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Volume 54, Issue 87 | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Ingal-Galbenski ticket elected After weeks of campaigning, sanctions, third all-women student government ticket wins runoff

By SERENA ZACHARIAS Associate News Editor

The 2020 student government election ended Wednesday night as juniors Rachel Ingal and Sarah Galbenski were elected student body president and vice president, winning the runoff election.

The pair beat out junior Noble Patidar and freshman Connor Patrick — the other ticket to make the runoff.

After failing to win 50% of the votes required to win the primary election, a runoff was required between the Ingal-Galbenski and Patidar-Patrick tickets. With total voter turnout at 38%, IngalGalbenski garnered 62.4% of the vote, while Patidar-Patrick received 37.6%. 259 students voted to abstain.

The race initially began with

six tickets running for president and vice president, respectively — freshmen Henry Bates and Thomas Henry, juniors Michael Dugan and Ricardo Pozas Garza, junior Zachary Mercugliano and freshman Aviva Lund and junior Connor Whittle and sophomore Jack Rotolo — in addition to the Ingal-Galbenski and PatidarPatrick tickets. While the BatesHenry, Dugan-Pozas Garza and Whittle-Rotolo tickets failed to receive enough votes to move on to the runoff, the Mercugliano-Lund ticket was required to forfeit their candidacy.

Editor’s Note: Michael Dugan is a former news writer and systems administrator for The Observer.

This coming term will be the third time an all-female ticket has won student body president and vice president at the University.

Senate rejects club resolution

By ISABELLA VOLMERT News Writer

After last week’s closed meeting, in which the Notre Dame senate heard and declined to overturn an appeal regarding the sanction of the DuganPozas Garza ticket, it reconvened for its regular programming last night.

The agenda included further debate over the allocation of funding between Student Union organizations and the Club Coordination Council (CCC).

The senate debated over Resolution SO1290-27, which called for clubs to receive more funding. If passed, the resolution would allocate 46% of funds available from the Financial Management Board (FMB) to the CCC and 53% of funds to the remaining Student Union organizations. Currently, the CCC receives 40% of available funds and 59% goes to Student Union organizations.

The 6% change was the cause of much tension in the questioning and debate period two weeks ago during the Feb. 5 senate meeting, in which the debate period was postponed.

Wednesday’s meeting proved much the same. Approximately a year ago, the student senate debated a similar resolution and ultimately rejected it.

NEws PAGE 2

Senior and CCC president Jordan Isner started the debate by encouraging those in attendance to try to remain ”unbiased.” He then presented a number of statistics in favor of the resolution, citing the surplus of unspent funds spent by the Student Union over the last three years. Not accounting for deficits, the Student Union ran a surplus of $51,323 for the 2018-2019 year.

“I didn’t subtract out the deficits because Student Union boards shouldn’t be running deficits,” Isner said.

Student body vice president Patrick McGuire added that the Student Union board had a roughly $30,000 deficit last year, which would be subtracted from the $51,323 Isner presented.

Christine Arcoleo, Student Union treasurer and senior, who helped draft and sign off on the resolution, explained what happens to funds that are not spent each year. “[The surplus] can be rolled back into the endowment and it can earn interest to be used in the following year,” Arcoleo said. ”So basically it’s OK to have some leftover money to go back into the endowment, but it is a see SENATE PAGE 3

SCENE PAGE 5

Ingal and Galbenski thanked their team, spearheaded by their campaign manager junior Aaron Benavides, and the Judicial Council for their commitment to the democratic process.

Editor’s Note: Benavides is a former news writer for The Observer.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for the support system we’ve had completely energizing us throughout this entire thing,” Ingal said.

“There’s absolutely no way we could have done it without them, we’re just really enthused to be able to fight for change that we hope to be able to see at Notre Dame for the next year.”

The pair plan on beginning their time in office in the same manner in which they began their campaign — by having SERENA ZACHARIAS | The Observer

Galbenski, left, and Ingal, right, react to the runoff election results.

see RESULTS PAGE 4

Tickets discuss platforms

By CALLIE PATRICK News Writer

In “Meet the Candidates” videos for the 2020-2021 Student Government Association (SGA) election released to students in an email on Tuesday, the candidates spoke about the goals they hope to achieve if elected.

Juniors Deirdre Drinkall and Brianna Kinyanjui — running for student body president and vice president, respectively — and

juniors Giavanna Paradiso and Kelsey O’Connor — candidates for the same offices — discussed and outlined their campaign platforms, and why students should vote for them in Thursday’s election.

The Paradiso-O’Connor platform has four pillars: empowering students on campus, enthusiasm in their work, equality in making sure all voices are heard and experience in student government.

“We want to empower each student to speak up as their true

authentic selves, because everyone at this school has a unique and valuable skill set to bring to the table. Both of us feel passionate that the school is what we make,” O’Connor said.

Paradiso emphasized the enthusiasm for the College she and O’Connor share.

“One of our favorite hobbies is bragging about how amazing Saint Mary’s is to anyone and everyone see CAMPAIGN PAGE 3

Jenkins announces plans Observer Staff Report After announcing plans for Notre Dame to address the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, University President Fr. John Jenkins provided an update on the University’s efforts in an email to the campus community early Thursday morning.

In the email, Jenkins listed the recommendations of the two task forces he appointed last year in regards to working against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

His first recommendation was to “initiate prominent, public

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

events to educate and stimulate discussion.”

Jenkins announced in the email that on March 4-6, the McGrath Institute will host a panel titled “Called and CoResponsible: Exploring CoResponsibility for the Mission of the Catholic Church.” The panel will “bring together distinguished lay and clerical leaders to explore the responsibility lay people and clergy share for the Church and its mission,” Jenkins said in the email.

Jenkins also said the University offered Presidential research grants which have

Men’s lacrosse PAGE 12

funded 11 proposals in different fields to help address the crisis.

The University is working to “to create a culture of accountability and transparency on Notre Dame’s campus” by implementing a staff leadership training program. This program seeks to encourage faculty and staff to speak up about ways to improve discourse on campus and voice their concerns, Jenkins said in the email.

In addition, Jenkins said the Master in Divinity program will continue to train leaders in techniques to prevent and respond to sexual abuse.

Women’s tennis PAGE 12

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TODAY

The observer | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

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P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith Managing Editor Natalie Weber

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“How it Began: Origins of the ArabIsraeli Conflict” C103 Hesburgh Center 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Book discussion.

Women’s Tennis vs.

North Carolina State Eck Tennis Pavilion 5 p.m.

Irish take on the Wolfpack.

Ella Wood (‘21), Junior Honors Viola Recital LaBar Recital Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Open to the public.

“Schola Antica” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Featuring music from Renaissance Prague.

Daily Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.

No Mass during Spring Break.

ND Theatre NOW Philbin Studio Theatre, DPAC 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Two new one-act plays directed by students.

Collegiate Jazz Festival Dahnke Ballroom 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Free entry with student I.D.

ND Theatre NOW Philbin Studio Theatre, DPAC 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

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ND Theatre NOW Philbin Studio Theatre, DPAC 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Two new one-act plays directed by students.

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Corrections A Wednesday news story inaccurately reported that Victoria Nyanjura received her undergraduate degree from Campbell University instead of Kyambogo University. The Observer regrets this error.

Remick Family Hall to open in summer 2021

By CATE VON DOHLEN News Writer

Nestled behind the Basilica lies the University’s old French Quarter, home to former Brownson Hall and soon-to-be Remick Family Hall. The former building’s courtyard and ivy wall has been enjoyed by many and photographed for years. The project started with the demolition of Brownson Hall and is now in the building phase of the new Remick Family Hall.

Vice president and University architect of facilities design and operations Doug Marsh said the new facility will provide a space for the institute of educational initiatives and the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE).

“The project is to replace what had become a building that had served the University very well for very long with a new facility to support the growing programs of the Institute of Educational Initiatives and the Alliance for Catholic Education,” Marsh said in an email.

Marsh said the new building will resemble Brownson Hall.

“The footprint matches very closely the footprint of Brownson Hall,” Marsh said.

The University worked with architectural firm SLAM Collaborative which has already designed and completed several building projects for the University.

“They have done wonderful work for

Notre Dame beginning with the design of the Eck Visitors Center and Hammes Bookstore,” Marsh said.

John Staud, acting director of the institute of educational initiatives and executive director of ACE, and Theo Helm, director of communications for the institute of educational initiatives and ACE, have served as liaisons to University facilities design and operation.

Staud spoke to the collaboration between ACE and architectural firm SLAM Collaborative.

He said the project has been a “real team effort” between ACE, University facilities design and operation and SLAM. “The architect came in and spent two days last year — I think it was in January or February — just listening to every single unit and person within ACE and more broadly the institute for educational initiatives,” Staud said.

He said they were interested in learning about the usage and functions of the space.

“Every single person in the organization, including our custodian, was listened to,” Staud said. “It’s custodians and the admins who sometimes realize where the storage limitations are. They know the buildings best.”

Staud spoke to the institute’s aspirations for the new building.

“Above all, we’d love it to be a place that

brings people together, certainly in June or July when undergrads are gone,” Staud said.

He said there will be a student commons in the new building.

“We hope undergrads in particular will want to just come and study and be together and hangout and get to know ACE in the process,” Staud said.

Marsh said the University started developing the project in the last two years or so.

The funds for the new building’s construction were given as a gift.

“Remick Family Hall has been designed in the Second French Empire style in the spirit of Brownson Hall as well as the nearby St. Ed’s Hall,” Marsh said.

Staud said he is excited that the new building will draw energy back to the area of campus near the Main Building and Basilica.

“We are so thrilled that the University chooses to invest in this wonderful space at the heart of campus near the main building, the Basilica and the Grotto,” Staud said.

“We want it to be a space that the entire University feels comfortable to come visit, to work in and to have fun in.”

Marsh said the anticipated completion date of the Remick Family Hall project is summer 2021.

Contact Cate Von Dohlen at cvondohl@nd.edu

News

Senate Continued from page 1

problem if there’s a huge surplus not going to any clubs or organizations.”

Isner also cited direct quotes from club leaders who told him their clubs need more funding.

Junior Class Council president Sam Cannova then took to the floor to argue against the resolution.

Cannova explained the $26,508.25 surplus from the Student Union is due to how the Hall President’s Council (HPC) uses its funds.

“For the last three years, HPC has run a $35 — $36 — $37,000 surplus, but for the two [years] prior, they were totally flat,” Cannova said.

Cannova then cited information that only 25% of, or 106 clubs, receive CCC funding, and the other 75% of clubs are self-sufficient.

“About 44% [of funds] go to athletic clubs and less than 9% go to cultural and service clubs,” he said.

Fisher senator and junior DC

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, february 20, 2020 | The Observer

Morris also opposed the resolution.

“Fisher guys are proud of the Regatta. Keenan guys are proud of the Revue,” Morris said. ”I don’t know if your dorm doesn’t have pride like that, but we are [about] to take money from things that help fund those and [give it] to clubs who ... may impact 25 individuals on campus. ...

The dorms are the heart of the community at Notre Dame, and I just want to protect the dorms.”

Diversity Council chair and senior Tiffany Rojas offered a different perspective.

“Halls aren’t a source of community for all Notre Dame students,” Rojas said. “Most students find their communities in these 400 clubs. I think the thing with club sports is a bit unfair, because a lot of times this is where students can find their outlet outside of the academic sphere.”

After a half hour of debate, the resolution was voted on and fell shy of the majority. With 14 votes for the resolution, 19 votes against it and one abstaining vote, the motion failed to pass.

“Are clubs underfunded? The answer should be a resounding ‘Yes.’ Does student government effectively represent students? Tonight, senate proved the answer to this question is a resounding ’No,’” Isner said in an email. “I am disappointed that clubs will continue to struggle for funding, while Student Union branches waste tens of thousands of dollars every year.’’

Cannova also commented on the passing of the resolution.

“I’m glad that the senate could take the time to share a fact-based discussion on an important topic,” he said.

“After last year’s decision to shift 3% of all Student Union funds into clubs, and with thorough review of Student Union budgets and broad figures on the CCC-funded clubs, it seems that we are already at a good balance. It’s important to remember that we’re all working towards the same end here: improving the student experience.”

Contact Isabella Volmert at ivolmert@nd.edu

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Campaign Continued from page 1

we meet. We firmly believe Saint Mary’s is the best institution in the country, and at every event we have the privilege to plan has been a success because we got to witness the SMC community coming together on campus,” Paradiso said. “ ... We are so enthusiastic about the opportunity and privilege to serve you all.”

O’Connor said making Saint Mary’s a place where all students feel welcome and valued is an important part of the ticket’s platform.

“Saint Mary’s is home for everyone, no matter your race, socioeconomic status, religion, gender, sexual identity, nationality, family background, hometown or beliefs,” O’Connor said.

The Paradiso-O’Connor ticket builds upon their campaign pillars with additions to their

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platform such as student wellness, inclusion, safety, opportunities, advocacy and support.

Among their ideas for implementing these goals are increasing exterior lighting on campus, restoring Dalloway’s as a space for student use and implementing a tracking app for Blinkie.

“We would like to ask you for your vote in [Thursday’s] election because you deserve empowerment, enthusiasm, equality and experience in your leaders and at your school,” Paradiso said.

The priorities of the DrinkallKinyanjui ticket are to encourage smooth transitions for the new College President and vice president of student affairs with experience and competence. They hope to ensure Saint Mary’s serves the needs of its students and continues to remain true to the core values of the institution.

The highlights of the DrinkallKinyanjui platform are centered on student services, Catholic identity and ecumenism, mental health, inclusivity and transparency of SGA. “The mission of student government should be to help each Belle find her voice and speak in through our events, sponsorships and communication to the powers that be,” Drinkall said. “Ensuring that each of us 1,379 Belles has complete access to that promise of discovery — discovering the spirit and sisterhood of SMC.” Kinyanjui said she applied to Saint Mary’s on a whim but has found it to be a home she wishes to serve and improve.

“The College thrives because of the hard-working students that put their time and effort into making it the place that they want it to be. And as long as I have the privilege to attend Saint Mary’s, I will strive to help make it a place every student feels they have a say in their college experience.”

Drinkall said she and Kinyanjui plan to combine their different voices in serving the student body and promoting the mission of the College.

“The changes we desire are to make Saint Mary’s even more Saint Mary’s,’’ Kinyanjui said. “We are passionate about subjects relating to mental health, Catholic identity, inclusivity and equity, and SGA accessibility.”

The Drinkall-Kinyanjui ticket believes student government needs to be more than just fun and uplifting committee events.

“We wish to continue these and make them better, but also restructure SGA to make it the place students can go to voice their concerns and share ideas,” Drinkall said.

Kinyanjui expressed her belief in the ticket’s ability to combine leadership experience with new ideas.

“We have firsthand experience for the job, while bringing fresh new ideas of effective leadership,’’ Kinyanjui said. “... We will lead with vision of all that a Belle can be, and above all, we are women that live and breathe for the Belles of Saint Mary’s.’’

Contact Callie Patrick at cpatrick01@saintmarys.edu

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News

The observer | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Results Continued from page 1

meaningful conversations with students about what changes and improvements they want to see at the University.

“I think that dialogue is the most important thing to us, we’re really excited to hit the ground running,” Galbenski said. “We think we’ve established a lot of great connections with student change agents, and we’re looking forward to build those relationships over our term.”

In regards to the Patidar-Patrick ticket, Ingal said she wanted to thank their campaign for making the runoff election as easy as possible.

“We want to thank them for passion and their dedication to the issues as well and for challenging us in our conversations and making the dialogue better,” Ingal said.

Patidar stood by his previous comments when he said the election was not simply about the results.

“I feel the proudest I’ve ever felt in my time at Notre Dame,” Patidar said. “I’m so happy that a juniorfreshman combo are standing here

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top two. He’s a freshman, and he’s standing here top two. I’m Indian and Hindu at a white Catholic university standing here.”

Beginning his freshman year at Notre Dame, Patrick said he never would have envisioned running for student body vice president in his first year, but he’s thankful for the opportunity and sees the entire process as a blessing.

“Noble has been such a great friend and running mate and overall just an incredible person, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way,” Patrick said.

The two also thanked the IngalGalbenski ticket for a fair process and wished them the best of luck.

“I know they’ll uphold all the values that we uphold,” Patidar said.

Although Ingal has been involved in student government since her freshman year, she did not believe becoming president would become a reality, and she is grateful to the student body for their votes.

“Thank you for trusting us with your student government,” Ingal said.

Contact Serena Zacharias at szacharai@nd.edu

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The observer | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer

In Hollywood, many actors and actresses dream of getting married to another actor or actress and living happily ever after in Hollywood.

However, that outcome could be far from the truth.

Hollywood couples go through nasty divorces, as all couples do. One of these Hollywood couples who have taken a divorce to court is Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

These two Hollywood stars met while on the set of the 2011 comedy-drama film “The Rum Diary”.

The following year, these two stars began living together, and eventually got married on February 3, 2015. It seemed like these two would live a happy life together. But that was about to change.

According to Daily Mail in the United Kingdom, Heard filed for divorce in 2016 after a toxic 18-month relationship. Heard threw an accusation that Depp was abusing her physically, but recent

By ABIGAIL WAGER Scene Writer

The lights of Washington Hall dimmed and a single spotlight illuminated two handmade cutouts of the Basilica and the Golden Dome that sat at the back of the stage. As Najmeddine “Naaj” Harrabi, ND Class of 2019, took his place center stage during the debut of his stand up comedy show “Alien in the Basilica” Sunday night, he was met with an eruption of cheers.

But the show was already in motion even before Harrabi came on stage. It began with a quick presentation about Education Bridge, a school started by Notre Dame graduate Majak Anyieth in South Sudan, and the recipients of the night’s proceeds. Shortly after, members of the group Dance Africa danced on

allegations have portrayed her as the one who was abusing Depp. Depp accused Heard of punching him and doing a plethora of violence against him.

Due to the amount of scrutiny he was under, Depp was released from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise and faced heavy criticism after starring in the “Fantastic Beasts” entry “The Crimes of Grindelwald”.

According to Daily Mail, Depp filed a $50 million defamation case in Virginia against Heard after she penned an op-ed for the Washington Post detailing her experience as an alleged domestic violence victim. Heard writes in her op-ed to the Washington Post: “I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who spoke out.” Depp claimed in the suit that he was a victim of an “elaborate hoax” instigated by Heard in order to garner more attention for her career.

Heard responded to Depp’s lawsuit with a 300page filing of her own, cataloging the “horrific”

abuse she claimed to suffer from Depp, referring to him as “the monster”. Some of the evidence she presented included photos of bruises and scars, clumps of hair apparently torn from her head and pictures of smashed up furniture to further illustrate all of the violence she was subjected to while she was with Depp. It came as no surprise that Depp shut down this motion by saying Heard went as far as painting bruises on her face and scrubbed both metadata and fabricated evidence against him.

Depp went on to give his own evidence. He claimed that Heard had seriously injured him, submitting a photo of his black and puffy eyes and scratches.

In the wake of all this, there have been numerous petitions to get Amber Heard out of the DC Universe, particularly the upcoming “Aquaman” sequel and to also bring back Depp to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.

stage, clapping their hands and pounding their feet to the rhythm of the music. And then it was special guest Sean MacLeod’s turn to perform. The audience laughed along to his edgy, dark humor as he sauntered around the stage, and the lights went dark once again.

“I think I have a strong soul,” Harrabi stated loudly and clearly as he began his act. “That’s why I’m doing this show.”

His comedy highlighted a range of topics; he acted like a racist, sexist Arabian prince in America, compared South Bend winters to a “Game of Thrones” episode, discussed Notre Dame’s seemingly racist squirrels and even told a story about his untimely circumcision that could probably be labeled “Too Much Information.”

After telling a particularly hilarious story about

being used as a bathroom by a squirrel, Harrabi’s voice and tone changed. “See, the thing that racist squirrels don’t understand is that my bones and my soul are strong. Because I drink fresh, free goat milk.”

The crowd laughed. He continued, “Racist squirrels... will try to do a lot of things to you. For example, racist squirrels do not understand how much fresh, free goat milk I drink. So, I’m not gonna get offended by racist squirrels. Because, I drank what?” The crowd replied enthusiastically: “Goat milk!”

Harrabi was able to convert his experience and story as an African immigrant in America into an analogy: fresh, stark and unfiltered humor that both moved the audience, and left them yearning for more.

Contact Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Abigail Wager at awager@nd.edu CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer

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The observer | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Written in the stars: In defense of Co-Star Maeve Filbin Saint Mary’s News Editor

Co-Star is a “hyper-personalized” daily horoscope and planet mapping service “powered by artificial intelligence that merges NASA data with the insight of human astrologers,” endorsed by trusted individuals such as Vogue writers and Dua Lipa. It’s also an app that I downloaded as a joke, which got funnier when I asked my parents the exact time of my birth and they could only tell me I entered the world sometime after Wheel of Fortune finished. After digging up my birth certificate, they determined I was born at 7:04 p.m. According to Co-Star, this placed my sun in Capricorn, my moon in Scorpio, my ascendant in Leo and all of my accompanying planets within other various birth signs.

These associations translate into personality traits and habitual actions. All human beings contain traces of stardust (look it up — it’s science!) and Co-Star seems to tap directly into this poetic notion. Do you feel the need to distinguish yourself from others through work, routines and bodily health? Co-Star will tell you your sun sits in Capricorn. Can you tend to passive-aggressive?

The explanation for this energy, Co-Star says, is a Mars in Libra.

Reading into my astrological makeup felt a bit like stepping into an oracle’s tent or cracking open a fortune cookie. Even better, I received daily notifications with one-sentence horoscopes curated by an AI mystic, which swung on a pendulum between incredibly vague and astonishingly specific.

My horoscopes told me to change my hair, to trust that I know what’s real, to thaw myself in winter. They told me that my mind is hungry for new things and that my anger can mask anxiety.

On Friday, after I spent the whole morning feeling guilty that I had skipped my run, my horoscope told me that my progress does not have to be accompanied by guilt, and in the second that it took for me to read the notification, I felt relief.

Despite understanding that no amount of NASA data, AI foresight or stardust can truly determine the course of my life — and that, in fact, that’s entirely within my own power — a tiny part of me loves receiving direction from the cosmos. I’m not about to start reading tea leaves or f lipping tarot cards (though I’ve dabbled in the YouTube tarot community and think it’s well-worth an explorative Google search). At the same time, it’s sometimes nice to hear from “the universe,” especially on days when I’m searching for advice from anyone who will give it — even the stars.

So while I’m not quite sure where I stand on the science of planet mapping and astrology, I’m thankful for my daily conversation with Co-Star’s artificial intelligence author peering over her crystal ball. She wouldn’t pass the “Am I a Robot?” test, but if Dua Lipa calls her a friend, then I do too.

While I stay grounded here on Earth — grounded in common sense, science and my own sense of self — I’ll let Co-Star tell me what’s written in the stars.

Contact Maeve at mfilbin01@stmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The student body president does not matter Ben Testani Off-Campus, On Topic

I love democracy. I have voted in the state and federal elections ever y year since I turned 18, dutifully mailing an absentee ballot back to Onondaga Count y from my home under the Dome. I encourage (some may say harass) fellow students to vote, regardless of political ideolog y, going as far as to dow nload VoteWithMe last election season so I could remind close friends to register to vote. Voting is a sacred right in the United States and it’s not a responsibilit y I take lightly.

At Notre Dame, democracy feels fundamentally broken, and I am not referring Democrats or Republicans. Our student elections are a disaster ever y year. The 2020 elections are the fourth set of elections I have w itnessed as a student. This year, like ever y year, there were opaque sanctions issued by the Judicial Council. The Ingal-Galbenski ticket had to spend 24 hours w ithout campaigning online.

The Dugan-Pozas ticket forfeited 26 votes. W hy 26? We w ill never know for sure, as the Judicial Council keeps its rulings confidential. Finally, the Mercugliano-Lund ticket had to suspend its candidacy in its entirely for “highly unethical behav ior”. The prev ious year was slightly better, in that no presidential candidates were sanctioned. However one of the tickets for Sophomore Class Council in 2019 forfeited a seemingly arbitrar y 33 votes. My sophomore and freshman years were more on brand for Notre Dame, w ith McGav ick-Gayheart (the eventual w inners) being docked 12% of the vote in 2018 after a Judicial Council sanction.

The Kruszewski-Dunbar ticket was also docked votes, although they escaped w ith only 10% of their votes lost. Finally, my first Notre Dame election experience in 2017 culminated in delayed results as the Fonseca-Narimatu ticket contested a sanction costing them 7% of their votes.

W hat do all of these sanctions have in common? They are confusing and seemingly arbitrar y. Campaign spending issues are worth 7% of the vote, but misusing a Listser v is only worth 33 indiv idual votes. In what has become a recurring theme in my columns, I urge my fellow Notre Dame students to demand greater transparency. Unlike in past columns, I am calling on my fellow students, not the administration, to deliver this openness. The students tasked w ith running our elections play an important role in shaping how an entire year on this campus plays out. The candidates who take the time to run for office and the students who support them deser ve to know more about where these sanctions come from and how they are decided.

I fear, however, that there is a greater problem underly ing the student elections on campus, and that is that the actual w inners of the election are of minimal consequence to the Notre Dame student body. Of course, for the candidates, w inning the election is an incredible achievement. They should be proud of their work and the reputation they have developed among their peers. But their actual abilit y to accomplish any thing once in office is questionable at best. I feel as though this is by design.

The Universit y would rather have student leaders boxed into roles w ithout power then give our most inspiring and well-spoken students a real platform.

To test my belief, I looked at the key parts of the platforms of the last three student body

presidents as outlined in the annual Obser ver feature on each ticket. For President Elizabeth Boyle, her biggest priorities included amnest y for parietals v iolations if a Title IX v iolation occurs, reform of the Universit y’s non-discrimination clause and implementing Callisto 2.0, a digital platform to report sexual assaults. The non-discrimination clause still does not protect LGBT students or facult y. Parietals amnest y is not an option in any situation. I could find no ev idence of Callisto 2.0 being implemented on campus. In fact, the President Becca Blais listed implementation of the original Callisto as a priorit y in 2017.

The 2018-2019 president, Gates McGav ick, wanted to reform the Student Senate, repeal the three-year housing mandate, and expand Notre Dame’s blue light system. The closest thing I could find for Student Senate reforms were financial oversight reforms, which happened after President Boyle had taken office.

The housing mandate looms as large and unpopular as ever. Notre Dame Police Chief Keri Kei Shibata classified the blue light system as not being seen as that “important of a safet y feature” in December of 2018.

I already touched on one of President Blais’ priorities, which was the Callisto sexual assault reporting soft ware. It was not implemented. I can find no ev idence of a Diversit y and Inclusion Officer tasked specifically w ith student issues being hired. Pamela Nolan Young, Director for Academic Diversit y and Inclusion, has worked at Notre Dame since 2016, and Eric Love, the Director Of Staff Diversit y And Inclusion, was cited in the Blais-Shew itt ticket’s platform in the first place. Finally, President Blais hoped to make all buildings on campus handicap accessible. I challenge any reader w ith a t w isted ank le, let alone a wheelchair user, to attempt to get to the second f loor of A lumni Hall and report back to me about how handicap accessible some buildings are.

Most of these platform tenets were great ideas. Campus should be accessible to all. The housing mandate is not something the student body wants. A digital platform to report incidents of sexual assault seems like a powerful tool. But clearly Notre Dame has no intentions of letting the student body leaders do their job and lead. This unfortunate realit y is why I say the elections do not ultimately matter. The w inners are going to have great ideas for how to improve campus. The losing ticket w ill probably have some clever suggestions as well. As in years past, none of these campaign pitches w ill come to fruition. Our student government’s contributions to the student body w ill consist of free snacks on random Sundays in Duncan Student Center, a shuttle to the South Bend Airport before school breaks (but no longer a bus to Saint Mar y’s), and a screening of the mov ie Rudy in the football stadium in August. In 2021, more tickets w ill run, some of which w ill be arbitrarily sanctioned. The cycle w ill continue. So whether this week brings us President Ingal or Presdient Patidar, I implore our next leader to be different. Break the cycle.

Challenge the administrator. You w ill be one of the most powerful students on campus. Use this power to advocate for real change, not free berries during finals week.

Ben Testani is a senior studying international economics, Arabic and Spanish. He comes to Notre Dame via Central New York and while currently residing off-campus, will always be a proud Alumni Dawg. He welcomes feedback at btestani@nd.edu or @BenTestani on Twitter.

The observer | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

The value of collecting pop tabs G. Matthew Molinsky Okay, Domer

For over three years now, my friends and I have had an obsession with collecting pop tabs, those metal pieces on the tops of aluminum cans. The idea behind collecting the pop tabs is that they can be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, an organization that helps families with sick children resident close to where their child’s treatment is located.

Our collecting had humble beginnings. My friend LG simply put a solo cup on the TV stand and asked us to pull the tabs off our beers and throw them in. After a few weeks, the cup was already full. W hat we had accomplished was incredible, all without getting up from our big brown couch. We started to dream about all the good we were doing for the world. A can thrown into the trash with its tab still on was met with enormous hostility. “Save a tab, save a life,” became our motto.

After our Halloween party, “3 Spooky Main,” (named after our hallway in Alumni) a purple pumpkin Halloween pail became our new collecting bin. That’s when things really started to ramp up. Our hearts began to wonder. How long would it take to fill the pumpkin? Could it even be done?

Could we save that many lives?

Pop tab collection became a sort of competition, a team sport played against the opposition of time. My friends and I would scrounge around bars, pulling pop tabs off abandoned beer cans, drawing questioning glances from the unenlightened. Tailgate season meant jingling pockets filled with pop tabs after long hours in the stadium parking lot. Breaks from school meant someone had to take the pumpkin home and care for it. On one of those breaks I went to a potter y

painting store with my then nine-year-old sister.

She painted a colorful rainbow lizard, an expression of her personal imagination and creativity.

I revealed how entrenched I was in this quest by passing on hundreds of different animals, characters, and other blank pottery shapes in the store before finally taking one white bowl from a shelf and drawing in big green letters, “Save a tab, Save a life.”

It wasn’t until this Fall, more than three years after our collecting began, that the pumpkin was full. We made guesses as to how many pop tabs were within the beast. After an afternoon of counting, the tally stood at a little over 7,300 pop tabs.

Amazed at what we had accomplished, I decided to see what our aluminum filled pumpkin was worth. Depending upon the market for high-grade aluminum, the Ronald McDonald house receives between $0.40 to $0.50 per pound of pop tabs. It takes roughly 1,128 pop tabs to equal one pound.

That means that at best, a pop tab is worth about $0.0004. In other words, you need 23 tabs to earn a penny. After over three years of collecting, with contributions coming from dozens of people, my friends and I had only raised about $3.

I was at first taken aback, but it didn’t take long to make sense of it all. I think we had known the whole time that we were never doing this for charity. We were doing this for us. It had all been a game. A game with no real consequence.

The pop tab collecting program was started as a way to teach kids about philanthropy and the importance of recycling. It was never meant to be a significant source of funding for the Ronald McDonald House. The program brings in about $6000 a year, compared to the $34.7 million that was donated in 2018 via McDonald’s restaurant facilitated fundraisers.

I know collecting pop tabs is a very popular

pastime across campus, with some dorms even sponsoring the activity. W hile I don’t want to discourage anyone from doing something that will objectively lead to some good, I think it’s important that people know the ends that they are working towards.

Going down the bar at Newfs ripping off the pop tabs of 30 empty white claws is a lot of fun and an amazing way to relieve social anxiety, but it won’t save anyone’s life. If you want to collect pop tabs go ahead. It can be a fun group activity and it does technically help others; just know you’re no Saint Mother Theresa, or really anybody who gives an hour of their time.

Kerry Schneeman | The Observer

Matthew is the 3-Talley RA in Alumni Hall, from Cincinnati. He majors in Civil Engineering with an itty bitty minor in Theology. Writing this column is the last in his long list of shortly lived passions. He can be reached at gmolinsk@nd.edu and @coltonjorge on Twitter.

The views expressed in this Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Letter to the editor

To the victims of cyclophobia at Notre Dame I don’t think there is anywhere in the world where you will be walking on the sidewalk and a bike will zoom past you without ringing its bell. I mean – really, are you bikers aware of the danger you pose?

I’ve reached out to many “walkers” around campus, who have told me the irreparable harm that these bikers have caused them simply because they don’t ring their bells. A walker – who has preferred to remain anonymous and will be called “B” – has stated that bikes have seriously “impacted my ability to traverse through the pathways around campus.” Another walker named Stephen stated, “I’ve developed serious cyclophobia, and whenever I walk through campus, I find myself constantly looking behind both shoulders since I am never alerted by these demons on two wheels.”

Here it is, Notre Dame. This is what the spirit of “I don’t want to burden you” has caused. These are only a handful of individuals I’ve spoken to and I am sure that there many more of you out there.

The other day, Fr. Jenkins appeared to me in a dream and said, “Matías, I want you to raise awareness on cyclophobia. We have to be more aware of

the danger that bikes and their silence pose to our community.” Since that day, I’ve received my calling.

So I set out and decided I needed to get the opinion of a biker.

One day, as I was walking on the dangerous path towards Main Circle, a biker zoomed past me hitting 40 mph, at least that’s what it felt like. I yelled at him, “Hey punk!”

He stopped in his tracks and looked back, “Hi!” “I have a quick question for you. Why didn’t you ring your bell to alert me that you were coming from behind?”

His response: “Well, I’m not going to ring my bell because I don’t want to impose my desire to alert you. That would just be too much.” I guess that’s it.

He sums it up clearly - it’s best not to use bells because he was afraid of imposing his bell usage on people.

Maybe if I had had a sign on my back that said, “I, Matías, consent to hearing a bell being rung on the condition that a bike is coming from behind”, then maybe bikers would ring their bell.

I implore you bikers, please be “inconvenient”

for just one second and let the person ahead of you know that you are about to zoom past them. Maybe we need more New Yorkers or Bostoners here to teach you a lesson?

Ex: “Hey Tony, you’re in the path. I’m biking here!” coupled with the proper response: “Hey Pete, shut up! But, fine, you’re right. I’ll get out of the way.” Pete responds, “Thanks! Say hi to your family for me!” Tony: “Yea yea fahgeddaboutit.”

It’s that simple. I bet even Lance Armstrong would ring his bell when he was passing others.

For this reason, and for the grave trauma that the lack of bikers ringing their bells has caused on campus, there will be a meeting in front of Main Building on February 25, 2020 @ 3 p.m. to bring awareness to cyclophobia and to protest the absence of bell usage on campus. All are welcome to participate.

It is now more than ever necessary to establish peace and cooperation between people and vehicles.

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverViewpnt

Matías Daniel Sur M.A. Italian Studies Feb. 10

8

Classifieds

The observer | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Robert FIsher

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Size up situations, and make whatever move you feel will benefit you most. Putting energy behind your ideas instead of trying to get others to do things for you will make your pursuits more meaningful moving forward. Dump unnecessary baggage, and you’ll have the freedom to take advantage of whatever comes your way. Your experience will pay off. Your numbers are 2, 8, 14, 21, 25, 34, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t wait for something to go wrong. Be counterintuitive and active, and make adjustments that will help lighten any problem you can foresee. Being prepared and having alternatives in place are your best defenses. Put yourself first.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t get upset when you should get moving.

Embrace change and challenges openly, and you will gain experience as well as achievements. Look at the possibilities, but use discretion and moderation as you move forward. Traveling and learning are favored.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t play with the devil. Avoid getting involved in tempting offers that sound too good to be true. Do your own thing, and avoid being taken advantage of by someone who is out for his or her wwgain.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Make adjustments to your personal or professional contracts. Tie up loose ends, and make a point to take better care of your health. An opportunity is heading down the pipeline. Don’t hesitate, or you may miss out on a prosperous prospect.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Let’s get physical. Take pride in the way you look, how you feel and the way you handle meaningful relationships. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Stick to what you know works best for you. A personal gain should be your priority.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Everything will fall into place if you follow your heart and your basic instincts. A change you want to make will give you more freedom to work on an idea you want to pursue. A past partner is likely to surface.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Work alone. Refuse to let anyone interfere in your business or put pressure on you to do something you don’t want to do.

Deception is apparent. Verify any information you receive before you take action.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Do things your way. It’s OK to take an obscure route to reach your goal. Your uniqueness is what makes you so special. You can accomplish plenty if you follow your intuition and use your intelligence to reach your goal.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pay attention to what and who are important to you. Don’t let someone cause doubt or uncertainty between you and someone you love. Meddling and deception are likely if someone is out for his or her gain.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Say what’s on your mind, and you will get your way. Your determination and perception will help you reach your goal.

Now is not the time to sit back when there is no potential to gain ground. Rid yourself of dead weight.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take time to enjoy what and who interests you.

Participating in causes you care about will lead to exciting people, plans and new beginnings. Personal improvements are favored, and romance will give you an added boost.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Wheel and deal. Keep your life mysterious, and focus on professional gain. You will intrigue the people you encounter, putting you in an influential position with plenty to gain. A humanitarian outlook will win acceptance. Think big.

Birthday Baby: You are innovative, curious and independent. You are strongwilled and persistent.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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M Lax

Sports Authority

Continued from page 12

Stop idolizing Derek Jeter David Kramer Sports Writer

W hen my sister met Derek Jeter, she knew no more about him than quantum mechanics.

A highly coveted sweepstakes offered the monumental opportunit y to chat w ith #2 before an upcoming series in Minnesota.

One stroke of luck gave my sister the chance to prove the coolest kid in school.

The budding Yankees phenom greeted her w ith his signature smile, crouched dow n to lead the briefest of dugout tours and left her w ith two invaluable pieces of memorabilia: bags of sunf lower seeds and bubble gum from his personal cache.

Overjoyed beyond words, she moved to her seat minutes before game time.

Amidst a surge of shock from her friends, she ravenously goggled at the tast y treats. Fans f looded the concessions lines for lastminute snacks; the tantalizing bags looked like her only option. With my parents in no place to stop her, she ripped open both bags and devoured Jeter’s stash before the first pitch.

I really tr y not to chastise my sister for how she caved that day. Maybe a couple overzealous friends rebuked her, tr y ing to explain Jeter’s greatness and the potential value of her souvenirs. But when push comes to shove, she saw no difference bet ween Mr. November and the next guy. Any fer v id fan w ith an eBay account would pay a prett y penny for the mementos, but my sister was no vendor, and Jeter knew it. He knew exactly how to give her a glimmer of satisfaction in a game altogether new to her, no less.

Such distinguished acts of leadership defined Jeter’s career. W hether in the clubhouse or the public sphere, “The Captain” embodied the attributes of charisma and integrit y for millions of aspiring players and fans to emulate.

Countless achievements are undisputed as meriting Hall of Fame recognition:

3,465 hits, 200 hits in October, .321 average in the World Series, .310 career average. Staggering figures at an offensively lack luster position. But in light of the over whelming praise follow ing his first ballot Hall of Fame induction, do Jeter’s accolades earn him any admiration as the greatest shortstop ever?

Absolutely not. Bear in mind that none of the above statistics make any reference to Jeter’s abysmal defensive track record. The commonplace metric for defense, Defensive Runs Saved (DFS), compares any given player to the league average. The simple calculation produces a positive number if he saves more runs than he allows on defense. A long w ith errors, poor range and “catchable balls” not counted as errors come into play. By no small margin, Jeter finished dead last in league DFS from 2003 to 2014. His play at shortstop cost the Yankees a ridiculous 152 more runs than he prevented.

Look no further than Ultimate Zone Rating, a measure of defensive production per 150 games, and note that Jeter ranks last among eligible shortstops and second-to-last among eligible players since 2003.

Yes, Jeter won five Gold Gloves, but just as no soccer analyst measures defensive weapons by the number of fouls they commit, the complex it y and range required at shortstop begs for better metrics. The fact that the position is so defense-intensive leaves little reason to dismiss Jeter’s horrid career in the field, to admire his achievements on a solely one-dimensional basis.

So go ahead, tip your cap to #2 as Cooperstow n pays its respects this season. He deser ves it. But please don’t venerate him as histor y’s greatest shortstop. At the ver y least, I don’t want to hear it if you do.

One of things that Corrigan has had his team work on is riding and clearing.

“We did really well in the first half but not well in the second half,” Corrigan said.

“We need to make sure that we are doing that as well as we w ill need to dow n the road.”

Corrigan also hopes that his team can replicate the offensive efficiency from the Cleveland State game against Richmond.

“We were really good w ith our offensive possessions in terms of not wasting any. We are just tr y ing to stay on track w ith things,” Corrigan said.

Corrigan said that his team took Wednesday off from practice, and he expects his team to be in a good spot come Sunday.

“We have a long week w ith not play ing till Sunday, and then we w ill have a chance to get back at it,” Corrigan said. “I think we are in a prett y good spot by hav ing a good, long week to prepare

after that first game because it is always nice to have that extra time.”

Corrigan acknowledged that the Spiders are a ver y solid team.

“They’re a ver y smart, ver y well coached, fundamentally sound team that really plays good, sound lacrosse and has a good sense of themselves and who they are,” Corrigan said. “With a team like that, they are not going to beat themselves, and that’s something that we have always prided ourselves on ... I think it’s going to be a matter of going out and making plays. That may sound simplistic, but that is not always the case in a game as I think it w ill be in this one.”

The Irish lost to Richmond by one goal last year in sloppy conditions, but Corrigan said his team is not concerned about that result ahead of Sunday’s game.

“We didn’t play particularly well. It was a miserable, rainy day,” Corrigan explained. “And I think if any thing else, we didn’t handle that well. That’s one

9

of the things you can’t control, and you can’t let it affect you. I think we did that day.”

Richmond is the first of many top-20 teams that the Irish w ill play this season.

“Ever y game we play from now to the end of the season is a top-20 team,” Corrigan said. “This is what our schedule is. This is who we play. Early or late, in bet ween, it doesn’t matter.”

With a schedule as tough as Notre Dame’s going forward, preparation is v ital on a week ly basis.

“We know that we have to prepare ourselves as well as we can ever y week and then we still have to go out there and perform on game day,” Corrigan said. “We play too many good teams, and you are going to have to play well to beat them.”

Sunday’s game against Richmond w ill take place at Loftus Sports Center and w ill start at noon. The game w ill be aired on ACC Net work Extra.

Contact Patrick Gallagher at pgallag4@nd.edu

Contact David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports

emma farnan | The Observer

Irish sophomore midfielder Quinn McCahon cradles the ball down the field during Notre Dame’s 12-10 win over UNC on April 20, 2018 at Arlotta Stadium. The Irish return to action Sunday at home.

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.

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Sports

The observer | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

W Golf

M Golf

Continued from page 12

Continued from page 12

Jones and Jessica Meyers round out the roster for the Irish, and although they are not quite as experienced as their elders, they have not been slow to put up impressive rounds throughout the fall season.

Beaudreau is currently tied with Heck and five other golfers for the second-lowest stroke round in program history with their 66’s at the 2019 Schooner Fall Classic. Jones and Myers sit closely behind with career best rounds of 69 from Jones, also at the 2019 Schooner Classic, and a 70 from Myers, who ended the fall slate with her best collegiate round of her career in the first round of the 2019 Texas State Jim West Challenge.

Irish head coach Susan Holt spoke about her team’s youth and how it factors into the first spring season match this weekend.

“We’ve got a young team and there were a lot of positive takeaways from the fall,” Holt said “It is the second time in the history of the program that our top three players average 73 or better. … For us in golf, your opponent is the golf course. We really can’t control what anyone else is doing. We can’t control who else is there. I think there are 15 teams in the field [ at the Westbrook Invitational]. So for us it’s just about going out and playing to our strengths and maximizing opportunities that we have. This is a golf course that we know very well.

Mia [Ayer], she’s a senior, she’s been there all four years. Claire [Albrecht] played it last year.

Abby [Heck] has played it the last three years, so there is a lot of experience there that will be beneficial to our underclassman as far as practice rounds.

We’ll be able to get them up to speed a little bit quicker on just how the golf course plays. … It is a fun golf course, it is a course that I feel is just a really good opportunity to kind of get your game back in shape early in the spring and build some confidence. I know we have been able to do that in years past and I’m looking forward to having that same result this year.”

The Irish will start the competition in Arizona on Sunday and it will conclude the following day.

there is still a lot of golf to be played. I am really happy w ith where our team is leading up to this event.”

The team does not normally travel abroad for tournaments during the year. With that said, the men on the team do not seem to be phased by the change in scener y at all, according to Handrigan.

Instead, they are locked, loaded and ready to compete.

“I think that they are excited about going to a nice climate and a nice location, but, to be honest, they are just eager to

Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu

compete,” Handrigan said.

“It has been a while since we competed. We had an exceptional fall. They are hungr y to tr y to continue what we did and to get back into competition.”

Going into this tournament, there are a lot of big time contenders. The field w ill be made up of some regional opponents — Indiana and Michigan State — an ACC opponent — Louisv ille — and other teams that Notre Dame does not always face, Army and Rutgers to name a couple.

Handrigan commented on the team’s mindset, saying the team is not easily rattled and sticks true to

their game plan, regardless of the competition.

“There are several good teams. Louisv ille is a topten team in the countr y who is also in the ACC. That’s going to be a big team there,” he said. “To be honest, we don’t really focus on other teams. We do the best that we can and I know that if we compete at the highest level and do what’s expected we should have a great finish.”

The entire team w ill be traveling dow n to Puerto Rico. With the start of the spring season at the gates, Handrigan thinks that it is now or never to get the ball rolling again.

“We’ve got nine guys on

Write Sports.

the roster and we are taking five guys in the starting lineup and we are taking four in as indiv iduals,” Handrigan said. “I think that it is important to prov ide opportunities for ever y player on our team and that is what we are doing w ith this first event. I think that we have a ver y deep lineup.

I don’t know who is going to be the top guy each week, because it varies. I am excited to see what the guys are going to do coming out of the off season.”

Competition w ill be from Sunday, Feb. 23 until Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Contact Inigo Yturralde at iyturral@nd.edu

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W Tennis Continued from page 12

category. This fact presents an opportunity for many Notre Dame players to add a valuable ranked win to their resumes. NC State is particularly strong in doubles, as sophomore A lana Smith and senior A nna Rogers comprise the No. 2 duo in collegiate tennis. The pairing of junior Jaeda Daniel and senior Adriana Reami is also ranked 13th nationally.

Virginia Tech (7-1, 01 ACC)

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, february 20, 2020 | The Observer

is already close to matching their w in total from the 2019 season, when they went 9-16, and look to be a muchimproved program.

The Hokies are eager to earn their first conference w in of the season and could give the Irish some trouble.

Junior Nika Kozar and freshman Erika Cheng headline a deep roster hav ing only lost a combined two matches in singles play. Consequently, Notre Dame w ill need strong performances across all courts to secure this v ictor y.

11

The Irish w ill face NC State at 5 p.m. on Friday before challenging Virginia Tech at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Both matches w ill be located in the Eck Tennis Pav ilion.

Looking ahead to next weekend, Notre Dame w ill travel to the East Coast and compete against Sy racuse and Boston College before play ing their last out of conference match versus instate rival Indiana.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

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Allison thornton | The Observer

Irish junior Ally Bojczuk serves the ball during Notre Dame’s 4-0 victory over Purdue on Feb. 13, 2018 at Eck Tennis Pavilion.

michelle mehelas | The Observer

Former Irish graduate student Brooke Broda follows through on a shot during Notre Dame’s win over Bowling Green on Jan. 23, 2019.

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The observer | thursday, february 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

men’s lacrosse

nd women’s tennis

Squad to take on No. 4 Wolfpack

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

Fresh off a thrilling 4-3 victory over No. 22 USC, the Irish will begin a two-match home stand against No. 4 NC State and Virginia Tech.

These contests mark the start of ACC play for Notre Dame women’s tennis (7-3), and home wins are essential when competing in such an elite conference.

For the Irish, junior Ally Bojczuk played a key role in the victory over the Trojans and brief ly earned an ITA singles ranking, while talented veterans such as junior Cameron Corse and senior Zoe Spence are looking to gain some national attention of their own. Irish head coach Alison Silverio seemed confident in her team due to their aggressive mentality going into this weekend’s events.

“For us, it’s going to be business as usual,” Silverio said. “We understand that we

Notre Dame to face Richmond this Sunday

are going into the ACC season with momentum, and we will continue to bring our championship mindset of competitiveness into every single match.

The ACC is the toughest conference in the country, so there is an opportunity in these contests to get better, develop and become the best. This is ultimately what our goal is, and we are looking forward to these opportunities for growth this weekend.”

NC State (13-2) could be the most difficult challenge yet for the Irish as they have already defeated multiple ranked opponents, including No. 5 Princeton, No. 8 Georgia and No. 30 South Carolina.

The Wolfpack went 11-3 in ACC play last seasoned have a strong chance to replicate this feat as they boast three top 50 players in the singles see W TENNIS PAGE 11

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

emma farnan | The Observer

Former Irish midfielder Drew Schantz runs down the field during an April 2019 win of 12-10 over the University of North Carolina.

see M LAX PAGE 9

nd men’s golf

nd women’s golf

Irish ready to open season at Westbrook Invite

Golfers to travel to Puerto Rico

By JIMMY WARD

By INIGO YTURRALDE

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

The Notre Dame women’s golf squad will begin their spring slate this Sunday at the Westbrook Spring Invitational at the Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Arizona.

It is a familiar course to veteran Irish golfers like senior Mia Ayer who will play in her fourth appearance at Westbrook.

Junior Abby Heck has competed the two previous years and sophomore Claire Albrecht played at the event last season.

Albrecht’s older sister Emma, who graduated last spring, also has some fond memories at Westbrook where just last year she shot eight under par, leaving her just one shot shy of Notre Dame’s top 54-hole score in program history, the record that she had set at the 2018 Westbrook Invitational.

However, the remaining three making up the roster for the Irish are all freshmen.

Lauren Beaudreau, Madelyn

The Notre Dame Men’s Golf team will be traveling to Puerto Rico to compete in the first ever TPC Dorado Beach Collegiate. The tournament will take place Feb. 23-25 at the Dorado Beach Resort and Club.

This is the team’s first competition together since October, when the men took first at the Quail Valley Intercollegiate.

Since returning from winter break, the team has had many successful trips to Florida to work on their game. The men’s head coach, John Handrigan, shared some insights on the status of the team at this point in the season.

“We’re doing pretty well. Obviously, we have had a couple months off,” Handrigan said. “The guys have been working hard.

Pretty much every guy has played in a tournament or two over this break, in order

see W GOLF PAGE 10

The No. 6-ranked Irish will face their first major test of the season this Sunday against the No. 17-ranked Richmond Spiders. The Irish are coming off their opening game against Cleveland State this past weekend where they won a comfortable 17-7 game.

Head coach Kevin Corrigan said that his team has used the full week off to prepare for Richmond and work on some things from last weekend’s win against Cleveland State.

“We took a couple of days on Monday and Tuesday and really just learned about ourselves and tried to take some lessons from last week’s game and look forward to this week’s game and recognize some of the things that are really important for us to do well,” Corrigan said.

ann curtis | The Observer

Irish sophomore Claire Albrecht prepares to swing during Notre Dame’s exhibition game on Aug. 24, 2018 at Warren Golf Course.

to try to keep things rolling after everything that we did this fall. I feel that we are ready. We have had several practice trips that we’ve been on over the last few weeks, down to Florida to get some golf in. As you know, you can’t get much here at this time of year. I feel like we’ve prepared well and that we’re ready for our first event.”

Looking back at the last few weeks of practice, Handrigan had the following to say regarding the f low and rhythm of the guys heading down to Puerto Rico.

“I’ve noticed that it took us a while to get things back.

We were a little rusty our first few weeks practicing,” he said. “However, I noticed that on this last trip that we were on, in Florida, our guys were back on track. It took us a few weeks to get there, but I feel like we are in a good stop heading into this first event. It’s a long spring and see M GOLF PAGE 10