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Volume 53, Issue 128 | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Senate discusses dorm policy Representatives from Residental Life, Student Affairs respond to backlash By MARIE FAZIO News Writer
Student senate was joined by associate vice president of residential life Heather Rakoczy Russell and vice president for Student Affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding for a special meeting to address recently announced residential life policies Tuesday night in Duncan Student Center. The policies — which include incentives for on-campus seniors, enhancements for all students and efforts that differentiate on and off-campus experiences — were announced April 11 and met with major pushback from the student body. “We didn’t call this policy the senior exclusion policy. We
called this policy differentiating on and off-campus experience,” Rakoczy Russell said. “What that means is what things off-campus will have access to and the ways that they will build community will look different than how on-campus students will.” Hoffmann Harding said the journey to the April 11 announcement began over four years ago, when Flaherty and Dunne Halls were opened to address the issue of overcrowding on campus. “We had seen a significant increase in proportion of seniors living off-campus,” Hoffmann Harding said. “We wanted to understand how important it see SENATE PAGE 4
Observer Staff Report
MARIE FAZIO| The Observer
Erin Hoffmann Harding and Heather Rakoczy Russell meet with students to address negative reactions to the new housing policy.
ND Day breaks records, increases student presence By SOPHIA LAUBER News Writer
Notre Dame Day hit a record high in the number of gifts given and the number of campus organizations that received donations, raising over $2.3 million from 6:42 p.m. Sunday evening to 12:11 a.m. on Monday. Director of Notre Dame Day Matt Gelchion said the number of donations given
increased by over 3,200 from last year and that 809 groups received funding, compared to last year’s 663. “I think part of it was that now that this is the sixth year. There’s more familiarity among fundraising groups about how they can leverage this day,” Gelchion said. A 29-hour live broadcast of interviews, events and performances ran during the entirety of the fundraising
period. Jim Small, associate vice president in the development office, said people from 119 countries tuned into the broadcast. “We had 38 broadcasting professionals help us put on the show — six were students and 32 were pros in the business,” Small said. “They bring the excitement, and we had some great In see ND DAY PAGE 4
Gymnastics club travels to national competition By MAX LANDER News Writer
The Notre Dame Gymnastics Club, although smaller than it has been in the past, concluded a successful season of competition at the national level. This year the club sent 17 students — three men and 14 women — to compete in nationals, where the team took second place and some students
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placed individually in events. Senior Abigail Whalen, the former co-president of club, said the meet was a three-day event with various stages. The team geared up for finals with practices during the school year off campus at a gymnastics facility in Mishawaka. Jennifer Indelicato, a first year graduate student, has participated in the club for the past five
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Forum to reflect on crisis
years. She said practices tend to be open, as many of those on the team have prior experience with the sport. “For first semester we usually try and go once or twice a week and then second semester I think we pretty much always went twice a week for a few hours. It all kind of depended on everyone’s see GYMNAST PAGE 3
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The 2019-2020 Notre Dame Forum, titled “Rebuild My Church: Crisis and Response” will focus on the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, University President Fr. John Jenkins announced in press release Tuesday. “While we must never fail to be honest and forthright about terrible acts of abuse and failures of oversight, the forum is designed to be constructive and forward-looking,” Jenkins said in the release. The forum will “examine see CRISIS PAGE 3
Professors debate gender biases By MARIROSE OSBORNE News Writer
Ever y spring semester, students at Saint Mar y’s are encouraged to prov ide feedback about their professors from the prev ious semester through spring course evaluations. The purpose of the evaluations is for professors to receive feedback on their performance, w ith the aim of helping them grow professionally. However, Terri Russ, associate professor of communication studies, said gendered bias often presents itself in these evaluations. “I have studied this w ith colleagues at Notre Dame,” Russ said. “We’ve discovered that the further you are from the straight, white male norm, the more negative rev iews you w ill receive.” Russ said she has had her ow n experiences w ith gendered bias in the courses she has taught. “I’m a feminist and I teach critical theor y,” she said. “We talk about a lot of heav y
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subjects like oppression, racism and sex ism. I also teach a rhetoric class. There is a lot of w riting involved and I force students to look at both sides of the stor y. I’ve had students say that I’m mean because I don’t smile enough or that I’m unprofessional.” Russ added her experiences w ith gender biased evaluations are not limited to her ow n evaluations. “I have never met a female professor who didn’t have her appearance critiqued,” she said. “No matter what they wear, it’s w rong. You could wear a suit and it wouldn’t be right.” Bill Svelmoe, a histor y professor, said he has a ver y different experience. Svelmoe wears Hawaiian shirts to class and in the w inter, he often doesn’t wear shoes inside. Yet, he has never had a negative comment about his appearance. The comments on his appearance are often complimentary. In an email, Svelmoe said he see BIAS PAGE 3
W’s Tennis PAGE 12
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Wednesday
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Sunday
Last Notre Dame Class Day campus wide all day Final day of class before exams.
Study Days at Snite Museum of Art Snite Museum of Art 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Quiet study option in Museum galleries.
Last Saint Mary’s Class Day campus wide all day Final day of class before exams.
May Crowning The Grotto 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. English and Spanish bilingual Marian procession.
Documentary: “Hesburgh” Debartolo Performing Arts Center 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Screening of new film.
Collegium Musicum Reyes Organ and Choral Hall 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Concert of “A Musical Mirror.”
Documentary: “Hesburgh” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Screening of new film.
Joint-ERG Tango Break Eck Visitors Center 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Free dance lesson by Notre Dame staff.
American Ballet Theatre Studio Co. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Open to the public.
Concert: “Fleur de Lys: Baroque” Reyes Organ and Choral Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Ensemble to perform.
SMC hosts research symposium By CALLIE PATRICK News Writer
Thursday w ill be Saint Mar y’s third annual sy mposium, an event featuring research and showcasing creative works completed by students and facult y. Senior Mar y Coleman, representing the Humanistic Studies department, w ill be on the v isualization panel presenting on a medieval castle in Italy, which has the largest collection of Arthurian frescoes in the world. “I have been working on this project since the beginning on March. I developed the larger project out of a paper I w rote my one of my Humanistic Studies classes,” Coleman said. “Professor Ambrose in humanistic studies has been instrumental. She encouraged me to apply for sy mposium and develop this project beyond a paper.” Hope Marinkov ich, a senior representing the art department, w ill be involved w ith the poster segment of the sy mposium.
“My poster w ill explain the concept behind my senior comprehensive art show, which focused on upcycling and how a mindful treatment of textiles can bring us to a greater understanding (An enlightenment, even!) of our actions as humans and how they/we connect to the natural world,” Marinkov ich said in an email. “At the sy mposium, I w ill also be experimenting w ith a performance piece, in which I w ill inv ite anyone present at the sy mposium to weave a circle w ith me and create a collaborative work w ith members of the Saint Mar y’s communit y. It w ill ser ve as a demonstration of the necessit y of working together w ith others to literally build this circular structure and metaphorically keep the upcycling movement going as a group effort.” Marinkov ich has been working towards the sy mposium for a month, but her senior comprehensive project began way back in October of last fall “w ith brainstorming, finding resources, experimenting w ith the textiles and env isioning what [her] show would look like.” Instrumental to Marinov ich’s sy mposium project was the support
of professors Krista Hoef le, Julie Tourtillotte and Ian Weaver, she said. “[They] have not only given me their time and adv ice in guiding my senior comprehensive project, but have been supportive ever y step of the way, inspiring me w ith their kindness, passion, books and tea to help make this project a success,” Marinov ich said. Saint Mar y’s students w ill be given the day off to attend the sy mposium. “I think it is beneficial for all students to show up to the sy mposium, because these are research projects designed and conducted by your peers. They are interesting and diverse projects focusing on topics that are important to the students of this generation,” Marinkov ich said. “Simply show ing up to the sy mposium communicates a nonverbal message that you care about learning something new that is pertinent and important in this day and age.” Contact Callie Patrick at cpatrick01@saintmarys.edu
News
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | The Observer
Flaherty builds new traditions By ERIN SWOPE News Writer
The women of Flaherty Hall are breaking in their new dorm as they add more signature events and grow closer as a community. Catherine Dieckman, junior and newly elected hall president, said she feels this was the year that Flaherty became a name on campus. “We want there to be an identity associated with what it means to be a Flaherty Bear,” Dieckman said. “So we’re just trying to have staples of events we plan and the things we do be with sisterhood and related to service and just having a very loving, open appearance and identity toward people all around campus — not just within Flaherty.” After its construction in 2016, Flaherty Hall became the new home for previous residents of Pangborn Hall, female students who applied to transfer into the new dorm, as well as around 70 first-years, Flaherty rector Sr. Mary Donnelly said. “It was difficult to move to a new hall and start a new community. Leaving Pangborn — a place I love and called home for eight years — was difficult. Leaving what was familiar and moving into an unknown was both terrifying and exhilarating,” Donnelly said in an email. Caile Coughlin, junior and former hall president, said as a member of the first class to live in Flaherty, it was difficult to mesh the Pangborn community and the new dorm community at times. “I think it was hard to mesh when people wanted to be a new community [while] preserving the Pangborn community,” Coughlin said.
Donnelly said one difficulty she faced as the first rector of Flaherty was figuring out how to help foster a new dorm community. “There have been many challenges … [For example,] how to help the women, who came from several halls, understand and create a new community,” Donnelly said. Donnelly said she made sure to have lots of conversations about what type of community the women wanted and how to get there — including things like what signature events to plan and what their mascot would be. Flaherty has added numerous new events such as Flaherty Food Fights, a cooking competition-style event between different dorms on campus, Flaherty Fights, a fundraiser held during the fall to raise money for Kelly Cares, and “Bear-becues” where residents grill outside. This semester, Flaherty opened “Bearly Baked,” where the dorm sells edible cookie dough and offers vegan and gluten free options, Coughlin said. Maddie Heyn, junior and former hall vice-president, said she values the opportunity for Flaherty residents to leave their own legacies. “Because we are so new, there are things that we can change and there are things that we can do,” she said. “We have these traditions that we are trying to start, and I think there is a lot of enthusiasm about, ‘This is my dorm and this can be what I want it to be,’ with girls starting new signature events, starting new food services and stuff. I feel like it’s a very entrepreneurial spirit.” Contact Erin Swope at eswope2@nd.edu
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often receives comments like, “He looks like Val Kilmer,” “His socks don’t always match his outfits,” “Love the Hawaiian shirts.” “I’ve never had a cruel comment,” he said. “Doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I’ve just never had one.” Bettina Spencer, associate professor of psychology and gender studies at the College, said she has done her own research on bias in these evaluations. “This is pretty well-documented across the country,” Spencer said. “ … The comments section gets very personal for women, while they’re kept vague for men. There are often complaints about things women can’t change like the sound of their voice.” Spencer said this trend is indicative of a double standard for male and female professors at the College. “Women are expected to always be both likable and competent,” she said. “For men, it’s enough that they be competent. Likability is just a bonus for male professors. It’s a cool extra thing, but it’s not necessary for men the way it is for women.” This double standard is especially visible in reviews of women of color, Spencer said. “If women of color aren’t seen as warm and friendly, they’ll be called rude and dismissive. However, if they’re too warm and friendly, they get called unprofessional,” Spencer said. “It’s a line between professional or friendly and it’s a line nobody can walk. You get dinged either way.” Spencer said non-tenured professors tend to take reviews more personally. “When you’re first starting off, it’s hard to know what’s bias and to discard, and what you should actually keep,” she said. “I try to focus on what’s actually about my class. I can’t change my voice and I’m going to wear what’s comfortable. However, I know that I’m privileged in that matter. I have tenure. It’s harder for junior faculty members to know which critiques are valid and which are a result of biases.” In terms of the effectiveness of student evaluations, Svelmoe and Russ agree evaluations can be helpful for professors. “I think what evaluations are
Crisis Continued from page 1
the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church and explore reforms” the release said. The forum’s first panel, titled “The Church Crisis: Where are We Now?” is scheduled for Sept.
better at measuring is simply, ‘Did students enjoy the class?’” Svelmoe said. “I think there is often a direct connection between ‘enjoyment’ of a class and real learning. It’s just that evaluations are less effective at measuring real learning, and more effective at measuring student enjoyment. Did students look forward to coming to class? Did they like the prof? Did they stay interested once class started? Those are important things to know, whether or not they directly correlate to student learning.” Russ emphasized the importance of continuous evaluation in order to keep students involved and to help prevent gendered evaluations. “When students give their final course evaluations, they’re anonymous,” she said. “It’s like online trolling. I think it’s important for professors to seek feedback throughout the course. That way, they still have time to correct the course if something doesn’t work.” Russ said she tries to give students information about the evaluation process. “I take some time to call out and talk about the evaluation process,” she said. “It’s important for students to know how [evaluations] can benefit students.” The most important thing for Russ is that students try to be civil in their evaluations. “Students should remember that professors are people and that we have feelings too,” she said. Spencer said Saint Mary’s has been trying to combat gender bias in evaluations. “We redesigned the evaluations a few years ago to try and remove space for the biases,” Spencer said. “We want to make the evaluations more effective and less open ended. When the questions were open ended [comments] were just about the person, not the class.” Spencer said at Saint Mary’s, specifically, the bias is about the same as around the country — however, that can change over four years at the college. “There is so much sexism inherent with women in high-status positions,” Spencer said. “However, we have done studies and we know that by the fourth year, women at Saint Mary’s tend to have reduced gender stereotypes. There is a perspective shift over four years towards women leaders.” Contact Marirose Osborne at mosborne01@saintmarys.edu
25 and will feature several scholars familiar with the crisis, including Kathleen McChesney, a former FBI executive who contributed to the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”; advocate Juan Carlos Cruz; journalist Peter Steinfels; and John Allen, the editor of Crux.
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schedule,” Indelicato said. Indelicato said nationals, run by the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Club, gave out both individual and team scores. “So for nationals this year, the way it worked was we competed in all the event, but not every person competed for every event. So the top-three scores for each event were counted toward the team score,” Indelicato said. The club has been around for a while, recently celebrating their 40-year anniversary. Whalen said the club used to be larger, and has a robust alumni network. However, the 20 or so members that make up the club now mark a significant expansion from four or five years ago. “Last year the club really exploded. We got a lot of young freshmen — now sophomores — [and] some really good talent who are coming up and will be here for several more years to continue the team,” Whalen said. One of these students, sophomore Brittany Keane-Murphy, placed individually in several events. “We placed second as a team, but I qualified individually for all-around, bars and floor. I placed second all-around, second on floor and fourth on bars,” Keane-Murphy said. She said though it helps to have a background in the sport, a lot of gymnastics is mental. “Starting later is always harder because you’re older, everything hurts more and all that. But it’s not so much difficult to get into,” she said. “Gymnastics is a very, very mental sport. Ask any gymnast, it’s like 80% mental and only 20% physical for like all the skills. So once you get past that fear of doing something, the technique and the strength and all that is easy.” Though it’s a relatively small sport, varsity gymnastics is very competitive and selective. Keane-Murphy said this means that club competition is also very competitive. “A lot of people who don’t make their varsity teams will join their club teams, so you get some really high level people in the club teams,” Keane-Murphy said. The club provides a way for those interested in gymnastics to compete and practice their skills, as well as a place and groups of people to do that with, bringing together students from across the tri-campus community. “It’s really connected me into the St. Mary’s and Holy Cross communities. We have gymnastes from all three universities, which is pretty rare,” Whalen said. “It’s given me a different set of friends and a different place to blow off stress.” Contact Max Lander at mlander1@nd.edu
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Senate Continued from page 1
was for all of us to have upperclassmen leadership in those communities. As wonderful as I hope all of your hall staff are, it’s equally valuable to have upperclassmen down the hall.” To determine the policies, officials used input from student focus groups and discussions and demographic analysis to determine trends in movement off-campus and possible factors that would entice students to say. Residential life systems at Vanderbilt University and University of Dayton were used as benchmarks, she said. “We believe deeply that this residential experience matters — it’s part of the undergraduate education,” Hoffmann Harding said. “We think it’s something that makes us different, we hope it’s something that makes us special. We hope ultimately that it’s a place where each student feels as if they belong.” This research led to the Sept. 2017 announcement of the sixsemester residency requirement, which was announced prior to the application process of that year. A similar negative reaction to a six semester requirement overshadowed the announcement that several incentives would be announced as the first class affected by the residency requirement, the class of 2022, became upperclassmen. Rakoczy Russell said the team did not initially plan to announce the on and off-campus differentiation policies April 11, but were urged to include it in the announcement by rectors and members of residential communities. “We decided to tack on an extra item to the April 11 announcement, mainly so that first-year students will know that by the time they are seniors there will be a difference between the on and off-campus experience,” Rakoczy Russell said. “What that difference will be will be decided in conversation with students over the course of the next academic year with the idea that by this time next year, we can say fully fleshed out what that looks like.” Details are still undecided regarding senior fellow positions and block meal plans, although Rakoczy Russell expects to have official practices implemented by the fall of 2021. Rakoczy Russell said students have frequently mentioned the lack of consistency between residence halls — specifically across gender lines — in focus groups. To investigate this issue, 100% of rectors participated in an anonymous survey regarding enforcement of the policy. “Depending on the hall, depending on the rector, the size of the community, the perceived priorities or needs of that community, there were
different practices relative to each hall, some of it divided on gender norms,” Rakoczy Russell said. “What I heard from students over time was that there was great dissatisfaction not knowing what they could count on as a hallmark of a residential community.” Rakoczy Russell said the survey found practices regarding off-campus senior differed between halls. This is a recent development, she said — about 10 years ago, some residence halls began allowing students to compete in interhall sports teams, particularly football, which eventually spread to other practices including dances. She noted future plans to send an email every August that details changes in consistency policies for that year. Katherine Fugate, an offcampus junior who plans to stay off-campus next year, said a certain kind of student — one who lacks the “mainstream Notre Dame identity of being white, Catholic upper-class student who is heterosexual and cisgender” — may not find community in their residence hall. She cited Notre Dame’s commitment to Catholic Social Teaching, specifically preferential option for the poor, as a reason to allow those who would like to move off to do so without repercussions. “Any conversations about inclusion also include conversations about who’s excluded from those activities,” Fugate said. Hoffmann Harding said although individual student needs differ, student discussion groups revealed students of color and students receiving significant aid were more likely to stay on campus. “The single biggest and most significant predictor of whether or not a student moved was actually not receiving financial aid,” Hoffmann Harding said. As a possible solution to those who do not feel at home in their assigned dorms, the interhall transfer process was streamlined. Students are no longer required to speak with both rectors, and an exemption process — which overrides housing decisions — was put in place. Hoffmann Harding expressed a desire to continue the conversation with students during the process of shaping the policy throughout next school year. “As such as we regret that maybe some of our intentions were misunderstood here, I actually think it’s really exciting,” Hoffmann Harding said. “This is a conversation that matters. We know that you care. You care about these communities that you were a part of and you care about the experiences that you had there and that to me is very powerful.” Contact Marie Fazio at mfazio@nd.edu
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interviews. 29 hours of storytelling — no one else in the world does anything like this. It’s a storytelling platform unlike anything else in the world.” A new goal for ND Day this year was to create excitement within the student population, Gelchion said. “For me there’s two measures of success,” Gelchion said. “One measure was, ‘Do we help more groups raise more funds and help them reach their goals?’ But the other goal was, ‘Does this become a day that students look forward to?’” To help achieve this goal, an ND Day student leadership team was formed. Co-chair and senior Jade Martinez said the team — composed of about 30 students — was meant to reflect the wide variety of student interests on campus. Martinez said she was given the job with just one instruction: make students excited about ND Day. To do this, the team looked at different events that would be fun opportunities for students to win money for their clubs and groups, Martinez said. In March, the team launched Fighting Irish Flicks, a new competition that asked groups on campus to make a minutelong video showcasing their group. The women’s water polo team received $500 for their first-place video. Two other new events
geared toward students were the Golden Giveaway and Things in Things. The Golden Giveaway was a coffee giveaway on Monday morning, in which eight students won $50 by receiving a specially marked coffee. In Things in Things, students guessed how many items were in five containers, one of which was a stadium bag containing Hershey Kisses, Gelchion said. The student that guessed the closest number in each container received $100 for themselves and $100 for the organization of their choice. The student leadership team also came up with the idea of The Quest — a scavenger hunt in which clues leading to a hidden token were released every day from Wednesday to Sunday. The token — hidden in a book titled “In Quest of Light” in the Hesburgh Library — was found by a team of students from Notre Dame Students Empowering through Engineering Development (ND SEED). “We knew it wouldn’t be a piece of cake, but we were so thrilled at how invested some groups became in it that we will make sure that the challenge next year is absolutely worthy of its challengers,” Gelchion said. The student leadership team also created an Instagram page, “notredameday,” to increase publicity for ND Day and worked to clarify misconceptions about the event within the student population. Paid Advertisement
“I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding about how the $1.2 million pot works, and where exactly all of the money goes,” Martinez said. “The $1.2 million is raised — it’s not taken out of tuition or something else. It’s specifically families donating this money in order to help clubs and dorms be able to do the things that make Notre Dame great.” Martinez said she believed students were also uncertain about where exactly the donated money goes. “I don’t think people realize that it’s directly to the club or dorm — it doesn’t go anywhere else,” Martinez said. “The votes just help you get more money, but that initial $10 or $20 or however much you donated — that’s going directly to the group you wanted.” Gelchion said he hopes student excitement and participation in events will continue to increase next year. He said love for Notre Dame from both people indirectly connected with the university and from current students is what makes ND Day successful. “You have members of the community currently who feel this place is really special — whether it’s that they feel their dorm is so special or their club — and people respond to seeing how much they care about it,” Gelchion said. “Because it’s important to them, it becomes important to others.” Contact Sophia Lauber at slauber@nd.edu
The observer | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
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The observer | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Why you should be paying attention to Ajax Wally Osterberger Sports Writer
By the time this article reaches you, you may have seen soccer news about a game between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax. Many know who Tottenham Hotspur, or “Spurs,” are, as they are one of the six-biggest English clubs competing for Premier League glory every year. But fewer people know about their semi-final competition, Ajax. Those who know the history of soccer and the ins and outs of the modern game know Ajax and the incredible contribution the Dutch club has made to what we witness today. Ajax are based in Amsterdam, and are one of the three-biggest Dutch clubs, the other being PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord Rotterdam. All three clubs share similar business models and styles of play, which Ajax pioneered. In the 1960s and 1970s, Ajax revolutionized soccer on and off the field. First, on the field, Ajax had two things going its way. First, it had the greatest Dutch player ever in Johan Cruyff on the team. Secondly, under coach Rinus Michels, it had a tactical system known as “Total Football.” Essentially, Total Football is a system in which positions are interchangeable, and each player can adapt to different situations. It depends on a team being balanced, technically sound and each player fundamentally understanding the game so he can instantaneously respond to what he encounters. For his system, Rinus Michels was recently named the greatest manager ever by French newspaper L’Equipe. Off the field, the club changed how clubs acquired players. Ajax became famous for its academy. In the academy, they would take young, talented players and train them in the Ajax style of playing. That way, when they got older, players could seamlessly transition into the senior squad. These strategies were extremely successful for the club. In its history, the club has won the Dutch league, known as the Eredivisie, 33 times, and the Champions League four times. The academy has produced legends of the game that have gone on to win at Ajax and the biggest clubs around Europe. Furthermore, many of these players have gone back to work in some capacity for the club or manage other clubs around Europe. For example, the current CEO of Ajax is Edwin Van der Sar, who played goalkeeper for Ajax, winning the Champions League with them — along with four league titles — and then went on to do the same with Manchester United. The system of Ajax spread across Europe. The aforementioned Michels and Johan Cruyff went on to Barcelona, who have followed the same pattern to the pinnacle of the modern game while developing incredible talent, including arguably the greatest player of all time in Lionel Messi. Ajax’s current competitors in the semi-finals, Tottenham, has four former Ajax players of their own, all recognized as worldclass in their positions, with Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderwiereld, and Davinson Sanchez. Furthermore, all four are available and more than likely to play. Whatever happens this season, this team is certainly going to break up beyond recognition next year. It’s a sobering reality that, in the modern game, money talks. This Ajax team is a marvel to watch, playing beautiful, up-tempo soccer, scoring goals for fun while defending solidly at the back. They have taken down giants of the modern game, including the three-time defending champions Real Madrid in an emphatic manner, as well as pre-season favorites and Italian champions Juventus, who boast the talents of Cristiano Ronaldo. If I could suggest one thing, it’s that you watch this team while you can, because you may never get the chance again. It’s not the last time you will hear these names, some may even end their careers as transcendent talents, but they will most likely not wear the Ajax badge past this season. For Ajax, well, they will continue doing what they do best: producing prodigious talents and playing wonderful stuff. It’s a cycle for the club. They produce the talent while the rich clubs buy it. But Ajax will not be short on funds after the summer, and, quite possibly, could soon consistently be battling it out with the big boys, as they should be. Appreciate the Ajax way, because the game you love would not be the same without it. Contact Wally Osterberger at wosterb2@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The pain of a name I recently listened to a speech given by a fellow St. Ed’s resident, Charlie Donnelly, on being comfortable in our own skin and using our past to understand our present and using both to shape our future. Charlie, thank you, because it was just the wake-up call I needed. Picture this: a third grade Corey Gayheart, and eventually middle school Corey… disproportional, discovering new things and ideas and trying to figure out where he fits in the school environment and in the world. He has braces and spiky hair and still hasn’t worked off that baby weight. He is interested in art and drawing, loves attending local theater productions and is getting involved in student council. He enjoys reading and attends city council meetings. He plays more traditional sports like soccer, football, basketball and baseball. He is extremely organized, has a higher-pitched voice with lots of inflections and loves to smile. He has crazy facial expressions and lots of energy — albeit channeled into playground games with mostly girls rather than the touch football game happening a few yards away. In addition to the above interests and traits, many students make fun of him for his last name, or for caring about things that most kids don’t care about or for having hobbies like drawing and watching theater. They say he’s too feminine and too organized for most guys. People question why most of his best friends are girls. Others make fun of him because his last name has the word “gay” in it. Over time, bullies made me believe my last name was something inherently bad, that having a more effeminate personality was some mark of weakness. Gayheart became funny, abnormal and wrong. I did my best to ignore these bullies and jokes, but it hurt nonetheless because it was my name. It felt emblematic of a larger insult to my family. Only now have I come to realize that those peoples’ words had an extremely detrimental impact on my growth and development. They even redefined my very view of the word “gay,” somehow rendering it synonymous with the lesser. Allowing others to make fun of my last name, and laughing along with them, reinforces a toxic culture in which the word “gay” means something funny, bad or wrong. This, in combination with toxic masculinity and regressive ideas about what it means to be a man, do great harm to young men all over the country, myself included. Additionally, being feminine or masculine is not indicative of who you are and the qualities that we should be valuing in people. The word gay is not wrong, not funny, nor bad… it is a word that describes how some people love. Being feminine or having other traits that are not viewed by some as “traditional” is not wrong. These things make up a personality, which is inherently deserving of respect. Having interests that most other young men do not have — such as drawing, or theater, or non-traditional sports — is neither wrong nor abnormal. In my freshman year at Notre Dame, I discovered new feelings that I hadn’t really noticed before (or had subconsciously suppressed without even acknowledging doing so). As these feelings became more prevalent, I was presented with an extremely large internal battle that I only recently conquered, and along the way encountered anxiety and
depression. I had noticed an attraction to men, as well as women, and this terrified me. How could I succumb to the word that was so bad? A word that I had always strived to avoid, so as not to relive what I had gone through years earlier? The fear I felt at that word’s mention seemed insurmountable. This fear led me to shut the world out; I became irrationally terrified that the world and people I have grown to love would not reciprocate when I needed them most. To be gay or have any of those feelings was simply wrong in my mind, and this ultimately lent itself to a four year-long struggle from which I only recently emerged. The bullying continued at Notre Dame. During the student body campaign last year, I had an anonymous note slid under my door indicating that if I continued to run for student body VP, everyone would learn my secret. Other times, there were homophobic jokes and slurs used in conversation. In one instance, a slur was used as I was leading a Welcome Weekend team and had my first year students nearby. To say these instances hurt would be an understatement, but they certainly made me stronger and eventually pushed me to write this. I am bisexual. I am attracted to both men and women. It is not up to others to determine my life and define the labels that describe it. This is not bad, wrong nor funny. It’s who I am. I’m proud of that. I am not mad at those bullies from elementary and middle school… they were, while unfortunate, a significant part of my life and taught me the importance of greater empathy and understanding. You never know what someone is going through behind a facade. To only now understand what that bullying did to me is very sad, but also very important as I am able to develop a narrative that all too often describes a gay/bi man’s journey in our country. I am using my past to make the most out of the present. This is both freeing and exhilarating, and it has immediately lifted a weight off of my shoulders. Luckily for me, my family is supportive of me being my truest and best self, and I love them so much for it; I also realize how lucky I am to have finally found friends who, along with my family, offer me the support system I have needed. I am more privileged than most in that department. I am a bisexual Catholic man from Fairborn, Ohio who enjoys drawing and sports and theater and politics; a man that has only just now found the courage and freedom to celebrate who he is. To my fellow students and staff, please continue to evaluate how you interact with others. Be aware that your words carry meaning and have a great impact on those around you. To the University, please examine adding sexual orientation to the non-discrimination clause of this institution. It would be the most inclusive practice to do so and signal institutional support for some of the most marginalized in our community. And to all those young men out there who are bullied because you don’t fit into a traditional mold of man, or because you like to draw or hang out with girls more than guys, do your best to ignore it and love yourself. Lean into who you are and know that you are loved, valued and important. Corey Gayheart senior April 30
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The observer | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Why Notre Dame needs potty talk Imagine you’re sitting in class and your professor is trying to get out the last points of a lecture amidst a shuffling of papers and backpacks, but you aren’t listening because all you can think about is how badly you need to pee. When the professor finally ends class, you squeeze past your classmates and bolt out the door to the nearest set of bathrooms. It’s a close call, but you make it just in time. Now imagine that bathroom wasn’t an option for you. Everyone needs to use the bathroom, but not all bathrooms were created with everyone in mind. Perhaps you use a wheelchair or are unable to navigate a small stall. Maybe you’re gender-nonconforming or trans, and a crowded, multi-stall bathroom poses a risk to your safety and privacy. Maybe you need menstrual products or a private sink. Maybe you don’t have to pee, but you do need a place to change your kid’s diaper. Or maybe you need some assistance in the bathroom, or to provide assistance to a loved one. Because everybody uses the bathroom, barriers to accessing public bathrooms are barriers to participation in public life. Free2PeeND is a student research project that seeks to reduce barriers to safe and accessible bathrooms by locating, evaluating and mapping single-occupancy, all-genders bathrooms on the campuses of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s, and Holy Cross. “Single-occupancy” refers to bathrooms with a single toilet and lockable main door; “all-genders” means anyone can use a facility, regardless of gender identity or expression; and “ADA-compliant” means the heights of the fixtures and the width of the door frame meet specifications set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our mission, simply put, is to provide equal access to bathrooms. We hold this to be in line with tri-campus community’s responsibility to uphold the dignity of every person, regardless of ability, gender, identity or access needs. Developed by faculty advisor Dr. Pam Butler, associate director of Gender Studies at Notre Dame, the bathroom mapping project has involved the work of countless Gender Studies students and volunteers over the last two
years. Free2PeeND has now compiled the data collected by students into an interactive Google map of all the public single-occupancy, all-genders bathrooms in the tricampus community. This digital map includes nearly 100 bathrooms and uses symbols and colors to indicate which facilities meet ADA standards, offer menstrual products and/or include a diaper-changing table. It includes pictures of each bathroom with a detailed explanation of its location and resources. Soon, this resource will be added to the ND Mobile app map, so app users can find a bathroom that meets their needs the same way they would locate an accessible parking space or a printer station. Multi-stall, gender-segregated facilities accommodate some people and bodies and exclude many others. Throughout our research, we have heard from men who have difficulty finding a diaper-changing table not located in a women’s bathroom, individuals who have been made to feel unsafe or uncomfortable using the bathroom due to their gender presentation, folks who want privacy to rinse out a menstrual cup or empty a colostomy bag and people of all ages who may need assistance using the bathroom, often from a caregiver of a different gender than themselves. Again, these examples present just a few situations in which easily located single-occupancy, all-genders bathrooms can make public space more inclusive. Ultimately, Free2PeeND believes any individual who is a member or guest of the Notre Dame community deserves to feel safe and to have equal access to public space. Because bathroom use is universal, we see this resource as a step toward a more just and inclusive community. In providing this resource, we hope to communicate to all members of the Notre Dame family they are seen and they are valued. This is an inherent part of the University’s mission and rooted in the Catholic understanding of human dignity and social justice: To provide accessible bathrooms for all people is, in the words of the Notre Dame Mission Statement, to “create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning
becomes service to justice.” In the future, Free2PeeND will continue to gather data, update the map resource and advocate for universal bathroom access across the tri-campus community. Our next priority is to locate the dozens of single-occupancy restrooms on our campuses that are restricted by gendered signage and work to redesignate them as all-genders bathrooms. In our mission to provide equal access to bathrooms, we believe it is only fair to broaden access to these facilities and not limit access based on gender. Today and tomorrow, we hope everyone is free to pee at ND. Dr. Pamela Butler Associate director of Gender Studies Sara Berumen junior Gregory Esrig senior Sarah Kelley senior Erin Lenke senior Michael Lodenquai senior Colin Mackey junior Amy Mansfield senior James Murphy sophomore Lia Rocchino senior Maddy Schierl sophomore James Zwierzynski senior April 25
Sri Lanka and Notre-Dame: Christianity under fire Jack Zinsky In the right corner
Sri Lankan Christians were stunned when a series of bombings in Catholic churches killed 290 and left more than 500 others seriously injured. This comes only days after the devastating Notre-Dame Cathedral fire and the destruction of other French churches by fire around the same time. Catholics already in mourning for the loss of a beacon of their faith were hit with more tragedy as the persecution of Christians continues. While the media did address these attacks and covered the Notre Dame fire extensively, the fact remains that Christian persecution is grossly overlooked. This has become a pattern in this column, but the social media addressing of the Sri Lankan attacks once again failed to capture the enormity of the devastation and the actual victims of the crime. Hillary Clinton rightfully spoke out on Twitter specifically against the persecution of Muslims after the Christchurch attack in New Zealand (though the full scope and meaning of that attack is an issue to address another time). However, following the Sri Lanka Easter attacks on Christians, Clinton avoided using the word “Christians,” instead substituting the phrase “Easter worshipers.” Barack Obama did the same thing. While the intent still seems to be the typical politician “thoughts and prayers,” this tweet carries a subtext that Democratic politicians fear using the word “Christians.” This begs some questions: Why is the left so afraid of Christianity? For a party so devoted to diversity, why not condemn specifically the persecution of Christians, just as
it condemns the persecution of Muslims? Will world leaders don crucifixes and rosaries just as they donned hijabs in solidarity with those at Christchurch? This is not a Christianity vs. Islam debate. This is an observation of the hypocrisy of politicians with an agenda. Politicians that preach diversity and equality should treat religious tragedies equally, then, right? The cycle of the media means great tragedies are forgotten within 48 hours, and the selective avoidance of the word “Christian” is an attempt to filter out the Sri Lanka bombings quickly and disassociate the attacks with anti-Christian violence. The media, of course, did their part in focusing on all the wrong things. CNN actually aired a segment criticizing Donald Trump for getting the fatality number wrong in his condolences tweet. The network decided to actively avoid discussing the implications of the tragedy to nitpick the President’s error, which was sent while the death toll was still being tallied. This was not surprising for a network devoted to slandering the President first and delivering news second. While CNN did cover the Notre Dame fires sufficiently as the news broke, it did what the other news outlets did: avoided a real explanation. Church fires surfaced around France before the Notre Dame fire, but these went generally unacknowledged by the mainstream media. The atrocity of church arsons and bombings recently during the Triduum is appalling and disgusting. Given that there were many deliberate attacks on churches in recent weeks, the Notre Dame Cathedral fire should be given a second look and much further investigation. The cathedral’s rector speculated that an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire, which spread quickly in such an old building. The blaze was detected
and an alarm sounded, but a computer bug showed the fire in the wrong place, causing the roof to ignite without obstacle. This explanation is very feasible, and I hope investigators can prove that it was accidental. Until then, though, every cause is on the table. Keeping in mind that both Sri Lanka and Notre Dame are very fresh, hot-button topics, I mean no disrespect by this speculation. Nevertheless, I do think that it is worth considering Notre Dame to be a potential arson. Think about the context: churches around France were vandalized in the year leading up to it, and now bombings at Catholic churches in Sri Lanka killed nearly 300 Christians. Notre Dame was sandwiched between these purposeful terror acts. It stood for 800 years before it suddenly burned down. I do not believe it was anything more than an unfortunate accident, but the media has not even entertained the idea of an intentional attack, especially given the context of incidents before and after Notre Dame. Christians everywhere are grieving for Sri Lanka and Notre Dame. Christians continue to be persecuted, yet it is glossed over in the media, which is afraid to even use the word “Christians.” In this time of violence, Christians must remain true to their faith and politicians must avoid hypocrisy. Unfortunately, the latter seems to be far less likely than the former. Jack Zinsky is a sophomore from Tinley Park, Illinois, majoring in finance. He writes for the rights of the right. He can be reached at jzinsky@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Classifieds
The observer | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Rise above negativity. Look for opportunities, and make adjustments that promote what you want to achieve. A move that allows you to apply your skills in a unique way will give you a new lease on life. Spiritual and inner growth will offer insight into what’s really important and help you set your priorities straight. Strive for perfection. Your numbers are 8, 19, 23, 27, 34, 38, 42. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t hide from controversy when you should address issues head-on. Taking responsible action and keeping the peace will help you avoid being blamed for what other people do. A business meeting will lead to an unexpected offer. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You don’t have to take no for an answer; move on to someone who is more compatible to get the response you want. Working in unison with the right person will pay off and bring you the satisfaction you desire. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be resourceful. Check facts before you get involved in a joint venture or you make a purchase that is less than adequate. Put your energy into personal improvements and gains, not someone else’s goals. Do your own thing. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Look at the possibilities, and start heading in a direction that makes you happy. Sitting on the sidelines or letting others control your destiny will not lead to the success and happiness you desire. Embrace challenges and aim to win. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Check your motives before you head into something that may not be in your best interest or the interest of the people you love. Consider alternatives, and discuss your choices with those affected by the decision you make. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Emotional, financial or medical issues will surface. How you handle situations will reflect who you are and what you are capable of doing. Set a high standard, and rise above anyone trying to get more for less. Romance is on the rise. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take everything into consideration when dealing with a domestic issue or a family member. Look for solutions, and offer them in a positive manner to avoid resistance. An honest approach will sideline complaints and negativity. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Get on board if there is something that interests you. The people you encounter and the information you receive will motivate you to start something new or to revisit a goal you have yet to accomplish. Love is on the rise. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t let someone confuse you. An emotional encounter will put you in a difficult position regarding a friendship. Do what’s right, and be fully prepared to walk away from someone trying to meddle in your affairs. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Turn your idea into a reality. A financial gain is heading your way. Negotiate, invest and look at reasonable ways to cut costs so you can focus more on the endeavors you want to achieve. A past problem should not be revisited. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You can help others, but don’t take over or someone will end up taking advantage of you. Offer suggestions, but put your energy to better use by making positive changes at home and to your surroundings. Start a new project. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Open your door to friends and relatives. Listen to what others have to say to gain valuable information that will help you adjust to the changes that are going on around you. Romance will enrich your personal life. Birthday Baby: You are spunky and vivacious, with a personal presence that is powerful indeed.
Wingin’ it | olivia wang & bailee egan
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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SPORTS
ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday may 1, 2019 | The Observer
Sports Authority
Sports authority
Manning, Mets and more: reflecting on go-to topics
Looking back on last four years Carlos De Loera Sports Writer
Being a senior, I get a lot of question about the future will look like. No joke — as I started writing this someone asked me what I’ll be doing after graduation. There is so much emphasis on looking back at the years spent in this pseudo-home of South Bend. It seems that people like to indulge in this reflection, even getting emotional about certain memories. I don’t like that very much either. Maybe it’s because I have a black void where my heart should be, or perhaps it’s that I don’t listen to enough sad-boy Drake music. In spite of my inclinations, I will now, very hypocritically, look back at some of my favorite sports moment since I enrolled at this fine university. Mexico ties Brazil 0-0 at the 2014 World Cup When it comes to futbol, my heart has always sided with the Mexican national team. Yes, I was born in the United States, but my parents are from Mexico, so my support for the the country’s clubs courses through my veins. And further still, the emotion and stakes behind a Mexico game way surpasses that of a U.S. game. Nobody gave Mexico a chance in the pregame chatter. When you play Brazil in Brazil, the future looks reasonably dim. The game is most notable because of the inspired goal-tending of Mexican keeper Memo Ochoa, who made incredible save after incredible save. So, yes it was a scoreless game, but it was undyingly thrilling and some of the most fun I’ve had watching a sporting event. The rest of the tournament wasn’t as generous to México but I’m here to remember joy, not heartbreak, so let’s move on. Oct. 4, 2014: Notre Dame defeats Stanford 17-14 It was my third time ever attending a football game and all I had ever known was victory. The stakes were high in this top-15 matchup. It also happened to be the day in which temperatures dipped below 40 for the first time all semester in addition to a torrential downpour. My weak California heart was fearful of the weather, but peer pressure is strong and social exile is daunting. Throughout the close game it rained and as the fourth quarter drew to a close many students left to escape the elements. With 1:01 left in the game, the Irish down by 14-10, and fourth-and-11, thenjunior quarterback Everett Golson completed a 23-yard
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lob to then-senior tight end Ben Koyack for an Irish touchdown. I remember looking over at a friend, both of us completely soaked from the rain, and for a moment we didn’t care about the horrible weather. Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals A 72-win team blows a 3-1 series lead after coming back from that same deficit against the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The LeBron block. The Kyrie shot — cold blooded! The stupid Curry behind-the-back pass attempt. Curry and Thompson unable to make shots. Draymond having the game of his life but Kevin Love with a plus/minus of plus19. What a wacky and wild game. Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics I’ve heard of the lore of Mark Spitz and had seen the freakishly dominant nature of Michael Phelps, but I had never seen anyone like Katie Ledecky. In her first individual event, the 400-meter freestyle, Ledecky broke her own world record with a time of 3:56.46 — five seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Five seconds. Ledecky was nearly out of the pool by the time the silver medalist finished. Her most remarkable performance, however, was in the 800-meter freestyle. In the qualifying heat, Ledecky set the Olympic record for the event and in the finals, she set the world record with a time of 8:04.79 — 11 seconds faster than the silver medalist. Ledecky had dried off by the time the second-place finisher completed the race. When the cameras focused on her during the race there were no other swimmers in the frame. She was the embodiment of dominance. These Olympics also saw the rise of Cody Miller. The swimmer received a gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay and a bronze medal in the 100-meter breaststroke behind an American-record time. Miller has Pectus Excavatum, a condition where the sternum and/ or ribs are abnormally shaped, producing a sunken-in appearance of the chest. Who else has this condition? Me. So it was really cool to see someone with a condition that has often made me feel uncomfortable about my body appearance very confidently bear his chest. Power to all of us concave-chested people! Contact Carlos De Loera at cdeloera@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Elizabeth Greason
Senior Sports Writer
My Sports Authority columns are usually pretty predictable. They’re almost always about one of four things: the New York Mets, the New York Giants, golf or women’s basketball. And since this column is my final one for The Observer, I would be remiss to not write about one of those topics. They’re my go-to topics because they’re what I truly care about most deeply in the sports world. So, without further ado, here’s a tasting menu of an Elizabeth Greason Sports Authority. The New York Mets — Pete Alonso Where did this guy come from? The Polar Bear has just exploded in his first month in the Majors. He’s got nine home runs and 25 RBIs and has already proven that he can come through when it matters. He, along with Robinson Canó and Jeff McNeil have provided fresh life to the batting order and truly added meat to the heart of the roster. Where there were question marks before, led by Alonso, the Mets now find threats to opponents. I don’t want to speak too soon. However, at the moment, one month in, Pistol Pete and his gang of infielders are bringing life to an offense that could be characterized as sluggish on a good day last season. The New York Giants — The NFL Draft What were the Giants thinking? Sure, maybe Duke quarterback Daniel Jones will mature with a year or two on the bench under the world’s greatest in the position, Eli Manning. But here’s the thing. Jones wasn’t going anywhere. The Giants had not one, not two, but three first-round picks. They could have used that No. 6 pick on literally anyone else. Which leads me to think they picked Jones that high just to make a point. A point that they just didn’t want Dwayne Haskins. But the Giants’ 2019 Draft just gets worse from there. They went on to draft Dexter Lawrence out of Clemson with their second pick in the first round. On paper, that’s a great pick. The Giants did
not need a defensive tackle. There are so many more spots that needed filling at a much higher priority than that spot on the line. Let’s find a functional O-line first, maybe. Or fill the void Landon Collins’ departure leaves. But the Clemson big man should not have been a No. 17-pick priority. Things looked up with Deandre Baker and then, of course, Julian Love ended up in New York, so that’s lovely. But then it all fell apart when the Giants’ Round 6 pick, Corey Ballentine, got shot and ended up in the hospital the night he was drafted. So, all in all, Eli fans are feeling good about the prospects of the 38-year-old getting at least another year under center in blue. But overall, there are a lot of questions about what Gettleman has got up his sleeve next. Golf Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely seen that Tiger Woods is back. Two-and-a-half years ago, I wrote a column arguing Woods was back, but not better than ever. However, I did say that, given time, Woods could win another green jacket if he could stay healthy (prophetic, I know). Well Woods has done just that, roaring back to prominence as he took home another green jacket with his fifth Masters victory and his first Major victory in 11 years. Woods’ return to the winner’s circle ushers in a new era for golf. One where we can talk about Tiger again without looking ashamed for hoping his name might appear near the top of the leaderboard, because now he has proven on the most important of stages that it can get there and stay there. However this new era is not all about Woods. Because if we look behind his name on the 2019 Masters leaderboard, there are some new faces — some faces that have been hanging around for a few years but who are just starting to make names for themselves. So, while Tiger is ringing in his own new era, he is also welcoming in the new generation: the Xander Schauffeles, Tony Finaus and Patrick Cantleys of the world. I’m looking forward to watching Tiger out there with the new guys,
occasionally fending off an advance from a familiar face. Women’s basketball — The WNBA and CBS I would say that unless you’ve been living under a rock you should have seen this too, but I think that might be putting too much faith in the recent public ascent the game of women’s basketball. So I’ll fill you in: CBS Sports Network will broadcast 40 WNBA games beginning in May. The league also has a deal to show 16 regular-season games on ESPN, with three on ABC. Last season, regular-season viewership increased by 36% for the WNBA. Maybe it’s because Las Vegas got a team and suddenly everyone in Nevada tuned in to every game. But somehow I don’t think so. I think the WNBA’s meteoric rise in the ratings is due to a very long, hardfought battle on the court. Maybe it’s because in the NCA A, once again, a team that was not from Connecticut took home the national title. The “Is UConn bad for women’s basketball?” argument finally had to come to an end last season, no matter which side of it you fell on, when the Huskies didn’t even have the chance to play for the national title. And let’s not forget, they didn’t get the chance to do so after one of the most viewed sports moments of the year and after one of the most memorable shots I’ve ever seen — a shot by Arike Ogunbowale that was repeated to win the NCA A tournament two nights later. A shot that got people to take note of the fact that, hey, these ladies can actually play well. So while the 2018 Final Four certainly was not the only factor, it definitely didn’t hurt going into the WNBA season. And another incredible 2019 Final Four will ideally have the same effect on the WNBA, especially with the talent being funneled into the league this year and the broadcasts being significantly more readily available throughout the season. Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Sports
The observer | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
M Lax Continued from page 12
Irish in early April. At the front end, Notre Dame’s attack jumped out to a 4-1 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back, spreading the wealth w ith six different goalscorers. But it was Br yan Costabile’s day, as the junior midfielder opened the scoring w ith two goals in the first
quarter to set the tone for the Irish. Even after Duke (11-4, 2-2 ACC) cut Notre Dame’s lead to 4-3 w ith 10 :33 left in the half, the Irish stopped the run w ith a big save from Schmidt, and went on a 4-1 run to head into halftime up 8-4. Irish faceoff man and A ll-ACC selection Charlie Leonard dominated the possession battle w ith 17 of 26 faceoffs won on the day, and the junior also added a solo
goal in the third quarter to give Notre Dame a 10-5 lead. But a 5-1 run by the Blue Dev ils over the final t wo quarters made things interesting w ith t wo minutes left. After the Irish missed a sitter, Duke had a chance to tie w ith just over a minute left. But w ith a man up, the Irish turned on the heav y pressure, and Costabile forced a bad pass by Duke goalie Turner Upgren that was intercepted at midfield.
Junior defenseman Jack Kielt y returned the favor to Costabile, and t he ju n ior s lot ted home an empt y netter for his fifth of the game to seal the w in. Notre Dame now faces Virginia (12-3, 3-1 ACC) in a rematch of last year’s conference championship, which the Irish dominated in a 17-7 w in. A ll time, the Irish lead the matchup w ith seven w ins to three, but the Cavaliers won the regular-season Paid Advertisement
W Tennis Continued from page 12
the country and went 17-13 playing most of her individual matches. She has defeated four ranked opponents, including victories over Purdue’s Silvia Ambrosio, then-ranked ninth nationally, and North Carolina’s Sara Daaverrila, then-ranked sixth in singles at the collegiate level. Corse’s season included a 23-6 singles record, and 10 of these victories were in tough ACC matchups. She ended the spring season on a tear winning all six of her final matches. Together, Spence and Corse combined to create a formidable doubles tandem, earning 12-7 record on the season. They finished the season ranked as the 45th best doubles pair in the country, helping Notre Dame earn the doubles point throughout the season. Other players also had very successful campaigns this year. Bojczuk went 18-12 in singles play, improving on her 15-6 record from her debut spring season. Broda played very well in her final year with the Irish and went 19-10 in singles play. Despite having her season marred by injury, senior Rachel Chong completed her Notre Dame career on a high note by winning her final collegiate match in the ACC Tournament game versus Pitt. Taylor and Maeve Koscielski also performed very well in important matches
during their first year with the Irish. It was Notre Dame’s first season under head coach Alison Silverio, who took over for Jay Louderback, who led the program for 29 years before retiring following the conclusion of the 2018 spring season. A collegiate tennis player herself, the new Irish leader had a storied career in tennis as a Yellow Jacket. She was recently inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. Silverio was a senior leader on the 2007 Yellow Jacket NCAA national championship team, securing the victory with a key win over her UCLA opponent on court two. Her various accolades during her collegiate career include an NCAA Championship MVP award, two All-ACC honors, four ACC AllAcademic honors and the ITA Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. She was also a part of three ACC championship teams and was named the MVP in the 2005 ACC championship match. In the Georgia Tech record books, Silverio ranks second in career singles wins (107) and first in career doubles victories (98). Since Notre Dame is only graduating two players, most of the young core of the team will return next year, in addition to several new freshmen, like five-star recruit Page Freeman. They have garnered a lot of experience playing in high profile matches and will likely be much improved in the next season. Paid Advertisement
matchup bet ween the t wo teams w ith a 13-11 w in. The Irish had seven players score in the game, but Costabile was held to only one goal, while the Irish let Virgina’s star attackman Ian Lav iano rack up five goals, a careerhigh for the sophomore. The Irish w ill look to defend their ACC crow n on Saturday in Charlottesv ille, Virginia, on Saturday afternoon. The game is set for 2 p.m.
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | The Observer
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Softball Continued from page 12
aLLISON THORNTON | The Observer
Irish junior outfielder Alexis Bazos takes off down the baseline after putting the ball in play during Notre Dame’s 8-0 victory over IUPUI on Apr. 2 at Melissa Cook Stadium. The win over IUPUI was one of Notre Dame’s 32 total during this season.
aLLISON THORNTON | The Observer
Irish freshman Payton Tidd winds up to deliver a pitch in Notre Dame’s 8-0 victory over IUPUI on Apr. 2 at Melissa Cook Stadium.
aLLISON THORNTON | The Observer
Irish senior infielder MK Bonamy prepares to field during Notre Dame’s 8-0 win over IUPUI on Apr. 2 at Melissa Cook Stadium.
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w ith 12 home runs and 49 RBIs. From the offensive side, the Irish have an array of talented batters that have led to the team being ranked 15th nationally in team batting average, 28th in scoring, 36th in slugging percentage and 46th in home runs per game. Senior designated player Cait Brooks leads the charge for the Irish offense. Brooks has a .419 batting average and a .899 slugging percentage, the latter of which places her at ninth in all of college softball. Brooks’ 18 home runs set the Notre Dame single-season home run record and is good for 11th nationally. She also leads the team in RBIs w ith 50 and is 25th in the nation w ith a .521 on base percentage. She w ill look to add more in her final games at Melissa Cook Stadium. Senior left fielder A li Wester w ill also be likely to contribute at the plate in her final home games as well. Wester has a .417 batting average on the year, second only to Brooks. W hile Wester does not slug like Brooks does at .482% , she consistently makes contact w ith the ball and gets on base, racking up a team-leading 70 hits on the year in 47 games, good for seventh nationally. Junior second baseman Katie Marino can also produce at the plate. W hile Brooks leads the team in batting average and in onbase percentage, Marino is second in the team in both slugging and on-base percentage, w ith .649 and .473, respectively. The other three seniors on the squad — catcher Maddie McCracken, first baseman MK Bonamy and third baseman Melissa Rochford — also play pivotal roles in the team’s success. McCracken has played backup at catcher this season but in limited play ing time has contributed solidly. Bonamy, while sixth in the team in batting average at .326% , can get on base and hit w ith power, posting a .519 slugging percentage and .424 on-base percentage, good for third and fourth best on the team, respectively. Rochford, while not standing out among her teammates in terms of offense, is still a solid contributor w ith a .327 batting average, a .456 slugging percentage and a .381 on-base percentage. A ll the seniors w ill hope to play well and have a memorable last home series at Melissa Cook Stadium. Game times are scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
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The observer | wednesday, may 1, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd WOMEN’S TENNIS
Notre Dame squad eliminated from ACC Tournament after tough conference schedule Observer Sports Staff
On Monday, the Notre Dame’s season officially ended as they were not awarded a spot in this year’s NCAA tournament. The development came after Notre Dame (13-12, 5-9 ACC) was eliminated from the ACC Tournament behind a 4-1 loss to No. 23 Virginia on April 18. The Cavaliers (17-8, 8-6 ACC) took care of business quickly against the Irish. Sophomore Vivian Glozman and freshman Sofia Munera went up against sophomore Ally Bojczuk and freshman Zoe Taylor, posting a 6-1 victory on court two. Senior Meghan Kelley and junior Hunter Bleser got it done even faster against junior Bess Waldram and graduate student Brooke Broda, posting a 6-0 win on court three to leave the match between freshman No. 52 Amber O’Dell and junior Chloe Gullickson and sophomore No. 50 Cameron Corse and junior Zoe Spence unfinished as the two victories were enough to
grab the doubles point. Bojczuk found success in singles over No. 116 O’Dell, but she was the only Notre Dame player who found victory on the day. Virginia grabbed their other three victories in straight sets, getting their overall win, 4-1. The Irish were hopeful that they would receive an NCAA tournament bid due to their quality resume and they fought through one of the toughest schedules in women’s tennis, playing top level programs like No. 3 Duke, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 21 Miami, No. 22 Wake Forest and No. 9 NC State. The Irish were 8-4 when playing at home in the Eck Tennis Pavilion and just 3-7 on the road. Although the Irish will not partake in the postseason, their season did end with some positives — Spence and Corse were named third team All-ACC due to their outstanding play. Spence finished the season ranked as the 70th best singles player in see W TENNIS PAGE 10
MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer
Irish junior Bess Waldram competes in singles competition during Notre Dame’s 7-0 victory over Bowling Green on Jan. 23 at Eck Tennis Pavilion, one of the Irish’ s 13 wins in the 2018-2019 season.
ND SOFTBALL
nd men’s lacrosse | nd 12, DUKE 10
Irish defeat Blue Devils, advance to championship
ND poised to capture ACC title
Observer Sports Staff
Observer Sports Staff
This past weekend, No. 8 Notre Dame earned its revenge over No. 7 Duke w ith a 12-10 w in in the ACC semifinals that helped the Irish (8-5, 2-2 ACC) book their third-straight trip to the ACC championship game this coming Saturday — a rematch of last year’s title w ith No. 4 Virginia. In the championship game last year, the Irish found success, posting a 10 goal, 17-7 w in over the Cavaliers. In the game, the Irish had quick offense and stif ling defense, picking up 45 ground balls — w ith each starter scooping at least one — and forcing an astounding 11 turnovers. Irish head coach Kev in Corrigan returned to Matt Schmidt in goal for the Irish, and the sophomore did not disappoint w ith a careerhigh 18 saves to stif le a Duke attack that scored 14 on the
Notre Dame heads into its final games of the regular season, facing Georgia Tech in a home series this weekend at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish (32-15, 15-6 ACC) are in position to w in the ACC Atlantic regular season title w ith at least t wo w ins and a few Florida State losses in their weekend series at Sy racuse. The Irish are riding high, currently on a seven-game ACC w in streak, and have won fourstraight series against ACC opponents Boston College, NC State, Virginia and Pitt. A ll but the NC State series were sweeps for the squad as well. Softball teams hope to put it all together at the end of the year, and the Irish look to add to their momentum and cap off a strong regular season show ing to prepare for ACC Tournament play. Georgia Tech (30-23, 11-10 ACC) currently sit at third place in the ACC coastal div ision and sixth overall in
see M LAX PAGE 10
EMMA FARNAN | The Observer
Irish sophomore attack Wheaton Jackoboice surveys the field during Notre Dame’s 12-10 win over North Carolina on April 20.
the conference. The Yellow Jackets are riding high as well, hav ing just swept Sy racuse in this past weekend’s series in Atlanta. They too look to carr y their momentum into postseason play, setting the scene for an exciting series. The Irish w ill look to rely on their main producers this weekend, as well as send the seniors off in their final home series at Melissa Cook Stadium. Expect freshman pitcher Pay ton Tidd to pitch in both the Friday and Sunday games. Tidd looks to add to her stellar freshman campaign, where she is 22-6 on the year w ith a 2.53 ER A. She w ill look to contain sophomore second baseman Breanna Roper, who leads the Yellow Jackets w ith 181 at-bats and a .381 batting average, as well as junior right fielder Crosby Huckabay, who is third on the team in slugging percentage at .604 but leads the Yellow Jackets see SOFTBALL PAGE 11