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Volume 52, Issue 108 | monday, april 9, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com
Dance Marathon achieves goal Proceeds of the annual SMC Dance Marathon go to Riley Hospital for Children By SARA SCHLECHT News Writer
Members of the tri-campus community gathered at the Pfeil Center at Holy Cross College on Saturday for this year’s Saint Mary’s Dance Marathon. This was the 13th year the fundraising club has hosted the event for the Saint Mary’s community, and its theme was “Get Wild for the Life of a Child,” according to junior Madeleine Corcoran, coexecutive of operations for the club. Dance Marathon members begin fundraising at the beginning of each academic year to support the Riley Hospital for Children, senior and operations co-executive Theresa McSorley said. In the past, Saint Mary’s Dance Marathon has had several high
schools who fundraised to help reach the group’s goal, but this year was different due to having just one high school participate, senior and Dance Marathon president Meg Brownley said in an email. McSorley said this decrease affected fundraising for the event. “We lost a lot of high schools that bring in major parts of fundraising for Dance Marathon this year,” she said. Despite this setback, members of the club knew they wanted to have an exceptionally good year because Saint Mary’s was set to have raised a total of $1 millionduring its years participating in Dance Marathon. “We are the fifth Dance Marathon in the state of Indiana see DANCE PAGE 5
Observer Staff Report
Photo Courtesy of Theresa McSorley
The 13th annual Saint Mary’s Dance Marathon hit its fundraising target of a cumulative total of over $1 million Saturday.
Observer departments win yearly ICPA awards Observer Staff Report
The Observer won 28 awards at the 2018 Indiana Collegiate Press Association (ICPA) awards in Indianapolis on Saturday, including second place in the Division I Newspaper of the Year category and second place in the Best Overall Website category.
The News department won third place in the Best In-Depth story category for current Editorin-Chief and former News Editor Courtney Becker’s feature on the Save the Village movement. Becker, along with Assistant Managing Editor and former Associate News Editor Lucas Masin-Moyer, also
received second place in the Best Continuous Coverage of a Single Story category for coverage of Vice President Mike Pence as the 2017 Commencement Speaker. The department took second and third place in the Best News or Feature Series for its see AWARDS PAGE 5
Notre Dame ushers share game experiences By CLAIRE KRAMER News Writer
“This is a counterfeit ticket,” Notre Dame usher super v isor Mack Smigielski deadpanned to a fan entering the Notre Dame baseball game. A look of confusion f litted across the fan’s face until Smigielski burst into laughter and handed her the ticket w ith an “enjoy the game.”
NEWS PAGE 4
Clad in nav y jackets w ith bright gold caps, the Notre Dame usher force, 850 strong, is a staple at countless universit y events from dorm dances to move-in weekend to sporting events. They’re tasked w ith crowd control, enforcing policy and prov iding a welcoming presence to v isitors, students and fans, according to Jim Smith, program manager of crowd control in the
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
ND to build facility
Athletic department. Smith, director of the usher program, said potential ushers often hear about the positions by word of mouth, and the most important criteria is a distinct disposition. “A heart for ser v ice is the big thing,” he said. “On a day-to-day basis, our job is to help you guys get across see USHERS PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 9
An athletics center will be built to broaden the indoor space of three varsity athletics programs, the University announced in a press release Friday. The facility will be 111,400 square feet and is scheduled to be completed in July 2019, according to the release. Funded by gifts from multiple benefactors, the building will be constructed on the western-most field of the football team’s LaBar Practice Complex and will open practice space for the football, men and women’s soccer programs, the see FACILITY PAGE 3
Annual “Holy Half” raises funds for charity By ALEXANDRA MUCK News Writer
Over 1600 runners participated in this year’s Holy Half Marathon and 10k races, which were held Saturday. Senior Anna Lyons, the president of the Holy Half club and one of the race directors, said 300 people participated in the 10k and 1300 runners participated in the half marathon. Lyons said an additional 500 runners were on this year’s wait list. “It’s such a great tradition,” she said. “People get so excited about it. We have alumni come in, families come in to watch their kids run or run with them. The students train really hard for it. … All the money goes to charity, so it’s for a really great cause.” This year, the proceeds from the registration fees are going to Direct Relief, which is helping those affected by recent natural disasters.
SOFTBALL PAGE 12
“This year, in light of all the natural disasters that have been in Houston, Puerto Rico, Florida — we decided to give back to a natural disaster relief charity,” Lyons said. Lyons said the Holy Half started 14 years ago to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. “This year we thought it would be cool to go back to the roots of the race,” she said. One of the best parts of the race is the mix of people who run, Lyons said. “We definitely have people who are really serious about running and running it for time and that’s so great to see to give them a place to do that, but then we also have so many first-time runners,” she said. “ … The community element is really great.” see RUN PAGE 4
HOCKEY PAGE 16
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TODAY
The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
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What is the best type of cheese?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
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“Cheez-its, yum yum.”
“Oh, it’s Colby Jack, 100 percent.”
Dan Hopkinson
Laksumi Sivanandan
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“Vermont sharp white cheddar.”
“Brie or provolone. But it’s really brie.”
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“String cheese.”
“Literally all of them except for bleu and crumbly stuff.”
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CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
A sold out crowd was on hand Saturday afternoon at Arlotta Stadium to see No. 12 Notre Dame take on No. 6 Duke. The Blue Devils defeated the Irish 8-2. Notre Dame will be back in action Wednesday when it hits the road to face Marquette.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Cancer Research Day Morris Inn Ballroom 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Lectures, panel and keynote address on research.
“Evaluating Neutrality in the Classroom” 202 LaFortune Student Center 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 p.m.
Been and Seen Series Geddes Hall 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Students discuss experience working at migrant farm.
Book Discussion: “Has Liberalism Failed?” Forum at Jenkins and Nanovic Halls 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Alumni Design Conference 226-228 West Lake Hall 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Advice from alumni.
Panel on Challenges in Fieldwork Hesburgh Center C103 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. For those interested in research abroad.
Concert: Sons of Bill Remick Commons 7 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. Free and open to the public. Online RSVP encouraged.
11th Annual Chinese Speech Contest Hesburgh Center Auditorium 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Open to the public.
Sound of Classics Carey Auditorium 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. A night of Greek and Roman skits, orations and music
Senior piano recital: Joseph Tang LaBar Recital Hall 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Featuring original compositions.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, april 9, 2018 | The Observer
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Assembly speaks on state of College financials By Colleen Zewe News Writer
Saint Mary’s President Jan Cervelli hosted the third College Assembly on Friday on to discuss its financial status, enrollment numbers and strategic plan. The assemblies focus on addressing some of the issues and concerns at the College, and all faculty, staff and students may attend. Cervelli spoke about her recent experience spending the night in McCandless Hall with first-year students. “What I hear through that experience is the love they have for [the faculty],” Cervelli said. “They also talk about the housekeeping staff and how friendly they are. The food service, the grounds service, the campus ministry … each and every one of you make a difference with students.” Cervelli also spoke on the
College’s budget and financial status, saying the College’s deficit mainly comes from larger healthcare costs. “The health insurance here at Saint Mary’s is considered generous compared to other institutions,” Cervelli said. “That is intentional. That is part of our values. It will be a challenge maintaining that going forward.” Cervelli said the College is looking into changing healthcare providers and is talking to several different potential providers, and said one option is polling healthcare with other institutions. Cervelli also said next year’s fiscal budget will be finalized in October. The College normally decides on the upcoming budget in April, but then makes adjustments based on how many students actually enroll for the fall. Cervelli saidhopes the College can use creative thinking to bring in new revenue.
“We’re pretty good at budget cutting here, but that’s only half the equation,” Cervelli said. “Generation of revenue is the other half. We have creative minds here who can help us generate new revenue. … I want us to become a superb entrepreneurial college.” Mona Bowe, vice president of Enrollment Management, gave an update on enrollment. So far, the College has received 1,844 firstyear applications for the upcoming academic year. 1,500 students have been admitted, and 221 have made their deposit and committed to the College. This is 27 more applications than last year, Bowe said. “Every interaction you have with a student can make it or break it,” she said. “Over 1,100 admitted students are yet to make a decision. [Our office does] everything we can to help our students make a decision.”
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Bowe also announced that so far, 10 applications for graduate programs have been submitted, with five students admitted and two deposited. Karen Johnson, vice president of Student Affairs, provided an update on retention. The College has lost 13 first-year students since the beginning of the academic year. Nine of those students transferred out of the College. Cervelli said Saint Mary’s values each of its members. “Every student counts,” she said. “They count coming in the door and they count all the way through the experience. They count for the quality they bring to the College, and, as a tuitiondependent institution, our ability to meet our mission.” Cervelli announced two new appointments to the College. Todd Norris accepted the position of chief information officer after serving as the interim officer for
nine months. Dr. Michael Fleming accepted the director of institutional research position. He will direct all assessment activities at the College. Nancy Nekvasil, senior vice president of academic affairs, provided an update on her department. Nekvasil said she hopes programs such as summer learning can be modified to help generate more revenue for the College, such as by offering courses for nontraditional students. The College has also added additional weeks and raised the price for summer camps to raise revenue, Judy Fean, vice president for mission, said. Cervelli said the College would begin to finalize the plan during the summer but continue to evaluate it as necessary. “The board will approve a kickoff plan in June, but this a continuous process,” Cervelli said. “We’ll be having this conversation every year as we see trends and changes to accommodate that.” Contact Colleen Zewe at czewe01@saintmarys.edu
Facility Continued from page 1
release stated. Dubbed the “Irish Indoor Athletics Center,” it will also be able to accommodate other recreational, campus-wide and community activities. According to the release, the new facilities are intended to provide greater access to the Loftus Sports Center, the University’s only sizable multi-purpose indoor facility that is in consistent heavy use. Jack Swarbrick, the director of athletics at Notre Dame, emphasized the many functions the new center will serve while helping student-athletes balance their academic and athletic schedules. “Much as we have done with our approach to the Compton Family Ice Arena and the recent additions surrounding the football stadium, our focus when developing athletic facilities is to create uses that extend beyond varsity athletics,” Swarbrick said. “In this instance, in addition to creating what we believe will be the best indoor football practice facility in the country, we are creating additional recreational, club sport and community opportunities, while also ensuring that the students on our other varsity teams are practicing at times that allow for a more typical student experience.” Vice president for student affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding said the facility’s creation will benefit a number of other students as well. “Allowing increased, consistent access to the Loftus Sports Complex will better serve students who compete passionately and successfully in dozens of clubs sports and intramural leagues, and perform in the renowned Band of the Fighting Irish,” she said.
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NEWS
The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Ushers Continued from page 1
t he f inish line so you can graduate a nd move on to t he next step.” Tom Smit h, a fellow super v isor w it h Smigielsk i, emphasized t he importance of ushers as t he f irst line of how v isitors encounter Notre Dame. “I just t hink you have to present yourself in a manner t hat represents Notre Da me, a nd t hat’s not hard,” he sa id. “God, Countr y and Notre Da me, t hat’s what it’s a ll about.” Some of t hose v isitors are high-prof ile g uests, but t he ushers a ren’t fa zed. Smit h worked for yea rs in t he media footba ll pa rk ing lot on ga meday. “One of my cla ims to fame is t hat I shook ha nds w it h ever y Heisma n trophy candidate t hat won a Heisman trophy here at Notre Dame before t hey passed,” he said. He added t hat while many asked why he never got an autograph from a ny g uest, t he mere action of k now ing t he person was enough for him. Smigielsk i, who started out in tra f f ic control, oversaw t he pa rk ing lot near t he former Universit y Club. He sa id once, Former Universit y President Fr. Theodore Hesburgh had pa rked in his reser ved pa rk ing space in t he lot t hat morning, and returned later in a dif ferent ca r, wa nting to park in an additiona l space. Smigielsk i told t he fa med Universit y president t hat he couldn’t pa rk a not her ca r in t he lot. “Mack, you see t hat building over t here? ” Hesburgh asked. “Yes, Fat her, I do,” he responded. “It’s got my na me on it,” Hesburgh replied. “Well, Fat her, maybe you should pa rk over t here,” Smigielsk i responded. Hesburgh got out of t he ca r, laughed a nd sa id, “Good a nswer, but I’m still going to pa rk here.” Smigielsk i had no choice but to let him. Aside from t he brushes w it h fa me, t he ushers spoke of t he importa nce of ma k ing v isitors feel welcome and never is t his more true t han Welcome Weekend, when f irst-yea rs a nd t heir families ma ke t he drive up Notre Da me Avenue on a ner vef illed Aug ust morning. Smit h sa id he has a routine w it h each ca r t hat drove to his a rea. “I’d sha ke t heir hand and say ‘You’re going to start an experience here t hat you’re never going to forget,’ and I’d have t he mot her cr y ing,” he sa id. Four yea rs a f ter one of t hese encounters, Smit h was work ing at a commencement event a nd a mot her
approached him. “She said to me, ‘I want you to k now, t he f irst day on campus you made me cr y,’” Smit h sa id. He of fered an apolog y, but t he woman assured him t hat none was necessar y. Her son was now t he president of his senior class. “You never k now what you present is going to do for and to t he people t hat are coming to t he universit y, so you rea lly have to present yourself as best you can for t hat, and t hat’s a ll I ever tr y to do,” Smit h said. A common qua lit y t hese men and women expressed was t heir passion for Our Lady’s Universit y. “I’m just a huge Notre Dame fan,” Smigielsk i said. “I swear if I cut myself I’d bleed blue.” However, Smigielsk i, who has been an usher for nearly 40 years, said his fandom is not hing in comparison to some of t he fa ns he’s been able to meet over t he years. Some, he said, v isit Notre Dame because it’s an item on t heir bucket list. He told t he stor y of a West Virginia fan who wanted to see a Notre Dame footba ll game before he died. Ten years ago, t he man made it to Sout h Bend and met Smigielsk i at t he Friday pep ra lly. The next day, Smigielsk i saw him outside Notre Da me Stadium early in t he morning. “He was outside, petting t he wa ll like you’d pet a dog, cr y ing,” he said. “It was emotiona l for me, so I went to my boss and ta lked to him to see if I could just ta ke him into t he stadium and let him say his prayers. “I took him dow n on t he f ield and he asked if he could ta ke a couple blades of grass, and stuck t hem into his great-granddaughter’s picture. He k issed t he
ground, got up absolutely bawling, gave me a hug and told me, ‘t hank you so much.’” The fan passed away t wo weeks af ter he v isited Notre Dame. “He told me, ‘My life is now complete,’” Smigielsk i said. On anot her gameday, Smigielsk i was ca lled to t he upper deck of t he stadium where a pregnant woman had gone into labor, but she ref used to leave t he game until she saw k ickof f. He arranged for an ambulance and f irst-aid personnel to assist, and af ter t he f ingers circled and “Go, Irish” boomed across t he stadium, she was transported to t he hospita l, where she gave birt h about an hour later. Smigielsk i and his w ife v isited her t hat night. “Fif teen years later, a young lady wa lked up to me,” he said. “‘I hear your name is Mack. My mot her went into labor here.’ I said “A re you k idding me? ’” Bot h ushers said t hey had count less stories of t he people t hey’ve met from a ll over t he world. “Being an usher as many years as I have, I could w rite a book, or at least a ver y large chapter,” Smigielsk i said. “It’s not an Einstein t hing at a ll, it’s not rocket science whatsoever,” he said. “It’s tr uly being you — convey ing your smile and eye contact to t he next person. That’s what we’re a ll about. If I can ma ke you smile one time, I can do it t w ice.” “There’s no way to explain how you feel,” Smit h said. “It’s Notre Dame and we’re family, and t hat’s what it’s a ll about.” Contact Claire Kramer at ckramer@nd.edu
Run Continued from page 1
Flannan Hehir, a senior and the winner of this year’s half marathon, said the cause is one of the reasons he runs. “The cause is such a great thing,” he said. “I think so many of your peers are out there supporting you and you’re supporting them, so it’s kind of a mutual relationship where people benefit a lot. … It’s always a cool race.” Daniel Duran, a senior who ran the 10k, said the cause and the motivation to workout were reasons he ran. “You give money to a good cause, and working out is always good for you,” he said. “It gives you a good excuse to get in shape again.” To organize the race, Lyons said the club of just over 10 members has to handle a variety of tasks ranging from obtaining sponsors, overseeing registration, printing t-shirts and medals and coordinating the course logistics. “Every part of the year we’re doing something different,” she said. “In the beginning of the year it’s a lot about contacting charities and sponsors and trying to get that squared away, and then we have to handle everyone’s registration and make sure that gets publicized. In the spring, it’s a lot of planning the logistics of the course and coordinating all the deliveries and making sure everything is squared away.” Not all clubs on campus necessarily allow students to organize an event from start to finish, which is one of the things sophomore Abby Smith, secretary of the Holy Half club and race director, said she likes about the Holy
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Half. “We never really stop planning it,” she said. “ … It’s also a lot of cross-communication. You’re not just planning something with one person. You have to talk to four or five different people from different areas of the University that make sure things get done.” Senior Katie Lee, the vice president of the club and a race director, said seeing the end of the race makes the work worth it. “It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s really rewarding to see everyone finishing and have everyone’s friends and families cheering them on,” she said. “We get a lot of good feedback, so getting that makes it worth it.” The club members rely on the help of volunteers, especially at the water stations. Some of the water stations are manned by dorms on campus, such as the Flaherty water s tation. “We have a lot of girls in Flaherty who run the Holy Half, so it’s fun to support them,” Emma Gentine, a junior who was working the station, said. “ … All the runners are very appreciative of everyone who volunteers, and you can make it a lot of fun just screaming and cheering for people, so it’s definitely worth it.” Hannah Morris, a sophomore in Flaherty who also worked the station, said holding out water is something easy to do for those running 13.1 miles. “People are always very friendly and seeing their smiling faces as they grab a cup of water is a pretty nice moment,” she said. Contact Alexandra Muck at amuck@nd.edu
News
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, april 9, 2018 | The Observer
Dance Continued from page 1
to reach a cumulative total of $1,000,000,” Brownley said. Executives of the club attribute this achievement to more involvement from the surrounding community. “This year, we had a 30 percent increase in fundraising compared to last year,” Brownley said. This increase came from the
individual members of the club who began their fundraising in August, as well as the more than 300 people who registered to participate in Dance Marathon. “It helped that we opened it up to Notre Dame and Holy Cross students to really advertise our Dance Marathon on their campuses,” senior and personal relations executive Alaina Murphy said. The event itself lasted 12 hours — time the operations committee arranged to be filled with
entertainment that included a performance by Bellacapella — the Saint Mary’s acapella group — animals from the Potawatomi Zoo, visits from Notre Dame baseball and football players and face painting. “We’re so grateful for all the groups from the tri-campus community that came,” Corcoran said. “It shows that our sense of community is strong.” During the time of the 12-hour marathon, the organization raised about $27,000, Murphy
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said. Patients at the Riley Children’s Hospital and their families attended the event and shared stories of how the hospital’s care has impacted their family, junior and letter-writing executive for the organization Grace Ward said. McSorley said this visit was a Dance Marathon tradition. “Every year, the Riley kids come, and either they or their parents speak and tell their stories,” McSorley said. Seeing the children benefitting
from the fundraising makes participating in Dance Marathon an emotional experience for some, McSorley said. “People think you’re just dancing for 12 hours, but it’s so much more than that,” McSorley said. “It sounds so painful, but the minute you sit down after that 12 hours, you realize that the pain you feel is nothing compared to what those kids go through.”
Awards
The Scene department won three awards, including first place for former Scene writer Matt Munhall’s piece “Margo Price, poet laureate of the dive bar” in Best Review and second place for former Associate Scene Editor Kelly McGarry’s piece “Feminism is for kids” in Best Entertainment Column. Current Associate Scene Editor Mike Donovan also took third place in Best Entertainment Story for his feature on Notre Dame’s student music scene. The Photo department won first place in the Best Sports Photo category for former Photo Editor Chris Collins’ picture of junior wide receiver Chase Claypool diving into the end zone for a touchdown. Additionally, Collins and former Graphics Editor Lauren Weldon won first place in the Best Special Section Front/ Cover category for the “Gold Standard” Irish Insider cover. Weldon and former Scene Writer Jack Reidy took third place in Best Illustration for the fullpage “Ladibree, trill since birth” graphic. The Graphics department also took second place in the Best Informational Graphic category for graphic designer Cristina Interiano’s graphic for the story “University releases 2016 Campus Climate Survey results.” Show Some Skin won third place in Best Opinion Column for its piece “Protect survivors of sexual violence: Ambiguous waiver policy needs clarification.” The 2017-2018 Editorial Board won third place for Best Staff Editorial for “Observer Editorial: It’s your turn.” Advertising Manager Alexandra Pucillo won first place in the Best Self-Promotional Campaign (Three or More Pieces) category and second place in Best General Media Kit/ Marketing Package. Additionally, Pucillo, Padanilam and Weldon won third place for Best Rate Card. The Observer won first place in Best Single Issue for Irish Insider: USC and third place for the edition for Sept. 15, 2017. Additionally, The Observer won first place in Best Overall Website Design, third place in Online Publication of the Year and third place in Advertising Publication of the Year. Additionally, The Observer won first place in Best Overall Website Design, third place in Online Publication of the Year and third place in Advertising Publication of the Year.
Contact Sara Schlecht at sschlech@nd.edu
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coverage of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) repeal and former Saint Mary’s Editor Martha Reilly and Becker’s political climate series. Additionally, Becker took third place in the Best Non-Deadline News Story category for her feature remembering the life of former student Edward Lim. Former Assistant Managing Editor Marek Mazurek won first place in the Best Sports News Story category for his coverage of the Notre Dame football team’s loss to the University of Miami and sports writer Renee Griffin took second place in the same category for her story about the Notre Dame women’s basketball team’s loss to Stanford in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Mazurek, former Editor-inChief and current Sports Editor Ben Padanilam, Assistant Managing Editor and former Sports Editor Elizabeth Greason, Managing Editor and former Associate Sports Editor Tobias Hoonhout and sports writer Daniel O’Boyle won first place in the Best Podcast category analyzing Notre Dame football’s faceoff against Miami (FL). Padanilam won second place in the Best Sports Column category for his column “Kelly must avoid repeat of last year’s mistakes.” Paid Advertisement
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The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Saying ‘sorry’ is not enough
The universal personal narrative Yizhi Hu Cultural Kaleidoscope
Morgan Johnson News Writer
In the wake of the shooting at Marjor y Stoneman Douglas High School in Park land, Florida, I watched endless video clips and read numerous articles about the tragedy. Headlines and thumbnails grabbed my attention, inviting me in to receive the latest updates and to see how these students were taking action against gun violence. It was inspiring and encouraging to see people online, on T V or during marches become passionate about this issue. A few weeks later, one of my professors began to share w ith the class that he believes “thoughts and prayers” are not enough. This topic was irrelevant to class discussion or materials, but he continued to talk about gun violence in America and would pause ever y few sentences to gauge our reactions. Silence saturated the room. Faces were blank. No one bothered to even agree w ith or dispute my professor’s beliefs. Upon ref lecting on the weeks follow ing the Florida school shooting, I realized that I did not once have a conversation w ith my peers or family members about it. I was only receiving information from the media and having internal debates and dialogue w ith myself. If a conversation w ith others did happen, it was usually along the lines of meek comments such as “It’s just so sad,” w ith reactions consisting of “Yeah, I know …” So when did actually talking about guns and gun violence become so taboo? I applaud those who have taken to a broader audience to voice their concerns, opinions and beliefs. That is the kind of action that should be taken if people hope for change to occur. However, I am disappointed in how entertaining respectful discussion w ith my friends is extremely uncommon. After all, it seems as if conversation and voicing our thoughts w ith others is how change is made and society progresses. If we are unw illing to do this, how can we ever expect gun violence to cease and laws to change? At a school like Notre Dame, we should feel comfortable sharing our beliefs w ith our friends and even those we do not know in a classroom setting. My professor made several attempts to have his students respond to his claims w ith some kind of reaction. He proposed that saying “sorr y” is not enough so I inquired what would be enough. A boy from across the room quipped, “Saying you’re really sorr y.” Many of my classmates laughed. These are the snark y and immature comments that can be avoided if we make an effort to talk w ith others about the presence of guns in 21st centur y America. Not on social media, but in person. Face to face. With actual words being spoken and our ears open to listen. So make an effort to take up a real-life conversation about the role of guns in our society. A lthough I am ironically contributing to the overf low of discourse of gun violence in the media, this article does not suffice. W hat w ill suffice is sharing w ith others what you think, having mature conversations w ith your peers and embracing that we are responsible for educating ourselves and others through dialogue. Contact Morgan Johnson at mjohns56@nd.edu The views and expressions of the inside column are those of the author and not necessarily of the Observer.
We know no ocean from a drop of saltwater, no autumn from a tumbled maple leaf and no God from a random page of the Bible. And here is my question: can we know what is true about a group of people from know ing the personal narratives of one person who fits into that group? One afternoon at the bustling dining hall, my friend and I were rattling on about rituals. “My family doesn’t celebrate the Chinese New Year anymore,” I said. “It’s the only time when ever yone gets the same days off, so we travel instead.” Eyes w idened in disbelief, he asked, “Wait ... So Chinese people don’t celebrate the New Year now? I thought it was huge, like Christmas here.” It was clear that he somehow considered my family’s situation to be representative of people from my cultural background. Not intending to confront him, I replied in a casual tone: “No, I was talking about my ow n family.” By no means did I take his response negatively. Amidst our overloaded schedules, we were interested in each other enough to sit dow n and exchange the cultural manifestations of our backgrounds. Yet his response pointed to a trap that we all might fall into: the tendency to universalize a single person’s stor y to a group’s shared experience. Like many people, I have represented clubs and analyzed the general social trends in some expansive regions. But when I speak solely for myself, I always make it clear by starting my statement w ith an affirmative subject “I” — what I experience, what I think and what I believe to be true. Even so, my self-perceived clear statements have solicited responses that address a broad group, sometimes “international students” and sometimes a vague “you guys,” as if my personal experience is a ref lection of that of my group. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie’s warns in her TED Talk “The Danger of a Single Stor y” that if we only hear a single stor y, we risk a critical misrepresentation. Knowledge of solely one person’s account naturally leads to an unintentional assumption that the single narrative is the whole stor y. With a mere six percent of the Class of 2021 hailing from somewhere outside the U.S., seven percent as the first in the family to embark a college journey and 19 percent non-Catholic, it is not hard to imagine that the tendency to universalize some minorit y students’ personal narratives is spotted at Notre Dame. The unbalanced student composition and the bubble we comfortably form make it a possibilit y that we do not know enough
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veteran, LGBTQ+, atheist and other minorit y students to have a holistic v iew of their diverse experiences. Yet we need to challenge this tendency to universalize, because it both negates people’s indiv idualities and contributes to an incomplete understanding of a group. I have no better solution to counter this inclination than to suggest that we go out of the comfort zone and befriend people from different backgrounds — to learn about them as independent indiv iduals and to see the cultural, political, socio-economic and intellectual richness behind their narratives. Two years ago, my monologue at the Asian A llure, “The Stor y of My Name” brought some people to tears and others to their decisions to sw itch their names back to their original ones. Despite the seemingly unanimous recognition in the significance of one’s ow n name, a Chinese friend shared w ith me only a few weeks ago that she was troubled by my stor y: “My professor suddenly asked me if I wanted to go by my Chinese name,” she said. “I told him I was fine w ith my current English name. But I immediately felt bad for not seeing my Chinese name as important.” Again, her remark revealed the fact that even an over whelming uniformit y did not equate to an absolute homogeneit y. Interestingly though, she was still grateful for her professor’s inquir y: Hav ing no other means to v icariously live his students’ live, he understood that some experiences could be shared among people of the same group and thus actively reached out to care for them. With this goodw ill, the professor was only to be appreciated. The balance between treating people as indiv iduals w ith their ow n personal narratives and universalizing someone’s stor y to care for others is difficult. Yet the more we learn about people’s diverse experiences, the better we are at understanding people’s nuanced situations. Besides befriending more people, initiatives like Notre Dame’s “Show Some Skin” also prov ide channels for an increased understanding and empathy. After this year’s “Show Some Skin,” one of my friends commented on the large number of stories about female students of color. “But I was glad that there were a handful of them,” she said. “I never knew that their experiences were so different.” Once we know, we no longer universalize personal narratives. Yizhi Hu is a junior political science and Japanese double major. She hails from Wuhan, China and lives in Walsh Hall. Yizhi welcomes all comments and can be reached at yhu3@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Death, taxes and positivity Soren Hansen Au Contraire
As April rolls around, I’ve been thinking about the two things which that old joke guarantees in life: death and taxes. Besides inevitability, they’ve got something else in common — I fear both death and taxes. Even so, it’s important to remember death (and your taxes, due April 15th — don’t forget). As a culture, we’ve adopted oddly paradoxical behavior regarding death. On one hand, we all accept death as natural. In our increasingly secular and scientific world, death is nothing more than the decaying of cells and organ systems. We know we cannot avoid it in the end, yet we are obsessed with ignoring it as best we can, filling our lives with endless distractions and foolishly attempting to control our fates. This is not a new problem. For centuries, philosophers, artists, poets and men from all walks of life have struggled with mortality. But our modern age has ushered in a stronger avoidance of death, or at least of thinking about it. Modern medicine has, thankfully, allowed us to avoid the great pain and suffering that used to accompany childbirth, disease, surgery etc. Modern food production keeps us at a comfortable and detached distance from the death required for our food. Entertainment devices and diversions constantly available at our fingertips allows us to live blissfully preoccupied lives. Our parents and grandparents get to enter retirement communities now at an earlier and
earlier age, pushed out of our homes as to not be burdensome, but often just to die alone. Even our wars are fought in far away places. Death is just less present in our lives. Few of these things seem intrinsically evil, yet our avoidance of death is quite problematic. As I see it our fear of death is rooted in two things — our reason and our pride — and only a proper view of the end of life will bring us peace. Though it may seem odd, we need to have a more positive view of death. Animals have no reason, and also no fear of death, just instinctual avoidance. As rational creatures, we fear death because we are conscious of it. We are prospective and creative creatures, we plan for the future and embrace the relationships, joys and dreams that extend beyond the present moment. Death is the end of our story as we know it, an interruption in a plot we wish could go on just a little longer. As animals we must die, yet something about death will always be unnatural because our lives — and therefore our deaths — have meaning. Our fear of death is also tied to our pride. Try as we might, death remains the one insurmountable reminder of our lack of control. We are not our own creators, we are not gods. We seek to deny these truths and we therefore avoid those things which remind of our mortality. I hate being the bearer of bad news, but we will not always be spry 20-somethings at peak physical attractiveness with minds as sharp as diamonds. Hopefully the lives ahead of us will be long and full, but in the end, we have no control of these things. Death might come knocking soon, as it has for many of
our loved ones and friends. Though it is easy to fall into a pit of despair or to lapse into fear-driven hedonism because our world might end tomorrow, reflections on death should lead us to love more fully and embrace life in its fullness. So how are we called to live more “death-positive” lives? On this topic Orthodox writer Constantine Malandrakis says, “Death should be a constant dimension and quality of any Christian’s life, not just something that befalls him at the last moment. Awareness of death gives to life immediacy and depth, and makes life so intense that its totality is summed up in the present moment. As Christ claimed the victory over death by death, so a Christian defeats death and the fear of death with all of its tragic consequences through a mindfulness of death during his life.” Remember the preciousness of life. Remember that death and disease and getting old happen to everyone. It is important that we each see ourselves as part of a larger community that is made up of people of all ages — freshmen and seniors, graduates students and professors emeritus, newborn babies and elderly nuns. Life is one messy, beautiful, complicated circle and we are called to live it as best we can. Soren Hansen (junior) is a proud member of the Program of Liberal Studies and spends her free time lamenting the lack of intellectual culture on campus and playing the upright bass. Send your contrarian opinions and snide comments to mhansen3@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
“Centrism” does not exist Lately, in the age of “Trumpian” rhetoric and an increasingly divided political sphere, my Twitter feed has been filled with calls for bipartisanship, compromise and ending the political divide. Many of these politically aligned “centrists” calling for compromise and bipartisanship oppose political extremism regardless of its leftist or rightist agenda. Ideologically, this “centrist’ message has proliferated throughout our social consciousness, reverberating into every corner of society: from the classroom with newfound emphasis on presenting “both sides of the argument” to Trump’s condemnation of NeoNazis and counter-protesters as “display[ing] hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides.” For many, this newfound love for neutrality is an attempt to avoid the pejorative associations that come with an aggressive defense of any ideologically rightist or leftist stance. The truth is that everyone has an opinion. To claim that you’re entirely indifferent in regard to a controversial political stance is both deceitful and dangerous. There are only really two stances to take: the status quo and change. To choose change is to antagonize the status quo. To choose the status quo is to antagonize change. To choose change is to advocate for some new passage of law or to create some new social understanding and definition. To choose the status quo is to reject new law and to reject new social understandings or definitions. While neither the status quo nor change is inherently an immoral stance to take, given historical circumstances, some obvious immoralities crop up. For instance, in order to choose the status quo during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement was to oppose civil rights legislation guaranteeing equal
citizenship for African Americans. To choose the status quo in this circumstance was, in an egregious understatement, an immorality. In the aftermath of the 2008 housing market crash and subsequent financial crisis, to choose the status quo was both irresponsible and negligent. To oppose the passing of the Dodd-Frank act would be to advocate for the possibility of another financial meltdown. On the flip side, there are times that choosing change could also present issues. For instance, to advocate — as PETA does — for the treatment of animals as human beings can seem many times frivolous and unnecessary. To advocate for change in this manner, while not explicitly immoral, can operate to undermine social understandings of what it is to be human. In another case, advocating for a so-called “Muslim Ban” is a stance for change. I don’t think it’s a controversy to say that this “Muslim Ban” is not a change representing a particularly moral position. In all of these cases, the choice to advocate for change or the status quo is not inherently bad. Given the circumstances surrounding these cases, however, an understanding of immorality becomes abundantly clear. To claim indifference, centrists allege, is to neither advocate for the status quo nor to advocate for change. However, in reality, to claim indifference is to choose the status quo. To claim indifference is to advocate against change. The only way change is achieved in our democratic world is through the picket line or the voting booth. By not voicing opinion through either of these media, centrists automatically choose the status quo. As Sir Isaac Newton, observed an object will remain in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. Society is, for all intents and
purposes, one of these Newtonian objects. Society will continue in uniform motion unless an equal and opposite external force advocating for change acts upon it. Our political sphere will remain the same unless change is obviously and aggressively fought for. By prescribing to a “centrist” view, the rest of the world and I will interpret your stance as advocating for the status quo. There’s no need to hide your bias for continuity. It makes sense. Human beings, I think, have a desire for continuity. There’s a certain security that is achieved only through continuity. However, there are morally imperative times that taking a stance for “centrism” and subsequently the status quo means advocating for oppression. There are times that taking a “centrist” stance means advocating for disenfranchisement. There are times that taking a “centrist” stance means advocating for hatred, bigotry and xenophobia. To all my “centrist” friends reading: Pick your battles wisely. Fight for your “centrist” and status quo views when it really matters. Do not simply choose political indifference in every situation to avoid the criticism you will inevitably receive. There are many times when choosing “centrism” is to side with the oppressors and bigoted. In issues of great moral importance, choose to stand on the side of the oppressed, hated, marginalized and disenfranchised. In these heavy and pressing situations, I implore you to shed the stain of “centrism” and advocate for change.
@ObserverViewpnt
Andrew Lischke sophomore Jan. 29
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The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
By NICHOLAS OTTONE Scene Writer
One transition deep into Netflix’s vibrant new series perfectly captures my admiration for the show and also my issue with it. On a street corner, teen lovebirds Monse (Sierra Capri) and Cesar (Diego Tinoco), torn from a long-awaited kiss, narrowly avoid death when a rival gang member pulls a gun. Then, the show cuts to their friend Jamal (Brett Gray) yelling at gnomes in a desperate attempt to uncover buried treasure. Such is the beauty, ambition and tonal whiplash of “On My Block.” Set in present day South-Central Los Angeles, “On My Block” follows the everyday lives of five freshmen as they navigate school, love and friendship in their violent neighborhood. Ruby, a whip-smart future Romeo, and Olivia, the new girl reeling from her parents’ deportation, add different perspectives and complications to Jamal’s hijinks, Cesar’s melodrama and Monse’s anxieties. Alternately grounded and fantastical, their neighborhood hides both fabled fortunes and grave reminders of mortality, a setting well-suited for the transition from childhood games to adult realities. Theirs is a world with no sanded edges, an environment that offers few choices and even fewer futures. But slow dances still define relationships, math tests still matter and hiding your distaste
CRISTINA INTERIANO and DIANE PARK | The Observer
for football through a series of increasingly absurd injuries is still, somehow, a foolproof plan. “On My Block” is “Breakfast Club” by way of the barrio, a character-driven coming-of-age refracted and refined by race, poverty and deportation. The series feels familiar, as if it were cobbled from decades of teen TV and melodrama, running the gamut from “Freaks and Geeks” to “Degrassi” and “Gossip Girl.” Rarely, however, have brown and black students stolen the spotlight. This simple shift opens up new opportunities, allowing issues to organically add texture to characters instead of “Very Special Episodes.” The strikingly confident young cast proves as adept with the scripts’ sudden bouts of hormonal emotion as they are with rapid-fire retorts. Capri emerges as the series’ lead and expertly handles Monse’s deep hurt without sacrificing her cutting wit and adolescent awkwardness. The most frustrating aspect of “On My Block” is its tone. Its collision of tragedy with comedy is not new; fellow Netflix series “Bojack Horseman” is an excellent example of wacky hijinks coexisting with soul-crushing existentialism. Rick Famuyiwa’s 2015 Sundance smash “Dope,” occupying the same genre if not the same medium, performs the high-wire balancing act in its Inglewood-set comic caper to moderate success. Yet “On My Block,” brilliant in most respects, struggles. For example, one plot
involves Jamal and his quest for the gloried Rollerworld fortune, following a cryptic set of clues around the neighborhood. By itself, this story, which spans two whole episodes where Jamal talks to gnomes, would be a wellexecuted farce, the ghetto’s version of “The Goonies.” But, unfortunately, it sits alongside Cesar’s deepening and worrisome involvement in his gang’s violence. The tonal whiplash is disorienting and exhausting, forcing the audience to constantly re-calibrate. Despite my unease, I cannot help but admire the energy of the series. “On My Block” makes the quietly ambitious choice to jar viewers like myself out of complacency. “Wake up,” it seems to say. “This, right here, is my reality, on my block.” The first scene of the show is a masterful single shot that glides through a raucous house party. Suddenly, gunshots ring out. The violence, so woven into the fabric of the neighborhood, emerges, dispersing the careless laughter. Cesar, Monse, Ruby and Jamal scamper away, guessing what caliber the gun is. “Definitely a ’44,” one says, eagerly engaging in this morbidly goofy game. “On My Block” revels in the jokes found in tragedy, in the deep soul of farce. It might not always work, but when it does, it is graceful, energetic and practically dares you to smile. Contact Nicholas Ottone at nottone@nd.edu
The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
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CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer
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Daily
The observer | Monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Aim for greater stability in your life. Refuse to let anyone limit what you can do. Focus on getting along with your peers and diplomatically maneuvering into a position that will help you advance. Choose to befriend or form relationships with people you know won’t coax you into something impractical or who don’t exhibit bad habits. Make security and safety your priorities. Your numbers are 6, 15, 21, 26, 34, 37, 49. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Observe what’s going on around you. Remain silent unless you see an opportunity to make a difference. Get your work done and keep moving forward at your own pace. Set an example and live up to your promises. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An emotional mishap can be prevented if you are cautious when participating in physical activities or while traveling. Use diplomacy and charm when dealing with your boss or anyone in charge of a situation you encounter. Keep the peace. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t be disillusioned by what others do or say. Watch and respond with honesty and precision. Keeping situations clear of any misconception will help you avoid being caught in someone else’s melodrama. Offer concise solutions and encouragement, but don’t take over. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep working until you feel satisfied with what you’ve accomplished. If you quit prematurely, you’ll stress over what you have left unfinished. It’s OK to do things differently. Be creative and passionate about what you do. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take an intellectual approach to your responsibilities. Think of how best to do something without risking unnecessary injury or discord due to a sensitive issue. Be a guide for others, not a dictator, and you will overcome obstacles. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Gravitate toward the people, places and pastimes that bring you joy and that contribute to your life. Personal and physical changes will turn out favorably if you use discipline and stamina to see matters through to the end. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let your intuitive intelligence guide you through situations that can obstruct your household or your relationship with someone close to you. Dealing with other people’s affairs will be informative and reflective of the past but time-consuming. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put more thought into how you handle emotional unrest. An aggressive approach will fall flat when looking for a solution. Taking more time to understand what’s important to all parties involved will allow you to come up with a custom-made solution. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider how you earn your living and what you can do to bring in more cash or reduce your overhead so you can spend more time enjoying life. An intelligent approach to getting the most out of life will ease stress. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Listen to your inner voice, not what someone else is telling you to do. Back away from demanding people or those unwilling to compromise. Stick close to home, and find a quiet space to reflect and rebuild your plans. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Emotions can cause you to do things you shouldn’t. Temptation will lead to excessive behavior or getting involved with someone or something that isn’t in your best interest. Back away from anyone boasting bad habits or asking for too much from you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Refuse to give in to being a follower when you have your own ideas and desires to fulfill. Explore new possibilities, and look for ways to use your skills and ideas to start something you can call your own. Birthday Baby: You are serious, helpful and curious. You are determined and systematic.
WINGin’ it | BAILEE EGAN & Olivia wang
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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ndsmcobserver.com | monday, april 9, 2018 | The Observer
Sports Authority
Football
Cleveland’s draft choice is apparent Ben Padanilam Sports Editor
We are less than three weeks away from the NFL Draft getting underway, and my Cleveland Browns have the first overall pick. Now that they’ve traded DeShone Kizer, Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan, with Tyrod Taylor and Drew Stanton coming in on the flip side, it’s clear the Browns are set on a fresh start in the quarterback room. They’ve also made it clear that the position which has caused them so much pain for decades is the position they will be targeting with that No. 1 pick. Now, if I was running the show, I would use this draft capital to build a team around Taylor for the next few seasons, trading out of the slot to a team (hello, Buffalo, Arizona or even Miami) desperate for their choice in a too-close-to-call quarterback class — thereby taking advantage of that fact — and taking at least one of Saquon Barkley, Bradley Chubb or Minkah Fitzpatrick in that first round while adding more capital in the future. Building around the position when you have the least risky commodity you’ve had in years at quarterback right now will give you the ability to wait and ensure the safe development of that franchise guy starting next year or the year after. But if the Browns are dead set on taking a quarterback, I know exactly who it should be. Here’s the profile of one quarterback connected to the Browns: “His footwork for such a big quarterback was surprising. He was nimble in his dropbacks, rolling out and throwing on the run. The ball just explodes out of his hands. … He’s like a video game. There’s not a throw he can’t make and there’s some he can make I’m not sure anyone else can make.” Oh wait, I’m sorry. That’s the profile to JaMarcus Russell, not Josh Allen. However, at least Russell completed over 60 percent of passes his sophomore and junior seasons at LSU. Accuracy isn’t important though, is it? Next. What about this college statistical comparison between one current NFL quarterback and another prospect in this year’s draft for the two seasons they started most of their teams’ games, whose physical tool set and strength/weakness comparison in pre-draft analyses are eerily similar. Player A: 27 games played, 65.3 completion percentage, 50 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, 153.9 quarterback rating Player B: 27 games played, 64.9 completion percentage in, 57 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, 155.6 quarterback rating Player A was Blake Bortles,
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while Player B is Sam Darnold. Enough said, so moving on. A third quarterback prospect has drawn comparisons to Eli Manning with his polished, prostyle skillset coming out of college. There’s no doubt the talent is there with him, and he’s certainly notorious for being intelligent — some may say “too” intelligent. It would be a shame, however, if this quarterback did to the Browns what Manning did to the Chargers and just refused to play for Cleveland. Wait, there are reports Josh Rosen desperately wants to avoid Cleveland and, like his pro comp, prefers New York? And his college coach has been making TV appearances essentially vying for Rosen to end up in New York? Yeah, pass on that one, too. You know who does want to be in Cleveland, or at least is the only one who has fully embraced the possibility, however? The fourth prospect deserving of that top overall pick: Baker Mayfield. Let’s look at the raw numbers. No one at the college level has ever been as efficient as Mayfield. He’s got the accuracy and decision-making necessary to be a great NFL quarterback. Oh, and Pro Football Focus grades him out as the top prospect since, you know, college production should still matter when evaluating success at the next level, while other advanced numbers say he’s got the best odds of any of this year’s quarterbacks of being the NFL’s next star. But you’ll say, “What about the last time Cleveland took a Johnny Manziel-type quarterback?” Well, that comparison is ludicrous in the first place. Being shorter, mobile, white and confident aren’t enough to make Manziel a good comparison for Mayfield. Manziel himself admits he never worked hard, and his attitude toward the game was abhorrent. Mayfield, however, as a walk-on at two different Power-5 programs, never had it handed to him. He had to earn it and work hard for it to find his success, proving himself along the way. So who does Mayfield actually compare to? Well, those “advanced numbers” I cited early show his best comparison is actually Russell Wilson. You know, a quarterback who also had “height concerns” that dropped him to the third round before he became a Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl ring in Seattle. So yeah, Cleveland’s best option if it’s taking a quarterback at No. 1 is Mayfield. And frankly, it’s not even close. 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.
Kelly discusses Hayes, personnel decisions By DANIEL O’BOYLE Sports Writer
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly addressed the transfer of graduate student defensive end Jay Hayes as well, as his team’s situation at safety and along the offensive line after the team’s practice Saturday. Kelly said Hayes felt a change of pace would suit him in his fifth year of eligibility. “Jay understands the standards that we have here and he felt like a change would be better for him,” Kelly said. “We granted him a release for anywhere he wants to play.” “We gave him the opportunity to come back if he could meet the standards that we set here,” he said. “I don’t know what his thoughts were, I can’t read into his mind. He decided to transfer. He’ll finish his degree this semester so he’ll be immediately eligible. We love Jay, we wish him the best.” With Hayes out of the picture, junior defensive end Khalid Kareem looks set to start at left end for the Irish. Kelly said Kareem’s improvement over the offseason so far had him on course to win the starting job either way. “We felt like he had earned the starting position there based upon his work both in the weight room and on the practice field,” Kelly said. “He was going to be the starter at that position. We believe that based upon his production. “ ... He’s got a real good length. He has a knack for pass rushing. Just has a knack for being there and getting to the quarterback. I think for him the next step becomes how do we get him up to 60 plays. He was a 20-play guy for us. How do we get him up to 60? Fatigue, strength … but he has some really innate ability to find the quarterback.” Behind Kareem will be junior
defensive end Ade Ogundeji. Ogundeji has seen action in only five games so far in his career and has yet to record a tackle, but Kelly said he looks set to make an impact in 2018. “He was pushing and earning those reps,” Kelly said. “There’s no question. And this isn’t to beat up on Jay Hayes while he’s not here but there was great competition at that position. Ade was coming on. He’s a young man that the football end of things — where it comes easy to Khalid, we have to keep repping Ade. It’s coming. His strength is outstanding. His work ethic is outstanding. This is a guy that is ascending for us.” “We expected the physical development and we knew that the football end of things was the area that was going to require the most work but he’s putting in the time and I’m pretty excited about where he’s going to be,” Kelly said.
McGlinchey, the Irish have another position group up in the air. Kelly said the only certain places along the line right now belong to the two returning full-time starters. “We’re settled with Sam [Mustipher] and we’re settled with Alex Bars,” Kelly said. “We know we’ve got two guys in [Tommy] Kraemer and [Robert] Hainsey that can play right tackle. I think we’re still fluid as to what the combinations are going to be right now. Josh Lugg has been impressive, it’s hard to keep him off the field. Trevor Ruhland didn’t practice today. He has a pec injury on the other side from the one he had last spring and he’s been really consistent for us. I don’t know that we’ll leave the spring knowing exactly what we got but we do know who those guys are that are going to compete for us on Saturdays.”
Safeties
Quarterback
Although the Irish return both starting safeties from 2017, the eligibility of junior Alohi Gilman, the arrival of freshman Houston Griffith and the performances of other defensive backs gives Kelly plenty of options at the position. “It just made sense we wanted to push the competition back there because everyone that talks about our defense knows we need more production from the safety position,” Kelly said. “Whether it’s [senior] Nick Coleman, [junior] Jalen Elliott, [junior Devin] Studstill or [senior Nicco] Fertitta, Houston Griffith, [sophomore Jordan] Genmark-Heath. We have a lot of guys out there that can push for competition.”
Yet the position battle earning the most attention is between senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush and junior Ian Book. However, Kelly said his goal right now is to find consistent play rather than a clear-cut starter. “I don’t know if we’re looking for an answer as much as consistency in play,” Kelly said. “Like today, we missed a boundary up-read when we threw the ball outside to Miles Boykin when we had somebody wide open up the seam. We want to get better at that, then worrying about who’s the starter. Because then that will take care of itself. Our focus, my focus, Tommy Rees’ focus, Chip Long’s focus is really about how we get our passing game where it needs to be, and we can’t miss those reads like we did today.”
Offensive line On the offensive line, with the Irish needing to replace first-team All-American Quenton Nelson and second-team selection Mike
Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu
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Irish graduate student defensive end Jay Hayes, center, attempts to block a field goal Jan. 1 at the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Hayes will not return to the team next year. The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
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The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd softball | nd 2, syracuse 1; nd 8, Syracuse 0; nd 5, syracuse 1
Strong pitching leads Notre Dame to sweep By CHARLOTTE EDMONDS and BEN PADANILAM Associate Sports Editor and Sports Editor
Notre Dame came into the weekend set for three games in three days with ACC opponent Syracuse. And while they had to squeeze the three-game set into two days, the Irish came away with the series sweep by the end of the weekend. Originally scheduled for a game Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the two teams postponed Friday’s game due to high wind chill, pushing the series back a day and creating a Sunday doubleheader. In Saturday’s series opener, which turned out to be the closest game, Notre Dame (26-12, 10-4 ACC) topped Syracuse (18-17, 4-10 ACC) by a score of 2-1. Playing in freezing conditions, Irish freshman right-hander Alexis Holloway struggled to get comfortable on the mound early, walking two and allowing a base hit in the top of the first inning. However, Holloway kept the Orange in check and, despite the early struggles, got out of the inning unscathed. “She was just going fast and her momentum was off,” Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf said Saturday of her starter. “When
Hoonhout Continued from page 16
the front end and stellar underclassman goalie play at the back to make a remarkable run. Sophomore Hunter Shepard helped solidify the foundation with his emergence in net as the season went on, and senior captain Karson Kuhlman helped lead the Bulldogs back to the promised land, winning Most Outstanding Player of the tournament in the process. But what’s really remarkable is how Duluth even got into the tournament. On the outside looking in after falling in the NCHC tournament, the Bulldogs squeaked into the regional thanks to the efforts of — of all teams — the Irish. Because Notre Dame was able to win the Big Ten tournament against Ohio State, an at-large bid opened up for the Bulldogs, and they pounced on the opportunity. Four one-goal games later, and Duluth was able to be crowned a national champion for the second time in school history, both times at the Xcel Energy Center, in its backyard and in front of a loyal crowd. The Irish met a team so similar to them — in style, personnel and fate — that it may have just been too much to overcome. Duluth was relentless all night, throwing players into the forecheck and giving Notre Dame very little time to make decisions on the puck. While Morris made some crucial saves, it was
she slows down, she has a much better rhythm. Her adrenaline gets rolling and sometimes she has to control [it]. That’s the way she plays the game.” And while Holloway eventually settled in and allowed just one run in a complete-game effort, the pitcher on the other side was just as good for most of the contest. Orange sophomore lefthander Alexa Romero entered the contest with a 1.73 ERA in 17 starts and kept the Irish off the board until the fourth inning. “She’s super effective outside of the zone,” Gumpf said of Romero on Saturday. “When we make her throw strikes, we’ll hit her. When we swing at bad pitches, that’s her game and that’s what she’s really good at. … She’ll make you chase.” But in that fourth inning, it was the Irish who struck first, as sophomore second baseman Katie Marino led the inning off by single-handedly putting the Irish on the board after drilling a home run against the scoreboard. Gumpf said Marino’s home run created a lot of energy in the dugout. “We were waiting and waiting … it changed everything in the game,” she said. Though the Orange would tie
things up in the top of the sixth, Irish freshman center fielder Abby Sweet proved to be the hero the Irish needed in the bottom of the frame. She hit a single up the middle with two outs to score Marino, giving the Irish a 2-1 lead. In the top of the seventh, the Orange failed to get anyone past first, and Notre Dame walked away with the win. Sunday’s doubleheader, however, wasn’t quite as close. In the first game, the Irish once again faced Romero on the mound. This time, however, they came out aggressive, swinging early in counts to take advantage of better pitches. And with two runners on base, senior designated player Sara White — who is just 6-for-29 on the season after the weekend — hit her fourth home run of the year to put the Irish up 3-0 in the first inning. “It changed everything,” Gumpf said Sunday of the approach at the plate against Romero this time around. “It made them [not want] to throw her back in there, which is good.” And with Romero out of the game by the bottom of the second, the Irish would continue to pile on and take advantage of three Syracuse errors en route to scoring eight runs total in the
game. That would be enough to trigger a mercy-rule win without recording an out in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Irish senior left-hander Katie Beriont threw an efficient 65 pitches on her way to a complete-game shutout. “Katie was lights out,” Gumpf said Sunday. “I‘ll tell you what, she thew a great game. She hit her spots so stinking well today. … So she did exactly what you want that person to do. I mean, what a way to set the tone for her team on the day. She changed everything.” In the second game of Sunday’s slate, Holloway was back on the mound for the Irish. The freshman once again started off slowly, allowing the first two runners to reach and one run to score. But just when it seemed the Irish would allow the Orange to pick things up offensively, Holloway settled in and finished with another complete-game, one-run effort. “She got a little tentative at first. … She made things too hard on herself,“ Gumpf said of Holloway on Sunday. “Sometimes she does that, but she was so lights out [from the second through the sixth inning], so I’ll take it. She makes the ball move tons, and sometimes she’s not going to get the calls she wants, but she stayed
in there and gutted it out.” Offensively, the Irish were led by Sweet once again. She followed up a 3-for-4 performance in the first game Sunday with a 3-for-3 second game, this time hitting a home run en route to a three RBI performance to propel the Irish to a 5-1 win. “She just swings hard,” Gumpf said of Sweet. “She‘s the kid that doesn’t get cheated — whatever happens, happens. But she doesn’t get cheated, and that’s what I love about her and that’s why she’s such a good hitter.” And with the win, the Irish earned an important sweep of a conference opponent, giving them momentum heading into Wednesday’s nonconference doubleheader with Loyola-Chicago. “The toughest thing to do out in a season is sweep a conference series because we know each other so well and you’re changing your game, trying to play a little chess match,” Gumpf said Sunday. “I think it’s the toughest thing, and I’m really proud of the way we played today.”
two early mistakes that ended up costing dearly, and when the Irish needed some magic in the closing moments, they couldn’t manage a shot on goal. It’s games like this where it’s tough to walk away with a clear idea of what actually went wrong. Notre Dame didn’t play that poorly, and while the offense struggled to score, the Irish haven’t been an explosive team all year. Duluth just made a few more plays, and
the Irish couldn’t capitalize on the few chances they had. And while this tremendous season shouldn’t be forgotten, all the success certainly feels incomplete without the crowning jewel. While the next year is always uncertain, Notre Dame can count on having a target on its back. With the way the Irish ran away with the Big Ten title and the emergence of the other teams in the conference,
next year’s conference will by no means be a cakewalk. The loss of seniors always hurts as well, and with head coach Jeff Jackson’s team, it will be no different: The re-emergence of senior defenseman Justin Wade and his physicality gave the Irish defense a much-needed boost, and the play and leadership of forward Jake Evans and defenseman Jordan Gross will be hard to replace. But that doesn’t mean the
future still isn’t bright. The Irish will have another deep team next year, and with Morris still around, this team will still be a force to be reckoned with. We’ll just have to see if the magic won’t run out.
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Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond3@nd.edu and Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, april 9, 2018 | The Observer
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BASEball | nd 5, clemson 2; clemson 6, nd 3; clemson 5, nd 2
Irish pick up one win in series against Tigers By ALEX BENDER and ELIZABETH GREASON Sports Writer and Assistant Managing Editor
After a weather delay postponed the start of the series on Friday, Notre Dame and No. 6 Clemson kicked things off for the weekend on Saturday afternoon, and the Irish wasted no time getting themselves on the board. After a lead-off walk by junior shortstop Cole Daily, senior center fielder Jake Johnson belted a shot over the wall in right field, giving Notre Dame (13-18, 5-10 ACC) the 2-0 lead. Daily continued to contribute, extending the Irish lead to 3-1 with a double in the fourth that knocked in freshman first baseman Niko Kavadas. Meanwhile, senior pitcher Scott Tully started strong on the mound, keeping Clemson’s opportunities limited as the Tigers scored just one run over the first three innings on a sacrifice fly. Tully made it through six innings of work, giving up just two earned runs as the Tigers (25-7, 10-5 ACC) added a solo shot in the fifth inning. Although Clemson did load the bases in the seventh and eight, the Irish bullpen, along with an RBI double by junior second baseman Nick Podkul and a solo homer by sophomore first baseman Daniel Jung,
helped provide some insurance to the Irish lead. After the 5-2 win head coach Mik Aoki noted how important it was for his team to win a close game like this against a high quality opponent such as Clemson. “I felt really good about it, the eighth and ninth innings got a little tight … we wiggled off the hook a couple of times there,” Aoki said. “I hope that this was the start of maybe the maturation of this team where we end up making the pitch we need to at that point because at times we haven’t done that this year.” The tide shifted for the Tigers in the second game of the series as they put on a show offensively, beginning in the third inning, when junior second baseman Jordan Greene and freshman center fielder Kier Meredith went long back-to-back. Greene sent the ball to left field, over the head of senior left fielder Alex Kerschner, as his blast barely cleared the fence, giving the Tigers the 1-0 lead. However, the damage continued when Meredith followed immediately with a bomb down the right field that well cleared the hedges at Frank Eck Stadium. The Tigers continued to increase their lead in the next inning, as freshman southpaw Tommy Sheehan walked two batters on eight pitches. His Paid Advertisement
fourth wild pitch of the year then advanced the two runners to second and third. Greene lined into the hole between first and second, driving home redshirt junior third baseman Grayson Bryd and sophomore catcher Kyle Wilkie, putting the Irish into a four-run hole. The inning ultimately came to an end in dramatic fashion with an official replay to review a double play. Daily seemingly tagging Meredith, who was caught in a rundown between first and second, and threw home to tag Green out at the plate. However, upon further review, it was determined that Daily had not, in fact, tagged Meredith and he was called safe at second. However, a quick ground out from sophomore shortstop Logan Davidson ended the inning. The next inning was more of the same for the Tigers. Sheehan hit another batter — Clemson star junior right fielder Seth Beer. He was brought home on a line drive by senior left fielder Drew Wharton, as the throw from junior right fielder Eric Gilgenbach was not in time and Wharton advanced to second base, putting Clemson up 5-0. The Tigers increased their lead once again in the top of the sixth inning, going long again, as Wilkie hit one out of the park for his first career home run.
The Irish were finally able to generate some offense in the bottom of the seventh, getting on the scoreboard as Gilgenbach recorded Notre Dame’s first extra-base hit of the day with a double to left field. Freshman designated hitter David LaManna advanced Gilgenbach to the corner and sophomore catcher Bryce Gray drove him home with a line drive double to the left field corner. The Irish were able to stage a bit more of a comeback in the game’s final frame, as Gilgenbach hit another double to lead off. With two outs, Daily showed off his wheels, racing to first for an infield hit to put runners at the corners and Johnson hit a looper to short center field, driving in Gilgenbach, to go 4-for-5 on the morning. Podkul followed it up with an RBI double of the left field wall, driving in Daily, but junior third baseman Matt Vierling popped out to center field to end the game. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Tigers struck early, as sophomore right hander Cameron Junker walked Davidson with two outs. The home plate umpire then called a balk on Junker, moving Davidson over to second. Senior catcher first baseman Chris Williams proceeded to hit a line drive to left to plate Davidson and give Clemson the lead. But Junker quickly regained control, retiring eight batters in a row and setting a new career high in strikeouts, with seven through 3 2/3 innings. However, that control was lost as quickly as it was found, as a series of singles and an error put the Tigers in prime position to blow the game wide open. Senior third baseman Patrick Cromwell led off the fifth inning by dropping a single into right field. Greene sizzled a line drive just out of the reach of Vierling, rolling into left field, but Cromwell was forced to hang up at second. Meredith continued his solid weekend with a single to right field, and Cromwell was sent home, beating out Gilgenbach’s throw. With Beer at the plate, Meredith attempted to steal second base and LaManna’s throw was errant, rolling into center field, as Greene scored on the error. Junker was pulled and sophomore right hander Andrew Belcik came in to replace him. “I feel like we just have to stay a little patient, because you look at guys like Belcik, you look at Holubecki, you look at guys that are coming out of the bullpen, or even starting for us, with the exception of Tully, and whether they’re sophomore or actual freshmen, the experiential part is that they’re still kind of freshmen,” Aoki said of the young bullpen.
Notre Dame was able to begin cutting into the Clemson lead in the sixth inning. Podkul led off with a single and Vierling followed up with a double deep to center, advancing Podkul to third, causing the Tigers to make a change on the mound, bringing in freshman right hander Travis Marr. Kerschner hit a hard grounder that ricocheted off the glove of Marr and bounced over to the second baseman, giving Podkul enough time to get home safely. Gilgenbach followed it up with a long sacrifice fly to center field, bringing Vierling home. But the Tigers were not finished offensively as Irish sophomore southpaw Cameron Brown came in in relief and immediately gave up threestraight hits: a double to Beer, a single to Davidson on a bunt and a single to Williams, plating Beer and snapping the Irish bullpen’s streak of 12-straight scoreless innings. Pinch hitter freshman Matt Cooper grounded into a double play, but brought Davidson home in the process, giving the Tigers the 5-2 win and the sweep of the doubleheader. “We’re playing at a really high level, for the most part and we’ve been victimized by a couple of miscues that we have here and there,” Aoki said. “Today, we get two strikes on Beer, we leave a ball sort of up, he hooks it down the line for the double, … just little moments like that and they got their runs with hits, we got our runs with ours. And they were good at-bats. [Kerschner] gets to two strikes and battles and pushes that thing across, I thought [Gilgenbach] hit that ball right on the screws and so there’s a certain component of it that’s just bad luck, so to speak.” Overall, Aoki feels his team’s morale has remained intact despite the rough patch it is going through, although there is a definite element of frustration for the squad. “I think they’d be crazy if they weren’t a little bit discouraged with it, but it’s also, I think they can really see how close they are,” he said. “You go down to that Duke thing and 24 out of the 27 innings that we play, we’re playing really, really well. And this one here is sort of the same type of deal. We played pretty darn well. I would say Clemson just made the plays that they needed to make or the pitch that they needed to make, but I think they can see it, I think the frustration component is the fact that they’re not breaking through and doing that.” Notre Dame will head to Michigan State to take on the Spartans on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu and Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu
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The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Heartbreak Continued from page 16
period, but Duluth’s strong defensive unit, solid goaltending and sterling forecheck prevented the Irish from doing so. The Irish only managed to get five shots on goal in the period and Shepard saved each of the five shots. With 1:28 remaining in the period, the Irish pulled Cale Morris to gain an extra man, but the Bulldogs’ defense remained solid, making it nearly impossible for the Irish to enter the zone. After the game, Irish head coach Jeff Jackson commended Duluth’s defense and said turnovers prevented the Irish from obtaining the scoring chances they needed. “My biggest thing was I thought we had too much separation between our
Evans Continued from page 16
promptly sent the Irish to the national championship with his second goal on the night in the final seconds of play. Virtually every time the Irish have needed someone to step up in crunch time this season, Evans has been involved. His sterling play in high pressure situations is a perfect example of why the Irish have a chance at the national title Saturday night. But if you talk to head coach Jeff Jackson or Evans’ fellow teammates, they’ll tell you that the senior’s attitude — on and off the ice — is what sets him apart as a captain. According to his teammates, Evans’ presence imbues confidence in those around him, and as a result, the Irish have been able to remain calm, cool and collected in the crunchtime situations they’ve been in so often this season. Evans’s classmate and fellow forward Bo Brauer extolled the captain’s focus and maturity as a leader. “It’s been pretty amazing to be with him the last four years,” Brauer said Friday. “He’s really matured. And he stays really focused in the locker room and really focused on the bench. And I think his [calmness] all over the rink and just to keep that really helps our team. And it lets everyone know that we’re all right getting down 2-0 … we look at him as a leader and he stepped up big time. And it’s really easy to follow a guy like that that can make big plays and stay calm under those kind of moments.” Junior forward Dylan Malmquist echoed Brauer’s sentiments and commended Evans for his good decisionmaking on the ice. “He’s our leader, and he stepped up big for us [Thursday] night. And it just goes to show that he has that
defensemen and our forwards,” Jackson said. “They did a really good job with their gaps. We needed to put more pucks in behind their defense, but we didn’t get that done. We had too many plays where the puck wouldn’t even get below the tops of the circles. You’re not going to generate anything if you’re chasing. Unfortunately, we were forced to chase too much because of turnovers.” Jackson went on to say that the second period was crucial for the Irish since Minnesota Duluth has been dominant late in the game. “I thought in the second we played a much better period,” Jackson said. “We needed to try and tie the game in the second, because once you get to the third period, they’re a shut-down team. They shut you down and don’t allow
much through the neutral zone. “And we had at least some juice in the second period, especially after we scored that goal. I think that we needed to try and tie it in the second. Third period was just a shutdown period. They didn’t give us much.” Despite a heartbreaking loss, the Notre Dame squad and its leaders are proud of what they accomplished this season. After the game, senior defenseman Justin Wade expressed his appreciation for his time as a member of the team. “It’s been one of the most amazing seasons, one of the most amazing hockey teams I’ve ever been a part of,” Wade said. “I couldn’t be more proud of these guys in this locker room on the team right now. We battled through adversity
in him,” Malmquist said. “And on the ice, when you watch him play, you can tell he’s a very smooth skater and makes good puck decisions. And so we just watch him, to be able to do that under pressure and it helps us out a lot on the bench.” In Thursday night’s game when the Irish found themselves down 2-0 early on, Evans himself said he stressed positivity and confidence to make sure the squad stayed on track. “The biggest thing is just making sure guys don’t get negative and we really didn’t have to do anything, because it wasn’t the leaders that needed to step up. It was a lot of the young guys that were even stepping up, which was a really good sign for us,” Evans said. “And like I’ve been saying, it’s such a calm and confident team that [it] wasn’t panic mode yet, and we fought back with our positivity and our energy and our confidence.” Irish head coach Jeff Jackson lauded Evans’s leadership abilities and growth throughout his career at Notre Dame. Jackson said that Evans had a long way to go before coming to Notre Dame, but he stepped up and took the challenges head-on. “Every captain I’ve had has had similar traits, character traits. And Jake falls into that,” he said. “ … I want guys that I can trust on the ice, off the ice, in the classroom, guys that are driven, guys that want to become players that want to be great. I’m not overly concerned about how ‘rahrah’ they are. [That] they lead by example is more important to me than by voice. And I think Jake, he was a young, young kid when he came into Notre Dame right out of Saint Michael’s College in Toronto. And I knew he had that ‘it’ factor when I recruited him. I challenged him in his last year at juniors about him needing
to pick up his game while he was still a recruit. And I told him that he’s not going to be ready to play if he doesn’t. And he got it done.” On and off the ice, Evans’ presence has clearly been a driving force behind the success of the Irish this season. For Notre Dame, heading into the season hungry for another chance at the Frozen Four after last year’s heartbreak, Evans has been the perfect guy to lead the way.
after adversity all season. I just couldn’t be more proud of the guys. We came up short this year, but we took a step as a program and it’s just an honor to be here.” Jackson echoed these sentiments, especially with respect to his senior leaders. But, in the end, Jackson said Duluth was the better team Saturday. “This group was unbelievable. I mean, they were relentless. They were resilient,” Jackson said. “We had great leadership. I feel awful for our seniors. They did a heck of a job all season long. “We still walked away with two trophies and played in the national championship game. So there’s a lot to be said for what they accomplished this year. They had a 16-game winning streak. We had a great year in the Big Ten. We ran into a better team tonight, and
we have to respect that.” Heading forward, Jackson said he wants to take the time to appreciate the members leaving the team, but he and his staff will be back to work soon enough. “We’ll get back at it and take some time to reflect. We’ve got a big senior class to replace and a big freshman class coming in. It’ll certainly be a different look in our team, but we’ve got a lot of good players and fairly good group of leadership coming back,” Jackson said. “We’ll get started all over again. It’s a continuous cycle for us as coaches. Sometimes it’s different people. But I’m not going to look that far in the future right now. I want to embrace these kids that we have here and what they accomplished.” Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu
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The observer | monday, april 9, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
hockey | Minnesota duluth 2, ND 1
Dream run falls short The luck of the Irish met its match against the Bulldogs
Evans leads ND on and off the ice as captain for senior year By CONNOR MULVENA
Tobias Hoonhout
Associate Sports Editor
Managing Editor
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story was published online April 6. ST. PAUL, Minn. — Heading into the 2017-2018 season, the Irish were without star left wing Anders Bjork, who decided to go pro after his junior year. Bjork was a major catalyst for the Notre Dame offense last season, leading the team on the year with 21 goals and 31 assists for a total of 52 points, and his absence meant that the Irish were going to have to find more ways to score. At the start of the year, head coach Jeff Jackson knew it wasn’t going to be just one player. “I don’t think it’s going to be any one guy that’s going to help fill that void offensively … so we’re going to have to make up those 50 points with everybody,” Jackson said in the preseason press conference. “I think there’s certainly guys from last year’s team that could be more productive offensively. But, I think we can make up for those points.” Senior captain Jake Evans may not be the goal-scorer that Anders Bjork was, but his selfless style of play and presence on and off the ice have been crucial to the success of the Irish this season. Evans has tallied 32 assists this season, the most on Notre Dame’s squad and tied for the fifth-most in the country. Evans’s nearly flawless facilitation all season long has allowed a number of guys to become pivotal goal scorers for Notre Dame (289-2, 17-6-1 Big Ten). As catalyst of the aggregate offense, the senior has helped the Irish manage to fill the hole left by Bjork’s absence and make the Frozen Four for the second-straight season. And when it has mattered most, Evans has been beyond clutch. The captain assisted the game-winning goal in overtime against Ohio State to hand the Irish a Big Ten championship March 17. He also assisted the game-winning goal in the first round of the tournament against Michigan Tech on March 23. And then Thursday night, Evans helped spark a comeback after the Irish fell behind 2-0 with an assist and a goal, and then see EVANS PAGE 14
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story was published online April 8.
mindset heading into Saturday’s game. “ … [Morris] doesn’t give out a lot of rebounds. I don’t know if Karson’s first goal was off their defenseman’s stick, good shot, I couldn’t tell but — getting pucks and getting traffic and trying to get them inside the dots, trying to make it a little bit harder because he’s not going to give up much if he sees pucks and certainly not going to give up rebounds,” Sandelin said. “I think Jared kind of caught him by surprise. … But we knew it was going to be tough. That’s why it’s great to see the first one go in because, you know what, that might be all you need. And he’s certainly capable with the type of goalie he is and the year he’s had to not give up any more. But we found a way to get an extra one, and that ended up being the game-winner.” The Irish have played from behind much of the year, and in characteristic fashion, their offense began to show life in the second period facing a two-goal deficit. After Duluth freshman defenseman Scott Perunovich was called for a two minute hooking minor, Notre Dame’s power play unit capitalized as junior forward Andrew Oglevie scored his 15th goal of the season. The goal was assisted by sophomore left wing Cam Morrison and senior captain Jake Evans. The Irish continued their attack for the rest of the period and even managed to create a few scoring chances, but sophomore goaltender Hunter Shepard thwarted all of Notre Dame’s efforts, looking solid in net all game. Notre Dame looked to tie the game in the final
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sometimes, destiny just doesn’t go your way. Saturday’s loss in the national championship game definitely hurts for Notre Dame nation, especially because there were a host of signs that pointed to the Irish being destined to bring home their first-ever title. There was last year’s loss in the Frozen Four to eventual-champion Denver — who had lost in the national semifinal a year before, and this year’s subsequent copying of that run. There was the emergence of Richter Award winner Cale Morris, who seized an opportunity amidst the loss of Cal Petersen and Anders Bjork and, as a sophomore, took a Notre Dame team struggling to find its identity on the longest win streak in program history. There was the utter dominance of the Big Ten and the capturing of the both the regular season and tournament conference championship, all in just the team’s first season in the conference. And there was the incredible postseason run in which the Irish (28-10-2, 17-6-1 Big Ten) won fivestraight single-goal games in the final minute or overtime, including Thursday’s comeback victory over Michigan to push this team to the title game. But at the end of the day, the Irish met their match. And that may very well be because Minnesota Duluth had all the same feel-good criteria and then some. The Bulldogs (25-16-3, 13-11-0 NCHC) went to last year’s Frozen Four as well. They were the ones who fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Pioneers in the national championship. Duluth also lost its top goal scorer and goaltender, plus a whole lot more. A whopping 10 players departed — seven seniors graduated and three underclassmen went pro — between the end of last season and the start of this one. And like the Irish, the Bulldogs relied on senior leadership at
see HEARTBREAK PAGE 14
see HOONHOUT PAGE 12
ANN CURTIS | The Observer
Irish senior forward Bo Brauer comforts fellow senior and captain Jake Evans, right, at the conclusion of Notre Dame’s 2-1 loss to Minnesota Duluth in the national championship Saturday in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Notre Dame falls behind early, unable to come back against Minnesota Duluth in national championship By CONNOR MULVENA Associate Sports Editor
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story was published online April 8. ST. PAUL, Minn. — A run that seemed destined for a championship met its end in St. Paul on Saturday night, as Notre Dame came up one goal short of its first national title, falling to Minnesota Duluth, 2-1. Minnesota Duluth (25-16-3, 14-11-0 NCHC) managed to get to Irish (28-10-2, 17-6-1 Big Ten) sophomore goaltender Cale Morris early on in Saturday night’s game. A little over nine minutes into the first period, Bulldogs senior captain Karson Kuhlman found himself with a breakaway opportunity. He hesitated and then challenged Morris’ gloveside with a bullet slapshot that found the back of the net to give Duluth an early 1-0 lead. Then, with under two minutes to play in the period, senior forward Jared Thomas snuck one past Morris’ stick side from the right of the net to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead heading into the second period. Morris has proven himself to be one of the top goaltenders in college hockey this year, as he led the nation in save percentage, wins and saves heading into the Frozen Four and won the Mike Richter award, given to the most outstanding goaltender in college hockey. Despite all of this, Minnesota Duluth managed to score on Morris early on. After the game, Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin emphasized getting pucks on net and getting traffic as the team’s offensive