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Volume 52, Issue 55 | wednesday, november 29, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

SUB announces fall performers Quinn XCII, Odessa to play at Legends in Student Union Board concert Friday By COURTNEY BECKER News Editor

The Student Union Board (SUB) announced Tuesday night that Friday’s fall concert will feature Quinn XCII as the main act, with Odessa as the opener. The event will be the first SUB concert since Hoodie Allen and Sammy Adams performed on campus in November of 2016. Junior and lead programmer of concerts Bethany Boggess said the concert will be free for students this semester since it will take place in Legends. “We were unable to use Stepan this semester because athletics is using it, so Legends was the perfect alternative,” she said in an email. “Since Legends is a smaller venue, it allows us to offer free admission

for students, which isn’t something SUB is usually able to do.” Legends will be an appropriate venue for Quinn XCII, Boggess said, because the nightclub has often hosted similar artists. “Legends often has upand-coming artists — they had artists like Twenty One Pilots, Echosmith and Sam Hunt before they blew up — and we think Quinn XCII will fit that bill,” she said. Boggess said she hopes students who are unfamiliar with Quinn XCII and Odessa will take the chance to discover new artists. “Though not everyone will know Quinn XCII and/ or Odessa’s music, we hope students will know that we chose them for a reason and

will give them a listen and decide to come to the show,” Boggess said. “Quinn XCII is currently featured on Spotify’s Pop Rising playlist; we think he’ll only get bigger from here.” The process of choosing an artist for the SUB concert was a student-led effort, with Boggess and the concerts committee reaching out to agents and making offers, Madison McFarland, SUB co-director of programming, said. “With this one, because we went through Legends, they actually have contacts for us, so we go straight through them and they connect us with agents,” McFarland said. “And then Bethany and the whole concerts committee worked to just start contacting agents, and we just go from there — see

what our price range fits with and the artists that will work for that, and then we get our top five, and we narrow it down from there. We start sending out offers and then contracts following that. It’s a long process — a lot of times things fall through, so we work really hard to try to do it really far ahead of time, and luckily, it worked out this semester.” During the spring 2017 semester, SUB decided to forego a concert because the concerts committee decided none of the artists available were worth the amount of money they were asking for, instead deciding to invest its budget elsewhere. Boggess said she was happy this year’s concerts committee was able to bring see CONCERT PAGE 3

NDH staffer arrested Observer Staff Report

The manager of North Dining Hall at Notre Dame has been arrested and charged with incest and sexual misconduct with a minor, according to an ABC 57 report published Monday. The manager, Jose Cortes, allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with “a relative under the age of 16,” according to the report, which also claimed Cortes admitted to several instances of “inappropriately touching” the girl. The report said the girl is either 14 or 15 years old. University spokesperson Dennis Brown said in an email that Notre Dame has placed Cortes on leave while the case progresses.

SMC hosts 45th Emergency panel addresses madrigal dinner Myanmar refugee crisis By MARIA LEONTARAS News Writer

Once a year, the lounge of a Saint Mary’s residence hall is transformed to host a Renaissance-themed meal featuring a show with a holiday twist. The event will take place this weekend with the College’s 45th-annual madrigal dinners. The dinner consists of a threecourse meal with stages of entertainment between, Nancy Menk, one of the dinner’s coordinators, said.

“The madrigal dinners are a recreation of a Renaissance era feast, probably [hosted] in some English manor house, overseen by royalty where there are a lot of performers that are gathered there for the evening,” she said. Throughout the evening, there will be performances from Saint Mary’s Women’s Choir, instrumentalists and Renaissance dancers. The dinner will also feature a play written by communication

An emergency panel discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar (Burma) on Tuesday night. The panel focused on the persecution of the Rohingya minority group by the Myanmar government and the resulting refugee crisis. Soldiers are reported to have committed massacres, rape and mass burnings of villages and homes. More than

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

see DINNER PAGE 4

see MYANMAR PAGE 4

A panel reviews the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar on Tuesday. Due to persecution, many Rohingya Muslims have fled the country.

By ANDREW BENNIS News Writer

College offers yoga classes to relax students As finals approach, Saint Mary’s students will have the opportunity to destress through yoga club and other yoga classes offered at the College. Senior Madison Marshall,

president of the yoga club, said she has been practicing yoga since the summer before her first year at Saint Mary’s. “I was looking to get in shape before I came into college,” she said. “I started at CorePower Yoga, which is a more modernized version yoga.

I kept practicing and I fell in love with the mind-body spirit connection that comes with yoga.” Since then, Marshall said she has experienced the calming benefits of yoga, which have helped her throughout her college career. “Yoga has been a good outlet to

focus on my inner self and have a release for stress,” she said. “Many people don’t think that postures are anything more than a workout, but if sequenced properly, it helps you focus on your inner self and on breathing. Just taking a deep breath provides so much relief from stress. You find more peace in your

life.” Kimmi Troy, a physical education instructor at Saint Mary’s said yoga has taught her breathing techniques that have helped her deal with stressful situations. “When I do encounter stressful situations the first thing I do

NEWS PAGE 3

SCENE PAGE 5

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

MEN’S SOCCER PAGE 12

ND VOLLEYBALL PAGE 12

By STEPHANIE SNYDER News Writer

see YOGA PAGE 4

TODAY

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KATELYN VALLEY | The Observer

University vice president and associate provost for undergraduate affairs Hugh Page speaks at the Colloquy on Black Church Studies event, titled “Blue Note Preaching in a Post-Soul World: Finding Hope in an Age of Despair,” on Tuesday night in the Morris Inn.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Yoga Class in Italian Rolfs Sports Recreation Center 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Class mostly in Italian and free of charge.

Madrasa Discourses Panel Hesburgh Center 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. Discussion on science and religion.

Third Coast Percussion Leighton Concert Hall 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Multimedia performance.

Holiday Gift Auction Robinson Community Learning Center 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Tickets available for fundraising event.

Men’s Basketball Purcell Pavilion 2 p.m. The Irish take on the Terriers of St. Francis at home.

Stories of Grace Geddes Hall Chapel 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. An evening of prayer and reflection from community members.

New Faces Exhibition A|AH|D Gallery 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Art from first-year MFA students displayed with reception.

EXALT Adoration Moreau Seminary 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. All invited for praise, worship music and reconciliation.

20 Seasons of Love Washington Hall 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. A show produced by the Pasquerilla East Musical Company.

Advent Lessons and Carols Basilica of the Sacred Heart 7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. All are welcome.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, november 29, 2017 | The Observer

Circles & Ciphers to perform for peace, justice By SELENA PONIO Associate News Editor

A group in Chicago has found a new tool for restorative justice: hip-hop. Circles & Ciphers, a hip-hop youth leadership development organization, will perform at the Center for Social Concerns on Wednesday. Their performance is hosted by both the Center for Social Concerns and the Kroc Institute. Jason Springs, associate professor in the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, said he invited the group to his class last year. He said due to the success of their visit, he decided he should invite them to campus again, but this time to perform for a larger

audience. Circles & Ciphers performed peacemaking circles — a restorative justice tool — for Springs’ class. “I write and teach on restorative justice and I have currently a multi-year research initiative,” Springs said. “The peacemaking circle is one of the tools of restorative justice. It draws on aboriginal and indigenous forms of justice practice in which parties through a conf lict or parties harmed by one another … they sit together in a circle and it’s facilitated by a circle keeper.” Springs said these circles are meant to offer healing for groups affected by some kind of conf lict or violence. According to their website, Circles & Ciphers infuses their peacemaking

circles with improvisation and hip-hop to talk about difficult topics such as manhood, relationships with women and substance abuse. “They’re young people from various neighborhoods in Chicago and [who], in various ways, have experienced violence,” Springs said. “Now [they] are integrating hiphop and spoken word poetry with restorative justice in order to respond to violence in these neighborhoods.” According to their website, Circles & Ciphers was started by two Project NIA volunteers to strengthen the relationship between group home residents and their surrounding community. It started as a bi-monthly peacemaking circle which helped group home residents

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with decision-making and self-expression. By 2011, Circles & Ciphers expanded to an organization that now executes peacemaking circles in schools, prisons, group homes and other communities. “Circle processes can address the trauma that people experience, the harm, they can mediate conf lict,” Springs said. “They’ve told me that when they do a conf lict circle with various people it can go for two or three days.” Springs said his motivation to bring the group back to campus was to expose the students to real-life advocacy. “At the Center for Social Concerns and in Peace Studies students come to us because they are passionate about concerns

over justice and peace,” he said. In a field such as peace studies, Springs said learning in the classroom is not enough. “The challenge for a professor in peace studies is you can’t just teach the concepts and the cases. You have to try to connect the students with the real world and how these things are practiced,” he said. “My primary purpose was to bring people who are working in the most violent neighborhoods in the country there in the south side of Chicago into the classroom to talk about their work.” Springs said he thinks using hip-hop as a tool in peacemaking circles engages the youth and enables them to speak in more creative ways. Though his goal is to expose his students to restorative justice processes, he said he believes it is important to equip the Notre Dame community as a whole with these methods. “We get students in our classes that come to our classes because they want to go out and change the world, make some difference,” he said. “We’re trying to make these living connections with these students to help them get engaged with what’s going on.” Contact Selena Ponio at sponio@nd.edu

Concert Continued from page 1

the event back with an artist about which the committee is excited. “We’re really fortunate to have the ability to be f lexible in SUB and to try new ideas that we think the student body will like,” she said. “That said, we are excited to bring a concert back — and one we think the student body will really enjoy. We’ve also already started the process of planning next semester’s concert. For us, it’s all about starting early and responding to potential setbacks as opportunities to take a different direction.” McFarland said she is excited to be able to share the results of the committee’s hard work with the rest of the student body. “It’s a big deal when we can finally sign someone,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of students understand that we go through a very long process to get to this point, so there is a lot of effort that’s put into it.” Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu

NEWS

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Yoga Continued from page 1

is breathe,” she said. “Taking some quiet time for myself to just to sit down crisscross and go through breathing exercises has helped me think a little bit more before I react in stressful situation.” Troy has been a yoga instructor at Saint Mar y’s for five years and owns a fitness studio called Tu Sei Bella which features yoga, barre, zumba, cardio and strength classes in Granger, Indiana. “Physically, it has definitely given me more muscle tone, f lexibility, s trengthening of the core and improved my posture,” she said. “Mentally, my mother says I’m more mellow than I ever was.” As she has experienced the benefits of yoga and other forms of fitness firsthand, Troy said she wanted to extend the experience

Myanmar Continued from page 1

620,000 Rohing ya have left Myanmar for refugee camps in Bangladesh, according to a pamphlet distributed at the panel. Of these refugees, 60 percent are children under the age of 17, the pamphlet said. “[Myanmar is] an extremely diverse countr y, which has 135 different ethnicities,” graduate student Dorott ya Pedr yc said. The majorit y of the Rohing ya, of which there are around 1 million people, live in the Rak hine state on the western edge of the countr y, assistant professor of global

Dinner Continued from page 1

studies professor Susan Ba xter and and produced by director of special events, Richard Ba xter. The stor y revolves around the master of the house, his w ife and the fool, Feste. Histor y professor Bill Svelmoe said he is play ing the role of Feste. “In this particular play, it’s the second one we’ve done in a series that follows this family,” Svelmoe said. “The master starts out ver y grumpy. He’s not in the Christmas spirit. So he welcomes ever yone, but he’s grumpy about it and all the bills

to others and offers discounts for students who wish to take classes at her studio. “The sooner students learn that, I think it’s a major asset,” Troy said. “I want to give students that experience because I didn’t have when I was in their place.” Senior Gabrielle Kooi is currently enrolled in Troy’s class at Saint Mar y’s and said it is her first time tr ying yoga this semester. “I enrolled because I needed a class to relieve my stress and give me a break from thinking about school,” she said. “The class has definitely lived up to my expectations.” Kooi said the class gives her time to rela x outside of her schoolwork. “I wanted to do yoga club, but I just do not have time,” she said. “Taking the class, it gets me out of bed and I’m more awake and energized. I am even growing stronger physically.” Troy said science has

proven the benefits of mindfulness, positive thinking and breathing, especially for surgeons and medical patients. Many surgeons take a few moments before surger y to center themselves, Troy said. “If you think more positive thoughts you are more likely to have a positive outcome,” she said. “It’s that mind and body connection. It’s essential for patients too.” Troy said this same positive mindset can work for students too. “Especially before final exams, taking that time to ref lect and say positive things to yourself can have a major impact on your performance,” she said. “It just takes a few minutes to just mentally sit there in silence. It’s what we call ‘setting an intention’ in yoga.” Marshall said the mind, body and spirit connection is the most important benefit of yoga for her. “I’m not as stressed as

I used to be,” she said. “It sounds so crazy, but I know how to handle situations better because of yoga.” Marshall recently went through training to become a certified yoga instructor this past summer in San Diego, California. Training involved a month and a half, or 200 hours, of practicing yoga. “It was quite the investment, but it was the best experience” she said. “I did it because I am interested in being in the wellness and nutrition field and yoga is another part of the wellness field.” Since intensif ying her yoga practice, Marshall said she has noticed elongation in her body, increased physical strength and muscle tone, more energ y and improved sleep. She now instructs yoga for the Saint Mar y’s yoga club and once a week at Beyond Zen Studio in Granger, Indiana.

Marshall said she encourages ever yone to tr y yoga whether they think they are capable of doing it or not. “Ever yone thinks you have to be f lexible to do yoga,” Marshall said. “I’m a yoga instructor and I’m still not as f lexible as anyone expects me to be. Anyone can do it and it’s beneficial to ever yone.” Troy said when she attended her ver y first class, she was not interested in it. However, she said she knew if she continued, the benefits could be worthwhile. “I was never really interested in it before but I wanted to be,” she said. “I kept hearing about the benefits of it. I thought this is something that could change my life, and I was right.” Troy will instruct a yoga and zumba class open to all students before Midnight Breakfast before finals week.

affairs Susan Ostermann said. The Rohing ya liv ing in Myanmar are not classified as citizens by the Myanmar government, but as illegal immigrants. A lthough they are recognized as illegal immigrants, “the fact is they actually arrived to the countr y 2000 or 3000 years ago, according to scholars,” Pedr yc said. The most recent crisis has been ongoing since August, “when an insurgent group associated w ith the Rohing ya carried out some limited attacks against state securit y forces,” associate professor of political science, Ernesto Verdeja said.

“The response has been an over whelming use of v iolence,” he said of the actions taken by the Myanmar government and militar y. Pedr yc said around 240 Rohing ya v illages have been destroyed in recent months as a result of this v iolence. “In September of this year, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra’ad A l Hussein, referred to what’s going on in this area as a textbook definition of ethnic cleansing,” Verdeja said. W hile Bangladesh has “actually done quite a lot” for refugees, Ostermann said, the countr y still faces certain issues.

“Bangladesh is still incredibly poor, despite the fact that development has lifted income dramatically over the last 10 to 15 years,” she said. Bangladesh is a small countr y w ith a large population, and the addition of refugees is putting an intense strain on the nation, Ostermann said. W hile much of the panel focused on the histor y that has led to this point, as well the status of the current situation, the panelists also discussed how students can get involved and make their voices heard w ith regards to this crisis and other humanitarian issues.

The first suggestion was that students become more informed on the issues they care about. In addition, panelist and assistant professor of political science Jaimie Bleck gave suggestions for ways in which students could become more actively involved in a solution. “There is a range of things that you can do: contacting government representatives, raising awareness amongst your peers, amongst your family, continuing to educate yourself … and, finally, raising money,” she said.

rolling in for this big meal. … The master … eventually gets into the Christmas spirit. It’s just this fun skit that weaves its way in and out during the meal.” Though Svelmoe is a part of the play, he said his favorite part of the dinners is the performance by the Saint Mar y’s Women’s Choir. “It’s just fun to play the fool,” he said. “That’s a lot of fun, but I think just hearing the choir ever y year is my favorite part, especially at the ver y end when they sing ‘Silent Night.’ A ll the people at the feast join in. It’s just really, really lovely.” The dinners are the perfect way to kick off the

holiday season, Svelmoe said. “It’s a fun way to start the Christmas season,” Svelmoe said. “I know it’s at a ver y busy time of year for students and people here at the college. … It’s just a terrific way to kick off Christmas.” Extending beyond Saint Mar y’s into the South Bend communit y, theevent gets people into the Christmas spirit, Menk said. “I see people in the audience there that I’ve seen ever y year for years,” she said. “They come and they start to bring their kids and their grandkids. It’s just something they do ever y holiday, and it’s become a tradition.”

Menk said the traditional aspect of the dinner is one of her favorite things about the event. It brings back childhood memories of her father singing a carol from a madrigal dinner. “I love the procession of the boar’s head,” Menk said. “It represents the bringing in of the main course. It’s led by a procession of the boar’s head on a platter, and it processes all around the room. It’s ver y majestic, and we sing a beautiful carol about that called ‘The Boar’s Head Carol.’ “ … I love the looks on the people’s faces when that pig’s head comes around, especially the

little kids. It’s just surprising to see that on the platter. It’s such a traditional part, and that’s probably my favorite part when that boar’s head comes out.” Menk said the dinner’s tradition is what keeps people coming back. “It doesn’t change much from year to year,” she said. “It’s a ver y traditional thing. People keep coming back because they just love it.” The final day to purchase tickets is Wednesday. Call the Saint Mar y’s College box office to check for availabilit y.

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Inside Column

Holiday music: a special genre Adam Ramos Scene Editor

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday for many reasons, last of which is that it officially marks the first day that most rationallyminded folks will allow holiday music to be played. It’s just that for most, the month or so in-between Thanksgiving and Christmas is just about all that can be handled before wanting to explode every time the name “Bing Crosby” is uttered. In truth, I think holiday music is special. Holiday music is the only true genre that almost uniformly evokes feelings of hope, charity and love in those who celebrate. Even the cynical music critic in me can’t help fondly recalling memories of childhood and family when those sing-along holiday tunes come rolling around every year. Yet, there certainly is something to be said about how annoying the music gets by New Year’s. W hile holiday music comes in many shapes and sizes, there is an unfortunately limited collection of songs that get played each year ad infinitum. These mostly-schmaltzy songs have such a chokehold on the holiday music game that it’s become almost impossible for a new and original holiday song to make an impact — and to that I say bah humbug! W hile I may not be able to alter the gargantuan holiday music institution, I do know a thing or two about what makes a song a hit. Because of this mostly-unfounded gift, I have decided to provide some unsolicited advice to musical artists every where for creating the next big time holiday smash song.

Incorporate bells Now, I wouldn’t say bells are required for a smash holiday hit, but they certainly help to establish a bit of legitimacy — just take the Waitresses’ 1981 original “Christmas Wrapping.” The track’s iconic jingle bell opening prov ides the perfect context to dev iate from. W hether bells are simply used to create an ambiance or they persist throughout the track in conjunction w ith the percussion (see “Father Christmas”), bells are generally a safe bet — just don’t overdo it.

Take the spiritual route Evoking the solemnity of holiday classics like “O Holy Night” or “O Come All Ye Faithful” can be an effective route for particular artists. Artists that are openly spiritual and are gifted at conveying the grandeur of such sentiments may likely find success in channeling those feelings into a holiday tune. Take indie rock’s somber guru, Sufjan Stevens, whose 2008 holiday record “Songs for Christmas” is a continually the backbone to all of my more tranquil holiday mixes.

Comedy can be your friend If somberness is out of the question, adding a healthy dose of lighthearted fun can really work wonders on a holiday track. The fun, jovial nature of the holidays is an easy and potentially effective pastiche for artists to adopt in writing a holiday smash. Songs like the Beach Boy’s “Little Saint Nick” or Lonely Island’s “D--- in a Box” often ser ve as welcomed respites in the inevitably drab holiday music marathon.

Embrace Christmas Patrick McKelvey In Moderation

Remember the joy you used to feel at Christmastime? Remember the weeks and weeks of buildup, the list-making and tree-decorating and present-w rapping? Remember going to the mall to see Santa, remember always playing a shepherd or angel in the school pageant? Remember counting dow n the days until Dec. 25, sitting fireside w ith family and friends watching any of the hundreds of holiday specials that run around the clock? This is what Christmas used to be. It used to be fun. It used to be ever yone’s favorite time of year. It used to be a break, a respite from 11 months of monotony, a reminder that there’s still a little magic left in the world. This is what Christmas used to be — it isn’t always anymore. Some of us find the whole thing annoying. Some of us don’t like the music or the sweaters or the snow. Most of us are just too busy. It’s understandable; finals are just around the corner. A ll that extra work — the shopping, the baking, the decorating — can be daunting. Couple the holiday’s time commitment w ith the added financial pressures, and no wonder many v iew Christmas as more of a burden than a celebration. But I think it’s worth it. It might not be the same as in our youths, but Christmas still means something to the world. Ever y year, for about 25 days or so, we do ever y thing in our power to bring a little more happiness into our daily lives. Our most drab spaces are exalted w ith red and green, the dullest street corners become shimmering spectacles of light. Holiday music plays non-stop on radio stations, and you’re never more than a few channels away from “It’s a Wonderful Life.” We connect w ith old family and friends, rekindling meaningful connections that ever yday life had caused to fall by the wayside. Santa Claus returns to the popular consciousness, a figure that teaches children the importance of faith, responsibilit y and good behav ior — and teaches adults that we don’t have to be the disinterested, selfish creatures we all too often

let ourselves be. And there is, of course, a more solemn meaning to the holiday. Sometimes it gets lost in the commercials and the tw ink ling lights, in the Santa Clauses and gift-giv ing. But that doesn’t make it any less there. At the heart of this overly-commercialized season is a stor y — one of the greatest stories ever told. It’s a stor y of love and compassion, of humble beginnings, of a king who came to save the world. It’s our pause in an admittedly hectic December. It’s our chance to remind ourselves the of grandeur and importance of what we are commemorating in the first place. We need Christmas. We can be disillusioned w ith state of the world from Januar y through November; we can be glib about our lives any other time. But not at Christmas. It’s when we break that aw ful habit; it’s when we see the world not as a failure but a place we can improve. It’s our chance to help those less fortunate than us, to give something meaningful to the people we care most about. Charles Dickens said it best: it’s “the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.” That joy you used to feel at Christmastime — I promise you it’s still there. Embrace the season, and you’ll find it. Embrace the music and the mov ies and the gift-giv ing and the excess and, yes, the absurdit y. I do my best to embrace it — in fact, I probably overdo Christmas, ever y single year. But when I consider ever y thing the holiday gives to us, I actually don’t think I could ever begin to do enough. We should all overdo Christmas. It deser ves ever y thing we can give it. Patrick McKelvey splits his time between being a college sophomore and a grumpy old man. A New Jersey native and American studies major, he is interested in a legal career after graduating Notre Dame. If you can’t find him at the movies, he can be reached for comment at pmckelve@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Stick to your style Maybe this one should have gone first, as it’s probably the most important. W hile any Kris Kringle can lay down some bells in the studio, at the end of the eve, it takes an artist to make a hit. Some of the most popular and famous holiday originals are more a product of artistr y then they are timing or gimmicks. To the prove the point, I present Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” and John Lennon’s “Happy X-Mas (War is Over).” These two tracks, both original holiday smash hits, ref lect the strengths of their creators so closely that they virtually ser ve as a case study in the trajectories of both artists’ post-Beatles career. So stick to what you know is what I am saying. This Christmas, instead of a brand new beautiful iPhone X, maybe we can all ask for something wholesome, like a new crop of holiday hits. After all, do you really want to have to sing “All I Want for Christmas is You” 27 times before the new year? Contact Adam Ramos at aramos6@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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The observer | wednesday, november 29, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Notre Dame ... You do not stand in solidarit y w ith those affected by natural disasters. On Sept. 20, Puerto Rico was hit w ith one of the most devastating hurricanes in the island’s histor y, Hurricane Maria. The scene that followed was horrific. Houses ceased to ex ist, families lost ever y thing, and chaos ensued in the streets after 100 percent of the island’s electrical grid was dow n. The once green and tropical island was now seen as a speck of mud and destruction from space. The Universit y of Notre Dame has more than 34 graduate and undergraduate Puerto Rican students study ing on campus at the moment. Notre Dame’s efforts in aiding the students affected by this disaster have been pathetic and the lack of action disgusts me. Puerto Rican students found themselves not being able to contact their families more than 10 days into the disaster. Not once were we contacted by Universit y officials to assess our situation. The psychological toll a situation like this presented required

direct attention from the Universit y. Like many of my Puerto Rican classmates, I faced the struggle of not know ing whether my family was safe alone. I spent t wo weeks not know ing any thing about my family, and, when I did, the news was depressing. Part of my home had been destroyed. The roof of my house had collapsed. My family had to sleep in the dark. My family struggled to find a continuous supply of clean water and food. After three weeks had passed, I received an email from the Office of Financial Aid informing me that my package had been modified. I was shocked to see that my past scholarship amount had been modified w ith the inclusion of a “Puerto Rico Scholarship.” I was happy to see this at first, but, after comparing the past scholarship statement w ith this one, I noticed that this scholarship amount was deducted from my past “Universit y Scholarship.” My financial aid had not changed. The title of the scholarships

had changed. This deceptive act enraged me. The only on-campus people that have majorly contributed to this natural disaster are the Puerto Ricans themselves. It was us who set up donation boxes. It was us who went back to our island during Fall Break just to see how our family members were doing. It was us who had to deal w ith our emotions about our homes being destroyed. It was us that spent countless nights w ithout sleep hav ing to worr y about what would happen in our island tomorrow. W here was the Universit y when we needed it the most? W here was that sense of communit y when we spent our nights alone, worr y ing about what our families had to endure? W here was the love and compassion we needed? The ignorance and lack of action on this matter disturbs me. Federico G. Hita freshman Nov. 12

How to have the best Christmas, according to science Sarah Cate Baker Science is Golden

1. Put your decorations up as early as possible. Psychologists at the McKeow n Clinic believe that people who put up Christmas decorations early are happier, and since some news outlets called them experts (fake news?), it’s believable. A lternatively, you could just never take dow n you Christmas decorations, and then you could be lazy and happy. 2. Don’t listen to Christmas music early. A psychologist at the University of London says too much Christmas music can make people crazy. This one is more believable because the psychologist in question (Dr. Victoria Williamson) specializes in the effects of music on people. And another psychologist (Dr. Linda Blair) agreed w ith her, along w ith anyone who has ever worked in retail, so it’s most likely legit. 3. Don’t put up Christmas decorations outside your house. A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psycholog y says people who put up outdoor Christmas decorations are friendlier, and nobody wants to be the friendly neighbor. A lternatively, if you live in the rager house and

your neighbors hate you, this might help smooth things over. 4. Eat all the Christmas cookies. You might think sugar is bad for you (it is), but eating it increases our brains’ serotonin levels and serotonin is an anti-depressant. This is especially relevant during finals week. 5. Don’t eat mistletoe. I think this one is a nobrainer, but just in case — mistletoe contains phoratox in, which can cause gastrointestinal upset in small doses and severe heart complications in large ones. However, new research is showing that the tox ic effects may be present in the European species and not the American one, so if you really want to munch those berries just make sure you’re sourcing from the right continent. 6. Don’t get involved in the whole Merr y Christmas/Happy Holidays debate. Seriously, this one is not worth it — can’t we all just have a nice December? And the debate is political: a poll by the Public Religion Research Institute last year found 67 percent of Republicans don’t think it’s necessar y to say Happy Holidays, while only 30 percent of Democrats feel the same. And if you need a psychologist to tell you that getting political is a sure-fire way to ruin the Christmas spirit — you should probably see a psychologist.

7. If you’re poor, do not put one of those Christmas-smelling sticks or air-fresheners in your dorm room. A study in the Journal of Business Research said retail stores that matched Christmas scents with Christmas music had higher sales than scent-less ones. If you’re not poor, go right ahead. (Personal advice: Do not put one on top of your heater or air vent, or you will soon be throwing up to the smell of Woodland Pine). 8. Skip finals. I’m serious about this one. Finals cause stress. Stress causes headaches, high blood pressure, chest pain, digestive problems, trouble sleeping, depression, weight gain, panic attacks, disease susceptibility, etc. … Wouldn’t you rather just go home, decorate your house and eat cookies? You can deal with the fallout in the New Year — that’s what the champagne is for. Sarah Cate is a senior at Notre Dame studying biology and English. As such, she enjoys writing essays about Salinger and studying viruses in her research lab. Her favorite books are very much like her science experiments — long, complicated and ultimately inconclusive. She can be reached at sbaker6@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

DAILY

The observer | wednesday, november 29, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Use your imagination to come up with new ways to exhibit your talents and attributes this year. Physical improvements should be your goal, along with better relationships with those you live with or deal with daily. A career change or upgrading your qualifications will bring about positive changes and new friendships with like-minded individuals. Use discipline to curb emotional setbacks. Your numbers are 6, 17, 23, 27, 32, 41, 46. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotions will rise to the surface. Before you say something, make sure you have your facts straight or it may affect your relationship with someone important. Preparation and detail will make a difference. 3 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be brave and tuck your emotions away someplace safe. Refuse to let anyone goad you into revealing information that is better kept a secret. Observation, assessing situations and looking for unique solutions will turn a negative into a positive. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can make a difference if you join forces with others who feel the same way you do about what’s going on in your community. Don’t sell yourself short. Take a leadership position and offer intelligent solutions to existing problems. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Your emotions will kick in and cause havoc if you bring about too many changes. Don’t let the actions of others unnerve you or cost you time and money. Stay focused on what’s important and finish what you start. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Business trips, educational pursuits and meetings are favored. Your knowledge and responsible attitude will grab the attention of someone who can make a difference in your life. Explore your interests and you’ll find a way to make money doing something you love. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look over your financial situation and make adjustments that will encourage you to save more and spend less. Don’t let anyone put demands on you that will restrict your ability to get ahead. Stay focused on taking care of your responsibilities. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t mix emotions with business. You have to stay alert and ready to take on new challenges. Being responsible will help you overcome any obstacle that comes your way. Trust your intelligence to outmaneuver any competition you face. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Personal improvements, self-awareness and exploring your options are highlighted. Don’t hold back -- when you see something you want, take the initiative to pursue your goal. Love and romance are on the rise and will enrich your life. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t give in to emotional mind games or anyone trying to make your life difficult. Bring about positive changes and surround yourself with people who offer support and hands-on help. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take pride in the way you look and how you present who you are and what you do to others. The more marketable you are, the easier it will be to gain support. Romance is in the stars. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Do what you can to help others, but don’t let anyone trick you into taking on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. Bring about changes by voicing your opinion and collaborating with people who are as interested in improvement as you are. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t let what others do or say lead to a spat. Listen and reflect, but don’t give in to someone trying to coerce you into a debate. Stay focused on personal gains and self-improvement. Take health issues into your own hands. Birthday Baby: You are unique, mysterious and innovative. You are energetic and disciplined.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

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Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports Authority

nBA | cavaliers 108, heat 97

Protest blocks Schiano hire Michael Ivey Sports Writer

It’s that wonderful time of year. That time of year when the weather gets colder and we start seeing Christmas lights decorating neighborhood houses. Of course, I am talking about the college football coaching carousel season. Yes, that wonderful three to four week period beginning in late November through the early part of December where college football fans go on their favorite team’s online message boards and read about how “My friend knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who works at the local moving company who told him there are packages with (insert coach’s name here) belongings in them that are arriving in (insert college town name here).” That truly special time of year where fans flock to flight-tracking websites to look at any and every flight coming into town, speculating whether a possible coaching candidate is on board. This season’s coaching carousel is bigger than the ones in previous years. We have already seen some pretty big dominoes fall, like UCLA hiring Chip Kelly and Florida hiring former Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen. Central Florida head coach Scott Frost is being linked to the vacant Nebraska job. There are rumors that Texas A&M will offer big money to try and lure Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher to College Station, Texas. There are many big-time jobs still open, at schools such as Tennessee, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Arizona State. Tennessee appeared to have closed its search on Sunday, when it was reported that current Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano was close to being hired to become the Vols’ new head coach. Many Tennessee fans didn’t like the hire based upon Schiano’s less-than-stellar 68-67 overall record as Rutgers’ head coach and his 11-21 record as head coach of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many fans don’t like the reputation Schiano has as an old-time, hard-nosed coach who many former players still have negative feelings toward. But the majority of fans hated the move due to Schiano’s connection with the Joe Paterno–Jerry Sandusky era at Penn State. Schiano was a defensive assistant coach

at Penn State from 1990–95, and in 2016 former Penn State player and assistant coach Mike McQueary testified that Schiano knew about the sexual abuse by Sandusky during his time with the program. Schiano has denied ever having knowledge of the abuse. Once news broke that Schiano was close to reaching a deal with the Tennessee administration to become the new head coach, protests broke out on social media and around the University’s campus. The hashtag #SchiaNO was trending on Twitter. Many Tennessee boosters and local politicians even joined in on the protest, saying they will no longer give their money and support to the football program if Schiano is hired. Many fans tweeted at Tennessee athletic director John Currie expressing disgust with the hire. A Knoxville, Tennessee, coffee shop tweeted: “Greg Schiano is not allowed in our establishment.” A famous landmark on the Tennessee campus is a large rock that students can paint messages on. A Sunday tweet shows a group of students wrote: “Schiano covered up child rape at Penn State” on the rock in large lettering. In the end the protests worked, and Tennessee backed out of its deal with Schiano late Sunday night. The whole episode was surreal, an instance in which fan backlash actually caused a school to not hire a coach. Whatever your feelings are on the protests and the true reasoning behind them, whether they were mainly based on concerns over Schiano’s Penn State ties or his coaching ability, there is no denying that the event served as yet another shocking reminder of the true power social media has in today’s society. Social media has given people a public voice they have never had before. We’ve seen people react negatively towards things like commercials that can be considered offensive, and those ads are subsequently pulled. People have lost their jobs over questionable tweets or posts — just ask Curt Schilling. After Sunday’s events, we can now say a social media campaign convinced a major college athletic program not to hire a head football coach. It will be interesting to see if this type of event will happen again in the near future. Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

James ejected in Cavaliers’ ninth consecutive win Associated Press

CLEVELAND — Kevin Love scored 32 of his 38 points in the first half, LeBron James was ejected for the first time in his career and the Cleveland Cavaliers extended their longest winning streak since 2015 to nine games by downing the Miami Heat 108-97 on Tuesday night. Love had his way with every defender Miami put on him, finishing 10 of 16 from the field and 14 of 17 on free throws. He scored 22 in the first quarter and the Cavs opened a 27-point lead before halftime. James added 21 points before he was slapped with two technical fouls by referee Ken Fitzgerald and tossed with 1:59 left in the third quarter and the Cavs leading by 23. It was the first time James was thrown out in 1,082 career games. Dwyane Wade added 17 points for Cleveland, which has shaken off a slow start and is again playing like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Dion Waiters scored 21 and Bam Adebayo had 19 for the Heat, who had won three in a row. Goran Dragic finished with just seven points — 12 below his team-leading scoring average. The Heat closed to 93-76 early in the fourth, but Wade

scored Cleveland’s first six points in the quarter and fed Kyle Korver for a 3-pointer to give Cleveland a 102-79 lead. At the end of the first quarter, Miami had 24 points to Love’s 22 and there didn’t seem to be anything Heat coach Erik Spoelstra could do to stop Cleveland’s All-Star center. Love was able to pull Heat shot-swatter Hassan Whiteside away from the basket, and he was too physical for Kelly Olynyk, who went to the bench with early foul trouble. Love also overpowered Josh Richardson and tied the record for the most points allowed by the Heat in one half. Tracy McGrady and Lafayette Lever also dropped 32 on Miami. It was also the most points any player scored on Miami — in a game — all season, topping the 31 by San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge on Oct. 25. Love, who set an NBA record for points in a first quarter with 34 last season against Portland, made three 3-pointers in the opening 12 minutes as the Cavs built an 18-point lead. Love also forced one-time playoff nemesis Olynyk to commit three fouls in four minutes. It was Olynyk who dislocated Love’s shoulder during the 2015 postseason, an injury that knocked him out for the remainder of

Cleveland’s run to the Finals.

Tip-ins Heat: Spoelstra didn’t get too nostalgic when was asked about his time coaching Wade and James in Miami. “When you see these guys in different uniforms it’s always like, ‘Really, that looks strange,’” he said. “When I see them, it’s always nice to have that split-second going back memory lane. But my focus is what these guys in here right now.” Spoelstra isn’t surprised that Wade has embraced his role coming off the bench for Cleveland. “Any role that has to do with winning suits him,” Spoelstra said. “That’s what he’s been about his whole career.” Cavaliers: Coach Tyronn Lue said the next step for G Isaiah Thomas in his comeback from a serious hip injury is to play 2-on-2 and 3-on-3. That hasn’t happened yet, and Lue does not know if Thomas will make his debut earlier than the team’s original projection of the end of December. G Iman Shumpert was not available after playing seven minutes in Monday’s win at Philadelphia. Shumpert has been sidelined with a swollen left knee. J.R. Smith wrote “RIP Petey” on his sneakers to honor a cousin who died last weekend in a fire.

NCAA basketball | xavier 76, baylor 63

No. 16 Baylor drops contest with No. 21 Xavier Associated Press

CINCINNATI — J.P. Macura scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half as Xavier surged ahead to stay, and the 21stranked Musketeers sent No. 16 Baylor to its first loss of the season, 76-63 on Tuesday night. The Musketeers (6-1) recovered from their first loss — against Arizona State — by controlling the boards and putting together decisive runs in each half. They never trailed after an opening 21-8 spurt. Kaiser Gates also had 19 points for Xavier, including a 3-pointer that blunted the Bears’ final comeback attempt. Baylor (5-1) was riding momentum from the championship of Hall of Fame Classic, which featured wins over Wisconsin and Creighton. The

Bears beat Wisconsin despite going the final 8 minutes without a field goal, and then rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half to beat Creighton. The Bears fell behind by 14 in the second half, but couldn’t recover this time. Terry Maston led with 15, all in the first half. Xavier has won 34 straight nonconference home games, with the last loss 56-55 to Wofford on Dec. 22, 2012. The Musketeers are 232-35 all-time at the Cintas Center.

Big picture Baylor: Despite their loss on Tuesday, the Bears have played well overall against ranked teams in the last two years. They went 6-3 against ranked opponents last season, including a school-record four wins over Top 10 teams. One of them

was a 76-61 victory over No. 7 Xavier last Dec. 3. Xavier: The Musketeers’ defense was their main concern coming off a 102-86 loss to Arizona State on Friday. They were good at the outset, holding the Bears to 1-of-8 shooting that helped them get the lead and made plays down the stretch to hold on. They also dominated in rebounds 38-28.

Bluiett hurting Trevon Bluiett, who is Xavier’s top scorer at 21.3 points per game, moved stiffly on the court and had a treatment pack on his back when he was on the bench. He was 0 for 4 from beyond the arc and finished with 10 points. Coach Chris Mack said he’s had a stiff back since the return flight from Las Vegas.

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Sports

The observer | wednesday, november 29, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

ZACH YIM | The Observer

EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer

Senior forward Bonzie Colson attempts a layup during Notre Dame’s 105-66 victory over Chicago State on Nov. 16 at Purcell Pavilion.

Irish sophomore guard Jackie Young advances the ball up the court during Notre Dame’s 121-65 victory over Mount St. Mary’s on Nov. 11 at Purcell Pavilion. Young leads the team in free-throw attempts.

Mazurek

W Bball

Continued from page 12

Elite Eight is the expectation by many in the national media, especially after winning the Maui Invitational. Gone are the past few years where back-to-back tournament runs were a pleasant surprise. The Irish are at a point where they should win. And with the best recruiting class ever for Brey coming in next year, they should be set up well to win in the future, too. In other words, the Irish were playing with house money for the past few years. But when you starting playing with your own money and the expectations and the noise mounts, it’s easy to lose sight of what made you successful in the first place. That’s why the success of Notre Dame’s season depends on Brey and his team keeping the culture the same as it’s always been. And if you know Mike Brey at all, that shouldn’t be a problem. Brey isn’t worried about what the outside world thinks. Brey has earned the moniker “the loosest coach in America” for his easy going, honest and affable nature. He isn’t going to turn into a hard-nosed authoritarian along the lines of Jim Boeheim, Mike Krzyzewski or Rick Pitino. That’s not his style. After Notre Dame stamped its name as champions of one of the country’s most prestigious non-conference tournaments, Brey was parading around the Irish locker room shirtless and wearing a lei. Brey hasn’t changed, and, hopefully, his team hasn’t either. This is undoubtedly the most talented and most promising men’s team in decades, and with that comes those expectations. But it isn’t a talented team in the same way Kansas or North Carolina is. Notre Dame hasn’t had a one-and-done player in years, and it won’t for the foreseeable future. In fact, the Irish are an old team. Like, really old. There’s only one freshman — D.J. Harvey — on the entire roster. Instead, Brey has reached the No. 5 ranking by doing what

he always does: coaching good defense and letting his players play freely on offense. I guess that’s easy to do when you have preseason AP All-American Bonzie Colson and pick-androll aficionado Matt Farrell on your team. The college basketball season is a long one. There will be many more wins and a couple of losses along the way. The Irish don’t have to win them all, no matter what national polling services say. Notre Dame has to do what it’s always done: Learn from its losses, roll with the punches of a difficult ACC schedule and hit its peak come March. Notre Dame has checked those boxes in each of the last three seasons, and there’s every reason to believe it can again. But this year, Notre Dame’s peak is higher than it’s been in a long time. If you’re looking for a fun ride, the Notre Dame basketball bandwagon has plenty of room. Just be aware the ride may not end until April. Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Continued from page 12

lineup has been a four-guard lineup for every game this year, the Wolverines play much bigger, with junior center Hallie Thome and forwards freshman Hailey Brown and senior Jillian Dunston also starting for Michigan alongside Flaherty. That forward-heavy lineup has contributed to the team’s strong defensive record this year as well as its average rebounding margin per game of plus-7.2, but has also led to a lack of assists, as Flaherty leads the team with four per game while the team has recorded 60 total assists to 96 turnovers. The game is the sixth consecutive game away from home for the Irish as part of a seven-game road trip, with the team also travelling to Western Kentucky and Oregon State before three games at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida. McGraw’s team went on a similar road trip last season, playing six consecutive games away from home, and lost the penultimate game of that stretch to North Carolina State, 70-62, in their only conference loss of the season. McGraw said the stretch has been tough so far,

but three tournament games in one site ensured that it was not as hard to adjust to as a streak of seven different games on seven opposition courts. “Last year we did it too … but the thing is you don’t know what the ACC schedule and the ACC/Big Ten Challenge is going to be until the rest of the schedule is already made,” McGraw said. “We hoped maybe this game would be at home, but it’s another road one instead. “When you play in a tournament like this, three games in one neutral site, that’s not like three real road games. It’s been a crazy schedule, but hopefully we’ll get through the last two games.” The Irish success at the Gulf Coast Showcase came thanks to the work of junior guard Arike Ogunbowale and sophomore guard Jackie Young. Ogunbowale leads the Irish in scoring this season with 18.8 points per game, while Young won Gulf Coast Showcase MVP honors and ACC player of the week, averaging 17.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season while shooting 50 percent from the field. The 92 point total against the Gamecocks highlighted the offensive success the Irish have had this season, scoring an average of 86 points per

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game so far. McGraw highlighted Young, who leads the team with 31 free throws made on 35 attempts, as a major reason for the Irish success so far this year. “I thought this summer that she really improved driving the ball,” McGraw said. “She’s just so strong, I’m pretty sure she must lead the team in threepoint plays, she finishes so well and that’s what she did just about every game down in Florida. She’s shooting really well from the free-throw line, shooting really well from the floor, her offensive rebounding’s been great, getting putbacks, she’s been really impressive and she’s playing great defense too. “I talked to her at the end of last year and said, ‘You can do more, you don’t need to defer to the rest of the team,’ and then reminded her again after the Western Kentucky game. She’s so unselfish that it’s hard for her, and she’s still throwing great passes, but know she knows she can play that big scoring role.” The Irish and the Wolverines will meet tonight at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

Sports

Clark Continued from page 12

During his 17 seasons in South Bend, the Irish earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament in all but one of them, highlighted by the national-title w inning 2013 campaign, when the Irish opened the season w ith a 13-game unbeaten streak — earning themselves the No. 1 spot in the national polls for the first time in program histor y — and finished 171-6, defeating Mar yland 2-1 in the College Cup championship. Due to the unprecedented success of the team, Clark earned the 2013 United Soccer Coaches Div ision 1 Coach of the Year honor. Before he eventually embarked upon his coaching career, Clark enjoyed a distinguished professional playing career in the Scottish League. From 1962– 82, he started in more than 800 games, 696 of which were w ith the Aberdeen Dons. Clark helped the Dons w in the 1970 Scottish Cup, the 1976 League Cup and the 1980 Premier League Championship, and additionally contributed to

ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, november 29, 2017 | The Observer

the Scottish squad that advanced to the finals of the 1978 World Cup. Shortly after the end of his playing career, Clark began his 31-year collegiate coaching career in the United States — a resume that includes .676 winning percentage and a 369-150-80 record. Starting his career at Dartmouth in 1985, he registered an 82-42-13 record over his nine seasons there. Clark then went on to coach at Stanford for five seasons (1996 –2000), compiling a 71-21-12 record and turning around a program that had not produced a winning record in four years. Arriv ing to Notre Dame in Januar y of 2001, Clark again faced a rebuilding task, as the Irish had suffered consecutive losing campaigns in the two seasons prior. The program has not had a losing season since. Notre Dame registered a 216-9355 mark under the coaching and mentorship of Clark, and each of his last six squads earned a top-16 NCAA seed. Clark also led Notre Dame to two Big East Tournament titles in 2003 and 2012, three Big East regular-season crow ns in 2004, 2007

and 2008, a share of the 2013 ACC regular-season championship in the program’s first season in the league and the outright 2014 ACC Coastal Div ision championship title. In addition, his Irish were the No. 1 overall seeds in the 2012 and 2014 NCAA brackets. During Clark’s Notre Dame tenure, 15 Irish players were honorees on United Soccer Coaches A ll-America squads. Ten conference players of the year, including 2016 ACC Offensive Player of the Year Jon Gallagher, suited up for Notre Dame under Clark, along w ith 30 all-conference first-team selections, 11 CoSIDA Academic A llAmerica recipients and 27 MLS SuperDraft choices (20 since 2008). Among his most recognized players are 2006 MAC Hermann Trophy recipient Joseph Lapira and current U.S. National Team member Matt Besler. For his dedication and commitment to the Irish men’s soccer program, the Notre Dame Monogram Club awarded Clark an honorar y monogram in June 2011. He retires as Notre Dame’s all-time w ins leader.

KATELYN VALLEY | The Observer

Irish sophomore outside hitter Jemma Yeadon rises to spike the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-0 victory over North Carolina on Nov. 17.

Volleyball Continued from page 12

a step in the right direction. You have to pass the test to get into the tournament, and now it’s a new test and we have to pass that. So, we feel good about it, and we are going to keep work ing.” Friday’s matchup w ith be the first time the Irish and the Hilltoppers (30-3, 13-1 C-USA) have faced off in program histor y. However, for McLaughlin, that is not a concern. Despite facing a challenging and unfamiliar opponent on an even larger stage than usua l, he said the team w ill continue to rely on the preparation process which has brought it continued success throughout the year. “The prep and the process remain the same,” McLaughlin said. “Most of it comes dow n to how we play on our side, and then there’ll be some tendencies, some percentages, maybe a little cost-benefit ana lysis on Western Kentuck y in terms of what they set and when they set it, and our girls are prett y good at that.” The Irish head into the tournament w ith a significant amount of momentum. The team finished up its regular season by w inning si x of its last seven matches, and its resume includes four v ictories over top-25 opponents. McLaughlin said his team looks to head into the first round w ith confidence in order to maintain the high level of play it has displayed as of late. “[We have to] do the things that we do — ta ke care of the ba ll, ser ve and pass, get good sw ings and ma ke the opponent earn points,” McLaughlin said. “In our last six out of seven, we were low errors, we were aggressive and we passed the ba ll

well and ser ved well. I think that’s the key for this team right now.” Of course, maintaining that level of play can be difficult on a stage as large as the NCAA championships. Fortunately for the Irish, McLaughlin is no stranger to the tournament. A lthough this w ill be his first trip w ith a Notre Dame team, McLaughlin has ta ken his squad to the tournament a tota l of 19 times, including this season, throughout his career. A long the way, he has won t wo nationa l championships and appeared in si x semifina ls. “Don’t let the conditions change you,” McLaughlin said on how to adjust to the elevated stage of the tournament. “More distractions, more on the line, just do what you do. The worst thing you can do is not be who you are. This team has developed some confidence, we’re play ing at a nice standard and we have to go out there and do it in the tournament. I like the way we’re training and I like the way they’re behav ing, so we’ve got a chance.” The team continues to focus on its centra l goa l: w inning a nationa l title. McLaughlin is confident in his players’ abilities and he has set the standards high accordingly. “[Our goa l is] to w in the nationa l championship,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve said it from day one. We’re at Notre Dame, and that’s as good as you can get, and we should be able to attain those great things. In time we w ill, and this is the first step, but we want to w in it a ll.” The Irish w ill ta ke on the Hilltoppers at Memoria l Coliseum in Lex ington, Kentuck y, on Friday at 5 p.m. Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu

The observer | wednesday, november 29, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd women’s basketball

MEn’s BASKETBALL

Notre Dame’s potential is higher than ever

By DANIEL O’BOYLE

Marek Mazurek

Sports Writer

Assistant Managing Editor

It started as a joke. But after a 16-point comeback w in over then-No. 6 Wichita State to w in the Maui Inv itational, it isn’t a joke any more. Notre Dame just might be a basketball school. Sitting at 6-0, the Irish are ranked No. 5 in the nation — the first time Notre Dame has made the top-10 poll in November since 2008. And if Notre Dame finds a way to knock off No. 3 Michigan State on Thursday, who knows how high head coach Mike Brey’s squad can climb in next week’s AP poll. But 2017 isn’t necessarily all fun and games for the Irish. For the first time in recent memor y, there are expectations surrounding the program. This year, a trip to the see MAZUREK PAGE 10

ZACH YIM | The Observer

Senior guard Matt Farrell drives to the basket during Notre Dame’s 105-66 victory over Chicago State on Nov. 16 at Purcell Pavilion.

Head coach Bobby Clark retires After 17 years as the head coach of the Notre Dame men’s soccer program, Bobby Clark announced his retirement late Tuesday afternoon. “This has been possibly the hardest decision I have had to make in my time at Notre Dame,” Clark said in a statement. “I have loved my time at this Universit y and, although I have kept postponing retirement, w ith my 73rd birthday coming up next year I felt it was time to be in a position to spend qualit y time w ith Bette, my w ife of almost 50 years, my children and importantly, my seven grandchildren. I have always looked at my team as extended family, so the players w ill be greatly missed. If I stretch my collegiate coaching career back to when I began at Dartmouth back in 1985 then I really do have a lot of extended family. “Giv ing up a dream job teaching the sport that I am

Wedged bet ween a v ictor y over defending national champions South Carolina in Florida and a trip to Storrs, Connecticut, to meet No. 1 Connecticut, No. 3 Notre Dame is on the road again, play ing No. 22 Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Irish (6-0) defeated the Gamecocks (6-1) 92-85 on Sunday, erasing a 28-18 first-quarter deficit early in the second quarter and holding onto the lead for the remainder of the game. The w in means the Irish w ill be third in the AP poll when they take on the Huskies (5-0), but before the Irish can play their arch-rivals, the Wolverines (4-1) await. McGraw said it could be easy to get carried away after the w in over South Carolina, but she is ensuring her team stays grounded and focuses on improv ing ever y day. “Expectations are always high for us, and this is a big

w in but it’s November and we have to temper it and look at the important things, which is that we’re getting better ever y game,” McGraw said. “So we’ve got to be focused and ready to play ever y game, ready to play Michigan.” Michigan was comprehensively beaten 74-49 when they faced another top ACC opponent in Louisv ille, but a strong defense has earned the Wolverines four w ins, as Michigan’s opponents have shot just .365 from the field so far this year. The Wolverines are led by senior guard Kately nn Flahert y, who currently sits second in the nation in points per game w ith 25.8, hav ing scored at least 20 points in ever y game this year so far, while making 17 out of 39 three-point attempts. W hile injuries to senior for ward Kathr y n Westbeld have meant the Irish starting see W BBALL PAGE 10

ND VOlleyball

men’s soccer

Observer Staff Report

ND set to take on Michigan

addicted to has not been easy. Never a week goes by w ithout one of my former players dropping me an email or making a call. The biggest part of being a teacher/coach is that you, and the sport you teach, help them grow up in a positive yet competitive env ironment. That has been ver y fulfilling, but doing it in the special env ironment that has been created around Notre Dame is ver y rewarding. I must thank the Notre Dame athletic department, which is superbly run, all my assistant coaches, trainers, administrators, fellow coaches in other sports, the support staff and ever yone who has helped make this a ver y special 17 years of my life.” The Scotland native produced 369 v ictories over his 31 years as a collegiate coach, and led the Irish to 216 w ins and a national championship in 2013 during his time at Notre Dame. see CLARK PAGE 11

Irish travel to Kentucky for first round contest By CONNOR MULVENA Sports Writer

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish junior libero Ryann DeJarld, left, dives for a dig during Notre Dame’s 3-0 victory over Clemson on Oct. 15 at Purcell Pavilion.

For the first time since 2012, the Irish have earned a trip to the NC A A tournament. The team begins its road to the championship Friday, as it heads to Lex ington, Kentuck y, to face off against Western Kentuck y. The tournament selection comes in the third year of Irish head coach Jim McLaughlin’s career at Notre Dame (22-9, 12-8 ACC), which started in 2015. Hav ing been selected after a bit of a dr y spell, the opportunit y to play in this year’s tournament is a culmination of a lot of hard work, and it presents a door to ma ke a big statement, McLaughlin said. “It va lidates a ll of the hard work. It’s gratification, a return for a lot of rea lly hard work,” he said. “But then, on the other side, we k now there is more out there. It’s see VOLLEYBALL PAGE 11