrosse

Notre Dame set to take on undefeated Ohio State

Gumpf said Wester’s play was a key one, in that it set the tone for the rest of the game.

“It is a momentum shift, big time,” Gumpf said. “Karley Wester robbing the home run and [freshman second baseman] Katie Marino making that play, that changes everything. Because all of a sudden they’re like, ‘Wait a minute, we’re hitting the ball well and we’re not getting on base.’”

In the bottom of the inning, the Irish mounted their own threat. Wester reached base and then her younger sister, sophomore left fielder Ali Wester, reached base and advance Karley on her bunt.

Sophomore first baseman Caitlyn Brooks walked to load the bases.

Junior shortstop Morgan Reed opened the game up with a double to left field. Karley Wester scored easily from third base, and Gumpf sent Ali Wester from second. The throw was in time, but freshman catcher Kelcey Carrasco couldn’t hang on to the ball

After seeing its unbeaten start to the season come to an end over spring break against No. 7 Denver, No. 2 Notre Dame will look to return the favor when it hosts undefeated and fourth-ranked Ohio State on Saturday at Arlotta Stadium.

The Buckeyes (9-0, 0-0 Big Ten) have started the season off strongly, scoring more than 12 goals a game on average while conceding just over six. And they’ve only gotten better over the last week, beating two ranked teams — No. 16 Towson and the previously topranked Pioneers (5-2, 0-0 Big East) — by scores of 6-3 and 16-7, respectively. The Buckeyes have seven players with at least eight goals scored this season, giving them a balanced attack that will challenge the Irish (4-1, 1-0 ACC) this weekend, according to Irish head coach Kevin Corrigan.

“They share the ball very well.

They’re a very good team, and they really do a good job of involving everyone because they move

KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer

see SOFTBALL PAGE 14

see M LAX PAGE 15

Irish sophomore attack Ryder Garnsey surveys the field during Notre Dame’s 5-4 win over Maryland on March 4 at Arlotta Stadium.

By BEN PADANILAM Editor-in-Chief