Print Edition of The Observer for Thursday, August 24, 2017

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Volume 52, Issue 4 | thursday, august 24, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Badin Hall embraces move to Pangborn Hall staff, residents approach living in “Badin on the Green” for a year of construction with positivity

By COURTNEY BECKER News Editor

The Badin Bullfrogs have hopped over to Pangborn Hall this year while their usual home, Badin Hall, undergoes extensive renovations. Badin is the second hall community to be relocated to Pangborn in as many years, as the Walsh Hall community moved back into their newly renovated home this year after living in Pangborn throughout the 2016-2017 academic year.

While the response to the news of certain halls being relocated for a year of construction was initially mixed, Badin Hall senior and Resident Assistant Natalie McNerney said the move has

been met with nothing but positivity from the women of Badin.

“It’s really positive, which is really exciting because I know there was a little concern with us going over to the new building,” she said. “But everyone seems to love it. There are really nice lounges — it’s just great. The rooms are bigger than Badin’s and, so far, the freshmen are loving it.”

This positivity stems largely from the residents embracing the benefits that come with moving into a newer building on campus, Badin rector Sr. Susan Sisko said.

“Our ladies are embracing the challenge of being in see BADIN PAGE 4

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

A whiteboard at the entrance of Pangborn Hall welcomes the Badin community to its home for the year. As renovations take place in Badin Hall, the Bullfrogs have relocated to the opposite side of South Quad.

College welcomes alumna SMC senior works as Holy Cross Hall director with government on new solar cell

By GINA TWARDOSZ

Associate Saint Mary’s Editor

When Elizabeth Palmer graduated Saint Mary’s in 2013, she knew she wanted to return to the College some day.

This year, she will do just that when she becomes the hall director for Holy Cross Hall.

Palmer graduated in 2013 with degrees in biology and

psychology. Though she took some time away from the college, Palmer has worked at the College before as a lab instructor and as an assistant lacrosse coach..

“My dream has always been to come back to Saint Mary’s,” she said. “Saint Mary’s is my favorite place in the world.”

Palmer said she feels her education and experiences will

make her a good fit for her job as hall director.

“I’m pursuing a master of divinity and through that I feel like I can meet people where they are and encounter others and experience diversity,” she said. “So I thought this specific job was a great way to come back and be somewhere I love,

see DIRECTOR PAGE 4

By STEPHANIE SNYDER News Writer

Saint Mary’s senior chemistry and environmental engineering major Courtney Weston spent her summer in Golden, Colorado during her 10-week internship at the National

Renewable Energy Laboratory for the Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) Program.

Weston said she spent eight weeks of the internship see SENIOR PAGE 4

Campus Ministry hosts ‘Feed Your Faith’ event South Quad filled with students and food trucks Wednesday night for Campus Ministry’s third annual Feed Your Faith, an opportunity to learn more about Notre Dame’s many faith-based groups while enjoying free food and good company.

“We didn’t know how it was going to do the first time and we were blown away by how engaged people were. People

really appreciated the opportunity to be a part of what all of Campus Ministry has to offer,” Tami Schmitz, one of the event’s organizers, said.

Over forty groups and clubs sent representatives, setting up tables with information and sign-up sheets along the sidewalks crisscrossing South Quad.

“That includes campus ministry and our particular offerings, from the choirs to our student ministry groups, as well as all the students clubs

who are faith-based,” Schmitz said.

The event included a stage on which choirs and other musical faith groups could perform and recruit new members. The goal, Schmitz said, is to provide students with an opportunity to engage in their faiths in a new way.

“We pour our hearts into this because we believe the beginning of the year is a very important opportunity for us to invite

Viewpoint PAGE 7

Men’s Soccer PAGE 12

ND Volleyball PAGE 12

By CIARA HOPKINSON News Writer

ROSIE LOVOI | The Observer

Students attend an introduction to Notre Dame’s faith-based groups and clubs hosted by Campus Ministry on South Quad on Wednesday.

SCENE PAGE 5

Viewpoint PAGE 7

see FAITH PAGE 4

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TODAY

The observer | thursday, august 24, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

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If you could create one club, what would it be?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Alex McLaughlin

Marcus Winchester Jones

senior off campus

freshman Zahm House

“Chemistry Club.”

“Culinary Club.”

Brady Kimmel

Paige Curley

sophomore Morrissey Manor

sophomore Pasquerilla East Hall

“No idea.”

“Cheese Tasting Club.”

(574) 631-4542 bpadanil@nd.edu

Malik Tropes

Zosia Zdanowicz

Managing Editor

sophomore St. Edward’s Hall

senior Badin Hall

“Jazz Club.”

“Swim Club.”

Editor-in-Chief Ben Padanilam Managing Editor Katie Galioto

Asst. Managing Editor: Marek Mazurek Asst. Managing Editor: Rachel O’Grady Asst. Managing Editor: Megan Valley News Editor: Courtney Becker Viewpoint Editor: Mary Freeman Sports Editor: Elizabeth Greason Scene Editor: Adam Ramos Saint Mary’s Editor: Martha Reilly Photo Editor: Chris Collins Graphics Editor: Lauren Weldon Advertising Manager: Molly McCarthy Advertising Manager: Alexandra Pucillo Ad Design Manager: Madison Riehle

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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Tom Naatz Jordan Cockrum Sofia Madden

Tobias Hoonhout Joe Everett

Graphics

Scene

Cristina Interiano

Charlie Kenney

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Kathryne Robinson

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KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

Rugby players Chloe Killion and Grace McGurn from St. Mary’s and Kaela Crawley from Notre Dame recruit new teammates at the St. Mary’s Student Activities Fair for the women’s rugby club team, joining several other groups in advertising their activities.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Pilgrimage: Notre Dame Trail off campus all day Embark on a physical and spiritual journey.

Flick on the Field Notre Dame Stadium 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Watch “Rudy” and see unveiling of Campus Crossroads.

Notre Dame 175th Anniversary Mass Bond Quad 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Mass followed by a picnic on South Quad.

Men’s Soccer Alumni Stadium 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Irish take on the Mustangs in tournament play.

Workshop: “Writing a Strong Grant Proposal” 110 Brownson Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Open to undergrads.

Professional Headshots for Grad Students Jordan Hall 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Free, walk-in service.

ND Volleyball Compton Family Ice Arena 7 p.m. - 9 p.m Notre Dame takes on Valparaiso.

ND Volleyball Compton Family Ice Arena 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Notre Dame vs. New Mexico State.

Theatre: “Much Ado About Nothing” Decio Theatre 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Shakespeare at ND professional company.

SMC Soccer St. Mary’s Soccer Field 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

St. Mary’s College takes on Lake Michigan College.

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4

NEWS

The observer | thursday, august 24, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Director Continued from page 1

while encountering the community and being in solidarity with students by living in the dorm.”

Palmer said her first duty as hall director is to establish herself as a resource for students who want to talk with someone who can empathize with them.

“The most profound and significant piece of the job is just being a resource for students on campus and being a place where students can come to,” she said. “Whether they’re struggling or succeeding, I can be a support to them. When I was here as a student, I wasn’t a person who sought out their hall director. I want to become a resource because I’m living here on campus too. I get what [students] are experiencing so we can talk about life.”

Palmer said her duties include cultivating an engaging and welcoming environment for

Senior Continued from page 1

designing and optimizing an environmental chamber, which will be used to test soiling on photovoltaic glass (PV), which is similar to a solar panel. Soiling occurs when dust falls onto a solar panel or PV glass which causes a loss of efficiency in harvesting energy due to shading and other chemical processes.

Her environmental chamber will be used as a way to produce controlled environments researchers can use during lab testing. Weston said by holding one environmental variable constant, the researcher can then see how other factors affect that variable.

Because she finished the environmental chamber the eighth week into her internship, Weston said she was able to conduct her own tests on it.

“Designing each individual part was a minor success,”

Badin Continued from page 1

another hall,” Sisko said. “ … The rooms are fine, we have a beautiful chapel [and] we have air-conditioned lounge spaces here, so it’s great really. There’s not been any real challenges or issue yet that we’ve faced.”

In addition to benefits such as an elevator, McNerney said moving into Pangborn offered the Badin community a new opportunity to expand and diversify.

“Badin is so close-knit to begin with because we’re one of the — I think we may be the smallest female dorm on campus, and this semester I think is a little different,” McNerney said. “We have a lot of international students because Pangborn is bigger than the Badin occupants of it. So we’re incorporating them a lot into our community and really trying to bring it together. We’re putting flags all over the dorm

residents, as well as providing opportunities for growth and development among resident advisors.

“This place is home and how do you cultivate home? By making sure everyone is experiencing home in a unique way that is a good fit for them,” she said. “We also help with the growth and development of the RAs. We have weekly meetings with them and also one-on-one meetings.”

Palmer said she is excited to immerse herself in a part of Saint Mary’s campus and history she has not previously experienced.

“I lived in Regina for two years and then Le Mans for two years, so I never lived in Holy Cross Hall when I went here,” she said.

“Getting to return and live in a completely new building has allowed me to embrace the history of the College more, since [Holy Cross Hall] is the oldest building on campus. I’m a history buff when it comes to Saint Mary’s. I love the history of this place and love being close to the Sisters of

the Holy Cross. Coming back, I’ve really understood the mission of the College more as an alumna and I understand the Sisters’ impact. I get to live out the mission in a new way.”

Palmer said through her job as hall director, she will work alongside her previous mentors, and this is one of her greatest blessings.

“It’s such a gift and a blessing because the same people who allowed me to grow as a person and develop as a person are still empowering me,” she said. “It is the greatest gift to be around this community that has supported me since I was eighteen, and now to come back at twenty-six and have them still supporting me is amazing.”

Palmer said although she wants to be seen as a friendly face among residents, faculty and students, she still wants to create a professional environment.

“I think coming back, I definitely want to establish myself as

Weston said. “Having the whole thing done was a big success for me. I finished early, so I was able to conduct some tests when I was done.”

Although each intern is assigned a mentor that assists them throughout the internship, Weston said most of her work was independent. She attributed the success she has had in her field and during the internship to her Saint Mary’s education.

“Saint Mary’s has prepared me in every single way,” she said.

“Being in labs at Saint Mary’s was super helpful — I feel like the chemistry department does a good job of allowing you to be independent, so when I was in my internship I was able to work effectively on my own.”

During the first two weeks of her internship she would have meetings with eight senior scientists, but Weston said she was not intimidated.

“Being here at an all-women’s college, you gain confidence in

yourself,” she said. “What Saint Mary’s promises you, it actually happens.”

Dr. Toni Barstis, a chemistry and physics professor who has helped guide and encourage Weston’s career at and beyond Saint Mary’s, said she can attest to how much Weston has grown since being at Saint Mary’s.

“Courtney has gained so much confidence over the course of four years, growing from a timid first-year student to a confident fourth-year “STEMinist,”” Barstis said. “She has genuine passion for environmental engineering.

She is truly excited about what she is learning and about her future career.”

Weston said her experience with the DOE has provided her with even more confidence to continue striving at and beyond Saint Mary’s.

“Between the meetings with senior scientists and having to present my results, I gained more presentation skills and I became

[representing] where everyone’s from and just really trying to create that same community there.”

Badin’s community spirit has already manifested in the form of hall decorations as well as the attitude of the residents, Sisko said.

“We’ve sort of — this is my word — ‘Badin-ized’ the place,” she said. “ … You see a whole lot of bullfrogs floating around the hall already. So we’ve tried to really not only embrace this challenge as a community, but also to move into the space. Even though it is a temporary hall, it’s our hall for the year, so we really wanted to embrace it by putting up all our bullfrog stuff and really making it feel like home. And we still have a long way to go yet, but I think we’re well on our way to doing that.”

McNerney credits Sisko with creating an environment that allowed Badin residents to embrace the change.

“It’s the people that make it, not the building,” she said. “And

I think Sr. Sue has done such a great job in instilling that positivity and instilling that community within our girls already from the start.”

In order to ensure Badin Hall residents recognize Pangborn as their new home, the residents and hall staff have taken to calling the building “Badin on the Green” — in reference to its location next to the Burke Golf Course — rather than Pangborn, McNerney said.

“The P-word [Pangborn] is banned, we’re not allowed to use the P-word — it’s all ‘Badin on the Green,’” she said. “And I think it just really does make a difference when you’re that positive in a community. Everyone kind of feeds off of each other, and it just makes everything better.”

The re-design plans have also eased residents’ concerns about maintaining the integrity and beauty of Badin Hall, Sisko said.

“Badin is a hall that is steeped in history and beauty,” she said.

“If you’ve been inside there, you

a professional because it is weird, being a student then coming back to work here,” she said. “I feel Saint Mary’s is going to help me learn how to be a professional and help me see what that looks like.”

Palmer said she wants Saint Mary’s students to know that the spirit of the College follows students, even after graduation.

“As an alumna, something I would tell students is, you think Saint Mary’s is the best four years of your life, and the most beautiful thing is that Saint Mary’s doesn’t end after four years,” she said. “Even after being away from South Bend — I’ve been in graduate school for the past two years and have travelled and seen many different parts of the world — I still feel like Saint Mary’s is apart of me no matter where I am. Saint Mary’s transcends the community and transcends the borders of South Bend.”

Faith Continued from page 1

more confident in my ability to conduct my own project,” she said. “Overall, the internship gave me a lot of experience for doing individual work, teamwork and collaborating with different projects.”

Emily Najacht, another senior who is pursuing the same major, said Weston’s enthusiasm in the subject has helped her, as well.

“I’ve shared many classes with Courtney,” Najacht said. “She’s very passionate about what she does. Her enthusiasm makes her a great person to be around when working through challenging problems.”

After her experience this summer, Weston is considering pursuing a career involving renewable energy, she said.

“I gained a passion for renewable energy this summer,” Weston said. “I could see myself doing further research in that field.”

students to get involved, start on the right track as they start a new year,” Schmitz said.

Schmitz, who is starting her twentieth year working in field of Campus Ministry, said that organization for next year’s event will begin next semester.

“After this we’ll gather and evaluate how this went and then the beginning of second semester is when we’re already looking ahead to next year,” Schmitz said. “By the end of second semester we pretty much have everything done, and we send invites out over the summer to the clubs.”

In the past, Campus Ministry hosted a small open house at the beginning of the year, Schmitz said, and the idea for Feed Your Faith originally came from Fr. Pete McCormick.

“When he became our director, Fr. Pete really encouraged us to think outside the box, “what more could we do to engage more students?’” Schmitz said. “We are so blessed to have him. He really gets it, he’s all about engaging students, getting out there, meeting them.”

The event has been successful, drawing over 2,000 students each year. The environment was welcoming and inclusive, incorporating tables from Baptist and Islamic groups. The event was a stunning example of the vibrant and welcoming faith community at Notre Dame. That supportive and loving community, Schmitz said, is what Feed Your Faith seeks to showcase.

“The most important thing is that we want students to see all the offerings for their faith here at Notre Dame,” Schmitz said.

“We want to meet the students face to face and let them know we’re here for them.”

Contact Stephanie Snyder at ssnyder02@saintmarys.edu

Contact Ciara Hopkinson at chopkin1@nd.edu

Contact Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys.edu

know that we’ve got a lot of wood — it’s gorgeous, but it just needs some love. … Notre Dame is a university that cherishes history, cherishes the beautiful spaces on campus, and I think with the renovation, they just want to enhance the beauty of Badin — as they’ve done with Walsh.”

The addition that excited Sisko most, she said, is the brand-new chapel.

“You can see already — it’s kind of exciting — that back area is being readied, our new chapel is going to pop out from there,” she said. “ … Badin’s old chapel we loved because it was our chapel, but it was a space that was turned into a chapel rather than created as a chapel. We loved, it we worshipped there [and] we miss it, but now we’re getting a space that is being built to be a chapel. And all the plans — the designs that I’ve seen — that’s what kind of makes my heart skip a beat.”

In the end, moving into a new building for a year is a small

challenge for Badin to overcome, Sisko said, especially given the positive impact the renovations will have on the community.

“Badin is a gorgeous hall — it’s beautiful, it’s filled with history, it’s a 120 years old this year, but it needs a little help,” she said. “It needs a little work, and our ladies know that. Our women know that, and they know that this is only temporary, so they’ve really embraced the challenge.

“And it is — for them and for me — kind of a challenge to really see what Badin is made of. Is Badin the hall what defines us, or is our community spirit and the community of Badin what defines us?

And all of us believe it’s Badin’s spirit and community. And so everyone, I think, in the hall here — and I think I can speak for most of them — have embraced that challenge and are doing everything they can … to make this Badin.”

Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu

The observer | thursday, august 24, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

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CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer

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The observer | Thursday, august 24, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

An entire summer of rest(lessness)

Inside Column

What are your resolutions?

Lucy Collins A Broad Abroad

Peter St. John Photographer

We can all feel the excitement. It’s the official start of the Fall 2017-2018 academic year back at everyone’s favorite place, the University of Notre Dame. Whenever August comes around, and all of us have to come to grips with the fact that summer is over, a common thing to do is to mentally go through what our resolutions for the new academic year are.

Unlike New Year’s resolutions, losing weight or learning to play the guitar (after 10 years of telling yourself to get started) aren’t what most of us are going for. I already know what everyone’s are: get straight A’s, join that club your interested in, preserve f lex points (good luck), make a million new friends, ask out our crush and, for seniors, not wait until a week before graduation to figure out what you’re going to do with your life once it’s all over here. All of these goals are wonderful.

Coupled with our rejuvenated excitement we all have, it’s easy to believe that we are going to conquer the world and no one can stop us.

Unfortunately, by the time October rolls around, many (if not all) of those resolutions are a thing of the past and reality kicks in. The real issue is that people are shooting for the stars and can forget that the process of accomplishing those goals can be, well, a grind.

You fell behind in class, missed the deadline for that club’s application submission process, and your crush just found someone else (we’ve all been there).

My advice to everyone as we all get started is to set out your goals just as you normally would, but tackle them on a less-macro scale. For example, instead of just saying you are getting that A you want, set a goal to stay on top of your reading or devote a certain number of hours to studying every week. Create a process for yourself, and challenge yourself to have the self-discipline to stick to it. Give yourself small but achievable goals.

As the semester and year go by, you’ll realize that the accumulation of these “mini goals” will lead to a slow but sustainable path for you to accomplish your macro goals. Dreaming big is great, and gives us the motivation to accomplish and gain the things we all want the most. But it’s important to be patient but perseverant.

Always remind yourself that if it was easy, everybody would do it. Don’t just tell yourself you are going to build a big wall. Put one brick on top of another each day. Eventually, your wall will be just as big as you envisioned it would be.

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.

“I’m between jobs right now.”

“I couldn’t really find the right fit for me in terms of internships.”

“I didn’t really wanna peg myself into a field I’m not interested in.”

These are just a few of the responses I have come up with in order to answer what seems like thousands of friends, neighbors and sometimes strangers when they ask me the inevitable “what are you up to this summer?” My personal favorite response to give is “I’m taking some time off to find myself, you know?” because it implies that A, I have just finished some tremendously arduous task and deserve a break and B, that I am embarking on a soul-searching mission a la “Wild” with exciting journeys, revelations and possibly with a romantic interest or two, and that by the end of this summer I will emerge a new woman, with glorious goals and a plan to achieve said goals.

The reality is that due to a miscommunication with my boss I ended up without my waitressing job that I held for the past 2 years. This wouldn’t have been too big of a problem, if my boss had not waited until a week before summer break to let me know that he believed that I had received an internship this summer, and had thus over-staffed the restaurant and did not need me around. At first, I was pretty bummed — with going abroad in the fall, I knew I needed a lot of money. After I convinced myself (unrealistically) that I could gain the ability to skimp and save and thus make it through the summer and a semester in Europe without too much debt, I got excited. A whole summer without work — the opportunities were endless. I could finally read all the books on my Goodreads “to-read” shelf. I would learn the guitar, and become an expert at chess, all while maintaining a killer fitness regimen.

Alas, these were lofty goals. My actual summer accomplishments ended up being the following: checking an absurd amount of TV shows off my “to-watch” list, spending an inappropriate amount of time having a one-way conversation with my dog, turning down babysitting jobs despite needing the money, because I figured that if I was going to do this whole “no plans” thing, I had to really commit, and lastly (and most pathetically) finding an excuse to go to the grocery store multiple times a day out of sheer boredom. One unforeseen side-effect of

spending every waking hour at home was rediscovering the art of arguing with my parents.

What with my months away from home and the supposed maturation that occurs throughout college, I had truly forgotten this beloved pastime of my teenage years. When I say argue, I don’t mean cute little spats about doing chores.

I’m talking full-fledged, gloves coming off, show no mercy brawls about every topic under the sun. My dad and I fought passionately about such topics as Trump’s tweets, male street-harassment, and whether the Harry Potter series is meant to serve as a “manual for a socialist political revolution and a criticism of the capitalist bosses that run our county” (words spoken from a man who has never read a single page of those books). It has been truly invigorating finding my passionate voice again, and I’m considering adding “Debate Team — Summer 2017” to my resume.

In between Netflix and verbal sparring, I did find some time to meditate on my plans for the future. It’s true that I have no idea what career I want to pursue after school (purchases this summer included, in no particular order: LSAT prep books, several med-school memoirs, and multiple cute outfits any businesswoman would approve of) and was worried about pigeonholing myself into an internship on the wrong path. With all this free time, I was able to rediscover some passions I put aside throughout the last two years, passions that could potentially help me focus in on the right career for me.

Look, I’m certainly not advocating that a summer of unemployed idleness is a good idea for anyone. I’m very blessed to be able to afford such a gluttonous summer, and would have preferred having my job to keep me busy and paid.

However, I do think there is something to be said of taking a step back from the ever-looming timeline of school to career and evaluating what makes you happy, what your good at, and how you can best use those skills to make a difference in your future. At least that’s what I told myself as I woke up each morning, sat down on the couch and prepared for another busy day of doing absolutely nothing.

Lucy Collins is majoring in economics and history, and she continues to write despite knowing full well no one cares what she’s got to say. She can be reached at lcollin8@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Join the conversation.

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

The observer | thursday, august 24, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

LETTERs TO THE EDITOR

Defending my position I normally would not write out a response to a letter to the editor like the one from Mr. Leblanc that was published in the Observer on Monday, February 13th. I generally try not to become too bogged down in this kind of impersonal political debate that takes place over electronic media as opposed to in person discussion but I felt that there were certain things in the response to my letter to the editor that I should address.

Mr. Leblanc states that the position that I presented in my letter, that of supporting a women’s right to choose whether or not to have an abortion while also wanting to see fewer abortions performed, was a “paradox.” As Mr. Leblanc put it, “If abortion ought to be legal, then there is no reason for it to be rare. If abortion ought to be rare, then the moral case against it is strong enough that it ought not be legal.” Based on the discussion of the moral issue of abortion later in the letter, we as readers can infer that these statements are based off of premises that look something like this: (1) ‘If something should be done rarely, then there is some moral fault in it’ and (2) ‘If There is a moral fault in something, then it should not be legal.’ With these premises and the insertion of my premise that abortion should be a woman’s right, we get a valid argument for both of the statements from Mr. Leblanc. The arguments, however, are not necessarily a sound. For them to

be sound, all premises must be true. The premises present some problems.

The first premise is flawed. Just because something should be done as rarely as possible does not mean that it is inherently morally wrong. Mr. Leblanc used the example of hip-replacements to show that if abortions were safe and legal then there would be no need to reduce their number outside of moral reasons. He says, “Consider a scenario where abortion … produces no harmful physical or mental side effects to the mother …

If abortion is as safe as any other medical procedure then there is no medical reason to reduce the number of abortions: No one is calling for there to be less hip replacements.” Mr. Leblanc ignores the fact that there are still health risks to any medical procedure, even hip replacements. Doctors do try to avoid prescribing hip replacements by giving patients exercises and putting them through physical therapy. Hip replacements are only given to those that are deemed to truly need them, when the risk involved is outweighed by the benefit of having the procedure. This risk/benefit balance is why I am not going in tomorrow to get a hip replacement, not because I think getting a hip replacement is morally wrong. Abortion will always have risks associated with it. That is why I want to reduce its frequency.

Similarly, we as a society want to see a reduction

in the rate of obesity and would like to see people eat less junk food. This is not because being obese or eating junk food is moral wrong. It is because it beneficial to the person to lose the weight and eat healthier.

If we assume that the first premise is true and abortion is therefore morally wrong, we still have problems with the second premise. While yes, most things that are illegal are immoral, that does not mean that things that are considered immoral ought to be illegal. Premarital sex is considered by many to be immoral but there is no push to make it illegal. Similarly, alcohol is see by most as immoral to some extent but we ended prohibition long ago.

Yes, it is true that we regulate alcohol, which is perfectly fine, but it is still legal for someone that has reached the proper level of maturity to consume it.

These immoral things are legal because we realize that we as human beings have a right to our bodies.

Without these premises, it becomes hard to see the truth in the two statements that Mr. Leblanc uses to show the paradoxical nature of my position.

Maybe “safe, legal and rare” is not as incoherent as one may think.

John Gadient class of 2016 Feb. 16

Listen up, ND Today, our school and our nation find themselves stuck in a paradox: ever yone wants to be heard, but no one wants to listen. Over the past few weeks I’ve been disgusted and disappointed by some of the comments and posts I’ve read on our various Facebook groups. One need not look any further than this past week on Valentine’s Day when civil discourse turned quickly to personal jest and unwarranted attacks from both sides. The political and social sphere is tense in our countr y right now, there is no doubt about it. Strong opinions demand not only to be heard, but also to be correct. W hat happens, though, when we are set in our “ideas of right” and refuse to open ourselves to the opinions of others? We close our minds and ears and jump to demean; we’d sooner believe that what they say must be wrong than re-examine our own previously held conceptions Ever y time we act in such a manner, we fail ourselves and our causes.

No argument has ever been won by personally attacking the mindsets of one side or another.

No point has ever been made by ad nauseum repetition in the face of opposition. At the end of a shouting match, when the smoke has cleared, there is no victorious side; only two people who are frustrated, offended and further alienated from one another. I’m sure that many of you are like me and wanted to throw their remote at the TV ever y time Donald Trump uttered “wrong” or Hillar y sw ung at Donald’s character. Yet, despite mocking this behavior, we ourselves act in the same way. With ever y snide emoji and comment we make behind the safety wall of our computers, we take part in the same rhetoric we vehemently reject. We fail to listen and appreciate the opinions of others and become the monsters we speak against. We push people to hide their feelings and opinions out of fear of judgement. Not only is this hypocritical, it is divisive and hindersome to our shared goals.

We have a lot more in common than we think.

There is no black and white, no 2+2 = 4. Instead, I see problems and shared desires to resolve them,

with little agreement on how to do so. If we ever wish to achieve our goals, we need unity and understanding — we need sophisticated argument, civil debate, and recognition that ever y individual in our community carries with them a diversity of experiences and backgrounds. So, stop pointing fingers ND, and stop pushing the disillusionment that there is always a right answer. Instead, talk, research, develop ideas, speak eloquently, protest peacefully, call out injustice and most of all, listen to the struggles and stories of one another. The moment you evoke aggression or anger in your words or actions is the moment you lose your argument. Only by educating ourselves and respectfully discussing issues can we bring about the unity that our nation so desperately needs.

In the words of Desmond Tutu, “don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”

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Mike Feula graduate student Feb. 15

8

DAILY

The observer | thursday, august 24, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: You have to figure out what you really want before you initiate change. Confusion due to the input you receive from others will make you waffle.

Separate what you want to achieve from what others are telling you to do. You will have to satisfy your needs first and worry about others once you have a plan in place. Your numbers are 6, 11, 24, 26, 29, 35, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Engage in the projects, activities or events that will help you make good connections and allow you to display your talent, insight and ability to be a leader. Refuse to let anyone slow you down or pressure you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Personal changes can be made that will upgrade your appearance or keep you on top of the latest trend. Improve your workspace at home so that you feel more inclined to achieve your goals. Romance is encouraged.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Money matters should be handled with a clear head. If you mix emotions with financial business, a loss is likely. Avoid unnecessary purchases and lending or borrowing money or possessions. Be willing to work hard if you want to reap the rewards.

CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Alterations to where, how or who you live with will turn out well. Discuss your ideas, plans and intentions with someone who can make a difference in your life. Don’t be afraid to be different.

Romance is highlighted.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Keep your plans a secret until you have everything in place, and you will avoid someone trying to manipulate the outcome. An energetic approach to an educational pursuit or the changes you want to make at home will pay off.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Express your feelings honestly regarding a joint venture. Carrying someone else’s burden should be avoided. Don’t take on what doesn’t belong to you unless you are compensated fairly. It’s OK to say no or to ask for help.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Keep the peace at home and at work. It’s in your best interest to tend to your responsibilities quietly to avoid being pressured or criticized by others. Don’t make decisions based on what others do. Diplomacy will be required.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Share your ideas with someone special. Use your energy to get the legwork done so that you can move forward with your plans. Personal changes that will improve the way you present yourself are favored, along with travel, love and romance.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Listen carefully, but don’t take what you are being told at face value. Consider the motive behind the information and you will recognize what’s expected of you and how best to handle the situation. Honesty is the best policy.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You may want to make an impression, but pretending to be what you aren’t or promising more than you are capable of giving will leave you in a vulnerable position. Be patient, use diplomacy and offer only what you can afford.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A competitive situation should be handled with class. Take the high road and be gracious and humble. Your achievements will bring greater popularity, not because of performance, but because of the way you handle victory.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t allow anyone to put restrictions on you. Added responsibilities will be dropped in your lap if you are too accommodating. You won’t gain respect if you let someone use you or take advantage of your kindheartedness.

Birthday Baby: You are inventive, eccentric and kind. You are responsible and a worrywart.

wingin’ it | olivia wang & Bailee egan

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Draw comics.

Email Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

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9

Sports Authority

Neymar’s move raises concerns Tobias Hoonhout Associate Sports Editor

To put it frankly, the spending this summer transfer market has been absurd.

Flush with money from mega-broadcasting deals, clubs around the world have been smashing their transfer records on players who only a few years ago would have been a fraction of the cost they are today. The Premier League has already set a new transfer spending record of 1.185 billion pounds spent by clubs this summer. With nine days still left in the transfer window.

But out of all the insanity, Neymar’s transfer from Barcelona to P.S.G. has to take the cake as the craziest deal in soccer history, if not in all of professional sports.

For starters, there’s the price tag. When it is all said and done, Neymar is costing P.S.G. more than $500 million in fees and wages. $500 million.

The fact that one player could cost a club over half a billion dollars is mind boggling. Even to say a talent like Neymar, who is arguably the future face of soccer as Ronaldo and Messi fade into history, is worth more than double the previous transfer record—the 89 million pounds Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba last season—pushes the envelope of rationality.

And there’s the seemingly unbelievable fact that for once, it was Barcelona on the short end of the stick. For when it comes to soccer clubs, there is arguably none with more power and prestige than Barcelona.

The Catalan club is known as a club that acquires players it wants to buy, not a club that loses players it wants to keep. And while signs point to Neymar desiring to be the face of a club after living in Leo Messi’s shadow for the last several seasons, the very fact that Barcelona was helpless to keep Neymar after P.S.G. triggered his seemingly untouchable release clause is a major blow to one of the traditional powerhouses in world soccer.

But the fallout has only

just started. Besides the fact that Barcelona was convincingly beaten in the Spanish Supercopa by bitter rivals Real Madrid, the club has also failed to find a replacement to fill the huge void left by the Brazilian, with efforts for Liverpool’s Coutinho and Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele so far coming up empty. And if it couldn’t get worse, the comments from long-time captain and club legend Andres Iniesta about the board’s lack of concern for his contributions over the years is the nail in the coffin that there are serious problems ahead for Barcelona.

Most insane of all, however, is the fact that P.S.G. had the funds to pull off such a coup.

When Qatari Sports Investors, a fund owned by nation of Qatar, first invested in the club in 2011, there were no doubts that there would be money behind the club; the only question was how much. And even though the club was ranked outside the top five of the world’s richest soccer teams, the fact that they were able to pull off far and away the largest deal in history makes one wonder if institutions like Q.S.I. should even exist.

When nations start providing the fiscal muscle for sports teams, serious questions about corruption are bound to surface. Besides the fact that Qatar controversially was selected to host the 2022 World Cup, the infusion of oil money into P.S.G., leading to the domination of the French league and this incredible transfer, really makes me wonder if this move will end up being good for the soccer world.

While I have no doubts that Neymar will flourish, and his incredible home debut this past Sunday reinforces that, his astronomical price tag sets a dangerous price tag. As spending reaches higher and higher levels, can the system sustain itself, or will the bubble burst?

Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish senior forward Jon Gallagher tracks down the ball during Notre Dame’s 5-0 victory over the Mexico U-18s on April 28 at Alumni Stadium. Gallagher led the team in goals and assists last season.

Bens Continued from page 12

Athletic Club Herman Trophy Watch List, a trophy presented to the best men’s and women’s collegiate soccer players in the country each season.

Kicking off the preseason, Notre Dame had a 2-0 win over Omaha, a 4-1 win over Drake, and a 3-0 win over Valparaiso. Although the

three wins in the exhibition games do not count towards their record, the young players gained confidence while the older players were thrown back into their element. As the Irish carry their momentum into the official 2017 season, they will take it game by game to improve last year’s record within their difficult schedule.

The Irish have experience and knowledge, now they

have to battle through arguably the top soccer conference. Previously reaching the NCA A championship Round of 16, it will be no surprise for Notre Dame to return to the round of 16 and go even further.

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

NFL

Kizer favorite to land Browns starting QB job Associated Press

BEREA, Ohio — DeShone Kizer will be next through the Browns’ quarterback turnstile.

He doesn’t want it to spin again anytime soon.

The rocket-armed rookie QB from Notre Dame was named Cleveland’s starter for Saturday night’s third exhibition game in Tampa Bay, and barring an unforeseen flop or injury — remember, these are the Browns — Kizer will start the Sept. 10 season opener against Pittsburgh.

After watching Kizer develop over the past month and show poise while delivering some long completions in two preseason appearances, coach Hue Jackson picked him over veterans Brock Osweiler and Cody Kessler.

“I don’t ever want to put something on someone too soon if they’re not ready,” Jackson said

Wednesday. “But he’s demonstrated that he’s ready, so let’s give him a chance to see if he can do it.”

The confident 21-year-old is excited about the opportunity and Kizer intends to make the most of it. Just a week ago, he seemed to be destined for a backup role when 10-time Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas said he expected Osweiler to win the job and take the field in Week 1. Thomas has seen rookies thrown into the mix too early, and said he hoped the Browns would be patient with Kizer.

Oh, well. Now, it appears he’ll be protecting Kizer in the opener — the 19th different quarterback Thomas has played with since 2007.

Kizer feels an obligation not to let his celebrated teammate down.

“There’s a lot to show Joe Thomas,” said Kizer, in position

to be Cleveland’s 27th starting QB since 1999.

“That guy’s seen quite a few quarterbacks, obviously, and my ultimate goal is for him to not see another one. And in order to do that, I’ve got to continue to show him the type of worker that I am and how much time I’m putting in off the field in my preparation and making sure he can go out and get the wins that he absolutely deserves.”

Jackson, who went 1-15 in his first season with Cleveland, could have taken the safer route and chosen Osweiler, who made 14 starts last season for Houston.

But Jackson believes Kizer makes Cleveland’s offense more dynamic and gives his team the best chance to win — now.

Jackson hasn’t officially named Kizer his Week 1 starter, but it would take a major flame-out for him not to get the assignment.

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I used to rule the world / Seas would rise when I gave the word/ Now in the morning I sleep alone / Sweep the streets I used to own / I used to roll the dice / Feel the fear in my enemy’s

eyes / Listened as the crowd would sing / Now the old king is dead long live the king / One minute I held the key / Next the walls were closed on me / And I discovered castles

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W Soccer Continued from page 12

her early enrollment as a major boost for her ability to produce last season.

“I played with the team for an extra semester, so I was used to playing with them. I was happy with how my season turned out last year, hopefully this year can be even better,” she said.

And despite last season’s successes, Notre Dame’s scoring struggles were apparent. The Irish were shutout seven times last season, including in their surprising first-round NCAA tournament exit.

For Westendorf, this year will take better offensive production for the team to take the next step and contend for a national championship.

“Last year our defense was on point, but we just lacked that goal scoring aspect,” Westendorf said. “[But this year] we’ve got some great freshmen coming in.

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, august 24, 2017 | The Observer

A lot of our midfielders are the same, a lot of our forwards are the same, so I think we’re all going to build off each other.”

Adding to the team’s offensive firepower is sophomore Natalie Jacobs, who took a year off from Notre Dame soccer to compete with the United States women’s national team. Jacobs will play forward alongside Westendorf this season and is excited to produce with her talented counterpart.

“Jen’s got an awesome shot.

She has an incredible ability to turn and hit shots,” Jacobs said.“I like playing beneath her, because she can lay it off to me and I can try to find her again.

Those passes really help us on offense.”

Jacobs’ return to the team seems to have sparked the Irish on offense. While Notre Dame was held to a 0-0 tie against Butler that was reminiscent of last season in the season opener, the offense exploded for four goals in the second half against

11

Ball State on Sunday, tying the team’s best performance of the 2016 season.

Westendorf and Jacobs scored in the game, with Jacobs notching her first goal for the Irish in 707 days. The Irish hope that the game will lead to more success in the future and Jacobs believes that the team learned how to be more dangerous offensively in the future.

“It’s about being relaxed and loose, not being too worried and being focused,” she said.“It’s about trusting ourselves and believing that we’ll have players that will be in positions to score. Being relaxed and playing how we know how to play is the key.”

The ACC boasts some of the strongest competition in the nation, but with Westendorf and Jacobs leading the offense, the No. 18 Irish will be a tough opponent for anyone.

Observer File Photo

Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu

Irish sophomore forward Jennifer Westendorf crosses the ball during Notre Dame’s 1-0 victory over Illinois State on Sept. 2, 2016.

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Volleyball Continued from page 12

and we’ve almost been able to pick up right where we left off. Hav ing the experience out on the court, you can really see we’re more comfortable play ing w ith each other in the way that we play.”

Holt said that the team w ill not take last year’s w inning season for granted, but rather stay focus on the present.

“We can take the w inning season last year w ith a grain of salt,” she said. “It does give us a little confidence and a little swagger when we step in the g y m, but we can’t let it get too much into our heads. We’re still working hard — probably even a little harder than last year. We keep pushing ourselves ever y day and exceeding those limits we might have had on us prior to this year. We’re setting even higher standards and tr y ing to meet those ever yday.”

Contact Darcy Dehais at ddehais@nd.edu

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ND VOLLEYBALL

Irish head into year with postseason in mind

By DARCY DEHAIS Sports Writer

Coming off a 22-10 season last year, their first w inning record in four seasons, the Irish look to continue their success as they open the new season.

Despite falling short of qualif y ing for a spot on the 2016 NCA A championship bracket, the Irish turned the tides last season. In his first year as head coach in 2015, Jim McLaughlin and the Irish finished at 7-25 and 2-18 in ACC play. In 2016 the team was much more successful, finishing w ith a w inning record in spite of an injur y to senior setter Caroline Holt.

With the team headed toward entering the NCA A championship, Holt suffered a foot injur y that cut her season short. She led the team and ranked second in the ACC w ith 10.97 assists in 2016. Now back and healthy, Holt said she expects to take on a bigger role and lead the team toward their goals in the postseason.

“A goal for myself is to take

on responsibilit y,” Holt said.

“This being my senior year, I don’t want to hold back w ith any thing. I want to help to lead this team, and I think we have a lot of goals for the team this year. Winning the ACC and making the tournament is still one of our goals, and it has been for awhile.

We’re all really excited to get in the g y m ever y day and live up to these goals.”

The Irish return 12 players this season, including six seniors. They were named fourth in the ACC preseason rankings, and Holt and senior middle blocker Sam Fr y are placed on preseason allACC team.

Holt said the leadership of the experienced team has been a key to their success in the preseason.

“Hav ing the experience is a really big part,” Holt said.

“We can definitely already see it in preseason, w rapping up training sessions before this first weekend of play. It really seems like we’re able to bring in what we trained so hard for in the spring,

Observer File Photo

see VOLLEYBALL PAGE 11

Irish senior middle blocker Sam Fry, right, attempts a block during Notre Dame’s 3-1 victory over Duke on Sept. 30, 2016, at Purcell Pavilion. Fry and senior Caroline Holt were named to the preseason All-ACC team.

ND WOMEN’S Soccer

MEN’S soccer

ND looks to Westendorf for offensive production

By JACK CONCANNON

Meagan Bens

Sports Writer

While the Irish were a primarily defensively-oriented team last season, scoring no more than two goals in nine of their 13 wins last season, this season looks to be different.

Thankfully for the Fighting Irish, sophomore Jennifer Westendorf is back to build off of her incredible freshman campaign to lead the team in defense of last year’s ACC title.

Westendorf led the team with six goals, and earned herself AllACC freshmen team and second team All-ACC honors. She had a knack for scoring goals in crucial situations, as her five game winning goals were tied for the most in the ACC. While she was undoubtedly a heralded recruit, highlighted by her starting for Brazil’s U-20 national team at the 2015 South American U-20 women’s championship, Westendorf credits see W SOCCER PAGE 11

Notre Dame geared for success Sports Writer

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish sophomore forward Jennifer Westendorf hits a corner kick during Notre Dame’s 1-0 victory over Missouri on Sept. 4, 2016.

If everything falls into place, the Irish can have a promising upcoming season.

Last year, the team started well en route to being ranked number one in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division 1 National Top 25 poll by early September. As the season progressed, the team lost their winning streak and slid down the rankings. After beating Duke in first round of the ACC tournament, the Irish fell to Wake Forest. In the NCA A tournament, No. 13 seed Notre Dame got a bye in the first round and then, after squeaking past Loyola 1-0, lost to Louisville 3-1 in the third round.

Despite the pitfalls, the team fought until the end and will be motivated to climb higher in the ranks this year.

Notre Dame’s successful

season last year resulted from the seniors’ notable performance and leadership on and off the field. Similar to any other good team, they will have done their homework to replace graduated players with just as strong current players to fill the holes.

Despite losing a handful of players, senior forward Jon Gallagher, graduate student defender Matt Hawbroski and goalkeeper graduate student Chris Hubbard will serve as excellent tri-captains for the No. 10 Irish this season. Being Hawbrowski’s second year as a captain, his experience will certainly help the team jump right into their tough season.

After receiving many accolades last year, such as 2016 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Gallagher continues his uphill climb as he was added to the 2017 Missouri see BENS PAGE 9