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Volume 54, Issue 89 | monday, february 24, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Paradiso-O’Connor win election Following three-day campaign season, ticket to take office this summer By MAEVE FILBIN Saint Mary’s News Editor
After three days of campaigning in campus spaces and on various social media platforms, juniors Giavanna Paradiso and Kelsey O’Connor have been named the incoming Saint Mar y’s Student Government Association (SGA) president and v ice president for the 2020-2021 academic year. They w ill officially take office this summer. The Office of Student Involvement announced the official election results
in a campus-w ide email at 11:15 a.m. Friday, after polls closed at 8 a.m. The voting percentages were not disclosed to the student body. “So this was actually fun,” Paradiso said about the moment she learned she and O’Connor had won. “I had my 21st birthday the night before, and Kelsey was calling me and I thought ‘Oh my gosh, why is she calling me right now? ’ A nd she was like, ‘Check your email.’” Before notif y ing the entire student body, the Office of
NOLA WALLACE | The Observer
Catholic activ ist and humanitarian worker Jean Vanier was found to have sexually abused at least six adult women, according to a report commissioned by L’Arche, the ser v ice organization he founded. In a press release
see ELECTIONS PAGE 3
Giavanna Paradiso (left) and Kelsey O’Connor (right) will take over as Saint Mary’s SGA president and vice president starting this summer.
see ABUSE PAGE 4
Observer Staff Report
Senior students create app for local restaurants By MARIA LUISA PAUL News Writer
Sitting together in their Introduction to Engineering class as freshmen, now seniors Horacio Lopez and A lexandra Lopez never imagined their friendship would turn into a partnership. However, three years later Horacio and A lexandra have engineered their ow n app together — GiveBee. GiveBee ser ves as a communit y where app users share posts about the food venues they v isit. After
snapping the photos and posting them to their social media accounts users are rewarded “FreeBees,” which may be getting a 10 percent discount on their purchase for example. Users’ followers are able to screenshot these posts, upload them and also get a “FreeBee” in return. Ultimately, the businesses that are signed up in GiveBee can use this information to analyze how many new v isitors are generated from these posts. After launching in December 2019, the app
currently has more than 300 communit y users and eight pay ing locations, including Purely Pressed, Tap House on the Edge, Bistro 933 and Salsa’s Mex ican Restaurant, but Horacio said there are “many more to come soon.” The idea for the app was conceived when Horacio was running Facebook ads for three local businesses the summer after his freshman year. “I noticed that a massive driver to locations
Six new and two returning department heads w ill complete The Obser ver’s 2020-2021 Editorial Board, incoming Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras announced Saturday. The eight editors w ill join Leontaras as well as incoming Managing Editor
NEWS PAGE 3
Mariah Rush and Assistant Managing Editors Maeve Filbin, Claire Rafford and Sara Schlecht in directing the editorial responsibilities of the paper. Juniors Hayden Adams, Ryan Israel, Mia Marroquin, Diane Park and Serena Zacharias and sophomores Ellie Dombrowski, Nelisha Silva and A llison Thornton
SCENE PAGE 5
Prospective students visit for Reilly Spring Visit
see APP PAGE 4
Observer announces 20202021 department heads Observer Staff Report
L’Arche reports abuse
w ill lead their respective departments beginning March 16. Adams w ill be filling the role of Sports Editor. A junior from Lex ington, Kentuck y, Adams is majoring in physics and film, telev ision and theatre while pursuing a minor in Journalism, Ethics see OBSERVER PAGE 4
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
Photo courtesy of Meena Selvan
Prospective students explore the Grotto as part of the Reilly Spring Visit. Weekend time allows potential students time to explore campus. By RENEE PIERSON News Writer
Prospective Notre Dame students traveled from far and wide to visit campus this weekend for the Reilly Spring Visit Program. A select group of students were given the opportunity to explore various aspects of campus life free of charge in an immersion program, and current students played a significant role in the planning of the weekend’s events.
ND W BASKETBALL PAGE 9
Junior Noble Patidar and sophomore Meenu Selvan were two of the Student Recruitment Coordinators that helped organize the event this year. “The Reilly Spring Visit is a program run by Notre Dame undergraduate admissions that brings high school seniors of low socioeconomic status and minority backgrounds to campus. These are exceptional kids,” Patidar said. “These see REILLY PAGE 4
ND W LACROSSE PAGE 12
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The observer | Monday, february 24, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Weekly Spanish Mass Dunne Hall 10 p.m. - 11 p.m. Social after Mass.
Red Cross Blood Drive 101 Duncan Student Center 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Stories of Grace Howard Hall 7 p.m - 8 p.m. Featuring student speakers.
PEMCO’s “The Wild Party” Washington Hall 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Ticketed event.
Women’s Investing Summit Dahnke Ballroom 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free for students.
Margaret Hill Lecture Moreau Center for the Arts, Little Theatre 7:30 p.m. Featuring Mary Zimmerman.
Astrophysics Seminar 184 Nieuwland Science Hall 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Open to the public.
ND Theatre NOW Philbin Studio Theatre, DPAC 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Two new one-act plays directed by students.
Women’s Basketball Game Purcell Pavilion 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Notre Dame to take on North Carolina.
ND Symphony Orchestra Concert Leighton Concert Hall 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Featuring student soloists.
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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
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Corrections Thursday’s story on the End Hate at ND panel discussion incorrectly stated the sponsors of the “Identity and Belonging” panel. The event was co-hosted by the Gender Studies Program. The Observer regrets this error.
ND cinema a unique, high-quality perk By Hannah Tonsor News Writer
In September 2004, the Browning Cinema opened on Notre Dame campus. Located in the DeBartolo Performing Arts center, the Browning Cinema is a THX certified, 200seat theater that offers a variety of programs and events. “It’s kind of like an arthouse cinema where we don’t really show large commercial-released films,” Kevin Krizmanich, the cinema production manager at Browning Cinema, said. “We do show newer, more independent films like indie films, classic films, cult-classic films, and then we do a lot of series and partnerships with different departments on campus and different groups from the South Bend community.” When attending the Browning, students can expect to see films that are highly renowned and often difficult to access at a typical, commercialized movie theater. Krizmanich said the Browning’s THX certification is very rare on a college campus and having a theater as high of a quality as the Browning on Notre Dame campus is a privilege. Films screened at the Browning Cinema are chosen with careful planning. “The cinema program director’s chief responsibility is to design film series and create partnerships on campus and in the
community,” Krizmanich said. Because of the wide variety of resources Notre Dame offers, the Browning often partners with different departments and academics on campus to enrich the cinematic experience at the theater. Another way the Browning strives to enrich the educational experience of film is by frequently presenting short introductions to the audience before a film is screened. “When possible, an introduction really helps frame a film in a certain way,” Krizmanich said. “It takes it beyond the typical movie theater experience. It’s hard not to find somebody who can speak smartly about a film on campus.” The Browning Cinema offers a variety of film series and events, such as the Learning Beyond the Classics film series. “Basically they choose a theme and then choose six films,” said Krizmanich, “This current one we’re doing right now is on films about death row. They help invoke your feelings about the death penalty, and it gives a little historical context about the death penalty as well.” The Browning Cinema also offers National Theatre Live and Met Opera Live, which are live satellite streams of various theaters in London and the metropolitan opera in New York. “That’s a cool program where you get the best of the best in theater and opera
live-streamed,” Krizmanich said. “Because of the quality of our theater, you’re getting the best experience around.” Screenings take place six days a week. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, films are shown between 7 & 8 p.m., while Friday screenings take place at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. On Saturday, there is usually an afternoon screening, along with another 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. screening later that day. The family film series takes place at noon on Sunday, and another film is shown at 3 p.m. on Sunday as well. Not only is the experience at the Browning of high quality, it’s also incredibly affordable for students. Often, students are able to receive free tickets or heavily discounted tickets for films sponsored by various departments across campus. While attending the Browning is often an educational experience, the entertainment value is immense as well, Krizmanich said. “Because we have the resources, we get to bring in directors and experts in the field of cinema and whatever the topic of the film is,” said Krizmanich. “That’s one of the fun things we get to do, and we get to give the community and the students a really cool, unique experience that you don’t get when you just go to a typical movie theater.” Contact Hannah Tonsor at htonsor@nd.edu
News
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, february 24, 2020 | The Observer
Saint Mary’s hosts weekend event for students’ siblings By MIA MARROQUIN News Writer
Mov ing away from home for college usually means leav ing behind homecooked meals, showering w ithout sandals and little siblings. Over the weekend, Saint Mar y’s Residence Hall Association (RHA) fixed one of those deficiencies by hosting their annual little siblings weekend event. Lil’ Sibs is a two-day event open to on- and off-campus Saint Mar y’s students and their younger siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews. This year’s theme was, “Lil’ Sibs Go to the Zoo,” w ith zoo-related activ ities. Friday kicked off w ith a screening of Zootopia in Angela which included snacks and door prizes such as souvenir cups and t-shirts. Being away at college is hard for both older and younger siblings, so Lil Sibs’ weekend is just a fun weekend getaway where siblings can spend some qualit y time, said junior RHA president LeeAnn Beat y. “The purpose of Lil’ Sibs weekend is to give SMC students a chance to spend a fun weekend w ith their
younger siblings. This gives them an opportunit y to create memories w ith a lot of fun activ ities,” Beat y said. On Saturday, students and their siblings participated in crafts and games and were able to v isit the petting zoo. The zoo theme extended to the photo booth w ith animal ear props and backdrops. Junior Sarah Fletcher, spent the weekend w ith her twelve-year-old brother, Ben. “It was special to be able to show him around my home and my favorite places on- and off-campus,” she said. “It was so cute that he was really looking for ward to eating in the dining hall even though he was disappointed after he tried it.” Because siblings come from all different ages and backgrounds one challenge the committee faces is creating activ ities that are inclusive of all siblings. “Appealing to a vast age range is definitely an obstacle we face ever y year w ith Lil’ Sibs Weekend,” Beat y said. “We don’t want to make the activ ities too baby ish, but we also don’t want to make them exclusively for older kids because some SMC students have siblings
that are younger than elementar y school. We really think through what we’re planning to ensure that it’s appropriate for all ages that may attend Lil’ Sibs’ Weekend.” Sisters Raigan and Lillian A lthouse, junior and firstyear, respectively, hosted their high school-aged sister, Mackenzie, this weekend. “It was fun to all be together in the same place for the weekend,” Raigan said, “Even though Lilly and I are on the same campus and hang out a lot, it was awesome to be able to have our younger sister here to hangout w ith us too. It was the little things like eating in the dining hall, making latenight runs to Cyber [Cafe] and watching mov ies that made the weekend special.” Lil’ Sibs weekend has become a tradition w ith the A lthouse girls since first v isiting their older sister who graduated in 2018. “It’s cra zy to think that while the idea of Lil’ Sibs weekend hasn’t changed since my first time here, my memories w ith my sisters have,” A lthouse said. Contact Mia Marroquin at mmarroquin01@saintmarys.edu
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Elections Continued from page 1
Student Involvement officially offered the positions to Paradiso and O’Connor, which they quickly accepted, Paradiso said. “Then I just screamed at the top of my lungs super loud, and jumped out of bed,” she said. “It was really exciting.” O’Connor said she immediately called Paradiso upon learning that they had won the office, waking her up with the news. “The first thing was to go find Giavanna, and she wasn’t answering my calls,” she said. “Honestly, I wasn’t nervous, I was excited to find out and after a long week of doing so much stuff, just being able to meet so many different people on campus, I was just so excited.” Paradiso and O’Connor beat the opposition ticket, juniors Deirdre Drinkall and Brianna Kinyanjui, in the race for the office. Drinkall congratulated the winning ticket, and said she was proud of the time and effort she and Kinyanjui put into their own campaign. “We know Giavanna and Kelsey will do great things in this position,” Drinkall said in an email. “Brianna and I are so proud of the heart and soul we put into this campaign despite many obstacles. We will continue to celebrate the spirit and sisterhood of Saint Mary’s College.” Kinyanjui said she and Drinkall will continue to serve the College through their involvement in student leadership. “Deirdre and I are so lucky to have been a part of this
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election, and we want to wish Giavanna and Kelsey the best of luck in their new positions,” Kinyanjui said in an email. “This is just one stepping stone of the numerous ways that Deirdre and I will continue to advocate for and support the wellbeing of our Saint Mary’s community. We will always advocate for spirit and sisterhood.” Paradiso expressed her appreciation for Drinkall and Kinyanjui and lauded their passion for the College. “I think they’re both fabulous women,” she said. “I guess what I would say to them is I hope they still feel involved in the Saint Mary’s community in every way possible, and I think they did a fantastic job, and that they both have very bright futures.” Before even officially taking office this summer, the incoming SGA president and vice president are already initiating some of their platform goals, Paradiso said. Specifically, Paradiso and O’Connor are starting discussions surrounding the Blinkie trackers and continuing to return Dalloway’s to its original state as a student space. “For starters, I know that tracking app isn’t going to be easy, so I’m just going to start talking to people about it now,” Paradiso said. “Same thing with Dalloway’s — talking to people about that now.” In their platform, Paradiso and O’Connor committed to meeting with every club on campus. These conversations are already beginning, Paradiso said. “Hopefully after spring break we can get some meetings planned,” she said. Both platforms promised increased transparency and communication between SGA and the student body, suggesting town halls and office hours, as well as social media updates. Paradiso said she will be using her own Instagram to keep students updated in the months until she takes office. O’Connor thanked the student body, not only for voting, but also for providing ideas for improvements to be made in the remaining months of spring semester. “A big thank you for everyone that came out and voted,” she said. “And thank you to everyone that took the time to even just get to know us and get to know our platform — that was the greatest thing. So many people gave us so many ideas not even for next year, but this year to work on in SGA, and that was so great.” Contact Maeve Filbin at mfilbin01@saintmarys.edu
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News
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Reilly Continued from page 1
are my favorite weekends of the year.” Selvan said the weekend exists to allow prospective students to fully experience Notre Dame. “Our job [as Student Recruitment Coordinators] is to create programs or events to entertain the prospective students and show them what it’s actually like to be involved in this campus,” Selvan said. “We show them the resources, the opportunities and the spaces where they can do what they love to do.” Sophomore Yanik Ariste was a student host, and she emphasized the importance of the weekend to the students invited for the program. “It’s a paid opportunity so students that may not be able to visit otherwise from far places or
Abuse Continued from page 1
Saturday, L’Arche said the alleged abuse took place between 1970 and 2005, often in the context of spiritual direction. None of the six known survivors had learning disabilities. The investigation deems the allegations against Vanier credible. Vanier was a recipient of two awards from Notre Dame,
App Continued from page 1
was customer content on Instagram,” Horacio said. “Because of Instagram, people are the new ads. But nothing existed for my local clients to automatically increase this behavior.” Horacio said his parents owning a tapas restaurant in Evanston, Illinois also served as a motivator for his project. He tried to develop the app during his sophomore year, but was unsuccessful. More recently however, Horacio said he’s felt he has a “clearer, more focused path,” and with support from friends and partners like
Observer Continued from page 1
and Democracy. Now in his second year in the department, Adams has covered football, volleyball, fencing and hockey, as well as men’s and women’s basketball and soccer. He currently resides in Zahm House. Israel, a Stanford Hall resident hailing from Detroit, Michigan, and currently studying abroad in London, England, will take over as Scene Editor. A connoisseur of all things arts and culture, Israel has spent his time at the paper as a critic and reporter covering music, movies, television and campus events. Israel is majoring in sociology and
low-income students can come and explore campus and see what Notre Dame is all about.” Many of the current students involved in Reilly attended the visit themselves and spoke to the positive impact it had on them ultimately choosing Notre Dame. “[The Reilly Spring Visit] was one of the main reasons I decided to come to the school,” Selvan said. Patidar echoed Selvan, and said he would not have chosen the University without the program. “I came here for the [Reilly] program and it wasn’t even the events specifically, it was the people,” Patidar said. “It was the atmosphere, it was seeing this place in person that brought me here.” The events that the Student Recruitment Coordinators planned were aimed at bringing the students closer to one
another, giving them the chance to get to know their potential future classmates. The four-day visit commenced with campus tours and a welcome dinner on Thursday, followed by a breakfast and presentations by various colleges on Friday. The itinerary on Friday also included a student panel featuring representatives from different student organizations. “Hopefully the student panel will be able to answer questions that they have honestly without the admissions counselors in the room,” Selvan said. “This is their one-on-one time with us.” In addition to the academic and extracurricular aspects of college life, the students were also immersed in the social scene on campus through the hosting system and social activities. “I know the Reilly staff made sure they met a lot of people over
the weekend by having different student groups for different activities,” Ariste said in an email. “It worked! Within a couple of hours of being here, the Reilly students were already getting close, making breakfast plans and more.” On Saturday, one of the closing activities was a talent show where the prospective students had the opportunity to perform, which is a long-standing tradition. “This year they’re going to get the band, Africana dance and Humor Artists to perform to kickstart the event. That will hopefully motivate some of the students to go up there,” Selvan said. In addition to these fun events, spiritual experiences are also incorporated to emphasize Notre Dame’s religious identity. “I’ve always been a spiritual person, so when I came here during Reilly I went to mass in Morrissey and it was the best
experience of my life. I didn’t realize how invested students were in mass,” Selvan said. To conclude the visit, the coordinators and the prospective students all visit the Grotto together and each of the coordinators tells a candid story about why this place is special to them. The Reilly Spring Visit holds a special place in the hearts of the Student Recruitment Coordinators, and this passion manifested itself throughout the weekend, Patidar said. “These kids only have three days here,” Patidar said. “The way you get them to ask the most delicate questions is developing that trust as quickly as possible. When they start asking those questions, you get the best results in that they see Notre Dame the way we do.”
both of which were revoked Sunday, said Paul Browne, the University’s vice president for public affairs and communications. The sexual abuse investigation began the summer of 2019, following Vanier’s death in May. Findings from L’Arche’s report also implicate Vanier in covering up similar behavior by Father Thomas Phillippe, his spiritual mentor. Allegations of Phillippe’s sexual abuse
first surfaced in 2014 and were deemed credible by the Vatican in 2015. Vanier publicly denied knowing anything of the abuse. The report’s findings “do not relate” to L’Arche communities in the United States, the release said. L’Arche is an international nonprofit created to serve those with intellectual disabilities. Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns often partners with the organization for Summer Service Learning
Programs and community seminars. Vanier received the Notre Dame Award in 1994. In 2014, he and L’Arche were given the Ford Family Notre Dame Award for International Development and Solidarity during the Kellogg Institute’s Conference on Human Dignity and Human Development at the University’s Rome Global Gateway. “The L’Arche report was thorough, rigorous and fair,
prompting University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., to revoke the award,” Browne said in an email. “Similarly, the 2014 Ford Family Notre Dame Award for International Development and Solidarity given to Vanier by the University’s Kellogg Institute was revoked today by the institute.” University President Fr. John Jenkins issued a public statement commemorating Vanier after his death in 2019.
Alexandra, GiveBee became a reality. His current success has inspired Horacio to work on GiveBee full time after he graduates in May. “At the current trajectory, GiveBee has enough to support myself in a workspace at Chicago’s 1871. Then, when the time is right, we’ll get a fulltime team,” Horacio said. At present, Horacio and Alexandra are working on advertising for the app, which is why they co-hosted an event with Tinder at Salsa’s Mexican Restaurant two weeks ago. Their choice to host the event with Tinder stems from Horacio and Alexandra’s friendship with Tinder’s representative on
campus, senior Joe Nwanebo. “Joe has been one of the people we turn to for user interviews. During one of these interviews, he offered the opportunity to partner up for the event, so we took it,” Alexandra said. Alexandra said taking Nwanebo’s advice was a great idea because they event turned out to be “the biggest driver of users so far.” Throughout the process, Horacio and Alexandra both said they have gained valuable lessons and have experienced a steep learning curve. “The biggest learning I’ve had is that anything that’s worth going after never comes easy, and sometimes the sacrifices
are a lot, but if you truly love what you do, why do anything else?” Horacio said. Alexandra echoed this sentiment and said she’s learned the important of resilience in endeavors like this one. “I think one of the most important things I’ve learned is that we don’t always know everything, and it’s okay to be wrong at times,” Alexandra said. Asking for advice and insight might lead to the best solutions, Alexandra said. “It’s so important to talk to other people – potential users and advisors. You learn so much from every single conversation you have,” Alexandra said.
As a result, user feedback has become the backbone for GiveBee’s newest version. “That was the biggest thing that’s changed in the newest version of GiveBee. Talking to users is a must,” Horacio said. Looking back on his time at the University, Horacio said there was one thing he would tell his freshman self, the one who never imagined his future trajectory while sitting with Alexandra in class. “I would tell myself: just keep going in the long term, don’t focus on the temporary failures and hiccups,” Horacio said. “It always turns out fine.”
television. Marroquin, a Holland, Michigan, native, will take on the role of Saint Mary’s News Editor. Marroquin is majoring in communication studies with minors in PR and advertising and Spanish. She has written for The Observer since her sophomore year and has covered a range of topics including Miss Kenya USA’s visit to the College, access to grief and loss support groups on campus and new dining services initiatives. Park has designed for The Observer since her freshman year and became the Graphics Editor last year. Continuing her position as department editor, Park is excited to contribute her creative background to The
Observer. Studying industrial design, sociology and a minor in digital marketing, she hopes to lead new creative content with her design team. Zacharias, a native of Mequon, Wisconsin, will take over as Notre Dame News Editor. A neuroscience and behavior major and Journalism, Ethics and Democracy minor, Zacharias has written for the Notre Dame News department since her freshman year. Throughout her time with the paper, she has reported on a number of events, including co-founder of Black Lives Matter Opal Tometti’s visit to campus, the 2020 student body government elections and James Mueller’s mayoral election, in addition to writing
features on a variety of topics such as Notre Dame low-income student admission experiences. Dombrowski, a New York City, New York, native, will serve as Social Media Editor. A program for liberal studies major, she has written for Viewpoint and served as the newsletter manager. As the newsletter manager, Dombrowski has covered a variety of topics, including the Iowa caucuses. She enjoys listening to The 1975, reading any and all books, cuddling with cats and drinking too much coffee. Dombrowski is currently a resident of Lewis Hall. Silva, a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, will take over as the Viewpoint Editor. She is majoring in English and global affairs,
concentrating in civil and human rights, with a minor in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service. Silva currently works as a copy editor for the department and serves as the vice president of Pasquerilla West Hall. She will be studying abroad at Trinity College in Dublin during the fall semester. Thornton will be returning as Photo Editor. At Saint Mary’s she is studying environmental studies and anthropology and is a native of South Bend, Indiana. Thornton is currently studying abroad in Maynooth, Ireland. She has photographed many events during her time at the paper, including the Camping World Bowl football championship this past season.
Contact Renee Pierson at rpierso1@nd.edu
Contact Maria Luisa Paul at mpaulran@nd.edu
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The observer | monday, february 24, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ELIZABETH GREGORY Scene Writer
If the 2010s were a time of blurring lines between alternative and pop music, Grimes was the goddess. Rising from underground Montreal fame to massive music stardom, with her release of “Visions” in 2012 and the highly acclaimed “Art Angels” in 2015, Grimes’s music is hard to define. She actively endorses and praises pop icons like Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift, but refuses to align with any type of elitist musical ideology. Her music reflects this with its intimate blending of pop and alternative traditions. Grimes’s influences are expansive, including the likes of Arthur Russell, Oasis, Enya, Nine Inch Nails, K-pop and Michael Jackson. Her catalog has always reflected this, and “Miss Anthropocene” is no exception. When Grimes began publicly speaking about “Miss Anthropocene,” she sold it as a concept album about an evil goddess of climate change. However, this idea only loosely unites the “negative, aggressive, and isolating” experience of listening and creating it. The pun of the title, “misanthrope,” however, effectively pin points the cynical, nihilistic energy of the album. “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth” begins the collection with a six-minute descent into a dark, apocalyptic world, sharply contrasting with the upbeat synths of “Art
By MARGAUX MILLER Scene Writer
Active since 2017, The Black Pumas are a newly formed band w ith a retro funk v ibe including samples from many R&B tracks nodding at older, but ver y notable artists. Singer, Eric Burton and guitarist Adrian Quesada formed this psychedelic soul duo in Austin, Texas. Burton’s soulful voice coupled w ith Queseda’s experience as part of Grupo Fantasma — a Latino band which won a Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or A lternative album in 2010 for their album El Ex istensial — has resulted in homemade music that has something for ever yone, the ly rics and skillful guitar. Their self-titled debut album features a multitude of songs, however, I believe their top three are “Colors,” “Black Moon Rising,” and “OCT 33.” “Colors” is about the colorful diversit y found in any given moment in our lives. With ly rics consisting of “baby blues,” “meadows of green,” “gray
Angels.” Grimes has said this song was, in part, a reflection on the ego death of pregnancy. This very personal sensibility of song making weaves the album together — popping up in the oddly chirpy final love song “IDORU” and in the nihilistic reflections about the effects of the opioid crisis on “Delete Forever.” The clash between the elevated concept of the album, hashed out with raging production, and these personal moments is engaging and mystifying. It fails, unfortunately, to present a boldly unitive statement on the “thesis” that Grimes lays out in “New Gods” about a villainous overarching persona. Grimes has catapulted herself into the public eye due of her relationship with Elon Musk, including the announcement of a child, and because of her impressive demonstrations of ability in the last 10 years. This album dwells in darkness, expunges some personal demons, and reflects Grimes’s shifting public image. Nevertheless, it does, even more than previous albums, feel exceedingly self indulgent. This falls short on “Miss Anthropocene” due to its underwhelming creative experiment. Nonetheless, there are high moments. Grimes’s vocal work reaches its peak, the intense gothic vibes on “Darkseid” hit different, and as singles, many of the songs, like “Violence,” function impressively. The
album is a bizarre mashing of Grimes’s talents and risks. Ultimately the attempt at ethereal nu metal is undercut by the ballad, near pop moments. This is especially evident on the concluding song “IDORU,” which begins with birds chirping and ends in uncharacteristically feminine professions of love. The song is bop-able — notably less so when you imagine Musk’s face — but its presence on “Miss Anthropocene” feels undeserved and unnecessarily expansive. Yet, I will still swear by this album. Like “My Name is Dark” promises, “Imminent annihilation sounds so dope” on this long awaited return of Grimes’s quirky brand of artistry.
clouds,” “bitt y blue bird f lies,” “gray clouds,” “white walls” and “blue skies” the listener is left imagining the v iv idness that the ly rics masterfully describe. The song can also be about human diversit y as well, w ith the chorus say ing, “my sisters and my brothers, see ‘em like no other, all my favorite colors.” —giv ing us not only a beautiful picture but a beautiful message. Written on a New Mex ico rooftop, this featured song has a psychedelic sound paired w ith a hint of nostalgia, feeling both relevant and timeless. “Black Moon Rising” is a dark love song, nevertheless, t he ly r ics a ren’t ent i rely t he focus. T he sol id st r i ng sect ion d ista nces it sel f f rom Bu r ton’s sou l f u l voice, a l low i ng Quesada to sta nd out. T he ba nd, k now n for play i ng w it h pa st sou nds, echoes Creedence Clea r water Rev iva l’s cla ssic “Bad Moon R isi ng.” T he f i na l song h ig h l ig hted is “OCT 33.” T he acoust ic g u ita r prov ides t he foundation for this
song. A lthough repetitive in nature, it prov ides an enticing sound that leaves you hooked. This song also includes a reference to “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)” by Otis Redding, indicating the melancholy undertones in both the ly rics and guitar. This band, although new, has an evocative and reminiscent sound which is still in the process of being developed. The lack of outside inf luence and the sheer necessit y of evolv ing their sound (which only time can bring) results in ver y similar conceptual pieces. However, the combination of vocals and guitar weave together, and this crucial element is going to be pivotal to their future success. Want more from The Black Pumas? Make sure to check out the live version of “Colors” and “Black Moon R i si ng ” a s wel l a s t he acou st ic ver sion of “Color s ! ” T he y c a n be fou nd on a l l st rea mi ng plat for m s. Ma ke su re to check t hem out on soc ia l med ia, @ t heblack pu ma s.
Contact Elizabeth Gregory at egregor4@nd.edu
“Miss Anthropocene” Grimes Label: 4AD Favorite Tracks: “Delete Forever,” “Violence,” ‘My Name is Dark“ If you like: Enya, Oasis, Nine Inch Nails, Arthur Russell
Contact Margaux Miller at mmille56@nd.edu LINA DOMENELLA| The Observer
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The observer | monday, February 24, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Thank you, sun? Abby Patrick
‘Miss Americana’ and my disordered eating journey Ashton Weber Welcome to Ashtown
Viewpoint Copy Editor
The last few weeks have bestowed upon us some of the strangest winter weather I’ve seen in a long time. A hearty northerner, I’m used to snow piles everywhere, deep and drifting, until at least March, and sometimes (often) April. We instead seem to be f luctuating between 40 degree weather one day, to 20 degrees and seemingly aggressive, yet gentle, snow and days that are bitterly cold but full of brilliant sunshine. Someone told me this winter was predicted to be a polar coaster, as opposed to the polar vortex, and I think they were dead right. With the changes in weather, my emotions have been similarly in f lux. Be forewarned, my next statement is at face value odd, but I think it will resonate when you hear me out. I’m pretty sure I’m a plant. Sometimes a sunf lower, or maybe a birch tree depending on the day, but regardless, I photosynthesize. Not in a weird, human-plant hybrid kind of way (though I did read a strange book in elementary school about just that — “Top Secret” for those curious), but more like, give me a little food, sun and water and I’m content and happy. More than once I’ve almost collided with someone walking to class on a beaming day because I subconsciously closed my eyes and turned my face up to the sun, trying to take in what I can of the rays. Benches any where with a little sun-dappling are my favorite place to do work, weather permitting. It follows then that the typical South Bend winter, with its continual permacloud, leaves me a little gray and wilted. The last few weeks have been a balm to my tired soul — sun-filled mornings and similarly bright days, colorful sunsets reminding me that this place is actually kind of beautiful when lit up and full of life (cue images of the glinting dome). But at what cost? My body clock is all off. What time of year is it really? It’s only February. This warmth and sun isn’t supposed to come for a month at least, so my perception that spring’s around the corner is probably false. The snapping back and forth between glorious and grey has me reeling, and I don’t know what to make of it. It can’t be good for the earth to be in such a state of spasm and identity crisis. But at the same time, it might be one of the things that will actually get me through this winter. Surely I shouldn’t revel in signs of the demise of our environment. At the end of all of my ramblings, I don’t know how to feel. I fancy myself a bit of an eco-warrior and I try to be in tune to the way the world lives and breathes around me. And so I f luctuate, hopefully not as wildly as the weather, between abject horror at the state of the environment and our dear mother nature and extraordinary bliss under the warmth of the sun. Should I be more concerned? Less? The one thing I can’t deny is my plant-like nature and inclination to enjoy the sun for all its worth despite all its complicated implications — polar coaster be damned. Contact Abby at apatrick@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Armed with a doctor’s note that forbade me from returning to classes for three whole days, I spent the quarantine time lounging on my futon, watching movie after movie after TV show after movie. One of the films I watched during my 3-day inf luenza bender was Taylor Swift’s “Miss Americana” on Netf lix. It was good. Like really, really good. It made me laugh and it brought tears to my eyes. It was honest and real and I exclusively listened to Taylor Swift music for the next six days. But it also made me think for the next six days about my disordered eating behaviors. I recognize how sensitive this topic is and would strongly advise anyone who might find the next several hundred words triggering to just stop reading and go do something nice for yourself. As one of my icons, Glennon Doyle, says: “I love you, warriors.” I’ve always had an unhealthy-ish relationship with food. When I was younger, I ate a normal amount of a diverse range of foods and didn’t think much of it. Except, as I’ve mentioned in previous columns, I live with obsessivecompulsive disorder. So I guess nothing I do is “normal.” In 2005, the USDA launched a new program to teach kids about food and health. It was called MyPyramid (now, it’s MyPlate) and it was released alongside a snazzy website that my 5-year-old self was beyond stoked to scour. I started filling out food logs and reading up on calories. I learned how to read a nutritional facts label somewhere between 2005 and 2010. I’d say that in hindsight, my struggle with food began there. When I was in the pre-pubescent age range, I started to really understand that being skinny made you “good” in the eyes of the world. And people called me skinny all the time, so I must’ve been good. In her documentary, Swift speaks to the fact that she based her entire moral code on being a “good girl.” I felt like she was reading my diary or something because, for the longest time, that’s what I did too. This whole “good girl” complex is problematic not only because it’s grounded in privilege, but also because it just isn’t real. It’s not possible to make everyone happy all the time, and if you spend your life trying to please the whole world, you’re always going to be disappointed. And I’ve always known that. But when I was 12 years old, 5’8” and still growing, I hadn’t gotten my first period yet, and it was still physically possible to have no body fat. In that year, the first comment every family friend or distant family member or stranger in the line at Costco would make upon seeing me was: “Wooooooow! You’re so tall and skinny! You should be a model.” So, during my formative years, that’s what I grounded my identity in being. Tall and skinny. Sophomore year of high school, I finally gained that weight everyone does after a few years of menstruation. My woman body had arrived. I was horrified. I was still tall. I was still skinny. But I was no longer underweight. I found a diagram on Pinterest later that year. It showed how tall female celebrities are, relative to their weight. It claimed that Taylor Swift was 5’10” and 120 pounds. A quick run through a BMI calculator said this would mean she was underweight. That didn’t matter to me. I
immediately set the goal weight on my Fitbit tracker to 120. I was 5’10”. Why couldn’t I be 120 pounds, too? Throughout high school, I experimented with “healthy eating” every few months. One day, I would look in the mirror and feel a little more bloated than usual. That afternoon, I would sit down and write out a whole plan to get myself on a healthier (read: skinnier) track. With my rainbow of gel pens, I scribbled out meal plans and fitness plans and I’d get excited to live my new lifestyle. After a few weeks, the novelty of the plan would wear off and I’d stop adhering so strictly. But then I’d have costume fittings for ballet class or it would be summer and I’d need to buy a new swimsuit or I’d just look a little puffy in the mirror one day and the cycle would repeat. I know that these stories probably make me sound awful and privileged and I’m still struggling to figure out how to overcome that part, but my experience was real. And I didn’t realize how common it is until this school year. At one point in “Miss Americana,” Swift explains that she encountered a time in her life when an image of herself on a magazine or TV that she deemed unf lattering could send her into a spiral of disordered eating. “That would just trigger me to just … starve a little bit,” she said. “Just stop eating.” And I got it. It’s not like I would ever quit food altogether. Instead, I’d start restricting and limiting and counting. I’d eat a protein bar for breakfast and an apple for lunch and salad for dinner. Always enough food to survive and enough to keep other people off my trail. But never enough to keep myself in a good mood. Never enough to be happy. Last semester, I got used to having starvation headaches by 3 p.m. every day. I was dehydrated and my stomach grumbled all the time. I realized I had a serious problem, but I didn’t binge or purge and I wasn’t actually starving myself, so my problem wasn’t an eating disorder — not necessarily. Instead, it is disordered eating. I met with a therapist in the UCC for a few months and connected with a nutritionist to create a more properly-informed eating plan. I’ve been doing much better since then, but some days I’ll look in the mirror and the thoughts will come back and the calorie calculator will get pulled up on my phone and I’ll feel hopeless all over again. As I sat on my futon two weeks ago, watching “Miss Americana,” I heard the woman whose body I tried to model my own after for so many years say that she was unhealthy and unhappy when she looked like I wanted to. She said that life is better now that she’s gained weight and that she doesn’t hate herself for it. That she eats now to feel full and happy and to be better at her job. It was incredibly cathartic and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. It almost felt like I was given permission to stop caring so much about my food choices and my weight. Which is ridiculous. I get that. Taylor Swift should have nothing to do with how I treat my body, but she did. And now she can’t anymore. And, in a weird way, that gives me hope. Ashton Weber is a sophomore with lots of opinions. She is majoring in econ and film, television and theatre with a JED minor. Making new friends is one of her favorite things, so feel free to contact her at aweber22@nd.edu or @awebz01 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | monday, February 24, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Why vote? Andrew Sveda Bow Tie Politics
Ah, the administration — that thing everyone loves to hate. It’s no secret. Go into Duncan or LaFun, start namedropping “Father Jenkins” or “Erin Hoffmann Harding” and you’re bound to hear some pretty impassioned rants. So when it came time to vote in the student body election over the past two weeks, I just assumed people would vote since you didn’t really have to do, well, anything. Just click on a link in your inbox, tap the name of your candidate, hit submit and bam, you’re done. Yet for everything I’d heard and everything I’d seen, it still wasn’t enough. Despite how incredibly easy it was to make one’s voice heard, it didn’t seem to matter. And so election day passed by with indifferent shrug. The voter turnout: 42% for the first round and 38% in the runoff. Abysmal. Absurd. Disgraceful. With the primaries now in full swing and a general election coming up this fall, I can’t help but think of what this says about our campus politically. If 62% of students aren’t willing to take fifteen seconds to fill out a form, how many more won’t take the time this spring and in November to fill out an absentee ballot or go to the polls? Of course, there’s an obvious distinction between student body elections and a presidential election, but I would be very comfortable in saying the vast majority of people who didn’t vote at ND did so for the exact same reasons they wouldn’t vote in a national, state or local election: It’s “not worth it.” Their vote “doesn’t matter.” So why should we vote? Right before midterms and presidential elections, the Internet always explodes with articles and quotes about the importance of voting, that “every vote counts.” We’re constantly reminded of elections that were determined by a single vote or the famous/infamous 537 votes in Florida that won George Bush the presidency in 2000. But, honestly, who’s going to vote because there’s that
really, really small chance their vote just might, possibly, somehow determine who gets into office? Please. The math just doesn’t add up. A purely quantitative appeal simply won’t do. That’s because voting has always been more than this. It’s not something that’s just tallied up and plugged into a calculator. It’s a statement from the heart — about who we voted for, yes, but more fundamentally about our freedoms and institutions. It’s a belief in that same profound declaration, that same rallying cry, that same golden ideal which has captivated Americans from the buildings of Philadelphia to the beaches of Normandy, the streets of Little Rock and to this very day: That freedom is a precious gift from God, that man deserves to and can live in freedom. It’s an understanding of just how powerful a vote is and why people from China to Caracas are fighting for the same rights that we all too often take for granted. It’s a realization of just how precarious a thing freedom really is. America is and has always been, as Benjamin Franklin is supposed to have put it, “A Republic — if you can keep it.” It’s our task, our sacred duty to make sure that the liberties we now enjoy will be passed on to our children and our children’s children and that they will live in a country and a world brighter than the one we live in today. No doubt some will find this a little dramatic, absurd even. Such are the sentiments of the neglected ballot. Not voting is a statement itself, one that argues, at bottom, one of two things: that politics isn’t that important or that all this talk about losing freedom is way overblown, both of which simply aren’t true. Indeed, politics plays a defining role in pretty much everything we do. Education, transportation, health care, the environment, technology, economic policy, you name it — our lives are shaped by how our government acts. And politics doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Indeed, nothing may be more susceptible to change. If history teaches us anything, it’s that nothing in human affairs is indestructible,
that nothing is safe. How is democracy any different? What makes it so special? Across the world illiberal democracy and authoritarianism are on the move while freedom continues its retreat. And America isn’t somehow protected from this threat. Our long democratic history alone can’t save us. Our institutions are only as strong as our will to protect and defend them, which poses a considerable problem because we, too, are facing a crisis of confidence in the importance and power of democracy, especially among young Americans. A pair of political scientists from Harvard and the University of Melbourne found that only around 30% of millennial think it’s “essential” to live “in a democracy,” and, in 2017, Pew Research reported that nearly half of Americans 18-29 would support a government not of freelyelected officials, but of appointed experts. This isn’t even to mention the fact that over 80% of Americans under 45 failed a basic, multiple-choice citizenship test with questions like what countries did the U.S. fight in WWII or how many seats are there on the Supreme Court. Worried yet? For our sake, I hope so. That’s why you need to act. If not you, who will? This is our task — the same task faced by every generation of Americans. America is that great experiment which asks if the people are capable of governing themselves. It requires you to be active, involved and invested. If we aren’t, America will represent the most disappointing tragedy in the history of freedom. What each and every one of us does now will paint a portion of the mosaic that is the American story. What will it look like? You and I will decide. I refuse to stand by and watch. How about you? Andrew Sveda is a freshman at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh intending to major in Political Science. Besides politics, Andrew enjoys acting, playing the piano, and tennis. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
What I learned I ran for student body president in this election alongside my close friend, Jack Rotolo. Unfortunately, we didn’t gain enough votes to move into the runoff election, so our time as candidates was brief. However, I can say that even that short period was still one of the biggest learning experiences of my life. I thought I’d be sad or angry when I learned that we had lost, but I was shocked by the overwhelming sense of peace and relief I felt when we learned our time in the election was over. After a few days of reflecting on why I was feeling this unexpected tranquility about the whole thing, I’ve learned that it is because I realized I could not have done half as good a job as Elizabeth, Pat and Linde have this year. Thus, I was disappointed and surprised to read “The student body president does not matter” as I grabbed my usual morning breakfast in South Dining Hall. Now, I know I may be biased in my support for Elizabeth, Pat and Linde as I not only worked for them in their Executive Cabinet but also consider each of them some of my best friends at this University. Thus, for the sake of proving that not only the student body president (and student government as a whole) do in fact matter, I will speak solely based on achievements for the entirety of the next paragraph. The Department of Campus Technology has already launched the early stages of its mega-calendar of campus events, introducing a far simpler alternative to examining the Week@ND when it hits our email inbox. They have also created a ride-share application that will connect students who are interested in hailing an Uber or Lyft into Chicago. The Department of Community Engagement & Outreach rolled out its South Bend Adventure Guide, giving students information on various restaurants, events and sites to explore in the local area. They have also worked with ND Votes to register 700 new student voters as well as planning a “South Bend module” to incorporate within the Moreau First-Year Experience. The Department of Faith and Service has launched numerous interfaith initiatives. The Department of Diversity and
Inclusion has made instrumental steps in implementing diversity training in every dorm on campus. The Gender Relations Department led the effort to pass a student senate resolution requiring all enumerated positions within the Student Union Constitution to be GreeNDot trained during their term in office and negotiated for free menstrual products in several campus buildings. The Department of Health and Well-Being has introduced a key partnership between McWell and the UCC to better promote all of the health resources available to students. I could go on and name even more accomplishments from even more departments, but for the sake of the people reading this, I won’t belabor the point. (If you want more information on the work of student government this year, I encourage reading the Observer’s mid-year marks for the departments.) Needless to say, the student government still accomplishes a lot to positively impact students, trying to make them better connected to each other, this University and the local community. All of this has been accomplished through a phenomenal group of department directors committed to best serving Notre Dame under the leadership of not only a great student body president but also a remarkable vice president and chief of staff who have embraced their roles as student leaders amidst an immensely challenging year in the life of our school with the utmost grace and determination. Oftentimes in recent years, our student government elections have been mired by controversy and allegations, leaving us wondering why good people don’t run for these positions. However, why would good people even want to be a part of this process that we so frequently try to make miserable? The student government elections have not been a process of discovering the most innovative platform points, looking at the strengths of each ticket and ultimately choosing the ticket with the greatest strengths. Instead, they have become a short week of intense judgment on simply the weakest points. Few people want to subject themselves to the incessant criticism on their weakest platform points, having no opportunity to
discuss the strengths of their candidacy. Last year’s election was the exception to this recent streak of controversy, and I think that only speaks further to the character of not only the winners of that election, but of all individuals who participated. I am sorry that we could not uphold that similar standard of being above muddy politics in this year’s election, but I thank the Judicial Council for spending countless late hours holding each and every ticket accountable to the rules. Going forward, we need to do our best to make this an uplifting process in the future to encourage the best possible individuals coming forward to seek meaningful change. I admire the passion of this newspaper to challenge this University’s administration to be more mindful of student voices. However, that fierceness to take on the administration also often turns its frustration onto its fellow students, particularly those in student government. This bitterness towards classmates only hurts the student body’s ability to accomplish any form of meaningful, long-term change on this campus. I hear and support the Observer’s call for fair treatment of its off-campus students, a genuine tri-campus community and commitment to diversity, and overall transparency from the university administration. All of these subjects featured in editorial pieces from the Observer in the past year hit the nail on the head when it comes to some of the most important structural issues that face our University. If we want to take on the long-term, deep-rooted issues on this campus, it is going to be through a united student body, not tearing down the progress of campus leaders. The process will be difficult and frustrating at times with how slow it can be. Nonetheless, the only way this University’s administration has a chance at listening to the student body is if it stops bickering over who is doing the most to impact student lives and works collectively. Connor Whittle junior Feb. 23
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Classifieds
The observer | monday, february 24, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | DAvid steinberg
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Take your time, reflect, digest what’s happened and prepare to let go of anything that is no longer a necessity. The relief you feel from uncluttering your life emotionally, mentally and physically will help you take advantage of new possibilities. A demonstrative approach to life, love and personal gain will push you in a positive and prosperous direction. Your numbers are 6, 14, 19, 22, 27, 34, 41. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Overreacting will lead to a poor decision. Don’t do anything unpredictable because you are angry or frustrated with what’s happening around you. Keep the peace, bide your time and don’t jeopardize your reputation or your income. Avoid indulgent behavior. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Think about what you can do, and head in that direction. The help you offer will be appreciated and encourage you to update your skills and qualifications. A change of scenery will lead to unusual friendships. Live within your means. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Truth matters; if you mislead someone or you are inconsistent or uncertain, you will damage your reputation. Take your time, be direct and concentrate on self-improvement, not trying to change others. Get rid of any bad habits you’ve adopted. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Join in and spend time with your friends, relatives or peers. Sign up for something that interests you, and share your ideas and feelings with someone you find special. Do your research, and lay down the foundation for something you want to pursue. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Ignore what others are doing, and stay focused on what you want to achieve. Be your own person. A personal goal geared toward making updates will add to what you have to offer. Don’t mix business with pleasure. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Keep your money and your possessions in a safe place. Don’t take risks or let anyone take advantage of you. Focus on keeping a steady pace and making adjustments that will help you get ahead. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take time out for yourself. A day of pampering, spending time with someone special or curling up with a good book will ease stress. Do whatever it takes to avoid an argument. Don’t overdo it; moderation will be necessary. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t hesitate; you are more than ready to take on whatever comes your way. Seize the moment, ask questions and start making the changes required to turn your plan into a reality. A financial gain is within reach. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): : You’ll face confusion and uncertainty due to the information someone offers. Question whatever you are told, and find out what’s real and what isn’t before you commit to anything or anyone. Stick close to home, and take care of your health. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Check out the job market, and consider what excites you and what you’d like to do next. A change at home will help you make a move in a new direction. Turn your dream, passion or talent into a prosperous venture. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take action, and form alliances with someone who has always been there for you. Don’t worry about the changes others are making. Focus on what’s best for you, and work with those who are heading in a similar direction. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Common sense, reason and fair play will help you stay on course and reach your target. Refuse to let ego, regrets or bad habits come between you and the success you deserve. Stay on track, do your best and don’t look back. Birthday Baby: You are astute, dedicated and fair. You are strong-willed and faithful.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Sports Authority
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ND Women’s BasketBall | Notre Dame 72, Syracuse 70
Notre Dame beats The greatest upset in sports history Syracuse in ACC matchup Aidan Thomas Sports Writer
February 22nd, 1980. Ask your parents where they were when that group of college kids took on the Soviet Union powerhouse hockey team and shocked the world by winning that game and then eventually the gold medal. I’ve asked my dad, and I was treated to an excellent story of him faking sickness with his friend who backed up his story to get out of a mandatory meeting and go watch the game. So, two days after the 40-year anniversary of the greatest upset in sports, I’m watching the movie again, and recounting the best moments from Miracle, the best sports movie covering the 1980 USA hockey team — the best underdog story of all time. “A lot of kids from Boston and Minnesota” It’s one of my favorite underrated quotes from the movie. Prior to the tryouts, we see two future team members — Jack O’Callahan and Jimmy Craig — talking in front of the tryout list. O’Callahan asks Craig what he thinks of the list of players, to which Craig says “A lot of kids from Boston and Minnesota.” Growing up in an age of travel hockey, it’s an excellent throwback to the age of college hockey as it was born, with a bunch of kids from Boston and Minnesota dominating the game. It’s a small quote, but it’s a fun reminder of where the talent came from back in the ‘80s. Mike Eruzione, Winthrop Massachusetts, Team USA There is no doubt that Eruzione, the kid that nobody thought would make the team, is the epitome of this underdog team. And while there are a lot of moments, including the game-winning goal against the Soviets, this is one of the best moments in the movie. As the team skates through an ungodly number of suicides after a lackluster effort in their exhibition, Eruzione shouts out his name into the dark arena: “Mike Eruzione, Winthrop, Massachusetts.” The tension in the scene builds, and coach Herb Brooks asks who he plays for, to which Eruzione yells, “I play for the United States of America.” I can’t watch the scene without getting chills, and it’s an incredibly welldone scene that seemingly serves as the turning point in the movie as the team starts to improve both in effort and
team chemistry. “You want me to play on one leg, I’LL PLAY ON ONE LEG” Down 1-0 after one period versus Sweden, Brooks enters the locker room and launches into a tirade about how his team is acting like they’re playing in a ‘throwaway game,’ at which point he turns his attention to Rob McClanahan, who was injured in the first period. He fires off one of my favorite quotes, “A bruise on the leg is a long way from the heart,” following the quote by calling McClanahan a name I can’t put in print. McClahanan jumps up and screams “You want me to play on one leg, I’ll play on one leg.” He hops towards Brooks only to be restrained by his teammates. In a story full of gritty underdogs, this is one of the grittiest scenes in the movie. McClanahan comes back into the game and helps USA earn a draw with Sweden. “Their time is over, this is our time” In easily my favorite pregame speech ever, Herb Brooks delivers a passionate talk ahead of his team’s game versus the Soviets. They had lost 10-3 just weeks earlier, but even just a few games later, the team feels different. I can recount large portions of this speech from memory. If you’re a sports fan, you simply cannot dislike this scene. I can’t do it justice. Go look it up on Youtube.
By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer
The Notre Dame women’s basketball team (11-17, 6-10 ACC) bounced back from a three game losing streak on Sunday afternoon, beating Syracuse (15-12, 9-7 ACC) 72-70. Notre Dame was led by junior center Mikayla Vaughn who scored a career high 21 points. Head coach Muffet McGraw had high praise for Vaughn, who made a number of key plays down the stretch including taking a charge late in the fourth quarter and knocking down two important free throws. “Mikayla Vaughn was the player of the game for me,” McGraw said. “She was fantastic.” The Irish also received big contributions from freshman forward Sam Brunelle, who scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, and graduate student guard Destinee Walker, who chipped in 16 points. Notre Dame got off to a blistering start, beginning the game with a 23-5 run, going eight for 10 shooting. “We finally got off to a great start,” McGraw said. “I thought that was obviously key. Now we know if we get up 17 or 20, we have a chance to win it by two.” The Irish led 27-11 after the
first quarter. The teams traded baskets to open the second quarter, but Notre Dame continued to score the basketball at a high clip, and the game went to halftime with the Irish leading 44-33. Both teams came out of the break cold, struggling to maintain possession or score the basketball. A personal 6-0 run from Walker extended the Irish lead to 60-45, but Syracuse answered with a 9-2 run of their own to close the third quarter. Syracuse scored the first four points of the final period to cut the lead to just four, and after Vaughn hit two free throws, scored the next five points to cut the Notre Dame lead to one point with just over 5 minutes to play. Sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert drilled a jumper and on the next possession scored in the paint, giving the Irish a 6055 lead. Syracuse immediately answered with a three pointer, and forced an Irish turnover, but Vaughn was there to take a big charge and give the Irish the ball back. However, Gilbert missed a jumper and after a Vaughn foul, Syracuse sunk two free throws to tie the game with just over a minute left. On the next possession, Vaughn was fouled inside and knocked down her two free throws for what would be the last points of the game.
“Do you believe in miracles” There’s no chance that Al Michaels’ legendary call was going to escape this list. As the clock ticks down, USA makes one final clear, and Michaels shouts in pure elation, “Do you believe in miracles?!” What makes every great moment in sports is a great broadcaster and a signature call, and Al Michaels provides exactly that, providing the perfect ending to this movie. There are plenty of other moments, but I only have about 700-800 words to work with so instead of taking my word for it, go ahead and delay your next assignment or task on your to-do-list (you were probably going to do that anyways) and watch the movie. It’s worth your time. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The last minute was sloppy, with both teams turning the ball over, but Notre Dame was able to withstand Syracuse’s pressure and escape with the victory. McGraw was frustrated with her team’s fourth quarter performance. “We wavered quite a bit in the fourth quarter,” McGraw said. “I think we got really nervous when the game got close and nobody really wanted to shoot.” After the game, she pinpointed turnovers as something her team needed to improve upon. “I think we just need to be smarter. We threw it directly to them a number of times, trying to pass the ball through their hands,” she said. Additionally, she thought the team needs to improve their second-half defense. “We just have to be able to guard them a little bit better,” McGraw said. However, she was pleased her team could come away with the victory, especially after failing to close out games like this throughout the season. Notre Dame has just two regular season games left before the ACC tournament. They face North Carolina in their next game on Thursday at 7 p.m. at home. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu
Nathaniel George | The Observer
Irish sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert puts up a layup during a 68-82 defeat to Virginia Tech at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday. Gilbert has six points, eight rebounds and four assists in the game. 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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The observer | monday, february 24, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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After some back and forth play, the game was once again tied at a score of 5 as the end of the first half approached. It appeared that the Irish might be in for a tight game against the Buckeyes, but the Irish offense had different plans. Before the first half buzzer sounded, the Irish netted two quick goals from Choma and Aldave to take a 7-5 lead into the half. That was only the beginning of a 7-0 run for the Irish that extended into the second half and gave the Irish a 12-5 advantage and control of the game with just over twenty minutes to play. Choma scored twice and Aldave and senior classmates midfielder Erin McBride and attack Jessi Masinko scored as well. The Buckeyes responded with one goal to bring themselves within six of the Irish, but the Irish responded with a 4-0 run to take a 16-6 lead and secure the victory. Lynch scored two during that stretch and Masinko and Aldave each had one. When all was said and done, the Irish had secured another comfortable double-digit victory by a score of 18-7. In the victory for the Irish, Choma scored a career-high six goals. Choma was widely considered to be the top recruit coming out of high school class, and she has proven herself so far this season. Choma attributed her success to her teammates. “Our leaders, like Andie [Aldave] and Samantha [Lynch], really helped us keep our poise and set the tone,” Choma said. “Working the ball around as a team and everyone getting a touch is what made us successful. As a team, we moved the ball really well.” Aldave had four goals on the day, Lynch had three and Masinko, McBride, and freshman attack Madison Ahern each had two goals in Sunday’s game. Ahern, who, like Choma, is considered one of the top recruits in the country, has had a multi-point outing in each of her first four collegiate games. Junior goaltender Bridget Deehan, who was ACC Defensive player of the week last week, continued her strong start to the season as well by recording nine saves. Deehan now owns a .534 save percentage through the first four games of the season. The rest of the Irish defense played well too by forcing 15 Buckeye turnovers. Choma and junior midfielder Diana Kelly each forced a game-high three turnovers for the Irish in Sunday’s win. The Irish also had a 16-10 advantage in draw controls, an 1815 advantage in ground balls and finished Sunday’s game 21-of-22 in clears. After a successful non-conference start, the Irish will begin conference play on Sunday, March 1 against Duke. The contest is scheduled to be played at Loftus Sports Center and begin at 1 p.m. rts Center and begin at 1pm.
[Patrick] Mahomes,” Brey said. “He was Mahomes tonight.” Gibbs made consecutive threes to push the advantage to seven points, and the Irish didn’t look back, extending the lead throughout the remainder of the half. At the buzzer, Notre Dame had dished out 13 assists and not turned the ball over once. “That’s gotta be one of our better halves we’ve ever played in this building,” Brey said. “I thought we were in
Fencing Continued from page 12
Saturday morning individual competitions. The squad sent seven competitors to the semifinal rounds, and many championship performances followed. Sophomore Kara Linder went on to face No. 2 sophomore Alex Gorman of Duke in the sabre semifinals, and Linder defended her title, winning by a score of 15-10 and earning her second ACC title in a row. Sophomore Miriam Grady won a tight final bout against Duke’s sophomore Huda Aldadah in the epee final by a score of 15-13 to join Linder in claiming her second ACC individual title in a row. The women’s foil individual final featured two members of the Irish squad, as junior Stefani Deschner faced senior Morgan Partridge. Deschner would go on to win the bout 15-12 and claim her first ACC title. Things were equally as auspicious for the Irish on Sunday as the team play commenced at the ACC
a great rhythm offensively, sharing the ball.” Coming out of the locker room, Miami kept the deficit manageable, closing within 14 points on a couple different occasions. But Notre Dame was not to be denied their victory. With their young playmakers and senior leadership, the Irish put their foot on the gas pedal and pulled away. “I’m really proud of our group and our leadership,” Brey said. “Our sophomores have become big-time ACC players, and those three captains [Mooney, Gibbs, and graduate student Rex Pflueger] are playing to their
Championships. The No. 5 ranked men’s team got rolling quickly with a decisive 19-8 victory over North Carolina, and it quickly followed with a commanding 18-9 win over Boston College. The Irish then found themselves with a third round matchup against conference rival No. 10 Duke, whom the Irish had beaten 17-10 on Feb. 8 in conference play. The match was close, but the Irish rode a late push to a 16-11 victory and an ACC title. The No. 3 women’s team kicked off Sunday in similar fashion, beating Boston College 18-9 and moving on to North Carolina, who the Irish handled swiftly, claiming a 22-5 victory. The Irish found themselves with a championship matchup against Duke. Notre Dame jumped out to an early 10-5 lead, and from there, they comfortably claimed a 14-5 victory and an ACC title. The incredibly dominant weekend performance marked the second season in a row and the second time in program history in which the Irish swept all available ACC titles.
max and leading to their max. It really is their team. They’re setting the tone.” After Miami closed within 67-52, the Irish leaned on their experienced leadership. Mooney scored the next four points for the Irish, and then Pflueger and Gibbs each drilled a triple. Suddenly, Notre Dame was up 77-54. The Irish needed no lategame heroics as they saw out the game from there. They didn’t score for the final three minutes, but Miami could only notch nine points to close within 16 points, accounting for the final score of 87-71.
It’s a huge win for Notre Dame, who, with four ACC games left, is desperately hoping to make a statement for the NCAA tournament. Brey remains adamant that the Irish have a shot. “I like how we are playing right now,’’ Brey said. “We’ve got a shot. It’s going to be interesting down the stretch, but we feel like we’re going to be a part of it.” Notre Dame embarks on a two-game road trip this week, taking on Boston College and Wake Forest. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu
Erin Fennessy | The Observer
Irish graduate student epee Amanda Sirico lunges forward during a tournament match at the Castellan Family Fencing Center on Sunday.
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ndsmcobserver.com | monday, february 24, 2020 | The Observer
nd Hockey
ND Baseball | Irish San antonio classic
Irish sweep weekend series versus Michigan Observer Sports Staff
The Notre Dame hockey team swept the Michigan Wolverines this weekend at a series in Ann Arbor, successfully revenging a squad that beat them on their own ice earlier this season. The Irish (14-12-6, 9-8-53) came into their matchup against the rival Wolverines (15-14-3, 10-10-2-1) after a disappointing weekend following a bye week against Minnesota, who tied the Irish in their first game and defeated them in the second. The Wolverines, on the other hand, were on a fourgame winning spell after a sweeping series against Wisconsin and Michigan State. Although the Badgers and the Spartans are the two worst ranked teams in the Big Ten, they were surely ready to show Notre Dame the same game they had brought into Compton Family Ice Arena just over a month earlier. Senior goalie Cale Morris would steal the show in the low-scoring battle that was the first game of the series. Morris would make his 100th appearance in net leading the Irish to a 2-1 victory on
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the first evening. Besides the one that snuck past him, Morris would stop 34 other shots from becoming goals during his 56th career victory, the third-most in program history. Fourteen of those 34 goals came in the final period as pressure was mounting on the Wolverine offense. Both teams would struggle to find any offensive production, as the first game was still a deadlock as they headed into the final period. But just four minutes into the third, senior forward Cam Morrison punched in a trickling shot that had found its way past Wolverines sophomore goaltender Strauss Mann to put the Irish up by a goal with just about 15 minutes remaining. Sophomore forwards Alex Steeves and Michael Graham were credited with the assist. Graham would come in with another nice pass a few minutes later when senior defenseman Tory Dello found him open in the corner, but defenders were quickly closing in. As Graham looked for an option, he spun around and served a pass that snaked between Paid Advertisement
three Wolverine defenders to a trailing junior defenseman Matt Hellickson, who quickly fired a shot into the corner of the net that found twine, putting the Irish up 2-0. Michigan was able to score with a minute left after they pulled Mann in favor of an extra attacker, but it was too little, too late for the Wolverines, and the Irish would seal the first game, 2-1. The second evening in Ann Arbor went much the same way as the first. Both teams had not yet scored as they entered into the third and final period. Sophomore defenseman Spencer Stastney broke the ice with a goal just over 11 minutes into the third period. Morrison would add on another goal less than two minutes later, and Dello sealed the deal with an empty net goal to make the game a 3-0 Irish victory. The shutout marked Morris’ second this year and 10th of his career. Next up, the Irish will close out their regular season with a series against Michigan State at home this weekend before they get ready for postseason play.
Team wins two games in Texas Observer Sports Staff
The Notre Dame baseball team traveled to San Antonio, Texas, to play in the Alamo Irish Classic at Nelson Wolff Stadium. The Irish were originally scheduled to play four games in three days with two against Incarnate Word and one apiece against Toledo and UTSA. The Irish (4-2) started the tournament against Incarnate Word (4-2) in what would have been the second game in the tournament for the Irish after their first scheduled game against the Cardinals was canceled due to inclement weather. Notre Dame’s bats started hot with junior second baseman Jared Miller putting two runs on the board in the first inning with a two-run double. Junior infielder Spencer Myers kept the runs coming with an RBI single up the middle to make it a 3-0 lead with just two innings in the books. The Irish took advantage of Incarnate Word’s mistakes in the fourth inning when sophomore outfielder Brooks Coetzee scored on a throwing error, making it a 4-0 Irish lead going into the fifth. Coetzee made another scoring play in the bottom of the fifth when he sent a double down the infield line, scoring two and increasing the lead to six. ACC Pitcher of the Week junior Tommy Sheehan gave up his only run of the game when Cardinals senior infielder Chance Medina hit an RBI double into right field in the top of the sixth. Notre Dame quickly got that run back in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore infielder Carter Putz drove in junior outfielder Ryan Cole on a single. Notre Dame had an 8-1 lead after six innings of play. The bottom of the seventh proved to be the most lucrative for the Irish offense, starting with an RBI double to right field by junior outfielder John Arndorfer that drove in Coetzee. Graduate student pinch hitter Eric Gilgenbach landed the final blow to the Cardinals as he hit a three-RBI shot over the left field fence, propelling Notre Dame to a dominant 12-1 victory. Sheehan was credited with the win, improving his record to 2-0, and freshman pitcher Dominic Cancellieri was credited with his first save of the season. Notre Dame’s offense prevailed early in their second tournament game against Toledo (1-6), with Myers leading off the bottom of the first with a single and later giving the Irish an early 1-0 lead after scoring on a wild pitch. Toledo didn’t let the Notre Dame lead last long, however, as Rockets sophomore second baseman Darryn Davis hit an
RBI single to left field and freshman infielder Trey Wright scored on a bases-loaded walk. After three innings of play, the Irish were down by a score of 2-1. The Notre Dame bats wasted no time getting those runs back with Miller leading the scoring campaign by hitting a sacrifice fly to allow sophomore outfielder Jack Zyska to score, making it a 2-2 tie heading into the fifth inning. The Irish retook the lead in the fifth inning after freshman infielder Jack Brannigan launched a double into left center field, advancing junior catcher David LaManna to third and allowing Gilgenbach to score. LaManna quickly scored when Myers grounded out to first, giving Myers the RBI and increasing the Irish lead to two at a score of 4-2. The Irish added five more runs throughout the rest of the game, with two coming in the sixth off a throwing error and a sacrifice fly. Myers cemented the game in the bottom of the eighth with a two RBI single to second base, increasing the Irish lead to seven in what would become the final score of 9-2. None of this would have been possible without the pitching efforts of junior lefty Tommy Vail who recorded his first win of the season after pitching 5.1 innings of relief in which he allowed one hit, zero runs and stuck out nine batters. Notre Dame’s third tournament game against the UTSA Roadrunners (6-1) proved to be a defensive battle with both teams going scoreless through five innings of play. Irish sophomore pitcher Alex Rao allowed only two hits through his 4.2 innings pitched for the Irish, while Roadrunners senior pitcher Shane Daughety only allowed four hits through his six innings pitched. UTSA was the first to score in this defensive dual, with Roadrunners catcher Nick Thornquist scoring on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth. The Roadrunners added two more unearned runs in the sixth inning, as well as another unearned run in the seventh inning, to establish a comfortable four score lead. Notre Dame’s lone run of the game came off a left side single by sophomore catcher Jack Alexander in the bottom of the ninth that scored Ryan Cole. Notre Dame left Texas with a 4-2 overall record, going 2-1 in the Irish San Antonio Classic with wins against Incarnate Word and Toledo and a loss against UTSA. Next up, the Irish will travel to Clinton, South Carolina for a three game series against Presbyterian (2-5).
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The observer | monday, february 24, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND Fencing | ACC FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Notre Dame captures both team titles for second consecutive year over weekend Observer Sports Staff
The Notre Dame men’s and women’s fencing squads, playing hosts this weekend of the ACC Championships, put on a dominant performance against some of the team’s most notable conference rivals. In the end, the Irish walked away with a sweep of the individual titles Saturday and both team titles Sunday. Things started off on a great foot for the Irish on Saturday afternoon as the men’s individual competition kicked off. The men claimed nine victories early on in the morning’s pool competition. The Irish were led by freshman George Bivins, who led the field in sabre, and sophomore Andrew Machovec, who led the field in foil. In sabre, sophomores Malcolm Fields, Jared Smith and Alessandro Contreras joined the victory parade; in foil, freshman Marcello Olivares and junior Joey
Marino earned victories; and in epee, sophomore Josiah Broughton and senior Darius Zacharakis also claimed wins. The Irish claimed all four spots in the sabre semifinals, and Contreras, the No. 4 seed in the contest, came out on top in the finals against Jared Smith to become the first member of Notre Dame’s squad to claim a championship on the weekend. Despite the finals loss, Smith earned All-ACC honors for the first time in his career with the performance. In epee, Broughton advanced to the finals and claimed the victory in a tough 15-14 battle. In the foil bracket, Marchovec earned the first championship of his career in dominating fashion, beating No. 3 Duke junior Brycen Rushing 15-4 in the finals. The Irish women were similarly dominant in the see FENCING PAGE 10
ERin fennessy | The Observer
Irish senior epee Julia Barry dodges a strike during the championship round versus North Carolina at the Castellan Family Fencing Center on Sunday. Notre Dame won both team titles at the tournament.
ND MEn’s Basketball | Notre Dame 87, Miami 71
ND Women’s LAcrosse | Notre Dame 18, Ohio State 7
Choma scores six goals as Irish rout Buckeyes Observer Sports Staff
Mooney leads squad to victory By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Writer
The second-ranked unbeaten women’s lacrosse team continued their stellar start to the season this past Sunday with a resounding victory against the Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 18-7. The Irish are now 4-0 on the year with three double-digit victories and a two-point victory over No. 6 ranked Northwestern. On Sunday, the Irish started off a bit sluggish and allowed the Buckeyes to stay in the game initially. The Buckeyes scored first in the game, but freshman midfielder Kasey Choma responded with a pair of goals to give the Irish the lead just over six minutes into the game. The Buckeyes responded to Choma’s goals with two goals of their own to restore a one goal lead. The Irish would respond quickly again, however, to take a 4-3 lead behind goals from graduate student attack Samantha Lynch and junior midfielder Andie Aldave.
Erin Fennessy | The Observer
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Irish sophomore attacker Mollie Carr passes to a teammate during a 16-4 victory over Louisville at Loftus Sports Center on March 2.
Eight days after their worst game of the season, a 34-point loss to Duke, Notre Dame delivered their best performance in conference play this year, scoring 48 points in the first half en route to an 87-71 throttling of the Miami Hurricanes. The win lifted the Irish back to .500 in the ACC, improving to 17-10 on the year, 8-8 in conference play and a 14-3 home record. The Irish got contributions from most of the roster, with star senior forward John Mooney posting yet another doubledouble on 19 points and 12 rebounds, senior guard TJ Gibbs dropping 19 points, sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb recording a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists and sophomore guard Dane Goodwin pouring in 14 of his own. After a slow start, the Irish dominated the final nine minutes of the half to open up a 4829 lead heading into the locker room. They pushed their advantage of as much as 26 points
in the second half, spending much of the final 20 minutes on cruise control, seeing out their sixth conference win in eight games. Irish head coach Mike Brey complimented his team’s cohesiveness in his post-game press conference. “I don’t want to overcoach them when they are flowing. I just sit down and let them play,’’ Brey said. “And our guards were very good.” Miami entered the game on a roll and fully healthy for the first time all season. They stayed with Notre Dame in the early going, leading 21-18 with 9:17 left to play. But the Irish jumped all over the Hurricanes in the final nine minutes, outscoring the visitors 30-8. Hubb fired off one of his 10 assists to Mooney, who polished off the possession with a thundering dunk for a 22-21 Irish lead, one they would not relinquish. Hubb impressed with his court vision all night, garnering high praise from Brey after the game. “I’ve said before he is my see M BBALL PAGE 10