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Volume 54, Issue 60 | monday, december 9, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Climate strike draws student supporters SB chapter of youth-led activist group organizes protest, pushes City Council to adopt Green New Deal By ZIXU WANG News Writer
Around 50 students at Notre Dame headed to Howard Park in South Bend to participate in a climate strike Friday. The freezing wind did not extinguish the enthusiasm, and they waved banners and streamers that said, “This is an emergency” and “Pete & Council: South Bend Needs A Green New Deal.” “We’ve already felt consequences,” Garrett Blad, the National Press Coordinator of the Sunrise Movement, said. “There has been increasing floods and storms here in South Bend. If we don’t start to [treat] it as an emergency, everything would crumble within our life times.” Blad, who graduated from Notre Dame in 2015, said the movement gives ordinary people the chance to exercise their
power. “Right now we have the biggest opportunity that we’ve ever had, to remake the economy and society, to make politicians work for us and not just the wealthy people,” he said. After the protest in Howard Park, protesters marched to the County-City Building and went to Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s office to hand over petitions requesting the government to accept the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal would require the city to achieve zero carbon emission in 2030. Many of the protesters belonged to an environmental movement called the Sunrise Movement. Founded in 2017 and led by youth nationwide, the Sunrise Movement advocates for government action on the climate crisis including adopting the Green New Deal, which contains net-zero
Landscape team describes snow removal method By ANDREW CAMERON Associate News Editor
Despite South Bend’s reputation for frigid winters and heavy snowfalls, members of the Notre Dame community need rarely worry about snow or ice on walkways and parking lots during even the coldest months of the year. Each year, Landscape Services partners with the Athletic Grounds Team for the enormous undertaking of Notre Dame’s snow removal operation, which Tim Dyczko, assistant superintendent of landscape services, described in an email as “the best in the business.” “We use a combination of 1/2 ton trucks all the way up to two 1/2 ton dump trucks to clear 21 lane miles of roads and 93 acres of parking lots,” Dyczko said in the email. “Our walks total over 41 miles across campus,
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which are cleared using large mechanical brooms as well as snow blades when the snow becomes too deep for broom operation. We also take care of [over] 40 sets of stairs/steps as well as cut throughs from the parking lots and all the bus stops across campus.” A “lane mile” is a technical term meaning one mile long by 12 feet wide. Landscape Services prepares for the first snowfall months in advance, Dyczko said. When a snowstorm or heavy snowfall is anticipated, they will lay down liquid anti-icer in advance to prevent snow from sticking to walkways. In addition to physical removal of snow, granular salt is applied to sidewalks to melt accumulated snow and ice. “We have had other see SNOW PAGE 3
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carbon emission, investing in infrastructure and creating jobs. The movement boasts over 300 community-led hubs, including one in South Bend. South Bend launched a Climate Action Plan in November, which aims to have the city emitting no carbon by 2050 — however, activists said this was not enough. “It doesn’t follow the requirement of the UN report,” Blad said. “It doesn’t follow what scientists say.” In an email, Mark Bode, spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said Buttigieg has been been a leader in the climate change crisis for the community. “The City’s Climate Action Plan, which is supported by the Common Council, sets aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse see STRIKE PAGE 4
ZIXU WANG | The Observer
Members of the Sunrise Movement, a youth climate change initiative, call for more ambitious climate policy in South Bend.
Winter Wonderland puts SMC, SB in holiday spirit By REBECCA STELLA News Writer
Ever y year leading up to w inter break and finals week, the Student Activ ities Board (SAB) at Saint Mar y’s hosts an event for children in the communit y and students to destress. Club president and senior
Emma Freund helped make this year’s event possible. “Winter Wonderland is one of SAB’s longest-standing events,” Freund said. “I’ve helped plan it during all four years of my time on SAB, and I’m sure it w ill go on for many years after I graduate.”
The event took place Saturday in the Reignbeau x Lounge. From 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., children from the communit y gathered for crafts, snacks and a v isit from Santa. The second half of the event, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., was intended for see WINTER PAGE 3
Annual Creche Pilgrimage invites meditation, prayer By THERESA OLOHAN News Writer
Song, prayer and children’s voices rang out across campus this Sunday as the South Bend and Notre Dame communities came together for Notre Dame’s sixth annual Creche Pilgrimage.
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Hosted by the McGrath Institute for Church Life, the event featured 30 creches — Nativity scenes — from Africa which were distributed around seven different locations on Notre Dame’s campus, including Jenkins-Nanovic Halls, the Eck Vistors Center, Coleman Morse Center, Geddes Hall,
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Hesburgh Library, Main Building and the Snite Museum of Art. Starting at JenkinsNanovic Hall, participants spent time viewing and meditating at the various creches while the Notre Dame Our see CRECHES PAGE 3
basketball PAGE 12
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As part of a sustainability art class at Saint Mary’s, students set up a fundraiser Friday to raise money for the campus’s sustainable farm. By selling eco-dyed scarves, cards and up-cycled totes, the students raised over $800 for the farm.
The next Five days:
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Friday
Immaculate Conception Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Open to the public.
Lecture: School Choice in Chile Hesburgh Center 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. Emiliana Vegas will discuss key reforms.
Pottery Sale 122 Riley Hall, ceramics studio 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Only cash and checks will be accepted.
Artful Yoga Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Capacity is limited. All skill levels are welcome.
Study at the Snite Museum of Art Snite Museum of Art 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Use the galleries as a quiet study space.
Exhibit: “New Faces” The AAHD Gallery, 214 Riley Hall all day Work from first-year MFA students.
Information Session on CSC Seminars Geddes Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Learn more about Spring 2020 seminars.
“Leveraging LinkedIn” Roon 158, Mendoza College of Business 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Training workshop.
Last Class Day campus-wide all day Final day of classes for the semester before final examinations.
“The Christmas Star” DVT, Jordan Hall of Science 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Free, ticketed lecture about astrophysics.
News
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institutions inquire about how we are able to keep our walks in such good condition during the winter with little to no damage to the grass come springtime,” he said. “The machines we use for the walks are custombuilt to remove snow and place granular product and anti-icing liquid all in one pass. It is a complex yet very well-organized operation of highly skilled operators who know their areas of responsibility extremely well every time it snows.” Dyczko said the crews maintain 22 hours of coverage every day from Dec. 1 to April 1. “When we are faced with a snow event, our crews come in at 2 a.m. with the goal of having campus clear and safe for our campus community by 7 a.m. unless conditions dictate otherwise,” he said. “Often times during big snow events, our crews will work 12-hour shifts
Winter Continued from page 1
the Saint Mar y’s students, and included crafts, giveaways and a gingerbread house-building contest. “This event was created to help students celebrate the holidays during the stressful end of the semester,” Freund said. “It’s always been SAB’s goal to create events where students can take a break to come enjoy some good food and qualit y time w ith friends. This is also the only event involving the South Bend communit y, so it is especially important for us to put in the work necessar y to make it a wonderful event for the children.” This year, around 150 children and over 300 Saint Mar y’s students attended the event. Organizers had 300 hats to give away — and there were no left overs. Setting up an event of this scale is not easy, Freund said. “Winter Wonderland is such a significant event for SAB, and it wouldn’t be possible w ithout the dedication and hard work of ever y single one of our board members,” Freund said.
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, december 9, 2019 | The Observer
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for several days until the event is over.” Dyczko said that removing snow and ice is crucial for University function during the winter months. “It is a safety issue most of all,” he said. “If it is not safe to drive and walk on campus, then the entire operation of the University is at risk.” Dyczko praised the Landscape Services employees for their hard work year-round ensuring that the campus remains clean and safe. “The staff that is charged with snow removal is the same team that does such a great job in maintaining the campus in spring, summer and fall,” he said. “They are highly dedicated employees who work very hard to ensure that campus operations, including classes and research, are not interrupted by even the worst of winter weather.” Observer File Photo
Contact Andrew Cameron at acamero2@nd.edu
One of the board members, co-executive and junior Grace Nolan, helped w ith selecting the snacks and organizing the giveaways. “We have been planning this event since Oktoberfest was over,” Nolan said. “So, we have been planning it for about the past seven weeks. However, it really only took us a week or t wo to get the food and giveaways ordered.” Sophomore Lindsey Herdsman attended the event for her first time w ith her roommate and friends. “The main reason I originally wanted to go was for the free hat and the food, which was Chick-fil-A,” Herdsman said. Given all the activ ities available, Herdsman and her friends found that they stayed for much longer than they planned. “Once I was there, I made decorated ornaments and ate some candy canes,” Herdsman said. “It was such a fun event, and really got me in the Christmas spirit. I would definitely want to go again next year.” Contact Rebecca Stella at rstella01@saintmarys.edu
Notre Dame’s landscape services work each year to keep the University operational in adverse conditions. The crews maintain 22 hours of coverage each day during South Bend’s snow-prone months.
Creches Continued from page 1
Lady’s Consort Chamber Choir serenaded them in the background. After a gospel reading and recitation of a myster y of the Rosar y, participants filed out to repeat the same program at the next few stops on the pilgrimage. The event was w idely attended by residents of the South Bend communit y, especially parents w ith young children. Senior Theresa Rice, a Church Life intern for the McGrath Institute, said the event was intended to unif y the South Bend and Notre Dame campus communities during the Advent season. “It seems a really intuitive union of a campus communit y that sometimes a little insular — and a larger South Bend communit y,” Rice said. “It’s one of those events the McGrath Institute does that reaches out — that doesn’t just ser ve Notre Dame or the academic communit y but ser ves the parish and local family communit y as well. I think one purpose [of the event] is just to foster that engagement but also to enrich our understanding of the Nativ it y.”
Each creche depicted the Nativ it y uniquely, inv iting the v iewer to contemplate a different aspect of Christ’s birth. W hile some creches show Christ being welcomed w ith joy and celebration, others focused more on the povert y and lowliness he was born into. A ll sought to emphasize Christ as the central figure, according to the printed brochure for the event. “I think my ow n engagement w ith the Nativ it y stor y has been really cool,” Rice said. “We have 30 creches and I got to w rite the descriptions for each of them. So I meditated on the pictures prov ided ... and think about, what does it mean that Mar y is kneeling in this one? W hat does it mean that there are four shepherds in this one but no shepherds and three w isemen in the other one? ” Many of the participants of the event expressed similar appreciation for the beaut y and compelling narratives the creches offered. One creche made of corn husks captured the attention of Gail Dukes, a librarian at the Holy Cross School in South Bend. “Their eyes were huge. I think eyes are mirrors to the
soul and the explanation of how they were amazed at the child and what was happening — their eyes were just amazed,” Dukes said. “And I liked the detailed creches with the beads — to make those ones you have to sit down and connect every bead. ... You have to be dedicated to finishing such detailed work.” Rice said seeing the enthusiasm of participants like Duke is one of the things that makes the event so special. “Just seeing people’s engagement with the displays ... that’s been really cool to see the way it has enriched the campus community,” Rice said. “And it’s so great to have them [the creches] around to remind me of Christmas, you know, when life gets busy.” Graduate student Angela Martinez said she appreciated the way the event spread Christmas spirit to the broader community. “I live in town now, so it’s nice how campus is able to offer this for the community and for families, and help us enter into the Christmas spirit in the life of Christ,” Martinez said. Contact Theresa Olohan at tolohan2@nd.edu
Write News. E m a i l No t r e D a m e Ne w s E d i t o r T o m N a a t z a t t n a a t z @ n d . e d u o r S a i n t M a r y ’ s Ne w s E d i t o r M a e v e F i l b i n a t m f i l b i n 0 1 @ s a i n t m a r y s . e d u
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NEWS
The observer | monday, december 9, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Strike
Being with people who have common goals makes them feel Continued from page 1 empowered, Greg Campion, a senior and hub coordinator of gas emissions in South Bend,” Sunrise Movement South Bend, Bode said. “The plan will be said. “As a young student, I used a living document responsive to changing circumstances, to feel powerless that there is but includes near-term bench- nothing I can do about the climarks to drive early action by mate crisis, and when I’m 30 or 40, it’s already too late for evlocal stakeholders.” However, becoming carbon erything,” Campion said. “But neutral in 2030 is not unpracti- being a part of the Sunrise, our voice can be heard and we tocal, Blad said. gether can push the govern“If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, ment to make a difference.” Not all of the activists were When?” students. Some activists linked personAnne Thacker, a retired al experiences to their decision teacher, stood in the crowd. to protest in the climate strike. “The climate change has Born in 1950s, she was influnot left my life untouched,” enced by the spirit of the peace Duncan Donahue, a sophomore movement against the Vietnam and Notre Dame trainings lead- War. “I know the importance of er of Sunrise Movement South Bend, said. “I went a church trip fighting against the governwhen I was a kid. One day I was ment when they are doing woken up by my brother saying wrong things,” she said. She said she has been envi‘Duncan, your room is underwater.’ I ran back home and saw ronmentally conscious since the creek near my house was six she was 12 years old. “I’m sorry that my generation feet higher than before because of the extreme weather that couldn’t stop this insane capiyear. It burst down the door and talism,” Thacker said. “I have 50 our house was soaked in five- years in my life seeing people not listen and it’s hard for me feet high water.” Tianle Zhang, a fresh- to have hope. Honestly speakman, talked about his child- ing, sometimes I just think we hood memory of environment are not going to stop the climate crisis because some people are pollution. “I lived in Tianjin, China in just so stubborn and we still the first three years of my life,” need more people to vote.” According to the Sunrise Zhang said. “My grandparents always coughed when walk- Movement, besides becoming outside. Not only them, ing carbon neutral, the Green but many people there had New Deal also advocates for this problem, because they the creation of sufficient highbreathed in the fog caused by wage jobs, security of clean environment and healthy food air pollution.” The activists said their per- and promotion of equality and sonal experiences prompted justice. “The Green New Deal is a concerns about environment systematic plan. We need to protection. “The sense of powerlessness make sure that the people who when seeing your home was are most vulnerable to climate taken away is so frustrating,” change are getting the help Donahue said. “If we don’t take that they need,” Donahue said. the action on climate change “People who are economically now, there will be more peo- disadvantaged are going to diple losing their homes. This rectly feel the effects of climate is an emergency and it’s time change first, and some green for our leader to do something policy like higher tax on carbon will hurt them most.” now.” Love Lee, a freshman whose Climate action is not for one person or one nation, but the family is half African and half Japanese, said living in a comwhole world, Zhang said. “The U.S. has the debt to pay,” munity of people of color gives he said. “During the history her the chance to see different we emitted the most air pollu- types of equality. “Many of us [are] faced with tion on the earth. We have the duty to fight for people in other problems of jobs, housing and countries against this world- food and these problems become more serious during wide crisis.” Zhang said that climate climate crisis,” she said. “So movements face more difficul- Sunrise Movement is the opporties in China due to limited free tunity to lift the community up and fight for a better life.” speech and free assembly. Lee stood on a stage during “Not everyone in the world has the political privilege as we the protest, and called for unity. “The Green New Deal condo,” he said. “We should fight for cerns everyone of different colpeople who can’t fight.” He said he remembers the ors and economic statuses,” she first time he joined the Sunrise said. “We need to unite together to make the government listen.” Movement in September. She paused. “I was holding the banner and “If not us, who? If not now, being with other young people,” Zhang said. “I was inspired that when?” she asked. The crowd screamed back: there are so many young people who [are also concerned with] “Now.” “So I ask all of you to come this issue. I felt we can do somehand in hand, using this thing huge together.”
movement for the future and for all of us,” she said and smiled.
“If Ann Arbor Can Do It, Why Not South Bend?” “Right now Mayor Pete is not treating this like an emergency,” Blad said. “It’s unbelievable that it takes young students skipping school [to bring politicians] to understand it’s urgent and it’s necessary to pass the Green New Deal.” South Bend’s Climate Action Plan was passed in November, and aims to reduce green house gas emission over three time horizons — reducing by 26% by 2025, reducing by 45% by 2035 and reducing by 100% by 2050. “This plan is not adequate. It’s irresponsible and dangerous. It doesn’t follow what the scientists say,” Blad said. “When standing on the national stage, Mayor Pete himself even said that the time for carbon neutrality should be decades ago. Why did he still set the timeline on 2050 for South Bend?” The Sunrise Movement South Bend wants the 2030 timeline. Cities like Ann Arbor in Michigan have already passed the plan of zero carbon emission with the time of 2030, Blad said. “If Ann Arbor can do it, why not South Bend?” he said. Money for investing in green energy is not impossible to find, Blad said, and pointed to Ann Arbor an example. “If the city prioritizes environment, they can always find the money and make it [carbon neutrality] happen,” Blad said. “As a part of the climate plan, Ann Arbor passed a $1 billion bond through the school system to invest [in] sustainable energy projects. These are smart investments because not only do they stop climate change, but [they] also save the money and even make profits. For instance, in Chicago, they bought two electronic buses — and it saves hundreds of thousands of dollars each year since the pollution is decreased [in the city] and fewer people go to hospital, which saves the health cost for the government. Besides, the bus makes money, too. All of these side effects make it financially reasonable for the government to make the decision.” A similar thing can happen in South Bend, Blad said. “The University of Notre Dame is an incredible institution with $13 billion funds,” Blad said. “Why [doesn’t] the city partner with organizations we have right here and make co-investments?” In his statement to The Observer, Bode listed several of the mayor’s sustainability initiatives. “Under Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s leadership, the City of South Bend has prioritized sustainability and action to address the climate change crisis,” Bode said. “From constructing the first LEED-certified South Bend city government buildings, to
implementing green infrastructure in neighborhoods throughout the area, to responding to historic flooding caused by climate change, the Mayor has led from the front on climate.” Campion said besides the late timeline, the city of South Bend doesn’t put enough resources into its climate plan. “The city hasn’t approved any more funds for the Department of Sustainability, which currently has one single employee,” he said. “She has been doing a great job, but you can’t expect one person to lead the effort to make the city carbon neutral. It’s a massive project that the city needs to commit more resources [to], because that’s the only way.” Campion listed several initiatives protestors hoped to see South Bend implement. “Based on the Green New Deal, our position is that the city should invest resources to help make buildings more energy efficient, to increase the use of public transit, to reduce vehicle emissions and to provide opportunities and incentives for industries to shift to less carbon production,” Campion said. The Green New Deal is like an umbrella, and it applies to every sector of the economy which directly or indirectly contributes to carbon emission or is affected by the climate crisis, Donahue said. “Take green housing construction as an example,” he said. “Housing is the place where people consume the majority of energy in their life, such as heating, electricity for appliances, lights and air conditioning. That’s why the building you live in doesn’t emit carbon but its related system contributes a lot [of] carbon. Thus, when we invest [in] green housing projects, it also involves other infrastructures like wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy systems.”
“When The People Rise Up, The Powers Come Down” The Green New Deal inevitably confronts the interest of fossil companies. According to the Sunrise Movement, it’s active in getting politicians to sign the “No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge” to reject contributions from the oil, gas and coal industry. It also endorses candidates who take the pledge. “We are working to elect representatives that understand the crisis and we will fight against the fossil fuel industry,” Donahue said. It is the masses that can confront the power of those above, Zhang said. “In the end, it doesn’t matter how much money you have or how high the governmental position you are,” he said. “If you don’t have the people on your side, your system will collapse.” Uniting people became more urgent after the election of President Donald Trump,
Donahue said. “When Trump was elected and pulled out of the Paris Agreement — whoa, it dashed my hopes,” Donahue said. “But at the same time, it pushed the climate movement to change.” Donahue said the movement cannot just be an abstract slogan or a weak agreement in this new political context. “We need to build a movement across the country that advocates restructuring of the economy in a way that works for everyone. And I think that’s what Sunrise and Green New Deal are about,” he said. “It’s about the structural change where fossil fuel billionaires don’t dominate the economy. It’s about having people representing us in the government. It’s about less compromise and patience because the emergency is approaching.” Donahue said community is at the heart of the movement. “We are building a sense of community which makes people feel invited into the climate movement,” Donahue said. “Many students join the strike because they feel there is an emergency and they no longer want to be powerless. When you’re calling upon your leaders to do something, it’s a very powerful feeling.” Donahue said that right now they are building up this political power at Notre Dame by having conversations with friends or classmates about the climate crisis, holding lectures and activities and organizing protests and strikes. Blad said the Sunrise Movement Hub in South Bend was just started in February and now there are about 30 active members. In the strike in September, there were around 300 people who participated. “In the strike today, we have kids from different high schools, students from the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College, Indiana University of South Bend, working people. … We are excited to keep building,” Blad said. Still, Blad said it has been difficult at times to bring the groups together. “We try to bridge the crosscommunity, and sometimes it’s challenging. Notre Dame seems to be isolated sometimes,” Blad said. “But it also provides [an] opportunity because there are more and more Notre Dame students engaging, and I’m optimistic with the potential that Notre Dame will bring to us.” Blad said with the 2020 election new opportunities for change will be available. “The 2020 election is coming and the window is open,” he said. “We have a growing youth army across the country that is forcing, for the first time, our politicians to look at the climate changes in the eyes, and actually have a plan to stop it.” Contact Zixu Wang at zwang27@nd.edu
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NICOLE SIMON | The Observer
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The observer | monday, december 9, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
A mysterious package Ellie Dombrowski Newsletter Manager
I got the call at 6 a.m. on a Thursday morning in October of last year. I was up studying before my Orgo Exam. “NDSP” popped up on my phone. Thinking it was some security test, I let it go to voicemail. Unexpectedly, my phone dings a minute later: “New Voicemail from NDSP.” Not knowing what to expect, I listened to the voicemail. It was a woman informing me that a package was being delivered. However, there was an issue with it, and I should call immediately. So, I called back. “Hello.” “Hi, my name is Ellie. I was just called about a package…?” “Hi, Ellie. Well there was some internal damage to your package. The policy is to hold the package and have you come in. It’s just a precaution in case someone sends a bomb, or something else dangerous,” said the woman. “Someone sent me a bomb??” I thought to myself. “... Um okay… So, am I in trouble?” I said. “We just need you to come get the package.” “Well, I have an exam this morning. Could I come after?” “I — I guess. The sooner the better,” she said. “Okay. Thank you?” Now I was nervous. Someone had sent me something dangerous? Why would I need to come in to pick up a bomb? Shouldn’t they be the ones to deal with it. After calling my mom panicked with no answer, I took off to my exam. I don’t remember it very well. I just wanted to go to the police station and get my bomb. I finished my exam quickly and headed to the station. “Hi, I need to pick up a package. There was something wrong with it. I was called this morning …. ” I said shakily to a skinny man behind the desk. “Oh — you’re the bomb girl, huh? Let me go get Steve” (or some other generic name that I can’t remember) the skinny man said. The other people in the office started to stare and back away ... and I just stood there, awaiting my fate. Steve finally broke the silence, picking up a tattered, damp, destroyed box and thrusted it in my face. “Do you recognize this package?” he said. “Um… No. I don’t.” More staring and silence. “Come with me,” he sighed. He went into a room, placing the package on the table. “The policy is that you have to be the one to open the package. Then we have to analyze the contents,” Steve said handing me a box cutter. Now, in my head, I was like okay, I know two things. One, I did not send myself a bomb. And two, someone else sent me a bomb? So, if someone else sent me a bomb, then opening it now would mean that I’d die. So why would they have me open the box? God, don’t they have common sense? Obviously I wouldn’t send myself a bomb! I would die. But, I said nothing. As I started to open the box, they both back up to the wall .… It was just me and the bomb. So, I just I ripped open the tattered box, closing my eyes in case of an explosion (as if that would save me from a bomb. But, hey! We all do stupid things in … dire situations, I guess). Still being alive, I opened the box. “Describe what you see,” the skinny man said. “There are a bunch of gummy bears, crackers …” I said. “Is there anything in there that is more round and heav y?” he said. Like a bomb? I thought to myself…. “I think I see something” I said. “Very carefully take it out of the box,” Steve said from a safe distance. I reached my hands in, carefully lifting the heav y, sticky object. Were bombs sticky? Pulling it out to chest height, I showed the officers. “What is it?” the small man asked. “... It’s kombucha …?” Contact Ellie at edombrow@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The problem with atheism Andrew Sveda Bow Tie Politics
Being a religious none is certainly back in style. Not a nun, a “none” — an atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” Amidst the unprecedented decline of American Christianity, this demographic is swiftly ascending in the U.S., adding a whopping 29 million to its numbers in just 10 years. Twenty-nine million in 10 years. There’s no question about it: America is racing towards its post-Christian future at breakneck speeds. To talk ill of this trend is enough to make die-hard progressives and skeptics cringe. For them, there’s nothing wrong with a post-Christian America. If anything, it’ll be a monumental victory when man finally liberates himself from this ancient superstition. The mission of these militant atheists and secularists is therefore rather clear: to usher in, as Richard Dawkins bluntly puts it, “a world without religion.” For so-called “New Atheists” like Dawkins and Sam Harris, toleration isn’t an option. Indeed, the title of a 2006 article by Harris says it all: “Science Must Destroy Religion.” And as we’ve seen, the movement’s succeeding beyond its wildest dreams. But the frantic speed of social change has left us in such a daze that we’ve forgotten to ask ourselves what it would all cost. Indeed, the popularization of the post-Christian and postmodern worldview threatens the very core assumptions that have defined the West and made it thrive. If atheists like Dawkins win the day, we’ll have traded the Christian system of hope, freedom and love for the utter bareness of atheism. Let me explain. In atheistic evolution, man is nothing special, just another rung on the ladder of “progress,” and when we are gone, we’ll have been just a blip, an Ozymandias, in the universe. Our existence is, at its core, meaningless because we evolved from a meaningless, unintelligent process. See how easily, then, the case and incentive to be moral collapses under such a framework. There’s no point in “[loving] thy neighbor” — except when it’s in one’s interest. After all, as Dawkins once penned, “DNA neither knows nor cares” about such things, “DNA just is. And we dance to its music.” Absent purpose from God, life turns into no more than a grubby competition for power and a reckless pursuit of self-indulgence. This isn’t to say atheists can’t be moral, but that those who are, as Ravi Zacharias suggested, “merely [live] better than his or her philosophy warrants.” Beyond that, the very idea of an objective morality even existing in a purposeless world is utterly ludicrous. Even atheist philosopher Thomas Nagel of NYU admits this, writing, “...an evolutionary self-understanding would almost certainly require us to give up moral realism — the natural conviction that our moral judgments are true or false independent of our beliefs.” Absent such a moral foundation, there can be no objective good or evil for the materialist. Not even the most vicious and brutal of dictators like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin can be called “evil” in a world where subjective morality and relativism are all we have. Absent a soul and a heaven and hell, there is no ultimate justice either. This means bad people (not that we can objectively call them that, but I digress) can get away with atrocities without ever facing a final reckoning, and “good” people are reciprocally never rewarded. To pretend this will have no implications on human actions is to delude one’s self. The effects can only be tremendously horrific and tragic. Yet amidst all of this, we still have the audacity to defend
equality and freedom. How? In the atheist framework, we simply can’t. Once the Judeo-Christian worldview has been thrown out in America, there can be no firm basis for such lofty things. The Bible tells us we’re all made in God’s image, leading the founders to conclude “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” such as “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The bible of naturalism provides no such logical foundation for human rights and freedom. It’s rather the state — not a Higher Power — that arbitrarily ordains its inhabitants with rights, and with as many or as few as it so pleases. Such rights — indeed all rights — are at the mercy of the state, ready to be pulled away at a tyrant’s whim. If the horrors of the 20th Century have taught us anything, it’s that the civilization which abolishes God is far from the paradise it promises to be. It’s one devoid of purpose, liberty and hope. Nothing remains except desolation, oppression and a cold, bleak nihilism. And the only logical conclusion of atheist thought is indeed nihilism. Everything is meaningless, everything a mere series of chemical reactions. What is emotion, what is love under such a worldview? Nothing, only the biological and the material. It makes no sense, therefore, to be moved by a line of poetry, a piece of artwork or music, a beautiful sunset or by the love you hold for others that’s beyond words. It’s simply irrational, childish and incomprehensible. I trust I don’t have to spell out what this would mean for society. But what if the atheists are right? What if “reason” is all we have? Even if that was true, atheists — most ironically — couldn’t even trust their own logic. Why? Nagel explained it best: “[e]volutionary naturalism implies that we shouldn’t take any of our convictions seriously, including the scientific world picture on which evolutionary naturalism itself depends.” Christians understand that the foundation of human reason comes from creation by an intelligent God, but for atheists, reason lacks any support, the implications of which I can’t even begin to imagine. This isn’t to say Western civilization is some utopia of righteousness. Anyone who knows anything about history knows that’s not true. But at the very least religion provides that one must abandon their worldview to achieve their evil ends. The outworkings of atheism lack any such restraint. Maybe this is why Benjamin Franklin, a deist, said“[i]f Men are so wicked as we now see them with Religion[,] what would they be without it?” The JudeoChristian worldview that has built America provides it the basis for meaning, morality, freedom, universal rights, love, beauty and reason. Atheism has nothing to offer — in both the figurative and literal sense. To go the way of Dawkins and Harris, to advocate the exile of God and religion from our culture is to effectively take a wrecking ball to all that is noble, right and meaningful. Don’t believe those who say a post-Christian America is a better America. Our nation can’t throw away its foundations and expect to live for long. Atheists and secularists promise a Babel once we do away with the halls of religion. They’ll be quite disappointed. There can be no such city. We will but live amidst the wreckage of that which made us great. Andrew Sveda is a freshman at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh intending to major in political science. Besides politics, Andrew enjoys acting, playing the piano and tennis. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter. The views expressed int his column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Why are you reading this? Jackie O’Brien Dear Father Jenkins
This past week, Mary Szromba published a column entitled “Prepare to vote for the ham sandwich,” arguing for the importance of party unity in the midst of a contentious Democratic primary. While I found this argument to be extremely reasonable, wellthought out and delivered with nuance, the battleground of Facebook comments did not agree. There were many people who shared thoughtful opinions about who they planned to vote for, what motivates their vote choice and why or why not avoiding a second Trump presidency is the most important element of this upcoming election. Many people disagreed with Mary’s piece, but still respected the legitimacy of her opinion. However, there were others who completely wrote off Mary’s opinion and perspective for the mere factor of her age. One commenter in particular stated, “Mary, you are entitled to your opinion not matter [sic] how idiotic and divorced from reality it is. Get a job, pay taxes, raise and support a family - then you just might have a proper perspective of life.” In response to a question from another Facebook user, this commenter clarified that he did indeed mean that Mary’s opinion (and vote) were not properly informed. I guess my first question to anyone who holds that opinion would be why you would waste your time reading the viewpoint section of a student newspaper. Obviously, the vast majority of us are current students who have not yet entered the workforce, nor have we raised and supported families of our own. It seems like an odd cost-benefit analysis that would lead someone to take the time to read carefully crafted opinions from people whose personal identity automatically disqualifies them from holding a wellinformed opinion in the first place. If this disqualification of the legitimacy of her
opinion applies to Mary, why doesn’t it apply to every other columnist who writes for The Observer, liberals and conservatives alike? I have a suspicion that if a conservative columnist published a column, there wouldn’t be a similar critique from those users. It’s incredibly dangerous to immediately write off the opinions of those we disagree with as uninformed or illegitimate because of the someone’s age or experience. I could just as well argue that many of the people in Congress are too old to understand the realities of college student debt — but what good would that do? I don’t mean to singularly attack one particular alumnus and Facebook user. This commenter is certainly not the only one who holds these beliefs and uses them as an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the opinion of the youth. If this was the only comment or engagement I had seen of this type, I would never write about it in the first place. But I think this is indicative of a much more prevalent issue in society today: an uptick in activism among the younger generations has led to a complete denial of the legitimacy of their opinions by older generations. Students who protested the presence of Vice President Mike Pence at graduation by conducting a quiet walk out were disregarded and told they weren’t ready for the real world. After all, you “can’t walk out on your boss when you disagree with them.” I believe part of the mission of Notre Dame is to create well-informed citizens who should exercise their right to freedom of speech to inform our democratic discourse. This can mean writing for The Observer, protesting parietals, engaging in class discussions with students you don’t agree with — the list goes on. Why are we discouraging young people from developing and exercising their opinions? Mary is probably one of the most well-informed people I know. Even though I don’t always agree with her opinions, I at least respect them as well-informed and valid. Would we rather produce a student body rushing
forward to the real world, but delay their ability to form and argue for their beliefs? It seems unfathomable that anyone from any generation would want to dissuade someone from sharing their opinions in such a civil way by creating an impossible-to-fulfill threshold for validity. Engagement with readership is important and it’s something that I expect as a columnist. I write for The Observer because I want to share my opinions and hear people’s reactions to what I have to say. Some of my favorite emails that I receive are the ones telling me I’m a total idiot, I’m wrong and the future of America is doomed by my generation and those who think like I do. I have always appreciated that people had taken the time to read what I had to say, even if they think I’m wrong. However, it’s saddening that there seem to be an increasing number of people who read what I have to say, but would never engage with it as a valid opinion in the first place. Maybe my opinions will vastly change in the next 10 to 15 years (I doubt it), but I don’t think that means that the opinions I hold today are in some way illegitimate. I guess once my fellow columnists and I are able to tick those boxes — working a full-time job, generating enough income to pay taxes to the federal government and raising children — we will finally be able to stand behind what we write since those factors automatically lend to some imaginary credibility. Can’t wait! Jackie O’Brien is a Notre Dame senior studying political science and peace studies, originally from the Chicago suburbs. When she’s not writing for Viewpoint, you can find her attempting to complete the NYT crossword, fretting over law school applications or watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. She can be reached at jobrie21@nd.edu or @im_jackie_o on Twitter. The views expressed int his column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Letter to the editor
Invisible Irish: Standing up for the seated students Every single football game, I take my place in the student section. With fellow seniors to my back and the 50-yard line ahead, my spot is a prime position. It’s the ultra-exclusive, invitation-only, hottest section in Notre Dame Football. It’s the handicap-accessible accommodations. What a great spot to not only see, but to be seen. The roving Fighting Irish Media camera crew is constantly passing a foot away from our VIP row, the equipment close enough to reach up and touch. Yet by some mistake, that camera is never pointed at me. At anyone in the accessible seating, actually. The videographer’s back is to us. Like we aren’t there. Instead, they choose to point the camera on audience members like throngs of Katies from Chicago or babies that don’t even go here. They don’t pay baby tuition or have $50,000 in baby loans! So what gives? If anyone reading this knows, please tell me. Do we not have enough spirit and hunger in our eyes? Dare I mention the discomfort people often feel with seeing disability rendered in pixels 50-ft high? Is executing the perfect Irish jig really that vital? Perhaps we just lack that je ne sais quoi which makes fans Jumbotron-worthy. Whatever the reason, it’s too bad. Because representation matters. And right now, we’re not doing a great job. According to a 2017 report from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, only 2.7% of speaking characters in the 100 highest-earning movies of 2016 were depicted with a disability. That’s far below the estimated proportion of Americans with disabilities, ranging from about 1 in 8 (US Census) to 1 in 4 (CDC). However, I also recognize that I have privilege as a straight white woman
who is still able to see herself represented in film more often than many other marginalized groups. For example, in the same USC analysis, just 1.1% of speaking characters were depicted as LGBT. This kind of representation discussion indeed belongs in our football stadium. Football Saturday is akin to a spiritual pilgrimage, one of the centers of Notre Dame culture. So why not show that Notre Dame embraces all types of students, and we don’t solely celebrate the abled bodies of the elite athletes on the field? Take the inimitable Sam Jackson’s performance as our Gold Leprechaun this season — just the 2nd black leprechaun. In a September Scholastic article, he tells a story about affirming to a young Ethiopian fan that leprechauns may always wear green, but Notre Dame’s mascot isn’t limited to light skin and ginger hair. Don’t try to tell me that there isn’t at least one child that would benefit from viewing a wheelchair-user screaming along with his or her fellow students. We owe it to that young Irish fan to step into our discomfort and be better. As a senior, I’ve already attended my last game in the student section. I may be midway through the Kübler-Ross grief model (perhaps in the bargaining stage), but there are several more students who will fill the accessible seating section in the coming falls. We are here. We are Irish. And we’re ready for our close-up.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
Alexandra Rudin senior Dec. 8
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DAILY
The observer | monday, december 9, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | samuel a. donaldson
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Channel your energy strategically this year. Don’t waste time on people who play mind games or are continually taking and never giving back. Question your motives and the motives of others. Make adjustments that you find inspiring and encourage you to follow your heart as well as your dreams. Live moderately, and focus on fitness, health and diet. Your numbers are 8, 15, 24, 28, 35, 39, 44. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take your time. Do your research. Don’t let the fear of change or the unknown hold you back. Embrace a challenge wholeheartedly, and make adjustments to suit your needs. Nothing happens overnight, but ideas and plans will encourage you to move forward. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stop thinking about what you want; start doing whatever it takes to make it happen. Take charge of your life, and set a plan in motion. Personal gains, physical improvements and romantic relationships should be priorities. Family plans are favored. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep your secrets. If you share information about someone close to you, it will damage your relationship. Be a good listener as well as a trusted friend. Don’t let the activities going on around you cause temptation. Refrain from indulgent behavior. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Jump at a chance to participate in something that intrigues you. The experience will encourage you to develop new skills and to mix what you like to do most with a new way to bring in extra cash. Romance is encouraged. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Refuse to let what others do upset you. Don’t feel you have to join in or get into an argument when there are other options. Keep the peace by doing your own thing. Do something that makes you happy. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Getting together with old friends or relatives will lead to interesting information and a new perspective regarding what’s possible. Express your thoughts, gather information and prepare to make a positive change. Romance is in the stars. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Concentrate on picking up information, getting together with someone who shares your interests or concerns, or doing something that will encourage better health. Look for a way to eliminate stress and make your plan work for you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Embrace what excites and comforts you most. Striving for a better routine that plays to your need for a healthier and fuller life will pay off. Don’t underestimate what you can accomplish. If you want something, make it happen. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Curb habits, get organized, simplify your life and ease your stress. Let go of people who bring you down, use you or cost you financially or emotionally. New beginnings and happy endings should be your priorities. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change at home or to the way you look or live seems promising. Make your dreams come true by putting in the work necessary to add to your comfort and joy. Plan something special for someone you love, and you’ll benefit. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be a leader, not a follower. Don’t worry if someone changes his or her mind and disrupts your day. Pick yourself up and keep moving forward. How good a time you have depends on you, not someone else. Embrace new beginnings. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Get facts straight before sharing with others. An emotional change can be made that will improve your life. A meaningful relationship will be enhanced by what you do. A romantic gesture will lead to memorable events and long-term plans. Birthday Baby: You are outgoing, persuasive and eclectic. You are loving and compassionate.
sorin elementary | IAN SALZMAN
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Sports Authority
Remembering the decade by best sports moments Colin Capece Sports Writer
It’s hard for me to believe that the semester is already coming to a close, and it’s even harder for me to believe that the turn of the decade is suddenly upon us. It’s customary for us to reminisce at significant milestones like the one rapidly approaching, observing who we were 10 years ago, and who we have become over the last decade. While I have changed a great deal from the 9-year-old I was at the beginning of the decade to the 19-year-old I am at its close, one thing that hasn’t changed is my love for sports and their captivating power. I can think of no better way to remember this past decade than through great sports moments. The criteria for these were that they simply had to be moments that I immediately recalled when I thought about each sport, thus validating them as memorable. For me, that probably means they were a remarkable feat of athleticism, had a great backstory or both. Without further ado:
from elimination. David Wright’s home run in Game three of the World Series (2015): This one is more sentimental for me. The Mets’ captain had endured some of the worst years in franchise history only to be diagnosed with spinal stenosis in the year the team finally got to the Fall Classic. Watching my childhood hero absolutely demolish an inside fastball over the left field wall on the biggest stage actually brought tears to my eyes.
Soccer NBA Linsanity (2012): Jeremy Lin came out of nowhere to take over New York for a few weeks, scoring 38 against Kobe and the Lakers and drilling a buzzer-beater in Toronto. The best thing to happen to the Knicks this decade. Kawhi Leonard’s buzzerbeater in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals (2019): Talk about a friendly bounce. Kawhi has always been one of my favorite players for his robot mentality, but watching Board Man let out all of his emotion after hitting this game winner will forever be etched in my memory.
NFL
Hockey/Winter Olympics
Malcolm Butler’s interception in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks (2015): I mean, it’s hard to forget this first one. Marshawn Lynch is still mad he didn’t get the ball at the goal line, but give credit to Butler for recognizing and jumping Jermaine Kearse’s route. Despite my despair at another New England Super Bowl victory, Butler did go undrafted out of a Division II college. Santonio Holmes’ catch in the Super Bowl against the Cardinals: I thought this would count off the top of my head, but it actually happened in 2009. Anyway, I remember watching this game with my dad, and we both couldn’t believe he made this game-sealing touchdown grab. It seemed physically impossible. The Butt Fumble (2012): This really needs no explanation. As a lifelong Jets fan however, I will say that I wasn’t even mad. I thought it was hysterical.
Sidney Crosby wins the Gold Medal game in overtime for Team Canada (2010): I have never been a big hockey guy, but I get pretty into it when my country is being represented. Zach Parise’s tying goal with 24 seconds left made me believe, but Crosby’s goal to win it for the host country broke my heart.
MLB Cubs win the World Series (2016): 108 years. That’s all I really need to say. Game 7 was also an instant classic. David Freese’s walk off homer in Game 6 of the World Series (2011): Hometown kid hits a walk-off bomb in the bottom of the 11th to send the Cardinals to Game 7. He also hit a game-tying triple in the bottom of the ninth with St. Louis one strike away
more incredible. But I will forever remember Jim Nantz’s call: “Arcidiacono, to Jenkins, for the championship!” Villanova dominates to win its second national title in three years (2018): I just remember how good the Wildcats were from wire to wire that year. Their insanely efficient offense ran like clockwork. I can’t remember them missing a shot in the first half of the title game against Michigan.
Summer Olympics Katie Ledecky dominates in Rio (2016): Most Americans, myself included, care about swimming for two weeks every four years, but Ledecky had an unforgettable performance, winning gold in all of her individual races. She got so bored she started breaking her own records. Michael Phelps returns to glory (2016): Phelps seemed larger than life after his record breaking Beijing Olympics in 2008, but his fall from grace was rapid after London 2012. Everyone loves a great comeback story, and Phelps inspired me with his perseverance to overcome his demons and ultimately ride off into the sunset as the most decorated athlete at the Rio games.
Landon Donovan sends the U.S. to the Round of 16 at the World Cup (2010): Go Go USA! The captain’s rebound goal in the dying moments of the U.S.’s final group stage game against Algeria sent them to the knockout rounds and inspired the nation. John Brooks comes on late to lift the U.S. past Ghana at the World Cup (2014): Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann was pushing all the right buttons at the time, and Brooks was no exception. The super sub headed home a corner kick in the 86th minute to give the U.S. a 2-1 victory. Gareth Bale scores an incredible bicycle kick goal in the Champions League Final against Liverpool (2018): Bale was fun to watch in his prime, but he turned back the clock to score this acrobatic stunner after coming on as a sub. Still the best goal I have ever witnessed live.
Continued from page 12
The second quarter proved no better for the Irish, who struggled to grasp momentum for most of the first half. Committing six turnovers in the last five minutes of the quarter, Notre Dame allowed UConn to go on a 14-2 run and head into the locker room at half with a monstrous 50-25 lead, which all but sealed the victory for the Huskies, whose high-tempo efforts boosted them to a number of big scoring sprees in the first half. Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and company would actually bounce back in the second half, gaining a bit of momentum and tempo on offense to keep the Huskies on their toes. But even with these increased efforts, UConn outscored the Irish in the third period 17-14, and they would go on to claim a decisive 81-57 victory over a young Notre Dame squad. Despite the tough loss, Sniezek managed to record 14 points, a career-high for the grad student. Sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert maintained and extended her streak of double-digit points scored to 11 games. Freshman guard Anaya Peoples tallied her first career double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. People, Gilbert and Sniezek led the offensive efforts for the Irish on the afternoon, combining for 46 of the team’s 57 total points. After the game McGraw said that, all in all, the loss was a
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good learning experience for her young squad. “It’s a great learning experience, I think, for all of them, particularly the freshmen,” she said. “It’s about continuing to battle, and I think we did. It’s about the little things that we can do better at practice. … There’s so many little things that we can control, and that’s what we always talk about. You can’t control the ball going in the basket, you can control rebounding, setting screens, using screens, things like that. So, control the fundamentals, control the things you can and try to get in the gym and shoot more.” Moving forward, McGraw said she thinks the team can definitely get better, and finding ways to score will be an emphasis for the rest of the season. “We need some help, we need some experience, so we’ll see what that brings,” she said. “I think we can get a lot better, we just have to figure out how we’re going to score. Because we’re not great defensively. We thought we knew going into the season we were going to be able to score, so we worked a lot on our defense, and we haven’t been able to play great defense, and we’re limited a little bit because of our numbers. We’re playing a lot of zone. I think we can get a lot better.” The Irish hope to avoid a third-straight loss when they return home to face No. 16 DePaul on Wednesday at Purcell Pavilion. Tip off is set for 6:30 p.m. Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu
Golf Tiger Woods wins the Masters (2019): I have cared about golf for exactly three hours in my life. But when Tiger is on the prowl, you tune in. Also a great comeback story. No matter his transgressions, I think we can all learn from Tiger that we should be grateful for what we have because it can easily be taken away when we least expect it.
College Football Notre Dame’s fourth-down stop in overtime against Stanford (2012): I don’t care how many times Alabama won a championship this decade. This will always be the greatest college football memory I have. Doesn’t get much better than a goal line stand in the pouring rain to beat your rival and keep a dream season alive. So there you have it. Here’s to another decade of great sports moments!
College Basketball Kris Jenkins’ three beats the buzzer to win the national championship for Villanova (2016): Marcus Paige’s shot on the preceding possession to tie the game for UNC may have been even
Contact Colin Capece at ccapece@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Irish graduate student guard Destinee Walker dribbles down the court during Notre Dame’s 72-69 loss to Michigan State on Nov. 14 at home.
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Sports
The observer | monday, december 9, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
M Bball Continued from page 12
half kind of feeling sorry for ourselves, and I think it was my worst week as a coach here at Notre Dame, and I told our team that. Absolutely my worst week, because I didn’t think I did a very good job preparing us for Maryland, and then we come back Thursday and we’re moping a little bit after the loss, and we got [Carmody] down, and I didn’t really push at it or address it,” a regretful Brey said in his post-game press conference. When asked if he should have been harder on the team after a blowout loss, Brey clarified. “I’m not sure I was really plugged into the vibe enough to sense that on Thursday and didn’t really sense that until shootaround this morning,” he said. “I’m disappointed and I told our guys, ‘I have to be better for you.’” Brey’s team struggled to execute defensively out of the gate. One of the keys for the Irish coming into the game was slowing down guards graduate student Derryck Thornton and freshman Jay Heath, the top two scorers for Boston College this season. But the efficient shooting of the Eagles’ dynamic guards became the story of the first half, as both scored 11 points. Thornton, a graduate transfer from USC, was 5-6 from the field and drilled his one attempt from beyond the arc. Heath was 4-6 from the field and was a perfect 3-3 from downtown. As a team, Boston College
found the bottom of the net often in the first half, shooting 56% from the field and 60% from three. The Eagles also capitalized on Notre Dame’s 11 turnovers, scoring 14 points off of those turnovers. Notre Dame entered the break trailing 38-28. In the second half, Gibbs began to find his stroke. After a scoreless game against Maryland on Wednesday, the senior guard responded with 18 second-half points to help Notre Dame cut into the deficit. Gibbs was 4-5 from the field and 3-4 from downtown in the half. Double-double machine John Mooney also helped carry the Irish in the second half, scoring 12 of his 16 points in the half. The senior forward was highly effective in the low post and got to the free throw line nine times. The ACC’s leading rebounder also grabbed nine of his 18 boards in the second half. After a Gibbs make at the charity stripe, the Irish found themselves trailing by just five with 2:24 remaining in the game. On the next Notre Dame possession, graduate student guard Rex Pflueger lobbed a pass towards the rim for senior forward Juwan Durham, who layed it in over two defenders make the score 70-67 and bring the Purcell Pavilion crowd to its feet. Boston College then called timeout. Out of the time out, Heath drilled a step-back three with a hand in his face to put the Eagles up six. Gibbs then made two more free throws to shrink the deficit back to four. The Irish were able to trap Boston College’s C.J. Felder
in the corner off the inbound pass, with Pflueger causing a tie-up to give the ball back to Irish. Mooney then found Durham for another layup, to bring the Irish within two with 13 seconds on the clock. After the Irish intentionally fouled Thornton, the veteran couldn’t convert on the oneand-one. Sophomore guard Dane Goodwin grabbed the rebound and found Gibbs in the open court, who was fouled at the rim with 2.6 remaining. Unfortunately for the Irish, his first attempt from the line rimmed out. After Gibbs converted on his second attempt, Heath was intentionally fouled, but he too missed the one-and-one attempt. Brey called a timeout with 1.6 left on the clock. Mooney found Goodwin at midcourt off the ensuing inbound, but his heave at the buzzer hit nothing but air and sent the Irish to a heartbreaking loss. “I thought we made plays down the stretch to give ourselves a chance, but the ball just didn’t bounce our way in the last couple minutes,” Mooney said after the game. “We just had to get off to a better start so we weren’t playing from behind.” Brey praised Boston College for their performance. “I thought that the team that deserved to win the game won,” Brey said. “Boston College came out loose; they were hard to guard, shooting well. They created some tough match-ups for us at times with their quick guys out on the floor.” Brey also spoke on the team’s mentality moving forward now that the Irish are down to just eight scholarship players on the active roster. “Can’t bench anyone at this point, so here we go,” he said. “Time to tie your shoes and grow up a little bit, man. Night-to-night it’s going to be different. That’s who we are and all those guys are gonna have to play.” Gibbs spoke after the game about trying to move forward after the loss. “We’re figuring it out,” he said. “I think in the second half we got into a flow, and we just have to keep fighting. We fought until the very end today, and we just have to keep pushing and use this as a learning moment.” Brey added his thoughts on the end of the game. “I love how on a tough afternoon, we figured out a way to put the thing into overtime, even when we had no business being there,” Brey said. “I give our guys credit for that, but 11 turnovers at halftime, I don’t know where we were there.” The Irish will look to respond Tuesday when they take on Detroit Mercy in a nonconference matchup. Tip off is at 7:00 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion.
allison thornton | The Observer
Irish sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb dribbles down the court during Notre Dame’s 64-62 home win against Toledo on Nov. 21.
Football Continued from page 12
with it and they’ll let us know.” The Irish finished the regular season in the top 15 in the FBS in both scoring offense, putting up 37.1 points per game, and scoring defensive, surrendering 18.7 points per game. They finished their second consecutive undefeated home season and have won their last 18 games at Notre Dame Stadium, the third-longest such streak in program history. Kelly said he hopes a bowl game win will build momentum going into next season, as
the win over LSU in the Citrus Bowl led to the undefeated 2018 regular season. “I think it builds a lot of momentum going into your offseason when you’re able to win a bowl game. Certainly doing it against quality opposition. … I just think it catapults you into your off-season training, conditioning,” he said. “It builds a great deal of confidence as you get ready for the next season.” The Camping World Bowl is scheduled to kick off at noon ET on Dec. 28 and will be broadcast on ABC. Contact Stephen Hannon at shannon3@nd.edu
annie smierciak | The Observer
Irish sophomore wide receiver Braden Lenzy accelerates down the field during Notre Dame’s 45-24 win over Stanford in Paolo Alto, Calif.
annie smierciak | The Observer
Contact Colin Capece at ccapece@nd.edu
Irish senior running back Tony Jones Jr. tries to evade a defender during Notre Dame’s 45-24 win against Stanford on Nov. 30.
Sports
Hockey Continued from page 12
Eagle’s junior forward Logan Hutsko just over two minutes later when he found the net, putting Notre Dame in trouble quickly. It seemed that the Irish had finally responded and scored their first goal against Boston College in the series when they were able to take a threeto-five-man advantage on the ice after hooking and a cross checking call and senior forward Cal Burke buried one in the net. However, Boston College challenged the goal on grounds of goaltender interference, the call was confirmed and the goal was all for not. The goal was erased and the Eagles kept their two goal lead. The visitors managed to extend their lead even further with just over two minutes remaining in the first when junior forward David Cotton slipped another shot past Irish senior goaltender Cale Morris, giving give the Eagles a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Meanwhile, Eagles freshman goalie Spencer Knight was sitting cozy, finishing the first period with nine saves. Boston College kept the pressure on after McBain scored his second goal of the night, once again just two minutes into the period. Already giving the Eagles a 4-0 lead with 18 minutes left to play in the period, the Irish did not choose to switch up their goaltender situation after Morris had given up his eighth goal in the series against the Eagles. The Irish finally responded after remaining scoreless
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, december 9, 2019 | The Observer
against the Eagles for nearly 100 minutes when freshman forward Trevor Janicke was able to slip in a goal past Knight off of a def lection. Knight is certainly a forced to be reckoned with in goal. Once a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP), Knight has plenty of experience defending the net. He played against the Irish earlier this year when the USNTDP visited South Bend for an exhibition game in October and he played as the USNTDP goalie. Janicke got another shot on goal during a breakaway run with just over 10 minutes remaining in the final period, but Knight remained calm and composed and swiped the puck away to maintain the Eagles’ lead. Right after this exchange, Boston College took the puck into the Irish half and found their fifth goal of the game, and with just less than 10 minutes remaining for the Irish it was all said and done. Boston College would not let the Irish be defeated easily though. Just 20 seconds after their first goal, the Eagles put up a five-point lead over the Irish with their sixth goal of the night. At this point, Irish head coach Jeff Jackson pulled his starting goalie to give his freshman netminder some playing time. Freshman Ryan Bischel closed out the game for the Irish, as Morris had now given up 10 goals against the Eagles throughout the weekend. Morris ended the night with 21 saves, but Bischel did a good job himself with the closing 10 minutes of the game he participated, recording nine saves. These stats were moot, however, to Knight’s 27 saves
kendra osinski | The Observer
Irish senior captain and forward Cal Burke watches the puck during Notre Dame’s 6-1 home loss against Boston College on Sunday.
on 28 Irish shots on goal. The Eagles displayed their offensive dominance in the third period, closing out the game with 15 shots in the period to Notre Dame’s eight. Following the loss, Jackson said he hopes that this is rock bottom for the young Irish squad. “Hopefully we bottomed out,” Jackson said. “We’re just not playing with that level of confidence that we need to play, that we had earlier in the year. It’s really hard to describe. They’re keeping a good attitude. They’re staying positive, they’re not doing what some teams do, which is a positive side. They’re not pointing fingers or making excuses. So that’s what I have to look forward to is at least they’re still working, but they’re not executing the way we need to execute to be successful.” Jackson pointed to their opponents’ strong goalie play as a reason why they have struggled, starting with the blown lead that led to a loss Nov. 23 at Michigan State. “Well, you know as crazy as it sounds, I’m more concerned about the other side of the puck, because that’s generally where we get transitional chances,” Jackson said. “Now, we ran into a couple pretty good goaltenders here in the last three weeks — actually three good goaltenders starting at Michigan State. And that’s where this all started was the second night of Michigan State, where they scored late to tie it and then they won it before the end of the third. And that’s where it all started to spiral, because I thought up to that point we were doing OK. We were holding our own on the road at
Wisconsin, Minnesota. Same thing at Michigan State and that game kind of set us back, and it’s kind of gone downhill since then.” Jackson went on to describe what his team, currently on a five-game losing streak, needs to do to pull themselves out of the slump they have found themselves in and prepare for their next game against a strong conference matchup against a No. 6 ranked Penn State. “We’re going to have to take baby steps here because we’re gonna have to start over,” he said. “We gotta get back to the
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basics, we gotta get back to the little details of our game, because right now we’re not executing some of those things the way we need to, and again I’ll take responsibility for that. I think the focus this week, we do put some emphasis with pre-scouting and that on the opponent but right now I think it’s more about us. I think we have to focus on us and focus on what we’re doing and what we’re not doing that’s creating this dilemma that we’re in.” Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu
kendra osinski | The Observer
Irish senior forward Mike O’Leary grapples for a faceoff during Notre Dame’s 6-1 loss to Boston College on Sunday at home.
kendra osinski | The Observer
Irish freshman forward Trevor Janicke aims for a slapshot during Notre Dame’s 6-1 loss to Boston College at Compton Family Ice Arena on Sunday. Janicke scored the lone Irish goal in two games this weekend.
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The observer | monday, december 9, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd men’s basketball | boston college 73, nd 72
football
ND to face Iowa Late comeback falls short, State in bowl game Irish lose to Eagles by 1 By STEPHEN HANNON Associate Sports Editor
The No. 15 Notre Dame football team will play Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl on Dec. 28 in Orlando, Florida. After a 10-win season for the third consecutive year, the Irish (10-2) will try for their 11th win of the season against the Cyclones (7-5, 5-4 Big 12). This will be the first meeting between the two programs, the 148th different team to play against Notre Dame, with the Irish having won 84% of firsttime meetings. “Our players are excited. Our university is excited. We got a great matchup with a very, very good football team in Iowa State,” Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said in a press conference after the announcement. “[Iowa State head coach] Matt Campbell has done an incredible job. The football team he has this year is a record-setting football team. … It will be a great challenge for our football
team.” Kelly said that junior defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and junior offensive lineman Aaron Banks, who both suffered injuries late in the season, have been cleared to play. “They’ve been with our football team conditioning,” Kelly said. “We’ll begin on Saturday our practice format. It’s kind of an interesting schedule we have to put together because we start our reading days on Saturday, and exams next week. We’ll kind of work around it.” He also said no one had told him they would sit out the bowl game, although he confirmed sophomore wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. will not be available to play. “Nobody has come to me,” he said. “… We have a history and tradition here. The nine bowl games that I’ve been part of, everybody plays. If something changes, I’m certain we’ll deal
NOla wallace | The Observer
After a difficult week for Notre Dame that included a 21-point road loss to Maryland and a season-ending injury for sophomore guard Robby Carmody, the Irish came up just short Saturday at home against Boston College, losing 73-72. The Irish fought their way back into the game in the second half and nearly pulled off the comeback, but a missed free throw by senior guard T.J. Gibbs with 2.6 seconds remaining finally sent the Irish (6-3, 0-2 ACC) to their second consecutive defeat. Irish head coach Mike Brey explained he didn’t prepare his team well enough for its first home-conference matchup in light of recent events and took responsibility for Notre Dame’s slow start in the first half against the Eagles (5-5, 2-0). “I thought we played the first
see FOOTBALL PAGE 10
Irish senior forward John Mooney holds on to the ball during Notre Dame’s 64-62 overtime win over Toledo on Nov. 21 at home.
see M BBALL PAGE 10
By COLIN CAPECE Sports Writer
hockey | bc 4, nd 0; bC 6, nd 1
nd women’s baskeball | connecticut 81, nd 57
Slow start sinks Notre Dame against UConn
Squad drops 5th straight match
By CONNOR MULVENA
By JIMMY WARD
Sports Editor
Sports Writer
For a Notre Dame women’s basketball team that has faced a significant deal of adversity this season, Sunday afternoon’s rivalry matchup against No. 4 UConn proved too much to handle. The Irish (5-6, 0-0 ACC) fell behind early to the Huskies (8-0, 1-0 ACC), who outscored Notre Dame 29-13 in the first quarter, and the deficit proved too large to overcome on the road. Notre Dame started 0-for6 from the field at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday, and those unsuccessful efforts paved the way for the Huskies to establish a 12-2 lead in the first few minutes of play. Led by graduate student guard Marta Sniezek, the Irish would eventually mount a bit of a comeback, but in the final minutes of the period, UConn regained the momentum to head into the second quarter with a 16-point lead.
isabel patacsil | The Observer
see W BBALL PAGE 9
Irish graduate student guard Marta Sniezek dribbles toward the paint during Notre Dame’s 72-69 loss to Michigan State on Nov. 14.
This weekend, the No. 9 Notre Dame hockey team played a home-and-home series against Boston College looking to end a three-game skid. The Irish (8-6-2, 4-2-2 Big Ten) did anything but, losing 4-0 to the Eagles (11-4, 5-2 ACC) in Chestnut Hill on Friday and 6-1 on Sunday at home. On Friday, both teams struggled to get their offenses going and headed to the locker room scoreless at the first intermission. The Eagles had tallied eight shots, and the Irish had only taken five, although one from sophomore forward Alex Steeves hit the post. Two minutes into the second period, however, Boston College got on the board when a wrist shot from junior forward Julius Mattila found the back of the net. The Eagles added two more goals in the period, including a shorthanded score from freshman
forward Patrick Giles. The third period proceeded similarly, with the Irish getting some good looks but failing to convert, and the Eagles added another goal to complete the 4-0 shutout. The two teams concluded their series in Compton Family Ice Arena with the Irish having the advantage of a home rink, but even that advantage was not strong enough for the strong, perhaps underrated, Boston College hockey team, as the Eagles defeated the Irish at home, 6-1. The Irish tried to turn things around after their shutout defeat to the Eagles on the road, but the Eagles had other plans. Boston College did not waste any time extending their lead in the series as freshman forward Jack McBain fired a shot that found the back of the Irish net just 36 seconds after the opening faceoff. That was followed by a goal from see HOCKEY PAGE 11