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Volume 53, Issue 97 | wednesday, march 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
New men’s dorm named Baumer ND, SMC alumni John and Mollie Baumer gifted $20 million to build hall Observer Staff Report
The new men’s dorm that will open in August will be called Baumer Hall after its donors, according to a Wednesday University press release. The construction of the new residence hall was made possible by a $20 million donation from alumnus John Baumer and his wife, Mollie, a Saint Mary’s alumna. “Residential life is a distinctive hallmark of a Notre Dame undergraduate education, central to our mission to educate both minds and hearts,” University President Fr. John Jenkins said in the release. “We could not be more proud that generations of students will call Baumer Hall home, and we
are deeply grateful to John and Mollie for their extraordinary generosity.” Vice president for student affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding said this gift is particularly important to Notre Dame in light of the six-semester housing policy it announced in fall of 2017. “The Baumer family’s commitment to this new facility supports our ability to form the communities our students call home and for that, we are extremely thankful,” she said in the release. “Baumer Hall will help the University meet the need of housing undergraduate students through at least their junior year, as we continue to sustain and enhance the unique character of residential life for all students.”
Author discusses stigmatization of abortions
A native of South Bend, John Baumer graduated from Notre Dame in 1990 with an undergraduate degree in finance, according to the press release. He later earned his master’s in business administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. His father, Fred Baumer, worked as comptroller at the University for 21 years. John Baumer is a senior partner at private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners and has held seats on the boards of several companies and organizations, including Rite Aid Corp., Petco Animal Supplies, FTD Group and Equinox Fitness, the release said. He also serves on Notre Dame’s Wall Street Committee and
Campaign Cabinet. Mollie Baumer played varsity soccer as an undergraduate at Saint Mary’s. According to the release, she currently holds a seat on Notre Dame’s Advisory Council for the Student-Athlete. Residents of Manhattan Beach, California, the Baumers donated to the Notre Dame men’s head lacrosse coaching position in 2015 and serve on the University’s President’s Circle. “This University has been part of our family story for three generations,” John Baumer said in the release. “The residence hall experience I had at Notre Dame was the backdrop for the best and most lasting friendships and memories I have made. see BAUMER PAGE 4
Campus rape reported Observer Staff Report
A rape was reported to Notre Dame’s Title IX office, according to Notre Dame Police Department’s Tuesday crime log. The alleged rape occurred in an unspecified male residence hall bet ween Feb. 16 and 17, according to the report. Information about sexual assault prevention and resources for sur v ivors of sexual assault are available online from NDPD and from the Title IX office.
SMC choir to celebrate anniversary on tour By EMMA AULT News Writer
The Saint Mary’s Women’s Choir will begin its bi-annual concert tour Friday, making stops at nine venues around the Midwest and Northeast including ones in Cleveland, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, ending with a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The final concert will feature
a Saint Mary’s alumnae choir — welcoming over 60 guest singers from six other women’s choirs — in honor of Saint Mary’s 175th anniversary. This is not the first time the Saint Mary’s choir has performed at Carnegie Hall. According to the spring tour’s program, the choir also visited the venue in 1999, 2001 and 2005. Choral activities director and
music professor Nancy Menk said the group will be performing pieces of special significance to the College. “I picked a lot of Marianthemed music, Magnificats [and] sacred music for women’s voices with an orchestra in honor of Saint Mary’s,” Menk said. “ … The girls in [the choir] are good singers, good musicians see CHOIR PAGE 3
Mendoza to offer minor in digital marketing CLAIRE RAFFORD | The Observer
Author Katie Watson shares narratives of “ordinary abortion” at a discussion hosted by Irish 4 Reproductive Health on Tuesday night. By CLAIRE RAFFORD Associate News Editor
Irish 4 Reproductive Health hosted a conversation with Katie Watson, an associate professor of bioethics and law at Northwestern University
NEWS PAGE 3
and author of “Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law and Politics of Ordinary Abortion” in which she advocated for destigmatizing discussing the subject of abortion in everyday life. see NIGHT PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 5
By MARIA PAUL News Writer
Starting in the fall of 2019, the Mendoza College of Business will be offering students from other colleges at Notre Dame the opportunity to minor in digital marketing. Shankar Ganesan, Mendoza’s marketing chair, said the program was created
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
to help prepare students for the business world’s transition to the digital age. “If you think about it, there are numerous digital technologies that are continuously coming in, and they are fundamentally changing the way the customer is behaving, including their whole customer journey,” Ganesan said. “ … Since customers are behaving
ND W BASKETBALL PAGE 12
very differently, firms also need to adapt to those changing behaviors. So they are also changing their strategies, and more than 40 percent of their spending is now in digital.” Ganesan said he believes all students, regardless of their major of choice, could benefit from studying digital see MINOR PAGE 4
TRACK & FIELD PAGE 12
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TODAY
The observer | Wednesday, march 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Pizza, Pop and Politics Geddes Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Led by Josh Kaplan and David Campbell.
“Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Guano” 116 O’Shaughnessy Hall 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:15 a.m. Additional mass held at 5:15 p.m.
First day of spring break campus-wide all day Classes will resume on March 18.
Flim: “Blindspotting” Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 3 p.m. Student tickets are $4.
“Winning the Fight Against Inequality (and Why it Needs You)” Hesburgh Center 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Artful Yoga Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Join yoga instructor Steve Krojniewski for a relaxing course.
Last Day of Classes campus-wide all day Classes will resume after spring break on March 18.
NCAA Track Indoor Championships Birmingham, Alabama noon Live results available online.
ND Hockey vs. Michigan State Compton Ice Arena 7 p.m. The Irish take on the Spartans.
SMC programs take to Instagram
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By MARIROSE OSBORNE News Writer
A year ago, the department of religious studies at Saint Mary’s established their own Instagram page. Other departments, such as humanistic studies and philosophy, were quick to follow, joining religious studies on Instagram as well as creating pages on other sites. The accounts are most often used to connect with other groups on campus, post internship advertisements and promote events. The religious studies Instagram, called “saintmaryscollegerlst,” was created by religious studies professor Molly Gower. Gower said she decided to make the Instagram page to promote communication between students and faculty. “It’s a way of meeting students where they’re at,” Gower said. “We want to meet students on their platform and help continue classroom discussions in a new way.” Gower said she hopes to expand the account to include all of the department’s faculty members. One day it may be possible for religious studies majors and even minors to post their own content, Gower added. “We may even hire a director of social
media for the religious studies department, or make some sort of social media internship available,” Gower said. Gower said for some of the older professors, Instagram may be difficult to use. “These things make us uncomfortable because they’re new,” she said. “I have learned so much from when I started the page ... just about photo editing and the world of Instagram. It lets the students take over the conversation and provides a platform where they’ll be comfortable to speak up.” The Instagram page has helped some students’ ideas take off. For example, the College’s 2018 trip to the Met’s Heavenly Bodies Exhibit was originally pitched on Instagram. “Instagram has also provided us with a way to stay connected to alumnae and visitors to the college,” Gower said. “Students were able to reach out to one of our speakers, Michelle Kuo, over Instagram, and cultivate a relationship with her.” Laura Williamson Ambrose, chair of the humanistic studies department at Saint Mary’s, runs the humanistic studies Instagram, “HumanisticStudies@SMC.” Ambrose said she finds the page to be a useful communication resource. “The experience on Instagram is
different from say, Facebook” Ambrose said. “It provides a wider audience and it’s just a different language. The language of Instagram is faster, more powerful and it has a broader reach. You can really forge a network there.” Ambrose said she has found hashtags particularly useful in helping Humanistic Studies reach its target audience, she added. “The hashtags are a way of reaching niche fields, and [allow] fans of various domains to follow and explore our program,” she said. “A lot of our followers are students or alumnae, but occasionally we get someone who just loves literature or art.” Ambrose said the account also helps alumnae stay in touch with Saint Mary’s. “It’s a nice way for alumnae to keep their finger on the pulse of the department,” she said. “It allows them to be more connected with the current students and it’s more everyday than the polished official college website.” Gower said the religious studies Instagram does not follow back. “It’s not about being a creepster,” she said. Contact Marirose Osborne at mosborne01@saintmarys.edu
News
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Exoneree shares story of wrongful conviction By CHRISTOPHER PARKER News Writer
The Notre Dame Exoneration Project partnered with the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) on Tuesday to host a lecture by Roosevelt Glenn, who was convicted for a rape he did not commit in 1993. The lecture kicked of NLG’s annual Week Against Mass Incarnation, which, according to its website, serves to promote the organization’s call for “the dismantling and abolition of all prisons and of all aspects of systems and institutions that support, condone, create, fill or protect prisons.” Glenn said his story began in 1989, when Northern Indiana experienced a string of “bump robberies” and rapes. Men would stage a car accident with a victim, attack them and steal their car, he said. Investigators found green coveralls from Glenn’s place of employment at a crime scene and made arrests at a factory safety
meeting. “People walked in, dressed nice in shirts and ties. I thought I was getting an award because I had pulled a guy out of a conveyor belt,” Glenn said. “When they said Roosevelt Glenn, I said, ‘Hey, that’s me,’ then [heard], ‘Get on the ground.’” Police did not tell Glenn what he was being arrested for until they reached the station, he said. “I kept thinking, ‘What was going on?’” he said. ”I always believed in the system. I told them I didn’t need an attorney. I hadn’t done anything.” Glenn said DNA evidence could not link him to the crime scene, but he was still taken to court one month later. After a hung jury could not reach a verdict, the prosecutor secured hair from the crime scene similar in appearance to Glenn’s, as well as three witness testimonies from men in jail who claimed he had confessed to them. “I would have convicted me,”
he said. “They got the blood type, they got the hair, they got the overalls. I just kept thinking ‘How could it happen to me?’” Glenn was convicted and sentenced to 17 years in prison. After 10, a class of law students led by Indiana University (IU) professor Frances Watson took on his case. Glenn said her attitude was completely different than the lawyers he had dealt with in the past. “The professor gave me new life,” he said. “She said I didn’t have to convince her of my innocence.” A retest of the hair from the crime scene took over five years due to intervention from the State, Glenn said. The IU law students also learned the prosecutor withheld evidence misrepresenting the case, yet still the judge denied their petition for Glenn’s release. “The judge said it’s not enough — petition denied,” Glenn said “I heard my mom crying, so I had to be strong. I told her, ‘Don’t worry. I’m coming home in another year anyway.’ I completed my sentence
and came home.” Glenn’s team continued to work on the case and, on Jan. 30, 2017, he was exonerated. Glenn said the experience changed the way he looked at the legal system, which he said he had always respected and admired before. “It’s really hard,” he said. “When you’re growing up in the neighborhoods I grew up in, no one really trusted the police. But I never had a bad encounter, so I believed the system would work. And I got a reality check.” Glenn said his wrongful sentence and registration as a sex offender was equally hard on his family. “You can ask my sister, who put her life on hold to defend her brother whom she knew was no rapist,” he said. “You can ask my wife, who had to tell the children that Dad won’t be home for 17 years. You can ask those little children, whom I left at eight, seven and two, how hard it was for them
to hear about their dad being a rapist.” Young lawyers need to change the way society thinks about the courtroom, Glenn added. “It’s not everybody, it’s just some people,” he said. “The mindset has to be changed … it’s not about winning. It’s not a game, it’s not notches in a belt. You’re destroying family lives, real people.” In light of his experience, Glenn said he is hopeful for the future of law in this country. “Professor Watson, she’s the only one in this state trying to help people,” he said. “But the state of Indiana has [been] put on notice. The Notre Dame Exoneration Project is up and running.” The Week Against Mass Incarceration continues Wednesday and Thursday. Students can visit the Eck Law School Commons from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to write letters to exonerees. Contact Christopher Parker at cparke22@nd.edu
Instagram account shares campus diversity By MARIAH RUSH News Writer
Aiming to better connect the Notre Dame community, an Instagram account called “Domers on a Bench,” launched with its first post last week. “Domers” was modeled after popular photoblog “Humans of New York,” which features candid snapshots of New Yorkers and shares their stories. ND Listens, which works alongside the University’s Development Office and keeps in contact with alumni and friends of the University, started the project. Camila Gonzalez, a senior student ambassador at ND Listens, said the organization hopes “Domers on a Bench” has an impact on the Notre Dame community similar to “Humans of New York.” “What I like about ‘Humans of New York’ is that it catches people’s attention and it lets people know about the diversity and the different types of people in New York,” Gonzalez said. “So ‘Domers’ is a really great way for members of the Notre Dame community to see the diversity that we have and hear from a bunch of different backgrounds.”
Choir Continued from page 1
and they have a good background, so they’re able to learn a pretty challenging level.” Freshman Mollie Gniadek, a member of the choir, said she is “excited to grow closer to all [the] choir members and make friends.” She said her love of music led her to become a part of the
Since its first post, “Domers on a Bench” has amassed over 250 followers and provided seven snapshots and personal stories from Notre Dame students on a variety of topics. Junior student ambassador Emily Figueroa said to many of the staff at ND Listens, “Domers on a Bench” seemed like a good way to engage both current students and alumni. “We just want to use Instagram to spread candid stories about students on campus and student life here … not just students but faculty and campus visitors because you hear over and over again how interesting everyone is on this campus and everyone’s doing something unique,” Figueroa said. “The idea is, if you follow the Instagram [account], you’ll get those stories as a student, but you’ll also get those stories when you graduate because it’s going to be ongoing and a way for you to connect with the University after that.” Senior manager Melvin Osanya said the name “Domers on a Bench” came from chemistry professor and dean emeritus Emil Hoffman, who died in 2015. Hoffman was known for being open to hearing anyone
and everyone’s stories on campus, Osanya said. “[Hoffman] was really beloved by students [and] would hold office hours so that anyone who wanted to talk to him could come in. And after he retired he still lived in South Bend, so then he would just hold unofficial office hours on benches around campus, so that students who still wanted to talk to him could come talk to him,” Osanya said. “So that was kind of inspiration for the idea of calling it ‘Domers on a Bench.’ … It was kind of like a living memory, and just to come around and have those conversations with people.” Osanya leads a team of about 30 students who are student ambassadors for the page and for ND Listens. The account posts three times a week — Monday, Wednesday and Friday — and will publish throughout the summer as well. Osanya said one of the project’s goals is to make the student body more relatable. “Every time you read a Notre Dame newsletter, it’s about a kid who came from ‘x’ situation and accomplished ‘x’ and you read it and think, ‘Wow.’ Even though everyone here [is]
so smart and talented, you feel like you’re not as good because someone has this amazing story,” he said. “So sure, we’re going to tell some amazing stories on there, but at the same time, there could be a story about someone who is just like, ‘I’m missing my dog today.’ It’s something to make sure that we all stay grounded and remember that we’re also kids here at same time.” Gonzalez said she views the page as a means for Notre Dame students to be open and vulnerable. “I think you can learn a bunch from following [it],” she said. ”The students who are getting interviewed are usually very honest, and Notre Dame students often don’t admit they’re struggling, so I feel like ‘Domers’ is a very honest response to what students commonly struggle with, like mental health and school work. It’s really nice to hear someone openly say ‘I also struggle with this, you are not alone.’” Lisa-Maria Legg, senior student ambassador, said the team is also focused on preserving the candid aspect of the page, making sure its stories stay authentic and honest. When
interviewing people, ambassadors try to ask specific questions people might not have thought about before, she said. “I think the stories themselves are very interesting, and you can get a more candid account of what people are going through,” Legg said. “Since we are students approaching other students, they usually feel a little more comfortable speaking and [then] we can get some really interesting, honest stories.” For now, Figueroa said, “Domers on a Bench” hopes to increase its followers and help alumni stay involved at the University. “I think we definitely want to improve our follower base and then we also want to reach out and make it known to alumni of the University — because I know that’s sometimes a hard platform to reach — and that’s our goal with ND Listens, essentially,” Figueroa said. “The emphasis of it is to focus on the people who make this place so great … the people who you wouldn’t hear about day to day each have their own special story.”
group. “I wanted to continue my passion for music and I wanted to be involved because I’m not majoring in music,” she said. Menk said Saint Mary’s alumnae will be opening their doors to the choir during their various stops around the country. “Because we’re staying four nights in a hotel in New York, we’re doing home stays with alumnae families in the cities
we’re visiting,” she said. “And in almost every city, the alumnae club is sponsoring some sort of dinner.” Beyond celebrating the College’s 175th anniversary, Menk said the concert and tour will serve to bring past choir members together. “What’s cool about the Carnegie Hall concert is that it’s not just the current choir. Its gonna be a 250-voice choir made
up of our current choir [and] 60 voice alumnae,” she said. “In other words, my past students are coming back from all over the world to sing, [including] three choirs conducted by Saint Mary’s alumnae from Denver, Indiana and Pennsylvania.” Gniadek is especially looking forward to the New York concert performance. She said she hopes her “feelings of love towards the choir will grow.” Menk said these
sentiments actually enhance a performance. “There’s always bonding, and that helps you sing,” Menk said. “So that’s always a benefit of a tour. … I think it’s going to be really meaningful, and [Interim College President Nancy Nekvasil] is going to be there as well.”
Contact Mariah Rush at mrush@nd.edu
Contact Emma Ault at eault01@saintmarys.edu
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NEWS
The observer | wednesday, march 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Baumer Continued from page 1
Sharing every aspect of life with your residence hall community creates a foundation of friendship and support you will build on for the rest of your life. I am deeply grateful for my time in Zahm [House], and we as a family are delighted that we have the opportunity, through Baumer Hall, to ensure this tradition remains strong and meaningful
Minor Continued from page 1
marketing because of its interdisciplinary nature. “In all these different areas, digital marketing is becoming more and more important, which means that more people with very diverse backgrounds have to be trained in digital marketing,” Ganesan said. “So we feel it is an obligation. It’s something we need to provide so Notre Dame students have a competitive advantage in the marketplace. It doesn’t matter if they are from Mendoza, whether they are in engineering or in the social sciences.” Moreover, Ganesan said he believes studying digital media provides students leverage in the job market as demand for individuals with skills in the discipline grows. “The difference in average salary between the digital marketing jobs and the traditional marketing jobs is close to about $10,000, so they are going to get better jobs and get jobs,” Ganesan said. “I also think that for the younger generation, who are used to and have a high degree of confidence in social media, they can do much better in these jobs than someone who doesn’t have the experience or is older.“ The minor will consist of 15 credit hours, requiring a Principles of Marketing requirement, either a marketing research or consumer behavior course as well as three digital marketing courses. The goal of the minor is for all students to understand fundamentals of marketing and the best practices to engage consumers both online and on mobile through social media and digital strategies, Ganesan said. To provide students with such knowledge, Mendoza College hired two new professors: Timothy Bohling, Mendoza’s chief marketing officer (CMO), and Christian Hughes, a social media marketing expert who will be joining the faculty in August. Bohling has experience in both the academic world and industry, holding several vice president and C-Suite positions at Georgia State University, IBM, HCL Technologies and Stratasys. He is currently teaching a digital marketing course at both the
for future generations.” The dorm, currently under construction, is located near Ryan and Keough Halls on the southwest side of campus. It will be four stories tall and 78,000 square feet, and is projected to house up to 251 men. Baumer Hall will also feature a two-story lounge, study and reading rooms and built-in amenities such as laundry, vending, storage, exercise room, a communal kitchen and an area for food sales in the basement, the release said.
undergraduate and MBA level and will continue to offer the class next semester to those participating in the program. “The pursuit of a digital marketing career is an exciting one, it is an energizing one,” Bohling said. “It is one that is forward-looking and can make a very positive impact not just on personal growth, but on company growth and greatness. When done right, it is a very powerful way in which firms engage with the customers. So it applies in every industry and business.” In Bohling’s digital marketing class, students have the opportunity to review and analyze marketing frameworks, examine current practices to achieve social media eminence, acquire data-driven digital techniques and become industry certified for social marketing and advanced social advertising. The course will combine both lectures and supplemental materials, Bohling said. The program is looking for students with “a passion for the digital revolution,” he added. “It’s both an art and science, so it’s not 100 percent art or 100 percent science, but that appreciation for both sides of the brain matters,” Bohling said. “In today’s world, the data-driven orientation opportunities are significant, but it’s, again, a combination of the arts and sciences, which makes this minor a cross-campus excitement.” Three information sessions about the minor will be held over the next month. The first two will take place in the Duncan Student Center on March 20 and 28, and the third in Mendoza College’s Jordan Auditorium on April 3. Each will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. “This is a signature moment, an exciting path forward for the interdisciplinary learning that can take place in the University of Notre Dame,” Bohling said. “ … It will definitely make a rich classroom discussion, too, this diversity of thoughts and skills. In the business world, that’s how things are done.” To participate in the program, students must submit an online application due April 7. Contact Maria Paul at mpaulran@nd.edu
Abortion Continued from page 1
April Lidinsky, associate professor of women’s and gender studies at Indiana University South Bend, moderated the discussion Tuesday in Corbett Family Hall. Watson said her focus on the abortion controversy topic began when she was teaching a group of medical students about abortion and noticed the everyday stigma surrounding the subject. “Given that prevalence, that was part of the reason the ethics of the topic was relevant for [the medical students] to understand and discuss, regardless of what specialty they’d be going into, that they were going to be expected to be somewhat of the ‘cocktail party expert’ on all sorts of medical issues — not just with the commonness of this procedure for their patients, but also with their family members, their colleagues and friends — and that they just be able to understand it,” Watson said. “I just was so struck by this idea that, ‘Why is the fact that abortion is common not common knowledge?” she added. Watson’s book focuses on “ordinary abortion,” a term she coined herself, which she defined as the reality faced by the vast majority of women who have abortions, rather than the most extreme and tragic cases. “I meant ordinary and — as I say in the book — not to diminish significance to so many and its importance in our culture, but to juxtapose it and make the point that my observation is in our public debate, we talk about what I call ‘extraordinary abortion,’” she said. “It makes sense that advocates raise up cases that trigger our emotions … and those cases are real and important, but they reflect collectively less than 5 percent of all abortion cases. So the cases we discuss the most are the cases that are heard the least.” When looking at the abortion issue, Watson said she noticed “master plots” — repeated themes and stories throughout a culture — about the debate that was not reflected in her personal experience. “I started to notice when I looked at the public abortion conversations that I was starting to see master plots — narratives that just didn’t match what I was hearing from patients or physicians and the social science research that I was reading,” she said. “Master
plots serve a really valuable function in cultures. They’re educational, they’re instructive, they’re often about morality — they’re just values and characters. But when they don’t match, again, I’m interested in those gaps.” One of the most prevalent “master plots,” Watson said, is that the choice to terminate a pregnancy is always a difficult decision for a woman. “If a woman put a very, very high moral value on the embryo she carried, that would be very difficult if she was feeling like she needed to weigh that against her own interests or concerns or imperatives — that would be a really difficult decision,” Watson said. “If a woman thought the moral value of an embryo was low, it might not be as difficult for her to measure that. Embedded in abortion is always a difficult decision, and it’s really a master plot to say abortion ought to be a difficult decision.” Watson added that some other “master plots” she noticed were that abortion is a women’s issue, when it also affects men and the families of the patients, since many women who have abortions already have children, she said. Though the Supreme Court asserted the right to have an abortion in the 1973 case Roe v. Wade, Watson said she laments the fact that the conversation seems to have stifled since then. “I think of abortion as a freedom of conscience issue,” she said. “I think there’s no science that’s going to end this debate. But the constitutional right has become the end of a conversation rather than the beginning of a conversation. [In] every other area in which we have legal freedom, that’s the beginning of the conversation. How would you like to live, how would you like to use that freedom, what is good, what is right, what will keep humans flourishing, what is just — rather than the end of a conversation.” Watson said she feels it is important to promote public discourse on the abortion controversy. “I think abortion should remain a constitutional right, that people should be free to define and do that by their conscience, but of course, [people should be] free to try to persuade one another, convince one another, support one another, live by our lights, which I know is difficult,” she said. “It’s just painful and difficult, but that is where I [lie] on
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so many issues of pluralism.” “One of the issues surrounding the pro-life and pro-choice issues is the great cost to raising a child in the United States, Watson added. “We are not a family-friendly country,” she said. “We do not help mothers and children, and that’s something I think we can all work towards and that I am deeply committed to. … [Do you] want to lower the abortion rate? Make it economically possible to raise children in this country.” During the question-andanswer portion of the conversation, Notre Dame history professor Fr. Bill Miscamble asked Watson about how to define when a fetus becomes a person. “One of the issues that, as I understand it, you look at in this sort of pluralism approach, is you are going to leave it to individuals to determine personhood of the baby,” Miscamble said. “Is there a gradation along that line, or would you say it’s the choice of anyone to destroy that baby one day before birth, and that would be then infanticide one day after birth? [This is] one of the strongest arguments as you listen to the pro-life forces and try to represent them for personhood of the child. It just seems that it’s absurd to say one day before it’s not a person, and one day after it is.” Watson responded to Miscamble’s question by citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade. “I think that the Supreme Court, from a legal perspective, actually did a great job with viability and here’s why,” she said. “It’s actually scientifically inaccurate to say that a one-celled organism has everything it needs to become a person. What it also needs is to live inside a woman’s body for a minimum of six months or else it cannot survive. So, just biologically and scientifically, they cannot be considered as separate from one another. … There’s no debate about her personhood, and so if, by her lights, in that pluralism model, she views before viability as that embryo something that may be destroyed that has not achieved a personhood that prevents that for her, since she’s the one that will have to live with that consequence, I do think that allowing her to make that choice feels morally and ethically and legally appropriate.” Contact Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu
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The observer | wednesday, march 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
By KAY BONTEMPO Scene Writer
A few days into 2019, I woke up to find my Instagram feed filled not w ith models or inf luencers, but w ith photo after photo of aesthetically pleasing folded clothes and well-organized bookshelves. Bemused, I took to the internet to find the source of the craze. Netf lix’s new series, “Tidy ing Up w ith Marie Kondo,” which takes the inf luential book of Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo and brings it to the small screen for new audiences, had gone v iral. Set in Los Angeles, each 45-minute episode features a new hapless family or indiv idual on whose home Kondo cheerfully descends, armed w ith feather dusters and impossibly tiny boxes. With the help of a translator, Kondo explains how to sort your items into categories — books, papers, clothes, komono (miscellaneous) and sentimental items — before env isioning your ideal lifest yle and then trashing ever y thing that doesn’t “speak to your heart.” Unlike other realit y-makeover shows such as “Hoarders,” there’s no dark tw ist or stress on past bad habits — the series is relentlessly wholesome, w ith the emphasis always on
the simple beaut y of tidy ing up. There’s a fundamental self-help aspect to the series. The message is that if you can only purge your apartment of its clutter, then the rest of your life w ill get better as a result. Couples confront major relationship issues as they sort through their baseball card collections and families come to the stunning realization that their mom doesn’t actually like doing ever yone’s laundr y only to have it throw n on the f loor. It’s no accident that the show was released on New Year’s Day. Tidy ing up is one of the top New Year’s resolutions for Americans, and Kondo is here to help. The show clearly hit a ner ve in the American consciousness, w ith thrift stores and Salvation Armies reporting a huge uptick in donations as millennials rush to de-clutter. Kondo’s approach is not for ever yone, and skeptics w ill undoubtedly feel weird about apply ing her quasi-spiritual approach to throw ing out their old g y m shorts. Her “KonMari method” asks you to take each possession lov ingly in your hands and ask yourself — yes, out loud — “Does this spark joy for me? ” If the answer is no, you are instructed to thank the maga zine, Christmas ornament or ten-year-old Weezer CD for its ser v ice
and release it into the void. I also laughed uncomfortably through Kondo’s silent prayer to each house she enters, during which she kneels on the f loor and whispers some sort of invocation to the spirits of junk-hoarding past. That said, Kondo’s enthusiasm does inspire an irresistible urge to tidy up. After binging the whole season, I went home and folded all my pairs of jeans into Kondo’s signature tiny, vertical py ramids. Am I a changed woman? Probably not, but the inside of my sock drawer w ill never be the same. Contact Kay Bontempo at kbontemp@nd.edu
“Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” Season 1 Starring: Marie Kondo Favorite Episodes: “From Students to Improvements,” “The Downsizers” If you like: “Queer Eye,” “The Great British Baking Show” Where to watch: Netflix
CLAIRE KOPISCHKE | The Observer
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The observer | wednesday, march 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
The fashion of politics: From holy to heinous
Inside Column
Lakers season of high hopes falling apart Peter St. John Photographer
Jeffrey Murphy Spilling the Tea
“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” — Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel
Holy: Melania Trump The NBA regular season officially ends April 10. But in reality, the season finishes at different times for different teams. For the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, it barely retained any meaning past November. For the Golden States Warriors, it has only just begun. And for the Los Angeles Lakers, the curtain has just come down and the summer vacation might as well start. Sure, there are 18 games and five weeks still to go officially, but you can put a fork in these Lakers because they are done. The final rites happened in sorry fashion Saturday in a loss to the pathetic Phoenix Suns, who captured only their 13th win of the season amid a whopping 51 defeats. But such ignominy is the kind of fate that befalls a sorry team, and that’s exactly what the Lakers are now and have been for most of this campaign. They’re sorry because they have a sorry structure, patched together last summer to try to cater to LeBron James in a manner that appeared haphazard at the time, and feels even more like it now. They’re sorry because they have sorry leadership, with the executive branch having blundered its way through the Anthony Davis debacle and, on the court, James has done little to improve or inspire the youthful talent around him. The mathematics say the Lakers could still make the playoffs, in the same way a 5-month-old could rise to its feet, walk over to you and begin talking in complete sentences. At 30-33, Los Angeles has lost eight of 12 since James returned from injury, in a symmetrical pattern of one step (a win) forward, followed by two steps (a pair of losses) backward. Since the All-Star break that was supposed to spark a revival, Los Angeles is 2-4 and sits 4.5 games behind the local neighbor Clippers for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. James hasn’t been effective at doing much apart from putting up solid numbers on his own stat sheet. If James attains a high position in the MVP voting, it will be a joke. The award is about value, and he hasn’t provided anything like enough of it. Maybe he has made attempts behind closed doors at mentoring the likes of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, but if he has, they haven’t worked. All of those young players still know how to display certain basketball skills adeptly, but they have picked up nothing about how to mesh together into a tight unit capable of big things. If that hasn’t happened after nearly a full season of playing with one of the best ever, isn’t something wrong here? Contact Peter St. John at pstjohn@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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If I were to ever see the Virgin Mary in person, I imagine she would look something like Melania Trump on the day of her husband’s inauguration. I didn’t sleep for three days thinking about that powder blue Ralph Lauren dress. With matching pumps and a cropped, funnel-collar coat, Mrs. Trump was an absolute vision. I don’t say this lightly: She has dethroned Jackie O as America’s most fashionable First Lady. Mrs. Trump’s most admirable fashion quality is that she always looks stunning. My hand to Mariah, I have never seen the First Lady don an outfit that I didn’t like. Even in her fashion “blunders,” like wearing a Zara jacket with the words “I really don’t care, do u?” embroidered on the back on a trip to visit detained children, the First Lady still looks positively captivating. From the ethereal white gown she wore to the 2017 White House Christmas decoration unveiling to her breathtaking official portrait, Mrs. Trump has continued to serve looks during her tenure as First Lady. For the fashion world, it was particularly fitting that Mrs. Trump replaced Mrs. Obama as First Lady. It was like replacing a knock-off gemstone with a Tiffany diamond.
Heinous: Michelle Obama Fashion is Mrs. Obama’s best opportunity to pretend that she has a robust sense of political individuality. She rarely pushes boundaries or generates novel ideas in her focus group-approved speeches and well-rehearsed diatribes. “I don’t have anything of substance to say, but check out these #girlboss boots, ladies,” Obama seems to say with her style. As Michelle herself told Harper’s Bazaar in 2011, “Style helps distinguish you.” As a woman who chooses her political positions based on survey data, the former First Lady could use a little distinguishing. Fortunately for her, I think she is right — style is a distinguishing agent. Unfortunately for her, Mrs. Obama has no style. On the final stop of her highly publicized book tour, Michelle Obama tried to put her best foot forward (literally) in a pair of $4,000 Balenciaga boots (she’s really salt of the Earth). The thigh-high, coveredin-glitter boots were paired with an equally disappointing silk dress, also designed by Balenciaga. Mrs. Obama accomplished the impossible by making a pair of $4,000 boots look cheap, busy, tacky and borderline-theatrical. The boots looked like something a Diana Ross impersonator would fish out of a bargain bin the day after Halloween. It probably didn’t help that the former First Lady was sitting across from the always-stunning Sarah Jessica Parker. Michelle Obama never ceases to find new ways to disappoint me. She’s one stiletto scandal away from losing the gay vote. Unfortunately, the blind loyalty of Democrats becomes quite literal in assessing Mrs. Obama’s fashion decisions. She could have walked onto the stage wearing the human skin suit from “Silence of the Lambs,” and the girls from Teen Vogue would have gone crazy anyway. I find it difficult to muster pity for the former First Lady because she’s a naturally beautiful woman. With famously toned arms and prominent facial bone structure, it doesn’t take much for Mrs. Obama to look stunning. In fact, when she lets other people dress her, she can come up with some great looks; her first official portrait as First Lady (thank you, Michael Kors) and her second inauguration outfit were both
exquisite ensembles. Perhaps Mrs. Obama should consider outsourcing her fashion decisions instead of her policy positions.
Holy: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Justice Ginsburg is a woman with a well-defined sense of personal style. The key to Ginsburg’s consistently impressive outfits is subtlety. Instead of opting for something wildly ostentatious, like thigh-high, glittery Balenciaga boots, Ginsburg expresses her graceful sense of style through sophisticated statement pieces — brightly colored gloves, a patterned jacket, a hair bow, etc. Instead of appearing desperately fashion-forward, Justice Ginsburg looks elegant, refined and timeless. I deeply admire her ability to maintain a wardrobe that soars above the lackluster offerings of her peers but avoids the common pitfalls encountered by public figures attempting to make a statement. Ginsburg’s classic taste and attention to detail allow her outfits to be remembered rather than merely noticed. Ginsburg’s greatest contributions through fashion have arguably occurred in the courtroom. Prior to Ginsburg’s ascension to the high court, Justice O’Connor — the first woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice — established the precedent of feminizing her plain black judicial robes with a simple, white lace jabot. O’Connor did not want the public to think she had to sacrifice her femininity in order to effectively serve on the Court. Therefore, she thought it would be appropriate to add a feminine element of style to her robe. Justice Ginsburg has expanded upon the precedent Justice O’Connor established, amassing an impressive and diverse collection of judicial collars (including a dark, jeweled jabot that she reserves for delivering her dissenting opinions). I am saddened that Justice Sotomayor and Justice Kagan seem disinterested in continuing this tradition.
Heinous: Hillary Clinton Pantsuits are finally popular, and Hillary still looks quirky and outdated. Enough said.
Honorable Mentions: Heinous: Trey Gowdy Holy: William Rehnquist (We stan his iconic gold-striped robe.) Heinous: Newt Gingrich Holy: Barack Obama Heinous: Bernie Sanders Holy: Ann Coulter Heinous: Sarah Huckabee-Sanders Holy: John Boehner Heinous: Monica Lewinsky Holy: George Stephanopoulos Jeff is a senior at Notre Dame majoring in science-business with a minor in sociology. A native of St. Louis, Jeff believes that his hometown is the greatest city in the world and is always ready to talk about The Lou. In his free time, Jeff likes to play tennis, bake in the sun, read autobiographies, spend time with friends, talk on the phone with his mother or twin sister and listen to Mariah Carey’s voice soar through one of her signature love ballads. Hate mail can be directed to jmurph29@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | wednesday, march 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Since when did we all become gynecologists? Jackie O’Brien Domer Debates
“Aren’t you worried you’re going to get breast cancer?” Every single woman who has consulted with her doctor and chosen birth control for her health, lifestyle or both has been asked this question before. By friends, partners and family members. But honestly, since when did we all begin to think we’re all gynecologists? It is time to dispel the myth that a woman’s healthcare choice is anyone’s business but her’s and her doctor’s. Birth control is a controlled medication, meaning it must be prescribed by a licensed medical professional, commonly a gynecologist, general doctor, nurse and sometimes a pharmacist, in order for a woman to gain access to it. Therefore, we can all rest assured that the women in our lives who choose to be on birth control have had a discussion with their doctor and considered the risks, side effects and benefits of different hormonal dosages and options. And I would hope that we could all agree that our medical professionals know much more about the risks associated with birth control than a google-educated opponent who doesn’t even use it. But to ease the concern of those who truly believe that my choice to be on birth control is any of their business, here are some statistics: A study from the University of Copenhagen in March 2018, using a sample size of 1.8 million
women and studying them for over a decade, found hormonal birth control use contributes to, at most, one extra case of breast cancer for every 7,690 women who choose to use hormonal contraception. According to science, then, using hormonal contraception for an extended period of time increases your risk of developing breast cancer by .013 percent. One tenth of a percent. Furthermore, birth control has been proven to reduce a women’s risk of several other types of cancers including ovarian cancer. Conversely, drinking alcohol increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer by a much higher rate: 15 percent for women who have more than three drinks a week, compared to those who have none at all. But I’ve never heard a woman lectured for increasing her risk of breast cancer because of her drinking habits? Now, I doubt any of that will change anyone’s mind, because the real issue here isn’t concern for a woman’s health, but the fight to control her life, her choices and her body. If you are one of those people who would lecture me or question my health choices, using breast cancer as a justification, then statistics are lost on you any way. The debate clearly goes much deeper than that. Birth control has become the battleground for the fight over women’s liberty. The discussion, rather than focusing on science, and respecting the right for women to dictate their life choices, has devolved into a never-ending cycle of myth, rumor and judgement. A woman’s right to make her own health decisions with the consult of her doctor or another medical profession should never fall into question.
We have all been subject to a fear campaign of the risks associated with birth control, the primary intent of which is to make women constantly question their health and wellbeing, rather than to help them make informed decisions about their health. It’s unfortunate that allowing women ready access to birth control is still even up for debate. Despite the countless and numerous ways in which birth control has improved millions of women’s lives, some people still feel the need to restrict a person’s personal choice because of their own convictions. Bottom line: We know what we’re signing up for, and our decisions should not be questioned by those who have no real conception of what it means to be a woman on hormonal contraception. And in the end, it’s no one’s business. No one is camped outside of bars protesting the distribution of alcohol under the guise of a woman’s breast health. No one questions the health choices of a woman drinking responsibly. So let’s stop acting like we’re all gynecologists and experts, and begin to listen with empathy. Listen to our doctors and health professionals, listen to women who have concerns, and listen to and respect the women in our lives who have made educated personal health choices. Jackie is a junior at Notre Dame majoring in political science and peace studies. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, in her free time she can be found discussing politics or the personal merits of Harrison Ford. All questions can be directed to: jobrie21@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
India-Pakistan tensions: What it means Jack Zinsky In the right corner
After a Pakistan-based terrorist killed Indian paramilitar y forces in the disputed Kashmir region, India retaliated by sending fighter jets over Pakistan. Pakistan shot these planes down, and now the two nuclear powers sit on the brink of war once again. A conf lict that has been around since before the Israel-Palestine situation, the fight over the borders in Kashmir and Punjab has defined the young nations of India and Pakistan as they have strained to f lex their muscles against their neighbor. The British Empire released India from its colonial clutches in the mid-20th centur y, and the former colony of India was partitioned into two separate nations, Pakistan and India. Originally, the two were united as one single India, but the Muslim community eventually was separated from the Hindu community. Led by Mohammed A li Jinnah, the Muslim League did not initially want to create a fully independent nation; they just wanted to lobby for Muslim rights in an India dominated by Hinduism. But relations grew too strained and bridges were too burned to restore, so the Muslims formed the independent countr y of Pakistan. This initial partition was a violent time that immediately put the two nations at odds, and tensions have remained high ever since. On Feb. 14, over 40 Indian militar y personnel were murdered in a suicide bombing that the Indian government claims is covertly backed by the Pakistani government. It is no secret that
Pakistan has an Islamic terrorist problem beyond its control, but some say that they do not wish to suppress it. Accusations of using terrorist groups as the so-called “front line” of the Pakistani militar y are hard to dismiss after thorough investigation. Shortly after the suicide bombing Feb. 14, India attempted to respond. Shelling Pakistan in relatively insignificant areas of the Kashmir, India displayed its militar y power while also tr ying to avoid any serious confrontation. Either way, Pakistan was not having it. An Indian fighter jet was shot down in the most direct act of aggression in this conf lict in years. India then responded by attacking Pakistani militar y training camps. It seemed momentarily that the situation would get out of hand, but thankfully Pakistan was able to ease tensions. By returning the captured pilot of the jet to India as a “peace gesture,” ever yone was finally able to take a breath. The biggest threat of an India-Pakistan war was the element of nuclear warfare. If the two officially declared war, the threat of nuclear weapon usage would thrust the world into a Cold War-like state of anxiety it has not seen since the 1980s. Cooler heads theoretically always prevail when nuclear weapons are involved, but with the histor y between these two countries, a full-scale nuclear war is definitely in the cards. This would turn a decades-long crisis into a global affair, forcing countries to either choose a side or stay out of it. India has the second-largest population of any countr y in the world, so any sort of war would be devastating in total loss of life. If nations began to actively support India or Pakistan exclusively, World War III could erupt. This is
unlikely, especially as the crisis continues to be solved through diplomacy, but the threat of nuclear war was enough to make global headlines. As these two nations slowly alleviate the newest tensions, an important event looms: the Indian elections. These are central to the upkeep of Indian democracy, and the nationalist media outlets there probably found it extremely fortunate that India-Pakistan relations reached a new low. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in power, capitalized on this incident, blaming the Pakistani Muslims for the attack right before the citizens go to the polls. It might gain him just enough support to rally the nation, as he had lost some ground before this incident. Election voting is due in less than two months, so Modi can hammer this incident in his campaigning to continue his Hindu nationalist platform. India and Pakistan have been at odds for as long as the two countries have existed. Now, the stakes have never been higher thanks to nuclear technolog y. Electing Modi could rally India to go to war. Tensions will remain incredibly high even in the best-case scenario. Exchanging airstrikes and sponsoring terror attacks on one another is not a recipe for peace, and the world must keep a close eye on the situation. These elections will be pivotal to see where the Indian people stand on the issue of all-out war against Pakistan. Jack Zinsky is a sophomore from Tinley Park, Illinois, majoring in finance. He writes for the rights of the right. He can be reached at jzinsky@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Look at your options and concentrate on what’s most important to you. If you try to take on too much this year, you will end up scrambling. Choose wisely, and call in favors if it will help you reach your target. Keep your emotions under control and your eyes fixed on what you are trying to achieve. Avoid impulsive decisions. Your numbers are 7, 10, 18, 22, 25, 38, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Choose options that won’t cement you into something you may decide you don’t want to do. Leaving room to make adjustments will ensure you can take advantage of a last-minute change of plans you want to make. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Listen to what others have to say, and offer suggestions that are reasonable. Your input will determine who joins forces with you. If you apply pressure, expect to go it alone. An impulsive move will backfire. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Physical problems will occur if you overdo it. Don’t let anyone coerce you into doing something that isn’t healthy. Indulgent behavior on your part or on the part of someone you hang out with will lead to regret. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take the plunge and follow your heart, your intuition and your emotions. Express your feelings and discuss plans with someone you want to get into a joint endeavor with. Enjoy the journey. An unusual suggestion will surprise you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): One step at a time. If you rush into something, you will face unexpected changes that will result in adversity. Be upfront about what you want to see happen, and don’t get involved or take on someone else’s battle. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ll avoid being taken advantage of or pushed into something that is costly or unsafe if you are upfront about what you want, what you are willing to do and what you expect in return. Communication can save the day, so start talking. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You may feel like making a change, but the obstacles you face will make it difficult. Take care of responsibilities before you take on something new. You stand a better chance if you go solo when it comes to personal adjustments. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Communicate, interact with the people you encounter and consider the information you gather. You’ll come to a conclusion regarding your health and personal connection to someone who brings out the worst in you. Consider letting go and moving on. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think twice before you follow someone down a dark path. False information and ulterior motives are apparent, and someone trying to take advantage of your kindness and generosity will break your trust. Take a step back and rethink your next move. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The past holds memories and experiences that will help you forge into the future with certainty, integrity and the ability to get ahead. Don’t allow anyone to misdirect you or get in your way. Do your own thing. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take better care of yourself, your health and your emotional well-being. Stay focused on what you can do to make your life and the lives of those around you better. Offer help, not conflict, and avoid a confrontation. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Slow down. Take better care since minor accidents or sicknesses will set you back. Keep your life simple, and don’t take on more than you can handle. Protect your reputation by offering the truth with facts to back your accusations. Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, caring and demonstrative. You are helpful and generous.
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SPORTS
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNEsday, MARCH 6, 2019 | The Observer
Sports Authority
nBA 2K
League in flux at end of season Lucas Masin-Moyer Assistant Managing Editor
For the past two seasons, the Premier League has seen relatively unexciting title races, with both Manchester City last season and Chelsea the season before coasting to titles. But this year, with nine matches remaining, there is an actual race down the stretch, as Manchester City currently sits a single point above Liverpool for the top spot. And there are plenty of compelling questions this year outside the title race, as Champions League and relegation spots are still very much in flux. So, for the rest of this column, I’ll be giving my insights on how it’s all going to shake out.
Title Race With Spurs now nine points behind Liverpool for second place, it seems as if the title race is down to two teams. This didn’t seem like much of a race a few months ago, as Liverpool sat seven points clear Dec. 30, 20 matches into the season. Since that time though, the Reds have collapsed, being unable to find anything resembling an offense outside of Sadio Mané’s goals, losing to Manchester City and drawing West Ham, Leicester City and Manchester United along the way. Manchester City, on the other hand, has been nothing short of dominant, epitomized by a 6-0 shellacking of Chelsea on Feb. 10. As much as it pains me to say as a Liverpool fan, it seems pretty clear to me that City are the favorites to win the title, as their well-oiled machine under Pep Guardiola has steamrolled competition while Liverpool has stagnated. If Liverpool is going to win the title, it needs to rely on its sensational defense centered on Virgil van Dijk and hope the offense regains its form.
Champions League While Manchester City and Liverpool have, for all intents and purposes, locked down the top two spots, the other two Champions League spots are up for grabs, as only five points separate thirdplace Spurs and sixth-place Chelsea.
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For me, the team that looks most likely to lock down a spot in the top four is Manchester United, who have won 13 of 16 in all matches since replacing former manager Jose Mourinho with Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Paul Pogba especially has looked his magnificent self since Solskjær’s appointment, pulling the strings in midfield and scoring goals for fun. Despite slipping up in recent weeks, and being plagued with injury problems in the latter-half of the season, I believe Spurs will just hold on for the fourth spot with Arsenal being too inconsistent to mount a meaningful charge and Chelsea’s crisis of leadership in recent weeks, epitomized by manager Mauricio Sarri’s public fight with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga over a substitution in the league cup final.
Relegation Like the Champions League race, two teams seem to have locked down their position in the relegation race, as both Huddersfield Town, who sits bottom of the table with only 14 points, and Fulham, only three points above them in 19th, have essentially booked their tickets out of the Premier League. Where relegation gets interesting is for the last spot, as only six points separate 18th-place Cardiff City and 14th-place Newcastle United. Coming into the season, Cardiff were considered the favorites for relegation, and for much of the season have looked the part. Since the turn of the year, however, Cardiff have put together a run of impressive results with victories over Southampton and Bournemouth. Despite this recent run of form, I believe Cardiff will still be relegated as they lack the experience in the end-of-theseason survival pushes of the teams directly ahead of them — Southampton, Burnley, Brighton, Hove Albion and Newcastle. Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer at lmasinmo@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Write Sports. Email Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
NBA 2K League drafts woman for the first time Associated Press
NEW YORK — After over three hours of sitting, waiting and stressing, Chiquita Evans heard her name called. She stood, smiled and put on a Warriors cap, striding to the stage backed by the loudest applause of the night. Someone put a microphone in front of her and asked her how it felt. That’s when she finally choked up. “It changes everything,” she said. “It means everything to me.” Evans became the first woman ever drafted into the NBA 2K League on Tuesday night, going in the fourth round to Warriors Gaming, which is operated by the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. A former college and semipro basketball player, Evans is now the esports league’s first female pro, one of the 126 players who will make between $33,000 to $37,000
per season, plus benefits and team housing. No more sessions as a trainer at Planet Fitness. The Chicago native is heading to the Bay Area. “It feels surreal,” she said. Evans was one of two women who qualified for the 2K League draft this year through the league’s online combine. The other, Brianna Novin, was not selected but could still sign as a free agent. The NBA runs the league in coordination with 2K game publisher Take-Two Interactive, and it did not have any women for its inaugural season. Prior to last year’s draft, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called the lack of gender diversity “a disappointment for all of us so far.” The league set out to solve that problem by holding focus groups with top women gamers to spot potential barriers. One key problem: Data showed that male players
weren’t passing the ball to their female teammates — something that wasn’t accounted for when the league analyzed players to build the 2018 draft pool. “It made us put more emphasis on how good a player was when they got the ball in their hands,” said 2K League managing director Brendan Donohue. “That’s the only part of it they can control.” The league also monitored communication between players more carefully at this year’s combine, removing several players for sexist remarks. That kind of harassment isn’t new to Evans, or women in esports in general. One of the biggest challenges for women is finding teammates for games that rely so heavily on teamwork. Female gamers can try to ignore an offensive, trash-talking opponent — and there are plenty of those in the 2K community.
mlb
Mets hire ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza as adviser Associated Press
NEW YORK — Jessica Mendoza was hired as a baseball operations adviser for the New York Mets on Tuesday while remaining a broadcaster for ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” part of an increasing number of television commentators who also work for teams. She will be involved in player evaluation, roster construction, technological advancement and health and performance, the Mets said. Mendoza, a member of the U.S. Olympic softball team in 2004 and 2008, did not address any potential conf lict of interest — working for a team while simultaneously commentating on all clubs. In the team statement, Mendoza thanked ESPN and Disney for their “understanding and confidence as I balance both tasks moving forward.” ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz wrote in an email to The Associated Press there are “numerous examples across networks of these type of arrangements
where commentators work closely with teams, and we will be fully transparent about Jessica’s relationship with the Mets.” He added: “We have complete faith in her ability as a leading MLB voice for ESPN.” Krulewitz said Mendoza was not available for comment to the AP but likely will be available later this week. MLB Network announcer Bob Costas, a winner of the Hall of Fame’s Frick Award, said Mendoza’s role in game broadcasts is not the same as it would be on a news show such as ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” or HBO’s “Real Sports.” “I think at least some people in the media will watch more closely for traces of conf lict of interest and she can dispel that,” he said. “The proof is in the performance.” Team announcers long have worked for national networks, such as Vin Scully, Tim McCarver and Joe Buck. But they did not report to general managers. Before nationally televised games, managers routinely
give private briefings to the network broadcasters, and some might be more reticent to disclose information to an employee of an opponent. “I think perhaps a more interesting thing would be: Is the person who works for a team equally critical when called over of managerial moves, player performance, did they or did they not make this trade, they did or did not make this free agent signing?” Costas said. “Are the equally even-handed in their praise and criticism? That’s probably more important than any proprietary information.” Former Tigers star Kirk Gibson, a commentator for Fox Sports Detroit since 2015, was hired by the Tigers this offseason as a special assistant to the general manager and will remain in his broadcast role. “I have no problem with that stuff,” Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said. “They’re not going to hold a gun to me and get information that they probably shouldn’t have. They’re just going to come and do their job, and that’s easy enough.”
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The observer | wednesday, march 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
W Bball Continued from page 12
Georgia Tech. Although solidly middle-of-the-pack within the ACC, the eighth-seeded Tar Heels (17-13, 8-8 ACC) have proven to give the Irish trouble this year, handing them their second loss of the season at the end of January. The remaining top-four seeds — all of which advanced to the quarterfinals along with Notre Dame — are No. 2 Louisville, No. 3 NC State and No. 4 Miami. Should Notre Dame win its first conferencetournament game, the team will likely face Miami in the semifinals — another team that’s contributed to Notre Dame’s loss column, as the Hurricanes handed the Irish their third defeat of the season a little over a week after they fell to the Tar Heels. While a deep and competitive ACC field is to be expected, the recent recognition of Notre Dame’s starting unit should signify that head coach Muffet McGraw’s team is in good
position for a deep run in the tournament. For the secondstraight year, senior guard Arike Ogunbowale and fellow classmate forward Jessica Shepard were named unanimous First Team selections, having been named to both the Blue Ribbon Panel and the Coaches All-ACC first teams. Meanwhile, junior guard Jackie Young, senior guard Marina Mabrey and graduate student forward Brianna Turner all made appearances on secondteam lists, with Mabrey and Turner being named to the Blue Ribbon Panel and coaches lists, respectively. Young, receiving honors for the first time in her career, was named to both lists. Additionally, Turner was named to the all-ACC defensive team on her way to being the first Notre Dame player in program history to earn all-ACC honors all four years. These honors were in response to the impressive showing the Irish have put on this season, centered around the five starters. With every individual averaging at least 13.9
points per game, the starting five have demonstrated their ability to bring something different to the table this season. Ogunbowale, the all-time leading scorer in program history, currently sits at 14th among all scorers in the nation with an average of 21.4 points per game. Down on the block, Shepard has built herself a reputation of being a stat stuffer, ranking in the top-15 of eight different statistical categories and coming up 0.1 rebounds-per-game shy of averaging a double-double. Likewise, Young has become
one of the most prolific players in the country, posing a threat to opponents on both ends of the court. She recently set earned her second tripledouble of the season against Virginia, setting a record for a single season and tying former guard Skylar Diggins-Smith’s career high. Not one to be left out, Mabrey has distinguished herself as a formidable floor general in her time with the Irish, averaging over eight assists in the last three games and sitting just four made 3-pointers away from owning the program
record of 262. Rounding out this core unit, Turner has capitalized on her fifth year, having spent all of last season rehabilitating a torn ACL. Shooting well over 60 percent from the field, the four-time all-ACC defensive honoree has cemented herself among the Irish greats. McGraw will lean on all five veteran starters, in addition to her bench, Friday when her team prepares to take on the winner of North Carolina and Georgia Tech. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina.
PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer
Irish graduate student forward Brianna Turner jogs down the court during Notre Dame’s 89-61 win over Duke on Feb. 21 at Purcell Pavilion. Turner is the first Irish player to earn all-ACC honors all four years. Paid Advertisement
PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer
Irish junior guard Jackie Young looks to make a cut during Notre Dame’s 89-61 conference win over Duke at Purcell Pavilion on Feb. 21.
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Championship with his time of 14:39.60 at the Ohio State Invitational earlier this season, the seventh best time in the country. Junior Jack Montesi set a new program record with his time of 46.33 in the 100m backstroke, and freshman Josh Bottelberghe capped off the strong Irish performance by earning a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke. Litzinger was proud of how Bottelberghe has progressed and put in the work to be where he currently is. “I mean Josh was a great athlete coming out of high school, but to have a four-second drop from where you finished last
year to where you are finishing this year is pretty spectacular, especially in the [200m] breaststroke,” Litzinger said. “So he was a very highly sought after recruit, he landed at Notre Dame, he felt home here, he loves the engineering program, he does a great job in school and he is very coachable. So I knew there were some great things that would happen to Josh but [he’s] just [been] pretty spectacular, he kind of skipped over some steps and he went right to the big time, it was a lot of fun.” The Irish will take two weeks off to prepare for the NCAA Championship in Austin, Texas which will start March 27 and conclude by March 30. Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu
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Broadus found a win for Notre Dame in singles as well, defeating Williams 7-6 (6-4), 7-5 with the help of a tie-break victory in the first set. In the sixth spot, however, the Irish were on the wrong side of the tie-break, and senior Nathan Griffin fell to freshman Carson Gates 7-6 (10-8), 6-0. All in all, Notre Dame rebounded from a five-match skid — which saw defeats
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, march 6, 2019 | The Observer
at the hands of UCLA, Columbia, Mississippi State and Michigan, capped off by a 6-1 loss to No. 1 Ohio State — and found success against Michigan State to improve its record to 6-1 at home. The match was last non-conference competition the Irish will see for several weeks as the team prepares to take on five-straight ACC matches — on the road against Louisville, Miami and No. 19 Florida State, and back at home for a Friday-Sunday double header against No. 2 Wake Forest and
North Carolina State. Notre Dame only has two conference matches under its belt, but they have both been wins — a 4-3 victory against Virginia on Feb. 1 and a 6-1 result against Boston College on Feb. 8. With the beginning of the back half of the season and the pickup of ACC play, the Irish will have the chance to better gauge where they stand in the conference. Notre Dame’s matchup against Louisville in Kentucky will take place Sunday at noon.
ANN CURTIS | The Observer
Irish freshman Axel Nefve lines up a hit during Notre Dame’s 6-1 victory over Boston College on Feb. 8. During Friday’s win over Michigan State, Nefve was victorious in both singles and doubles competition. Paid Advertisement
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time of all qualifying teams this season after finishing in 9:26.10 at the Alex Wilson Invitational in February — a program record and the second-fastest time in NCAA history. Despite the potential for a record-breaking performance, Irish head coach Matt Sparks said he knows the four individuals now have a target on their back. Facing the best competition in the country on a packed track, Notre Dame will have to be at its best if it wants to earn a national championship. “There’s a little bit of pressure on the group … basically the entire field is separated by two seconds,” Sparks said. “So things get much more strategic, as far as when you make your moves. Can you make clean handoffs? There are 12 teams on a 200-meter track, which gets crowded. There’s a lot of margin for error there, so we’ve talked a lot over the last week-and-a-half about running the cleanest race you can — staying out of traffic and having no issues passing the baton.” However, from a physical and mental standpoint, Sparks said he is confident in his team’s preparation as they get ready to take the trip down to Alabama. “As far as a physical training component, there’s not much left to do. It comes down to those intricacies,” Sparks said. “Coach Carlson did a great job last year getting those guys ready, and Coach Pate — our new sprints coach — [has done a great job]. One of our weak spots last year was the 400-meter leg, and we’re still running the same guy, Ed Cheatham, but he’s a second-and-a-half faster than he was last year. Everybody’s a little quicker
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than they were last year for the most part, so I feel like we’re in a good place. It’s just making sure they have an understanding of all the different scenarios that might play out once each of them gets the baton.” While the combined success of the men’s DMR is noteworthy in and of itself, it is the unique stories of the four individuals that comprise the team that makes this opportunity such a special one for Sparks, who highlighted each athlete’s journey. “[Cheatham] is a kid who walked through the door his freshman year and asked [former head coach Alan Turner] if he could be on the team,” Sparks said. “His times weren’t good enough to make the team, but Coach Turner said to come and help out at practice. For 12 months, Ed Cheatham was as solid a manager as Notre Dame track and field has had in a long time. At the end of that year, he went back to Coach Turner and asked, ‘Can I be on the team?’ We had graduated a few guys, so [Turner] gave him a tryout and he made it through that process. Last year Ed Cheatham was on the NCAA runner-up team in the DMR, and this year he’s potentially a national champion.” Sparks said Naguse’s also overcame expectations to succeed. “Yared Nuguse wasn’t a highly recruited high school prospect,” Sparks said. “He wasn’t an A-level prospect, but now he’s one of the best milers in the country. Parents came to the US from Ethiopia to give their family a better life, so that’s a really neat story there.” Voelz also faced an uphill battle to make it to Notre Dame, Sparks said. “Sam Voelz, our 800-meter leg, is a transfer from DePaul and a Division III kid,” Sparks said. “Grew up just a Notre Dame fan but didn’t get in out of high school, still dreamed of Notre Dame and [transferred this season] after sitting out indoor track last year just so that he could save his eligibility for Notre Dame.” While Sparks said Jacobs faced a different path than the others, his talent at such a young age is impressive. “On the other side of that is Dylan Jacobs, who won the Foot Locker national championship in high school,” Sparks said. “He’s our leadoff leg. Youngest guy on the team as a true freshman, but he’s got a lot of big-meet experience. … The whole relay’s a cool story … it’s a very unique group of guys.” This weekend, Jacobs, Cheatham, Voelz and Nuguse aim to become champions together. The men’s DMR is scheduled to take place Friday at 9:02 pm EST inside the Birmingham CrossPlex. Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
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The observer | wednesday, march 6, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
track & field
swimming | acc championships
ND finishes 6th at ACC tourney By JIMMY WARD Sports Writer
The Irish men’s swim team found success in Greensboro, North Carolina at the ACC Championships this past weekend, finishing sixth overall with a total of 687 points. Irish head coach Mike Litzinger said he was proud of his team for their performance on the conference level, especially after having to fight back against early adversity. “The ACC is a meat grinder of a competition … there’s great coaches and there’s great teams,” Litzinger said. “Two years ago we were third, we were kind of finding our spot. We got a little rattled the first night, we were in tenth place after all the diving was done. So to kind of crawl out of that hole, we had to nail our relays that first night. The relays were good but they weren’t great so you’re off to a slow start and then everybody else is jumping ahead of you and you are just
DMR team aims for record performance at nationals
grinding to get back into the mix. Our guys did a great job of that — we started the meet in tenth and finished in sixth, we made a pretty good stab at fifth. We knew our relay power was a little bit light this year, it wasn’t as great as it had been the past few years because our speed — we’re a little light in the speed group but we knew that coming in. For our guys to grind and climb on back and find their way to sixth was a pretty heroic effort.” The Irish took on some of the country’s top competition at the ACC Championship meet, and many individuals stepped up and scored big to earn a sixth place finish. Freshmen played a big role in the meet, as they were accountable for a third of the teams points. Sophomore Zach Yeadon placed fourth in the 1650 free with a time of 14:44.55. Yeadon has already qualified for the 1650 free in the NCAA see SWIMMING PAGE 10
By JOE EVERETT Sports Editor
anna mason | The Observer
Irish sophomore Yared Nuguse competes in the Meyo Mile during the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 2 at Loftus Sports Center.
Friday night in Birmingham, Ala., the Irish men’s distance medley (DMR) relay team is going for gold. The lone athletes from Notre Dame to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships this year, freshman Dylan Jacobs (1200m), senior Edward Cheatham (400m), sophomore Samuel Voelz (800m) and sophomore Yared Nuguse (1600m) comprise the Irish DMR team that will compete against a stacked field in the nightcap of Friday’s event schedule. Last year, the Notre Dame DMR team (which included Cheatham and Nuguse) placed second at the NCAA Championships with a time of 9:31.22. This season, the Irish men have been labeled as the team to beat, holding the top see TRACK PAGE 11
nd men’s tennis | nd 5, michigan state 2
nd women’s basketball
All 5 Notre Dame starters Irish return home, beat Spartans given all-ACC honors Observer Sports Staff
Observer Sports Staff
Just two days after clinching a share of the ACC regular season title after its 37-point win over Virginia, the No. 4 Notre Dame women’s basketball team received additional honors and increased recognition this week. In addition to being confirmed as the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming conference tournament, the ACC announced Tuesday that all five starters earned all-conference honors, a record high for the program. Despite finishing the conference schedule tied with Louisville atop the standings, the Irish (27-3, 14-2 ACC) earned the top overall seed for the ACC tournament, having beat the Cardinals (27-2, 14-2 ACC) 83-68 at home Jan. 10. This guarantees them a bye to the quarterfinals, with the bracket currently arranged for the Irish to face the winner of a second-round matchup between North Carolina and
After a five-game skid on the road, No. 13 Notre Dame returned home in style, besting Michigan State 5-2 inside Eck Tennis Pavilion on Friday afternoon. The Irish (9-6, 2-0 ACC) started the day off well by nabbing the doubles point, then proceeded to win in the second through fifth singles spots, dropping only the matches in the first and sixth spot to the Spartans (5-9, 0-1 Big Ten). The match opened with doubles competition, which has been one of Notre Dame’s strengths all season. The duo of sophomore William Howells and freshman Axel Nefve bested Michigan State seniors Ivan Rakick and Billy Shisler 6-2, while the pairing of Matt Gamble and senior Alex Lebedev defeated sophomore Jack Winkler and freshman Nick Williams, 7-5. The third-spot matchup of junior Guillermo Cabrera and senior Grayson Broadus against
see W BBALL PAGE 10
PETER ST. JOHN | The Observer
Irish senior guard Arike Ogunbowale aims a jumper during Notre Dame’s 89-61 victory over Duke on Feb. 21 at Purcell Pavilion.
sophomore John Carlin and senior Colin Harvey went unfinished after the two early Irish victories secured the opening point for Notre Dame. Going into singles competition, four of the six Irish singles players won their first sets, with three of these players going on to win their matches. Lebedev, currently ranked No. 19 among singles players in the country, was the only Notre Dame player who wasn’t able to convert in the following two sets after winning the first, falling to Winkler 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 from the first spot. The Irish proceeded to win in straight sets in both the second and fourth singles spots, with Nefve besting Rakic 6-1, 6-2 and Cabrera knocking off freshman Anthony Pero 6-2, 6-4. Notre Dame also found victory in the third spot, but for No. 111 Howells, it took three sets to get the job done over Carlin, after falling 6-4 in the first set, he rallied to win the next two 6-0 and 6-3. see M TENNIS PAGE 11