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Volume 55, Issue 43 | MONDAY, February 15, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Right to Life holds March for Life week With annual D.C. march canceled due to pandemic concerns, students celebrate on campus By SERENA ZACHARIAS Notre Dame News Editor
While ND Right to Life was unable to attend the annual March for Life in Washington D.C., the club held a series of events last week to raise awareness and ignite discussions regarding prolife issues. Junior Mary Biese, co-director of education, said the club aimed to replicate the experience of the in-person march over the course of the week while also engaging in discussions with people in the community.
To increase conversations with students, Biese helped plan a pro-life tabling event Wednesday in Duncan Student Center to have open discussions with peers walking by. Instead of changing someone’s opinion entirely, Biese said she prefers to “plant seeds,” which helps to get people thinking about issues from different perspectives. “If you get someone thinking about [a topic], maybe it’ll come back to them later, this particular thought, or maybe it’ll give see MARCH PAGE 3
Courtesy of Mary Benx
Notre Dame Right to Life held a series of events Feb. 8-12 to spread awareness about pro-life issues. Students gathered at the Grotto on Thursday for a prayer service led by Fr. Pete McCormick.
NYT investigator Malachy Professors debate Browne discusses work minimum wage By MAGGIE EASTLAND News Writer
The Raise the Wage Act, recently proposed in the House of Representatives, promises an annual increase in the minimum wage until it reaches $15 an hour by 2025, as well as an index to continue raising the minimum wage at the same rate as median hourly wages. Two Notre Dame professors proficient in economic policy, Forrest Spence and Rüdiger Bachmann, said they support a moderate increase in minimum wage but express some CHRISTOPHER PARKER | The Observer
Malachy Browne of The New York Times gave a Zoom lecture Friday discussing the works of the Visual Investigations team, which uses digital forensics to reconstruct events and uncover the truth. By CHRISTOPHER PARKER News Writer
What do journalists do when the details of an event aren’t quite adding up? At The New York Times, they often turn to Malachy Browne. Browne spoke to Notre Dame professor James O’Rourke over Zoom as part of the Ten Years Hence lecture series on Friday. He works with a team of investigators and computer scientists to recreate frantic moments from some of the past decade’s most memorable tragedies. The team is called Visual Investigations, and their goal is
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to use digital forensics to uncover stories. “There’s an overabundance of information out there that allows you to get to the truth of an event, or a debate, or a contention or argument, a denial by a government around the human rights abuse,” Browne said. “And that’s a lot of what our work is, doing that digging, digging, digging through the online sources, as well as getting on the ground and talking to people.
The examples in his presentation demonstrated not only the scope but the gravity of their work: reconstructions of
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the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, a 2018 Syrian chemical attack by the country’s leader Bashar al-Assad, the 2020 shooting of a Palestinian medic by Israeli soldiers, the 2020 murder of Breonna Taylor, and the repeated and continuous bombing of Syrian hospitals by Russian military. Browne said their first investigation, the Las Vegas shooting, was motivated by a mutual distrust between “tight-lipped” authorities and online communities who sensed a cover-up. see JOURNALIST PAGE 3
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concerns that such a drastic change, more than doubling the current national minimum wage, could have some unintended consequences. “From an economist’s standpoint, I’m surprised that the proposal is such a huge increase relative to what the current federal minimum wage is, $7.25 currently,” Spence, an assistant teaching professor in the department of economics, said. Both Spence and Bachmann, an associate professor of economics, cited the Congressional Budget see WAGES PAGE 4
SMCDM to hold fundraiser By EMMA BACON News Writer
Saint Mary’s College Dance Marathon (SMCDM) will hold a week of fundraising and awareness that will include giveaways, a talent show and a virtual auction for Riley Hospital for Children. While SMCDM is most well known for their “Dance Marathon” fundraiser in the spring where students from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and
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Holy Cross Colleges come out to dance for nine hours without sitting down to “dance for those who can’t,” the club also hosts several fundraisers throughout the year, SMCDM chair of family outreach Kathleen Soller said. This week, the club will host Riley Week to raise money and awareness for the hospital and specific patients that SMCDM sponsors. Riley Week see DANCE PAGE 3
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Members of Saint Mary’s student government association stood outside the student center and Cushwa-Leighton Library on Friday afternoon and handed out flowers and chocolate to students in honor of Valentine’s Day, which occurred Sunday.
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“We sought to develop a timeline of what happened independent of the authorities using the videos that people kept filming, despite the rampage of bullets,” he said. Their process included sourcing those videos and overlapping them to create a rough outline of when the shooting started and stopped. The open-source timestamps on most videos
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also serves to get students excited about the upcoming Dance Marathon. “SMCDM works hard year round to raise funds and awareness to support Riley Hospita l for Children and Riley Kids from across northern Indiana. W hile COVID-19 has presented many cha llenges for SMCDM, we are devoted to our cause now more than ever because this is such a cha llenging time for families who face disease and illness ever yday,” Soller said. “As a campus organization
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them a slightly different way of looking at it,” Biese said. “If [you] can do that, plant seeds, get them thinking about it, then I call the conversation a success.” In the past, Biese said the club has had trouble getting people who disagree w ith them to engage in conversations, but they hope to change that. As the tabling event
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from social media allowed them to create a completely accurate timetable of events. They even recruited a graphics reporter to create a 3D-model of the shooter’s hotel room. “It’s almost what the police would do when they’re investigating, collecting live streams and police body cam footage, 911 calls and all the rest of it,” Browne said. After that first award-winning investigation, the team took off. They received the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for
their story, “Russia Bombed Four Syrian Hospitals. We Have Proof.” “A lot of this involved data journalism. There are many different organizations who have been documenting attacks at hospitals and other sites,” Browne said. “It has been the most documented war that we’ve seen. And that has valuable evidence for us.” During the Q& A portion of the event, Browne estimated that only about 50 to 100 people in the world do what he and his team do. Part of the
challenge is access — Browne said he has cultivated relationships with satellite companies to get copies of their images. “It’s the same as like wire photography for us, except there’s evidence within it,” he said. Overall, he said, contributions from the public have played a critical role in many of these investigations. Carefully cross-checking their evidence with the team’s own findings can turn a hunch into a publishable fact.
“We see this ver y much almost as a collaboration between sources who are documenting what’s happening on the ground,” he said. The Ten Years Hence program will continue on March 12 with Suzanne Spalding, senior adviser for Homeland Security and director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
and proud members of the tricampus communit y, we w ill continue to support Riley Kids and their families as we face unprecedented cha llenges and obstacles.” With over 50 locations, Riley Children’s Hea lth is Indiana’s largest pediatric system. The system collaborates w ith Indiana Universit y School of Medicine, Indiana Universit y School of Nursing and Indiana Universit y School of Hea lth and Human Ser v ices to prov ide qua lit y care to pediatric patients. Donations go toward a variet y of areas w ithin the hospita l system. As a research
institution, Riley physicianscientists benefit from the donations to continue finding ways to treat a variet y of conditions including cancer, diabetes, heart defects and asthma. Senior A lex Nemer, the president of SMCDM, said the club w ill host nightly hour long “pop-in” events beginning Monday which w ill include giveaways, ta lent shows and dancing. A ll the events w ill be held in Rice Commons in the Saint Mar y’s College Student Center from 6-7 p.m., w ith the exception of Tuesday’s event, which w ill be held in A ngela Athletic Facilit y in the
performance g y m. Monday night’s event w ill be a giveaway w ith the theme “Now More than Ever We Support Riley.” On Tuesday, participants can learn a dance a long w ith the SMCDM Mora le Committee. The theme w ill be “Now More than Ever We are SMCDM.” Club members w ill present v ideos and information on Wednesday a llowing students to learn more about Riley patients SMCDM sponsors. On Thursday, SMCDM w ill host a ta lent show watch part y, and the week w ill conclude Friday w ith a giveaway sponsored by Saint Mar y’s Student
Government Association (SGA), a long w ith a v irtua l silent auction and open v irtua l registration for tri-campus students to sign up for the dance marathon. “I am most excited to get the tri-campus communit y involved w ith SMCDM this week,” Nemer said. “I hope students come out to learn about our Riley families and how our efforts benefit Riley Hospita l for Children. We want students to enjoy themselves and maybe even feel inspired to register.”
allowed ND Right to Life members to interact w ith students in a casual setting, club members will hold a few upcoming events to continue the conversation, including one-on-one sessions about abortion and a formal debate. “It was just really great to be present in a busy place on campus and help people to think and be able to have peaceful and loving conversations even though you might disagree,” said senior Mar y Benz, copresident of ND Right to Life. In addition to the tabling
event, the club held a “W hy We March” panel Tuesday for individual students to share their personal motivations for being pro-life. In discussing why pro-life issues are important to her, Benz said she strongly believes in the value of the human person. “Ever y human being deser ves to be loved and cherished, and I really think that there’s no better way to spend my time than tr ying to help create a culture that just protects and defends ever y
human being,” Benz said. For Benz, her faith has grounded her perspective in being pro-life. As many other members of ND Right to Life feel the same, the club kicked off the week by holding Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which attracted a full congregation with physical distancing measures in place. Two days later, the prolife community gathered at the Grotto on Thursday for a prayer ser vice with Fr. Pete McCormick. Benz said around 50 people
gathered in a circle to pray the rosar y for “a culture that promotes life.” In addition to holding March for Life week, ND Right to Life will hold its annual spring event, Respect Life Week, to continue building the conversation. Sophomore Maura Brennan said the pro-life movement often focuses on abortion, but she also sees other issues including immigration, human rights and racial inequality as part of the movement. “We like to believe that prolife is also actively finding opportunities to remedy those in which their rights to a free and happy life have been downtrodden upon,” Brennan said.
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HCC fosters community with Spirit Week By MARIA LUISA PAUL News Writer
No mass gatherings. No hosting guests inside rooms. Long-awaited study abroad plans cancelled, and some classes switched to Zoom. To top it all off, the spring semester began with frosty weather and grey skies. The school year and plans students had anticipated seemed to evaporate. Despite the dreary scenario, Holy Cross College was determined to boost morale and increase the sense of community within the institution. As a result, Holy Cross’s first-ever Spirit Week and Spes UniCup were born. “We needed to find some actual ways to think of our place and our home as somewhere where, even though we have these things like masks and physical distancing, we can still have a sense of fellowship, a sense of community, a sense of identity, a sense of belonging, as we move forward in the semester,” Andrew Polaniecki, Holy Cross’s dean and vice president of student life, said. With this desire to instill a sense of belonging and provide some fun,
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Office’s report that the proposed minimum wage would raise 0.9 million Americans out of poverty at the cost of 1.4 million jobs. Bachmann and Spence said that even these nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predictions may not be perfect due to the magnitude of the increase on a national level and the lack of prior research on national minimum wage increases. Bachmann and Spence both support a more moderate increase in national minimum wage coupled with targeted, localized increases in part due to the large discrepancies between standards of living and current minimum wages in cities across the country. “It’s clear that the federal minimum wage should rise. It hasn’t been adjusted for a long time,” Bachmann said. Spence also said he was unsure if such an increase would be economically feasible. “I think you run the risk of hurting the people that you’re trying to protect the most and also generating more political polarization,” he said. Both professors cited Seattle, a city that is already in the process of raising minimum wage to $15 an hour, as an example of a community that would face little disruption due to the new policy. In contrast, an area like South Bend would be disproportionately impacted by the sharp spike in minimum wage, Spence said. A $15 minimum wage could even influence the University of Notre Dame and its employees, Bachmann and Spence said. Spence said that if a large number of Notre Dame employees are making less than $15 an hour and now have to be paid $15, it might
hall directors Timothy Cleaver and Julia Wall began brainstorming in September. Wall said there were many considerations to be made: firstly, what could be done under a restrictive setting, and also, how to integrate the “different aspects of what it means to be a Holy Cross student,” namely the four pillars of scholar, citizen leader and disciple. After months of planning, Wall took inspiration from her husband — a sociology graduate student at Notre Dame — to think of ways of bolstering identity. “His master’s thesis was on how a sense of identity can be built by competition. So listening to him talk about that, I was like, ‘Oh, wait, we’re trying to build a sense of identity. I know, we should probably do a competition.’ And so that’s kind of where the seed of the idea came from,” Wall said. The result was a week filled with events ranging from wearing the school’s maroon and grey colors to a night snowball fight that left the quad “looking like hamburger,” Wall said. The hall rector said one of the highlights of the week was Friday’s scavenger hunt, since it
brought the students together. “Each dorm was one team for the scavenger hunt, and they’re all running around taking photos. We got some really creative responses. They started chanting little chants that they made up for their own dorms,” Wall said. “And so kind of that that sense of spirit, that sense of pride in their halls, and then, just in general, in being a Holy Cross Saint, it was really great to see that energy on campus, especially in February.” Other activities included the display of the dorms’ newly designed crests, collecting donations for the Catholic Worker, a game-watch for Holy Cross’s basketball team, an open mic night sponsored by Campus Ministry and Saints for Life, an espresso bar and carriage rides and a capture-the-crest competition followed by a hot cocoa and Taco Bell reception. The eventful week culminated with an award ceremony in which Anselm Hall was declared as the winner. But, before receiving the Spes UniCup Trophy, Polaniecki gave a “a rousing and dramatic speech,” Hall said, about their victory and even knighted the hall’s
Spirit Leader, freshman Nathan Cavazos, with a replica “Lord of the Rings” sword. Cavazos, along with the other five halls’ Spirit Leaders, was tasked with motivating his team on and letting them know about the events — a “stressful” yet joyfilled role. He said the Spirit Week had been a successful event, and that he hoped other activities similar to it would happen throughout the rest of the semester. “Good competition, and it was fun. I think it brought a lot of us closer to different people,” Cavazos said. “I hope they do continue stuff like this and to keep us busy. Keep the camaraderie and competition between the halls, and, yeah, I look forward to like anything that comes.” After a successful installation of a new tradition, Polaniecki said there was a lesson to be learned by the entire tri-campus community: the education of the heart and t he mind can take place in the course of complicated and difficult times. “The lesson learned here is that our communities coming together for the common purpose of fellowship in the, in the environment of
the education of our minds and hearts. So it’s an extension to the relationships and fellowship that take place in our halls, that are an extension of the education of the mind and the heart,” Polaniecki said. “And that’s something that can take place, and that we can be thoughtful and intentional about, even in the midst of something like a pandemic.” For her part, Wall considered that one of the greatest takeaways of Holy Cross’s Spirit Week is our ability to still engage and relate with one another by focusing on the things we can actually do. “There’s been a lot of focus in this past year of the things that we can’t do, because we’re trying to be healthy and trying to be safe. And I think this past week might really show the extent of what we can do,” Wall said. “We can foster community, we can have fun. We can build these relationships and make the most of the time we have now. Even if the time that we have now isn’t quite what we would expect it to be in a normal year.”
help some employees get a raise; however, it could also lead to some layoffs and tuition increases in the long run. Dennis Brown, university spokesman and assistant vice president of news and media relations, said in an email, “The vast majority of our non-exempt employees are paid more than $12 per hour in base pay. When factoring in the value of the total rewards, the total value of both compensation and benefits exceeds the local market by more than 18%.” Brown also said that the University offers a host of resources and benefits to the staff. Spence said that these benefits could be in jeopardy if there’s an increase in minimum wage. In addition to discussing the possible impacts for the University, Bachmann also expressed broader concerns over how firms will react to the changes nationwide. “A lot of people will benefit from it [new minimum wage laws], at least in the short run,” Bachmann said. “The problem is, of course, and here’s the downside, in the long run, it’s very often the case that firms will adapt business models.” In fact, forward looking firms might already be making changes today in anticipation of minimum wage increases, Bachmann said. Bachmann illustrated this point with two examples — automation in airports and fast food restaurants. In Europe, where wages are typically higher, travelers see fully automated baggage pick-up systems, but in the U.S., where the minimum wage is much lower, travelers may notice service workers still tend the conveyor belt, Bachmann said. He explained McDonald’s and other fast food chains still hire low wage employees to work in their restaurants, but these businesses may turn to automation if the minimum wage increases significantly.
While some may consider these jobs of little value, Bachmann said they may be more essential. “It’s not so clear how good it is to eliminate these jobs in the long run,” he said. “You might face a crisis of low-skilled workers that are slowly substituted out by computers or
robots and other things.” Bachmann also said this increase in minimum wage might be the first step towards a universal basic income Spence said one upside of the minimum wage could be an increase in better-paying jobs.
“There’s this added benefit that if you make lower wage employment more expensive, high wage employment is relatively cheaper than it previously was,” he said.
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By DESSI GOMEZ Scene Writer
This Valentine’s Day weekend, Netflix was graced with the final installment of the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” trilogy, “Always and Forever.” Whether you were left devastated by the second film “P.S. I Still Love You,” or you have been a diehard fan since the books came out, this one is worth watching if for nothing else but closure. The pre-pandemic filming adds some life to the story, especially in the larger group scenes like the prom, wedding and senior trip, but also in the more intimate scenes like the ones at the diner. Though certain significant details changed in terms of where Lara Jean and Peter were applying to go to college, the general story still shines through. In the book, Lara Jean and Peter both wanted to attend the University of Virginia. However, Lara Jean didn’t get into UVA, so she looked to William & Mary as well as the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In the film, UVA becomes Stanford and Chapel Hill becomes New York University. Still, the film’s college party scene brings about the same feeling of meant-to-be and belonging that Lara Jean felt when she spontaneously drove out to Chapel Hill and had a fun night.
By NIA SYLVA Scene Writer
When I climbed into the backseat of the quarantine minivan and shouted hello to the driver through that thin, humiliating layer of plastic keeping all my infectious aerosol particles out of the front seat, I was worried about exactly three things. The first concern was that I actually had COVID, that I would have symptoms and that the next seven days of my life would be positively hellish. The second was that I would go crazy from cabin fever— more on that later. And the third was that I would have nothing to fill the many, many hours of isolation. As it turns out, all three fears were unfounded. I did not, in fact, have COVID. Mercifully, I did not go crazy. And although each individual hour felt a bit like waiting at an airport gate after hearing that your flight has been delayed by five hours, the 60-minute periods still seemed to pile up, if not gracefully, at least subtly. That is to say, I felt every minute of quarantine, but the larger chunks somehow blended together so that I would reach the end of a day and not be able to account for, say, the entire afternoon. What was I doing? Who knows. Often, I was watching TV. And not Netflix or Hulu. The key to quarantine, I know now, is distraction, and I can’t think of anything more mindnumbing than flipping through the channels on cable TV. At some point, even deciding on a show began to feel intentional, and I embraced the pure mindlessness of channel surfing. Some show recommendations: “90 Day Fiancé.” This gem, which can be found on TLC (I think?) and discovery+, helped me kill an entire evening. Apparently, the original
Thus comes the message that might be the most important in the film (amidst many great ones), that college choices should be made independently of anyone else but the one choosing. Peter’s character loses points in my opinion for not being more accepting of his girlfriend’s self discovery, and it pained me to watch when he expressed that Lara Jean didn’t love him enough to try and transfer to Stanford after she got rejected. And add in the fact this was expressed right after Lara Jean was prepared to sleep with him to feel closer to him because she knew he was drifting away — yikes! The casting lived up to expectations since viewers have seen most of the actors and actresses in these roles before. Lana Condor portrays the ever graceful and sensitive Lara Jean. Noah Centineo delivers an adorable and sometimes annoying jock of a boyfriend. Anna Cathcart captures Kitty’s coming of age with skill, bringing out the mischievous little sister and balancing her with the blossoming young woman who will miss her sister and has, as her dad says in the movie, “discovered boys, God help him.” John Corbett is my favorite as Dr. Covey; he just knows how to add that touch of dad magic to any character. Henry Thomas was well cast as Peter’s dad because we pity him and he seems earnest in trying to come back into Peter’s
life. As for the closure mentioned earlier, certain tiny touches in the film bring it full circle. Kitty’s placement to be “in charge” of Lara Jean’s college acceptances is reminiscent of her sending out the original five love letters in the first film. Jenny Han, the author of the books, making another cameo in a flashback scene solidifies the nod to her as creator of this franchise. The final line as Lara Jean and Peter begin the next chapters of their lives brings the entire story home and reminds how this all started.
show was successful enough to spawn an entire 90 Day extended universe (think Marvel, but with more green card marriages), so I got to watch lots of young Eastern European women struggle to communicate with their off-putting, slightly creepy American knights in armor. Another quarantine favorite of mine: “Just My Luck.” This Lindsay Lohan movie is a perfect time capsule of the early 2000s, featuring a truly terrible British pop-punk band, young Chris Pine (!!), a baffling premise about good fortune that is, for some reason, transferable only through kisses, and a scene in which Lohan proves unable to use a washing machine. The worldbuilding in this movie is truly unprecedented; watch and have your mind blown. Whoever may heed my TV advice should be warned that the commercials are positively infuriating. Either commercial breaks have gotten longer since I stopped watching cable/network TV or the stations have been giving away extra ad time during the 12:00-2:30 a.m. time slot, because there were times when the series of ads were so lengthy that I actually forgot what I was watching. An hour into my “90 Day Fiancé binge,” for instance, I mistook a minutes-long “Fixer Upper” commercial for the beginning of an episode and was surprised to see “no neck Ed” (90 Day icon) reappear on screen a few minutes later. At a particularly low moment, the mere sound of a commercial for people with “moderate to severe plaque psoriasis” that had already been played at least ten times had me yelling at the TV screen. But I swear, I didn’t go crazy — unless you count jogging in place for hours at a time as a sign of insanity. You see, I have a slightly neurotic workout schedule to begin with: I run seven miles each day for a total of about 50 per week, and I don’t take days off unless I am physically incapacitated.
The prospect of five to seven days without a run was, obviously, less than thrilling. So I spent about an hour and a half every afternoon jogging around my hotel room, doing jumping jacks and watching German aerobic workout videos. Boxing tutorial and German language immersion? Don’t let anyone tell you that quarantine can’t be a time for self-improvement! If I had been stuck in the Hampton Inn for any longer, I think I would literally have turned into a tortilla chip (you are what you eat and all that). When I panic-ordered a week’s worth of snacks through InstaCart after my first regrettable boxed dining hall dinner, I thought it would be a good idea to purchase not one but two family sized bags of Tostitos— one Cantina style and one Hint of Lime, mind you, I’m not an animal. The chips disappeared at a rate inversely proportional to my fear of testing positive on day four or day seven; if you’re wondering whether I ever paced around my room, stuffing fried corn down my gullet with such ferocity that the sharp edges of the chips left cuts on the corners of my mouth, the answer is, unfortunately, yes. I did do that. But you can’t blame me, really. Quarantine will do that to you. I wish I could tell you more about how I spent my time in “the q,” but the truth is, there just isn’t all that much to tell. On my first afternoon at the Hampton, I made a list of all the things I wanted to get done while in isolation: applying to internships, planning my thesis, reading “Mrs. Dalloway.” Obviously, I did none of that. But at least I learned about the 90 Day extended universe, developed an addiction to tortilla chips and learned how to box in German.
Contact Dessi Gomez dgomez5@nd.edu
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: Always and Forever” Starring: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo Director: Michael Fimognari Genre: Romantic comedy If you like: “The Kissing Booth”
Contact Nia Sylva at asylva@nd.edu LIYA BLITZER | The Observer
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The observer | monday, February 15, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Good jeans, better genes Sara Schlecht Assistant Managing Editor
Shortly before I left for my first year at Saint Mar y’s, I came across a box of my mother’s papers and photos from her college days. In it I found a transcript from her first semester at Saint Mar y’s, old photos of her friends and siblings w ith hairst yles they’ve long since changed and a faded clipping from The Obser ver. Under the headline “Fashion at Notre Dame,” she leaned against a lamppost w ith a w ide smile and a fantastic pair of jeans. Shortly after wards, I bought my first pair of w ideleg jeans. My mom rolled her eyes at me and said, “I had those same jeans I was in college.” Those words marked a significant realization for me — my mom was much cooler than I prev iously knew. Since then, I’ve taken the words “That’s something I would have worn when I was your age” as the highest form of compliment. As the end of my time at The Obser ver draws near, I often find myself thinking of what the paper has given me — some of my best friends, wonderful memories and one of my favorite pictures of my mom. Last week, I took the time to search The Obser ver’s online archives so I could see that picture again. W hen I found it, it was even better than I remembered. She looked so young and carefree, and that laughing smile hasn’t changed over the past 40 years. I sent it to her, and she replied, “Oh dear God” — her token response any time I come across a picture of her while she was in college. (If you’re reading this and know my mom, ask her about the picture of her and her t wo roommates in the 1977 yearbook). I’d never seriously considered Saint Mar y’s for myself until I made the v isit all alumna daughters, nieces, granddaughters, etc. feel obligated to undertake. I was a senior in high school, I was conv inced I had the f lu during the trip and the bus ride from Midway Airport to South Bend felt endless. I didn’t want to be here. But the way my mom’s face lit up for the entiret y of our days on campus stuck w ith me, forcing me to keep an open mind as I sat in on classes and talked to students. They looked as happy to be here as my mom did, and I wondered if that could be possible for me too. My mom’s birthday fell on the weekend we were here, so I tried to limit my complaining about how miserable I felt. That was four years ago this week. Some things have changed a lot since then. For one, I wouldn’t dare leave my room if I felt even the slightest bit under the weather. I now understand why my mom and those students looked so happy to be at Saint Mar y’s. I also wouldn’t wear skinny jeans if I had a w ide leg pair nearby. One thing that absolutely hasn’t changed is this fact: My mom is way cooler than I’ll ever be. A ll of this to say, happy birthday, Mom. Please let me know what you think of my latest denim purchase. You can contact Sara at sschlecht01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All hope is not lost Trevor Lwere On The Other Hand
It has been more than one year since COV ID-19 beset us. Indeed, on its own, the pandemic would have been enough to make the past one year memorable. Yet, the oddity continues to unfold in what will probably go down as one of, if not the most challenging year — and certainly the most unusual year— of our lifetimes. From the summer of protests to the specter of a besieged Capitol Hill. And whereas these events have inspired rare human solidarity at local, national and international levels, the experience has also had the effect of dampening hope for change, especially for young people all around the world. Youth have two historic societal roles. First is to act as a mirror for society, bringing into clear focus the contradictions in society. Second is to be the motivating force for progress in society, working towards the resolution of the contradictions in society. In sum, the role of subsequent generations of youth is to improve society. Yet, what we are experiencing seems to be stretching our capacity to play this crucial role in society. For some, it has and continues to be an overwhelming experience; for others, an ex hausting one. Indeed, many young people have resigned themselves to complacency and apathy, while other have altogether abandoned any hope for a radically different world. Yet, that is just one possible way of reading the situation. Yet, whereas all the doom and gloom can be overwhelming, to resign ourselves to sheer desperation and hopelessness, to leave the world to the devices of those most interested in maintaining the status quo, is to abandon our historic role of being both the mirror and the motivating force for progress in society. On the contrar y, rather than dampening our hopes and ambition for a radically different world, I would like to suggest that this experience should instead embolden our resolve. The challenges we face, while numerous, are not insurmountable. In fact, they should serve to us as a lesson about the true nature of change — a slow, painstaking, zig-zag process. Indeed, this experience has been a rude awakening of sorts: a realization that the wheels of progress do not move at a rate proportional to the intensity of our passion. That whereas most of us genuinely would like to see society cured of all its ills and to see ever y human being living the best possible life, the system, an abstract creature that can also be understood as the vanguard of the status quo, doesn’t appear to be ready and willing to cede ground to our ambition and aspirations. But we should not despair; all hope is not lost. From this we ought to pick two important lessons for our change-seeking efforts. First, that to change the world, we must engage it on its terms and not on our terms. This lesson
is a powerful one as it helps to temper our youthful idealism and zeal by awakening us with the concrete reality on the ground that is quite different from how we imagine things in our heads. In other words, we ought to realize that the world will not conform itself to our ideas; we must conform ourselves to its ideas to be able to push towards the ideal. To be clear, conforming to the ideas of the world does not mean selling out or giving in to the status quo. Rather, it means acknowledging the nature and reality of what we are up against and strategizing accordingly. The second lesson is for us to clearly define what our mission as a generation is. Franz Fanon famously said that “each generation out of relative obscurity must discover its mission and choose to betray it or fulfill it.” Fanon invites us to acknowledge that whereas we may not be able to heal the world of all its wounds, we ought to identif y what is possible to heal within our lifetime. That is, whereas ever ything seems to be broken and requires our attention, we cannot possibly bring out a whole new world, in absolute terms, in just one lifetime. In other words, we must establish what our role is in the grander scheme of the world, given the present circumstances of the world, the nature of the challenges we encounter and the capacity that the tools available to us can afford us. This lesson is ver y important for us if we are to avoid the hopelessness and desperation that that happenings of this past one year have occasioned on our mojo to work towards a better world. Together, these lessons do not imply that we ought to abandon our passion and aspiration for change. Far from it, they encourage us to maintain our energ y and zeal for a radically different world but channel that strategically to avoid the disappointment that comes with undefined goals. We must be strategic and realistic about what is feasible within our circumstances and focus on that. Thus, in the midst of all that is happening around us, as a generation we must step up and define our mission. Then, with a clear definition and understanding of our historic mission as a generation, we must make the decision of either fulfilling or betraying that mission. We cannot afford to abandon our role in society however over whelmed we maybe. If we resign ourselves to desperation and hopelessness, the world will not be better for it. If we commit ourselves to the accomplishment of our historic mission, we may not see a new world in our lifetimes, but we shall certainly hand down a different, and hopefully better, world to our children. Trevor Lwere is a junior at Notre Dame majoring in economics, with a PPE minor. He hails from Kampala, Uganda and lives off campus. He is a dee-jay in his other life and can be reached at tlwere@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
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The observer | monday, February 15, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Seven things I’m doing to make remote work more bearable 1. Waking up and going to sleep at consistent times.
Renee Yaseen Renaissance
I considered titling this piece “How to send emails to people you barely know without fear” but to do so would have been to ignore all the other “fun” challenges that come with working remotely. W hether you’re taking all your classes online, or maybe just one or two, there’s much to learn about remote work. W hen done right, it can be enjoyable and efficient. But we’ve all learned by now that remote work done wrong can leave you behind in your classes, stressed, sleep-deprived, and unhappy. During my gap semester, I worked long hours, online. I socialized online. I perused my creepily accurate targeted Facebook advertisements, online. Some days were wonderful—the world opened up to me, I could jump from Zoom room to Zoom room, chatting with friends, colleagues, and mentors from across the world. I was productive and comfy-cozy with a blanket on my lap. But some days, I became a Zoom-bie: eyes glazed over, head aching, blue-light glasses just not strong enough to do battle with my increased demand for online work. I don’t want this second thing to happen to you (or me) this semester. Over time I learned how to minimize those off days. I took a little time to gather questions my peers had about remote work. Emails were a recurring point of concern. But so were virtual professional networking and wellbeing. I am by no means an expert, but here are some things I’m personally doing this semester to make my online life a little easier. They may or may not work for you, but I am including them as gentle suggestions to try. Also remember: anything worth doing is worth doing poorly — so if you happen to falter in your adherence to any rule you set for yourself, forgive yourself with the kindness you’d afford to your best friend or closest loved one.
It’s hard for me to focus during long lectures in person, let a lone over Zoom, so I’ve set myself a strict bedtime and wa ke up time to get a leg up on my ow n distractibilit y.
2. Take one day away from screens each week (or as away as you can get). This isn’t a lways possible for me, so I adapt it: on t he weekend, I tr y to ta ke at least an entire ha lf-day off of work on my computer. If I can’t do t hat, t hen I set a “no-dev ice” timer in bet ween classes or go for a long wa lk in t he middle of t he day. Ta k ing a minute to scroll t hrough Instagram in bet ween meetings isn’t rea lly a brea k.
3. I’m not going to sweat sending emails anymore. The best adv ice I’ve gotten is to imagine myself as the recipient of any email I send. Be professional and kind, but know that no one is reading your emails w ith the scrutiny that you do. Honestly. By the time your words are converted into a task in the recipient’s mind, I promise they’ve forgotten the particulars of what you’ve said already (unless you were unexpectedly funny, ridiculously unprofessional, or made a t weetable t y po). Some further notes and comments on the primar y mode of Work From Home Communication:
4. Using fewer words makes your email faster to read. Emails that are faster to read get responded to faster.
5. If you’re trying to build your network, try to suggest times for a Zoom or Skype call within your first (short) email to someone new. Setting up a call should often be the goal of a cold email to someone you’d like to connect with professionally as a mentor, colleague, or potential employer. Calling or meeting is where you can make a kind, friendly and competent first impression.
6. I go for a walk almost every day. For me, spending time outdoors by myself (whether it’s in the snow or the sunshine) is essential to each day. If you ever see a bundled-up, marshmallow-looking girl in a hat, scarf, gloves, and puff y coat, trudging through the snow w ith a smile on her face, that’s me taking some time to be alone w ith myself and think. I’ve found that I can’t process my days fully w ithout time away from people, tasks, and screens. If you’ve made it this far, put dow n this article and plan your next walk.
7. Start homework assignments early. Will I actually do this? Only time w ill tell, but now the tri-campus communit y knows I’m tr y ing.
8. Frequent snacks. Water bottle. Enough said. 9. Treat yourself to the beauty of online activities while it lasts. There has never been a time when we’ve had so much access to v irtual workshops, lectures, group classes, and ex hibits. I’ve been going to v irtual lectures and seminars w ith speakers and friends I’d have to travel across the countr y to see if we weren’t in a pandemic. Obv iously what you go to depends on your interests, but a quick Google search of v irtual events about whatever you’re interested in—philosophy, knitting, poetr y, politics, technolog y—can give you something cool, v irtual and purely for your enjoy ment to look for ward to during your week. You can meet new people, learn new things, and travel around the world w ithout leav ing your desk. Renee Yaseen is a junior who majors in economics with minors in theology and the philosophy, politics, & economics (PPE) program. In her free time, she writes poems, hangs out with loved ones, and works on her software startup. She can be reached via the chat on a shared Google Doc at 3 a.m., on Twitter @ReneeYaseen or by email at ryaseen@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Stop hating on Zoom To my classmates, I first used Zoom for my Business Tech and Analy tics course in the fall of 2019. Much of the time in class was spent follow ing the professor’s instructions on working w ith Excel, and he’d have his computer display projected as a guide for students. Hav ing a v isual impairment, I’m unable to clearly see any thing that’s projected or w ritten on a chalkboard in a classroom. W hile screen sharing technolog y was not new at that time, I had never heard of Zoom, but I soon found how useful it was for my abilit y to follow along in class. In the past, I’ve been in similar situations w ithout the knowledge of this kind of tech and I would resort to follow ing along w ith oral instructions as best I could, usually getting lost and not hav ing a fair chance to learn the material. Instead of hav ing this class’s time wasted, I would launch Zoom on my iPad and place it next to my computer so I could follow the lesson just like the rest of the students. One pandemic later, and we’ve become wellacquainted w ith this platform. From poor internet connections, eye strain from staring at our screens, students not know ing how to mute themselves and the notorious out-of-sy nc
discussions, Zoom has become an essential yet frustrating part of our lives as we rely on remote work and learning. Personally, I constantly dread the idea of starting to speak only to do so as someone else does the same, so I tr y not to talk until absolutely necessar y (even if it means receiv ing an atrocious participation grade). However, simply focusing on its shortcomings does not do it justice. Despite our educational experience being significantly altered, Zoom has allowed us to further enjoy the priv ilege that is receiv ing an education, and it’s helped us stay connected w ith our friends and classmates during times of isolation. Beyond this, it’s allowed me to be more engaged in classes, as it has prov ided me the chance to follow along w ith lessons in ways I prev iously could not. Gone are the days where I sit through chalkboard lectures, unable to follow along w ith much of it, and am only told to request a notetaker. Now, lessons are brought to my laptop where I can enlarge the screen and actually learn the material as it’s being taught. Aside from helping to accommodate my ow n learning, Zoom prov ides many more benefits. Physical location is no longer an excuse nor a
barrier to accessing a variet y of ser v ices and resources. Learning does not have to be halted if we can’t make it to class, as we can simply log on from wherever we may be. Hav ing the abilit y to adjust a variet y of settings ensures we can adequately see and hear, or we can follow along w ith a lecture w ithout feeling an x ious about or distracted by a lecture hall full of hundreds of students. We also know that attending office hours, preparing for club events and other kinds of meetings can easily be done remotely, sav ing us time and transportation costs. Even when we phase out of the pandemic and return to only in-person classes, I plan to continue using Zoom. Upon explaining my condition to instructors in the future, I imagine how easy it w ill be to ask them to open Zoom and share their screens while teaching. By then, using Zoom w ill seem routine and familiar to all of us, but I w ill forever be thankful for what it has enabled me to do. Signing off, Josh King junior Feb. 1
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DAILY
The observer | MONDAY, February 15, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | WILl shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: An aggressive approach to using your skills to advance will pay off. Refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans. Your conviction and discipline will be difficult to match when competing with anyone you come up against this year. The power of positive thought will help you persuade others to see things your way and to help you achieve your goal. Your numbers are 3, 16, 20, 29, 33, 37, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t try to get by on hearsay, or you will end up making a costly mistake. Once you verify information, you’ll recognize what’s available and how you can make the most of an opportunity. Romance is favored. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Evaluate your position and relationships with others. Getting along with the people you live with can be difficult if stubbornness prevails. Put the past behind you, and do your best to make amends. Make the first move, and show appreciation. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Put your best foot forward, and make a difference. Volunteer and make someone’s day, or offer praise or compliments to someone you love. Your attitude will be infectious and attract the attention of someone you love. Romance is on the rise. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Savor the moment, and don’t be afraid to take a unique approach to life, love and your search for happiness. You don’t have to spend money to impress someone; speak from your heart and share your feelings and intentions. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Stop struggling. You either feel for someone or something or you don’t. Make a decision, and do whatever you need to do. Take advantage of an opportunity to do what makes you happy. Stop dreaming and start doing. Romance is encouraged. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A change of scenery or plans will lift your spirits. It’s time to try to use your imagination and try something new. You don’t have to break the bank or do something indulgent to have fun. Be yourself; live in the moment. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You need to do something engaging. Start a conversation with someone you love, and a plan you both can look forward to will unfold. An improvement in the way you look and feel will boost your confidence. Romance is favored. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Listen to complaints, and make suggestions that will improve your situation at home or help someone you care about move along. Change is necessary if you want to reach your destination of choice. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t be fooled by what someone does or says. Stick to what you know, and you’ll overcome any hurdle you face. Nurture a meaningful relationship, and refuse to let anyone come between you and someone you love. Truth and dedication matter. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Remembering the past will spare you from making the same mistake twice. Make a point to recognize what someone does for you, and respond with something that shows your gratitude. Put your differences aside, and dwell on what you share. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’ll make it difficult for anyone to outmaneuver you. High energy well spent will lead to your continued success. Don’t waste time battling when hard work and good results will win the fight. Celebrate your victory with someone you love. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Push for what you want. Don’t let what others do or say make you retreat. A confident, informative approach will make what you want clear to anyone who tries to challenge you. Use your imagination and persistence, and you’ll thrive. Birthday Baby: You are judicious, intense and compelling. You are complex and challenging.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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M Bball Continued from page 12
minutes. For a team that usually relies heavily on its long-range shooting, Djogo said it was especially satisfying for the Irish to win without putting together a rampant offensive display. “I mean, things are great when everyone’s knocking shots down,” Djogo said. “But great teams find ways to win even when they’re struggling offensively. I think we did that. And it was a big step for us, because every game counts at this point in the season.” Both teams struggled offensively before Djogo entered the game just before the under-16 timeout after graduate student forward Juwan Durham picked up two quick fouls. Djogo hit a three on his first trip down the floor to put the Irish up 7-3, but the ’Canes quickly surged back. Despite Miami’s team-wide 29% from the three-point line entering the game, sophomore guard Isaiah Wong hit back-to-back threes to give Miami an early 11-10 lead and keep the Irish honest on defense. Wong would be held to just below his season-average after finishing with a team-high 17 points. There was a scary moment for the Irish just before the first media timeout when Ryan went down holding his leg and slapping the floor after trying to fight through a screen. He left the game but would return with just over 10 minutes to play in the first half. Brey admitted he was initially worried about losing a key starter during this critical juncture of the season. “The way went down, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s going to be two weeks,’” Brey said. “But he played through it, he came back.” Miami led by as many as five as Notre Dame struggled to find its rhythm, but the lead could have been more if the Hurricanes were not as wasteful at the charity stripe. Miami only made one of its first seven free throws and ended up shooting 36% in the first half and 57% for the game from the line. Junior guard Dane Goodwin gave the Irish some momentum heading into the undereight timeout with a deep three to cut the ’Canes lead to two. Fellow junior guard Trey Wertz capped the 7-0 run with a floater for his first points of the evening to put Notre Dame up 27-25. Both finished with nine points. Miami briefly took the lead after Wong got loose for a layup and added his third and final three of the evening, but the Irish held the Hurricanes to 2-19 from the field to finish the half and managed to enter the locker room with the game tied 31-31. Notre Dame had allowed 80 or more points in its last two
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, February 15, 2021 | The Observer
games, but Brey was proud his team was able to rely on their defense Sunday. “[I] said [during] one of the timeouts with four, five minutes left [in the game], ‘I could care less [about] what happens on offense,’” Brey said. “‘Can we defend to win the game [and] see if we can really guard, and I thought we did.’” His team came out of halftime energized and jumped to a 40-34 lead after a dunk by Durham off a pass from Laszewski sparked a 6-0 run. After losing the battle on the offensive glass 10-6 in the first 20 minutes, Notre Dame grabbed the first four offensive rebounds of the second half. The Irish pushed the lead to seven, but a three pointer from Miami senior guard Elijah Olaniyi with 6:44 to go capped a 11-4 run that put the ’Canes up 54-52. Less than a minute before, Ryan had been called for a flagrant foul on Miami redshirt senior guard Kameron McGusty for his attempt to prevent McGusty from scoring an easy two after picking Ryan’s pocket in the open court. McGusty was a nuisance on defense for Notre Dame all night, finishing with three steals to go along with his 12 points. After being held in check for most of the night, however, one of the most offensively efficient players in the country finally made his mark. Laszewski, who entered the game leading the nation with an effective field goal percentage of .755, scored the game’s next seven points to put the Irish up 59-54 with just over four minutes left. The Jupiter, Florida native finished with 14 points. Wertz hit a three that stretched the lead to 64-56 with just over two minutes to go, and Goodwin’s team-high third three of the night with 50 seconds left proved to be the final dagger as the Irish made their final five field goals en route to a 10-point victory. With the win, the Irish sweep the season series vs. the ’Canes after prevailing 73-59 in Coral Gables in late January. Miami has now only won one of their last six games following an impressive midJanuary victory over then-No. 16 Louisville. If Notre Dame hopes to become a .500 team and perhaps spark discussion of a late challenge for an NCAA Tournament bid in this COVID-19-affected season, it will likely face a stiffer test from Clemson (135, 7-4 ACC) Wednesday, who currently sits fifth in the conference. Sunday’s win and the upcoming matchup against the Tigers will be the first set of back-to-back home games the Irish have played all season. Tip-off Wednesday is scheduled for 7 p.m. Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu
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Sports Authority
Zwiller’s guide to NFL QB market: AFC edition Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer
AFC East Bills: Josh Allen played lightsout this year, particularly against the blitz. I think the Bills need to focus on getting a running back to help balance the offense, since the Bills ranked in the bottom half for rushing yards. Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa didn’t look like Justin Herbert, but few rookies do. As a rookie, Tagovailoa had a better season than Peyton Manning did, and Manning was just inducted into the Hall of Fame. Get Tagovailoa dynamic wide receiver in DeVonta Smith with the third pick and give him time to develop into the franchise QB you thought he was when you drafted him. Patriots: I like the idea of keeping Cam Newton, developing him, and turning him into a Taysom Hill of sorts. He isn’t the QB of the future, however. My crazy prediction would be that the 49ers get Deshaun Watson and cut Jimmy Garoppolo, allowing him to go back to New England. Jets: There have been rumors the Jets are trying to trade Sam Darnold, which I agree with: New coach, let him pick his new QB. I think they should make a move for Justin Fields with that No. 2 pick they have, and then at No. 25, draft a WR to help out Fields, say maybe fellow Buckeye Chris Olave?
AFC North Steelers: When the Steelers lost to the Browns in the Wildcard Round, Ben Roethlisberger threw 68 attempts, had 47 completions, 500 yards, four TDs, and… four interceptions. Big Ben is more of a liability than anything. He’s also going to be a $41 million cap hit, and with a shrinking cap, that’s going to be a major problem. Restructure the deal, have Haskins waiting in the wings and draft a good RB! Ravens: I think Lamar Jackson took a step back this year — that is a fact. But I think that Lamar isn’t the one to blame. This season, the Ravens saw an increase in the number of times Lamar was forced to scramble, but he
was noticeably less efficient while doing so. The run game, while being a key component of the Ravens offense, can’t be the only component. Browns: According to Spotrac. com, Baker Mayfield has a market value equal to an extension worth $140 million over the course of four years. With Baker locked and trending up I think the Browns need to draft on the other side of the ball, mainly in the secondary. Bengals: Joe Burrow is the future of the Bengals, there is no question about that. But he needs help if he is to continue to have a bright future. His tear in his ACL and MCL was, while sad, not unforeseeable. The Bengals allowed Burrow to be sacked 32 times in only 10 games, and he was pressured 24% of the time. Get an OT, and then a WR.
AFC South Titans: The Titans looked great on offense, thanks to King Henry. I don’t think that the answer is better WR, nor do I think the Titans need to ditch Ryan Tannehill. The passing offense isn’t elite by any means but that is largely due to the number of attempts Derrick Henry gets. I would spend picks on defensive positions, and spend a secondor third- round pick on an OG. Colts: The Colts have been involved in a lot of trade rumors for Carson Wentz, due to the Frank Reich connection (he was the OC when Philly won the Super Bowl with Wentz and Foles). I personally don’t think Wentz is worth whatever the Colts would have to give to get him. He does have upside; the Colts are merely a QB away from being in contention a vastly different situation from the Eagles. Texans: The Texans have isolated Deshaun Watson to the point of no return. They simply need to trade him before the draft and get a haul better than the one the Lions got for Stafford. Personally, I think the Texans should send him to Miami; it’s a team with four first-round picks over the next two years and a defense that is ready now. Since Deshaun has the no-trade clause, it makes sense that you send him to a place that he can turn into a winner.
Jaguars: Draft Trevor Lawrence, even the Jaguars can’t mess this up. After that, I would draft a lineman so you can begin to protect him, and also help James Robinson continue to develop into a top-tier running back.
AFC West Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes is now coming off the worst loss of his professional career, largely because he didn’t have a good offensive line (due to injury). While I think they should draft an LB to help out that unit, they should also try and get an OG to help protect Mahomes. I would prefer to see them drafted as opposed to being traded for or picked up in free agency, as Mahomes’ contract jumps from $5.3 million to $24.8 million. Raiders: If I were the Raiders, I would keep the offense more or less the same. Derek Carr improved this season and the offense seemed to run a little smoother thanks to the weapons he has in Josh Jacobs and Henry Ruggs III. That’s why I think the Raiders need to draft some defensive linemen to help a fairly bad defense. But Todd McShay has them drafting Jaylen Waddle, which I think would take this offense to the next level. Chargers: Justin Herbert exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations this year and looks like the quarterback of the future for the Chargers. The Chargers need to get him help, but not at the skill position, rather in the trenches. Herbert was pressured on 30% of his dropbacks, so he could use a new OT or OG. Broncos: I would honestly be worried by Drew Lock. He only played five games last year and had decent numbers, but his accuracy, adjusted yards per attempt, and QB rating all declined this season. He’s still a cheap, young QB, so he’ll be back next year, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Broncos moved on from him in a year or two if there isn’t a drastic improvement. Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Oh / You’re doing it wrong, dissecting the bird / Trying to find the song / It’s a miracle that you’re here at all / Hey, eh So when the candle flickers, when the days get dark / They call them first world problems but they still break your heart
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The observer | MONDAY, February 15, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Hockey Continued from page 12
off of a power play and holding the Irish off on multiple power plays in the game, including a five-minute major. Head coach Jeff Jackson discussed the solid play of the Gophers, who were swept in ugly fashion last weekend against Wisconsin. “They played very well. They looked like a team that got swept last weekend, and we looked like a team that won big last weekend,” Jackson said. “They’re too good of a team to turn pucks over on. I thought we did a very poor job of managing the puck through the neutral zone, and it led to us turning pucks over and us chasing a lot more than we would prefer to.” The play of senior goaltender Dylan St. Cyr was great for the Irish on Friday night, and the score probably would have been much worse if it weren’t for a few big saves from him. Jackson discussed how St. Cyr gave his team a chance to win. St. Cyr saved multiple one-on-one breakaway chances that the Gophers had. “I can’t put any blame on Dylan for either one of the goals. He gave us an opportunity to win that game, and we just didn’t have enough sustained offense to generate a goal,” Jackson said. The Gophers’ first goal of the game came just over 10 minutes into the first period after the Irish turned the puck over in their own zone, leading to an easy finish for the Gophers. St. Cyr and the Irish were able to hold off the Gophers until just four and a half minutes to go in the game when the Gophers scored off of a def lection. The Gophers were then able to add a late empty net goal to secure the 3-0 victory. Jackson felt that the second goal for the Gophers was inevitable with the way his team was playing. “We were stuck in the defensive zone for too long and generally when that happens, you are going to break down,” he said. “We had a tired line out there, and they had a fresh line changed in, and they were in the offensive zone, and we eventually broke down.” The offense for the Irish was also a huge issue Friday night, with the Irish unable to convert on the three power plays that they had, which included a five-minute power play off of a Gopher major penalty. Jackson was aware that his team needed to play much better on Saturday to have a chance to win. “We have to play better. They’re a good hockey team.
There was a reason they were in first place [in the Big Ten and the country] for so long,” he said. In the first period on Saturday night, the Irish played much better, controlling the game throughout the majority of the period. Unfortunately for the home team, though, they had nothing to show for it despite outshooting Minnesota 15-7 in the first period. From the second period and on, it was all Gophers. Early in the second period, Irish sophomore goaltender Ryan Bischel turned the puck over, and after a few quick passes, the Gophers converted an easy goal to take an early 1-0 lead. Things only got worse for the Irish from there. Only minutes later, the Gophers were able to keep the pressure on the Irish and slip another shot past Bischel to take a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. A couple of minutes later, junior forward Graham Slaggert of the Irish was called for hooking, putting the Gophers on the power play with just over eight minutes to go in the second period. It appeared Minnesota had scored once again, but after a lengthy review, the Gophers were called offside, keeping the score at 2-0. Notre Dame had a couple of good looks late in the second period and into the third period, but the Minnesota offense was too much for the Irish, as Sampo Ranta sealed the 3-0 win for the Gophers with five minutes remaining off of a one-timer shot from a centering pass. The Irish finished the series 0-for-5 on the power play. Before this weekend’s series, the Irish had only been held scoreless in one other game
Nathanial george | The Observer
Irish junior defenseman Spencer Stastney fights for the puck during Notre Dame’s 2-1 loss to Minnesota on Feb. 15, 2020. After the pair of losses this weekend, Notre Dame will face No. 6/7 Wisconsin next weekend.
this season — the season opener against Wisconsin. With the weekend’s results, the Irish fall to fourth place in the Big Ten with 27 points through eighteen conference games. The Gophers climbed to the top of the league with 39 points. The Irish will be back in action next weekend in Madison against seventh-ranked Wisconsin. On Friday, the puck is scheduled to drop at 8 p.m., and Saturday’s game begins at 5 p.m. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu Paid Advertisement
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Adams Continued from page 12
dad a lot in this, and the way we joke about this play (much like Pflueger’s) gives it a lot of weight. After all, Notre Dame was in the game formerly known as the Camping World Bowl (now the Cheez-it Bowl) against a 7-5 Big 12 team. I love Tony Jones Jr. He was kind enough to redo an interview with me for our Irish Insider after I accidentally failed to record the first one — and he even joked that he was pretty sure it wasn’t recording but didn’t want to say anything. That said, no team should ever let Tony Jones Jr. run the stretch on them for 84 yards. Go watch the play. I’m pretty sure that he ran out of gas at the 20-yard line and threw a stiff arm in order to let the defender push him the rest of the way to the endzone. It was absolutely magnificent.
8. Kyle Hamilton’s pick-6 vs. New Mexico (Sept. 14, 2019) Speaking of magnificent, even Disney couldn’t have scripted it better than this. I haven’t watched that new “Rudy” rip-off about a Clemson safety on Disney+, but I’m sure it pales in comparison to not just “Rudy,” but K-Ham’s picksix on his first ever play from scrimmage as a true freshman in Notre Dame Stadium. Again, my dad makes an appearance as I remember him
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, February 15, 2021 | The Observer
coming out of the tunnel from a trip to the concession stand (because my parents came to visit that weekend so I sat with him at the game) right as Hamilton snagged the Daelin Hayes-deflected pass and took it to the house to open the scoring at Notre Dame Stadium in 2019. Given all the hype we had heard about Hamilton after 18 intercepted passes in fall camp, it seemed a fitting moment (and the one where my dad was full steam ahead on the Hamilton bandwagon).
7. Laying the beatdown on USC (Oct. 21, 2017) Who doesn’t love it when your team absolutely DESTROYS their archrival? I mean, Sam Darnold bobbled the snap on the very first play and Te’Von Coney ripped it away. From there it was Brandon Wimbush making the Trojans look silly with touchdown passes to Equanimeous St. Brown and Kevin Stepherson or on majestic runs. From there, the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line that featured Mike McGlinchey and Quentin Nelson helped Josh Adams find paydirt a few times for good measure.
head coach Brey took his shirt off and draped a lei around his neck in the locker room. It was the last time the Irish defeated a ranked team and the victory shot them up to No. 5 in the AP Poll, but after that it was all downhill as Bonzie Colson broke his foot the next game against Michigan State. Still, my dad and I hold onto that moment as the one where we fell in love with Brey as a head coach.
5. Muffet McGraw dancing a jig (Apr. 6, 2019) On a personal note, Muffet McGraw is one of the most intimidating people I have ever met. To stand in a huddle around her on the Purcell Pavilion court with other media members during a pre-practice press conference was a trying experience for me. That was juxtaposed after she danced a bit of an Irish jig on national television following a come-from-behind win over archrival UConn in the 2019 Final Four. I remember our women’s basketball beat group chat referring to her as the royalty that she was then and remains now.
6. Maui Brey (Nov. 22, 2017)
4. Jake Evans nutmegs two Wolverines in the Frozen Four (Apr. 6, 2018)
’Nuff said? If not, just know that back when Notre Dame men’s basketball wasn’t perpetually underwhelming, they managed to beat Wichita State (in thrilling comeback fashion) in the 2017 Maui Invitational Championship, and afterwards
Much like No. 7, you love to see your team — and I can say they were my team because the USC game and this one happened before I joined The Observer and became an objective journalist — beat an archrival on the biggest of stages.
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With time running down in regulation, Notre Dame got a breakaway and captain Jake Evans simply overpowered his defender as he netted a shot to send the Irish to the national championship, then did the “Touchdown Jesus” celebration back to the bench. Still gives me chills (no pun intended).
3. “Happy New Year, Irish!” (Jan. 1, 2018) Oh, the glorious sound bites I’ve heard in the last four years. This one’s up there from the moment Ian Book became a household name among Notre Dame fans with a fourth-quarter, comeback-sealing touchdown pass to Miles Boykin in the 2018 Citrus Bowl. A lot of the credit goes to Boykin for reeling the ball in and then making two LSU defenders miss, but the real piece de resistance for me is my dad blaspheming like I’d never heard before as he was in absolute disbelief over the play actually happening. Like I said, glorious.
2. Daelin Hayes’ 2nddown, 2nd overtime sack of D.J. Uiagalelei (Nov. 7, 2020) Go watch the replay of this (if you can’t already perfectly envision it because you’ve watched the highlights 10,000 times like me). Daelin Hayes, a defensive end, was lined up inside on this play. Gotta love the versatility of a 6-foot-3, 258-pound dude on the D-line. There are so many moments from the Nov. 7 Notre Dame win over then-No. 1 Clemson, but this one stands out to me because it was where everyone in the entire stadium was ready to jump over the walls and storm the fields because we, much like the Irish defense, smelled blood in the water. Even more chills thinking about it.
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1. Ice Twice (Mar. 30, 2018; Apr. 1, 2018) I put these two moments together because, to be honest, they kind of happened in a blur for me, but they would both be No. 1 worthy if not for the second one happening one game later than the first. I was actually in New York over Easter Weekend when these games happened. I walked into my hotel room right as Arike Ogunbowale nailed her go-ahead stepback jumper on UConn in the 2018 Final Four — and right in front of Kobe “Black Mamba” Bryant – to eliminate the Huskies. Then, I was relaxing with my classmate/roommate watching the national championship game, growing ever more interested as Notre Dame stormed back, and we caused a small ruckus when Ogunbowale did it again, hitting the gamewinning fallaway three from the corner. Two of the greatest shots in the history of college basketball, men’s or women’s. Not much else to say. Gosh, this had me feeling sentimental. I really have been privileged to see some beautiful moments here. I guess I can chalk that up to the luck of the Irish. To all the underclassmen reading this, I hope you get to witness your own special moments so that you can have a better list than even this, but beware that it’s a pretty high bar to clear. Maybe if Brian Kelly and co. finally break through in the Playoff you’ll have me beat, and I certainly hope that comes to fruition. Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Observer File Photo
Former Irish guard Arike Ogunbowale, center, celebrates with her teammates after winning the national championship Apr. 1, 2018.
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The observer | MONDAY, February 15, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd men’s basketball | nd 71, miami 61
Notre Dame stays hot, beats Miami at home By GREG McKENNA Sports Writer
It may have been Valentine’s Day, but Notre Dame proved it could win ugly Sunday night at Purcell Pavilion in a 71-61 victory over Miami to pull within a game of .500. Despite shooting only 24% from three, losing the turnover battle 10-5 and being outrebounded on the offensive glass 15-10 by the ’Canes (7-12, 3-11 ACC), the Irish (9-10, 6-7 ACC) grabbed their sixth win in the last eight games with 18 points from graduate student guard Nikola Djogo. “Certainly Nik Djogo was just fabulous,” said Notre Dame men’s basketball head coach Mike Brey postgame. “And he just senses not only today, but all year, ‘What does my team need?’” Djogo has often struggled for minutes during his career in South Bend and has only averaged 4.5 points per game this year. Brey admitted he has not always been certain about Djogo’s role on the team before this season but said the
Hamilton, Ontario, native has been crucial to Notre Dame’s success since fully recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in the season opener. “We weren’t as good as we could have been in December because he got hurt in the Michigan State game,” Brey said. “We were kind of scrambling there getting him back from that ankle [injury]. But now he does a little bit of everything. And again, it starts with his leadership.” Djogo’s offensive contributions were critical against the Hurricanes given the shooting struggles of junior guards Prentiss Hubb and Cormac Ryan. Despite playing all 40 minutes, Hubb finished with just four points and went 0-7 from three. Ryan scored just three points after going 1-6 from beyond the arc. Junior forward Nate Laszewski, who led the Irish with 15.2 points per game entering the contest, would finish the first half with only two points after picking up three fouls in the first 10 see M BBALL PAGE 9
Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish junior guard Trey Wertz drives to the paint during Notre Dame’s 71-61 win over Miami on Sunday at Purcell Pavilion. Wertz scored nine points off the bench during Notre Dame’s sixth win in eight games.
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hockey | minnesota 3, nd 0; minnesota 3, nd 0
Irish held scoreless in sweep by Golden Gophers By NATE MOLLER
Top 10 moments of last 4 years Hayden Adams
Sports Writer
Sports Editor
Although the Irish swept the then top-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers a month ago in Minneapolis, it was the fifth-ranked Gophers (17-5-0, 12-4-0 Big Ten) who came out victorious at Compton Family Ice Arena this weekend. The Gophers played like the better team throughout most of the series and secured dominant wins of 3-0 in both games behind stellar play from goaltender Jack LaFontaine and quality puck possession throughout the series. With the loss, the Irish’s home record now sits at 3-10-1. The Irish (10-11-1, 8-9-1 Big Ten) were outplayed by the Gophers in game one of the series, as they ultimately fell 3-0. Unlike last month’s series in Minneapolis, the Gophers were the better team on special team play, scoring see HOCKEY PAGE 10
Let’s have some fun with this nostalgic piece looking back on my Notre Dame sports experience. Sure, some more moments could occur this spring in the men’s and women’s basketball or hockey realms (or any sport for that matter) that could reshuffle this list, but for now I’m willing to put it in stone. So let’s get to the best of the best of the last four years in Notre Dame Athletics.
10. Rex Pflueger’s Carrier Dome game-winner (Jan. 6, 2018)
Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish freshman forward Landon Slaggert skates down the ice during Notre Dame’s 5-4 win over Arizona State on Jan. 9 at home.
A hundred bucks to anyone who actually remembers this play. No one? Well, that’s to be expected from a throwaway moment in a throwaway game in essentially a throwaway season. This game was after both Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell went out with injury, so Mike Brey’s starting lineup was: T.J. Gibbs, Rex Pflueger, D.J. Harvey,
Austin Torres and Martinas Geben. Gibbs and Pflueger each played all 40 minutes while Elijah Burns, John Mooney and Nik Djogo all logged doubledigit minutes off the bench. The Irish only shot 30.4% from the field and 23.8% from three, while Syracuse shot 39.1% and 44.4%, respectively. The difference? The Irish had as many offensive rebounds as they did defensive: 21. One of those rebounds came as Gibbs missed a contested fastbreak layup and Pflueger put it back in midair with 2.6 seconds left to give Notre Dame the 51-49 win. To this day, my dad and I joke about the “athleticism” Pflueger showed on the play as he barely got off the ground and sort of kicked his legs out as he put it back up and fell to the ground. It holds a special place in my heart.
9. Tony Jones Jr.’s 84-yard rumble vs. Iowa State (Dec. 28, 2019) You’ll find I reference my see ADAMS PAGE 11