Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, February 19, 2020

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Volume 54, Issue 86 | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Tickets gather for final debate Student body president, vice president candidates make final pitches before run-off election

By CHELSEY BOYLE News Writer

The two remaining teams vying for victory in the student body elections — juniors Rachel Ingal and Sarah Galbenski, and junior Noble Patidar and freshman Connor Patrick — met for the run-off debate in Duncan Student Center on Tuesday night. This was the final chance for the student body to hear from the candidates before Wednesday’s election.

In the debate, candidates spoke to their positions on a wide array of issues important to the study, including Notre Dame’s relationship with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi; bridging the

gap between the Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and the LGBTQ+ community; addressing issues of accessibility and disability awareness; improving University Counseling Center (UCC) services; fighting mental health stigma on campus; addressing academic gaps between students; combating sexual assault; and negotiating changes to the off-campus differentiation policy.

Patidar and Patrick said their main goal is to prioritize the well-being and safety of Notre Dame students. Patidar said his team plans to accomplish this by expanding resources for sexual see DEBATE PAGE 4

Student speaks on accessibility problems at SMC

By GINA TWARDOSZ News Writer

Saint Mary’s has a long history of accommodating many students with disabilities who pursue an education at the College, but Natalie Davis, a senior who navigates Saint Mary’s campus in a wheelchair, feels the College is not doing enough to make the campus accessible for students with physical disabilities.

For four years, Davis has been vocal about what she feels is miscommunication between the College administration and herself, often taking to social media to document and bring awareness to the struggles she faces in navigating campus. Before she applied to the College, Davis was promised by the administration that accessibility would not be an issue.

“There’s a lot that they do and then there’s also a lot that they don’t do,” Davis said of the administration.

While the College is in accordance with the rules and regulations stipulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Davis feels that miscommunication has

NEWS PAGE 3

inhibited her independence on campus and caused her to predominantly rely on the help of others.

As such, the ADA also stipulates that institutions should contribute to an “... increase in one’s personal sense of dignity that arises from increased access and the decrease in possibly humiliating incidents due to accessibility barriers.”

Throughout her time at Saint Mary’s, Davis has worked with Iris Giamo, director of the Disabilities Resource Office. The office provides students with disabilities certain accommodations in order to ensure accessibility, either physically or academically.

Davis said she is provided with several academic accommodations that allow her to be a better student.

“For me specifically, I get extra time on tests and then … if I have class in Regina [Hall] and then have a class in Spes [Unica] right after, I can put in an accommodation to have [the Disabilities Resource Office] let my professors know that might be an issue,” she see DISABILITIES PAGE 4

Scene PAGE 5

CHELSEY BOYLE | The Observer

The Patidar-Patrick and Ingal-Galbenski tickets met for the run-off debate in Duncan Student Center on Tuesday night. Judicial Council allowed students to submit questions for the candidates before the debate.

Trump pardons ND alumnus, 49ers owner Observer Staff Report

Former San Fransisco 49ers owner and Notre Dame alumnus Eddie DeBartolo Jr. was granted a full presidential pardon by President Donald Trump for a corruption charge, NBC News reported Tuesday.

The corruption case involved Edwin Edwards, the former governor of Louisiana. DeBartolo pleaded guilty for failing to report a felony when he paid Edwards $400,000 to help secure a casino

license. He had to pay a $1 million fine and was given two years probation in exchange for his testimony against Edwards.

DeBartolo attended Notre Dame as an undergraduate. He is the son of Marie P. Debartolo and Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., in whose honor the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and DeBartolo Hall were dedicated.

Following the charge, DeBartolo was banned from the NFL for a year and ceded control of 49ers to his sister in 2000. The

49ers won five Super Bowls in 14 seasons with DeBartolo as the team’s owner, and he was elected into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2016.

The 49ers lost Super Bowl LIV to the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month.

NBC reported former NFL players Jerry Rice, Charles Haley, Ronnie Lott and Jim Brown met with Trump to discuss DeBartolo’s situation. DeBartolo had previously been denied a presidential pardon by former president Barack Obama.

Global Affairs student receives Amnesty award

By ALYSA GUFFEY News Writer

When Victoria Nyanjura noticed a hole in the Women’s Advocacy Network in Uganda, she knew she had to act.

A graduate student in Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, Nyanjura is a Ugandan native who is a survivor of captivity. At 14 years old, she was abducted in Aboke, Uganda, by

viewpoint PAGE 7

the paramilitary group Lord’s Resistance Army. She was a prisoner for eight years before escaping.

Years later, Nyanjura graduated from North Carolina’s Campbell University as an undergraduate student. She then traveled back to Uganda, where she realized economic empowerment was missing in a system meant to assist women who had been previously enslaved.

ND SWIMMING PAGE 12

As a response, in 2017 she established Women in Action for Women (WAW), an organization focused on offering women vocational skills and business training.

“I realized this is an area that some of us need to think deeper, and it needs to really be talked about and explained because people need to understand the importance of building these skills see AWARD PAGE 4

ND M BASEBALL PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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What is the best study spot on campus?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith Managing Editor Natalie Weber

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freshman Regina Hall

junior Badin Hall

“The booths in the LaFun basement.”

“Bond Hall.”

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Will Richard

freshman Sorin College

junior Sorin College

“The second-floor lounge of Sorin College.”

“The ACE building.”

Mitchell Johnson

William Chin

freshman Sorin College

freshman Baumer Hall

“The library.”

“The lounge in Nieuwland on the second floor.”

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MARY BERNARD | The Observer

Peter Bailey, a journalist who reports on marginalized communities, speaks to a journalism class on Tuesday. Bailey will screen his documentary film “Paradise Discovered | The Unbreakable Virgin Islanders” on Wednesday in DeBartolo Hall room 138.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Engaged Learning Forum Geddes Coffee House noon - 1:30 p.m.

Professors discuss Inside-Out program.

“How it Began: Origins of the ArabIsraeli Conflict” C103 Hesburgh Center 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Book discussion.

Women’s Tennis vs.

North Carolina State Eck Tennis Pavilion 5 p.m.

Irish take on the Wolfpack.

Ella Wood (21’), Junior Honors Viola Recital LaBar Recital Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Open to the public.

“Schola Antica” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Featuring music from Renaissance Prague.

Rosario en Español Coleman-Morse Chapel 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Brief fellowship and sweet bread to follow.

ND Theatre NOW Philbin Studio Theatre, DPAC 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Two new one-act plays directed by students.

Collegiate Jazz Festival Dahnke Ballroom 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Free entry with student I.D.

ND Theatre NOW Philbin Studio Theatre, DPAC 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Two new one-act plays directed by students.

ND Theatre NOW Philbin Studio Theatre, DPAC 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Two new one-act plays directed by students.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | The Observer

3

‘Holy Cross-roads’: new course explores religion, politics from a global perspective

By CIARA HOPKINSON News Writer

This spring break, eight Notre Dame students will travel far outside the Notre Dame bubble to consider the role of religion in politics from a global perspective.

Sponsored by the Keough

School of Global Affairs and the University, students in the class “Holy Cross-roads: Religion and Politics from South Bend to South Asia” will travel to Oman to meet with students in a parallel course from Notre Dame University Bangladesh, a school established in 2013 by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

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The aim of the course is to look at the intersection of religion and politics across three cultural contexts: the United States, the Middle East and South Asia.

“It started as a course on religion and global politics and then we thought about how to make it more broadly a cultural exchange,” professor Jason

Klocek said. “The real impetus was to try to connect students here at Notre Dame and students at Notre Dame University Bangladesh, two places where Holy Cross has been instrumental in both founding and running universities.”

The two groups of students will meet at the Al Amana Centre in Oman, which has worked to foster inter-religious and intercultural dialogue since its founding in 1987. The week will be a combination of instruction, cultural activities and downtime in which the students, who will be living together, can interact more freely and find common ground.

“It just so happens that the students that are going to be coming with us and meeting us in Oman will be Muslim, so that’s just another layer of what we’re hoping to have [in] this exchange between not just students at different schools, but students with different faith backgrounds, students with different identities,” Klocek said.

The course is offered through the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion and is part of a larger effort by the Keough School to develop a curriculum that studies the relationship between religion and global affairs. Having real dialogue is vital to looking at the issue nonnormatively, Klocek said.

“In courses here, you can explore and analyze the questions but it’s hard to experience them, particularly when it comes to religion and politics,” he said.

“Understanding that it’s not a question of do they mix or is there a right way [for them to] mix, but rather thinking about: ‘How do they mix in different ways?’”

A key aspect of the class is the questions it asks, a set of queries

Klocek described as “questions that keep people up at night.”

A recent assignment asked students to consider the recent arrest of a folk singing group in Bangladesh accused of being anti-Muslim.

“I asked the students to think about just sort of what questions does this raise about the relationship between religion and politics in Bangladesh, the future of pluralism in Bangladesh and then how does that compare to debates going on the U.S.,” Klocek said. “There are debates about school prayer, for example, in the U.S.; so again, it’s not to say what’s going on in Bangladesh is worse than the U.S., but think about why it’s going on and then how does that make us rethink what’s going on here.”

Sophomore Ciara Donovan noted the class has been particularly helpful in grounding her understanding of whether and how religion and politics should mix.

“I think our professor does a really good job of kind of trying to dispel any negative notions we have about religion in politics, but also view them through a critical lens,” Donovan said. “So, it’s also important—especially when we’re talking about the U.S. and religion — realizing that religion isn’t a partisan issue, it’s not owned by one political party.

It may be used specifically by one side more than the other, but it’s not uniquely partisan.”

For Klocek, the class is an opportunity to help students be more conscious of the presence of religion on campus and in politics, which he believes is often overlooked.

“Religion and politics and Holy Cross kind of fade into the background on campus,” Klocek said.

“It’s everywhere, but then at the same time you don’t notice it.

You have lots of interactions with Holy Cross priests, but it was interesting to me that people might not necessarily know their history and their organization and just sit down and talk about that.”

Rather than putting religion in a box, the class tries to come to a better understanding of the ways in which religion plays an unconscious role in human decisions.

“I think we often think about religion as causing things,” Klocek said. “Most of the time in the news, you’ll get a story about how someone did something because of their religious beliefs, whether that’s violence or peace ... and so one thing we’ve talked a lot about is how religion also shapes our behavior. ... Maybe you’re not walking around every day doing what you do because of religion. But religion is shaping where you gather, when you gather, how you do things, who you do it with.”

Contact Ciara Hopkinson at chopkin1@nd.edu

4

News

The observer | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Debate Continued from page 1

assault prevention, mental health support and disability awareness.

The ticket also aims to improve sustainability and increase diversity-related clubs and events.

Ingal and Galbenski said their platform focuses on amplifying student voices. Similar to the Patidar-Patrick ticket, the IngalGalbenski ticket said they will prioritize promoting inclusion on campus. Ingal said though their platform is ambitious, the team also aims keep their ideas pragmatic. Increased access to resources for mental health and sexual assault prevention and intervention was also a point of priority for the Ingal-Galbenski ticket.

Both tickets said they plan to take action to change the senior exclusion policy.

The first issue debated was student education on the history of Notre Dame’s founding on Pokagon Band of Potawatomi land.

Candidates were asked how they

Disabilities Continued from page 1

said.

But in other areas of campus life, Davis asserted life can be difficult for students with disabilities, especially students with physical disabilities.

When Davis interned at Ave Maria Press in 2019, there were days she had to rely on campus resources for transportation.

Occasionally, she was able to rely on resources from the Office of Civil and Social Engagement (OCSE), but that was as far as campus resources were extended to her.

“One day, my friend couldn’t drive me, so I contacted disability services,” she said. “My email to disability services was then forwarded to [former director of campus safety Robert Post] who emailed me back and said ‘we can’t do this for you.’”

In an email obtained by The Observer, Post, then the chief of Saint Mary’s Department of Campus/Public Safety, said “the Campus/Public Safety Office can not pick [up] or take a student to work. The only services we offer is to students that fall under the ADA who need transportation from hall to classes.”

Award Continued from page 1

of individuals that enable them to go independent and be able to provide for themselves,” Nyanjura said.

As was recently made clear, her effort did not go unnoticed.

On Feb. 5, Nyanjura was announced as one of two recipients of the 2019 Ginetta Sagan Award for her work empowering women in Uganda.

The award, which also grants the winner $20,000, is given annually to recognize and assist “women who are working to protect the liberty

would help foster a positive relationship between the University and the local Potawatomi community.

Both candidates said they have reached out to Native American Student Alliance of Notre Dame to ensure their platforms recognize obstacles Native American students face on campus.

Patidar said he has a sophomore Native American student on his team that helps address these issues at policy meetings.

Patrick said the Moreau First Year Experience and other academic programs should incorporate more lessons on Native American historical and cultural connections to Notre Dame. Ingal said she believes the most foundational step moving forward would be to have an acknowledgment in official University documentation of the original and true ownership of the land by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. Both tickets said they would advocate for the creation of a Native American Studies minor.

On the issue of bridging Catholic teachings and LGBTQ+

community, Galbenski said their team will focus on partnering with the Gender Relations Center and push for changing the University’s nondiscrimination clause to include sexual orientation and gender identity — a platform point the Patidar-Patrick ticket said they also share. Both candidates said club funding is crucial for empowering groups like PRISM on campus.

“Everyone on this campus deserves to feel welcome, no matter what their background is,” Patrick said.

When it comes to promoting accessibility on campus, Ingal said having conversations with students with disabilities is paramount. Both tickets said invisible disabilities also needed to be recognized and supported with funding.

All candidates also agreed mental health resources available on campus need more publicity, and these resources should be more immediately available. Each team said they hoped to push for extended UCC hours, for example.

“The more immediate resources students have, the more we can normalize the conversation and destigmatize the issues surrounding mental health,” Ingal said.

To address the academic gap between students who come from underfunded high schools and students who come from privileged high schools, Galbenski said she stood in solidarity with DACA students to have their voices heard on campus and protect their status as members of the Notre Dame community.

Patidar said his connections to the Reilly Spring Visit Program have allowed him to see Notre Dame’s efforts to bring in more students of low socioeconomic status.

The vice presidential candidates outlined how they would use the student senate to be a greater force for change.

“We believe that a student union should present a united front, not fragmentation,” Galbenski said.

“If elected, we would create a platform where members of the senate and members of the executive

cabinet could communicate and bounce ideas off of one another.”

Patrick said senators should be available to their constituents.

“Being present is a key pillar of our platform and having the student body vice president and all the senators be present in their communities is extremely important for people to be able to talk to them,” he said.

Both Galbenski and Patrick said there needed to be an increased awareness of the senate’s work.

On reducing sexual violence, Patidar said his team wants to bring on a permanent Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner to campus and offer self-defense classes at no charge.

“Sexual assault is probably the most important piece on all the remaining platforms,” he said.

Ingal said she wants to implement technology to assist sexual assault reporting and include more women in Campus Ministry confidentiality programs.

Post also wrote the “walk” from Saint Mary’s campus to Ave Maria Press was “not that far” and “can be done in 15 minutes.” He then apologized for not being able to help more.

Linda Timm, current interim vice president of student affairs, reiterated the point that Campus Safety is only available to provide cross-campus transportation to those in need.

“While we do not have vehicles that provide specialized services such as lifts or handicapped accessible doors, South Bend Transpo does provide services to those individuals who are unable to easily access standard vehicles,” Timm said. “We’re more than happy to assist connecting students with Transpo.”

Rides from the South Bend Public Transportation Corporation must be scheduled in advance.

Davis said she feels the need to speak out about her experiences because many may underestimate the types of challenges students with disabilities have to overcome.

“Before I got this motor on the back of my chair, I would wake up at 5:30 a.m. if I had a class at 9:30 a.m. just so I could be ready on time,” she said. “Normally, for an able-bodied person, it would take them 10 to 15 minutes to walk, but

it would take me 30 to 40 minutes to get where I needed to go.”

During the winter, Davis said it is almost impossible for her to get around campus. On Jan. 27, 2019, Davis took to the “Saint Mary’s Class of 2020” Facebook page to amplify her voice.

She posted about the inaccessibility of Le Mans Hall as “both accessible entrances were blocked off with barricades and not shoveled.”

Former vice president of student affairs Karen Johnson commented that “the ramp [was] closed because the ice that falls off the roof is life threatening.” Johnson also commented that a ramp on the south side of Le Mans was open, although Davis commented that both ramps were closed off.

The thread of comments concluded with Johnson encouraging Davis to speak with her about the issue offline. However, when Davis scheduled an appointment to speak with Johnson — an appointment that Davis’s mother drove from Chicago to attend — Johnson cancelled the meeting the same day.

Davis decided to post about her mobility struggles online because it was a way to reach the most students and make them aware of the inaccessible nature of campus in the winter.

“When I couldn’t get up the ramp [because of the snow], I posted about it on social media and the first time no one was taking me seriously, which happens a lot in general if you have a disability,” Davis said. “But then the posts started to make students aware of these issues because it is more than just an individual problem, but there’s no one else on campus who really understands what my experience is like.”

On behalf of the College, vice president of strategy and finance Dana Strait said certain pathways to buildings must be blocked off to protect students from unsafe conditions.

“The ramp on the West entrance of LeMans Hall is occasionally barricaded due to falling ice and snow from the roof, similar to a section of sidewalk outside of Cushwa-Leighton Library,” Strait said. “At the library, we have a sign to indicate the safety concern. ... We are in the process of obtaining additional and more detailed signage.”

In her full statement, Strait emphasized the College’s commitment to accessibility and convenience while also prioritizing student safety. She said the College took time to make sure the current maintenance project — reopening

the Le Mans Hall tunnel to the Cushwa Leighton Library — was accessible to all students, and that the College continually evaluates new ways to accommodate students with mobility concerns.

“Safety always has to be our top priority,” Strait said. “When an entrance is closed due to safety concerns, we are very sorry for the inconvenience but we do ensure that an alternate, and accessible, entrance is provided.

Because the historic buildings on our campus were not constructed with accessibility in mind, we continue to make improvements; in cases where those improvements are not sufficient, we also accommodate mobility needs at an individual level when requested.”

Davis said her goal is to make students realize that her challenges as a student with disabilities are a reality and they are no less real at Saint Mary’s.

“Regardless if you’re a part of it, you need to pay attention to it,” she said. “I’m not speaking out to be difficult, I’m speakingoutsochangescanbemade and something can be done. I make trouble to move change.”

and lives of women and children in areas where human rights violations are widespread,” according to Amnesty International USA. “I was blessed to work on and to coordinate the activities of the Women’s Advocacy Network,” Nyanjura said. “Over the years … I kept on seeing something that was missing in all that was being done [and that] was the component of economic empowerment.”

WAW stresses meeting women where they are and making opportunities accessible, Nyanjura said.

“This issue requires doing something that works for the women,

so they don’t have to think of the international market,” she said.

“The market should come their way, and it should focus on what they can do within their communities where they are located and they should be able to access markets by themselves.”

Nyanjura found her way to Notre Dame to build her skills and networking in hopes of better helping her community.

“After college, I went and started working, but I felt that I really needed to build my capacity in a lot of things in terms of writing and in terms of understanding theories in peacebuilding and comparing what has happened to

other places,” Nyanjura said.

The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies offered her that opportunity.

Nyanjura will graduate in May with a master in Global Affairs and a concentration in International Peace Studies. She plans to return to Uganda to further her foundation’s reach.

“Right now I am very sure that when I get back, I [will be] able to do more for WAW and at the same time, I will have the ability to continue knocking down doors and seeing how we can partner with individuals who are interested in supporting a common cause,”

Nyanjura said.

One of Nyanjura’s biggest obstacles has been having the courage to tell her story. Even so, she says receiving the International Amnesty award has been one step forward in having her voice heard.

“I think that telling is hard right now and continuing to advocate, to really make people understand that we have unique challenges that need to be tackled in specific ways,” she said. “[The award] has motivated me to continue telling this story.”

Contact Chelsey Boyle at cboyle4@nd.edu

Contact Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu

5

The observer | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

By JAKE WINNINGHAM Scene Writer

Guy Ritchie has my number. Based purely on the strength of his first two features — the now decades-old “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch” — I have seen every one of his subsequent movies, even as they’ve proven to be examples of increasingly diminished returns. The criminally underappreciated “Man From U.N.C.L.E” 2015 reboot aside, Ritchie’s forays into franchise filmmaking have been roundly disappointing, whether it’s his tepid take on Sherlock Holmes or the nightmare fuel that was last year’s “Aladdin” remake. Picture my cautious anticipation, then, for “The Gentlemen,” Ritchie's return to the scuzzy crime capers that kickstarted his career. Armed with a much higher budget than his first two features could have dreamed of and a truly impressive cast, “The Gentlemen” is, for better and worse, a return to form for Ritchie.

“The Gentlemen” revolves around Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Pearson, an American expat who has become the U.K.’s number one marijuana mogul — and whose impending retirement inspires a pair of up-and-comers to gun for his throne. The treatment of those two characters, Henry Golding’s brash Dry Eyes and Jeremy Strong’s simpering Matthew, manifests the film’s ugliest tendencies. Each character is

By RENEE PIERSON Scene Writer

After five years of miserable dormancy, Tame Impala has returned with a matured sound on its fourth LP, “The Slow Rush.” Frontman Kevin Parker guides us through a psychedelic journey from past to future, even framing the album with songs titled “One More Year” and “One More Hour” to further emphasize the overarching theme of time.

The buildup for this album was intense. As an avid Tame fan, I knew that Kevin Parker had analyzed every track, tweaking sounds and lyrics until he felt they were worthy of our ears. And I was not disappointed.

Parker’s trademark echoey beats, thought-provoking lyrics and sonorous voice all appear on the album, but there is a notable change in his artistry. The sound quality is incredible, and the wide variety of instruments and sounds on each track work together in perfect harmony.

To put it simply, Tame Impala has come into its own and found the perfect blend of consistency and novelty.

One standout track was “Breathe Deeper.”

Sandwiched between the album’s pre-released singles, it seems Parker has faith in the song’s ability to capture attention amidst some of the band’s other hits. The catchy piano riff echoes his single “Patience” but isn’t redundant; the song’s overall “vibe” is much more intellectual and airy, making you want to get up and dance but also sit down and think.

The song’s lyrics are concerned with one’s natural need to stop and take a deep breath between moments of action.

defined by a single stereotype that is played for cheap laughs, whether it’s the former’s East Asian heritage or the closeted homosexuality of the latter. It’s one thing for a single character to make a racist crack at Dry Eyes’ expense — it’s quite another for the entire cast to participate in it. By the time somebody refers to him as “Chinese, Pekingese, get-on-your-knees,” it’s exhausting at best and offensive to the point of distraction at worst. The same dynamic goes for Strong’s character, whose lisping, effeminate shtick hamstrings the most talented actor in the entire cast.

The other characters fare much better. Aside from a sleepwalking McConaughey, each actor gets his or her own time to chew through the scenery and Ritchie’s hard-bitten dialogue alike. As a general rule, the more comic training an actor has, the better he or she fares in Ritchie’s films; Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant, both first-timers for a Ritchie production, immediately take to the auteur’s unique patter. Grant, in particular, is the best part of the film. His sleazy, libidinous tabloid reporter serves as both the framing device of the movie and as a mouthpiece for Ritchie’s more controversial opinions (most egregiously, that Coppola’s “The Conversation” is overrated). In his handful of scenes as a youth boxing coach dragged into a drug war, Farrell flexes the comedic muscles he showed off in “In Bruges” and gets the movie’s biggest laughs.

Where those actors can wrap their tongues around Ritchie’s verbose dialogue, McConaughey’s performance conveys a Lincoln commercial level of pretension. It’s a shame, then, that he and Golding waste some of Ritchie’s best lines. “When a gorilla has more silver than back, it’s best for him to move on before he gets moved on” is a Raymond Chandler-level piece of crime-movie dialogue; when it comes out of Golding’s mouth, though, it lands with a thud.

Ritchie still knows how to create action sequences that snap with visual and aural inventiveness: a chase scene soundtracked by a children’s choir cover of Old Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” recalls the best of “Lock, Stock” and “Snatch.” Ritchie’s old trademarks — good and bad alike — pervade “The Gentlemen.”

For every thrilling scene punctuated with orotund ripostes, there’s an exchange that would’ve been out of place even when Ritchie first arrived on the auteur scene. Ritchie’s return to the film style that made him famous is a mixed bag; rather than match the anarchic highs of his first two films, “The Gentlemen” will merely drive fans to rewatch those movies. Worst of all, the dialogue on which this film lives and dies may have given Ritchie a petard to be hoisted with: at this point, this gorilla probably has more silver than back.

Parker attributes much of his success to the simple practice of breathing deeply and eloquently encourages us to do the same, singing “breathe a little deeper / should you need to come undone / and let those colors run.”

Another notable track is “Posthumous Forgiveness,” the second two-part song that Tame fans had been anticipating since “Love/Paranoia.” Its hard-hitting pulses are irresistible, as is the metaphysically-gorgeous introduction to the song’s second half. Parker’s lyrics show us a glimpse of his past and his constant struggle with regret. The sound of this track blends perfectly with the overall tone of the album.

The message of each song is unique, but they all support a thesis that Parker establishes early on: “One more year… of livin’ like the free spirit I wanna be,” he says in “One More Year.” “The Slow Rush” reminds us the future is uncertain and the past cannot be changed. Whether we’re taking a risk, lost in yesterday or wishing for one more hour, Parker challenges us to look past the constraints of time and take each moment as it comes.

Despite all of this, I do have a few qualms that prevent me from calling the album perfect. The early release of four of its alluring tracks was exciting at the time, but it ultimately detracted from the overall listening experience. While listening to the complete album, I was admittedly tempted to skip the songs I already knew in order to get to the newer ones.

Listeners tend to criticize writer Kevin Parker for reusing similar riffs and sounds, making his songs sound similar. While I recognize the validity of such a complaint, it

seems to me that the consistency in Parker’s music is no different than that of other artists, whose songs sound relatively the same because they use the same instruments and have the same lead vocalists. The difference is that Tame Impala fronted an entirely new genre of music, so the distinctness in sound makes the similarities much more obvious.

It is also worth noting that “The Slow Rush” diverges from Parker’s past music in a number of ways. Both the “rockand-roll” elements in “Innerspeaker” and “Lonerism” and the psychedelic intensity of “Currents” are present in the new album, but a muted, mysterious quality pushes Tame Impala into a new realm of stylistic sophistication.

Overall, I think the album was executed beautifully.

There wasn’t a single song I didn’t like, even if some did take a few listens to fully appreciate. Although I might be a little biased, I can confidently express praise and gratitude for “The Slow Rush.” Kevin Parker has gifted us with an instant classic.

Contact Jake Winningham at jwinning@nd.edu

Contact Renee Pierson at rpierso1@nd.edu

“The Slow Rush” Artist: Tame Impala Label: Modular Tracks: “Breathe Deeper,” “Posthumous Forgiveness” If you like: STRFKR, Clairo, Jelani Aryeh, Pond

THERESA TULSIAK | The Observer

6

The observer | Wednesday February 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Vote ParkerParker 2020 Christopher Parker News Writer

To the student body of Notre Dame: I’m ready to leave behind the black hole of fake charm and shameless self-promotion that draws many of ND’s best and brightest into its dim corridors (and no, I’m not talking about Zahm). After the reprehensible Iowa caucuses and scandal-ridden student government elections, I’m certain that many of you are sick of politics. You’re not alone. These “candidates” expect us to listen to their ideas? Attend debates? The only way you’re dragging me to an event at the Duncan Student Center is with free Chick-Fil-A or a job offer. That’s why I’m writing directly to you, the breath of life on this campus, to declare my politics-free candidacy for student body president and vice president. Although the Parker-Parker campaign is arriving late in the game, as a billionaire who’s self-funding, nobody can tell me I can’t participate.

If you like what you read, consider Parker-Parker for this election.

Parietals What a controversial year for the age-old policy. The Observer’s Viewpoint section turned into WWI France over the topic: a dirty stalemate in which people ended up harming themselves more than the enemy, all while our leaders stayed safe and clean in their golden palaces. Everybody’s got an opinion on parietals. So what’s my stance? Let’s be real: the University is never giving up parietals.

The old money that funds our endowment would never have it. I propose that nobody be allowed in other people’s dorms, regardless of gender. Instead, we organize “visiting hours” where students can meet in a safe space under the close watch of resident assistants. To build interdorm community even with these new rules, we create “recreational hours” where students can exercise and socialize on their quads. At the conclusion of these hours, students will return to their supervised dorms. This solves the issue of gender inequality. But what about the closely-related issue of campus safety?

Campus Safety From voyeurism to credit card fraud, it’s clear that this campus has more criminals than the University of Miami. Crime lurks behind every window and door. How do we combat this omnipresent, omnimalevolent problem? We’ve already solved the problem of in-dorm crime with the parietals legislation. Outside of dorms, students will be mandated to travel in groups from building to building with a resident assistant or University employee. For safety, and since we’re in Indiana, all employees will be armed. This includes gate guards, who will be instructed not to let in every dude who mumbles “Uber” and waves his hand. Furthermore, Campus Safety will convert Club Hes into a watchtower with a roving spotlight to deter crime. Finally, I believe that Notre Dame must build a big, beautiful wall, with a door where people can come into this campus. But they have to come legally.

Diversity and Inclusion As a student who heavily relies on financial aid, I understand the struggle each semester as the IRISHPAY emails start racking up. Nothing terrifies me like the prospect of the fated “unenrolled’ email because my family couldn’t pay our share. Furthermore, at my high school in the Bronx, New York, I don’t think I had a single class of all-white students. I’m not saying I’m the champion of diversity; it was a Catholic prep school where Vineyard Vines was the unofficial uniform and kids rowed crew. Still, the only time Notre Dame gets any whiter is when there’s a blizzard. I want to put lowincome and non-white students first. First, Notre Dame will abolish any tuition requirement, instead signing a contract with the government which will subsidize tuition, room and board in exchange for labor from the student body. In order to boost diversity, I suggest we take a cue off of a standout Indiana establishment that has redefined racial diversity in the state. This dual legislation will create an equal playing field for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

There you have it, folks. Plain and simple. Let’s make all of Notre Dame’s buildings look like Haggar Hall. Let’s turn this school into a prison. Parker-Parker 2020.

Contact Christopher Parker at cparke22@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

To the shows that shaped me Meghan Cappitelli Sensical Nonsense

“You are what you eat,” they say. Well I say, “You are what you watch.”

I think sometimes we forget that many of us spent countless hours of our childhoods sitting in front of a television. Before school, after school, in the car — it was always there. As younger me sat on the couch, mindlessly absorbing the words of characters on any given show, a certain osmosis occurred. At the time it seemed fruitless, but years down the line, I find myself quoting TV characters more often than I’d like to admit. It’s almost instinctual at this point — everyday occurrences remind me of scenes from the shows that were, for years, constantly streaming in one ear and out the other.

Scientists have been studying the effects of television on the brain and its development for years, and the general consensus is that yes, TV does affect the brain. That verdict is usually accompanied by stigmas that television stunts brain development, or makes you “dumber,” but I believe quite the contrary. My ample exposure to television as a kid affected my brain in a way that was beneficial. The shows I watched shaped my thoughts, my personality, and, most importantly, my sense of humor.

People tend to underestimate the importance of a good sense of humor. Comedic relief can make an awkward situation more bearable. The power of a witty comeback is instrumental in winning arguments big or small. People are drawn to those who can liven up a somber room with a simple, funny phrase. If there was nobody to provide us with these under-appreciated, comedic services, the world would be a much more bland place, deprived of its quick-witted individuals.

At this point, you might be inclined to stop and ask yourself: what is it exactly that makes a person funny?

What outside forces are powerful enough to infiltrate the mind of a young person, and change them from a regular human into a human who can make other humans laugh?

The answer to this question is a force that, since the 1930s, has been as constant a force in our lives here on Earth as gravity: television. In recent years, the cultural contributions of TV have been far more evident than ever before. We have managed to create a sense of humor completely unique to our generation, and I believe this humor directly correlates to the shows on which we grew up. It’d be preposterous to suggest that an activity we spent hours doing every day since we could sit up straight has had no impact on the way we now think and act.

When I think about the shows I watched as a child, I see a pineapple under the sea, I remember Josh Peck running over Oprah and I hear Freddie Benson counting down, “five, four, three, two…” While I may have stopped actively watching these shows some years ago, they have stuck with me. If you grew up watching shows like these, you can agree that they were hilarious mainly because they were so utterly random. And if you didn’t, well good luck, Charlie.

In high school, I had a friend with whom I spent the entirety of my school day, and she hadn’t been allowed to watch TV as a kid. Consequently, she never knew what I was talking about. I was constantly spewing out quotes from shows she had never watched, weaving references into conversations like they were universally known. She did not speak my native TV tongue, and this made me fully cognizant of how pop culture subconsciously invades our minds and lays the foundation for what we find funny and how we will make others laugh going forward.

Unlike the worrisome parents who forbade their kids from watching shows deemed “bad” or “unhealthy” in order to raise more enlightened, sophisticated offspring, I say with confidence that my years of TV-watching did, in fact, enlighten me. These shows immersed me fully into the culture that is now prevalent everywhere – in casual conversation, social media, memes. Those less fortunate than I who were

forbidden to watch shows like SpongeBob SquarePants (my condolences to you) can see the show’s frequented online presence. SpongeBob has more or less earned himself the title of meme ringleader to the point where if you’ve never watched the show, you still know who he is and what messages his character is supposed to convey in said memes. If you didn’t watch these shows firsthand, you might be surrounded by those who did, and, therefore, are reaping the benefits made available by the random, witty culture that was and is 2000’s television.

This is not to say that TV is the only way one can derive a sense of humor, but in my case, it happened to be one of the more influential sources. Without asking for it, our generation was exposed to a frightening number of platforms that influenced our development.

The bounds by which this sub-generation is defined are indefinite, but there is certainly a sweet spot group of us Gen Z-ers who had the privilege of experiencing the pop culture to which I am referring.

We made hundreds of vines. We saw the “Charlie Bit My Finger” video. We danced along to Carly and Sam’s “Random Dancing” web show segment. Then, at the decline of such a wonderful era, we bid farewell to Vine as we know it and sat back in slight disbelief as TikTok (its new, lesser counterpart) emerged. YouTube was no longer a place to watch babies bite other babies’ fingers, but rather to watch “vlogs.” Then Carly Shay moved away to Italy and the rest was history. As we got older, we delighted in more mature shows like The Office — if you can even describe it as such — that incorporated this sense of humor we know and love. Remember when Jim put Dwight’s stapler in Jell-O? Yep, a pretty random, pretty hilarious prank that was.

The shows we watched truly capture what it was like to grow up during the time that we did. We watched shows that were designed to make us laugh at the sheer absurdity and randomness of Renee Yaseen | The Observer their content. Years later, we have become a generation who spends much of our time generating and looking at content for the sole purpose of it being deemed funny on social media. We have been able to create this content because of our early exposure to shows that were, similarly, a little bit out there, but we take the random hilarity present in our everyday lives for granted because it has always been there. Kids a few years younger and adults a few years older than us might not understand why a particular, random sentence or image provokes an eruption of laughter. They just don’t get it. We have a tendency to make light of semi-serious things. We are known for our wit and our dark humor.

Who would we be as a generation without our unique sense of humor? Who would we be had we not formed preconceived notions of what college would be like based on the quirky characters at Pacific Coast Academy in Zoey101? Who would we be had we not watched Spencer Shay make spaghetti tacos or construct sculptures made entirely of butter? A far more boring, less creative, less expressive generation — that’s who.

I think when watching TV transforms from an absentminded act into something that leaves a longlasting impression on people’s identities, that show is praiseworthy. So thank you to all the shows that shaped me. I really do appreciate it.

Meghan Cappitelli is a freshman studying economics and english at Notre Dame. A native of Long Island, New York, she enjoys running, procrastinating and eating ice cream for dinner. She can be reached at mcappite@nd.edu or @meghancapp on Twitter.

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

The observer | Wednesday, February 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

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The Observer endorses Paradiso-O’Connor On Monday, two tickets officially entered the race for Saint Mary’s Student Government Association (SGA) president and vice president: juniors Giavanna Paradiso and Kelsey O’Connor, and juniors Deirdre Drinkall and Brianna Kinyanjui.

Posters promoting Paradiso-O’Connor and Drinkall-Kinyanjui appeared in bathroom stalls and on bulletin boards, outlining platforms and mission statements.

The Observer Editorial Board interviewed both tickets Tuesday night. After considering both platforms, the board unanimously extends its endorsement to the Paradiso-O’Connor ticket.

Paradiso and O’Connor’s platform addresses the entire expanse of student life, encompassing areas such as dining, residence halls, safety, community and retention. The two are ambitious but pragmatic in their planning and said they tried not to make promises they cannot keep.

The ticket views the inauguration of recently revealed president-elect Katie Conboy as an opportunity for growth and improvement — unlike the opposing ticket, which feared large changes to the status quo.

The Paradiso-O’Connor platform proposes the reinvigoration of the on-campus social scene, increased exterior lighting throughout the property, residence hall improvements and club empowerment through expanded funding. It also includes the installation of a Blinkie tracker — a promise that has been made and broken by previous SGA executive boards.

In terms of experience, both Paradiso and O’Connor have filled various leadership roles around campus, serving as co-chairs on the SGA Community Committee this past year. Paradiso is

also a varsity member of the Saint Mary’s basketball team, chair of the SGA Food Committee and vice chair of the Alumnae Relations Committee.

O’Connor is currently the editor-in-chief of the Blue Mantle yearbook and serves on the Academic Standards Committee.

As Community Committee co-chairs, Paradiso and O’Connor have demonstrated they can set a goal and meet it, having organized a reimagined and hugely successful pre-Domerfest event and succeeded in initiating the reopening of Clarissa Dalloway’s Coffeehouse as a student space.

However, what the Paradiso-O’Connor ticket offers in breadth, it lacks in depth. Although their ideas span across the spectrum of student life, they largely remain just that — ideas. When asked how they would specifically implement some of their platform items, the ticket struggled to give a detailed trajectory. Paradiso and O’Connor will need further planning and organizing to put some of their proposals into motion and ensure they are effective.

The Drinkall-Kinyanjui platform focuses on three areas of student life: mental health, inclusivity and Catholic identity.

To improve access to mental health resources, the ticket proposed a student-counselor internship program that would potentially provide an alternative to those seeking counseling from the three professionals on staff at the Health and Counseling Center.

However, we have serious reservations about the ethical basis of this program, as most students are not equipped or qualified to fill this position.

Though Drinkall-Kinyanjui provided some strong ideas for promoting inclusion, such as the addition of a new SGA leadership position for international student representation and informational services for first generation students, the heightened attention paid to preserving Catholic identity on campus did not feel inclusive.

Saint Mary’s is a Catholic institution, and the

College’s Campus Ministry could benefit from concentrated improvements. However, in 2019, 69.7% of the student body who contributed to the annual report identified with a Roman-Catholic affiliation. So while the Catholic identity pillar of the Drinkall-Kinyanjui is definitively strong, it does not support the entire student body. Inter-faith dialogue needs to take place within the College community, not just in campus resource rooms.

Whereas the Paradiso-O’Connor ticket is geared towards change, Drinkall and Kinyanjui seem content to walk the familiar path and preserve the status quo. Although Saint Mary’s is steeped in valued history and tradition, keeping the College fossilized in amber will only serve as a disservice to its students. The world is changing, and Saint Mary’s should be, too.

Both tickets showed a strong desire to make SGA and its operations more transparent to students and promised heightened visibility, both physically at events on campus and online through social media. They emphasized communication between the students and the SGA executive board and committees — through office hours and town halls — as well as between SGA and the administration.

When asked how they would respond to controversy within the student body following an administrative decision, Paradiso-O’Connor was stronger in their commitment to putting students first.

As representatives of the entire student body, the SGA president and vice president must address all student issues and interests. In addition, these leaders must work alongside the College administration, but also be willing to fight for students and voice their concerns. If they can concentrate their proposed widespread efforts to enhance the Saint Mary’s experience and articulate a thoughtful, intentional plan for each, the Observer Editorial Board believes Paradiso and O’Connor will best serve all of the student body.

The silent symphony Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Traveled

Four-hundred-fifty-seven days.

This number might not mean anything to you at first, but it hit me with an unexpected force this weekend. From this past Sunday, 457 is the number of days left in college for the class of 2021. Now I know what you must be thinking. Now is not the time for sentimentality. But this number introduced some discordant melodies into my internal symphony, and I cannot stop thinking about it.

Last year, I wrote a column that questioned why life did not have a soundtrack to accompany it, why we are condemned to the “music” of normality and ordinary life.

Now that I am a junior and have passed the halfway mark for my time in college, it is fascinating to witness how the music has changed for me, the ways that my symphony has changed in extensive and amazing ways since the first step I took on campus, even since I wrote that column. It may seem like a banal realization to you, but I am realizing more and more that life does not create the internal symphony inside us, so much as it changes the instruments that dominate and blend with the others.

Part of college is learning how to create the music instead of listening for it.

One of the things that I do, sometimes subconsciously and sometimes not, is listen to music that matches the noise in my head. For me, music is far more than the conglomeration of notes in aesthetically appealing sequences. When I find the “right” song that perfectly harmonizes with my internal symphony, I feel the most clarity. I can do anything,

cross any ocean, scale any mountain. Imagine Apple’s surprise when I tell you that the perfect noise cancellation for yourself is that one song you save when you need to run harder at the gym, when you want to turn inward and reflect. Sometimes I find this to be rainy jazz, other times it is electronic music — but it has always been true that when life becomes choppy, music can be the lifeboat for me.

But what happens when the symphony becomes silent and you can hear your own footsteps echoing back at you in an empty concert hall? It is undeniably true that every single one of us is the director of an internal symphony that only we can hear. But it is also true that it is undeniably hard to find this music, especially when the cacophony of daily life becomes louder than the most energetic song by Metallica can keep pace with. Navigating the disparate noise of school, the trajectory towards finding a job and the realization that college will end is one thing when you can find the perfect song that harmonizes with this effort. In these moments, it is easy to fall on music or any other outlet you have to match and cancel the noise inside yourself. Simply turn on Twenty-One Pilots Renee Yaseen | The Observer or Imagine Dragons and let Dan Reynolds scream this noise into the recesses of your mind. It is far easier to hear the external symphony than the internal one. But what happens, and how does one navigate the noise, when the instruments inside your concert hall have gone silent?

I confess that I do not have an answer, and that was part of the motivation for writing this column.

I am writing this for you just as much as I am writing it for me. I have 457 days left (a few less than that now), and the dissonance of normal life is deafening to me. The one thing that I can say is that it is important to be silent sometimes and listen for the telltale woodwind, percussion, string and bass that is persistently there, no matter how quiet. One of the ways that I did this during my freshman year was to go and sit at the Grotto, completely silent and listen.

The purest music is created in the darkness of the concert hall, when you are the only one on the stage. It is tempting to turn on music and let it flood over you, and even now I listen to music as I write this column. Sometimes this music harmonizes with the silent symphony, sometimes it does not.

When life is difficult and you find yourself at danger of capsizing, find your symphony. Sometimes the melody will seem discordant and unharmonious, and sometimes it will seem as if you cannot hear the symphony at all. But it is there.

When that fateful moment comes 457 days from now when we graduate, there will be a song playing around you and me. I may not be able to hear your song, nor will you be able to hear mine, but they will be our song and our symphony, and nobody can take that away from us.

Gabriel Niforatos is a junior majoring in political science with minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and theology. He is passionate about giving a voice to the disenfranchised and writing is the muse he is persistently chasing. He can be found at gniforat@ nd.edu or @g_niforatos on Twitter.

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

8

DAILY

The observer | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Dave Sarpola

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Stabilizing your life and positioning yourself for success should be your priorities. Use your intuition and intelligence to sort out the best path to take, and start moving forward. Discarding what you no longer need in your life will help you stay focused on what’s important and ensure that you don’t let your emotions keep you from reaching your objective. Your numbers are 7, 12, 22, 27, 33, 39, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Share less in order to minimalize opposition. You’ll accomplish the most if you work alone. Adequately prepare before you present your objective. Launching your plans too soon will lead to criticism or theft. Protect your pursuits, passwords and reputation.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Share information, assess situations and explore possibilities. Your dedication to pursue something you feel passionate about will bring satisfying results that promote positive change. Continue to grow emotionally and intellectually, and recognition for your accomplishments will be yours.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t waste time on trivial matters or people who are misleading or playing games with you. A geographical change will inspire you to try something new or to revisit a dream you have yet to fulfill. Don’t fold under pressure.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A change will enhance your personal life.

Conversations will lead to decisions that will change your life. A partnership will complement what you are trying to achieve. Expand your knowledge, and update your skills. Live in the moment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Consider what you want. A personal change should be your priority. Let go of anything or anyone holding you back. It’s time to venture down a path that leads to something you want. Your happiness is up to you. Romance is encouraged.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Enjoy what life has to offer, and be willing to embrace the changes that come your way. It’s time to start something new, but first, complete anything you’ve left undone. The result of purging and forging ahead will be gratifying.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Stay out of the line of fire. Someone will try to disrupt your life if you are too accommodating or willing to put up with unreasonable demands. Look inward, and make personal growth your priority. Learn from experience.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Mingle with people who have a sharp, imaginative mind; good ideas will push you in a new direction. Mix creativity with ambition and drive, and you will find a way to up your game and use your skills to prosper.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Control your emotions. Don’t let anyone know how you feel if you want to remain in control. Spend time on self-improvement and boosting your confidence, not putting up with people who are critical or demeaning.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A healthy attitude coupled with discipline and a good work ethic will lead to a better lifestyle. Physical fitness and proper diet should be priorities. Be open to suggestions, but do only what you feel is in your best interest.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Relax, and take a moment to review what’s come and gone. Consider what you want and what you are willing to give. Draw the line between helping because you want to and being taken advantage of because you are too kind.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Reach out to someone who needs a helping hand.

Your input will make a difference and encourage a promotion or a boost to your reputation. Someone from your past will offer information that will lead to a unique opportunity.

Birthday Baby: You are perceptive, humorous and diligent. You are determined and loyal.

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Sports Authority

New NBA ASG style a success Liam Coolican Sports Writer

In last week’s Observer Roundtable, while discussing the NBA All-Star Game, I wrote that the it was “nearly unwatchable.” In years past, neither side played any defense whatsoever. Every play ended in either an uncontested dunk or three pointer. It was interesting at first, merely to observe just how offensively talented NBA players are when they face no resistance, but it gets tiresome quickly.

By the fourth quarter, many players stopped trying completely and shot halfcourt shots or tried to dunk as impressively as possible.

Additionally, some all-stars who are elite defenders, such as Rudy Gobert, Kawhi Leonard or Joel Embiid, couldn’t showcase their full game. Nothing epitomized the All-Star Game more than a moment in 2017, when Giannis Antetokounmpo was on a fast break, and Steph Curry lay down on the court and covered his head rather than attempt to play defense.

The NBA recognized the problem and fixed it. This year, they introduced a new format: the scores would reset after each quarter, and the team who won each quarter would get $100,000 allocated to their charity. Team LeBron selected Chicago Scholars, and Team Giannis chose After School Matters, both organizations representing underprivileged youth in the Chicago area. Not only was the game being played for a great cause, it was much more fun for the fans as well.

In the first three quarters, the players showed only marginally more effort than past All-Star Games, but each quarter was competitive.

However, the fourth quarter was where it really got interesting. Twenty-four points were added to the leading team’s score, and the game was played to that score rather than a clock. Not only was it another touching tribute to Kobe Bryant in a weekend full of them, it produced an incredibly exciting fourth quarter.

Both teams put their best lineups on the floor, and the players played hard, like the game actually mattered. We got to see the best players in the game going head to head in a competitive atmosphere.

Giannis blocked LeBron on his signature fadeaway, and later in the quarter, rejected James again as he drove to the

basket, coming very close to a goaltend. There was a lengthy reply review. Let me repeat that: there was a replay review in the All-Star Game, with both sides arguing passionately with the referees.

There ended up being two additional coach’s challenges in the fourth quarter, with all 10 players on the court and those on the bench emotionally invested in the outcome.

Even the usually emotionless Kawhi Leonard got into it, clapping emphatically after he forced a turnover. Kyle Lowry took a charge, and attempted to take another by stepping in front of James as he drove to the basket. Compare that to Curry’s defense in 2017.

In the end, the NBA executed an amazing plan to return the All-Star Game to relevance. The players took it seriously, with multiple coaches and players comparing it after the game to a “playoff atmosphere.” It is a phrase that is used a lot in important regular season matchups, but even just last year, it was inconceivable that it could be applied to an All-Star Game. It really did feel like a playoff game, with every player going all out to win the game for their team.

Undoubtedly, there are things the NBA could improve upon. First, they need to find a way to make the first three quarters more competitive.

While there was more effort than years past, it still was an All-Star Game-esque the first three quarters, with uncontested alley-oops and open threes abounding. It would be amazing if all four quarters were as competitive as the fourth, especially as both teams used their starters almost exclusively in the fourth quarter, so we could see other All-Stars in the same electric atmosphere. Additionally, it seemed anti-climatic for the hard-fought fourth quarter to be able to end on a free throw, as this game did.

However, the NBA did an incredible job and made the All-Star Game enjoyable to players and fans again. In a month that has been spent paying tribute to Kobe’s memory, this might be the best one yet: the game’s biggest stars embodying his competitive spirit on one of the game’s biggest stages. Kobe loved the AllStar Game, and now, everyone else does too.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Continued from page 12

late grand slam and concluded the series with a 9-3 win behind 3 RBIs from junior third baseman Niko Kavadas.

The first opponent for the Irish, Incarnate Word, will pose a challenge. The Cardinals are off to an early 3-0 start, scoring 35 runs in their season-opening series sweep. Notre Dame faced the Cardinals twice last season in the same tournament, splitting the pair of games; a close 2-1 win and a 15-7 loss.

The Irish won two of the four games of the Alamo Irish Classic last year, also splitting two games with Eastern Michigan.

The Irish are hosting the tournament, despite two of their three opponents being

from San Antonio. The games are being played at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, the home of the San Antonio Missions, the Milwaukee Brewers’ Triple A affiliate.

Toledo, on the other hand, opened their season with three straight losses. The Rockets finished 2019 with a 17-36 record and were just 4-21 in the the Mid-American conference. The Irish last faced Toledo in 2016, which concluded with a 10-3 Irish victory.

UTSA has also opened their season 3-0, and were just below .500 last year with a 28-30 record, with a 13-16 record in Conference USA. Notre Dame will continue to rely on their bats this weekend. The team started off the season with an impressive 0.279 team batting average, led by sophomore infielder Carter

9

Putz and junior infielder Jared Miller, each of whom collected six hits on the weekend.

The Irish’s pitching was also strong last weekend. Their staff held UAB to just a 0.136 batting average on just 12 hits.

In addition to Sheehan, sophomore reliever Mitch Megias and junior reliever Joe Boyle each had strong outings. Both made two appearances and did not allow a hit over five combined innings.

Notre Dame will look to build on early momentum and fare better this season, after stumbling to 24-30 record (13-17 in the ACC) in 2019. The team looks to be on the upswing in head coach Link Jarrett’s first season at the helm. The team has one more non-conference series, against Presbyterian next weekend, before conference play begins March 6.

alexis hernandez | The Observer

Irish junior pitcher Tommy Sheehan waits for the sign from his catcher during Notre Dame’s 5-2 victory over Virginia on April 5 at Frank Eck Stadium. This week, Sheehan was named ACC Pitcher of the Week.

Swim&Dive Continued from page 12

Senior Joe Turk took home first place in the 200 back, coming into the finals with the best time from prelims at 1:47.72. Turk improved his time by well over a second in the finals, hitting the wall in 1:46.01. Turk also won the 200 IM with a time of 1:47.67, the 400 IM with a time of 3:50.71 and he got the Irish started in

the 400 medley relay, which they would win with a time of 3:17.18. Turk was named ACC Swimmer of the Week for his efforts.

Also competing on the medley relay squad were freshmen Charles Korndorffer and DeLong and junior JP Becker.

Becker posted a second place effort in the 200 breast with a 2:00.83. Meanwhile, Korndorffer also took home first place medals in the 200 and 100 fly and the 100 back

with times of 1:46.45, 48.16 and 48.68 respectively.

The Irish concluded their regular season slate with this meet and now will be engaged in postseason competition until late March. It starts Wednesday with the Women’s ACC Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, and will be followed by the men’s championship starting Monday. Both meets will be broadcast live via ACC Network Extra.

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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Sports

The observer | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Roundtable Continued from page 12

one point to the standard in the Pac-12 on a court where the Ducks are 14-0 this season.

Combine that impressive effort with Arizona’s 11-2 record on their court, and how difficult it is to beat a team twice in the season, and I’m going to pick the Wildcats to pull out a key conference victory.

Nate I think this game will be very well-contested, but I just cannot see a reason to pick against the Bears here. The Jayhawks are playing really good basketball, and they will definitely have a chance to win it late, but I can not justify picking against the No. 1 team on their home floor. I think Baylor finds a way to win and proves they are the best team in the country.

The Big East has been interesting this year in that it seems to be a cycle of different teams getting hot and then getting upset. Creighton has put together a string of good weeks, so if the pattern holds true, they will be due for a loss.

I think the pattern will hold, and I really like Butler. Despite some slip-ups as of late, I would not be at all surprised if this Bulldogs team makes a March Madness run of old this year. Butler wins on the road.

If this game is anything like the previous matchup this season, where Oregon won a one-point overtime thriller, we will be in for a treat. I think that this game will be just as exciting, and that Arizona will come out ready to play on their home court and jump out to an early lead. Arizona has had some serious problems beating quality opponents this year, though, so I expect Oregon to come back and secure the road win.

Patrick After being outclassed in a 12-point loss to Baylor in January, Kansas caught fire and has won 10 straight. The Jayhawks’ high-powered offense ranks first among Big 12 teams in points per game and boasts Devon Dotson, one of the NCAA’s most talented scorers. Baylor is due for a loss, and I believe Kansas has the ability to thwart this much vaunted Bear’s defense.

The Bluejays are emerging as a real contender in the Big East with recent key victories against Seton Hall and Villanova. Creighton also leads the conference in scoring and field goal percentage, while Butler ranks last in many defensive statistics.

The Bulldogs have dropped three of their last five games to weaker programs like Georgetown, so I expect that Creighton will win by a wide margin.

The Pac-12 has been difficult to predict this year due

to a lack of consistency from all teams. Both Arizona and Oregon have very adept offenses, but the Ducks are more efficient, with higher field goal and three-point percentages.

Oregon’s Payton Pritchard has looked very dominant in conference play, and I believe that all of these factors will give the Duck’s the edge.

Iñigo Baylor is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason. To me, it all boils down to culture and grit. Talent aside, Baylor is consistently showing that they are willing to face any team in college basketball. The chemistry of the team is contagious, and I think that Kansas has no shot of winning with a roaring crowd of fans behind the Bears.

Let’s be honest, Creighton has had a nice run this season.

They’ve won some games and are putting on a good show for the fans. That being said, the Bulldogs are not here to mess around. Coming off of a projected win against Seton Hall, Butler will be looking to keep the ball rolling against Creighton. In basketball, as in the real world, a bulldog will always beat a bluejay.

Pac 12-game of the week, Oregon @ Arizona. Nico Mannion will be rallying behind a home crowd to bring down the visiting Ducks. It is tough to say exactly who will win what I predict to be the most entertaining game of the weekend. I am going to take the Ducks’ road. The flashy crowds and talent-oriented playing style of the Wildcats will not be enough to defeat their guests.

Liam Baylor has been the top team for much of the season, but I like the way Kansas has been playing lately. Baylor has looked vulnerable lately, and Kansas has been dominant for the last three weeks, and I like them to return the favor after Baylor beat them at home.

Butler has really struggled since being ranked fifth in the country, and Creighton has looked like a Big East contender, especially at home. I’ll take Creighton to keep their momentum after some big wins recently.

Oregon has been a polarizing team, and they haven’t been able to take care of business against inferior Pac-12 opponents at times. Ironically, they have actually played much better against ranked opponents than unranked ones. However, I think that run of luck stops here, as Arizona’s guard play will overpower the Ducks. Arizona in a very close matchup.

Dominic Baylor has been the top team in the Big 12, and they no doubt have the talent to show.

However, it’s hard to stop a team that’s hot at the right

time, and that’s just what the Jayhawks have been. I think Kansas will find the win on the road in Waco.

After taking a tough home loss, Butler will be looking to bounce back in a big way.

While Creighton has had a solid stretch, it’s hard to beat a motivated team with a high ceiling. I’ll take the Bulldogs on the road.

The last game between Oregon and Arizona was a thriller that came down to the wire. I think this one should turn out to be another great game, with the edge going to Oregon again. Oregon will be looking to improve their chances of winning the Pac-12 outright, and it starts with this game.

Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz

Aidan In the Western Conference, I think the Nuggets are a major challenger to the Lakers, while the Thunder, despite being a surprise contender, are a tier below that. The Thunder have lost two straight at home, and the Nuggets are simply a very good team in all facets. Give me Denver on the road.

To be honest, taking the Celtics here is probably not a great idea, given the Lakers have the best record in the league and are playing at home. But Boston also beat the Lakers by 32 points at home, and I just have a hard time forgetting that. My logic says Lakers, but my gut says Celtics … and my gut is either really right or really wrong. Let’s hope it’s right. Roll Celtics.

If I took the road squad in the first two games, I’ll keep it up here. Bad weekend for the hometown favorites in the NBA, as Houston completes the visitor sweep here by taking down Utah. The two teams are evenly matched, as evidenced by a Utah buzzer beater in their first game, but the Jazz are too sporadic for me to pick with confidence. I’ll take The Beard and Co.

Nate Fresh off of the break, this one figures to be a good one. In their match-up in December, the Nuggets pulled off an eight-point victory behind a triple-double from Nikola Jokic. While I think Jokic will have a good game this weekend, I don’t anticipate those kinds of numbers from him again. I like the Thunder to win this one at home.

Nothing is better than a good, old-fashioned rivalry game, and this one figures to be a classic with both teams finally being good at the same time. The Lakers will be playing for a lot more than themselves throughout the rest of

the year, and I think that will show beginning this weekend against the Celtics. Lakers win by double-digits at home.

The last time these teams played, the Jazz won a crazy game on a three-point buzzer beater, so I expect the Rockets to be out for blood. In that game, however, Russell Westbrook scored nearly 40 points. I don’t anticipate him being able to do that again against a really good Jazz team at home, so I’ll take the Jazz.

double digits. You heard it here first.

Change is how the game becomes better, but in a league with so many dynamic big men, the Rockets moved in the wrong direction. The Jazz will beat the Rockets because of their system. They are not the best team in the league, but they know how to play consistent, high-level basketball that wins games. This one will be a slap in the face for the Rockets on the road.

Patrick

Liam

In their first game back from the All-Star Break, the Nuggets will look to build some momentum in their quest for the first overall playoff seed.

The Lakers hold a four-game advantage over the Nuggets currently, and Denver is eager to close this gap. The Nuggets own the second-most road victories in the Western Conference and should be able to defeat an overachieving OKC squad.

The Lakers will be hungry for revenge against the Celtics, who clobbered Los Angeles by 32 points in their last meeting.

This defeat has probably not sat well with LeBron because of his own personal rivalry with Boston over the years.

The Lakers will also be riding some momentum following a thrilling overtime victory over Denver, so I think that Los Angeles will win another close one at Staples Center.

The Jazz are surging in the standings and were on a fourgame winning streak before the break. In addition, Utah’s offense is one of the most efficient in the NBA and place fourth in field goal percentage.

The Rockets rank second in points per game but are horribly inefficient, so I expect that the Jazz will take this one at home.

The Thunder continue to surprise people. Most wrote them off at the beginning of the season, but they have proven to be a playoff contender. While I think the moves the Nuggets made at the trade deadline were strong, it will take more time for those new pieces to mesh.

I’ll take the Thunder at home.

The Lakers at home this season are nearly unbeatable, and after a fantastic performance at the All-Star game, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will continue that strong play, and avenge their only big loss of the season.

The Rockets’ new small-ball lineup is working remarkably well, but Rudy Gobert is a versatile defender who may give them problems. However, I still think James Harden and Russell Westbrook will have big games and defeat the Jazz, continuing to show coach Mike D’Antoni’s basketball genius.

Iñigo Nikola Jokic is sick. Jamal Murray is sick. Michael Porter Jr. is sick (and it is a shame that he did not get invited to the rising star game). The Nuggets have both the talent and system to go far in the league. With the back end of the season coming up, I feel like they are only now beginning to find their rhythm. The Thunder are not expected to do anything special this year.

They are playing to develop young players — Shai and Hamidou — and for the future.

The Nuggets will take a win on the road.

The Celtics are special, but not that special. There is one thing that they don’t have.

They are missing the piece of all pieces. The player of all players. The man that scientists want to clone. Women love him. Men hate him. Men love him too. LeBron James wins games. Statistically speaking, any team coached

by LeBron wins. Right now, the Lakers have LeBron at the helm. Lakers will win by

Dominic The nuggets will be looking to knock off the rust from the All-Star break and get back into gear against the Thunder.

Denver on the road has proven to be a very solid team and I think they will handle business against the OKC on the road.

After getting trounced in Boston, the Lakers will welcome the Celtics into the Staples Center this time around. I think that LeBron and crew will be hungry to pay the favor back. The prospect of keeping Denver at bay for top in the West will also be incentive for LA. The Jazz were able to top Houston on the road when Westbrook just about took the game over. I don’t think that he will have the same type of outing this time around, and the Jazz are too solid of a team overall to drop this one at home. I’ll take Utah.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu, Dominic Gibson at dgibson@hcc-nd.edu, Patrick Gallagher at pgallag4@nd.edu, Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu, Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu and Inigo Yturralde at iyturral@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | The Observer

Track&Field Continued from page 12

said. “It makes you wonder if the next big throw is on its way.

When you’re consistently at the same place you know there’s more to come and you just need the confidence growing week after week.”

Tanczos’s success bred across the team, starting with those in the same event as her.

“Success becomes infectious in groups,” Sparks said. “They saw Rachel’s go well, and then [senior] Logan [Kusky] comes out and throws well, and [senior] Abbey [Kapitan] has been really consistent also.”

Kusky ended up placing second overall. These members weren’t the only ones to thrive this weekend in Tennessee, however.

Senior Naya Sharp had

another stellar weekend, earning herself first in the women’s hurdles. “[Assistant] coach [Rodney] Zuyderwyk has been talking all season long about how she’s coming, watch out for her, she’s coming,” Sparks said. “She’s had an amazing start to her races, so the first 20 meters she does about as well as anybody in the field. She’s a bit of a smaller hurdler, so as soon as she perfects her technique, you’re going to see her times drop, and that’s what’s happening now. She’s fine-tuning some things as we get down to championship season and that’s what we’re all trying to do in all the events.

She and Coach Zuyderwyk have pulled that all together at the right time, it looks like.”

Notre Dame’s women’s 800 meter runners and 5K runners did well also. Sparks noted they all had a breakthrough,

especially junior Mikayla Schneider.

“Schneider ran a time that puts her in the top five in the conference,” Sparks said. “That was really a mental breakthrough for her. She had been at the 2:09-2:10 range for about 12 months now, but she’s run 2:06, but she’s struggled a little bit mentally and physically over the last year. She finally got a mark that puts her back in the top five in the conference, and she’s excited with what she’s able to do. … And in the Women’s 5K in Vanderbilt, our top three finishers are top 10 in school history in that event.

So you know, if you see someone from your team running well up front, you want to jump on board and follow, and good things snowball.”

Sparks said it wasn’t only in Nashville that the Irish thrived.

“If you transition to the men’s

distance group, there were a lot of good things happening for them out in Iowa,” he said.

He spoke specifically of sophomore Matthew Carmody, who took first in the men’s 5K in Iowa.

“Matthew Carmody was a true walk-on 18 months ago — kid barely made the roster, and this is the first time he’s run a 5K on the track,” Sparks said.

“Traditionally you start running in the 14 minutes and the second time you come out and you drop a lot of time, and so for him to come out and compete at that level from the first time out — we’re rarely very surprised when things happen, and we knew he was running well but we just didn’t know he was running that well. It was in his hometown, too, he’s from Des Moines, Iowa. He lives right up the road, so he had a good cheering section, and this is a

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Irish senior Naya Sharp runs in the 60m hurdles finals during the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 8 at Loftus Sports Center.

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kid who’s totally invested in the process, so it’s time for everybody to see him have success.”

Iowa was not wholly a success story. Sparks said he would have liked to see sophomore Danny Kilrea place higher than he ultimately did.

“That was one of the disappointments; Danny struggled,” Sparks said. “He was in the faster heat and it was a little over his head, it went out fast and he just couldn’t hold on to that, so he’s going to race again this weekend in the 5K to try to better his chance to get in the fast heat of the conference meet.”

That’s the plan going forward, Sparks asserted. He has the team focused on the ACC Championship, and the Alex Wilson Invitational is a stepping stone to that meet for some.

“There are those that need to put it all out there this weekend so they can make it to the conference meet and compete at the next level, so this weekend’s meet is a bit of a last chance to advance,” Sparks said. “This could be the pinnacle of their season. If they don’t rise to the occasion this weekend their season’s over, and they’re getting ready for outdoor track.

Those that are competing, they will be working on some finetuning things that [are] going to help them find a couple more inches in the weight throw or the pole vault.”

This weekend also provides the men’s distance medley relay with a chance to make the qualifying time they need.

“I’m excited to see those relays, especially on the men’s side,” Sparks said. “Every one of them has returned more fit than they’ve ever been. They need to just qualify, it’s like a prelim for them essentially to get ready for the national meet hopefully three or four weeks from now.

They need to hit a time to get in but they don’t need to break any records along the way. They just need to make sure they qualify, get the baton around and make sure they are still healthy, fresh and ready to go a week later at the conference meet.”

The invitational this weekend will be the perfect atmosphere to hit that time, Sparks noted. “[Notre Dame] and Wisconsin went one and two at that meet last year, gaining the second and third all time fastest DMRs on that day,” he said.

“Wisconsin will be back there again, and they’ve got one of the best milers in the country on that anchor leg, so it should be a very competitive field.”

There will be some distance runners sitting out this weekend, however — especially those who have already qualified for the conference championship.

The Irish track team will use the Alex Wilson Invitational as a stepping stone to those championship meets. The invitational will kick off Saturday at Loftus Sports Center.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

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The observer | wednesday, february 19, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

track & field

nd swimming & Diving

ND finds success, postseason starts Observer Staff Report

The Notre Dame swimming and diving team concluded its regular season competition this weekend in Columbus, Ohio, at the Ohio State Winter Invitational. The Irish, who start postseason competition Wednesday, finished the meet in Ohio with 11 total event first place finishes.

The Irish sit close to postseason competition, with the women’s team beginning Wednesday at the ACC Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, and the men’s squad heading to the same venue for the men’s event in one week. That being said, this meet at the end of the season provides an opportunity for a championship-style meet for swimmers who are not competing in the postseason.

The Irish performed well in the pool over the weekend in what they hope will be a precursor to their successes in the conference championship.

Irish to host invite ahead of ACC Championships

Both the men’s and women’s 400 free relay squads finished first, with times of 3:00.66 and 3:28.88, respectively.

Competing for the women were seniors Kelly Jacob, Sammy Steigerwald and Katie Smith, while freshman Maddy Porter started on the blocks for the Irish.

Jacob also posted a thirdplace finish in the 100 free with a time of 51.19, while Porter posted a third-place effort in the 200 fly, touching the wall in 2:03.01.

The men’s team consisted of strictly freshman swimmers, Alec DeLong, Topher Stensby, Luke Thornbrue and Liam Hutchinson. The three recorded top finishes in individual events as well. DeLong posted a 44.62 in the 100 free, good for runner-up, followed by Stensby at 44.79 for third and Hutchinson touching in 45.70 in the same event for a fifthplace finish. see SWIM&DIVE PAGE 9

By MANNION McGINLEY Sports Writer

emma farnan | The Observer

Irish junior Vince Zona competes in the 800m run as part of the Meyo Invitational at Loftus Sports Center on Feb. 8.

Notre Dame heads to Texas for four games Observer Staff Report

see BASEBALL PAGE 9

see TRACK&FIELDPAGE 11

observer roundtable

nd baseball

The Notre Dame baseball team is looking to continue its strong start to the season as the group travels to San Antonio, Texas, this weekend for the 21st Alamo Irish Classic.

The Irish (2-1) will play games versus Incarnate Word on Thursday and Friday night, and then Toledo on Saturday afternoon. They’ll end their trip with a matchup with the University of Texas at San Antonio on Sunday.

The Irish are coming off a strong opening series having won two out of three in their opening series with UAB on the road last weekend. Junior pitcher Tommy Sheehan was named ACC pitcher of the week for his performance; he started the first game on Friday, tossing seven shutout innings, striking out a career high nine and only allowing one hit. Notre Dame won the first game 4-2 behind Sheehan’s strong outing, lost the second 10-7 after allowing a

Members of Irish track were in different states over the weekend to compete in the Music City Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa.

Irish head coach Matt Sparks discussed successes of the weekend.

In Nashville for the women’s weight throw, junior Rachel Tanczos came out swinging, literally, just as Sparks hoped she would, to set another personal record.

“On the track you have someone to race against, but in the ring or in pole vault or high jump you just have yourself, and she’s been so incredibly consistent over the last couple weeks that, it’s a lot of peace of mind for a coach — and an athlete but especially for a coach — to know that every time out she can hit that big throw,” Sparks

Picks for NCAA, NBA games Liam Coolican, Dominic Gibson, Patrick Gallagher, Nate Moller, Aidan Thomas and Inigo Yturralde Sports Writers

No. 3 Kansas @ No. 1 Baylor No. 21 Butler @ No. 15 Creighton No. 14 Oregon @ No. 24 Arizona

Aidan After a very fun week, we are back with the same format for the basketball roundtable.

Last week, as promised, there were a lot of points scored, highlighted by Iñigo Yturralde jumping into fourth place despite not participating in the first week. Aidan Thomas went 5-0 in game picks and won the “draft” game to hold in first place. But with so many points up for grabs each week, few leads are safe, making each set of picks important. Here are the standings and our picks for the week!

Standings

alexis hernandez | The Observer

Former Irish infielder Jake Singer waits for the pitch during Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Virginia on April 5 at home.

Aidan Thomas — 39 pts Nate Moller — 31 pts Patrick Gallagher — 22 points Iñigo Yturralde — 18 points Liam Coolican — 14 points Dominic Gibson — 9 points

I have a lot of respect for Baylor and what they’ve done this season. They thoroughly impressed when they beat Kansas earlier this year, but I’ve watched several games for both teams in the past weeks, and my gut feeling is Kansas is the best team in the country.

Jayhawks return the favor and grab a road victory.

Creighton shot up eight spots in the rankings, a jump which was surprising to me — and is now the higher ranked team against a slumping Butler squad who just weeks ago was challenging for a No. 1 seed.

The Bulldogs are mediocre on the road and spiraling, while Creighton is 14-1 at home, so I’ll take the Blue Jays here.

Arizona travelled to Oregon earlier this season and lost by see ROUNDTABLE PAGE 10