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Volume 51, Issue 72 | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Demonstration urges divestment Students protest Trump’s environmental policies, call for University to divest from fossil fuel companies By LUCAS MASIN-MOYER News Writer
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed to rev ive negotiations for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline — a pipeline that has been of major interest to env ironmentalists in the fight for clean water because of damage to the env ironment and water supply that could happen in the case of an oil spill. In response to Trump’s recent actions and his nominations to various cabinet posts, Fossil Free ND hosted
a march Tuesday afternoon from O’Shaughnessy Hall to Main Building. Sophomore Tessa Bonomo, a member of Fossil Free ND, said the organization hopes to force change on the Universit y level. “We are asking [Universit y President] Fr. [John] Jenkins and the administration to divest from fossil fuels,” Bonomo said. Bonomo also said the organization wants to draw student attention to some of Trump’s cabinet picks for his new see PROTEST PAGE 4
Speaker discusses relationship violence, stalking
KATELYN VALLEY | The Observer
Stalking awareness advocate Debbie Riddle speaks to students Tuesday at Saint Mary’s to highlight the dangers of stalking. By GINA TWARDOSZ News Writer
Debbie Riddle, a national speaker on stalking, spoke at Saint Mary’s on Tuesday to promote stalking awareness in honor of her sister, Peggy Klinke, who was a victim of stalking. Riddle said before the death of her sister, she did not quite understand what stalking was, even as a previous victim of stalking herself. “I was a stalking victim shortly after graduating from college,” she said. “My stalker followed me
news PAGE 3
everywhere, left notes, offered a marriage proposal and kicked out my door. So I went to the police department, filed for an order of protection and the behavior stopped. A few months after he was served with the papers, I saw him on the street and he turned around and walked the other way. And that’s what I thought the solution to stalking and abusive relationships was.” Riddle said 11 years after her own stalking incident, her sister Peggy called her and said her see STALKING PAGE 3
scene PAGE 5
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Students march from O’Shaughnessy Hall to Main Building on Tuesday. Fossil Free ND hosted the march in protest of President Trump’s executive order to continue the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Students attend summer study abroad fair By MEGAN VALLEY Associate News Editor
Notre Dame International (NDI) hosted a summer study abroad fair Tuesday night for undergraduate students interested in attending one of the University’s 20 summer study abroad programs. “Summer study abroad programs offer great opportunities for students who need to work over the summer, have an internship or who are planning on doing research someplace,” director of study abroad Kathleen Opel said. “It helps them to get credits that they need, and almost all of the courses offered fill a University requirement, or it can fulfill major credits.” Any student currently attending Notre Dame — whether they are a freshman or a graduating senior — is eligible to apply by Feb. 3 for any of the programs, Opel said. The programs range in duration, which Opel said allows students who have other summertime obligations to accommodate their schedule. “We have a wide variety of
viewpoint PAGE 7
dates and lengths of time,” Opel said. “Some students want a six-week or an eightweek study abroad program, some students only want a two- or three-week experience, and they can go back and do internships or work. “I think that these programs appeal to students who are athletes and can’t go during the academic year, or students who work with the newspaper or another activity that doesn’t permit them to go away, or for students who don’t want to be gone a whole semester.” Freshman finance and economics major Lorenzo Beer said he attended the fair to help him decide if he wants to study abroad during the school year or the summer. “Everybody I’ve ever spoken [to] has said that studying abroad is amazing and one of the best experiences of your life and that you should definitely do it if you can,” Beer said. “I definitely want to make sure I look into it. … If it’s during the summer, I could catch up on some courses. If it’s during the semester, [I could] maybe take a break from the Notre Dame bubble and see other parts of
men’s basketball PAGE 12
the world.” Mary Nucciarone, director of financial aid, said while the University offers a funding model to make a semester abroad cost about the same in tuition as a semester on campus, studying abroad over the summer has no such aid. “The University does not have a budget for scholarships for summer study abroad, so students are looking more at student loans — whether it be a private educational loan or a federal parent loan,” Nucciarone said. Because the funding model is different, Nucciarone said students looking to study abroad over the summer should start planning financially as soon as possible. “What I say for summer especially is to be planning,” Nucciarone said. “That’s the biggest challenge we find, is that students start planning really late — like in April for a May or June departure — and that’s really hard for us to help them.” Most of the summer programs are in the same see ABROAD PAGE 4
nd w basketball PAGE 12
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TODAY
The observer | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
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Acrobats perform during the halftime show at the men’s basketball game on Tuesday night at Purcell Pavilion, in which No. 14 Notre Dame fell to No. 12 Virginia, 71-54. The Irish will next be at home on Monday to face No. 17 Duke.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Social Concerns Fair Geddes Hall 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Get involved with the community as part of “Walk the Walk Week.”
Fireside Chat on Leadership and Innovation Morris Inn 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Reception will follow.
Soup and Substance: Health Care and Race Geddes Hall 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Fill your bowl, feed your mind.
Spring 2017 Freebies: Yoga Rockne Memorial 205 11 a.m. - noon Arrive early, space is limited.
Women’s Basketball vs. Virginia Purcell Pavilion noon - 2 p.m. The Irish take on the Cavaliers.
“A Year with The Saint John’s Bible: From Inspiration to Illumination” Eck Visitor Center 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Second Annual Ernest Sandeen Memorial Reading Mckenna Hall 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Open to the public.
Pulitzer Prize Winner, Paul Muldoon: A Reading McKenna Hall 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Open to the public.
28th Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Rejoice! Mass Dillon Hall 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Celebrate Mass rooted in African-American tradition.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | The Observer
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Therapist examines culture of over-apologizing By MARIE FAZIO News Writer
“Be conscious of who you are and that you have a place in the world and you don’t have to apologize for that,” Julia Hogan, a mental health therapist and columnist for Verily Magazine, said in a lecture Tuesday. In the lecture sponsored by the Gender Relations Center (GRC), Hogan said the language people use — specifically apologies and soft openers — has the ability to negatively impact relationships. Hogan said that contrary to popular belief, this is a problem that plagues both genders. “Women tend to notice more situations that warrant apologies from themselves, but both men and women say that they need to apologize at the same rate,”
Stalking Continued from page 1
ex-boyfriend had began stalking her. Previously, Peggy had been in a relationship with the ex-boyfriend that lasted three years. “What my sister went through was three years of emotional abuse,” Riddle said. “With emotional abuse, the typical abuse is cyclical, meaning [he] would violently degrade her, then apologize, buy her flowers, take her out to dinner — but the abuse would come back again, maybe a week later, maybe a few days later. Peggy never knew what the trigger was, and this went on throughout the relationship.” Riddle said victims put up with this behavior because they are scared of the punishment they’ll receive if they leave their abuser. “Peggy did try to leave him,”
Hogan said. According to Hogan, there is a difference between apologizing to take responsibility for something you have done wrong and over-apologizing. “Over-apologizing is taking responsibility for something that is unnecessarily yours,” said Hogan. Hogan said two examples of over-apologizing is apologizing when someone bumps into you and apologizing when making a request because, for both situations, you are not to blame. She then defined soft openers, which she said are over-apologetic words used to preface the main point of a statement — such as “I’m just wondering” or “I’m sorry to bother you.” Both over-apologizing and soft openers are epidemics that seem
to be ingrained in the speech patterns of our society, Hogan said. “A lot of these things happen in small ways on a day-to-day basis,” Hogan said. “If we can look at our language, understand what we are saying and shift it, then we can make a difference in how we relate to people.” According to Hogan, people tend to over-apologize for a variety of reasons, including the belief that it is courteous, to avoid confrontation, because of a low self-image or simply out of habit. Over-apologizing reduces the meaning of an apology, and can culminate in the apologizer gaining a negative self-image and feeling resentful or taken advantage of by others, she said. It can also lead to a blurring of the apologizer’s personal boundaries. “Instead of over-apologizing,
hold people accountable for what they’ve done, and hold yourself accountable for what you’ve done,” Hogan said. To combat the issue of over apologizing, Hogan said she suggests taking a moment to reflect on the reasons you have for saying sorry before uttering the words. “Why do I over-apologize and use the language that I use, and can I change that?” Hogan said. “Can I make that more positive and relationship building?” Hogan said she finds that substituting phrases that include a “thank you” for phrases beginning with “I’m sorry” — for example, saying “Thank you for listening” rather than “I’m sorry to bother you” — works in many situations to alleviate the need for an unnecessary apology.
Additionally, Hogan said it is important to establish and maintain boundaries, despite the fact that many people may interpret standing up for yourself as overly forward. “It’s important to see it as a journey: one step forward, two steps back. It’s really easy to fall back into the habit,” Hogan said. “Your boundaries define who you are. … You can make choices and be happy with those choices.” Hogan said she recognizes the difficulty of changing a lifetime habit of over-apologizing, but she encourages people to be aware of their interactions with others. “My hope is that you can walk away thinking about the language that you use,” Hogan said.
Riddle said. “She was in an airport in Albuquerque, [New Mexico], trying to get to Las Vegas where my [other] sister was on vacation, and she was physically sick. She spent the afternoon vomiting in the airport. She was so frightened about what was going to happen to her if she broke the relationship.” Riddle said Peggy’s stalker would attempt to drive a wedge between her and her family by deliberately canceling Peggy’s flights and changing her hotel rooms. “He wanted to make sure he had her extremely isolated by breaking her support system down, so he was left as the only person she could turn to,” Riddle said. “In January 2002, she decided it was time to leave,” Riddle said. “She packed up her stuff and moved out of the condo they shared. When she went back to get her remaining items,
he had barricaded the door and called local law enforcement. He told them that someone was trying to break into his home, and he wanted Peggy to stay with him because he was so frightened. When the officer arrived, he asked Peggy if there was anything she wanted to tell him. Peggy looked at Patrick, and Patrick gave Peggy a look ... and Peggy said that no, there was nothing else she wanted to tell him.” Riddle said the officer took this at face value and that it was a fatal mistake. “He should’ve recognized what was going on and removed Peggy from her abuser,” Riddle said. “He should’ve taken her in a very confidential area to ask her what was happening. I feel that in his gut, he [knew] something wasn’t right by looking at them.” “ ... Peggy went to court to file an order of protection, and [Patrick] walked in to file his own order of protection,” Riddle said. “He told the judge [that] Peggy’s an alcoholic, was often strung out on drugs and abusive. He told the judge he feared for his life.” Riddle said the judge ordered both partners to stay away from each other. However, Patrick began to stalk Peggy, calling her constantly, Riddle said. “And the cyclical abusive behavior was back,” Riddle said. “[Cyclical abuse] goes on and on and on. It is a vicious wheel the victim cannot get out of.” Riddle said Peggy tried very hard to get out of the cycle of abuse, but this went on every day, 24 hours a day. “So when the text messaging, the phone calls, the surveillance didn’t work, he decided to propose marriage,” Riddle said. “Peggy ignored him, and he was upset with that. He no longer had control over his victim anymore. When Peggy ignored the marriage proposal, he created a flyer and pasted it all over the city of Albuquerque.”
Riddle said the flyer contained obscenities, insults and lies about Peggy. Peggy then took her cell phone; her cell phone records; her new, current boyfriend’s cell phone records — whom Patrick was also stalking— and the flyers into the police department, Riddle said. “Peggy said she was being stalked relentlessly by this man,” Riddle said. “The officer said there was nothing they could do about it. [The evidence] was just pieces of paper.” The stalker’s action grew more violent as he graffitied obscenities about Peggy onto the door of her mother’s garage and even set fire to Peggy’s boyfriend’s house, Riddle said. According to Riddle, he had stalked his ex-wife before meeting Peggy, and he had had seven previous police reports filed against him. Riddle said the police department were very aware who they were dealing with, but they refused to acknowledge past evidence. As the final trial between Peggy and Patrick neared, her family pushed Peggy to move away to ensure her safety. However, Patrick pushed back, posing as a police officer in an attempt to gain information and hiring a private investigator in order to find Peggy’s new whereabouts. “On January 18, as Peggy is walking out of her condo, one week before her trial, Patrick walked in,” Riddle said. “Patrick had been hiding in her garage. He beat her senseless with the butt of a handgun, he put duct tape over her mouth and bound her hands behind her back. Peggy was able to get out of the duct tape and run out the front door. Peggy and her neighbor Rachel went into Rachel’s condo and barricaded themselves in the bedroom. Peggy was able to make a 911 call and the SWAT team [came] to the location.” However, as the police arrived, Patrick murdered Peggy, Riddle said. Riddle said Peggy’s death was
devastating, but not shocking. “Peggy once said to her lawyer, ‘Is it going to take a bullet to my head for you guys to understand how serious this is?’” Riddle said. Riddle said she spent the weeks after her sister’s death trying to find answers as to how the stalking had escalated so far. “The week we were preparing for Peggy’s funeral, a thousand questions were going through my mind,” Riddle said. “How did this happen? How could she not survive? How is he permitted to harass her? How is this problem going to stop?” Riddle said after the funeral she contacted Tracy Baum, director of the Stalking Resource Center. They worked together to come up with new ways to help victims of stalking, she said. “First and foremost, I want law enforcement to be trained,” Riddle said. “They need to be trained to deal with cases like Peggy’s because nobody, not one person in the criminal justice system, ever helped her. So we needed to change that mindset.” After her meeting, the story became bigger than she imagined, and everyone involved agreed they should do something lasting in honor of Peggy and all stalking victims nationwide, Riddle said. “In July 2003, we all met in Washington D.C. and declared January National Stalking Awareness Month in Peggy’s honor,” she said. Riddle said the death of her sister has inspired her to help victims of stalking. “The root of this problem lies in developing a healthy relationship,” she said. “Most people misunderstand stalking. Many teenagers mistake stalking for positive attention. Listen and encourage victims, and do not downplay their stories.”
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Contact Marie Fazio at mfazio@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Protest Continued from page 1
administration — especially in the Department of Energ y and the Env ironmental Protection Agency (EPA) — which Bonomo said do not represent the needs of the nation. Freshman and Fossil Free ND member Greg Campion stressed the importance of campus-level action. “Last semester we circulated a petition asking for divestment and more efficient renewablew energ y goals for the campus and we got about 1,200 signatures,” Campion said. “There was not a word of acknowledgement from the administration, which we feel is not acceptable.” Campion said he was motivated to march for climate justice in part by the Trump administration’s recent actions. “It didn’t take long for [the Trump administration] to delete information about climate change, and a lot of other social justice issues from the W hite House website,” Campion said. “It’s despicable.” Freshman Cameron Ray, a Fossil Free ND member, said personal experience w ith the effects of climate change, as well as “Walk the Walk Week,” pushed him to attend the march. “I’m from a small agricultural tow n, and we really get affected by the weather and big sweeping climate change — it has long-term effects,” Ray said. “It’s Walk the Walk Week, and I’ve never been able to express my opinions like this and wanted to be a part of something that’s happening on campus.” Once the march reached Main Building, members of Fossil Free ND spoke about the problems they saw w ith some recent cabinet appointees. Sophomore Adam Wiechman, another Fossil Free ND member, spoke on the actions of EPA nominee Scott Pruitt. “As the attorney general of Ok lahoma for the last six years, Scott Pruitt has leveled lawsuits against the Env ironmental Protection Agency, the ver y department he is being nominated to lead,” Wiechman said. Bonomo said there are issues w ith Energ y Secretar y nominee Rick Perr y. “Perr y was governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015, a time during which he received over $14 million of donations from the fossil fuel industr y while proudly expanding both oil and natural gas production,” Bonomo said. “After ser v ing as governor, Perr y was a member of the board of directors of the Energ y Transfer Partners
— the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline.” After speaking about these nominees, members presented a letter to Jenkins’ office urging for fossil fuel divestment. “The Universit y of Notre Dame, as a premier Catholic institution and moral leader, holds great inf luence over fellow universities, the Catholic communit y, and people across the world who
know and love Notre Dame,” the letter said. “If it is w rong for fossil fuel companies to w reck the climate, then it is w rong for Notre Dame to profit from that w reckage. By continuing to financially support the fossil fuel industr y, Notre Dame is standing w ith them and not our collective future. Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer at lmasinmo@nd.edu
Abroad Continued from page 1
locations as semester programs — such as Spain, Bra zil, China, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Morocco. Opel said the shortened programs of the summer still allow students to immerse themselves in the culture, just as they would over a semester.
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“If you want to go to Morocco, you have an opportunit y to experience, in three weeks, a whole range of activ ities that w ill give you a little smattering of background: French, Arabic, literature, film, histor y, the religious differences,” Opel said. “And that’s just one example.” Contact Megan Valley at mvalley@nd.edu
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, January 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
By CHARLIE KENNEY Scene Writer
After the ‘50s and ‘60s, the American populace let Hollywood know they were tired of the musicals that flooded theaters every weekend. A slew of films including “Singin’ in the Rain,” “West Side Story,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Sound of Music” eventually wore out the musical genre’s welcome in movie theatres; the thousands who flocked to the ticket booth every weekend wanted change. They were tired of songs and happy endings. They wanted cutting dialogue, intense action and genuine excitement. In other words, they craved every feeling they hadn’t gotten from the musicals that had been dominating cinema for nearly two decades. And that is exactly what they got. Lightsaber battles replaced moonlight serenades, smashing shark jaws replaced a kiss in the rain, and crude humor replaced poetic romance. The musicals that truly made Hollywood into Hollywood altogether disappeared. Most films released from the 70s to the 00s utilized their scores as background music rather than an integral parts of the plot. However, that all changed at the turn of the century, when Hollywood made an effort to turn back the clock to its recently dubbed “golden age.” Musicals like “Moulin Rouge,” “Chicago,” “The Artist” and “Les Miserables” were consistently released to critical approval. The Academy and HFP showered them many accolades. One glaring and constant problem,
By JIMMY KEMPER Scene Writer
“Saturday Night Live” (SNL), for better or worse, is a fundamental institution in American political comedy. No other late-night show has received as many Emmy nominations, covered so many topics or introduced so many comedians to us as SNL has over its 40-year-plus run. This history of great comedy has made it disappointing over the past few seasons as the show has lost its bite, specifically in relation to the 2016 elections. SNL’s relationship with Donald Trump is, for lack of better words, a mess. Sometimes, the need to make a joke about the latest bit of news that’s coming out leads to simplification of complex issues or parodies that lack a punch. For weekly shows like SNL that constantly have to produce content, this led to Alec Baldwin’s uncertain characterization of Trump that put his absurdity on equal footing with other candidates. The portrayal ultimately failed to portray him as the extremist demagogue that he is. At times, this characterization seemed to be a result of SNL’s symbiotic relationship with Trump. The more that SNL made lightweight jokes about Trump, the more he tweeted inane responses, and the more attention that SNL got in the media. SNL then benefits from a Trump presidency and the continued spotlight it places on their programming. Moreover, SNL (and, for that matter, its parent network, NBC) has been largely complacent in enabling the
however, stood out among them. Many moviegoers tended to leave the theater disappointed after seeing them. A recent musical, if you can even call it that, however, has changed that trend. “La La Land,” currently in theatres, has left audiences (and box office profits) stunned across the country. “La La Land” is the musical that finally found the balance between plot, cinematography and musical numbers. During songs like “Another Day of Sun” and “Audition” you might forget that you are not watching a music video. Yet beautifully written and realistic dialogue between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling delves deeper into plot than most musicals. While “Les Mis” is crammed full of musical numbers and “The Artist” lacks words altogether, “La La Land” strikes a marked balance between the natural and the staged. The film employs a mix of sounds from the 50s, 80s and our present day to seamlessly marry scenes of whimsy and realism, of singing and speaking. The story paints a picture of what life is truly like. Aside from breaking into song randomly, the plot is down-to-earth, the characters are real and the ideas the movie evokes are approachable. Each moviegoer will find something to relate to whether it’s the desire to save a dying part of their culture, the despair of a passion worn down by rejection, or the romantic tendency to imagine what a dead romantic relationship could have been. While the experiences of living under Nazi occupation in Austria, rebelling against the French government and
surviving as a cabaret actress in France can distance viewers from their respective musicals, many of us can (and perhaps have) easily imagine buying “La La Land”’s one-way ticket to pursue our dreams. The part of the movie that truly embodies the name “La La Land” is what sets it apart from the herd of other great movies this year — the song and dance. Justin Hurwitz and Damien Chazelle’s musical genius shines again as it did in 2015’s “Whiplash.” “La La Land” effortlessly embeds over two-dozen songs in the midst of its award-winning script, yet the tracks are so pleasing to the ear that they could easily thrive on their own. They manage to smoothly combine jazz, theater and pop in the blink of the eye. Arguably, the worst part about the music of “La La Land” is its execution of the songs by Gosling and Stone — two natural actors not singers. However, this does not turn out to be a negative, but instead only extends the realistic tone given to the movie by the dialogue. Why should an aspiring actress and jazz musician also have voices that could land them Broadway roles? With “La La Land,” Chazelle has leapfrogged the directing giants in Hollywood, while Hurwitz has earned himself a statue in the pantheon of score writers and Stone and Gosling have managed to make the extraordinary seem ordinary. As Lin Manuel Miranda put it so eloquently, “The Musicals that leave us kind of staggering on our feet are the ones that really reach for a lot.” If “La La Land” didn’t leave you staggering on your feet, I suggest you find a new genre.
rise of Donald Trump. From inviting Trump as a guest on “The Tonight Show” to retaining Trump’s executive producer credit on “The Celebrity Apprentice” and even allowing Trump to host an entire episode of SNL, few networks have done more work than NBC to normalize a man whose violent rhetoric represents a major threat to Muslims, Mexicans and other marginalized groups on the fringes of American society. It comes as a surprise, then, in the first episode since the inauguration — and one of the first since the election that did not feature Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump impersonation — that SNL took on the new president with an unprecedented clarity. Or rather, host Aziz Ansari did. Ansari’s now-viral opening monologue digs into the reasons that people voted for Trump without giving in to the simple “everyone is racist, homophobic and misogynistic” excuse that plagues numerous internet forums. Instead, he approaches the matter with a nuanced mixture of reason, criticism and optimism that has been seriously lacking since the election. He emphasizes the outsized role that media organizations, like NBC, have had in alienating white America and propagating hatred of minorities, going so far as to suggest “Homeland” replaces its ominous music with “Yakety Sax.” He preaches a level of understanding toward the majority of those who did vote for Trump, referring to a number of them as the equivalent of Chris Brown fans who want to enjoy the tunes without dealing with “the extracurriculars.” Simultaneously, he holds that pocket
of Trump’s voting population that is actually racist accountable for their actions, referring to them as the “lowercase KKK” that engages in “casual white supremacy.” Underlying all of this, however, is a subdued anger at the America that failed him. He sarcastically pines for a time when George W. Bush was president and didn’t hold all Muslims accountable for 9/11. His jokes are sharp, accurate and most importantly, funny. Despite all his criticisms of how bad things have become, Ansari’s entire monologue is laced with the sort of hope that America needs right now. He ends his speech talking about the impact of the Women’s March that had just happened around the country, and argues that real change within America comes not from the individual actions of a single president, but rather from “large groups of angry people.” Regardless of whether Ansari’s brilliant monologue is simply a product of his personal views or representative of the whole institution’s take on the matter, the fact remains that SNL provided an important national platform for comedians to engage with political commentary. Comedy like this is paramount when times get tough. As long as Saturday Night Live continues to showcase comedians like Aziz Ansari, Dave Chappelle and Kate McKinnon — all of whom have presented powerful takes on the current political order — then the show is fulfilling its important role as a disseminator of critique, hope and even plain-old honest news when we need it most.
Contact Charlie Kenney at ckenney4@nd.edu
Contact Jimmy Kemper at jkemper2@nd.edu JOSEPH HAN | The Observer
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The observer | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Who is the Scranton Strangler? Martha Reilly Associate Saint Mary’s Editor
Two things I love very much in this world are “The Office” and conspiracy theories; put them together, and I’m as happy as Scott’s Tots before they found out Michael wasn’t funding their college tuition. Here is one of the most popular speculations about the show: Toby is the Scranton Strangler. Toby’s loneliness and timidity may elicit sympathy from viewers, but upon further consideration, perhaps his isolation and lack of a social life contribute to an internal sense of rage just waiting to be unleashed. Reasonably, Michael’s hurtful comments and Dwight’s scheming could become too much for poor Toby to handle, and he may need to let out his frustration much like Andy does when he punches a wall. Initially, he tries to find happiness by moving to Costa Rica, though he ultimately breaks his neck shortly after his arrival. This instance merely deepens his bitterness about his life, and some fans presume that after sustaining his injury, Toby resolves to seek retribution for his prolonged suffering. When all of the Dunder Mifflin employees are enthralled with the police cars zooming by and pursuing the Scranton Strangler, Toby is conveniently nowhere to be found. Even later that day, he neglects to show up to Gabe’s viewing party, likely because he was actually involved in the car chase and is still hiding. Toby does not seem to have many friends or social obligations whatsoever, so his absence cannot not necessarily be written off as natural or expected. Though Toby may come across as gentle and shy, he makes a comment to Michael that indicates he has a dark, and even violent, side. When Michael calls him the silent killer, Toby directs his gaze to the camera and calmly replies “You’ll see.” Toby also happens to serves on the jury for the Scranton Strangler case, and he makes this responsibility known throughout the office, constantly seeking attention for his detailed descriptions of the trials. His direct involvement in the legal particulars ensures that the blame never falls on him; another indicator of his guiltiness occurs toward the end of the series, when the man convicted of strangling, George Howard Skub, faces the death penalty. At this moment, Toby remarks that he is no longer entirely sure that the suspect is actually to blame, implying that he cannot follow through with his initial plan to frame an innocent person. More evidence abounds when Oscar tries to get Kevin fired by claiming he has made errors in his work; when Toby eventually discovers Kevin’s innocence, he remarks “I knew it” and then immediately launches into a discussion of his time on the jury for the Scranton Strangler case, as if Oscar’s placing false blame imitates his own behavior. Toby then says the words “I put an innocent man on death row,” practically revealing the vital role he played not only in killing Scranton citizens but also in evading accountability for his crimes. Ultimately, Toby visits George in prison, though the documentary cameras that capture practically every single interaction the characters ever have are suspiciously not allowed to accompany him. Afterward, Toby claims the man attacked him, so he dons a neck brace for the remainder of the episode; another logical — and more fun — explanation for this new injury is that Toby confessed to the wrongly accused man that he was the real Scranton Strangler, so George attacked him out of retaliatory anger. These are a few of the major clues, though smaller pieces of evidence also contribute to this theory: For instance, Toby begins working on a book series called “The Flenderson Files” around the same time he is appointed to the jury, and he writes mostly about sinister topics such as murder. This is just one of many conspiracy theories about “The Office,” but it is one of the most convincing and perspective-altering for viewers. Contact Martha Reilly at mreilly01@saintmarys.edu. The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
An American abroad in the time of Trump Jack Rooney Irish Eyes
Every time I open my mouth in Ireland, somebody asks me about Donald Trump. My American accent gives me away, and everyone from curious taxi drivers and bartenders to the person sitting at the next table at Starbucks want to hear what I have to say about the new president. It’s been like this since I arrived in Dublin last August. Before the election, everyone wanted predictions. After four years studying political science, I told them what I knew to be true: past research seemed to indicate that Donald Trump didn’t stand much of a chance, but that research also gave him even less of a chance of winning the nomination in the first place. I told anyone who asked that I honestly thought Hillary Clinton would win, but after the chaos of the primary season, I wouldn’t make any real predictions. Luckily I didn’t, because I woke up to a stunned world on Nov. 9. In Ireland, the morning after the election was quiet, almost eerie. In a nation partly defined by its people’s ability to talk to anyone about anything, nobody I encountered seemed able to articulate what just happened. For that matter, neither could I. That’s the reality of being an American abroad in the time of Trump. The world wants answers and I don’t have them. My opinion would do just fine, too, but right now I don’t know what I think. When the topic of the Trump administration arises with my Irish counterparts now, I can really only tell them, “Well, it’ll be an interesting four years.” A few weeks after the election, I went on a tour of Irish parliament with a group of Notre Dame study abroad students. Our tour guide, an Irish senator, asked who among us lived in a swing state — namely, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan. He asked those students how it was that Trump won their home states. The line of questioning grew somewhat embarrassing, and when nobody gave an answer that satisfied him, we moved on with the tour. As we walked into the next room, I turned to a few students walking with me and said, “That’s what the rest of the world thinks of us now.” That’s the other reality of living outside the U.S. right now, and the reality with which our generation will have to grapple for the rest of our lives. Despite President Trump and his “movement’s” repudiation of globalization, we live and will
continue to live in a world that is more interconnected than ever before. The forces of globalization will long outlast Donald Trump’s presidency, and our generation will be left to deal with whatever legacy he leaves behind on the global stage. And for young Americans like me, who for the rest of our lives will perhaps live, work and travel overseas, our country and Donald Trump’s leadership of it present a great challenge. In the same way that teachers tell their students that they represent their school on field trips, Americans abroad are ambassadors for our country wherever we go, for better or worse. Right now, that’s a difficult task. The final reality of being an American abroad during the Trump era snapped into focus as I watched his inauguration last Friday. A few Irish colleagues gathered around my desk to watch some of the ceremonies and the inaugural address. I sat mostly silent, absorbing the speech and its potential effects. They were enthralled. It was then that I finally realized that over the past few months, the world has watched the U.S. closely not only as a practical matter of trying to foresee the course of international relations, but also as a form of entertainment. All week, my Irish colleagues have been making jokes about “alternative facts.” They tell me that Saturday Night Live has never been more visible in Ireland than it has since Alec Baldwin started playing Donald Trump brilliantly. I can’t speak too broadly, but the final reality of living abroad right now is reckoning with the knowledge that a lot of the free world views its so-called leader as a joke. I personally cast no judgement on President Trump and his new administration. I only seek to stay as connected as I can to what is going on back home and absorb as much of the experience of living abroad at such a fascinating time as I can. Indeed, it is a strange, captivating, challenging, sometimes surreal time to be an American living abroad, but that’s just the reality of it all. Jack Rooney is a 2016 Notre Dame graduate, and The Observer’s former managing editor. He is currently spending a year living and working for the University in Ireland, and writes these columns to keep him busy and satisfy his need for journalism. Follow Jack on Twitter @RooneyReports and/or email him at jrooney1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
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The humbling truth Matthew Williams Critical Reflections on Life
The planet we inhabit began existing 4.6 billion years ago. It formed when heavy elements, produced in stars during the first 9 billion years of the universe, began to coalesce around our sun. Over the next 500 million years, this molten mass slowly settled into what we call the “Earth.” Shortly after it became hospitable to life, our most primitive ancestors moved in. These were not the hairy bipedal hominid ancestors or the first tetrapods, they were the simplest of all cells. It was from their humble beginnings that everything we now call “living” would eventually evolve. With each successive generation, life found a way to continue thriving. Some lineages kept the same strategy and others randomly discovered new ones. A minority amongst them began increasing in complexity, and by 500 million years ago, many of the animal phyla alive today were beginning to emerge. The ancestors of all mammals evolved 150 million years ago. They were small and rather unimpressive by our standards, but this turned out to be for their advantage. As the dinosaurs rose to dominance on Earth, these early mammals lurked patiently in the shadows. After 85 million years of waiting, a mass extinction event finally cleared the stage. When it did, mammals quickly stole the show by once again randomly radiating into many new forms. The primates were one of them, and eventually a part of the primate order pushed the limits of complexity further than ever. The result is us: the first branch from the tree of life with the ability to comprehend the whole thing. To me, knowing that we are part of something this large is a reassuring truth. While humans are only a small part of the tree, I believe we are a ripening fruit
hanging from its highest branch. We are supported by our biological family, but not bound to the tree in the same way that the rest of our earthly siblings are. By this, I mean that we have an unprecedented opportunity to do things that the rest of life on Earth has never been able to. This is why we feel like we are from the earth but not of it; like we are destined for more. We want to be picked from the tree so-to-speak, and this is where I find faith comes in. It exists because of our predicament. We have more control over what we’re doing than any other living thing, and we’re uncomfortably aware of this, but we don’t know what exactly we’re supposed to be doing. In trying to figure it out, humans have come up with many different theories, and we each place our faith in one of them to be right. Some of them make us grow and some of them slowly consume us. Importantly, they are not permanent, and it is never too late to question our faith, whatever it may be in, and consider placing it elsewhere. It is through this act of consistently questioning that humanity continues to converge on the truth of our existence. Whether or not we get there is up to us, which is why we also need humility. Isaac Newton once said, “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” We have a nice collection of seashells going, but we mustn’t forget that they are only a fraction of the whole ocean. At the same time, there is another aspect of humility that we need: the ability to be wrong. For this, I like to think that the opinions we carry around should be like Post-it notes, not tattoos. We can easily swap them out when we find something better. Perhaps regaining this humility is the biggest
challenge we have to work on this year. It seems like the promise of modernity has caused us to forget that the story of human history is full of many more wrong answers than right ones. This is why the history books never call somebody the best ever; they were the best of their time. What I’m saying is that maybe individualist thinking has led us to place a little too much of our faith in the individual, in each rational mind to deduce the truth on its own. By doing this, we neglect the humbling fact that we ourselves and everything we know is only a small part of something much, much larger. We forget that everything we are is a product of what has come before us, and as a result our humility begins to degrade. I think this may be why, in the most informationdense time in Earth’s history, we feel ourselves becoming more divided than united. We have grown so enthralled with our own collections of pebbles that we risk ignoring the ocean altogether. The result is an era of post-truth where every answer is as good as the next, regardless of how much truth it actually contains. I am hopeful that renewing our humility will be a promising prescription for the truth, but even if I am wrong, I still think practicing humility is positive, because with it comes an overwhelming sense of wonder. This awe at life is an unavoidable side-effect of facing the truth. To do so is to gaze out to sea, to stand tall beside the tree of life, and while it is humbling, it is equally as astonishing. Matt is a junior studying anthropology. He has no idea what he wants to do with his life, but he’s also still working on figuring out what exactly life is. If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to contact him at mwilli41@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Don’t back down In 1969, Hillar y Clinton (then Hillar y Rodham) gave the first student-offered commencement address at Wellesley College. Before she spoke, Sen. Edward Brooke talked about how unnecessar y protests were at the time, a complete counter to Rodham’s speech about a youth dissatisfied w ith the current state of affairs. Hillar y spoke, and responded truthfully and gracefully to the senator’s remarks. She said that “we feel that for too long our leaders have viewed politics as the art of the possible. And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible possible.” Hillar y didn’t back dow n in the face of someone who disagreed w ith a core belief, rather she stood up to them. Another Clinton memor y gives us this same lesson. Her mother made her face her bullies rather than hide from them. W hen you face a bully and are in a position of strength, you don’t back dow n. Donald Trump is our bully. He has bragged about sexual assault, praised authoritarian leaders (looking at you, Putin), grouped a whole religion as terrorists, called Mex icans rapists, made fun of a disabled reporter. Need I go on? He is the antithesis of what this University stands for. He
wants power for his ow n gain; he has exploited time and time again his contractors, the ver y people he claims to support. He is a man who w ill say and do any thing w ith no real beliefs. This man, in a little over a month, w ill be the president of the most powerful countr y on earth. He w ill be our president, whether we like it or not. In the face of such an ex istential threat, we can either pretend to be above the base arguments he is presenting, or we can fight him at ever y place possible. As J.R.R. Tolkien w rote, “I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its sw iftness, nor the warrior for his glor y. I love only that which they defend.” We are allowed to fight w ithout enjoying it, and more importantly, we must fight to protect what we love, or risk losing ever y thing we have. We no longer have the luxur y of moral high ground. Donald Trump has destroyed what was considered acceptable in American politics, and we must work to correct that. Notre Dame, as it has done so often before, must play a part in this. Academia doesn’t have to be a place where all sides are right: There is
no moral ambivalence in truth. It does, however, need to be a place where all sides have the chance to be heard and, more importantly, challenged. Let Trump come to commencement and hope he w ill begin to heal the wounds he has poured salt in. As former Sen. Harr y Reid said, “If this is going to be a time of healing, we must first put the responsibilit y for healing where it belongs: at the feet of Donald Trump.” In the spirit of Hillar y Clinton, let the valedictorian and Universit y President Fr. John Jenkins follow Trump’s speech, and if necessar y, go off script. Challenge him. Call him out, but we have no chance to silence him w ith our disgust: That didn’t work in the election, and it won’t work in the next four years. Coupled w ith action (like the Universit y protecting our undocumented students), our words w ill have power. Donald Trump is more dangerous than we ever imagined he could be, and now more than ever, we need to challenge him on ever y front possible.
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Tyrel London sophomore Dec. 12
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The observer | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Make a difference, reach out and offer your services and help to those in need. An enthusiastic approach will bring positive and negative results. You can’t please everyone, so choose your battles wisely and aim to do what brings you the most satisfaction. Change will lead to greater satisfaction as well as prosperity. Be a participant and make a difference. Your numbers are 7, 18, 21, 24, 29, 38, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Learn as you go. Your dedication and desire to do your best will be praised by some but shunned by those who are jealous of you. Don’t let anyone interfere with your progress. Disagreements will only slow you down. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Foolish spending or selling yourself short when negotiating a deal will be apparent if you don’t take your time and consider unique ways to get the most out of your dollar, your time and your effort. Don’t settle for less. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Emotions will take over, leading to disruption if you aren’t aware of all sides of a situation. Take a step back and consider what’s best for everyone, and do your best to make it happen. Avoid demanding people. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Live by your rules. Make suggestions and paint a colorful picture of the way you see your future unfolding. Honesty and integrity will help you avoid being trapped in a situation that doesn’t live up to your expectations. Romance is featured. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t get angry -- get moving. Look for alternatives. Don’t feel the need to stay put if you are bored. A partnership you form with someone will offer a little extra income and a chance to be your own boss. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Set up shop and get things done. Don’t linger when a timeline is in force. Stretch your imagination and you will discover ways to make your life easier. Surprise someone who is expecting you to fall short. Romance is encouraged. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be careful how you handle friends and relatives. A diplomatic and disciplined approach to suggestions will help you avoid getting into a dispute. If you want to bring about change, offer incentives and choices. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Listen and learn. Share your experience and knowledge. This is a great day for discovery and putting new plans in motion. Children, friends and lovers will play a major role in your life and the decisions you make moving forward. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Listen to sound advice. It’s best to take time to mull over what you want to do or say before you jump into action. Delays will arise while traveling, or confusion will set in regarding domestic issues. Avoid confrontations.. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Secrets will be revealed due to emotional outbursts. Be prepared to take care of any damages that occur as a result of someone’s lack of discretion. Keep your plans simple, honest and within reason to avoid controversy. Make love, not war. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be the one to bring about positive change. Get involved in events that will give you the platform you need to raise awareness. It takes reason, common sense and an astute ability to get things done properly and on time. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Proceed with caution. Trying to fit too much into your day will bring few results. It is best to concentrate on whatever will bring the highest returns. Getting emotionally caught up in someone else’s affairs will be to your detriment. Birthday Baby: You are progressive, inventive and timely. You are passionate and intense.
Just Add Water | Eric Carlson & John Roddy
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
Draw comics. Email Margaret at mhynds@nd.edu
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ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | The Observer
Sports Authority
men’s tennis
ND set for early test at North Carolina
Fans support team, not players Marek Mazurek Sports Editor
Cue the Star Wars scroll. The year is 2019, and the NBA wields unprecedented power over the sport of basketball. Due to a loophole in the most recent collective bargaining agreement, the league now has the power to alter the roster of any team for no reason at all. After their miraculous comeback in the 2016 NBA finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers have won three championships in a row, and league commissioner Adam Silver is getting tired of seeing LeBron James and company win. It’s bad for business. Who wants to watch the NBA when everyone knows the Cavs are going to win? So with his new sweeping powers, Silver decrees that Cleveland must switch its entire roster with the Orlando Magic (because God knows the Magic need it). Now, Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love wear blue and black instead of wine and gold. This is all, of course, a fictional scenario — although I wouldn’t be shocked if Cleveland achieves a threepeat — and the reason I introduce it is to pose a question. If you are a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, who do you root for? All the players you watched win a championship — or the three in my scenario — are gone. All of them. They’re playing under the name of the Orlando Magic, but they’re playing exactly the same way and doing the same things as they did in Cleveland. Or do you cheer for the Cavaliers, who now consist of Orlando’s former players? Your best player is now Serge Ibaka, and that’s unfortunate if you like winning. It’s an interesting question. I actually asked a couple reallife Cavaliers fans what they thought, and they all said they would still root for the team in Cleveland, even though it would be an entirely new roster. It would seem that the tradition of the team itself wins out. Players, and even logos or venues change, but the team itself doesn’t. And this line of thinking isn’t hard to understand. Most sports fans are
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indoctrinated from birth by their parents as to which teams to root for, which teams to hate. None of the Cavaliers fans I talked to were alive when Michael Jordan hit his famous shot over Craig Ehlo in the first round of the 1989 playoffs. Nor were they alive for “The Drive,” “The Fumble” or most of the plethora of Cleveland sports mishaps, but they feel like they’re a part of that culture. But would you still root for the Cavaliers if they didn’t have a lengthy history? What if the Cavaliers did not exist as a team until 2015? The only Cavaliers roster you ever knew was the one with Lebron, Irving and Love? And they all just left for Orlando. I guess the reason I’m posing all these super fun hypotheticals is because I’m currently working through this process. My favorite team since I started watching League of Legends is Cloud9. However, the Cloud9 roster I first grew to love disbanded for the most part. Two years ago, four of the five starting members took a step down to the “B” series to open up spots for the organization’s up-and-coming stars. Now, only one original member of the Cloud9 team I first grew attached to is still on the team. The catch is that three of the old Cloud9 roster decided they wanted another shot at the big league and left the organization to form their own team, now called FlyQuest. One thing that differentiates esports from traditional sports is history. Cloud9 as an organization only existed for a few years before I became a fan. It had no other roster than the one I knew, and I have no prior attachment to any of the other current players on the team. Yet the pull of the organization is strong, and I find myself rooting for Cloud9 over FlyQuest even though the players on FlyQuest are the ones that made me love e-sports. And I try to cheer for them both, but is a sports fan’s heart big enough for two teams? I guess that’s a question for another column. Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
By MICHAEL IVEY Sports Writer
Notre Dame will travel to Chapel Hill to take on No. 9 North Carolina on Friday and, depending on the outcome, either Penn State or Vanderbilt on Saturday. Irish head coach Ryan Sachire said his team will be ready for a tough matchup against a conference opponent. “We are going to face some tough competition,” Sachire said. “North Carolina was ranked No. 1 in the country for most of last year, and the group of guys that are juniors and seniors now have been perennial top-10 teams since they have gotten to North Carolina. They’ve been a program over the last five years that has been one of the elite ones in our sport. They’re very well coached, they have a great team and we’re expecting a good match on Friday.” This past weekend, the Irish opened the spring schedule by defeating Ball State 7-0 at home Friday then dropping a closerthan-it-looks 5-2 decision to Kentucky on the road Sunday. Sachire believes the fast start to the season has helped his team
pinpoint what they need to work on more. “We had a pretty busy weekend this past week,” Sachire said. “I think after the first weekend of the season, there are definitely some positives to build on and some areas to get better at. We have a relatively young team, so every week is going to be a learning and growing experience, and hopefully we can take the lessons that we learned [Sunday], improve over the next couple days of practice and be ready to roll on Friday.” Sachire said his team isn’t looking past North Carolina on Friday to worry about who they will face Saturday. “It obviously would be easier if you knew who you were playing on the second day, but the reality is we’re going to take it one match at a time,” Sachire said. “Right now, we’re thinking about North Carolina on Friday, and ultimately it comes down to how well we play. When you’re playing at that level, you know that if you play well — you play your best and compete your best — you know you’re going to win. But if you don’t play well, the level
of competition is too strong, and you’re not going to win. So for us, if we can go down there and do the things we are capable of doing, we’ll give ourselves a chance. That’s what we’re focusing on this week.” On April 8 of last season, the Irish defeated then-No. 1 North Carolina 5-2 at home. Sachire knows his team will need to put in the same effort as last year if they want the same result and said his message to his team is simple. “Have fun, let it fly and go after them,” Sachire said. “North Carolina is a team we have [beaten] here last year when they were No. 1 in the country, and so I think our guys know that we can certainly win if we play well, so we’ll have some confidence. We also know that North Carolina is a great team, and we’re going to have to be aggressive and dictate play as much as we can, and we have to take our chances when we get them and make them count.” The Irish and Tar Heels are set to square off at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Complex. Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu
nba | spurs 108, raptors 106
Spurs achieve season sweep of Raptors Associated Press
TORONTO — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points, Patty Mills added 18 off the bench and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Toronto Raptors 108-106 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory. Without Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, the Spurs completed a season sweep of the Raptors following a 110-82 home victory earlier this month. Kyle Lowry had 30 points and reserve Terrence Ross added 21 for the Raptors, who have lost four in a row for the first time since March 4-10, 2015. In a back-and-forth fourth quarter that saw eight lead changes — after just two in the preceding 36 minutes — the Spurs finally took control on a
floating jump shot from rookie Dejounte Murray with 1:29 to play. Ross shot an airball on a 3-pointer on the Raptors’ next possession, and after four consecutive scoreless possessions between the teams, Aldridge had a chance to establish a four-point lead with 11.3 seconds left on a pair of free throws, but he missed his second shot. Norman Powell cut the lead to one with a dunk with 6.2 seconds remaining, and after Aldridge split another pair of free throws with 5.1 seconds to go, Powell missed a 3-pointer as time expired. Without DeMar DeRozan, Lowry took charge offensively for the Raptors from the get-go, driving to the basket and scoring seven of his 11 first-quarter
points from the free throw line. But San Antonio shot 52.2 percent from the floor to take a 2925 edge after 12 minutes. Behind eight points from Aldridge, the Spurs padded their lead to 13 with 3:15 to go in the first half. However, 3-pointers from Lowry and Patrick Patterson — three of the 10 points he had in the second quarter — cut San Antonio’s advantage to 61-54 at halftime. Toronto came all the way back to tie the score at 72 on a jump shot from Cory Joseph with 3:02 to play in the third quarter, and took the lead for the first time in the game on a free throw from Ross. A 3-pointer from Davis Bertans and a layup from Joseph left the game tied at 79 going into the fourth quarter.
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The radio and a sundress Making my world all a mess Back corner of a cornfield Bottle tops and the truth spills Pull the lever, lay the seat back laughin’ You slippin’ off your shoes While the dashboard speakers sing every word of “Night Moves”
I wanna be that song that gets you high Makes you dance, makes you fall That melody rewinds years Once disappear, makes time stall Wanna be those words that fill you up Pull your windows down and keeps you young Makes you believe you’re right
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The observer | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Allen Continued from page 12
program history. She’s been vital to the Irish since her first day on campus, surpassing the 1,000-minute mark as a freshman with elite players such as Jewell Loyd and Kayla McBride alongside her. “It really all starts with her,” Irish head coach Muffet McGraw said of Allen on Jan. 18. “Lindsay, she came in smart. She came in as a freshman, knew exactly what to do in all situations, had that sense of urgency. “We haven’t had a lot of players that have had that really high basketball I.Q., so she’s trying to teach [her teammates] as well as we are, and it’s been a long journey.” At point guard, Allen is responsible for directing Notre Dame offenses that have been among the best in the country during her time here. In addition to holding Irish records for most assists by a freshman and most by a sophomore, she’s averaging a personalbest 7.3 assists per game this year, putting her on track to break the Notre Dame alltime career assist record of 778. Yet, Allen said even she had to grow into the position. “My freshman year, I just wanted to run the plays, fit in, listen to my teammates, listen to the seniors and Coach,” Allen said. “I wasn’t really comfortable talking about what I saw, because I just didn’t know that much yet.” But as she has racked up minutes on the f loor — and at practice and in the film room — Allen said she’s reached a point where it’s a “collaborative effort” with McGraw and associate head coach Niele Ivey to keep the team on track. “I feel much more comfortable as a senior leader going in and talking to [McGraw] about anything I see out there, and she feels comfortable coming to me with anything she sees and what she expects from the team this year,” Allen said. Those expectations were high. Notre Dame has won the ACC four years in a row and
Football Continued from page 12
for the seventh-most wins by an Irish quarterback. Rees ranks second in Notre Dame history in passing touchdowns, and third in passing yards. “I’m very excited to have Tom join our staff,” Brian Kelly said in a press release. “He possesses an understanding of the game, and most importantly the quarterback position, that’s unique. He’s a true student of the game and great communicator that will offer immediate dividends toward guiding our quarterback
was ranked No.1 nationally in the preseason. “On paper, this is probably the most talented team we’ve had in recent years,” Allen said. Instead, the Irish (18-3, 6-1 ACC) have struggled more than they’re used to, falling to No. 8 in the rankings and suffering a third loss in the regular season last week for the first time in years. Both McGraw and Allen attributed that to a lack of intensity among the less experienced players. “It’s hard to get the younger players to have the sense of urgency that I do because this is my last year, and so I want to have the best year I can,” Allen said. “It’s hard to get them to understand when we need to do things, how quick we need to do things and have that sense of urgency every game. “I’m trying to leave this year with a National Championship. It’s not their fault, because they have other years ahead of them, so it’s hard to have the sense of urgency that I do.” Nevertheless, Allen is eager to teach and do her part as the latest in the line of great Notre Dame guards: Loyd, McBride, Skylar Diggins, Megan Duffy, Alicia Ratay and so on. The latter three are the only other Irish players in history to have reached the 4,000-minute milestone. The candidates to take the torch from Allen when she graduates in May include freshman Jackie Young and sophomores Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey. The best piece of advice she has for young players? “I would just tell them, don’t be afraid to make a mistake,” Allen said. “I think early in your career, you’re kind of unsure of yourself — unsure of how you fit in the team, unsure of how you fit at the college level, unsure of a lot of things. I think if you’re gonna make a mistake, make sure it’s an aggressive mistake. Make sure you’re going hard.” On a personal level, though, Allen is focused on ending her
room. “As a former quarterback at Notre Dame, Tom also has a rare ability to truly relate with the quarterbacks on our roster. He’s literally sat in their seat, dealt with the ups and downs, faced the criticism, def lected the praise and all that comes with playing the position at Notre Dame. He can genuinely mentor them — not only on the football field, but in the classroom and the community as well.” Before joining Notre Dame’s staff, Rees served as an offensive assistant coach at Northwestern and with the San Diego Chargers.
ALLISON CULVER | The Observer
Irish senior guard Lindsay Allen fights a UConn defender for the ball during Notre Dame’s 72-61 loss to the Huskies on Dec. 7. Allen scored 11 points and picked up eight assists and five defensive rebounds in the game.
collegiate career on a high note. She has no problem admitting that this year’s team has not fulfilled its potential, but she also is optimistic about what lies ahead, especially coming off a 77-55 win over North Carolina that she described as Notre Dame’s smoothest game yet. “We haven’t felt a lot of times that we played our best, even though we’re winning and have a winning record,
tied for first in the ACC,” Allen said. “We want to be peaking at this point in the season, late January, starting to get to February. Coming out of that North Carolina game, I think we can use that momentum into the rest of the season.” And while a National Championship would certainly cement her alreadyhigh place in Irish basketball history, Allen said she hopes to leave behind something Paid Advertisement
less concrete, too. “I just want to leave a legacy as a hard worker, as a listener, as someone who’s passionate about the game, who cared about her teammates, who wants to win at any cost,” she said. “It doesn’t matter whether I’m playing 30 minutes or I’m playing five minutes. I just want to win.” Contact Renee Griffin at rgriffi6@nd.edu
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | The Observer
11
Swimming & Diving
Irish perform well in Louisville By BRENNA MOXLEY Sports Writer
KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer
Irish senior guard Steve Vasturia pivots around a Virginia defender during Notre Dame’s 71-54 loss to the Cavaliers on Tuesday at Purcell Pavilion. Vasturia scored 14 points and tallied five rebounds in the game.
M Bball Continued from page 12
attempts during that stretch, including going 1-for-6 from beyond the arc despite some open looks. Perrantes hit two shots w ith under five seconds left on the shot clock to spark Virginia’s offense, and the Cavaliers maintained the lead for most of the first half. With a little over six minutes remaining in the first half, both offenses kicked into gear. Irish junior forward Bonzie Colson completed a 3-point play to tie the game at 16. Perrantes came back at the other end of the f loor and nailed a 3 to put the Cavaliers back on top. Colton scored two consecutive baskets before Perrantes knocked dow n yet another 3-pointer, only to see Colson hit a jumper to tie the game at 22. Colson finished the half w ith 14 points, but Perrantes’ 10 points and a late lay up from junior guard Marial Shayok gave Virginia a 27-26 advantage going into the break. Vasturia added eight points as well, but other than Colson and Vasturia, the rest of the team scored just four points in the opening frame. “Bonzie was huge in the first half,” Vasturia said. “He obv iously helps this team
go and he’s a big part of our offense, and we need him to keep scoring and keep attacking the rest of the season.” The second half looked like it might get away from Notre Dame early. Three Irish turnovers gave Virginia three lay ups, but Brey’s squad punched back w ith six quick points from junior guard Matt Farrell. The Irish struggled to find a foothold, however, as they had trouble getting the ball into the paint against the aggressive Virginia defense. Without consistent driv ing lanes, the Irish were forced to the 3-point line, but they struggled to make shots. The Irish finished the game shooting 3-of-18 from behind the arc. “They’re always in position defensively,” Beachem said. “Especially when you tr y to drive, they’re always there — they know when to gap and when to get back.” Another facet that hurt the Irish was allow ing Virginia offensive rebounds. The Cavaliers picked up 10 offensive boards and outrebounded the Irish by a total of 38-22 on the glass. “I thought to tr y and help us offensively, we needed to go small,” Brey said. “And what happens is they took advantage of us on the backboard there. Some of our most encouraging offensive
spurts were when we dow nshifted, but the other side of that is the backboard. And they got — I think — 15 points on second chance shots, and there’s where you get burned on it.” As the clocked ticked under eight minutes to play, Notre Dame trailed by nine points, but four straight free-throws from Vasturia brought the Irish back w ithin five. But five clutch points from Cavalier freshman guard Ty Jerome extended Virginia’s lead back to eight. A lso key for the Cavaliers were freethrows: Virginia did not make it to the line in the first half, but shot 12-for-14 in the second period. On the other side, the Irish, normally stellar from the line, missed five foul shots in the second half alone. As the closing minutes of the game wound dow n, Notre Dame couldn’t find a surge and dropped its second ACC contest. Next up for Notre Dame is a road game against Georgia Tech on Saturday, and Brey said he believes the tough loss can help propel the team for ward. “I think it’s good; it gets your attention,” Brey said. “I think it sets you up for really being able to have a heck of a practice on Thursday.” Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
Notre Dame fell to Louisville on Friday when the women were narrowly topped, 160-140, and the men were defeated, 179-121. It would bounce back, however, with wins over IUPUI and Indiana State. The women’s team was able to come back and tie the score late in the meet following sophomore Sofia Revilak’s and freshman Erin Sheehan’s first- and second-place finishes, respectively, in the 100yard butterfly. The 10th-ranked Cardinals came back with high scores in diving and the top-three spots in the 200-yard individual medley in their home pool at Ralph Wright Natatorium. Notre Dame continued to push and stole the win in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:31.33. However, Louisville still pulled out the overall win on the women’s side, while the seventh-ranked Louisville men won easily against the Irish men. Irish head coach Mike Litzinger spoke highly of his team’s efforts in the loss. “There are a lot of emotions that go into these types of meets,” he said. “It was the first ACC dual meet that has really tested our team. One of the greatest things about that meet was that it was highly competitive. Both the men’s and the women’s teams were really up to the challenge and fought hard. We really got the meet down to the last couple of events and fought our way against one of the top teams — not only in the ACC, but in the country. We almost had it in our hands, but the points didn’t work out in our favor.”
The Irish had a successful Saturday in Indianapolis with the men besting IUPUI and the women defeating both IUPUI and Indiana State. On the day, the men swept five events and the women swept eight. Litzinger said Saturday’s meet in Indianapolis had a different feel from Friday, and he added that it was a refreshing day after the tough loss the night before. “Saturday’s competition was not the same level of intensity or emotion compared to Friday, but it was a good team win,” Litzinger said. “The competition gave us the opportunity to swim our secondary events, which is really good for us. We were able to spread our team responsibilities around a little bit. It didn’t all fall on the same five or six kids — it was more of a team opportunity for us.” Notre Dame hosts the Shamrock Invitational at Rolfs Aquatic Center this Friday and Saturday. It is the seniors’ last meet on campus. And heading into that meet and beyond, Litzinger said he thought this weekend revealed an important lesson to his team and showed positivity for future meets against difficult competitors. “We can hang with the very best teams in the ACC,” Litzinger said. “That is really crucial for us as we approach championship time, where we are going to see Louisville again as well as NC State and Virginia. To be able to go blow-for-blow with one of the best teams in the league really gives us a lot of confidence going into that championship weekend three weeks from now.” Contact Brenna Moxley at bmoxley@nd.edu
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The observer | wednesday, january 25, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com
Men’s Basketball | UVA 71, ND 54
ND struggles offensively in loss to Cavaliers By MAREK MAZUREK Sports Editor
Something had to give. No. 14 Notre Dame came into its matchup against the Cavaliers averaging 81 points per game, and No. 12 Virginia came in giv ing up just 53. On Tuesday evening, it was Notre Dame who gave, as the Irish (17-4, 6-2 ACC) lost to the Cavaliers (16-3, 6-2 ACC), 71-54. “We got our butts kicked,” Irish head coach Mike Brey said follow ing the loss. “They’ve not been a great matchup for us, and we take our hat off to them.” Cavaliers senior guard London Perrantes led all scorers w ith 22 points and went 5-of-8 from the 3-point line to help push the Cavaliers to a road v ictor y. “Perrantes is a good player,” Irish senior guard Steve Vasturia said. “He plays at a really good pace — he’s been doing it for four years for them. Nothing really bothers him. He’s a good player,
and he made the shots he needed to.” Meanwhile, the Irish offense suffered against the staunch Wahoo defense. The Irish shot just 42 percent from the f loor and picked up only nine assists in the game. Senior for ward V.J. Beachem, who tallied a career-high 30 points against Sy racuse on Saturday, went cold from the get-go and finished the night w ith a mere t wo points on 1-of-10 shooting. “It’s the opposite of Saturday,” Brey said. “We were going to have to make some stuff over the top. We made it Saturday, and we didn’t make enough of them and you’re going to have to make some shots over the top. “V.J. had some good looks; he just missed them.” The top-ranked Virginia defense lived up to its billing to start the game, as the Cavaliers took a 14-7 lead after nine minutes. The Irish shot just 3-for-11 in field goal see M BBALL PAGE 11
KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer
Irish sophomore guard Rex Pflueger dodges a defender and drives toward the basket during Notre Dame’s 71-54 loss to Virginia on Tuesday at Purcell Pavilion. Pflueger scored four points versus the Cavaliers.
nd women’s basketball
Football
Allen’s work ethic sets standard for Irish By RENEE GRIFFIN
Observer Sports Staff
Sports Writer
Four thousand minutes is a long time. It’s nearly three days. It’s 80 credits worth of college courses. It’s more than 133 episodes of your favorite half-hour sitcom. It’s also the total length of game time senior guard Lindsay Allen has been on the court in her Notre Dame career, assuming she plays at least 34 minutes over the two home games this week. Since she’s averaging 32.9 minutes per game this year, that seems to be a safe assumption. “I mean, it’s a lot of minutes,” Allen said with a laugh and a shrug. “I guess it just kind of signifies the trust Coach has in me and the confidence she has in me, wanting me to play that many minutes in my career. It’s a weird stat.” Allen — or L.A., as her teammates often call her — would be just the fourth player to reach 4,000 minutes in see ALLEN PAGE 10
McGovern to UVA, Rees returns Senior offensive lineman Colin McGovern told the South Bend Tribune on Tuesday he intends to transfer to Virginia for his final season of eligibility. McGovern started eight games for the Irish at right guard in 2016 and has seen the field in 21 contests during his time at Notre Dame. Because he is set to graduate in May, McGovern will not have to sit out a year when he transfers to Virginia. Former Irish defensive lineman John Montelus also transferred to Virginia earlier this offseason. The other four members of Notre Dame’s starting offensive line for most of the season — senior Mike McGlinchey and juniors Quenton Nelson, Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars — are all expected to return next season.
Rees hired as quarterbacks coach ALLISON CULVER | The Observer
Senior guard Lindsay Allen dribbles up the floor during Notre Dame’s 72-61 loss to UConn on Dec. 7 at Purcell Pavilion.
Notre Dame added a familiar face to its coaching staff Tuesday as Irish head coach
Brian Kelly brought back former Irish quarterback Tommy Rees to take over as quarterbacks coach. Rees played at Notre Dame from 2010 to 2013, and started in every game but one his sophomore season and all 13 games his senior season. He also helped the Irish get to the BCS national championship game in 2012 as a backup to Everett Golson during his junior season. “When I finished my playing career and graduated from Notre Dame, I wanted to do two things,” Rees said in a University press release. “First, I wanted to coach, and second, at some point in my career, I hoped to get an opportunity to return and do it at my alma mater. I didn’t know when or if this opportunity might present itself, but I’m so grateful and honored that it did. I’m ready to get things rolling with this great staff and group of student-athletes.” Rees’ career record as a starter is 23-8, which is good see FOOTBALL PAGE 10