Print Edition of The Observer for Monday, March 4, 2019

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Volume 53, Issue 95 | monday, march 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

SMC reflects on Riedinger House history Former College president, director of donor relations discuss House’s role as laboratory, guest home

By JORDAN COCKRUM Saint Mary’s Editor

While Saint Mary’s is now well-known for its nursing program and preparation of women leaders, it was once also known for its ability to prepare students to run a home.

The College had a major in domestic science — commonly known as home economics — until the mid-1960s, director of donor relations Addie Cashore said in an email.

“The program was considered rather advanced for the time,” Cashore said. “Students with a concentration in dietetics or nutrition were required to take several rigorous courses in biology and chemistry in addition to fulfilling

laboratory requirements.”

All seniors majoring in domestic science were required to complete a unique practicum: a nine-week stay in the campus’ Riedinger House, Cashore said.

The Riedinger House was built in 1939 through a gift given to the College by Charles Riedinger and his sister, Caroline Riedinger. The gift was donated in honor of Adaline Crowley Riedinger, class of 1864, and her daughter Mary Adeline, class of 1889 — the College’s first mother/ daughter legacy, Cashore said.

The house was built with the purpose of allowing students to have a practicum experience during College President see HOUSE PAGE 4

ANNA MASON | The Observer

The Riedinger House was built in 1939 to temporarily house students pursuing a degree in domestic science and help them master home-management skills. It now hosts various events throughout the year.

SMC creates Pantry to combat food insecurity

By GINA TWARDOSZ News Writer

On Feb. 19, Saint Mary’s announced in an email that it would open the Mother Pauline Pantry, which will offer nonperishable food and personal hygiene products for all students and will be named after the College’s first

president. The pantry will open with a ceremony on March 4 at 4:30 p.m. in McCandless Hall’s Niner’s Lounge.

Dean of students Gloria Jenkins said the division of student affairs led the initiative to open the pantry, with the decision being inspired by the growing issue of food insecurity across all college

campuses.

“A growing number of colleges and universities are opening food pantries as a resource for all students,” she said. “On our campus, we want all students to have access to food when needed specifically when dining services see PANTRY PAGE 3

IDEA Week 2019 to emphasize narrow focus

By SOPHIA LAUBER News Writer

The first annual IDEA Week in 2018 aimed to create awareness about the principles of innovation and entrepreneurship. This year, the event will focus on specific industries that the IDEA Center and its community partners believe will be important for the future

NEWS PAGE 3

of both Notre Dame and the surrounding South BendElkhart community.

IDEA Week executive director Nick Swisher said last year’s attendance was much greater than expected, but that the executive committee hopes to shift the focus from numbers to impact this year.

“We needed a big splash last year because we needed

SCENE PAGE 5

the community and the University’s students, faculty and staff to kind of understand what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” Swisher said.

IDEA Week will take place from April 8 to 13 and will include over 60 events that are split into four categories: learn, meet, play and see IDEA WEEK PAGE 3

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

Basilica rector to retire after 23 years

By CLAIRE RAFFORD Associate News Editor

Basilica of the Sacred Heart rector Fr. Peter Rocca said he wanted to be a priest from a very young age — ever since he started playing the organ at his local parish Mass in elementary school.

“I became really close with the priests because of Mass.

I got to know the liturgy very well, I became very familiar with Gregorian chant and I just became sort of immersed in the liturgy,” he said. “And it was something I really loved and [was] fascinated by, and by the fourth grade, I was pretty much thinking, ‘I would like to be a priest.’”

Rocca’s ambition would begin to come to fruition as early as his high school years, when he attended the now-closed high school seminary formerly located on Holy Cross Hill.

After his year as a novice, he attended the University of Notre Dame, also earning a master’s degree in theology from the University. Rocca then left

ND W BASKETBALL PAGE 12

South Bend to be closer to his dying mother, serving as pastor at St. Ignatius Martyr in Austin, Texas. After the death of both his mother and father, Rocca left Texas to pursue graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, where he received master’s degrees in both liturgical studies and liturgical music. Rocca then was asked to return to Notre Dame.

“In 1980, I was assigned to live at Moreau Seminary, where I had two duties,” Rocca said. “One to work in formation — working with seminarians — and the other to be director of liturgy and music for the house. I have been doing that since 1980, to this day.”

Previous to his current position, Rocca worked as the assistant vice president for student affairs in the Office of Student Affairs. All of his experiences would culminate in his appointment as rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in 1997.

“In 1997, my classmate … Fr. see ROCCA PAGE 4

HOCKEY PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | monday, march 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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What is your secret talent?

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

Asst. Managing Editor: Elizabeth Greason Asst. Managing Editor: Lucas Masin-Moyer News Editor: Viewpoint Editor: Sports Editor: Scene Editor: Saint Mary’s Editor: Photo Editor: Graphics Editor: Advertising Manager: Ad Design Manager: Systems Administrator:

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Office Manager & General Info

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927

Benny Sanchelbot

Luke Mrayer

sophomore Alumni Hall

sophomore Alumni Hall

“Beat Pokemon Go. Twice. With ease.”

“Pumpkin carving.”

Dan Hunt

Liz Reyda

sophomore Alumni Hall

sophomore Farley Hall

“Can juggle three balls while playing harmonica.”

“Drumming.”

George Pinchock

Kelly Gaylord

senior off campus

freshman Welsh Family Hall

“I’m a jukebox of 1940s showtunes.”

“Irish dancing.”

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Today’s Staff News

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Jordan Cockrum Nicole Simon Lucy Lynch

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ANNA MASON | The Observer

The women’s lacrosse team huddles together after senior Samantha Lynch’s goal against Louisville on Sunday afternoon.

The Irish beat the Cardinals 16-4 to improve to 6-0 on the season. The team will next face Marquette on Friday at 3 p.m.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Lecture: “Integral Ecology and the Promise of Green Thomism” Andrews Auditorium 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Lecture: “Before Brexit: English Legal History” Hesburgh Center Room C103 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Pizza, Pop and Politics Geddes Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Led by Josh Kaplan and David Campbell.

“Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Guano” 116 O’Shaughnessy Hall 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:15 a.m.

Additional Mass held at 5:15 p.m.

“The White Card” Hesburgh Center Auditorium 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

A reading of the play

by Claudia Rankine.

Czech National Symphony Orchestra DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Free classical music.

“Winning the Fight Against Inequality (and Why it Needs You)” Hesburgh Center 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Artful Yoga Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Join yoga instructor Steve Krojniewski for a relaxing course.

Last Day of Classes campus-wide all day Classes will resume after spring break on March 18.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | monday, march 4, 2019 | The Observer

3

Quiz Bowl team advances to championship

By JESSICA REEG News Writer

Showcasing their knowledge of topics ranging from Greek mythology to Civil War battles, the Notre Dame Quiz Bowl team went undefeated in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments Great Lakes Sectional, securing their spot in the 2019 Intercollegiate Championship. The Division II team competed against 17 other schools and is one of only 28 teams to be invited to the national competition.

“We knew we had a good shot at winning but we also knew we wanted to have a good time,” sophomore Ricky Rivera said.

“You kind of have to treat it like every other tournament.”

Pantry Continued from page 1

are closed but the college is still open.”

In 2017, the University of Wisconsin conducted a multi-state survey of 33,000 college students at more than 70 institutions. The study found that as many as twothirds of those students were food insecure, with surveys now suggesting that 20% to 33% of all students at fouryear colleges experience food insecurity.

In 2016, Iv y Tech Community College in South Bend opened POD 7 as a response to help their students in need. Part of this initiative included a food pantry on campus, in recognition of several of their students struggling with food insecurity.

Lauren Dietz Gorski is a

IDEA Week Continued from page 1

compete.

“Last year the events committee was a little messy to be honest and did not have a clear vision,” executive committee member Iris Hammel said.

This year, the executive committee talked to industry leaders and chose themes for each day of IDEA Week.

One day will focus on Industry 4.0, which Swisher described as “basically the future of manufacturing — manufacturing that uses automation, robots and smart machines.”

There will also be a day focused on blockchain, a computer technology that manages records of data stored in a network.

“There’s a huge need to promote computer science and promote looking at things that are actually coming

Members of the team who qualified for the Intercollegiate Championship include sophomores Rivera, Alex Hymes, Nicholas Mungan and Spencer Brown and freshman Alexander Kuptel. The competition features a variety of different question categories including literature, science, music, geography and sports. Kuptel said he appreciated the diversity of interests among his teammates.

“It’s far better to have a team where each player has deep individual knowledge about a specific subject than a team where everyone is a generalist,” Kuptel said.

Mungan said the team encourages each other to follow their interests, especially when studying for classes or reading

for pleasure.

“More serious teams would actually prescribe subjects for people to study but we don’t like to do that,” Mungan said.

“Everybody just studies what they want to learn and what they love.”

The Quiz Bowl team meets for two hours twice a week to prepare for upcoming tournaments, running through practice questions and competing against each other to sharpen their skills.

Many members of the team have been involved in quiz bowl competitions since middle school. Each person has a unique reason for joining the team, including freshman Grace Ma. “One of the main reasons I

like Quiz Bowl is because you learn a lot of stuff in class but you don’t always get to apply the stuff you really care about or more obscure pieces of knowledge,” Ma said. “Classes can be pretty general but in Quiz Bowl, if you know detailed information, you get points for that. I really like that.”

Freshman Blaise von Ohlen said he admires the competitive aspect of quiz bowl and he enjoys the reward for his hard work and studying.

“There’s a really great payoff when you know something obscure and no one else knows it in the room,” von Ohlen said.

“It’s a very rewarding feeling.”

During study breaks, senior and one of the team’s co-vice president Alaina Anderson said

the team possesses natural chemistry and often feels like a family.

“We do a lot of bonding outside of practice,” Anderson said.

“We go to Legends Trivia Nights and we all hang out afterward.

We go out of our way to make it a very welcoming and friendly group.”

The team will arrive at the Intercollegiate Championship in Chicago on Saturday, April 6, with hopes of returning home with a victory, Rivera said.

“I can say we’re pretty confident,” Rivera said. “We have a mental toughness where we know we can beat anyone on the schedule.”

Client Services Manager at United Health Services and aided in the development of the POD 7 project at Iv y Tech. Gorski said in an email that having food insecurity is detrimental to a student’s education.

“Living in crisis — such as having no food — creates a toxic high-stress environment that does not allow students to do their best,” she said.

Gorski said even though there were food pantries and hot meals programs operating near to the South Bend campus, Iv y Tech students, and all college students, “needed a place geared to them.”

In the email sent out on Feb. 19, Jenkins stated that, “Mother Pauline’s Pantry’s mission is to create a safe environment in which students can gain access to healthy, good food, to provide

nonperishable food items and hygiene products to students and to lessen food insecurity on the Saint Mary’s campus.”

Jenkins said the pantry will rely on monetary donations to purchase new supplies in the future and staff members from the Office of Student Involvement and Residence Life will oversee the daily operation of the pantry.

One of these staff members is junior sociology major Anastasia Hite, who is an assistant for Le Mans Hall Director Nicole Hundt. Hite said she has been busy sorting and organizing the pantry before its opening Monday.

However, Hite said the pantry is not a ‘walk-in’ pantry; rather, students can apply for access to the pantry — via the ResLife form attached to the initial email — and then boxes will be delivered to the front desks of the residence halls, with orders being filled

on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“Essentially, [the boxes] are checked in at the front desk like any other package,” she said. “We’re making it as anonymous as possible because it takes a lot for someone to go to a pantry and say, ‘I need food.’ There’s limited people fulfilling and handling orders, so it won’t be common knowledge that orders are filled for a specific student.”

Hite said there is often a lot of food insecurity during academic breaks, as students who have no access to transportation are often left without food since the dining hall is closed and the cafes run on limited hours.

The pantry will be stocked with feminine hygiene products and nonperishable, nutritional and filling food items, Hite said.

“We have a breakfast

section, a lunch shelf, then more of a meal shelf and a snack shelf, too … the people who bought food tried to pick things that had nutrition and weren’t just snack food,” she said. “There’s also a glutenfree section, and that was really important because even if you do have an allergy you can still get food.”

A great number of students with food insecurity do exist on campus, Hite said, and the creation of the Mother Pauline Pantry is the first step in helping all students succeed.

“We shouldn’t look down on students because they’re utilizing the pantry,” she said.

“Food is a necessity and Saint Mary’s is providing a basic need. The college is great at feeding our minds but we also need to feed our bodies.”

down the pike in the future that our region might be a little bit behind on,” Hammel said. “The Midwest, in general, is a little bit behind with blockchain, and so bringing that in was really important.”

Instead of covering broad themes of innovation and entrepreneurship as IDEA Week did last year, this year the event will have a more narrow focus, Swisher said.

“The reason why [the week is being structured in this way is] because those are the industries that we believe are going to be important in the South Bend-Elkhart region and Notre Dame going forward,” he said. “It might be that we have less people this year but we should have more people that have impact and outcomes that are on top of mind.”

Both Hammel and Swisher stressed that IDEA Week is not solely run by Notre Dame — it is a partnership between the IDEA Center and the

community.

“IDEA Week is not just an event for the community,” Swisher said. “It truly is now being run by the community with Notre Dame.”

The IDEA Center’s mission is economic development, both at Notre Dame as well as in the surrounding region, and the play element of IDEA Week is no exception to this goal.

The play element of IDEA Week will include five acts: Jim Gaffigan, Michael Carbonaro, Ali Wong, Scotty McCreery and Tim McGraw.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan will perform at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend as a pre-IDEA Week event on March 6, but the rest of the acts will take place during IDEA Week.

After Garth Brooks’ concert at Notre Dame Stadium this past October, the announcement of two more country artists coming to the South Bend area for IDEA Week has

garnered a lot of attention among the student population at Notre Dame.

Swisher said there were two reasons another country artist was chosen after choosing Tim McGraw to perform at Purcell Pavilion.

“After we announced Tim McGraw, we literally even f lew to California to meet with talent agencies,” Swisher said. “It was really difficult to get a non-country act at this time. It was not because these acts were not interested — it was all because of timing.”

The second reason is simply that country music is popular in this region, which the IDEA Center concluded from a scientifically valid poll, Swisher said.

“We spent a grand total of $4,000 in marketing expenses for Tim McGraw and he sold out,” Swisher said. “That’s remarkable. That just tells you how easy it is to sell country in this area.”

Swisher said more was spent on expenses for the Chainsmokers’ concert last year during IDEA Week, and the show did not sell out.

With the aim of bringing startups and high-tech companies to the South BendElkhart area, the IDEA Center is also seeking to draw highly educated millennials to the region, Swisher said.

“Millennials are really looking at a very multi-faceted approach to where they’re going to live, Swisher said.

“They want to live in places that have lots of fun things to do.”

Consequently, the IDEA Center is partnering with VenueND to host events and concerts outside of IDEA Week.

“Jim Gaffigan is our first non-IDEA Week event, and we have others in the works,” Swisher said.

Contact Jessica Reeg at jreeg@nd.edu

Contact Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Sophia Lauber at slauber@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | monday, march 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

House Continued from page 1

Emerita Sister Madeleva Wolff’s tenure. Cashore said four students at a time would live in the Riedinger House with a Sister of the Holy Cross, who served as a live-in supervisor.

“The students learned home management skills that included budget management, planning and preparing meals, shopping for food, cleaning, sewing and entertaining,” Cashore said. “They practiced their culinary skills on faculty and administrators who were invited to dine on a regular basis.”

While there are traditional aspects of the home — three bedrooms, a living room, dining room and kitchen — the Riedinger House was built on a nontraditional seven-eighths scale on the inside. Due to the building costs being higher than expected, budgets cuts had to be made, resulting in the smaller-scale interior.

Former College President Jan Cervelli lived in the home for six weeks at the beginning of her term. While the seveneighths scale might be small to some, Cervelli said her small frame fit in well with the interior of the home.

“For someone that’s threequarter scale anyway, it was delightful,” Cervelli said. “It made me feel at home right off the bat. I could get a real sense for the students who were actually students in that home, what it would have felt like.”

Cervelli stayed in the home with her dog, Pearl, while waiting for her purchase of a home in South Bend to close.

While Saint Mary’s is quieter in the summer, Cervelli said she felt staying on campus allowed her to understand the College’s culture better.

“It was summer, so it wasn’t so busy with a lot of people, but there was enough traffic that I kind of got a feel for the pulse of the day and the evening,” Cervelli said.

Cervelli said she feels the ability to live in the Riedinger House enabled her to have an experience that not many College presidents have anymore. Although Cervelli did stay in dorms throughout her time as president, she did not get another chance to stay in the Riedinger House before her resignation.

“As far as college campuses are concerned, there aren’t many instances where there is a home kind of in the center of campus, certainly not one where presidents live in the house,” Cervelli said. “I was tempted over the course of my presidency to stay there again because I think it really makes you get the real feel for the campus and the students and being part of that.”

Another unique aspect for Cervelli was the Riedinger House’s location in relation to

the Sisters of the Holy Cross Convent. Cervelli said this allowed her to also gain an understanding of the relationship between the Sisters of the Holy Cross and Saint Mary’s.

“It also kind of sits between the campus and the convent,” Cervelli said. “I definitely got a feel for the power of the convent and the Sisters and the relationship and the history.

Being able to look out onto the convent, so that was, I think, a very special thing.”

Cervelli was not the only distinguished guest to live in the home — College President Emeritus Monsignor John McGrath lived in the home for almost three years during his time as president with two other priests and his dog, Cashore said. In addition to the housing of College presidents, the Riedinger Home is also the location of on-campus Alumnae Board meetings as well as occasional events for students.

Cervelli said after her stay at the Riedinger House, she advocated for its increased usage in campus events because she saw the benefits of visiting the house.

“That really convinced me that it’s kind of a hidden treasure on the campus and to try to encourage more people to use it, like students to have events and meeting and gatherings,” Cervelli said.

There have been several events hosted in the Riedinger House for students. Each year, there is a reading of “Quiet Hours,” a book written by Saint Mary’s alumnae about the ghost stories they have heard on campus. There are also teas hosted in the home periodically, with the next happening Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in honor of the 175th anniversary of the College.

Contact Jordan Cockrum at jcockrum01@saintmarys.edu

Rocca Continued from page 1

Daniel Jenky, was rector of the then Sacred Heart Church,” Rocca said. “He was made a bishop in 1997, and he invited me to become rector of the church. He talked it over with the then-director of campus ministry, Fr. Richard Warner, and both of them invited me to become rector, and I thought about that request for about a millionth of a second … and I thought 12 years in student affairs, that’s a good time — one year for each apostle. So, I was very happy to be invited and I decided I would accept their offer. I just thought it would be a good fit.”

Rocca said that though being rector of the Basilica is a job with a lot of responsibility, his favorite part is the simple act of celebrating the Mass.

“For me, celebrating the liturgy is really the most wonderful thing that I experience at the Basilica,” he said. “As Catholics, we believe that the Mass is the source and the summit of our life as Christians. It’s at the Mass that we come together to truly celebrate our redemption in Christ and we are strengthened by the word of God, nourished by the Eucharist and from there we go forth to live the Christian life. So, it’s really the event of the week, every Sunday.”

Despite the fact that the Basilica is ornate with detail, Rocca said he tries to focus on making sure that the basic parts of the Mass are executed well.

“My little mantra is, ‘Nothing fancy, just the Roman Rite’ … if we do the Roman Rite well — if lectors proclaim the word well, if servers serve well, if the musicians perform well, sing well, if the presider leads the

community prayerfully and well, then, that allows all the people there to really enter into that spirit of prayerfulness because everything they see is prayerful,” he said.

Fr. Brian Ching, assistant rector of the Basilica, said Rocca’s dedication to making the celebration of the liturgy a prayerful experience is one of his most admirable qualities.

“I think the best part of working with Fr. Rocca is probably his enthusiasm and knowledge of the liturgy, and his zeal for wanting to do the liturgy well,” Ching said. “It’s evident that he cares really deeply about wanting to make sure people have the best experience and most prayerful experience that they can at Mass or anytime they’re at the Basilica and that energy is really infectious.”

John Zack, University sacristan, said Rocca’s commitment to serving Notre Dame through worship extends far beyond the walls of the Basilica.

“I admire Fr. Rocca’s dedication to his vocation,” Zack said in an email. “He is first, above everything else, a priest and teacher. He says Masses all over campus, hears confessions, performs weddings and baptisms. He subs for other priests as well.”

Rocca said that one of his most memorable experiences as Basilica rector was the planning and celebration of the life of University President Emeritus Fr. Theodore Hesburgh.

“Probably the most wonderful funeral I’ve ever celebrated was the funeral of Fr. Theodore Hesburgh,” he said. “I have never seen a funeral like that ever in my life, but I attended 10 meetings about the funeral, along with a whole host of other people.

So it was a whole team that worked together to provide

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that funeral for a priest who was legendary.”

Zack echoed Rocca’s sentiment, saying that one of his best memories with the rector was Hesburgh’s funeral Mass.

“My best memories with Fr. Rocca are all of the many, many services we’ve worked together but the one that especially comes to mind is the funeral of Fr. Hesburgh,” he said.

Ching will be stepping into Rocca’s role as Basilica rector beginning July 1.

Ching said that he is excited for the opportunity to care for one of Notre Dame’s most treasured places.

“I’m looking forward to just being of service to the Notre Dame community,” he said. “I recognize that the Basilica is a very special place for a lot of people — both our students, our faculty and staff, our alumni and our guests. And they all come to the Basilica for a variety of different reasons, and it’s kind of a big responsibility that very special place on our campus and in our history is well taken care of — is open, is welcoming, is hospitable and continues to be a place of spiritual nourishment for all who visit it.”

As for Rocca, he said even though he will be retiring as rector, he will continue to devote time to his many other jobs and commitments at Notre Dame, including teaching classes in the Master of Divinity curriculum, serving as chaplain for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program and more.

“See, I’m really not retiring, I’m really stepping down from being rector,” he said. “But I have a whole host of other things that I do … I won’t be sitting around twiddling my thumbs.”

Contact Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu

5

The observer | monday, march 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

By JIM MOSTER Scene Writer

Interwoven into the utilitarian fabric of YouTube’s music videos and makeup tutorials are an abundance of threats to the integrity of the platform and the experience of the users. The sheer magnitude of content on the monolithic website obfuscates many of these issues from the casual viewer, but a closer examination of YouTube reveals a technical and cultural progression towards digital dystopia.

YouTube, founded in 2005 by former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim and Steve Chen, hosted its first million-view video within months of the website’s launch. Google then purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006, and the interface that viewers know today primarily results from developments following this acquisition. Like other early wonders of the Internet, YouTube provided a novel means of human communication ─ in this case, creating and viewing videos on a streamlined platform.

In light of modern video production, ancient viral videos such as “Charlie Bit My Finger,” “Chocolate Rain” and “Keyboard Cat” feel as organic and innocent as a child’s finger painting. By 2008, YouTube creators could earn their livelihood on the website by receiving monetary compensation for their uploads. With financial incentive for both quantity and quality of content, the YouTube economy has since prospered and expanded into services like YouTube Premium, Music and Kids.

YouTube resembles the macroeconomies of the world with its obvious utility but overall indifference to the

By ALEXANDER DAUGHERTY Scene Writer

“Listen to your heart.” This phrase is, at least on the surface, the message of junior Jorge “Jay” RiveraHerrans’ new musical, “Stupid Humans.” Though this is generally a tired and eye-roll-worthy aphorism, Rivera-Herrans’s musical takes the message quite literally. “Have you ever tried freestyling to a heartbeat?” protagonist Indigo asks during an open-heart surgery he was assisting on in what was a truly elegant opening.

However, what follows Indigo’s departure from medical school and his first foray into the new world of music and tribulation in Los Angeles is mostly unsurprising.

Following the plot was of no consequence because the audience was consistently at least one step ahead of Indy himself. This was also the case of most dialogic interactions, which were intermittently brilliant but lacked the same sense of newness one experienced in the music. This tendency to two-dimensionality aside, “Stupid Humans” was at once touching and inspiring.

Starting in the opening scene, Rivera-Herrans’ striking use of language was clear. The sonic architecture of this scene was accentuated by the very real scenario depicted and the equally real consequences hinged on the operation. Rivera-Herrans reveals his supreme talent

preferences of the common user. The consequences range from irritating to egregious. These consequences are perhaps most evidently in the platform’s copyright infringement system: Content ID. Content ID automatically compares new uploads to a vast database of intellectual property and alerts content owners when transgressions are detected, giving them the choice to remove the striked video or collect its ad revenue.

Unscrupulous corporations can jeopardize the achievements and income of YouTube creators for unfair usage as simple as a clip of a movie trailer or the soundtrack of a video game. Not all content owners choose to exploit Content ID, but negative review videos and ad-heavy channels have been curiously targeted. Google remains notoriously unapologetic and persistent in the preservation of a system that imperils the values of free expression under which YouTube originally flourished.

A plethora of more minor annoyances contribute to the dismal state of YouTube. Dislikes in the comments section are hidden from view. The recommendation algorithm shoves sensationalist and conspiratorial videos onto users. Multiple and unskippable ads span the entirety of a video’s length, many of which promote scams and (ironically) use copyrighted material to capture the attention of viewers.

Beyond technical follies and loophole ethics, YouTube’s issues are often inseparable from decisions made by users themselves. Famous YouTubers circumvent the site’s policies regarding hateful content and harassment until they’re caught committing atrocities at the scale of Logan Paul’s irreverent vlog with a corpse in Japan’s “Suicide Forest.” These online idols flaunt

decadent lifestyles and glorify hazardous trends like drinking bleach and eating Tide Pods to their young audiences. Creators also endorse dubious sponsors like BetterHelp, an online counseling service that profits off promises of mental health by obscuring its own failure to guarantee licensed professionals for users.

Only the most sinister of violations seem to justify vigorous enforcement of YouTube policy. The Elsagate phenomenon, for example, named after the princess from Disney’s “Frozen,” involves the extensive concealment of violent and perverted content within colorful cartoons. Behind innocent titles and thumbnails, videos hide instructions for committing suicide and links to pedophilic resources in the comments sections. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki responded by increasing the size of the content review team in 2018, although other controversies such as Russia’s ongoing misinformation campaign remain unaddressed.

YouTube’s array of ailments should disturb its 1.8 billion monthly users, but can it deter them? The site’s features and library of videos thoroughly trounce the puny offerings of alternatives like DailyMotion and Vimeo. After incessantly expanding under the tutelage of Google, YouTube harbors an identical degree of immortality sustained by the love triangle between advertisers, creators and loyal viewers. The growing prevalence of Internet monopolies raises an alarming question regarding the viability of competition in the digital age, especially considering the current battle for net neutrality … I’ll be right back. I’m sure there’s a video about that.

for vocal acrobatics as well as lyrical rap writing itself.

Indeed, each performer’s vocal skill was apparent and the ensemble was quite strong. The strength of these moments points to strong direction and an aesthetic sense consistent with the music itself. Rivera-Herrans’ use of his ensemble as a theatrical device rang of both “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen” at times, as did some of his music. In some cases, there were musical phrases that seemed entirely borrowed from these keystone musicals, although at least slightly repurposed.

Though his rap was catching fire in the audience, there was not the same reaction to his lyrics which, like his dialogue, seemed — and this specification must be stressed — mostly reliant on platitudes and basic end rhyme. When this pattern was broken and the stars of strong music, stunning voices and driving dialogue aligned, the impact was nearly cosmic.

Even in such a strong cast, standout performances could easily be identified from Rachel Thomas as Jacky and Samuel Jackson II as John, Jacky’s dad. Thomas’ grasp of her character and her stakes in the action were quite clear. Though it was ostensibly Indigo’s story, the musical felt much more in tune with what became Jacky’s journey. Ultimately, hers was the most compelling, developed and fresh narrative presented. But what would Jacky be without John? Jackson took on his roles

as father and imaginary talking pig with equal panache and command of his own physical and emotional expressions. Though he says to Jacky during a particularly difficult social interaction for her, “I’m you,” John’s individuality was clear. He was both comedic relief for the tragic parent-child events of the overarching narrative and an audience darling, a position established by his love of Jacky and biting sass almost immediately.

At the end of the show, the lights come up and RiveraHerrans waxes autobiographical, rapping to the audience of his show as a demand of personal expression, integrity and an idealistic casting out for dreams. That moment, and every flash of musical genius before that, found the audience bobbing to the beat, words dancing on their lips and desperate to sing along. People were smiling uncontrollably, crying at the loss, growth and reconciliation staged before them. It is a musical with a soundtrack that would, if it were available, undoubtedly be hummed across campus for some time to come.

While “Stupid Humans” certainly did not say anything substantially new, its cast and performance were stunning and its characters are nothing short of relatable, broken people doing their best “in the heat of the heat of the moment.”

Contact Jim Moster at jmoster@nd.edu

Contact Alexander Daugherty at adaughe2@nd.edu JOSEPH HAN | The Observer

6

The observer | Monday, March 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

On stepping up Kelli Smith Editor-in-Chief

Six-thousand-one-hundred forty-one miles.

According to Google Maps, that’s the approximate distance between Jerusalem and South Bend. On the day meant to celebrate Editor-in-Chief turnover this year, that number became painfully clear to me when the computers in the office spontaneously shut down.

Since I’m studying abroad in Israel for the semester, I am thousands of miles away from South Bend in a time zone seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. As those on-the-ground scurried to arrive at the office and fix the issue, I felt helpless to do anything but check up ever y so often and internally curse that 6,141 figure.

But then a seemingly miraculous event happened: Ever ything turned out just fine. Those who rushed to the office were able to resolve the issue as quickly as it occurred. And it was in that moment that I realized my panicked oversight.

It goes to show that the strength of the paper isn’t dependent on the next “fearless leader” taking on the mantle but rather the consistent team effort behind the scenes. It’s dependent on those who commit themselves to working until the earliest hours of the morning ever y Monday through Friday writing, editing, fact-checking, designing, photographing and proofing. Those that aren’t at the forefront of the spotlight but still choose to show up, day after day, to produce a paper together for the community.

No matter the circumstances, the show will always go on — just as it has for the last 52 years of Observer histor y.

There will be moments ever ything won’t be resolved so easily. Not ever y article, headline or photo published will be perfect. In those moments, I hope readers will not hesitate to be constructive while still thinking of those who put their heart and energ y in their work.

Today’s world is filled with conf licting perspectives, unproductive dialogue and stubborn mistrust. It is my hope that the community we serve, too, will step up when facing such discourse — that it will strive to listen to each other rather than speak at each other, and will diversif y the perspectives through which we operate in an attempt to understand each other.

I believe our ambition as a staff will be to acknowledge the value of set precedents while still embracing meaningful change. I hope we will step up, be bold in pursuit of the truth and remain unwavering in our dedication to uplifting the many voices comprising our community. And I hope that you, as readers of The Observer, never have reason to doubt our commitment to those goals.

One thing is certain: Our doors are always open. No matter if we’re right at home in our basement office in South Dining Hall or 6,141 miles away in the deserts of the Middle East, we at The Observer will always be here ready to listen.

Contact Kelli Smith at ksmith67nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

How ‘Looney Tunes’ changed my mind on the Columbus murals Patrick McKelvey With the Current

Since President Jenkins announced plans to cover the infamous Columbus murals in the Main Building, a number of statements against his decision have appeared on campus and in The Observer.

Until ver y recently, I always thought the murals should be covered as well — and none of the typical arguments had swayed me.

I don’t believe removing the murals would be an affront to Notre Dame’s Italian-American community. Of course, I know the murals depict an Italian, and were painted by an Italian, in a time when it wasn’t easy to be Italian in the United States. But as an Italian–American myself, I’ve never once proudly pronounced my shared heritage with Christopher Columbus. I’ve never known anyone in my family to do so either. There are countless figures in Italian histor y more deserving of the mantle of hero. These are the people who stand as the successors to Ancient Rome, the people who, during the Renaissance, created some of the greatest and most enduring art in human histor y.

To hold up Columbus as the pinnacle of Italian achievement is insulting.

I certainly wasn’t swayed by conservative political commentator Michael Knowles’ lecture, hosted by the University on Feb. 21. Knowles painted Columbus in a shockingly revisionist light. At the lecture, Columbus was called a hero, a do-gooding genius navigator who brought, with good intentions, the glor y of civilization to an unenlightened race of indigenous people. Even a surface level knowledge of histor y reveals this isn’t true. This understanding of Columbus ignores ever y account of enslavement, of disease, of murder and rape. It ignores genocide, it ignores false notions of cultural superiority. It ignores the truth.

I’d yet to hear anything that made me believe the murals should remain uncovered. Then, the other day, I was watching some old episodes of “Looney Tunes,” which I do more often than I’d like to admit. I noticed that the cartoons now

begin with a disclaimer. It reads: “The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in American society. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. W hile the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today’s society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do other wise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.”

I had definitely seen this message before but, for the first time, it resonated with me. Warner Bros. is right. If they were to edit their cartoons, if they were to remove ever y stereotype, ever y offensive joke, they would be ignoring the faults of our past. They would effectively say racism never existed, that we did not once live in a society far less equitable than today. They would be forgetting where society has come from. Instead, they acknowledge they were wrong, they rightfully admit their culpability in the way we viewed the world. If “Looney Tunes” can do it, Notre Dame can as well.

The Columbus murals are offensive.

Their depictions are historically inaccurate. But to cover them up is to ignore the problem they represent. To cover them up is to say that we have done no wrong, that Notre Dame and the United States did not once idolize Columbus and his journeys.

We ver y much did. And some still do. To cover the murals would be to declare the battle to end prejudice over and won.

It’s not. This is our past. This is what we were, what we believed. And until such day that the battle is won, we need to be reminded of that. As “Looney Tunes” teaches us, it’s not time to forget the lessons of histor y.

Patrick McKelvey splits his time between being a college junior and a grumpy old man. A New Jersey native and American studies major, he plans on pursuing a legal career after graduating Notre Dame. If you can’t find him at the movies, he can be reached for comment at pmckelve@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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7

Take off our masks Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Travelled

The first time I saw Show Some Skin, it resonated with me on a deep level. One of the things that struck me the hardest was that there were other students just like me on campus, students who did not fit the “Notre Dame stereotype,” students who look like you and me. Students who are on financial aid.

Inside the theater, when the lights are dimmed and everyone hangs on the resonating words of the actors with bated breath, we are all Notre Dame. We are all in the same space, physically and mentally.

The frustrating thing is that I often do not experience this outside the curtain and voice of the actor.

Once I step outside, I feel like I am entering another theater. Only this time I am the actor. There is a stigma with “financial aid,” and I have found that I put on the mask of the “Notre Dame stereotype” to avoid it. I am sometimes afraid I will become my mask, an echo of myself, and forget my roots in the process.

And that is why I am writing to you. I want to show you that there are students who are receiving financial aid and they are just like you. In fact, US News and World Report states that 48 percent of Notre Dame undergraduates receive financial aid in some capacity. There should not be a stigma to be who you are, who we are. I want to show that you can take off your mask and stop acting.

Of course, I understand how difficult it is navigating the bridge sometimes. It might sound trivial but there are times when I literally face a conflict joking with my friends about the food in the dining halls. I have come from times when all my family had to eat was beans and tortilla chips. The ham and cheese may not be fine dining, but it is hard to complain

that we receive all-you-can-eat food anytime we are hungry.

And to my friends who cannot understand, I am sorry. I am sorry that I cannot go to New York and Hawaii on breaks. I am sorry that I won’t be able to go to the movie theater or ride in the Uber with you every time you want to. It is not because I do not want to spend time with you, it is not out of bitterness that I simply cannot go to downtown South Bend every time you want to do something. I am not sorry that I am this way. I am sorry that we won’t always be on the same level when it comes to these things. But I turn to all those students who are like me, because I know for a fact that they are here taking classes with me and walking the same halls and when I say that this should not be a reason for wearing a mask of conformity to a stereotype that is not truthful of the real Notre Dame student.

Let me be brutally honest with you and say that taking off this mask is extremely difficult for me.

Just as the frigid weather of South Bend has made the New Mexican winter less overbearing to me, there are times when I am afraid that I will lose important aspects of myself in an effort to bridge the space between the misunderstanding. There is a temptation to play the game because it seems like our peers won’t ever reach the same plane we are on. “Why yes,” the reflection of you will say. “I traveled the world in eighty days over break.” In the faces of passing students, in the trail their footprints leave through puddles of rain, I search for the voices behind the authors of the Show Some Skin monologues. But I think I have finally found who they are and I cannot believe that the answer was so simple.

They are you and me.

During my younger sister’s orientation weekend last semester, I remember attending the reception

for multicultural students. There was a panel of students at this event and one of the topics they discussed was the feeling that they sometimes do not feel like they belong, both in the context of socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Bob Mundy, the director of admissions, interrupted the panel and his words stick with me today. He stated that he was disheartened that students felt this way. “I personally signed each and every one of your acceptance letters,” he said. “You are [Notre Dame] and you belong here in the most fundamental way possible.” The statement “feeling like you belong” is misleading and dangerous because it is automatically constructing an ideal that you are setting yourself apart from. The simple truth is that we are here because our minds and our stories are beautiful. We not belong to an unattainable ideal. We are ND and we set the ideals.

I write this to the students of Notre Dame who are on financial aid and feel like they are living behind a mask defined by stigma for being who they are. But I write this to myself just as much as I am writing to all of you. As the lights turn on, reach for my hand.

Take off my mask and I will take off yours. Let us help each other step off the stage. When we step out from the darkness of the theater, the natural light of the outside will be painfully bright to our eyes for a time. Once your eyes adjust and we can see each other for who we really are, I look forward to meeting you.

Gabriel Niforatos is a sophomore who has diverse interests ranging from political science to music. When he’s not at school, he is busy hiking and running in the New Mexico mountain range. His email is gniforat@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Practicing gratitude Mike Urbaniak Campus Ministry

It finally happened. After months and months, it finally clicked. For two years, each time our now three-year-old daughter was given something, whether it be a toy, candy, crayon, coloring book, tissue or whatever, either my wife or I would say the same phrase, “Felicity, what do you say?” “Thank you… (insert giver’s name here).” Finally, one day when she was given a chocolate chip cookie, she immediately said, without any prompting from anyone, in her sweet, angelic, yet slightly sassy voice, “Thank you, dada.” It was somewhat startling, if I’m honest. I didn’t expect it to just happen. The months of practicing with her finally bore fruit. Does she always remember to say “Thank you?” No, but more and more, she does. It’s a beautiful and privileged thing I have been able to witness as her father.

This experience has caused me to ref lect on gratitude more broadly. Why is it important? Why have we spent precious time, energy and the often f leeting attention of a little girl trying to teach her this concept? Sure, it is about teaching her good manners, but if that is it, it would be merely for show and not have any substance.

What gratitude does is acknowledge there is something more. Gratitude in itself acknowledges a gift from something other than one’s self. When I say “Thank you” for the coffee my colleague so thoughtfully brought me, I am acknowledging some being outside of myself acting and understanding that whatever I have received is coming from them and that I appreciate it. Each time I do this, I am going outside of myself. I am orienting toward the other. My experience as a human is that my greatest temptation is to think about

‘me,’ ‘myself’ and ‘I,’ much more than ‘you’ and ‘we.’ Gratitude acknowledges the gift and dignity of something other than our own self. Thanking someone for coffee, though it might be trivial, but still is meaningful. What about when we think about the bigger stuff of life? The money that helped me to pay tuition at Notre Dame, the hours spent teaching me organic chemistry or the presence and laughter of a friend when my grandfather passed away. What about the gift of life itself?

If you’re like me, and read the previous Campus Ministry column, you know I work in Campus Ministry and can see where I’m going — but stay with me, please. Gratitude removes us from the pilot seat, and places someone else there. It reminds us that while we are active and creative in this world, ultimately everything that we have is a gift. “Everything is grace,” preaches St. Therese of Lisieux. All we have is a result of gift of a God of love. We begin small, by teaching our daughter to say “thank you” for a cookie because that is what she can understand right now. We do that so that one day, not so far into the future, she will on her own accord say “thank you” to God for her life (and probably her stuffed animals, and little brother and maybe even mama and dada). We do it so she can understand that when we go to Mass each week, we are saying thanks to God in the Eucharist (which in Greek means “thanksgiving”).

This experience of teaching our daughter to simply say “thank you” is also a reminder to me of the importance of actually practicing gratitude. It’s much simpler to say I’m going to practice math by doing problem sets, to practice piano for an hour each night, to practice free throws on the basketball court or rehearse for a theatrical performance.

With gratitude, I find myself often just defaulting to “having an attitude of gratitude.” But, what does that really mean? Without action, an attitude

doesn’t really actually mean anything. We aren’t truly grateful if we never actually express our gratitude. And herein lies the homework (or at least some other task that you can use to procrastinate from your homework or studying tonight). If you desire to grow in relationship with God or to find a little more joy in your life, simply try this: At the end of each day, write down three things in your journal, planner, notebook, etc. you are grateful for. I have talked with a number of students lately who want to begin to know where God is present in their life, grow in relationship with God or go deeper in that relationship. I give them this task because it is simple, meaningful, personal, appropriate to any level of spiritual depth and achievable even in the midst of the chaotic schedules that all of you scholars attempt to maintain. I also urge actually writing it down because it brings a tangible piece to your gratitude and allows you to go back through the days and hopefully weeks and maybe months of gifts you are graced with. So while I know that with Lent coming up, most people are thinking of what they can fast from, or what they can offer up, I would invite you to join me and naming three things you’re grateful for each night and thank God for them. I’ll go ahead and start here: God, I’m grateful first, for the opportunity to work at Notre Dame with amazing students and colleagues. Second, the good health of myself, my wife and children. Third, and finally, the homemade strawberry ice cream I got to taste and the joy it brought to my taste buds.

Mike Urbaniak serves in Campus Ministry as the assistant director of pastoral care and can be reached at murbania@nd.edu. Learn more about Campus Ministry at CampusMinistry.nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

8

DAILY

The observer | monday, march 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Slow down and think matters through. Choose to be diligent when dealing with legal, health or financial matters before you make a decision that can alter your life. How you handle others and the information you share will have to be top rate if you want to avoid consequences. Protect your assets, possessions, passwords, reputation and future. Your numbers are 4, 13, 22, 29, 32, 36, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Reach out to someone you have collaborated with in the past, and you will be offered valuable information. Travel plans will be met with delays or detours. Get up-to-date information before you make a move.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll be torn between what you want to do and what you should be doing. Organization and preparation will help you manage your time better, allowing you to fit in both responsibilities as well as more pleasurable activities.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Concentrate on personal growth and changes that will raise your self-esteem and help you recognize when someone is taking advantage of you and what you have to offer. Distance yourself from users and abusers. It’s time for new beginnings.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You’ll be attracted to opposites. Learn from the experiences you encounter. Attend cultural events and learn about traditions that others practice. Broadening your awareness will encourage you to be more tolerant of others. A creative outlet will ease stress.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t let anger take over when you should be nurturing important relationships and offering love and cooperation. Emotions will be difficult to control, but if you have an open heart and are honest about the way you feel, much can be accomplished.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Someone unique will grab your attention. Find out what makes him or her tick. You’ll discover an interest you didn’t know you had. Creative endeavors will have a positive influence on your life and your relationships with others.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Personal improvements will make you feel good about the way you look or what you have to offer. Don’t let someone who is negative get you down or ruin your day. Keep the peace and surround yourself with people who appreciate you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll need discipline to bypass some of the emotional turmoil you face. Get involved in a creative endeavor that will ease stress and keep you out of trouble. Protect against insults, injuries and arguments. Offer kindness and understanding.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You can think big, but when it comes right down to getting things done, defer to sticking to your budget and taking on only what’s possible. Don’t let anyone convince you to take a chance. Stick to what’s feasible.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Put more energy into your home and family. It will make you feel good and ward off getting into an argument with someone who needs your help. Be a team player, and your personal relationships will improve.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t lose sight of what you want. Wearing too many hats and helping too many people will be exhausting and cause dissatisfaction. Rethink your strategy. You’ll come up with a plan that helps you better delegate your time.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t look for trouble. Sit tight and consider every angle of whatever situation you face. Emotional matters will turn into a fiasco if not handled properly. Don’t overreact or put up with anyone meddling in your affairs.

Birthday Baby: You are intelligent, outgoing and adventuresome. You are changeable and aggressive.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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SPORTS

ndsmcobserver.com | monday, march 4, 2019 | The Observer

W Bball

Sports Authority

Harper’s Phillies deal helps Nats Tom Naatz Sports Writer

In December, I penned an Inside Column bidding The Observer a heartfelt goodbye for the duration of my time abroad. Nevertheless, here I sit typing a column on my phone while sitting on a bus winding its way through the south of Spain because I have strong feelings about a recent happening in the sports-verse.

Bryce Harper.

Last week, the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

As a loyal Washington Nationals fan, perhaps I should’ve been upset. I know many Nats fans are livid. For example, my twin sister spent Saturday Instagram messaging the $330-million man expressing her disappointment, with one of these messages including a gif featuring Neville Papperman from “iCarly” declaring “You will rue the day!” (she is awaiting response). I am not quite that upset. In fact, I am thrilled.

Of course, there is an emotional attachment to Harper in D.C. Before they used their second-straight No. 1 pick on the Las Vegas native, the Nationals had nothing to brag about. Billed as the next big thing in baseball, Harper was our first electric, national headline-grabbing player.

Quite honestly though, he lived off the hype and the occasional flash of brilliance.

Save a superhuman MVP season in 2015 in which he batted .330, hit 42 homers and drove in 99 runs, his career has been underwhelming given the expectations. Harper followed up his MVP season with a dud of a 2016. For the first half of 2018, his contract season, he struggled to crack a .200 batting average.

Offensively, he has no idea how to play situational baseball. He swings for the fences no matter the situation, even when a simple sacrifice fly or a single could score the gamewinning run. Defensively, he’s a liability in the outfield.

I will never forget the May 2013 morning when my father woke me up to go to school during a Nats West Coast road trip with the words, “The Nats won, but Bryce Harper ran into a wall.” He has a cannon of an arm but consistently misplays routine fly balls and throws to the wrong base.

Furthermore, he is a toxic clubhouse presence. His track record suggests that, in Bryce

Harper’s world, the Earth revolves around Bryce Harper.

Running out ground balls?

Beneath him. One of the low points of the Nationals franchise is when then-closer Jonathan Papelbon literally went for Harper’s throat in the dugout after such an incident. Papelbon’s attack was indefensible, but his frustration was understandable.

People often forget Harper once publicly complained about his place in the lineup because he thought he was being disrespected. Last June, while the Washington Capitals were competing for their first Stanley Cup against the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the Nats went all in on the Caps. They wore the team’s hats, they taunted the city of Pittsburgh and Max Scherzer and Ryan Zimmerman led customary fan chants at Capital One Arena during the Stanley Cup Final, in full Caps garb. Where was Harper? Ever the self-centered free agent, he was alone with his wife in a box wearing a Vegas jersey, looking dejected after the Caps rocked his hometown team en route to a title.

So why am I thrilled as opposed to ambivalent about Harper’s departure? The contract. The Phillies are stuck with him for the foreseeable future. As I have established, he’s not that good. He’s certainly not worth the money and conditions Philadelphia gave him. When the Phillies desperately need to sign an urgently-needed free agent, the overrated primadonna is going to be sucking up all of their spare cash, with no exit strategy, while the roster ossifies. Raise a glass to that, Nats Nation.

At the end of the day, the Nationals didn’t really need Harper. Their new outfield — Adam Eaton, Juan Soto and Victor Robles — is elite and better than it was with the former No. 34. What’s more, they have the financial flexibility to extend players who are much more important to their success — most notably third baseman Anthony Rendon — in the future. That fact alone makes the Nats look like winners of this situation. With regards to Harper, D.C. shouldn’t cry because it’s over, they should celebrate because he’s gone.

Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@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

was sealed in fitting fashion as Young hit a buzzer-beating 3 on a dish from freshman guard Abby Prohaska to give the Irish a 13-point lead.

In the second quarter, the Irish continued to extend their lead, as Ogunbowale put up eight points in the quarter, graduate student forward Brianna Turner added seven and senior forward Jessica Shepard tallied six, as the team put up 24 points in the quarter to head into the locker room up 53-33 at halftime.

However, the Cavaliers did record 15 offensive rebounds in the first half, something McGraw said she considered unacceptable for her team to allow.

The Irish went on to allow just five additional offensive boards in the second half after their halftime adjustments.

“We did talk about that a halftime. It was much better in the second half. I’m surprised you didn’t hear me talking about it at halftime,” McGraw joked.

Notre Dame’s best period came in the third, as is not unusual for the squad. The team put up 30 points in the stanza and held Virginia to just 14. The fans decked out in lime were becoming increasingly aware of Young’s stat sheet, as she began to close in on her triple-double, finishing the quarter with 22 points with nine assists and rebounds.

But it was in the third quarter that the Irish really turned up the heat in the paint, putting up 18 points in the key alone, aided by the pairing of Turner and Shepard.

The Irish did not ease off the gas in the fourth quarter. In fact, a quick jumper by Turner was followed by a made 3-pointer by senior guard Marina Mabrey, who, after her three 3s made against the Cavaliers sits just five off claiming the all-time Irish record for 3-pointers for herself.

The highlight of the quarter, however, may have come with just over six minutes remaining in the game, when Prohaska hit a 3-point jumper from the outside right. While the shot got the bench off its feet, it was followed almost immediately by a second 3-pointer, this time by Ogunbowale just 22 seconds later. The scoring run was not finished yet, though. A brief pause allowed Virginia to make

a quick layup, but 27 seconds after Ogunbowale’s first 3, she made a second one, barely giving the fans at Purcell Pavilion time to recover and putting the Irish up 101-55.

With 4:36 remaining, the seniors on the court made their final exit from a court in their white jerseys in a regular-season game, as Mabrey, Ogunbowale, Shepard and Turner took their seats on the bench, allowing Butler, sophomore center Mikayla Vaughn, sophomore forward Danielle Patterson, sophomore guard Nicole Benz and freshman forward Danielle Patterson to fill the court.

The seniors left the court to a raucous standing ovation, going down as one of the most talented classes in program history.

Apart from Young, the only other players coming off the bench to score were Prohaska, who hit a 3, and Benz, who hit a long outside jumper, both of whom brought the Irish bench to their feet.

After the game, McGraw could not communicate sufficient praise for her five seniors, all of whom have contributed to the program in immeasurable ways.

“Statistically, the best class ever, although not in games won. But those seniors are such veterans. They’re such great teammates. We had no drama,” McGraw said. “When you have 12 women, that doesn’t happen very often, so it’s great to see that they took care of things in

9

the locker room. They helped the freshmen come along. It was a big jump there, we had a lot of freshmen and a lot of seniors and they did such a great job of trying to bring them in and get them to understand what we needed to do, so their mentorship, their leadership, they’re so ready for the next level and yet they never came into practice and just went through the motions. They worked hard every day.”

With the win against Virginia, the Irish clinched their sixthconsecutive ACC regular-season title, earning them the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

“We just have so many weapons on offense and we’re just starting to peak now. I feel like we’re in a great place heading into the tournament as the No. 1 seed,” McGraw said. “We’re exactly where we want to be.”

The Irish will head to Greensboro, North Carolina, to begin the ACC tournament Wednesday. Last season, the Irish fell to Louisville by two points in the tournament finals, marking the first time since joining the ACC the team did not win the tournament. “[The No. 1 seed] is expected,” McGraw said. “We were honestly disappointed that we lost the two games that we did. We really wanted to go through undefeated. So I think we still have something to prove.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish graduate student forward Brianna Turner goes for a layup during Notre Dame’s 103-66 victory over Virginia on Sunday.

The Obser ver accepts classifieds ever y 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 Obser ver reser ves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

For Sale Legends Row Condo FSBO. 3rd fl unit.

Fully furnished 2BR/2BA/2Parking Email: MJG0820@gmail.com

wanted Local ND alums (undergrad and

grad) looking for a student that loves animals to watch our three dogs while we are traveling. The student can home sit for us or just visit our home in the morning and evening to check on the dogs. Please contact us if you are interested and we will discuss pay and provide more details: attorneyatpaw@gmail.com or 321-795-5903.

We live close to campus but you will need your own car in case they need to be taken to a veterinarian while we

are away. Thanks!

Come out Virginia, don’t let ‘em wait / You Catholic girls start much too late / Aw but sooner or later it comes down to faith / Oh I might as well be the one / Well, they showed you a statue, told you to pray / They built you a temple and locked you away / Aw, but they never told you the price that you pay / For things that you might have done / Only the good die young

10

Sports

The observer | monday, march 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Hockey Continued from page 12

passes. The Irish soon found success in the attacking zone with hard work along the boards and below the face-off dots, resulting in several quality looks on Penn State junior goaltender Peyton Jones. The Irish soon earned themselves a power play from their extended zone time.

Despite stellar puck movement and high danger chances, the Irish came up empty-handed but had established momentum in their favor. Notre Dame eventually found the back of the net with just over six minutes remaining when freshman forward Alex Steeves found a trailing Jake Pivonka to set up a hard wrister that would have given the freshman his third goal on the season and a 1-0 advantage to the Irish, but the goal was overturned due to the Irish having too many men on the ice. Despite the early Irish onslaught, it was Penn State that drew blood first after a rebound clean up at the goal mouth by junior forward Denis Smirnov put his team up by one. The Nittany Lions carried their one-goal lead into the dressing room, evening up the shot totals and swinging momentum.

Penn State didn’t waste any time in the second period, netting its second of the evening, just 13 seconds into the period after junior forward Liam Folkes found the back of the net. Notre Dame got a second look on the power play, nearly earning a goal but the right pad of Jones kept the Irish off the scoresheet. The Nitanny Lions earned another tally on the scoreboard when Smirnov cleaned up a rebound in front of Irish junior goalkeeper Cale Morris to score his second of the game and extend the advantage to three. Despite being dangerously close to a routing, the Irish soon responded with a much-needed goal on the power play, when junior defensemen Tory Dello fed sophomore Matt Hellickson for a wrist shot from the right circle, beating Jones on the top shelf and narrowing the deficit to two scores. Both teams traded chances back and forth, but it was the Nittany Lions that would restore their three-goal lead when junior forward Brandon Biro stuffed one five-hole past Morris. Notre Dame again responded quickly, after junior forward Cal Burke cleaned up a rebound from sophomore forward Colin Theisen in behind the net a little over 15 minutes into the period.

Momentum shifted in favor of the Irish as they would end the frame only down two.

In the final period, both teams played fast, two-way hockey, exchanging chances at both ends of the ice, but it was the Irish that found their stride as junior forward Mike O’Leary buried his fourth goal of the season to cut the Penn State lead to just one early in the frame. The Irish kept the pressure up as sophomore forward Pierce Crawford

connected with Steeves to knot the game up at four. Both teams switched to a more conservative play style for most of the remainder of the period, however the Irish earned a critical powerplay chance with 52 seconds left in regulation after Penn State junior Nikita Pavlychev was handed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for head contact.

In the overtime period, the Irish would not squander their extended power play time, ending the game when O’Leary put home the puck in the crease to give the Irish the 5-4 victory and cap off the comeback.

Irish head coach Jeff Jackson praised his team for its ability to finish its come-from-behind effort in the win.

“I think it’s the first time in a while it’s happened. We’ve been resilient but we haven’t been able to get over the hump,” Jackson said. “Being down to Minnesota last week in the third period we had some great chances and couldn’t score.

Tonight we came back we scored a couple key goals and gave us a chance to win it in overtime.”

With the win on Friday, the Irish were also able to clinch home-ice advantage for the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament.

“Having the energy in the building is going to be really important,” Jackson said. “This is what you work for all year long.

It gives us our best opportunity.

It gives us last change which is important.”

The following night of hockey action included Senior Night festivities. Forwards Jack Jenkins, Dylan Malmquist, Joe Wegwert and defenseman Bobby Nardella were honored as the class of 2019. The quartet is the second class in program history to reach two NCAA Frozen Fours and currently have 88 wins.

Penn State looked to spoil the night for the Irish and got off to a quick start. Pavlychev got the Nittany Lions on the board within five minutes of action.

The 6-foot-7 forward tucked the puck into the left edge of the net after solid playmaking by junior forward Blake Gober and sophomore forward Sam Sternschein.

Moments later, Penn State was penalized for having too many men on the ice, followed by another penalty second later for boarding after Malmquist took a big hit from Sternschein.

The Irish had a four-on-six advantage on the ice and capitalized in no time. Nardella and Malmquist set up junior defenseman Andrew Peeke for the score 15:26 into the game.

The assist became Nardella’s 100th career point, tying him for sixth-most by a Notre Dame defenseman.

Notre Dame took the last 11 shots of the first period, tying things up with Peeke’s goal.

Nevertheless, Jackson did not like the early performance of his team.

“We didn’t start as well as we did last night. I thought we were a little sluggish for whatever

reason,” Jackson said.

The second period began like the prior one. Penn State got off to a hot start scoring within the first two minutes. Irish freshman forward Graham Slaggert was called for interference giving the Nittany Lions their second power play of the night. Sophomore forward Alex Limoges scored to put Penn State back on top.

One minute later, Morris made a mistake on a simple pass that Penn State intercepted and almost converted into a goal. The Nittany Lions found themselves on the verge of scoring again, with high intensity play that the Irish were just holding off.

About 14 minutes into the second period Notre Dame freshman forward Cam Burke was at the right place at the right time as he picked up a rebound and got an easy point-blank shot to tie things up once again. On the next play, Slaggert got a one on one against Jones. The play did not end with a large cheer however, instead being followed-up by a tone of disbelief as Jones saved the shot to deny a twogoal blitz.

The second period continued to be dominated by Penn State, who outshot Notre Dame 19-7 and forced Morris to have 18 saves. Nevertheless, the Irish held on to only concede one goal.

Jackson was not pleased with the intensity of his team adding that he was worried that the clinching of the second seed would discourage his players from trying harder.

“I always worry about these

types of games. After we clinched second place in the conference, [I] tried to convince [my team] that there is more than that to play for,” Jackson said. “[Penn State’s] intensity was higher than ours and it showed up in a lot of key areas of the ice.”

The final 20 minutes of play started off following a similar pattern. Following an interference call on Dello, Penn State was given a power play early in the period. Sophomore forward Evan Barratt scored for the Nittany Lions with a shot to the right edge of the net.

Tensions started to escalate as Penn State’s sophomore defenseman Cole Hults and Irish junior forward Luke Novak got tangled up in a play. Officials stepped in to separate the two but halfway through the period, it seemed as though Notre Dame was feeling the pressure of the nearly 5,000 fans in attendance.

Thiesen got past a couple of defenders and got a good look on goal, but his shot was saved

by Jones. A few moments later, Penn State’s Nate Sucese was penalized for hooking but Notre Dame could not capitalize and had their power play killed.

With about a minute and a half left in the game, the Irish were down by a goal at home on their last regular season game of the year. Out goes Morris, in goes an extra attacker. The Irish set up on the ice and looked for a hole to exploit but time and time again, the Nittany Lions’ defense refused to break. A shot by Cam Morrison? Saved by Jones. A shot

by Nardella? Blocked by Hults.

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A shot by Cal Burke? Saved by Jones. Despite the last-minute efforts by the Irish, they only got three shots in the closing 90 seconds and failed to score. Jones’ 38 saves were valuable as the Irish outshot Penn State 16-7 in the closing period but failed to score.

The Nittany Lions made the postgame Senior Night celebrations a little less exciting.

Jackson noted that Senior Night hasn‘t gone well for the Irish the past few seasons.

“It’s disappointing just because we have a reception upstairs for the seniors tonight, you’d like that to be a positive experience. I can’t even remember the last time we won a Senior Night,” Jackson said.

The Irish will now host Michigan State next weekend for the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten tournament in a best-ofthree matchup. Jackson believes his team can be great but right now the only focus is beating the Spartans twice.

“There’s been points where we’ve shown we can be a great team,” he said. “We’ve had some great games. It’s just a matter of finding a way to be able to do it on a consistent basis.

“The biggest challenge for us is going to be getting through that [next] round. That’s all that we have to worry about right now because that’s the only thing in front of us.”

Contact Charlie Ortega Guifarro at cortegag@nd.edu and Dominic Gibson at dgibson@hcc-nd.edu

sports

Bouts Continued from page 12

he said. “Boxing against tall guys is kind of my weakness, so I was doing a lot of preparation for that.”

Feijoo responded to Mettler’s attack with a quick-hitting series of head shots, but Mettler, a sophomore, recovered with another set of strikes. Feijoo let loose a string of shots that sent Mettler reeling, but the latter regained his composure heading into the intermission.

Both fighters came out aggressive in the second round, closing the space and throwing several shots. The fight briefly slowed down as both realized the other’s strength, but Mettler soon unleashed some strong punches. However, Feijoo then forced Mettler into the ropes with a powerful attack. This played into Feijoo’s strategy to bait his opponent and find an opening.

“The first and second round[s] my strategy was to pick out and make him miss, and pick out all my punches afterwards,” Feijoo said. “I knew he was going to tire himself out before I was, and I was going to make sure that by the end of the second round and the beginning of the third round I was going to give it my all knowing he would be more tired than I am.”

As the second period came to an end, Mettler managed to respond with some good defensive shots as Feijoo attempted to attack further. Mettler began the final stanza with a brutal, desparate attack, but Feijoo quickly matched the former’s aggressiveness, once more forcing Mettler to the ropes.

“I was going into the third round knowing that he was more tired than I was,” Feijoo said.

“That is basically what I train for.

I train that when I’m exhausted, my exhaustion will be better than theirs because at the end of the day, you are always going to be tired, it’s just a matter of who can keep on boxing.”

Mettler indeed began to wear down, and Feijoo had his opponent right where he wanted him. One Mettler shot caused the referee to fix Feijoo’s headgear, and he refused to give in, knowing that he needed every point he could get in the dogfight. However, Feijoo’s strategy worked perfectly as Mettler simply could not muster enough energy, and Feijoo won the fight by split decision.

Feijoo said his training helped him ensure that his approach never devolved into just throwing punches, because his mindset was always “boxing, not fighting, but boxing when you’re tired.”

160 lbs.

Luke “Luscious” Fraser def. Nick “The Soviet Stinger” Kiene Both fighters began the bout tentatively, trying to judge their opponent, but Fraser, a sophomore in Alumni, quickly looked

ndsmcobserver.com | monday, march 4, 2019 | The Observer

to land several powerful shots.

“I know he likes to sit back,” Fraser said of his opponent. “He’s a patient fighter, he doesn’t like to initiate so if he wasn’t going than I had to.”

Kiene, a senior in Keenan, kept his composure through Fraser’s initial attack, and managed to briefly knock Fraser off-balance, even drawing blood from him.

Fraser did not relent, and landed a set of solid hits, but Kiene managed to land his own shots as Fraser attempted to close the space, drawing blood from the latter.

“I think it was at the end of the first when he tagged me and my nose started bleeding and I immediately felt the blood start coming,” Fraser said of the series. “[I] didn’t like that.”

As time wore down, Fraser briefly forced Kiene to the ropes, but Kiene escaped, only to be forced back into them right before the first round concluded.

Kiene looked to be the aggressor in the second round, probing with a couple of jabs, but Fraser quickly used his strength to force the former back. As the period progressed, Fraser had a solid set of hits, but Kiene looked to briefly gain the upper hand. Fraser soon respond, reclaiming the momentum, and despite Kiene landing a few more shots, Fraser forced Kiene into the corner. The referee paused the fight to check Kiene, and the second round ended right as action continued.

“He landed a few shots,” Fraser said. “But I’ve taken other shots too in previous fights. So yeah, I’m stepping into the ring and I’m expecting to get hit.”

In the final round, Fraser unleashed an onslaught, pushing Kiene into the ropes and causing another official stoppage. Kiene successfully landed a strong hit to Fraser, but the latter wrapped Kiene up. Fraser began to tire, and Kiene looked to seize the opportunity, but Fraser had just enough energy to keep Kiene at bay. The final round ended with Fraser forcing Kiene once more into the ropes and landing several strong body shots. Ultimately, Fraser’s thorough control of the fight led him to a unanimous victory.

After the fight, Fraser complimented his opponent on his performance, saying, “He did well, he’s a strong kid, he tagged me a few times and made sure I felt them.”

Fraser also spoke of the spirit of Bengal Bouts and what it has meant to him.

“Oh man, it’s so cool,” he said.

“I tell people who I meet … the program is kind of the coolest extracurricular college experience. Something I never imagined would come, something I didn’t consider when I was coming to college was athletic extracurriculars, but this was an open door when I arrived here and it has allowed such a cool opportunity for growth, development, and just enhancing my college experience, meeting new people and trying new things, it’s been a fantastic ride so far.”

Fraser said as a sophomore, he

hopes to have “two more years of participation, and hopefully two more competitive runs.”

168 lbs.

Taylor “Bam Bam” Vucinich def. Ryan “Jessie’s Girl” Green Wasting no time, the 168-lb. final lasted less than one round as junior Taylor Vucinich looked very formidable. After a period of sizing one another up, Vucinich jabbed aggressively at senior Ryan Green’s face before the referee broke the two apart. When the match resumed, Green responded by backing Vucinich into the corner. Bolstered by the ever-present cheers from the Alumni Hall faithful, Vucinich swiftly forced Green across the ring into the opposite corner and landed some powerful punches to Green’s head. As Green looked shaken up, the match ended in a referee-stopped decision with Vucinich taking home the victory. After the match, Vucinich seemed in awe of the whole event.

“I can’t even begin to explain it,” Vucinich said. “The moment you walk out there and you see all the people cheering for you … [it] feels amazing.”

Vucinich also explained how he abandoned his original plan to be more conservative in favor of a more aggressive approach.

“The beginning of my strategy was to counter, but then I realized … [that] I was going to just go for it,” Vucinich said. “It wasn’t the cleanest technical fight I’ve ever been in, but I got the job done pretty quickly.”

173 lbs.

Dan “Pilgrim” O’Brien def.

Jay “Nighthawk” Eversole To open the bout, sophomore Dan O’Brien landed a few strikes to classmate Jay Eversole’s helmet. Eversole recovered well with a barrage of body shots and an strong uppercut to O’Brien’s head. O’Brien stormed back by striking Eversole with such force that his helmet was loosened.

After the match was delayed to adjust Eversole’s helmet, both boxers tried to trap each other into the corners of the ring before the first round ended. After the bout, O’Brien stated that he carried out a more patient and counter-focused strategy.

“Going in, I was trying to be not as aggressive,” O’Brien explained. “I paced myself a bit and waited for those openings, which, for me, was every time I landed that cross and would chase with a couple [punches].

Then, I would back off and catch my breath.”

The second round started as both competitors traded massive hits to each other’s head. Eversole utilized his agility to attempt running uppercuts; however, O’Brien thwarted this strategy by grabbing him and forcing him into a period of grappling.

As he tried to dodge O’Brien’s swings, Eversole lost his balance and fell to the floor as the second round ended. In the final round,

O’Brien was able to land multiple punches to the side of Eversole’s head before he was named the victor. After reflecting on his win, O’Brien stated that he was ready to prepare for future bouts.

“It feels good,” O’Brien said.

“Coming in, I was just telling myself that one man was left to beat it the year. Dieting, hydration and missing out on social events was all part of a process that I took one step at time since the beginning of the year. I’m just ready for that first step for next year.”

185 lbs.

Eric “Cheese Sandwich” Requet def. Michael “The Mayor of Flavortown” Krecek This finals bout began as senior captain Michael Krecek tried to land a swarm of punches but could not break through junior Eric Requet’s two-handed block.

Requet responded by pushing Krecek into the ropes before both boxers exchanged multiple head-shots. Just as Requet’s blocking seemed impenetrable, Krecek broke through Requet’s defenses and gave him a bloody nose. After a short medical delay, Requet aggressively forced Krecek to the ropes; however, Krecek escaped by swinging his body around his opponent before the first round ended. After the match, Requet commented on difficulty of boxing with a bloody nose.

“It sucked,” Requet said. “At one point, I tried to throw a punch and a blood clot came out of my mouth, which I had to spit out. It was tough, but I just had to not pay attention and worry about hitting him and not worry about how much blood was flying around. But it did add an extra element to the match.”

In the second and third rounds, Requet seemed to gain the upper hand due to his endurance. While Krecek tended to attempt quick bursts of uppercuts before dodging Requet’s powerful counter, Requet was patient and absorbed Krecek’s punches with his gloves. After some close-quarters grappling and body shots, Krecek appeared to be worn down. Requet took advantage of this by pushing his opponent into the corner while dealing successive uppercuts, which left Krecek dazed.

After the final bell sounded, Requet was named with winner by unanimous decision. Requet cited his hard work and preparation as the reason for his success in the final.

“It feels amazing,” Requet said.

“I put in a lot of work starting in October, and then coming out and beating two captains backto-back … just shows that, if you put in extra work, it will pay off for you in the end.”

202 lbs.

Jack “Smiles” McDermott def. Montana “Louisianimal” Giordano In a fight between two senior captains, both fighters came in

11

eager for a victory, having both advanced to the finals all three years prior and fallen short every time. After a frenzied start, both fighters showed patience, attempting to get a feel for one another’s style. Then, in the blink of an eye, the fight turned, with both fighters landing shots.

At this point McDermott, an O’Neill Hall senior, seemed to hit his stride, landing a nice spurt of punches to close the round.

The second round began similar to the first, very tight, as Giordano, a senior representing Alumni Hall, looked to push the tempo. McDermott allowed this to happen, luring Giordano in and striking on the counterattack. Despite a lengthy gear break for Giordano, McDermott kept his focus, coming out even strong after a frenzy of punches.

As for the turning point, McDermott felt the third round changed the tone of the match.

“I knew we both got tired, and, when you get tired, you just kind of resort to what you’re good at,” McDermott said.

This seemed to hold true, as he took greater initiative, and despite a few breaks for Giordano to replace gear, he stayed aggressive, forcing a standing eight count, cementing his victory.

Heavyweight Ryan “Eat at Yaz’s” Richelsen def. Nick “Old School” Waytula A contender for the fight of the night, Richelsen, a Morrissey Manor senior, and Waytula, a senior representing Alumni Hall, made their way into the ring for the final fight of the tournament.

Richelsen definitely seemed the more energetic, aggressive fighter, trying to counter Waytula’s height advantage with speed.

That being said, the strategies of both fighters seemed to pay dividends. Richelsen moved Waytula where he wanted, while Waytula used his length and patience to land several strikes on Richelsen.

In the second round, Waytula was more aggressive at the start, but fell back and let Richelsen take initiative. Richelsen’s speed continued to be a factor, as he consistently avoided the meaty hooks thrown by Waytula. In addition, Richelsen continued to move Waytula around, landing jabs to the body and wearing his opponent down.

The third round began rapidly, with both eventually getting tied up. But Richelsen’s energy took front and center, as he pushed Waytula into corners and landed several very solid strikes.

Waytula held his own, however, landing some blows of his own to this chorus of the raucous crowd.

In the end, speed topped size, and Richelsen came out on top via split decision.

Contact Wally Osterberger at wosterb2@nd.edu, Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu, Patrick Gallagher at pgallagh3@nd.edu and Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu

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The observer | monday, march 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

bengal bouts | finals

Bengal Bouts champions crowned

By WALLY OSTERBERGER, HAYDEN ADAMS, PATRICK GALLAGHER and JIMMY WARD Sports Writers

make one critical mistake late in the third, tossing his opponent to the mat, costing Becklund the match as Wilborn was declared winner by split decision.

142 lbs 148 lbs

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Taylor “Bam Bam” Vucinich, left, lands a punch on Tommy “T-Train” Perea during the semifinal round of Bengal Bouts on Monday.

Daniel “The Emotional Punching Bag” Wilborn def. Aidan “Ace” Becklund

Joe “Pa” Purcell def.

Leonard “Typhoon” Calvo

Becklund, a Dunne Hall freshman, came out swinging hard early in the first round, landing heavy combinations to the body and head of Wilborn, a senior representing Alumni Hall.

Meanwhile, Becklund was able to stay out of range for the majority of Wilborn’s combos.

Wilborn came into the second round with an extremely aggressively approach and landed some solid combos to Becklund’s head.

Becklund soon caught on and was able to reestablish Wilborn’s range, forcing Wilborn to wrap Becklund up multiple times in the second.

In the third and final round, Becklund was able to find holes in Wilborn’s offense. By exploiting these holes, Becklund was able to land several shots to his opponent’s head. In an unlikely turn over events, Becklund did

Dillon Hall senior Purcell came into the fight with a clear height advantage measuring 6-foot1, over a half-a-foot taller than his opponent, Calvo, a Keough Hall sophomore who stands at 5-foot-6.

Purcell landed several left jabs along with some powerful right hooks. Purcell rarely threw combos in the first round and relied on his jabs and hooks to keep Calvo at bay. Calvo rushed to Purcell in the second roundand immediately was taken to the ropes by Purcell. Calvo did manage to land several heavy shots to Purcell’s stomach. Both fighters seemed to be losing their energy rapidly as the second round came to a close. Calvo utilized his quickness in the third round ducking below Purcell’s swings. For Calvo — a former high school wrestler — ducking

Irish clinch 6th-straight ACC regular-season title Associate Managing Editor

Irish head coach Muffet McGraw discovered the secret to yielding more production from her bench Sunday, as Jackie Young gave up her spot in the starting lineup to allow walk-on senior forward Maureen Butler to start her first-career game on Senior Day. But when Young entered the game two-minutes-and-fourseconds into the game, she was firing on all cylinders, as the junior guard went on to record a triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

“Jackie wanted to steal the thunder today,”McGraw said of Young. “She came up with a triple-double. Just a great game off the bench. So [she] willingly gave her spot to Butler so she could start. And then came in and had the best game of her season.”

McGraw has spent much of the season encouraging Young to take more aggressive shots, something she clearly took to heart Sunday, as went 3-for-4

from outside the arc and 9-of-13 from the field, shooting nearly 70 percent.

“I think that’s just something that I’ve worked on this season, just really getting confidence.

There’s no reason I shouldn’t be shooting 3s,” Young said. “I think that’s just me passing up shots and kind of just deferring and letting other people shoot it, but I guess now I’m going to have to step up and be more confident in shooting it.”

For Young, a common theme has been self-confidence.

However, her teammates have all the confidence in the world in the leading scorer in Indiana high-school history, both male and female.

“Jackie can literally average a triple-double if she wanted to,” graduate student forward Brianna Turner said of Young.

“She’s just that type of player.

She’s like the Russell Westbrook of women’s college basketball.

She can score, she can rebound, she can get really any stat she wanted to.”

The No.4 Irish (27-3, 14-2 ACC) were in control of the game

157 lbs.

Michael “The K.O.” Feijoo def. Kyle “Nemo” Mettler Feijoo was the first to throw punches and managed to rapidly draw blood from Mettler. The fight was stopped to deal with his injury, but Mettler — the larger of the two competitors — came out of the break with a flurry of hard shots to his opponent’s head.

Feijoo, a senior captain from Morrissey Manor, said he knew facing Mettler would be difficult for him.

“He’s a tall, big guy so I was a little worried about that height,” see BOUTS PAGE 11

HOCKEY | nd 5, penn state 4 (OT); penn state 3, nd 2

nd women’s basketball | nd 103, virginia 66

By ELIZABETH GREASON

these punches and dropping low against Purcell seemed to be almost second nature.

Calvo was able to get beneath Purcell’s long arms in the third round and landed several rapid combinations to the mid-section.

Despite these quick combinations landing and scoring Calvo was not able to rack up enough points to defeat his opponent.

Purcell was eventually named the winner by unanimous decision.

against Virginia from beginning to end, even without the help of the triple-double.

The Irish defense held strong in the first quarter, holding the Cavaliers (11-18, 5-11 ACC) to just four points until junior guard Jocelyn Willoughby hit a secondchance layup and her and-one attempt to break a long scoring drought, bringing the score to 18-7 for the Irish. However, Irish senior guard Arike Ogunbowale answered with a 3-point jumper from the outside right side to expand the margin to 14 points.

While Willoughby was able to score once again on her next chance, Ogunbowale was unphased, taking the next possession as her own to make another 3-pointer, her second of six on the day.

The first quarter continued in a similar manner, with Virginia attempting to chip away at the extensive lead Notre Dame had built in the game’s opening minutes, but with the Irish continuing to answer and build on the lead. The opening frame see W BBALL PAGE 9

ND drops Senior Night matchup

ANN CURTIS | The Observer

Irish freshman forward Graham Slaggert skates down the ice during Notre Dame’s 5-2 victory over Michigan on Feb. 12.

By CHARLIE ORTEGA GUIFARRO and DOMINIC GIBSON Sports Writer

Notre Dame finished its regular season this past weekend after splitting games with Penn State in a 5-4 overtime victory Friday and a 3-2 defeat Saturday.

Friday night’s hockey action provided plenty of scoring.

From the start of the first frame, both the Irish (18-13-3, 11-11-2 Big Ten) and Nittany Lions (1913-2, 11-12-1 Big Ten) looked to set the pace early with clean zone entries and cross-crease see HOCKEY PAGE 10