The independent
To uncover
newspaper serving
the truth
Notre Dame and
and report
Saint Mary’s
it accurately
Volume 52, Issue 52 | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Friendship fuels historic series Notre Dame and Navy remember partnership dating back to World War II By NATALIE WEBER Associate News Editor
As many young men enlisted or were drafted into the military during World War II, Notre Dame’s enrollment sank and the University was on the verge of closing. Thanks to an agreement between the Navy and Notre Dame, however, the University was able to keep its doors open. Notre Dame’s connection with the Navy began in 1941, Capt. Mark Prokopius, the commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at Notre Dame, said. “The students would go through a four-year continuum of classes and then get a reserve commission in the
Navy,” he said. “But, with the advent of World War II, the Navy realized the need to basically make more officers.” Thus, in 1942, the Navy began a V-7 program at Notre Dame to train midshipmen over the course of four months. In September of that year, Prokopius said, the Navy began a V-12 program at the University. “The V-12 program basically really was designed to put more officers into the Navy,” he said. “Roughly 125,000 people went through the entire program in the entire country. Notre Dame did almost 12,000 of those. In the end, having those midshipmen, those Navy personnel
Observer File Photo
see NAVY PAGE 4
Members of the Notre Dame ROTC program perform an end of year Presidential Pass Review on South Quad.
Work on dorm begins Observer Staff Report
Notre Dame is commencing construction of a 78,000-squarefoot men’s residence hall to the west of Ryan Hall, University spokesman Dennis Brown confirmed. Plans for the new hall were announced in September, along with the new six-semester housing requirement. Vice president of student affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding said in a September interview with The Observer the new hall is intended to house around 250 students. Brown said other details, such as the hall’s name and benefactor, will be announced at a later date.
Student government Folk Choir to host launches political podcast annual Concert for the Missions
By MARIE FAZIO News Writer
Student government is revamping the Political Brew initiative with a modern take: a regular podcast that will cover a wide range of issues to educate students and incite political engagement. The new initiative will begin Sunday with a live event at 2:30 p.m. in Andrews
Auditorium in Geddes Hall that will be recorded for the pilot episode podcast and will be released in the near future. The event is open to all students to attend. Previously, the Political Brew initiative was a monthly event where students gathered to watch the political talk show “Meet the Press” and discuss current events, senior and student
government director of community engagement and outreach Adam Moeller said. The Vidal-Devine administration started the program in 2015 to foster conversation between students with differing views. Moeller and the community engagement and 0utreach team have partnered with BridgeND — a
see PODCAST PAGE 5
By SOFIA MADDEN News Writer
The Notre Dame Folk Choir will perform their annual Concert for the Missions in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Friday at 8 p.m. The concert benefits Yancana Huasy — an organization that assists
families who have children with disabilities — through Holy Cross Missions, senior and Folk Choir social commissioner Greg Demet said. “The Concert for the Missions is our annual event to raise proceeds for the Holy see CONCERT PAGE 5
Saint Mary’s celebrates cultural diversity Saint Mary’s hosted its annual International Cultural Festival on Thursday evening, celebrating diversity and inclusion of all the cultures and traditions that are represented at the College. Students and professors alike shared music, dance, poetry and artifacts from their home countries. Around the World Club
president and junior Gaju Gatera said the main purpose of this event — as well as all the intercultural events taking place this week — is to promote and celebrate the diversity within the Saint Mary’s community. “We dedicate this particular week to put the spotlight on those that have grown up in a different culture or have been touched by a different culture in any shape or form,” she
said. “In brief, it’s a chance to support one another and learn more about each other with a bit of food and music in the mix.” Sandra Tarnowski, a sophomore from Poland, said the event allowed her the opportunity to share and speak out about where she comes from and learn about the cultures and practices of her peers. “Not everyone gets to travel all the time, so this is one way
of traveling — by listening to other people’s stories and getting a glimpse into someone else’s country and culture,” she said. “Often people are not able to recognize international students at first glance, so having an event like this one allows for awareness of these students on campus, as well as a way for these students to share some of their identity with the Saint Mary’s community.”
Adriana Petty, assistant director of international student/scholar services, said this festival is the biggest event for International Education Week. The week is aimed at informing students about various traditions from around the world and maintaining a welcoming environment that embraces other cultures, she said.
NEWS PAGE 3
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
SCENE PAGE 8
INTERHALL INSIDER INSIDE
IRISH INSIDER INSIDE
By IMAN OMAR News Writer
see DIVERSITY PAGE 5
2
TODAY
The observer | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
What is your go-to Starbucks order?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Ben Allan Padanilam Joseph Managing Editor Business Manager Megan Doyle Managing Editor Jeff Liptak Katie Galioto Asst. Managing Editor: Andrew Owens Asst. Managing Editor: Marek Editor: Sam Stryker Mazurek Asst. Managing News Editor: Rachel Editor: John Cameron O’Grady Asst. Managing News Editor: Megan Editor: KristenValley Durbin Viewpoint Editor: Meghan Thomassen Sports News Editor: Courtney Editor: Chris Allen Becker Viewpoint Scene Editor: Mary KevinFreeman Noonan Saint Mary’s Sports Editor: Elizabeth Editor: Jillian Barwick Greason Photo Scene Editor: Suzanna Editor: Adam Ramos Pratt Saint Graphics Mary’s Editor: Martha Editor: BrandonReilly Keelean Multimedia Photo Editor: Chris Editor: Sarah Collins O’Connor Advertising Graphics Manager: Monica Editor: Lauren Weldon McCormack Advertising Ad Design Manager: Molly Manager: Sara Hilstrom McCarthy Controller: Advertising Manager: Alexandra Peter Woo Pucillo Systems Ad Design Administrator: Manager: Madison William Heineman Riehle
Marielle Gleason
Noel FioRito
sophomore Welsh Family Hall
sophomore Lyons Hall
“Jade citrus mint tea.”
“Iced black coffee.”
Christian Cyrul
Parker Revers
sophomore Carroll Hall
sophomore Fisher Hall
“Lemon iced cake.”
“Water.”
Kelly Prussack
Will Talcott
junior Lewis Hall
junior Keough Hall
“Seasonal cake pop.”
“Medium iced coffee.”
Office Manager & General Info
Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising
(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com Editor-in-Chief
(574) 631-4542 bpadanil@nd.edu ajoseph2@nd.edu Managing Editor
(574) 631-4542 kgalioto@nd.edu mdoyle11@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors
(574) 631-4541 mmazurek@nd.edu aowens2@nd.edu sstryke1@nd.edu mvalley@nd.edu rogrady@nd.edu, Business Office
(574) 631-5313 News Desk
(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com obsnews.nd@gmail.com Viewpoint Desk
(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com obsviewpoint@gmail.com Sports Desk
(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com observersports@gmail.com Scene Desk
(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Observer.Scene.Editor@gmail.com Saint Mary’s Desk
jbarwi01@saintmarys.edu mreilly01@saintmarys.edu Photo Desk
(574) 631-8767 obsphoto@gmail.com photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators
(574) 631-8839 Policies TheThe Observer Observer is the is the independent, independent, daily daily newspaper newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac and Saint Mary’s 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 Ben Allan Padanilam. Joseph. 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 The Observer is a member of the Associated Press. All reproduction rights are reserved.
Today’s Staff News
Sports
Courtney Becker Alexandra Muck Stephanie Snyder
Elizabeth Greason Katherine Jin
Graphics
Scene
Dominique DeMoe
Owen Lane
Photo
Viewpoint
Anna Mason
Annie McCarter
Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.
ANN CURTIS | The Observer
The University of Notre Dame Press hosted a book discussion on Catholicism and American Borders in the Gothic Literary Imagination on Thursday. The event featured author Farrell O’Gorman, as well as four Notre Dame professors.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Lecture: “Is Capitalism Moral?” Dahnke Ballroom 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. Complementary lunch will be served at noon.
Football vs. Navy Notre Dame Stadium 3:30 p.m. The Irish take on the Midshipmen on Senior Day.
RCIA — Rite of Acceptance and Rite of Welcome Basilica of the Sacred Heart 3:30 p.m.
This Far By Faith LaFortune Ballroom 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Celebrate Black Catholic History with Campus Ministry.
Art as Spiritual Encounter O’Shaughnessy West Gallery 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Open to the public.
Volleyball vs. North Carolina Purcell Pavilion 7 p.m. The Irish take on the Tar Heels.
“Total Mobilization — World War II and American Literature” Snite Museum of Art 12:30 p.m - 1:30 p.m. World War II lecture.
Volleyball vs. North Carolina State Purcell Pavilion 1 p.m. The Irish take on the Wolfpack.
Mass at St. Mary’s College Our Lady of Wisdom Chapel, McCandless Hall 9 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Final day of classes Campus-wide all day Thanksgiving break begins Wednesday, class resumes Nov. 27.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 17, 2017 | The Observer
Professor supports climate activism By CLAIRE RAFFORD News Writer
The Student Union Board (SUB) hosted a SUBtalk Thursday night, during which Kristin ShraderFrechette, the head of Center for Environmental Justice and Children’s Health, addressed the problem of climate change using economic and ethical reasoning. “I am a huge believer in the market, because when you pay the full cost, the economic answer is almost always going to be the same as the scientific answer, as the biological answer, as the ethics answer, because it is expensive to destroy people and places,” she said. Shrader-Frechette said hurricanes do not occur because of climate change, but rather the Paid Advertisement
intensity has been increasing as a result. “We are talking about intensity and frequency of extreme events, and there is absolutely no doubt that this hurricane-increased intensity is due to climate change,” she said. When the temperatures at sea are higher, Shrader-Frechette said, there is faster ocean evaporation, which leads to more humidity. When there is more humidity, convection events such as hurricanes tend to occur, and the higher the ocean temperatures, the more intense the hurricanes, she said. Shrader-Frechette said climate change is, in fact, an economic problem. “We could have a global financial collapse because the costs of climate change are so massive,” she said. Recently, President Donald Trump announced his intention to leave the Paris Climate Agreement because he estimated $3 trillion in lost GDP by 2040. Professor Shrader-Frechette, however, refuted his math by presenting data of her own. She said just the medical costs for fossil-fuel related deaths are an estimated $28.4 trillion by 2040. “What Trump fails to note,
3
Jenkins signs letter to Trump Observer Staff Report
RUNJIE PAN | The Observer
Professor Kristin Shrader-Frechette delivers a lecture Thursday night on climate change based on ethical and economic reasoning.
which is important, is that investing in green energy is not just a cost … it is actually a benefit,” she said. “It would help make us a global energy leader, it would make us not dependent on foreign sources of electricity, and it would take back global leadership in wind and solar energy.” Shrader-Frechette also said pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord would cut jobs. Since 2015, 70 percent of all new electricity in the U.S. has been either solar or wind power, which ShraderFrechette said are cheaper than what she calls “dinosaur technology” — coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear. “The U.S. is the world’s Saudi Arabia of wind,” she said. “We Paid Advertisement
have got more wind and better wind than anybody in the entire world. Wind from just a couple of states could supply electric power for the whole country.” In addition to presenting her argument from an economic standpoint, Shrader-Frechette included ethical reasoning as well. She said there are 247,000 deaths per year caused by the U.S. contribution to climate change, which is around 29 percent of existing climate change. “If we are the main country that screwed up the climate, then we ought to be the main ones to fix it,” she said. Contact Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu
University President Fr. John Jenkins signed a letter to President Donald Trump and members of the U.S. Congress addressing the issue of climate change, the University announced Thursday via a Catholic Climate Covenant press release. The letter, which was signed by the leaders of more than 150 Catholic organizations, urged Trump to “reassert U.S. leadership in the global effort to address climate change,” an issue that has gained prominence in the Catholic Church. Signees asked Trump to fund the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “meaningfully participate” in UNFCCC business and respect U.S. commitments to the Green Climate Fund.
4
NEWS
The observer | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Gender Relations Center addresses images of violence By LUCY LYNCH News Writer
The Gender Relations Center presented a panel discussion about “Violence in Media” in LaFortune Student Center on Thursday night. The panel explored the portrayal of violence in scenes from both television and film, and included Mary Kearney, an associate professor in the Department of Film, Television and Theatre, as well as director of the gender studies program. Kearney’s primary areas of study are girls’ media culture and gender and identity. The other panelist, Stanford Hall rector Justin McDevitt, has researched gender-based violence in tribal societies and modernizing societies in Tanzania and Kenya. The discussion began with a montage of scenes of violence from television shows and movies such as “Gone Girl,” “Safe Have n,” “Precious,” “Oliver,” “G rey’s Anatomy,” “Game of Thrones” and “Gossip Girl.” These clips depicted dating violence as well as familial violence, many portraying both physical and verbal abuse. Kearney said the clip from “Safe Haven” specifically stood out, not just because of the severity of the violent struggle which occurred between the couple in the scene, but also because the girlfriend at first aims to appease the angered boyfriend. “One of the things that I find disturbing in that is the kind of gratuity of the violence up to that point,” Kearney said. “So there’s a way in which we can walk away and say, ‘Oh, but she fought back,’ and yet we as viewers were just subjected to her being brutally abused.” McDevitt also noted how the culture in violence in media has evolved over time, saying how what was once acceptable decades ago would not be
appropriate today. “Our idea of what’s appropriate and what’s not has changed over time,” McDevitt said. “‘The Honeymooners’ was a black-and-white sitcom in the ’50s, and any time this character’s wife does something wrong he always says, ‘Alice, I’m gonna send you to the moon.’ And it’s funny then, but today — oh my gosh. At some point, someone ran that and thought, ‘There’s no problem with this.’” The panel also discussed how the way in which films are produced affects the viewers’ perception of violence. Specifically, the camera angles and closeness in some clips amplify the intensity of the violence on screen. “We have a handheld camera,” Kearney said. “Think about how weird it would be in this situation, to be the person behind the camera that is actually like the third member of the fight that’s going on. That puts us right in the moment as opposed to a camera shooting the scene from a distance.” Kearney revisited the clip from “Safe Haven,” noting that while it was one of the shorter videos, the violent struggle felt long and heavy for the viewer. McDevitt, on the other hand, said he was most impacted by the scene in “Oliver” because Oliver — a child — is forced to be the helpless bystander as Bill Sykes murders Nancy. Kearney said one of the reasons she enjoys teaching media is because it acts as a daily textbook and shows changes in how society displays cultures. “One question that’s kind of hanging over all of this is how, then, should we be depicting violence?” Kearney said. “I have no good answers for this. What would be an accurate, authentic, respectful and non-traumatizing way to show violence?” Contact Lucy Lynch at llynch1@nd.edu
ANN CURTIS | The Observer
Professor Mary Kearney, left, and Stanford Hall rector Justin McDevitt speak on a panel about violence in film and television today.
Navy Continued from page 1
on campus really saved the University.” In return for the Navy’s contribution to Notre Dame’s success, Prokopius said, University President Fr. Theodore Hesburgh established a football relationship between the Naval Academy and the University. “When Fr. Hesburgh came back to the University in 1945 and subsequently became the president in 1952, he was so grateful for what the Navy had done for the University that he made the promise that we will continue the relationship with the Navy,” he said. “And that has then perpetuated into the longest running, uninterrupted, intersectional rivalry in the country.” Navy broke Notre Dame’s 43-game series victory streak in 2007. Prokopius said at the time, he was commanding a submarine and several officers who had graduated from the Academy. “I came in, in the morning, and taped to my computer screen was a picture of Jimmy Clausen getting sacked by a Navy defender, with the Navy defender in this horizontal dive,” he said. “It was a threeovertime game, and it was
pretty rough breaking that string, but being a Notre Dame grad and then going at it with my Naval Academy junior officers that worked with me, it was fun.” Sophomore Bridget Ralph, a member of the Naval ROTC at Notre Dame, said she is looking forward to the game this weekend because of her connection to both schools. “I live in Annapolis and I’ve grown up near the Naval Academy,” she said. “I’m really excited for a Notre DameNavy game because I’ve been to a lot of games at home because my dad works at the Naval Academy. So I’m kind of a Navy fan, but obviously a Notre Dame fan in this game.” The University is pulling out all the stops for the pregame festivities, Ralph said, as there will be a fly-over and a flag-unfurling. “This game is the military appreciation game, so we’ll have our color guard on the field and then there’s going to be a flag unfurling,” she said. “I know a lot of people in the Navy ROTC do the flag-unfurling, so there will be a big flag and they’re practicing with the band and everything.” Junior Matthew Bartilotti said both his father and grandfather were in the Navy — a tradition that influenced his decision to join the Naval ROTC. His father graduated from Notre Dame in 1990, which Bartilotti said affected his decision to attend Notre Dame. Bartilotti added that Paid Advertisement
the University’s appreciation for the military also impacted his decision to attend Notre Dame. “When you look at all the Navy ROTC programs, no school really comes close to Notre Dame’s respect and appreciation for the military,” he said. “I’ve heard from people who are ROTC units at California state schools or even some other schools where they can’t wear their uniforms to class because some students are so anti-military. Some professors, even, are so anti-military that they just avoid that confrontation. “It’s kind of humbling to see how respected the ROTC students are for what they do at this school and what we will be doing. It’s really humbling to see how supportive and how appreciative our student body is.” This respect for the military is evidenced in the Navy-Notre Dame games, Bartilotti said. “Navy is the one team that nobody boos when they run out the tunnel,” he said. “I don’t know how much of that has to do with Notre Dame being a more conservative school than most other schools — I just think that our student body has a good sense of patriotism and pride for the military, which is so refreshing, especially when you hear what happens at some other schools.” Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu
News
Concert Continued from page 1
Cross Missions organization, and this will be our 24th year hosting the concert,” he said. As the group’s only performance concert of the year, the Concert for the Mission places special emphasis on the organizations it benefits, senior and Folk Choir president Liam Maher said. Located in Canto Grande, Peru — which contains a large impoverished population — Yancana Huasy supports families with disabled children because it is usually economically challenging to provide for their children here, Demet said. “Our goal is to support these families financially, spiritually and socially,” he said. “We strive to give hope to families who have lost all hope by relieving them of significant economic burdens.” Folk Choir director J.J. Wright said Yancana Huasy provides the Canto Grande community with services they need in order to live fuller lives. “A child born with a disability is viewed as a curse in this
Diversity Continued from page 1
“This type of event allows the Saint Mary’s community to come and see the diversity on campus, as well as the beauty of cultures across the world,” Petty said. “Sometimes students are so distracted by their academics and things that they might not notice that the student sitting next to them in class is from another country.” Petty said it is also a way to help students who are far away from home to share as well as
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 17, 2017 | The Observer
community, which usually leaves the mothers to care for their children alone,” he said. Canto Grande was built in landfill, and as a result contains a significantly poor population, Wright said. “The Holy Cross brothers founded a parish here to build up the community,” he said. “The funds we raise through our concert are given to the Yancana Huasy organization, who chooses how to best use them.” This year has especially focused on integrating Peruvian culture into the concert, Wright said. “This year is exciting, because we have a particular focus on their work in Peru,” he said. “ … We’re striving to encounter Canto Grande’s cultural situation by learning music that is authentically Peruvian and South American in an effort to understand the people culturally.” The concert will be set up in a Mass setting, Maher said, in order to increase the spirituality of the event. “We approach the concert as a prayer-like experience,” he said. “We take time to ref lect in between songs, hold the Mass completely in
Spanish and have included some hymns and choral pieces that will make the music speak for itself. We want the concert’s music to make a connection between those who are listening and the Holy Cross Missions, rather than draw the connection physically.” The Folk Choir has also invited Juan Pastor, a Peruvian musician, to help lead the performance, Wright said. “Learning by performance is especially important in Peruvian culture, and Pastor has taught us the important aspects of the music found in between the lines,” he said. “ … Having someone provide us the gift of showing what music actually sounds like has been very enlightening.” Maher said Pastor brought his expertise to help the Folk Choir learn to represent the Canto Grande people. “He helped us approach the music from a culturally sensitive standpoint,” Maher said. “He’s connected a lot of the dots that we were unable to, simply because this has been such a new experience for us.”
educate their peers through their stories and talents. “It is important to have this type of event to welcome scholars as well as students to see and share some of their culture with the campus,” she said. “I believe it provides enrichment for our community so that we can learn more about other cultures and how to work collaboratively, which is one of the big reasons to have international education.” Sandra Usuga, an international professor from Columbia, performed various Latin American songs and
discussed their origin and history. She said this event is a way of celebrating differences on campus. “I think it’s very important for students to get an idea of the different cultures that are represented here at Saint Mary’s College,” Usuga said. “I think we should keep doing these kinds of activities to promote mutual understanding and to see how we are more similar than different and [that] differences should always be celebrated.”
Contact Sofia Madden at smadden@nd.edu
Contact Iman Omar at iomar01@saintmarys.edu
Paid Advertisement
Podcast Continued from page 1
campus organization with similar goals of bipartisan discourse — and ND Votes for the revised Political Brew initiative. “We were tasked by student government leadership to revamp it, bring it back and keep going with that mission to generate good, bipartisan discourse — issue-based discourse,” Moeller said. The group plans to record some parts of the podcasts live in addition to using some closed interviews. “We wanted to create more of a brand with it and reach a broader audience,” Moeller said. “There are so many events that happen on Notre Dame’s campus, and we know that people — even if they are interested — can’t always make the time commitment to get there, so that’s why we thought a podcast would be good.” For the pilot episode, which will center around the topic of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and immigration, a Notre Dame DACA student will talk about her own personal experience. For the second half of the podcast, Moeller said, the group will interview prominent immigration lawyer Reaz Jafri. He said the podcast as a whole will give both a human and legal perspective on the issue from an objective stance, but will give students all of the facts surrounding various issues. Sophomore Evan DaCosta, moderator of the podcasts, said he is hoping the popularity of the podcast increases as word of it spreads. “We’re trying to make it something that people can plug in whenever they have some time and listen to it,”
5
DaCosta said. “We’re trying to get it out to a pretty big audience.” The episodes will center on political topics that relate to college students, Moeller said. The group felt DACA and immigration were prominent issues, DaCosta said, because they affect a number of Notre Dame students. “I hope that it becomes a long-term thing that has a large audience and that it’s something that continues to grow and will carry on past us,” DaCosta said. “Notre Dame is not as politically active of a school as other schools, so the whole thing is stoking political activism and getting people to talk about what they believe in and stand up for what they believe in, no matter what it is.” The second episode will cover free speech and political polarization on campus, Moeller said. Political Brew will interview Cass Sunstein, a legal scholar and administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under President Obama, for the episode. “We are hoping if it’s high quality it can be a way for Notre Dame to engage on a more national level,” Moeller said. “For Notre Dame students to show that college students can think critically about these issues, but also that college students are very divided about these issues just like everyone else.” Some students tend to shy away from political engagement due to the negativity of politics and the perception that there is more focus on winning than actual progress and improvement for the country, Moeller said. The Political Brew podcasts, he said, will be a way to educate students about current issues and encourage them to become more engaged. “Why people should be more open to bipartisan, productive, issue-based discourse is that hopefully this is the way we want our politics to turn in the future,” Moeller said. “You can be a part of building a better country where we can talk and actually make things happen, and where we can respect every member of our broader national community.” Contact Marie Fazio at mfazio@nd.edu
Please recycle The Observer.
6
The observer | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Grading your college experience Christpoher Collins Photo Editor
How do you weigh your college experience? This is a question that has been thrown around since people began attending universities. Is it by the job that you get when you graduate, by the grades you earn while going through college; is it how well the football team does while you’re there, or is it something else entirely? We are gifted an enormous blessing by being able to attend college, a blessing that many people can only dream of having. It is easy to become caught up in the buzz of school life and forget about that. But, what are we to do with this gift, and how can we best utilize our short time here to the best of our ability? In trying to find the answers to this question I looked to other students around me for their input on the subject. After talking with them and gathering their thoughts and criticisms I came to find that there are three main schools of thought when it comes to making the most out of one’s college experience. A majority of students subscribe to the thought that grades and assignments are paramount to getting the most out of your college experience. Grades, after all, carry a great amount of weight, not only in school, but translating to the real world as well. When considering potential full-time candidates one of the first things recruiters look at is a student’s grade history. Grades are designed to show how engaged and skilled a student is in a particular area of study, and thusly allow recruiters to evaluate knowledge without having to interview the candidate on the subject. However, the grading system has long been criticized for causing students to focus more on achieving the best grade, rather than learning the material to the best of their ability. Another faction of students seems to think that while grades are important, they need to be matched with extracurricular involvement. These students conceded that they would be willing to take time away from their studies to ensure that they have time to experience life on campus and get involved in various clubs and organizations. The answers ranged from students stating that they diversify their involvement across multiple clubs, to students finding one club or organization and digging into that as much as possible. They stated that the reason they liked the outside clubs and experiences was because it gave them something outside of the normal classes and learning that is offered and opened them up to something else that they normally wouldn’t encounter. The final group was vocal about weighing the relationships that they build as being the best way to get the most out of your college experience. Being in college, you are sure to be surrounded by a group of like-minded and motivated individuals, so why not get to know them? The group that stressed relationships really hinged on the fact that building relationships is a great way to grow in knowledge, and as a person. By meeting new people, you are opened up to new ways of thinking and different points of view that can develop you further as a person. Now, whether you subscribe to one of these groups or none of these groups is not important. What I found after talking to various students across campus is that the best way to gain the most from your college experience is to do what you think is going to give you the best experience. This is one of the only places where we are free to make all of our decisions, and taking full advantage of that is what is truly important. Contact Christopher Collins at ccolli13@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Rally for the team Notre Dame’s student body needs to create a more exciting environment leading up to Saturday football game days if we want Notre Dame Football to succeed on the big stage. We do not make our excitement visible on campus during the school week, and that is required to compete with top-level football programs across the country. As we all learned from Miami University last week, the community’s excitement and support for their football team throughout the week can make all the difference in success. If we want to compete as an elite football university, then the student body must make changes to how we prepare for game day. During the glory years of Notre Dame football, students used to eat, sleep and breathe Fighting Irish Football. Lou Holtz explains in his audio book titled “Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography” how the Friday pep rallies used to be packed with students. Alumni discuss fondly about how they would hang signs out of their windows during the week that would be cheering on the team or jeering the opponents. Now, when I walk around campus, it appears we are in the off-season throughout the week leading up to a game. For example, the school week before the Miami game, I saw zero displays of support for the Irish here on campus; meanwhile, ESPN and Barstool Sports were constantly posting about the large mural writing, “Catholics vs. Confidence” painted by Miami students and the signs they were creating mocking Notre Dame. The Miami students’ outward display
of emotion likely made an enormous impact on their team and they essentially beat us before we even started the game. We as students are blessed with the opportunity to watch the most historic and iconic college football program conceived, but the way we have treated this fantastic team has been utterly disrespectful. How about we as students move forward with our time here and make it a priority to attend the pep rallies? How about we decorate our dorms with support for our team on Wednesdays instead of getting excited just as we are leaving for tailgates on Saturdays? I understand that we all have so much work and activities and priorities to attend to. Trust me, I do as well, but being able to live at Notre Dame and go to school here is special. Thousands of people across the country wish they could be in our shoes singing the fight song, and so many people before us have done so with incredible passion. I also know that many students here do not care about football, and this call to action does not apply to you. However, to those of us who were making plans to attend the Rose Bowl this January, we need to express our passion throughout the entire Notre Dame football season, not just on Saturdays, for as the University of Miami made all too clear, the student body can make all the difference. Mason Sponem freshman Nov. 15
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Fr. Jenkins Your decision to assure employees of our University that they will not lose contraceptive insurance coverage even though the use of contraceptives is not an accepted method of birth control by the Catholic Church is an another unfortunate mistake by your administration. Again, because of our University’s stature and notoriety, we have a pronouncement that may be used by those not affiliated with our Catholic faith to misinterpret its meaning for purposes not beneficial to the Church. You must know that such actions are often represented to the world outside of the University as “Catholic-based,” even though you may not intend them as such. You and those at our University who make any and all decisions that are related to matters of faith and morals
should be guided solely by our Catholic faith and teachings. But, in decision after decision, you seem to resist or ignore such guidance. These actions continue to be of great concern for the Catholic alumnae and alumni of Notre Dame who feel that you are unknowingly using our University as a platform for spreading untruths and misrepresentations about the faith and teachings of the Catholic Church. We ask that you reconsider this decision. Sincerely, Martha and William Dodd class of 1962 Nov. 8
Join the conversation. Submit a Letter to the Editor: Email viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
The observer | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
7
Thankful for 175 years As many of us head home for the Thanksgiving holiday in a few days, some of us will likely experience the Notre Dame airport phenomenon: A complete stranger’s eyes will light up when he or she sees Irish apparel. “Do you go to Notre Dame?” the person will ask enthusiastically. We will smile and nod and share some small talk — about how beautiful campus is, about the results of the most recent football game, about our dorms. Whether it’s an alumnus or just a fan of the football program, we’ll probably share a “Go Irish!” and one thing will be abundantly clear — there’s just something special about Notre Dame, and there is no shortage of things to be grateful for. Maybe it’s the education — our classes, our professors, our papers, projects and theses — that sets Notre Dame apart. As a quick Google search will tell you, Notre Dame is home to some of the best educators, courses and resources the country has to offer, and they’re all at our disposal. We’re able to follow our passions, try new things and work to solve the problems facing our world in real time, with the help and support of a readily available faculty. But even beyond the rankings and the “premier research institution” moniker, there exist endless opportunities for education beyond the classroom. There is no shortage of grants we can apply for, trips we can go on or research we can do to learn how our talents and skills can make the world a better place. There’s an expectation of learning with
responsibility here — learning to contribute to society, not just learning for the sake of accumulating money or power — and that expectation fuels much of what we do and the decisions we make. Or maybe it’s the people that make this place so special. The community here is unlike any other — as almost anyone would tell you, the people here are “just so nice” — and we all got here through the support of people who love and care for us. That support is remarkable and incomparable, and it lives on through each individual here. Even within the sprawling Notre Dame community, we have our own personal communities and people with whom we develop an allegiance — whether they’re friends from our dorms, from our majors, our classes, our activities or random happenstance opportunities. These are the people that become “your people,” the people you rely on through thick and through thin, through your best and worst times at Notre Dame and beyond. More importantly, these are the people that make you a better person, and thus contribute to the holistic nature of this University. Maybe it’s the wealth of opportunities that make this place so special. Each of those academic and communal characteristics of the University is a special opportunity given to us. There’s also the opportunity to explore our passions and hone our skills, whether debating for the Mock Trial team, doing research for a professor, playing an intramural sport or working with various offices on campus. There’s even the opportunity to deepen our faith with Sunday Mass right in our dorms, or with the Grotto no more than a ten-minute walk away. Or maybe it’s just the pure magic of Notre Dame — the incomparable shine of the Dome, the beauty
of the Grotto, the energy on campus, the way that South Bend can feel like home — that make this place so loved. The traditions run deep on campus. We know all the words to the alma mater and the fight song. We’ll avoid walking up the Main Building stairs like the plague, and we can pull off a remarkable number of airborne pushups. So we wear our Notre Dame gear to the airport with pride — we know there’s a magic in the sound of her name. Now, as we prepare to celebrate the University’s 175th anniversary, it’s important to remember how far we’ve come and yet how far we have to go. As Fr. Jenkins said in his 2009 Commencement remarks, “There is a special expectation, a special hope, for what Notre Dame can accomplish in the world.” The University and its graduates have accomplished countless feats in the past 175 years, and that expectation lives on. While there exists an undeniable love for this place we call home for four years, there still exists room for improvement. Had the University forgotten this expectation in the late 1940s, it would not have admitted a black student. Had the University forgotten this expectation in 1972, it would not have admitted women. And now, as the world continues to face some of its more difficult challenges, it is continually important for all of us who make up the University to remember this special expectation and hope. So as Thanksgiving draws near, we can be thankful that this place gives us what we need to live up to that expectation and hope: the opportunity to become better people, in and out of the classroom, on and off the field, before and after Notre Dame. And maybe that’s what makes this place special: We never really leave here — it just becomes a part of who we are.
Lessons from the hardwood Lauren Fox Life Goes On
It’s not every day that I get called “Sir.” It’s about once a week. And in case you missed the byline, I’m a female. Once a week, I pull a baggy black and white striped uniform over my head, strap up my laces and set a whistle between my front teeth. I’ve been refereeing intramural basketball at Notre Dame for two years, and have heard some pretty interesting comments, including the accidental “Sir!” — some males aren’t used to having female referees — and the not-so-accidental protests and exasperated sighs. I’ve seen some pretty crazy games, including one where a team got ejected for getting three technical fouls because they dunked the ball twice during warmups and then punted the ball at half. And in my two years of refereeing, I’ve grown a pretty crazy amount in my confidence, skill level and professionalism. As we enter the playoffs for Co-Rec basketball, I
think it’s time everyone gets to know the student referees who make playing the game possible. For when we’re on the court, we’re stone-faced and strict, but we’re there because we love the sport just as much as the players do. “This has become such a great way for me to be involved in the game,” said first-year graduate student Tim Zdunek. “It’s also taught me a lot about the game, and I’ve started to view basketball games in a different light because of that newfound knowledge.” Many of the student basketball referees play on teams themselves, and said that being a referee has made them appreciate the sport and the officials so much more. Refereeing basketball is particularly challenging because the action happens in the blink of an eye. You have to know where you’re supposed to be on the court, what is occurring in your zone and be able to recognize a violation or foul when you see one. And you don’t want to mess up, because things can get out of hand quickly. “Game management is super important and
super hard, because the court is small, and the benches and opposing teams are so close, that it usually becomes a game of posturing,” said junior Claire Ackerson. “Players will talk to you and benches will yell, and most of the time they know their claim isn’t going anywhere: For them it’s just part of the game and ego.” Not all comments are unwanted, however. Ackerson said one of her most memorable moments refereeing was when a player randomly told her on the court: “I bet you get a lot of steps.” She gave him her usual “disapproving raised eyebrow look,” — a look I think all referees know well — and then he added, “With your FitBit. I bet you get a lot of steps doing this.” Ackerson, who always wears her FitBit, thought that was a hilarious interaction. Lauren Fox is a junior PLS major who enjoys listening to summer hits of the 2000s and playing 500 rummy. You can follow her on twitter via @bylaurenfox and send fan mail to lfox6@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverViewpnt
8
The observer | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
By HANNA KENNEDY Scene Writer
Fever Ray — the solo project from the Knife’s Karin Dreijer — surprise released “Plunge” in late October on select streaming services. “Plunge” is Fever Ray’s second studio album. Nearly nine years since the release of her self-titled first project, “Fever Ray,” “Plunge” strikes the listener as a bold exploration of Dreijer’s artistic evolution as she pursues her solo career. The album begins with the fast-paced, three-minute jolt that is “Wanna Sip.” Dreijer’s artificially high voice lends the song a supernatural charge. Acutely aware of words and their power, Dreijer prolongs her vowel sounds to stretch and twist her lyrics in unpredictable ways. The restlessness and intensity at the heart of the opening track set the tone for the rest of the album. The first two lines of the chorus, “A funny trick, a head shake / I wanna peek, I wanna sip” put into words the feeling that this opening track creates for the listener. One is left curious, wanting more, wanting to “peek” or “sip” from what is to come and what is to be said on “Plunge.” The album’s eponymous track, “Plunge” reinforces Fever Ray’s membership in the genre termed “transcendental mood music.” The song’s sound is drifting,
By JOHN WILSON Scene Writer
The explosion of streaming services that has forced network television into an existential struggle, has been great for television consumers. There is always something to watch, and more likely way too much to watch. One benefit of this relentless drive for content is that voices who once may never have been given a shot are getting their time to shine. Shows like “Tim and Eric,” “Nathan For You,” or “Crazy ExGirlfriend” are all the products of creators with decidedly niche, often absurdist, forms of comedy that might never have seen the small screen if it weren’t for the peak TV boom. With all that said, it is still remarkable that Maria Bamford has a television show today. The show is called “Lady Dynamite,” now in its second season on Netflix. It is a perfect encapsulation of Bamford’s comedic vision, as well as a portrayal of mental illness, Midwest ennui and everything in between. Bamford, who comes from the alt-comedy scene that grew out of the 1990s, has been called a comedian’s comedian. Her sets are often awkward and stilted in a way that make it hard to describe why they are so funny in minute long promotional videos. All of this translates into the show, which is parts autobiographical and surreal exaggeration. Bamford did really suffer from a debilitating mental breakdown and really did meet her future husband during her year and a half long recovery process. However, she does not DOMINIQUE DeMOE | The Observer
interspersed with sharply pitched, rhythmic interjections that make the hairs on its listener’s arms stand up. Eerily smooth electronic soundscapes prove lyrics are not necessary to make a statement. There is an energy at the heart of “Plunge” that is perfectly embodied by this titular track. Fever Ray owes a great deal to the tradition of electronic music while simultaneously breaking from the past and forging her own artistic identity. Recorded primarily in her Stockholm studio, Fever Ray embodies that peculiarly anarcho-Scandinavian sound that she and her brother developed as The Knife. Dreijer wrote in a press release that while producing “Plunge” she “had a plan for how some kind of heartfelt physical intensity could save us”. She never specifies from what people need to be saved, but the intensity she speaks of forms the backbone of every track on “Plunge.” From the fast-paced, 150-BPM “IDK About You” to the softer “Red Trails,” featuring violinist Sara Parkman, there is an energy and a restlessness about “Plunge.” This album is Dreijer transforming herself, transforming Fever Ray and asserting a creative freedom that for her has a saving power. Dreijer is political in a way she has never been before on “Plunge.” On the track, “This Country” Fever Ray sings of “Free abortions / And clean water.” She cries “Destroy nuclear / Destroy boring” in her signature
synthesized, pitch shifted voice. Her unique sound is sharp and cutting. It is hard not to feel bold, almost invincible while listening to Fever Ray demand the world she envisions. Delirious, conflicted and manic, “This Country” stands out as an example of one of the many ways Dreijer has transformed herself and her identity as Fever Ray since the release of her first album. “Plunge” is riskier than anything Dreijer has produced previously, on her own or as part of The Knife. The album’s title denotes a fall, but a fall to where or into what, no one knows. This is only Dreijer’s sophomore album, so hopefully her fall only takes her deeper into her identity as Fever Ray.
actually have a sagely talking pug named Bert. The show is able to mine laughs from the serious parts of Bamford’s life as easily as from the sight gags and exaggerated portrayals of 1980s Duluth, Minnesota. The bizarre hilarity of everything always hovers just above the actual plot of the show, which for this season deals with two complicated people trying to make a relationship work. Scott, played by Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and based on Bamford’s real life husband, returns as the love interest from the first season. Through the season, Scott and Maria (Bamford plays a version of herself) face new relationship tropes like moving in together, distrust and jealousy, but find ways to work through their problems with openness and understanding. On its face, the plots of many of these episodes have been played out by seemingly hundreds of other sitcoms. “Lady Dynamite” uses a well-worn idea like discovering a partner’s annoying tendency after moving it in and turns it on its head. In episode one, Marias reveals her annoying tendency: she feeds and shelters a raccoon from the street named Randall. Meanwhile, Maria discovers Scott impulsively sings the same two words over and over again. In other episodes, an ex-convict CPA named Em Bezzler, something called a re-birthday party, and a giant freezer art installation are all integral to overcoming problems the new couple encounter. As with the first season, season two of Lady Dynamite is split between three different points in Bamford’s life. Each episode bounces around from
her present life with Scott, to one year in the future, to her childhood in 1987 Minnesota. The scenes in the future revolve around the quickly deteriorating process of making the show “Maria Bamford is Nuts.” This meta-show within a show begins as an empowering look at women in comedy and mental illness and slowly devolves into bland science fiction romance. The entire plot arc lampoons not just the television industry, but Netflix itself. The show is directed by an electronic box named Don Jr. who works for Netflix stand-in, MuskVision. On the other timeline in Minnesota, the show depicts the roots of Maria’s emotional anxieties by examining the lives of her parents, played by Mary Kay Place and Ed Begley Jr. Maria’s father is emotionally vacant, but well meaning, while her mother is the stereotype of a distrustful, passively judgmental suburban mom. The time shifts in this season are less confusing than in the previous and are effective means for reinforcing the plot of each episode. This second season of Lady Dynamite has taken the formula from the first season and built on it. The gags are more ambitious and the actual plot manages to make stale plot cliches fresh. This is a show that largely celebrates the life and humor of a comedian that has spent much of her career outside the mainstream. Fans of Bamford should appreciate that she is finally getting the praise she deserves, and the show itself makes a strong case for that praise.
Contact Hanna Kennedy at hkenned2@nd.edu
“Plunge” Fever Ray Label: Mute Records Tracks: “To the Moon and Back,” “Plunge,” “This Country” If you like: The Knife, Austra, Laurel Halo
Contact John Wilson at jwilso29@nd.edu
9
The observer | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
By CHARLIE KENNEY Scene Writer
Music, at its most basic, either has vocals or it doesn’t. Bands fall into one of two categories. The Beatles have vocals, Brahms doesn’t; Lady Gaga has vocals, John Coltrane doesn’t; Kanye West has vocals, Hans Zimmer doesn’t. It’s simple and straightforward. It’s how music would be categorized if genres didn’t exist. Instead of zeros and ones, music in its binary form is instrumental or vocal. It isn’t that easy, though. Musical acts, now more than ever, tiptoe the line between being instrumental or vocal. More and more often albums are becoming heterogeneous, cohesively mixing instrumental tracks with vocal tracks to make a finished product. The lines of music that for so long have been rigid and clear are becoming more blurred as different musical groups decide that being purely one type of act doesn’t satisfy them. Neo-funk band Vulfpeck is a perfect example of this. The band, which originated at the University of Michigan, started their career with purely instrumental music and has since transitioned to a predominantly vocal sound. Their first four EPs — “Mit Peck,” “Vollmilch,” “My First Car” and “Fugue State” — share 24 songs between them, with only two containing vocals. The three albums they have released since then — “Thrill of the Arts,” “The Beautiful Game” and the recently released “Mr. Finish Line” — on the other hand, share 30 tracks between them with only 13 of them being purely instrumental. This transition occurred for a number of reasons. The two most successful songs from their first four EPs were undoubtedly the two that contained vocals — “Wait for the Moment” from “My First Car” and “1612” from “Fugue
By ADRIAN MARK LORE Associate Scene Editor
It’s not possible to write about the mercurial Leyland Kirby today without discussing his output as The Caretaker, nor is it possible to discuss The Caretaker without first bringing up “An Empty Bliss Beyond This World.” If you were anywhere online in 2011 — on a music forum or news website, at least — it’s quite likely you saw a reproduction of that iconic primitivist still life of a rock on a pedestal “holding” a match. You know, the art for the record of gritty big-band and ballroom tunes, slowed down and looped ad nauseam. Kirby’s been composing music since the late ‘90s, but “An Empty Bliss” is likely his masterpiece. Sure, “slow it down and loop it” has become this decade’s “needs more cowbell,” but the record’s contemplation of memory loss, mental illness and senility was no gimmick. In fact, Kirby has been quite busy over the past several years perfecting his artistic statement — finishing what he began, so to speak. To be sure, “An Empty Bliss” stands alone as a complete work; but Kirby has nonetheless endeavored to produce a six-part opus — “Everywhere at the End of Time” — that tracks the progress of dementia more meticulously than his past work. The first part was released precisely a year ago, and part two saw its release
State.” Their other music was undoubtedly respected and critically well regarded, but it just didn’t sell or garner attention like those two songs did. This trend of vocals resulting in success didn’t stop with those first two songs. The most successful songs from both of their first two full-length albums were vocal as well. “Back Pocket,” a piano-laden, highpitched scream of a vocal song, was the most successful song on their first album, “Thrill of the Arts,” and “Animal Spirits,” a song that almost mimics “Back Pocket” but with different lyrics, was the most successful song on their second album, “The Beautiful Game.” This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Through their first two studio albums, Vulfpeck kept at least half of the tracks instrumental and made sure the sparse vocal tracks were high quality. It has become a bad thing, however, on their recently released third studio album, “Mr. Finish Line.” The album contains three lackluster instrumental tracks accompanying seven vocal tracks. It’s an attempt to get more commercial success at the expense of artistic expression. The three instrumental tracks — “Tee Time,” “Hero Town” and “Vulf Pack” — are not just low-ranking in the scheme of Vulfpeck’s previous work, but also are mere unsuccessful bastardizations of their more well-known past songs. If a listener has any sense of the band’s past work, the songs sound uninspired, repetitive and humdrum. When put into the context of Vulfpeck’s commercial goals with this album, however, their inclusion makes sense. On these three instrumental tracks, Vulfpeck takes some of their best work from their early albums and essentially copies it to showcase it to their newfound, more “commercial” fans. It’s a decision that I don’t particularly respect, but one that I understand. Although the instrumental music of the album falls flat, the vocal music makes up for it slightly.
The quality of the vocal tracks is clearly superior, but it isn’t something that is present in all seven of the vocal songs. “Baby I Don’t Know Oh Oh” and “Mr. Finish Line” are easily the standouts. Instead of throwing in random, untested features as many of the tracks do, they use frequent collaborators Theo Katzman and Antwaun Stanley — two artists who have repeatedly shown they can compliment Vulfpeck’s unique, techno-funk sound. Stanley’s deep gospel voice mimics the constant bass riffs that permeate throughout his two features on the album, and Katzman’s higher, at times screechy, voice compliments the high-pitched falsettos that his co-features Christine Hucal and Bootsy Collins use. These songs and features standout in a thoroughly uninspired album. All in all, Vulfpeck didn’t have much of a purpose in making this album. If anything it was an experiment to see how much more press and money they could get. But if the press and album-purchasers care anything about quality, the experiment will fail.
earlier this year. With the release of the collection’s third part, this half of the year alone has seen some hectic activity from an artist formerly known for his privacy and solitude. Unsurprisingly, the prolific musician — who also produces under the monikers The Stranger and V/Vm — has been hard at work. Kirby himself commented, “I’ve had to ignore e-mail for some months due to the workload of current projects I’m doing here,” not to mention he was “moving house and studio.” Despite these obstacles, in addition to the latest offering from “End of Time,” Kirby has just released a 90-minute pay-what-you-want album of melancholic, orchestral electronics, titled “We, so tired of all the darkness in our lives.” The cyclical, reverb-swollen downtempo rhythms are a hard shift from the crispy, vintage-vinyl aesthetic and gloomy thematic focus of Kirby’s work as The Caretaker, but given his recently myopic focus on these concepts, “We, so tired” is a refreshing release from a musician talented across diverse styles. That’s not to say Kirby has tired out his ideas, or that the remaining three entries of “End of Time” are not motive for excitement — though I did fear that once. In fact, Kirby reached out to me after I gave the project’s first entry a lukewarm review last year, letting me know the completed work will be greater than the sum of its parts.
I was skeptical of his claim at first, but he was right: As the progress of dementia intensifies with each new entry, that familiarly haunting ballroom aesthetic has become increasingly oblique, poignant and affecting. Indeed, one can’t help feel touched — perhaps even demoralized — because The Caretaker’s discography powerfully evokes the phenomenological experience of an actual medical affliction with which well over three million elderly folks are diagnosed yearly in the United States alone — Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, though Kirby’s music has creatively inspired countless artists already, the clinical focus of “An Empty Bliss” and particularly “End of Time” has motivated over 90 musicians to put their talents to practical use fundraising for the cause. Led by Nmesh, a vaporwave producer, they’ve assembled a six-hour tribute album of 100 songs titled “Memories Overlooked: A Tribute to the Caretaker” — all proceeds of which will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s a hopeful denouement to criticisms leveled at Kirby for capitalizing on illness for the sake of his musical aesthetic. Indeed, it’s quite the opposite — the music is giving back.
Contact Charlie Kenney at ckenney4@nd.edu
“Mr. Finish Line” Vulfpeck Label: Vulf Tracks: “Baby I Don’t Know Oh Oh,” “Mr. Finish Line” If you like: Mayer Hawthorne, Leon Bridges, The Suffers
Contact Adrian Mark Lore at lore.1@nd.edu DOMINIQUE DeMOE | The Observer
10
DAILY
The observer | friday, november 16, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: You’ll have plenty of opportunities to put your creative imagination to work and to follow through with your plans. Home improvements, financial gains and the chance to make money doing the things you enjoy most will be within reach. A change in attitude and the way you live will create a sense of accomplishment. Make this a year to remember. Your numbers are 8, 11, 22, 27, 36, 39, 41. ARIES (March 21-April 19): A joint venture will tempt you. Share your feelings, ideas and intentions and you will avoid being misrepresented. It’s OK to be aggressive if you have everyone’s consent before you plunge ahead. Personal changes need more attention. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Temptation will loom, but so will opportunity. Weigh the pros and cons of any situation before you make your move. A partnership is encouraged, but only if both you and the other person have the same intent. Evaluate others’ motives. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Contracts, settlements and chronic health matters will come into play. Don’t leave anything to chance. Make choices that will benefit you. It’s OK to look out for others, but for now, put yourself first. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Take a deep breath and prepare to share your ideas and plans for the future. You can now rest easy and make suggestions that will be looked upon favorably. Try something different or mingle with people from different backgrounds. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): A change at home or to the way you live can be expected. Someone will confront you if you haven’t been pulling your weight. Partying may be more fun, but eventually you’ll wish you had been more responsible. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A financial decision, contract or settlement will hinge on what you say and how you react. Don’t let emotions take over or lead to an argument that will make you look bad. Proceed with kindness and equality. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A partnership problem will need your undivided attention. Be patient when working your way through any difficulties you come across, and you will avoid a blowup that could be costly. The right reaction will lead to a win for you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your mysterious ways will draw attention, intrigue and interest in what you are trying to accomplish. Offer information along with incentives and you will have no problem turning your plans into something great. Romance is encouraged. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A group effort will take you down a path quite unfamiliar to what you have done or contributed to in the past. The experience will help make you more conscientious of those around you and their feelings. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Taking a unique approach when looking for a new position or presenting a project you are working on will captivate the people you approach. A positive change to your personal status will brighten your day. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’ll face emotional situations when dealing with friends and relatives. Be kind, but don’t allow anyone to use emotional manipulation to overrule what you want to see unfold. Stand up for your rights and use intelligence to get your way. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Investing more time in yourself and the things you want to pursue will give you a better sense of how to market what you have to offer. Sharing your ideas with someone you respect will lead to a joint venture. Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, compassionate and mysterious. You are unique and influential.
WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
Square Comic | XXX
Work Area
Make checks payable to and mail to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556
Published Monday through Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Community. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the two campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.
Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 16, 2017 | The Observer
W Soccer
Sports Authority
Continued from page 16
Philosophizing a baseball squad Ben Padanilam Editor-in-Chief
The other day, I was working on a presentation for my thesis — which is an ethical evaluation of the use of steroids during Major League Baseball’s “Steroid Era” through the lens of a few different frameworks — and I was asked if I was creating a baseball team made up of philosophers. I wasn’t, but since I had this column due two days later, I decided that it would be a sufficient topic for me to w rite about. So, w ithout further ado, here’s my lineup card. Hopefully my selections are more exciting than that intro:
1) John Stuart Mill — First Base Mill’s ideas were extremely inf luential, so he gets a spot in this lineup. W hy leadoff ? Because it does the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Batting at the top gives him one job: get on base. Batting him lower adds variables, and variables only make him less useful (although he likes to think he can weigh them all effectively). And he gets stuck at first base because I have to put him somewhere and there are concerns about his defense compared to the rest of the field.
2) Plato — Second Base He’d make a great batter y mate for the next guy on the list, manning second base. And I’d bet he has deceptive talent — after all, he fooled generation after generation of philosophers into thinking his ideas were Socrates’ and v ice versa, to the point that no one really knows the difference. Any team could benefit from that kind of craftiness.
3) Aristotle — Shortstop Aristotle is the foundation for a lot of the knowledge we have today, whether it be his actual ideas or the ideas which he spurned through his inf luence, so he makes perfect sense as the foundation of this lineup and defense. Plus, he’s a true five-tool player, particularly if those five tools are logic, ethics, politics, physics and biolog y (OK, so maybe that last tool is disputed, but he’s earned it).
4) Thomas Right Field
Aquinas
If Aristotle is batting
11
—
third, it only makes sense to bat Aquinas in the cleanup spot — after all, he basically cleaned up Aristotle to make him consumable as a foundation for Catholic theolog y. He’s got to play right field though because we need him on the opposite side of all the heretics he wants to burn on the left side.
5) Sigmund — Catcher
Freud
Can you imagine a better backstop out there? He’d have no problem getting in opposing batters’ heads while simultaneously guiding anyone on this pitching staff to success. And his presence in the locker room could be key, helping to keep all these superstars and their super egos in check.
6) Immanuel Center Field
Kant
—
Given the two guys in left and right field, there needs to be someone reasonable out there manning center field. And Kant is reasonable if any thing else — some would say too much so and it would never bear out in practice, but I guess we’d have our answer before long.
7) Karl Marx — Left Field I mean, does it get much more left than Mar x? I almost went w ith John Rawls here to bring my lineup into the modern era, but why would I put modern liberalism in left field when I can have socialism?
to be sharp and healthy.” Coming into Friday, the Aggies will be riding a school-record 14-match winning streak as well as an 11-match win streak when playing at home in the NCA A championship. Their last loss at Ellis Field in the postseason dates back to 2007. Worth noting in this game is that getting to two goals could be a crucial edge for both sides. In games in which they have scored two or more goals, Notre Dame is 10-0-0 on the season. The Aggies, meanwhile, have put together a 13-0-1 record in such games as well. The matchup is also one of two storied programs when it comes to the NCA A championship. For the Irish, this marks their 25th consecutive trip to the tournament while Texas A&M is competing in their 23rd consecutive, making the schools two of the five programs to have participated in ever y tournament since 1995 along with North Carolina, Virginia and Penn State. The Aggies have made it to the second round in each of their last 20 NCA A appearances while the Irish are coming off a first round elimination last year, when they were defeated 1-0 by SIU-Edwardsville. If they are to pull out a better result this time around, Romagnolo knows her team will have to come prepared. “We want to focus on making transitions against their back three and find space on the field where we can connect,” Romagnolo said.
PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer
Irish senior midfielder Sabrina Flores dribbles upfield during Notre Dame’s 1-0 double-overtime win over South Carolina on Sept. 1.
“We want to move the ball around and open up space to attack.” Notre Dame will be playing on the road for the first time this tournament, but they should be encouraged by the fact that they have been quite successful when traveling this season. The Irish hold a 5-2-2 record on the season when away, including 4-1-2 in their last seven road contests. If the Irish are to continue to win on the road, all signs would
point to a successful ending to the season as the last time they were able to win at least seven road games was in 2010 when they won the national championship. The winner of this battle will go on to the third round of the tournament where it will face the winner of No. 3 seed USC versus Baylor. Action gets under way Friday at 8:30 p.m. Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu
8) Voltaire — Third Base Play ing third base is all about hav ing quick ref lexes on defenses — there’s a reason they call it the hot corner — so who better than the sharp-tongued and quick w itted French Enlightenment thinker? And being closest to the opponent’s dugout in most parks, Voltaire should be well ser ved to fire back at any indiv iduals — yes, that means you Leibniz — that might not be on his team.
9) Lucretius — Pitcher It’s simple really; just when he gets you in a groove w ith the fastball, he’ll hit you w ith that all too unpredictable swer ve — I mean cur ve — ball. Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer
Irish graduate student midfielder Sandra Yu follows through on a pass during Notre Dame’s 1-0 double-overtime win over South Carolina on Sept. 1 at Alumni Stadium. Yu took one shot 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.
Paid Advertisement
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 17, 2017 | The Observer
13
EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
Irish graduate student guard Lili Thompson looks to pass the ball around a defender during Notre Dame’s 121-65 victory over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday at Purcell Pavilion. Thompson scored 10 points and tallied eight assists and two steals in the win over the Mountaineers. Thompson shot 3-of-4 from the field, including a 3-pointer.
W Bball Continued from page 16
“I actually thought it was a great game for us,” McGraw said. “I expected a tough game. They were coming off of a win against a tough team, they’re getting votes in the polls and this was their opportunity to play a good team and make a statement. I think they had their biggest crowd ever in their arena, we knew it would be difficult, we knew it would be a close game without and it was, I thought that defensively we did some good things, we didn’t shoot the ball particularly well but we still found a way to win.” The Beavers (2-0) have experienced an impressive turnaround this decade under head coach Scott Rueck. After a 9-21 season in his first
year in charge with only two Pac-12 wins, the team has improved to one of the top programs in the Pac-12, with a Final Four appearance in 2016 and a 31-win season last year. This improvement has come mostly thanks to the team’s defense becoming one of the best in the nation, giving up an average of only 54.4 points per game last season with an field goal percentage of just .345 and a three-point percentage of .282 while recording 7.4 steals per game. McGraw said the Beavers’ defense will be a serious challenge for her team. “They’re one of the best defensive teams in the countr y,” McGraw said. “They traditionally rank in the top-10 in field goal percentage defense as well as points given up, so they’re a team that is ver y sting y at the defensive end. We’ve played them
twice before and we’ve had trouble scoring on them, so I think it will be a real challenge for our offense.” The Beavers are a team known for their size in the post, led by senior 6-foot5-inch center Marie Gulich. Gulich averages a teamleading 17.5 points per game this season, as well as posting 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game. Off the bench, the Beavers can go even bigger inside, with 6-8inch center Joanna Gr ymek having recorded four blocks this season, while across the rest of the court, Roeck’s team brings more size, with sophomore guard Mikayla Pivec the team’s shortest starter at 5-foot-10. The Irish may have lost two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year Brianna Turner to injur y before the season, but with junior for ward Jessica Shepard
EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
Irish junior guard Arike Ogunbowale dribbles across the court and directs the offense during Notre Dame’s 121-65 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday at Purcell Pavilion.
starting and bench players including freshman center Mikayla Vaughn and graduate student for ward Kristina Nelson, McGraw said she believes her team has enough depth in the post to deal with Gulich and the remainder of the Beavers. “Gulich is a tough player to defend,” McGraw said. “She’s just really talented and the offense runs through her a lot. But I don’t think our size will be a problem matching them. We have size off the bench, players who can some in and we can certainly see how the game is going. If we need to go big, we can certainly do that. But it will still be a pretty tough matchup for us.” After the game, Notre Dame will have to travel over 2,500 miles to Estero, Florida, for the Gulf Coast Showcase, a three-game tournament
where the Irish could meet defending national champions South Carolina in the final. The games form part of a seven-game road trip that takes the Irish all across the nation before finishing with No. 1 Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. McGraw said the stretch will be difficult but believes her team can learn and improve from the challenge. “This is the early stages of a seven-game road stretch,” McGraw said. “We’ve got a lot of ranked teams coming up, we’re really going to be tested and hopefully we can just keep getting better ever y game” The Irish will meet the Beavers on Sunday at Gill Coliseum in Eugene, Oregon. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu
EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
Irish junior guard Marina Mabrey looks past a defender as she drives to the basket during Notre Dame’s 121-65 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday at Purcell Pavilion.
14
Sports
The observer | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Football Continued from page 16
looks,” he said. “ … It’s not like Nav y hasn’t seen every defensive structure, but it’s key for us to get off the field.” One advantage the Irish have is the relative health of its team heading into the weekend’s game. Kelly said just about everyone on the roster will be healthy enough
to suit up Saturday, the lone exception being Cam Smith. Kelly said the graduate student wide receiver will sit out against Nav y, and he hopes to have Smith back by next weekend when the team travels to Stanford. Saturday’s game at Notre Dame Stadium also represents Senior Day for the Irish, as 27 players will be recognized for their contributions to the program. Amongst
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish graduate student tight end Durham Smythe runs with the ball during Notre Dame’s 41-8 loss to Miami (FL) at Hard Rock Stadium.
the group includes four of the team’s starting offensive lineman and all three of the team’s starting linebackers — two units which feature a combined five captains for the Irish. Although some of the players at those spots have eligibility remaining, none of those individuals have made a decision as to whether they will return next season. Although the team faces the strong possibility of losing its core on both units, Kelly said he’s not worried about that at this point in the season, even in ref lecting on the players’ potentially last home game as members of the program. “It’s an interesting time because some of these kids haven’t made decisions as to who’s going to come back and who’s not going to come back, so we’ll get to recruit once the season is over,” Kelly said. Kelly did say, however, that he believes the team has some potential replacements they would feel comfortable starting next season already in the program. “I’ve really liked the development of [sophomore offensive lineman] Liam Eichenberg,” Kelly said. “He’s really developed physically where he’s in a position Paid Advertisement
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish sophomore wide receiver Chase Claypool catches a pass during Notre Dame’s 41-8 loss to Miami (FL) in Miami Gardens, Florida.
where he can start for us [next year]. [Freshman offensive lineman] Josh Lugg physically has developed to the point where we feel like he could be a starter for us. Those guys we feel really good about. “From a defensive
standpoint, [freshman linebacker] Jeremiah [OwusuKoramoah] has got some really interesting traits, and we’ll be interested to work with him this spring.” Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 17, 2017 | The Observer
ZACH YIM | The Observer
Irish senior forward Bonzie Colson leaps for the basket during Notre Dame’s 105-66 victory over Chicago State on Thursday at Purcell Pavilion. Colson scored 15 points and recorded nine rebounds in the game.
M Bball Continued from page 16
up a lot of stuff and it was giving us a lot of new looks that we haven’t seen this year, but it was great just to get out there and get another [win] before we hit Maui.” Unwilling to take their opponent for granted, the Irish (3-0) immediately jumped
out to a 7-0 lead, highlighted by a couple of dunks from senior forward Martinas Geben. From there, Colson began to take over on both sides of the court, as AP preseason AllAmerican scored nine points while blocking three shots to help extend Notre Dame’s lead to 30-8. Chicago State (13) was unable to generate any f low offensively, and the Irish continued to consistently
stretch the lead thanks to some hot shooting from Gibbs, Farrell and Harvey. Gibbs, Farrell and Colson all reached double figures by halftime, and the Irish went into the locker room with a comfortable 56-29 lead. Any chance that the Cougars felt they might have at making a comeback in the second half was squashed by Gibbs, as the New Jersey
product scored eight straight points to make it 66-41 at the 15:26 mark. Gibbs finished 8-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and will be an important key for the team this season according to Irish head coach Mike Brey. “T.J. is really confident, and I think Matty and Bonzie have done a good job of getting him confident — continually letting him know, even back in the summer, how important he’s going to be,” Brey said. “But certainly now, with 17 pounds off him, he’s in shape enough to play those extended minutes. I thought he’d be a good shooter for us … so we just gotta continue to grow him, and I think he heads to [Hawaii] pretty confident.” Notre Dame wore out Chicago State for the rest of the game, and relied on its bench to mostly play the latter part of the second half, giving increased minutes to players like Harvey, who finished 5-of-8 from the field and is expected to play a substantial role as a freshman for the team this season. “He’s really a gifted guy,” Brey said. “Tonight may have been the most important for him — he gets 22 minutes, and [in his third game] he gets into a little bit of a scoring rhythm. That’s the one thing I think he can do for us — obviously he rebounds too — but it was a great night for him and he’s very important for us, and our seniors know
15
he’s important, so they keep helping me bring him along.” “The sky’s the limit for him,” Gibbs said of Harvey. “He’s starting to get it; it’s starting to click for him. I’m excited for him and proud of him and I just hope he keeps working and keeps getting there.” Junior guard Fred Sims Jr. led Chicago State with 19 points and redshirt-senior guard Jelani Pruitt had 16. All in all, Notre Dame shot 62.1 percent while holding Chicago State 36.1 percent, and while spectators may focus on the offense eclipsing 100 points, Farrell, who had five steals, said the defensive effort is what really gets the team going. “We got smart guys — we defend as a unit,” Farrell said. “We had a lot of steals today, we’re talking, we’re communicating a lot better on defense. We know we’re not a finished product, but we know how efficient we are offensively, and we think that our defense helps our offense. If we can get our defense going and we get stops, we can have a lot of fun playing.” Up next for Notre Dame is a trip to Hawaii, as the Irish will compete in the Maui Invitational next week. The team will play tournament host Chaminade in Monday’s opening round, and either LSU or Michigan on Tuesday. Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
Paid Advertisement
ZACH YIM | The Observer
Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs jumps for a rebound during Notre Dame’s 105-66 win over Chicago State on Thursday at Purcell Pavilion.
16
The observer | friday, november 17, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
football
MEn’s BasketbaLl | nd 105, chicago state 66
Kelly talks Navy preparation By BEN PADANILAM Editor-in-Chief
W hen No. 8 Notre Dame takes the field Saturday against Nav y, it w ill be looking to put last week’s 41-8 loss to No. 3 Miami (FL) behind it. And so far this week in practice, Irish head coach Brian Kelly believes his team has successfully done that. “Our preparation has been really good,” Kelly said. “I mean, when you’re talking about the defensive preparation, there has to be such an attention to detail in ever y thing that you do, and that’s where Nav y gets you. … We’ve been talking about how important our traits are, and they really have to be applied this particular week against this team. “ … This has been a big week about getting back to our process and stay ing focused on the right things, and I think they did a ver y good job.” Helping the Irish (8-2)
ND topples Chicago State before heading to Hawaii
prepare for the triple-option attack of the Midshipmen (6-3, 4-3 A AC) this week has been junior linebacker Robby Regan — the team’s unofficial option quarterback on the scout team, according to Kelly — and junior quarterback Nolan Henr y. W hile it’s unclear who exactly w ill be the actual starting quarterback for the Midshipmen, as both junior Zach Abey and sophomore Malcolm Perr y could both be under center for Nav y on Saturday, Kelly said he expects the tripleoption to pose the same challenge it always has for the Irish under head coach Ken Niumatalolo. And that means getting off the field on third dow ns to avoid ta xing the defense on long, extended drives w ill be key for the Irish, according to Kelly. “We’ve got to get off the field on third dow n, and sometimes you have to prompt it w ith some different see FOOTBALL PAGE 14
By JOE EVERETT Sports Writer
ZACH YIM | The Observer
Irish senior guard Matt Farrell drives toward the basket during Notre Dame’s 105-66 win over Chicago State on Thursday.
nd women’s basketball
see M BBALL PAGE 15
ND women’s soccer
Irish take on Oregon State in first ranked matchup
Squad to face off against Aggies
By DANIEL O’BOYLE
By ALEX BENDER
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
In the second of a sevengame road trip, No. 6 Notre Dame w ill take on its first ranked opponent of the season: No. 18 Oregon State. The Irish (2-0) come into the game after beating Western Kentuck y 78-65 earlier this week. A lthough a 13-point v ictor y over Conference-USA opposition would t y pically be below the standards Muffet McGraw is accustomed to at Notre Dame, she said the Hilltoppers (1-2) were a strong team and was impressed w ith her ow n team’s defensive effort against them. The Hilltoppers had posted a 27-7 record last year and a 14-1 record at home before starting the 2017–18 season strong w ith a v ictor y over No. 23 Missouri and a close loss to an Iowa team receiv ing votes in the AP Poll.
On Friday, Notre Dame w ill take the field in an NCA A championship second round matchup against No. 2 seed Texas A&M. The t wo teams have played each other t w ice in program histor y, w ith the last meeting coming in November of 2014, a game the Aggies (18-2-1, 9-1-0 SEC) were able to pull out by a score of 2-1 in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCA A tournament. Both teams w ill be focused on the matchup ahead of them, however, as the w inner w ill advance to the third round while the loser w ill head home for the season. In the most recent matchup, Notre Dame (10-6-4, 5-32 ACC) came away w ith their most dominant w in of the season as it defeated IUPUI 5-0 in the opening round of the NCA A tournament. The Irish dominated the action on both sides of the ball, and w ith goals by freshman
see W BBALL PAGE 13
Before it travels to Hawaii to compete at the Maui Invitational next week, Notre Dame took care of business at home Thursday night, defeating Chicago State 105-66. Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs led the Irish with a career-high 23 points, senior guard Matt Farrell poured in 18 and freshman forward D.J. Harvey contributed a careerhigh 16 points to fuel the offensive onslaught. Senior forward Bonzie Colson also put forth a complete performance, scoring 15 points and grabbing nine boards to go along with five blocks, but the star of the night was Gibbs, who emphasized that the team handled what it needed to handle Thursday night. “Focus has been a huge key for us, and this was a great win, a great focus win,” Gibbs said. “They were switching
EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
Irish freshman center Mikayla Vaughn takes a shot over a defender during Notre Dame’s 121-65 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.
for ward Erin Ospeck, senior midfielder Katie Uhler, graduate student midfielder Sandra Yu and a pair from sophomore for ward Natalie Jacobs, the team cruised to v ictor y last Saturday. On the other side of the ball, Texas A&M’s first round matchup against Lamar was perhaps a bit closer than the Aggies would have liked as they narrowly escaped w ith a 1-0 w in. The lone goal of the game came on an ow n goal by Lamar in the eighth minute, and A&M was able to hold on to advance to Friday’s meeting against the Irish. Since last week, Irish head coach Theresa Romagnolo has worked on getting her team ready just like they have before any other game. “We’ve been working on defending and we’ve been working on scoring goals,” Romagnolo said. “It hasn’t been too much different than all year, so we just want see W SOCCER PAGE 11