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Insider
The observer | FRIDAY, November 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Stanford returns to finals despite injuries By ELLEN GEYER Sports Writer
In Stanford Hall the most important football game of the week is on Sunday, not Saturday. And although Brian Kelly’s Irish are playing in New York, the Stanford interhall football team will be keeping Notre Dame Stadium warm. Stanford (5-1) will face the final test of their season this weekend as they vie for the title of Interhall Football Champions against Siegfried on Sunday. The Griffins, who beat the Ramblers 14-7 in the first game of the regular season, will look to end their season with another victory. But regardless of the stakes, for the Griffins it is “just another game,” senior captain and quarterback Chase Jennings said. Jennings, who has played for Stanford for four years, led his team through a regular season filled with ups and downs. “We had a number of knee injuries early on in the season,
so … we’re playing with a pretty drastically different team from the first game to now,” Jennings said. “But for interhall football it’s all about adversary and persevering through that.” The Griffins certainly have showed their tenacity through the post-season as well, beating both Dillon (3-2) and Morrissey (3-3) to reach the finals against Siegfried. “We played Dillon in an absolute hurricane of a game, in the monsoons.” Jennings said. Despite the conditions, Stanford captured an 8-0 win against the Big Red, a team who was also solid in the regular season. “Then last week we had a nail biter against Morrissey in which we won three-nothing in overtime after we turned the ball over twice on — or, inside the red zone. But we pulled it out in the end.” Jennings added. Jennings believes fixing these errors will be a critical part of
ensuring a big win against the Ramblers on Sunday. “The thing with interhall is, you don’t get really that many opportunities,” he said. “And so capitalizing on red zone opportunities and not turning the ball over, avoiding the stupid penalties which are drive killers, those are going to be all kind of the keys to the game. Staying composed in the stadium. We don’t want to let the bright lights get to you.” Jennings, a dual threat quarterback, has primarily been running a spread offense this season, with the help of junior Emilio Arellano at wide receiver and sophomore Namir Argilagos at running back. Jennings considers the offense, who average 12.6 points per game, multifaceted with a lot of different weapons spreading the ball in space The Stanford defense has also been a crucial component of the team’s success. During the regular season, Griffin opponents averaged just 8 points per game, and
the only team they were unable to contain was Keenan, who handed them a 17-14 loss and ended the regular season at 4-0. Anchored by four-year veterans Anthony Stringer and Will Phillips, the Griffins have yet to allow their opponents a point in the postseason. For Stringer, Phillips and Jennings, a strong postseason is not a foreign concept. The three seniors were crowned champions their sophomore year after they defeated Duncan Hall. But last year, Duncan came back out with vengeance, and handed the Griffins a loss in the semi-finals. And vengeance could be a factor in this year’s matchup as well. Since receiving a sour start to their season at the hands of the Griffins, the Ramblers have won five in a row by an average of 4.4 points. But regardless of their opponent’s win streak, Jennings is confident in his team’s abilities. The motto of their season has been “Be gritty,” so it’s only appropriate that
his message to Siegfried is “We’re going to out-grit you.” As seniors, the stakes are even higher for Jennings and his classmates as they will put their pads on for the last time this Sunday. “This really means a lot. It’s kind of everything that I would’ve hoped for for my senior year season.” Jennings said. “Being that I’d been there before, like of course that makes me want to be there and win again that much more because knowing that, how much fun it was and how much camaraderie built for the dorm. So just trying to replicate that and kind of give back to the seniors that gave to me years ago.” The Jennings-led Stanford team will face off against Siegfried this Sunday in Notre Dame Stadium. Kickoff time is scheduled for 4 p.m., following the women’s interhall flag football championship at 2:45 p.m. Contact Ellen Geyer at egeyer1@nd.edu
Siegfried seeks revenge over early season loss By GRANT DelVECCHIO Sports Writer
The Siegfried Ramblers face off against the Stanford Griffins on Sunday in the 2018 Interhall Football Championship at Notre Dame Stadium, a rematch of a regular season battle that resulted in a 14-7 victory for Stanford (5–1). Despite losing to Stanford in the regular season, Siegfried quarterback Mikey Bernard is confident that he and the Ramblers (5–1) will come out victorious Sunday. “We played them in the beginning of the year, tough loss 14-7 but, we kind of revamped our offense, grew into our team a little bit,” Bernard said. Bernard, a senior from Detroit, studying accounting, is in his fourth year as the starting quarterback for the Ramblers, and is eager to finally get his shot at a championship. After the loss to Stanford in the regular season, Bernard said the team came together to make some
key adjustments, specifically in regards to the offense. “We had a tough time getting the ball out a little bit in the pocket so we added a couple of tight ends and another running back in the backfield to kind of help with protection, and it’s been really good us,” Bernard said. The Ramblers have not been to the championship in at least four years. The players, as well as the members of the hall, are all eager to finally be back. “Entering the season, this is our senior year, it’s my fourth year starting at quarterback, we were pretty excited about it,” Bernard said. “It’s the second year with our coaching staff, we’ve got a lot of good juniors; kids who grew up in the program, and we’re all very excited to go out and compete.” Having spent four years with this one goal in mind, the senior class of Ramblers couldn’t be more excited to end their careers in the Notre Dame Stadium. “This is the culmination right
here. We’ll definitely have a good student section out there and people will be pretty excited to be there,” Bernard said. “For the dorm, we haven’t won since I’ve been here, we haven’t been to the stadium since I think two years before I got here so it’s been awhile, it’s been one of our goals, and honestly we’re pretty excited to be there.” One of the most notable aspects about the Ramblers season has been the role of their underclassmen. “We have a freshman on our [offensive line], two sophomores on the [offensive line], a couple of really good defensive backs and linebackers that have been really good for us,” Bernard said. At the same time, with underclassmen playing key roles on the team, the leadership of the upperclassmen has been essential to Siegfried’s path to the championship. “The juniors and seniors have been big,” Bernard said. “I think we only have four seniors on the team,
one of which is out with a concussion, so it’s really been kind’ve junior-led, and honestly, they’ve been playing pretty incredible.” While the offense has been given new life since the changes made during the regular season, it is Siegfried’s defense that has held the team together and is the biggest reason the Ramblers will be playing in Notre Dame Stadium on Sunday. “Our defense has played really well,” Bernard said. “The last couple of games honestly they’ve kept us in the game, there were couple of errant throws, and a couple of errors by the offense, and they’ve been playing really well so I would say they’re on top of their game right now.” In terms of Bernard’s role at quarterback specifically, the senior noted that his style of play features a good balance of running and passing and considers himself a dual threat in the pocket. One major pro going into Sunday’s championship for
Ellen Geyer
Grant DelVecchio
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
Stanford has overcome a lot of adversity this year. During the regular season, they lost several key players to injury and had to completely overhaul their depth chart. In the postseason, they’ve proven themselves solid in horrendous weather and have kept a level head after dishing out turnovers. Siegfried will undoubtedly come hungry for revenge, and with a dual threat quarterback of their own, they will give the Griffins a run for their money. However, against a veteran team anchored by a mature quarterback who has captured victory in the stadium before, the Rambler’s efforts won’t be enough. FINAL SCORE: Stanford 10, Siegfried 7
Stanford finished the season ranked No. 3 overall in points per game, and No. 5 in points against, while Siegfried finished 7th overall in points per game and 8th in points against. Additionally, Stanford has dominated in point differential and this offense will likely prove too much for the Rambler defense Overall, the game will be a battle, as Stanford will be looking to beat down on the Ramblers for the second time in one year, and Siegfried will be looking to get revenge for the loss suffered early on in the season. But, this one belongs to Stanford. FINAL SCORE: Stanford 14, Dillon 7
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Siegfried is the fact that they haven’t dealt with any major season-ending injuries throughout the season — one concussion is the only injury the team has sustained thus far. “Other than that one concussion everybody has been able to bounce back. We’re a pretty gritty team,” Bernard said. Since losing their first game of the season to Stanford, Siegfried hasn’t looked back, as the Ramblers are currently on a five-game win streak. En route to the championship, Siegfried knocked off the Dunne Sentinels (3-2) and O’Neill Mobsters (3-3) in the playoffs. The game against Stanford is an opportunity not only to get revenge for the loss earlier in the season, but also to win a championship and secure their status on campus. “Let’s get this bread,” Bernard said, emphasizing the team motto heading into Sunday’s matchup. Contact Grant DelVecchio at gdelvecc@nd.edu
No. 3
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Stanford vs. Siegfried
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Volume 53, Issue 58 | friday, november 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Notre Dame to travel to New York City Band prepares to perform in Yankee Stadium
Events to honor subway alumni in New York
By TOM NAATZ
By NATALIE WEBER
Associate News Editor
News Editor
A consta nt bedrock of a ny Not re Da me home ga me is t he Ba nd of t he Fight ing Irish. W het her t hey a re ra lly ing t he Irish fa it hf u l at a pep ra l ly, enter ta ining v isitors w it h a t r umpet concer t under t he dome of ma in bui lding or prov iding some midnight enter ta inment at Dr ummer’s Circle, t he ba nd is a key pa r t of t he Not re Da me footba l l ex perience. That rea lit y does not cha nge when t he Not re Da me home ga me doesn’t
W hen Notre Dame fans converge on New York Cit y this weekend ahead of the Shamrock Series football game against Sy racuse, a blue and gold illuminated Empire State Building w ill greet them Friday evening. How did Notre Dame negotiate this display? Paul Brow ne, v ice president for public affairs and communications, asked. “They did this at no cost to Notre Dame, but I guess my best explanation is I asked
The Band of the Fighting Irish performs during the Notre Dame game against Stanford on Sept. 29 in Notre Dame Stadium. The band will present a series of performances this weekend in New York City.
Saint Mary’s celebrates retiring DJ’s character By ASHANTI LEACH News Writer
NATALIE WEBER | The Observer
Stanford Hall, pictured, was founded in 1957. The dorm is known for its annual pirate-themed dance and the Men of Virtue Dinner, where residents share a meal with guest speakers. By ALEXANDRA MUCK News Writer
Editor’s note: This article is one in a series profiling the dorms. Previous articles have covered dorms built before Stanford Hall. W hile Stanford Hall’s physical building is connected to its rival and
SCENE PAGE 5
brother dorm, Keenan Hall, rector Justin McDev itt, more commonly know n as “J-Mac” around the hall, and residents say the communit y at Stanford creates a unique culture. Dedicated in October 1957, Stanford is one month older than Keenan, and it is one of the first dorms to be named after a donor
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
instead of a historical figure, McDev itt said. McDev itt said while the dorm residents do not know a lot about its histor y, they are taking steps to learn about this aspect of the communit y. In light of the fact that the dorm celebrated its 60th anniversar y last see STANFORD PAGE 4
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
After 11 years of dedication to the Saint Mar y’s communit y, DJ Pam Blair is looking for ward to a future of music, poetr y, warm weather and rela xation as she announced her retirement. Blair began her career at Saint Mar y’s in March 2007 and brought her insight to various departments on campus including Career Crossings, the psycholog y department, gender and women’s studies and English — she has also been a DJ during Midnight Breakfast. Blair first began working at Saint Mar y’s in the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership. “W hen I first was hired here, I was hired into CWIL,” Blair said. “ I had a great passion for CWIL. It is the intercultural office. It was the first time ever that I
VOLLEYBALL PAGE 12
worked in a multicultural office where I was not the only black person. There were people of other races and they all had a passion
Pam Blair
Stanford Hall residents explore dorm’s history
see ALUMNI PAGE 4
Administrative Assistant Saint Mary’s College
see BAND PAGE 3
ANNA MASON | The Observer
for unit y and racial reconciliation and I fell in love w ith that.” Blair’s experience at Saint Mar y’s has been filled w ith everlasting connections bet ween staff, facult y and students. “W hen I first started working at Saint Mar y’s about 10 years ago, I always heard people talking about Pam Blair,” associate professor of see DJ BLAIR PAGE 3
BARAKA BOUTS PAGE 12
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TODAY
The observer | friday, November 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
If you discovered a new planet, what would you name it?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Courtney Becker Managing Editor Tobias Hoonhout
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Jonathan Roberts
Pierina Ardila
freshman Siegfried Hall
sophomore Farley Hall
“Earth II.”
“Sushi.”
Katie Lane
Haley Mitchell
freshman Lewis Hall
junior Le Mans Hall
“Bob.”
“Firefly.”
Meredith Nowotarski
Anthony Razzano
sophomore Cavanaugh Hall
junior Siegfried Hall
“Paul the planet.”
“Steve.”
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Senior Emma Rowland performs at AcoustiCafe on Thursday. AcoustiCafe offers performance opportunities and displays Notre Dame students’ talemt. The event, which happens every Thursday at 10 p.m., welcomes musicians, poets and comedians.
The next Five days:
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Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Volleyball vs. Louisville Purcell Pavilion 7 p.m. The Irish take on the Cardinals.
Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 11 a.m. - noon
Concert: John Schwandt DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 2 p.m. Organist performs.
Exhibition: “There’s No Place Like Time: A Novel You Walk Through” Snite Museum of Art all day
Daily Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 5:15 p.m. All are welcome to come and participate.
Play: “The Imaginary Invalid” Decio Theatre, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Syracuse Game Watch Midfield Commons, Duncan Student Center 2 p.m.
Play: “The Imaginary Invalid” Decio Theatre, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 2:30 p.m.
Music Lecture Recital Series Moreau Hall 114 (SMC) noon - 1 p.m. Presented by the music department.
ND Men’s Basketball vs. Duquesne Purcell Pavilion 7 p.m. The Irish take on the Dukes.
News
DJ Blair Continued from page 1
psycholog y Bettina Spencer said in an email. “Based on what they said about her, I assumed she had been here for decades. It wasn’t until I met her years later that I realized we had started working at Saint Mar y’s at the same time. She had made such a big impression on so many people so quick ly that it had sounded as if she had been here forever. Once we began working together I got to see firsthand how Pam makes this impression on those around her. She is a wonderful colleague, mentor and friend to so many people in the Saint Mar y’s communit y. She personally connects
Band Continued from page 1
actually take place at Notre Dame. This weekend, the band w ill travel to New York and participate in the Shamrock Series through a series of concerts and other events in addition to their performance at the football game itself. For a standard home game, logistical preparations begin in earnest in the week leading up to the game, assistant band director Matt Merten said. “If we sta r t f rom t he beg inning, t he pla nning for a ga me sta r ts in t he summer, just for pick ing t he music, sta r t ing t he dri l l. Then a lot of t imes what equipment goes w it h t he show, if t here’s props of a ny t y pe, gets selected at t hat point. In t he stadium we have some a mplif ied sound, so t here’s some equipment t hat gets set up ea rly in t he season — as fa r as spea kers a nd cables a nd t hings like t hat,” he sa id. “A lot of t hat gets stored f rom ga me-toga me a nd removed for each ga me. … We dea l w it h simila r securit y rest rict ions [as t he crowd], so we have to f ind t he right t imes to ma ke sure we’re mov ing equipment a nd t he right gates a nd contact ing t he right people a nd work ing toget her as a tea m w it h ever yone at t he Universit y to ma ke sure t he ga me ex perience is sa fe for ever yone.” The band also participates Paid Advertisement
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 16, 2018 | The Observer
to students, staff and facult y, and always has words of support and encouragement for anyone who needs them. Pam is an important part of our communit y, and she has changed it for the better.” Senior Teresa Brickey describes Blair as “a staple to the [Saint Mar y’s] communit y.” Brickey said she admires Blair for her w illingness to make the world better and always being open to difficult discussions. “I can’t believe Pam is leav ing, but I know that she w ill do well outside of SMC,” Brickey said. “She is talented, driven and compassionate. I w ish her the best. I hope we are able to meet again. Her talent in the work of poetr y is phenomenal and if any thing I hope
in the week ly meeting that takes place the week before indiv idual games. This meeting, Merten said, involves indiv iduals from the Gameday Operations Office, the football team, ushers, grounds crew and others to make sure ever yone is “on the same page.” The band w ill travel to New York by bus, departing campus at 8 p.m. on Thursday and arriv ing in New York in the morning; they w ill play a series of events over the course of the weekend, including a concert in New York’s Br yant Park, a drummer’s circle at Rockefeller Center at 10 p.m. Friday and a Notre Dame Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. One hundred band members w ill ride the subway from the band’s Manhattan hotel to Yankee Stadium on Saturday, in full uniform and w ith their instruments. Merten and Donelle Flick, the band’s operations manager, explained that planning for the game is somewhat complicated, given enhanced securit y protocol in New York and at Yankee Stadium. “They don’t like suitcases,” Flick said. Merten said the band had been preparing extensively to deal w ith the new securit y challenges. “We have to figure out ever y thing before we get on the bus. Once you get on the bus, there’s no turning back. We had to figure out what the securit y was going to be like ahead of time, how we needed to bring ever y thing into the stadium, when we could do that, what parts of the stadium you can go to,”
she gets more time to focus on it now.” W hen asked what she learned from Blair, Stacy Dav is, professor of religious studies and gender and women’s studies, said she admired Blair’s positiv it y. “I w ill carr y w ith me from my time working w ith Pam the importance of positivit y,” Dav is said in an email. “Even when things are difficult, Pam has believed in the importance of kindness and creativ it y to get through challenging circumstances. I am grateful for that.” Associate professor and department chair of psycholog y Karen Chambers said Blair contributed to a warm communit y at Saint Mar y’s. “I was always grateful for
her creativ it y and always bringing another way of looking at things,” Chambers said. “A lso, students were always hanging around in her office. She made the psych suite feel a little more like home.” Blair has been an involved member of the Saint Mar y’s communit y but also an active participant in the South Bend communit y. She created The Poetr y Den, an open microphone event know n for poetr y and inclusiv it y. Blair said “a lot from students and enjoyed building a relationship w ith facult y.” She enjoys sitting in the Diversit y Dialogues Saint Mar y’s holds. “Sitting in those circles for the last seven years, I’ve learned a lot by hearing
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people’s experience from students and non-traditional students,” she said. Blair said she has gained a lot from her experience in academia and that Saint Mar y’s had changed for the better since she began working at the College in 2007. Balire said there are more first-generation students and that the College feels more like a home but she still encourages Saint Mar y’s to still strive for more change. Blair’s final adv ice to students was to be themselves and remain humble. Students and facult y gathered in the psycholog y suit in Spes Unica on Wednesday to w ish Blair a “bon voyage.” Contact Ashanti Leach at aleach01@saintmarys.edu
ANNA MASON | The Observer
The Band of the Fighting Irish performs in Notre Dame’s football game against Pittburgh on Oct. 13 in Notre Dame Stadium. Planning performances begins well in advance, with music chosen over the summer.
he said. “There’s transportation to the cit y, but once you get there, how do you get to these different events? Are you going to walk there? Are you going to bus there? Are you going to take the subway? ” Yankee Stadium needed to know the band’s detailed plans several months ago, Flick said. “Yankee Stadium requested an equipment list a couple months ago. Ever y thing we’re bringing into the stadium had to be approved,” Flick said. “We had to send pictures of what it’s being moved in, and then tell them exactly when it’s coming into the stadium and how long. As soon as we’re done
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w ith it, it goes back out to the bus.” W hile there are a lot of mov ing parts to the band’s travel plans, Merten said the band’s presence dovetails nicely w ith the Shamrock Series’ goal of combining the Notre Dame atmosphere w ith the host cit y. “Ever y Shamrock [Series] is different,” he said. “W hat I think Notre Dame tries to do is bring a little bit of Notre Dame to whatever the location is, but also have that location be uniquely that location. So if the Shamrock Series is in San Antonio, it definitely has a San Antonio f lavor to it. W hen we were in San Antonio … t wo years ago, we did concerts on boats in
their River walk area. W hen we were in Washington, D.C. we had a concert in front of the Capitol. No matter where you’re at, it’s a combination of Notre Dame and whatever that location is uniquely know n for. It is prett y fun to see these iconic places blend w ith Notre Dame. I think part of the grand v ision from the people who organize the overall thing is to have the band kind of be one of the big representatives of the Universit y, because we can bring … the sights and sounds of Notre Dame, which can be in different places.” Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu
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News
The observer | friday, november 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Stanford Continued from page 1
year, McDev itt said the dorm has a new historian to find out more about its history. “We now have a hall employee who is a historian whose job it is to both document current things and research past things,” he said. McDevitt also said hall president and junior Jack Corcoran is working on developing an alumni network. “We’ll send a blast out through development to all Stanford alumni ever asking them if they want to join an alumni list, which will be separate, but we’re going to ask them, even if they’re not interested in joining the list, if anyone has any old photos or stories to share them,” McDevitt said. Besides taking steps to learn more about its history, senior resident assistant (RA) Chris Westdyk said the Stanford culture is also changing. “It’s changed a lot since I’ve been here,” he said. “I think when I came as a freshman, not a lot of seniors stayed on my freshman year. We only had two or three that weren’t RAs around. The culture was very macho and there was a lot more hazing that went on than does now. A lot more seniors stay
Alumni Continued from page 1
nicely,” he said. Browne formerly worked as a public information officer at the New York City Police Department, and had seen the Empire State Building lit in various colors to celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Hanukkah. Through his work at the police department, he had crossed paths with Tony Malkin, CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, which owns the Empire State Building. “I wrote Tony a note, reminding him we had crossed paths when I was with the NYPD,” Browne said. “ … And I explained how the Shamrock Series worked — that we would take one of our home games and play it in an interesting place outside of South Bend and that this year we were doing it in New York.” Browne hoped that illuminating the Empire State Building would both celebrate the fact that Notre Dame was visiting New York City, as well as recognize “subway alumni” without any official connection to Notre Dame. “We were kind of honoring the ‘subway alumni’ which is those people, many of them located in New York, many of whom started following Notre Dame when they were immigrants and came into New York,” he said. “We kind of wanted to honor that tradition and thought what better way to do it? New York City is
now.” Westdyk also said he likes how Stanford welcomes everyone. “There’s no archetypical Stanford Griffin,” he said. “Anyone can be a full member of the community without conforming to any standards, which I like for sure. Some dorms have a stereotypical member, but we don’t have that at all.” Since there were a lot of senior residents last year, Westdyk said there are a lot of freshmen this year, which means the culture can change. “There’s a big turnover happening for sure,” he said. “ … We’re in an interesting place right now making decisions about who we’re going to be.” Corcoran echoed the sentiment that Stanford is a welcoming dorm, saying people usually feel at home when they first walk in. “The first thing you do when you walk in these doors is J-Mac is in here and you say, ‘Hey, J-Mac,’ and you hear ‘Yo!’ from the back, whether he’s way in the back or sitting right here at his desk,” he said. “You always feel welcome when you walk in.” Corcoran also said people tend to leave their doors open when they are hanging out or playing music. “Whether it’s a bunch of juniors in a room, the freshmen
are also going to be very welcome in there,” he said. During the year, Stanford hosts a variety of events, such as the dorm’s pirate-themed SYR. To raise money for the Center for the Homeless, the dorm also hosts the Irish Iron Classic, a heavy-lifting competition which will be hosted in Duncan and features free food. Another annual event, the Men of Virtue Dinner, is an occasion for residents to go somewhere on campus for a nice dinner and to hear impactful speakers. McDevitt said this year’s speakers will
include faculty members Maria and Mark McKenna. The dorm also hosts section sports from year-to-year, including the section Olympics, although McDevitt said the dorm is also looking to be more inclusive of residents to whom athletics are not as important. “We compete in sports and stuff, but there’s no animosity,” McDevitt said. “It’s all friendly competition.” Ryan Govi, a junior resident in Stanford, said one of his favorite things about the dorm is the strong section culture. While he said residents do not always stay in the same section from
year-to-year, the sections host dinners and snacks once a week. “I’ve spent six hours at section snack over the last three weeks,” he said. Govi said the sections do not take the place of the dorm, though, with no section culture being overly distinct from another. McDevitt said Stanford residents treat their sections like the rest of the dorm. “There’s no weird grudges,” he said. “It’s more like a section family.”
a city of immigrants, Notre Dame is a college that itself was founded by immigrants. … So, Tony eventually agreed. We also agreed to let people know we were doing it.” Overall, the University will seek to honor subway alumni throughout the weekend with various events, according to a University press release published Tuesday. Festivities kicked off Thursday with a prayer service in St. Peter’s Church for Notre Dame community members impacted by the 9/11 attacks. The play “Sorin: A Notre Dame Story” was also presented Thursday. On Friday, members of the Notre Dame community will participate in a service project and host multiple panels. The celebrations will conclude Saturday with a Mass celebrated by University President Fr. John Jenkins at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a marching band concert and the football game. According to the release, the events are free and open to the public, though some require registration in advance. Browne said Notre Dame first began to gain subway alumni during the early 20th century, when Catholic immigrants often faced discrimination. “[Notre Dame] became very prominent in the American imagination,” he said. “It really dates back to the 1920s. And there were two things kind of interesting going on in the 1920s — in Indiana, in the midwest but Indiana specifically, the Ku Klux Klan stronghold
was in Indiana. And Notre Dame as a University was viewed very suspiciously and antagonistically.” Because of this, the University had a hard time finding schools willing to play them in football, Browne said. “It was difficult for Knute Rockne, the coach, to get a number of midwestern universities to accept playing football with Notre Dame because they were those ‘Fighting Irish,’ meaning those fighting, brawling, drunken Irish,” he said. “That original term was a slur that Rockne had the brilliance to take over and wear as a badge of honor.” As a result, the football team had to travel the country to play schools across the nation, Browne said. “[Rockne] had to take the Notre Dame team on the road, had to travel to New York to play Army, which would not discriminate, which would play us,” he said. “But in doing that … Notre Dame was the first football team to play nationally. Before that, nobody went through a couple of days on a train to go somewhere. They all played regional. But out of necessity, Rockne brought us to New York.” When the Notre Dame football team arrived in New York, they were greeted by numerous Catholic fans, Browne said. “When [Rockne] gets to New York, New York City is filled with what? Irish Catholic immigrants. Italian Catholic immigrants. Polish Catholic
immigrants,” he said. “And Notre Dame to them is an aspirational place. It is a place where Catholics can be admitted to a university, not be discriminated against, like my own mother in Northern Ireland. She couldn’t get into a good university if they looked at her name. … It wasn’t a law that discriminated, but they could tell by her name that she was Catholic.” Browne himself identifies as a subway alumnus. He said his parents long admired Notre Dame as a place where Catholics could get a good education, despite facing discrimination. “My parents didn’t go to college,” Browne said. “They knew nothing about American football, because football to them was soccer. So they didn’t know anything about the sport, they didn’t know anything about American higher education. “All they knew was that Notre Dame was this aspirational place that did not discriminate against immigrants and we were Notre Dame fans for that reason. I, as a little kid, learned the Notre Dame fight song, and I couldn’t have told you where Notre Dame was but I would listen or watch the games with my father.” Similar stories exist across the country, Browne said, and contribute to a large subway alumni population. “Repeat that millions of times in cities specifically on the Northeast — New York, Boston, Philadelphia,
Chicago,” he said. “This created what became known, because it started in New York, as the subway alumni, people who were not alumna at all, but they identify with Notre Dame because of their immigrant tradition, because they were Catholic and they wanted to root for the team that represented them in a way larger than just football.” Browne said subway alumni’s love for Notre Dame persists today. He recounted the enthusiasm with which policemen greeted Jenkins when he toured the One World Trade Center a few years ago, before it opened. “They were all so proud … they brought him up to the very top of the Freedom Tower, before it opened, before it was finished and had him sign his name on a steel beam on the very top of the Freedom Tower,” Browne said. “It’s now enclosed behind walls, etc., but it was very important to them to have Fr. Jenkins of Notre Dame sign the steel at the top of the New World Trade Center. It’s all tied to that history of immigration and pride in ethnicity and religion.” Their excitement stemmed from their love for the University, Browne said. “It meant a lot to those cops because it was the president of Notre Dame,” he said. “The president of any other university? They wouldn’t care, to be honest.”
Observer File Photo
The 2016 Stanford Hall interhall football team, pictured, won the title game 7-6 against Duncan Hall. In addition to participating in interall sports, the dorm also hosts section Olympics each year.
Contact Alexandra Muck at amuck@nd.edu
Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu
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The observer | friday, november 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ALEXANDER DAUGHERTY Scene Writer
The third-floor, black-box theatre in Washington Hall is one with which I’m intimately familiar. Walking in and finding the room empty but for a large trunk and chairs arranged in a thrust stage was nothing short of thrilling. The student Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company production of “Cymbeline” did not disappoint. In her director’s note, junior Mary Elsa Henrichs encourages her audience to “lean forward and engage with the work.” With standout performances from sophomore Isobel Grogan as the tossed-about princess, Innogen, and junior Ellis Sargeant as her star-crossed husband, Posthumus Leonatus, I did not have trouble finding the edge of my seat. The leads’ moments in contact were stricken with moving tenderness, and their moments apart, powerful passion. Sophomore Ballard Powell’s Cloten and his Queen-mother, played by freshman Lulu Phifer, provided the counterbalancing comedic relief with their equally compelling antics. “Cymbeline” is one of the least well-known Shakespeare
By PATRICK WITTEMAN Scene Writer
In Luca Guadagnino’s remake of the 1977 film “Suspiria,” a ballet studio falls into disarray as a result of supernatural forces lurking underneath its glassy surface. The movie itself is characterized by muted tones and sets that pay homage to modern architects like Adolf Loos. A soundtrack as wintry and haunting as Thom Yorke’s matches the tone set with the muted color grading and deliberately modernist, cold settings. To some degree, this is a departure from what Yorke has done in the past. On this soundtrack, mechanical and robotic noise is somewhat replaced with choral arrangements and other musical oddities that distinguish this album from the rest of Yorke’s work, both solo and band-related. When I initially heard this soundtrack, the first line of comparison I drew was to the soundtrack of Kubrick’s “The Shining.” The movies are similar in mood, with both having the aforementioned muted and sparse setting. Both are wintry and cold to a degree, with “The Shining” taking place on the Overwatch Hotel grounds and “Suspiria” taking place in a modernist ballet studio.
works, ensuring Henrichs had her work cut out for her. While I cannot speak to her choices in textual cuts specifically, I can confirm that I followed the story quite easily and was thoroughly engaged. The plot of “Cymbeline” is best described as a conglomerate of Shakespeare’s most recognizable tropes and plot devices. Mistaken identities, girls in caps masquerading as boys, falsely reported infidelity and associated “evidence,” a bitter king and a manipulative and ultimately mad queen. These elements were handled with a deft hand through Henrichs’ direction and the cast’s familiarity with the language. This was an important element of the show for Henrichs, who said her process was “all about the text.” From the beginning, rehearsals became about guiding her actors, teaching them to “wield the language.” The show opened with the cast’s exaggerated breathing as they drew the black-box curtains and set out the blocks that were part of the minimalist set. Throughout the opening dialogue’s summary of past events — a feature of many of Shakespeare’s plays meant to situate the audience in the current plot — the ensemble performed a very simple dumb-show, without which I doubt I would
have so fully understood. Having been exposed to the language in my own studies, I do not typically struggle to follow Shakespeare’s verse. I am confident, that fact notwithstanding, that Henrichs’ blocking choices and the cast’s eloquence would make the show accessible to a traditionally “lay” audience. While there were moments of dissatisfying pause and the pace was not seamless, I was connected enough with the majority cast that I was pulled right along. Additionally, while the show took clever emotional advantage of the intimacy of a thrust arrangement, the majority of the blocking was clearly constructed with a proscenium in mind. Having sat in the center section of the theater, I had a clear view of every event. I know that, had I sat in one of the lateral sections, I would not have enjoyed so clear a connection with the characters and the action. In all, it was refreshing to see a student Shakespeare so engaging and, at times, hilarious. Henrichs’ and NSR’s “Cymbeline” was fun, accessible and endearing.
Without spoiling too much of either movie, both also follow the psychological decline of main characters as a result of the settings in which they are placed. The soundtracks rightfully mirror each other in their use of abstract sounds and musical styles to create tension in the same way that the movies create tension on screen. Although many of the tracks on this album are strictly cinematic in nature, there are a few cuts from the project that would fit right in on a Radiohead album from recent years. The tracks “Suspirium,” “Unmade,” “Has Ended” and “Suspirium Finale” all feature Thom Yorke’s characteristic falsetto backed by piano arrangements similar to those found on tracks from the Radiohead album “A Moon Shaped Pool,” such as “Daydream.” As great as the score is, it is a true score. Much of the album’s 80-minute run time is spent exploring noise in a cinematic sense as opposed to songwriting in a melodic sense. This is good only to a degree, as it becomes hard to find much from this album that will have any type of replay value outside of the four Radiohead-esque songs mentioned above. Then again, a soundtrack should not be examined in a vacuum, without the context of the movie it accompanies. The film’s premise can be surmised as a ballet studio gone wrong with an
added supernatural element. There are moments of beauty in this premise, mainly with the ballet studio and its connotations. This can be associated with the falsetto and beauty of the more traditional Radiohead songs. However, the dark lurking underneath the superficial beauty can be associated with the more abstract musical moments in this project. In that sense, Yorke succeeds in scoring the soundtrack of the movie “Suspiria” in a way only Thom Yorke could.
Contact Alexander Daugherty at adaughe1@nd.edu
Contact Patrick Witteman at wittema@nd.edu
“Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film)” Thom Yorke Label: XL Recordings Tracks: “Suspirium,” “Unmade,” “Has Ended” If you like: Radiohead, Bjork, James Blake
DIANE PARK | The Observer
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The observer | friday, november 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Conspiracy theories
Fifteen years of teaching at Notre Dame, five reflections John Sitter Tropospheria
Meagan Bens Sports Writer
Go to YouTube. Search for conspiracy theories. One can spend years sifting through all the videos explaining how the public lives in the dark, oblivious to the truth and inner workings of the world. Search “conspiracy theories moon.” Man landing on the moon in 1969? Fake. It’s been almost five decades since Neil Armstrong made history by becoming the first man to walk on the moon, but doubters say the U.S. government faked the landings. Desperate to beat the Russians, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin acted out their landings on a film set. A secret film set tucked away in Holly wood Hills or deep within Area 51. Photos and videos are only available through NASA, so who is to say it was more than just a hoax? Search “conspiracy theories 9/11.” Terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001? Inside job carried out under President George W. Bush. W hy weren’t the hijacked planes intercepted? Did the government announce a “stand down” to minimize interference with their plan to destroy the buildings and then blame it on Islamic terrorists? Also, jet fuel can’t melt steel beams. Some argue the steel could not have been melted from the heat of collision of the plane. Therefore, the building had to be brought down intentionally via explosives. Specifically thermite, which can melt steel and leave no evidence behind. And these examples are only the beginning. Area 51, an Air Force base outside of Las Vegas, is where remains of crashed UFO spacecrafts lay and government scientists are using the aliens’ highly advanced technolog y. Think humans run the world? Nope. Shape-shifting, elite reptilian humanoids are enslaving the human race. They are our corporate leaders, our beloved actors and singers, all those in the spotlight who are responsible for Sept. 11 and all other horrific events. These lizards are behind secret societies. Conspiracy theories have gained traction with the American public, but why? W hy do people believe these illogical theories? W hy and how do these thoughts endure? According to BBC’s article “The enduring appeal of conspiracy theories,” Karen Douglas, a psychologist and professor at the University of Kent, says “we are all predisposed to be suspicious or mistrustful of the government.” From an evolutionary stand point, she says, we are “adaptive to be suspicious” of others for our safety. Looking deeper, those who believe them seem to have an intrinsic need for uniqueness, a feeling that he or she has access to information or alternative explanations. Other studies reveal conspiracy theories help people make sense of everything when they feel out of control. We are addicted to answers and are comforted when we can put a name to random acts of violence. Some theories disturbingly persist after an abundance of evidence is presented and science consistently disproves them. In addition to Douglas, Stephan Lewandowsky, a University of Bristol professor of psycholog y, found that the stronger a person believes in conspiracy, the less likely they are to trust scientific facts. Any evidence is reinterpreted as evidence in favor of the theory. It’s easy to laugh at the conspiracy theories mentioned above, but what’s worst? The actual theories? Or their long existence, easy accessibility on the internet and dangerous effects on society? Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
With thanks to The Obser ver for its editorial hospitality this term to a faculty columnist, here are five farewell ref lections.
We are being surpassed not only in the sciences. Despite Notre Dame’s having the “largest Philosophy Department in the United States,” can you find courses in environmental ethics? In a Theolog y department of similar size and distinction, courses in creation theolog y? Or elsewhere, environmental sociolog y? The anthropolog y of climate?
1. Yes, professors procrastinate, too. Just as students procrastinate by looking at next semester’s course descriptions instead of completing work for this term, so do professors put off grading said work by thinking about next term’s courses. No exception, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about my courses for next semester, the last, as it turns out, in fifty years of teaching. One is a seminar on Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain, two colossal ironists whose company we could use today and who will be invited back into this column in a minute. The other course, “Literature: Nature: Now,” is an introduction to environmental fiction and non-fiction published since 2014. Spending a semester on works written in the last five years is not something I ever expected to do, after teaching 18th-centur y literature much of my life. So, why do it? The short reason is that we live in unprecedented times and need to tr y to catch up imaginatively. Veteran literar y historians do not say “unprecedented” lightly; we’re used to finding past origins or parallels for just about any current situation. But the so-called “Great Acceleration” that roughly corresponds with my lifetime (from the end of World War II to the present) has been uniquely hard on the global environment, and some of its impacts are just now registering. Those of us awake to these changes — who are not environmental change denialists — need all the help we can get from the brightest and best informed imaginations of our “now” to learn how to see, feel and say our new realities and responsibilities.
2. The “unsurpassed undergraduate education” that Notre Dame aspires to offer is being surpassed. I don’t mean that Father Jenkins’s goal is in danger because we risk being passed by this or that school in the US News rankings. The problem is that we’re being surpassed by reality. The complex environmental peril that defines our time — and that will continue to do so during the lifetime of ever y current Notre Dame student — barely finds a place in our curriculum. In my first column, I suggested searching the fall class offerings for the kinds of general courses one might take to learn something about climate change, extinction rates, global population pressures, earth systems, food systems and so on. Searching the spring offerings now will not yield better results. Notre Dame does not have an Environmental Studies major (Saint Mar y’s does). We do not offer geolog y except as part of Environmental Engineering. We do not have enough ecologists or earth scientists or climate scientists to launch thoughtful teamteaching between the College of Science and Arts & Letters. However cutting-edge our scientists may be as researchers, our undergraduate curriculum is outdated. It may remain so without encouragement from the president, provost and dean of Science.
3. Speaking of anthropology, sapiens” needs modification.
“homo
I’ll leave the scientific terminolog y to the experts, but from the perspective of my literar y oracles, Swift and Twain, the self-description is, well, self-congratulator y. Of the assertion that “Man is the reasoning animal,” Twain obser ves in a late essay, “Such is the claim. I think it is open to dispute.” He had in fact disputed it satirically most of his life by depicting countless characters stronger on rationalization than rationality. Swift, as a clerg yman and political satirist, made many obser vations that fit 21st-centur y Washington as well as 18th-centur y London or Dublin. One example: “I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.” W hat he obser ved led him to reject altogether the definition of man as a “rational animal” and prefer the phrase “capa x rationis”: capable of reason. My own modest proposal for renaming ourselves is “homo sapiens infrequens”: ver y occasionally sapient.
4. How Emory is not Notre Dame. W hen I first moved to Notre Dame fifteen years ago after more than two decades at Emor y, new friends sometimes asked me to compare the two schools. Ver y fond of both, and avoiding invidious comparisons, I settled on a small joke: Emor y is secular and has no football team; at Notre Dame football is a religion and religious discussion a contact sport. Well, sort of a joke. The first part feels pretty literal some weekends. The second is metaphoric and complimentar y rather than critical. Intellectual discourse makes “contact” here with religious questions more commonly than on many campuses; generally a good thing. I haven’t yet seen such discussions devolve into fisticuffs. Nor have I often felt excluded as a nonCatholic. I was once called “heterodox,” but that was by an economist, irritated by doctrinal doubts over unlimited grow th in a finite troposphere.
5. Some things professors never complain about. Having chaired two departments and ser ved on countless committees, I’ve heard colleagues complain about many things. But I’ve yet to hear any professors complain about their students for: — showing intellectual curiosity — reading beyond the syllabus — coming to office hours to pursue a question or seek advice — staying in touch. Stay in touch. Professor Sitter teaches courses in poetry, satire and environmental literature in the English Department and team-teaches the introduction to the Sustainability Minor. He can be reached at jsitter@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | friday, november 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Stand against hate every week We’ve all been there. We’ve heard those off-thecuff phrases that are tossed around in class or in the hall. And many of us have experienced the moments, or months, of isolation and loneliness. In October, Notre Dame released the results of its Inclusive Campus Student Survey, which was administered to the student body in February and received a 52 percent response rate. The survey revealed that 47 percent of Notre Dame students have experienced adverse treatment over the course of their time at the University. This adverse treatment was related to a number of personal characteristics — including political views, race, sex, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and disability — but the bottom line is that discrimination in many forms, both informal and formal, exists on Notre Dame’s campus. Discrimination frequently manifests in the form of verbal comments, but students also often experience mocking and offensive jokes, stereotyping and a feeling of exclusion or isolation. According to the survey, adverse experiences have become disturbingly normalized on Notre Dame’s campus. No individual, on this campus or anywhere, should have to endure discrimination. Those types of actions should never be tolerated. Belonging is one of the most important aspects of anyone’s life and particularly in their college experience and it can be difficult to achieve. However, for those who are unfairly marginalized or written off for a simple personal characteristic, the experience is even more
difficult. The Inclusive Campus Student Survey results highlight many of the challenges and prejudices members of the Notre Dame community face on a daily basis. Of the more than 6,200 respondents to the survey, 24 of them identified themselves as transgender or non-binary, meaning they selected more than one gender on the survey or identify as gender fluid, gender non-conforming or genderqueer. Of those students, 21 percent and 13 percent strongly disagreed and somewhat disagreed, respectively, with the statement: “I feel a sense of belonging at Notre Dame.” Additionally, a striking 13 percent of Notre Dame students have experienced differential treatment due to their race or ethnicity, and 12 percent of students have experienced the same because of their religious beliefs. This week, the Notre Dame community came together to celebrate StaND Against Hate Week. The purpose of this week is to promote a safe and welcoming community for “individuals of all races, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class and nationality,” according to the description of the week on its official Facebook page. Throughout the week, members of the tri-campus community came together to sit down and dialogue and learn, to listen to one another and pray. From a panel discussion on whether or not “Black Lives Matter” is a pro-life issue on Monday to Thursday’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, students from all walks of life at Notre Dame worked together to foster discussions about inclusivity. The week, which is put on by the Gender Relations Center and cosponsored by a variety of Notre Dame groups, provides the perfect platform to start changing some of
those alarming statistics from the Inclusive Campus Student Survey. We, The Observer Editorial Board, hope you took the chance this week to step outside your comfort zone and to learn about a group other than your own. We hope you were able to at least begin to learn strategies for standing against the hate that runs rampant in our world, in our country and on our campus. We urge you to take part in the week’s final event: signing the StaND Against Hate Week Pledge, to “show commitment to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive community for individuals of all races, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class and nationality.” The Pledge will be available to sign from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Fieldhouse Mall. It marks a continued commitment to maintaining the values of StaND Against Hate Week in one’s everyday life. StaND Against Hate Week may only span five days, but lessons learned do not have to end this week. It is important to treat this week as a launching pad for important conversations and learning that clearly still need to take place on this campus. StaND Against Hate Week is a great first step toward including all members of the community and helping to educate the community, but its benefits are lost if we do not treat each and every day as if it were part of StaND Against Hate Week. Forty-seven percent of the Notre Dame community experiencing adverse treatment is too high. Any one person feeling left out or excluded due to the characteristics that make them who they are is too many. This week, and every week, we encourage you to do your part in lowering that number to zero.
The seven faces of giving thanks Gary J. Caruso Capitol Comments
While on my way to work on Thursday, waiting for a red light to change, I glanced at a lump of blankets piled in a bus stop shelter. A skinny, fragile hand extended from the mound and slowly fed morsels of a candy bar to a partially exposed, thin, drawn elderly jaw. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, I thought of my long-gone grandmother and wondered if someone would comfort this homeless soul with a turkey dinner. Then the bus drove on as her image f lickered by me. I have yet to dust off my holiday halo, so “someone” meant “not me” in comforting this familiar face that yearned for a reason to give gratitude. Decades ago, my service to others had been more routine and vigorous, but complacency now confines me like so many others around me. What does it say about our society when many of us shamelessly shelve our seasonal greetings except when the calendar captures another heartfelt holiday commemoration? I certainly failed the angelic test at that bus stop. Despite how personally spiritual, religious or agnostic one becomes, all of us can portray as many moods and reasons to fail as the number of days in the week. With Thanksgiving a week away, it occurs to me that each day offers a different face for us to consider helping. Coincidentally, Great Britain’s 19th Century imperial era “Pax Britannica” (“British Peace” in Latin) offers the perfect vehicle to highlight our modern mood swings through the nursery rhyme, Monday’s Child: Monday’s child is fair of face, Tuesday’s child is full of grace, Wednesday’s child is full of woe, Thursday’s child has far to go, Friday’s child is loving and giving, Saturday’s child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day Is bonnie and blithe, and good and gay. While the rhyme assigns given human traits to each day, probably based on planetary parallels known at the time — the Sun and the Moon as represented by various gods in Norse, Roman and Greek mythology — we can neatly fit into each day a type of person we have bypassed who seeks our unique efforts before offering thanks. For loved ones who are gone, we wonder how we could have saved them. For others still among us, we pray for wisdom to assist them. What can we do by the end of each day so that both they and we are thankful? Beginning chronologically Friday (“Friday’s child is loving and giving”), Freyja was the Norse “Goddess of Love” associated with love, beauty and wealth. Despite the fact that the rhyme professes to characterize those born on Friday as fortunate and beautiful, we can find a bounty of examples of celebrities or family members who seem to have perfect lives but nonetheless commit suicide. This year, 1992 Playboy Playmate and glamour model, Stephanie Adams, pushed her 7-year-old son from a 25th-f loor window and then jumped to her death. Tomorrow’s “Saturday’s child works hard for his living” refers to Saturn (Roman god of agriculture) and is rooted in the hard work of farmers when written into the rhyme. I ref lect on my blue-collar working relatives who hold down two jobs to survive or work in positions that do not compensate them with a living wage. While I cannot subsidize their plights, I should, however, visit more often whenever I am back in Pennsylvania. Together we can appreciate that we share stories and laughs. I will cherry-pick the Sabbath day reference “bonny and blithe, and good and gay” to focus on today’s understanding of the word “gay.” Too often, many ostracize those who look or act different than they. With the rise of hate speech and discrimination, we should remain vigilant to thwart forms of intolerance.
“Monday’s child is fair of face” is based on the moon’s new phases (faces) that continuously wax and wane. Media reports the past two weeks covered the safe return of Thomas Kolding, a 15-yearold New Jersey honors freshman who ran away after arguing with his father over his scholastic potential. The kid in me rooted for him to safely stay away while the adult in me empathized with his remorseful and worried parents. For them, this Thanksgiving will be their most meaningful of all. Týr, the Norse “God of War” parallels the Roman god, Mars, and most likely refers to a physical grace implied by “Tuesday’s child is full of grace.” We need merely ref lect upon our wounded veterans to inspire us to assist anyone aff licted by war. It is not enough to thank veterans without offering aid that comforts them and civilian causalities. I think of a relative recently diagnosed with cancer or return to my bus shelter when contemplating “Wednesday’s child is full of woe.” Modeled after Anglo-Saxon Woden and Norse Odin, these gods are affiliated with death and suffering. We simply need to not only see those ailing close to us, but also view the invisible bundled in blankets at bus stops. Finally, Thanksgiving Day features “Thursday’s child has far to go.” Based on Thor, the Norse “God of Thunder,” it symbolizes traveling storms. The Thursday lesson revolves around how to bring thanks to others seven days a week, every week. For me, I have far to go. Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame ‘73, 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 email: 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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The observer | friday, november 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Put more energy into home, family and bringing about positive changes that will make you happy. Don’t wait for someone else to make suggestions. Look at the possibilities and find the best way to move forward. It’s up to you to decide what’s in your best interest. Consider how best to make personal improvements that will build your confidence, strength and courage. Your numbers are 4, 11, 16, 23, 32, 38, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look over contracts and your financial situations; you’ll discover a hidden opportunity. Rely on your own resources to figure out your best move. A heart-to-heart talk with someone you love will be helpful. Romance is encouraged. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Research your options before making a change. Talk to people you have worked with or who can give you expert advice. Knowing what you are up against will make it easier to decide what’s best for you. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t make a big deal out of nothing. Stay calm and let situations play out naturally. Go about your business and make whatever changes suit you without drawing attention to what you are doing. Don’t mislead others or share information. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Do your thing. What you provide will be unique and draw interest from someone who is in a position to help you excel. Your knowledge and experience will encourage others to listen as well as pitch in and help. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Look at the big picture and get involved in the things you feel will make the biggest difference. Your input, generosity and physical help will result in recognition and an opportunity to make positive changes to your lifestyle. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Step up and do your part. Get involved in something that encourages personal growth. Bonding with people who can be beneficial to your future is in your best interest. Don’t let personal matters stand between you and your success. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take care of your responsibilities first or someone will make a fuss. Once you have taken care of business, you can concentrate on the things and the people you enjoy the most. A change to your status looks promising. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Spend more time dealing with personal matters. If someone questions your integrity, stay calm and stick to the facts. Anger will not help you or your situation. Be willing to compromise and to work in conjunction with others to make worthwhile changes. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think big but stick to what’s reasonable as well as in your budget. Don’t let anyone entice you into taking on too much or you’ll set yourself up for failure. Baby steps are favoredt. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep moving forward, but keep your eye on what’s going on around you. An unexpected change at home or with regard to your position could easily broadside you if you don’t pay attention. Ask questions and verify factsl. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put some passion into whatever you decide to take on. Listen carefully to what’s said and promised. A verbal agreement should be put on paper to avoid any misgivings. A personal change, gift or financial gain is heading your way. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Offer your services, skills and knowledge to a cause and you will make a difference, but don’t let anyone take you for granted. Make it clear what you are willing to do and what it will take. Being up-front will be necessary. Birthday Baby: You are innovative, excitable and persistent. You are entertaining and changeable.
WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 16, 2018 | The Observer
W Bball
Sports Authority
Federer is best athlete of all time Tom Naatz Associate News Editor
This Sports Authorit y was unplanned. On Thursday night, I v isited The Obser ver’s office to grab a pack of fruit snacks on my way to the librar y when my friend and colleague, Charlotte Edmonds, asked me what my hottest sports take is. And so here I am. Roger Federer is the greatest athlete of all time. A sizzling take. I’m not say ing the Sw iss tennis icon could dunk on LeBron or go one-on-one w ith Messi or break Roger Maris’s singleseason home run record. But he is w ithout a doubt the athlete who has dominated his sport for the longest consistent time period. Federer made his pro-debut at the age of 16, in 1998. Twent y-one years later, he’s won 99 singles titles and 20 Grand Slams. He is the only male to have accomplished the latter feat. But here’s where it gets impressive. Federer won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2003. He won his most recent Grand Slam at the 2018 Australian Open. If you do the math, he was 22 when he won the first slam, and was 36 going on 37 when he won the last. He’s only missed significant time due to injur y once in his career, when he sustained a serious knee injur y in 2016. In a sport where all you do is run around on hard surfaces, that’s practically unheard of. He could still play for years. Tennis fans on The Obser ver staff laughed at me. Multiple people yelled “Serena Williams?!” practically in unison. My colleague Carlos De Loera said, “the Nadal-ies w ill come for you.” I mean no disrespect to either Serena or Rafael. Regarding the former, I am aware that she has won more Grand Slams than Federer, and won the Australian Open while she was pregnant. That right there might be the greatest athletic feat of all time. But I think Federer’s rivals offer stiffer competition than
Serena’s. Throughout his career, Federer has faced the likes of Pete Sampras, Novak Djokov ic and Nadal, arguably three of the greatest tennis players of all time. I just don’t think Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki or Victoria A zarenka fit the bill. Serena is still an incredible competitor (and the furor over her behav ior at the U.S. Open was totally unjustified — that’s not even a hot take), but I don’t think she rises to Federer’s level. I have a lot of thoughts about Nadal. He is certainly the greatest clay court player ever. Of Nadal’s 17 Grand Slam titles, 11 of them came on the clay of Roland Garros in Paris. But that means he’s only won six of the other ones combined. Federer, for his part, has only triumphed once in Paris. But that means he’s won the other three majors a collective 19 times. Nadal himself beat Federer several times in the French Open Final. If Federer’s career didn’t overlap w ith Nadal, he easily could have had another several French Open titles. Nadal also triumphed over Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final, largely regarded as the greatest match ever played, on grass, which is Federer’s best serv ice. But one match does not a legacy make. If you don’t buy my argument, then here’s a weird quirk of Federer’s life that proves God marked this man for greatness: He and his w ife, Mirka have not one, but two sets of identical tw ins. One set of identical tw ins is a f luke of nature; two are just straight spook y. Couples hav ing children have a onein-70,000 chance of this outcome. Twent y years, 99 singles titles, 20 Grand Slams and two sets of identical t w ins — I rest my case. Roger Federer is the greatest athlete of all time. Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Continued from page 12
season with a reported leg injury. Missing the team’s top 3-point shooter in Mabrey showed beyond the arc, as the Irish shot 13 percent from deep in the first half. “We need another guard,” McGraw said. “I thought Abby came in and gave us great energy on defense, but we need another guard. … I think we really miss Marina.” McGraw classified Mabrey’s condition as “dayto-day,” emphasizing that the team is “going to be
patient because it’s early in the year” and they do not want to exacerbate the injury. Without Mabrey, McGraw said she would like to get the ball inside to Brianna Turner more frequently, as the graduate student forward is “capable of a double-double every night.” Turner notched her second in as many games against Pennsylvania, putting up 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds on the night after getting 11 and 11 in the season opener against Harvard on Nov. 9. Notre Dame’s bigs have a history of playing well against DePaul (1-0). The last time the Irish took on
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the Blue Demons, senior forward Jessica Shepard posted a career-high 39 points to go along with 11 rebounds on the way to a 91-82 victory. The Irish will be the first big test for the Blue Demons, who are coming off a 73-64 win over Green Bay on Nov. 9, since they exited the 2018 NCA A Tournament with an 80-79 second-round loss to Texas A&M — the team Notre Dame went on to defeat in the Sweet 16. Notre Dame will face DePaul on Saturday in Chicago. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu
ZACHARY YIM | The Observer
Irish senior forward Jessica Shepard goes up for a shot during Notre Dame’s 61-58 victory over Mississippi State in the national championship April 1. Shepard had 19 points against the Bulldogs.
Volleyball Continued from page 12
said the team will be fired up to play for the seniors on their night. Leading the team defensively, senior Ryann DeJarld has recorded a team-high 485 digs, while senior Meg Morningstar leads the team in total blocks with 142. “I have great appreciation for the senior class,” Johnson said. “Looking over the course of their career and where the team was when they first arrived, then
going through the transition to where they are today, they have had a big hand in moving the program forward and I appreciate them and their work.” In addition to the senior leadership carrying the team, Johnson said the underclassmen have become a group on which the team regularly relies. Freshman Charley Niego leads the team offensively with 303 kills on the year, while freshman Zoe Nunez leads the team in both hit percentage at .286 and assists with 1,010.
“The freshmen are very good, and I am fired up about how they have performed because they have improved every single week,” Johnson said. “I appreciate their effort, and I am looking forward to them continuing to improve and keep going. The three freshmen are a big part of the team right now.” Notre Dame will celebrate its seniors during the match against Louisville at 7 p.m. in Purcell Pavilion on Friday. Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu
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Sports
The observer | friday, november 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Bouts Continued from page 12
aggression and was met by a f lurr y of body shots from Mack ley. Gradel got Mack ley against the ropes once again but Mack ley pushed her way out. With Mack ley slow ing dow n at different points, her coach kept screaming “Breathe.” Gradel took advantage of Mack ley’s fatigue as she strategically turned up her aggression when Mack ley had to take a breather. Mack ley responded in the final round, hitting jab after jab on a slow-torespond Gradel. Gradel then pushed Mackley against the ropes, keeping her there for a significant portion of the round. Mackley would respond to being put in the corners by grabbing onto Gradel. With mixed reactions from the crowd, the judges rewarded Gradel the victory via split decision.
Bailey Baumbick Andrea Peecher
def.
Both opponents came out strong, neither were able to get good hits on the first swings. Baumbick, a sophomore in Cavanaugh Hall, caught Peecher sleeping on defense, getting a big hit in between Peecher’s gloves as she tried to block. Baumbick would keep landing big hooks on Peecher. In the final moments of the first round, Peecher attempted to get hits on Baumbick but, the sophomore defended well. Baumbick would make good use of body-head 1-2 combos, which Peecher couldn’t figure out. In the next round, Peecher would get a big right hook on Baumbick. Peecher, an off-campus graduate student, started bleeding from her nose, prompting two pauses in the second round. Both fighters kept going at each other with Baumbick blocking well against Peecher’s punches. In the final seconds of the second round, both fighters gave up big hits as they amped up the intensity. With the crowds chanting Baumbick’s name, Peecher pushed to make a final statement as she fought against her opponent and the dozens of Baumbick supporters. As both women awaited the final results, Baumbick gave out a euphoric, “Yes,” as she was announced the winner by split decision.
Marissa “The Minnesota Monster” Kivi def. Sydney Carlino Carlino and Kivi circled each other to begin the match. Kivi would break the ice and test Carlino’s ref lexes with a quick left hook. Carlino slowed down and circled again before Kivi came back with a series of quick punches that pushed Carlino
onto the ropes. Carlino, a sophomore in Cavanaugh Hall, was stunned and seemed to “shake off” the big hits that she just took. Kivi, a senior in Lewis Hall, played mouse as Carlino played cat; Kivi would keep Carlino chasing her around the ring, constantly moving her feet. Carlino began the second round trying to be more aggressive, but Kivi countered by pushing Carlino face-tothe-crowd against the ropes. Kivi went to a series of leftjab-right-hook combo attempts but, Carlino defended well. The bell would ring an end the second round just as Carlino connected with a jab on the senior. The final round started with a left hook from Carlino. The chants of “Kivi” and “Sydney” filled the room as both women tried to seal the deal. However, the last round was filled w ith much less action as the earlier rounds. In the final 20 seconds, no punches were throw n as both fighters circled each other. Kiv i won by unanimous decision thanks to plent y of big hits.
Madalyn “Trash Human” Schulte def. Erin Doyle This fight began w ith a series of impressive punches throw n by both Schulte, a senior, and Doyle, sophomore at Saint Mar y’s College, as they tried to feel each other out. The fight was characterized by qualit y defense and calculated strikes, and Schulte won round one by using her two strike combo. Throughout the ensuing rounds, Schulte continued to land serious head strikes, ultimately leading to her v ictor y by unanimous decision.
Laura “Rad Dad” Hernandez def. Shannon “Hawaiian Punch” Hennessey
an eight count on Belans. Round three was once again aggressive and competitive, but Waddick landed more qualit y punches, forcing another eight count on Belans, pav ing the way for a v ictor y by unanimous decision.
Marisa “Riss Ross the Boss” Ross def. Courtney Weston Seniors Ross and Weston threw arguably the most powerful punches out of any matchup, landing many impactful blows in the first round. As the matchup progressed, fatigue became a factor due to the large amount of energ y expended on the attack, leading to less consistent and powerful strikes. Ross was able to outlast Weston and w in the fight by unanimous decision.
Francie “Dr. Cool” Gradel def. Delany “Sharkface” Bolton Gradel, a senior, and Bolton, a junior, were t wo of the most agile and quick fighters of the night as they fought a highly composed fight. Both maintained great form throughout the fight, but as the rounds progressed, Gradel did a better job landing more qualit y headshots. The third round began w ith a f lurr y of punches, and Gradel was able to outlast Bolton to claim the v ictor y by split decision.
Morgan “Captain Morgan” Williams def. Jess “You Know What I Mean?” Zlaket Williams, a senior representing McGlinn Hall came out of the gate sw inging and connected on a series of combinations. Williams caught Zlaket, also a senior, representing Flahert y Hall, off guard w ith the speed and intensit y of her combinations. Williams unloaded
these series of combinations to the head and body of Zlaket several times in the first round. She continued w ith her f lurr y of punches in the second round. Zlaket caught a burst of energ y just the before the bell to commence the second round rang, but this slight burst was not enough to stop the intensit y and ferocit y of Williams. Williams immediately lunged right towards her opponent just as the ref started the third and final round. Williams released another mirage of combinations, even more impressive than her initial shots in the first. She bounced off the stool going into the third w ith an energ y that awarded her the v ictor y, a unanimous decision.
Gina “The Machine-A” Guzzardo def. Emily “The Miniature Menace” DeRubertis Guzzardo began the fight looking a little stiff and maybe even a little ner vous. However, Guzzardo, the MBA graduate student, was able to score more punches than her opponent in the first round. DeRubertis, a senior representing Lew is Hall, came into the second round strong. She lowered her head and cluttered Guzzardo’s body w ith big combinations. Guzzardo looked hurt at the end of the second, but she refused to give up this early. Guzzardo took the initiative in the third round and let herself into the range of Derubertis’ strong jabs. Guzzardo was able to absorb most of DeRubertis’ punches in the third and was declared w inner by split decision.
Molly “The Silent G” Giglia def. Anne Marie “Go Ham”
Hamon Giglia, a junior in Cavanaugh Hall, displayed her impressive foot work early in the fight. She unloaded huge combinations of onet wo jabs to Hamons head on several occasions. Hamon, a junior in Pasquerilla East Hall, was able to respond at the end of the first w ith her ow n strong combinations. Giglia wasn’t stunned by these shots and jumped off the stool in second continuing w ith her quick jabs to the head and body of Hamon. A lthough Hamon was able to land punches to Giglia’s head they weren’t doing a significant amount of damage. Giglia carried this same energ y into the third round and was subsequently declared w inner by split decision.
Caroline “Spicey Bicey” Bice def. Erin Guilfoile Bice, a freshman in Walsh Hall, headed into this fight coming off of t wo dominating v ictories in the quarter and semifinals. Bice was able to continue her impressive string of box ing performances to finish off the fights for the evening. Guilfoile, a senior in Breen-Phillips Hall, seemed stunned as soon as Bice got a hold of her. Bice let out a string of aggressive combinations right from the start. She was able to block or absorb most of Guilfoile’s shots. Bice continued to defend well and land on the majorit y of her punches, she was declared w inner by a split-decision. Contact Jimmy Ward at w ward@nd.edu, Charlie Ortega Guifarro at cortegag@nd.edu and Luke Brizzolara at lbrizzol@nd.edu
Hennessey, a senior, and Hernandez, also a senior, came out the gate fighting, and the first round was chaotic and action-packed. Throughout the entire fight, Hernandez landed more consistent and qualit y strikes on Hennessey. Hennessey was clearly shaken by the strikes, and she even had to stop fighting at one point. After a more quiet third round, Hernandez won by unanimous decision
Nicole “The-Not-So-NiceCanadian” Waddick def. Rachel Belans Waddick, a senior representing McGlinn Hall, and Belans, a senior liv ing off campus, came out fighting, as it was an aggressive fight from the beginning w ith lots of punches throw n and landed in the first round. Belans began the second round by attacking, and Waddick was eight counted. Right after, Waddick fought back and ended the round by forcing
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Senior Nicole “The-Not-So-Nice-Canadian” Waddick, right, engages in battle during the champinoship round of Baraka Bouts on Nov. 15 at the Dahnke Ballroom. Waddick won by unanimous decision.
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The observer | friday, november 16, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
baraka bouts
Champions crowned in final round fights By, JIMMY WARD, LUKE BRIZZOLARA and CHARLIE ORTEGA GUIFARRO Sports Writers
Megan “Mashed Potatoes And” Davey def. Meghan “Watch Out Joe” Guilfoile Both fighters started the fight with high energy. However, Guifoile, a sophomore living in Breen-Phillips Hall, was more aggressive, landing more hits on Davey and connecting on three straight hooks to Davey’s head. While trying to keep her distance, Davey kept swinging as her early aggression from earlier in the first round died down a bit. The second round began with Guilfoile sticking to her right hook but Davey kept ducking many of Guilfoile’s swings. Davey, a senior in Walsh Hall, pushed Guilfoile into the ropes. Guilfoile fought out of it with a succession of jabs. The two women continued to war against each other. In the final round, Davey got off to a bad start as she lost her balance early after getting caught with a weak defensive stance. As Davey recovered, she came back at Guilfoile with hook
after hook. Guilfoile would fail to match Davey’s intensity. With the crowd reaching peak decibel levels and the coaches shouting with vein-popping intensity, Davey pushed and pushed with hit after hit on a tiring Guilfoile. Davey’s final push won over the judges, who gave the senior the victory via split decision.
Ande “Full Throttle” Gradel def. Stephanie “Smack Attack” Mackley Mackley started off as the aggressor in the first round, countering Gradel’s moves and keeping her at a safe distance. Mackley, an off-campus graduate student, landed several hooks to momentarily stun her opponent. Gradel, a junior in Cavanaugh Hall, tried to go low but her strategy backfired as Mackley managed to get plenty of strong body shots on the junior. Gradel got Mackley against the ropes and had her there for a moment before Mackley found some room to get out. In the following round, Gradel tried to up her see BOUTS PAGE 10
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Senior Marissa “The Minnesota Monster” Kivi, right, sizes up her opponent during the champinoship round of Baraka Bouts on Nov. 15 at the Dahnke Ballroom. Kivi won by unanimous decision.
VOLLEYBALL
nd Women’s basketball
ND to face first ranked opponent of season
Irish prepare for senior night
By COURTNEY BECKER
By MEAGAN BENS
Editor-in-Chief
Sports Writer
The No. 1 Irish will face both their first road test and ranked opponent of the season against No. 15 DePaul in Chicago on Saturday. Notre Dame (2-0) is coming off a 75-55 win over Pennsylvania on Monday, a night when they continued to celebrate the program’s second national title by hanging its 2018 championship banner from the rafters at Purcell Pavilion. Despite the festivities and 20-point victory, Irish head coach Muffet McGraw said after the game she was not impressed by her team’s performance, particularly on offense. “Our inability to execute against the zone was something that we really have to work on — well, actually we don’t have to work on it, we’re not good at it,” she said. “We have a lot of issues right now.” One of the problems McGraw pointed to was the absence of
The Irish w ill return to Purcell Pav ilion on Friday for their Senior Night against Louisv ille. This past week, Notre Dame (15-11, 9-7 ACC) fell to NC State at home 1-3 and to Florida State 2-3 in Tallahassee, Florida. Head coach Mike Johnson said he appreciated the team’s effort to work around injuries to key players, including junior Jemma Yeadon. “It was a tough weekend,” Johnson said. “Certainly was hard hav ing some of our starters not play ing in those particular matches, it made it tougher. Our philosophy is the next person steps up and is ready to go. We sw ung aggressively, I liked our mindset and how we approached the game.” Entering the game Friday, Johnson’s focus isn’t on the overall numbers, but rather on how the team attacks ever y match.
see BOUTS PAGE 9
Observer file photo
Irish senior gaurd Marina Mabrey dribbles the ball during Notre Dame’s 94-62 victory over North Carolina on Feb.1, 2018.
“As a coach, you never really know exactly where you are, you are not tr y ing to get to end of season and size it up ahead of time,” Johnson said. “You’re just worried about approaching [the] next game the right way and battling hard through it. We’ve battled w ith [adversit y], but I couldn’t have been more proud of how they have attacked it.” The Irish have faced the Cardinals (20-7, 13-3 ACC), prev iously this season on Oct. 10 and lost 2-3. Notre Dame took the first t wo sets 29-27 and 25-20 before Louisv ille came back to seize the next three frames 25-17, 25-20 and 15-12. “They are a good team, we were right there in October,” Johnson said. “We’ve learned and grow n since then and I’m guessing they have, too. It’s really just about play ing well on our end, though.” In addition to play ing a familiar opponent, Johnson see VOLLEYBALL PAGE 9
Insider
ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, November 16, 2018 | The Observer
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Ryan set for 2016 rematch behind receivers ByHAYDEN ADAMS Sports Writer
This year has been a culmination of three seasons of hard work for the Ryan Hall Wildcats. Now, the Wildcats have reached the final game of the year, played in Notre Dame Stadium on Sunday against the Welsh Family Hall W hirlw inds. This is not the first time that these two teams have been in this exact position. “I’d say probably threequarters of the team has played in the stadium before,” said Ryan senior captain Jenny Moore. “We went when we were sophomores against Welsh Fam.” “We lost two seniors last year, and so the seniors this year have been eager to w in,” senior co-captain Annie McCarter said (Editor’s note: McCarter is a Viewpoint Copy Editor for the Observer). Moore said the underclassmen on that roster have wanted to get back there since that game t wo years ago.
“We had a lot of freshmen on that team. Now you just got a group of seniors and juniors who are hungr y for a w in,” she said. They’re in this position again thanks in large part to McCarter, who Moore said can catch any thing, and fellow senior co-captain Isabelle Dirksen. Senior coach Mike Cahill and the co-captains said that McCarter could be the team’s offensive MV P while Dirksen is arguably the defensive MV P of the team. However, the captains and Cahill also pointed to the production from junior Fiona McCarter, McCarter’s cousin and fellow w ide receiver, and junior Meaghan Fly nn. Moore said Fly nn has ser ved as a rock on defense. “[Annie and Fiona] both work really well together,” says Dirksen. “[It’s] a good dy namic going on.” The most impressive contributor though is sophomore quarterback Catherine Mulshine. The sophomore
stepped under center in the first game of the season when Moore, the quarterback for three years, went dow n w ith an ACL tear in the first game of the year. “I’m really proud of our quarterback who’s stepped in Jenny’s shoes,” Cahill said. “Jenny was a fantastic quarterback for three years, but [Catherine] stepped up and played big.” Mulshine has led the Wildcats to the best offense in the league, averaging a league-leading 22.5 points per game. The offense has not been the only potent force for the team though, as the defense has played a major role as well. Ryan Hall also leads the league in points allowed per game at 6.25. Moore believes the combined efforts of offense and defense have been this team’s greatest strength. Despite the attention some of the standouts are getting, the individual success is a product of the unsung players, Moore said. “Everone works so well
together,” she said. “ … [Mulshine] has the time to throw the ball because our offensive line holds it down. It’s really just a whole team effort. Everyone works well together [and] understands how everyone plays and what their strengths and weaknesses are. We’re able to pick each other up and I think that’s what really makes our stars be able to stand out, is everyone [else].” Cahill has played a big role in the team’s success as well — he’s been with the team for three years, which has led to better communication of the team as he has spent more time with the players. He has not only done well running the team, however. He has a passion and commitment to the team. He had the chance to go to men’s varsity game against Syracuse this weekend in New York City, but cancelled his trip in order to “stay focused for our game,” Dirksen said. “He knows the girls really well and he knows the playbook,” McCarter added.
“He’s able to play to each player’s strength and add routes in when necessary.” Cahill said he is proud of the entire roster and what they’ve done to get to this position. “Right now, our defense has played well. I’m proud of the whole team,” he said. “We’ve battled, we’ve come back [in] big games. In the first round [of the tournament] we came back against [BreenPhillips]. We were down 12-0 in the fourth quarter. That was probably a pretty proud moment for me.” The Wildcats have a tough test in Welsh Famil, which hasn’t allowed any points as of yet in the tournament. But if you ask the captains, they’re not scared. “We haven’t lost a game yet, regular season or playoffs,” McCarter said “We’re pretty strong.” That strength w ill be on display Sunday in Notre Dame Stadium at 2:45 p.m. Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu
Welsh Family looks for third title in four years By LUKE BRIZZOLARA Sports Writer
Welsh Family Hall is looking to cap off a dominant run in women’s flag football by winning its third title in four years. Led by captains Corinne O’Connor and Sarah Stillpass, the Whirlwinds are ready to continue a tradition of championships with one of its youngest teams ever. For the seniors, this will be their third time in four years in the stadium, and they hope the result of this year’s championship will follow historic patterns. “This is our third time in the stadium in four years and we want to bring back another championship. We are two for two in the stadium, and we
are hoping for three for three,” O’Connor said. Welsh Family has built up a reputation of winning, and friends and families alike are coming out to support them “It will be a fun atmosphere playing in front of our friends and some of our families will be there. We want to cap off a good senior season and continue the legacy of Welsh Fam,” Stillpass said. In order to make it to the championship game, the Whirlwinds have overcome large roster turnover, specifically on the offensive end. “Our offense has been in uncharted territory this year, we have a new quarterback who has never really been a quarterback before. She has done a great job adjusting,” O’Connor
said. Welsh Family has had to focus heavily on roster development, especially considering that a majority of its roster is freshmen who haven’t had any experience competing at the interhall level. “We lost our three-year starting QB this year … we have a really young team this year, over half freshmen. So, [kind of] building up those girls’ confidence,” Stillpass said. However, having a young roster has its benefits. “I am looking forward to the energy of the freshman, they have been really spirited off the field, we have a really great sideline. We have a couple standout freshmen on the field and they have always brought the energy consistently,”
Luke Brizzolara
Hayden Adams
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
Notre Dame vs. Michigan. Welsh Fam vs. Ryan. What do these rivalries have in common? There is one clearly superior team playing against an outmatched team that is lucky to even be mentioned in the same breath as the superior team. History repeats itself, and Welsh Fam, looking for its third title in four years, will once again beat Ryan inside Notre Dame Stadium to claim the women’s championship. Even though Welsh Fam is playing with a roster of over half freshman, they will still dominate. “The Battle of West Quad” will be a slaughter. FINAL SCORE: Welsh Family 49, Ryan 7
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Stillpass said. The Whirlwinds hasn’t taken the field against Ryan this year, but the last time they played each other in the stadium, the game ended with Welsh Family hoisting a championship trophy. “’It’s the ‘Battle of the West [Quad] part 2’,” Stillpass said. Strategically, Welsh Family knows what its keys to the game are, specifically preventing Ryan’s dynamic passing attack from taking control of the game. “Ryan does a lot of passing, so we need to stop the long ball ... not let anything go deep. No big plays,” O’Connor said. Even though these teams haven’t met on the field, the players themselves are very familiar with each other. Both
Ryan Hall is undefeated on the season and leads the league in both points per game and points allowed per game (22.5 and 6.25, respectively). Welsh Family Hall has one loss on the year and averages more than a touchdown less per game than Ryan. Though the stats favor Ryan, the Whirlwinds cannot be dismissed out of hand. Ryan will win this game because of their scrappy play. Not only did they come back from a 12-0 deficit in the fourth quarter of their first-round game, they’ve gone undefeated with a sophomore quarterback after their three-year starter tore her ACL. The Wildcats will find a way to pull out the victory. FINAL SCORE: Welsh Family 20, Ryan 13
dorms are on West Quad, and there are a lot of overlapping friendships. “We were each cheering for each other to reach the stadium,” O’Connor said. Preventing these friendships from overwhelming the game will be a key priority for Welsh Family. “We need to keep emotions in tact,” Stillpass said, “We have a lot of friendship crossovers. We aren’t talking to each other for a little bit right now. We are looking forward to the rivalry.” Spoken like a true leader, O’Connor and Stillpass will lead the Whirlwinds into battle this Sunday. Contact Luke Brizzolara at lbrizzol@nd.edu
No. 1
No. 2
(6-0)
(5-1)
Ryan vs. Welsh Family
Notre Dame Stadium
2:45 p.m.