Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, August 23, 2019

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VOLUME 54, ISSUE 1 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Campuses embrace first-year students University’s freshman class achieves higher retention, diversity

Incoming Belles arrive following record-breaking applications

By TOM NAATZ

By MAEVE FILBIN

Notre Dame News Editor

Saint Mary’s News Editor

In the past year, more than 22,000 high school students have submitted an application to join the Notre Dame class of 2023. At the end of a long process of discernment by the Office of Admissions, 3,515 of those students were admitted to the University. Of that group, about 2,055 accepted Notre Dame’s offer of admission and are expected to arrive on campus this

Saint Mary’s will be opening its circle this fall to 385 new Belles in the first-year class.

With 2,032 students applying for the class of 2023, the College received a record-breaking number of applications. Approximately 18% of the incoming freshman class applied early decision, director of admission Sarah Gallagher Dvorak said in an email.

The Office of Admission seeks

see ND CLASS PAGE 4

DIANE PARK | The Observer

ND kicks off welcome events

By CATE VON DOHLEN News Writer

Notre Dame will welcome the class of 2023 and transfer students this weekend with an annual line-up of events known as Welcome Weekend.

Designed to orient new students to Notre Dame before school starts, the events are coordinated and planned by the Orientation Steering Committee and Welcome Weekend teams within all dorms. Spanning Friday through Sunday, about 2,000 new students will arrive on campus early to participate in the events.

Senior Megan Holzgrefe, a member of the Orientation Steering Committee, said the role of the committee members is intermediary.

“Part of being on the committee is [overseeing] two to three different dorms and working with their captains to help coordinate events,” Holzgrefe said.

“We are kind of like liaisons between the dorm captains and the Notre Dame administrative side of Welcome Weekend.”

Holzgrefe said no committee members serve as liaisons to

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their own dorms. For example, Holzgrefe lives in Cavanaugh Hall but overlooks Dillon Hall and Lewis Hall.

Junior Aaron Benavides is also a member of the committee. Benavides, who serves as the student government press secretary, said student government isn’t too involved with Welcome Weekend this year, with a few exceptions. (Editor’s Note: Aaron Benavides is a former news writer for The Observer.)

“Notably, [student body president] Elizabeth [Boyle] and [vice president] Pat [McGuire] will be at the University Welcome on Friday and will also be involved with the first back-to-school Mass,” he said.

Benavides said the general rundown of Welcome Weekend looks similar to last year’s Welcome Weekend, including the first Moreau class for first years, the class photo in the stadium and DomerFest, among other events. Benavides also noted this year’s Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) Saturday night programming theme is “Inclusive Voices for see EVENTS PAGE 3

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

see SMC CLASS PAGE 3

Notre Dame introduces 196 transfers to campus life

By THOMAS MURPHY News Writer

This Welcome Weekend, Notre Dame’s transfer tradition is continued as 196 transfers arrive to begin their first year at the University. Among their predecessors are University President Fr. John Jenkins, University Provost Thomas Burish and Rudy.

Beginning with Thursday night’s Welcome Mass and Dinner with Jenkins, a flurry of events

awaits the transfers. Transfer Welcome Weekend captain Emma Mazurek said she is most excited for the “ND Traditions” event to take place Sunday before the all-class Grotto visit.

“First, we’re going to have a ND traditions intro and teach them all of the fun things that make Notre Dame unique, and then we’re going to transition into more of a reflective time,” Mazurek said.

“We’re going to have ambassadors come and share their reflections

on what Notre Dame means to them, what the Notre Dame family means to them, what the Grotto trip means to them and the importance and significance of the Grotto at Notre Dame.”

Events such as “ND Traditions” allow transfer students to make their transition into full-fledged Notre Dame students, while other events simply give students an opportunity to socialize and see TRANSFERS PAGE 5

Belles Beginnings aims to highlight sisterhood

By MARIA LEONTARAS Assistant Managing Editor

Each academic year, Saint Mary’s focuses on one of its four core values — learning, community, faith and spirituality and justice — with this year’s focus being community. Seniors Terra Nelson and Olivia Allen, student body president and vice president respectively, said they

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plan to incorporate the Saint Mary’s sisterhood in as much of first year students’ experiences as possible, beginning with orientation.

After receiving feedback on previous orientation experiences, Nelson said the pair have worked to make lasting changes to the peer mentor program as well as the weekend’s events to focus on community and wellness. These

NIELE IVEY PAGE 16

steps, along with the College’s increased focus on student life, sets to assist with first year students’ successes.

“That will really help girls target: ‘Who am I? What am I about?

What are my passions?’” Nelson said. “When you get to college, you can have the study skills and you can have the intellect, but if see SISTERHOOD PAGE 3

FOOTBALL PAGE 16

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TODAY

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Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

First Trip to Grotto Grotto 11 p.m.

First years to visit the Grotto as a class for the first time.

Day of Community South Bend 10 a.m.

First years to visit several organizations in South Bend.

Opening Mass, Picnic Purcell Pavilion 4:30 p.m.

Fr. Jenkins to preside over opening Mass.

Picnic to follow.

Art Attack 2019 DPAC 4:30 p.m.

Student performances to promote the arts at ND.

Snite @ Nite Snite Museum of Art 6 p.m.

Students are invited to explore exhibits at–– the Snite.

Students Move-In campus wide all day Returning students to move into residence halls.

Meet Me at the CSC Geddes Hall lawn 4:30 p.m.

The Center for Social Concerns to host its opening event.

First Day of Classes campus wide all day Undergraduate students begin classes for the Fall.

“Twelfth Night” Washington Hall 7:30 p.m.

Actors from the London Stage perform Shakespeare’s classic.

The Best of Duncan Duncan Student Center 9 p.m.

Food and prizes from SAO.

ND restructures first year advising

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By MARY STEURER Assistant Managing Editor

The semester introduces a series of organizational changes to academic advising. Perhaps most notably, the First Year of Studies — now dubbed First Year Advising — is no longer its own college.

The name change follows a number of core curriculum changes ushered in by the University’s most recent core curriculum review. Among these was the removal of first year math and science requirements to increase schedule flexibility; now students must only take these classes by graduation.

With only the University Seminar and Moreau First Year Experience required under first year curriculum, setting apart first year programming as an independent college no longer seemed necessary, physics professor Micheal Hildreth, who co-chaired the Core Curriculum Review Committee, said. Incoming first years now enroll in the college of their intended study.

The review also brought forth significant structural changes to University advising.

While academic resources for first year students, such as the Learning Resource Center and Program for Academic Excellence, will remain in Coleman-Morse Hall, first year advisers will now be housed

in their respective academic colleges.

This reorganization was done in an effort to strengthen ties between first year and college advisers. This, in turn, will give first years access to more major-specific academic guidance and smooth their transition into sophomore year, assistant provost for academic advising Elly Brenner said.

“The directors of undergraduate studies will now be down the hall. So, if I had a student really interested in psychology, I’m more closely aligned with the director of undergraduate studies for psychology,” she said.

The push for more cohesion among academic advisers was led by the Core Curriculum Review Committee’s Academic Advising Focus Group, which Hildreth also chaired. The focus group met a total of six times, with student representatives from STEM Ambassadors and the First Year of Studies Peer Advisers attending two of the meetings.

The focus group was primarily tasked with evaluating academic advising and benchmarking University practices with peer institutions. Student feedback on advising was gathered by surveying first years and exiting business and engineering students.

In their 2015 report, the Academic

Advising Focus Group also recommended the University establish new advising standards to ensure quality advising across all academic departments.

“Expectations concerning advising practices need to be established and means of assessing advising need to be put into place for both professional and departmental advisers to ensure all students are receiving good, if not excellent, advising during the entirety of their time at the University,” their 2015 report reads.

Currently, advisers have widely varying levels of professional training, Hildreth said.

“There are some departments who just have random faculty members that might be students — which can be great, or not.

And those people do not have any formal training with advisers,” he said.

Hildreth said the new standards and other efforts to strengthen advising are still in their conceptual stages.

“As people start to look at how the advising is going and how to improve it, I hope that there will be more resources made available to advisers, and some training,” he said.

Contact Mary Steurer at msteure1@nd.edu

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Excellence and Equity.”

Both Benavides and Holzgrefe said the committee has implemented some new requirements and suggestions this year based on data collected from previous Welcome Weekends.

“This year, in an attempt to make sure that we are getting everyone actively involved [and to make sure] that every member of the Notre Dame family feels included and welcome, we implemented a few new things in terms of dorm programming,” Benavides said.

Each year, new students are asked to complete a reflection concerning their Welcome Weekend experience which includes questions about in-hall programming.

It is from these surveys that data is collected to measure the popularity of Welcome Weekend events among students.

Lauren Donahue, program director of New Student Engagement and advisor to the Orientation Steering Committee, analyzed the data over the months leading up to this year’s Welcome Weekend and then presented it to the committee.

“What we learned from last

Sisterhood CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

you don’t have the confidence, if you don’t have the coping mechanisms, you’re going to kind of flounder. That wholeness framework is going to focus on that.”

The road to begin building strong relationships, Allen said, starts with understanding the self through the new peer mentor program.

“It’s all about exploring your core values and digging deep to know what makes you you, how you can take what you know about yourself and apply that to your friendships and how you get along with other people,” Allen said. “I think giving that to the freshmen is going to give them a huge leg up on being here and making strong relationships and having an amazing experience here.”

Student Government Association (SGA) members welcomed incoming Belles with milk and cookies in their dorms Thursday night to make sure the new students felt ”really loved and special,” Nelson said.

Friday will feature the Belles Outdoor Fiesta, a party with pinatas and guacamole, to provide students with another opportunity to meet one another as well as SGA members. Nelson and Allen said they hope to become familiar faces to first year students as another way to ease the transition to college.

“It’s kind of like the more people you know and the more faces you’re familiar with, the more you feel at home,” Allen said.

The new pre-Domerfest event will sport an ACDC-inspired theme with giveaways and

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | THE OBSERVER

year’s survey is that halls that hosted most of their events with halls of the opposite sex wanted to spend more time with only their community or with halls of the same sex. Halls that spent most of their time with only other halls also requested more time with just their community,” Donahue said in an email. “This year, I have encouraged students to strive for a 1:1 ratio with their in-hall programming to create a more even balance between the time students spend with male and female halls.”

Donahue also said hall captains have been asked to host one event each solely with their own hall community. The goal, she said, is to be more intentional with programming for the enjoyment of all students. “[We found that] just a requirement to have an event just within your own [dorm] community on both nights of programming is really important,” Benavides said.

Benavides used his own dorm, Duncan Hall, as an example.

“On Saturday night, you need to have an event with your own community, so Duncan has to have an event just with itself. Let’s say if [Duncan] has an event with Badin Hall, then it also needs to have an event with a men’s dorm like Alumni or Dillon,” Benavides

said.

Holzgrefe said she thought many dorms had a skewed ratio of events with fellow men’s and women’s halls. According to the data, students wanted more of a combination of events that wasn’t skewed one way or another, she said.

“It’s hard to make it absolutely perfect,” Holzgrefe said. “ ...

Trying to make it as equal as logistically possible is our goal this year.”

Benavides said the Orientation Steering Committee is striving for events that are inclusive and welcoming for all types of students. “[We are] being really mindful about students with disabilities, international students, multicultural students, first generation students and really we just want to make sure everyone has a great time during Welcome Weekend,” he said. “That’s our focus.”

Holzgrefe said the feeling of being welcomed and included was a large part of her own Welcome Weekend as a first year.

“I really want to make sure that all of the first year students feel that and that their parents feel comfortable leaving their kids here,” Holzgrefe said.

t-shirts featuring the incoming class’ graduation year, Nelson and Allen explained.

“We’re having food — we’re not making it, ‘You must be in by this time or you can’t go,’” Nelson said. “This year, it’s come between 8:30 and 9:30, and we’re going to hang out and have fun.

You’re not going to feel miserable and then we’re going to walk you over to Domerfest.”

Additionally, there will be an alternative event on the College’s campus for students who do not want to attend the traditional Notre Dame Domerfest. “[It’s] for the girls who don’t feel comfortable or maybe who don’t want to go to Notre Dame yet,” Allen said. “It gives them the option if they feel more comfortable staying, and that’s something we really want to emphasize — there’s a choice there, and we support whatever. We’ll have SGA girls at both, so the [first years], whether they want to go or not, they’re supported in both decisions.”

The pair said they find it important that every first year student enjoys themselves at the pre-Domerfest happenings but know that they can stay on campus to build relationships with other Saint Mary’s women.

“We just want each girl to be able to find their space, find their people, and it’s going to look different for each Belle,” Nelson said.

“There’s no same girl, there’s no same interest. We just really wanted to create that space, and we’re really proud of the work that’s been done. We’re hoping that this gives them a good taste for what the rest of our term is going to look like.”

The community-driven events will continue throughout the first

week of classes with each night featuring a different event. Allen said this will continue first year students’ involvement around campus as well as encourage returning students to strengthen the relationships they have already made.

“On our platform, where we talked so much about how we love the tradition of the College, we love the community and we want to enhance it. We want to make it better,” Nelson said.

“Olivia and I, we hate when girls say there’s nothing to do at Saint Mary’s. We want them to say, ‘There’s awesome things to do at Saint Mary’s, and I was given a lot of opportunities.’”

When it comes to the Saint Mary’s experience, Nelson said she hopes to provide first year students with an experience that will help them love the campus as much as a student returning for her final year.

“It’s senior year, you come back and see your friends and it feels like home,” she said. “That’s the beauty of Saint Mary’s. It clicks; it happens. That’s senior year though. Freshman year, that feeling isn’t there yet. That’s where we lose retention, that’s where girls transfer, that’s where they say, ‘I don’t fit in here.

There’s nothing to do here. I’m bored.’

“We want to start getting that ball rolling with the feeling that we have coming into senior year where ‘I am good and I love Saint Mary’s’ — we want them to be introduced to that feeling early on.

They’re going to fall in love with it, I think, anyway. We just want it to happen sooner.”

Contact Cate Von Dohlen at cvondohl@nd.edu

Contact Maria Leontaras at mleontaras01@saintmarys.edu

SMC class CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

out students demonstrating an academic background that will prepare them well for the classroom, Gallagher Dvorak said. The average GPA of incoming freshmen is 3.8, and more than half of the class held membership in the National Honor Society or other honor societies, she said.

“It is our goal to ensure that students are growing and developing in a broad cross-section of academic areas,” Gallagher Dvorak said. “Additionally, we look for students who already exemplify the core values that make our College special: A passion and calling for serving others, leadership skills and a diversity of interests and variety of life experiences and backgrounds to help enrich the campus community.”

The class of 2023 includes an impressive variety of interests and talents, Gallagher Dvorak said, with nearly 40% filling leadership positions in their high school clubs and organizations, and about 70% contributing to service work, with many having completed mission trips around the world and a number having been actively involved in political campaigns. Additionally, 69% of the class was involved in athletics, and 26% were captains of their sports teams, she said.

“We also have many musicians, artists and thespians,” Gallagher Dvorak said. “A children’s book author, a hero who saved a child’s life in an earthquake, a championship level Irish dancer and an entrepreneur who started her own video production company are just a few of the impressive young women who make up the class of 2023.”

3

About 18% of those enrolled share legacy connections, a slightly smaller percentage of the class than last year, Gallagher Dvorak said. However, approximately 28% of the freshman class are students from underrepresented populations — a significant increase in diversity, she said.

“In recent years, we’ve seen continual increases in diversity from one class to another, but we saw a steeper spike in students from underrepresented populations for this class than we’ve seen in past years,” Gallagher Dvorak said. “We’re proud of our continued work to enroll a more diverse population of students to Saint Mary’s as we value the richness [that] diversity brings to our classrooms and the campus community as a whole.”

This incoming class represents 31 states and two countries, Gallagher Dvorak said, and come from incredibly diverse ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds.

“They will learn from one another and help to expand the world views of their fellow Belles as they interact both in and out of the classroom,” Gallagher Dvorak said. “Just like Notre Dame and Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s prides itself on educating both the mind and the heart. We give students opportunities to develop intellectually and professionally, but also personally, emotionally and spiritually. The personalized nature of a Saint Mary’s education and the focus on empowering our young women to become the best version of themselves will set the class of 2023 up for great success in the future.”

Contact Maeve Filbin at mfilbin01@saintmarys.edu

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weekend as the class of 2023.

Don Bishop, the Universit y’s associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment, said the class of 2023’s yield rate — the number of admitted students who decided to come to Notre Dame — of 58.4% is a full percentage point higher than last year. This increased yield rate comes in spite of the fact that 90 fewer students were admitted this year as compared to last year.

“We were able to admit fewer students and get our class goal,” Bishop said.

Bishop said the school has sought to recruit an applicant pool comprised of students who have a competitive chance of admission. He attributed the University’s record low acceptance rate of 15.8% last year to the higher quality of students in the applicant pool.

“The admit rate was 15.8% .

That’s the lowest admit rate we’ve ever had. I don’t want us to celebrate that. We are not out there tr ying to accumulate applicants that don’t have much of an opportunity in the pool,” he said. “… We always are tr ying to improve the applicant pool in the quality of students and that quality definition extends beyond test scores and high school grades. ”But we really looked to increase the applicant pool with students who have the credentials that at least give them a 50/50 chance of admission. This year, the applicant pool went up 9% over the year before, but it went up 23% in these types of what you would call ‘higher profile’ applicants.”

From a demographic perspective, the incoming freshman class is more diverse on several different scores, Bishop said. The proportion of the incoming class made up by students of color from the United States is 29% , up from last year’s 26% . The class of 2023 includes 318 students that are either international citizens or dual-citizen American students raised abroad by one American parent or one foreign parent.

“We’re six percent pure international, no connection to America whatsoever,” he said. “Another three percent are … born and raised in another countr y, but they have an American parent, so they’re able to claim dual citizenship.”

Those two groups, along with permanent residents of the United States and American students raised abroad, constitute 16% of the class, Bishop said.

Bishop said 21.3% of students are children of alumni,

while the number of students in the class of 2023 who are either first generation college students or recipients of Pell Grants are up “by about 30” individuals when compared to last year. They also represent about 16% of the class, Bishop said. W hen the number of students receiving significant financial aid from the University is included, that figure jumps to about a fifth of the class.

“If you add in the attribute … of lower income students that would need more than tuition and fees as a scholarship to come here — so they can’t pay a dime of tuition and fees and yet we’ve provided them with the support — when you add in first [generation], Pell and receiving more than tuition and fees, it’s around 22% of the whole class.”

Bishop said the University prioritized recruiting a diverse class, although admissions staff operated under a wide definition of diversity as they built the class.

“We did make an effort and recruit more diversity.

‘Diversity’ as defined in the broadest way — socioeconomic diversity, cultural diversity,” he said. “The largest number of students came from public high schools — 43% — the next percent are Catholic [schools] — I think it’s 38% — and then 19% for private or charter schools.”

Though the school has become more diverse, its share of Catholic students has stayed consistent at about 80% .

“We’re 81.5% Catholic.

We’ve always been around 80% to 80-some odd percent [Catholic]. I don’t think that’s new news,” Bishop said. “But if they saw the diversity numbers going up as dramatically as they are, they might’ve said, ‘Well, did the Catholic numbers go down? ’ No, we have found more students of color, more lower income Catholics, than ever before.

“So that effort for diversity continued to attract the top Catholics from those diverse backgrounds, actually even more successfully this year than ever before. That’s gratif ying. It’s a goal of ours; we want to go out to all these diverse communities and find those who really believe in Notre Dame and the benefits of Notre Dame.”

Geographically, the class is drawn from across the countr y. The most represented region in the United States is the East Coast, contributing 24% of the class, followed by the Central Midwest at 20% .

The West and Southwest, Midwest and South round out the American portion of the class at 19% , 15% and 13% respectively.

“We’re the most nationally diverse university. The average first year student comes

from a median distance of 750 miles,” he said. “The gates of Columbia University and the gates of Notre Dame are 702 driving miles apart … So if you’re a New Yorker, you live closer to Notre Dame than the average student who comes to the University.”

Bishop said about a quarter each of the incoming class has decided to study in the College of Arts and Letters, the Mendoza College of Business, the College of Science and either the School of Architecture or College of Engineering.

“I think there’s a real creativity available at Notre Dame to be whatever you want,” he said. “There’s not a sense we’re looking for conformity at all. We’re looking for ver y different mindsets.”

Bishop said that when considering applicants, the University weighs heavily what might lie behind a student’s successes. In other words, the underlying motivational factors of a student’s accomplishments is an important piece of the admissions puzzle.

“The more that the application numbers go up and the academic profile of the applicant pool goes up the more we feel we can be holistic in our approach, more creative. We’re looking at a student’s motivation for success as a heav y decider,” he said. “And that’s not easy to do. We do our best as we read the file to read it and get a

sense of what motivated the student to reach those levels of accomplishments. The accomplishment itself is not sufficient for admission. It’s the whole stor y.”

Motivation for success, Bishop said, is considered in part because it is closely related to determining which applicants will utilize all of the opportunities Notre Dame has to offer.

“One way you can look at it is why somebody has gone as far as they have and how far they’ve gone from where they were [gives] a great deal of predictive value in predicting how far they will go with what they get here,” he said. “How will they use Notre Dame? ”I think one of the great considerations when we’re picking an applicant pool for the enrolled class is ‘W hich students will make the best use of the resources that have been put together at Notre Dame? ’ I think more and more our students each year are engaging the academic, the social and the spiritual side of Notre Dame, the mission side of Notre Dame, more than any class before. So we are more selective, but we’re also more on mission.”

Christy Pratt, the University’s director of admissions, credited the admissions staff for their work in seeking to enhance the incoming freshman class.

She also noted that this PAID ADVERTISEMENT

incoming class has one special attribute: it is the last class recruited under retiring director of admissions Bob Mundy.

“The credit goes to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions staff that is reading all of these applications, they are on the road and going to all of these different locations and schools,” Pratt said. “… It’s a lot of work and dedication, and we have an amazing staff that is continuing to meet these goals and really enrich the class in finding these students that are going to come and be a great addition to the Notre Dame community.”

Bishop said the incoming class will increase to the dynamism of the University.

“Each year Notre Dame has advanced its mission to attract a powerful group of young scholars from across the nation and across the globe. The class of 2023 not only impressed our admissions committee — they also inspired us,” he said. “This is the strongest group of intellectually creative and resourceful students we have ever attracted. They come from an increasingly more diverse set of geographic, cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds as well as fields of academic interests. It is an exciting time to be at Notre Dame.”

Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu

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meet their new classmates.

Socializing events include bowling at Strikes and Spares in South Bend, Broomball in the Compton Family Ice Arena and Domerfest.

Lauren Donahue, program director for new student engagement, said in an email the events planned for Welcome Weekend seek to help diverse groups of students arriving on campus adjust to their community.

“Transfer Welcome Weekend is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of all incoming students who are transferring to the University. As a group, their familiarity with the culture of Notre Dame varies. Additionally, the length of time these students attended another institution before coming to Notre Dame varies,” Donahue said. “ … I want all of our incoming students, including transfer students, to find a sense of connection and belonging at Notre Dame, and that starts with Welcome Weekend.”

Anthony Bell, one of this year’s captains for Transfer Welcome Weekend who is now participating in his

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | THE OBSERVER

fourth Transfer Welcome Weekend, said the Welcome Weekend events challenged him to grow.

“One thing that was really positive but also really put me out of my comfort zone was that [Welcome Weekend] was the first time I’d really gone somewhere where I knew absolutely nobody,” Bell said. “ … You’re really thrown out of your comfort zone just trying to meet new people who are going through the same experience as you, but you feel like you’re totally out there by yourself.”

This year, 196 transfer students are enrolling at the University, 42 of whom are entering Notre Dame’s 3-2 or 4-1 engineering programs.

Don Bishop, associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment at Notre Dame, said 109 of the 174 “traditional” transfers come from Catholic institutions. He also said the average GPA achieved by transfer students at their former institution is a 3.88.

Director of transfer enrollment Erin Camilleri said that while transfer students certainly have an impressive academic record, the Office of Admissions takes a holistic approach when considering transfer applicants.

“We’re really looking for the students who — coming to Notre Dame — continue to have an excellent fit for Notre Dame admissions.

They demonstrate that both in their high school profile as well as their college record,” Camilleri said. “ … We’re really looking for the students who will be academically successful, but we’re also looking for students who ‘get’ Notre Dame and are going to make Notre Dame a better place.”

Bishop said this year the University is accepting 74 students from Holy Cross College via the Gateway Program, eight more than last year. Many Gateway students chose the program despite having been accepted to several top universities across the nation, Bishop said.

“The Gateway students as a group … the majority would have gone to a top 30 university,” Bishop said. “They got in to other top 30 universities, and then picked the Notre Dame Gateway Program over that university. Their academic profile as a group when they came out of high school … would rank as a top 25 to top 30 college freshmen profile. So, those students are very good.”

The average GPA of a PAID ADVERTISEMENT

transfer student’s first year at Notre Dame is about the same as a student who entered the University as a freshman, Bishop said.

“At the end of their first year at Notre Dame, [transfers have] a very similar class performance program as the other students that came in as freshmen who are now in their age group,” he said. “So, they perform at an equal level … they don’t take the opportunity for granted.”

But while transfer students perform academically at the same level as students who arrived at Notre Dame as freshmen, the transition to a new campus can be difficult. Bell, who transferred to the University following his freshman year, said arriving on campus led to mixed emotions.

“It’s exciting because you know if you transferred to Notre Dame, you feel like that’s where you’re meant to be. You feel like you’re going home,” Bell said. “But it’s a little bit nerve-wracking because you’re starting over, and unlike it being the normal experience to start fresh as a first year, you’re doing it as a sophomore in college.

There’s a lot of things that are new. It’s a weird transition in that way, because you’ve

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already done it before, and now you have to do it another time.”

Mazurek said transfers’ delayed start to their Notre Dame career is tough on many.

“Not everyone understands how difficult it is to be a transfer student,” Mazurek said.

“You’re coming into a new school. It’s kind of like you’re starting your freshman year all over again, but you’re also a year behind with your other peers, a year behind with your extracurriculars, a year behind with making friends.”

To manage the whirlwind of Welcome Weekend, Bell said he recommends students live in the moment and enjoy their first full moments as members of the Notre Dame community.

“Put a [stop] on the stresses of moving in and getting yourself situated and really embrace the traditions and all the fun that Welcome Weekend has to offer,” he said. “It’s designed for you to meet people in your situation and for you to have fun; it’s a Notre Dame experience just as much as any football game you go to or any time you sing the Alma Mater.”

Contact Thomas Murphy at tmurphy7@nd.edu

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

INSIDE COLUMN

Make the most of it Kelli Smith Editor-in-Chief

Freshmen, if you’re anything like I was three years ago, you’re probably a nervous and excited wreck right about now.

In the coming days, you’ll meet hundreds of faces and learn name after name you likely won’t remember. You’ll experience the awkwardness of acclimating to a new city, home and friends. Welcome Weekend will mesh into an indiscernible blur of events and classes and people you don’t recognize but also sort of recognize but you also can’t really be sure because you met three Jacks and five Katies and honestly who can really tell at this point.

Through the craze, be sure to remind yourself this experience really is what you make of it. Set a goal for yourself now and hold yourself to it. And like everyone has probably told you a million times already: Challenge yourself to go out of your comfort zone.

You’ve probably heard a lot of advice and will hear more in the coming days. A few of the essentials: Save your flex points, get to know people in your classes, never forget your shower shoes, take naps, be involved but not too involved so you leave time for yourself, approach dining hall doors very carefully and don’t be afraid to say hi to people you know but sort of don’t know when you come across them on campus.

I would tell you go to office hours like everyone else, but to be honest, I never did any of that my freshman year. I was too scared. I didn’t think I was smart enough to even be in those classes, and I didn’t even know what topics to bring up. Don’t box yourself in like I too often did three years ago, because as cheesy as it always sounds, you were chosen to be here for a reason.

Know this transition won’t be easy at first, and that’s OK. You’ll have days in which you question if you made the right decision. There will be times you wonder if you truly fit in to this community, this campus, this culture. There will be moments you struggle to strike a balance between your academics, social life and time for yourself and will have to choose.

We’ve all been there. Change is terrifying. But you will find your rhythm.

Have faith in that, because if you’re like me, there might come a day you’re trudging through anklehigh snow on South Quad in boots that feel way too clunky for your feet, groveling about the philosophy homework you guessed your way through and nursing symptoms from the freshman plague you swore you wouldn’t catch — and then you’ll remember that promise you made yourself all those months ago.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll feel your perspective shift a little bit.

Your life is about to change in a major way, and it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of it all. I’m a little biased, but through that excitement remind yourself to stay involved in campus happenings. Be an advocate and pursue the change you want to see.

Understandably, there will be a lot of focus on yourself over this next year — but don’t forget the values that got you here in the first place. You were chosen to attend Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s or Holy Cross because you’re someone who was entrusted to make a difference.

Make the most of it.

Contact Kelli Smith at ksmith67@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A warm welcome Dear students, I extend a warm welcome to each of you.

Whether you are arriving on campus for the first time or returning after a summer away, we are very glad you are part of the Notre Dame community.

As we prepare for a new academic year, I invite you to attend the campus-wide Mass on Tuesday, August 27 at 5:30 p.m. in the Purcell Pavilion of the Joyce Center. Following Mass, there will be a picnic in Notre Dame Stadium, where music and entertainment are planned. Please join me on this important occasion as we gather as a community, welcome new members and ask God’s blessing on our endeavors in the coming year.

Notre Dame’s mission is distinctive. We offer an undergraduate education that is second to none, committed to educating the whole person. We cultivate scholarly excellence, and we advance human understanding through top-tier research and post-baccalaureate programs. In all that we do, we ensure that Notre Dame’s Catholic identity informs our efforts.

As you know, the University has a rich history.

Generations of Notre Dame graduates have been shaped by their experiences here, and they, in turn, have left their mark on the University. We invite you to do the same, to be part of Notre Dame’s present as well as its future. Individually and collectively, you have tremendous talents and gifts to share.

At a time when the world’s need for compassionate and creative leaders is great, I hope you will take every day, every place on this campus and every conversation with those you encounter here as an opportunity to engage, learn and grow. You are Notre Dame, and we are better because you are here.

Once again, welcome. I wish you every grace and blessing, and my prayers are with you.

In Notre Dame, Fr. John Jenkins President, Notre Dame Aug. 22

Your purpose now Dear Saint Mary’s College Belles, On behalf of the faculty and staff at Saint Mary’s College, I want to welcome you as new students of the Class of 2023, transfer students, returning students and graduate students. As someone who has been at Saint Mary’s for 35 years as a faculty member in the Department of Biology and now serving as the College’s 13th president, I understand how powerful this experience will be for you. Your time here will be spent in a rigorous academic environment that will both challenge and support you. Our faculty, staff and administration are accessible and eager to help make your transition to college life here at Saint Mary’s abundantly successful.

We are an institution founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and, as such, we emphasize the education of the whole person. Your collegiate experience includes both the time you spend in the classroom and the many hours that you are not in class. Every co-curricular activity will enhance your experience here, and I encourage you to participate in as many activities as time and your academic schedule will permit.

My prayer for you is that you will engage with

the values of justice and community, that you will strive to think outside your own experiences to embrace the realities of others, and that you will see wonder and possibility in what you learn and in the people you encounter. If this happens for you, then you, too, will have experienced the real Saint Mary’s, the Saint Mary’s that over 20,000 alumnae around the world experienced during their time here.

We are celebrating the College’s 175th anniversary in 2019, as well as our proud tradition of educating students to make a difference in the world.

You are now part of this tradition. It is your turn to make history at Saint Mary’s College. Your purpose now is to change us for the better as you share your gifts and talents and become the person God intended you to be. I look forward to accompanying you on this exciting journey.

Sincerely, Nancy P. Nekvasil Interim President, Saint Mary’s Aug. 22

At work for the common good Dear students, It is a genuine pleasure to welcome each of you to Holy Cross College. Your arrival every August brings a renewed sense of purpose and excitement, and on behalf of our faculty, staff and administration, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your being part of this community.

I would especially like to welcome those of you who are new to campus. You can expect much from your time here, and you will quickly discover and feel at home in a place that I know to be a truly supportive and welcoming place of scholars, citizens, leaders and disciples at work for the common good.

The Catholic liberal arts education we offer here is transformative — at Holy Cross, you will have the opportunity to discover and discern your purpose in the world and find within yourself the “competency to see and the courage to act.” You will engage in a meaningful liberal arts education buoyed by a devoted faculty and grounded in the mission of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

In the weeks and months ahead, you will find many opportunities, not only here at Holy Cross,

but in the tri-campus and the greater community, through which you will develop as a global citizen.

You will meet and engage with new friends and mentors. You will learn things you never knew possible, form friendships you never imagined and experience things totally unexpected and new.

Through the founding order of Holy Cross and our shared mission of educating the hearts and minds of our young men and women, the tri-campus community has much that brings it together.

That very mission is what appealed to me when I moved here at the start of my own college career.

I hope you realize that your involvement in it has already begun. I pray that you take this time to embrace the experience and continue to grow in faith and wisdom.

Again, welcome to Holy Cross College. Know of my prayers for you in the coming semester.

In Holy Cross, Fr. David T. Tyson President, Holy Cross Aug. 22

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We will cheer you on Dear First Year Students, It is our absolute pleasure to welcome you to your home under the dome and to stand alongside you as you begin your Notre Dame journey. We are are Elizabeth and Patrick and we are so honored to be serving as your student body president and vice president this year. Over the next four years, you will come to know how special our Notre Dame family is, and Welcome Weekend is just the beginning. Over the next few days, you will find yourselves serenading your way around campus, wearing the same beautiful dorm shirt every day and attending the greatest of all university welcome events: Domerfest.

As you walk around campus you will begin to find your favorite “spots”: study spots, prayer spots and friend spots.

Though four years may seem like a long time, in the blink of an eye, you will be wishing you had time for one more walk around the lake, one more quarter dog from LaFun and one more football weekend. You will find that though

Notre Dame’s famous school spirit and football prowess are evident on campus, you will realize that there are a million other things that make Notre Dame special. We encourage you to take the time to truly find out how to make Notre Dame your own.

Whether through academics, artistic expression or activism; in your residence hall, in clubs or in the South Bend community; inside the classroom and beyond it; be sure to explore your passions, both the ones you brought with you and the ones you’ve yet to discover. Apply for grants! Take classes outside your major! Robotic football club? Go for it! Treasure the new friendships you make through these experiences, but be sure to remember those first friends who got you here: your parents — call your parents.

Also, be sure to be kind to yourself! Many of the discoveries you’ll make here are about you — spend time taking care of yourself and being with yourself when you need it.

No matter where your skills and passions take you — and where you take them — we will be cheering you on alongside your new Notre Dame family. This is, of course, figurative cheering. Although we strongly encourage you to visit us in the student government office in 203 LaFortune. There, we will quite literally cheer you on.

And speaking of cheering, go Irish! Beat Cardinals!

Welcome home, Elizabeth Boyle student body president, Notre Dame senior Patrick McGuire student body vice president, Notre Dame junior Aug. 22

What makes this campus home Dear Belles, Welcome home! Whether this is your first year or your fourth year, we are excited to welcome you on campus this fall. As we begin the 2019-2020 school year we look forward to partnering with you, empowering you and sharing chicken nugget day with you.

As we press forward into this new academic year, we want to thank you for being a part of this community.

Community is the 2019-2020 highlighted core value, and we believe that community is what makes us great. The women that make up this College, past and present, are what make this beautiful campus home. We strive to strengthen this community as our term continues, aiming

to make Saint Mary’s an inclusive environment for all Belles.

As we begin this school year together, we encourage you to think of the woman you strive to be one day. What does she believe in? What does she stand for? How does she treat others? Think of this woman and continue to be intentional about diving into your unique passions and callings over the next year. Sign up for a club you normally would be too afraid to join, get a meal with a Belle you don’t know too well, go to a campus event that piques your interest! You are safe to fail here, you are safe to ask for help here, you are safe to dream big here — we need you here!

After a long summer apart, we are lucky to come home

to one another. Please know the Student Government Association is excited to work with you and for you this year!

In Saint Mary’s, Terra Nelson student body president, Saint Mary’s senior Olivia Allen student body vice president, Saint Mary’s senior Aug. 22

Journey as a Saint Holy Cross class of 2023, Your time has come to embark on a brand new journey to discover a more developed version of yourself. College is a place to try new things and explore the endless opportunities given to you. We hope to make you feel as comfortable and welcomed as possible while you are living within the Holy Cross community. We understand how daunting this can be for some students. However, it is our job to ensure that you have the most fun and exciting first year that you could possibly have.

Since college is a new experience for most of you, we would like to give you some insights into your new school and its surrounding community. Holy Cross students are given a very unique opportunity most colleges cannot offer. As we are a part of a tri-campus community with both

Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame, Holy Cross students have the ability to take classes, join clubs, listen to lectures and attend sporting events at any of the three schools. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity in order for you to receive the full college experience.

Another tip we would like to give to you is to get out of your comfort zone and embrace new adventures. You will not regret it. Doing so will allow you to discover new things about yourself and provides a way to make friends from all areas of the country and even the world.

Lastly, we encourage you all to push yourselves. Push yourself to succeed and grow whether it is academically, athletically, socially or spiritually. Set goals and work to achieve them. The next four years will lay the foundation for the rest of your life.

We wish you the best four years that you could possibly have at Holy Cross. Don’t stress. Have fun. Be safe. Be smart.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. We are all in this together.

Welcome!

Best Wishes, Ivan Martinez student body president, Holy Cross senior Rylee Horn student body vice president, Holy Cross junior Aug. 22

Take these opportunities Dear new students, Like generations who came before, you are embarking on a journey at the University of Notre Dame where you will have an opportunity to advance your knowledge, deepen your faith, develop your character and form lifelong friendships.

I hope Notre Dame challenges you in many ways.

Take these opportunities to find a passion that matches your talents and allows you to lead a purposeful life. Dare to be different, yet be respectful and welcoming to all. Have fun, without engaging in behavior that would place you or others at risk. Expect much of yourself, care for those in the community around you and reach out for support when needed.

Explore new things, while cherishing the people and traditions that matter. Embrace Notre Dame’s

distinctive Catholic, Holy Cross tradition, and enrich your understanding of it through study and reflection.

Contribute your own talents to improve the experiences of others.

Much of your development at the University can and should occur on your own. At the same time, know the Division of Student Affairs is available to support you through our residential communities and a variety of student service departments. The professionals who serve in Campus Ministry, the Office of Community Standards, the Family Resource Center, the Gender Relations Center, Graduate Student Life, the McDonald Center for Student Well-Being, the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development, Multicultural Student Programs and Services, RecSports, the Office of Residential Life, Sara Bea

Disability Services, the Student Activities Office, the Office of Student Enrichment, the University Counseling Center, University Health Services and beyond are trained to provide specialized services and programming that will complement your formation. All of us are eager to accompany you on the road you will travel during your time at Notre Dame.

I look forward to watching how your presence, energy and ideas renew and enhance our University. May we all form a strong community and write the next chapter of this beloved institution together.

With best wishes and prayers for a successful year, Erin Hoffmann Harding vice president for student affairs, Notre Dame Aug. 22

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

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DIANE PARK | The Observer

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DAILY

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ

HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday: You’ll have to balance intelligence and emotions to prevent you from making a hasty choice that will take time to reverse. Slow down, smell the roses, enjoy the moment and double-check everything before you make a move. Precision and detail will lead to far greater success than winging it or trusting others to do their fair share. Your numbers are 7, 12, 21, 29, 34, 41, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Try something new. Explore the possibilities to see what you are capable of doing. Your only limitation is not believing in yourself. Speak up and share stories and experiences, and new friendships will develop.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Refuse to let your emotions interfere with what you are trying to accomplish. Set your course, and don’t stop until you reach your goal. Physical action will make the difference between failure and success. Get up and get moving.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Think matters through before you decide to make a change that can alter your lifestyle or domestic routine. Question anyone who is offering incorrect information or suggestions. A joint venture may be tempting, but if it’s not sound, take a pass.

CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Participate, offer your services and make a difference to others. How you proceed and what you are willing to do will mark your character and position you for opportunities. Do what’s in your heart, and positive change will occur.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Pause before you share your thoughts. Someone will take credit for a plan you came up with. Don’t be afraid to forge ahead alone.

Trust in your instincts and your experience to help you bring your projects to fruition.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Business trips, educational pursuits and networking will lead to exciting opportunities. Do what you do best; show your talents, skills and dedication, and you will command attention as well as leave an unprecedented impression. Romance is in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Taking a diplomatic, intelligent approach and making suggestions that are valid and will also benefit someone likely to cause a fuss will make whatever transition you are trying to achieve more inviting. Peace and love conquer force.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Make physical changes that will help you improve your game. What you do will have more of an impact on the way others respond to you and the offers you receive than talking about what you plan to do.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be careful how you use information that others reveal. You may be given false data, or someone may set you up to look bad. Listen, observe and wait to see what develops before you let others know where you stand.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You can move forward. Clear up unfinished business, and make room to build a new foundation for a better future. A chance to improve your financial status is within reach if you do the work required to forge ahead.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Someone will play with your heart if you aren’t careful. Walk away from unpredictable situations and people. Be smart, use diplomacy and protect what’s yours. Ulterior motives, compliments and unwarranted generosity should raise red flags.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Change can be useful, but going overboard is not. If you want to do something, be reasonable, think your plans through and avoid overspending or overdoing. Stick to a safe, steady path forward.

Know your boundaries and your limits.

Birthday Baby: You are smart, dramatic and colorful. You are friendly and charismatic.

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SPORTS

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | THE OBSERVER

BASEBALL

SPORTS AUTHORITY

A guide to smart NFL betting Jack Concannon Sports Writer

It is often taught one should seek investments that are low in risk and high in return. I have found some investments that are guaranteed money in your pocket. You could pay thousands of dollars, but no financial advisor would come close to providing the risk-free return I am about to provide you.

I am talking, of course, about my gambling picks for the upcoming NFL season.

Here’s some values that are guaranteed (kind of) to win you money. For clarity, if I were to say that a team is 2-1 to win its division, I mean that a one dollar bet on that team would pay out two dollars (three total dollars including your bet) if your prediction was correct.

AFC North There is all kinds of hype around the Browns this year, and they are currently the favorite to win the AFC North. I like Baker Mayfield and what the Browns have put together, but they’re an unproven commodity that has not been to the playoffs since 2002. The Steelers are 8-5 to win the AFC North, and that’s a bet I’m taking to the bank.

Picking the team that has won its division three of the last five years and has the best quarterback in the division (all hate mail from Browns fans can be directed to my email below) feels like stealing to me.

The team unloaded Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell — both major distractions last season — with solid replacements. Ride the Steelers to free money.

NFC South Give me the Panthers at 11-2 to take the NFC South. I don’t think the Panthers are the favorite to win the NFC South, but 15-4 is a criminal value.

Cam Newton is finally healthy, and the team made heavy investments in its offensive line during free agency to keep him that way.

Everyone thinks the Saints are untouchable in the NFC South, but this is not true.

There is so much parity in the

11

NFL now. The NFC South has had three different champions in the last four years. Four of the 2017 season’s division winners failed to repeat last year.

The Panthers may not be the favorite, but their odds are far greater than the 21.1% probability implied by these odds.

We’re betting on uncertainty here, and I love the long odds we’re getting to do so.

NFC East What do you get when you combine a coach on the hot seat, no offensive weapons and a defense that just cut the team’s leading tackler from last season? You get the 2019 Washington Redskins, a sneaky worst-team-in-the-league contender. I like Washington to win under six games, a bet currently paying even 1-1 odds.

Whether it’s Case Keenum or Dwayne Haskins in control of the offense, I’m not confident.

I’m especially nervous when you consider who they will be throwing to. Their receivers are weak. Derrius Guice and Jordan Reed are on the injury report far more frequently than the end zone. The NFL is an offensive league, as only two of the bottom five NFL teams last year in points per game last year surpassed six wins. I fully expect the Redskins to be in the bottom five in offense this year, and they will pay the price for it. Hammer the under.

Honorable mentions A prediction worth watching is the Patriots at 6-1 to repeat as Super Bowl Champions, because some football god loves to see us all suffer. The Chargers at 9-4 to win the AFC West is interesting. Many forget they were 12-4 last year and now the league has a full year of film on Mahomes and an offseason to prepare for him. The Houston Texans at 17-4 to win the AFC South is worth considering, because if Luck is announced to miss week 1, the odds are going to get far less favorable for betters and it looks like that Luck may not be healthy.

Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Write Sports.

Email Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu

New head coach shares hopes for program

By ELLEN GEYER Sports Writer

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online July 17.

Molded by the guidance of baseball coaching legend Mike Martin, newly hired Notre Dame baseball coach Link Jarrett is cognizant of what his new role means for the program.

Jarrett, who replaces Mik Aoki at the helm of the Irish, enters his 20th season coaching and his eighth year as a head coach. Coming from UNC Greensboro where he was twice named Southern Conference Coach of the Year, he is hopeful that he can bring his winning ways with him to South Bend.

“I’m honored to be here.

Obviously, this program and this logo, putting this hat on, it’s always been really dear to my heart,” Jarrett said at a press conference Monday. “I think it represents everything that is classy and elite in athletics. This brand is worldwide. To put this hat on is a very special moment for me.”

Coming from an extremely successful program at UNC Greensboro, Jarrett will be making the transition to a Notre Dame team that has missed out on the NCAA Regionals for the past four seasons. His obvious goal for the coming season is to bridge that gap, helping elevate his program back to a competitive, playoff level.

“I want the guys to compete. I want them to have the chance to win championships and hopefully get this program to a point that we’re in Regionals. That’s what I want,” Jarrett said. “I’m trying to get to know the players, that’s going to take a little bit of time.

I’ve started to talk to each of them individually.”

Jarrett noted the coaching philosophy he will be using with the players is the same as he used at UNC Greensboro and is a style he adapted by learning from his coaches over the years — most notably from Martin, the winningest coach in NCAA Division I baseball history.

“I wasn’t a great player, but I was a great student. I studied and I felt like [Martin] had a knack for putting us in the best position to win,” Jarrett said.

“I pulled bits and pieces everywhere I went, and you feel

like when you get your shot as a head coach, you have to find out what works for you with your personality. You pull the traits from some of those great leaders and … put them in to what you do.”

For Jarrett, one such trait has been emphasizing the importance of performing well in practice to ensure results during games.

“I’m probably more fiery at practice than I am in the game. The bulk of what you’re doing with [the players] happens in the day-in, day-out — it’s going to start in the first skill session we have. If you’re trying to create that in game one, you’ve probably let some things slide that you should have addressed before,” Jarrett said. “Practice-wise, it’s our job to really push and demand and teach and coach. In the game, it’s to strategize and try to find ways to navigate to win the game.”

Jarrett has not yet announced any staffing changes, but he has expressed his confidence in the group of players he has. He also emphasized that the most important thing for his team moving forward will be creating an environment in which the players can grow and thrive.

“It’s creating a culture and a path of development for these guys that helps them get better,” Jarrett said. “I’m going to

look at that room and there’s going to be 35 guys that I don’t know anything about. It was the same way at Greensboro.

And some of those guys, you could see them instantly start to turn the corner. The culture of that group, as it got better, everything we did on the field became more team-oriented.

It was more focused on our group winning than it was on what those individual guys wanted or needed or thought or felt. It was the team — it was one pulse, not 35 guys doing their own thing.”

Jarrett believes the creation of such a culture will come a winning attitude, which will propel the his team to a level many of the players have not seen since putting on a Notre Dame uniform.

“The exciting thing is the sky is the limit. If you can get through your regular season and perform day-in and day-out with consistent performance — win the games that you need to win and steal some games — you’re going to be in a Regional,” Jarrett said.

“That’s where I see this going. And I know it’s not easy.

Everybody has the same practice hours, everybody has the same recruiting calendars. It’s just about how efficiently you use that.”

Contact Ellen Geyer at egeyer1@nd.edu

MARY STEURER | The Observer

Notre Dame head baseball coach Link Jarrett speaks to the media at a press conference July 15. Jarrett replaced Mik Aoki on July 12.

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 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

FOOTBALL

Defensive backs coach discusses recruitment

By CONNOR MULVENA Sports Editor

In his media day press conference ahead of the 2019-2020 season, Notre Dame football defensive backs coach Terry Joseph talked recruitment, talent and development.

And of course, when you think defensive backs, you can’t help but think of the loss of All-American cornerback Julian Love. Love, the all-time career leader in pass break-ups at Notre Dame, was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Joseph acknowledged the significant gap Love’s absence leaves for this squad of defensive backs, but he expressed confidence in the group’s development this offseason.

“Obviously, you’re losing an AllAmerican like Julian Love, you’re going to have some holes to fill,” he said. “But I think as a group, those guys have really done a nice job stepping up. I think [senior] Troy [Pride Jr.] has had a pretty good camp, obviously going against a great down-the-field catcher like [senior wide receiver Chase] Claypool day in and day out, it really gives him an opportunity to

sharpen his skills. And we’ve been preaching to sharpen the axe all camp. So I think he’s really battled.”

In addition to Pride Jr., Joseph acknowledged the physicality the position requires while also assuring his team has a deep enough roster to withstand the demands of the regular season.

“A lot of the guys have been banged up at times at that position, but I think [sophomore defensive back] TaRiq [Bracy] has come through and shown some consistency, really grown up and matured a lot from last year,” he said. “The rest of those guys, getting [graduate student cornerback] Shaun [Crawford] back, [freshman defensive back] Houston [Griffith] has been dinged a little bit, so I think all those guys as a group, we’re going to have about five guys that we can roll out there and play winning football.”

The bevy of pieces available in the defensive secondary for the Irish this year is crucial for the squad’s health and development, according to Joseph.

“Well, I think you know, when you look back at last year, [senior safety] Jalen Elliott and [senior safety] Alohi [Gilman], they played probably above everybody’s

expectations, but at the end of the day, they played too much,” Joseph said.

Joseph said Elliott and Gilman’s situation this past season was a focal point for his unit going forward as they strive to build a more regular rotation.

“I think when we looked back at the season, that was one thing that I discussed with those guys,” Joseph said. “The next step for us is to get better by having them do less, play less. And so recruiting takes a big step in that, getting some guys in here who we feel like we can develop and grow and get them 20, 30 plays a week. Then in October, November, December, January you can have a group of guys that can play at a high level.

So it’s exciting to have more pieces and the players are fresher and the competition is better and the overall morale is a lot better.”

Such a defensive backfield rich in talent is especially significant considering Notre Dame football’s recruitment style, which is extensively selective according to Joseph.

“I think one of the biggest things with Notre Dame is we’re more selective in recruiting. You can go into big cities — Dallas, Atlanta, PAID ADVERTISEMENT

[Los Angeles] — and you really probably pass up more schools than you go in,” he said. “Because the Notre Dame fit is different than any other school that I’ve been at. So you really have to be selective and choose you the guys that you’re going to go after and make sure that they fit your culture. So I think that that kind of limits it a little bit, but it makes you as a recruiter do a lot more research to know what you’re getting yourself into.”

Finally, Joseph spoke a bit about the recruitment of freshman defensive back Kyle Hamilton of Atlanta.

“It’s really one of probably the craziest recruiting stories around,” he said. “Two years ago I was working at North Carolina and we had a bye week. One of my walk-on DBs said, ‘Coach, do you recruit Atlanta?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Well, if you get a chance, stop by my school. I think they have a player who’s a pretty good player.’ He was describing Kyle.”

After receiving that tip, Joseph made his way to Marist School in Atlanta.

“You see the kid play and move around and you’re like, ‘Oh my God. How can I keep this from the

rest of the world?’ In the meantime, the season ended at Carolina, and it was a whirlwind and I became the safeties coach here, and he was one of the first people that we reached out to to get an offer to,” Joseph said. “And throughout the recruiting process, it was like the perfect storm. It was a kid who was very level-headed, knew what he wanted and basically at Marist, he went to a little Notre Dame. So it was kind of already set up for us.

And really he was a kid who kind of stayed strong throughout the process. Started off as a two- or threestar, ended up as a five-star. But the truth of the matter is, he never really got affected by the process.”

While Joseph said the recruitment process was an experience in itself, he said keeping Hamilton’s secret was the biggest challenge.

“He called me about a month before he went public and said that he was, you know, coming to Notre Dame, just to not tell anybody,” he said. “So that was biggest challenge, to not tell anybody. I had to stay quiet for a month and true to his word, he released it and it was a big get for us.”

Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Kelly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

Cole is, like, two and a half weeks [away]; he‘s catching the football already. Who knows.

The doctors say at four weeks you can take a CAT scan to see what it looks like inside-out. If it heals inside-out, then you’re cleared to play, and we go from there. We say four to whatever, relative to his injury.”

While Young’s loss is disappointing, Kelly remains optimistic about the players backing him up.

“We got plenty of guys,” he said. ”We’re going to miss Mike.

He had a great camp going, too.

But we’ve got a lot of really good players that will step up in that situation. We’ve got to run the ball. We’ve got to stop the run.

I mean, we’re going to miss him. I don’t want to downplay an injury. He’s a good player.

But, man, we’ve got a boatload

of guys that can go in there and fill in for that position.”

Wide receiver isn’t the only position group with depth, however. While the Irish lost defensive staples in linebackers Drue Tranquill and Te’von Coney, Kelly said the defense is structured so that the team can get the most out of what each player has to offer.

“I think we like certainly [junior Drew White], [graduate student] Asmar [Bilal], [sophomore] Shayne Simon, all those guys, [sophomore] Jack Lamb. … All those guys together have been all doing good things.

They’ve all gotten better at their craft and what they do. Now, different packages, down and distance, you’ll see different faces. … We’ve got a better feel on who they are and what their strengths and weaknesses are.”

One area that shows the most continuity for the Irish is the offensive line. While they return four of five starters from

last season’s team, the defensive line will look to fill the void left by defensive tackle and first-round NFL Draft pick Jerry Tillery. However, Kelly is still confident in his coaching staff and the defensive philosophy of the team.

“Why am I confident? [We’ve] got a great defensive line coach, got a great defensive coordinator, they understand the importance of how that front works together,” he said. “We’ve always understood the key

elements of successful defense are about stopping the run.”

Based on what the Irish bring back this season, Kelly said they are going to focus on fundamentals and rely on their strength in the trenches.

“I think this team, it’s going to be about the basic tenets of football,” Kelly said. “We’re going to have to run the ball well and stop the run. We’re going to have to play with a physicality.

You really can’t see that right now. We’re going to have to play PAID ADVERTISEMENT

EMMA FARNAN | The Observer

Irish graduate student linebacker Asmar Bilal makes a tackle during Notre Dame’s 45-23 win over Virginia Tech on Oct. 8 in Blacksburg, Va. PAID ADVERTISEMENT

W Bball CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

she was especially thankful to Irish head coach Muffet McGraw for the opportunities she provided her.

“The biggest impact that I’ve had is from the relationship I have with Coach McGraw,” Ivey continued in her tweet.

“I’m so grateful for Coach McGraw. She has been so much more than just a coach, mentor and boss. She believed in me and gave me my first opportunity at Notre Dame and I am forever grateful. I stand tall, confident and ready because of the tools she has instilled in me.”

Ivey’s appointment was announced along with fellow Memphis assistants Brad Jones, David McClure, Vitaly Potapenko, Neven Spahija and James “Scoonie” Penn. She will join them under first-year head coach Taylor Jenkins.

that way against Louisville. …

For the success of this football team, it’s going to be up front, it’s going to be our offensive line, our defensive line, our ability to run the football and stop the run. If we do that, this is going to be a pretty good football team.”

The Irish open the season at Louisville on September 2 at 7:30 pm.

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu

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NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 | THE OBSERVER

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FOOTBALL

Kelly names seven captains for 2019 season Oberver Sports Staff

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 10.

Irish head coach Brian Kelly announced seven football captains for the upcoming season August 10 on Twitter ahead of the team’s first practice since returning from preseason camp in Culver, Indiana.

Quarterback Ian Book, wide receiver Chris Finke, safeties Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott, offensive lineman Robert Hainsey and defensive linemen Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara were announced as captains in a video that included several leaders from previous Irish teams, including Manti Te‘o, Drue Tranquill,

Sheldon Day and Brady Quinn.

With the exception of Finke, a graduate student, and Hainsey, a junior, the remaining five selections are all seniors. Having seven players as captains matches the previous program-high that was set in 2017. However, then-quarterback DeShone Kizer‘s decision to enter the NFL Draft ultimately resulted in a six-person unit.

One of the major takeaways from Kelly‘s announcement was the selection of Book, who became the first quarterback named to an official leadership capacity under Kelly. After redshirting his freshman season, Book primarily played backup to starting quarterback Brandon Wimbush over the next season and a half.

However, four games into his junior season, Book got the starting nod against Wake Forest and ultimately led the Irish to their first College Football Playoff appearance, averaging 242.3 yards per game along the way. Sophomore Phil Jurkovec is expected to handle second-string responsibilities, but all reports indicate there‘s little debate as to who the “goto guy” is this season.

Similar to Book‘s steady rise in the program, Finke has made his name as a former walk-on who became a key target for quarterbacks throughout the last four seasons. He averaged nearly 44 yards-per-game last season and handled all punt returns for the Irish. Finke — along with senior receiver Chase Claypool — will be

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expected to help lead a young corps following the loss of receiver Miles Boykin and tight end Alize Mack to the NFL, as well as junior tight end Cole Kmet after he suffered a broken collarbone earlier this week.

A two-star recruit out of high school, Gilman started his collegiate career with the Navy Midshipmen. After sitting out the 2017 season due to NCAA transfer rules, he made a name for himself as a gritty defensive player and leader, cracking up 95 tackles, five pass break ups and two interceptions.

Elliott emerged similarly as a stout defensive player in the secondary, leading the team with four interceptions, two of which came in a 24-16 win over Ball State. ”It‘s good just to see both of

us out there. He‘s the leader and we both are leaders in different ways and we love being out there with each other so it‘s good ...,“ Gilman said of the selection of two safeties to the captain‘s unit.

As both Gilman and Elliott were starters last season, they will be expected to lead a talented but young secondary unit. Even more, they will be expected to shoulder even more playing time than they already were as the already sparse safety unit is rendered even thinner by the announcement that sophomore safety Derrik Allen is entering the NCAA transfer portal.

However, with returning cornerbacks Troy Pride Jr., Donte Vaughn, Shaun Crawford and highly-touted freshman safety Kyle Hamilton also in the secondary, Gilman and Elliott won‘t bear the weight of the defense alone.

For Gilman, much of the responsibilities that being a captain brings lies in setting the standard for the underclassmen. ”I know how it is coming into a new program, been to two programs now,” he said. “[I can] just be a guy that they feel comfortable with.

Hainsey, a four-star rated offensive lineman out of high school according to Rivals, won a starting spot as a freshman and has been commended for a strong work ethic throughout his football career. As a junior, he now looks to lead a veteran group that could compete for the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line unit in the country. On the other side of the trenches, defensive ends Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem will hope to help a defensive front that lost interior lineman Jerry Tillery and linebackers Drue Tranquill and Te‘von Coney to the NFL. “We have some of the best defensive ends in the country, there‘s no secret about that. It‘s a blast going against those guys in practice. You get to work every play and it just makes you better,” Hainsey said when asked about the advantage of practicing against a top-caliber defensive unit. ”… It‘s a great way to learn my weaknesses from guys like that, because if I learn them now and can correct them then they won‘t be a problem.”

Okwara, a potential firstround NFL draft pick, led the Irish with 12.5 tackles for loss and tied Tillery to lead the team with eight sacks. Kareem tied Tillery for the second-most tackles for loss on the team with 10.5 and recorded 4.5 sacks and five pass breakups. Okwara and Kareem have both placed an emphasis this offseason on improving their technique and recording more sacks.

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FOOTBALL

Kelly discusses injuries, prep for Louisville

By HAYDEN ADAMS Associate Sports Editor

EMMA FARNAN | The Observer

Irish junior wide receiver Michael Young tries to evade a defender during Notre Dame’s 19-14 victory over Pittsburgh on Oct. 13 at Notre Dame Stadium. Young broke his collarbone in practice Saturday.

The college football season is only days away, with Miami and No. 8 Florida set to kick off the regular season Aug. 24.

With 15 practices down in fall camp and a new year of college football just around the corner, Irish head coach Brian Kelly is getting his team ready for the season opener at Louisville.

“Today [was] a shorter practice,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday. “We wanted to begin preparation for Louisville. We wanted to begin kind of transitions out of camp, if you will, [and] work towards really peaking for Monday, our game against Louisville. … Getting an opportunity to sharpen up some of our game plan looks for Louisville. That was kind of what you saw today.”

After an undefeated regular season and their first berth in the College Football Playoff last season, the Irish are set to pursue another appearance on college football’s biggest stage.

Unfortunately for the Irish, they lost the school’s all-time leading scorer in Justin Yoon

and several other players, including seven selections in the NFL draft. However, Kelly sees potential in a group of young and gifted players.

“I think what’s most important is we’ve got a number of really talented players,” Kelly said. “What we’re really … excited about is that this team has handled everything that I’ve asked them to do in terms of practice — the leadership has been great. Certainly all of the things that go to winning, the traits that we ask them to work on every day, I’ve been really pleased with that.”

Another issue for the Irish is the recent loss of junior wide receiver Michael Young to a broken collarbone, the second such injury to plague the Irish, with junior tight end Cole Kmet also breaking his collarbone in the first week of fall camp. The timetable for Young’s return is uncertain according to Kelly, but he said Kmet is progressing well.

“I mean, everybody’s different, right? Four weeks — we’ve had guys back in four,” Kelly said. “Each one is different. see KELLY PAGE 14

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Ivey to join Grizzlies as assistant coach Observer Sports Staff

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 5.

Notre Dame women’s basketball associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Niele Ivey is leaving the Irish to join the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant coach. With her appointment, Ivey becomes the ninth active female coach in the NBA and the third female coach hired this offseason. Ivey expressed her gratitude for her time as a part of the Notre Dame family.

“There is no other place that has impacted me more as a player, coach and person than Notre Dame,” Ivey said in a tweet August 5. “I’ve gained friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime.”

Hailing from St. Louis, Ivey played for the Irish from 19962001, being awarded a fifth year of eligibility due to a season-ending knee injury in her freshman campaign. She led the team in steals over her final four seasons and assists over her final three seasons, with her collegiate career

culminating in leading the Irish to their program-first national championship in 2001 and Ivey herself being named a third-team AP All-American.

Ivey was selected 17th overall in the 2001 WNBA draft with the Indiana Fever, also playing with the Detroit Shock and the Phoenix Mercury during her professional career. After five seasons in the league and two seasons as an administrative assistant at Xavier University, she returned to Notre Dame as an assistant coach in 2007, promoted to recruiting coordinator in 2012 and again to associate coach in 2015. She was a member of all nine of Notre Dame’s Final Four appearances, taking the court in two as a player and coaching from the sideline in seven others.

She helped recruit and develop some of the programs most elite players, including All-Americans Skylar Diggins, Jewell Loyd, Lindsay Allen and Arike Ogunbowale.

As a player and coach, Ivey helped the Irish to a combined 385-55 record. According to the statement she released, see W BBALL PAGE 14

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Former Irish assistant coach Niele Ivey, second from left, watches the game next to head coach Muffet McGraw during Notre Dame’s 82-81 loss to Baylor in the national championship game April 8.