PDF for Tuesday, November 22, 2011

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The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Volume 45: Issue 59

Tuesday, november 22, 2011

Ndsmcobserver.com

New scholarship honors athleticism, integrity By SARA FELSENSTEIN Associate News Editor

Notre Dame’s Play Like a Champion Today (PLC) program will expand its scholarships that honor young athletes for their moral integrity instead of sheer athletic ability, program director Kristin Sheehan said. Sheehan said the program has partnered with the Trusted Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization in Oregon, to create 12 new scholarships this year. The PLC program, an initiative developed through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), strives to educate youth and high school coaches nationally to develop character and integrity in athletes physically, emotionally, morally and spiritually. The Inspireum Soccer Awards, initiated this year, will give $25,000 in academic scholarships to 12 high school soccer players who best exemplify a combination of athletic ability, courage and personal character. Sheehan said the Soccer Awards would give more young female athletes a chance to be recognized. “This award certainly opens the field for young women to be acknowledged for character this year,” she said. Sheehan said the Soccer Awards program is one of two awards programs sponsored

by PLC and the Trusted Sports Foundation. The second program, the High School Football Rudy Awards, and the Soccer Awards honor young athletes for their courage in the face of difficult circumstances. “Very often that award would exemplify someone beating the odds, a situation when an athlete had [faced] adversity in his or her life and continues to flourish in [his or her] character,” Sheehan said. “Really, these kids are heroes.” Sheehan said so much emphasis is placed on physical performance today that young athletes can easily lose sight of how important personal character is to sports. “In a world where we sometimes have negative examples of sports figures who are excellent at what they do physically, they aren’t [necessarily] the best [role models,]” she said. The High School Football Rudy Awards program presents $25,000 in academic scholarships annually to 12 young football players recognized for a commitment to excellence as well as demonstrated personal character. The awards are based on the story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, known for his determination to make the Notre Dame football team as shown in the film, “Rudy.”

Photo courtesy of Kristin Sheehan

Clockwise from left, PLC founder Clark Power, PLC associate director Oscar McBride, South Bend Police chief Darryl Boykins and PLC director Kristin Sheehan pose at a boxing event. “They are awarded to a high school student who most exemplifies the ‘Rudy’ spirit,” Sheehan said. “That is integrity … perseverance, persistence, hard work ⎯ all those virtues and values that we would applaud from a young athlete.” Sheehan said PLC began its partnership with the Trusted Sports Foundation back in 2008 after Ruettiger, who is involved with the charity, came to speak at PLC’s annual sports leadership conference.

see CHAMPION/page 4

ELISA DE CASTRO | Observer Graphic

Club practices art of gongfu Students compete in evaporate, and I still wanted to advance in the art,” Blair said. “That led me to desire to teach others and that led to the club.” Sophomore Thomas Voutsos joined the club when it first began this semester. He said he especially enjoys the welcoming atmosphere of the club and gongfu’s relevance in his own life. “Erik and the club members have been great teachPhoto courtesy of Erik Blair ers and very welcoming” Gongfu Club participants demonstrate their kicking technique for Voutsos said. “The best a belt test. The club was founded by graduate student Erik Blair. part about participating in the club is learning a completely new skill that can those techniques and deepBy AUBREY BUTTS ens my skill. I think the re- have real life applications News Writer lationships I build out of it in the future. It is great exGraduate student Erik are the best part. It’s really ercise, and the body moveBlair has found the perfect a lot of fun when you have ments, combined with mental outlet for stress in the middle students who are motivated focus, create a very unique to learn and to teach others inner feeling during and afof his busy schedule. ter gongfu practices.” Blair turns to gongfu, a also.” While Voutsos entered Blair first learned gongfu unique martial arts form, along with other members of and earned his black belt in the club with no prior marthe Gongfu Club he founded the discipline during his time tial arts experience, he said as an instructor at the U.S. his skills have quickly proearlier this semester. gressed, thanks to Blair’s “I get so much out of teach- Naval Academy. “Upon coming back to guidance. ing martial arts,” Blair said. “Teaching techniques Notre Dame for a Ph.D., I strengthens my grasp of didn’t want the knowledge to see GONGFU/page 4

Inside today’s paper

Tough Mudder race By NICOLE TOCZAUER News Writer

Several Notre Dame students participated in a race through a giant obstacle course this weekend, an obstacle course that ends in a field of live wires that carry a 10,000-Volt shock. Sophomores Ryan Tixier, Dan Yerkes and Kevin Colvin tested their endurance in the Tough Mudder course Saturday and Sunday in Attica, Ind. They joined more than 6,500 other participants in

the 12-mile obstacle course. “Tough Mudder has some crazy obstacles, but it’s worth it because it’s for a charity that helps returning vets readjust to life back home,” Tixier said. “Our roommate, Kevin, sent us a link on Facebook about it earlier in the semester, so we all grabbed onto it.” Tixier said British Special Forces designed the course to be a test of strength, mental grit and camaraderie.

see MUDDER/page 4

ELISA DE CASTRO | Observer Graphic

Alumna serves through ACE page 3 u Viewpoint page 6 u A new look at NYC page 8 u Irish football to face Stanford page 16


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