The independent
To uncover
newspaper serving
the truth
Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s
and report
and holy cross
it accurately
Volume 53, Issue 93 | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
College interfaith club fosters dialogue Saint Mary’s Better Together initiative hosts panel discussion featuring religious community leaders By KATHLEEN MEYER News Writer
Members of the South Bend community came together for a discussion about interfaith dialogue and awareness of social justice in a panel hosted by the Better Together club Tuesday in the Rice Commons of Saint Mary’s Student Center. The panel featured four speakers, each of different religious backgrounds — Emily Sipos-Butler, assistant director of Campus Ministry at Saint Mary’s; A. Rashied Omar, faculty member at Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International
Peace Studies; Rabbi Karen Companez of Temple BethEl in South Bend; and Robert Stockman, a professor of religious studies and philosophy at Indiana University South Bend. As the panelists introduced their religious traditions, Sipos-Butler, a Catholic, said her faith is the primary lens through which she views justice. “One of the ways that you can think about justice from a Christian perspective is that justice is God,” Sipos-Butler said. “Justice f lows from the fact that see INTERFAITH PAGE 3
SpeakUP spreads awareness of human trafficking
KENDRA OSINSKI | The Observer
Junior Gabby Haff introduces a panel of religious experts from the South Bend community Tuesday. The panelists represented the religious traditions of Baha’i, Judaism, Islam and Catholicism, respectively.
Saint Mary’s leadership club encourages service By COLLEEN FISCHER News Writer
For those looking for service opportunities at Saint Mary’s, volunteering organization Circle K International (CKI) is staged to make a return this semester. According to its website, CKI is the world‘s largest collegiate service program,
CHRISTOPHER PARKER | The Observer
International Justice Mission spreads awareness about the practive of modern slavery at a table in LaFortune Student Center on Tuesday. By CHRISTOPHER PARKER News Writer
The Notre Dame chapter of International Justice Mission (IJM) held their SpeakUP campaign against modern slaver y and human trafficking in LaFortune Student Center on Tuesday. IJM is a nonprofit that advocates for the end of the
Scene PAGE 5
practice of slaver y worldw ide while raising money for the cause. Sophomore Malia Marshall, co-founder and co-president of IJM at Notre Dame, said the organization advocates for justice for the poor. “The poor around the world are obv iously the most see SPEAKUP PAGE 4
viewpoint PAGE 6
with more than 13,000 members. Recently, however, CKI at Saint Mary’s has been struggling for membership. Sophomore Carina Garza, president of Saint Mary’s’ CKI club, said she was motivated to refocus and revamp the organization’s presence at the College this year. “This academic year, sadly, the people who were in
charge didn’t put it first, so there were no meetings, no events,” Garza said. “Saint Mary’s’ [CKI] was basically inactive, which was very sad because the [CKI] district governor of Indiana … is a Saint Mary’s student. She is a senior. It was sad to see that the governor of Circle K Indiana was in a see SERVICE PAGE 3
Notre Dame recieves largest research grant ever By GRACE McDERMOTT News Writer
Notre Dame recently received a record-breaking grant of $33.7 million to conduct research on the prevention of mosquitoborne diseases using a new spatial repellent product that works to reduce mosquito densities and fight diseases like malaria, dengue, Zika and chikungunya.
viewpoint PAGE 7
Unitaid, an international health organization, agreed to fund the five-year project after a long and competitive proposal process. For the scientists behind the project, though, the amount of money was not of primar y importance. “We like to focus on the impact of the science rather than the monetar y value,” the project’s principal investigator, John Grieco,
track & field PAGE 12
said. “The value is something the University looks at. For us, it’s more the impact we’re having on human health. W hen you work alongside these communities and individuals, you see the struggles that they have day-to-day. If we can see a product through to reduce disease in these communities, that’s the success for see GRANT PAGE 3
fencing PAGE 12
2
TODAY
The observer | Wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
What was the last song you listened to?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Courtney Becker Managing Editor Tobias Hoonhout
Asst. Managing Editor: Elizabeth Greason Asst. Managing Editor: Lucas Masin-Moyer News Editor: Viewpoint Editor: Sports Editor: Scene Editor: Saint Mary’s Editor: Photo Editor: Graphics Editor: Advertising Manager: Ad Design Manager: Systems Administrator:
Mary Steurer Mary Freeman Joe Everett Nora McGreevy Jordan Cockrum Ann Curtis Dominique DeMoe Alexandra Pucillo Madison Riehle Mike Dugan
Office Manager & General Info
Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927
Edoardo Bianchi
Maddie Galvin
junior Keough Hall
freshman Welsh Family Hall
“‘Mamacita.’”
“‘Life Must Go On.’”
Ellie Richards
Katarina Jamesk
junior Ryan Hall
sophomore Flaherty Hall
“‘Whatever She’s Got.’”
“‘Sanctuary.’”
Beth Messaglia
Ashton Bieri
freshman Howard Hall
freshman St. Edwards Hall
“‘Seagulls.’”
“‘1 for 1, DiMaggio.’”
Advertising
(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com Editor-in-Chief
(574) 631-4542 cbecker3@nd.edu Managing Editor
(574) 631-4542 thoonhou@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors
(574) 631-4541 egreason@nd.edu, lmasinmo@nd.edu Business Office
(574) 631-5313 News Desk
(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com Viewpoint Desk
(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com Sports Desk
(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com Scene Desk
(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Saint Mary’s Desk
jcockrum01@saintmarys.edu Photo Desk
(574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators
webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College, and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Courtney Becker. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077 The Observer is a member of the Associated Press. All reproductive rights reserved.
Today’s Staff News
Sports
Mary Steurer Gina Twardosz Marirose Osborne
Joe Everett Stephen Hannon
Graphics
Scene
Claire Kopischke
Ryan Israel
Photo
Viewpoint
Kendra Osinski
Annie McCarter
Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.
KENDRA OSINSKI | The Observer
Dr. Risa Brooks, the Allis Chalmers associate professor of political science at Marquette University, leads a discussion on “Dispelling the Terrorist Safe Haven Myth: Why Americans Are Safer Than They Think” with Notre Dame students and professors.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Ecumenical Prayer Service and Lunch Geddes Hall 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Sponsored by Black Faculty Association.
Lecture: “On Suicidal Murder” Hesburgh Center C103 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lecture by Nermeen Shaikh.
Lecture: “Ten Years Hence” Jordan Auditorium, Mendoza College of Business 10:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
Performance: “Comala” LaBar Performance Hall 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. By the Zohn Collective.
Senior Percussion Recital, Andrew Skiff LaBar Recital Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Free and open to the public.
Conversation: “The U.S.-North Korea Summit: A Real-Time Assessment” Hesburgh Center 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Concert of Sacred Music: National Lutheran Choir Basilica of the Sacred Heart 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Musical: “Stupid Humans” Philbin Studio Theatre, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
“Sketch Me If You Can” Washington Hall 7 p.m. Presented by the Humor Artists.
Senior Piano Recital, Noah Holmes LaBar Recital Hall 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Various pieces will be performed.
News
Service Continued from page 1
school whose home club was inactive.” Garza said she first got involved in CKI when district governor McKenzie Quinn reached out to her and encouraged her to help rev ive the group at Saint Mar y’s. “She told me, ‘Hey, you know we need to bring Circle K back. Would you be interested? ’’’ Garza said. “At first, I felt obligated to do it, because I have know n her forever. We just had a convention this weekend which was held here w ith all Circle K groups.” Garza said the convention helped her renew her interest in the organization “I’m excited to see our Circle K come back up,” she sa id. “It was rea l ly upsett ing to not have a g roup or a club t his yea r, but I’m rea l ly excited to see what I ca n do for t he club a nd what I ca n do for t he new members, because I rea l ly lea rned a lot t his weekend at t hat convent ion. … I ended up fa l ling in love w it h it. I a m president of t he club now, a nd for t he nex t yea r.” Garza said she believes the organization’s message is relevant in the South Bend communit y and encourages students to get involved. “Circle K is a national
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | The Observer
organization,” Garza said. “ … We are about leadership, fellowship and ser v ice, we do ever y thing we can to partner up w ith any ser v ice group that surrounds our area like the food bank. [We] help out w ith them — there is the La Casa de Amistad on the West Side, there is the Ronald McDonald house.” The organization helps teach students valuable life skills, preparing them for life after graduation, Garza said. “We learn how to become leaders, so it helps us in the real world after college,” she said. “The fellowship is us being around people who care about the same things that we care about, and those who want to help others.” Garza said she quickly embraced the Circle K mission. “At first I was doing it because I felt obligated to do it, and now I’m just in love w ith it,” she said. “I love Circle K. I love what we are about, and I really hope that people feel the same way I do about Circle K.” Though clubs at Saint Mar y’s prov ide many different ways to ser ve in the communit y, Circle K International offers the unique opportunit y to ser ve alongside a multitude of other organizations, Garza said. “I feel like the ser v ice organizations on campus Paid Advertisement
focus on really one place,” she said. “ … There are people who only go to the food bank or people who only Ronald McDonald House or just Hannah’s House. I feel like we don’t really have any other ser v ice groups on campus that do what we do because we tr y to go to ever y place. We want to help out the entire South Bend communit y.” Garza said ser v ing South Bend is how she shows gratitude to the communit y. “Without South Bend, there is no Saint Mar y’s,” she said. “We owe them, and this is how we are going to pay them back — through helping them out and thanking them.” Garza said she believes the club not only benefits the students and the communit y at large, but also helps promote sisterhood at Saint Mar y’s. “The [Saint Mar y’s] sisterhood kind of deals w ith fellowship,” she said. “ … I feel like Circle K is a great example of that. … You have the people that are in Circle K that love doing ser v ice that want to do the things that you like doing too, and it brings them together.” Circle K w ill meet Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Warner Conference Room. Contact Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu
Grant Continued from page 1
us.” Notre Dame Research, the central department that oversees infrastructure and management for student and facult y research on campus, has been particularly involved in this project due to the magnitude of the grant. “Dr. Grieco came to us right away and said, ‘This is going to be big,’” v ice president of research Robert Bernhard said. “You could see in the announcement that they were looking for some pretty sophisticated project management.” Grieco and his team continued to work w ith Unitaid during a 19-month proposal process, one of the longest he has ever been through, he said. However, his work w ith spatial repellent products has spanned much longer. Grieco and Nicole Achee, a medical entomologist who ser ves as the scientific director of the project, have been working on developing spatial repellent products for over t wo decades. The process began when Achee was inv ited to speak about spatial repellent research at a conference in Madrid, Grieco said. Funding representatives from Unitaid were present in the audience, and when Unitaid sent out a general call for proposals, several people from the organization were already familiar w ith their work. Though this didn’t guarantee a grant, Grieco said it was certainly an advantage. “W hen we first started working w ith spatial repellents, people thought there was no such thing,” Grieco said. “It’s been a long process on getting recognition that they actually have a function in reducing vectorborne disease. Now, we’re tr y ing to have the World Health Organization formally recognize the utilit y of spatial repellents for use against malaria and other vector-borne diseases.” In order to receive the World Health Organization’s formal recognition, Grieco and his team must conduct clinical trials and operational studies. The clinical trials, which w ill take place in controlled env ironments in Kenya and Sri Lanka, w ill examine the effectiveness of the spatial repellent product over a period of one to t wo
3
years, Achee said. “We’re not tr y ing to make a better product, we’re tr ying to make a product to help ex isting tools,” she said. “In some settings, it could be that the spatial repellent is the only product used, or it could be added onto ex isting strategies.” The product could be especially effective in places where the spread of vectorborne diseases is difficult to prevent using current methods, including refugee camps, where many people live in tents or three-walled structures. Achee said after the clinical trials, the team w ill conduct operational studies in displaced persons camps in Mali and Uganda to determine the effectiveness of different distribution methods for the product. “We need an understanding of how well it works in a real-world setting,” Achee said. “We’re looking at how to distribute products to achieve the greatest coverage, and how many products can be distributed over what period of time [and] to how many people.” W hile developing and researching their product, Grieco and his team have found some unexpected results that contribute toward their ultimate goal of reducing vector-borne diseases. “The more we study them, the harder it becomes for us to narrow dow n what the true effects are,” Grieco said. “Originally, we thought that mosquitoes would pick up the chemical in the air and move away from the area. But now through some of our research, we’ve found that they impact on biting, mating and many other behav iors. They’re causing a disruption in the mosquito lifest yle, which has an impact on the disease.” Bernhard said researchers at the Universit y of Notre Dame have a histor y of working w ith infectious, neglected tropical diseases that goes back to the 1940s. “We believe that being a force for good in the world means that we need to have some of our programs be more applied and in-thefield,” Bernhard said. “It’s part of the bigger strateg y to reach out and be involved in research that has an impact.” Contact Grace McDermott at gmcdermo@nd.edu
Follow us on Twitter. @NDSMCObserver
4
NEWS
The observer | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
SpeakUP
Interfaith
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
v ulnerable to the threat of slaver y,” she said. “They’ve got fewer employ ment options and less power to use their voices. Around the world, there’s still millions of slaves.” Marshall said IJM takes many diverse approaches to combat slaver y. “They work to get people out of slaver y physically through rescue missions, but also through work w ith the justice systems in the countries that they’re in so that the people have the police on their side,” she said. “That way, those who have slaves are put into jail.” Marshall said she founded the club at Notre Dame after learning about IJM in high school and realizing the Universit y did not offer any thing similar. The Notre Dame chapter of IJM supports the greater organization in any way they can, Marshall said. IJM asks that its college chapters host at least two campaigns each year. “We help them through three main missions: advocacy, fundraising and prayer,” Marshall said. ”The SpeakUP campaign is our advocacy event for the year. We had a prayer ser v ice at the beginning of the year, and then we had something called Freedom Fast in November where people could fast for 24 hours and raise money while they fast.” Spring is budget season in Congress, which is why the timing of the SpeakUP campaign is so critical, Marshall said. “Ever y year, Congress has to vote on whether they’re going to fund the End Modern Slaver y Initiative Act,” she said. “We’re tr ying to make it so that people at Notre Dame, either over Tw itter or email, contact their congressperson and tell them to vote to continue to fund it. We want to make sure that that money is included in the budget ever y year.” IJM at Notre Dame has made it as easy as possible for students to contact their local representatives, she said. “We have a number that you can text that w ill bring you to a link that lets you tweet or email your congressperson,” she said. “You don’t even have to look them up. You just say where you’re from, and it’ll look up the person for you. It takes one or two minutes.” Students can text “ABOLISH” to 52887 to get in contact w ith their congressperson.
God is love. Love and justice are intimately tied together in the Christian tradition.” Sipos-Butler believes there are multiple dimensions of justice, she added. Distributive justice, or the relationship of a communit y to its members, requires equal distribution of resources to those whose needs are unmet. Commutative justice, on the other hand, refers to equalit y and fair exchange bet ween indiv iduals. “[Commutative justice is] fundamental fairness of different groups that needs to be upheld,” Sipos-Butler said. She said both these t y pes of justices make up social justice. Omar, who is Muslim, said the Islamic v iew of social justice was similar to that of Christianit y. “Rather than love, we have compassion,” he said. He said in Islam, love is v iewed as a critical part of social justice, but it is compassion that is the most important. “If justice is devoid of compassion, mercy and tenderness, it becomes the antithesis of justice,” Omar
Contact Christopher Parker at cparke22@nd.edu
said. The Quran proclaims justice is the closest thing to piet y, Omar added. He said Muslims are encouraged to embrace all forms of justice, and that justice is intersectional — one cannot embrace one form w ithout embracing the others. Jew ish teachings on justice preach ser v ice to the poor, Companez said. The Torah instructs Jews to care for the w idows, children and strangers 36 times. “In Judaism, we are commanded, ‘Justice, justice, shall you pursue.’ That comes straight from the book of Deuteronomy,” Companez said. Treating all others w ith equit y and respect is a foundational aspect of Jew ish social justice, she added. “We learn that each person is created in God’s image and there is a Jew ish mystical idea that each person contains a spark of God,” Companez said. “ … If that’s the case, we should relate to ever y other person as if we were relating to God.” Professor Stockman said the Bahá’í Faith, a religion of Iranian origin that teaches acceptance of all religions, approaches social justice w ith equalit y and inclusion
“Bahá’í scriptures emphasize the common source of our equal status,” Stockman said. “W here justice is concerned, the scriptures say that it is the appearance of unit y among men. You cannot have unit y where you have injustice.” Stockman said the Bahá’í Faith was founded by Persian religious leader Bahá’u’lláh and introduced to the United States in 1912 by his son, `Abdu’l-Bahá, a proponent of women’s suffrage and racial equalit y. “It is one thing to teach equalit y,” Stockman said. “And another to have women and African A mericans being treated equally.” Each panelist then shared how social justice teachings impact their day-to-day lives. “This is what I am called to do: to love God and do justice,” Sipos-Butler said. “W hat does that look like? One thing that I think about is how Jesus put himself in places where he could interact w ith those on the margins. I should probably be follow ing that example.” Rashied Omar said he strives daily to sy nthesize his commitments to faith and social justice. “This calling of seeking to sy nthesize — to build this bridge bet ween my spiritualit y and this social-justice struggle — continues
Support student journalism. Donate to The Observer. ndsmcobserver.com/donate Paid Advertisement
to inspire me daily,” Omar said. Companez said she works for social justice by continuing to volunteer in her communit y. “We are ver y involved in all kinds of social justice work; it encompasses so many issues,” she said. “Racial justice, economic justice, env ironmental justice, women’s rights and international and global issues are just a few things that capture my attention.” Stockman said he personally separates indiv idual daily duties and communal daily duties. “Indiv idually, I think my main justice issue is how to love and be kind and encourage my students. My main focus of my day-today efforts is how to be a good teacher,” he said. “ … Communally, the Bahá’í approach to social justice is one that has been called ‘constructive engagement.’” The faith focuses on fostering communit y bet ween peoples, Stockman added. “In some countries that don’t have access to education, we bring them education,” he said. “‘Constructive engagement’ looks different all over the world, but the purpose is to bring people together.” Contact Kathleen Meyer at kmeyer02@saintmarys.edu
The observer | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
5
CLAIRE KOPISCHKE | The Observer
6
The observer | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Walking on campus Thomas Murphy Asociate News Editor
We do a lot of walking as students. To class, from class, to the dining hall, from the dining hall, to the student center, from the student center — I could go on. Sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it’s hot. Maybe there are puddles on the sidewalks, or maybe there’s snow. If you’re lucky, the sky is blue. Some people prefer to bike, others scooter. Last year some guy was getting around campus on a unicycle. I like to walk. Walking to class helps me justif y my terribly inconsistent fitness routine. W hen I’m walking, I like to look around. Maybe I’ll see a friend or a familiar face. I like to wear some headphones and listen to music as I walk. In the fall when the leaves turn and the air is crisp, I listen to Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon.” I like the honesty of his guitar. In the winter when the sky becomes gray and the air bitter, I listen to Saba’s “Care For Me.” The lyrics distract me from the frozen. In the spring when trees teem with budding pastel and the air sweetens, I listen to Phoenix’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.” It reminds me of high school. I don’t like listening to music with earbuds when it’s warm outside. There’s more to enjoy without their help. People talk with each other more. Maybe some birds chirp overhead. Maybe there’s a breeze. I like looking at buildings when I walk. You see a lot more when you’re walking alone. The gutters on Fitzpatrick Hall have tarnished bronze Notre Dame monograms. The Law School is really into Thomas Aquinas imagery. Alumni Hall has a relief of Knute Rockne on one of its walls. Walking on campus has really helped with my Notre Dame trivia knowledge. If it’s nice out and I need to call someone on the phone, I’ll walk up and down the treelined paths of God Quad. The walking keeps me from fidgeting. It’s nice when those trees are full of leaves and I can sit down on one of the benches beneath them and just enjoy the afternoon. On Fridays, when I’m done with my classes for the week, I take a walk around Saint Joseph’s Lake. I leave behind my phone and just take my time. Often I’ll begin the walk with the intent of ref lecting on a particular thing, but it never goes very far. My favorite walk on campus is trekking back in the earliest of morning hours from the Hesburgh Library to my dorm, Sorin. It’ll have been a long, coffee-fueled, anxietyridden night and my eyes will be drooping. I’ll stumble out of the Hesburgh elevator into the darkness. I’ll see Mary atop the dome and hear the rushing waters of Stonehenge. The best part is walking through God Quad. At night, the basilica and Main Building will loom over me. They’ll make me small. I’ll set my eyes on the statue of Christ. His arms will open wide. His pedestal will invite me to go to him. I’ll go to bed and save that for the next day. Contact Thomas Murphy at tmurphy7@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
When both sides balk: A conversation on abortion Olivia de Sonne Ammaccapne BridgeND
The LaFun ballroom echoed with chatter, punctuated by the passionate gesticulations of people engaged in lively debate. One table, however, had a mood better echoed by the somber evening — twilight spreading in from the western windows. A pro-life senior and her pro-choice classmate were engaged in an intense quest to understand each other. Mati Sarosi and I had covered scores of traditional abortion questions, ranging from “When does life begin?” to “Does the right to life outweigh the right to choose?” But we had reached a point in our conversation that meant the gloves had to come off: with completely different philosophies, could we reach common ground? Mati smoothed her f luffy blonde curls over one shoulder, spread her hands f lat on the table and said, “Imagine this: any possible circumstance that could cause a woman to abort has been eliminated. She and the baby are healthy, race and socioeconomic issues are nonexistent, and she’s under no emotional or mental duress. The world is perfect.” The skin around her eyes crinkled with sincerity. “Do you outlaw abortion then?” Being pro-choice, I wanted to say that every woman should have the right to decide what happens in her body at any time, no matter the reasons, even if they were reasons I couldn’t understand. Imagine my shock when the silence between us grew, and my lips were heav y with an answer I did not give. “I — I don’t ... ” I frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t want her to abort, but I don’t know if I could outlaw it, even then.” My eyes unfocused as the gears in my head turned. Why can’t I agree with her? This seems so reasonable. Why am I made uncomfortable by the idea that I might still allow an abortion in this situation? Or am I made uncomfortable by the idea that I might not? With indecision still behind my expression, I looked back at Mati and countered, “Okay, that ideal world is a lofty goal, but let’s bring it down to reality. In our non-ideal world, there are thousands of reasons why a woman might not want to have a child.” I paused. “Does your stance change if the mother has a very high likelihood of dying while carrying the child to term?” This scenario, I knew, would challenge Mati. As a believer in radical equality of life, she holds that both mother and baby have equal rights to life — an ideal I admired and had not encountered until I met her. If the
mother had an equal right to life as her baby, which won out? Mati was still for a second, and then she broke into a f lurry of nervous motion. “I — I don’t ... ” She frowned. “I don’t know.” She quickly put her hands up to her face and then removed them an instant later, stuttering slightly. “I’d — I’d have to do more research. For instance, if she needed chemo and I — I don’t know.” We looked at each other in silence, lost for the words we thought we surely had. Whether pro-life or pro-choice, this feeling of disbelief is relatable. She and I just presented each other with the one argument that should win us over, the one situation where we will surely defect — and yet, silence follows. And we seem equally perplexed that we can’t provide each other the answers we were looking for. This was a moment of deep vulnerability, where Mati and I, convinced as we were in our stances, realized we still had more to learn about our philosophies. It was a moment that acknowledged just how difficult the conversation was, where we allowed each other to see that we are still figuring some things out. The abortion debate is representative of a raging conversation (or lack thereof ) happening all over our country today. How do we find common ground if we fundamentally disagree? Some argue we can’t, but Mati and I proved a fruitful, relatable dialogue could be had. Maybe she and I couldn’t relinquish our positions, but we could understand each other more fully. Maybe we couldn’t find a legislative solution in 65 minutes, but perhaps two other people could, if only they would engage in the way that we did. It was less about abortion and more about the moments of vulnerability and self-examination that we encountered. And in those moments, we saw each other not as pro-life or pro-choice, but as two people finding their way in the world together. Many thanks to senior Mati Sarosi for the incredible dialogue we had, and for her permission to be included in this column. Olivia de Sonne Ammaccapne is a senior from Long Island majoring in industrial design with interests ranging from politics to astrophysics. When she’s not desperately questing for the “moral truth,” you can probably find her covered in sawdust in Riley Hall, or eating too many wings at Brothers. The viewpoints expressed in this column are those of the individual and not necessarily those of BridgeND as an organization. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Join the conversation. Submit a Letter to the Editor: Email viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
7
The observer | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Mid-semester ranks 6. Legacy Village 7. Those four ROTC guys who live in Pasquerilla Center 8. Dublin Village
Davis Gonsalves Highest-Ranking Column According to Me
The countdown begins. After this column, I only have four more to write before I graduate. Fortunately, I have planned the last four in sequence. That means this will be the last chance to rank the things I either never had a chance to rank, or that would simply not be worthy of an entire column. From the serious to ridiculous, these are the midsemester ranks before the final columns begin:
Mass songs 1. The offertory song 2. The closing song 3. The entrance song 4. The Eucharist song 5. The Psalm I have been heretical before, so nothing is stopping me again, but the Psalm is easily the most boring of all the songs with a terribly repetitive nature and no good beat. The entrance and Eucharist songs are largely forgettable except the Eucharist song is sometimes “Table of Plenty” or “Ubi Caritas” — which both slap. Although basic, the closing song does often include “Canticle of the Turning,” whose grandeur I cannot deny. Coming out in the top spot though is the offertory song when the table is prepared as it does not require me to stand, but instead lets me sit back and sing a great rendition of “Taste and See.”
Off-campus housing 1. Those actual houses on Willis Street 2. Wexford Place 3. Other actual houses (e.g. Notre Dame Avenue, East Washington Street) 4. Irish Crossings 5. Irish Row/ Irish Flats
future healthcare if these are the kind of suggestions doctors of tomorrow are making in my Neuroscience classes.
Graces I know I am a huge fan of the actual house if you are to live off campus because I feel like they are more personal and the cost completely makes up for the shortcomings. I will say though, I love Wexford Place and how spacious they are for how affordable they come out to be as well. Crossings sits right in the middle as I think they are fine but nothing super noteworthy. Flats and Row are actually the same thing and the extremely minor differences do not call for the vehement objections I often hear that one is way nice than the other. Legacy is alright but lacks personality and the cost is absolutely ridiculous to justify living there. I hesitate to include Dublin Village as their existence is questionable at best.
Things people have asked me to rank 1. The tailgates at the last football game 2. “The Office” Christmas party episodes 3. Not a ranking but somehow do an exposé of Dippin’ Dots 4. Their different dance moves 5. The types of channels in a neuron during an action potential This list should tell you that not everyone is cut out to rank things. Of these, the only one I really considered was the tailgate one as I think it would be a heartfelt send off for my final football season, but I could not come up with enough creative lines to justify it. “The Office” episodes idea was good, but I spend like 15 minutes max on these columns normally and could not watch them all again. The Dippin’ Dots and dance move ones intrigue me, but too niche to actually include. Finally, asking to rank channels of an action potential makes me fear for
1. God’s grace 2. Grace Hall 3. Grace Lattner Although normally heretical, I have to give it up for God’s grace in this column as the big guy upstairs has blessed me in a lot of ways. Grace Lattner is probably my best friend who goes exclusively by the name Grace, but even she cannot compare to those wraps especially when you add the bacon on them. Sorry Lattner, not everyone can beat a custom wrap.
My Viewpoint Editor 1. Mary Freeman This is my last column ever sending into Mary, who has edited every single column I have ever published. Mary was the one who originally published my first two Letters to the Editor, hired me as a columnist and has worked with me ever since. I welcome the new staff, whomever they may be, but in a brief glimpse of seriousness in my columns, I will miss having Mary to remind me to send my columns in with an email containing profanity so I knew it was her. Don’t let this get to your head though, Mary — you’re still a little nerd. Davis loves to rank people, places, things, ideas and sometimes even verbs. His current senior year places fourth among years, his neuroscience major places seventh and his theology major ranks third among all majors. Contact him at dgonsalv@nd.edu to be placed first in his heart. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Response to ‘The devil wears a MAGA hat’ Attitudes like those expressed by Jeff Murphy in his Feb. 25 column are the kindling with which democracies burn. I do not mean to suggest, though, that Mr. Murphy seeks the dissolution of American democracy. Moreover, I doubt that Donald Trump is on track to overthrow America’s democratic institutions. Rather, I contend that Mr. Murphy’s willingness to condemn the American news media as the “enemy of the people” constitutes a surrender to a dangerous strain of populism that could very well lead to the downfall of our republic. I urge Mr. Murphy, and those who agree with him, to acknowledge the nuance in the issues he addresses. Accepting the black-and-white framework that paints all who disagree with Donald Trump as corrupt and traitorous paves the way for an authoritarian regime under the American flag. All responsible consumers of news media should be prepared to criticize oversteps by news organizations. In my view, the 24-hour news cycle and the pressure to make news more like entertainment are two key reasons for the missteps by American news media. News organizations — facing new competitive pressures — are attracted more and more to the most sensational stories. The Covington Catholic case is a good example of this. As Mr. Murphy rightly points out, this story adhered well to a narrative that many liberal consumers of news found outrageous — and thus engaging. Better journalistic
practices would have prevented that situation from spiraling in the way it did. Of course, I must push back against Mr. Murphy’s implication that only centrist or left-leaning news outlets deserve criticism. Conservative news outlets like Fox News and Daily Wire have, in my view, gone further in pursuing sensational stories for the sake of viewership boosts. For example, Fox News recently published a news article on its main page, highlighting how Rush Limbaugh compared Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to a child. I’d invite Mr. Murphy to explain how such a story constitutes more than a “perversion of the truth and blind allegiance to partisan politics” (per Mr. Murphy’s description of mainstream news). But my larger point concerns not the balance of criticism between news outlets, but rather the character of the criticism itself. Mr. Murphy and I agree that news outlets are often deserving of criticism, but I must reject in the strongest possible terms his condemnation of the news media as the “enemy of the people.” Terrorists might deserve that title; neoNazis would also be a contender. But the journalists responsible for critiquing political leaders, shining a light on injustice and informing the public? When The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team revealed the heinous sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests, were they harming the American people? When Woodward and Bernstein of the Washington Post
exposed a conspiracy by the Nixon Administration to corrupt the American electoral process, were they seeking to undermine the American republic? I, for one, sleep more soundly at night knowing that journalists are working to check the conduct and anti-democratic impulses of my elected leaders. If Mr. Murphy sees the press as such a danger to American life, if he and people who think like him believe that our politicians should operate free of criticism and accountability, then they might as well support the repeal of the First Amendment or the Constitution itself. A republic where leaders govern with impunity would be no republic at all — it would be a dictatorship. I doubt that Mr. Murphy supports the establishment of an American dictatorship under Mr. Trump, but he must recognize that bluntly attacking the free press and labeling it the “enemy of the people” pushes us in that direction. The preeminent project of our democracy should not be — as Mr. Murphy seems to believe — scoring cheap shots against the other side. Rather, we must strive to maintain and refresh our democratic institutions so that our government “of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverViewpnt
Tim Jacklich junior Feb. 25
8
DAILY
The observer | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Keep your goals in perspective. Refuse to let emotional matters deter you from using your time and talents properly. Focus on the positive, and keep your distance from troublemakers or those trying to coerce you into situations that aren’t emotionally sound. Moderation and simplicity will lead to achievement and financial stability, and peace and love will bring you happiness. Your numbers are 8, 15, 22, 26, 31, 34, 40. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your desire for change should not overrule making a wise choice. Consider the consequence of your actions before taking part in something that lacks enough facts, verifications or consistency to ensure the risk isn’t too great. Play it safe. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Listen and follow through with questions if something seems too good to be true. You can make a deal, but it has to be on your terms and for the right reason. Experience should shed light on a dubious situation. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t let emotions interfere when making a decision. Look at the logistics of whatever situation you face and act accordingly. A problem with someone you are collaborating with or working alongside will develop if you or the other person exaggerates. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Look at the possibilities and take action. Don’t worry too much about what others do. Follow the path that is most conducive to reaching your goal. A unique idea will excite you, but before you proceed, consider the cost involved. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Participate in events that will help you find alternatives to the way you are using your skills, experience and knowledge. An opportunity someone offers may not be as lucrative as you are led to believe. Get what you want in writing. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get out with people who share your opinions and are trying to achieve similar goals. Sharing information and spending time developing ideas will help alleviate mistakes. Relationships and emotional problems should be handled with care. Truth matters. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Question the expense of any proposal someone makes. A change may be in order, but how you go about it will determine your success. Moderation should be enforced to avoid loss or being taken advantage of. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Expand your interests, use your skills and creative talent and discuss your options with someone you like to collaborate with. You will come up with an idea and form a partnership that can lead to positive results. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Emotional matters will escalate if you let someone interfere in your business. You’ll be given the wrong impression about someone. Don’t make assumptions, and take action when closer scrutiny should be taken. Gather facts before reacting. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your help will be solicited by someone trying to take advantage of you. Look at every angle before you step into a situation that can make you look bad or end up costing you emotionally, financially or physically. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Look at your options and sign up wherever you will make the most use of your time and your skills. An opportunity should be considered carefully, and what’s offered should be put in writing before you agree. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Listen to what others have to say, but don’t get into an emotional spat with someone who is taking out his or her frustrations on you. Separate the good from the bad when dealing with others to avoid negativity and setbacks. Birthday Baby: You are emotional, imaginative and ambitious. You are charming and popular.
WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
Work Area
Make checks payable to and mail to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556
Published Monday through Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross Community. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the two campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.
Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip
SPORTS
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | The Observer
Sports Authority
nd men’s lacrosse | richmond 9, nd 8
NBA refs need accountability Tess Phillips Sports Writer
NBA referees have been under fire recently for missing critical calls in close games. While these referees are human, something needs to be done. The NBA came out on Saturday saying referees missed “multiple calls” at the end of the Boston CelticsMilwaukee Bucks game Thursday. The Bucks ended up winning, but the NBA Officiating Last Two Minute Report discussed four missed calls in the final 3.7 seconds of the game. With a shot that would have sealed the game, Brook Lopez tipped in the ball after a jump ball tip from Giannis Antetokounmpo missed. However the bucket was waived off because the refs said that Lopez tried to shoot the ball, rather than tip it in, and you need at least 0.3 seconds to get a shot off. However, after review, the basket should have counted, and the Milwaukee Bucks should have been up three points with around three seconds remaining in the game. However, the score remained 98-97. Moreover, there were missed calls on the final play of the game. Crew chief Mike Callahan stated that there were three missed calls on the final play, “An illegal screen by Kyrie Irving on Khris Middleton; a subsequent hold by Middleton on Marcus Morris to prevent him from using Irving’s screen to catch a wide-open lob at the rim; and an Eric Bledsoe foul on Irving on his drive before he missed what would have been a game-winning shot.” While Irving went on to miss the game-winning shot because it was off the mark, there were clearly issues with the officiating in the final plays of this game. However, this is not the only recent criticism NBA referees have been getting. Another controversial issue surrounded a video of Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards that went viral recently. On Feb. 11, the Wizards played the Detroit
9
Pistons. While it was not a game-deciding call, Beal took four steps without dribbling while driving to the hoop in the fourth quarter. The travel was not called. It was an obvious walk, but the officials stood by their call. Another case where the officiating was called into question was in the Philadelphia 76ers recent loss to the Boston Celtics. Joel Embiid was fouled by Al Horford on a shot that would have tied the game with 35 seconds remaining. However, no call was made. The Last Two Minute Report after this game stated that Horford made contact with Embiid on the shot and that Embiid should have been sent to the line. However, there was no call and the Celtics went on to win 112-109. Embiid was later fined $25,000 for criticizing the no-call at the end of the game, even though it was later ruled a foul. So how do we combat this? When the game is on the line, it is difficult as fans of basketball to have to question the competency of the referees. With three officials on the court, how do we prevent these missed calls? Obviously the referees are human and doing their best to call these games fairly, but something needs to be done. The referees need to be more accessible for post-game interviews, and need to be held accountable for instances when there are missed calls. The referees also need to be more mobile during the games. This is a rather harsh critique, but with three referees it is easy to often let the play come to you. Ensuring referees are doing everything in their power to get the best angles for situations where the calls can change the course of the game is crucial. With these steps, as sports fans we can be reassured that our referees are going to call the game fairly to the best of their ability. Contact Tess Philips at tphilli7@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
No. 17 Irish suffer first loss of season to No. 14 Spiders Observer Sports Staff
No. 17 Notre Dame suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, falling to No. 14 Richmond 9-8 on the road. Despite staging a late comeback to bring the game within one goal, the Irish were ultimately unable to overcome the deficit as the Spiders held on to win as cold and rainy conditions persisted inside Robins Stadium throughout the afternoon. Richmond (3-1) got off to a quick start, netting three goals in the opening eight minutes of the game. Notre Dame (1-1) rallied to tally a goal of its own during an extra man opportunity before the end of the first period, with junior attacker Brian Willetts firing in a quick shot from the left perimeter. But the Spiders responded again, and the first quarter closed with the Irish on the wrong side of a 4-1 score. Notre Dame came out stronger in the second quarter, striking first on the attacking end via senior midfielder Brendan Gleason just over five minutes into the start of the period. Cradling at high right side of the box, Gleason dodged past three defenders to dump the ball into the top left corner of the goal, sneaking it past junior Spider goalie Jack Rusbuldt to cut the score to 4-2. After a few scoreless minutes, Richmond extended its lead again, with senior attacker Teddy Hatfield making it 5-2. The Irish responded with a slight comeback at the end of the period behind junior midfielder Bryan Costabile, who scored twice in the final 1:16 of the first half to bring the Irish within one and close the second period at 5-4. Despite finishing the first half strong, Notre Dame came out of the locker room looking f lat, and Richmond capitalized quickly. Senior attacker Ryan Lee and junior midfielder Tate Gallagher each notched a goal within the first 3:02 of the third period, leaving the Irish yet again in a three-goal deficit. But Notre Dame claimed the
final goal of the third period with 6:21 remaining, with Willetts netting his second score of the night. Willetts, who snuck around the crease from behind, received a dump pass from above courtesy of freshman midfielder Quinn McCahon, and slotted the ball in on the left side. The third quarter closed with a score of 7-5, the Irish still trailing. To start scoring in the fourth and final quarter, Notre Dame senior midfielder Timmy Phillips streaked down the left wing all the way to the goal and curled the ball in across the center of the crease, dodging his defender and dumping the ball high and in to make it 7-6. But the Irish momentum was cut short by a pushing penalty on freshman attacker Griffin Westlin, giving Spiders a man-advantage. Richmond capitalized and scored two
straight goals to increase its lead to three again at 9-6. Undeterred, Notre Dame kept its foot on the gas offensively and was led by sophomore attacker Connor Morin, who netted two goals in the final 5:19 of the game. On his first score, Morin rolled in from the right, threw a fake high to the outside, and whipped the ball into the top left corner. Less than a minute later, Morin struck again, pulling a similar move, rolling around the right side of the crease but this time shooting low. With four minutes left to play, however, the Irish were unable to complete their comeback, and they ultimately fell by a score of 9-8. The Irish will return home on Sunday to take on the University of Maryland in another non-conference matchup. Game time is scheduled for noon.
Observer File Photo
Irish senior midfielder Brendan Gleason runs with the ball during Notre Dame’s 11-7 victory over Richmond on Feb. 24, 2018. The Obser ver accepts classifieds ever y business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Obser ver reser ves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
Write Sports. Email Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
For Sale Legends Row Condo FSBO. 3rd fl unit. Fully furnished 2BR/2BA/2Parking Email: MJG0820@gmail.com
Uptown girl / She’s been living in her uptown world / I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy / I bet her mama never told her why I’m gonna try for an uptown girl / She’s been living in her white bread world / As long as anyone with hot
blood can / And now she’s looking for a downtown man / That’s what I am And when she knows / What she wants from her time / And when she wakes up / And makes up her mind
10
Sports
The observer | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
W Lax Continued from page 12
back-to-back goals, as senior attack Nikki Ortega scored on a pass from Howe, and then Howe scored five minutes later with the roles reversed. The Irish continued to add to their goal total as the game went on, with Masinko scoring on a goal from Howe, and Carr scoring twice after getting the ball from Aldave, just over a minute apart, the second of the two goals making the game 15-8. Buckeyes senior midfielder Baley Parrot scored her third goal of the game for Ohio State with 18 minutes remaining, but the game was pretty much delivered for the Irish, as Lynch notched her second of the game. Parrott capped Ohio State’s scoring for the day with her fifth goal, but Notre Dame went on to add three more to the scoreboard as sophomore midfielder Katie Enrietto scored twice and Howe wrapped up her record-setting day with her sixth goal. Howe’s six goals and six assists — 12 points — ties the program record for most points recorded in a single game, which was set by Jillian Byers in 2009. The Irish also set a program record for assists with 17 and draw controls, as Aldave recorded 16 draw controls, breaking her own singlegame record of 11, which she tallied twice as a freshman. Her 16 draws added to the Irish total during the game of 23,
Track Continued from page 12
time of 9:38.85, seven seconds better than second place — a performance that Irish head coach Matt Sparks said he was not surprised by. “[In] the DMR we felt like [the team was] in a good place in the men’s side, and they did not disappoint,” he said. On the women’s side of the DMR, the team of junior Mikayla Schneider, junior Grace Cronin, senior Kelly Hart and senior Rachel DaDamio finished in third place with a time of 11:13.73, with a razorthin 0.68 seconds separating them from runner-up Florida State. In addition to helping Notre Dame get first place in the DMR, Nuguse came out on top in the mile. Nuguse ran for a time of 3:57.93, which was six seconds better than the second-place finish and a record at Rector Fieldhouse. Nuguse’s time was also the eighth-best time by an NCAA Division 1 runner this indoor season. Sparks had high praise for the surging sophomore. “[Nuguse] ran 3:57 by himself. I’m pretty sure there’s not another guy in the country that’s broken 4 [minutes] from start to finish,” Sparks said.
which was one greater than the previous Irish record of 22 in a game. Notre Dame’s next game against Kent State was a bit of a different storyline, with no back-and-forth in the first half, as Notre Dame dominated from the opening draw. Thirteen different members of the Irish roster scored in the 27-0 routing of the Golden Flashes (0-4), as the Irish set even more program records. This was the first time the Irish have shut out another team since 2010, when they blanked Villanova. However, Kent State was never given much of a chance as Notre Dame did not allow a single shot on goal throughout the game. The game’s first nine minutes saw six goals — Aldave opened scoring just over three minutes in, and she, Masinko, Enrietto and Howe each added to the total, with only one assisted goal in that time span. Eighteen of Notre Dame’s 27 goals came in the first half, with Aldave scoring all four of her goals on the day in the game’s first 12 minutes. Irish junior midfield–attack combo Cassie Ford and freshman midfielder Hannah Dorney each tallied hat tricks, while seven players recorded two goals apiece. One notable moment was with 12:58 minutes remaining in the game, when sophomore midfielder Olivia Jacobsen scored her first-career goal. Senior Samantha Giacolone, sophomore Bridget Deehan
“Typically, you’ll have someone out there following you but from the time the gun went off until he crossed the finish line there wasn’t a guy within a couple of seconds from him after the first lap.” Another highlight for the Irish was the performance in the men’s and women’s weight throwing competition. Junior Logan Kusky took home first place in the men’s weight throwing finals with a distance of 21.37 meters — a Notre Dame school record. Sparks said he was excited about Kusky’s performance, and noted that the junior could compete in the national meet this season. “[Kusky] was the number one seed going in and sometimes that puts a target on your back, but he lived up to the billing,” he said. “He’s put himself in contention for a national qualifying spot. He’s just on the outside looking in right now, but, if we get a few scratches, he might qualify for the [national] meet.” The women’s weight throwing was also dominated by the Irish, who took the top two spots in the competition. Sophomore Rachel Tanczos had the best throw with a distance of 21.08 meters while junior Abbey Kapitan placed second with a distance of 20.76 meters. Tanczos’ distance is a
Ashley hernandez | The Observer
Irish freshman attack Mollie Carr looks to pass during Notre Dame’s 27-0 win over Kent State on Sunday at Loftus Sports Center. On Friday, Carr scored four goals, including one under two minutes into the game.
and junior Grace Steffens alternated in goal. Notre Dame’s 27 goals and 27-goal margin of victory are both program records.
This is Notre Dame’s first 5-0 start since 2016, and so far, the Irish have only trailed for 3:14 in their first five games. The Irish will
begin conference play at home Saturday against Louisville, with opening draw scheduled for 2 p.m. The game will take place at Loftus Sports Center.
school record as well. Despite being opponents in the competition, both women said were happy for each other. Sparks said Kapitan and Tanczos exhibit a friendly competition when they go against each other. “They are really close friends but they’re both really competitive people,” Sparks said. “The happiest person when that competition was over was Abbey, as excited she was for Rachel to win it. That’s just a healthy teammate relationship. They were feeding off each other’s energy to go further and further but, when it was all said and done, they were both equally happy for each other. That’s what makes it so much fun, those two celebrate together.” Two more top-five finishes for the Irish included Hart taking fifth place in the women’s 800-meter final with a time of 2:07.83 and freshman Colton Crum placing fourth in the men’s pole vault with a finish of 5.05 meters. If Notre Dame qualifies any athletes for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, the competitions will be held March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala. ANNA MASON | The Observer
Contact Charlie Ortega Guifarro at cortegag@nd.edu
Irish senior Rachel DaDamio competes in the 1-mile run during the Meyo Invitational at Loftus Sports Center on Feb. 2.
Sports
M Tennis Continued from page 12
playing against their number four guy, who is a very good player and has won many college tennis matches,” Sachire said. “Axel was right there going toe to toe with him, and he did a great job of playing with urgency and focus on every single point. I was also impressed with William Howells winning our number six singles. He’s been out of our lineup in the last couple of matches, but he went back in on Sunday and did a great job.” Sachire said doubles play has been a major area of attention for the team recently. “We focused a lot last week on doubles, and I felt we played much better doubles during the weekend,” Sachire said. “We’re going to really continue to emphasize that because getting the doubles point … is an important part of college tennis dual match. The rest of our focus in practice is going to be about sharpening up what our guys do in their individual games.” On Friday, the Irish will head back home to the Eck Tennis Pavilion to face Michigan State. The Spartans (5-7, 0-0 Big Ten) have dropped three straight matches and will be motivated
Fencing Continued from page 12
her way to her first collegiate championship. She was joined atop the medal stand by classmates Miriam Grady and Amita Berthier in epee and foil, respectively. “The entire team really performed at the highest level, but
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | The Observer
11
to break their losing streak. However, Notre Dame is 5-1 at home and will look to continue their dominance in South Bend. Sachire said the Irish want to perform well and earn the victory against Michigan State. “It’s simple,” he said. “We want to play well and get those four points. We’ve lost a few matches in a row, but our level of play has been … high. Finishing matches off … was something that we were doing earlier in the year, but it’s been a little bit tricky for us in the last couple weekends. But, in terms of how we’re playing, we are not far off from our best. We want to come out on Friday and finish the deal.” Sachire said the match against the Spartans will be tough and that Notre Dame will have to be ready to fight. “They are a Big Ten program and a good team,” Sachire said. “Anytime you play a program with the pedigree of Michigan State, you know it’s going to be a challenge. Our guys are going to have to play well … when we get into position to finish sets and matches.” The Irish and Spartans will begin play at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Ann curtis | The Observer
Contact Patrick Gallagher at pgallag4@nd.edu
Irish senior Grayson Broadus prepares to make a backhand hit during Notre Dame’s 6-1 win over Boston College on Feb. 8. Broadus is 20-13 overall this season, with a 14-7 record in dual meets.
the freshmen in particular were fearless,” Kvaratskhelia said. Despite freshmen claiming two out of three individual titles, Kvaratskhelia was sure to credit the upperclassmen and returning competitors for their guidance and support. He said the consistency of veterans like senior foilists Axel Keifer and Sabrina Massialas was one of the main reasons the team
performed so well. The victories continued into Sunday when the men eliminated the top seeds in all three weapons, leaving the door open for freshman Malcolm Fields and Nick Itkin and senior Dylan French to emerge on top in sabre, foil and epee, respectively. All three men capitalized on this position, ultimately claiming individual
KENdra osinski | The Observer
Irish senior sabre Blake Murphy fights forward during Notre Dame’s 7-0 victory at the Decio Duals at Castellan Family Fencing Center on Jan. 27. Murphy has posted a 24-6 record this season.
titles to complete the sweep on their side of the competition. However, these victories didn’t come without some inter-team competition. While Fields jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never looked back in his win over North Carolina senior Matthew Garrelick, Itkin bested senior teammate Axel Kiefer 15-5, while French fought to the title for his win over sophomore Stephen Ewart. After Ewart took a 10-6 lead, French clawed his way back into the fight and eventually tied things up at 12 before pulling out the 15-13 win to claim his first conference title since his freshman season. In addition to Itkin and Kiefer, Machovec added to his list of accolades, finishing third in the individual foil competition to complete the Irish sweep. In the final event of the day, the women wasted no time, beating both Boston College and North Carolina 24-3, led by 3-0 performances by Massialas, junior foilist Morgan Partridge and sophomore epeeist Dasha Yefremenko against both teams. In a rematch of the men’s championship, Duke and Notre Dame returned to the mat, eager to escape with the win. Despite the back-and-forth that ensued throughout the first couple rounds, the Irish quickly broke out of a 5-4 deficit to earn 17-straight points on their way to the team championship. This past weekend highlighted the greatest strength of Kvaratskhelia’s team — their well-roundedness. “The reason we won the last two years was that every weapon
pretty much gave the same pr o d uc t ion ,” Kv a r a t s k he l i a said. “If that happens then we pretty much have a shot. … If you have a big discrepancy, a championship’s not going to come.” This past weekend’s dominant performance will contribute to qualifying for the NCAA championship, with 40 percent being determined based on inseason performance, and the remaining 60 percent being Regional results. Notre Dame will host the Midwest Regional Championship next Saturday at Castellan Family Fencing Center. “As of now, we have positioned ourselves pretty well [to qualify for the NCAAs], we just have to finish now,” Kvaratskhelia said. With the postseason in full swing, Kvaratskhelia said his team’s biggest obstacle will be avoiding the pressure that comes along with the national championship, saying that they’re their own biggest obstacle. “There’s a few teams out there, usual customers, who will be waiting for us,” Kvaratskhelia said. “They’re strong … but the biggest factor will be how we can handle ourselves. If we can resist the stress and the pressure and can deliver during the moment, we’ll be successful against anyone.” The NCAA Midwest Regional Championship will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond3@nd.edu
12
The observer | wednesday, february 27, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
track & Field | ACC indoor championships
fencing | acc championships
ND sweeps way to Nuguse leads Irish to best pair of ACC titles ACC Championships finish By CHARLOTTE EDMONDS Associate Sports Editor
The two-time defending national champions issued a mandate this past weekend, sweeping all six individual awards on their way to claim both the women’s and men’s ACC titles for the first time in program history. After falling short of the conference title last year, with the women losing to North Carolina in a three-way tiebreaker and the men dropping to Duke, head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia’s team took care of business in Chestnut Hill, Mass., handling No. 6 Duke, North Carolina and the host, Boston College. “It was apparent how focused and determined our athletes were while they were competing,” Kvaratskhelia said. Their path to claiming all eight available gold medals — three in each weapon and one team title per gender — began early, with the men claiming the team title on Saturday. A
23-4 routing of Boston College was followed by a 21-6 beating of North Carolina. In the final round of competition, Notre Dame took on Duke in a clash of old rivals, as the Blue Devils bested the Irish 14-13 earlier in the season. However, this time Notre Dame asserted its dominance, jumping out to 10-1 lead and eventually clinching the 20-7 victory. The final point, coming from freshman foilist Andrew Machovec, set the tone for the weekend as the underclassmen held their own against conference foes. Meanwhile, the women’s team qualified eight athletes to the semifinal rounds of the individual competition, three of which claimed the top seed. Once in the final rounds, the freshmen took over, two of which beat fellow Irish fencers to claim the individual title. Freshman Kara Linder topped Tar Heel junior Jackie Litynski in the sabre competition on see FENCING PAGE 11
By CHARLIE ORTEGA GUIFARRO Sports Writer
anna mason | The Observer
Irish sophomore Yared Nuguse competes in the Meyo Mile during the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 2 at Loftus Sports Center.
Notre Dame falls against top-ranked Ohio State By PATRICK GALLAGHER
Squad continues undefeated year Observer Sports Staff
Sports Writer
see M TENNIS PAGE 11
see TRACK PAGE 10
nd women’s lacrosse | nd 19, oSU 10; nd 27, kent st. 0
nd men’s tennis | ohio state 6, nd 1
On Sunday, No. 12 Notre Dame lost 6-1 to No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes (15-0, 0-0 Big Ten) came into the match undefeated in spring play, but the Irish (8-6, 2-0 ACC) fought hard to challenge the one of the best teams in the country. Irish senior Alex Lebedev battled with Ohio State junior J.J. Wolf, the top ranked player in the country, ultimately losing the first set 7-5 and the second set 6-3. Notre Dame freshman Axel Nefve lost a close match to Ohio State senior Martin Joyce in the third set while sophomore William Howells secured the lone point for the Notre Dame with a two-set victory over Ohio State senior Hunter Tubert. Irish head coach Ryan Sachire said he was impressed with play of his younger players. “I was impressed with Axel Nefve being a freshman and
Putting forth its best athletes, Notre Dame competed in the ACC Championships this past weekend in Blacksburg, Va. The Irish men’s team finished in 6th place with 41 points after all events were scored — their best finish since joining the ACC five years ago. The Irish women’s team finished in 8th place with a score of 33 points. Virginia Tech’s Rector Fieldhouse was the venue for the 15-school event throughout the weekend, which saw multiple records broken by Irish athletes. The first day of competitions saw the men’s distance medley relay (DMR) squad take first place. Senior Edward Cheatham and sophomores Yared Nuguse, Samuel Voelz and Vincent Zona helped the Irish take the ACC crown with a
Ann curtis | The Observer
Irish sophomore Richard Ciamarra winds up for a forehand hit during Notre Dame’s 6-1 victory over Boston College on Feb. 8.
The No. 19 Irish continued their undefeated season as they hit the road to take down Ohio State convincingly before heading home to defeat Kent State, 27-0. Against Ohio State (3-1), Notre Dame (5-0) opened the scoring as freshman attack Mollie Carr scored just over a minute into the game, although the Buckeyes answered quickly on a shot from sophomore midfielder Ali Beekhuizen to tie it. However, Irish sophomore attack Maddie Howe scored again minutes later, as she bounced a goal through the legs of Ohio State junior goalkeeper Jill Rizzo. Ohio State took the next two goals to take a 3-2 lead, but junior attack Jessi Masinko found senior attack Samantha Lynch, the team’s leading scorer, from behind the net, who lobbed a shot up and in to tie the game, just before junior midfielder Erin McBride scored to grab control of the lead again for Notre Dame.
Again, the Buckeyes went back-to-back, but the Irish answered with a 5-0, nearly 10-minute run led off by junior midfielder Savannah Buchanan, who scored the first goal and assisted on three of the next four. All three of those goals were scored by Howe, and the remaining goal she set up for sophomore midfielder Andie Aldave. The Irish finished their run up by a margin of 9-5. Ohio State’s leading scorer, junior midfielder Liza Hernandez, put up her first goal of the game with just over five minutes to play in the first half, and the Buckeyes defense appeared to have the Irish under control for the rest of the half, at least until Howe escaped pressure in the crease and passed to a wideopen Carr just outside the arc with seven seconds remaining to put Notre Dame up 10-6 at half. The Irish opened the second half with another set of see W LAX PAGE 10