Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, October 3, 2017

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Volume 52, Issue 31 | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Students confront mental illness on campus Professional drummer shares personal struggle

Club promotes on-campus resources, support

By NATALIE WEBER

By SELENA PONIO

Associate News Editor

Associate News Editor

As part of the “Irish State of MiND: Mental Illness Awareness Week” sponsored by Active Minds, professional drummer Mike Veny spoke on his experiences of mental illness and how to combat the stigma surrounding the subject Monday night.

The stigma involves “thoughts, feelings and behavior” and affects people in diverse ways, Veny said.

“Where does stigma come from? It’s a giant debate, but I want to give you two observations that I’ve had,” he said.

“One, is the law of the tribe. We

As students leave the library after a late night of studying, they are greeted with a slightly different version of a beloved mural: Touchdown Jesus lit up green.

This week, the Active Minds club — formerly National Alliance on Mental Illness — is hosting Irish State of MiND: Mental Illness Awareness Week with a series of events such as workshops and speakers. Junior co-president Jenna Wertsching said planning started at the end of last semester.

see STIGMA PAGE 3

NATALIE WEBER | The Observer

Professional drummer Mike Veny describes his life-long struggle with mental illness and how drumming changed his life. Veny focused on the detriment stigma causes to people with mental illness.

Service honors victims of Las Vegas shooting

By TOM NAATZ News Writer

The Notre Dame community honored the nearly 60 people killed and more than 500 injured in Sunday’s shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas. Earlier in the day, University President Fr. John Jenkins released a statement

expressing his condolences and the day ended with a 9 p.m. prayer service at the Grotto on Monday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the awful carnage in Las Vegas,” Jenkins said in a statement.

“We pray that there comes a day when the senseless violence that has plagued the

nation for so long ends for good.”

According to an email from Campus Ministry, the bells of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart tolled in honor of the victims from 3 p.m. – 3:05 p.m. Later, at 5:15 p.m., special prayers were offered for see SERVICE PAGE 4

Student attends conference on immigration, inclusion

By JULIANNA McKENNA New Writer

Saint Mary’s senior Megan Uekert traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska, to attend a Define American Immigration Conference this past weekend (Editor’s Note: Uekert is a former News Writer for The Observer.)

Define American is a new organization on campus designed

News PAGE 3

to engage the College community about pertinent issues in America today. In an email, Uekert said her decision to attend this conference was because she wanted a way to connect with leaders from other campuses.

“I decided to attend in order to connect with other chapter leaders from across the nation to share ideas and learn about

viewpoint PAGE 7

strategies that have worked well on other campuses,” she said.

Uekert said this weekend impacted her greatly and she was able to learn more and engage in discussions about what it really means to be American.

“It was also open to anyone who wanted to learn more about the organization and even just see CONFERENCE PAGE 3

Scene PAGE 8

see MiND PAGE 5

Club plans week promoting respect for life

By MARIE FAZIO News Writer

This week, the Notre Dame Right to Life club is celebrating Respect Life week, a part of National Respect Life Month. The week began with a rosary for life at the Grotto on Sunday and a booth on South Quad yesterday, where club members sold apparel and answered questions about the club.

The organization chose “Love in Action” as this year’s theme because it represents the positivity and service that the club hopes to share with Notre Dame students throughout the week, senior Sarah Drumm, president of Notre Dame Right to Life, said.

“The purpose of our club is to promote the dignity of all human life and to show love to these people, to all

football PAGE 16

people, but particularly the most vulnerable in society.

Therefore we picked ‘Love in Action,’” Drumm said.

“That’s what these events are. They’re taking the love that we have for these groups of people and putting it in action, either talking about it or doing something about it: card making, making blankets for hospice care, having a dance party with Hannah and Friends, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with special needs. [They’re] tangible ways to show your love to other people.”

Sophomore Jack Ferguson, vice president of campus involvement of Notre Dame Right to Life, said that that club has been planning the week since July.

Ferguson said the Human see LIFE PAGE 4

Interhall PAGE 16

2

TODAY

The observer | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

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P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

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junior off campus

freshman Flaherty Hall

“An octopus.”

“Philly Fanatic.”

Jenna Szaday

John Hale

freshman Welsh Family Hall

freshman Siegfried Hall

“Lion.”

“Paws the Tiger.”

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EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

A band member plays the tuba during halftime of Notre Dame’s victory over Miami (OH) on Saturday. The band played “Despacito”

by Luis Fonsi, “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man and “Another Day of Sun” from the summer flick “La La Land.”

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Lecture: “Science Diplomacy: Past, Present and Future” Jenkins Nanovic Hall 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

By Cathy Campbell.

“Views from the West Wing” Leighton Concert Hall 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Two former chiefs of staff to speak.

ISSLP Info Session Geddes Hall 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Past participants to speak followed by a Q & A session.

Lecture: “Boardroom Insights” Jordan Auditorium 10:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

CFO Diane Aigotti to speak.

Seminar in American Religion Morris Inn 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Features work by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

Men’s Soccer vs.

Northwestern Alumni Stadium 7 p.m.

The Irish take on the Wildcats.

St. Francis Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.

Mass will celebrate legacy of St. Fancis.

“Measure by Measure” Washington Hall 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Performed by actors from London Stage.

Staff Mass Log Chapel 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Staff of all faiths are invited to join the staff chaplains for prayer.

Outdoor Meditation Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Last session of fall exhibition.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | The Observer

3

Outdoor mass honors St. Francis, stewardship

By ERIN GRIMES News Writer

Saint Mary’s students will have the opportunity to attend “Mass on the Grass” on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Le Mans Circle, an event celebrating the Catholic Church’s Season of Creation.

“There’s a season of creation going on in the Church,” director of campus ministry Regina Wilson said. “It’s ending on October 4 ... it was a season to honor creation, to learn more about it and celebrate it so we appropriately decided to do

Conference Continued from page 1

the questions ‘What does it mean to be American?’ and ‘How do you define it?’” she said. “The conference had a big emphasis on understanding immigration as an intersectional issue as well as American identity.”

Throughout the conference, Uekert also helped collaborate on a mission pledge for the organization. She said it was inspiring to be a part of, and the pledge statement highlights that being American is about togetherness, not separateness.

“The mission reads, ‘Together, we stand united against bigotry, hatred and exploitation.

Together, we are building a nation guided by equity, compassion and justice. Together, we all Define American,’” she said.

Uekert stressed the importance of why this issue is applicable to everyone in this community.

“We are all American.

Papers or no papers, we are Belles, we are students and we are all American,” she said.

“Immigration has not affected

Mass, on the grass, which we have never done before.”

The Mass will also be in honor of St. Francis of Assisi whose feast day is also Wednesday. “[St. Francis was] a 13thcentury man who heard the invitation to live a radical life of Christian discipleship,” Wilson said. “What I mean by radical life of Christian discipleship is in communion with all of creation, living nonviolently and living a life of poverty.”

Wilson said she believes one of the reasons St. Francis has

me personally as I was born in the United States, as were my parents and even their grandparents, but just because an issue doesn’t affect you directly doesn’t mean it’s not important,” Uekert said.

She said in order to understand others and the facts of immigration, it is essential to listen and be open to hearing the stories of others.

“It is also so important to listen and share stories because we all have different ones. Sharing stories creates empathy,” she said. “Stories turn the facts and statistics into real people that you can relate to. The issues then become less robotic and more serious and human.”

Uekert said it is important to make your voice heard and create a supportive community on campus.

“At the end of the day, we cannot be Saint Mary’s if we do not support and respect each other,” Uekert said. “If we exclude our undocumented Belles and make them feel unwelcome, then we are not Saint Mary’s.”

Contact Julianna McKenna at jmckenna01@saintmarys.edu

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become more popular is because of the current pope.

“I think he’s become more relevant since Pope Francis,” she said. “He is one of the saints that his chosen name Francis comes from … and Pope Francis cites part of St. Francis’s famous canticle of creation in ‘Laudato si.’”

Wilson said St. Francis has also come to popularity because of his concern for the earth.

“I think that he is an example [for] people who are very much interested in and concerned about the state of

our planet,” she said. “People throughout creation look to him as an example of how Christians are called to care and see how we are in creation and how we are in communion with it.”

Wilson said the “radical” way St. Francis lived his life is another reason why he is fascinating to people.

“His commitment to living a life of poverty I think draws a lot of people now who are interested in what I would consider a radical Christian life,” she said.

Campus Ministry decided

to celebrate the Mass outside, in order to fully celebrate the Season of Creation.

“People can be outside and celebrate Mass in a setting close to creation,” Wilson said. “The Eucharist connects us to creation, the bread and wine are fruit of the Earth and work of human hands so they connect us to creation. This is to celebrate Francis who is the saint of creation and to give glory to God through all of that.”

Stigma

crazy person any more.”

One day while in class, one of Veny’s teachers started talking dow n to him and Veny said he expected to react in a way that would get him expelled.

“But one day, in October — around this time actually — I did have this one teacher who was just nast y to me,” he said. “He spoke dow n to me and I got triggered and I knew that it was done. It was like ‘Here we are. This is happening. Police, suspended, expelled — something’s going to happen.’”

However, he said, he decided to play the drums in a practice room instead. He said he used this method to calm dow n in other situations and eventually, one of his teachers asked him “a question that changed [his] life.” The teacher wanted to hire Veny to play in the teacher’s band.

“That moment, the lightbulb went off in my head,” Veny said. “W hen I got emotional, angr y, upset, depressed, an x ious and did the other thing, I ended up in the hospital, w ith police, suspended or expelled.

But when I got an x ious or depressed and played the drums, people want to give me money. And it was at that point, I said ‘Oh, I think I know what my career needs to be.’”

Veny said even though drumming helped him cope w ith his mental illness, he still carried stigma surrounding it for many years.

“I realized, as I was learning about stigma online, that stigma is actually a cycle, that starts w ith shame, leads to silence and the silence leads to four things:

sabotage, self-destructive behav ior, social injustice and suicide,” he said.

Veny said the key to transforming the shame of stigma is to practice self-care.

“The thing that I learned is … once I started to take care of myself, I started to feel better,” he said. “So I encourage all of you to transform shame through self-care.”

To break the silence around mental illness, Veny said, people should become comfortable talking about the subject. Veny said he did an experiment for one year — though he made audience members promise not to recreate it — where he introduced himself to people and told them he was mentally ill.

“That year was really interesting because not a single person ran from me, no one attacked me, I actually got a lot of hugs,” he said. “I got a lot of questions. And I got a lot of friends that year. … I realized it wasn’t the subject. I was comfortable w ith myself, so it didn’t matter what I said.”

The way to defeat the last part of stigma is to connect w ith others, Veny said.

“How do you transform sabotage, social injustice, suicidal behav ior? ” he said.

“How do you transform that?

Connecting w ith others.

You have to force yourself to connect w ith others. We live in a world that’s all about cell phones. We don’t ever sit around and do stuff and people have a harder time socializing today than ever before. It’s really important for all of us to do that.”

Continued from page 1

are tribal people by nature, even if you’re one of those people who hates people and doesn’t want to be around anyone.

“You can see where stigma starts in a kindergarten classroom. The way we learn to socialize w ith each other is by figuring out who’s in the group and who’s not in the group.”

Veny said the stigma surrounding mental illness may also come from people’s inabilit y to understand it.

“The other thing is to realize that mental health issues are confusing and frustrating,” he said. “They’re ver y confusing, even to people who study them.”

Beginning from a young age, Veny said, he experienced mental illness, including OCD, an x iet y and depression. He was expelled from school t w ice, selfharmed and had attempted suicide.

One day, Veny said, his mother asked him what made him happy, in an effort to help him combat his mental illness. His answer?

Drumming. In response, his mother enrolled him in a performing arts high school as a junior, Veny said.

“So there I was amongst my fellow artists and my medication started to get reduced, I started going to the doctor less, my grades started going up,” he said. “It was really cool. A nd people started wanting to be my friend.

Like when I started play ing the drums, people wanted to be my friend. They thought I was cool. I wasn’t the weird,

Write News.

Email us at news@ndsmcobserver.com

Contact Erin Grimes at egrimes01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Service

Life

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

the victims in Las Vegas at the Annual Red Mass, at which Fr. Kevin C. Rhoades, the Bishop of Fort Wayne–South Bend diocese, presided. At 9 p.m., director of Campus Ministry, Fr. Pete McCormick, led a prayer service at the Grotto.

Allie Green, Campus Ministry’s assistant director of liturgy, emphasized the community element of the service.

“The only way we can come together to make sense of this is together in groups,” Green said.

“We can try to make sense of this violence as one family.”

Green also noted the importance of the Grotto as the venue for the service.

“How blessed we are to a have a sacred space like the Grotto to pray,” she said.

Kate Barrett, associate director of liturgy, also stated the importance of gathering as a community.

“I think the thing about events such as last night is that there is a lot of fear surrounding it because it is so unpredictable,” she said. “One of the things we hope comes out of this is solidarity,” Barrett said.

“You can only overcome hatred and violence through prayer, community and peace.”

Barrett agreed that selecting the Grotto as the venue was an important choice.

“The Grotto is a place where people come to find comfort,” she said. “We chose it, as opposed to a mass or a rosary, so that we could include everyone.”

The service itself consisted of a hymn, an opening prayer, a reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, intercessions, the Lord’s Prayer and the alma mater. Once the alma mater was finished, the assembled community members exchanged signs of peace before many entered the Grotto itself to light candles in honor of the victims.

Throughout, quiet weeping pervaded the air.

After the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, McCormick issued a call for unity.

“As we conclude this prayer with our hands joined, let us remember that we are stronger together,” McCormick said. “Just as we stand here at this Grotto, that emanates forth light, it is made brighter by the candles united together. The same is true for us.

“In a day in which darkness seemingly prevailed, always remember that the light is within.

That what we have to offer this world is made most profound in our unity, the ways in which we come together to share for love one another, and share compassion for one another. You can always, and I promise this, always, be the change you want to be in the world by simply joining hands, as we do tonight.”

Dignity Service Fair on Tuesday, co-sponsored by student government, is a great event for students who want to get involved with a service opportunity. ND Right to Life service commissioners — including groups that work with the homeless and pregnancy help centers — will be in attendance, as well as other clubs presenting service opportunities.

Wednesday, the club will host a blanket and card making activity for people in hospice from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. in the Gold Room of LaFortune Student Center.

Afterwards, the group will hold the next segment of their semester long “Pro-Life Vision of the World” panel, which will feature Jess Keating from the Institute for Church Life speaking on prolife feminism, Andrea Verteramo and Mary Ball from the Holy Family Adoption Agency speaking on adoption and Aly Cox

Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu

from the Center for Ethics and Culture on bioethics.

“They approach it from many different disciplines and faculty: theology, philosophy, from a feminist approach, from an environmental approach, with respect to things like war and poverty,” Ferguson said.

The club will hold their annual rose garden memorial on South Quad on Thursday, Ferguson said.

“It’s a memorial to all those lives lost, particularly through abortion, but any major life issues: the death penalty, euthanasia, suicide, civil war strife, persecution in the Middle East or in South America,” Ferguson said. “It will conclude with a prayer service on Friday morning.”

Last year, the rose garden memorial was vandalized overnight, an event the group views as an opportunity to promote more civil dialogue with other groups on campus, Ferguson said.

“We took it as an opportunity to respond with love and positivity and rise above the occasion,” Ferguson said.

Thursday evening, the club will host keystone speaker Lila Rose, an outspoken critic of abortion and founder of Live Action at 7 p.m. in the Carey Auditorium for a speech called “Transforming the Abortion Debate.” The club is expecting a large turnout, Ferguson said.

The week will come to a close with Lifefest on Friday, an event organized by the Joys of Life commission of the Right to Life club, which will be held on North Quad from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., and a dance party with Hannah and Friends on Saturday from 5:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The festivities will include food, inflatables and games. All students and faculty are invited, as well as members from the South Bend community.

“Essentially what the Joys of Life part of our club does is they just celebrate life,” Drumm said.

“I think that that can often be

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forgotten in the pro-life movement. We’re always fighting so hard for different groups of vulnerable people, but this aspect of celebrating life and remembering that life is a gift and remembering why we’re fighting is important.”

Notre Dame Right to Life encourages all students to attend the Respect Life Week events, even if they have no affiliation with the club.

“Everyone on this campus, there’s something about this club that they would like,” Drumm said. “We do so many things on campus with so many different groups of people. We have so many service commissions, so many opportunities for discussion or prayer or volunteering to help other people. We want to reach as many people as possible. Even if you disagree with us on one or two issues, there’s still something here for you.”

Contact Marie Fazio at mfazio@nd.edu

News

MiND Continued from page 1

“The biggest thing I’m excited for is just the little things,” she said. “So seeing our posters around campus and hav ing Touchdow n Jesus green. It’s the little touches that can reach the whole student body and get ever yone talking about it.”

The week starts off w ith three main events: a speaker Monday, a healing mass at the Grotto on Tuesday for people whose lives have been affected by mental illness and an event Wednesday titled “In Our Ow n Words,” where people share their stories about their ow n struggles w ith mental illness.

“I think it’s ver y easy to talk about mental illness as some external entit y but it’s hard to talk about it as something that affects us and affects people we know,” Wertsching said.

Active Minds club officer and junior Monica Coundouriotis said she became a member of the club her freshman year because she was a psycholog y major and already had some initial interest in mental illnesses.

Editor’s Note: Coundouriotis is a Viewpoint copyeditor for The

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | The Observer

Observer.

“As I became more involved in the club is when I realized how important it is and how it affects so many people, students especially,” she said. “The importance of hav ing good mental health is huge, especially in college.”

It is important to instill the need to take care of your mental health at a young age, Coundouriotis. She said Active Minds raises awareness to tr y to eliminate the stigma attached to mental illnesses so that people feel comfortable talking about it.

“It’s OK to not be perfect — I feel like a lot of Notre Dame kids feel the need to be,” Coundouriotis said. “There is a strong pressure to feel like you have ever y thing under control all the time and it’s just generally hard to talk about personal things w ith people.”

Wertsching said she is most excited for the “In Our Ow n Words” event because it allows students a platform to share their ow n stories in a way that promotes healing.

She said this year the submissions are not restricted to simply w ritten stories — there are also musical performances, poetr y and dances.

“It’s a change of pace to see

5

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Hesburgh Library is lit up in green for Irish State of MiND, a week of events aimed at bringing attention to the issue of mental illness. The week is hosted by student group Active Minds, formerly NAMI.

people be v ulnerable to an audience,” Wertsching said.

The event, which takes place in the Jordan Hall Reading Room at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, is one that offers students a chance to speak up if they want to, but people can attend w ithout feeling the pressure to speak, Coundouriotis said.

“Even just going to an event during the week or a club meeting of ours would be a great step,” she said.

“There’s no pressure, no one’s going to force you Paid Advertisement

to talk until you’re ready.

Especially hearing other people might help inspire you to talk.”

Learning coping methods and prioritizing her mental health helped her with her college transition, Wertsching said.

“It was a tough freshman year transition and I realized the importance of taking care of myself,” she said. “Once I was able to achieve that for myself I thought it was important to pass that message along to all of campus.”

Wertsching said she credits Active Minds for helping her realize she was not alone in how she was feelings and always connecting her with a variety of campus resources.

“I’ve come to realize that both administrators and student groups on campus that are all working towards the same goal of destigmatizing mental illness and helping students realize that they’re not alone,” she said.

Contact Selena Ponio at sponio@nd.edu

6

The observer | tuesday, October 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

To my high school brother Cristina Interiano Graphic Designer

Dear Miso, As you are finishing your college application process and polishing the Notre Dame application supplements, I want to give you some advice for the completely new stage of your life you are entering; different not only because you will probably end up hundreds of miles away from our Salvadoran home, especially if you end up here, but because even though I have only completed my first year at Notre Dame, let me tell you how different life has become and how much I have learned by the end of only two semesters.

My first and perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice I will give you is to take advantage of ever y minute you spend here or wherever you end up going; before you know it, you will be packing to go back home and one fourth of your time here will already have f lown by. I don’t mean only to enjoy the parties, movie-watching, game nights or dining hall gatherings, but literally ever y second. W hen else do you get to live 24/7 with your friends? Don’t waste your time worr ying and overstressing about workload, sleep, choosing a major, et cetera. W hen you feel over whelmed, believe me, the best cure is to stroll by the librar y, find someone to talk to and laugh with, take a break to hear your friends out or even watch a “Friends” episode or decipher a TED riddle with them. Don’t get me wrong, I do not mean to be careless about assignments and due dates; always include academics in your top priorities, but do not be afraid of taking occasional breaks to simply go and have deep talks with your closest friends or reinforce a friendship by engaging in important conversations with people you don’t usually get to see as often and happen to be around.

Secondly, do not let one bad grade or one negative experience bring you down because this place, for example, has so much more to offer. Know that most people you will meet here are full of values, love, politeness and caring, and that in only one year you will make friends that you will feel like you have had for a lifetime and who understand you more than anyone because of their resemblance to you. Tr y to befriend people from all types of backgrounds and cultures because there is a lot you can learn from them, especially people at Notre Dame. Likewise, embrace your own background culture and be a proud Salvadoran.

However, also be aware that there can always be a few people who might disappoint you as well.

However, it is not worth it to detract from such a magical experience because of one poor grade or one person who may wrong you.

Never take for granted the privilege of being where you are and always remember how hard you worked to get there. Therefore, seize ever y opportunity and resource the University has to offer and spend as much time as possible with the family you will find here, because time f lies and sadly you don’t have a lifetime to live with them so ever y second is a treasure. Do not only enjoy their company, but be a lending hand to anyone you encounter especially those who you spend 24/7 with and never get tired of. A lways remember: Love as much as possible, laugh as often as you can, live the college experience to the fullest.

Best, Your Sister Contact Cristina Interiano at cinteria@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A gift from the heart Have you ever held the weight of a dead body? I never thought I would until a month into my ser vice with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India through an ISSLP. A short while after I had entered Kalighat, the home for the destitute and dying, I was informed a male resident had died in the early hours of the morning. Upon being told to transport his body to a Muslim burial site, I quickly obliged with curiosity and anticipation.

Around 35 minutes later of weaving through the city streets, occasional honking and the rare use of the ambulance’s siren, we arrived at a gated cemeter y. I assisted in lifting the metal stretcher with the body into a small concrete room where another body lay. As I lifted the body wrapped in white cloth off the stretcher onto the f loor, I could feel its weight. I felt and heard a small thud. For some reason, I had expected there to be some resistance as if his muscles should have contracted and produced tension with the force of my hands. It seemed gravity was the only force at play. The thud of his head reminded me that life had ceased. It was in that moment that I fully accepted the mortal condition of this man. I did not know him nor do I remember his face. He was buried in the absence of loved ones. On the drive back to Kalighat I was mentally and emotionally troubled. How could I dignif y this man when I didn’t even know him? Was he simply a stranger whom I carried to the cemeter y? I never got the chance to be touched by his heart, but I will keep my memor y of him to remind me of the humanity we all share. After this day, I tried harder to learn the names and stories of all the men that lived in Kalighat, especially those that passed away.

Earlier that morning before I was told to aid in the transportation of the body I was already confronted with loss. W hen I opened the doors to Kalighat I was greeted by one of my friends (I’ll call him Ben), a resident whom I had gotten to know over the past couple of weeks. Ben immediately raised his ten fingers and f licked his right hand communicating that he was leaving at 10 a.m. He whispered to the doorman who had a better command of English and I was told that Ben was going to a drug addiction camp. In disbelief, I was unable to fully process his departure before he motioned to his wrist. This was our “thing.”

From day one, he had wanted my bracelet from Kenya. For weeks, he had asked for it and even tried to playfully pr y it from my wrist.

Each time I would chuckle at him and shake my head, telling him I could not hand it over.

I had worn this bracelet ever y day for the past

year without fail. I didn’t want to let it go. I was convinced the bracelet was of greater importance to me even if I couldn’t define it well.

To my relief, a long-term volunteer told me Ben wasn’t leaving permanently, but was going to a training center to make small accessories — a well-deser ved break in routine from Kalighat. The volunteer began to tell me how much of a model resident Ben had become. He was an essential part of the Kalighat family.

Ben knew what needed to be done better than any of the volunteers. Knowing that I would not make it back in time to say farewell to him, due to the burial, I asked the volunteer, who could speak Hindi, to tell Ben that I would give him my bracelet.

Over the past few weeks, my relationship with Ben had open the door to a new friendship. I wasn’t simply giving my bracelet to a stranger who wanted it; I was giving it to my friend who would hit me playfully, pinch my cheeks as if I were his little brother and smile at me with familiarity. I will never forget the words of the volunteer who said, “This bracelet is not simply a gift, it is an offering of friendship that comes from the heart.” In retrospect, the attachment to my bracelet paled in comparison to the joy it would bring Ben. He had given me a stronger sense of belonging to counteract my feelings of doubt that I wasn’t just a pair of hands and feet being put to work.

Throughout the eight weeks, many of my friends came and went, some back to families and different Missionar y of Charity homes while others took their last breath. Amidst all the pain, suffering and loss I found immense joy in the precious time I had with each of them. W hether it was feeding them, washing excrements off their bodies, tending to their wounds or simply sitting on their beds holding hands, opportunities to love and to be loved were endless. I won’t lie; ser ving wasn’t always easy. There were plenty of times I felt misplaced and frustrated. It was the choice to continuously challenge myself through the grace of God that made my time in Kolkata impactful.

I came across a Bible verse the other day that describes my experience quite well: “God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullif y the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” I hope we may all be humbled by the people on the margins of society, for often they are our greatest teachers.

Keven Cheung junior Sept. 18

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The importance of a collective voice For four years, I voluntarily lived on Notre Dame’s campus, serving as a member of hall staff my senior year.

I can confidently say that the decision to require three years of on-campus housing will be a dangerous addition to the pressing, systemic issues that Notre Dame’s housing system has; I have seen them affect the lives of my peers, lived through them myself and even tried my hand at fixing them, but by the end of it all, I found myself exhausted, disillusioned and severely disappointed. This choice to change Notre Dame’s policies will ultimately have a larger impact on the marginalized populations of our campus by forcing them to be tied to a system that can be destructive and harmful. I fear what the Notre Dame campus will look like years in the future should this plan be implemented.

I was able to live on campus because of a combination of scholarships, student loans and the generosity of my parents, and I do not take this good fortune lightly. On the other hand, if a student does not have access to these same opportunities, it is egregious to subject them to a substantial amount of debt just to live on campus. Quite frankly, the main thing that on-campus life has to offer that off campus does not is proximity, but I do not believe that the leisurely walk from North Quad to O’Shaugnessy is worth having to be subjected to the issues that the larger Notre Dame community proliferates.

For example, it is frightening that this University can accept the cognitive dissonance of being devoted to the dignity of the human person while continually silencing the voices of sexual assault victims. It is concerning to see that Notre Dame will claim “a spirit of inclusion ... in which none are strangers and all may flourish,” while simultaneously condemning transgender students seeking an education. It is aggravating to see this University toss up photos of Dr. King and Fr. Hesburgh like pennies into a wishing well of white tears instead of actually listening to the voices of black and brown students when they say, “this school does not support me and my humanity.”

I could tell you about the exact personal stories from my life and the lives of so many of my peers who are marginalized in some way — how we have faced violence, discrimination and ignorance, from fellow students, staff and administration, how there were moments when this

campus made me want to scream with rage because I could see how much it worked against my very existence — but we have been telling and telling for years.

Still, nothing and no one changes. Lived experiences are quickly dismissed with apathy instead of acknowledged as a piece of a larger systemic issue, and today I simply do not feel like baring my scars for the community that contributed to them. Instead, let us focus on the issues as a whole.

See, I could list more examples, like how ridiculous it is to require more people to live on campus before first making sure that all residences on campus are handicap accessible. I could discuss how the exaggerated dedication to heteronormativity within our campus blatantly excludes the lives of LGBTQ students, or how the system of single-sex housing creates unbalanced power dynamics and puts women at risk, but I firmly believe that those who do not see or understand these and other issues simply are not paying attention and have no real intention of fulfilling our campus’s central declaration, “Venite Ad Me Omnes — come to me, all of you.”

More importantly, if you do see these issues and have no intention of doing anything about them, if you have some inkling that maybe this isn’t a great idea but it’s “not my place to say,” then I severely question any claim of allyship or a so-called dedication to everyone’s right to life; the marginalized students of our campus are alive and well, and yet their voices are simply being ignored. Blatant dismissal from moderate bystanders and individuals is just as harmful as the work of the oppressors themselves.

Let me make one thing abundantly clear: Notre Dame is a strong academic institution and I am incredibly grateful for the education I received here. The exposure to brilliant professors, the opportunities for advanced, individualized study, research and international experiences are unmatched by many other schools.

Thus, the suggestion that marginalized groups should, “just go to school somewhere else” ignores the fact that we live in a society in which education is highly valued and Notre Dame has claimed that it will make this accessible to people from every walk of life.

Further, it is no secret that marginalized groups suffer at top schools across the country. This is an issue that

speaks to the problems in U.S. society more than to one individual place. Regardless, the proliferation of injustice nationwide is no excuse for creating harmful, dogmatic policies — just because the United States is a country poisoned with injustice does not mean that we should give up on trying to do something about it within our community.

I became an RA my senior year because I felt that, as a black woman, I might be able to make some small amount of difference within my dorm. I could see that Notre Dame had no intention of changing anytime soon, but I wanted to at least create a space in which all felt they could come and be whole. I believe this goal, while never truly enough, was reasonable. I encourage others who are considering it to be steadfast in their pursuits.

I loved my hall staff and am grateful for the things that I learned during that experience. My frustration with the housing system does not ignore the many unacknowledged individuals who work tirelessly within the regulations to make our campus more equitable and livable for all. To those who have worked to bring more diversity and inclusion into the student experience at Notre Dame, thank you.

But just having marginalized people amongst the ranks of campus leaders is not enough if the administration is not willing to do something about the systemic problems that exist. Over time, this decision can and will deter thousands of bright students from realizing their potential at this University, until this school becomes even whiter and richer than it already is.

I cannot truly say that I care about the needs of marginalized groups if I am not willing to speak and act when they are threatened. Every single person from students, staff, faculty, musicians, athletes, hall staff, grad students, campus leaders and administrators has a voice.

Regardless of who we are, we each have a stake in the future of this community and it is our responsibility to act. The collective voice of those who are willing to stand for what is right cannot and should not be ignored.

Michelle Mann class of 2017 Oct. 2

Tasty lamb morsels Lucy Collins A Broad Abroad

Let me set the scene. We arrive in Munich, freshfaced, bursting with the optimism of college kids with a weekend of unobstructed drinking and shenanigans ahead of us at Oktoberfest. Thinking that we are going to take things easy during the day, we head to a market for some lunch. Then, the unthinkable happens. I feel a slight tug on my head and hear a slew of words unrecognizable to my unilingual brain. It took a second for me to understand what was happening, but then I realized that yes, a grown-man did in fact just take my hair into his hands, smell it and say some undoubtedly creepy stuff to me in broad daylight. This was just the beginning of a weekend that was chock-full of this kind of business. We counted, and were approached seven times in a 20 minute period by males of all ages, either saying vulgar things, reaching out and touching us, or, if they were particularly feisty, both. And this was when we were with a group of male friends. When they would split off to get drinks or food, the onslaught worsened. From proposals, to being forced to tango, to being told we looked like, and I quote, “tasty lamb morsels,” we all agreed that this took the average, every day street harassment we all know and love to a new level.

I suppose a girl should almost be happy with the fact that male behavior towards them is just as bad when they’re in the company of other guys as when they’re

not. Some might even call this progressive behavior.

This past summer, when visiting Portugal with my cousin, another girl, the behavior we experienced was similar to that in Munich. One night, however, we went out with a 17-year-old male relative of ours, and received zero harassment. We were confused. Befuddled, if you will. What had changed? We did some research and asked some locals. Turns out, the men in Lisbon saw us as the property of this barely-gone-throughpuberty boy, respected his rights as our owner, and backed off. So, hey, at least the Germans see us as their property to belittle no matter what, and don’t respect the “rights” of other males we might belong to.

Catcalling (or street-harassment, as it is less affectionately known) has been around for centuries — ever since women started to bare their ankles as an act of rebellion.

I don’t even really know what I am proposing be done to fix dudes being obnoxions, as you’d think if there was an easy solution, it would be done by now.

We’ve all heard the ridiculous arguments from those crazy feminists before: teach boys from a young age to respect young women. This seems as if it’s too far-fetched to happen, however, because, as a male classmate of mine once said, “We’re just genetically programmed to do it. Besides, take it as a compliment.” Ladies, seeing as the guys seem to be incapable of overcoming their primate instincts, we might just have to suck it up.

One thing I will say is that we all agreed we had never experienced anything like this back in America,

and the paradise that is Notre Dame seemed almost fairy-tale like. The very idea of a person at Notre Dame saying those types of things to another human being was laughable. So, at least we have that going for us.

It just so happened that I turned 21 this weekend, and a bunch of friends and I went to a club in Munich to celebrate. It wasn’t until about an hour in that we realized that this club was slightly different than the ones we were used to — half of it was a gay bar. Us girls were totally OK with that. In fact, it was a nice respite from the battle of the sexes we had been engaged in all weekend. The guys we were with, however, felt differently. All it took was one man flirting creepily with them to make them uncomfortable and to send them home. Look, boys, I get it. No one wants to be objectified or touched without permission. I can only hope that that night in the club was enough to maybe, just maybe, make the guys think again about what they consider to be “harmless fun.”

From getting “serenaded,” pursued and photographed, to getting inappropriately grabbed by men of all nationalities, to getting whistled at from third-story windows and out of cabs, Germany sure was something. Auf Wiedersehen.

Lucy Collins is majoring in economics and history, and continues to write despite knowing full well no one cares what she’s got to say. She can be reached at lcollin8@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

The observer | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

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The observer | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

By MATTHEW MUNHALL Scene Writer

When I try to make sense of Miley Cyrus’ evolution as an artist, I can’t help but think about something she said in a 2013 Rolling Stone profile. Just days after inciting a nationwide moral panic with her VMAs performance — you know the one, with the tongue wagging, foam finger licking and, yes, twerking — she expressed her distaste of being put in a box. “Now people expect me to come out and twerk with my tongue out all the time,” Cyrus said. “I’ll probably never do that s--- again.”

That impulsive streak is what has made Cyrus such a compelling, if often frustrating, pop star. On her new album “Younger Now,” she reinvents her sound and image once again, returning to her country roots. In many ways, this new direction was inevitable, given her lineage: her father is Billy Ray Cyrus, of “Achy Breaky Heart” infamy, and her godmother is Dolly Parton. Cyrus herself frames this as the next step in her continual process of reinvention. “Nothing stays the same,” she sings on the title track. “Change is a thing you can count on.”

This sudden about-face, however, is especially fraught given how liberally Cyrus borrowed from rap and R&B during the “Bangerz” era. In a conversation about cultural exchange last year, music critic Craig Jenkins wrote that acceptable cultural exchange “looks like collaboration, not costume, like advocacy, not avoidance.” Now that Cyrus has said goodbye to all that, her engagement with black music

By NICHOLAS OTTONE Scene Writer

“The Good Place,” in terms of ambition alone, puts almost every comedy on air to shame. Morphing from a fish-out-of-water romp through the afterlife into a dysfunctional meta-analysis of the idea of morality and sitcoms, “The Good Place” combines the world-bending mythology of “Lost,” the sunny quick-fire humor of “Parks and Recreation,” and the depth of an introductory philosophy seminar to craft the most unique and inventive network comedy in recent memory.

“The Good Place” chronicles the story of Eleanor (Kristen Bell), who quickly realizes her mistaken placement in afterlife’s paradise upon her unfortunate demise.

Learning from her assigned soulmate Chidi (William Jackson Harper, the series’ secret weapon), she avoids the scrutiny of Michael (Ted Danson, delivering a fascinatingly multi-layered performance), the sprightly architect of their afterlife. Their neighbors, Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jason (Manny Jacinto), encounter troubles as heaven may not be as it seems. The ensemble, rounded out by D’Arcy Carden as essentially an anthropomorphized Siri, proves equally adept with comic barbs and deep character work. Michael Schur, creator of “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” has crafted his most complex and high-concept series yet, balancing philosophical inquiry on morality with solid storytelling and expertly deployed punchlines.

What sets “The Good Place” apart is a dedicated streak

genres — and her dismissal of any criticism regarding said appropriation — feels, more than ever, like avoidance.

Cyrus’ previous effort, 2015’s “Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz,” was her White Album, a 23-track sprawling experimental mess. “Younger Now,” in contrast, is surprisingly tame in its country-leaning soft-rock. As it is, the album sounds completely divorced from any recent trends in country music. Cyrus does not attempt to blur the lines between rap and country, as Sam Hunt does on “Body Like a Back Road,” the year’s biggest country hit, which owes as much to Nelly as it does Hank Williams. Neither does she pursue outlaw country, which would seem to be a natural fit for her and has been revived by Chris Stapleton or Sturgill Simpson in recent years.

Instead, Cyrus — who wrote and produced the entire album with her collaborator Oren Yoel — has put out an album of middle-of-the-road soft-rock, accented by twangy guitar licks. Cyrus’ voice is well-suited to the genre, putting her raspy Nashville drawl to better use than anything on “Dead Petz,” where her voice was drowned in reverb.

Pop music is much more forgiving of bad songwriting; interesting production and performance choices can often make up for insipid lyrics. Country music, however, more readily exposes these faults, and the lethargic ballads on “Younger Now” suffer in this regard. For someone who once boasted of being a “Southern belle, crazier than hell,” Cyrus sounds surprisingly conventional, singing about love and loss in well-worn cliches.

The best tracks on “Younger Now” are those that channel

the verve of Cyrus’ earlier work. On “Malibu,” a breezy love song, she imagines a utopia by the sea. The track builds to a dizzying crescendo, which underscores the euphoria of reuniting with an old flame. Likewise, “Thinkin,’” on which she bemoans spending so much time fretting over a guy who won’t call her back, recalls the bluesy swagger of Sheryl Crow.

None of Cyrus’ forays into country music on this album are as successful as her cover of Parton’s “Jolene,” from the 2012 Backyard Sessions. “Jolene” is, of course, a masterwork, with Parton’s incisive lyrics capturing the desperation of her scorned narrator. Cyrus could learn a thing or two about songwriting from her godmother — on “Younger Now,” she is older, but not necessarily any wiser.

of self-awareness, constantly subverting expectations while deepening its own story mechanics. Even when “The Good Place” indulges in sitcom conventions, the storylines reveal new facets of personality and further its intensely serialized story. Its first season churned through plot at an astonishing pace, rarely fading out without deploying a cliffhanger, ending on an earth-shattering twist that demolished the series’ premise. Its second season engages in some winking repetition, rebooting its story and world with an awareness of its own redundancy, hilariously throwing characters back together after mere minutes apart. The third episode in particular proves the fascinating flexibility of the new status quo, opening up new avenues while crafting the funniest and most inventive chapter of the series.

Schur understands network sitcoms better than most, and the series reflects this breadth of knowledge through its construction and humor. Utilizing the standard sitcom conventions affords “The Good Place” an episodic and comedic consistency, yet the real strength is its fascination with morality and construction. Moral questions drive every episode of the series as Eleanor strives to better herself, and these same ethical dilemmas fuel common sitcom contrivances. The hidden deceptions, love triangles, and situational ironies of the series’ network brethren are given new dimension when an all-powerful being plays puppet master. The human characters return to stasis only to encounter another “plot” next week; do they ever learn? “The Good Place” asks what this return to stasis says about humanity, asking why we desire stability

over change, why we so rarely fail to question the flawed systems which govern our lives, and why we so readily believe in our own goodness. This series could only air on a network among its own reference points, masking its philosophical musings with well-constructed jokes and impressive world-building.

Despite this impressively deep philosophy, “The Good Place” remains a fascinatingly serialized and quirkily entertaining series. Built for the streaming age, the series rewards repeat viewers by hiding clues to its twists in prior episodes, nesting storylines in each other and building toward satisfying revelations. Unlike Schur’s other shows, “The Good Place” has no concrete template to generate story ideas, forcing the writers to draw inspiration from their own vividly detailed world. Perhaps the series’ greatest achievement, with due respect to its incredible ensemble and wonderful direction, is the consistent strength of its writing, building compelling arcs from arcane concepts of morality and throwing well-grounded twists that surprise yet stay consistent with the rules of the world.

Not only is “The Good Place” a comedy that engages in silly wordplay, (curses are turned into innocuous phrases like “fork” and “bullshirt”) but it is also an intensely serialized story that challenges viewers to think of the machinations present in their own lives. The second season proves that the ideas will continue flowing, and unless that radically changes, “The Good Place” will remain network television’s most impressive series.

Contact Matthew Munhall at mmunhall@nd.edu

“Younger Now” Miley Cyrus Label: RCA Tracks: “Malibu,” “Thinkin’” If you like: Sheryl Crow, Dolly Parton, Mumford & Sons

Contact Nicholas Ottone at nottone@nd.edu SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

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DAILY

The observer | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Choose to be happy and to spread joy. Laughter is the best medicine and will encourage those around you to appreciate life and to live in the moment. Make positive changes and let go of what isn’t working for you anymore. Let your life unfold naturally and put greater emphasis on what you can accomplish, not what you cannot. Your numbers are 9, 13, 24, 27, 30, 34, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep personal information a secret. Don’t be fooled by someone who is being overly friendly. Ulterior motives are apparent and can lead to problems related to your professional goals. Protect your position, reputation and your passwords.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Know what you are up against before you confront a situation or individual. Get into tip-top shape so that you can endure whatever challenge you encounter. Preparation will lead to a flawless strategy.

Celebrate your victory with someone you love.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Refuse to let your emotions interfere with your job responsibilities. Confusion or uncertainty will set in if you or someone else isn’t honest about the way you feel. Don’t make excuses, be up-front and ask for the same in return.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): If you want something, go after it. Taking physical action will prove to be beneficial. Follow a creative idea to fruition and it will take you on a wonderful journey that will enrich your life and open up a window of opportunity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Jump in and get things done. If you reveal your plans, someone will step in and take over. Negotiate on your behalf to ensure that you don’t lose control of your ideas. Doing the work on your own will pay off.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): An honest appraisal of what needs to be done to make your personal life better will help you move forward. Listen to your heart as well as to reason and you will figure out what you want and need.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Get involved in the things you enjoy doing most.

Meet up with people you love to collaborate with and something good will transpire. Networking, enjoying the youngsters in your life and spending time with your romantic partner will improve your mindset.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You may crave change, but before you jump in to something new, do your research so you don’t end up wishing you had stayed put. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence. Play it safe.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Avoid any sort of conflict. It is best to agree on the basics and move on. If someone tries to manipulate you, walk away. It’s up to you to bring about positive change. Look for an opportunity and follow your heart.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Do something physical or take on a creative project that will occupy your time and your mind. Sitting idle will result in overanalyzing and reacting to a situation that requires time to settle. Don’t reveal your anxiety and frustration.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take care of personal papers, assets and debts.

Use your connections to find out the information required to help save you money. Don’t let a partner use emotional manipulation to coerce you into spending on something you don’t need.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Use your imagination, but not to manipulate others. It’s important to be clear about what you want and what you expect if you are going to be successful in both personal and professional partnerships.

Love and romance will enhance your life.

Birthday Baby: You are inventive, experimental and intelligent. You are sophisticated and adaptable.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports

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Sports Authority

Targeting rules need overhaul Daniel O’Boyle Sports Writer

Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan did not have a history of dirty hits before he came to Lambeau Field on Thursday.

Danny Trevathan showed remorse for the gruesome hit he laid out on Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams after the game.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Danny Trevathan didn’t mean to injure Adams with the hit.

That was the hit where Trevathan comes streaking across the field towards Adams, who had already been stopped by a pack of Bears defenders. Trevathan flies at Adams, crown of the helmet first. Straight into Adams’ helmet.

Adams falls motionless.

Except his mouthguard, which is sent flying.

Adams was stretchered out of the game and immediately put in an ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was tested for head and neck injuries.

And it probably didn’t happen because of malice.

“I was just trying to make a play,” Trevathan said. “It wasn’t intentional. I was just trying to hustle to the ball and do my job.

Unfortunately, he wound up hurt. I could have been a little better, but you have to understand I was [gathering] momentum and I was trying to make a play.

“Nothing intentional. It happens in this game.”

It happened because Trevathan thought a tackle that should have obviously looked dangerous was part of his job. Because in the NFL today, appearing to lack that hustle is still worse than appearing to be a danger to yourself and other players on the field.

Too many dangerous players like Pittsburgh’s James Harrison are glorified, while most teams continue to teach missile-like tackling form instead of wrapping up the ball-carrier safely (despite the fact the latter tends to be more the effective defensive technique).

Considering the lack of consequences so far for the latter, are players, fans or coaches to blame?

This offseason, the NFL introduced new rules that permit ejections and suspensions for especially dangerous hits, even for first-time offenders like Trevathan. Trevathan wasn’t ejected, but as the NCAA’s “targeting” rule has proven, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between an illegal hit and a catastrophic one in real time.

The real test was what punishment the NFL would dole out with time to examine the hit and its consequences.

The league failed.

Trevathan’s hit earned him just a two game suspension, subject to appeal. It may well be brought down to one. They could have laid down a much more serious suspension, something that would make all other defensive players think about the way they approach “hustle” compared to safety. Something that makes them understand that appearing the look physical isn’t worth the risk. Something more befitting of the life-threatening consequences dangerous play can have. Not two games.

It’s the NFL as an organization that needs to step up and punish players who unleash dangerous hits in a way that can form an actual deterrent for future players to consider the same. Simply not wanting to injure a player isn’t enough — players need to go into tackles knowing that the absolute worst-case scenario for them would be a hit like Trevathan’s.

The possibility of injuries will never go away, but blows like this, with the crown of the helmet into the head, need to be made into a near-impossibility. They need to understand during every tackling drill that a dangerous hit doesn’t just mean a fine that’s barely a dent in their paycheck.

It doesn’t just mean a 15-yard penalty. It means a serious suspension. Only then will all teams focus only on the safest forms of tackling and reward players who can be both safe and effective.

Despite all of the evidence of the long-derm dangers of football, the NFL has done little to show it cares in any way. The league’s wilful ignorance of the crisis the sport of football has produced in regards to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease associated with frequent concussions, has cost lives and will likely cost many more.

This summer, neuropathologists examined the donated brains of 111 NFL players. 110 were found to have CTE. A month earlier, Pro Hall of Famer Warren Sapp opted to donate his brain to CTE research, claiming he was feeling memory loss, a common effect of the disease. And last week, former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was found to have had severe CTE when he committed suicide in prison at the age of 27, after being found guilty of murder. He joined a long list of football players who have taken their own lives, a trend long suspected to be linked to CTE. “It happens in this game.”

Maybe it shouldn’t.

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Irish sophomore Zoe Spence fires a forehand during Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Purdue on Feb. 22 at Eck Tennis Pavilion. Spence won two of her three singles matches at the Wildcat Invitational.

W Tennis Continued from page 16

third set,” Louderback said.

“We were 6-0 in three-set matches in singles. W hich was a plus, it gave us an indication that the [women] were in good shape and were able to finish out and actually, play better in the third set. So that was something we were definitely looking at and it was good, the way we ended up going three-sets and remain 6-0.

I felt that was a really good indication of our fitness right now.”

The Irish started off the weekend with a combined 5-3 record in singles

competitions Friday. On Saturday, the Irish improved, dropping just one singles match with a 7-1 record on the day. The Irish also showed improvement in doubles competitions with a combined 3-1 record Saturday. The team capped off the tournament Sunday going a combined 5-2 in singles competitions and a perfect 4-0 in doubles competitions.

The young Irish team is currently set on improving, but Louderback is not too focused on expectations for this fall season, and is putting more attention on making sure the freshmen get the hang of things, saying that it is too early to know

how well this team can perform in more competitive play.

“I think we’ll do well; it’s just early, there’s a lot of freshmen,” Louderback said.

“Right now, we’re tr ying to have our [women] learn a lot this fall, to get ready for the spring. You know right now our expectations are the last thing we’re worried about. We’re worried about improving and just getting better right now.”

Next up for the Irish is the ITA Midwest Regional Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which will begin Oct. 17.

Contact Charlie Ortega Guifarro at cortegag@nd.edu

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Irish junior Rachel Chong returns a backhand during Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Purdue on Feb. 22 at Eck Tennis Pavilion. Chong was one of three Irish athletes undefeated in singles play this past weekend.

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 | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

M Bball Continued from page 16

[graduate student for ward Austin] Torres, even [guard] Rex Pf lueger is emerging as a great voice for us as a junior, how they’ve handled their business w ith their strength training, I’ve been really impressed w ith that.

“We’ve had a great rotation of old teams and some are really, really good. I feel this group’s as good as any of them as far as just getting it, understanding it, working and wanting to do it together.”

“We’re all getting a lot more comfortable, the confidence is there,” Pf lueger said. “Now is the point in time for us to go in together and start practicing and I think going in ever y single day is going to be good for us, because we know we have the talent level to do great things this year and go deep in any tournament that we’re in.”

Leadership Notre Dame only lost two players from last year’s team: former w ings Steve Vasturia and V.J. Beachem. Though both were solid producers on the court, their absence w ill be felt the most off of it.

Filling their shoes as leaders for the 2017–18 season w ill be Colson, senior guard Matt Farrell, Torres and Pf lueger.

Brey said the biggest challenge for the new group of leaders w ill be keeping the team calm, since Colson, Farrell and Pf lueger are naturally more intense players than Beachem or Vasturia who Brey jokingly described as “listening to jazz” during team huddles.

“I’m going to have to keep them steady,” Brey said. “You look at the personalities of Farrell, Colson, Pf lueger and Gibbs, they are edg y guys and emotional guys. Ninet yeight percent of that is good and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’d rather have

that and dow nshift it than have to inject it. But when we don’t have success, in the midst of a game and in the midst of a tough stretch in the ACC, can we be poised and understand the big picture? I think that’s going to be a big part of my job.”

Pf lueger agreed that this year’s team w ill be more emotionally-charged than last year’s, but noted that is a good thing.

“I think our team this year is definitely more emotional, not in a bad way,” Pf lueger said. “But in a sense that we’re hungr y and excited to prove ourselves once again this year. We have a lot of intensit y that’s going to be show n on both sides of the ball.”

Meanwhile, Farrell said that Brey has talked to him about being the quarterback of the team and w ith that, comes new responsibilit y handling adversit y.

“Something’s definitely going to have to change this year,” Farrell said. “Losing [Vasturia and Beachem] who are always calm no matter what’s going on is tough. I think Bonzie does a great job in huddles too and calming dow n. That’s something we take a lot of pride in — our huddles. Coach Brey rarely says a lot in there, we’re usually always talking to each other tr y ing to figure things out. That’s something that we have to figure out, finding guys that w ill keep us mid-level throughout the whole game.

“Obv iously I play w ith a lot of emotions, but when it comes dow n to important situations and stuff like that, it’s something that I’ll be able to do.”

NCAA scandal Beyond Notre Dame, the college basketball world is being rocked by an FBI investigation into corruption and money laundering involv ing athletic-wear companies pay ing prospects to attend schools which have deals w ith those companies.

Observer File Photo

Irish senior guard Matt Farrell picks up his dribble and looks to pass during Notre Dame’s 83-71 loss to West Virginia on March 18.

Observer File Photo

Irish junior guard Rex Pflueger chases Tigers junior guard Devin Cannady during Notre Dame’s 60-58 win in the first round of the NCAA tournament over Princeton at KeyBank Center on March 16.

Brey said the scandal is “disappointing” and said the FBI’s involvement sets a new precedent.

“I don’t know if we can get any lower than the situation we’re in now,” Brey said.

“We’ve had kind of this underworld that’s been part of the fabric for a long, long time. But now that it’s a criminal investigation, it’s all new territory.”

Brey said the challenge for him, specifically is to not let it become a distraction to the upcoming season.

“What I’ve tried to do starting yesterday, I even told my staff today, is to try not to be distracted by this and coach my team,” Brey said.

“Because everyday people

want to talk about that and I don’t really have much more to comment on besides what I’ve just said.”

Brey said that he feels very involved with all aspects of his program and that Notre Dame recruits players aren’t be attracted by payouts, but when asked if Notre Dame’s program was clear of any wrongdoing related to the recent scandal, Brey admitted it’s hard to know for sure every single thing that goes on in a program.

“I’m pretty darn confident of how we do business, but you never know completely,” Brey said. “There’s no question about it, I really pride myself on really being plugged in to everything that’s going on, Paid Advertisement

but I’ve always been very confident, our philosophy, how we run it, the kids that are attracted to us.”

Torres Brey announced Monday that Austin Torres is dealing w ith a stress fracture and w ill sit out bet ween one month and six weeks. Notre Dame’s first ex hibition game of the season falls on Nov. 3 against Bethel and the Irish start their regular season on Nov. 11 versus DePaul. Brey said that Torres being ready to play on Nov. 11 would be “tight” in reference to his recover y timeline.

Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu

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Sports

The observer | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

Otters sophomore quarterback Xavier Lezynski surverys the field from the pocket during Sorin’s 8-0 loss to Knott on Sunday at Ricci Family Fields. The Otters are winless in their three games this season.

Interhall Continued from page 16

to play due to illness. Then, a top lineman didn’t have his student ID so he could not play the first drive and that is when Knott was able to score.”

Midway through the first half, Knott freshman Zachary Mieczkowski went down with a bad ankle injury. After being golfcarted off the field, senior captain Carl Schiro said they used the event to rally for him.

“We had our guy, Zach, go down early in the game,” Schiro said.

“He’s one of our best freshman, but we really used that for our motivation to rally for him. Defense was able to play really well, and offense had a good passing and running game.”

The next few possessions consisted of little movement of the chains for the two teams.

Knott’s Bailey was able to break the relative silence with a big 15yard gain to put the Juggerknotts on the five-yard line. However, the Sorin defense let up little ground.

Sophomore Nolan Adams and senior Shane Anderson on Sorin broke up what would have been a game-changing touchdown for Knott. Knott was in the same spot on fourth down and decided to hand it to Bailey, but Sorin senior lineman Jack Oros stopped the Juggerknotts and prevented any change of the score.

With three minutes to go in the half, Knott was in the red zone and had a chance to advance the score.

Senior David Kelly on Knott ran to give the Juggerknotts first and goal, but Sorin’s defensive line was a wall. Eventually Knott attempted but missed a field goal, leaving the game at 6-0 Knott.

This missed field goal gave Soring poor field position. Knott senior Sam Blanchet had a major hit to set back Sorin even more.

Two plays later, Blanchet got a safety for the Juggerknotts, putting up Knott 8-0.

Possession stayed with Knott, until Sorin intercepted the ball with 35 seconds in the half. After a failed halfback pass by Sorin, Knott intercepted and ran the

clock out to close out the half.

The second half of the game was a battle of possession and movement of chains. During the fourth quarter, Knott punted the ball but Sorin was given a penalty of roughing the kicker, allowing Knott to continue with possession.

Right after the two minute warning, Sorin forced and recovered a fumble. The Otters turned to sophomore quarterback Xavier Lezynski to advance down the field. After pass interference on Knott, there was just under a minute and a half left with momentum in favor of Sorin.

Lezynski rushed for a first down, then passed for another.

Another pass interference penalty was called, putting Sorin on the 20-yard line with one minute to go. Knott got a 15-yard sack to set the Otters out of the red zone. The game ended after a turnover on downs.

Senior Tom O’Connell talked about the team’s future in the playoffs.

“We started out pretty rough this year, but we’ve gotten better every single week,” O’Connell said. “We’re looking forward to playoffs and going into the postseason with a win.”

Looking into the playoffs, Knott will gain a vital coaching staff member. Former Notre Dame football alum John “Bumper” Schiro will take on the coaching role for the Juggerknotts.

Contact Ellie Olmanson at eolmanso@nd.edu

Morrissey def. Duncan

By PETER BALTES Sports Writer

In a game marked by turnovers and strong defensive play by both sides, Morrissey defeated Duncan on Sunday by a score of 14-0.

Both teams found a way to move the ball early on, but scoring did not come easily.

On the first drive of the game, Morrissey (1-1) had a series of strong runs that brought it to the Highlanders’ 22-yard line, but it lost possession after a botched snap on fourth down.

For Duncan (1-1), it was the same story. The Highlanders’ first possession was also a promising one, as the ball was advanced all the way to the Manor’s one-yard-line on a methodical drive characterized by strong runs from junior running back Micah Rensch. As would happen multiple times in the game, the Manor’s defense held firm. A crucial false start penalty nullified a Duncan touchdown, and the Highlanders eventually turned the ball over on downs.

Before the end of the half, another Duncan drive would proceed far into Morrissey territory before faltering again at the 27yard line.

Duncan started the second half with possession and ventured to Morrissey’s 10-yard line after successful runs by Rensch and a successful long pass on fourth down, but again failed to convert their offensive efforts into points. This time, the drive ended in a missed field goal.

Morrissey’s first drive of the half spilled over into the fourth quarter. The Manor’s offense picked up a few first downs before the Highlanders forced a punt. However, there was a fumble on the return, and Morrissey gained possession on the oneyard line, scoring a touchdown not long thereafter, making the score 6-0.

Duncan made an effort to respond, but fumbled the ball around midfield, handing the Manor possession. Morrissey’s offense drove down the field and eventually scored on an 11yard run. With a two-point conversion added, Morrissey went up 14-0.

Morrissey picked up their first win this week, and sophomore captain Tom Slevin praised his defense’s bend-but-don’t-break attitude, as well as the overall effectiveness of the Manor’s offense, led largely by a strong offensive line and junior running back Ryan Richelsen.

“It was definitely an outstanding defense first and foremost.

We did really well, we forced some turnovers, and I think we capitalized off their mistakes,”

Slevin said. “I think, furthermore, that we were able to get a good running game going and our passing too. I think all of those contributed to a really big victory for us today.”

Duncan played hard throughout the game, but the end zone ultimately proved too elusive for the Highlanders. Sophomore captain Kyle Tomshack was proud of his team’s efforts, but noted that turnovers and injuries had taken a toll.

“We played some really good defense, I thought we really figured it out from that point of view. We didn’t necessarily win the field position battle with some pretty key mistakes,” Tomshack said. “On offense, we had a couple of injuries that were throwing us off; we had to put some guys into positions they weren’t used to.”

Next Sunday, both teams will be resuming games that had been delayed due to weather in Week 1. Morrissey will try to start a winning streak as it faces Carroll, while Duncan will look to bounce back as it finishes its game against Fisher.

Contact Peter Baltes at pbaltes@nd.edu

Stanford def. St. Edward’s

By CASSIE CORBIN Sports Writer

Stanford continued its winning streak, remaining undefeated this week, beating St. Edward’s 19-0.

The Griffins (3-0) began with offensive momentum and put a quick seven points on the board.

Senior captain Matt O’Brien said that Stanford viewed this game as grounds to try new tactics.

“From the start, we were confident,” O’Brien. “We knew coming in that this was going to be a game that would be very manageable for us. We tried to add some new stuff. This was just an opportunity for us to get better. For playoffs, we should be the No. 1 seed.”

However, contrasting from Stanford’s view, St. Edward’s (1-2) focused on defense. With many near-sacks of the Griffin’s quarterback and strong and consistent pressure, the St. Ed’s defensive line did its best to hold the Griffins’ offense. Senior co-captain Tim Sherman was impressed with his squad’s defensive efforts.

“We were a little undermanned today, but I’m proud of our effort. Overall, I’m pretty proud of us,” Sherman said. “It was a hardfought battle. I really liked our penetration on defense. We had three linemen, so getting to the quarterback was a challenge.”

Without a productive offense, however, it was difficult for the Gentlemen to make an impact.

Stanford’s offense made catch after 20-yard catch and its run game was equally strong.

Sherman remains hopeful that a few more practices might be just what his offense needs to do well in the playoffs.

“Stanford is a big physical team and, you know, our offense wasn’t what we were hoping for,” Sherman said. “We’re going take some time to heal our bumps and bruises and

get back to the playoffs.”

Before fall break, both teams plan to buckle down and concentrate on correcting deficiencies before the playoffs.

Contact Cassie Corbin at ccorbin1@nd.edu

Dillon def. Alumni

By HANNAH WOZNIAK Sports Writer

The tone for this year’s interhall rivalry between Dillon (2-0) and Alumni was set as Dillon defeated Alumni 8-6.

The Dawgs (1-1) scored the first touchdown of the game but weren’t able to complete their two-point conversion. Soon after, Dillon (20) answered with its own touchdown and converted its two-point conversion to go ahead 8-6 in the contest. The game ended when Dillon junior captain David Chao intercepted the ball from Alumni, securing the victory for the Big Red. Despite the slow start and injuries, Chao was very impressed with his team’s performance, and the adjustments that were made after halftime. When asked how it he felt his team responded to untimely injuries Chao praised the team’s seniors. “[Senior] Jack Mitchell is the hands down ‘biggest and baddest’ on this team,” Chao said. “Dylan Volanth, Pete McKeon and all the seniors set the tone — they hit hard and have no regrets when they come out onto the field. That’s by far who we look to and they stepped it up today.”

Despite the loss, Alumni senior captain Thomas Hellios said he was proud of his team’s performance.

“The boys came out pretty well,” Hellios said. “We were moving the ball, and we were stopping them on defense. Obviously, it was a close game. Games like that, it’s tough.

It’s the devil in the details. Tiny mistakes will add up and that’s what happened today. We ended up out on bottom, but I think we can definitely come back, and we can obviously play with them. They’re a good team. My boys played well and played hard.”

Hellios also said the team would make some adjustments in practice this week.

“Hopefully, we will come back, we will get those guys ready to go and we will be ready,” he said.

Looking towards next week’s game, Dillon plans to capitalize off of this week’s momentum.

When asked if they would make any changes for next week’s opponent Chao said he would focus on scouting. “[We will] look at who we are playing,” Chao said. “[We will] try to see if we can get a scout, but really [we will] play to our strengths.

[We will] try to set the pace with how quickly we run the ball and just run behind the big guys and make sure they get their touches.”

Next week Dillon will look to continue it winning streak when it faces O’Neill (0-2), and Alumni will look to bounce back when it faces Keough (1-2). Both teams will play at 4:45 p.m. on Ricci Family Fields.

Contact Hannah Wozniak at hwozniak01@saintmarys.edu

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | The Observer

Football Continued from page 16

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Irish senior linebacker Drue Tranquill, right, rushes a Spartan runner during Notre Dame’s 38-18 win over Michigan State on Sept. 23.

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might approach a matchup w ith them. Kelly said senior offensive analyst Jeff Quinn has greatly helped the team by running a thorough selfscouting program.

“Jeff Quinn handles that for us,” Kelly said. “It’s been something that we wanted.

[Director of scouting] Bill [Rees] handles the evaluation of personnel. So he breaks dow n all the personnel of the teams that we’re play ing and he does a great job w ith that.

“But Jeff handles the selfscouting. He does an incredible job of really div ing deep into all of our formations and plays and right and left and tendencies. It’s just been a thorough report that’s allowed us to really be ver y intentional in terms of play calls and setting things up. It’s helped us quite a bit this year so far.”

Tranquill

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Defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s system has allowed senior Drue Tranquill to shine in 2017, after a position change from safet y to Elko’s “rover,” role, seen as a linebacker-safet y hybrid.

Kelly said the move closer to the line of scrimmage has allowed Tranquill to impact the game in more ways than he could have as a pure safet y.

“You can’t be involved in that many statistical categories at the safet y position,” Kelly said. “You can be at the rover position. Closer to the line of scrimmage allows you to be much more involved in the entire game, whether it be a blitz or tack les for loss or pass coverages. There’s just so many different areas that allow him to impact the game. So I think the answer is in that he’s involved in so

many statistical categories.

“W here he goes from here, well he’s a leader on our football team. I think the next step’s just continued leading, and quite frank ly, he’s still developing even at that rover position. It’s a new position for him. So just more knowledge of the position each and ever y week.”

Locker room Another change Kelly brought about to improve for 2017 was in the layout of the locker room, where Kelly opted to mix position groups instead of grouping them together. Kelly said that change brought about an increased sense of unit y on the team.

“There was no question it was intentional to move the locker room around,” Kelly said. “We went away from grouping position groups in the locker room. We have players that are from different position groups next to each other. We wanted a more cohesive locker room in the sense that we wanted linebackers w ith offensive linemen, and we wanted defensive tack les w ith w ide receivers.

“So creating the atmosphere of a cohesive group and team, you know, starts in the locker room and then it works its way into how [director of football performance Matt] Balis each day changes the workout groups.

They get excited about somebody different each day. That’s just, you know, those are the underpinnings of how you develop the camaraderie and guys caring about, you know, pulling for each side and we’re starting to see that obv iously as this football team comes together.”

15

the blowout victory over the RedHawks, senior cornerback Nick Watkins had some struggles, as Miami (OH) wide receiver James Gardner caught touchdown passes of 34 and 14 yards against his coverage on his way to five catches and 115 yards on the day. Kelly said he would have expected Watkins to make a play on the ball on the first touchdown catch, but said he believes that was the only play where Watkins did not defend as he would have hoped against the larger receiver.

“I think there was one play we would have liked,” Kelly said. “The first touchdown pass, he was in off-coverage.

We would have preferred that he have played over the top of the route and made a play on the ball. The second touchdown pass, he was in man coverage and there was a bit of play in both side of the ball there and it was just in a position where he couldn’t get to it.

“Those were the two plays in particular, and we felt like on the first one, the proper technique and off coverage for him would have been to stay on the left field shoulder and make a play on the ball.

The second one, that was just a difficult play. He played it the right way with the right technique and it was just a ball that was thrown in a location that he couldn’t have got to. I think a little bit of both there, a little bit better technique on the first one.

The other one, that’s just the world of being a corner, where teams like to throw the back shoulder. They’re difficult to defend.”

The Irish will face North Carolina (1-4, 0-3 ACC) this Saturday at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m.

Watkins While most of the Irish players saw individual success in

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Irish senior cornerback Nick Watkins looks to cut off Spartans junior tight end Matt Sokol during Notre Dame’s 38-18 win over Michigan State on Sept. 23 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.

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The observer | tuesday, october 3, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Football

Men’s basketball

Kelly discusses injuries, defense

By DANIEL O’BOYLE Sports Writer

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly discussed the health of his running backs as well as many of the changes that have seen the No. 21 Irish rebound from a 4-8 season to start 2017 4-1 in his Sunday teleconference follow ing his team’s 52-17 v ictor y over Miami (OH).

Health at running back looked like it may have been a concern for the Irish after juniors Josh Adams and sophomore Tony Jones Jr. both went dow n against the RedHawks (2-3, 1-0 MAC), while junior Dexter Williams did not play. However, Kelly said he simply chose to be cautious w ith his backs due to his team’s comfortable lead and has no serious concerns as the Irish prepare for North Carolina on Saturday.

“Tony Jones had the helmet-to-helmet contact, but didn’t even have to go through the concussion

protocol,” Kelly said. “He was seen in the medical tent. They did an eye scan w ith him and he was cleared to go back into competition.

He felt great today; his ank le looks much better.

“Dexter Williams should be cleared for activ it y on Tuesday and Josh has a mild ank le sprain. He could have went back in the game. We chose to keep him out. The running backs should be much better than they were last week in terms of availabilit y across the board. The rest are, you know, your t y pical bumps and bruises, but again, nothing that would keep anybody out.”

Irish kick off new season with first practice

By Marek Mazurek Assistant Managing Editor

Among the my riad of changes Kelly brought about after 2016’s 4-8 season was an increased focus on “selfscouting,” players focusing more on their ow n film and learning how an opponent

Monday marked the first official practice of Notre Dame’s season, w ith head coach Mike Brey’s squad looking to improve on an appearance in the ACC title game and a thirdstraight trip to the NCAA tournament.

And w ith senior for ward Bonzie Colson getting recognition as the Blue Ribbon preseason player of the year, and Brey sitting on the No. 2 recruiting class in the countr y according to 247sports, the confidence level in South Bend is high. “[The confidence level is] higher, and I’m sure we’ll be picked that way in the ACC poll as opposed to other years,” Brey said Monday.

“We only have one freshman … we really are a prett y focused, driven group.

The leadership of Bonzie,

see FOOTBALL PAGE 15

see M BBALL PAGE 12

Self-scouting

Interhall

Observer File Photo

Irish senior forward Bonzie Colson defends former Princeton forward Spencer Weisz during Notre Dame’s 60-58 win March 16.

Nd women’s tennis | Wildcat invitational

Squads jockey for spots, seeding in third week Knott def. Sorin

ND shines in singles events

By ELLIE OLMANSON

By Charlie ortega guifarro

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

The last game of the regular season ended w ith a 8-0 v ictor y for Knott over Sorin.

Knott (1-2) started w ith possession and had clear control of the running game in the first quarter.

Sophomore running back Kev in Bailey was the main force in the opening drive, eventually scoring for the Juggerknotts. Knott was unable to convert as it went for t wo, leading only 6-0 after the drive. This would be the only touchdow n scored on the day.

Sorin sophomore captain Eric Requet talked about the first drive after the game.

“Today’s game started out rough and we were not able to come back,” Requet said.

“First, we had a key player, Matthew Requet, not able

Notre Dame capped off a strong weekend of competition at the Wildcat Inv itational at Northwestern on Sunday, w ith three Irish players finishing undefeated in singles competition.

Irish head coach Jay Louderback praised the progressive success of the team.

“I thought we played really well, especially after the first day, the first day was our first matches of the year,” Louderback said. “We competed OK that first day but, after our [women] got a chance to play in singles and doubles, we made a big jump to the second day and then the third day. We got a little more into play ing mode and competed well.”

Three members of the women’s team went undefeated in singles competition. Junior Rachel Chong

see INTERHALL PAGE 14

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

Otters sophomore quarterback Xavier Lezynski throws a pass while rolling out during Sorin’s 8-0 loss to Knott on Sunday.

won her three rounds of competition. Freshmen Cameron Corse and A lly Bojczuk also kept their loss columns empt y, w inning the black and orange f lights, respectively.

Louderback was especially pleased w ith the freshmen’s debuts at Northwestern.

“I thought it was a good plus that we had a lot of freshmen play ing their first match and it’s always good to get that under their belt,” Louderback said.

A lthough this was the first competition of the season, Louderback was impressed at the fitness displayed by the young Irish squad — adding that the team is in ver y good shape — after their performance in threeset matches.

“I felt like, physically, one thing we wanted to see was — we had a lot of three-set matches — how we handled it and how we played in the see W TENNIS PAGE 11