Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, May 3, 2017

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Volume 51, Issue 130 | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Students aim to implement Callisto Software would serve as additional support, method of reporting for survivors of sexual assault

By LUCAS MASIN-MOYER Associate News Editor

Members of student government are leading the charge for Notre Dame to a new option for students to report sexual assaults.

Senior Grace Watkins and freshman Isabel Rooper said they hope the University will move forward with implementing Callisto, a new tool intended to better help survivors of sexual assault report the incidents to University officials, as its primary method of reporting sexual assaults. The implementation of this software — which has been adopted at peer institutions such as Stanford — is pending University approval, Rooper said.

“Callisto is reporting software that is trauma informed, survivor-friendly and it’s a system that

allows survivors of sexual assault to provide a time-stamped report immediately after their assault,” she said. “ … On average, survivors wait about 11 months to submit a report, so by having this timestamped report immediately after the assault they are able to have better evidence to rely on if they do eventually choose to submit that report.”

Rooper said one of the unique features of Callisto is its matching software, which is aimed at preventing repeat offenders from assaulting another person.

“You submit a link to the Facebook page of the perpetrator if you choose to opt in to this matching program,” she said. “If someone else submits that identical see CALLISTO PAGE 4

JOSEPH HAN | The Observer

Facility construction continues

By STEPHANIE SNYDER News Writer

As the Spring semester comes to a close for students, work on the new Saint Mary’s Angela Athletic and Wellness Complex continues to develop. Benjamin Bowman, the Saint Mary’s construction manager, said, as of right now, the project is on schedule and under budget.

“The contractors are doing are

a great job,” he said. “They’ve had to work through a lot of different weather conditions.”

Despite being on schedule, Bowman said even though the weather has caused delays along the way, Weigand Construction has been working Saturdays and occasional Sundays to make up for lost time.

“Normally in the winter the ground will freeze hard and the contractors can move heavy

equipment over it,” he said. “This winter it never really froze hard, it created these muddy conditions which was difficult for the contractors when they were putting in the concrete foundations.”

Bowman said contractors are currently working on phase one of three which entails work on the field house and the lower level restrooms.

“That space they need to turn over to us in August,” he said.

“That’s so the Fall athletes have a place to practice indoors.”

Athletic director, Julie Schroeder-Biek said in an email that being without an athletic facility has been a challenge for Spring sports teams practice schedules.

“It adds an entirely new level of planning for our coaches — if we have inclement weather that see ANGELA PAGE 4

Charity advocates for youth sports

By NATALIE WEBER News Writer

After his own experience as a youth sports coach, Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) professor Clark Power said he founded charity organization “Play Like a Champion Today” to provide coaches with the proper training to effectively serve children and teach character development.

“What I found was that I was never given any real direction or discussion or a lot of help in working with the kids I was working with,” see COACHING PAGE 3

NEWS PAGE 3

Photo courtesy of Clark Power

The North Lawndale Eagles football program participates in a field trip to the Blue and Gold Game at Notre Dame on April 22. The trip was sponsored by “Play Like a Champion Today.”

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

SCENE PAGE 8

TRACK PAGE 16

Jenkins details actions Observer Staff Report

University President Fr. John Jenkins announced new initiatives the University has implemented as a result of findings from the President’s Oversight Committee on Diversity and Inclusion early Wednesday morning via an email to the student body. Jenkins said these programs were “positive steps” toward improving diversity on the University’s campus These initiatives addressed three major groups, Jenkins said in the email — faculty, students and staff.

In regards to faculty, new initiatives included a diversity and inclusion panel on the Office of the Provost’s website, diversity workshops, continued participation in the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, work with the National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development and new inclusion plans, Jenkins said in the email.

“Each college/school has now completed a comprehensive see DIVERSITY PAGE 3

BASEBALL PAGE 16

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TODAY

The observer | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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What was the first album you owned or song you remember listening to?

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

Frank Chung

George Thomas

sophomore Stanford Hall

sophomore Zahm House

“K-Pop.”

“The Disney Top-20 Hits CD year 2000.”

Kelly Valenzi

Nick Palutsis

junior Pasquerilla East Hall

junior O’Neill Hall

“‘The Fray’ by The Fray.”

“‘Hot Fuss’ by The Killers.”

(574) 631-4542 bpadanil@nd.edu

Quinlan McWilliams

Alex Barone

Managing Editor

senior Keough Hall

sophomore Stanford Hall

“‘Confessions’ by Usher.”

“‘Numb’ by Linkin Park.”

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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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Lucas Masin-Moyer Jordan Cockrum Stephanie Snyder

Tobias Hoonhout Joe Everett Mia Berry

Graphics

Scene

Joseph Han

John Darr

Photo

Viewpoint

Kathryne Robinson

Lizzie Cameron

Corrections A column published Tuesday incorrectly stated “Think Dirty” was an app of the Environmental Working Group. “Think Dirty” was actually a separate project founded by Lily Tse. The Observer regrets this error.

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

The class of 2017 gathers to enjoy its remaining days together Friday at the Senior Party on the Field in Notre Dame Stadium. The senior class president and vice president spoke to commemmorate the class’ time at Notre Dame.

The next Five days:

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Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

How secure is your password?

Hesburgh Library 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Part of Choose Privacy Week.

Canines and Caffeine Brownson Hall Courtyard 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Take a break with iced coffee and dogs.

Study at the Morris Inn Morris Inn Lobby 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Switch up your study spot in comfort.

“Iraqi Odyssey” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 3 p.m.

A film tracing an Iraqi family’s journey.

Baseball vs.

Louisville Eck Baseball Stadium 1:05 p.m.

The Irish take on the Cardinals.

Halftime’s EP Release Concert Washington Hall 7:30 p.m.

ND’s co-ed a cappella group’s spring concert.

Walk for Hope Irish Green 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Fundraiser walk to show solidarity with cancer victims.

Undertones Spring Concert Washington Hall 8 p.m.

ND’s male a cappella group’s spring concert.

Ballet Hispanico DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m.

A fusion of Latin and classical dance.

Vespers Bailica of the Sacred Heart 7:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.

All are welcome to join for evening prayer.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | The Observer

College to host Engaging Women Conference

By KATHRYN MARSHALL News Writer

The 3rd Annual Engaging Women Conference, organized by the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) at Saint Mary’s in partnership with 1st Source Bank, will lead to the empowerment of 250 women. The conference will create a transformative space for women to be educated and to engage with one another, WEI project director Joan McClendon said.

“There’s something for everybody,” she said. “From how to negotiate business deals to collaborative things such as the power of the person, leadership and ‘daring greatly’. This year we really stepped it up to the next level.”

McClendon said there will be three keynote speakers, four panels and twenty four breakout sessions. The keynote speakers include René Syler, former co-host of CBS’ “The Early Show,” Jan Cervelli, President of Saint Mary’s College and

Stephenie Foster, a partner of Smash Strategies.

The four panels include an human resources panel, non-profit panel, women in technology panel and an executive panel, McClendon said. Breakout sessions include a wide range of topics, such as a spirituality component, she said.

The organization of the event is evidence of how the conference has grown in response to feedback, McClendon said. For example, the idea to invite Rene Syler came out of a conversation she had during last year’s conference.

“We hope these speakers empower the women at the Conference to empower generations to come,” McClendon said.

Housed under the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL), WEI — now entering its sixth year — has three components: the Spark program, the Renaissance Executive Forum and a combination of seminars and training.

McClendon said the Spark program is an eleven week session

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where women come from the community to learn how to start a business while also learning about self-esteem and relationship building. The Renaissance Executive Forum is a half day peer-to-peer advisory group for women whose businesses exceed a certain gross amount, while training and seminars include events such as the upcoming conference, she said.

“Between Spark, the Executive Forum, training and several other things we have done, over 3,000 women have passed through the doors of Saint Mary’s College because of WEI,” McClendon said. “We’re very proud of what we do. We’re excited about how we help women in the community.”

1st Source Bank has sponsored the conference each year, 1st Source vice president and business banker Julianna Herring said. The conference came from a series of human resource seminars 1st Source had at Saint Mary’s as the Bank looked for ways to support women in business, and ever since it launched, it has continued building, she said.

“I think it’s small enough that people are able to network and engage and not get lost in it,” she said. “That’s one of the goals for when we engage. We want people to feel that intimacy and engage with the speakers and their stories.”

As a member of the committee planning the conference, Herring said they try to speak to a vast array of women.

Herring is connected with a 1st Source program called THRIVE, which evolved at Saint Mary’s and works to partner 1st Source with communities in various regions. Every community is a bit different, and THRIVE seeks to be a connector and resource in communities, she said.

“WEI and this conference connect to the goal of 1st Source to support communities and women in their communities,” Herring said. “It goes with the mission of what we are trying to do as a connector within the community.”

The conference is sold out this year, and both McClendon and Herring are looking forward to the future of the WEI with it’s various components, specifically future conferences.

“As exciting as it is to see the conference scaled, there’s something awesomely intimate that happens with the 250 women who attend this conference,” McClendon said. “It’s not so much what we do next, but how do we keep the intimacy of what happens. Now we work on how do we preserve that and move forward.”

Contact Kathryn Marshall at kmarsh02@saintmarys.edu

Coaching Continued from page 1

he said. “I had a little responsibility for other coaches — I was head of an athletic association — [and] I noticed that I want to provide coaches with that [training], but there really wasn’t an organization I could plug into.”

The organization works with both religious and secular athletic organizations to provide training for youth sports coaches across the country. Because this training is a necessity, all of the athletic organizations that partner with “Play Like a Champion Today” must require their coaches to undergo training, Power said.

“We would not allow that in education, in schools,” he said. “Nor would we allow that in pediatric medicine. Nor do we allow that in social work. We do allow that in sports — and we shouldn’t. If we work with you, we want to convince you that it’s mandatory so all your coaches will sign up and do this.”

If athletic organizations partner with “Play Like a Champion Today,” Power said, their coaches must also allow children equal playing time.

“The children who participate in this program — through the 6th grade — have to get equal playing time,” he said. “And we say that if we’re going to teach children to develop their character through sports, then we as coaches had to be fair to children.”

Power said the program emphasizes the importance of the players’ experience over the coaches’ desire to win.

“For the Catholic programs, we also called the coaches ‘ministers,’ and by that we meant servants of the kids,” he said.

“The kids are not there for you — for you because you’re this bigtime coach. You’re there for the

Diversity Continued from page 1

diversity and inclusion plan, focusing on five areas: making the case for diversity; resourcing the recruitment effort; hardwiring the faculty search process; strategies for retaining and developing faculty; and improving climate,” Jenkins said.

In terms of student life, Student Affairs staff are participating in multicultural competencies workshops and the Office of Student Enrichment has helped underprivileged students, according to the email.

“With the goal of creating a more inclusive environment, the Office recently launched the Fighting Irish Scholars Pilot Program to facilitate peer mentoring between upperclassmen and first-year students, as well as providing financial resources and programming,” Jenkins said in the email. “Instructors in the Moreau First-Year Experience course were given training to enhance the cultural competency component of the course taken

3

children.”

Power said he was unsure how coaches would respond to the requirements and focus of “Play Like a Champion Today,” but the overall response from coaches was positive.

“I didn’t know whether coaches would find this hard, or they wouldn’t like it or whatever,” he said. “They loved it. They loved everything. They loved being called ‘ministers.’ They loved thinking of their work as this service to kids.”

The coaches’ training also helped players to become more sensitive to the needs of their teammates, Power said. “ ... The athletes actually become more moral in the sense that they try harder to become good teammates,” he said.

“They’re more sensitive to bullying. They’re more sensitive to teammates being ignored.”

Power said one of the future goals of “Play Like a Champion Today” is to help connect underprivileged children with the resources to participate in sports. “ ... If we’re all about fairness and we’re all about champions, then we have to devote our resources now not just to the people who are well-off, but to organizations that are dedicated to working with children in neighborhoods that are financially distressed,” he said.

Power said he hoped the organization would be able to work with athletic organizations to provide underprivileged children with as many opportunities as possible.

“We want to be there, and what we’re trying to do is just trying to provide all the support that we can so there will be more opportunities,” he said. “And then these kids are going to be coached in really good programs.”

Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu

by all first-year students.”

Widespread participation in “Walk the Walk Week,” and the events surrounding the celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. highlighted the University’s commitment to diversity, Jenkins said in the email.

“Notre Dame’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration ... has become one of the most widelyattended MLK Day commemorations among universities nationally, with over 4,000 students, faculty and staff in attendance this year,” he said.

Jenkins said a commitment to diversity was key in maintaining Notre Dame’s Catholic mission, and he hoped these initiatives would spark new conversations on diversity and inclusion, according to the email.

“We cannot be afraid to talk openly ... about the opportunities and challenges, hopes and anxieties, before us,” he said in the email. “Yet, whatever challenges there are, they should lead us to recommit ourselves to building a community of respect, love and mutual support that will reflect the spirit of Notre Dame.”

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NEWS

The observer | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Angela Continued from page 1

doesn’t allow us to practice outside, we have to get very creative,” she said. “Coaches may take their athletes to hit the weight room, watch game film or use various indoor spaces available in the local community or at Notre Dame.”

Bowman said phase two, the coach’s offices, is then projected to be completed in either October or November. Phase three, the final phase, will be the health and counseling suite on the South side of the building and should be completed in January of 2018.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Bowman said. “The old facility was 44,000 square feet, this one’s 103,000. So it’s over double what the old facility was in size.”

However, the 44,000 square feet did not go to waste when the building was torn down. Bowman said Saint Mary’s requires 50 to 75 percent of the demolished material must be recycled for sustainability purposes.

“The metal gets sorted and melted down and created into new beams,” he said. “The block and all the concrete parts gets ground up and made into new concrete.”

Schroeder-Biek said she thinks the complex will help bring the Saint Mary’s community together.

As a result, extending facility hours is currently being considered.

“This building will be home to athletics, health and counseling, [the Belles Against Violence Office] and a cafe,” SchroederBiek said. “It will be a great place to gather, to cheer on the Belles, to get in a work out, to study with friends, to grab a cup of coffee or a smoothie.”

Bowman said Sodexo, a food services company, is currently working on a menu for the cafe that will include healthier options such as smoothies, salads, panini and made-to-order sandwiches.

In addition to the cafe, there will be a total of five lounges for students. In order to accommodate for those spaces, there will be 85 wireless access points throughout the building.

“There should never be an issue connecting to Wi-Fi,” Bowman said. “Even some of the new equipment will communicate wirelessly.”

Besides some equipment pieces that are only a couple years old, Bowman said the rest of the equipment will be new.

Other new features include an elevator and a ramp going to the lower level which Bowman says will be able to support an ambulance if needed, a new one-eighth mile track, rather than the previous one-tenth mile track, with smoother corners, not one, but three separate locker rooms for Saint Mary’s athletic teams with a varsity lounge next to them, a laundry facility and a locker room for visiting teams instead of using the racquetball court as teams have in the past.

“Not only is it a good collaborative space, but it will also be a space where you’ll see a lot of activity, which will potentially motivate students, employees and

faculty,” Bowman said. “It will be a lively space.”

Even the structure of the building specifically allows for more activity he said.

“The design of the building itself has a major north-south spine which lines up with the entry to the athletic fields and LeMans tower,” he said. what he is looking forward to most is seeing the transformation and the community’s reactions.

“I’m on my sixth group of people touring through the building,” he said. “I enjoy doing that and seeing their eyes light up and the excitement in their faces.”

All are able to enjoy the transformation both on and off campus through two cameras that have been mounted on campus. To view the progress, visit the Saint Mary’s Athletics page under the “Renovations” tab.

Contact Stephanie Snyder at ssnyder02@saintmarys.edu

Callisto Continued from page 1

Facebook page, then those two matching reports are automatically submitted to Notre Dame’s deputy Title IX coordinator.”

Those reports do not become public, Rooper said, unless a person’s Facebook page is submitted twice, at which time the appropriate officials who oversee sexual assault cases may view the joint report. This feature is critical because of the prevalence of repeat offenders, Rooper said.

“Repeat offenders, on average, commit sexual assault or rape six times,” she said. “ … Often times people feel like their story is invalid if they’re the only one, but if you have someone else to stand with and saying, ‘Yeah, that person did this to me as well,’ it can be really helpful and feel more supportive.”

Callisto believes this feature

and catching repeat offenders early will dramatically reduce sexual assaults, Watkins said.

“By Callisto’s estimation, being able to intervene earlier on in a record of offending could prevent something like 56 percent of sexual assaults if everything is being reported properly,” she said.

Another unique element of Callisto, Watkins said, is the methods it uses to prevent and report sexual assault.

“Callisto is designed by survivors of sexual assault for survivors of sexual assault,” she said.

“Jess Ladd, who is the founder of Callisto, is also an infectious disease epidemiologist by training, and so she’s coming at the issue from the standpoint that sexual assault is a public health crisis just like any disease would be.”

While the reporting of sexual assaults has increased with initiatives such as Green Dot, Watkins said implementing Callisto would be another step in making sure

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more sexual assaults are reported.

“We want to make survivors feel even more empowered to report in the future,” she said.

One potential attribute which could increase the frequency with which assaults are reported is integration with the Notre Dame mobile app, Watkins said.

“Callisto has mentioned there’s the possibility of integrating it into schools apps that already exist on their phone,” she said. “ ... It would be on the app they already have, which is really exciting to me.”

Rooper said she believes implementing Callisto will help create a better environment on campus concerning sexual assault. “[Callisto would create] a safer and more survivor-friendly process,” she said. “ ... It would be great to make that process easier and more accessible and less emotionally harmful.”

Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer at lmasinmo@nd.edu

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The observer | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Are you really having fun?

R.J. Stempak Sports Writer

I am often on Twitter searching for some philosophical enlightenment, because where else are you supposed to find it? My favorite tweet of the past month comes from up-and-coming producer and member of The Internet, Steve Lacy: “Are you having fun or just showing people that you are having fun?”

I am very excited for summer, ready to be done with this brutal school year. The year flew by pretty fast, and I haven’t been home since January. I am ready to get back to my city and be with family, especially my little brother, who has his eighth grade graduation at the end of May. He is part of a generation that has never lived without Facebook, never without smartphones and no experience of an isolated summer at home.

Those summers were the best. The summers when you had no way to communicate with your classmates; instead you had to go outside and be a part of your neighborhood, reunited with your summer friends.

Nowadays you can text, Snapchat or Instagram in order to be connected to everyone around you. Sure, it is a wonderful development, a breath of fresh air to those who did not have that growing up. It is nice to check in on the people you care about who don’t live near by.

But I am worried about my little brother’s generation.

Never have they had to meet up and go outside to meet new people and build those relationships. They haven’t been a part of a carefree time where no one knew what you had going on until the first day of school.

When these kids go on vacation, they make sure to add a post to Instagram or Snapchat with a new filter so everyone knows where they are. That’s great and all, but it is not the point of vacation — yet I fear that it is becoming a large piece of it. I noticed on my last family trip that as soon as we got to the top of a mountain that had a beautiful ocean view, the first instinct my brother and younger cousins had was to take out their phones and snap it.That’s so bizarre to me. At no other time in history has the reaction to beauty and nature changed from a simple jaw draw and stare. But now it’s different.

Technology has changed the rules of engagement between each person and the world around them.

Priorities have changed and communication has changed. Everything has been given a score and a point system. Life is becoming like a video game. I hope that the young people who haven’t had their life any other way don’t get too absorbed by the number of points they have.

So in the middle of summer, when you are on your dream vacation, relaxing and taking a break from the rush of school or just doing something you love, make sure to ask yourself: are you having fun or are you just showing people that you are having fun?

Maybe take a break for a bit and enjoy the the weather.

Contact R.J. Stempak at rstempak@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

Response to ‘American, not Roman’ The recent political climate has sparked many conversations about the role of popular opinion, the ramifications of our democracy and the role of executive authority. This is one of those conversations. As a classics major, I have made it my business to study the subtleties and toils of what’s known as the “crisis of the Roman Republic,” the transition of Rome from republic to empire. For readers who haven’t kept up with their Plutarch or Livy, the fall involved the political battles between the optimates (the senatorial aristocracy) and the populares (the Roman male citizens outside the senatorial class); this was a prolonged battle between aristocratic and tribunal (popular) control. Spoiler alert: the populists won.

So, anyway, the title of sophomore Kit Jones’ Viewpoint, “American, not Roman,” piqued my interest. Wishing to feed my enthusiasm for Roman history and political philosophy, I hoped to read a compelling assessment of the American political environment interwoven with Roman parallels. Instead, a slew of empty, democratic platitudes and “alternative facts” about the Roman Republic brought my spirits below their usual Monday morning gloom (not a big Monday guy). Jones tremendously misunderstands the fall of the Roman Republic and its political progeny that influenced the founding of the United States.

In his piece, Jones attests that the Founding Fathers “made the conscious effort to avoid a Roman-style republic by adding representation by the people … rather than just having a (sic.) elite, ruling class that made decisions.” This assertion is doubly incorrect. For one, the Founding Fathers drew heavily on Rome to model our representative republic: the Nation utilizes Roman architecture (from the Architect of the Capitol’s website: “Jefferson wanted Congress housed in a replica of a Roman temple,” hence, the Capitol building), Roman symbols (the fasces festoons the neoclassical architecture of D.C.) and Roman language (e pluribus unum, semper fidelis, novus ordo seclorum, etc.).

Secondly, the Founding Fathers intentionally created the Senate (name taken from Latin Senatus, a derivative of Latin senex meaning “old man”) as a sort of wisdom control over the ravenous beast that is popular opinion. This idea evolved from the Senate of the Roman Republic, which was a conscious aristocratic control over the populares. Keep in mind that until 1913 the Senate was elected by state legislatures rather than popular vote. The unbridled populist faction that brought and end to the Republic is exactly what the Founding Fathers aimed to prevent in their project. In sum, Jones’ fabrication of truth not only misses a few caveats, it is hostile to reality.

Most notably among the blunders of Jones’ piece stands the diagnosis that “Rome, in its final days of being a Republic, was more akin to an oligarchy than a government of its citizens.” On the contrary, again, the Republic fell at the hands of populism: Caesar was a cunning populist. He used his overwhelming popular control to violate Roman law and seize concentrated power. Thus, in all reality, it was too much government “by the people, for the people” that brought down the Republic. Furthermore, this misreading of history demonstrates that, like most Americans, Jones equates class with wealth. This is an incorrect understanding of societal structures, both American and Roman. Case in point, Roman gladiators often earned

great wealth, but were still owned as slaves and couldn’t participate in politics. The same applied to wealthy prostitutes. Even rich merchants who weren’t of aristocratic stock struggled to attain political clout.

In fact, the political acumen at the beginning of Caesar’s career came not from money (the Julii were relatively modest), but from the traditional gravity of the gens Julia, Caesar’s ancestral clan.

I applaud Kit Jones’ instinct to look to the past for wisdom and I strongly endorse the study of Classical antiquity, the Roman Republic in particular. Unfortunately, the unquestioned platitudes of democracy’s virtue have crept so deep into the national mindset that they have not only misguided a Viewpoint contributor, but also hoodwinked the editorial staff that published his piece.

In the interest of the positive, though, an important point follows from this correction: Jones shows rightful distaste for oligarchic tendencies in America.

I agree that a tectonic shift in American power structures has occurred in the past few decades, but the problem at hand is, like most capitalist truth, less measurable than median incomes and tax revenue.

The malady of the Late Roman Republic’s power players that America now suffers is the loss of the Noblesse Oblige: the aristocratic idea that much is expected of those to whom much has been given.

When class demarcations fade, the definite metric for assigning a position in society becomes wealth (this is de facto). Cicero saw the writing on the wall as the fall climaxed, and his political speeches as praetor and consul demonstrate a noble wisdom that saw past the panem et circenses (i.e. democratic spending) of the populares, but could not topple the popular machine of Caesar and Antony. This is not unlike how democratic politicians leverage the image of a miserly millionaire to push for more social spending: the corollary of this tactic is that the government must look out for the underprivileged because nobody else will. The decline of the Noblesse Oblige validates such accusations, for without that moral demand on the upper class, why would they step in?

This moral demand is all that separates a functional aristocracy from a plutocracy (Greek for “the rule of wealth”) apathetic to its underlings.

To conclude, Jones’ Viewpoint piece offers zero accurate diagnoses or historical fact. America, not Rome displays an irresponsible fabrication of history, tailored to fit an agenda. This author, like most modern Americans, clings desperately to popular democracy and its catchphrases: lamenting that “our leaders…[come] from the upper echelons of society;” thinking that “the type of government the Founding Fathers established…is something to be marveled at as well as protected;” asserting that the wealthy “do not always have the best interests of the American people in mind.” The Roman Republic fell in 45 BC when Julius Caesar named himself dictator with the backing of the army and the populares; the scary part is that the popular masses believed they were getting what they wanted. Viewpoint author Kit Jones prescribes more democracy to treat the current maladies, while history, in fact, proves the opposite.

Brendan Coyne senior May 2

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

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The observer | wednesday, may 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Holding GOP feet to the fire Eddie Damstra Dinner Table Talks

Despite not voting for Donald Trump, I felt rather content after November’s election. Republicans won the House, Senate and White House. As a proud Republican, I was confident that significant change could finally be enacted in D.C. Most of all, I was confident that Congress could finally put together a bill that would eliminate public funding of abortion, and make significant process towards ending the atrocity of abortion within the United States. After all, the Republican Party is the self-proclaimed pro-life party. Republican candidates have campaigned under the promise to defund Planned Parenthood for years.

Nevertheless, it appears thus far that Republicans in Congress have came up devastatingly short on their promise to defund Planned Parenthood. The spending bill that was agreed upon by Democrats and Republicans on Sunday keeps the current federal funding of Planned Parenthood in place. This is unacceptable. I certainly understand the political difficulty, even with a majority in Congress, to stop federal funding of Planned Parenthood. I realize it would be very hard to get the necessary votes.

However, to cower and shy away from even attempting to stop tax-payer funding of abortions is dishonorable and sickening.

The entire spending bill is largely being labeled a win for the Democrats. The Republicans really did

not get much of what they wanted nor what they promised included within the bill. The reason for the Republicans’ concessions is supposedly out of fear of a temporary government shutdown. The spending bill for the rest of the fiscal year had to be passed quickly, or the federal government was at risk of another shut down.

However, I do not find such a reason sufficient enough for such a complete lack of effort. After all, the Republicans shut the government down in 2013 in effort to stop Obamacare. In shutting the government down in 2013, Republicans knew there was no chance they were going to succeed. Democrats controlled the senate and the presidency at the time. The move was largely a political stunt, with not much of substance involved.

This year, however, is different. Republicans actually do have the potential to get things through.

More specifically, they have potential to do what they have long promised to do: transfer funding from Planned Parenthood to community health centers.

Inexplicably, however, they have not even attempted to do so. I am not arguing that Republicans should make it their mission to shut the federal government down, but, at the very least, they should show effort to do what they campaigned on. They have political advantage; all I ask of them is to utilize such advantage.

It seems that Republicans in Congress often try harder when they know there is no chance of actually getting what they want. They fight back against Democrats when Democrats possess the political

edge. However, once Republicans actually have the political edge, their desire to push conservative legislation dies out. Suddenly, they become political appeasers, cowering to the Democrats’ desires. As a Republican voter, this is extremely frustrating.

Given that it has only been a few months since inauguration, I certainly have not given up hope for the passing of conservative legislation. Paul Ryan has said that Congress will soon pass legislation repealing Obamacare, and include defunding Planned Parenthood in such legislation. I certainly hope he delivers on such a promise.

I think I speak for most Republican voters when I say that my patience is growing thin. If Republicans lose their massive political edge without having passed anything of significant conservative substance, and especially if they fail to defund Planned Parenthood, I will be infuriated. Donald Trump made a promise to do so. Republican congressmen and congresswomen made a promise to do so. Republicans have a majority in Congress, and the most powerful man in the world belongs to the party. There are no more excuses.

Please, for the love of God, follow through.

Eddie is a sophomore from Orland Park, Illinois.

He is majoring in economics and political science and considering pursuing law school after his time as an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame. He can be reached at edamstra@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Why we fast: the ND ‘water scare’ This past Friday we all received the same slightly concerning, slightly disturbing message: “A test has revealed the presence of total coliform in water on the north end of the campus.” Without hesitation, many of us jumped to the conclusion about North Quad “poisoning” campus and raced to the nearest Au Bon Pain to buy filtered bottled water. W hile it was apparent from the beginning that the University would in no way provide us with poisoned water, in those few moments after reading the email we panicked. This momentary fright is a daily reality for thousands around the country without access to clean water. Imagine turning on your faucet and expecting semi-clean water, which you pay for, to instead be met with a lump of brown, solid-like guck. If we had been presented with that here at Notre Dame, students, faculty and staff would be up in arms, and rightfully so. Water is, or at least should be, a basic and necessary resource which all are given full access to.

There are far too many places in the U.S. in which water has become a privilege rather than a right. In recent news, the story of Flint, Michigan immediately pops into our minds with images of Red Cross trucks dumping out hundreds of boxes of Poland Spring bottles. There is a place, however, that many do not know of: Immokalee, Florida. Immokalee, just 50 miles from the opulent town of Naples, produces 90 percent of the United States’ tomatoes in the winter months. It is an agricultural town. It is a farmworker town.

It is a migrant town. Immokalee is home to hundreds of thousands of documented and undocumented immigrants who come here to the U.S.

to do the agricultural work that U.S. citizens will not do (as reported by The Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Salt Lake Tribune). Despite the fact that the Immokalee farmworkers produced one third of the tomatoes and other produce for our country, their daily conditions include brutal beatings, no regular pay for work, mobile homes that cost more than $200 a month with 20 people in them and certainly dirty water. For these workers, a warning of coliform bacteria in the water is not a rarity, it is an unsettling reality. One of the differences between their presence of coliform bacteria and ours is that we found out about it, whereas they never will until it is too late.

There is an organization in Immokalee, however, that is trying to fight for the rights of these farmworkers. The Coalition for Immokalee Workers (CIW ) is a nonprofit based in Immokalee that was created by and is run by migrant farmworkers who are fighting for safe and fair working conditions for workers in the agricultural industry. In 2001 the CIW implemented the novel Fair Food Program: a partnership between farmers, farmworkers, and retail food companies that ensures humane wages and working conditions for the agricultural workers. It created the Fair Food Standards Council which orchestrates charges of sexual misconduct, wage disputes and code violations. There are a number of retail companies that have signed on to this agreement, thus bolstering the human dignity and inherent human rights of these workers: McDonald’s, Subway, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Chipotle, Trader Joe’s, W hole Foods and Burger King. There are, however, many

that have not. The current fight of the CIW is against Wendy’s. Wendy’s has refused to sign the Fair Food Act and as a result have taken to buying their tomatoes from Mexico rather than the U.S. In Mexico, the prices of tomatoes are cheaper because there is no council or advisory board that regulates the conditions of workers. The absence of a fair food standard and a council propagates the idea that farmworkers have a lower standard of dignity than other industries. Over spring break a group of us traveled to Immokalee to work with the CIW and witness first hand the atrocities faced by these migrant farmworkers. As a result, we become inf lamed with a desire to convince Wendy’s to sign this Fair Food Act and have taken it upon ourselves to spread that message here at Notre Dame. Over the past week, seven Notre Dame students have participated in 24 or 48 hour fasts as a part of the rolling fast movement across the country. We have joined the ranks of Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Ohio State and Michigan students who have also chosen to fast for food justice. We wanted to share with you our reasons for fasting. Reasons that are rooted in human dignity, solidarity, and maybe even a campus-wide water scare. The email we received on Friday afternoon was a reminder of how blessed we all are.

Our temporary, and probably irrational, panic that we exhibited is a reminder of the contamination that faces thousands of American citizens on a daily basis.

Elizabeth Boyle freshman May 2

Follow us on Twitter! @ObserverViewpnt

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

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JOSEPH HAN | The Observer

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DAILY Daily

The observer | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Use your insight and ability to detect how others will respond to your advances. Don’t hold back or give in to anyone who tries to take over or push you in a direction that will hurt your chances of advancement. Your dedication and hard work will lead to success and put those who oppose you at arm’s length. Your numbers are 4, 10, 14, 23, 33, 41, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep original ideas to yourself until you have had a chance to flush out any flaws. Someone you respect will give you valuable information that can shape the way you move forward personally.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Getting along with your peers, family and partners will be necessary if you want things to run smoothly. Choose your words wisely and be sure to include everyone in your plans.

Diplomacy will go a long way when dealing with others.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):Look over financial papers and prepare your taxes or other government documents carefully. Not disclosing information will lead to problems that could make it difficult for you to move forward. Having a clear conscience will ease your stress.

CANCER ( June 21-July 22): A partnership can take on a double meaning.

Personal and professional gains can be made if you get involved with the right people. Keep your thoughts and feelings out in the open to avoid giving anyone a false impression.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Keep your emotions under control when doing business with someone who may not see things your way. Use your intelligence, experience and knowledge to handle whatever situation you face to bring about positive results. Practice what you preach.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Business trips, educational pursuits and networking will help you advance your objectives. Take time to nurture a relationship you have with someone special. Sharing your feelings, intentions and concerns will help you move forward. Romance is in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A joint venture will help you get ahead.

Collaborate with someone who has the skills you lack, and vice versa, and it will help keep the momentum flowing. Take an interest in physical activity that promotes better stamina and health.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Personal gains can be made if you work hard to improve your health, physical appearance and your relationships with others. Your unique way of doing things should be viewed as a plus, not a negative, by those you associate with.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Emotional confusion will set in if you let someone guilt you into something you really don’t care to do. Make decisions that will bring you the most in return. Keep demanding people at a distance and pursue your goals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A unique change to the way you live or the choices you make will help you avoid encounters with individuals who may cause you grief, concern or other complications. Look out for your own interests and well-being.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Someone from your past will tempt you to get involved in something that can influence your financial standing. Joint ventures will not be to your advantage and should not be considered. Do your own thing and be secretive about what you do.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Focus on quality, not quantity. Look for an alternative way to help solve a problem. Get together with someone you haven’t seen for a long time. The encounter will help you see a situation with greater clarity.

Birthday Baby: You are tolerant, strategic and adaptable. You are intelligent and enthusiastic.

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 | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | The Observer

Sports Authority

nba | warriors 106, jazz 94

Clippers continue to disappoint Marek Mazurek Assistant Managing Editor

Leading up to the Warriors-Jazz Western Conference semifinal, Warriors backup Matt Barnes told the media that he would have rather played against the Los Angeles Clippers because the nightlife in Salt Lake City leaves much to be desired.

I’m sure the nightlife in Utah isn’t getting the credit it’s due, but that’s not the point.

The point is that Barnes and the Warriors probably should be playing in Los Angeles against the Clippers, but for what seems like the 50th year in a row, the Clippers disappointed in the playoffs.

Now, lots of teams fall short of expectations in the playoffs, but there’s a reason I’m singling out the Clippers.

First, of course, is the fact that they’ve lost before the conference finals for the sixth-straight season, making Chris Paul the NBA’s all-time leader in playoff minutes without reaching a conference final. But sometimes, what’s worse is not that a team lost, but how they lost. And man, do the Clippers have some stories to tell about that.

The narrative goes all the way back to 2012 and it starts out promisingly. In 2012, the Clippers fought their way out of irrelevancy and made the playoffs, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in an epic seven-game set. The Clippers were unceremoniously swept by the Spurs in the next round, but for the new nucleus of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, it seemed a promising start to a new era.

But the hope of Clippers’ fans never panned out.

Because over the next five years, Paul, Griffin and Jordan have lost before the conference finals, and in each series they lost, the Clippers held a lead.

In 2013, the Clippers went up 2-0 over Memphis, but the Grizzlies would have their revenge from the previous year and won the next four games to advance. In 2014, Paul and Co. took the first game from the Thunder in the conference semifinals, but weren’t able to best Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The worst of all the losses came in 2015 when the Clippers appeared ready to break through to the

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conference finals at last.

They led Houston 3-1 and held a 15-point lead in the Game 5. Enter the choke.

The Rockets came back to win that game and then the next three contests to advance and leave Los Angeles wishing Kobe Bryant still had some legs left.

In 2016, the Clippers again went up 2-0 over Portland, but lost four straight, and just this year, the Clippers were up over the Jazz 2-1, but lost in seven games, despite home-court advantage.

The Clippers weren’t ever the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in any of those years, so it’s not as if they were the overwhelming favorites. But the fact that they held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 in certain years says they had more than enough talent to pull out a series win. And yes Blake Griffin was injured for a couple of those runs, but I’ll refer you right back to the previous point: Leads in series means you have the talent necessary to pull it off, regardless of whatever else is going on.

Clearly something has to change in Los Angeles.

Either the franchise needs a new coach or a new roster.

Doc Rivers was a championship caliber coach with Boston, but losing multiple playoff series after holding leads points to a coaching failure. Making a change there would signal to the whole organization that faltering before the conference finals is no longer acceptable.

If you want to improve the roster, it’s clear either Griffin or Jordan needs to go. Griffin has proven he has trouble staying healthy, and both he and Jordan want to hang around the rim and get dunks. Griffin has made strides in improving his outside game, but at heart, he just wants to put his back to the basket and go to work.

And of course, Jordan not being able to hit a free throw to save his life doesn’t help.

Adding another star to utilize Paul’s passing skills is what the Clippers need and potential free agent Paul George may be just what the team needs.

For now, the Clippers need to go back to the drawing board. But at least they don’t have to endure the horrid Utah nightlife any longer.

Curry leads Warriors past Jazz in series opener Associated Press

Portland in a sweep April 24.

Portland series.

OAKLAND, Calif.

— Stephen Curry scored 22 points in three quarters of work and the top-seeded Golden State Warriors warmed up in a hurry after a weeklong layoff between playoff games, beating the Utah Jazz 106-94 on Tuesday night in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals.

Draymond Green scored Golden State’s first six points of the fourth quarter and wound up with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two more blocks to bring his remarkable five-game playoff swat total to 19.

Kevin Durant added 15 points on an uncharacteristically cold shooting night at 6 for 14 and also five rebounds and five assists. He missed the middle two games against Portland because of a strained left calf then returned for 20 minutes in Game 4. Zaza Pachulia scored 10 points in 14 minutes.

Rudy Gobert had 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a Flagrant 1 foul on Green in the fourth for the Jazz, who just finished off the Clippers in a sevengame series Sunday while the Warriors waited after eliminating

Update

We believe

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Thursday night back at Oracle Arena, where it was a night of nostalgia as Golden State honored its 2007 “We Believe” team that ended a 13-year playoff drought and stunned Dallas in the first round.

Green insisted it might take the Warriors a quarter or so to find their rhythm as they finally got to play again. They weren’t sharp from 3-point range while going 7 for 29, with Klay Thompson making three of those on the way to 15 points.

The methodical, slow-youdown Jazz team making its first playoff appearance in five years under coach Quin Snyder couldn’t keep pace in transition.

“Are we going to be good, or not good?” Snyder said beforehand, “because they’re going to be good.”

Interim coach Mike Brown led the Warriors as they are missing reigning NBA Coach of the Year Steve Kerr, who wasn’t at the arena as he deals with complications from a pair of back surgeries nearly two years ago. He also missed the last two games of the

How fitting much of the “We Believe” team was in the house one day shy of the 10-year anniversary of eighth-seeded Golden State’s first-round upset of the No. 1 seed Mavericks.

“We all had something to prove. We believed in each other and we wanted each other to prove people wrong,” Stephen Jackson said, then added of the current Warriors, “They’re way past believin’.”

After that, it was Jazz-Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals and Utah won in five games. Current Warriors forward Matt Barnes was part of that team, and he checked in with 4 minutes remaining to a rousing ovation after being sidelined since April 8 with a sprained right foot and bone bruise.

“It kind of means a little bit more to me because I was the only one to wear that same uniform, the old-school colors, the old-school logos,” Curry said.

“When I first got here that’s what everybody talked about, ‘Can you all do what the We Believe team did?’”

MLB | padres 6, Rockies 2

Back-to-back home runs lift Padres over Rockies Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — It’s probably a surprise to most baseball fans that the rebuilding San Diego Padres are among the top 10 teams in the majors in home runs this season.

The Padres showed their pop Tuesday night when Yangervis Solarte and Ryan Schimpf hit back-to-back home runs off Tyler Chatwood in the sixth inning of a 6-2 victory against the Colorado Rockies that spoiled Bud Black’s return to Petco Park.

Speedy little Manuel Margot might have had an inside-thepark home run in the same inning but had to hold up with a triple because pitcher Trevor Cahill was still lumbering home ahead of him.

Chatwood (2-4) held the Padres hitless through five innings

before they jumped on him.

Cahill drew a leadoff walk and scored on Margot’s triple, which bounced past the glove of diving center fielder Charlie Blackmon.

Wil Myers hit a one-out RBI double and was aboard for Solarte’s shot to right. Schimpf followed with a moonshot estimated at 431 feet to right-center.

It was Solarte’s third and Schimpf’s seventh. It was the second time this season the Padres went back-to-back. They also did it April 15 at Atlanta.

The Padres have 37 homers.

Black managed the Padres from 2007 until he was fired on June 15, 2015. The Rockies came in leading the NL West by a half game over Arizona.

“I thought Tyler pitched great through the first five innings,” Black said. “I think the third time through the lineup they got onto

the fastball. I think Tyler learned a valuable lesson today about the ability to change speeds as the game goes on. Solarte jumped on a fastball. Myers jumped on that 3-2 fastball, Schimpf jumped on a fastball. Major league hitters will make adjustments as the game goes on.”

Cahill (2-2) won his second straight home game. He allowed an unearned run and three hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked none.

San Diego’s Cory Spangenberg hit an RBI single in the seventh and Colorado’s Nolan Arenado had a bases-loaded, infield single in the eighth.

Colorado’s Ian Desmond scored in the second when he stole second and Austin Hedges’ throw ended up in center field for a two-base error. Desmond had reached on a leadoff single.

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

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

wanted SUMMER NANNY JOB IN BEAUTIFUL JACKSON HOLE, WY:

Domer family looking for ND/SMC student. Mid June - early August. Email info@greymattersintl.com Do you remember the 21st night

of September?/Love was changing the minds of pretenders/While chasing the clouds away/Our hearts were ringing/In the key that our souls were singing.

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Sports

The observer | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

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SMC Sports

SMC beats Adrian to close season Observer Sports Staff

Lacrosse Saint Mary’s recorded a program-best 7-1 MIA A record, closing out its regular season with a 19-15 victory over Adrian.

Adrian (5-9, 4-4 MIA A) scored the first two goals of the game in the opening five minutes. However, the Belles (10-6, 7-1) tied the game and pulled away in the second fifteen minutes of the half. Freshman attack Mary Singler scored her third goal of the half with nine seconds remaining to give the Belles a 12-6 lead at the break.

Singler added two more minutes to give the Belles an eight-goal cushion, the first of which made her the first ever Belle to reach fifty goals in a season. However, the Bulldogs began to close the gap with a 7-1 run, bringing the score to 15-12 with 11 minutes remaining. But the Belles ensured the cushion never got any narrower, adding four more goals, including one to ice the game in the final minute, to seal the 19-15 win.

Singler’s five goals led the Belles, while junior midfielder Clare Theisen scored two goals and recorded four assists, four ground balls and nine draw controls.

The victory earned the Belles the second seed for the MIA A tournament and a tournament semifinal appearance against third-seeded Hope. It will be the first conference tournament in the history of the program, with the Belles having never recorded a winning record in MIA A play before this season.

If the Belles win, they will face the winners of Calvin and Albion.

Hope and Saint Mary’s will meet Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Softball Saint Mary’s earned two shutout victories over North Park, with junior Morgan Raymer not allowing a hit in a 7-0 victory before sophomore Zoe Bruni started in an 8-0 win.

In the opening game, the Belles (23-3, 12-4 MIA A) took advantage of three North Park

errors in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead. Two more runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth gave the Belles a 7-0 lead. Raymer left the game after five innings, recording six strikeouts without giving up a hit. Although junior reliever Jessica Alberts gave up two hits in the final innings, the Vikings were held scoreless in the 7-0 victory.

In addition to her pitching performance, Raymer went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Freshman left fielder Kelsey Keilman and junior center fielder Cassie Young both went 3-for-4 for two runs.

In the second game, Bruni pitched four scoreless innings to give the Belles a 2-0 lead, before the Belles broke out for six runs in the fifth inning and Alberts kept the Vikings scoreless to end the game in five innings.

Bruni, like Raymer, made a strong contribution offensively, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and scoring one run.

Results elsewhere mean the Belles will face Alma in the MIA A tournament at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Continued from page 16

just continued to play defense and really just grind it out, because obv iously against a really good team like that w ith a lot of guys … we started out prett y slow,” Hunnicutt said. “Once we got it to the one-possession game, it was really backand-forth, and I think the thing that kind of set us apart was our resilience throughout the end of the game.”

Practice Squad would battle back once again, though, riding aggressive play from Lammers and junior Matt Mitan to a 10-10 tie. Mazza, who was a tough assignment in the post all day, then drew a foul and converted his free throw to give Finnigan’s an 11-10 lead going into halftime.

The Notre Dame Pom Squad performed at halftime, and Notre Dame freshman guard T.J. Gibbs performed a dance alongside the squad.

Hunnicutt said the crowd participation and env ironment helped egg his team on throughout the

tightly-contested game.

“It was actually wonderful,” Hunnicutt said of the env ironment. “Obv iously, we knew a lot of people there, and there were people from both sides kind of chirping up. I think that was really grounding and motivating for a lot of us — it kept us engaged in the game.”

The second half began w ith stagnant play caused by a large number of fouls.

The w ind picked up early on, too, and both teams had to deal w ith dropping temperatures as the sun went dow n. Both teams were forced to feed the ball inside and put up inside shots as the temperature dropped below 40 degrees.

A hard collision bet ween Mitan and Finnigan’s senior Conor Colpoys led to a bit of testiness bet ween the t wo teams. Both teams resolved the issue w ithout conf lict, but play grew more physical dow n the stretch, w ith both teams getting on the ground for loose balls.

Colpoys hit a free throw late to put Finnigan’s up 18-16.

The teams battled back and forth, and Mitan hit a turnaround in the lane to knot

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Tennis The Belles finished their MIA A season with a 9-0 victory over Alma, securing a place in the MIA A tournament.

In the doubles, sophomore Monica Dav y and senior Sam Setterblad won a close match 8-6, but the other two Belles pairings had little trouble, with freshman Meghan Flynn and senior Kaity Venters winning 8-1 while junior Kelsey Kopf and sophomore Abbi Fleming won 8-2.

Those two comfortable wins carried over to the singles, as the Belles won every set comfortably. Dav y and Kopf each recorded love-andlove wins, while the other singles players won in straight sets too, with no set coming closer than 6-2.

The win ensured Saint Mary’s finished fourth in the MIA A ahead of Albion. The Belles will now face No. 21 Hope, who are undefeated in MIA A play and 17-3 overall this season in the conference semifinals Saint Mary’s and Hope will meet Thursday at 4 p.m.

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the score at 20.

Practice Squad hit t wo free throws to make the score 22-21, but Finnigan’s battled back.

Hunnicutt was a force driv ing the ball all night long, and he hit a big free throw to put his team up 25-24. In response, Colpoys drew an and-1, then made an impressive move to the rim to make it 27-26.

Finnigan’s senior Dan Brndjar made a left y move to the rim to put Finnigan’s up 28-27, but this was the final point his team would score on the night. Practice Squad worked hard to battle to 29-28, then Lammers pulled up from well beyond the arc for the w in, sending the bookstore courts into a frenzy.

“It feels fantastic. We fought the whole game, and it was really hard to get to that point,” Hunnicutt said of the w in. “We probably could’ve given up, but we were prett y much like a bunch of warriors, and we weren’t about to give up.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu and Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | The Observer

13

ND Softball

ND to face Butler, BC in critical homestand

By MAREK MAZUREK Assistant Managing Editor

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish junior shortstop Morgan Reed swings at a pitch during Notre Dame’s 13-4 mercy-rule win over IUPUI on April 12 at Melissa Cook Stadium. Reed hit a three-run home run against Arkansas on Saturday.

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Coming off of a weekend split against a ranked Arkansas squad, Notre Dame heads into its final nonconference matchup of the season Wednesday as the Irish take on Butler at Melissa Cook Stadium.

With a 6-5 victory over the Razorbacks on Saturday, the Irish place themselves in the thick of the hunt for spot in the NCAA tournament. That makes every game for Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf and Notre Dame (29-19, 11-10 ACC) a must win.

“We have to do whatever it takes to win the game,” Gumpf said.

After the mid-week clash with the Bulldogs (20-27, 8-9 Big East), the Irish host

ACC-rival Boston College to South Bend for the final homestand of the season. However, the focus for the Irish will be squarely on the Bulldogs come Wednesday evening.

Gumpf said the biggest challenge Butler poses is having a deep, distinctive pitching staff.

“Butler, what they do really well is they have a deep pitching staff and every single one of them is so different, so we’ve got to find ways to manufacture runs early and hold them,” Gumpf said. “We have to figure out how to win that ball game because it will carry over into Boston College.”

Butler has four pitchers who have thrown at least 34 innings. Sophomore Kaitlin Doud and junior Mikeila Boroff both boast ERAs under 3.93, while freshman Gabbi Schnaiter has thrown eight complete games over the course of the season.

As the Irish make their final preparations for the home stretch of the season, Gumpf said one of her team’s biggest strengths is its confidence in its ability to hang with any team in the country.

“I think the win [the Northwestern] gave us confidence that we know we can,” Gumpf said. “I do know that our team knows they can beat anybody, that’s one thing I’m sure about. I am sure that our team believes that we can beat anybody on any given day.”

Leading the way in the confidence department for the Irish is junior shortstop Morgan Reed. Reed drilled a three-run home run to right-center field in Saturday’s second contest against Arkansas to give the Irish a lead they wouldn’t not give up. Reed is second on the team with a .383 average and leads Notre Dame with seven home runs.

Another factor that favors the Irish is the scheduling, as Notre Dame will play its final four games of the year at home.

Gumpf said playing in the friendly confines of Melissa Cook Stadium is a positive for her team, as it helps her players stay even-keel on the field.

“I love the fact that we get to play at home,” Gumpf said.

“It’s our senior weekend where we celebrate the seniors. We’re going to have some fun out there and attack every inning.

We get to be home and thank God we do because it helps our girls with finals and stay level.

Again, not too high, not too low, but just trying to be consistent in those games.”

The Irish and the Bulldogs face off Wednesday night, with the first-pitch set for 6 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium.

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

14

Sports

The observer | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Baseball Continued from page 16

pulled Notre Dame (23-23, 10-14 ACC) even with one swing of the bat. The Irish leadoff hitter cleared the hedge beyond the fence in left field to tie the game.

Notre Dame was not done, though. Senior third baseman Kyle Fiala singled to center and then Lidge brought him home and gave the Irish the 2-1 lead with a triple down the right-field line after the outfield dove but could not quite reach the ball.

It was the catcher’s second official three-bagger of his career, both of which came in the last eight days.

“It’s a little bit of luck,” Lidge said. “Two of them were taken away from me before in my career — one because of an error, one because the game was called due to fog. So that triple might have been because the fielder didn’t see the ball, but I’ll take the two triples in the last week or so.”

“Pigs are gonna fly,” Irish head coach Mik Aoki quipped.

Fiala crossed the plate again in the third inning, this time thanks to his own bat. His deep fly ball just cleared the left-field fence and a leaping Northwestern outfielder to double the Irish lead.

That was all Vorsheck needed.

Wildcat freshman second baseman Alex Erro finally broke Vorsheck’s streak on a one-out double in the sixth. With runners on first and second and two outs, Vorsheck induced a groundout to Fiala at third to end the inning.

“I felt like I made some good

pitches, and they put some good swings on them,” Vorsheck said of the first inning. “I finally found my rhythm in the second inning.

I felt good with my fastball. It was a struggle all game with my breaking ball, so just pounding the fast ball, keeping it low in the zone, working it in and out was good for me.”

“I love catching Charlie because he just pounds the zone,” Lidge said. “When he goes out there, I expect him to throw a lot of strikes and some hitters to get themselves out. He’s not going to throw it by you, but he’s going to make the good pitch.”

It was Vorsheck’s third career start, all coming during midweek action. During those three starts, he’s given up two runs (only one of which was earned) in 17 2/3 innings of work.

“I think it’s really a big deal,” Aoki said of Vorsheck’s recent comfort as the team’s primary mid-week starter. “Last year, with having [graduate student lefty] Michael Hearne in that role for a good chunk of the season, it was really nice to be able to go out there and have a feeling of what it was you were going to get.

“We’re getting much the same with Charlie, and in these midweeks, the ability to have some stability there can’t be overstated. I commented about a week ago how nice it is to just be able to go into a midweek and not feel like you’re just scrambling to get you’re pitching there. I think it’s a really valuable asset to have.”

After allowing just one run and three hits while striking out five batters in six innings of work,

Vorsheck gave way to junior righty Peter Solomon to start the seventh inning.

Solomon sandwiched a walk between a strikeout and a pair of strikeouts in the seventh, then he whiffed the first Northwestern batter of the eighth before yielding to Irish junior closer Sean Guenther.

The lefty, who has not allowed an earned run since March 24 (26 innings), watched Erro reach on an error by sophomore Cole Daily at short. Wildcat senior designated hitter Joe Hoschiet singled in Erro later in the inning for an unearned run, but Guenther induced a double-play ball from senior right fielder Matt Hopfner to escape the inning with the lead.

Guenther struck out the side in the ninth to record his sixth save of the season while the win pushed Vorsheck to 4-0 on the year.

Notre Dame welcomes No. 2 Louisville to Frank Eck Stadium this weekend. The Cardinals (396, 18-4) currently lead the ACC standings, powered by star junior pitcher/first baseman dual threat Brenden McKay whom Aoki said “might be the best player in the country.”

“They’re really good,” Aoki said flatly. “ … We have to play at a really high level. So far I think we’ve done a good job, and I think our pitching gives us a chance against anybody.”

The Irish and Cardinals take to the Frank Eck Stadium turf Friday at 6:05 p.m., Saturday at 4:05 p.m. and Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish senior third baseman Kyle Fiala watches the ball after making contact during Notre Dame’s 5-4 win over Duke on Friday.

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Track Continued from page 16

Aragon, junior Payton Miller, sophomore Kelly Hart and junior Jessica Harris ran a 10:58.22 to place third overall.

“They ran well and broke the school record, and we don’t run that event that often outdoors but I thought we had a shot,” Turner said on the relay.“We could have had a stronger 800 meter leg, but all then girls ran well.”

Additionally, freshman Troy Pride Jr., who also is a cornerback on the football team, made his season debut, running the 100 meters in 10.60 seconds, good enough for 10th overall.

“I believe he barely made it after having only practiced for a few days and not doing anything track related,” Turner said on Pride.“He has been practice for football for six weeks, but I definitely think we can drop his time.”

While the Irish were placing at the Penn Relays, junior Kaitlin Frei won the 10,000 meters in Michigan with a time of 36:04.72, setting a new person record.

“I thought she ran well,” Turner said. “[The distance coach] Matt Sparks said it was her first victory, in college or high school, and she

is a good one we will take to conference meets and the ACC Championships to run the 10k. She really is coming along.”

With several individuals placing at both events, Turner said the previous meets aided in their preparation for the ACC outdoor championships.

“It was good preparation, especially those who went to the Penn Relays because there was stiff competition,” Turner said. “Lucky for us, the weather was nice. We had an individual in the hurdles,[Junior] Drake Stimson, who had his season’s best. He was also a finalist in the ACCs last year.

[Freshman] Summer Thorpe got ninth in the women’s hurdles, and she got hit and bumped which messed her up, but she set her personal record in the prelims, so I think she will make the finals at the ACC meet. The competition will be tougher at the ACCs but I think we are definitely getting ready.”

This upcoming weekend Notre Dame will attend the Billy Hayes Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana before competing at the ACC outdoor championships in Atlanta the following weekend.

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu and Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | The Observer

15

Men’s Lacrosse

Notre Dame has more potential than years past Manny De Jesus Sports Writer

No. 4 Notre Dame was one comeback away from capturing its second ACC championship in four years, but it ultimately fell 14-10 to No. 9 North Carolina. While the Irish failed to hoist the conference trophy, this year’s team is positioned to make a deeper run into the NCAA tournament than last year’s squad.

Last season, it was clear who the leader of the Irish was: Former attack Matt Kavanagh did it all. He led Notre Dame (8-4, 2-2 ACC) with 50 points on the season, tallying 21 goals and 29 assists. In addition to Kavanagh, then-sophomore attack Mikey Wynne, then-freshman attack Ryder Garnsey and then-junior midfielder Sergio Perkovic all scored over 20 goals on the season. It was, without a doubt, one of the more prolific offenses in the nation. But this year’s offense has a bit more potential.

Twelve games into the season, there are five different players with at least 16 goals and seven players with at least 11 points. Garnsey is leading the offense thus far with 39 points — 19 goals and 20 assists. Wynne follows Garnsey with a team-leading 25 goals and four assists. Perkovic has scored 22 goals and added seven assists, and sophomore midfielder Brendan Gleason

and freshman midfielder Bryan Costabile have both recorded 16 goals. While sophomore midfielder Drew Schantz doesn’t have double digit goals scored, he has garnered 11 points with six goals and five assists.

Unlike last season, there isn’t a single clear threat on the Irish roster. While that doesn’t necessarily sound like a positive, the versatility of the team’s roster gives Notre Dame a multitude of options in any given game in the NCAA tournament to spark the offense.

In last season’s NCAA quarterfinals loss to North Carolina, outside of Kavanagh and Wynne, no other Irish player scored more than two goals, and when they failed to find opportunities to score, the offense relied solely on Perkovic, who took 14 shots throughout the game without converting any into goals.

This season, while the average goals per game are lower by .17, the offense has been able to score 10.83 goals per game on 150 fewer shot attempts. The offense this year also has a higher shot percentage — 31.4 percent to 29.3 percent — and a higher percentage of shots on goal — 60.9 percent to 58.9 percent.

While the offense has improved in terms of its versatility, the defense has done just as well as last year’s squad, which is promising when competing against the country’s best in the NCAA tournament. Despite allowing 1.33 more goals per

KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer

Irish senior midfielder Sergio Perkovic surveys the defense during Notre Dame’s 11-10 loss to Syracuse on March 1 at Arlotta Stadium. Perkovic has contributed 22 goals and seven assists this season for the Irish.

game, Notre Dame is still holding opponents’ shot percentage to under 30 percent and the shot-on-goal percentage to 58.5 percent, which is identical to last year’s team. The most critical stat, however, is one that is often overlooked: The Irish have committed 44 fewer turnovers than last year’s team.

At the end of a one-score game

in the NCAA tournament, it’s crucial to protect the ball, and this year’s Irish team has done that time and time again. It also helps that they’ve earned four one-score wins over elite opposition.

The defense hasn’t necessarily improved, but the offense’s versatility and ability to value the ball more than last year’s

team will likely get them over the hump and back into the Final Four for the third time in the last four years.

Richartz

him coming back for more.

“Just the act of it is fun, in and of itself,” Richartz said. “There’s a moment in the vault where you’re just completely weightless, and you’re looking at the bar or down at the ground, and that’s just a big rush and a truly addictive feeling. I also like the vault because it’s so incredibly technical and complex, and so there’s always things I can be improving upon. Sometimes it’s frustrating because when I watch videos of my jumps I’m always seeing things to fix, and sometimes I need to be a little easier on myself, but that’s one element I love about the pole vault: there are always things to work on to get better and go higher.”

With constant improvement his calling card, it stands to reason that Richartz’s final season would be his best, and the senior from Island lake, Illinois has indeed accomplished exactly that.

This season, Richartz placed first at the Meyo Invitational in February and a week later broke his own school record — previously 5.46 — with a 5.50m vault at the Tiger Paw Invitational and was named Conference Performer of the Week. Then, Richartz broke his record again with 5.51m vault at the ACC/Big

10 Challenge in April and was named ACC Field Performer of the Week. Finally, last weekend Richartz took home the pole vault title at the Penn Relays – adding another accolade to a season that for Richartz and the Irish seems like a dream come true.

“It’s been everything I could have wanted my senior year season to be,” Richartz said.

“Freshman year I told my coach that I wanted to jump 18 feet by my senior year, and now to have that materialize and come true is amazing.”

“I’m happy to have him on our team,” Turner said. “He’s a great guy, and he’s what you want in a student-athlete and a team captain. He’s earned all his accolades because he works his tail off and leads by example.”

Although everyone is thrilled that Richartz has soared this far, the senior plans to fly even higher. Richartz commented that before this season is over, he’d like to jump 5.60 meters — a mark that would blow his current school record out of the water. If history is any indication, it would be unwise to bet against him reaching it.

Contact Manny De Jesus at mdejesus@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Continued from page 16

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been a good last year by giving back to some of the younger kids on the team, who are in the same position I was in my freshman year.”

Due to his immense improvement and leadership qualities, Irish head coach Alan Turner named him a captain, and reflected upon the senior’s transformation: both the surprise that came with it and the hard work that went into it.

“Nate was a walk-on guy who wasn’t coming in with big marks,” Turner said. “So we were thinking ‘you just need to get consistent at jumping in the high 16s’. And each year he got better and better, and junior year he just took off and everything started to click. As a testament to him and to coach Jim Garnham, [pole vault] is the most technical event in the sport — there are literally dozens of things that can go wrong within a split second — so he’s really a student of the pole vault.”

A diligent learner, Richartz explained that the nature of the pole vault allows for constant improvement, and that the overall experience of the vault keeps

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

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The observer | wednesday, May 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

TRACK & FIELD | PENN RELAYS; Gina relays

Richartz leads Notre Dame, wins vault at Penn Notre Dame wins events at Penn Relays, Gina Relays

Dedication to improvement pays off for Richartz

By MEAGAN BENS and JOE EVERETT

By JOE EVERETT Sports Writer

Sports Writers

The Irish split up last weekend at the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia and the Gina Relays in Hillsdale, Michigan.

Notre Dame’s best performances came in the field events, as senior pole-vaulter Nathan Richartz continued his dominant spring season by winning the pole vault with a 5.30 meter vault. Additionally, sophomore Matthew Birzer came in second in the men’s high jump championship after jumping 2.16 meters.

Irish head coach Alan Turner said he continues to be impressed by Richartz.

“It was a big deal for Nate [Richartz] to win the pole vault,” Turner said. “His height wasn’t that high, but it was a pretty good field and he beat them. It’s his third straight victory. He is where he needs to be.”

On the track, the women’s medley relay of graduate student Danielle see TRACK PAGE 14

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

For Irish senior pole-vaulter Nathan Richartz, the entirety of his Notre Dame career can seemingly be boiled down to one word: metamorphosis. From a largely unknown freshman determined to walk-on to one of the most decorated athletes on the current roster, Richartz has seen himself improve and grow in countless ways on and off the field, all the while hoping to instruct and inspire others along his journey.

“When I first came in I was scrappy and had a lot to prove,” Richartz said. “I always just wanted to be a significant contributor on the team, and so in my early years I was really focused on myself and my personal development. These past two years, I’ve opened up my vision and really tried to help other teammates, and adopted more of a leadership and role model position, because I have learned and improved a lot in my time here and I think a lot of other people can learn from the experiences I’ve gone through. It’s really

Irish senior pole-vaulter Nathan Richartz leaps into a vault during the Blue-Gold Invitational on Dec. 2 at Loftus Sports Center. Richartz won the pole vault at the Penn Relays on Saturday.

Bookstore FINAL | Practice Squad 30, Finnigan’s 28

see RICHARTZ PAGE 15

BASEBALL | ND 3, NorthWESTERN 2

Practice Squad Vorsheck, Fiala propel upsets Finnigan’s Irish past Wildcats at home

By ELIZABETH GREASON and JACK CONCANNON Sports Editor and Sports Writer

After the Bookstore Basketball championship was pushed back to Tuesday, there was an additional two days for anticipation of the rematch of last year’s semifinal between this year’s top-t wo teams to build. The anticipation continued for an additional 40 minutes, as the tight game between t wo-time defending champions No. 1 Finnigan’s and No. 2 Practice Squad raged on into an overtime period, w ith Practice Squad ultimately walking away w ith a 30-28 w in.

The game began w ith Notre Dame men’s basketball head coach Mike Brey throw ing up the jump ball, which was won by Finnigan’s’ Patrick Ma zza. A graduate student walk-on of the Irish varsit y team who stands at 6-foot10, Mazza was a force on the boards all night, racking up

rebounds and blocks.

The game began w ith both teams going back and forth.

The cold conditions and outdoor rims made it difficult for either team to get anything going shooting early on, leading to the majorit y of the baskets being scored from under the rim.

Practice Squad graduate student John Lammers scored two buckets early, including a left y finish at the rim around the towering Mazza to put his team up 4-3. This lead was short lived, however, as Finnigan’s graduate student Brian Spahn led his team on a 6-1 run to take a 9-5 lead.

Practice Squad junior and captain Reed Hunnicutt said the slow start was a definite obstacle for his team to overcome, but it was the resilience it showed throughout that ultimately helped propel the team to v ictor y.

“I think the fact that we see BOOKSTORE PAGE 12

By ZACH KLONSINSKI Senior Sports Writer

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish junior right-hander Charlie Vorsheck delivers a pitch during Notre Dame’s 8-3 win over Toledo on April 12.

It was the Charlie Vorsheck show for much of Tuesday night at Frank Eck Stadium as Notre Dame downed Northwestern, 3-2, in nonconference action.

After conceding a two-out RBI double in the first inning, the junior righty sat down the next 14 Northwestern hitters in order.

“I had no clue until right now, actually,” Vorsheck said. “I had no clue. To be honest, I just try to get myself back into the dugout, and once I get back on the dugout bench, it’s just, ‘Alright, let’s get through one more. Let’s get through one more.’”

“It was just a groove,” Irish senior catcher Ryan Lidge added.

“Charlie gets into a groove, and I don’t really think about it. I just say, ‘There’s another one.’

“That’s cool to hear.”

After Northwestern (17-26, 6-9 Big Ten) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, sophomore second baseman Nick Podkul see BASEBALL PAGE 14