Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, January 21, 2020

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Volume 54, Issue 65 | tuesday, january 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Civil rights leader addresses University Freedom Rider Diane Nash calls students to confront injustice, honor King’s legacy with nonviolence

By GENEVIEVE REDSTEN News Writer

As part of Notre Dame’s “Walk the Walk Week” and in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the campus communit y joined together for a luncheon at the Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center. A fter a choral performance and an opening invocation, Diane Nash — a civ il rights movement leader who helped integrate lunch counters and organize the iconic Freedom Riders — spoke w ith a panel of

students and facult y about civ il rights, nonv iolence and the fight for justice.

Events like these that bring people together in remembrance of histor y, Nash said, are healthy and beneficial for a communit y. However, she added “histor y’s most important function, though, is to help us cope w ith the present.”

To truly honor King and the legacy of the civ il rights movement, Nash said, holidays and monuments do not suffice — A mericans must continue nonv iolent

movements which resist systems of oppression.

“The Wright brothers were probably prett y good guys,” Nash said. “Wouldn’t it have been a shame if we had dedicated a holiday to them and never developed their invention — developed av iation?

We would have missed out on a lot.”

Nash noted, however, that substantive activ ism requires courage and sacrifice. She recounted a time she spoke at a college and a student asked her, “How can I make a social change and

Prayer service kicks off Walk the Walk Week

By JACK JERIT News Writer

Students and Universit y leaders gathered late Sunday evening in the Rotunda of the Main Building to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., w ith a candlelight prayer ser v ice.

The prayer ser v ice was the

first event of Walk the Walk Week, a series of events celebrating the life and legacy of King and ref lecting on inequalit y in America. This is the fifth consecutive year the Universit y has held the ser v ice.

“We turn to God to guide and strengthen us as we seek to answer the Gospel call,

and in doing so become a Notre Dame communit y that is evermore welcoming, just and inclusive,” Universit y President Fr. John Jenkins said at the ser v ice. “As Dr. Martin Luther King said, ‘The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the

not get my professors angr y w ith me? ” “My response was, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Nash said. “I told that young lady about the many students in the 1960s who were expelled from school for participating in the civ il rights movement.

And that’s not even to mention those who were severely wounded, who went to jail and those who were killed.

So, sacrifice is necessar y.”

Nash added that social movements begin when a persecuted group of people decide to stand up for the

rights of themselves and others in their communit y.

“Oppression always requires the participation of the oppressed,” Nash said.

“If the oppressed w ithdraw their participation from that oppressive system, the system w ill fall.”

Nash invoked the example of the Montgomer y bus boycott, during which oppressed, black Americans refused to ride on the cit y’s segregated public buses.

By w ithdraw ing financial see NASH PAGE 4

24-hour study space undergoes renovation

see SERVICE PAGE 4

Miss Kenya USA to speak at MLK memorial dinner Wendy Oduor, Miss Kenya USA and a Saint Mar y’s alumna from the class of 2014, w ill present the keynote address Wednesday night at Student Diversit y Board’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. event, the College announced in a media release Monday.

Oduor is a motivational speaker w ith the mission of educating audiences on mental health issues. She w ill address her personal journey from Saint Mar y’s to becoming Miss Kenya USA,

as well as her experiences in fashion and design, according to the release.

“Wendy draws inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr. to focus on making positive changes,” the release said.

Oduor w ill discuss her mission of finding “purpose past passion,” the release said. She was inspired to share her life w ith audiences and advocate for mental health awareness after finding meaning in her brother’s suicide.

According to Oduor’s biography on the Miss Kenya USA website, she lost her

brother in 2014, the same year she graduated from the College.

“Wendy eventually understood that pain can birth purpose when allowed,” the website said.

Oduor hosts week ly Mental Health Monday live sessions on Instagram, reaching more than 100 people from her account, and has made it her personal mission to increase mental health awareness in Kenya, according to the website.

Oduor w ill speak at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Rice Commons.

Scene PAGE 5

viewpoint PAGE 6

viewpoint PAGE 7

Observer Staff Report

CALLIE PATRICK | The Observer

Saint Mary’s seniors Taylor Strong and Carey Dwyer, left to right, study in a group cubicle in the newly renovated Trumper Center.

By CALLIE PATRICK News Writer

With decor of blues and greens, fresh whiteboards and comfortable new furniture, Trumper has received a facelift to start the new year. Part of Saint Mary’s recent library upgrades, the study space in the basement of the Cushwa-Leighton Library has become a popular space for students to study at all hours of the

Track and field PAGE 12

day.

As a 24-hour space, Trumper has long been a venue for late-night studiers.

Senior Hannah Simpson said she would regularly frequent Trumper before the upgrades, as she was often “pushed out of the library” when it closed at midnight.

“I think personally I have different study places on see TRUMPER PAGE 4

Swim and Dive PAGE 12

2

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The observer | tuesday, january 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

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ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Members of the Notre Dame Irish Guard march with the band at the Camping World Bowl. The game was held in Camping Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 28. Notre Dame defeated Iowa State 33-9, marking the end of both of the teams’ 2019 seasons.

The next Five days:

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Workshop: “Crafting a Strong Grant Proposal” 104 Bond Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

All students welcome.

“Reparations and Reconciliation” Carey Auditorium, Hesburgh Library 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Panel discussion.

Lecture: “Thomas Jefferson, Race, Slavery” McCartan Courtroom 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Open to the public.

“How Have Women Shaped the Judiciary?”

McCartan Courtroom 3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Panel discussion.

31st Annual Student Film Festival Browning Cinema 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Screening of student work.

Social Concerns Fair Dahnke Ballroom 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Meet local social service organizations in South Bend.

“Faith, Culture and Mental Health” St. Liam Hall, 3rd floor conference room 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Discussion.

Snite Salon Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.

Guided discussion about a work of art.

Open to the public.

31st Annual Student Film Festival Browning Cinema 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Films made by Notre Dame undergraduates.

Fischoff’s Winter Gala Morris Inn 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Featuring the Ariel Quartet.

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News

The observer | tuesday, january 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Nash Continued from page 1

support from the oppressive system, Nash said, they forced the system to fall.

But, Nash added, real nonv iolent social movements require more than mere protest. First, they must educate the oppressed, educate their oppressors and negotiate w ith their oppressors, she said. Demonstration and resistance, she said, should only follow once these earlier steps are complete.

Even after social movements make progress, Nash added, their work cannot end — they must fight to make sure the oppressive system does not repeat itself.

Senior Kenzie Isaac, the director of diversit y and inclusion for Notre Dame’s student government, asked Nash how she practiced self-care while working long hours to organize students — and while facing racist v iolence in the process.

“I don’t think I was able to do a lot of self-care apart from the movement itself,” Nash said, but she added that the ver y act of resisting was restorative.

“Not to resist being oppressed and discriminated against like that was unacceptable,” Nash said.

“The movement itself was self-care.”

Service Continued from page 1

end is the creation of the beloved communit y. It is this t y pe of spirit and this t y pe of love that can transform opponents into friends. It is this t y pe of understanding and goodw ill that can transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age.

It is this love that w ill bring about miracles in the hearts of women and men.’”

Jenkins acknowledged this evening prayer was an important time for each indiv idual to ref lect on their ow n actions and shortcomings.

“Night prayer in the Christian tradition has always been a time to acknowledge before God what we have done and what we have failed to do,” he said.

After performances from the Voices of Faith Gospel Choir, ser v ice attendees listened to a recording of King’s speech, “W hy I Am Opposed to the War in

A lthough Nash’s activ ism was primarily focused on ending racial segregation and racism, Isaac asked how other forms of oppression factored into her work.

“You were a young person when you started out in the movement, you were a woman and, to tie all that together, you were an African American woman,” Isaac said. “And so, I’d like to hear more about how you being young and you being a woman in this male-dominated [movement] informed your approach to activ ism — and what sort of barriers or benefits that posed throughout your work.”

Throughout her work in the civ il rights movement, Nash said she faced sex ist discrimination from other male civ il rights leaders.

“Women were ver y active in the civ il rights movement.

Women did ever y thing that men did,” Nash said. “But it hadn’t occurred to us that the same thing that we were say ing about justice and equalit y in the race were applicable to gender.”

As new leaders undertake the fight for social justice, Libby Moyer, a panel member and a second-year Notre Dame law student, asked Nash what role white allies should assume. Nash agreed that white allies were essential to the civ il rights movement — and continue to be

Vietnam.” Follow ing the recording, a speaker read an excerpt from II Corinthians.

Eric St yles, rector for Carroll Hall, used King’s speech and the scripture reading to speak about Notre Dame’s obligation to improve the communit y.

“Saint Paul founded the communit y in Corinth that was just heard. We know that they experienced real setbacks,” St yles said. “... So perhaps Saint Paul’s experience w ith the Corinthians might help us to listen w ith greater clarit y to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was surely for us, the great American apostle and the refounder of the American Dream. [His sermon] was about his opposition to the Vietnam War. He goes on to say, ‘I have not lost faith, I’m not in despair, because I know there is a moral order.’ In truth, we know that Dr. King struggled w ith despair and nihilism.”

In his speech, St yles also mentioned the unique culture of Notre Dame and its

GENEVIEVE REDSTEN | The Observer

An ice sculpture featuring the face of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood outside the Joyce Center on Monday, where Civil Rights leader Diane Nash delivered the address to the annual Martin Luther King luncheon.

important — but that black Americans nonetheless need their ow n independent activ ist spaces.

“I also think it’s important for descendants of enslaved Africans in this countr y to have organizations and movements of our ow n. The civ il rights movement was a movement of black students supported by black communities to eliminate segregation. We had white support,” Nash said.

tendency to ser ve as sanctuar y from the outside world.

“There is a spiritualit y of place here in Notre Dame, where the tranquilit y of the campus and the key of the spiritual life and academic life is preser ved and kept familiar as a respite from the hectic, difficult and sometimes disparaging outside world,” he said. “In other words, a glorious Notre Dame bubble.”

St yles said the members of the Notre Dame communit y need to commit themselves to a mission of solidarit y w ith those who are experiencing persecution or oppression.

“We thank Fr. Moreau, whose feast day is tomorrow — or even minutes away — for telling us to ‘Hail the cross, our only hope,’” St yles said. “… To live in solidarit y w ith those who are on the margins is to pick up one’s cross and follow Him. To pick up one’s cross is to commit to the sign of hope.”

Contact Jack Jerit at jjerit@nd.edu

Please recycle The Observer.

By assuming leadership roles and creating all-black movements, Nash said, black social justice leaders aren’t simply sidelining white allies.

“If you make decisions about your household — if you decided that you need a refrigerator and what kind of refrigerator you need — and only you and your spouse make that decision, that doesn’t mean that you hate the man across the street,”

Trumper Continued from page 1

campus and having those options really helps me to focus,” she said. “If I get bored at one place, I know I can get up and go to another place.

So just having a study place at Trumper is just helpful. So if I can’t get my study places upstairs I can come down here.”

But space was often hard to come by — one issue the renovations sought to remedy.

Simpson said she would only visit Trumper by necessity.

“I like the new renovations, I think they’re really cool,” Simpson said. “It definitely helps getting a little more study space down here. I feel like whenever the girls were kicked out of the library at 12 [a.m.] they had nowhere to go, so it’s really nice.”

The renovations included new equipment and decor, which Simpson said may draw in those who traditionally avoided the space.

“You know you can come to Trumper and it’ll be quiet, and it’s nice,” Simpson said.

“People will come here even more when [they] have to do things late at night but the library’s not open.”

Senior Taylor Strong said the new amenities changed her mind about Trumper.

Nash said.

Before the event came to a close, Nash addressed the students in the crowd.

“As you go through life, you w ill have decisions to make, and my adv ice would be [to] always make the decision that w ill make you admire and respect the person you see in the mirror,”she said.

Contact Genevieve Redsten at gredsten@nd.edu

“I would come down here to print and get snacks and hot chocolate, but that’s about it,” Strong said. “Now definitely I will come down here more often because it’s really nice.”

The additional equipment made the center much more practical for students, sophomore Elizabeth Ciupinski said.

“The only time I ever came to Trumper was to use the computers … I like how there’s more dry erase boards,” she said. “It’s more spacious, there is more privacy and the furnishing is more comfortable.”

Senior Carey Dw yer also said she would certainly venture down to the basement more often now that the space has been renovated.

“I didn’t really study in Trumper,” Dw yer said. “I stuck more to the first f loor of the library. But now that this is down here, I think I will come down here more.”

Dw yer said she particularly liked the new TV and study spaces.

“They look really nice,” she said. “All the lights, too, I think it helps when you’re studying. It seems like a nice place to practice presentations and have group meetings.”

Contact Callie Patrick at cpatrick01@saintmarys.edu

5

The observer | tuesday, january 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

By WILLOUGHBY THOM Scene Writer

As awards season is in full swing, every music festival line-up is also being released. Waiting for festival lineups to be released is often more nerve-wracking than seeing the same predicted film win every award.

Festival line-up release dates are all over the place, adding to a festival-goer’s anxiety. There is no rhyme or reason. It is almost as if the festival coordinators, like Live Nation or Goldenvoice, get distracted and frantically post the line-ups on social media because they suddenly realized they need to sell tickets. However, the release dates of the line-ups are beside the point. The anticipation leading up to the reveal is something that is exciting, and anxiety-driving, for most music lovers.

For weeks predictions are made. One can compare their favorite band’s touring schedule with the festival they wish to attend and pray no conflicting dates stand out. Reddit is perused to see if there have been any leaks and then, finally, all one can do is just wait.

So far, there have been a number of festival line-ups released, notably Coachella, Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees and Bottle Rock, and all of such have been largely disappointing. The two that really stand out, however, are the Coachella and Bonnaroo line-ups.

Let us first take a look at Coachella. In recent years, Coachella hasn’t been a “music festival” in the proper sense of the word. It has become a place for celebrities

By CHARLIE KENNEY Associate Scene Editor

North Dining Hall. Spring 2018. A line curls out from the stir fry station. Eager students await their meals while thoughts of teriyaki and soy sauce dance in their heads.

Some wait alone, idly perusing their smartphones. Others wait in pairs of two or three, passing time with casual conversation.

The freshman, junior, sophomore and senior waiting together in this line do not have a great deal in common. Yes, they attend the same institution of higher learning, but their respective friend groups, fields of study and weekend activities likely differ.

Yet, here they all are, simultaneously engaged in the same arduous endeavor: waiting 20, perhaps 30 minutes for a bowl of slightly warm rice, protein and vegetables.

Such a situation in North Dining Hall once existed, but no longer. Solidarity, conversation and patience have been replaced by fingerprint stained screens, crumpled receipt paper and a lack of human interaction.

With Notre Dame Campus Dining’s implementation of the food delivery service Grubhub over the past year, restaurants and dining halls have become places of detached exchange. Particularly at the campus’ busiest locations (i.e. stir fry, Modern Market), cashiers have become completely irrelevant. Students are encouraged to either queue in line at digital kiosks or order food ahead of time on their phones. Waiting either takes place in a disorderly mob as each customer waits for his or her food to be prepared or does not take place at all.

Where physical lines once persisted in Duncan Student Center now sit monitors displaying how long wait time for

to be seen rather than for music, but this year is particularly interesting.

Since Coachella’s birth in 1999, rock groups and a smattering of pop and rap artists have headlined with a slight decline in rock groups doing so beginning in 2009.

The most noteworthy headliner of 2020’s Coachella is, oddly enough, Rage Against the Machine. Rage has taken a break from live performance since 2011, and, only last year, they announced their intentions to go back on tour and headline the first day of Coachella. This is all very exciting news, but will Rage be received positively at a festival that has become known for its prominent “influencer” celebrity scene and EDM flavor?

Rage Against the Machine played at Coachella in 1999 and 2007 prior to the festival’s shift in their genre inclinations. Interestingly, when Rage announced their reunion in 2007, they immediately played Coachella and are now doing the same with their 2020 reunion.

The group’s anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian and revolutionary views conflict with the highly commercialized and mainstream rebranding of this festival. Rage will most likely draw in a new “crowd” of people, extremely different in political and social views of a normal Coachella goer. Their debut performance after their seven-year split in 2007 was before the multimillion-dollar festival became scene driven rather than music-driven. This begs the question will this year’s Coachella be well-received by the molly-tripping

adolescents in flower crowns?

Bonnaroo, on the other hand, is forcing us to ask another question — what qualifies a group or individual to headline a major festival?

There are no set guidelines for deciding such.

Obviously the act needs to be well-known and high on the charts, but should that same band or artist have a thorough discography before seen as a headliner? The reason for this question is that one of Bonnaroo’s 2020 headliners, Lizzo, has only released one album, along with a number of singles and EPs. Lizzo is an extremely talented artist, but does she possess enough content to fill a two-hour headlining spot when her normal shows are only about an hour long?

The question of who can headline a festival is also at play with the Mad Cool festival in Spain where Billie Eilish is listed before The Killers on the bill. The Killers have been active for 19 years and have released five albums, whereas Billie has been active for four years and has only released one studio album. Yet, she is seen as more important than a band that has been around for almost five times longer than she has.

It seems to all be a social and economic game.

Festivals have become events people go to be seen rather than to hear the music. Of course, purists still exist who attend simply to listen to good music, but the majority has fallen victim to the social panopticon.

one’s food will be.

Getting to a restaurant before the rush is disincentivized.

The most tangible example of such takes place every day at Notre Dame’s newest and arguably most popular dining option: Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh.

If one goes to the restaurant located on the eastern side of the Hesburgh Center near lunchtime on any given day, he or she will encounter a quite sizable line. Yet, despite a large amount of activity taking place behind the counter and in the kitchen, the queue remains relatively stagnant — moving incongruently with the number of orders seeming to be fulfilled.

In the midst of this confusion, errant students or faculty members solve the dilemma — often waltzing into the establishment, walking directly towards the register and retrieving an order adorned with a distinguishable yellow receipt in a very timely manner. Through the use of the Grubhub app, these individuals have been permitted to skip those physically lined up and ensure their order is moved to a position of higher priority than those in the restaurant. Since those at the back of line have no interaction with the staff, they are in a worse off position despite their arguably more steadfast commitment to getting their food.

These students who linger in line are, thus, encouraged to download the Grubhub application and empower the system their previous behavior had discouraged.

Post Grubhub, students make the majority of their orders on walks to a restaurant or while sitting in classes prior to a lunch break. They do not consult cashiers and cooks about the specificities of certain meals or dietary restrictions. Instead, they click buttons from several buildings away and type out cursory side notes in little boxes to

add a “personal” flair to their orders.

Certainly, this online ordering system benefits some. A considerable amount of students do not have ample time between classes to wait 15 minutes for pizza or a gyro, and some more introverted customers may prefer to barter with a screen rather than a personality.

But, at the end of the day, if we as a student body cave to this culture of impatience and instant gratification, we allow what Mr. Jeffrey Lebowski swore would never occur.

We let the bums win.

The bums would rather look around for other options in the dining hall while their stir fry is made than stand almost still for nearly 30 minutes. The bums prefer to enter Garbanzo and leave with their food within two minutes.

The bums think they are awful clever when they skip to the front of a line which would normally take 10 or more minutes to wait in. The bums, just as the rest of us do, want food in their mouths as soon as possible, but they are not willing to wait for it.

When one is confronted with the choice — “Would I rather have my food in five minutes or 15 minutes?” — the answer often seems a simple one.

As human interaction, timeless values and a sense of merited satisfaction are threatened, however, time should not be the paramount issue. Our phones and television sets have already been monopolized by a culture of urgency and instancy. We cannot let the same happen to our food.

Wait in line when you have the time to. Go talk to the cashier despite their best efforts to guide you towards a piece of technology. Our campus will be better for it.

Contact Willoughby Thom at wthom@nd.edu

Contact Charlie Kenney at ckenney4@nd.edu CLAIRE KOPISCHKE | The Observer

6

The observer | Tuesday, January 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Dear orgo students

Inside Column

Consume news responsibly in 2020 Mary Bernard Assistant Managing Editor

Social media is an intrinsic part of news consumption today. As The Obser ver’s Social Media Editor (and now, one of the Assistant Managing Editors), this realit y is not lost on me. Last semester, 15% of our online v iewership came directly from clicking a link on social media, and that number continues to increase. My team works to bring you campus news somewhere you’re likely to access it.

As a citizen of the world, I think it’s essential to be aware of national and global events. And as a student, it’s even more important. Know ing what’s going on around you informs your studies and puts what you’re learning in a broader context. We go to school so we can be of ser v ice to the world, now and when we graduate. If we don’t know what’s happening in the world, it’s hard to offer that ser v ice.

Plus, the first presidential debate is happening right here at Notre Dame. If that’s not reason enough to be reading the news, I don’t know what is.

So be informed, but be smart about it. Make 2020 the year of responsibly getting your news from social media ! Here’s what I think you should keep in mind.

1. Be sure to follow reputable sources. Verified accounts aren’t always true, and unverified accounts aren’t always false. Pay attention to who you’re following and think about how much stake you should put in what they say.

2. If something doesn’t sound right, check it out. Even if it does, check it out. To be an informed citizen, you have to be smart about the information you consume — that means asking questions and being critical of what you read, whether it be from politicians, news outlets or your grandma.

3. Read the article before you share it. Click the link, understand what it says and be able to answer a question one of your followers might have about it. Learn to recognize the difference between a news article and an opinion column. W hen you share it, you are proliferating that article, information or claim. Ret weet responsibly.

4. Understand that you are likely to be targeted by advertising campaigns on social media. Most college students recently reached voting age and w ill be targeted because of that. Your perceived demographic — your interests, location, hometow n, gender and more — often inf luences the content on your feed. Realize there is an algorithm behind it all, and being ignorant of that could make you more susceptible to unknow n inf luences.

5. Learn about the realities of fake news, deep fakes, faked photos and other efforts inf luence your opinion w ith false information. These campaigns are happening and w ill continue to happen — and w ill likely become more frequent and sophisticated as we approach the election. Blindly consuming information on social media could leave you v ulnerable to those campaigns, so be smarter than that.

This moment in time is an incredibly exciting time to be consuming the news. Multimedia has become the norm and many outlets are experimenting w ith new formats and platforms. But w ith so much going on, it can sometimes be difficult to parse through the intricacies and nuances of world events.

Take advantage of the value social media adds to your news consumption, but don’t log on mindlessly — be ready to question the assertions you see.

Contact Mary Bernard at mbernar5@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Julianna Conley In My Own Words

Dear organic chemistr y students, Ah, yes. The fated science class. The cursed course. The ol’ CHEM 10172: organic chemistr y. If you’ve had your ear even remotely close to the ground, at this point you’ve undoubtedly heard that organic chemistr y is supposedly the end of your existence. Before you start burrowing away, stocking up on Grab ’n Go cereal so you can hole up in the librar y, though, take a breath. Ever ything will be just fine.

First thing’s first, I find it necessar y for us to put this course into perspective. This class is worth four credits. Not 10. Not 100. Not even five. Four. Measly. Credits. In the grand span of your four years — heck, in the grand span of your semester, it will not impact your GPA heavily. Take it from someone who nearly realized too late last semester, ignoring your other classes so you can focus all of your energ y into push arrow diagrams and Grignard reactions is not the answer. Maybe you think your art elective is easy or your Spanish class isn’t as “important,” but you’ll feel doubly bad if you let these classes you believe you can do well in fall to the wayside.

W hile I wouldn’t recommend throwing your textbook in the trash, remember that your other classes matter too.

Second of all, stop announcing to the world when your tests are! This would be in all caps if I didn’t already know the copy editors would just change it to lowercase. There is no other class at Notre Dame for which the entire student body knows the exam schedule. Does your entire dorm know when the computer science major in your section has a test? No. Does your anthropolog y major roommate stop showering for a week when they have an exam coming up? No. Does your marketing major bestie leave a trail of banana peels knowing her quadmates will understand she was in the throes of studying consumer behavior? No. I’ll be the first to admit orgo was really hard, but I’ll also be the first to recognize other people are also taking really difficult classes, and, for all I know, orgo could be a breeze compared to accounting. Ever yone has their own stuff they are dealing with. Their own personal organic chemistr y. Pre-med students just complain more.

W hich brings me to my next point, don’t let orgo become an excuse. An excuse to be a bad roommate. An excuse to neglect other things important to you. An excuse to not have fun. Don’t waste the semester waiting for a future when you have time; make time now. Put up your decorations while there’s still time left to enjoy them! Go to that performance you’ve been excited for! Make time to exercise! If you’re busy, schedule meals with pals! Do your laundr y!!! That last one deserves multiple exclamation points: No

one is a better student without clean socks.

College is too short to waste time feeling miserable when you have a genuine opportunity to make life better.

And finally, at the risk of sounding like a jerk, I want to emphasize that the best way to make it through is to just stop talking about it. All. The Time. As I’ve already said more than once in this column, orgo is indeed a really, really hard class. But it’s a lot harder if you go into it with a bad attitude. It’s a lot harder if ever yone around you is creating a culture of negativity. Normalizing a range of emotions is important, but complaining for the sake of complaining — or worse, for the sake of bragging about your martyrdom — is not. If we make the baseline for working hard being miserable, we create a culture where people think that being unhappy is normal, a symptom of success. Or worse, a culture that drowns out and minimizes the voices of people who are actually struggling.

That writes off the people who genuinely need help — academically or emotionally — as part of the organic chemistr y drama.

Instead, I urge you, oh fated organic chemistr y students, to appreciate the hidden joys. To revel in the camaraderie the shared struggle brings, as complete strangers share pencils and offer knowing shakes of the head when your professor discusses stereochemistr y. Before an exam, ask the kid sitting next to you for a stick of gum, and he might just offer his whole pack! Smile at how wonderfully kind the smart girl in your dorm study room is when she stays up an extra hour explaining how to differentiate elimination and substitution reactions to you.

Appreciate the frantic 1 a.m. texts, answer the questions you can and don’t be afraid to send your own queries, too. Share your study materials, recognizing you’re all on the same team. Others’ success does not detract from your own. Enjoy those few days before an exam when you’ve put in the work and finally understand what’s going on. Exams were always my favorite time in the semester because, even though they were tough and frustrating and stressful, I loved the sweet relief right after. I loved knowing any of my lab partners would be happy to help me if I needed them. I loved seeing a kid in the librar y with their solutions manual and giving them a commiserative nod. Enjoy the giggles in the study rooms, the nights you get off track, the days you shut your textbooks.

Enjoy your semester because you chose this.

Before you know it, you may even find yourself smiling.

Julianna Conley loves cereal, her home state of California and the em dash. A sophomore in Pasquerilla East, if Julianna can’t be found picnicking on North Quad, she can be reached for comment at jconley4@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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The observer | tuesday, january 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The Church would not exist without women No Christian denomination — I dare say, no Abrahamic religion or subset thereof — has been influenced by women to the same extent as Catholicism. Arguably, and in a similar vein, it could be said that of the world’s major religions (by number of adherents: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Judaism), no other tradition venerates women to the same extent as the Roman Catholic faith.

First and foremost, we give thanks to and for the most famous woman in all of history, known by many names including Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven, Cause of Our Joy and, most simply, Our Lady. Mary, the Mother of God and namesake of this University, is no small figure, nor is the role she plays in Catholicism and Christianity more broadly to be taken for granted. Especially in more Protestant circles, Catholics invoke Mary at their own peril; after all, the close bond between Catholics and Our Lady is among the most common criticisms we face from our fellow Christians.

Nevertheless, we persist.

Beyond Mary, the Church has been blessed by the lives, work and service of women, such as Saints Felicity and Perpetua, Catherine of Siena, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Edith Stein and Teresa of Calcutta, as well as the likes of Sister Thea Bowman, Dorothy Day and Sister Norma Pimentel. For every word comprising this article, I could list, even limited to the United States, a person, religious community or institution embodying the contributions of Catholic women.

In a society that primarily uses numerical data to gauge equality and opportunity — for example, the number of female CEOs, the male-to-female ratio in STEM, the number of women in the legal profession and the number of female presidents — it is easy to see the Church as an antiquated, even oppressive, institution, given its lack (indeed, its doctrinal rejection) of female priests, bishops and popes. A qualitative review of reality, however, reveals that Catholic women, lay and religious, have been trailblazers since the time of Christ.

The politically charged issues of particular concern for women in our society (e.g., abortion, contraception and divorce) tend to dominate the conversation when it comes to the relationship between Catholicism and women. While these things are important, and not easy topics, they’re by no means the whole conversation. Moreover, there has been no shortage of misguided clerics failing to acknowledge the significant role of women, both within the Church as an

institution and in the life of the Church more broadly (especially, it’s worth adding, outside of the home). Nevertheless, Catholic women — thankfully — persist.

Last week, a fellow law student submitted to The Observer a letter to the editor in which she stated, “The Catholic Church is a men’s institution where women can worship, even in 2020.” As Allison Lantero points out, Notre Dame’s own history of having women on its campus as full-fledged members of the student body, faculty and staff is short, but she fails to recognize the pivotal role of Catholic women in this country, dating back well before the founding of Notre Dame — in schools, hospitals, social services and more. As Dr. Timothy Matovina from Notre Dame’s department of theology puts it, today’s American Catholics stand on the shoulders of the women religious who came before us.

I agree with Lantero when she says there remains work to be done. There remains much more veneration, praise and acknowledgement to do, but we cannot focus on things like statues — and for the reasons stated above, we cannot undermine the importance of those statues portraying a certain Virgin. (I would like to point out that, when constructing Sacred Heart Church — now known as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the mother church of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States — Fr. Edward Sorin insisted men and women be represented equally in the church’s stained-glass windows and paintings; albeit, there exists a lack of racial and ethnic diversity in those depictions, rectifying which is a particular interest of mine.)

Last summer, while working in our nation’s capital, I volunteered weekly at the Jeanne Jugan Residence, a nursing home operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor. If you’re ever interested in seeing just how kick a-- women religious are (forgive me, but only a bit of profanity is strong enough to do them justice), observe them in their natural habitat: at work in one of their apostolates, leveraging members of Congress on behalf of our society’s most vulnerable or even staring down members of law enforcement as they’re threatened with arrest in order to advance their cause.

I know what you’re thinking: David, all of that is great, but they’re not in charge. They’re just a bunch of women working for free, subservient to men wearing dresses and funny hats. (For the record, they’re called cassocks and zucchettos.) But that, dear readers, is where the greatest

misunderstanding exists. If not entirely, this perception is predominantly fueled by the perversion that is clericalism, that the clergy are the Church and the Church is the clergy.

This belief has been embraced by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, and, most regrettably, by members of the clergy itself, but nothing could be further from the truth. One only has to dig a little into — and open one’s mind to the reality that is — the Church’s history as well as its present reality.

When credit is given where credit is due, women religious, combined with lay men and women, even as a matter of numerically quantified achievements, have done more for our Church than all the men who have made up the clergy over the years, especially in the United States. For this reason, perhaps these timely discussions about the role of women in the Church would be more fruitful and constructive if, rather than talking about what women are not or cannot be, we talk about what they are and finally start giving them longdeserved recognition for what they have done and what they continue to do.

The Catholic Church, at its heart, does not depend on its more institutional elements, such as the College of Cardinals, bishops’ conferences or even the ominous and “all-powerful” Magisterium. Certainly, all of those things play key roles, but they are not, alone, what give life and purpose to the Church. The Eucharist is, first and foremost, “the source and summit of the Christian life,” but beyond that, the Church’s strength — its very existence — lies in its universality, its diversity and, yes, its faithful, devout, inspiring and courageous women on the frontlines, living as mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and leaders in their own right.

So, I now speak directly to the women currently reading this. Undoubtedly, many of you are Catholic, and perhaps you’ve thought about life in service of the Church. To you especially, I convey the infamous words of Pope Saint John Paul II, “Be not afraid!”

Our world needs you. Our Church needs you. And neither would be the same — in fact, neither would exist — without you.

Thanks be to God for Catholic women — past, present and future.

David Spicer law school class of 2020 Jan. 20

What’s the deal with bikes in the trees?

Tommy Diehl What’s the Diehl?

When I visited Notre Dame during the summer of my junior year of high school, it was nothing short of memorable. The tulips around the Basilica’s Jesus Statue had fully bloomed as the Golden Dome radiated sunlight on this 60 degree day. The grass was perfectly cut in a pattern without a blade out of place. The entire campus seemed to be the epitome of perfection.

I gaped at my surroundings, taking in the beauty of Notre Dame’s campus as my tour group ventured past Zahm House and into North Quad. The buildings looked impeccable, Stonehenge fountain was a nice added touch and Breen-Phillips Hall looked like a dorm straight out of Hogwarts. As we made our way past Breen-Phillips, I noticed the first blemish I had seen thus far on my tour: a bike hanging from a tree.

When I first saw it, I just didn’t understand. Why on this Earth would anyone do that? Was it some kind of tradition? Was it just a prank? Did someone think it added a nice touch to the spring landscape? Instead of being extroverted and actually asking my tour guide why a bike was hanging in a tree, I shrugged it off. Surely this was just another stupid tradition. After spending a semester on campus, I have seen just how widespread this tradition is. And it might be my favorite one. The reason I enjoy this tradition is not because I think it’s funny. I just love this tradition because it shows what Notre Dame is best at: preparing people for the real world.

I have had the debate of whether this tradition is cruel or not with many people, and there have been varying responses. Some people, probably the ones who have had their bikes tossed into a tree, claim it’s a cruel tradition. I mean, what happens if you are absolutely racing to print out a paper at Hes five minutes before it’s due and you don’t have time to lock your bike? Or what if you’re late to class?

I understand how heartbreaking both of these scenarios are. I have been rushing to finish a paper on time, and I definitely have been late to class before. However, the real world would not be so kind as to throw your bike in a tree.

Let’s take the example of being late to class. If you lock your bike you are going to be 10 entire seconds late to your microeconomics class and probably get reamed by your professor for being late. So, you decide to throw your bike into a bush and just sprint down the hallways of DeBart to just barely make it on time. Unfortunately, when you walk out of class, your bike is now the latest decoration on a tree.

It may seem like the end of the world, but there is one positive takeaway: At least you still have your bike. In the real world, it would go more like this: You are driving your car through traffic to make it to a meeting on time. You are so late you have to speed, make crazy turns, veer into a parking spot and immediately sprint inside with papers flying out of your briefcase.

Now, imagining you somehow didn’t get into an accident, blow a red light and get pulled over or get pulled over for speeding, you think you’re safe. But you’re not. Because, guess what? Your car is unlocked and the keys are inside.

Oh, and your job is in downtown Chicago. In your best scenario, your car will still be there when you get back. In

your worst scenario, it won’t. And quite honestly, the latter isn’t entirely unlikely. I really hope that meeting was worth the $55,000 BMW with a “GO IRISH” license plate that you were willing to give up to make it there. I know it probably wasn’t.

If you can’t learn in college to be early and to lock your bike (or car), then you are doomed for the real world.

People aren’t going to be kind souls and simply throw your bike into a tree and have a good laugh about it. Instead, you would be one of the two million people who have their bike disappear every year in North America. Or worse, you could be one of the nearly 750,000 people who have their car stolen every year. Notre Dame prides itself on being a University that has the most prepared graduates. It’s one of the main reasons why the success of Irish alumni is through the roof. Although this might be a stupid tradition, it fits into Notre Dame’s mission to truly cultivate smart and successful graduates who are prepared for the real world. So, next time your bike gets thrown in the tree, just laugh and appreciate the tradition. Nobody here is trying to be mean to you — they’re just trying to help you learn.

Tommy Diehl is a freshman from the Chicago area majoring in science business and global affairs. When he’s not writing for The Observer, he can be found playing guitar, running or cheering for the Cardinals and the Packers. Tommy loves feedback and can be reached at tdiehl@nd.edu or on Twitter at @tommydiehl5.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

8

Classifieds

The observer | tuesday, january 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Refuse to let someone beat you at your own game. Put your energy to good use, and use your intelligence to navigate your way to a higher position. Challenge yourself mentally, and pick up new skills, information and insight that will help you expand your interests, ability to earn, reputation and status. Walk away from dishonest or indulgent people. Your numbers are 8, 11, 17, 23, 29, 35, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take advantage of an opportunity someone offers.

Now is not the time to be too proud to accept help. Something you say or do for someone will be enough of a payback to warrant what you receive. Be grateful.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may desire change, but first, take a closer look at the consequences. You’ll achieve positive results if you do the groundwork to ensure success. Someone will probably shed some light on a dicey situation.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t feel you have to make a grand entrance. Let your intelligence lead the way, and you will control the fallout from someone who is trying to make you look bad. An open discussion will help you maintain control.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ease into change. Do your due diligence, and question the logistics and motives behind an offer. Before you accept, consider what you will have to give in return. Make a counteroffer, but be prepared to go it alone.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Get pumped up and ready to take action. Share your thoughts and feelings to find out where you stand. Take the information offered and consider what’s best for you. Connect with people from your past who can help you now.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Accept the inevitable, and work with what you’ve got. Process change and consider your alternatives, and you will come up with a plan that works for you. Sometimes a nudge is all you need to discover what you truly want.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Make a difference by reaching out to people who need a helping hand. How you relate to others will be crucial in discovering how best to treat yourself as well as your expectations and goals. An offer from a past acquaintance looks promising.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t let someone’s poor attitude stop you from getting things done. Discussions may be difficult, but they will also strengthen your position. Take a unique approach and physical action. Words alone will not be enough to reach your objective. Romance is encouraged.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Wait and watch. Everything will fall into place as long as you don’t overreact, instigate unnecessary change or are gullible to someone’s pretenses. Gather facts before committing. Use your experience and intelligence, and do your own thing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep moving forward, regardless of what others do or say. You may not agree with everyone, but take what is offered that works for you, and give it a spin that will encourage success and ward off opposition.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take the initiative, and discuss the plans that can help you achieve your goals. Do the necessary groundwork, sum up the facts and prepare yourself to make a well-earned leap forward. Change requires work and patience.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Too much, too fast equals setbacks. Concentrate on personal gains, physical strength and endurance, and overall preparation for what you want to achieve. Don’t make a decision that will limit what you can accomplish. Expect change so you can adapt.

Birthday Baby: You are broad-minded, enthusiastic and diligent. You are innovative and abrupt.

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9

Sports Authority

What we learned from the National Championship Connor Mulvena Sports Editor

LSU’s historic season was capped last week by yet another commanding w in, one in which the Tigers proved themselves, w ithout a reasonable doubt, to be the best team in the nation. Clemson’s 10 point lead in the second quarter, although an impressive margin over a team which prided itself on substantially outscoring its opponents, never truly felt like a threat.

Of course, one probably would not have expected Clemson star quarterback Trevor Law rence to play the remainder of the game as he did. Law rence played abysmally on the big stage. Perhaps his low level of performance was accentuated by the fact that he has been phenomenal in his college football career thus far, but 18-37 w ith 234 yards in the National Championship just won’t get it done. But I don’t think many people would walk away from that game say ing Law rence was exposed. He is no doubt a fantastic quarterback, and now that Joe Burrow w ill be heading off to the NFL, he is likely the best quarterback in college football.

But I think we did learn a lot from LSU’s v ictor y.

The Tigers’ championship season ought to be a telling example to elite college football programs, especially in light of the recent back and forth bet ween Clemson and A labama. So, what did we learn from LSU this season?

Recruiting is king.

Much has been said of Coach Ed Orgeron and his rev ival of LSU’s program. His unique voice and conspicuous mannerisms are likable, and by all accounts he is primarily responsible for the establishment of this championship team.

But it’s no secret, and I’m sure Coach O would admit it himself, that Ed Orgeron is not an Xs and

Os mastermind. He never has been. W hether it be in the interim head coach position at USC or as the head coach at Ole Miss, it was clear that Coach O was not an offensive or defensive mastermind.

W hat has become clear in his time at LSU is the fact that Coach O is the king of recruiting. His abilit y to inspire and motivate young college football players is unmatched.

Ever yone loves to talk about LSU’s new offensive “system,” but let’s not lose sight of the fact that LSU’s talent is unbelievable.

Orgeron managed to conv ince Burrow, who as it turns out is a stud, to join his program.

Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was not a top 100 player in his recruiting class, finished the season w ith 1,414 rushing yards on 215 attempts, averaging 6.6 yards per carr y. But Coach O must have seen something in EdwardsHelaire as a member of his new system dow n the road.

You could go on and on about LSU’s deep w ide receiver corps or talented linebackers, but in any case, the Tigers proved that recruiting is the key to building a powerhouse in the long run, however inf luential superb coaching may be. As Texas A & M head coach Jimbo Fisher once said, “I’ve never seen anyone w in the Kentuck y Derby w ith a donkey.”

Know your personnel.

If you’ve watched any inter v iews w ith coach Orgeron, it’s likely you’ve heard him mention Joe Brady, former LSU passing game coordinator. Orgeron brought him on in 2019 to run the passing game, and boy did it work.

Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 5,617 yards on the year, and the team averaged an absurd 406.1 yards per contest w ith a 75.1% completion rate.

Those are staggering numbers.

To expect any team to throw for 400 yards in a game, assuming the

opponents are somewhat evenly matched, is just w ild to think about. Coach O has also mentioned offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, the other key to LSU’s new high powered offensive system, on a number of occasions.

The point is that Coach O continually credited his key personnel, and more importantly, he ex hibited an immense amount of trust in that personnel.

After all, bringing LSU from the ground game focused days of Les Miles to the high powered aerial attack of Joe Brady and Joe Burrow could not have happened w ithout trust in a number of channels.

Irish junior Zach Yeadon competes in the 500 freestyle during Notre Dame’s home meet against Northwestern on Jan. 17.

Defense wins championships … ?

Swim&Dive

We like to think that we can rely on a staunch defense, especially late in the year, when it matters most.

For some reason, there is this an x iet y that comes w ith rely ing on a highpowered offense all year.

W hat if they have an off day?

It feels like if the defense has an off night, the offense can make up for it, or you can hope the opposing offense has an off night. But LSU’s offense debunked this whole construct. If you wanted to beat the Tigers, you simply had to keep pace w ith their scoring for four quarters.

They could just beat you from any angle, and no one in the power five could replicate their pace. And LSU’s defense in the first half of the season was a bit shak y, whereas the offense was always their rock.

This high-powered offense proved that offense can w in championships, and in some cases, it might prove more reliable to have than a stout defense.

Continued from page 12

Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

freest yle sw immer Jack Hoagland and sophomore f ly/indiv idual medley sw immer Luciana Thomas posted first place finishes.

Hoagland finished w ith a time of 9: 05.74 minutes and Thomas w ith a time of 9:57.90.

Several more sw immers would follow suit w ith v ictories coming for Notre Dame in the 50 free, 200 free and 200 IM. Then, histor y was made as freshman f ly/breast/intermediate stroke sw immer Coleen Gillilan, who had already recorded a w in on the day, broke the Rolf’s Aquatic Center record for the women’s 200 f ly in a time of 1:55.94.

Hoagland had broken the Universit y of Iowa Aquatic Center record for the men’s 1000 free in the prev ious meets.

Gillilan, who earned ACC sw immer of the week honors after sweeping all of her heats in the prev ious meets and setting personal bests in the women’s 200 and 100 f ly, would not be the only record setter for the Irish.

Junior freest yle sw immer Zach Yeadon led an impressive show ing for the Irish in the 500 free heats as he set the pool record w ith a time of 4:19.30.

Second and third place went to Hoagland and sophomore f ly/freest yle sw immer Ma x Miranda, respectively.

To w rap up the indiv idual events, Bottelberghe claimed first place honors in the men’s 200 breaststroke.

In the end, Notre Dame’s men and women won by commanding scores of 151 to 92 and 169 to 74, respectively.

Notre Dame continued to have an impressive show ing in the div ing portion of the competition.

Junior Kelly Straub got the divers off to as strong a start as the sw immers, w inning the women’s 1-meter w ith a score of 329.93 and the women’s 3-meter w ith a score of 307.20.

Not to be outdone, sophomore Austin Flaute finished first in the men’s 3-meter w ith a score of 336.53 and placed second in the 1-meter w ith a score of 351.60.

The Irish w ill return to action Friday and Saturday in the Shamrock Inv itational at Rolf’s Aquatic Center.

Write Sports.

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Sports

Track&Field Continued from page 12

the next six weeks, and they are ahead of the cur ve. We are re-evaluating things, and they are forcing us to reach outside of our coaching box a little bit which is a good thing.”

A lso competing well were the women hurdlers. Senior Summer Thorpe took first w ith a time of 8.51seconds in the 60-meter event, and senior Naya Sharp was right behind in second place w ith a time of 8.5 seconds.

Sparks recognizes the importance of these two hurdlers being able to train and compete together.

“Sharp has been a real steady work horse since she got here four years ago. She and Summer have trained really well over the last couple of years,” Sparks said.

“Obv iously when someone thinks of our women hurdles group, Summer is the first name that is mentioned, but Summer would also tell you that she couldn’t be where she is today w ithout Naya pushing her and challenging her ever yday at practice. And the race on Friday was just another example of that.”

The Irish did well off the track as well, w ith sophomore Colton Crum taking first in the pole vault w ith a height of 5.21 meters, a career best for Crum.

Crum redshirted the

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, january 21, 2020 | The Observer

outdoor track season last year to perfect his form, and Sparks said he is pleased it is already pay ing off for him.

“You can see it start to pay off now w ith the PR this weekend. He’s even more confident he can go higher in the coming weeks,” Sparks said. “It’s a real confidence booster for him that all the work he has put in over the last five months is really pay ing off.”

Sparks said he was also impressed w ith the performance of freshman Sarah Flight in the high jump.

Flight tied for first in the event w ith a mark of 1.65 meters.

“In her first big meet, she was able to come out on top and compete at her best.

W henever you have a freshman come in and compete in their first meet right at their PR, you are excited about where they are,” Sparks said.

The Irish w ill play host this week at the upcoming Notre Dame Inv itational on Saturday.

A smaller meet than the Irish’s last competition, the Inv itational w ill feature Illinois State, Louisv ille, Loyola and Marquette as competitors.

The meet w ill start at 10 a.m. in Loftus Sports Center.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish junior Kelly Koehnen runs through the pack during the 3000m at the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 2, 2019 in the Loftus Sports Center.

11

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish freshman Sam Brunelle stands defensively as she squares off with the opponent in Notre Dame’s home win over the University of Miami 76-53 on Jan. 19 in the Purcell Pavilion.

W Bball Continued from page 12

Towards the end of her time on the podium, Muffet was asked just how difficult the team’s recent stretch has been, especially in the shadow of Notre Dame’s 10-point loss to Boston College a few days prior.

Muffet’s disappointment was palpable and, fighting back tears, she said, “I just … I’ve got to do better. I feel like I can fix it, but I didn’t. I’m going to keep tr y ing, and I’m going to find an answer. I’m going to fix it.”

For a Notre Dame fan, it’s hard to watch such a respected coach and a legend of women’s college basketball appear so troubled.

But those emotional few minutes are emblematic of that painful part of sports, especially one like college basketball: Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

Earlier in the press conference, McGraw commented more pointedly on her personnel. It was clear McGraw has faith in the talent available to the team.

But it was a lso clea r t here a re cer ta in inta ng ibles t hat have gotten in t he way of t hat ta lent’s ma nifestat ion.

“They were all good high school players, … and so battling through adversit y is such a great life lesson that they’ve not learned yet. I’m hopeful that this experience can translate to really big things in the

future because ever ybody goes through adversit y in their life, and for these kids, they didn’t have a lot of it. We’ve handled adversit y the past few years here, but they weren’t part of that,” McGraw said. “I think it’s a lesson you’ve got to learn. You have to learn how to fight back.

You have to learn how to have some grit and really just continue to fight. And I think … they don’t know how to handle it, and we don’t have the leadership to say, ‘Hey it’s OK. We got beat by 40 at Louisv ille t wo years ago and won the national championship.’ We don’t have anybody that can help them get through that, and so I think it has to fall on us. But, it’s better when it comes from a player and they can say, ‘We’re going to be OK. We’re going to keep battling, and we’re going to keep fighting, and we’re going to keep practicing.’ I think we’re going to get better. It can turn at any moment. We could go to our next game and suddenly it all comes together. … I’m liv ing on that hope.”

W hat is Muffet to do?

This isn’t something extra practice handles. It’s not fixed w ith a change of routine or a new drill.

It’s something the casual v iewer can’t see, and it’s something any leader, even one as good as McGraw, would have immense trouble fix ing.

It doesn’t ref lect poorly on McGraw, nor does it necessarily ref lect poorly on the players. It just goes to show that, considering the complex it y of college

basketball and the f luctuations which come w ith personnel change, sometimes it’s not going to work.

“I feel like we’re good enough. I really believe that we’re good enough.

And … we just haven’t had that game when ever yone plays well at the same time,” McGraw said.

And for this particular team, it seems like time is a key factor. Like McGraw said, it could all click tomorrow or next week.

More likely it w ill take some more time for this team to learn how it responds to adversit y.

It could come back next season w ith a totally new outlook, w ith a ton of experience under its belt, w ith increased chemistr y and a new found sense of its ow n identit y and take the ACC by storm.

But for now, it seems we ought to recognize a lot of what stands in this team’s way is much more complex than the clipboard.

In the meantime, we ought to celebrate the small v ictories, like sophomore guard Katly n Gilbert’s stellar 25-point performance during that N.C. State loss or Notre Dame’s 76-53 v ictor y over Miami, an impressive margin no matter the opponent. Because next year, ever y thing could be completely different.

Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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The observer | tuesday, january 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND TRack & Field

Squads start the season off strong at Bill Clinger Invitational

By NATE MOLLER Spor ts Writer

The men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the Bill Clinger Inv itational at Grand Valley State Universit y on Friday.

There were strong turnouts across the board, promising for the Irish as the indoor track season progressively gets more competitive.

The women’s distance squad performed well for the Irish. The distance team took home first in three events w ith junior Erin Sullivan w inning the 800-meter, junior AnnaSophia Keller w inning the mile and senior Erin Archibeck setting a personal best in w inning the 3000-meter.

Head coach Matt Sparks said he was ver y happy that some younger athletes were able to step up for the distance squad.

“The theme that we have had for this group has been

that we are looking for underclassmen leaders, meaning juniors and younger, to step up. We have had great leaders w ith graduate students Kelly Hart and Anna Rohrer,” Sparks said. “We need those kids that are younger on the team to assert themselves a little bit.

A ll three of them ran confidently and competitively and brought some of the underclassmen along w ith them in their success. They really stepped up and did what was asked of them this weekend.”

The strong performances of the distance group w ill likely cause Sparks to alter the training slightly, he said.

“It’s got us questioning the training in a positive way because they are so prepared this early in the season,” Sparks said. “We had a plan laid out for what we were going to do for workouts over see TRACK&FIELD PAGE 11

aLLISON THORTON | The Observer

Irish junior Brendan Fraser races former Irish senior Kevin Poulliam during the men’s 3000m race at the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 2, 2019 in the Loftus Sports Center. Fraser placed 11th with a time of 8:21.43.

ND WOMEN’s BASKETBALL

ND SWIMMING & DIVING

Irish top Northwestern in weekend meet Observer Sports Staff

The No. 17/RV Notre Dame sw imming and div ing team broke records in its first meet of the new school year.

After the women’s team went undefeated Jan. 11 by besting both the Universit y of Iowa and the Universit y of Illinois while the men fell to the Hawkeyes, both teams posted w ins over NR/No. 25 Northwestern this past weekend. It was also the first home meet of the 2020 season.

The meet started off well for the Irish w ith senior f ly/backstroke and freest yle sw immer Jack Montesi, sophomore breaststroke sw immer Josh Bottelberghe, sophomore f ly/backstroke sw immer Zach Smith and senior f ly/back/free/indiv idual medley sw immer Aaron Schultz w inning the men’s 400 medley relay.

After that, the Irish won both the men’s and women’s 1000 freest yle as freshman see SWIM&DIVE PAGE 9

Sometimes it just doesn’t work out Connor Mulvena Sports Editor

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish sophomore Andrew Winton swims the breaststroke during Notre Dame’s meet against Northwestern on Jan. 17.

In sports, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. The chips don’t fall in your favor. The reason may not be totally apparent to the casual v iewer. It may not even be completely clear to the team itself. But sometimes things just don’t quite click.

For the Notre Dame women’s basketball team, unfortunately this sentiment rings true.

For a program which has been a dominant force in women’s college basketball over the past 20 seasons, appearing in seven national championships and claiming t wo titles, things are suddenly not going as one would think. Currently 7-12 w ith a disappointing 2-5 ACC conference record, the Irish have struggled to recapture the momentum of last year’s national championship appearance season. And one could

obv iously point to the many stars and leaders Notre Dame lost last season — Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard and Jackie Young to name a few.

But surely there’s more than simply a personnel loss that can explain the woes of this season. A powerhouse program like Notre Dame, one that has clearly established its elite reputation in the eyes of serious recruits, doesn’t just stop losing talent. Sure, some recruits may not work out. Maybe one or t wo don’t buy in, or maybe injuries plague a certain class.

But you’d have to think this year’s Irish team has talent that, at least as a unit, could make some noise in the admittedly competitive ACC. So what’s going on?

I think we ought to look to Muffet McGraw’s press conference follow ing Notre Dame’s 90-56 blowout loss to No. 9 N.C. State on Jan. 12. see W BBALL PAGE 11