Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, November 10, 2017

To uncover the truth and report it accurately

Volume 52, Issue 47 | friday, november 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Students anticipate GameDay ESPN program will air live from Miami (FL) before Saturday’s top-10 matchup

By MARY STEURER News Writer

ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be in Coral Gables, Florida, for No. 3 Notre Dame’s game against No. 7 Miami on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Senior David Hessert, who will be attending the game, said College GameDay is known to cover games featuring teams with “storied rivalries, where there are implications for both teams’ success.”

Hessert said he believes the broadcast is sure to draw national attention for the game.

“College GameDay tends to heighten the anticipation around the game and creates a really fun atmosphere for fans,” he said.

Hessert said he had attended a game covered by College GameDay once before — the

Notre Dame-South Carolina game in 2005.

The atmosphere of the game “was absolutely electric,” Hessert said.

“You could just feel the excitement in the air,” he said.

Senior Morgan Dunn, who is also attending the game, said she is particularly excited for Saturday because of the historic rivalry between Notre Dame and Miami. The rivalry stems largely from a 1988 game in which Notre Dame defeated Miami 31-30, Dunn said.

As for game day predictions, Dunn said she believes the Irish will win by two touchdowns.

“Their defense is pretty good,” Dunn said. “But our offense will overtake them.”

Despite the fact that Miami remains undefeated this see GAMEDAY PAGE 4

Sexual assault reported Observer Staff Report

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

The Notre Dame leprechaun, senior Joe Fennessy, leads a chant during Notre Dame’s 48-37 win over Wake Forest on Saturday.

A third party reported a sexual assault to the University’s deputy Title IX coordinator, according to an email NDSP sent to Notre Dame students Thursday morning.

The alleged sexual assault occurred Saturday in a men’s residence hall on the east side of campus, according to the email. The email also said that the victim is familiar with the alleged assailant.

Information about sexual assault prevention and resources for survivors of sexual assault are available online from NDSP and from the Title IX office.

Faculty, staff panel speaks Asian Allure about ‘Cost of Silence’ combines culture, showmanship

By ALEXANDRA MUCK News Writer

Members of the Notre Dame faculty and administration discussed their experiences with diversity and how the Notre Dame community might encourage it on campus during the Cost of Silence Faculty and Staff panel

Thursday night.

Timothy Matovina, the chair of the theology department and former co-director of the Institute of Latino Studies, said people should not make assumptions about others, especially Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students and Latino students.

“Don’t presume because

someone is here from a certain background that they’re a diversity admit or that they have a lower SAT score than everyone else,” he said. “ … In my experience, they achieved at the very highest levels at the schools they’re in, which is our policy.” see FACULTY PAGE 4

Anthropology students revitalize academic club

By MARIA LEONTARAS News Writer

Reasoning, people and Indiana Jones are key focuses of Saint Mary’s re-established anthropology club.

Co-president and junior Teresa Brickey said although Indiana Jones wasn’t the reason she chose to start the

NEWS PAGE 3

club again, the fun Spielberg’s character represents keeps her interested in anthropology.

“I just think it’s so [much] fun,” Brickey said. “With me personally, it’ll be good to have a group of people who are also interested in this subject broadly, and even having diverse thoughts about that because there are different

SCENE PAGE 5

sub-areas of anthropology.

I’d be able to learn from other people while also still contributing to what interested me.”

Brickey said she hopes to bring her love of anthropology to the rest of the community.

The club’s other co-president, sophomore Olivia Sencion, see NEW CLUB PAGE 3

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

By NATALIE WEBER Associate News Editor

The Asian American Association will host Asian Allure this Friday and Saturday in order to draw attention to Asian culture at Notre Dame.

The show’s theme, “Step into the Light,” highlights the experiences and traditions of Asian students on campus, sophomore and director Eric Kim said.

“Overall, our goal for Asian Allure, as an Asian community, is to bond,” he said. “[It’s] to continue to make that family. It’s to continue showing support for one another, through performance, through rehearsals.”

The show aims to allow Asian students to connect with their cultures and educate nonAsian audience members about the culture, Kim said.

ND W Basketball PAGE 12

“That’s what the theme ‘Step into the Light’ means,” he said.

“Not only for the performers to literally step into the light, but also for them to showcase their talent and their appreciation for Asian culture. But in terms of the audience, I want them to see the light of how Asian culture is very diverse.”

Asian Allure will feature over 20 student groups, Kim said.

Sophomore Daren Sia, president of the Chinese Culture Society, said his club will perform a traditional water sleeve dance and a modern hot pot dance.

“The hot pot song is just a really fun song to listen to,” he said. “When you look at people dancing to it, it looks like a really fun dance to do, so I wanted to do [it]. And I saw one of my friends perform it a while back, see ALLURE PAGE 4

Men’s Basketball PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | friday, november 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

If you had a walk-out song, like in boxing, what song would you choose?

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

Office Manager & General Info

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927

Ari Simmons

Margo Waters

sophomore O’Neill Hall

sophomore Pasquerilla West Hall

“‘We Ready’ by Archie Eversole.”

“‘Sugar We’re Goin Down’ by Fall Out Boy.”

Lizzie Fisher

Michael Bursch

sophomore Walsh Hall

freshman Stanford Hall

“‘Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride’ from the ‘Lilo and Stitch’ soundtrack.”

“‘The Saints’ by Andy Mineo.”

Natasha Milavec

Brendon Armstead

graduate student Badin Hall

freshman Stanford Hall

“‘Ave Maria.’”

“‘New Level’ by A$AP Ferg.”

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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Courtney Becker Alexandra Muck Stephanie Snyder

Joe Everett Stephen Hannon

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Scene

Dominique DeMoe

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Viewpoint

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Evy Stein

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RUNJIE PAN | The Observer

A student speaks with marketing professor Joseph Cherian at his table at Majors Night on Thursday evening in South Dining Hall.

Departmental advisors helped students explore majors, supplementary majors and minors to suit students’ interests.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Boardroom Insights Lecture Series Jordan Auditorium 10:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Nestle Waters CEO Kim Jeffery to speak.

The Okee Dokee Brothers Leighton Concert Hall 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

A family-friendly folk music performance.

Volleyball vs. Virginia Purcell Pavilion 1 p.m.

The Irish take on the Cavaliers in an ACC matchup.

Be Immortalized: Become a Work of Art Snite Museum of Art 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

3-D scanning.

Workshop: “Interview Like a Rockstar” Brownson Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Open to grad students.

Hockey vs. Penn State Compton Ice Arena 7:35 p.m.

The Irish take on the Nittany Lions.

“The Importance of Being Earnest” Decio Theater 2:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.

There is also a 7:30 p.m. performance.

Concert: Solera Quartet Leighton Concert Hall 2:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Renowned string instrument musicians.

Baraka Bouts Finals Duncan Student Center 7 p.m.

Cheer on the women’s boxing club.

International Taste of South Bend Dahnke Ballroom 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free food samples local restaurants.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 10, 2017 | The Observer

3

Lecture examines Wittgenstein, metaphysics

By MARTHA REILLY Saint Mary’s Editor

While Saint Mary’s students study abroad at Oxford University each year, the attraction between the two institutions expanded to the College hosting visiting friar Fr. David Goodill for a lecture about Ludwig Wittgenstein and metaphysics, which took place in Spes Unica Hall on Thursday.

Goodill said conflicting interpretations of metaphysical concepts — and the role they play in refining an understanding of philosophy — can result in dissenting opinions.

“Jurgen Habermas, the German critical theorist, argues that we are now living in a post-metaphysical age, whereas ancient medieval thinkers worked within the paradigm of object-directed truth,” Goodill said. “Comparisons have been made between Wittgenstein and the pragmatic tradition, Paid Advertisement

which argue that Wittgenstein, in his later works, also emphasizes context and social practice in his account of meaning.”

Examining the implications of Wittgenstein’s focus on humans and their social environment helps assess the extent to which metaphysics informed his thought processes, Goodill said.

“Does Wittgenstein’s later stress on human social practices imply a rejection of the metaphysical tradition?” he said.

“Or can we read Wittgenstein in a manner that places him in conversation with philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle and Aquinas?”

Wittgenstein fulfilled one of the primary duties of a philosopher, Goodill said, because he portrayed complex beliefs — many of which supposedly represent a firm rejection of the metaphysical tradition — in an accessible manner.

“He replaces the tendency to solve philosophical problems by the invasion of metaphysical objects, with a careful analysis of the conceptual distinctions made in ordinary language,” he said. “Red is posited to exist as an object. Attention to the actual use of the word we make when we say ‘red’ shows us how we use it in referring to things that are red.”

Goodill said Wittgenstein’s linguistic prowess sparked debate over whether his words Paid Advertisement

mirror or represent an independent reality.

“Wittgenstein, in his later writings, came to see that the task of the philosopher is not to discover the ontological foundations of the world, but to show how our familiar world is given through the various uses we make of language,” he said.

“For many philosophers working for a revival of metaphysics, Wittgenstein offers less refinement, and some strongly oppose him, arguing that he replaces contemplation of truth with a pragmatic account.”

Differing, supported viewpoints emerge from a thorough examination of Wittgenstein’s work, Goodill said.

“Yet there are others, such as his students, ... who see Wittgenstein as sharing key aspects of the metaphysical tradition,” Goodill said.

“William Desmond argues that Wittgenstein’s later emphasis on the plurality of our linguistic practices, together with his intention of teaching us differences, heralds something of a return to the metaphysical practices of Plato.”

Many prominent thinkers, including Plato, have suggested the origins of metaphysics remain intrinsic to the development of truth, Goodill said.

Certain fields of study, he said, rely more heavily on grounded understandings of philosophical principles.

“The relationship between grammar and metaphysics is attested to the metaphysical tradition, and the traditional syllabus followed for philosophical and theological education involved the study of grammar in various related subjects, such as dialect and rhetoric,” Goodill said. “By examining how we express concepts such as existence and causation, philosophers are able to distinguish between grammatical inquiries and those empirical investigations which are carried out in particular sciences, such as zoology or botany.”

Though scientific approaches can resolve some inquiries, certain questions require other forms of thoughtfulness if they are to be answered thoroughly, Goodill said.

“Questions such as ‘Which is the fastest land animal?’ can be answered using the Greek methods of observation and measurement,” Goodill said.

“Wittgenstein’s characterization of philosophy as conceptual investigation thus continues a long tradition of grammatical inquiry.”

Goodill said metaphysics involves a broad study of all existence, rather than a more technical, detailed interpretation of certain subject matter.

“Reflections upon the relationship between metaphysics and practice do not in themselves tell us what metaphysics is, but they do move us in the right direction,” he said.

Scholars have accepted several related components as integral to the study and identity of metaphysics, Goodill said.

“For his part, Aquinas follows Aristotle’s various descriptions of metaphysics,” he said. “First, there’s the study of being, secondly, as philosophy and thirdly as divine science and theology.”

The association of metaphysics with theology has sparked controversy concerning philosophical integrity, Goodill said, for some suggest the two entities must interact while others perceive them as entirely separate.

“In particular, describing metaphysics as theology has brought the charge that Aquinas substitutes a real living experience or encounter with the divine for a set of static categories and propositions,” he said. “When we’re thinking of theological concepts, we’re also thinking about the physical, as well. Some people see them as two separate spheres with almost no interaction between them.”

Despite debates over the role of metaphysics, Goodill said, studying Wittgenstein’s works can provide individuals with a more comprehensive understanding of human behavior.

“Throughout his works from early to late, Wittgenstein strove to show light on the questions of human nature and of its origins,” he said. “One … interpretation of Wittgenstein’s philosophical practice sees it as primarily a therapy to combat the restlessness produced by our attempts to solve … problems.”

New Club

said.

“I think with how we are as a society right now, we could definitely use this knowledge of learning about other people by trying to incorporate and bring awareness to all of our differences and similarities at the same time,” Sencion said. “I think it’s really good to know about, just to have the awareness about what’s going on and how we’re wired and everything.”

The knowledge that the club aims to impart is among its greatest assets, Brickey said.

“I think it’s important because people should have a place where they’re able to learn from each other and also have access to academic resources,” she said. “Just to have an open space to really talk through things, because there are different parts of the world — and maybe even our country — that we don’t understand … being able to sit down together and just talk about it and learn is really important, because otherwise how will you ever know?”

Continued from page 1

said she wants to create general awareness about anthropology.

“We’re going to bring awareness to what we do, because I don’t think a lot of people know what anthropology is,” Sencion said. “If you would’ve asked me a couple of years ago, I probably wouldn’t have known. It’s to understand people and to understand what we do and why we do it.”

The core of anthropology is understanding people, Sencion said, and that aspect of the field of study will be the most important part of the club.

“I think a lot of anthropology can help tie in to what [people] are doing now and what it’s like at this age and what’s going on in the community and the culture and everything,” she said.

“It can really help us understand more people, and with that, I think it can help bring us closer together. It’d be something good for everyone to get involved in.”

The club will aim to improve society, especially given the current social climate, Sencion

Contact Martha Reilly at mreilly01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Maria Leontaras at mleontaras01@saintmarys.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | friday, november 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Allure Continued from page 1

so I’ve always had a good opinion of it. With the watersleeve [dance], it’s something our club has done a lot in the past years, so I wanted to keep that tradition.”

The event presents an informal way for participants to get to know people both within their clubs and in other organizations, Sia said.

“In general, with Asian Allure, it’s a really great opportunity to get to know people within the different clubs,” he said. “ … It’s a great way to get to know the people in your club, to get more involved with it. It isn’t something that’s very serious, so you can afford to not feel that much pressure about it.”

Sophomore Qiyu Zhang, a member of the Chinese Culture Society, also said she enjoyed the bonding aspect of Asian Allure.

“I really like the cooperation between other peers at Asian Allure,” she said. “Last year — because I was a freshman coming in — I got intimidated, but that kind of helped me through a great transition because you really talk to people, get to know people.”

Zhang said she hopes audience members leave the show with a better understanding of Asian culture.

“I know sometimes if I take my friends to some Asian restaurant, some of them just refuse to try it because they feel like it’s too exotic or something,” she said. “So I feel like, especially with performances and music and dancing, it’s easier to get people together and appreciate different cultures.”

Sophomore Mita Ramani, director of the Indian Association’s Asian Allure performance, said she hopes the audience recognizes how much the performers love their

GameDay Continued from page 1

season, Hessert said he also predicts a Notre Dame victory. “[Miami] really hasn’t had a formidable opponent yet,” Hessert said. “Notre Dame will be their true test.”

The outcome of the game is likely to depend on Notre Dame’s rushing offense, Hessert said.

“If our offensive line can make a bit of a push, we should be able to win,” he said.

Senior Joe Fennessy, who serves as the Notre Dame Leprechaun for football games, will also be in Florida for the game this weekend.

As the Leprechaun, Fennessy said his main job will be rallying support for the Irish and interacting with fans before and during the game.

After making an appearance at a pep rally hosted by the Notre Dame Club of Miami on Friday night, Fennessy said he

culture.

“I hope they see how modern our culture can be because sometimes there a lot of misconceptions that Indian culture is very backwards, and it’s really not,” she said. “It’s really beautiful. It’s really colorful.

It’s really modern.”

Many of the students participating in the Indian Association’s performance have never danced before, Ramani said.

“Helping them learn moves they’ve never done before or hand gestures they’ve never done before is definitely a challenge, but everybody’s been up to the challenge so it hasn’t really been difficult — it’s just been something to learn,” she said. “But it’s been pretty cool because I think everyone at this point kind of has it down and has had a lot of fun with it.”

The event can help start dialogue and build common ground between students of different cultures, sophomore and treasurer of the Indian Association Jessica D’Souza said.

“I feel like a lot of times when we talk about race or diversity, we talk about problems and ‘here’s what wrong with this’ or ‘here’s a struggle with that,’” she said. “But I hope for an hour or two people can come and just enjoy music and enjoy dance or enjoy song.

“Having that experience of, ‘Hey, I really enjoyed this,’ or, ‘That’s got a really sick beat,’ just those moments make people more aware of the beauty in other cultures. … I think it’s small experiences like that, that help you start dialogue.”

Asian Allure will take place from 7-9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in Washington Hall.

Tickets can be purchased in the LaFortune Student Center or at the door.

Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu

will arrive on set for the College GameDay broadcast by 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Fennessy said he expects Saturday’s program to cover “anything from short segments on players and coaches to in-depth reviews of different teams.”

Fennessy said he is particularly excited for the prediction segment at the end of the broadcast.

Lee Corso, one of the show’s four hosts, concludes each program by donning the mascot headgear of the team he predicts to win, Fennessy said.

Fennessy said he hopes for a vote for Notre Dame, and is confident in the team’s ability to return to South Bend with a victory.

“Of course I think the Irish are going to win,” Fennessy said.

“They’ve been working hard.

The team’s getting better every week.”

Contact Mary Steurer at msteure1@nd.edu

Faculty Continued from page 1

Matovina also said students should consider the implications of politics on some students’ personal lives, especially in light of last year’s national election.

“The political is very personal,” he said. “ … [Students who came to talk to him] had no idea what the repercussions would be, and there’s still a tremendous fear. It wasn’t just a matter of political disagreement.”

Brian Collier, the director of the American Indian Catholic Schools Network, said disrespecting Native Americans and their culture is not something of the past, as evidenced by two students dressing as Native Americans for their Halloween costumes during a football game this season.

The students’ costumes included the headdress that is a religious symbol in some cultures, Collier said.

“It’s not that people want trouble,” he said. “People don’t want their religious symbols appropriated.”

Collier also said students should say something whenever they see someone misusing a culture’s symbols.

For the LGBT community, Sara Agostinelli, the assistant director for LGBTQ Initiatives at the Gender Relations Center, said things are “just okay” for LGBT students on campus.

“Something I hear a lot is that here at Notre Dame students feel very tolerated,” she said. “There’s not these daily acts of hate or things we might see at other institutions across the country, but there’s not a sense of welcoming, embrace and celebration.”

To remedy this problem, Agostinelli recommended that students recognize the importance of allies and to reach out to students to check in on how they are doing, especially when hateful acts happen on other campuses.

For an admissions perspective, Don Bishop, the associate vice president of undergraduate enrollment, said Notre Dame has made great strides in becoming more diverse due to new recruiting tactics. These tactics, Bishop said, include expanding the spring visitation program, going to new schools and working with community-based organizations.

“Rather than waiting for kids to instantly know enough about Notre Dame and apply, we’re trying to go out and seek them and get a conversation with them,” he said.

As a result of these efforts, Bishop said Notre Dame is on par with diversity with the average of the top 30 most selective private institutions in the U.S. He said the only categories in which Notre Dame falls behind is with Asian Americans and international students.

Mary Galvin, the William K. Paid Advertisement

Warren Foundation dean of the College of Science, spoke about her personal experiences. Though she is an accomplished scientist who has a Ph.D. from MIT, she said she oftentimes felt stupid since a third-grade teacher had told her parents she “wasn’t college material.”

Due to her background, Galvin said she understands that many students who come to Notre Dame from schools that may not have offered AP science classes may begin to feel they are falling behind in their science and engineering courses. She said students must share their experiences with others to help them not feel bad about themselves.

“If you went through the struggle of not thinking you were smart but then got out of it, be willing to talk about it,” she said.

Jay Caponigro, the director of community engagement in the Office of Public Affairs, said to help solve social issues today, students must build relationships with others. To develop these partnerships, Caponigro said you must listen to people and ask them about their stories, especially by asking the question, “Why?” Caponigro also said allies must teach others to do things for themselves as well.

“An ally isn’t someone who just does stuff for other people,” he said.

Contact Alexandra Muck at amuck@nd.edu

5

The observer | friday, november 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

By CHARLIE KENNEY Scene Writer

“The Meyerowitz Stories” is a film that tries to be something it isn’t.

The movie is about empathy, loss, family, forgiveness and love, but it tries to be something else. It tries to be a movie that can be as funny as it is dramatic, that can be as quirky as it is touching and that can be as relatable as it is distant. In doing so, it falls flat, becoming more of a comedic melodrama set in all the wrong circumstances.

The film centers around a disjointed family — broken up by divorces and varying levels of success — that tries to come together in harmony to celebrate their father’s life and his work as a sculptor. The film has all the necessary elements to be fantastic and truly touching — a unique conflict, an incredible cast and an artistic director — but the director and screenwriter Noah Baumbach ultimately takes the film in the wrong direction.

One of the most detrimental actions Baumbach takes is forcing his characters into certain molds instead of letting them characterize themselves. Danny Meyerowitz (Adam Sandler) is an unemployed, anger-inclined musician who throughout the entire movie strictly sings, screams, fights or longs for his father’s affection. Matthew Meyerowitz (Ben Stiller) is a successful, unsympathetic, down-to-earth accountant who for the movie’s entirety is either apologetic for his wealth, mediates fights or struggles to convey his emotions. Maureen Meyerowitz (Emma Thompson) is the neglecting father’s alcoholic

By OWEN LANE Scene Writer

The Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of “Macbeth” debuted Friday night in the Lab Theater of Washington Hall. English master’s student Michael Vaclav directs the Scottish Play with a modern twist that suits both the theater space and the sprawling story of ambition gone awry.

The cast of the play is predominantly female, with all of the play’s Scottish Thanes — including the titular Macbeth — portrayed by actresses. Men play only two major roles: Duncan and Malcolm.

This iteration of “Macbeth” demonstrates that the company’s gender-blind casting policy can still wring excellent performances from actors performing roles outside their gender. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are particularly mesmerizing performances. Macbeth is played in a way perfectly befitting the plot progression of the play, becoming more frantic and intense as his intentions fall into ruin. Lady Macbeth is played with the fiery ambition required for the role.

“Macbeth” utilizes an adventurous aesthetic that, with a few small exceptions, creates a theatrical

second wife, who appears in a drunken stupor or excessively drinking alcohol during all of her interactions with other characters.

They are all characters that could have had dimensions and layers to them, but characters that Baumbach forces into what he wants them to be.

They are an alcoholic, an angry musician or an emotionless accountant — nothing more, nothing less.

It’s a technique that without a doubt adds humor and quirkiness to the dialogue and the actions of the characters, but one that ultimately if removed would have improved the film. The plot and conflict in the film set it up for drama and real emotion, but Baumbach in restraining his characters creates a lackluster comedy and synthetic emotion at most.

Aside from Baumbach’s directorial and narrative choices, other parts of the film fall flat as well, particularly in the acting department.

This comes as a surprise. The illustrious cast includes Academy Award winners Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, comedy kingpins Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller and rising stars like Grace Van Patten. None of the cast — with the possible exception of Stiller — lives up their potential. Hoffman’s character’s depth gives him a shadow of what he’s capable of working with; Sandler fails to replicate his serious, insecure “Punch-Drunk Love” character he saw so much success with in 2002; Thompson isn’t able to do anything with a virtually lineless, alcoholic character and Van Patten overacts nearly every sequence she’s in as a conflicted teenager — failing to ever materialize into something believable and poignant.

The poor acting is partially due to directorial decisions by Baumbach and partially due to the merit of the cast — regardless, it falls flat. The cast is a ragtag group of comedians, dramatists and newcomers who just simply couldn’t capitalize on a movie that tried to mesh their conflicting genres together.

If the movie is a testament to anything, it’s to the kind of films Netflix movies are. Being on Netflix and receiving the press that it did, “The Meyerowitz Stories” has been watched millions of times. If the movie were in theaters, however, that would never have happened. The film won’t pull you out to the movie theater, where it would pull $20 out of your wallet. Rather, it’s the kind of film your finger might be inclined to click while you sit on your couch. It’s not a great movie by any means, but it’s a “why not?” kind of movie. Netflix realized that and they capitalized on it — at least more than any traditional distribution studio would have.

All in all, the movie could have been great, but it isn’t. It could have been a “Lost in Translation” or “Manchester by the Sea” kind of film — one that doesn’t try to be too much. But “The Meyerowitz Stories” isn’t that. It’s a film that has the necessary structure and plot to do that, but one that tries to get cheap laughs instead of building a human connection with its audience. Maybe that’s what Baumbach wanted — kudos to him if he did. But in a world where cheap laughs abound and empathy tends to fall through the cracks, it would have been nice to see the latter.

environment that primes the audience perfectly for the play’s content. Cleverly, the play does not attempt to construct too much context to match the production’s aesthetic. However, at rare times the theme feels slightly superf luous, like a f lourish on top of an orthodox Shakespeare production. Rather, Vaclav described his interpretation of “Macbeth” as a sort of “Early-Modern horror movie,” and his production style is heavily informed by this interpretation. This performance has been transferred from the Early-Modern era into an atmosphere that, although difficult to pin down, seems to resemble the late 20th century. The costumes consist of vaguely militaristic clothing. Flak jackets are donned over hard-rock band T-shirts.

The clearest difference between this production of Macbeth and others is the production’s incorporation of music. Not only is music rampant throughout the play, but the music itself is rather unconventional for Shakespeare. Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Queen and Led Zeppelin songs all play during the performance, mostly at the ends and beginnings of scenes, but occasionally during the play’s action. At times, the use of music is jarring and does not mesh with the prior scene’s action. At one point,

the overly jaunty song “Mr. Brownstone” plays out a sobering scene. Most of the time, though, the hardrock palette paints a daunting picture in the minds of the audience.

The play begins with the haunting Metallica song “One” echoing in the small theater. This song fills the pitch-black theater with a claustrophobic ambiance that perfectly precedes the arrival of the witches. After Banquo’s death, the classic Zeppelin tune “Stairway to Heaven” begins, a cute elbow-nudge to the audience. The hard-rock sound of the late ’70s to early ’90s not only coincides chronologically with the arrival of the American “slasher” genre; also, crunchy guitars and cacophonous, cymbal-heavy music generally suit a play that thrives on chaos and disorder.

The play is not perfect, but one gets the impression that this is mostly due to a lack of resources.

The concept behind the production is very solid and it would be fascinating to see this play on an even larger scale. Not-So-Royal Shakespeare has created a compelling retelling of a play that is already extremely stylish and attractive to audiences.

Contact Charlie Kenney at ckenney4@nd.edu

Contact Owen Lane at olane@nd.edu DOMINIQUE DeMOE | The Observer

6

The observer | Friday, November 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

New policy deters higher education Emmet Farnan Photographer

People would not normally call me a fiscally responsible individual — not because I am poor at budgeting, but more because I am rather lackadaisical about my exact finances. For this reason, I am hardly ever the one to talk about taxes or other financial situations, and that is why this column should be something worth paying attention to.

Currently in the House of Representatives, there is a tax overhaul plan being debated. While I do not know many of the specifics (as I said, I normally am not the most up to financial news), there are parts of this bill that are very concerning for me personally and these have major implications for American society.

To begin to explain what is so concerning, let me explain my situation. I am currently a first year Ph.D, student studying aerospace engineering. As with almost all STEM related Ph.D. students across the country, my $50,000-plus tuition has been waived and I receive a stipend between $20-30 thousand a year in return for being a teaching assistant and for the research that I do.

Under the current tax codes, this waived tuition is non-taxable and therefore, I am only taxed on the stipend that is designed to cover living costs.

This new bill though, will change my situation by making the waived tuition a taxable “income.”

I, and thousands of other Ph.D. students across the country will all of a sudden be taxed for up to $80,000 of income on no more than $30,000 or actual income. That will nearly double the taxes we would be forced to pay in the best interpretation of the current bill, but the situation could be worse than that.

Personally, I am confident that Notre Dame would find some loophole so as to not put its Ph.D. students under additional financial burden, although I don’t know if peers at other universities will be so lucky. But regardless of whether or not my personal financial situation stays the same or gets worse, this part of the tax reform bill indicates a worrisome thought process among lawmakers.

Nearly 60 percent of graduate students that would be directly affected by this bill are pursuing topics in science, technology, engineering and math. These fields of study are widely accepted as necessary for invigorating the economy and keeping “America on Top.” In fact, in a 2014 Pew Research study, 92 percent of scientists said that the scientific achievements in the United States are the “Best in the world/Above Average.”

Unfortunately, this new tax bill could change this. Given the fact that most Ph.D. candidates are coming from undergraduate institutions where they likely incurred a substantial student debt, this new financial strain associated with pursuing a higher degree may no longer be appealing.

Regardless, the U.S. will likely continue as a world STEM research leader, but deterring students from pursuing these higher degrees only will end up limiting the potential growth of scientific advancement within the U.S., which to me is bonkers.

Contact Emmet Farnan at efarnan@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

In response to “Dear Fr. Jenkins” In a recent Viewpoint titled, “Dear Fr. Jenkins,” two students called for clarity with respect to several University policies related to sexual violence, in part due to changing guidance from the federal government.

Specifically, the authors asked the University to address the following four items. One: commit to using the preponderance of the evidence standard in cases of sexual misconduct; Two: uphold a 60day timeline of addressing Title IX cases; three: clarify the new alternative resolution policy and disallow mediation in cases of sexual misconduct; and four: create and publicize waivers from the six-semester housing requirement for survivors of sexual misconduct, violence, or any other forms of discrimination.

These areas are of such importance to our campus community that I write this open response to clarify our policies. As I do so, let me reiterate Notre Dame’s unwavering commitment to preventing sexual violence, providing survivors with support and administering a compassionate, fair and timely resolution process.

The first two items are already codified in University policy. While we thoughtfully incorporate federal standards and carefully review our policies every summer, we have no plans to change University policy related to those items.

Our first priority in making University policy decisions is and will remain the safety of our students and the welfare of our campus community.

The preponderance of the evidence standard is used in all student conduct cases, including any reports related to sexual harassment or sexual misconduct. Our policy also articulates our goal to resolve reports within 60 days whenever feasible. We are committed to resolving complaints as expeditiously as possible and have added staff resources each of the last two years to support this objective.

The letter’s third point related to alternative resolution is an area where I welcome the opportunity to provide further information about the options it provides to students. By policy, mediation is not available for cases involving sexual assault. Mediation is available for other types of sexual misconduct (e.g., non-consensual sexual contact, dating or domestic violence, stalking) or hostile environment cases only when all parties agree to proceed in that manner. Mediation is also only one form of alternative resolution — other examples could include education or continuation of interim measures. The alternative resolution process was implemented this summer (prior to the revised federal guidance) based on the

feedback of complainants who asked for a broader range of options for resolution of their reports.

Participation in alternative resolution is voluntary for both complainants and respondents, and a complainant or respondent can opt to instead pursue an administrative resolution (with a possible disciplinary outcome) at any point prior to the case’s conclusion. The University would never coerce any students into mediation or any other method of alternative resolution.

The fourth point related to the new residency requirement remains in process, since the new policy will affect first-year students matriculating in fall 2018. I am grateful for the thoughtful student feedback already offered on this topic and look forward to further conversation. We want our residential communities to provide safe, welcoming and inclusive environments. The exception policy will carefully consider the individual needs of each student, including whether the student has experienced an incident of sexual violence or discriminatory harassment that would make another campus community or an off-campus alternative preferable to her or him.

I welcome additional student engagement on how to prevent sexual violence in our community and offer support to those students impacted by these incidents. Students, staff and faculty from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College serve on the Committee on Sexual Assault Prevention, which regularly offers advice and guidance to the Office of Student Affairs on how to assist and support victims of sexual assault.

The Oct. 11 Student Senate meeting also provided an opportunity to share further information about the University’s policies and support resources, and Title IX Lunch and Learn meetings held in August, September and October (with another session scheduled Nov. 30) are intended to help students better understand recent additions to the Title IX Reporting Process.

Notre Dame is deeply committed to our students’ safety as we strive to become a community free from sexual violence. We are grateful for the efforts of so many students, faculty and staff who work to improve prevention programs, offer support resources and address reports in an equitable and timely manner. Together, we can accomplish these goals and honor the human dignity of each member of our community.

Erin Hoffmann Harding vice President for Student Affairs Notre Dame Nov. 9

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Journalism trumps ‘fake news’ Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of Donald J. Trump securing his role as the leader of the United States of America in the 2016 presidential election. The year since Trump’s election has been filled with several points of contention, including his repeated attacks on the free press.

Trump has used his presidential campaign and presidency to redefine the term “fake news.” PolitiFact defines the term as “fabricated content that intentionally masquerades as news coverage of actual events.” When Trump uses this phrase, however, he is most often referring to unflattering coverage of him and his administration, most of which cannot be considered actual fake news. On June 27, Entertainment Weekly published a list of every tweet in which Trump used the phrase “fake news” — the list was 73 tweets long at the time. The Trump administration’s use of the term has become so prevalent that Collins Dictionary just named “fake news” its word of the year for 2017.

Trump has gone as far as to challenge the First Amendment, which states “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” At a February 2016 rally during his presidential campaign, then-candidate Trump threatened to “open up the libel laws” to make it easier for him to sue news outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Almost a year later, Trump called the media “the enemy of the American people” on Twitter. Most recently, on Oct. 11, Trump issued a tweet asking, “at what point is it

appropriate to challenge” the licenses of networks that air unfavorable coverage of him and his administration.

These frequent cries of fake news and challenges to the First Amendment are dangerous in a democracy. The free press has stood as a pillar of this country since its inception, informing the electorate and keeping government accountable, proving its value time and time again.

In 1971, The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers, a series of documents that revealed the Johnson administration had lied to the public and to Congress about the progress of the Vietnam War. Not only did this investigation inform Americans of the truth about the controversial conflict and hold the government responsible for its decisions, but it also led to a Supreme Court decision that reaffirmed the right of the press to operate without government interference.

One year after the Times published the Pentagon Papers, The Washington Post began publishing a series of stories about the Nixon administration’s role in a break-in at the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in the Watergate hotel. The Watergate scandal eventually led to an overhaul of the administration, culminating with President Richard Nixon becoming the first U.S. president to resign.

Examples of journalism’s importance are abundant today as well. The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed Harvey Weinstein, a Hollywood mogul and alleged serial sexual predator, in October after accusations that he had been sexually assaulting women for years.

Weinstein himself seems to understand the power of the press, as he hired a network of investigators to help him attempt to derail the publication of any allegations against him. His failure to do so has resulted in upwards

of 50 women coming forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual assault, the #MeToo campaign going viral on social media and the public identification of other alleged sexual predators.

Barring any radical developments, President Trump has at least three more years in the White House. One year removed from his election, it is clear that he is still not a friend of the free press, and it doesn’t seem as though he will be changing his mind anytime soon.

In light of that probability, there are several things we can — and must — do to ensure journalism endures and thrives throughout Trump’s presidency and beyond.

Subscribing to newspapers not only benefits specific papers financially, but also shows support for journalism in general. A column by New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof says the paper’s stock price has risen by almost two-thirds of what it was before Trump began his assault on the “failing” publication.

At the local papers, too, important work is being done every day — whether it’s reporting on city budgets or on school board meetings that affect thousands of people.

While countless outlets report on the president every day, sometimes only a handful report on city and county governments and institutions. Supporting those local papers can mean a lot for communities across the country.

Journalism is not perfect. Journalists make mistakes and don’t get the full story in every scenario. But as the Editorial Board of The Los Angeles Times wrote in an April editorial, “Even if we are not faultless, the news media remain an essential component in the democratic process and should not be undermined by the president.”

And that’s true now more than ever before in our lifetimes.

Why the contraception fight flip-flop?

Gary J. Caruso Capitol Comments

It has often been said that incoming freshman faces look like those who have just graduated, illustrating the constancy of the Notre Dame community — only the student names change. Striving for diversity within its Catholic identity, each year the University embraces efforts to meld legacy children with other ethnicities and races from various religious backgrounds. Only premier academic communities strive for such goals to fully educate body, mind and soul through interpersonal relationships and scholarly curiosity.

Notre Dame excels in arousing its student body through personal inner spirituality, commonly referred to as the “Notre Dame Community” on campus and throughout the alumni ranks. But too many Catholics blur religion with spirituality, thus many times demanding strict adherence of rigid conservative dogma: refusal of women in the priesthood, refusal of communion to those who have divorced or those elected to public office who do not strictly adhere to dogma, refusal of marriage for Roman Catholic priests (unlike their Orthodox colleagues) while the Vatican welcomes disgruntled married conservative pastors from another religion who can help backfill the downturn of Catholic seminarians. At such times, Church decrees based on specified limitations sap the spirituality from its followers’ hearts.

Unfortunately, Notre Dame administrators oftentimes fall prey to exclusionary tactics in their quest to self-proclaim an image as the “premier Catholic university in the United States.” Accommodating women’s healthcare, of which contraception is an integral part of the private patient-doctor relationship and many times has nothing to do with birth control but with controlling a woman’s ailing cycle, has become the university’s latest misstep when it reversed its stand within a two-week period. Does Notre Dame now agree it must provide contraceptive services for students and employees of other ethnicities and races

from various religious backgrounds?

The University always had a religious buffer accommodation for contraception to be managed completely outside the university’s control. Now after its myriad of lawsuits and lengthy public condemnations, what caused all the drama? We might speculate that the Church hierarchy intervened or the costs and odds of overcoming legal challenges from employees were simply too expensive to pursue. Either way, the University should begin to follow the pope’s lead of softening on specific dictates in favor of ministering to the individual.

The irony of the contraception debate is that it could have been a moot point 50 years ago had Pope John XXIII lived long enough to complete his Second Vatican Council reforms. John XXIII established an international commission to study it, and Paul VI extended the commission to 72 members from five continents. The commission concluded by a 68-4 vote that artificial birth control was not intrinsically evil and that Catholic couples should be allowed to decide the methods they want to employ for themselves.

However, Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae reversed that conclusion, labeling contraceptives as evil while citing that it “teaches that each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life.”

The Catholic hierarchy has a long history of systemic rigidity that excludes in the name of Christian morality, rather than includes in the name of individual spirituality. In Notre Dame’s zeal for premier purity, the University encourages an attitude of “not being Catholic enough” on many levels. Standing as the last great Catholic vestige of resistance against the Obama Affordable Care Act’s mandate for free and equal healthcare for women, the University has diminished its Catholic identity brand. Notre Dame’s reputation as another unyielding religious institution becomes clustered with Southern Baptist-affiliated Pat Robertson’s Regent University and Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University. Known for their fringe-right leaning, seldom is the word “premier” associated with their staunchly regimented reputations.

Our Catholic flock drifts from attending mass to become Catholics in name only (CINO), the nonpracticing people who leave the Church because they are not embraced, but chastised. The allure of Pope Francis is rooted in his call to return to ministering to others, not administering over others. The pontiff’s famous yet simple refrain of “Who am I to judge?” rang volumes beyond his predecessors when in 2013 he was asked how he would act as a confessor to a gay person.

In his book, The Name of God is Mercy, published in 2016, Francis explains his broader philosophy, “I am glad that we are talking about ‘homosexual people’ because before all else comes the individual person, in his wholeness and dignity.” He continues, “…let us not forget that God loves all his creatures, and we are destined to receive his infinite love.”

Francis sums up the heart of what Catholicism should be in one guideline. While bishops and Catholic educational administrators should follow this principle, they oftentimes seem lost in trying to preserve their image of Catholicism. Francis answers whether opposition or choice exists between truth and mercy, or doctrine and mercy. He writes, “I will say this: mercy is real; it is the first attribute of God. Theological reflections on doctrine or mercy may then follow, but let us not forget that mercy is doctrine.”

The pope concludes, “Even so, I love saying: mercy is true.”

We are fortunate to live in the era of Francis. Notre Dame administrators should protect every woman’s healthcare by better following Francis and remembering that “before all else comes the individual person, in wholeness and dignity.”

Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame ‘73 American studies major, serves in the Department of Homeland Security and was a legislative and public affairs director at the U.S. House of Representatives and in President Clinton’s administration. His column appears every other Friday.

Contact him on Twitter: @GaryJCaruso or e-mail: GaryJCaruso@alumni.nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Daily

The observer | friday, november 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Listen to others carefully. The conversations you have this year can make a difference to your personal life and your standard of living. Don’t be tempted to be indulgent or make promises that you will have trouble living up to.

Think carefully and do what’s feasible to avoid damaging your reputation. Your numbers are 6, 17, 19, 26, 31, 42, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Participate in events that allow you to show off your skills and knowledge. You’ve got what it takes to be a leader, so push ahead. A money matter must be handled carefully. Gather facts before you put any money on the table.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Emotional outbursts, excessive behavior and overreacting will set you back personally and professionally if you aren’t careful how you handle your peers. Moderation and discipline will help you avoid making a costly mistake.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be careful how you present who you are and what you want. Someone will be eager to use emotional manipulation to make you look bad. Use your intelligence to counter any personal affront. Take better care of your health.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Concentrate on how to best handle your money, expenses and income stream. A chance to bring in more cash should be looked at seriously. Reconnect with people you have collaborated with in the past and new opportunities will surface.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Overreacting and indulgent behavior will not go over well at home or at work. Curb bad habits before they take over, and keep your distance from people who are a poor influence. Moderation will be your best approach.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): An emotional situation involving cash or a joint venture will leave you feeling uncertain. Don’t make assumptions or act too quickly. Communication is the best way to figure out how to move forward confidently.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It will be difficult to not be tempted by an offer or suggestion, that can change your current lifestyle and future. Gather all the facts and make sure you aren’t overlooking something that could deter you from moving forward.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Stick to a practical plan. If you take on too much or underestimate the cost or work involved, you will look bad and risk disappointing someone who is counting on you. Only offer what you can.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Avoid excessive spending just for the sake of self-gratification. You’ll get far more in return if you are prudent about how you handle legal, financial and contractual matters devoid of any emotional interference.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Being a little secretive is in your best interest. Too much information shared with someone who tends to be emotional will leave you in a difficult position. Take the path that interests you even if you have to go it alone.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Use charm and intelligence to get your way. If you overreact, you will end up looking bad and jeopardizing your chance to win support. Indulgence will affect your health and cause problems with someone close to you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t feel like you have to pay for others. Offer suggestions, but don’t do the work. Don’t neglect your responsibilities or you will end up missing out on an opportunity that could turn into something promising.

Birthday Baby: You are outgoing, persistent and generous. You are sensitive and mysterious.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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SPORTS

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 10, 2017 | The Observer

W Bball

Sports Authority

CFP shouldn’t use eight-team field Joe Everett Sports Writer

As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

While there hasn’t been anything close to a nationwide push to alter the format of the College Football Playoff yet, around this time of year, there are always those who argue the Playoff should expand to eight teams, stating the prevailing system is too exclusive.

Well, quite frankly, the College Football Playoff is in a perfect place right now and shouldn’t consider changing one bit.

In order to prove this point, let’s look at the main objections that critics of the current College Football Playoff format have, and I’ll respond to them in turn.

Objection 1: There are more deserving teams than Playoff spots. Expanding the Playoff to eight teams will ensure no deserving team gets left out.

The problem with this argument is that it leads to a slippery slope in terms of deciding who is “deserving.” If anything, it widens the field of “deserving” teams and creates even more debate and controversy.

Think about it. When only four teams qualify for the playoff, the margin for error is so slim that two-loss teams are all but eliminated. However, if the Playoff were expanded to eight teams, some of the teams that qualify will inevitably have two and possibly even three losses, depending on the season. Therefore, all two-loss and even a couple of three-loss teams would have to be taken into consideration as contenders for the Playoff, as well as undefeated and one-loss Group of Five and independent teams.

Instead of debating between five to 10 “deserving” teams like we are know, we would debate between 15 to 25 “deserving” teams for eight spots.

There will also be controversy and teams that feel left out.

Expanding the field to eight teams doesn’t erase that reality.

Objection 2: Expanding the Playoff would allow every conference champion to automatically earn its spot in the Playoff, thus eliminating some debate and allowing each conference to send a representative, while still leaving room

9

for at-large bids and a Group of Five team or independent.

While, at first glance, this does look like a pretty attractive argument, the College Football Playoff is not about conferences; it’s about teams.

It’s about giving the best teams the opportunity to win the championship, not a vehicle for each conference to get more media attention and money. If one conference has a down year and has no viable contender, would it really be fair to automatically save a playoff spot for a team that in actuality is not one of the best eight teams in the country? It wouldn’t.

Objection 3: More college playoff football is good for everybody — more revenue for the NCAA and more action for the fans.

The eight-team Playoff would likely hurt players, however, as well as the entire programs to a certain extent. Adding another high-intensity game against a top opponent would exacerbate the physical risk that players face on the football field, and therefore the quality of the product on the field would decrease due to more injured players on the sideline and increasingly exhausted players on the field. Even if the Playoff were extended into mid- or late-January to give players and coaches enough time to recover and prepare, the teams playing in the championship would be at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to recruiting and offseason preparation.

Overall, the four-team playoff is and will be the best solution for the foreseeable future.

The eight-team playoff would dilute the importance of both the regular season and bowl season, while the four-team playoff energizes them. I understand the desire to allow more teams the opportunity to “get hot” and win a championship, but football can’t and shouldn’t turn into a March Madness-type tournament — it’s doing just fine where it’s at, so enjoy the tense, must-win excitement for the rest of the season.

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports

Continued from page 12

she needs her team to be focused on for Saturday.

“I think for us, the important thing is, one, we’re trying to work on not turning the ball over and taking care of the ball which has been a little bit of an issue for us in the preseason practice,” McGraw said. “We’re still gelling as a team, trying to figure out what our identity is going to be. Defensively, we need to make some big strides, so I’m hoping that our defense looks a little better than it did last year. We’ve got a little more depth now. We have eight scholarships players, so we will be able to sub a little bit more.”

For Notre Dame, the home court advantage should spell good news as the Irish have won 22 consecutive home openers, their last loss coming at the hands of No. 13 Purdue back in 1994. Coming into this game, there is a possibility of added importance for one player who has the potential to join the 1,000-career point club: junior guard Arike Ogunbowale, who sits at 986 career points entering the season. As the year continues, junior guard Marina Mabrey and senior forward Kathryn Westbeld have the potential to join the distinctive club as well, as the two are sitting at 916 and 792 points,

W Soccer Continued from page 12

first-round defeat, courtesy of SIU-Edwardsville.

IUPUI earned a spot in the NCA As automatically after claiming the title in their league. The Jaguars are coming off of an emotional 1-0 win in penalty kicks against undefeated Milwaukee to earn top spot in the Horizon League Championship.

Jaguars goalie sophomore Sophia Lipka rejected all 17 shots on goal in regulation and received All-Tournament Team MVP. This is the second time that the two teams will meet, with the first time being in the first round of the 2009 NCA A tournament when the Irish toppled the Jaguars 5-0. South Bend native and IUPUI’s junior forward Denise Veldman returns to the field this game after being injured.

Irish head coach Theresa Romagnolo ref lected on the time off and viewed it as a positive for the squad in order to go into the tournament as prepared as possible.

“We have been working on a lot,” Romagnolo said. “We

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Irish junior guard Arike Ogunbowale looks to drive during Notre Dame’s 108-40 victory over IUP at Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 1.

respectively.

Before action gets underway on Saturday, Notre Dame’s Ring of Honor will be gaining a new member as 2014 graduate Kayla McBride will be inducted during a pre-game, on-court ceremony. McBride, who was drafted third overall in the 2014 WNBA draft and named a 2015 All-Star, was part of a bit of a golden era for Notre Dame women’s basketball. The Irish made a final

four appearance in each of her four years with the team, and McBride’s senior class recorded the second-most wins (138) of any other class in history.

With the McBride ceremony set for approximately 12:40 p.m., tip-off is expected around 1 p.m. as the Irish embark on the 2017-18 season.

have had two weeks since our last game, so we have gotten a lot of practice in. It’s been really productive. We have been able to work on our system, work on defending as a group, get a little bit sharper on the attack and set pieces. We have had a nice two weeks and we have just had a lot of time to refine ourselves.”

Romagnolo explained the importance of focusing on the coming game rather than getting lost looking too far ahead.

“I definitely like the team to focus on one game at a time,” Romagnolo said. “You really can’t look beyond the next game at this point because if you lose, you’re out.

We have to focus on beating IUPUI, we have to focus on being great on Saturday — being relentless on attack and stopping their attack.

We have our long-term goal, but we have to take care of each step along the way.”

Romagnolo named “focus” as the main item she hopes the team will bring into Saturday’s game, because focus can lead to consistency and relentless pursuit.

“I want a strong focus for each game,” Romagnolo

said. “There’s a lot of really exciting things about this team: we can defend really well, attack really well, and score goals. We need to do it consistently and, in order to do that, we need to make sure we maintain our focus for however long that game is and just stay clued in and be relentless in our determination.”

In response to how the IUPUI goalie, Veldman, had an impressive previous game, Romagnolo pointed out that the Irish see strong goalies in the ACC and looks for her team to create opportunities.

“We play against good goalkeepers all year round in our ACC play,” Romagnolo said. “Credit to IUPUI because they’ve created their own luck and found a way to get results in previous games, but now we need to create our own luck when they come to South Bend. We need to make sure that we don’t give [Veldman] an opportunity to look good.”

The Irish take on the Jaguars Saturday at Alumni Stadium at 7 p.m.

Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu

Contact Brenna Moxley at bmoxley@nd.edu

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Sports

The observer | friday, november 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

M Bball Continued from page 12

[they’re all] great fits for how we play. We certainly needed to fill some holes with what we’re graduating, and to fill it with these four guys, I am thoroughly pleased.”

Brey shares the achievement with all the members of his coaching staff, from associate head coach Rod Balanis to Notre Dame graduate and video coordinator Eric Atkins.

“I know I really take my hat off to the staff certainly Ryan [Ayers] and Ryan [Humphrey] have given us new energy, but Rod [Balanis] was fabulous,” Breay said. “[He was] handling prospects ... helping Ryan and Ryan and training them a little bit, [in] how we do it. So, I thought the three of them, and when you add Atkins and [Harold] Swanagan those guys being able to interact with families. That’s a powerful five that can really connect with young people.”

A highly-ranked recruiting class was imminent given the success of Brey’s program in the last three years. After a long recruiting season — starting from when the Irish were eliminated in the tournament back in March —Brey is “grateful and thankful for going four for four.”

“There wasn’t a whole lot of Plan B talk; we were grinding and getting good signs that Plan A was going to work,” Brey said.

Brey’s ‘Plan A’ of incoming freshman features four-star recruits in guards Prentiss Hubb, Robby Carmody, Dane Goodwin and forward Nate Laszewski.

Next year’s incoming freshman class is certainly an upgrade for the Irish, considering the 2017 class only featured the lone fourstar recruit in D.J. Harvey. Filling the shoes of seniors Matt Farrell, Martinas Geben and Bonzie Colson will be difficult, but recruits give Notre Dame fans another interesting season to look forward to next year.

After a major win this week in the recruiting ranks, the Irish will now focus their attention on DePaul this weekend. There are no more dress rehearsals for Notre Dame. DePaul will be a true test for the Irish, and a victory over the Blue Demons is exactly what the Irish need before they start a very challenging season schedule, highlighted by a conference matchup against reigning national champion North Carolina, and possibly No. 2 ranked Michigan State in addition to the Maui Invitational in two weeks. Gaining momentum to compete against the No. 2 ranked Spartans or the No. 9 ranked Tar Heels will start this Saturday against DePaul.

Saturday’s game will mark the opening of DePaul’s newly built Wintrust Arena. Competing in the inaugural game at the new arena against the Blue Demons, the Irish are expecting a high energy opponent.

Junior guard Rex Pflueger believes that the veterans will set the tone for the younger players.

“This DePaul game is going to be a good challenge for us [because they’re] opening up their new arena,” Pflueger said. “Those guys are going to come out with a lot of emotion, but we’re going to lean on our veteran guys who have been in these predicaments before to lead and help us keep the young[er] guys cool.”

Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs agreed with Pflueger, and believes that as long as the Irish trust one another, they are ready to compete.

“We know they’re going to bring a lot of energy… they’re going to give us a tough challenge.

That’s something we’re definitely ready for. We’re going to trust in each other. We know it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere, but we’ve been here before,” Gibbs said.

The Irish aim for their first win when they face the Blue Demons this Saturday at 4 p.m. on FS1 Sports.

Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs dribbles the ball up the court during Notre Dame’s 90-46 victory over Cardinal Stritch at Purcell Pavilion on Tuesday. Gibbs shot 83.1 percent from the free-throw line last year.

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ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 10, 2017 | The Observer

11

Interhall

Squads prep for semifinal, quarterfinal play No. 2 Dillon v. No. 6 Morrissey

By ELLIE OLMANSON Sports Writer

With one game between both teams and the championship round in Notre Dame Stadium, No. 6 Morrissey (4-1) will take on the No. 2 Dillon Big Red (50) this Sunday to see who gets the bid to the finals.

Coming off quarterfinal wins, each team won by a single possession.

Dillon defeated Dunne 14-7 in a defensive battle while Morrissey just overcame Seigfried 2-0 in the last five minutes. Both of Morrissey’s wins in the postseason have been by two points.

Morrissey captain and sophomore Thomas Slevin said the team is looking to improve its offensive play while maintaining defensive stops.

“I think our major takeaway from last Sunday’s game is that we need to move the football better on offense,” Slevin said.

“Our defense has played outstanding the entire year, but we need to stay on the field on offense and put some points up on the board. We definitely need to regain some of the balance we showed earlier in the year.”

Morrissey came into the playoffs on a two-game win streak, allowing only 19 points to Fisher during the first game of the season.

Dillon is also known for its defense. The team went undefeated all year and only allowed 13 points during the regular season. The Dillon strategy for this game will be the same as always according to junior captain Dillon Chao.

Dillon is likely to rely on the run as they have in the past, though with a focus on trying to take advantage of the passing game.

As for key players, Chao said that the Big Red will be looking for certain people to step up as the stakes continue to rise. “[Seniors] Jack Mitchell, Pete McKeon, Dylan Volanth and [freshman] Curt Gouldin are all going to ball out this week, and hopefully I can keep up with those guys and come out on top with the win,” Chao said.

Before missing the playoffs last year, Morrissey had won

XC Continued from page 12

National Signing Day With national signing day having come and gone, Sparks said he was pleased with the success of the women’s recruiting class, as the Irish will add a couple of top runners to next year’s squad.

“We had a couple big signees on the women’s side,” Sparks

This Sunday, No. 1 BreenPhillips Hall (4-0) is set to face No. 9 Badin Hall (2-2) in the quarterfinals of the interhall flag football playoffs. The winner will advance to the semifinals, moving one step closer to getting the chance to appear in the championship game at Notre Dame Stadium.

Breen-Phillips performed exceedingly well in the regular season, achieving an undefeated record and securing the only bye week available in the flag football playoffs. Senior captain Michele Pennala said she sees a team that has strength in virtually every position on both sides of the ball, citing that as the reason why the team has managed to perform so well.

“Performance-wise, our defense is very strong and smart; BP has had several interceptions, key flag-pulls, great quarterback pressure, and solid coverage,” Pennala said. “Our offense has picked up this year as well due to the intelligence and skill of our [freshman] quarterback Ellie Olmanson, a variety of routes and the speed of our receivers and running backs.” [Editor’s note: Ellie Olmanson is a sports writer for The Observer.]

Pennala mentioned BreenPhillips’s bye week as a major factor going into the game allowing some time for extra practice and preparation.

“The team is reviewing the playbook and making sure we know our plays and defensive

and offensive strategies inside and out,” Pennala said. “Since the season has started and continuing into playoffs, we’ve continued to practice and perfect catching motions, routes [and] flag-pulling.”

Besides Olmanson, Pennala cited senior linebacker and wide receiver Katie Sedor and freshman defensive line player and wide receiver Anna Wellen as two other players who are likely to make a big impact for the Babes on Sunday. BreenPhillips will be looking to continue its success, and, according to Pennala, the sky is the limit for the team.

“We strive to be competitive, but also want to embody the fun, exciting culture of BP,” she said. “This team is so talented and dedicated, so we’ve just been constantly aiming for great play, motivated attitudes and overall victory.”

Badin is equally determined to find a way to win this week.

The Bullfrogs are hoping to use the momentum gained from last round’s 12-0 win over Farley Hall to propel themselves to victory despite the challenge presented by BreenPhillips. In recent weeks, senior captain Natalie McNerney said she has seen her team beginning to come together.

“We started out the season a little rocky but have definitely seen major improvements over the course of the season,” McNerney said. “Our offense is developing chemistry and getting time down right and our defense is really learning the fundamentals.”

McNerney is optimistic for the game’s outcome, and is looking forward to the Bullfrogs having an opportunity to showcase quality play and spirit.

“Our goal for this game is to win and have fun and show everyone what Badin is really made of,” McNerney said.

“Both the coaches and players have put a lot of time and effort into this season, and we are not ready for it to be over yet so we will definitely come out playing hard and like we know how to.”

Among players expected to have a critical role on Sunday, McNerney mentioned senior defensive lineman Mara Parnell and sophomore running back Emma Bzik.

said. “Jackie Gaughan is the top senior 3,200-meter runner in the country, and Elena Denner is the No. 3 senior 3,200-meter runner in the country. They’re going to give us some depth on the women’s side that we’ve been lacking. Depth and frontrunning abilities — expect both those girls to step in and be in our top five next year.”

The men’s team, however, came away with a historically great haul of talent on signing

day, and Carlson said it will mean a lot for the upward trajectory of the program moving forward.

“They haven’t officially come out with rankings yet, but I’m pretty confident we should be the No. 1 men’s distance recruiting class in the country,” Carlson said. “We signed a kid by the name of Danny Kilrea — he won the Illinois state meet and is ranked third nationally. Dylan Jacobs, also from

the previous three interhall championships.

“We are looking to return to that,” Slevin said.

Slevin also mentioned players he expects to lead the Manor to the top on Sunday.

“Some key players for this game would be running back and linebacker [junior] Ryan Richelsen, tight end and linebacker [sophomore] Evan Slattery and quarterback and linebacker [sophomore] Andrew Ingram,” Slevin said.

Contact Ellie Olmanson at eolmanso@nd.edu

No. 1 Breen-Phillips v.

No. 9 Badin

By PETER BALTES Sports Writer

The game is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. this Sunday at Ricci Family Fields North, and the winner of this matchup will face either Cavanaugh or Flaherty in the semifinals.

Contact Peter Baltes at pbaltes@nd.edu

No. 5 Alumni v. No. 9 Duncan

By HANNAH WOZNIAK Sports Writer

This upcoming Sunday, No. 5 Alumni (4-1) faces off against No. 9 Duncan (4-1) in the semifinals. Both team’s captains said they are excited to be in the final four and look forward to a tough game.

Duncan captain sophomore Kyle Tomshack said that his team has prepared just like they have been this whole season.

“We want to keep our focus on this game and continue playing at a high level,” Tomshack said.

Tomshack also said that his team’s strategy is how it has been throughout the season.

“We plan on continuing to do what we’ve been doing so far this season,” Tomshack said.

“Our strategy doesn’t change every week. If we play the way we can, then we can beat any of the other halls.”

He said the Highlanders are excited to be back in the semifinals for the second year in a row.

“It feels great,” Tomshack said. “We’re very proud that we can represent Duncan Hall. We made it to the championship last year, and hopefully we can make it two years in a row.”

The team is looking forward to another game together and furthering the team camaraderie as well.

“I’m looking forward to going back out on the field and playing with my Duncan brothers,” Tomshack said. “Most of the team played last season, so I’ve gotten to know many of my teammates quite well.”

According to Tomshack, a few Highlanders to look out for in this upcoming game are senior Matt Kase, junior Micah Rensch, sophomore James Warren and senior Declan Zidar.

“Matt’s been having a great year at quarterback for us,”

Illinois, is currently ranked second nationally. Then, we signed a kid named Zach Kreft, and he is currently ranked 13th nationally, and has the fastest 5K time in the country currently. “ ... So basically, we signed three of the top-13 guys in the country, which is going to be huge for us, as they can come in and step into some pretty big roles for us next year.

Really elevate our program to

Tomshack said. “Whether it means running or passing the ball, he gets the job done.

Micah has been and will continue to have a great season for us at running back. James has been a threat on both offense and defense throughout the season. He’s someone Alumni will have to account for on every play. Declan has had a great season at defensive back. He’s a key part of our defense.”

Alumni captain and senior Thomas Hellios said that his team has gone over their game plan in preparation for the upcoming game. “[We] reviewed our offense,” Hellios said. “[We are] doing our best to stay consistent. Our game plan has worked all season and there is no reason to change it now.”

The Dawgs didn’t give much away but did hint about their offensive and defensive strategies.

“Offensively we are going to stick to what we know and play tough football,” Hellios said.

“Defensively we know they have some playmakers so we just have to play fast, physical football, get bodies to the ball and not let those guys get out in space.”

Alumni has had a strong defense this year. Hellios mentioned that last year one of the team’s weak points was its defense, and that the team has worked to build the unit back up.

Making it to the semifinals, the Dawgs are working hard and staying focused on the game.

“It feels pretty good, but there’s no need to celebrate yet,” Hellios said. “We have our eyes focused on one goal, and that’s making it to the stadium and winning a championship.”

The team is simply looking forward to playing a tough game. “[We are] looking forward to a good match up,” Hellios said.

“It’s my understanding that Duncan has an explosive offense, so it will be exciting to see how our defense stacks up.”

Alumni and Duncan will kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Ricci Family Fields.

Contact Hannah Wozniak at hwozniak01@saintmarys.edu

the next level. Right now, we have a lot of good depth on the men’s side, but what we’ve been missing is the low-stick, and these guys can fulfill that.

We have three freshmen in our top five at conference, so we’re a really young team, and we’re starting to build the program back, start a new tradition and it’s really exciting.”

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

12

The observer | friday, november 10, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd women’s basketball

Men’s basketball

Notre Dame preps Squad set to begin season for season opener on road against DePaul By alex bender Sports Writer

This Saturday, the No. 6 Notre Dame women’s basketball team will get the 2017-18 season underway when Mount St. Mary’s comes to town for an early afternoon tip-off.

The Irish dominated in their lone preseason game last Wednesday, defeating Indiana University (PA) by a score of 108-40, and they will look to continue that performance in Saturday’s matchup against a Mountaineers team that finished 12-18 last season, finishing in fifth place in the Northeast Conference.

Coming into the game, Notre Dame does not have much to work off of in regards to past experience against Mount St. Mary’s, as the two programs have only met once before, dating back to 1981. Additionally, this year’s Mountaineers are sure to look a bit different than in year’s past, as they are now led by first year head coach Maria Marchesano.

Marchesano joins the program from IUPUI where she served

as an associate head coach, although she is far from the only new face within their program, as the Mountaineers have added six freshman to this year’s squad. As such, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw recognizes that her team will need to be prepared for some unfamiliar looks.

“Mount St. Mary’s has a brilliant head coach. She’s a first time head coach so it’s been difficult to get a scouting report because the things they did last year, she will probably make some changes,” McGraw said. “We’re going into the game with an emphasis on really focusing on what we need to do.”

As for what exactly it is that Notre Dame will need to do, the Irish are coming off a season in which the team was able to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, before suffering a one-point loss to Stanford. With a new year comes new challenges, however, and McGraw has already begun to recognize what areas

Mike Brey has secured his first victory of the season days before he and No. 14 Notre Dame travel to Chicago to face DePaul in the team’s first official game of the season.

The Mike Brey era at Notre Dame has included: a conference championship, three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including two Elite eight runs, and on Wednesday during National Signing Day, Brey added a Top-10 recruiting class to that long list of accomplishments. According to Scout. com, Notre Dame is currently ranked seventh in the nation behind basketball powerhouses in North Carolina and Kansas.

Brey described the recruiting process for his highly ranked recruiting class as virtually “unproblematic.”

“Who said college basketball has all these problems? Our guys commit, and they sign,” Brey said. “Certainly, we’re thrilled about this group. You know

see W BBALL PAGE 9

see M BBALL PAGE 10

By MIA Berry Sports Writer

nd women’s soccer

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish junior guard Rex Pflueger dunks the ball during Notre Dame’s 90-46 victory over Cardinal Stritch on Tuesday.

ND Cross country

ND earns 25th straight Irish seek success NCAA tourney appearance at regional race By brenna moxley

By JOE EVERETT

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

Notre Dame had close to two weeks off since its 4-1 loss to North Carolina State in the first round of the ACC tournament; the Irish had previously beaten the Wolfpack 4-0 earlier in the season.

The Wolfpack and the Irish headed into halftime in Raleigh, North Carolina, tied up at 0-0, but Notre Dame’s goal in the 61st minute gave the squad a 1-0 lead. However, the Wolfpack finished on top and advanced to the semifinals of the ACC tournament.

On Monday, Notre Dame earned a bid to the NCA A championship and faces IUPUI in the first round on Saturday evening at Alumni Stadium. This is Notre Dame’s 25th consecutive appearance in the tournament, and the team is seeking to redeem itself after last year’s

Aiming to build off its performance at the ACC championships two weeks ago, Notre Dame will compete at the Great Lakes regional down in Terre Haute, Indiana, this Friday at LaVern Gibson Championship Course.

The women’s team will try to qualify for its seventh straight NCA A championship as a team, and Irish associate head coach Matt Sparks is looking for the team to put forth its best all-around performance of the season.

“We just need to put together a complete race,” Sparks said. “We’ve ran bits and pieces of each race strong all year, but we haven’t put together a complete race [No.] 1 through [No.] 5. I feel like if we can run a complete race, the women can expect to be in the top five and in a good spot on Friday.”

Meanwhile, the youthdriven men’s team will try to

see W SOCCER PAGE 9

ZACH YIM | The Observer

Irish senior midfielder Taylor Klawunder surveys the field during Notre Dame’s 3-0 loss to Duke on Sept. 21 at Alumni Stadium.

qualify for the first time since 2013, and Irish assistant head coach Sean Carlson said he likes what he sees from the team right now and expects his runners to continue their improvement.

“I think what we’ve done a really good job of this year, especially in the back-half of the season, is being consistent and being who we are right now,” Carlson said.

“We’re a really young team, and we’re gaining a lot of experience, and guys are doing a really good job of racing to their ability level. What we want to do going into the regional meet is to follow that theme — we’ve gotten better each meet so far this season, and we want to keep doing that the rest of the way, gaining experience and having fun doing it.”

The women’s race will start at 11:15 a.m, while the men will race at 12:15 p.m. Friday. see XC PAGE 10