Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, September 20, 2016 by The Observer

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VOLUME 51, ISSUE 22 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Students attend annual safety summit Local law enforcement panel weighs in on issues that affect students on and off campus By ANDREA VALE News Writer

The annual student safety summit took place Monday night in the LaFortune ballroom. During the summit, members of the Notre Dame Security Police (NDSP) and other nearby police forces formed a panel with the goal of teaching students how to be safer on campus and how to maintain a good relationship with nearby police officers and neighbors. Student body president Corey Robinson and Off-Campus Council president Michelle Lacouture opened the summit by introducing the panel. “I hope we take this time to learn how we can be better members of the South Bend community,” Lacouture said. Assistant police chief for the uniform division of the

Mishawaka Police Department Jason Stefaniak said the police department and the student body are partners. “We are your friends, we are your partners, we are here to serve you,” he said. “Just be patient with us, I know you watch the news and don’t always get the most positive image of us. … We’re on your side — be on our side.” St. Joseph County sheriff Michael Grzegorek said his goal is not to ruin the college experience, but to enhance it. NDSP chief Keri Kei Shibata said students should always have a plan, even though Notre Dame’s campus is particularly safe and physical harm is uncommon. “You all have such a big role to look out for each other, whether

PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer

see SAFETY PAGE 4

Notre Dame Security Police officers, joined by local police officers, offered advice to students Monday night at LaFortune Student Center. The officers discussed many topics, including active shooter situations.

SMC to host comedy troupe By SYDNEY DOYLE News Writer

Saint Mary’s will host the Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC) for a performance of “The Complete History of America (Abridged)” in O’Laughlin Auditorium on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Richard Baxter, director of campus and community events, said the show is a funny, abridged look at American

history, written and performed by the company, but more than anything, it is a comedy show. “It’s a nonacademic, irreverent, silly play about the topic.” Baxter said. “They’re just very bright skilled, creative performers.” Baxter said this is the perfect show to bring to campus at this time because it is a great way to help the Saint Mary’s community forget about all the stressful things going on in their lives

— like the 2016 presidential election. “It is a 75-minute piece that will help everyone check out of election season mode,” Baxter said. “I need something that helps me get away from that and engages my mind a little bit, but mostly engages my sense of humor.” The show does not rely on flashy pyrotechnics, music or see COMEDY PAGE 4

Notre Dame places 15th in national ranking In this year’s U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges Rankings released last week, Notre Dame jumped from No. 18 to No. 15 in the national universities category, landing at a tie with Cornell University, Rice University and Vanderbilt University. The rankings are assigned based upon quantitative measures

— such as graduation rates, student selectivity and test performance — and is based on U.S. News’ “view of what matters in education,” according to its website. Notre Dame reported an undergraduate enrollment of 8,462 and a 20 percent acceptance rate in 2015, according to the rankings. It scored an 85 on the system’s 100-point scale. The University was ranked

against other national universities that offer a full range of undergraduate degrees, master’s programs, doctoral programs and faculty research. Princeton University topped the list and was followed by Harvard University and the University of Chicago. Saint Mary’s received a ranking of No. 95 on U.S. News & World report’s Best National Liberal Arts Colleges list.

NEWS PAGE 3

SCENE PAGE 5

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

Observer Staff Report

Health director discusses common cold By EMILY McCONVILLE Associate News Editor

For University Health Services, outbreaks of the common cold — like the one happening now — are like clockwork. “We can tell when the common cold season hits,” University Health Services (UHS) director Sharon McMullen said. “Our medical director walked by me … and said, yep, we know it’s the middle of September, because students are getting sick.” While UHS does not have a definite number of students visiting Saint Liam Hall with colds, McMullen said UHS has seen an uptick in students coming in over the past couple of weeks with coughs and runny noses. Upper respiratory viruses are one of the main reasons students go to the doctor at this point in the year, she said.

ND CROSS COUNTRY PAGE 12

The culprit is proximity, “the biggest factor for cold transmission on any college campus,” McMullen said. Thousands of students descending on campus gives the several strains of rhinovirus — the primary cause of the common cold — the perfect opportunity to move from host to host. That proximity is compounded by other factors that lower the immune system’s ability to fight off the cold, like a student’s sleep schedule. “Everyone’s been in school for a month,” McMullen said. “They’re starting to get sleep deprived.” McMullen said the best preventative methods are those students may have heard growing up — and make for better health overall — such as sleeping and eating well, getting exercise and enjoying time with friends. see COLD PAGE 4

FOOTBALL PAGE 12

TODAY

THE OBSERVER | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

QUESTION OF THE DAY: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

What is your favorite dining hall specialty dinner?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Margaret Hynds Managing Editor Business Manager Kayla Mullen Emily Reckmeyer

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junir Breen-Phillips Hall

junior Dunne Hall

“Pasta stir-fry.”

“Burger bar.”

Julia Szromba

Tim Sherman

junior Breen-Phillips Hall

junior St. Edwards Hall

“Risotto bar.”

“Chicken popper bowl.”

Rebecca Wiley

Tommy Yemc

junior Cavanaugh Hall

junior St. Edwards Hall

“Chicken popper bowl.”

“Carl’s chicken and mac and cheese.”

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MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Members of the Notre Dame Irish Guard stand at attention during Notre Dame’s 36-28 loss to Michigan State on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish are now 1-2 on the season and are set to take on Duke this Saturday at home.

THE NEXT FIVE DAYS:

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

President’s Address to the Faculty DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Reception to follow.

Christ For The Curious Coleman-Morse Center 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. A three-week series.

Conference: “Fifteen Years After the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks” Law School 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Reception to follow.

Men’s Soccer vs. Syracuse Alumni Stadium 7 p.m. The Irish take on the Orange.

ND Band Step-Off from the Dome Main Building 2:45 p.m. The band starts its trek to the stadium.

Undergraduate Workshop Brownson Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. “Writing a Strong Grant Proposal.”

Roy Scranton Reading Reckers 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Reading an excerpt from “War Porn.”

Panel: “Is Christianity Bad for Women?” McKenna Hall 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Discussion on gender roles in the Church.

Student Stand-Ups Lab Theatre, Washington Hall 8:30 p.m. Free student comedy show.

Football vs. Duke Notre Dame Stadium 3:30 p.m. The Irish take on the Blue Devils at the third home game of the year.

NEWS

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | THE OBSERVER

Walsh community embraces life in Pangborn By LUCY JACKOBOICE News Writer

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Juniors Emily Nour and Kari Bellville do homework in their “six-chick” in Pangborn Hall. The women of Walsh Hall found out last spring they would temporarily be located in Pangborn for this school year. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

This year, Walsh Hall’s residents are exploring a new side of campus as their home on God Quad undergoes renovations, including repairs to the heating system, plumbing system and chipped paint. For the next eight months, the “Wild Women of Walsh” are be living in Pangborn Hall, located on South Quad. “I think it’s very different than living in Walsh, but I think we’re making the best of it,” hall president junior Aly Sonnen said. “It’s all been a lot better than we expected it to be. There are cool things that come with living in a different dorm, like you get to see a different side of campus.” The transition into a new building, however, did not come without its challenges, Sonnen said.

“I think everyone was pretty bummed about the whole move,” she said. “All the upperclassmen were coming in with a very different attitude than they normally would come in with. So we’ve had to work on making everyone really excited about the year again.” One aspect of Walsh that many residents miss most is its central location. “It’s just farther than Walsh was from everything,” junior Maryanne Fisher said. Sonnen said she misses the view from Walsh. “God Quad on game days is so beautiful and fun,” Sonnen said.“I used to always wake up to the band on game days and not having that is sad.” Sonnen also said she misses the layout of Walsh. “Walsh — the building itself — really was good at fostering community because it’s all just, like, one long hallway and all of our common space is in the basement, so you have to run into people,” she said. “That’s kind of been a challenge in Pangborn. It’s set up really differently so you don’t run into people as much.” Despite the change in location and layout, the women of Walsh have continued to carry on their spirit of “Walsh Love” in their new home, according to Sonnen. “Our rector always says, ‘Safety, inclusion and community’ all the time,” Sonnen said. “Those are like her buzzwords that we have to continue. We are going to try to grow rather than resist the change.” For the freshmen who are a part of the Walsh community living in Pangborn, Sonnen said she expects they will be pleasantly surprised upon moving into Walsh next year. “The freshmen have been doing really well,” she said. “They don’t know anything different so they’ll just be really excited next year. Junior Emily Schoenbauer thinks the women of Walsh have done a good job of carrying on the spirit of the dorm in their new home. “With this new space we had to say, ‘So what actually is Walsh?’ and I think that our rector has just been so awesome in helping us realize what that is,” Schoenbauer said. Sonnen said the spirit of Walsh has remained strong despite the temporary location. “We talk about ‘Walsh Love’ all the time,” she said. “It’s just like you go out of your way to do nice things for people in Walsh because you’re a community and you’re there for each other. And you should always be building each other up. “Walsh is our home and we love it, but it’s more about the people than the place. That’s what we’re saying this year.” Contact Lucy Jackobice at ljackobo@nd.edu

NEWS

THE OBSERVER | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Cold

Safety

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“They can also try to avoid infection; that’s done most effectively by hand-washing,” she said. “I know it sounds simplistic, but it’s the truth. Hand-washing is the single most effective way to prevent infection.” If you do get a cold — which happens to the average person two or three times a year and more often for college students — you’re generally stuck with it for seven to 10 days. The side effects of over-the-counter cold medicines can be as bad as or worse than the cold itself, McMullen said. She said those with colds should get rest, drink fluids and try to prevent the virus’s advance by covering their cough. McMullen said students should see a doctor if symptoms don’t go away, if they are particularly severe or unusual or if they have a fever higher than 100.4 degrees for more than three days. She said they should also watch out for the flu, characterized by longer-lasting and more severe symptoms. “If in the morning you feel normal and by dinnertime you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck, that’s the flu,” she said. McMullen said free flu vaccines will become available next week. In the meantime, “wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands,” she said.

it’s going out for the evening or going on a trip together,” she said. “Have a plan, have a backup plan and stick to that plan.” Stefaniak said the most frequent crime on campus is theft, and it often occurs due to personal property being left unattended in public spaces, as well as dorm room doors being left unlocked. Grzegorek said said students should not be worried if police arrive at an off-campus party. “[The first response will be] just to tell you to turn the music down,” he said. “The only way that’s going to get worse is if you can’t take care of it.

“Make sure it’s someone that’s 21 and relatively sober that comes [to open the door], who can talk reasonably with us and say, ‘We’ll take care of the problem.’” Lt. Tim Williams of the Mishawaka Police Department said a student’s conduct when being pulled over for a traffic violation is also important. “With everything that’s been happening in the news, everyone’s afraid of getting pulled over by a police officer,” he said, “We’re pulling you over for a reason. … That’s not the time for you to argue that you weren’t doing anything wrong.” Williams said all police cars have dashboard cameras to record traffic stops. “If you think you were

wronged, don’t argue it with the police officer,” he said. “ ... Whatever you say is going to be recorded. It’s there for your protection, but it’s for our protection too. … If you’re respectful of the officer, we’ll let you go with a warning.” Stefaniak said the number of officers involved in any particular traffic stop is not necessarily indicative of the seriousness of the violation. “If there are three cars there it isn’t because of who you are or what you did,” he said. “It’s because two more officers are doing his job or her job.” In case of an active shooter on campus, Shibata said she would communicate as much as possible via ND Alert, making sure students know where

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Comedy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

any big production elements, according to Baxter. “What it really relies on is that you just come in and enjoy the show and that’s what they are very good at doing.” Baxter said. “They brought back comic theater though vaudeville and clowning.” Baxter said the production wants the audience to have a great time at their shows and is what makes attending the plays of the RSC so enjoyable. Baxter said he was happy to bring in the RSC, as well as other performing guest artists throughout the year. “Through an endowed performance arts series, we can give students an opportunity in their four years at Saint Mary’s to see a variety of performing arts,” he said. Baxter said it is beneficial for the students and for other members the Saint Mary’s community to have a way to forget about their stresses and to be exposed to the talent and humor which the RSC is sure to bring. Tickets can be purchased at the O’Laughlin box office, and are $14 for students at Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame and Holy Cross or $20 for regular admissions. Contact Sydney Doyle at sydoyle01@saintmarys.edu

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to go. “The best thing you can do is first figure out where the problem is and get away from it, if you possibly can,” Shibata said. “If the violence is between you and your only exit, close the door, lock the door, be ready to throw chairs.” Shibata said students should not carry weapons — such as tasers — when walking home late at night because people who would commit crimes would likely take the weapon from the victim and use it against him or her. “Use your personal weapons,” Shibata said. “Your hands, your brains, your voice.” Contact Andrea Vale at avale@nd.edu

THE OBSERVER | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer

6 INSIDE COLUMN

Thoughts from the career fair Colleen Zewe News Writer

It’s only 7:30 p.m., but I’m exhausted. I’m sitting on the floor in my room, my aching feet propped up on a pillow. My throats hurts. My armpits smell sweaty. Brochures lie scattered around me, and I have no clue how to organize them. Yup, I just got back from the Career Expo. The weeks before the fair felt crazy — my friends and I never stopped discussing the fair. What are you wearing, what companies are you talking to, are you prepared, what’s your resume look like? Everyone, including me, was unbelievably nervous, and understandably so. Companies with incredible opportunities gather in one place, and the competition is on. Thousands of students turn up. Everyone there flaunts resumes full of valuable experiences. The thought of needing to stand out is intimidating, and it’s nerve-wracking to make an amazing impression all with a 30-second speech about yourself. Now that I’ve gotten through my first career fair, my head is spinning. My experience left me with a lot of thoughts (and a headache). First of all, I don’t envy the recruiters. Their job sounds exhausting. Travelling from college to college keeps them away from their loved ones. They have to shake hands with hundreds of college students — ew. And I can only imagine they lose their voice daily and have sore facial muscles from constantly introducing themselves with fake enthusiasm. I definitely put too much pressure on my elevator pitch than I should. Recruiters hear thousands of introductions each week. Unless you’ve cured cancer or published a novel, there’s nothing to say to stand out in their memory without erring on the side of unprofessional. And all those hours I spent perfecting my resume? Employers receive thousands of resumes. They all probably end up filed in a corporate dungeon. Honestly, I think the follow-up and the experience of marketing yourself is what makes career fairs worth it. A career fair also gives you the chance to practice eloquently, succinctly and confidently speaking about yourself. If you stumble on your words at a career fair, fine, no big deal. They’re on to the next student, and you’re on to the next employer. But what about when it’s a personal interview, and it’s just you? After practicing in a stressful yet professional environment, the real interview feels much less nerve-wracking. I’m glad I went to the career expo. Did I get a job offer or my dream internship? Heck no. But I’ve practiced talking about myself, perfected my handshake, and learned how to carry myself in a hectic environment. Now that I’ve got this experience under my belt, I’m ready to take on the corporate world — after I’ve iced my blistered feet for a few hours, that is. Contact Colleen Zewe at czewe01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

THE OBSERVER | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

An alternative Republican view of the election I recently read a letter to the editor by Dylan Stevenson, the vice president of the College Republicans, titled “A Republican’s right of reply”, and I’d like to offer an alternative view on the 2016 election beyond blind partisanship. Before I get lumped in with the average College Democrat, let me make clear that I am by no means “with her.” For credibility, I was the chairman of the short-lived “Students for Rubio” organization on campus, and I was a dues-paying member of the College Republicans my freshman year. I fell away from the club because I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the personalities that headed the group, but they did a lot to campaign for local candidates and spread awareness, and I respected the group enough for that. Moreover, we agree on at least one thing: A Clinton presidency would be something like an alcohol enema: unwanted, uncomfortable, invasive and, no matter what that obnoxious down-the-hall says, quite certainly bad for you. Now, Mr. Stevenson would have you look at that and say, “Yeah, no thanks to the enema, Trump it is!” While that seems great from a not-injecting-fluids-into-whereyou-don’t-want-them-to-be perspective, what you don’t realize in that moment is that you’re rejecting an alcohol enema in favor of what turns out to be a battery acid enema. Whoops! Mr. Stevenson justifies this inglorious burning of your backside with some pretty shallow, classic-Republican talking points (I know, I’m a republican, I’ve used these too). Aside from failing to convincingly argue the merit of Trump’s positions, he amusingly chooses many positions on which Mr. Trump has shamelessly flip-flopped after planting his flag even with (or even farther left than) former Secretary Clinton. On gun control, Trump supported an assault weapons ban until he started positioning himself for 2016, and when he does talk about the Second Amendment, he reveals himself as totally out of touch with the issue, like back in August when he suggested that the Second Amendment supporters should stage an armed rebellion against a Clinton presidency (he was just “joking” of course, because we collectively judge Trump on the standards of a petulant toddler). He has no idea why people believe in a strict interpretation of the right to bear arms, because deep down he’s just like Hillary (to whom he made multiple campaign donations) and thinks every conservative is a gun-nut lunatic unworthy of his New York sensibilities. On trade, Donald Trump has lifted a giant middle finger to the conservative traditions of capitalism and free enterprise by suggesting ignorant policies only Bernie Sanders would agree with, and, absent of all sense, former die-hard free traders like Mike Pence are falling in line behind the leftist lunacy. On taxes, Mr. Trump has

already admitted he didn’t believe in the first tax plan he put out, and while he put out another one just this week, there’s little reason to believe he has any more fidelity to the newer version. This is the same guy who, while attempting to gain the presidential nomination of the Reform Party, once proposed a one-time 14 percent tax on the net-worth wealthy. But sure, he’s definitely going to take small government seriously. On most policies, Donald Trump is a big, orange, bloated mess, and to take the word of an obvious partisan that he’ll follow any sort of conservative orthodoxy is, at best, naive, and at worst, insane. The letter ends with the honest admission that Mr. Trump is a jackass, and on this, I come in solid agreement. However, it’s a Yuuuge mistake to just glide past that fact. Character matters, especially for the leader of the free world. The orange-crusted mouth breather that heads our party has insulted minorities, the disabled, women, has cheated people through his sham of a university, has advocated for war crimes, praised dictators, suggested 9/11 was an inside job and so. Much. More. People like Mr. Stevenson want you to believe this election is a binary choice between being eaten by a shark or a velociraptor, but we should definitely choose the velociraptor because hey, “He’s on our team!” Wrong. I defy anyone to tell me that it’s my responsibility to support that incompetent liberal or that lunatic con man. The indisputable fact is that you owe your vote to no one. If you vote for a third-party candidate, you will not be voting for the person that will be the next president. So what? You’ll be a part of the more than one-third of 18–24-year-olds (based off recent polling) who are too smart for this b------- election and won’t have either candidate. Vote Johnson. Vote McMullin. Write in your cat. Regardless, if you don’t believe that our country needs either a failed secretary of state or a pudgy ignoramus, then make your stand. Declare your opposition. Be heard. Nothing will come of your acquiescence to blind partisanship, because either major-party candidate will be an absolutely garbage president. The parenthetical “R” that Trump has adopted behind his name does nothing to excuse his vileness, stupidity and gross intellectual unpreparedness for office. So rise above it, let the head of state be someone we can freely oppose, and let the world know that our generation does not endorse lies, does not endorse hate and will not tolerate a party system that peddles either.

Join the conversation. Submit a Letter to the Editor. Email viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

Nicholas Jeffers senior Sept. 19

THE OBSERVER | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Physics, philosophy and the space in between Sarah Cate Baker Science is Golden

On an average night at Notre Dame I can usually see about 30 stars, 50 if I manage to squint through the light pollution. Last Tuesday, scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) released a data set from a spacecraft that found 1.1 billion of them. It was the first set of data to come out of the Gaia mission, an ambitious project that aims to pinpoint the location of over a billion Milky Way stars. In a nutshell, Gaia is a 5,000-pound spacecraft with two telescopes on board, all of which rotates slowly as it orbits the Earth about a million miles above us. As they spin, the telescopes take sweeping images of our sky, recording the position and brightness of every star they see. Over its five-year mission Gaia will survey each star about 70 times, allowing scientists on earth to track celestial movements. The spacecraft is capable of incredible accuracy, and can identify light that is 400,000 times fainter than can be seen with the naked eye — which explains why where I see 50 stars, Gaia sees 50,000. Just like sunlight is fractured into a rainbow by water droplets, stellar light captured by the Gaia telescopes is fractured into a color spectrum. From this spectrum scientists can determine the chemical composition of the star, and from there estimate its age. Together, this data creates a so-called age map of the galaxy, allowing researchers to trace back the history of the Milky Way and ultimately get at the fundamental questions behind the Gaia mission: Why does our galaxy look the way it does, and how did it form in the first place? Of course, humans have been asking the

how-did-we-get-here type of questions for centuries. Who here has never looked up at the night sky and wondered about our place in the cosmos? Thinking about how our little marble of a planet got itself lodged in this particular corner of the Milky Way is, for most of us, a more philosophical line of questioning than one in search of a hard and fast answer. But the scientists behind programs like Gaia are looking for a hard answer, and it’s quite likely that they’ll get it. And when questions that used to be purely rhetorical suddenly have quantitative answers, what does that mean for philosophical thought? Philosophy and science haven’t always gotten along, and the last decade has seen that divide deepen. Physicists in particular seem to draw the ire of their fellow silent-lettered department, and many famous physicists have disparaged philosophy as more or less obsolete (or in the stronger words of Stephan Hawking, “dead”). But it was Neil deGrasse Tyson, the famous astrophysicist and science educator, who surprised me the most. In 2014, he gave an interview in which he called philosophy and philosophical questions “useless” and “distracting,” and received an amount of welldeserved backlash. I was surprised because Tyson is also the speaker of one of my absolute favorite quotes: “We are all connected. To each other, biologically; to the Earth, chemically; and to the rest of the universe, atomically.” To me, that sounds like a musing on the fabric of our world. And while science can now provide an answer to what that fabric is, it was philosophy that first posed the question, and Tyson’s comments on that answer wax philosophical themselves. If you ask whether or not all matter is made up of the exact

same building blocks (that is, atoms), science can definitively answer yes. If you ask whether or not that means that I have an inherent connection to all other matter — well, first you have to define the word “connection,” and then probably apply some heuristics, and suddenly the conversation starts to shy a little closer to philosophy than quantum physics. Perhaps Tyson is more a philosopher than he cares to admit. As a scientist-in-training, I can say with certainty that the more I learn about how the world works, the more questions I have about it. Sifting through the Gaia data only makes me think more about humanity’s place in the cosmos, and since science can’t yet fully answer those questions, I have no choice but to wax philosophical myself. In doing so, another round of questions is raised that science can attempt to answer, until it hits a wall and we again turn back to philosophy, and so on and so forth. A basic understanding of how our galaxy formed will only open the floodgates to a whole new set of questions for science to answer, and it will be the philosophers, amateur or otherwise, who ask them. To quote another famous physicist — that, is Albert Einstein — “The independence created by philosophical insight is — in my opinion — the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth.” Sarah Cate Baker is in her third year at ND, double majoring in biology and English. When she’s not in the lab pouring over viruses under a microscope, you can usually find her shooting caffeine in the Hesburgh basement, while she desperately tries to write papers and make deadlines. If you would like to question her sanity or her science, feel free to email her at sbaker6@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

On policy, Clinton crushes Trump Neil Joseph Moderately Opinionated

For the last year, commentators, TV personalities and seemingly every person in America (including me) has written about the danger that Donald Trump presents. Whether it’s the things he says, the hatred he taps into, or the way he treats his peers, he’s been criticized in so many different ways. Personally, these things are disqualifying enough for me to vote against him. But for some, that isn’t enough. And that’s understandable — his whole life has been a publicity stunt so maybe, just maybe, the persona he puts across is all a show. Even if so, his policies are just as dangerous for our country and are just as disqualifying for him as a presidential candidate. To be clear, Trump’s policies are disqualifying on their face and are also just inferior to Hillary Clinton’s. I agree with many of Clinton’s policies, and I disagree with others. But on the whole, her policies are far better than Trump’s. Take, for example, Trump’s pet issue: immigration. Everyone knows that he plans to build the wall and have Mexico pay for it, yet no one really thinks that Mexico will pay for it (hopefully). Trump himself says the wall would cost about $10 billion (Bernstein Research reports that the cost of the wall is “widely expected to be greater than $15 billion and perhaps as much as $25 billion”). With an exploding deficit, a school system that doesn’t do our country justice

and failing entitlement programs, Trump wants to spend billions of dollars on an ineffective solution to a real problem our country faces. Hillary, meanwhile, is seeking comprehension immigration reform and opposes mass deportation (unlike Trump). She seeks a humane, tangible solution to the real immigration policy that we face in our country. On other issues, Trump’s ideas take us down the clear wrong path. The (conservative-leaning) Tax Foundation estimates that his tax plan would reduce tax revenues by about $10.14 trillion dollars over the next decade. He has proposed no way of making up for this tax revenue by cutting spending, adding this to the national debt, which is a problem the Republican party itself calls “a burden on our economy and families”. Granted, Hillary Clinton doesn’t have any real policies to reduce the debt. She does propose large government projects such as debt-free college, but she has actually planned out how she plans to pay for it (through higher taxes on the rich). Yes, Hillary’s policy on the debt isn’t great, and I disagree with her idea of higher corporate taxes. But Trump’s ideas are poorly thought out, harmful to our nation’s health and take us backwards. Trump also has proposals that are downright dangerous. He embraces Vladamir Putin’s leadership, a man who murders his opponents and invades other countries. He has expressed a desire to leave NATO, an organization that a large majority of experts maintain keeps our world safe. He wants to dismantle trade policies such as NAFTA and TPP, starting a trade

war with China and Mexico. By doing this, he would plunge the economy into a recession and cost the country about 7 million jobs. And he wants to repeal Obamacare completely, which would leave about 24 million people without health insurance. Yes, you may dislike Hillary Clinton. You may think she’s dishonest, and you may disagree with her bigger government, higher taxes and more interventionist policies. But compared to Trump? She’s a safer option for our country. It’s understandable to disagree with policy specifics. I do. I don’t like her corporate tax policy, her promise of totally debt-free education and her pro-choice ideals. But no one is ever going to agree with any politician (unless you run for office). And Donald Trump is too dangerous. I don’t disagree with his policy specifics; I disagree with everything. Because what he proposes is dangerous. It’s radical and it’s un-American, and it threatens everything we stand for. If we take him at his word, by what he’s proposed, it’s nonsense. His policies have the potential to destroy our country; for that reason alone, Clinton crushes him on policy. Neil Joseph is a senior from Columbus, Ohio, majoring in political science and economics. He hopes that you don’t use these articles against him when he’s running for School Board one day. He welcomes all compliments at njoseph2@nd.edu and sometimes responds to those who criticize him. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

DAILY

THE OBSERVER | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ

HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday:Let your intuition guide you where money, health and legal issues are concerned. Staying on top of your responsibilities will free up your time, allowing you to explore some of the alterations you want to incorporate into your life. Take the initiative and do your best to upgrade your standard of living. Your numbers are 2, 10, 17, 24, 31, 33, 42. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Change can be good if brought about the right way and for the right reasons. Work alongside the person your choices will affect the most. A short trip will turn into a worthwhile experience. Romance is encouraged. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Say what’s on your mind and you’ll feel at ease moving forward. It’s up to you to make the moves that will position you for success. Don’t wait for someone else to go first. Do your best to be a good leader. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): An offer will not be as good as you think. Consider how you can move forward on your own. A change in the way you appear to others will benefit you professionally. Strive for perfection. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Don’t follow the crowd. Someone will use emotional manipulation to talk you into making a donation or trying a new product that promises the impossible. Stick close to home and pay attention to the people you trust. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): A change in the way you do things at home or at work will make a difference to the way others view you. A romantic gesture will bring you closer to someone special. Make an effort to get physically fit. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Focus on what’s important to you. Use your persuasive charm to get others to see things your way. Learn from past experiences. Don’t argue when reason and diplomacy will give you the edge you need to make things happen. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Participate and learn as you go. Opportunities are apparent if you are willing to make physical changes to the way you live. An important relationship will be rejuvenated if you participate in couples’ events and activities. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Trust your judgment when it comes to helping others. Your dedicated sense of justice will help you remain centered and in control of whatever you take on. Your creative imagination will lead to positive solutions. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Just when you think you have everything under control, something will change and you’ll have to start all over again. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Do your own fact-finding. Someone will aim to confuse you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep your life simple and your dealings with others precise and to the point. Focus on your personal finances and emotional well-being. Home improvements will add to your comfort and ease your stress. Avoid unpredictable people. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t let your emotions sway you. Stick to the practical solutions that will encourage you to make positive changes within your budget. You can gain ground if you work relentlessly toward the goals you set. Personal improvements are encouraged. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Emotional blackmail will leave you bewildered. Ask questions before you give in to pressure. Someone may not have your best interests at heart. Protect against being taken advantage of, and take care of your own needs first. Birthday Baby: You are playful, entertaining and insightful. You are practical and competitive. Don’t worry what others say about you and stick to your emotions.

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Rams deserve relocation karma Daniel O’Boyle Sports Writer

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams did what the St. Louis Rams before them made a habit of doing: playing their best games against the Seahawks. It’s the third straight game and the fourth in five where the Rams have won the matchup, despite being the underdog each time. For the first game in their new home, it provides some hope for the newly-relocated franchise. Hope that’s definitely needed after an awful 28-0 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. I have no time for franchises that move to a new city. The residents of St. Louis have had their pro football team taken away from them by Stan Kroenke, and fans have to choose whether to follow the new Rams, choose a new team or give up allegiance to any NFL franchise. The Rams have, of course, been in LA before. For much longer than they had been in St. Louis, in fact, but relocating a team was more common in the last century. It was something that I had hoped the NFL was finished with, but apparently not, and as long as the threat remains real, owners will hold taxpayers hostage over stadium bills. So naturally, I wanted to see the Rams crash and burn. I hoped that maybe there were sports gods who would deliver relocation karma upon the Kroenke and the city of Los Angeles. A victory in the home opener over one of the most consistently strong teams of recent years in the Seahawks wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for. But maybe relocation karma just works in mysterious ways. It’s hard to talk about highprofile team relocations without mentioning the Seattle Supersonics. The Sonics were sold by Howard Schultz and left Seattle for Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t exactly crash and burn right away, but eight years on, the Thunder’s punishment

has been delivered in a much more slow-burning fashion. First, raise the team’s hopes. Draft a few stars that make it seem like the team is destined for a championship in the future. Picking Kevin Durant for the Supersonics, Russell Westbrook the summer of the move and James Harden for the Thunder is the perfect way to do that. It even resulted in a finals appearance. Raise hopes and make everyone expect a championship, but never quite deliver. That means losing one of those three to a trade and watching him become a top-10 player in the league carrying a team by himself. Never deliver in the playoffs. Get cursed by Lil B if at all possible, and then finally blow a 3-1 lead to the 73-win Warriors, before watching your biggest star of all go and join that team for what looks like a guaranteed championship. If the Thunder do win a championship now with Westbrook, Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams, at least their fans will have known what it’s like to lose it all. So what about the Rams? The same plan could work, with young stars Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley forming part of the core that eventually disintegrates, but it would be boring to punish every team the same. What the Los Angeles Rams deserve is exactly what the St. Louis have had for years: mildly disappointing seasons with marquee wins over the Seahawks, landing somewhere outside the playoffs but away from the top draft picks. Just good enough to seem like they’re one piece away, every single year. Just enough for Jeff Fisher to continue to keep his job. Going 0-16 and replacing the staff with more competent options is just too quick and painless for the Los Angeles Rams: Give them perpetual 7-9. Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Belles prepare for first match of new season By BRENNA MOXLEY and DANIEL O’BOYLE Sports Writers

Tennis On Thursday Saint Mary’s faces Grace in Winona Lake, Indiana, for their first match of the season. While the Belles have not yet seen action in 2016, the Lancers already boast an overall record of 5-2, with three of their victories coming by 9-0 sweeps. The Belles ended last season’s ranking fourth out of the nine teams in the MIAA conference. They will have a brief fall season of three matches and their spring calendar will extend from February until May. This matchup will include six singles matches and three doubles matches. Junior Kelsey Kopf said this Thursday provides the first real opportunity to see how the team will play as a unit. “We’re all really excited for this first match and getting a chance to see how our team comes together as a whole,” Kopf said. “Even though our main season is in the spring, the fall season is a great time to see the potential of our team.”

The Belles are competing against a solid Lancers team, but they are confident in their abilities to start this fall season off strong, Kopf said. “We have a lot of good players this year, including freshmen,” Kopf continued. “We’re eager for a good turnout for our first match.” Saint Mary’s begins play Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at Grace College.

Volleyball Saint Mary’s recorded two wins this weekend, sweeping both Rockford and Illinois Tech on Saturday at Illinois Tech. In the first set against Rockford, the Belles (4-6, 1-2 MIAA) got off to a slow start, trailing 5-0, but soon took an 1813 lead, before the Regents (0-8, 0-2 NAC) came back to tie the score. The Belles came out on top in the end, though, winning 25-22. Saint Mary’s cruised through the second set, taking a 5-2 lead early on and continuing to extend it, eventually winning 2513. The third set was similarly comfortable for the Belles, who won 11 of the first 12 points on

their way to a 25-10 victory, with the winning kill coming from senior left side hitter Mckenzie Todd. Senior right side hitter Alexis Grady had 16 assists and 9 kills, while Todd also had 9 kills. Much like their first match, the Belles found themselves tied at 18-18 in the first set with the Scarlet Hawks (5-6), but again held on at the end for a 25-22 victory. The Belles trailed 14-1 in the second set, but took 10 of the next 13 points on their way to a 25-19 win. Midway through the third set, the Belles again pulled away, extending a 14-12 lead to 24-15, and won the set 25-18. In the match versus the Scarlet Hawks, junior middle hitter Leah Buck tied a school record with eight block assists, while senior middle hitter Colleen Kilgallon recorded 12 kills. The Belles will meet Alma on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at Saint Mary’s to back into conference play. Conact Daniel O’Boyle and Brenna Moxley at doboyle1@nd.edu and bmoxley@nd.edu

MLB | RED SOX 5, ORIOLES 2

Red Sox top Orioles to close gap in Wild Card race Associated Press

BALTIMORE — Rick Porcello pitched a four-hitter for his major league-high 21st victory, David Ortiz and Mookie Betts hit tworun homers and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Monday night to pad their lead in the AL East. Coming off a four-game sweep of the Yankees, Boston sustained its late-season surge in the opener of an important four-game series for both clubs. The Red Sox stand atop the division by a seasonhigh four games. Adam Jones homered and Mark Trumbo picked up his 102nd RBI for the

second-place Orioles, who started the day with a onegame lead over Toronto for the top AL wild card. Porcello (21-4) struck out seven and walked none in his third complete game of the year. Five days earlier against Baltimore, the right-hander gave up one run in eight innings but took the loss. Porcello has allowed three runs or fewer in 11 straight starts and is sure to receive strong consideration for the AL Cy Young Award after going 9-15 last year. Playing his final regularseason series in Baltimore, the 40-year-old Ortiz connected against rookie Dylan Bundy (9-6) with a man on in the fifth for a 5-1 lead. It was

his 35th home run of the season and the 53rd of his career against the Orioles. Betts put Boston up 2-0 with his 31st homer in the third. It was his eighth home run in seven games at Camden Yards — most in a season by a Red Sox in a visiting ballpark since Jimmie Foxx hit eight in St. Louis in 1939. Porcello retired the first 11 batters before hitting Manny Machado with a pitch in the fourth. Trumbo followed with an RBI double. The Red Sox responded with a three-run fifth. Dustin Pedroia snapped an 0-for-12 skid with a run-scoring single before Ortiz launched a 1-1 pitch over the 25-foot scoreboard in right field.

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Lost in the sky. Clouds roll by and I roll with them. Arrows fly. Seas increase and then fall again. This world is spinning around meThis world is spinning without me and every day sends future to past. Every breath leaves me one less tomy last

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XC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

in first with a time of 17:22.1. Heffernan was closely followed by graduate student Danielle Aragon who is returning from an injury suffered last outdoor track season. Irish associate head coach Matthew Sparks talked about their performances, saying both runners ran smart races. “Annie [Heffernan] and Dani [Aragon] both were injured at the end of outdoor track, and you’re never sure what to expect when their last significant race was March,” Sparks said. “They did a good job taking care of themselves over the summer, getting healthy, gaining fitness and getting ready for today.” What makes the victory especially impressive is that the Irish did so without their full team, as star sophomore Anna Rohrer did not compete in order to rest. Sparks noted that the team is currently looking to get fully healthy for the later and more important portion of the season. “We still have a few girls that were major players for us during the outdoor track season, and they’re getting healthy, so we’ll get them back out there in a couple weeks,” Sparks said. “Anna Rohrer’s healthy and ready to go in a couple weeks as well, so I feel like we’re in a good place right now on the women’s side.” The men’s team finished second place with 67 points, bested by Saint Louis at 52 points, but managing to edge out Dayton. Highlighting the performance for the men’s squad was sophomore Anthony Williams, who finished in third place overall with a time of 25:11.8, and a breakout performance by freshman Tyler Keslin as the Munster, Indiana native took 19th place overall. Sparks said he liked what he saw from Williams, but said the men’s team needs to gain confidence. “It was great to see our sophomore, Tony Williams, lead the way for us,” Sparks said. “He had a great summer training, and stayed healthy. Right now our men’s team is getting healthy, we just need to get more confident in who we are. We got lost in the shuffle a little bit early in the race and just couldn’t recover from putting ourselves in a little bit of a hole early on. We never were up front and as a result we didn’t finish up front.” Although the National Catholic is a significant meet, it does not attract the level of talent that the Irish will face later on in the year, and thus should serve as a good springboard for the team moving forward. Next up for Notre Dame is the Joe Piane Invitational, which will take place Sept. 30 at home on Burke Golf Course. Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer winds up to throw a deep pass during Notre Dame’s 36-28 loss to Michigan State on Saturday. Kizer went 20-for-37 in the game for 344 yards and two touchdowns. Kizer also tallied one rushing touchdown in the defeat.

Kelly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

from the young players in the secondary and at the Sam and Mike linebacker spots, he pointed specifically to the Will linebacker position — played by junior Greer Martini and sophomore Te’von Coney — as an area in need of more consistent and improved play going forward. “The Will linebacker position has been inconsistent for us,” Kelly said. “That’s caused us some problems. It caused us some problems [against

Michigan State]. In our two losses, that position has been an issue for us. We’re struggling right there trying to get consistency out of that position.” And while the team’s hopes of a College Football Playoff berth have been all but dashed following a 1-2 start, Kelly said he expects his team to remain motivated and to focus on step-by-step improvement. “They want to win. I mean, everybody is a competitor,” Kelly said. “The focus just becomes on what I just talked about: each individual getting better, each individual

improving from week and week. The focus being really much more smaller in a sense. All we’re looking for is to find a way to win and beat Duke. That’s really the goal that’s in front of us. “This is work. We’ve got some work to do. But we got a group that will fight and compete. I’m proud of the way they go out and represent Notre Dame on the field. We’ve got to clean up a lot of things. We’ll continue to work with a lot of young players. I’m confident that we’ll be a better football team in November than we are in September.”

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And, although it is the program’s first 1-2 start since 2010, Kelly asserted that the team’s play in its first three games is not a referendum on the direction of this season, adding that the team has been sloppy but not out of contention in each of its two losses thus far. “There’s no panic,” he said. “There’s not any of that in my eyes at all. But we’ve got to continue to improve in the fundamentals of the game. That’s my concern more than anything else.” Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

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M Tennis CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

too far away from our game in the big moments, which is one of our keys to winning. I thought those two things were really good signs this weekend. There’s a lot of work to do to improve, but it was a good foundation to build on.” Sachire said one of the things he saw in his players that needs improvement is the ability to sustain concentration and intensity throughout the course of a match. Sachire did say it is common for a group to be performing under peak form at the beginning of the season. “Tennis is about finding that rhythm that you succeed in and finding the style of play to play in that helps you be successful and being able to continuously execute that style in the biggest moments of the match,” Sachire said. “That’s what it means to execute and perform your best under pressure and what ultimately separates winners from losers in our sport. We need to continue to do a better job at that.” Sachire pointed to Hagar’s performance as one that stood out to him this weekend and also said he was pleased with how the freshmen performed.

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 | THE OBSERVER

“I think [Hager] did a really good job this weekend,” Sachire said. “He was essentially playing number one for us this weekend against the number one players from Harvard, Illinois and Texas A&M that were here for this tournament. He ended up going 2-1 and was a couple of points away from going undefeated. But more important than that, his results show his level of play was good. The freshmen also got off to a good start and won the vast majority of the matches they competed in, which is always a positive way to start your career.” The next time the Irish are back in action as a team, they will host the Bobby Bayliss Invitational at Eck Tennis Pavilion on the weekend of Oct. 7–9. Sachire said his team will get back to work after a couple of days off. “Again, it’s hard to draw big conclusions as a team from tournaments like this, but we’ll be specific with each guy and start to address the issues that popped up and areas of improvement that they can make between now and when we compete again,” Sachire said. KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer

Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu

Irish senior Josh Hagar returns a shot during Notre Dame’s 5-2 victory over Duke on March 18 at Eck Tennis Pavilion. In the match, Hagar lost his singles match to Duke sophomore Catalin Mateas 7-6 (6), 6-3. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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FOOTBALL

Kelly: ‘There’s no panic’ By BEN PADANILAM Associate Sports Editor

Following Saturday’s 36-28 loss, Notre Dame dropped out of the AP poll’s Top 25 for the first time since the end of the 2014 season. And after allowing 501 yards of offense — including 260 on the ground — in the team’s latest loss, the defense of the Irish (1-2) once again became the subject of heavy scrutiny Sunday. But, when asked if any major personnel changes would be made going forward, Irish head coach Brian Kelly stood by the players he currently has on the roster. “I mean, you guys I think all know what our personnel is,” Kelly said. “Any guy that we put on the field now is a true freshman. We’re playing true freshmen. Really at this point, it’s a matter of the guys that we have are the guys we have to continue to work with and develop. Each game becomes an experience that they have to take and learn from and get better from.” Questions continued to rise as to whether or not defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder is the right fit as the leader of the Irish defense, and many of those questions were fueled further when

Kelly’s Twitter account liked a tweet from a fan suggesting Kelly fire VanGorder. Kelly explained Sunday that the activity was the result of one of his staff members who has access to his Twitter account scrolling through tweets and inadvertently liking the one of them. Additionally, he reaffirmed his confidence in VanGorder as his coordinator. “That’s not even part of the conversation,” Kelly said. “There’s not a question about scheme. There’s not a question about who’s leading it with Brian.” Rather, Kelly said his focus is on working with the defensive players and improving the technical aspect of its play. “It’s really about the fundamentals of defense and getting the fundamentals to the point where simple guard pull play is being fitted the right way,” Kelly said. “Making a play on the ball, making a tackle — I mean, this is not rocket science what we’re talking about here. These are plays that we’ve got to continue to work on and fundamentally get better at.” And while Kelly said he thought he’s seen good things see KELLY PAGE 10

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish junior linebacker Greer Martini chases the quarterback during Notre Dame’s 36-28 loss Saturday. Martini has 16 total tackles on the season and has shared time with sophomore Te’von Coney.

MEN’S TENNIS | CHOWDER FEST

ND CROSS COUNTRY | NATIONAL CATHOLIC

Irish take first and second at National Catholic

ND improves at Chowder Fest

By JOE EVERETT

By MICHAEL IVEY

Sports Writer

Last Friday on Burke Golf Course, Notre Dame braved the hot and humid conditions to put forth strong performances at the 37th annual National Catholic, as the women and men finished first and second respectively in a field of more than 40 teams. The women’s team matched expectations by w inning the meet comfortably, as their first place total of 31 points far outstripped Marquette, who came in second w ith 73, and Day ton who finished third, at 96. Friday’s first place finish marked the 22nd time the Irish women have won the National Catholic, as well as the 18th straight team championship. Sophomore Annie Heffernan also gave the Irish their 15th straight indiv idual championship, as she crossed the finish line

This past weekend, the Irish began the 2016-17 season by participating in the Chowder Fest tournament at Beren Tennis Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The tournament took place over three days, beginning Friday. Along with Notre Dame, Harvard, Texas A&M and Illinois also competed in the tournament. Among the most notable final results was senior Josh Hagar finishing second in both the singles and doubles (alongside doubles partner sophomore Alex Lebedev) competitions. Freshman Guillermo Cabrera, freshman John Small, freshman Matt Gamble, sophomore Daniel Rayl and junior Brendon Kempin all took home wins in the singles competition. Irish head coach Ryan Sachire said he was pleased with the performance he saw from his group over the weekend.

see XC PAGE 10

CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer

Sophomore Anthony Williams races in the National Catholic at Burke Golf Course on Friday. Williams finished third in the race.

“Our guys did a great job,” Sachire said. “When you have 11 players competing and playing six to seven matches each over the weekend, that’s a lot of tennis and a lot of input to evaluate. It’s tough to get one big conclusion as a program or a team, but certainly a lot of individuals did really well. It was a good start to the careers of our freshman who competed really well. I was very pleased with how we began the year. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but this was a good starting spot.” Among the things Sachire said he was impressed with was the fitness level of his players and their preparation in the offseason. “I thought we were as fit as or fitter than any team that was there,” Sachire said. “I also thought we did a good job with the way we competed throughout the weekend in terms of trusting what we do as competitors and tennis players and not wandering see M TENNIS PAGE 11