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Volume 52, Issue 70 | monday, january 29, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Student films address social issues Annual Student Film Festival explores individual stories, questions relevant to college and American life By MORGAN JOHNSON News Writer
Notre Dame student filmmakers were in the spotlight this weekend with the Film, Television and Theater (FTT) department’s 29th annual showcase of the Student Film Festival. The showings took place Friday through Sunday in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC). The festival was a representation of work from the fall semester from students enrolled in documentary, film fiction and production classes. The FTT department then selected certain movies to be featured in the festival. Student filmmaker senior Grace Weissend recognizes the importance of the festival as an outlet for students to express creativity in the form of media. However, the
students experienced multiple restraints during the process of shooting and editing the films. “There are certain limitations that come from making a student film and it’s impressive to see what students can do with these limitations in terms of budget, equipment, actors and time,” Weissend said. “It takes so much time to even make a short film.” The film festival also provided students with the opportunity to share their voices about controversial topics on campus and internationally. “It’s great to hear student perspectives on issues and hear student voices and stories,” Weissend said. “I think that’s something really empowering about the Student see FESTIVAL PAGE 4
ROSEI LoVOI | The Observer
Notre Dame associate professional specialist Ted Mandell awards senior Audrey Grewe with the Audience Choice Award on Sunday night at the 29th annual Student Film Festival.
Judicial Council sanctions campaign for misconduct Observer Staff Report
The Election Committee of the Judicial Council announced Friday in a press release that it is issuing sanctions in response to campaign misconduct by the McGavick-Gayheart ticket. According to the press release, the council
determined that juniors Gates McGavick and Corey Gayheart had solicited signatures for their campaign petition to become an official ticket in the race for student body president and vice president during prohibited times. “The ticket was found to have petitioned in
classrooms directly after class periods which is a violation of election regulations,” the press release said. Section 17.1(d) of the Student Union Constitution — the section the ticket violated, according to the press release — states that “no see ELECTION PAGE 4
Observer elects top editor
news PAGE 3
2018-2019 Editor-in-Chief
The Obser ver General Board elected current News Editor Courtney Becker as Editor-in-Chief for the 2018-2019 term Saturday. Becker, a junior liv ing in Pasquerilla West Hall, is currently pursuing a major in film, telev ision and theatre (FTT) w ith a minor in journalism, ethics and democracy (JED).
“Courtney has been one of the most talented re-
Courtney Becker
Observer Staff Report
porters at The Obser ver over the last three years, and she has show n herself
Scene PAGE 5
to be an excellent leader as News Editor this year,” outgoing Editor-in-Chief Ben Padanilam said. “Her commitment to and passion for The Obser ver is unparalleled, and I am excited to see what she w ill accomplish next year.” A New York Cit y native, Becker has led the News department since March see EDITOR PAGE 4
viewpoint PAGE 7
Professors share findings on disease detection By MARTHA REILLY Saint Mary’s Editor
Broad issues relating to the detection of metastatic ovarian cancer and mitochondrial disease were placed under a magnifying glass at the College’s most recent installment of its faculty colloquium series, which took place in Madaleva Hall on Friday. Professor of biology Calli Versagli said metastatic ovarian cancer affects thousands of women in the U.S each year, though it often goes unnoticed until it spreads or intensifies. “What’s kind of the killer of ovarian cancer is that we don’t catch it early enough,” Versagli said. “Really only about 20 percent of those who present the illness are caught in that early stage or what we call stage one. … At stage one, the cancer is still confined to one or both of the ovaries. At stage
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two, typically the cancer has already spread throughout the pelvic region, and eventually, stage three is more where it’s completely gone to other parts of the abdomen, and finally, at stage four, it’s gone beyond the abdomen to other particular body parts.” Versagli said 17 percent of those who earn an official diagnosis at stage four of the illness survive, highlighting the need for adjustments to both the detection process and the treatment effectiveness. “I tried to understand some of the biological mechanisms behind these cells that are at this late stage, and how we could potentially target them,” she said. “One of the interesting things about this is that these cells, more or less, travel in … what we call the peritoneal fluid to these other areas see RESEARCH PAGE 3
ND W Basketball PAGE 12
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EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
A Semcycle performer balances during a performance of “Unicycle Mayhem” for the halftime show at the men’s basketball game Saturday. The performance featured an array of unicycle tricks, incorporating juggling, double dutch and dancing.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Visiting Designer Lecture 200 Riley Hall of Art 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Public lecture about industrial design.
Exhibit: Modern Women’s Print Snite Museum of Art all day Styles from different cultural traditions.
Winter Career & Internship Fair Duncan Student Center 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Open to all students.
Exhibition: “Money Worries” Snite Museum of Art all day Art installment examining wealth.
Staff Mass Log Chapel 12:10 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Staff are invited to celebrate Mass. All faiths welcome.
Panel: Postgraduate Service Organizations Geddes Hall 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Open to students.
Diversity & Inclusion Networking Night Duncan Student Center 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Sign up online.
Stories of Grace Geddes Hall Chapel 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. An evening of prayer and reflection with community members.
Women’s Basketball vs. North Carolina Purcell Pavilion 7 p.m. The Fighting Irish take on the Tar Heels.
Third Coast Percussion Leighton Concert Hall 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Third Coast presents a multimedia work.
News
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Former detainee discusses abuse, healing By LUCAS MASIN-MOYER Associate News Editor
On Nov. 20, 2001, in the early days of the United States’ “War on Terror,” Mohamedou Ould Slahi drove himself to the national police headquarters in Nouakchott, Mauritania — his home country — for voluntary questioning in relation to recent terrorist activity in North America due to a cousin’s relationship with Osama Bin Laden and attendance at the same mosque in Canada as one of the planners of the failed Millenium attacks. Despite no evidence of direct involvement, Slahi was taken into U.S. custody where he would remain for the next 15 years, most of which were spent at the United States prison at Guantanamo Bay where he was subjected to torture before his eventual release. Sunday afternoon, in the Leighton Concert Hall in the
Research Continued from page 1
within the abdominal cavity.” Understanding the movement pattern of these cells can potentially result in advancements regarding treatment, Versagli said. “These cells — typically epithelial cells — remain attached
DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Slahi discussed his experiences with Notre Dame students and community members via video-chat — due to U.S. government restrictions on his travel stateside — as part of a week-long forum sponsored by the Center For Civil and Human Rights surrounding the release of a revised edition of his international best-seller “Guantanamo Diaries.” “I knew what dictatorship looked like because I grew up in a dictatorship,” Slahi, who was wearing a Notre Dame tshirt, told the crowd. “What I saw in Guantanamo Bay was a dictatorship.” The forum, which was moderated by Christine Cervenak, the associate director of the Center for Civil and Human Rights, also included reflections from Slahi’s editor Larry Siems (‘81) and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and former director of the Notre Dame
Center for Civil and Human Rights, Juan Mendez, who had also been a political prisoner, in his native Argentina. Mendez said Slahi’s treatment at Guantanamo was representative of other U.S. abuses during the “War on Terror.” “[His case embodies] this characteristic of the global “War on Terror” that seems to say that the rules apply to everybody else but not the United States ... a grotesque version of the exceptionalism of the United States,” he said. Siems discussed how profiling led to Slahi’s arrest and continued imprisonment despite the scant evidence. “There’s some cultural bigotry at play and I think that kind of profiling has trickled down and seeped out in ways that permeate not just post-9/11 detention policies but in immigration and refugee policy as well,” he said. After his imprisonment, Slahi longed to write about his
experience, as he had written all his life. Because of his understanding of freedom of expression in the United States, Slahi was surprised when he was told he could not write. “[I thought] this is a democratic country and I have the right to express myself no problem … but they said you cannot have pens,” he said. “That was when I started to steal pens from my neighbors.” Slahi said his motivation to write came from his desire to make the truth known. “As someone who writes, it’s a responsibility to tell the truth, it’s my responsibility, it’s my job, to say everything to be as objective as I could,” he said. “... Truth is a very powerful weapon, truth is a weapon I have in my arsenal that the [U.S.] government does not have.” Pouring all his time into writing, Slahi eventually produced a 466-page, hand-written
manuscript. However, this manuscript was not allowed to see the light of day due to confidentiality restrictions placed on all writing and art produced by Guantanamo prisoners. Eventually, thanks to the tireless work of lawyers, Slahi’s now-heavily redacted manuscript made its way to Siems, who would eventually work with Slahi to get the work published. When the book was eventually published in January of 2015, Slahi was still in jail, still subjected to torture. Despite the torture he suffered at the hands of the U.S. government, Slahi says he forgives all involved in his torture — a forgiveness he realized through his Muslim faith. “I found out that no revenge is as complete as forgiveness,” he said.
to your organs, and if they were floating around in other places, that really wouldn’t be healthy,” she said. “My question really is … how do epithelial ovarian cancer cells survive in this freefloating environment that they encounter to travel to these secondary sites?” Versagli said she believes antioxidant enzymes, which function within the cell to maintain
balance, have a role to play. “These enzymes are increased in expression, meaning that there is a higher abundance of them in higher-grade tumors,” she said. “Their involvement in metastasis and the spreading … hasn’t been studied at all. So that’s really my major objective in my lab.” To achieve this ambition, Versagli said she obtained
commercially-available ovarian cancer cells and put them in environments that simulate the free-floating atmosphere they encounter in metastatic ovarian cancer. “One of the first antioxidant enzymes I looked at was catalase,” she said. “I over-expressed catalase in these cells and put them into the soft-agar assay to see how well they survive. Interestingly enough, I found that when you over-express catalase in these ovarian cancer cells, we actually have an increased [number] of colonies that form, really suggesting that these cells seem to have an advantage over others at surviving in this free floating environment.” Conducting this research would not have been nearly as possible or as rewarding without the help of several students, she said. “It’s been a very interesting and exciting road for us,” Versagli said. Assistant professor of chemistry and physics Jennifer Fishovitz said a nuanced understanding of mitochondria’s purpose served as an essential component of her research about mitochondrial diseases. “Most of the cell’s energy that it needs to perform its daily tasks is produced in the mitochondria,” Fishovitz said. “The breakdown of [adenosine triphosphate] in the cell is used to power things like muscle contraction and chemical reactions.” Pollution, drugs, pesticides and other toxins can contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction, Fishovitz said, so studying proteins — particularly enzymes called proteases that break down other proteins — comprised a large portion of her research. “We take a DNA sequence that encodes for the protein that we
want to study, and we put it into bacteria, and we take advantage of the machinery within the E.coli to use this DNA and to convert it into many copies of our protein,” she said. “We take that protein and test its activity in a test tube.” Mitochondrial fusion allows for the passage of information between two mitochondria at a point of cleavage, Fishovitz said. “We want to study whether or not this cleavage event … is beneficial for the cell,” she said. “We know it’s cleaved in the cell, but we don’t know what effect it has on the cell.” Identifying the exact site of cleavage will be beneficial in determining whether this transfer has beneficial or adverse implications. “There are various ways that we can do this,” she said. “One of these ways is using fluorescents. We can take this peptide and, on one end, we can put a fluorescent donor. When you put energy on it, it emits fluorescents. On the other end, you put a fluorescent quencher. … When this peptide is in tact, the donor and the quencher are close enough in space that you don’t see any fluorescent emission because it’s all absorbed by the quencher.” In the absence of adenosine triphosphate, Fishovitz said she did not observe any fluorescent emission, and in the presence of adenosine triphosphate, she said she saw an increase of fluorescents over time. “That gives us information about how that enzyme is working,” she said. “It also gives us an experiment to test drugs that could be inhibitors of these proteins. We’re working on getting the enzymes … to a place where we can use this assay.”
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NEWS
The observer | monday, january 29, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Senior Audrey Grewe gives an acceptance speech after receiving her award. Her short documentary “Sam” featured her brother, a freshman at Notre Dame and Paralympics gold medalist in the high jump.
Festival Continued from page 1
Film Festival.” Editor’s note: Grace Weissend is a Scene writer for The Observer. Weissend’s film is a fictional narrative that is based on her own experience of her high school boyfriend breaking up with her in a fast-food restaurant. In addition to Weissend’s comedic f lick, the festival also featured documentaries, dramas and silent films. During the preliminary screenings to choose the festival’s pieces, FTT professors placed emphasis on quality but also the scope of works. Sophomore filmmaker Eileen DiPofi said that the festival is designed to allow students to explore an unchartered territory of innovation and creation. “There are a lot of creative people in the FTT department so it’s a cool way for us as students to share our voice in a way we don’t get to as often,” DiPofi said. “It’s important to
of their film, an ex-prisoner named Tony. “There was a lot of preparation beforehand contacting Tony, getting f lights and funding,” Haley said. “Once we were there, whatever footage we got was all we were going to be able to use. We shot ten hours total of footage at least and when we came back
it was all about editing and trying to piece together a story from all the different moments we had.” Haley and Szromba’s film “Respectfully, Tony” discusses Tony’s experience being incarcerated for 39 years with 11 years on death row for murder. Haley and Szromba visited Tony in Texas to talk about his adjustment to the world outside of prison. “The film focuses on the death penalty, but it’s just a portrait of one person,” Szromba said. “We hope it will make people rethink this very difficult issue through this one man. This is not a clear cut case. Our goal is to keep the conversation going.” In addition to the annual film festival, undergraduate students can gain filmmaking experience through the FTT program “First Time Fans.” The program allows Notre Dame alumni to return to campus during a football weekend and work with students to capture the University’s life and spirit. The media and industry club and Fighting Irish Media also
further engage students with filmmaking to complement the work done in class. Associate Teaching Professor Ted Mandell noted the crucial role of the audience during the festival and for movie making in general. “You can edit a film all you want but it’s not a film until you show it in front of an audience,” Mandell said. “The audience is critical to understanding how the film is viewed. These films create a time capsule of the University and the creative ideas of students at that time.” Mandell said the goal of the festival is to showcase student work and impact the audience. “You make a film for other people,” he said. “To use art to change our views and the way people see is a powerful tool. Once students graduate they’ll understand that there needs to be a purpose behind it. It’s not about the craft of filmmaking. It’s what you make that matters.”
hear the next generation of potential filmmakers and it’s excellent that the University provides the opportunity to share our opinions and experiment with something new.” DiPofi’s film “Smoke Break” is a silent film that equipped her with foundational knowledge to move forward in her filmmaking career. “This is the first time for me making a film so I just want to play with new things,” DiPofi said. “I wanted to see what techniques would elicit an audience. It’s exciting to hear how people will respond to the film because I’ve never had something I made be on a screen like that. The festival as a whole talks about different topics, but it will be cool for people on campus to see what film majors are doing.” Due to strict deadlines, time limitations played a major role in the production of student films. Student filmmakers senior John Haley and senior Julia Szromba only had four days to shoot footage. They travelled to Texas to interview the focus
Ted Mandell introduces the student films the festival showcased. The films were made over one semester in various Film, Television and Theatre classes and hand-chosen by professors in the department.
affect the political climate on campus. “I am so excited and honored to lead The Obser ver for the next year,” Becker said. “The Obser ver has taken plent y of great strides forward since I joined it during my freshman year, and I have learned so much from
the people w ith whom I’ve worked. I hope to continue that progress from this year’s Editorial Board moving for ward, and I am looking for ward to covering the issues that affect campus in new ways.” Becker will begin her term as Editor-in-Chief on March 4.
respect for the electoral process and Notre Dame’s Judicial Council. After careful review of both the Student Union Constitution and the actions of a member of our team, we firmly believe that the allegations are invalid, which is why we have filed an appeal to the student senate.” The student senate then held an emergency meeting Friday evening to deal with the sanctions and the ticket’s appeal. Student body vice president Sibonay Shewit requested a closed meeting due to the “sensitivity of the
topic,” and the group voted to close the meeting to the public. The original sanctions the Election Committee imposed on the ticket required that the McGavick-Gayheart ticket suspend their campaign for five hours. However, after the emergency student senate meeting, the sanctions were then reduced to a two-hour suspension of campaigning for the McGavick-Gayheart ticket “‘in light of Senate’s decision’ per Subsection 13.5(j),” according to the press release.
Contact Morgan Johnson at mjohns56@nd.edu
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2017. Throughout her time in the News department, Becker has w ritten extensively about the Universit y’s various expansion projects and how national politics
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candidates may campaign in any venue while occupied by a class period or exam.” “We take the allegations of election misconduct against our team — specifically pertaining to section 17.1(d) of the Student Union Constitution — extremely seriously,” the McGavickGayheart ticket said in a statement emailed to The Observer on Friday afternoon. “We have the utmost
The observer | monday, january 29, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
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JOSEPH HAN | The Observer
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The observer | Monday, January 29, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
The waitlist Kelli Smith News Writer
Like most of us, I remember the exact moment I received my Notre Dame decision letter. I was driving home with my father when the email popped up on my phone. Despite my father’s persistent reassurances, the giddy nervousness that filled my veins stalled me from opening it until I arrived home. When I finally did, my brain was sluggish to conceptualize the word dominating the letter: Waitlisted. I remember the numbness. The sounds of my father’s shock was muted beneath the flood of discouragement that coursed throughout my body. I tried to hold myself together by telling myself there was still hope, still a chance. A waitlist isn’t outright rejection. So why did I feel so disappointed? Last week, study abroad decisions came out. I stared at the “view decision” link, echoes of memories past freezing my hand despite my roommate’s excited prompting. I knew Notre Dame International didn’t reject students. I knew there were only two options, and one of them was that dreaded, dubious word. I was terrified of feeling that numbness again. I prayed I could evade the pity smiles, the skeptical “well there’s still hope” and awkward encouragement from those already accepted. I hated being trapped in that gray area, left in that wavering limbo dependent on others’ decisions. I clicked on the link. Waitlisted. Immediately, the pessimistic thoughts struck. It was as if a part of me expected it. Maybe I’m just a perpetual waitlistee, I ignorantly thought. Your subpar, average student. And then I remembered that day I opened my decision letter two years ago. It took me a long time to realize what getting off the Notre Dame waitlist did for my collegiate experience. When I received a call from Notre Dame undergraduate admissions, the happiness that erupted was one of the most profound feelings I had ever experienced. It was a happiness amplified by that extended wait, one that shed light on my true thoughts and one filled with gratitude that I wasn’t rejected in the first place. And sometimes, when I’m rushing across campus under the South Bend permacloud in my bulky Sorel boots, internally cursing myself for oversleeping my 11 a.m. and praying I can somehow wing another discussion section, I think about the numbness I felt when I first received my Notre Dame decision. Every time, it makes me pause and recall the gratitude I should feel to be here. Because for a few long weeks of feigned excitement at the prospect of attending universities other than Notre Dame, there was a strong chance I wouldn’t be. In a lot of ways, the waitlist only reminded me of my faith. I just needed to learn how to embrace that numbness I so deeply feared. As torturous as the extended wait may be, God’s purpose is more important than my plans. Whether it’s as significant as choosing which university to attend or as trivial as a study abroad location, I trust in whatever is meant for my life. Maybe there’s another path for me, or maybe I’ll make it off the list. I’ll figure it out eventually. Until then, I’ll keep on waiting. Contact Kelli Smith at ksmith67@nd.edu The views and expressions of the inside column are those of the author and not necessarily of the Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The buck always stops somewhere else First he came for game day Mass, and Jack didn’t speak out because Jack thought it might help Notre Dame win games. Then he came for natural grass, and Jack acquiesced because maybe it might help Notre Dame win games. Together, they played Ozzy and spent $400 million for a 96-ft. television because that was the missing piece to winning. Like clockwork, every year since 2012 a new institutional bogeyman for Brian’s failures has been identified (academic demands, youth — even fundraising for the things he believed were holding his program back). Yet the changes have not gotten Brian any closer to college football’s elite. And in preparation for the Notre Dame’s Citrus Bowl win over LSU, Brian finally came for Jack. Because, like Jack, Brian still doesn’t know how great football teams win games. When asked prior to the bowl game to explain the Irish’s latest November collapse, Brian Kelly, fingers forward in trademark fashion, blamed Notre Dame’s schedule. Kelly griped that he “didn’t have that breather game the week before one of our rivals,” an obvious nod to the tradition down South of playing FCS cupcakes the penultimate week of the year. Quick to note that Notre Dame’s scheduling is an “institutional decision,” which Irish fans know largely rests in the hands of its athletic director Jack Swarbrick, Kelly implored that “we’re going to have to look at it hard.” Ironically, Kelly accused the College Football Playoff committee of “shifting goal posts” in evaluating schedules. But the committee hasn’t been the one administering Kelly’s 62nd ranked redzone offense during his Notre Dame tenure. What it has done is reward great wins and punish numerous and embarrassing losses. These criteria stand in stark contrast to those Notre Dame’s administration has used to judge Kelly, who is 4-13 against final top-10 teams in the final AP and BCS polls, is 0-2 in major bowl games, and set Notre Dame’s career loss mark in just seven seasons. Nonetheless, Kelly expects Swarbrick to work with him on November scheduling. And why shouldn’t he? Swarbrick has held the hand of his marquee hire through unprecedented program embarrassments. In the wake of a cheating scandal, they searched for more ways to assist student-athletes Kelly condescendingly labeled “at-risk” — despite their always exemplary graduation rates. Swarbrick has belittled alumni criticism of the dismantling of program traditions that have yielded even worse records without them. And as the losses have mounted, he has stood quietly by Kelly’s side as the coach notoriously threw his players under an ever-growing bus. This past offseason, Swarbrick responded to the 4-8 disaster that followed Kelly’s six-year contract extension by targeting Kelly’s staff. The new strength coach would keep the Irish tough through November. Analysts would help the Irish maximize recruiting yields as teams trailing the Irish in Rivals.com rankings (Clemson, Oklahoma,
Michigan State and Stanford) consistently outpaced them in the polls. And coordinators would inject a new attitude — until they found a better boss. So something else must explain how the Irish became the first college football team in a century to have two consensus All-American linemen but fail to sniff a share of the title (The prior six squads to boast such talent included two Notre Dame teams and the Alabama unit that beat Kelly’s crowning achievement by 28 points). But might Kelly’s latest scapegoat for his 1-10 November record against final top-25 teams at last face skepticism from his boss? Swarbrick knows Notre Dame’s scheduling philosophy didn’t lose games. He scheduled traditional doormat Wake Forest (whose one-point win over Appalachian State helped achieve an apparitional 8-5 record) and 7-6 Navy. And he knows that Notre Dame lost to Miami and Stanford — not Alabama and Auburn — squads who played their own rivals Virginia Tech and Cal the week prior to beating down the Irish. Just like Southern Cal played UCLA prior to doing the same in 2014 and 2016. Swarbrick might not know why great football teams win games. He never hired a coach in any sport prior to Kelly. Of the major Final Four appearances and titles Irish athletics has won during his tenure, all but one were achieved by coaches (Waldrum, Clark, McGraw, Corrigan, Jackson) hired by Swarbrick’s predecessors, and all but hockey and fencing played in facility upgrades built by them. Swarbrick’s statement preceding the 2016 season that it generally takes 4-5 years to build a program is contradicted by a list of the last 20 college football champions. (Perhaps why, despite a glowing reputation among the media, a recent informal Sports Illustrated self-survey of athletic directors failed to cast one vote for him.) But by now, he should have a running list of what doesn’t make great teams win. The things that made Notre Dame football different used to be a source of institutional pride, not administrative inconvenience. Great coaches attracted great players because of them, not in spite of them. How many more of the things that made ND stand out must its caretakers explain away until Notre Dame football is unrecognizable to the great teams who won simply — like all great teams do — because they were coached by great leaders? Does Kelly need Notre Dame to schedule its first FCS opponent? And when we learn that wasn’t keeping Kelly from beating Miami and Stanford in November (much less Northwestern and Navy), what then? Will anyone still speak for Jack? Does University leadership know that great coaches win big games, and that great administrators hire great coaches? Or is Brian going to need a bigger bus? Tim Dougherty class of 2007 Jan. 14
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A chance for Trump to reset the rhetoric Jordan Ryan Words of Wisdome
This Tuesday, Jan. 30th, President Trump w ill deliver his first State of the Union before members of Congress. In the traditional letter from the Speaker of the House inv iting the President to make the constitutionally required address, Speaker Paul Ryan suggested the broad framework for President Trump’s speech w riting, “Today, we are in the midst of a historic effort to prov ide relief to hardworking ta xpayers, grow our economy and rebuild our militar y for the 21st centur y. Looking ahead, the new year w ill bring an opportunit y to take account of the progress we have made but also lay out the worked that still remains to be done on behalf of the American people.” An opportunit y for surprise is presented v irtually any time President Trump steps before a microphone. His off-the-cuff st yle and use of informal — and often colorful — language has created an env ironment where we expect the unexpected. In what w ill be a critically important speech leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, President Trump would be well ser ved to keep his first State of the Union address w ithin the broad outline suggested by Speaker Ryan. In h is f i rst add ress to a joi nt session of Cong ress, P resident Tr u mp empha si zed h is goa l of a “renewa l of t he A mer ica n spi r it.” T h is wel l received speech foc used on now
com mon t hemes of t he border wa l l, i m m ig rat ion a nd ou r need to replace a cr u mbl i ng i n f ra st r uct u re. Rather than remain focused on the primar y themes, which seemed to resonate well w ith the American people, the first year of Mr. Trump’s presidency has been marked by distracting battles w ith other political leaders, the press and the National Football League. The President’s first State of the Union address presents an opportunit y for him to reset the rhetoric that has thus far defined his presidency and set a more positive narrative rather than irritating already open wounds. In many respects, the President is entitled to take a v ictor y lap and remind the American people of his first year’s accomplishments. His highlight reel w ill likely focus on the economy, which has been fueled by a $1.5 trillion ta x cut and the elimination of what many argued were stif ling regulations. The stock market is up nearly 33% since Mr. Trump’s inauguration, job grow th has driven dow n our unemploy ment figures and millions of American workers from a broad spectrum of ser v ice and industrial sectors have enjoyed unanticipated bonuses to begin the new year. Mr. Trump’s address on Tuesday w ill a lso likely include his v ision for nationa l securit y, including t he state of internationa l terrorism as well as immigration, specif ica lly his recent ly released plan for a pat hway to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants and
his request for $25 billion for a border wa ll. He might a lso describe his plans for rebuilding our infrastructure and how t he costs of t hat ef fort are to be shared by t he federa l government w it h state and loca l contributions. Fina lly, President Trump w ill a lso likely remind us of his v iews on t he need for fair and ba lanced internationa l trade. President Trump would be w ise to stick to these major themes where there is at least some hope of bipartisan support. Poll numbers are beginning to improve largely from evolv ing public sentiment on the new ta x law. In the shadow of the recent government shutdow n, Mr. Trump would be well ser ved to avoid in his address those issues which continue to div ide us, including the repeal of Obamacare. It is time for Mr. Trump to broaden his appeal beyond his ex isting base of supporters. The loss of ex isting majorities in either house of Congress could cripple his planned legislative agenda and further div ide an already fractured nation. Mr. Trump should seize upon the opportunit y presented by his first State of the Union address and offer to the American people his proposal for bringing us together. Senior Jordan Ryan, a Pittsburgher formerly of Lyons Hall, studies political science, peace studies and constitutional studies. She welcomes any inquiries, comments or political memes to jryan15@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
American graffiti Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Traveled
Spending winter break in New Mexico, you notice things. Of course there is the characteristic smell right when you step off the plane, tired from the three hour f light and mentally ex hausted from studying for the finals push you just went through. It’s a blend of chile pepper, fresh air, juniper firewood and the teasing of rain that ever y New Mexican knows will never come. You notice an entire winter without snow, or any precipitation of any kind for that matter. Dec. 24th sees ever yone in t-shirts and jeans bustling their way back and forth for last-minute Christmas shopping. You notice the mountains and the sprawling Albuquerque city lights beneath them at nighttime, and you wonder what is going on at ever y instant at each f lickering pinprick, the light that is from a house, a streetlight, a skyscraper maybe. You notice things when you are in New Mexico. But underneath the wild, beautiful, untamed sights, smells and character that define the essence of New Mexico, you can’t help but notice the profound poverty and contrast that so many of the people here live in. Last year, the Albuquerque Journal posted a truly disheartening statistic that stated that New Mexico has the highest rate of child poverty in the nation. In 2012, the Huffington Post found that New Mexico was the poorest state, and although things have gotten better, the state remains at that level. Beneath the beauty of mountains and city lights, there is a stor y. Photography is a passion of mine and I find myself perennially searching for sights and contrasts to capture with my camera. So far, I have found New Mexico to be the place for a particular kind of contrast that I have not seen elsewhere. It was a cold winter day in downtown Albuquerque with no snow, no matter the amount of threatening the
sky showed. I looked out from the backseat car window, searching for shots I could take with my camera. That’s when I noticed an older African American man, sitting against a Walmart shopping cart piled high with probably ever y single possession he owned. Above him, a neon sign that read “The Freed Company” f lickered. To this day, this image has haunted me. This contrast between “beauty” and pain is one that can often be found if one looks hard enough. On one street that is a back way into downtown Albuquerque, this divergence becomes particularly apparent. There is a graffiti mural on a run-down building of the two hands of God and Adam from Michelangelo’s famous painting, The Creation of Adam. Farther along the road, there is a limousine rental place called Lucky Boyz Limo, where a group of homeless men always congregate. Even further down, still along the same street, there is Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless and the New Mexican restaurant called Garcia’s, which is famous throughout the state for the best authentic New Mexican food. The fact that so many different aspects of culture, not simply that of New Mexico’s either, exist on the same street within five miles of each other, is testament to the paradoxes we face if we have the courage to see. But instead of just capturing these snapshots and saving them to “memories” for ref lection, what can we do about addressing these kinds of contrasts and bridging the gap between surface and what lies beneath, superficiality and poverty? Fr. Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, works in the Pico Aliso ghetto in East Los Angeles, one of the most dangerous ghettos in all of America. Homeboy Industries has been instrumental in helping gang members leave the brutal life of gangs and learn skills so that they can lead healthy, joyful lives away from the ghetto. His kind of model effectively involves bridging the gap and attempts to rectif y it.
I think instituting a program like this at Notre Dame, which is, in many ways, an “island” in the midst of the surrounding poverty, would be truly incredible. Notre Dame has several programs that seek to aid the poor, but forming one on this scale, where students, the next leaders, senators and changemakers, have an integral role in the process, would completely transform the community where our school is located. Living in New Mexico, you find yourself “awake” to a variety of contrasts and snapshots. But the situation is hardly unique to New Mexico. The point is not to be on the lookout for poverty to turn it into art. The point is to be awake to the stor y and struggle beneath ever y facade. W hen we pass each other on South Quad once we return to school, remember the stor y that exists behind the faces we see ever y day. One of my friends who was an exchange student at Notre Dame pointed out to me that our school is a “bubble,” both in terms of socioeconomic status and ideolog y. I think it can be hard to realize the poverty and struggle that exists just outside our beloved campus when we are racing to HayesHealey Hall or grabbing coffee at ABP. Looking ahead to 2018, with the context of a politically, racially and prejudicially charged 2017 behind us, I think this quote from Fr. Greg Boyle’s book,“Tattoos on the Heart” is especially important. “Close both eyes; see with the other one. Then, we are no longer saddled by the burden of our persistent judgments, our ceaseless withholding, our constant exclusion. Our sphere has widened, and we find ourselves, quite unexpectedly, in a new, expansive location, in a place of endless acceptance and infinite love.” Gabriel Niforatos is a freshman who is double majoring in economics and political science. When he’s not at school he is busy hiking and running in the New Mexico mountain range. His email is gniforat@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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DAILY
The observer | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Combine the old with the new. See what fits together best and make a point to nurture the situations and relationships that will help you move forward. Change is good and will help you distinguish between what is necessary and what is a waste of time. Embrace knowledge and use your energy in a positive and progressive manner. Your numbers are 9, 13, 21, 28, 33, 42, 46. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Make personal changes that will encourage you to follow your heart and your dreams. Your dedication and expectations will influence how you are treated and how you respond to someone you are close to. Honesty will be a determining factor. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t limit what you can do. It’s important to listen to those with more experience. Getting together with older relatives will be enlightening. Knowing more about your background will help you make choices that can improve your future. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t limit what you can do. Where there is a will, there is a way, and if you use your charm and intelligence, you will get exactly what you want. Set your goal and don’t stop until you reach it. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Problems with an older friend or relative can be expected. Do what you can to help, but don’t overstep your bounds. Kindness and understanding will help the most. Loyalty will be acknowledged. Criticism and losing patience will only make matters worse. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It’s time to take stock and reevaluate how you want to move forward. Sensitive issues can be dealt with that will help you realize and appreciate what you have to offer. Put together a proposal and proceed. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Spend time at home. Nurture important relationships and make sure your household is running efficiently. Make alterations that will cut your overhead and make your life less stressful. Take care of your elders and those who depend on you. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Expect to face difficulties with in-laws, friends or people who don’t share your beliefs. Avoid an argument by refusing to let someone goad you into an impossible debate. Take care of your responsibilities. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Changes at home may be necessary. Consider the costs involved before you agree to any plans that are suggested. Your past experience with people and partnerships will help you dodge a situation that can cause undue stress. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Make changes at home that will add to your comfort. Focus on personal changes as well as reconnecting with people you haven’t seen for some time. The information you gather may be exaggerated, but it will still inspire positive change. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Follow your heart, but don’t make a decision based on hearsay. Change will tempt you, but without proper research, regrets will set in. Test the waters before you decide to take the plunge. Know your boundaries and limitations. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Learn all you can. Once you broaden your outlook, you can bring about positive changes to the way you move forward. Love and romance will improve your personal life and give you the incentive to do your best. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A change at home may not be welcome at first, but it will turn out to be what’s best for you. Accept the inevitable and prepare to explore and expand new interests. Discipline will help you reach your destination. Birthday Baby: You are intelligent, eclectic and helpful. You are popular and questioning.
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ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2018 | The Observer
nba | OKLAHOMA CITY 122, PHILADELPHIA 112
Sports Authority
MSU should spark change Ben Padanilam Editor-in-Chief
“Michigan State secrets extend far beyond Larry Nassar case.” That was the headline of an Outside the Lines report published by ESPN on Friday. In the wake of the sentencing of sexual predator Larry Nassar, the report revealed that at least 16 Michigan State football players had been accused of sexual assault or violence against women since Mark Dantonio became head coach at the University in 2007. It also discussed many allegations made against former basketball players at Michigan State, outlining allegations of gang rape, sexual assault and public violence. Just one day later, The Athletic reported that “NCAA president Mark Emmert was specifically alerted in November 2010 … to 37 reports involving Michigan State athletes sexually assaulting women.” I can’t help but wonder, how did we get to this point? How can it be that in three years, things have not only not gotten better, but they seemingly have gotten worse? Look, I can’t speak to the guilt or innocence of any of the athletes alleged to have sexually assaulted and victimized women on Michigan State’s campus. But I believe it’s undoubtedly true that, in reading the most recent reports, there were serious shortcomings in the internal investigations administrators at Michigan State launched when these women filed their complaints. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reviewed 150 reports of campus sexual harassment, violence and assault from 2011-2014 and talked to students, athletes and staff alike before finding “significant concerns” in 20 percent of those cases. It described how MSU’s “failure to address complaints of sexual harassment, including sexual violence, in a prompt and equitable manner caused and may have contributed to a continuation of this sexually hostile environment.” I think everyone can agree that such an environment is abhorrent and wrong. But if we simply accept them as wrong and try to move on, it only allows the problems to perpetuate. Just like it did at Florida State. Just like it did at Baylor. And just like it did at Michigan State. Administrators in these situations created power dynamics in their failure to act on these complaints in a responsible manner. They prioritized image, reputation and money
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each and every time they conducted these shoddy investigations that the OCR said raised “significant concerns.” And in three years, we’ve learned that nothing has changed throughout the landscape of college football for over a decade. But the power dynamics in those situations don’t just exist at the administrative level. Students, fans and others allow those power dynamics to exist and perpetuate too. We thrust athletes into celebrity status and create a culture that, at its most extreme, distinguishes them as special or better than the rest of us. Fortunately, the wide majority of collegiate athletes — at least in my experience as a reporter — have shown themselves capable of maturely handling that spotlight. They don’t all succumb to the culture that we as spectators can create. But some do. And at its worse, the result of that is what happened at MSU, Baylor and Florida State over the last decade. Eventually, we have to agree that enough is enough. Actually, we can’t just agree on it. We have to actually do something about it. Sure, there might be only so much we can do, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. It’s not enough to just call for “accountability” in these situations. Administrators stepping down or coaches being fired doesn’t solve the problems, they only stop the bleeding. As fans, we need to do everything we can to start changing the system that has been created. Stop putting college athletes on a pedestal. If we can’t treat them as our equals — no more and no less — then it becomes a lot easier for authority figures to treat the ones who abuse that pedestal as if they are above the law, especially when it protects the institution’s reputation and pads its pocketbook. And don’t just have an opinion about the institutions who fail to protect victims. Voice them. Force coaches and administrators to care as much about the success and the well-being of the students off the field as they do the athletes who perform on it. Because we can’t just hope there isn’t another MSU or Baylor. We have to do anything and everything we can to prevent it. Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu. The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Westbrook’s 37 lead Thunder past 76ers Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers aren’t even in the same conference, yet they played as though they were longtime rivals. Russell Westbrook scored 37 points, Paul George added 31, and Ok lahoma Cit y beat Philadelphia 122112 on Sunday night for its eighth straight v ictor y. The game was more intense than usual from the start, w ith a lot of extra trash talking and bumping. The teams combined for 51 fouls and 61 free throw attempts. It carried over from Ok lahoma Cit y’s triple-overtime v ictor y in Philadelphia in December. “Leading into this game, after a little talk after game one, I think to this game, I kind of was looking for ward to it,” Westbrook said. “But you know — Ok lahoma Cit y 2-0.” Westbrook made just 6 of 20 shots in t he f irst ha lf, when he was k nocked to t he ground tr y ing to ta ke a charge as Joel Embiid t hrew dow n a v icious dunk over him. He was 8 of 13 in t he second ha lf and a lso had 14 assists and nine rebounds.
George shot 9 of 17 a day after being named the A ll-Star replacement for New Orleans’ DeMarcus Cousins. The Thunder are 7-0 when George scores at least 30 points and 11-4 when he scores at least 25. Steven Adams added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder. He made 10 of 11 shots for the Thunder and grabbed 10 offensive rebounds. Embiid had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Ben Simmons added 22 points for the 76ers. It was a bittersweet day for the Thunder. The team announced Sunday that guard Andre Roberson is expected to miss the rest of the season after having surgery on a ruptured left patella tendon. Roberson, who was a second-team All-Defense selection last season, was injured when his knee buckled and he fell during the third quarter Saturday at Detroit. “It’s tough,” Westbrook said. “’Dre is my boy. I love hav ing him on the f loor w ith me, and it’s a tough situation for him. We are just going to continue to lift him up and pray for him, keep our spirits high for him and keep this thing
rolling.” George hit a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to trim Philadelphia’s lead to 58-57. A dunk by Simmons put the 76ers up 75-68 early in the third before the Thunder got things going. Oklahoma City went on a 12-0 run, and a reverse layup by Westbrook put the Thunder up 86-79 and forced the 76ers to call timeout. George closed out the surge with a 3-pointer that put Oklahoma City up 10. The Thunder led 9283 at the end of the third. Oklahoma City shot 60 percent from the field in the period and held Embiid to two points. Philadelphia left its starters in to start the fourth, and they helped the 76ers take a 98-97 lead early in the quarter. Oklahoma City pulled away late. Westbrook’s 3-pointer with just under three minutes to play put the Thunder up seven, and he followed with a jumper to make it a nine-point game with two minutes left. “We made runs, they made runs,” Simmons said. “But down the stretch, we didn’t take care of the ball and execute.”
golf | FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
Woods happy with return to PGA Tour Associated Press
SAN DIEGO — Tiger Woods was never in contention in his return to the PGA Tour. He didn’t dip into the 60s as he hoped he would on a brilliant sunny — and windy — Sunday at Torrey Pines. He missed three times more fairways than he hit in his four rounds in the Farmers Insurance Open. Yet he was “very pleased” with only his second PGA Tour event since he tied for 10th in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015. He had two back surgeries that fall, and fusion surgery on his lower back last April. Woods cooled off after birdies on four of seven holes midway through his round
Sunday and finished with an even-par 72 on the South Course that left him tied for 23rd. Woods had rounds of 7271-70-72. Sunday’s conditions were the toughest of the week. “I was pleased today. I feel like I played a lot better today. These conditions, they were tough. I was trying to shoot 65, maybe get to 10 and post, thought that might be a good playoff number. But there are too many guys up there, they’ve gone past 10 and gone to 11 and 12 and there’s a bunch of them up there. So it would have been nice to post it, just see what happens, hang around for a couple hours, but I’ll take 72, though.” Woods hit only 17 of 56 fairways in his four rounds,
three on the South and one on the North, which is no longer considered easier than its neighboring layout at the seaside muni. This was Woods’ 25th start on the PGA Tour since his last victory in August 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational. It was only the 3rd time he shot par or better all four rounds and only the eighth time he finished in the top 25. “To see some of my friends from high school are out here, things like that, and the people are absolutely fantastic all week. They were loud, they were excited, but they were very respectful.” Woods has won this tournament seven times, and Torrey Pines was the site of his dramatic win in the 2008 U.S. Open and a Junior World Championship as a teenager.
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Sports
The observer | monday, january 29, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
W Bball Continued from page 12
by an Ogunbowale 3-pointer that sparked Notre Dame’s ow n 7-0 run. At the half, the Irish led 48-29 on a 59 percent fieldgoal shooting. The Irish outrebounded the Seminoles 26 to 21 in the first half and tallied seven more assists than the Seminoles. Florida State’s leading scorer, senior for ward Shakayla Thomas, came in averaging 18.5 points per game but went 0-for-11 in the first half. She
would finish the game 3-for18 w ith eight points and 10 rebounds. Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw had praise for her team’s abilit y to follow the game plan to contain Thomas. “[Thomas] is a great player, we tried to double team her as much as possible when she got the ball on the block. I think she just missed some shots she normally makes, also,” McGraw said. “I think the double team forced a few turnovers and I felt a great awareness of where she was all the time.”
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish senior forward Kathryn Westbeld drives past a Tennessee defender during the Notre Dame’s 84-70 win over the Volunteers.
Senior for ward Kathr y n Westbeld had 11 points and seven rebounds in the first half for the Irish. She would finish the game w ith a career-high 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, also gathering up 12 boards through four quarters. Westbeld acknowledged how important it was to start the game strong especially after the loss to Louisv ille earlier this month. “I think we definitely learned from the Louisv ille game,” Westbeld said. “But, I think we have definitely moved on from that. I think, this game, we were focused on setting the tone and not letting the other team set the tone for us. So, that start to the game really got us going.” McGraw praised Westbeld for her efforts and also commented on Westbeld’s role in keeping the team calm and collected. “I was very pleased with the way we executed today, I thought Kathryn Westbeld was phenomenal,” McGraw said. “She was an All-American, double-double, she was not going to let us lose this game today. ... Kathryn is in charge of [keeping the team calm], she’s the glue for us. If they Paid Advertisement
press or give us trouble in the backcourt — she ran the offense quite a bit tonight. I thought she did a really great job making decisions. She is a calming presence for us, and I thought — on the road and in front of this crowd — we showed a lot of poise.” The second half of the game was more of the same as the Irish outscored the Seminoles 52-40 in the final two quarters. Notre Dame reached their game-high lead of 34 points after a pair of free throws from junior guard Marina Mabrey late in the fourth quarter made it 91-57. Wright was the brightest spot for Florida State, scoring a game-high 23 points on 9-for-17 shooting in 39 minutes of action. Collectively, the Seminoles shot 33.3 percent from the field and 28.6 line from behind the 3-point line. This was the first time Florida State has allowed 100 points since Jan. 27, 2002, when it lost to Duke. The Irish, who have four players out for the season, have won each of their last five games by over 20 points. Furthermore, six members of the Irish scored in double figures including sophomore guard Jackie Young, junior guard Marina Mabrey, junior
for ward Jessica Shepard and graduate student for ward Kristina Nelson. McGraw noted the team is in great shape to compete despite the short rotation. “We have a short bench but, I thought we looked in pretty good shape — I thought we were running them,” McGraw said. “We’ve got six, seven people. We’re in great shape, we’re playing well together. I think ever ybody knows they can count on each other.” The race for ACC supremacy continues as the Irish are tied with Louisville (22-1, 8-1) and Virginia for first in the conference. McGraw acknowledged the difficulty of playing in a conference with three top-10 teams. “We have three teams [from the ACC] in the top 10,” McGraw said. “We’ve got three great teams, all of us playing great basketball. I think the ACC is incredibly tough conference, if not the toughest, certainly one of them.” The Irish will next take the court against North Carolina at Purcell Pavilion with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. Contact Charlie Ortega Guifarro at cortegag@nd.edu
Sports
Hockey Continued from page 12
Notre Dame had a chance to deliver a huge blow when they went on the power play with under three minutes remaining in regulation. But shots by sophomore forward Cam Morrison and senior defenseman Jordan Gross were turned wide by Robson as the penalty expired. Notre Dame went into overtime with 21 shots on goal, while Minnesota finished regulation with 31. In overtime, Robson stopped shots from senior forward Bo Brauer, junior forward Andrew Oglevie, freshman forward Colin Theisen and sophomore defenseman Tory Dello before Mittelstadt put home a rebound to end the game at 3:35 of the period. Morris finished with 33 saves while Robson made 25 in the shutout win. During Saturday’s game, the Irish got on the board first when a Nardella pass found Gross, whose shot from the point found the back of the net on the power play to give Notre Dame a 1-0 lead with 3:19 remaining in the first period. Oglevie also earned an assist on the goal. Notre Dame struck again on the power play at 9:23 of the second period when Evans tipped a pass from Oglevie past Robson to give the Irish a 2-0 lead. Minnesota responded with
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, january 29, 2018 | The Observer
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a goal from freshman forward Brannon McManus at 16:12 of the second to cut the Notre Dame lead in half. With 13:13 remaining in the third period, the Gophers turned the puck over right in front of their net. Junior forward Dylan Malmquist was there to grab the puck and backhand it past Robson to give the Irish a 3-1 lead. Malmquist sealed the deal when he scored his second goal of the night, another Notre Dame power play goal, with 2:20 remaining in the third period for a 4-1 lead. Morris saved 16 of the 17 shots he faced on the night to improve his record to 19-3-0. Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson was pleased with his team’s effort on Saturday, saying it reminded him of how they played earlier this season. “Tonight was a much better effort, playing the way I thought we played in the first half of the season … It was a tough loss on Friday night,” Jackson said. “Those types of losses, it’s generally hard to come back the second night. They showed some mental toughness and maturity.” Notre Dame will be back in action this weekend when the team travels to State College, Pennsylvania, for a two game road series against conference-foe No. 14 Penn State. Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu
MACKENZI MARINOVICH | The Observer
Irish junior forward Dylan Malmquist takes a shot in Notre Dame’s 4-2 win over Wisconsin on Jan. 19 at Compton Family Ice Arena. Malmquist registered one assist against the Badgers.
M Bball Continued from page 12
EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
Irish sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs looks to score over a Hokie defender during Notre Dame’s 80-75 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday.
came out in a conservative 2-3 zone that the Virginia Tech quickly torched with multiple 3-pointers, aiding an 14-2 run that saw the Irish down 19-9 seven minutes into first half. But Notre Dame battled back, and half-court buzzer-beater by sophomore T.J. Gibbs would cut a 10-point Hokies lead to single digits as the Irish trailed 34-27 at the half. A lt hough t he Irish out-rebounded t he Hok ies 23-15 in t he f irst ha lf, t he difference ma ker early was Virginia Tech’s abilit y to get good shots, as t he Hok ies shot 44.8 percent (13-of-29) from t he f ield. The Irish struggled from t he f ield only managing to shoot 26.7 percent (8for-30) from t he f ield in t he f irst ha lf. In t he second ha lf, Brey abandoned t he 2-3 zone and went man-to-man defense t hat was ver y effective in keeping t he Hok ies off t he 3-point line. But Virginia Tech took advantage of Notre Dame’s lack of bench dept h and continued to maintain control of t he game, pushing t he lead to 62-47, t he largest margin of t he night w it h 11:27
remaining in t he game. W hile junior g uard Rex Pf lueger ex ited t he game w it h an injur y, his stint in t he locker room was a short one as he returned for t he Irish and helped spark a 13-3 run t hat cut t he lead to 65-60 w it h 7:30 lef t to play. Gibbs applauded Pf lueger’s gritt y return to t he game. “He took a hard fa ll. He came back like superman,” he said. “He was bleeding, but he was giv ing it a ll t hat he had. We were able to feed off of t hat.” The Irish would manage to keep t he game close at 74-72 w it h 1:34 remaining, but t he t wo-point def icit would be t he closest t he Irish could get as t he Irish missed severa l lay ups dow n t he stretch and found t hemselves trailing 78-72 w it h 16 seconds left. A turnover by Gibbs and an emphatic dunk by Virginia Tech sea led t he game. Pf lueger nailed a 3-pointer w it h 2.3 seconds remaining in t he game, but it was too litt le, too late as t he Irish once again failed to turn around t he losing strea k. Despite t heir f if t h-consecutive loss, bot h Gibbs and sophomore John Mooney had career nights for t he Irish. Gibbs scored a career-high
27 points, w it h 19 coming in t he second ha lf. Mooney recorded his f irst career double-double for t he Irish w it h 15 points and 11 rebounds, a career high. A f ter failing to an uncharacteristic 3-5 in ACC play, Gibbs insist t hat t he team is not panick ing, and t hey have fait h t hey can turn it around. “We just need to keep batt ling. We’re not worried about t he loss right now. We’re going to get out of t his f unk, and once we do, we’re going to start rolling again,” Gibbs said. Brey agreed w it h him and believes if his team continues to “empt y t he tank,” good t hings w ill start to happen. “If we keep doing t hat it w ill turn for us. We have a great opportunit y on Monday to turn t he page quick ly. The sy mpat hy stuf f we’re way past t hat.” The Irish’s search for t heir next w in won’t get any easier as Mike Brey and company travel to Durham, Nort h Carolina to face No. 4 Duke, who are a lso look ing to bounce back from a loss af ter losing to No. 2 Virginia on Saturday. Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu
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The observer | monday, january 29, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL | VIRGINIA TECH 80, ND 75
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | ND 100, FLORIDA STATE 69
Irish drops fifth straight to Virginia Tech at home By MIA BERRY
By CHARLIE ORTEGA GUIFARRO
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
A lthough the Irish battled on Saturday night, Notre Dame and its injur y-weakened lineup ultimately fell to Virginia Tech 85-75 at home to fall to 3-5 in the ACC. The Irish (13-8, 3-5 ACC) headed into Saturday’s matchup w ith only seven scholarship players after a lingering bone-bruise ruled out senior guard Matt Farrell indefinitely. Throughout the losing skid, head coach Mike Brey has stressed resiliency through hanging around in games and mounting comebacks, but early offensive droughts and failure to hit big shots dow n the stretch have failed to translate into w ins. The matchup against the Hokies (15-6, 4-4 ACC) was no exception. Without a relief guard at at their disposal, Notre Dame see M BBALL PAGE 11
Westbeld leads squad over Hokies
KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer
Irish sophomore forward John Mooney shoots over Nickeil Alexander-Walker during Notre Dame’s 80-75 loss to Virginia Tech.
In yet another nationallytelev ised matchup for No. 5 Notre Dame, the Irish came out on top against No. 8 Florida State in a game that quick ly turned into a 100-69 blowout. Coming off a 50-49 w in against then-No. 2 Louisv ille, the Seminoles (18-3, 6-2 ACC) looking for their first-ever v ictor y over Notre Dame (20-2, 8-1), who have gone 6-0 against the Seminoles since joining the ACC. The hy pe around the big game was at a recordhigh as 9,498 fans filled the Donald L. Tucker Center — a new Florida State record for a women’s basketball game. The Irish started off dow n 3-2 early after giv ing up a 3-pointer to redshirt-senior guard Imani Wright. The Irish would then go on to take the lead and never look
HOCKEY | Minnesota 1, nd 0; nd 4, minnesota 1
By MICHAEL IVEY Sports Writer
MACKENZI MARINOVICH | The Observer
Irish sophomore outfielder Ali Wester swings at a pitch during Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over Eastern Michigan on March 29.
see W BBALL PAGE 10
FOOTBALL
After ending streak, Notre Dame bounces back versus Minnesota
back. Junior guard Arike Ogunbowale scored on her first three field goal attempts for the Irish as she led them to a 17-8 lead w ith just under five minutes left in the first quarter. Notre Dame then jumped to a 21-10 lead w ith 2:57 left to play in the opening period, to help close out the quarter on a 16-6 run. After 10 minutes, the Irish led 29-14 after outscoring Florida State 22-2 in the paint. Notre Dame’s defense kicked it up a notch in the beginning of the second quarter after holding Florida State scoreless on 0-7 from the field in the first four minutes of the period. The Irish jumped to a 3514 lead in that time before finally conceding t wo free throws from sophomore guard Nicole Ek homu. The Seminoles then sparked a 7-0 run that was abruptly iced
No. 1 Notre Dame spent the weekend up north in Minneapolis playing a conference road series against No. 13 Minnesota. The Irish fell 1-0 on Friday night on a late overtime goal from Minnesota freshman phenom and Buffalo Sabres first-round draft pick Casey Mittelstadt. Notre Dame rebounded on Saturday night with a 4-1 victory over Minnesota in a game that saw the Irish score three power play goals. On Friday, the Irish (205-1, 13-2-0 Big Ten) penalty kill went to work early when junior defenseman Dennis Gilbert went off for hooking at 1:30 of the first period. Sophomore goaltender Cale Morris made two big saves as Notre Dame was able to kill off the penalty. Sophomore forward Cal Burke had a breakaway opportunity during the kill, but his stop was stonewalled by sophomore
Minnesota goaltender Mat Robson. Notre Dame had a power play opportunity at 8:02 of the first period but couldn’t convert. Minnesota (16-131, 7-10-1) got another power play opportunity at 17:04 of the period, but Morris once again made two saves to keep the game scoreless. The Irish recorded four shots during the opening period while the Gophers had nine. Notre Dame tried to break the tie when they went back to the power play 34 seconds into the second period, but shots from junior defenseman Bobby Nardella and senior forward Jake Evans couldn’t find the back of the net. The Irish PK killed off another Minnesota power play in the middle of the second period to keep the game scoreless. Notre Dame recorded nine shots during the second period while Minnesota finished with 13. see HOCKEY PAGE 11
Former player arrested Observer Sports Staff
Former Irish wide receiver Kevin Stepherson was arrested Friday for possession of marijuana, hash and possession of paraphernalia in Whitley County, according to Irish Sports Daily who first reported the news. The arrest is Stepherson’s fourth arrest in a fourth different Indiana county since his first arrest in August 2016 in Fulton County. Following the arrest in Fulton County, Stepherson was placed on probation, but was pulled over on Dec. 14 for speeding, driving without a license and possession of marijuana in Marshall County. The next day, the Jacksonville, Florida, native was arrested for shoplifting from the University Park Mall in Mishawaka, according to a WNDU report. Stepherson was indefinitely suspended from the Notre Dame football team by head coach Brian Kelly on Dec. 20 and did not play in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1. On Jan. 17, Kelly dismissed Stepherson from the team, along with three other players.