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Volume 52, Issue 105 | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND admits potential class of 2022 University breaks the 20,000-applicant threshold for the first time in history By KELLI SMITH Associate News Editor
Notre Dame has officially opened its doors to the class of 2022 after admitting a total of 3,586 students out of a record-breaking 20,370 applications. As this is the first year the University has received over 20,000 applications, associate vice president of undergraduate enrollment Don Bishop said Notre Dame has succeeded in increasing the level of interest in ‘highestability’ students. “About one-third of the students considered to be at the ver y top of the class or w ith a national test score of 33 to 36 ACT or 1500 to 1600 SAT gained admission to Notre Dame this year,”
Bishop said. “ … We’re up four percent in applications, but we’re up 18 percent in what we would call ‘highestability applicants.’” In addition to what he described as an “elaborate evaluation process” that considers how well students performed in their respective environments and how well they fit Notre Dame’s mission of being a “force for good,” Bishop said the admissions team read “ver y carefully” into what a student said and how he or she said it. “Kind of the science and art of admissions is to blend the productivity of the student w ith looking at their motivation and personal
By CIARA HOPKINSON News Writer
Fossil Free ND hosted a panel Tuesday in Geddes Hall titled “The State of Advocacy and Activism at Notre Dame” about challenges and resources for activism on Notre Dame’s campus. The panel, which aimed to encourage advocacy and open dialogue across campus, included members of Student Coalition for Immigrant Activism (SCIA), Irish 4 Reproductive Health (I4RH), Feminist ND, Fossil Free ND, Student Government, Native American Student Association of Notre Dame (NASAND) and Notre Dame Right to Life. W hile each of the groups has had different experiences with the campus community, all expressed similar struggles with generating momentum and widespread participation. Part of that struggle, junior Adam Wiechman of Fossil Free ND
NEWS PAGE 3
Observer Staff Report
Carolyn Woo, the former chief executive officer of Catholic Relief Services, will address the Saint Mary’s class of 2018 at its Commencement ceremony on May 19, according to a College press release. Woo will be awarded the College’s highest honor, an Honorary Doctor of Humanities, at the ceremony, according to the release. Woo immigrated to the United States for her studies
see FRESHMEN PAGE 3
Panel explores advocacy efforts said, are two forms of the “Notre Dame bubble.” “I think that a lot of our students sometimes have the sense of living life in a bubble at Notre Dame, not necessarily being forced to grapple with some very real issues that a lot of other people just outside our University deal with,” Wiechman said. “And I think that because of that, when things like social justice issues are brought into the arena of issues at Notre Dame they have to compete with more immediate issues like a paper due the next day.” This issue was seen, he said, in trying to get students to participate in rallies, which necessitates that students budget their time around academic commitments. “The second form that bubble takes is cross-issue bubble-ness,” Wiechman said. “The way that works is that we have a lot of really passionate see ADVOCACY PAGE 4
Scene PAGE 6
SMC reveals speaker
Claire Kopischke | The Observer
see SPEAKER PAGE 5
Community talks Legends By TEAGAN DILLON News Writer
In Notre Dame’s earliest years, a private, two-story residence just south of Notre Dame Stadium was transformed into a home for the Brothers of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, then into a faculty club and eventually into a hip hangout for of-age seniors, complete with multiple bars and a billiards table and affectionately dubbed the “Senior Bar.” Reconstructed in 1982 and
again in 2003, the plot of land that rests in the shadow of Notre Dame Stadium is now home to the boxy, flat restaurant known as Legends of Notre Dame. In an email sent to the student body from the Office of the Executive Vice President on Feb. 22, John AffleckGraves announced the Parking Committee’s plan to explore the feasibility of a parking garage to “be built on the site where Legends restaurant is currently located.” While there are no
official plans to close Legends, the email contained a survey to generate student and faculty feedback. While the space where Legends sits has changed over the last century, the memories of the original Senior Bar has carried on in the minds of the alumni who knew it best. “To an alumni over 50 or 55, I’m not sure [demolishing] Legends would get much more than a see LEGENDS PAGE 3
Journalist shares research on press safety in Mexico By MICAELA POWERS News Writer
Katherine Corcoran, a Kellogg Institute for International Studies Hewlett fellow for public policy, spoke at the Hesburgh Center for International Studies on Tuesday about why an increasing number
Viewpoint PAGE 9
of journalists are being murdered in Mexico, even as the country is becoming more democratic. Mexico is now one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, Corcoran said — she knows this firsthand. Corcoran worked in the Associated Press’ Mexico bureau as an
enterprise editor overseeing features and special investigations, and then as its bureau chief. She interacted with other journalists who were later killed, allegedly for doing their jobs, she said. “Mex ico is not a countr y at war,” Corcoran said. “The see MEXICO PAGE 5
irish insider outside
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Matt McGraw, husband to women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw, sports a leprechaun hat as he cheers for the Irish during their game on Sunday. Notre Dame beat Mississippi State in the final seconds to claim the program’s second national championship.
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Snite @ Nite Snite Museum 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Events include designing shirts and writing recipes.
History @ Work Lecture 210 DeBartolo Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Professor Julie Greene will be speaking.
Lecture on Women in the Latin American Church Hesburgh Center C103 4 p.m. Reception at 3 p.m.
Men’s Soccer vs. Valparaiso Alumni Stadium 2 p.m. Match vs. Green Bay to follow at 3:45 p.m.
Run 4 Refugees 5K Starts at Main Building 9 a.m. For medical relief for displaced refugees in Syria.
Legacy of a Sacrifice Crypt, below Basilica 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Commemorating the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Film: “Spettacolo” Browning Cinema 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Movie is in Italian and includes subtitles. Tickets found online.
Men’s Tennis vs. Duke Courtney Tennis Center 3:30 p.m. Open to public.
Talk by John Carlos, 1968 Olympian Dahnke Ballroom 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Participants can register online.
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Howard Hall reflects on annual chapel crawl By KARA MIECZNIKOWSKI News Writer
During the Lenten season, Howard Hall set forth a goal for students — attend Mass in every dorm chapel on campus over the period of Lent, covering all 30 residence hall sas part of “Chapel Crawl.” The Crawl allows students to experience different chapels on campus, but sophomore Erica Vossen, who serves on Howard’s Spiritual Life Committee (SLC) and has been involved with the event since coming to campus, said visiting
every dorm is not the highlight of the event. “Being able to see the other chapels on campus is interesting, but that’s not why I do it,” she said. “It’s about the time we get to spend with other members of the community that we might not have ever met otherwise.” Howard’s SLC is responsible for the event’s organization, which includes schedule planning, walkovers, reaching out to other dorms’ rectors and promoting the event. By the end of the crawl, participants will have attended 32 Masses
and prayer services in total. The crawl leads a walk-over to a Mass every day of the week but Saturday, Vossen said, and Fridays are a prayer service, not Mass. “Both are great ways to build community and interact with residents from other dorms,” she said. Another key aspect of the event is the intimacy of the Masses that participants attend. “A lot of the weekday Masses we go to are really small and intimate, especially the men’s halls that have weekly Mass every day,” Vossen said. “You get to meet a lot of people
that are really dedicated.” Many chapel crawl Masses only last around 20 minutes, but the experience of each Mass is especially distinctive, Vossen said. “In the smaller Masses before communion we’ll all stand around the alter, right there, and it’s just a small circle of us,” she said. “I really do love the intimacy.” Participants often attend residence halls’ signature Masses to experience each dorm’s culture. “We also try to hit everyone’s special feature Mass instead of their regular Mass,” Vossen said.
Howard’s SLC has high hopes for the future of the chapel crawl. “It’s a challenging event to make successful,” Vossen said. “Students are usually busy on weeknights, studying or relaxing.” Still, Howard’s SLC hopes to make the event a bigger deal in the future, Vossen said. “We hope to put more intention into it in the coming years,” she said. “We want to get people excited about it.” Contact Kara Miecznikowski at kmieczni@nd.edu
New club promotes economic education By SARA SCHLECHT News Writer
Students and professors joined together to create the Economics Club, a new organization aiming to extend economic education. Junior Mari Garza, founder and president of Economics Club, said both students and faculty have encouraged participation in the club. “Right before this academic year, [an economics] professors reached out to me because he saw that there was in interest in [the subject],” she said. Prior to the club’s formation,
Legends Continued from page 1
shrug,” Terry Corrigan, a 1979 grad who was a bartender at the site of the original Senior Bar his senior year, said. “There’s no memory attached to [Legends]. There’s a certain bad taste in your mouth.” But for those who graduated before its reconstruction in 1982, the Senior Bar was a key social variable at Notre Dame, Corrigan said.
students were looking for ways to expand their economic education outside the classroom, Garza said. “When I first had my [economics] class, [my professor] was looking for someone to do study sessions and review sessions for exams,” she said. “There were two or three sections of a macro[economics] course, and from that I would host these sessions and have 30 or 40 girls show up.” Garza said the club held numerous review sessions to accommodate the many students looking to expand their knowledge and perform better in their classes.
“I [wasn’t] an official tutor,” Garza said. “I [was] just there to help people who were struggling.“ As she helped students, Garza said she realized the professor who had encouraged her to host the review sessions had been correct in sensing students’ interest in having regular access to the knowledge of their peers. “We’re providing not necessarily tutoring, but a resource for students,” Garza said. Freshman Julia Wilson said in an email she joined the club because of her professor’s encouragement and an interest in the club’s focus.
“My involvement has helped me academically because, by tutoring other students, I am able to better understand the material,” Wilson said. The Economics Club hopes to expand its membership to students of subjects other than business and economics, Garza said. The club plans to host events open to all students throughout April, which will be oriented towards both the academic and social aspect of the club. The Economics Club decided to keep the timing of its weekly meetings flexible, Garza said, which allows attendees to ask for
clarification on concepts discussed in classes. “We’re trying to figure out ways to get more people involved,” Garza said. Alongside being an additional academic resource for students, Wilson said the organization has given participants the opportunity to meet other people with similar interests. “My involvement [in the club] has led me to meet new people,” she said.
Open Thursday through Saturday nights, Senior Bar was located at a convenient spot on the edge of campus. “It felt like wherever you were going, on your way to campus or going off campus, you could stop by,” he said. Bryan Gruley, a 1979 grad and a regular at the bar, particularly loved going to Senior Bar on football weekends, he said. “It was great, particularly after the game, to go upstairs, get a
pitcher and sit in a windowsill and watch the scene,” he said. Outside the house to the west on the plot of land now home to academic buildings, seniors grilled hot dogs and burgers all day while the men from Dillon Hall set up their speakers and blasted music from Bruce Springsteen, Gruley said. But when the house was torn down, Corrigan said it lost all of its character. “Without being overly melodramatic, I would say there was
universal condemnation of the decision to tear down the old house,” Corrigan said. In its place stood what is now Legends, though it went under further reconstruction in 2003. “I would be devastated [if it closed],” Brenda Low, who has been working at Legends for 13 years, said. Low first found out about the University’s plans from the February email. She completed the survey, which was focused on the
demand for parking and the usage of the potential parking garage. “But if I didn’t have a job, why would I park there?” Low said. While the email stated that the University would help Legends employees find another job in the result of a closure, they haven’t reached out yet, Low said. “It would be really unfortunate not only to get rid of Legends, but to replace it with a parking garage,” junior Emily Salerno said. “Legends is a favorite that many students have great memories at, and a parking lot in its place would really be a loss of tradition.” Even still, Legends remains a sore subject for the select alumni who knew it as Senior Bar. “Legends to me is this lowslung, brick building that has absolutely no character to it,” Chuck Huttinger, a 1977 grad who was general manager at Senior Bar his senior year, said. “Given all the character that we have at Notre Dame, it seemed kind of strange to me that they replaced the old house with this building that was nothing special really.” For Corrigan, Legends is not much more than a meet-up spot on Football Saturdays or a place to seek refuge from nasty weather. “For someone who only passes by four to five times in the autumn, it’s a great place to anchor someone and find them,” Corrigan said. “But actually going in it and caring about it being taken down? Not the slightest paying of regret or remorse.”
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Freshmen Continued from page 1
that will use the resources of Notre Dame best or is there another student that convinces us they will have a better appreciation for the priorities that we have at Notre Dame?” he said. To generate higher levels of interest in the University, Bishop said, the admissions team did more in terms of early outreach and relationship-building to bring forward an awareness of Notre Dame and help students realize their motivations. “There’s a whole other dimension to Notre Dame [in addition to quality academics] that Notre Dame expects to deliver to every student,” Bishop said. “And that’s you developing a greater sense of who you are, what you’re about and how you can improve the world [and] be a force for good. So we have been hitting that point harder.” Bishop said a change to this year’s
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people at this university and a lot of people with issues that they care a lot about. But unfortunately, when you get really passionate about an issue here it’s very easy to just join that club, get really into that issue and then forget that so many of these things are interconnected.” Another challenge, sophomore Anne Jarrett of I4RH said, was the frustration of having to appeal to an audience that does not “have skin in the game.” I4RH is not recognized by the administration and has not sought recognition, she said, because its mission to advocate for access to contraception and reproductive health resources often runs contrary to University beliefs. “Things that are contrary to these identities are very difficult or become very difficult to advocate for or to fight for simply because if the privileged and prevailing culture is not interested in these issues, then they won’t really be talked about,” Jarrett said. “ ... What’s most difficult for us is that because of that, activism, specifically the activism that our group is doing, is not really perceived as necessary or important.” While Notre Dame Right to Life’s mission to uphold the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death does align with the Catholic ideals of the University, just having the support of the administration is not enough, senior Sarah Drumm said. “I think a lot of students tend to put our club and other clubs into boxes, so most people on this campus see us as an antiabortion club and aren’t really interested in anything that
evaluation process was less reliance on class rank, due to the prevalence of ranking oddities across high schools. “About thirty percent of our admitted students had test scores below the top one percent,” he said. “However, we viewed their applications as stronger due to their classroom achievement, intellectual drive, service and leadership, creativity, special talents and their appreciation for the mission and unique nature of Notre Dame.” With three percent of admits receiving a merit award, over 55 percent receiving a Notre Dame scholarship and more than one out of every three families receiving need-based financial aid, another factor that increased interest was improving financial aid, Bishop said. “I think the priorities that we had in recruitment was to build up more students that had come from disadvantaged backgrounds but had spectacular performances,” he
said. “We were not going to lower admission standards, but we are going to go find more of those students and try to convince them to come to Notre Dame.” Another new record, Bishop said, was made in terms of diversity with 42 percent of accepted students being American students of color, international students, United States citizens living abroad or dual citizens. “We look at disadvantaged backgrounds and their capability of doing the work here, but we also have to look at the students who have probably — admittedly — a lot of resources but have done extremely well with them,” Bishop said. “So it’s blending all of this into a community where everybody’s from a different place — not only geographically — and yet you all get to come together here and you want to be together.” For the second year in a row, California is the number one state represented with 350
admits, followed by Illinois at 330, Indiana at 227 and New York at 220, Bishop said. As a whole, every state in America and over 80 other nations reported an admit. “Most top colleges are tilted somewhat toward the region they’re in,” Bishop said. “That is not true at Notre Dame … the median admit will travel over 750 miles to start their career at Notre Dame.” Bishop said the housing policy to be enacted next year — in which students will be required to live on campus for three years — has resulted in “no reluctance whatsoever” from prospective students considering Notre Dame. “If anything, they feel like Notre Dame has reinforced the value of the importance of hall experience,” Bishop said. Admitted students will also come from the waitlist, of which 1,450 students were admitted, and the Gateway Program. Bishop said the Gateway Program will offer 76 select
students a guaranteed transfer to Notre Dame after spending one year at Holy Cross College. “The quality of the waitlist is well above the profile of the class just a couple of years ago,” Bishop said. “… About 11 percent of this year’s freshman class would not be admitted into this new class due to the increased competitive nature of the applicant pool.” Bishop said he expects the class of 2022 to be more self-directed in forming questions about their academic interests and lives, and less focused on reaching performance thresholds. “That has been probably the most important goal we’ve had in the last eight years — going beyond the numbers and really looking at … how are [students] using their intellectual ability, not just how much intellectual ability do they have,” he said.
we do,” Drumm said. “But really we do events advocating for the dignity of all life in all of its stages, and that overlaps with most clubs on this campus, but people aren’t always receptive to hearing that.” Senior Dom Acri of NASAND used NASAND’S continuous efforts to remove the Columbus murals in Main Building as an example of the difficulty behind maintaining a group’s mission through cycles of graduation, since remaining members choose to focus on other issues. “W hen it comes to students and whether they identif y with the group that they’re getting behind or identif y as allies with, the biggest barrier is the lukewarm effort that happens through cycles of different advocacy campaigns,” Acri said. “Without the University’s support for a lot of the things that students on this campus are advocating for that I’ve seen in the last year, it’s really hard for us to organize.” Many of the panelists agreed it could be difficult to work through the Student Activities Office (SAO) because it is understaffed and can be extremely inefficient. W hile Fossil Free ND has instead turned to Campus Safety to approve of their demonstrations, Wiechman said no one seems to know exactly what the rules or consequences of disobeying them are, and senior Emily Garrett said Feminist ND has all but dissolved due to the administration’s restrictions on their efforts. “The SAO rules were something we were ver y, ver y aware of because the kind of intersectional
feminism that we wanted to bring to campus may not always align with the Catholic mission,” Garrett said. “So something that we found to be a ver y fine line with SAO is this idea of awareness rather than advocacy. The administration and SAO tends to be ver y open to awareness events, not necessarily advocacy events, and honestly, because of that, Feminist ND hasn’t done a whole lot.” Part of the issue is the administration’s comfort with
the status quo and unwillingness to act unless the issue at hand brings public scrutiny upon the University, Drumm said. Senior Carolyn Yvellez of Fossil Free ND — who hosted the panel — pointed to the “4 to 5” movement of a few years ago that incorporated student activism and public pressure to make Notre Dame’s campus more welcoming to LGBT students. Jarrett, along with junior Gargi Purohit of SCIA, said vocal, educated students are
key to any advocacy effort on campus. “One thing I think that people should keep in mind is tr ying to go to events like this — tr y to go to events where people are tr ying to educate you on a certain topic,” Purohit said. “ ... Those are ver y critical parts of advocacy. Just remember that these issues are always ongoing.”
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Mexico Continued from page 1
shocking thing to me was that so many journalists were being killed in a democracy.” After a year researching this issue as a Kellogg fellow, Corcoran concluded that three factors have contributed to the high number of journalist murders in recent years: impunity, weak government institutions and the relationship between drug cartels and political figures. Corcoran noted that government statistics say 99.6 percent of aggressions against journalists (i.e. equipment seizure, threats, assaults, murders) go unprosecuted. “Impunity is a huge problem,” Corcoran said. “So the reason you kill a journalist in Mexico is because you can.” Impunity is the result of weak government institutions, she said. “Everyone says Mexico is a democracy, but anybody who really knows Mexico will say that Mexico never had a full transition to a democracy,“ Corcoran said. “What people there now call it is an electoral plurality — but the institutions never did the full transformation and they remain very weak.”
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Mexico’s transition to democracy has also brought a redistribution of power to state and local governments, Corcoran commented, which has encouraged more relationships between drug cartels and political figures. Sometimes journalists are killed by drug cartels for the cartels’ own reasons, but Corcoran said most of the time journalists are killed by cartel members on behalf of political officials. However, those cases are also the most difficult to prove. “The closer the case is to the government, the less [of a] chance [there is] that it will be investigated, and the more [of a] chance [there is] that they will try to blame narcos or some other entity for killing the journalist,” Corcoran said. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ website, 44 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 1994 in cases in which there was a confirmed motive tied to the journalist’s work and an additional 53 have been killed without a confirmed motive. “People say, ‘Why are all these journalists being killed in Mexico every year?’ And everybody says it’s the narcos,” Corcoran said. However, she said, in reality
the highest number of aggressions against journalists are the work of public officials or some other representative of the government. Corcoran said between 2009 and 2017, 273 of 2,765 total aggressions were committed by organized crime, but 1,352 were committed by public officials. She also noted that according to the Mexican government’s own statistics, 42% of aggressions — not just murders — against journalists were committed by public officials. Overall, aggression against journalists has been increasing every year since 2009, she said, but there are small groups of journalists who are beginning to fight back. “There was no investigative reporting of any merit before in Mexico,” Corcoran said. Recently, however, she said a small group of reporters has begun to investigate corruption in Mexico while training younger journalists to do so as well. “Even though it’s a small movement, it is a movement,” Corcoran said. a difference.” Contact Micaela Powers at mpowers4@nd.edu Paid Advertisement
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Purdue University, as an associate professor in 1981 and as a full-time professor in 1991. According to the release, she served in several leadership roles at Purdue, as both the director of professional master’s programs in the Krannert School of Management and associate executive vice president for academic affairs. In 1997, Woo took on the role of Martin J. Gillen Dean of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, which she held until 2011. In 2012, she began her time as the chief executive officer of Catholic Relief Services, where she served until 2016, according to the release. “Carolyn Woo embodies the spirit we strive to instill in our students: She is a woman of action,” College President Jan Cervelli said in the release. “Her career is a testament to the power of leadership that serves the greater good.” The College will also award an additional honorary degree to Sister Margaret “Peggy”
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O’Neill, according to the release. O’Neill has spent her life advocating for peace, according to the release. In her time working in the Diocese of San Salvador, she has promoted peace through her work with Salvadoran refugees during the civil war and creating an educational and cultural center in El Salvador that emphasized the importance of art and spiritual reflection. According to the release, she currently serves as a faculty member of Santa Clara University’s Casa de la Solidaridad in El Salvador. O’Neill had also spent over 25 years working as a theology professor in the past. O’Neill has received several honors for her work, including the 2008 Peacemaker Award of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace and the 2008 Ciudadana Ilustre Award, according to the press release. “Sister Peggy O’Neill enriches the lives of those around her with her buoyant spirit and unflagging commitment to service,” Cervelli saidw in the release. “Her accompaniment of people in need serves as a shining light through darkness.”
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The observer | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
By MIKE DONOVAN Associate Scene Editor
“I wanna make something like that,” Evan Stephens Hall of Pinegrove tells Pitchfork, referencing The Sound and the Fury, Ulysses and the Crying of Lot 49 “— a love album about semiotics, or a semiotics album about love.” Harmless, it seems. His first EP investigates a lone character, the ampersand, investigating its implications tentatively. Its benign facades hide the seeds to his eventual downfall among the meta-signified, but he’s too entranced in its mythological system to notice. “I’m misaligned,” he begins, with greater accuracy than he knows. “Misanthropy to pass the time.” “I’m so ashamed,” his subconscious predicts. “Yes, that’s it, I’m so ashamed / & so is she.” It seeps to the edge of the void — “I’ve been trying to say / But these awful letters rearrange / My name: my namesake.” The void, he claims to have been avoiding, envelops him. On November 21, 2017, a long, uncapitalized post on Pinegrove’s Facebook “a message from evan: […] i have been accused of sexual coercion. the accusation comes from someone i was involved with for a short but intense period of time […] i believed all our decisions to be based in love. still, i am coming to terms with the fact that i monumentally misread the situation.” Not harmless. It seems. Semiotics and the male gaze yields toxic product. Semiotics? According to Ferdinand de Saussure’s
By DANIEL LIGGIO Scene Writer
I still remember when I first listened to Lil Yachty’s “Lil Boat” mixtape on a Friday after school in the May of 2016. I was a junior in high school, it was swelteringly hot and Lil Yachty had tip-toed onto the hip-hop scene with a voice higher than I thought possible for a serious rapper. Lil Yachty had a sound I could bang my head to when I drove. I liked that, regardless of how much my friends hated it. Within a few weeks, I had gone to the thrift store and bought some vintage Nautica shirts in some vain attempt to imitate his seafaring style. He was barely six months older than me, so I liked to think we would have been stylishly-dressed best friends if we went to the same high school. His sound, back then, was recklessly goofy — no song of his took itself too seriously. He brought what would become known as “bubble-gum” trap to the mainstream. His flow was like candy; you knew it was bad for you (and whatever pride you had in your music taste), but it sounded so good. His music was the kind of gum that you want to chew one piece at a time — a flavor and a sound you desperately wanted, but only in small doses. Steadily, as he and his sound have grown in notoriety, Yachty’s music has declined in quality. That gum I used to crave has lost its elusive flavor. With the release of his first album last year, “Teenage
Course in General Linguistics, the field is the study of the “sign, signifier, signified.” “The linguistic sign,” he says, “unites, not a thing and a name, but a concept and a sound image. The latter is not the material sound, a purely physical thing, but the psychological imprint of the sound, the impression it makes on the senses.” But sex is physical. What if someone were to signify sex? “I know you / You know our bodies move in unison,” Evan claims in song. Don’t confound art and the artist. So we are told. Roland Barthes offers his services. Evan has duped himself into a mythology — the semiological system known as the love song. Mythology, Barthes says, creates a semiological problem. In a Sausserian system the signifier and signified work together to create a sign. The sign can, in turn, be deconstructed to signifier and signified. But myths do not function as such. Mythologically speaking, “that which is a sign in the first system” (Evan’s signifiers — “two weeks spent together […] met my parents […] spent as much time together as possible” and signified — mutual devotion) becomes a mere signifier in the second (signifier — Evan’s actions and belief in mutual devotion — signified — the manipulative effects of the mailed gaze when paired with sexual energy, coercion, manipulation). The victim of Evan’s desire sees the second level of the mythological system, feels its brutish force, but remains powerless to the weight of his first level delusions. Here we find Michel Foucault’s theory clearly defined: “On the face of it, our [Western] civilization possesses no ars erotica” — that being sex wherein “truth is drawn from pleasure itself.” Rather, we find patriarchal
“procedures for telling the truth of sex which are geared to a form of knowledge power” — namely, the confession. Briefly, sex is a taboo. Those engaged wish not to divulge. He, or she, who maintains control over the confession (mainly, the subjugated desire not to confess) has implicit power over the subjugated. Patriarchal tradition tells us that he, not she, will hold the power. But she’s had enough. And confession is no longer the critical signifier. To tell is not taboo. Think #MeToo. Now she steps forward, and he (Evan and all others who export the male gaze) must come to terms with his abuse of power. Barthe’s montsrueux: “The subject suddenly realizes that he is imprisoning the loved object in a net of tyrannies: he has been pitiable, now he becomes monstrous.” And what is a myth without a monster? Sadly, it’s all too easy for someone to become the monster of his (and I gender with purpose here) myth. Evan’s actions — so in tune with antiquated dynamics of power — rearrange his namesake. Not a sensitive (pitiable) kid from the suburban drawl but a writer (and participant) of those malicious myths we sometimes mistake for love songs. We, those who go by he, have to listen. As Audre Lorde attests, she will share her side: “I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me is to be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.” And let us try, try desperately, not to misunderstand. The consequences have been dire.
Emotions,” Lil Yachty reached for a more poppy sound with more technical raps, and, in doing so, largely abandoned the free-floating aura that he used to rely on. I genuinely tried to enjoy the album’s songs like “Bring it Back” and “Forever Young,” but I found it to be an increasingly difficult task. Around a year later, I saw on Instagram’s explore page that his “Lil Boat 2” would be released the next day. But at this point, Lil Yachty had completely fallen off my radar. Seeing that there would be a sequel to “Lil Boat,” however, arguably my favorite musical endeavor of all time, instantly excited me. Maybe this would be a return to the good old days of Lil Yachty, I thought. It was not. “Lil Boat 2” is Juliet waking up to see Romeo dead — the final stab in the tragedy that has become Lil Yachty. That goofy kid with ridiculous red hair who captured my imagination by being himself and expecting nothing from the world is completely gone. “Lil Boat 2” is nothing but proof of his disappearance. In the album, Lil Yachty trades his fun-loving spirit for vain attempts at structured rapping and something he hopes will be a sustainable commercial sound. On ”OOPS,” he does best to put the listener to sleep with his monotone delivery. On “POP OUT,” he tries to replace his old carefree personality with a toughness that isn’t inherent. They’re ideas that don’t work and by no means sound well.
“Lil Boat 2” contains nothing new, nothing unique and nothing fresh. “FLEX” is merely another braggadocio song without a hint of Yachty’s old carelessness. In fact, the central theme of the album is that Lil Yachty has a lot of money and gets lots of women. Good for you, Lil Yachty. There was a time when Lil Yachty was a boat adrift with a bed sheet for a sail. Not everyone saw him and his direction wasn’t clear, but he meant something. Since stumbling into fame, he’s traded his bed sheet sail in for an engine. It is as if he is now rebranding himself as a “Lil Cruise Liney,” chugging along selling nine dollars cocktails to passengers and trying to ensure a steady paycheck. Sure, it’s a business model that may be safe, but is more money worth losing fans?.
Contact Mike Donovan at mdonov10@nd.edu
Contact Daniel Liggio at dliggio@nd.edu
“Lil Boat 2” Lil Yachty Label: Quality Control and UMG Recordings ,Inc. Tracks: “66” If you like: Not enjoying music.
CLAIRE KOPISCHKE | The Observer
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The observer | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
States’ rights and marijuana Laughs between under this administration tears
Inside Column
Jordan Ryan
Words of WisDome
Colleen Fischer News Writer
Most generations have a defining comedy, and none is more notorious than “M*A*S*H.” As legend has said, the sewer system in New York failed because so many people went to f lush their toilets during the commercial break of the show’s finale. During this weekend, I watched a couple of episodes and I was taken aback by the subtle genius of the w riting and the impeccable way that the show balances the seriousness of the setting against the humor of the characters. It, like “Parks and Recreations” and “The Office,” is a workplace comedy, but while the superficial and larger than life characters in the other shows are what makes them funny, it is the purit y of the w riting that makes “M*A*S*H” one of the greatest comedies of all time. The fact that war is completely humorless is challenged by “M*A*S*H.” It is set against the Korean War, and the seriousness of their situation is not only noticed but put on the forefront w ith episodes that go from w itt y conversations and ridiculous situations to tragic losses show ing the complex it y of war. The show covers PTSD, losing friends, a soldier’s fidelit y, homesickness, civ ilian casualties, the loss of innocence and the pure hell of war. These subjects usually belong to dramas but the comedy hijacks them and places them in between sharp dialogue. The show’s lack of laugh breaks and attention grabbing follow-ups to jokes cause some of the brilliant w riting to fall dead. This is one of the ways that I believe it is great the v iewer is forced to listen in order to be entertained, and if you put in the effort you are rewarded w ith the clever comebacks. The w ittiness of the conversation allows me to live v icariously through the characters as I listen to comebacks that I would never be able to form in such a short amount of time. A long w ith the drama of the war and the comedy, there are moments that show the mundanit y of deploy ment and jokes and situations that have applied to ever y war since. For example, the cast gets letters from fourth graders and they are full of innocence and anger alike. I saw a similar photo while f lipping through a photo book of my dad’s during the Iraq war of a nineteen year old who held up a letter say ing, “I hope you don’t get shot.” The comedy of “M*A*S*H” is timeless. That’s why I can turn on my parents’ favorite show from when they were kids and enjoy it myself. Contact Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
One of President Trump’s foundational campaign promises was to reduce the size of the federal government. In the past year, he has made good on his vow and, as a results, he has impressively slowed the growth rate of the Federal Register by roughly 30% in his first year alone. Of those regulations which he did pass, many have merely rescinded old ones. Though clearly paying much attention to the regulatory red tape, the Trump administration has seemed to ignore such approach when handling material policy issues. It has especially taken a major step backwards in its efforts to reduce federal control by its reversing of the Obama era hands-off approach to states’ individual efforts to legalize marijuana. The issue of legalized marijuana has long created conf lict between federal and state governments. As of now, the drug is still illegal under federal law, yet many states have legalized or decriminalized its use. In 2013, then-deputy Attorney General Jim Cole encouraged federal prosecutors, in a memo now referred to as the “Cole Memo,” against investigating and prosecuting states which have legalized marijuana and to divert their attention onto other matters, essentially allowing prosecutors to disregard federal laws with respect to the substance. W hile states were still required to pay close attention to the drug’s distribution and cartels, this memo allowed states to legalize marijuana use with less risk of repercussions from the federal government. This respect for states’ rights is something most Republicans would be expected to applaud. However, in early January 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced his intent to roll back this policy of non-interference. Instead, the Attorney General requested federal prosecutors to now devote keener attention to such legalization, even welcoming federal intervention against it. In a memo to federal prosecutors across the country, Sessions wrote, “In deciding which marijuana activities to prosecute under these laws with the department’s finite resources, prosecutors should follow the well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutions.” He continued, “These principles require federal prosecutors deciding which cases to
prosecute to weigh all relevant considerations of the crime, the deterrent effect of criminal prosecution, and the cumulative impact of particular crimes on the community.” Though not forcing or requiring prosecutorial action, this retraction certainly opens the door to longer and harder fought battles against the drug’s legalization. It is not surprising that the Trump Administration continues to push back against another Obama era regulation. One of President Trump’s biggest talking points is his commitment to dismantling much of what his predecessor built. W hat is surprising, though, is the fact that President Trump has previously approved of such an approach. Back in 2016, the then-candidate told reporters that he believes this decision ought to remain up to the States. He stated, “I wouldn’t interfere because I think that really is a local issue. W hen you look at what’s happened in Colorado as an example, it’s a local thing. I wouldn’t interfere with it.” At a campaign rally, candidate Trump confirmed, “In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state by state.” President Trump’s allowance of such rollbacks not only contradicts typical Republican principles, but expresses almost the exact opposite of his previous position. If President Trump were genuine in his promise of smaller government, he would maintain such a hands-off approach. As he and his administration have touted, the key to a successful government is to stay out and protect state autonomy. By failing to do so, the President risks upsetting both this $7.1 billion industry which has yet to have full chance to f lourish, as well as the state governments and voters which have democratically decided in favor of legalization. Such belief is not in line with typical Republican ideals, and is not in line with his campaign promises. The Trump administration may dig itself into an even deeper hole with this decision and risk upsetting the balance of states’ rights on other policy issues to come. Senior Jordan Ryan, a Pittsburgher formerly of Lyons Hall, studies political science, peace studies and constitutional studies. She welcomes any inquiries, comments or political memes to jryan15@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
@ObserverViewpnt
The observer | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
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LETTERs TO THE EDITOR
Socks can be the greatest gift ever For Christmas this past year, a family member of mine got everyone socks as a gift — now I know what you’re thinking, because it’s exactly what I thought when I unwrapped the present — “oh … um, thanks … socks.” That initial emotion was short-lived and I was filled with remorse when I explored further and discovered the pamphlet that explained for every pair of socks purchased, the company sent a pair of socks to an individual experiencing homelessness. As I delved deeper into this business, I discovered just how impactful donating socks can be. Socks get dirty, and they wear out fast with continual use. New socks are the most requested item by homeless shelters, but they are also the least frequently donated. Without socks, there are potential environmental, mechanical, infectious and social health problems for individuals experiencing homelessness —frostbite, hammer toe, athlete’s foot and the social stigma of poor health associated with feet that smell, to name a few. Individuals experiencing homelessness often walk many miles per day so their socks (if they are lucky enough to have them) get dirty and wear out quickly. The socks I was gifted for Christmas are specially designed to survive wear and tear, provide support and protect from the elements. While I think these characteristics are important, I got to thinking about a way that college students on a budget could address this problem. College athletes receive a tremendous amount
of gear, especially at a strong Division I school like Notre Dame. Amidst all the shirts, shoes and uniforms, the item that is probably the most overlooked is socks. As a student-athlete, my rowing teammates and I receive at a bare minimum 12 pairs of socks every year. Imagine how many pairs of socks a member of the arguably much more popular football team receives. Recently I was sorting through the clothing that had been issued to me over my two and a half years on the team, and I was struck by the sheer number of pairs of socks I have accumulated. It is safe to say that I have more pairs of socks than I know what to do with, and after the socks are worn they inevitably end up getting thrown away. Imagine if each of the 55 rowers on my team donated one of their 12 pairs of issued socks to an individual experiencing homelessness. Fifty-five pairs of socks could be donated to individuals in need each year by a single team. While a women’s rowing team is fairly large, an NCA A football team can have up to 125 rostered players on it. Just think about how many pairs of socks they could donate. If every student-athlete at Notre Dame donated one pair of socks at the beginning of the school year, we could amass about 900 pairs of socks. According to an annual Point-In-Time-Count performed in 2017, there were 125 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness living in St. Joseph County. Every individual experiencing homelessness in St Joseph county could have six new pairs
of socks per year if all student-athletes donated just one pair. As a course requirement for a Poverty Studies capstone, I was able to speak with Michelle Peters, the director of community health and well-being for the Saint Joseph Health System. I asked, “What can the Notre Dame community do for you?” She answered that we students can continue to do the little — clothing drives, food drives and anything that inspires us, because these will always be beneficial for the communities around us. “Socks from Jocks” has been created to address the problem. During the fall of 2018, I want to place collection boxes in each sports locker room. As per NCA A legislation, student-athletes are allowed to donate their gear, so any athlete who wants to contribute can place one new pair of socks in the box. These socks will be delivered to a local homeless shelter by us athletes. This could grow beyond the student-athlete community. The same sort of drive could be set up in dorms around campus. At the beginning of the term, every student could part with one new pair of socks. Socks are little, and for us, one pair is easy to sacrifice. However, to an individual experiencing homelessness one new pair of socks might just be the best gift ever. Jennifer Groth junior March 28
Pro-life movement: Where were you? Two weeks ago, I joined the March for Our Lives in Washington. I, along w ith my peers in the cit y this semester, were joined by thousands of people, young and old. We marched to demand sensible gun control and reform. We marched to save countless young people, who had their young lives taken from them much too early. We marched to protest an unfair system that silences young voices, and a political system that responds to money rather than human lives. There was one heck ler that I experienced on my three-mile journey dow n Constitution Avenue. His sign read, “Rethink your outrage. Guns kill 18 youths daily. Abortion kills 3,500 daily.” He yelled at protestors through a
bullhorn, draw ing away attention from the issue being addressed by the march and changing the atmosphere from one of peaceful rebellion to charged tension. This was the presence of the pro-life movement at the March for Our Lives. A heck ler antagonizing both sides. Support for these issues is by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, if the pro-life movement were to take a fully pro-life stance on a majorit y of issues, rather than seeing abortion as its primar y focus, then just as many students should have been at the March for Our Lives as there were at the March for Life. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Notre Dame’s pro-life student group did not organize a
caravan of students to descend on Washington, or even on Chicago. They didn’t even organize a unified group protest to join the South Bend march. They were quiet. I have one question for those who identif y as pro-life on our campus — where were you that Saturday? Supporting the students across America who have experienced the senseless loss of life, and fulfilling a true pro-life agenda? Or were you quiet?
Join the conversation. Submit a Letter to the Editor: Email viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
Jackie O’Brien sophomore April 2
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DAILY
The observer | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Expand your horizons and open your mind to trying new things. Take greater interest in others as well as in your personal affairs. Look for clear-cut ways to get the most for the least. Avoiding excessive behavior and people who tend to lead you in the wrong direction will help you maintain a lifestyle that is comfortable and fun. Your numbers are 2, 10, 21, 29, 34, 38, 44. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotional issues will surface if you can’t find common ground or an ability to compromise when dealing with others. Inconsistency and outbursts will only make matters worse. Keep the peace and think twice before you say something regrettable. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make changes at home or at work for the right reasons. Don’t let emotions take over or motivate you to head in a direction that may not be suitable over the long term. Intelligence and research will be your tickets to success. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If someone is acting erratically, back away instead of tagging along. Concentrate on what’s best for you and what you want to pursue. An honest assessment of your current situation will help you make a wise choice. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Rethink your lifestyle and the way you handle your money. Building a healthy nest egg will ease your stress. A physical approach to your responsibilities will help you impress others and gain access to a higher position. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Keep busy. Exercise, rigorous activities, taking action and making your dreams come true should be on your agenda. It’s up to you to take control if you want to get ahead or make your life better. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Offering to help others is fine, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Make clear what you are able to contribute before you get started. Avoid excessive people or temptation. Overdoing it will lead to regret. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Get active and fit. Do your best to get rid of bad habits or frivolous behavior. Make wise choices that will encourage you to keep moving and to do the best job possible, and you’ll avoid complaints and criticism. S CO RPIO ( Oct . 23-Nov. 21) : A b u s i nes s tr i p or meeti ng w i ll encourage success. Discuss your ideas and plans and you’ll be given interesting choices. Walk away from anyone who shows signs of inconsistency or unpredictability. Align yourself with stable i nd i v i d u als. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Let the past guide you. A legal or financial experience will save you from a similar fate. Recall what happened and make adjustments to ensure you don’t lose this time around. Don’t hesitate to say “no.” CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Partnerships will need to be handled with the utmost care. If someone appears to be the least bit erratic or inconsistent, it may be best to keep your distance. Trust in facts and only spend what is readily available to you. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Make a stress-free environment your priority. Live frugally and question your relationships with people who tend to be indulgent. Stay focused on what’s important to you and what will bring you the greatest stability. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Speak from the heart and be open about the way you feel and what you want. Walk away from situations that are casting a shadow on your life or your ability to get ahead. Don’t let anyone stand in your way. Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, intuitive and caring. You are charismatic and outgoing.
highly punlikely | christopher brucker
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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sports
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | The Observer
Softball
Sports Authority
Let NFL athletes be intelligent Daniel O’Boyle Senior Sports Writer
With the NFL draft getting ever-closer, we’ve already talked about a couple of prospects in one of the most interesting quarterback classes in recent memory. In February I wrote about Josh Allen, a prospect with elite upside that could make him a superstar in the right situation, but the kind of accuracy concerns that make him too big a risk for a top-5 pick by a team without a clear plan for him. My colleague, Mia Berry, wrote about Lamar Jackson, a player with some accuracy concerns of his own but still far too talented as a passer to be treated as anything other than a quarterback prospect. But how about a prospect who should be a bit more ready to start Day One? It’s time we talked about Josh Rosen. Rosen was a top-rated quarterback coming right out of high school. Like Allen, he has what scouts consider a prototypical height at 6-foot-4, and while he doesn’t possess Allen’s elite arm strength, he does possess the ability to complete an above-average number of passes. He played in a pro-style system at UCLA, has been a starter for three years and has succeeded despite a huge lack of talent on his offensive line and a defense that constantly puts him behind and asks him to throw often. So what’s his problem? He’s — let me just check my notes here — ah yes, he’s too smart. Rosen’s former head coach Jim Mora said last week that he thinks the Cleveland Browns should pick USC quarterback Sam Darnold over Rosen. Because apparently Rosen likes to ask, “Why?” too much. It’s the latest in a line of criticism of Rosen along a similar line. He wore a hat that said “F--- Trump,” so maybe he has too many interests outside of football. He spoke out against the lack of compensation for studentathletes, so apparently he isn’t respectful enough of authority. And according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter
King, many NFL executives think he’s too smart. Traits like intelligence and critical thinking should be celebrated in a quarterback. If Rosen doesn’t think a play will work, he should let the coach know. If a coach can’t explain to his quarterback why they’re doing something, they’re in the wrong profession. And as for what Mora thinks? Well maybe there’s a reason why Rosen was asking “Why?” so much. “Why did I have three offensive coordinators in three years?”, “Why can’t a five-star quarterback and a five-star running back get some decent players to block for them?”, “Why did I throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns and still lose on three separate occasions last year?” Now there is maybe one legitimate concern linked to Rosen’s critical thinking ability. Rosen’s history of concussions and willingness to speak about the issue as well as his family wealth, when combined with the apparent questioning, could lead teams to be concerned about Rosen quitting the sport early out of fear of the effects of CTE. But if that’s the concern, people should say it. Using this kind of language to skirt around the most important issue in this sport helps nobody: Either address the concussion issue directly and have a serious conversation about what it means if top QB prospect might consider quitting football within a few years or else admit that Rosen’s attitude with authority shouldn’t be a problem. Rosen isn’t Johnny Manziel, whose alcoholism ruined any hope of success he might have had. He’s not JaMarcus Russell, who refused to make any effort to learn the Raiders’ playbook. He’s a talented passer who just wants to understand what his team’s doing. If a coach doesn’t want that in a quarterback, maybe what they’re doing isn’t working. Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Write Sports. Email Ben at
bpadanil@nd.edu
Continued from page 16
the season to tie the game. Purdue responded, however, by taking the lead in the top of the sixth with Ramsey plating junior pinch runner Maddie Damon, and two more Boilermaker runs were scored in the seventh to secure the 4-1 win. “Purdue was a tough loss because we didn’t play nearly our best game,” Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf said. “They came in and fought … and we didn’t punch back very well. We had to figure out what we’re going to focus on.” On Friday, the team took on Virginia Tech (13-20, 2-9 ACC) in Blacksburg, Virginia, in the first of a three-game series. The Hokies came out of the dugout ready to strike, scoring a run in each of the first two innings and holding the Irish scoreless. Hokies senior center fielder Caroline Schoenewald scored on an Irish error in the first inning, while junior second baseman Olivia Lattin extended the Hokies lead with a solo home run — her third of the season — in the second frame. After narrowly escaping a bases loaded and no outs situation in the top of the third without allowing the run, the Irish held the Hokies offense in check the remainder of the game. The Irish offense, however, struggled to produce runs of its own. In the top of the seventh inning, Irish junior first baseman MK Bonamy knocked in Reed to cut the deficit in half, but they were unable to tack on anything else and fell 2-1. “We just didn’t hit,” Gumpf said of the loss. “We pitched well enough to beat them, but we had one bad defensive inning. We didn’t win any innings. When
you don’t win any innings, you can’t win the ball game.” With Friday’s win, the Hokies snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Irish. After dropping two games in three days, the Irish headed into Saturday trying to salvage their conference record. In the first game of the day’s doubleheader, the Irish jumped out to a 2-0 over the Hokies in the top of the first inning. Irish junior left fielder Ali Wester hit a single to start the game before freshman center fielder Abby Sweet was hit by a pitch two batters later. Then, junior designated player Cait Brooks stepped up to the plate and hit a deep fly ball to left that the fielder could not field cleanly, scoring both runners. The team’s momentum continued into the second, as Sweet hit an RBI single to bring sophomore outfielder Alexis Bazos home and put the Irish up 3-0 to close the inning. The Hokies quickly tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame, however. The Irish responded in the top of the third, as junior third baseman Melissa Rochford recorded her first home run of the season to put the Irish up one. Then, in the top of the fifth, Sweet hit a home run of her own to put the Irish up 5-3. Despite a Virginia Tech run in the bottom of the sixth inning, Notre Dame held on to its lead to end the first game of the day with a 5-4 win. Gumpf said the best thing about the first Virgina Tech game was that they stayed with it and didn’t get rattled. With a brief break in between, the team returned to the field in hopes of winning the series in the rubber match. Both teams struggled offensively throughout the game, going scoreless through seven innings. Irish
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freshman right-hander Alexis Holloway stifled the Hokies while going the distance, and she even earned the first hit of the game for the Irish in the top of the sixth inning. “If you look at the last month she’s been pretty lights out for us,” Gumpf said of Holloway. “She’s been kinda our go-to. They [she and senior left-hander Katie Beriont] have been a really good duo, and now it’s just about playing consistently behind them. I felt like the last 20 games, they’ve really figured it out.” The Irish eventually broke through offensively in the eighth inning, as Bazos scored Bonamy with an RBI single before Wester earned two more runs with a single down the right side to score both Holloway and Rochford. In the bottom of the eighth, Virginia Tech earned one run back of their own off Holloway, but the freshman closed out the game to give the Irish a 3-1 win and the series victory. Looking ahead, the Irish were set to take on Michigan State in Lansing, Michigan, on Tuesday. However, the game was postponed due to the threat of inclement weather. “We need to play. It’s very frustrating when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate,” Gumpf said of the weather this past month, as the Irish also had a midweek game against Western Michigan on March 21 postponed. After nearly a week off, the team will host Syracuse in a three-game series this weekend at Melissa Cook Stadium. Opening pitch of the first game is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond3@nd.edu
MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer
Irish senior Morgan Reed swing during Notre Dame’s 6-1 win over Eastern Michigan State on Mar. 28 at the Melissa Cook Stadium. Reed has a .333 batting average and has scored five home runs this season. The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
For Rent Commencement Rental - Prime Location. 2 BR 1 BA next to Eddy Street Commons - walk to everything. Email nd-house@sbcglobal.net for photos and additional info.
I’ve never seen a diamond in the flesh. I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies. And I’m not proud of my address, in the torn up town. No post code envy. But ever y song’s like gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin’ in the bathroom. Bloodstains, ball
gowns, trashin’ the hotel room. We don’t care, we’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams. But ever ybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece. Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash. We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair.
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The observer | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Baseball Continued from page 16
After roughly three innings of work at the pitcher’s mound by sophomores Anthony Holubecki and Jack Sheehan, classmate Andrew Belcik was able to close things out in the ninth to secure the easy w in for the Irish. The offense stayed consistent throughout the entire ballgame, as Notre Dame scored two or more runs in seven different innings, and the 18 runs scored marked the team’s highest total since Februar y of 2011 when the Irish put up 19 against Purdue. Aoki was happy w ith his team’s performance and recognized the importance of Tuesday’s game as hopefully a springboard for upcoming conference matchups. “You feel like you have the ship righted as you head into another difficult weekend in the ACC against a really good opponent in Clemson,” Aoki said. “I think it was important to get back in the w in column, but also the thing I tr y to emphasize w ith the team is that when we were dow n at Duke, we played 27 innings of baseball and 24 of them were really good … We weren’t that far away, we just have to figure out a way when the game is hanging in the balance to just play a little more to who we have been the vast majorit y of the rest of the weekend.” Mov ing for ward, Notre Dame w ill play host to Clemson this upcoming weekend in a three game series looking to improve upon their start in conference play. Before that, however, the Irish have ex hibition match Wednesday against the South Bend Cubs at Four Winds Field, weather dependent. The 7-inning contest w ill see all proceeds go to charit y, and is slated to begin at 6 p.m. Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish senior outfielder Alex Kerschner takes a pitch during notre Dame’s 4-1 loss to Kent State on Mar. 27 at Frank Eck Stadium. Kerschner was a single shy of the cycle against Chicago State on Tuesday night and finished with five RBIs in Notre Dame’s 18-4 win. Paid Advertisement
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ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | The Observer
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ND WOMEN’s Golf
Irish prepare for Bryan National Collegiate By CHARLIE ORTEGA GUIFARRO Sports Writer
Notre Dame will head to Greensboro, North Carolina this weekend to compete in the Bryan National Collegiate Golf Tournament. After placing fifth in the Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona over spring break, the Irish will seek to repeat a top-5 finish to strengthen their resume. Head coach Susan Holt said the Irish will have quite the competition in this tournament, which includes several top-tier teams. “We’ll try to [finish top-5], that was one of our goals for the year — to have top-5 finishes
in every event. We play a really competitive schedule,” Holt said. “With that being said, there’s 18 teams in [the Bryan National Collegiate Golf Tournament] and about 11 of them are currently ranked in the top-50. It’s a really good field and certainly one that I think we should be competitive in. We’ll have to play well and play three good rounds and that’s certainly something we’re capable of doing,” she said. In addition to the challenge of facing other talented squads, the Irish will also compete in one of the nation’s most difficult courses. Holt said the course is not
an easy 54-hole course to play in, especially with the weather forecast for Saturday predicting an inevitable rain shower. “I think having prior knowledge of the course will help,” she said. “The majority of the field stays pretty consistent from year to year, so most of the teams have experience on the course as well. We’re just hoping to put three rounds together and continue to compete and play well like we have all year long,” Holt added. In addition to the weather forecast, the Irish might have to change their scheduled 18-hole-per-day plan and play 36-holes on Friday
and the final 18-hole round on Sunday. That decision will be made by the host schools, Wake Forest and UNCG, in the coming days. While Holt acknowledged that her squad has performed well throughout the season, she said she has high hopes for specific players this weekend. “I think [junior] Isabella DiLisio is capable of putting up some really good numbers for us,” she said. “I think if she could be more consistent with doing that it would certainly help the team and it would give her a boost of confidence — which is what this game is all about. Heading
into ACC’s and postseason, I think that would be good for the team.” Holt also commented on the fact that her team has to leave on a Wednesday night for the tournament and does not head back to campus until after Sunday afternoon. “That’s just the nature of our sports, that’s what plays out. It’s definitely a challenge, at Notre Dame especially. [The players] made it here, they do well in school and compete during the day and study at night, that’s pretty routine for them,” Holt said. Contact Charlie Ortega Guifarro at cortegag@nd.edu
W Lax Continued from page 16
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish senior Midfielder Molly Cobb evades a defender while cradling the ball during Notre Dame’s 15-10 victory over Marquette on Feb.28. Cobb has started all 13 games for Notre Dame so far this season, with 17 goals and six assists on the year. Paid Advertisement
they did get.” Senior midfielder Molly Cobb opened the game with a goal in the opening minute. Howe made the score 2-0 with a goal less than two minutes later. After the Wolverines answered with two goals of their own, the Irish went on a 6-0 run. Aldave and Masinko scored twice, while freshman midfielder Kaci Messier and junior attacker Nikki Ortega netted one goal each. Michigan scored three more goals to bring the score to 8-5, but the Irish quickly responded with three of their own to take a commanding lead into halftime. Masinko, Howe, and Ortega provided the Irish’s three goals during this period. Both defenses stiffened in the second half, with neither team being able to score in the first eleven minutes. Notre Dame was able to successfully defend the lead they had built up earlier, holding Michigan to only seven shots in the game’s last thirty minutes. The Irish and the Wolverines scored only three goals apiece in the second half, with Howe, Masinko and Aldave each adding one more to Notre Dame’s total. Halfpenny is pleased with the direction the Irish are going in, and Notre Dame will look to continue to improve over the last few games of the regular season. “We’re excited because we keep getting better every time out,” she said. “It’s April, and we’re looking like a team that’s starting to gel and get into postseason form, which isn’t too far away. The Irish take on Northwestern at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Illinois on Sunday. The game will begin at 1 p.m. Contact Peter Baltes at pbaltes@nd.edu
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The observer | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish junior attack Brendan Gleason attempts to dodge a defender during Notre Dame’s 11-7 victory over Richmond on Feb. 24 at Arlotta Stadium. Gleason recorded three goals and three assists in the contest.
M Lax Continued from page 16
injur y. Irish head coach Kev in Corrigan said Tuesday that Gleason would also be out this week. “Well, obv iously, he’s a goal scorer for us that gives us some f lex ibilit y in that he can play both attack and midfield,” Corrigan said of what the team misses w ith Gleason out. With the lineup change came an uncharacteristically slow start for the Irish. The Orange started the scoring off when Wy nne forced a pass that f lew past its intended target, past the midfield line and into the stick of Orange junior attack Nate Solomon. He then passed it on the resulting break to senior midfielder and captain Brendan Bomberr y, who scored the goal. The goal was the first of three straight for Sy racuse over a two-minute stretch, giv ing the Orange a 3-0 lead w ith 7: 03 left in the first quarter. A lthough the early three-goal deficit was uncharacteristic, Corrigan said it had little impact on the end result. “A minute and a half into the third quarter, it was tied at five,” he said. “So we overcame that. Our problem was that we played ver y poorly in the second half. Quite honestly, played prett y poorly throughout on the offensive end. So it was disappointing from that standpoint.” The Irish were able to fight their way back into it w ith t wo late first-quarter goals and a third just over four minutes into the second quarter. But w ith 5:19 left in the second quarter, another Irish turnover would allow Sy racuse to reclaim the lead — after making a save, freshman goalie Matt Schmidt tried to pass from w ithin the crease but saw his pass get knocked dow n in front of the goal, leading to an easy score for Sy racuse. The turnover was another tally towards Notre Dame’s
final total of 16 in the game. “We did not play good offense,” Corrigan said of the turnovers. “We had t w ice as many turnovers as we had goals, and you’re not going to w in many games when that’s the case. Sy racuse is a good team, they played well, but I don’t attribute that as much to them as I do us. We’ve got to be smarter w ith the ball; we’ve got to understand what a good shot is; when we want to take it and when we don’t. “Our decision-making offensively was not good on Saturday.” For the rest of the second quarter and part of the third, the Irish and Orange traded goals to bring the score to 5-5 early in the third quarter. But for the 15 minutes that followed, the Orange would go on a 4-0 run to take a decisive lead. A nd that run came despite Sy racuse facing six of its eight man-dow n situations in the second half of the game. Corrigan said the offense’s decision-making also played a role in its
inabilit y to execute when it had the advantage. “More than any thing else, the fact that we ended all of those — all but one of those — [opportunities] where we didn’t even have the ball at the end,” he said. “It’s one thing to not score on the man-up opportunities, but to give away the ball and not score, that’s just bad play on our part, and we’ve got to get better.” And while the Irish would tack on one goal late into the game, the Orange would as well, bringing the game to its final tally of 10-6. Now, Notre Dame w ill turn its attention to another ACC foe, as it w ill host No. 6 Duke on Saturday. In short, the Irish w ill look to put this weekend’s loss behind them. “That one’s over and we move on,” Corrigan said. Opening face-off Saturday is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Arlotta Stadium.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish senior attack Mikey Wynne directs the offense during Notre Dame’s 11-7 victory over Richmond on Feb. 24 at Arlotta Stadium.
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu Paid Advertisement
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The observer | wednesday, april 4, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND WOMEN’s Lacrosse | UNC 13, ND 12; ND 14, MICH 8
men’s lACROSSE | Syracuse 10, nd 6
Irish post strong weekend display
Notre Dame struggles offensively in loss By BEN PADANILAM
By PETER BALTES
Sports Editor
Sports Writer
The No. 12 Irish hit the road over the weekend, traveling to Sy racuse, New York, to take on the eighth-ranked Orange. A lthough it came into the game hav ing won its only other prev ious ACC matchup, Notre Dame (5-3, 1-1 ACC) would walk away from the Carrier Dome in defeat, falling to Sy racuse (5-3, 3-0 ACC) by a final score of 10-6. W hen the Irish took the field, they did so w ith a new starter amongst its attack unit — junior Ryder Garnsey, who had come off the bench for the Irish in the last six games, replaced junior Brendan Gleason and joined senior Mikey Wy nne and sophomore Brian Willetts in the starting group. Gleason, who did not play in the game, was later revealed to have been sidelined for the contest w ith an undisclosed
With the regular season winding down, Notre Dame put forth several strong performances over the long weekend. The No. 20 Irish (7-6, 2-4 ACC) defeated Michigan (5-8, 1-2 Big Ten) in convincing fashion by a score of 14-8 on Tuesday at home. The Irish win came just three days after the Irish put together a very strong performance against No. 5 North Carolina, coming within a goal of the Tarheels in a 13-12 loss. On Tuesday, the Irish were able to continue the momentum, combining a torrent of first half scoring with effective defensive play in order to overcome a tenacious Michigan team. Notre Dame head coach Christine Halfpenny was happy with her team’s performance, noting that the Wolverines had provided a tough challenge. “They just fight,” she said. “They fought really, really hard. I think they were patient, they did a really good job of working
see M LAX PAGE 14
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish junior attack Ryder Garnsey cradles the ball during Notre Dame’s 11-7 win over Richmond on Feb. 24 at Arlotta Stadium.
Squad wins with stellar offense Sports Writer
In a game marred by rainy weather, Notre Dame was able to come out w ith a w in in blowout fashion, defeating Chicago State by a score of 18-4 on Tuesday night at Frank Eck Stadium. For the Irish (12-16, 4-8 ACC), the v ictor y was a helpful turnaround after the team was swept this past weekend during a road trip to Duke. Offense was ever y thing for the Irish during the contest, and it came early and often, w ith Notre Dame posting four runs in just the first inning. Partially at fault was the rainy weather and sloppy defense by the Cougars, who committed five errors on the night as well. But the Irish bats were also red-hot, led by senior left fielder A lex Kerschner, who was the main catalyst w ith a two-run single in the first and who finished the game just a home run shy of the cycle, collecting five RBIs throughout the
see W LAX PAGE 13
ND Softball | Purdue 4, ND 1; Virginia Tech 2, ND 1; ND 5, VT 4; ND 3, VT 1
baseball | ND 18, chicago State 4
By ALEX BENDER
for their open looks ... I thought they were physical, I thought they were athletic. They came to play and they played hard and they never went away. That was a great opponent that we had in Michigan.” Notre Dame’s offense was a juggernaut, with six different Irish players scoring. Sophomore attack Jessi Masinko led the team with four goals, while freshman midfielders Andie Aldave and Maddie Howe each scored three times. Howe also led the team with three assists. The Irish pulled ahead to a quick start in the first half, arising largely from their ability to control possession. “We did a fantastic job in the first half,” Halfpenny said. “I thought we were very ]the game for us was the draw control battle, and in the first half we edged them by one. The ground ball was a big, big battle today, and we did a great job winning that. Our defense fueled our offense [by] getting the stops that
night. Chicago State was able to tack on a couple themselves in the third inning when senior right fielder Matt Paciello put one over the fence in left field off sophomore pitcher Cameron Brow n, but Notre Dame responded in the bottom half of the inning when Kerschner, freshman designated hitter Niko Kavadas, junior right fielder Eric Gilgenbach and sophomore first baseman Daniel Jung all collected a string of hits that resulted in three runs for the Irish and gave them a 7-2 lead heading to the fourth. After wards, head coach MiK Aoki commented on the performance of his team at the plate where the bats came alive. “I thought it was good. We had a difficult weekend, so it was nice to bounce back,” said Aoki. It was nice to play at home and I thought we sw ung the bats prett y well which is always good.” see BASEBALL PAGE 12
ND falls to Purdue, bounces back versus VT By CHARLOTTE EDMONDS Associate Sports Editor
Looking to re-establish themselves after having dropped two of their last four games, the Irish attempted to regain some momentum over the past week. And after dropping a midweek contest to Purdue, they were able to take two out of three this past weekend against conference foe Virginia Tech. Notre Dame (23-12, 7-4 ACC) first hosted cross-state rival Purdue (8-27, 1-5 Big Ten) last Wednesday at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Boilermakers paid little regard to their losing record, earning their first run in the second inning, as an Irish fielding error allowed junior second baseman Stephanie Ramsey to reach base and come around to score three batters later on an infield single by junior first baseman Mallory Baker. Two innings later, Irish senior shortstop Morgan Reed recorded her fifth home run of
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
see SOFTBALL PAGE 11
Irish junior first baseman MK Bonamy makes a catch during Notre Dame’s 6-1 victory over Eastern Michigan on Mar. 27.