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Volume 53, Issue 15 | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
University manages game day logistics Office of Game Day Operations coordinates campus events taking place each football Saturday By TOM NAATZ Associate News Editor
In a given semester, Notre Dame’s campus consists of about 8,600 undergraduate students. Nevertheless, on six Saturdays throughout the fall semester, many thousands more fans descend on campus for Notre Dame home football games. Mike Seamon, the University’s vice president or campus safety and event management, estimated that about 100,000-120,000 come to Notre Dame on a given weekend. For last weekend’s game against the University of Michigan, that number was probably closer to 150,000, he said. Coordinating the logistics
for these large events is Game Day Operations, the office responsible for ensuring home game weekends proceed as smoothly as possible. University President Fr. John Jenkins established the office, which began work ahead of the 2009 football season, Seamon said. “In 2008, [Jenkins] commissioned a task force … to look at the game day experience on campus,” Seamon said. “[It was] a 17-person task force. Student body, alumni association, athletics, student affairs — they used the 2008 season to look at the Notre Dame game day experience. Then, they provided a report to Fr. see LOGISTICS PAGE 4
ANNIE SMIERCIAK | The Observer
Fans watch the Irish take on the University of Michigan in the Stadium on Sept. 1. The University employs a number of strategies to enhance the game day experience for visitors, who flood campus on game day.
Notre Dame panel promotes ethical dialogue By MADISON BOLLENBACHER News Writer
Hoping to open up a discussion on how to have ethical and and productive debates, the University Writing Program, the Higgins Labor Program, the Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy, the Snite Museum and the Young
Americans for Freedom jointly hosted a panel Thursday night in the Geddes coffee house. John Duffy, associate professor of English at Notre Dame, began the panel by considering what is meant by the words “ethics” and “ethical arguments.” Duffy said there are three major philosophies through which one can interpret and ask
questions about ethics. The first perspective, Deontology, assumes there are actions which are categorically right and categorically wrong, and asks a person to consider what, in actuality, is the right thing to do. The second perspective, Duffy said, examines the consequences of see ETHICS PAGE 3
Lecture examines reform of East African prisons By ANNE ELIZABETH BARR News Writer
Alexander McLean, founder of the African Prisons Project, discussed his mission of reforming the criminal justice system in eastern Africa at a lecture Thursday at the Hesburgh Center Auditorium. McLean discussed the African Prisons Project’s
NEWS PAGE 2
work with members of eastern African prison communities. With a goal of improving the criminal justice system and empowering the poor, the African Prisons Project provides prisoners and prison staff with an education in law through the University of London. “Regardless of what’s been done to you or what you have done to others, you are
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
welcome here,” McLean said. McLean said such vision helps bridge the gap between those who are privileged and capable of defending themselves, and those who are poor and uneducated in the prison system. “What would it look like to take those who understand the power of the law see PRISONS PAGE 5
SCENE PAGE 8
College program fosters diversity By IMAN OMAR News Writer
For over 10 years, Saint Mar y’s has facilitated the Diversit y Dialogues program which prov ides an opportunit y for students to engage in respectful conversation across differences and learn through that experience. The program, which is done in collaboration w ith Iv y Tech, is designed to talk about race and issues related to race in a facilitated context, said the director of the Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership, Mana Derak hshani. “The program ser ves as a way to prov ide students w ith an opportunit y to practice civ il discourse on important issues w ith indiv iduals from different per spec t ives,”Dera k h sha n i said. “In particular, it is important to have the students from Iv y Tech or other schools participate as they bring diversit y to the group in terms of life experiences
nd MEN’s soccer PAGE 16
as well as other aspects of their identit y. It also aims to bring together small numbers of communit y members from different races [and] ethnicities, to learn about and discuss the issue of race and racism in the U.S. and in their communit y, w ith the intention of coming up w ith action plans that the group could implement and thus improve things in their communit y.” Senior Elizabeth Innis, who took the course in the spring of 2017, explained that the program inv ites students to engage w ith identities and experiences that are essential to the societ y in which we live today. “I believe there is a need for programs like these in all communities, but for Saint Mar y’s specifically there is a histor y of not being ver y diverse,” she said. “It is not because we are not inclusive, but because nationw ide there is a lack of opportunit y see DIVERSITY PAGE 5
FOOTBALL PAGE 16
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TODAY
The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com ndsmcobserver.com P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556
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The next Five days:
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Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Todd Rundgren’s Play Like a Champion Concert DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Football: Notre Dame vs. Ball State Notre Dame Stadium 3:30 p.m. The Irish take on the Cardinals.
Sunday Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:45 a.m. All are welcome for this celebration.
Exhibition: “Delicate Absence” by Katherine Sifers Riley Hall 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Open to the public.
9/11 Prayer service The Grotto 8:46 p.m. A service of remembrance, peace and healing.
Football Pep Rally Eddy Street Commons 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Come cheer on the Irish before they take on the Cardinals.
Flick-Fil-A LaFortune Ballroom 9 p.m. Enjoy Chick-fil-A and watch “Avengers Infinity War.”
Film: “Lean on Pete” Browning Cinema 3 p.m. An adolescent boy bonds with a horse. Tickets $4-$6.
Workshop: Grants and Funding at ND 110 Brownson Hall 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Introduction to applying for ND grants.
Lecture: “What Would James Madison do?” Leighton Concert Hall 7:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. By Judge Amy Barrett.
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Dillon Hall residents celebrate dorm traditions
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By PATRICK HUURMAN News Writer
Editor’s note: This article is one in a series profiling the dorms. Previous articles have covered dorms built before Dillon Hall. Approximately 87 years ago, Dillon Hall opened to residents, funded by Knute Rockne and a 1925 Rose Bowl victory for Notre Dame. The hall is named after Fr. Patrick Dillon, the second president of the University of Notre Dame. The chapel is dedicated to St. Patrick but contains a side altar dedicated to St. Olaf, the patron saint of Norway, to honor Rockne, who was born in Norway. Though Rockne’s success with the football team was the source of funding for Dillon Hall, he never got to see it completed. The side altar was added after the chapel was completed to honor Rockne and his dedication to the university. “I love the location, I love the culture and I love the amount of guys in regards to [interhall] athletics,” Hayden Parkhill, a sophomore currently living in Dillon, said.
After Notre Dame’s athletic success in the 1920s under Knute Rockne, the University built Dillon and Alumni Halls to house the growing student population. Along with Alumni, Dillon first housed students in the fall of 1931. Students, however, were asked to spend the first few weeks of the semester in South Bend houses while waiting for the residence halls to be completely finished, Fr. Paul Doyle, the rector of Dillon, said a member of the first class of Dillon residents told him. Next year, the residents of Dillon Hall will move into the currently unnamed building on McGlinn fields behind West Quad so Dillon itself can undergo renovations. Though the students would traditionally move into Pangborn during the reconstruction, Dillon Hall contains so many residents that it would be impossible to fit all of them into Pangborn, Doyle said. Doyle said he hopes the renovations preserve the windows above the doors in Dillon, known as transoms. “We’re the only dorm left with transoms that work. I hope they survive the rehabilitation,” Doyle said in regards to the renovations.
Dillon Hall is well-known across campus for its Thursday night “Milkshake Mass.” In 1997, Doyle started the milkshake mass to encourage questions about faith and fellowship among students. As another positive, Doyle said, the free milkshakes offered around 10:45 p.m. every Thursday give students a reason to avoid going off campus to socialize. “The chapel holds 170 people, [but we always have] people sitting on the floor,” Doyle said. When asked what they enjoyed most about living in Dillon, both Parkhill and Doyle said the community that comes along with being such a big residence hall was extremely important to them. “You get put in a dorm by the computer, yet each dorm has its own personality based on the students who are here. The creativity of the student leadership is a really big deal,” Doyle said. “It’s so edifying to be around such good young people, and all my classmates who come back say that. ... Surely, the best part about [being rector] is the students.” Contact Patrick Huurman at phuurman@nd.edu
News
Ethics Continued from page 1
actions. However, these philosophies can face difficulties when reviewing their practical values. “In [certain] case[s], there are some values that clash pretty dramatically, and so people begin to
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, september 7, 2018 | The Observer
feel less secure,” Duffy said. Ultimately, Duffy said he “feels most compelled” by a third perspective: virtue ethics. “The question to ask here is what would a good person do … and what does it mean to be a good person?” he said. The answers to these questions can be found through qualities
such as “truthfulness, accountability, generosity, compassion and courage,” Duffy said. “Every time we argue, we put propositions in front of others, and we ask them to judge us … In doing that, we are in a sense, inviting them to make an assessment of ourselves, and our ideas,” he said. Elizabeth Capdevielle, assistant
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teaching professor in the University Writing Program, continued these thoughts by invoking the works of figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and considered how the rationale behind these individuals could be used to foster more ethical communication in writing. “If we want to be part of powerful social change, we can take the road
of non-violence, and communication can be our way of doing that,” Capdevielle said. Nathaniel Myers, of the University Writing Program, discussed the six rhetorical virtues — honesty, knowledge, virtue, tolerance, judgement and intellectual courage. Through the usage of these virtues, Myers said writers will be able to be less combative and more productive in persuasive pieces. Still, there are limitations to these strategies, Myers said. “To engage virtuously in argument requires that both sides are seeking to engage virtuously … If you are the only one that’s obligated to use words responsibly … you’re already going to be in a losing position,” he said. Ending the panel, Patrick Clauss of the University Writing Program, recalled walking in his home while the lights were off and running into his couch. Though no one was there to hear his exclamations of pain, his reaction was still to shout. “We are evolutionarily programmed to use language. When something happens to us, we react. “When you feel attacked, do you willingly give up your position, or do you more tightly cling to your position?” he said. “ … When we feel attacked, we defend.” Contact Madison Bollenbacher at mbollenb@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Logistics Continued from page 1
Jenkins on how the University could better manage the game day experience. So that’s when Game Day Operations was born.” Though on a technical level the office is in charge of running the logistics of game weekends, Seamon explained that its larger role is to help present the many faces of the Universit y to v isitors. “We know people are coming for the football game. We understand that. But what Fr. John and the trustees and the leadership want to do is let Notre Dame be the best it can be and open up the Universit y so people can experience ever y thing from the athletic tradition, to the academic elements of it, to the faith elements and then also the social elements,” he said. “We know people come here to see a game, but we want them to experience ever y thing good about the Universit y.” Game Day Operations is designed to coordinate all of the necessar y logistics to make sure fans walk away hav ing had a positive experience
during their v isit, Seamon said. “Game Day is this office that tries to help organize that in a way to make it easier for ever ybody,” he said. “I would say it’s this organizing element that works w ith all these different div isions. Game day is such a massive operation for the Universit y. No one office can do it by itself. It’s all these entities: it’s the athletic department, it’s student affairs, it’s the alumni association, it’s food ser v ices, it’s campus safet y, it’s landscaping, it’s parking. A ll these elements come underneath it. We just ensure we’re all row ing in the same direction.” Planning for the season begins long before opening kickoff of the first game, Seamon said. Game Day Operations w ill start developing plans for year in the preceding w inter. “The planning for game weeks and the home season … actually starts in Januar y and Februar y,” he said. “The cycle is basically that we use December and Januar y to get all the feedback from the prev ious season. We all think about different initiatives and how we would change it. We do a little bit w ith the Blue-Gold Game
in April, but by the time we get to summer, we’re really finalizing details of our offerings and how do things.” For home game weeks, staffers from various campus offices and departments gather early in the week before the game to start implementing the plans for the weekend, Seamon said. “On a home game week, on Tuesday morning, there’s probably 125 people, all leaders across the Universit y, ever y thing from football operations to food ser v ices to landscaping to safet y to police, medical fire, we all meet to talk about the week and what we want to do and how we want to do it. Our teams work throughout the week to get it ready and to implement it,” he said. Though there is a “backbone” of plans used throughout the season, Seamon explained that plans var y from game to game. For instance, kickoff time can affect planning, as can the opponent and where that team is traveling from. Seamon cited weather as “a consistent challenge because it is so inconsistent.” About 4,000 personnel works each game day. A lison Thigpen, director Paid Advertisement
of game day operations noted the importance of guest ser v ices teams in ensuring a positive experience for fans. “That’s roughly 70 indiv iduals and they’re the ones you see across campus in the green polos or green bla zers. They’re stationed strategically across campus at various posts and they’re helping guests w ith ever y thing from handing out maps, to directions, to game day shades for the kids, to answering general questions about Notre Dame and welcoming,” she said. “They also drive the courtesy carts around campus, helping guests get from one spot to the other. That’s Friday and Saturday. During the game, they’re also stationed throughout both levels of the concourse and guest ser v ices booth.” Other schools have taken notice at the success of Notre Dame’s Game Day Operations. For example, the Universit y of Georgia recently launched a game day ambassador program, SilverDawgs modelled after what Georgia fans and officials encountered at Notre Dame during the Bulldogs’ v isit to South Bend a year ago. Seamon said Notre Dame
is unique in the college football world, and that fact imbues a lot of meaning into the office’s work. “We hear over and over again that coming to Notre Dame for a football game is a bucket list experience. If you’re a baseball fan, you want to go to a game at Wrigley or Fenway. If you’re a race car fan you want to go to Day tona. If you’re a golf fan you want to go to Augusta or Pebble Beach,” he said. “There’s these things that if you have something in your mind that there’s something unique about there. W hat we’re finding out more and more is it’s a bucket list. People, regardless of if they’re cheering for Notre Dame, if it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience or they come here ever y game, ever y week, or anything in bet ween, we want them to understand that it’s different. We’re no better or worse than any other universit y game day experience in the countr y, but we think we are distinctly unique. A nd that’s what we are tr y ing to work w ith all our colleagues on, across campus.” Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu
News
Diversity Continued from page 1
for and encouragement of minorit y populations to go to college and succeed. This program is unique in that it inv ites students who are outside of the Saint Mar y’s communit y to share their thoughts and experiences of diversit y and inclusion.” Innis said the greatest goals of the class include reduction of racism, an increase in inclusivity and a fuller understanding of how racism affects people. The program prompts introspection and engagement through positive action, explained Innis. “This action could be as simple as changing your ow n thoughts on a subject, or calling a friend out for a racist comment, to starting a group which seeks to teach children about racism and how to change it,” she said. “I could not recommend this course enough to students. The dialogue we had w ith members of the South Bend communit y was incalculable. I learned so much about myself and all the people involved, and I believe we are all better
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, september 7, 2018 | The Observer
off because of it.” Julie Storme, the cofounder of the program and professor of modern languages and intercultural studies, said for her this program is one of the most concrete ways that Saint Mar y’s prepares women to make a difference in the world. “Diversit y Dialogues is meant to help lay a foundation of understanding among indiv iduals who have different lived-experiences,” Storme said. “Furthermore, it strives to show that this kind of understanding needs to be taken beyond Saint Mar y’s as members of our communit y interact, live and move to other communities or other work-study env ironments. I hope that it makes Saint Mar y’s a more inclusive and welcoming to ever yone communit y. I also hope that the student-participants who take it move out in the world ready to listen to others who are different from them and w illing to w itness how difference is lived in this countr y and eager to speak the truth they learn.” Contact Iman Omar at iomar01@saintmarys.edu
Prisons Continued from page 1
because they lived it … and to give them high quality legal education that they can apply to themselves and people in their communities? It seems that lawyers are some of the people in society with the most agencies, and the prisoners the least,” McLean said. During his lecture, McLean described what prompted him to get involved in such an effort. As a recent high school graduate, the founder traveled to Uganda to work for a hospice center. McLean said seeing the lack of attention and medical care given to the impoverished members of the community helped him understand his calling in life. “There are people in this world whose lives are judged to have no value. … It was an amazing time of formation to me,” McLean said. From his work at hospice, McLean began getting more and more exposure into the criminal justice system and visiting maximum security prisons in eastern Africa. “In places where 80 or 90 percent of prisoners would never meet a lawyer — places Paid Advertisement
where there are no juries — it didn’t seem like justice was guaranteed,” he said. McLean, now a magistrate in the United Kingdom, expressed his realization that his love of law could be used to help the incarcerated. “We believe we can all play a part in making or shaping or implementing the laws — regardless of what we have done or what others have done to us,” McLean said. Through slideshows and informative videos, McLean shared various stories of prisoners and prison staff alike who graduated from the University of London as lawyers or paralegals. One such story was of a prison guard named Jimmy Mtawa who is currently a second year law student at the University of London’s longdistance program, and who advises inmates on their legal situations. McLean said the students from the African Prisons Project were amongst the top performers at the University of London in human rights law. In addition to legal education programs, McLean spoke to the importance of creating more positive and safe environments in the prisons both for prison staffs and inmates
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themselves. McLean discussed his theory that employee performance and quality of prisoner life will improve if the quality and dignity of employee working conditions increase. “If you give employees a dignified environment with the right tools and say the work they are doing is valuable, it motivates them and they will go the extra mile,” McLean said. Improving health facilities, providing basic health training, founding libraries and literacy programs were among the programs McLean mentioned as a part of this project. In addition to the actions and programs of the African Prisons Project, the founder emphasized the organization’s values of forgiveness for the past and looking foward the future. “We believe that we all deserve a second chance,” McLean said. McLean finished his presentation by encouraging his audience to spread this mission of the African Prisons Project throughout the world. “If it’s possible in east Africa, isn’t possible here where you live too?” McLean said. Contact Anne Elizabeth Barr at abarr@nd.edu
6 Inside Column
What makes popular art? Nicholas Ottone Scene Writer
When I first read about a new Oscar category for “best popular film,” I was indignant. Creating a whole new category for “popular films” seemed ahistorical and cynical at best. Popular films, like “Titanic” and “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,” have swept the Oscars in years past. Films like “Avatar”, “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Gravity” defied genre bias and won multiple prestigious awards. But what truly annoyed me is the implication that there is a line between pure entertainment and art. There are films that sincerely aim to simply entertain the heck out of its audience. I’m speaking of “Baby Driver” and “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” of course, but also of “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” and “Paddington 2.” These are films that work best on a moment-to-moment basis, as a collection of stand-out, jaw-dropping sequences of craft and ingenuity designed explicitly for a maximum dopamine rush. The squealing tires synchronized to sound in “Baby Driver” and the adrenaline-rush helicopter scenes of “Mission Impossible — Fallout” are among the most impressive sequences I have seen in cinema, and these sequences emphasize film’s intrinsic strengths as an art form. It is not just sight or sound but the juxtaposition of these, through editing and direction, that coalesce into an exhilarating combination. In addition to blockbusters aimed at men, musicals aimed at women and adventures aimed at children also contain such cinematic sequences. “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” explodes with earnest musical numbers, extravagant in color and movement; even my disdain for its simplistic plot and characters couldn’t stop me from smiling during “Waterloo.” “Paddington 2” throws its ursine hero into increasingly ridiculous comic set pieces, each more entertaining than the last. These films are not just “popular,” although most did quite well at the box office; these films realize the full potential of the art medium. This is, of course, not to say that only blockbusters are cinematic. “Moonlight,” a recent Best Picture winner, utilizes the full force of cinema to paint an expressionistic portrayal of a place and time many viewers have never experienced. Director Barry Jenkins crafts images so indelible that, after a single viewing, I will never forget them. Obviously, what “Moonlight” aims for is very different than, for example, Ryan Coogler’s entertaining “Creed,” but both are exceedingly well-crafted and products of the same medium. So how should we determine what is the “best picture” and what is the “best popular film”? The Oscars have always, and will continue to, pit incredibly different films against each other for “Best Picture”; “Star Wars” lost to Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall,” and “E.T.” lost to “Gandhi.” I believe that socalled “popular” filmmaking should not warrant its own award because the general purpose is the same: evoking an emotional response from an audience. Just because “Spotlight” expertly induces dread and concerns itself with serious subject matter does not automatically mean it is “better” than “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Quite simply, there should be no line between entertainment and art because truly great entertainment is its own kind of art. Contact Nicholas Ottone at nottone@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Tips to help every college kid Congratulations, first year students — you’ve survived the first three weeks of college. But even as you’re adjusting to campus life, the next four years can seem a little daunting, and that’s OK. Here’s the advice that we, as an Editorial Board, have to offer for navigating college and making the most of your time here.
Time management is key. A professor once said, “In a day, get eight hours of sleep, do eight hours of work and have eight hours to do what you will.” This takes concentration. Do homework when you set aside time to do homework. Put the phone away, buckle down for a couple hours and you’ll discover a lot more free time at the end of the day to wind down and have fun with your friends.
Take care of yourself. Eat healthy meals, drink tons of water and build time into even the most hectic of days to de-stress. What this looks like depends on the person — it might mean a bedtime ritual, a spare 15 minutes to meditate, a long run or time set aside each day to read a book. In a place where demands on your time are constant, carving out time for yourself is key.
Use your resources. Your college community wants you to succeed. Start off on the right foot and utilize the resources available to you. If you’re struggling in a certain class, get a tutor at the beginning of the semester. If you are getting sick and don’t feel like leaving campus, head to the Health Center. If you need someone to talk to, look to your hall staff, trusted friends in the dorm or Campus Ministry.
Get involved in your classes and challenge your own ideals. No matter what people may say, the ultimate reason you
are at college is your education. Take advantage of it. People get caught up in constantly worrying about GPA and finding the easiest classes to get an A. We hate to say it, but if that’s how you view your college education, you’re doing college the wrong way. Take classes that interest you. Challenge yourself. Participate and ask questions. Get to know your classmates and your professors. You’ll become a better person because of it.
You don’t have to be locked into the friends you currently have forever. If you’re feeling a bit uneasy because you became fast friends with the first people you met, but now, a few weeks in, you’re not so sure if you can see these people as your future bridesmaids or groomsmen, it’s OK. Don’t be afraid to look outside your initial group of friends if you’re feeling stuck, anxious or uncomfortable. Look outside the hall to classes and clubs. You might just make some additional relationships you’ll cherish forever. Don’t get caught up in the idea that college has to be the best four years of your life. College is the most likely going to be the most formative period of your life so far. Your time at Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s or Holy Cross might also be the best four years of your life, but it is also difficult, stressful and exhausting — all of which can be harmful for your mental health. Know that you are not alone in what you are feeling and reach out when you need help. Counseling and wellness services on all three campuses are always a call or bike ride away.
Make friends with students on other campuses. The college campus bubble is real, and so are its effects. Freshman year is a time when the securities of a closed campus can seem warm and welcoming, but don’t fall too comfortably into this. One of the great things about this community is that it is made up of not just one, but three wonderful schools with all kinds of people to get to know. Reach out! If you meet someone that happens to be from a different campus than you, don’t hesitate to pursue this friendship. You never know who could end up being your best friend.
Making change Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Travelled
Finally we had arrived. After 20 hours of straight driving from New Mexico in a journey-across-the-country road trip in preparation for my sophomore year of college, we had arrived in Chicago to see some relatives. As we drove around twhe downtown area, several things came to mind and I want to share them as an important preface to the tone of this article. First, let me say that I am from Chicago. I lived there until I was 7 years old before I moved to New Mexico. Chicago is a wounded city to say the least, and important work remains to be done so that it gains some healing for the socioeconomic gap and war that is taking place there. That being said, I do not believe that it is because of the youth that this war is occurring. There are many issues with the political hierarchy, starting with Washington, that have provided the tragic spark to the now raging bonfire of hatred for difference that pervades modern culture and has triggered this conflict. With all of this being said, spending time in Chicago was surprisingly refreshing. Of course, one notices the tangible pain and struggle in this city. It can be felt as clearly as the humidity that thickens the air. But it goes much deeper than this. Among the sea of cars and people, atop the skyscrapers that pierce the urban storm clouds, in the backstreets and alleys, there is a potential for change. It is a feeling that is subtler than the perceptible pain and structural inequality that pervades this city, but perhaps even more powerful. And it is a feeling that is held in the hands of our nation’s youth. Youth that can walk the streets with their heads held high despite the knowledge that they may take a bullet around the street corner. This kind of confidence, confidence in the strength of oneself to make a difference in the corner of their world, confidence that one is the color in a universe of alleyways, fire escapes and manmade pillars of creation, is the kind of invigoration that made me burn to get back to campus with a heart set to instigating change. Chicago is in the back alley of Notre Dame. We are not isolated to the issues of the world. After our dorm chants die down, after football games end, there is
a world full of cities and little Chi towns where we can make a difference. And we can make a difference. Of course, Notre Dame has work to do. We have a campus that is 70 percent white. Even though many of them are truly smart and fully deserve their posts, the teaching positions seem to be comprised mainly of older white males and are lacking diversity in gender and certainly in ethnicity. However, the important thing is that Notre Dame tries to be inclusive. All of my friends know that I am not Catholic and am Jewish and yet I do not feel like this is a point of contention to my sense of belonging. To be completely honest, it is sometimes difficult looking white when I am really not. I am Cherokee, Jewish and Greek, a conglomeration of cultures that have rich history, art and a story of contrasts in the pain and triumphs that they have faced. With that background, I find that there is sometimes a gap between me and my peers. However, I truly believe in the power of diversity and difference–and youth–to bridge this gap. How can we make change? This is not a simple answer and that is a very good thing. It may be by joining a club for your ethnicity, your passion, a hobby or an interest. It can be something as simple as being who you are and not caring, leading others by example. Your voice can speak through class, in the essays you write, the friends you have, the experiences that you share. The important thing is find and let your voice take on the power it has. Let’s not be passive. Let’s not dampen our voice. We need to be the generation that does something about the blatant disrespect and intolerance for people of different cultures, beliefs and creeds. Believe in the power of your ballot. Find your voice artistically. Run for office. But most importantly, have the confidence that you can walk at campus with your head held high, with the power to transform your world as soon as you turn the corner. 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.
The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Christian bakers and (fabulous!) gay wedding cakes Jeffrey Murphy Spilling the Tea
This past June, the United States Supreme Court handed down a decision in the infamous Masterpiece Cakeshop case. For those who are not familiar with the case, it involves a Christian baker in Colorado who refused to provide a wedding cake to a same-sex couple. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission imposed a series of penalties on the baker for violating the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. The Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed the Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s order. After the Colorado Supreme Court refused to hear the case, it made its way to the United States Supreme Court. In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Christian baker and reversed the Colorado Court of Appeals decision. In this column, I will be arguing that the Supreme Court ruled correctly, but the majority opinion should have embraced the arguments made by Justice Thomas in his concurring opinion. Christian bakers are constitutionally protected from government compulsion to express certain messages they deem contradictory to their religious beliefs.
Justice Thomas’s concurring opinion In a magnificent concurring opinion that reads like the Bible (or a Mariah Carey song — whatever holy text is significant to you), Justice Thomas addresses the central question of whether or not Phillips’ First Amendment rights protect him from being compelled by the government to create wedding cakes for same-sex marriages. First, Justice Thomas addresses the Colorado Court of Appeals’ argument that, if Phillips were forced to make the cake, observers would merely believe Phillips was acting in accordance with Colorado law rather than personally expressing a message. The Court of Appeals goes so far as to argue that Phillips could post a disclaimer in his store stating that his creation of wedding cakes for same-sex marriages is just compliance with Colorado law rather than personal endorsement. Justice Thomas begins his legendary destruction of this argument by stating, “This reasoning f louts bedrock principles of our free-speech jurisprudence and would justify virtually any law that compels individuals to speak.” That argument could indeed be used to justify the government’s compulsion of almost any kind of speech — “We’re going to pass a law that forces all citizens to declare that President Trump is the greatest president of all time. Oh, you don’t want to say that? But people will just think that you are complying with the law rather than personally expressing that message!” Second, Justice Thomas makes the argument that Jack Phillips’ creation of a wedding cake does constitute expressive conduct and, therefore, warrants protection under the First Amendment. Justice Thomas cites an earlier Supreme Court decision in which the Court ruled that burning the American f lag was expressive conduct and was, therefore, protected by the First Amendment (Texas v. Johnson). Referring to this decision, Justice Thomas writes, “A person’s conduct may be ‘sufficiently imbued with elements of communication to fall within the scope of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.’ Applying this principle, the Court has recognized a wide array of conduct
that can qualify as expressive, including nude dancing, burning the American f lag, f lying an upside-down American f lag with a taped-on peace sign, wearing a military uniform, wearing a black armband, conducting a silent sit-in, refusing to salute the American f lag and f lying a plain red f lag.” If the Court recognizes that f lying the American f lag in a particular manner (with great political and moral implications) is an expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment, certainly the Court should recognize the similar expressive conduct (with similar political and moral implications) in designing, baking and decorating a wedding cake that conveys a specific, celebratory, affirmative message. Justice Thomas spends several pages of his concurring opinion specifically proving the expressive nature of Phillips’ creation of wedding cakes. The Justice explains the Court’s test for determining if the conduct is “sufficiently expressive” to warrant First Amendment protection, writing: “The Court asks whether it was ‘intended to be communicative’ and, ‘in context, would reasonably be understood by the viewer to be communicative.’” The opinion then describes the meticulously-detailed process through which Jack Phillips uses his artistic talent to design, sketch, bake, sculpt, decorate and deliver each custom wedding cake he creates. Phillips even sits down with each couple to learn about their personalities, understand their preferences and become more personally familiar with their wedding celebration in order to create a cake that ref lects that couple’s relationship. As Justice Thomas describes, the process is extremely artistic, intimate and, ultimately, expressive. Justice Thomas quotes Phillips in his concurring opinion, stating, “To [Phillips], a wedding cake inherently communicates that ‘a wedding has occurred, a marriage has begun and the couple should be celebrated.’” The Justice then turns his attention to the expressive nature of a wedding cake recognized by society at large. He cites a quote from Michael Krondl, author of “Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert.” Krondl says, “Wedding cakes are so packed with symbolism that it is hard to know where to begin.” Justice Thomas argues, “If an average person walked into a room and saw a white, multi-tiered cake, he would immediately know that he had stumbled upon a wedding.” When I think of a wedding cake, my first thought is: A wedding has occurred and now we are celebrating. Jack Phillips does not believe the same-sex couple’s wedding is legitimate nor does he think it merits celebration. Wedding cakes are inherently expressive. It is maliciously convenient for people to suddenly pretend that wedding cakes lack an expressive nature in order to wield a statute against Christians and violate their First Amendment rights. Ultimately, Justice Thomas concludes this argument by stating: “Phillips’ creation of custom wedding cakes is expressive. The use of his artistic talents to create a well-recognized symbol that celebrates the beginning of a marriage clearly communicates a message — certainly more so than nude dancing.” Once it has been concluded that Phillips’ conduct was indeed expressive, the ability of the government to restrict or compel that conduct is severely limited by the First Amendment. As Justice Thomas argues, “Forcing Phillips to make custom wedding cakes for same-sex marriages requires him to, at the very least, acknowledge that same-sex weddings are ‘weddings’ and suggest
that they should be celebrated — the precise message he believes his faith forbids. The First Amendment prohibits Colorado from requiring Phillips to ‘bear witness to [these] fact[s],’ or to ‘affir[m] ... a belief with which [he] disagrees.’”
Concluding Remarks Our Founding Fathers are rolling over in their graves at the idea that the government should have the power to compel private citizens to express political speech (a sector of speech that warrants the highest protection) and/or speech that contradicts their religious beliefs. At the time this incident occurred, there was a raging political debate in the United States over same-sex marriage. In fact, same-sex marriage was still illegal in the state of Colorado at the time the couple in question demanded that Masterpiece Cakeshop create a wedding cake for their marriage celebration. The government itself did not recognize the validity of Craig and Mullins’ marriage, yet they compelled a private citizen to express approval and celebration of an act that the state still considered unlawful. It is utter madness. Jack Phillips does not have the constitutional right to refuse service to customers on the basis of their sexual orientation (which he never attempted). Phillips does, however, have the constitutional right to refuse to express certain messages and to refuse to violate his deeply-held religious beliefs. The legal action imposed by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission against Jack Phillips is the exact kind of governmental action against which the First Amendment was adopted to protect. The LGBTQ+ community should be fighting for the rights of Christian bakers to refuse to create wedding cakes for same-sex marriages. Trusting the government to subjectively determine (as the Colorado Civil Rights Commission did) which scenarios or topics warrant government compulsion will never result in prosperity for minority groups. It is those in power and those with political inf luence that will make those subjective determinations. Does the LGBTQ+ community really trust the government (take the Trump Administration, for example) to make the right decision? Today, the government forces a Christian baker to bake a cake celebrating a same-sex marriage. Tomorrow, the government forces a gay baker to bake a cake for the Westboro Baptist Church with the message: “God hates gay people.” Both compulsions are impermissible, and both ought to be lamented. With the departure of Justice Kennedy and the imminent arrival of soon-to-be Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the Court will have established a strong, “conservative” majority. Should a similar case pose these major judicial questions again, it is my hope that the Court will do what I almost always hope it does: Let Justice Thomas author the majority opinion. Jeff is a senior at Notre Dame majoring in sciencebusiness with a minor in sociology. A native of St. Louis, Jeff believes that his hometown is the greatest city in the world and is always ready to talk about The Lou. In his free time, Jeff likes to play tennis, bake in the sun, read autobiographies, spend time with friends, talk on the phone with his mother or twin sister and listen to Mariah Carey’s voice soar through one of her signature love ballads. Hate mail can be directed to jmurph29@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
By JAKE WINNINGHAM Scene Writer
“My boy like a queen / unlike one you’ve ever seen” may be the best couplet in pop music this year — and one that would’ve been unthinkable coming from any male pop star before Troye Sivan. The Australian singer isn’t the first gay man to make an impact in the pop world, but he is certainly the first to gain fame while being out of the closet and singing so openly about other men. It took years for Elton John to come out, and the subjects of Sam Smith’s mass-consumption ballads are often so anonymous as to have no gender at all. The closest precedent for Sivan’s success is George Michael, but even he never spoke as brazenly about his desires. The opening line of Michael’s greatest song is notable for its uncertainty, “Well I guess it would be nice/if I could touch your body.” When he sang “I Want Your Sex,” it seemed more like him practicing lines in a mirror than anything else. Sivan has no such hang-ups. “I got my tongue between your teeth / go slow, no, no, go fast,” he sings on “My My My!” Here, there’s no question at all that he’s addressing a real person. That frankness is one of the best qualities of Sivan’s sophomore effort “Bloom,” which shows flashes of greatness until the album’s quality drops off sharply in its back half. Like his pop contemporaries, Sivan can make club-ready bangers seemingly on demand. What sets him apart are his lyrics, as honest as any you’ll find this year.
By PATRICK WITTEMAN Scene Writer
Ka is 46-years-old, which makes him archaic in a hip-hop scene otherwise dominated by a generation of Soundcloud-based, rainbow-haired vibe makers. He currently works for the New York City Fire Department, and he writes rhymes in his spare time. In short, he does not fit the established, modern-rap archetype. This has not stopped him from gaining a cult following through the release of albums like “The Knight’s Gambit” and “Honor Killed the Samurai” — projects that thematically center on chess and samurai, respectively. On “Orpheus vs. The Sirens,” Ka joins forces with Los Angeles-based producer Animoss to create the rap group Hermit and the Recluse and a concept album that finds common ground between Greek mythology and street lore. The mythology theme is established both in and outside of the tracks, with references to famous Greek characters and stories throughout the entire project. On the opening track of “Orpheus vs. The Sirens,” Animoss samples dialogue from the TV special of “Jason and the Argonauts.” Orpheus — the persona taken on by Ka — justifies his place on the famed Argo by explaining, “Of death I am knowledgeable / Danger I do not fear and I can give you music / Music that will DIANE PARK | The Observer
The title of album opener “Seventeen” refers to the age at which Sivan downloaded Grindr and started meeting older men, while on the title track he implores a partner “Promise me you’ll hand my hand if I get scared now.” Musically speaking, Sivan paints from the same palette as fellow internet darlings Charli XCX and Carly Rae Jepsen: waves of keyboards, processed vocals and oppressively catchy hooks. These coalesce perfectly on “My My My!” It’s an absolute and total bop that I wouldn’t mind hearing at every party I go to for the rest of my life. Admittedly, this method becomes numbing as the album goes on, yet certain flourishes stick out and demand repeat listens — the Phil Collins drum fills on “Seventeen,” the glam-metal guitar curlicues on “Plum” and guest singer Gordi’s turn on the gentle “Postcard” all come to mind. Speaking of “Postcard,” that song closes the album’s first half, and is followed by the single worst song I’ve heard all year. The transition from “Postcard” to the Ariana Grande collaboration “Dance To This” is about as jarring as a punch to the face and about half as welcome. It’s not just that “Dance To This” is bad, though it certainly is — the album’s nadir is the song’s risible faux-tribal breakdown that inspired me to take out my headphones on my first listen. More crucially, it’s disappointing. Listen to it once, to see how profoundly it wastes the abilities of two of pop’s most talented and idiosyncratic vocalists. And then never do it again. Conversely, the album’s high point is “The Good Side,” which is that ultimate rarity: the mature breakup song.
Where virtually every other entry in that mini-genre falls on the spectrum between scorched-earth diatribe (Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughta Know”) and self-pity (Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”), “The Good Side” sees Sivan apologizing for the state in which he left his ex. The best (and perhaps only) comparison for the song is ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All,” although Sivan flips the conceit of that masterpiece on its head. This time, we’re hearing the story from the “winner’s” side, and he knows how unfair he’s being. In the song’s most wrenching moment, Sivan acknowledges that, no matter how sorry he seems, he still wants to use his partner’s pain to write a hit. “The people danced to the sound of your heart / the world sang along to it falling apart,” he croons. In that moment, Sivan gives you all you ever need from pop music: a heartbeat (or heartbreak) you can dance to.
tame wild beasts, lift men’s hearts to heaven.” As Ka assumes the role of Orpheus, and we, the listeners, reap the rewards of his dense lyricism and Animoss’s artistic production. Continuing with the opening track, “Sirens”, Ka rhymes effortlessly while alluding to figures in Greek mythology 11 times in total. Although this may seem gimmicky at face value, Ka’s masterful rhymes and clear understanding of the allusions prevent the references from feeling forced or out of place. My favorite reference to mythology in “Sirens” is, “It’s hard to love, and if only God could judge, who needs juries? / Weighin’ the crime, still payin’ for mine, haunted by the Three Furies.” Animoss’s sampling of strings on this track compliments the fragmented life experiences we receive by Ka, through mythology. On “The Punishment of Sisyphus”, we find Ka contemplating the predicament he fell into growing up in Brownsville, New York. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus believed that he had outsmarted the gods. That, of course, was not the case, and Sisyphus was eternally condemned to roll a heavy stone up a mountain, only to have it tumble down after reaching the peak. Ka explains, “War with foes, felt we always chose the wrong decision / Holding torch was shows of force, never resolution.” Ka identifies with Sisyphus, as he hopes to cease a cycle of street life that seems impossible to
break. Ka hopes to lead youth in the right direction, with lyrics such as, “Did well not to fell, could tell seeds relied on me / Relied on me.” Like most tracks on this album, the production that Animoss brings matches the emotional intensity of Ka’s fight against the life cycle of Brownsville. The album comes in at 10 tracks, spanning 33 minutes, making the album tight, concise and meaningful. Between the aesthetic of Animoss’s production, the quotable-dense lyrics of Ka and the successfully executed Greek mythology concept, “Orpheus vs. the Sirens” is one of the most memorable hip-hop releases of the year. I highly recommend that you give this album a try, especially if you are a classics major.
Contact Jake Winningham at jwinning@nd.edu
“Bloom” Troye Sivan Label: Capitol Records Tracks: “The Good Side,” “My, My, My!” If you like: Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen
Contact Patrick Witteman at pwittema@nd.edu
“Orpheus vs. The Sirens” Hermit and the Recluse Label: Obel for Charon Records Tracks: “Sirens,” “Fate,” “Oedipus” If you like: MF Doom, Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep
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The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
By NICHOLAS OTTONE Scene Writer
An hour into her comedy special “Nanette,” Hannah Gadsby says, “Stories hold our cure.” Here are two. The first is “Nanette,” a deconstructionist gem loosely described as comedy, a powerful narrative of identity and pain practically shouted into the howling winds of history. The second is “The Tale,” a masterful memoir of abuse and memory, directed and written by Jennifer Fox. Both contend with themes from the #MeToo movement yet feel larger and more complicated than a hashtag. Both are intensely emotional and difficult to watch yet feel necessary to understand. “Nanette” and “The Tale” are masterful works of art made by women who suffered abuse, women who expertly twist their respective mediums to find and show us truth. And they demand we listen. “Nanette,” which premiered on Netflix in June, exploded on social media and gathered a wide variety of American admirers. A taping of Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby’s stand-up special, “Nanette” is a unique piece of art. For the first 15 minutes, Gadsby slyly delivers zingers about her homophobic upbringing and “gender-normals.” Then, she announces her need to quit comedy. This is the first chink in her armor, knowingly positioned to tilt the audience slightly off-kilter. Then, a joke, “What
By DANNY LIGGIO Scene Writer
Eminem first caught my attention as I entered my teenage years. I first heard the “Marshall Mather LP” as I discovered the excitement of smoking shoplifted cigars at sleepovers and the absolute despair that accompanied my first rejection by a girl. Needless to say, I was in constant turmoil, and Eminem seemed to complement that. Slim describes the appeal of his music better than I could in “The Way I Am”: “And since birth I’ve been cursed with curse to just curse / And just blurt this berserk and bizarre s—t that works.” With last year’s album “Revival,” Eminem strayed from this formula. Rather than rapping nonsense with incredible skill, Em focused on a message, which he then tried to fit into lyrics and verses. What he ended up with was an unstomachable album with its heart in the right place. “Kamikaze” forsakes any attempt to preach to the world, rather, Eminem uses “Kamikaze” to lash out against all of hip-hop — except for the few rappers to which he gives his blessing on “The Ringer.” The rhymes, the message, the anger and competence are all classic Eminem throughout the album. When it comes to rapping ability, just about no one can beat Eminem. He proves it again and again on
kind of comedian can’t even make lesbians laugh? All of them.” As the audience laughs, she readies for her deconstruction of it, how the joke is “good” because it makes everyone laugh, even the lesbians, because to refuse would confirm the stereotype. I fear divulging much more, as the strange alchemy Gadsby performs evades description. To simply repeat, beat by beat, her stories would rob them of her pitch-perfect delivery and her expert releases of tension, or lack thereof. What Gadsby really strives for is an exploration of how straight white men have controlled the medium of art, including comedy. Anyone outside this “human-neutral” construct, she says, needs to conform or put themselves down in order to be heard. “Nanette,” therefore, is an act of strident rebellion against the form itself. Gadsby wishes for her stories to be heard without fashioning them into a neat “set-up, punchline” format, even eschewing the conventional beginning-middle-end. Jokes exist suspended in time while her story continues. The slippery nature of storytelling is also a preoccupation for Jennifer Fox in “The Tale.” Her film counterpart (Laura Dern) slowly struggles to remember childhood trauma at a horseback riding camp. Her running instructor Bill (Jason Ritter) and riding coach Mrs. G (Elizabeth Debecki) ingratiate themselves, leading to Bill initiating a “relationship.” Simply recalling plot details makes me queasy, as the dread that infects early scenes becomes
outright horror. Yet “The Tale” is an ambitiously successful, intensely intimate piece of art I cannot ignore. Despite its staid visual style, Fox proves herself a master of the cinematic medium and ultimately uses familiar film conventions against the audience. An early f lashback shows a teenage Jennifer at camp, meeting Mrs. G and Bill. But later, when Jennifer’s mother shows her pictures, the f lashback repeats, this time with a barely pubescent child of 13 (Isabelle Nelisse), an astounding visual coup that drives home how horrific this story will be. The story Jennifer remembers is one her younger self wrote, where she is the hero. Adult Jennifer attempts to understand why and how, pleading with her younger self through voice-over. “The Tale” ends on an ambiguous note, a moment of catharsis and anger that sinks into despair. “Nanette” ends on hope, after cycling through anger and despair. Neither are complete stories because neither needs to be. “Nanette” fights against the strict structure of stand-up, preferring to leave the audience with tension rather than relieving it. “The Tale” breaks cinematic rules to craft a memoir of astounding pain. Yes, they are stories of abuse, but they are also stories about how we tell stories about abuse. “Nanette” and “The Tale” are not just impressive, they are important.
“Kamikaze.” With ease, Slim commandeers and turns modern flows, like those from “Gucci Gang” and “Bad and Boujee.” Rather than trying to rap “well” with these flows like so many do, Eminem spits “Burger King, Gucci Gang, dookie dang.” He’s on the verge of overdoing the silliness factor, but I like it. Outside of insults, the next most present topic Eminem speaks on is the failure of “Revival.” In line with his established character, Eminem owns what he deems to be his shortcomings, however, the point is overdone. Unlike classic Slim self-loathing, the criticism of “Revival” is unrelatable. I can understand when he points out his crazy mind but complaining about an album that released at No. 1 on the Billboard charts is a bit out of my grasp. As a prodigy of Dr. Dre, Eminem is no stranger to hard-hitting beats, the kind that fill up a song without detracting from the rapping. On “Kamikaze,” Em enlists A-list hit-makers to build modern beats which have this classic strength. Mike WiLL Made-It features, interpolating a sample from “Humble.” Tay Keith also produces “Not Alike” in his instantly recognizable bass thumping style. Along with input from Eminem on the beats for nearly every song, the instrumentals on “Kamikaze” leave very little to be desired. “Kamikaze” refers to the fact that Eminem feels he could be destroying his career while taking down all
those who he disses along with him. In reality, Eminem has not been the rapper he was for years. I like to consider his 2013 appearance during halftime of the Notre Dame–Michigan game as the end of his serious career as a rapper. He stood there, mouth agape, swaying from side to side. After this utterly goofy display has seemed removed from the modern world. This inability to stick with the times was the basis for “Revival” flopping. As far as listening to a middle-aged man complain goes, “Kamikaze” is a pleasant time. But even the smartest rant only has so much to offer. “Kamikaze,” while a solid album, doesn’t contain the spark which earned Slim Shady his seat among the greats.
Contact Nicholas Ottone at nottone@nd.edu
Contact Danny Liggio at dliggio@nd.edu
“Kamikaze” Eminem Label: Interscope Records, Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records Tracks: “The Ringer” If you like: Dr. Dre, Royce Da 5’9”
DIANE PARK | The Observer
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The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Set your sights on bringing about changes that will help you eliminate the negativity in your life, as well as the people and situations that bring you down and hold you back. How you handle others will determine how well you do. Know what you want and use your intelligence, know-how and experience to ensure your success. Walk away from manipulative people. Your numbers are 2, 13, 24, 27, 33, 46, 48. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t stagnate when you should be moving forward. Make personal changes that will help to settle your nerves and level out your emotional stress. Take care of unfinished business so you feel free to start something new. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll crave change that will help you fill in any void you are feeling. Before you leap from one thing to another, consider the outcome as well as how you will affect others. Emotional situations will escalate. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Make personal changes that will bring you peace of mind. Don’t rely on others or try to mold someone into being more like you. Offering freedom to those you love will ensure that you are granted the same in return. CANCER (June 21-July 22): An emotional move will not help matters. Take a step back and reconsider your actions. Common sense, practicality and friendly persuasion will be the keys to getting what you want. An unusual opportunity will change your life. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Simplicity, consistency and moderation will be necessary if you want to avoid a setback. Don’t promise the impossible or make changes that aren’t carefully considered. Work hard and be a team player if you want to get ahead. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take the plunge and do something that makes you happy. A change will do you good, and connecting with people you have worked with or enjoyed being around in the past will lead to opportunities and new beginnings. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Go over every little detail before you share your plans or put them into motion. Not everyone will accept the changes you want to make. Listen to the suggestions offered to avoid a costly mistake. Don’t take criticism personally. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As the day progresses, anger will mount. Be sure to have an outlet for your pent-up energy or you may do something that will disrupt a relationship with a friend or relative. Listen and be willing to make concessions. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):Take care of your financial, legal and medical issues personally. You will not be represented the way you want if you let someone speak on your behalf. Play it safe and control the situation. Don’t divulge passwords or private information. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Set high standards, and don’t stop until you are happy with what transpires. Your drive and determination will help you get what you want. Personal and professional gains will turn out better than anticipated if you push to finish what you start. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Personal improvements are within reach if you are reasonable. An unexpected last-minute decision someone makes will catch you by surprise. Don’t feel you have to compensate for what others do. Do your own thing and follow through with plans. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put your enthusiasm to work and you’ll drum up support that will help you reach your goals. Putting your plans in motion will be prosperous and open a door that has been closed in the past. A partnership looks promising. Birthday Baby: You are logical, interesting and unique. You are resourceful and focused.
WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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SPORTS
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, september 7, 2018 | The Observer
MLB | Cubs 6, Brewers 4
Sports Authority
Koepka’s season deserves attention Connor Mulvena Associate Sports Editor
I love Tiger Woods. I’ve said this in prev ious columns, and I stand by it. I think he’s the greatest golfer of all time, and he’s one of the only athletes who I would follow to the ends of the earth. That being said, the fact that Woods’ name lines Tw itter, newspapers and telev ision headlines while Brooks Koepka is having a legendar y season is concerning. Koepka has won t wo of 2018’s majors — the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and the PGA Championship at Bellerive Countr y Club — and he has tallied six top-10 finishes this season. The West Palm Beach, Florida, native currently sits at 6th in the FedEx Cup rankings, poised for a run at the Tour Championship, and is ranked 2nd in the Official World Golf Rankings. And yet, Koepka just doesn’t get the love he deser ves, and it’s not only a result of Tiger Woods’ comeback. On Tuesday of PGA Championship week, as players readied themselves for media availabilit y, w riters packed into the media center for Woods, Speith and McIlroy, but the room was v irtually empt y for Koepka. The newborn star doesn’t even get that much love from his fellow tour members. W hen Koepka was sidelined w ith a hand injur y earlier this season, he told the media that only three of his peers — Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson — reached out, and a seemingly discouraged Koepka said, “It just feels like you’re forgotten about quite a bit.” And this simply should not be the case for a world class golfer on the come-up after
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a serious injur y. Look at Koepka in comparison to a guy like Rickie Fowler. Fowler is an excellent golfer on Tour despite the fact that he has yet to capture that elusive first major. He’s f lashy, outgoing and personable, and as a result, the media and fans are draw n to him like moths to the light. But really, media attention aside, Fowler hasn’t put up a season in his career remotely close to Koepka’s 2018 run. Currently ranked No. 9 in the world, Fowler would still be recognized by any golf fan, and probably even most sports fans in general. His 1.6 million Tw itter followers are proof enough of that. But Koepka, w ith his 97,000 Tw itter followers, could probably walk into any bar in Chicago w ithout getting so much as a nod. Tiger Woods’ comeback overshadow ing Koepka’s incredible season is at least understandable. It’s not right, but one could imagine a world in which that takes place. But a lack of attention from his peers, the media at large, and the fans just befuddles me. W hy aren’t people draw n to him? For one, he is an absolute freak of nature. Before w inning the U.S. Open w ith his final round 68 at Shinnecock Hills, Koepka bench pressed 225 pounds for 14 reps. Secondly, he hits the ball a mile, averaging 314.3 yards per drive. And lastly, Koepka carries himself w ith a quiet confidence, a swagger characteristic of the underdog we all love. He deser ves more from the media, the fans and his peers. Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Cubs hold off Brewers to boost NL Central lead Associated Press
MILWAUKEE — Daniel Murphy sees no panic in his new Chicago Cubs teammates. The Cubs needed a win Wednesday night to avert a three-game sweep by division rival Milwaukee, and Murphy played a big role with three hits and a solo home run in Chicago’s 6-4 victory against the Brewers. Pedro Strop closed out a tense ninth inning as Chicago boosted its NL Central lead to four games over the secondplace Brewers. Milwaukee is a half-game ahead of St. Louis for the top NL wild card. Jose Quintana (12-9) gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings, improving to 3-1 at Miller Park with the Cubs. Strop allowed a walk and a single to open the ninth but got the final three outs, striking out Curtis Granderson with two runners on to preserve the win. “It’s a young group with a veteran mindset,” said Murphy, who joined the Cubs in a trade with Washington on Aug. 21. “You lose a tough one (Monday) and they played really well yesterday. All you can do is come out and try to win this ballgame.” Granderson belted his first home run as a member of the Brewers in a pinch-hit role in the seventh, a two-run shot that cut Chicago’s lead to 6-4. After Travis Shaw walked and pinch-hitter Christian Yelich singled to start the ninth, the crowd of 37,427 was on its feet, nearly equally divided between Brewers and Cubs fans. Eric Thames flied out before Strop got Lorenzo Cain to ground to third for a force play. Then a nasty slider on a 2-2 pitch struck out Granderson. “I thought he gained his composure nicely,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Strop. “He’s got 95 or 96 (mph) with that sink. The slider he got Granderson on, it’s good against righties and lefties.” Jhoulys Chacin (14-6) had tossed 16 consecutive scoreless innings against the Cubs this season before Murphy
led off the fourth with an opposite-field homer into the Brewers’ left-field bullpen. “I was able to leverage the count in my favor and was able to look for something up in the zone,” Murphy said. “I didn’t think it was going to get out of the ballpark.” Javier Baez followed with a single and his aggressive baserunning helped the Cubs extend their lead. He raced for third on a single by Anthony Rizzo, and when Cain’s throw from center field sailed, Baez scored and Rizzo went to third on a second error by shortstop Orlando Arcia. Ben Zobrist doubled to score Rizzo and give the Cubs a 3-0 lead. A soft RBI single by Willson Contreras capped the fourrun rally. Jonathan Scoop’s bad-hop single drove home a run in the bottom of the inning, and the Brewers loaded the bases with two outs. Quintana induced Arcia to hit a pop fly to shortstop to escape the jam. Zobrist drove in his second run in the fifth with a two-out single, but Rizzo was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base. Kyle Schwarber belted his 25th homer into the second deck in right field in the sixth to make it 6-1. Quintana allowed a leadoff single to Jesus Aguilar and a double to Ryan Braun in the sixth, but the Brewers managed just one run on a groundout by Schoop. “It was his best fastball of the year,” Maddon said. “He primarily could have pitched with his fastball today — it was that good.” The Brewers and Cubs will meet again in a three-game series at Wrigley Field next week. “It was a fun series,” Granderson said. “It’s definitely something both teams can look at and say, all right, it’s going to be a fight to the end.”
Not Moving A funny moment came in the fourth after Baez singled. He never moved off the base while Chacin threw over to
first twice. “They know I wanted to run,” Baez said. “Right before Rizzo stepped to the plate, I saw the catcher (Erik Kratz) and he wasn’t giving signs, so I knew (Chacin) was coming back (to first). Then after the first one, and he tried to act like he was giving signs. But I saw he was so fake about it, I just stayed there.” Baez scored moments later after Rizzo singled and Cain overthrew third base.
Trainer’s Room Cubs: Schwarber injured his back and left the game after homering in the sixth. “Before he went up to hit he told me it was tight,” Maddon said. “But he may have taken his best swing of the year.” . RHP Brandon Morrow may be reaching the point of no return for the Cubs, and Maddon said he will have to use several relievers in the closer role the rest of the season. Morrow, who posted 22 saves as the closer before being injured, has been sidelined since July 18 with right biceps inflammation. He has yet to throw off a mound in his rehab. “We’d love to have him back, but even if he does come back, how do you utilize that?” Maddon said. “You just can’t push him two days in a row.” Brewers: Yelich was not in the starting lineup as the Brewers headed into the final stretch of the season. He singled as a pinch-hitter in the ninth to reach base in his 22nd straight game. “He needs a day off,” manager Craig Counsell said before the game. “Friday was a thought, but it just reached a point where it had to be today.” Yelich had not been out of the lineup since July 3.
Up Next Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (11-10, 3.77 ERA) will open a four-game series in Washington on Thursday night. Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (9-7, 3.96 ERA) starts a three-game series against the Giants on Friday at Miller Park.
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It was late last night, I was feeling something wasn’t right. There was not another soul in sight: Only you, only you. So we walked along, though I knew that there was something wrong, and a feeling hit me, oh so strong about you. Then you gazed up at me and the answer was plain to see. Cause I saw the light in your eyes,
in your eyes. Though we had our fling. I just never would suspect a thing till that little bell began to ring in my head, in my head. But I tried to run, though I knew it wouldn’t help me none. ‘Cause I couldn’t ever love no one, or so I said. ‘Cause my feelings for you were just something I never knew till I saw the light in your eyes, in your eyes.
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Sports
The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Football Continued from page 16
after being challenged by such an impressive duo. “I don’t think they feel as though their confidence has been diminished as much as they feel like both of them had a chance to work against t wo outstanding players in Gar y and Winov ich, so … I think [they’re] feeling better that they really got challenged more so than they got beat up,” Kelly said. Kelly also commented on Irish junior cornerback Donte Vaughn, who had the opportunit y to play a significant number of snaps
against Michigan on account of senior cornerback Shaun Craw ford’s injur y. “I thought he had a really good camp. I think he’s a strong corner that has the abilit y to play both the short sight and the w ide side,” Kelly said. “He’s settled dow n a little bit. I thought maybe we got a little too technical w ith him at times, we just needed to let him play, get out of his way a little bit. But I think he’s settled dow n nicely and we have a lot of trust in that he can go in there and play championship football.” Sophomore kicker Jonathan Doerer also had a chance to make some kicks last Saturday, and Kelly is
hoping to see a lot out of him this season. “He’s going to kick a lot, and we need him out there. And I hope he’s going to kick a lot. I’m confident that we’re going to be able to move the football, and that that’s going to translate into him kicking off. So he’s going to get out there and he’s got to kick,” Kelly said. Ultimately, ever yone w ill be ready to play this weekend, Kelly said. “A ll of our players w ill be prepared to play. … We’ve prepared them all, they’re all ready,” he said. ANN CURTIS | The Observer
Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu
The Irish takes the field prior to their 24-17 victory over Michigan on Sept. 1. The game was the two teams’ first matchup since 2014.
ANNA MASON | The Observer
ANN CURTIS | The Observer
Irish junior wide receiver Chase Claypool makes a play for the ball in Notre Dame’s 24-17 win against Michigan. Claypool had three receptions for 47 yards in the game.
M Golf Continued from page 16
travel with the team. Through Wednesday, junior Hunter Ostrom and sophomore Davis Chatfield led the team in their qualif ying rounds, and they will both be traveling to Madison, said Handrigan. Ostrom, a junior from Eagle, Idaho, had one top10 finish with the Irish last season. Chatfield, a sophomore from Attleboro, Massachusetts, had one top10 finish a year ago, and he also led the Irish in scoring at two events last season. The final members of the travel roster had yet to be announced as of Thursday evening, as stiff competition took place over the sixday qualifier between all 10 team members, from senior captain Ben Albin all the way to freshmen Taichi Kho and Andrew O’Leary. Regardless of the results
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Irish senior kicker Justin Yoon watches his field goal fly through the uprights in Notre Dame’s 24-17 victory over Michigan on Sept. 1. The Irish play Ball State next on Sept. 8. Paid Advertisement
on the scorecards this weekend, Handrigan hopes to see progress from his team. “Our goal is to always grow and compete and get better every single week,” Handrigan said. Handrigan said he wants to see improvements, but he does not want to put too much pressure on the opening Invitational. “Obviously this week is important, but not one is more important than the other,” Handrigan said. “We’re striving to improve. We did it last year. … We just got better and better as the year went on and played great in the ACC tournament.” Handrigan said that he hopes the Irish can become a national powerhouse. That march to the top of the leaderboards begins Sunday in Madison. Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu and Ryan Kolakowski at rkolakow@nd.edu
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Sports
The observer | friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
Volleyball Continued from page 16
this week. If we continue to improve I like our odds if we play those guys down the road.” Even though this weekend is the first stretch on the road for the Irish, Johnson said he is not worried about the different territory affecting their performance. “It’s a challenge for everyone, but we approach every game the same way, and sometimes it can be easier on road because you don’t have the distractions of being at home,” Johnson said. “I’ll imagine it will be different but I don’t worry about it.” Out of the three opponents, the Irish are most recently familiar with the Hilltoppers (3-4), who they faced in the first round of the NCAA championship and lost to 3-0. “We as a team we never size up opponents,” Johnson said. “And our team doesn’t size up points. It is a mistake to try and determine this is going to be easy or this is going to be hard. We approach every point the same. And I’m anticipating all are going to be hard. The real opponent is us and our standard and our style of play more than anything else.” Although it is early in the season, Johnson said the freshmen’s performance continues to impress him as three out of the four started against Purdue and will have the opportunity to do so again this weekend. “The four have chances to be good players down road,” Johnson said. “They are acclimating fast, work hard and are adjusting quickly. The speed they are acclimating is a testament to them and to the upperclassmen who are modeling behavior and what it looks like.” As Notre Dame prepares to kick off the Holiday InnUniversity Plaza Invitational by facing the Hilltoppers at 7 p.m. Friday, Johnson echoed that every game is centered around improvement. “It’s early in season and some have had good performances and some not so good performances,” Johnson said. “Everyone is just seeing if we can play with consistency. It’s just an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and improve. We embrace these opportunities to get better and see if our level of training will form habits that we can recall on game day.” After playing Western Kentucky on Friday evening, the Irish will face Miami (OH) at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning before playing Chattanooga at 5:30 p.m. that evening to complete the weekend’s competition. Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish junior outside hitter Jemma Yeadon, left, and senior middle blocker Meg Morningstar leap for a block during Notre Dame’s 3-0 victory over Oakland on Aug. 31 at Purcell Pavilion. So far this season, Yeadon has a team-high 52 kills, and Morningstar leads the team with 27 blocks. Paid Advertisement
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, september 7, 2018 | The Observer
M Soccer Continued from page 16
MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer
Irish senior midfielder Felicien Dumas surveys the field in Notre Dame’s 1-1 draw with Mexico on Apr. 27 at Alumni Stadium last season. The Irish are 2-0-1 this season and are currently ranked No. 12 in the country.
to different teams. UConn and Dartmouth were both good but, I think Syracuse will be a different type of team, it’ll be a slightly different challenge for us both on attack and defense. I think it’ll be a different game this Friday,” Riley said. The main difference in facing the Orange will be the two-striker formation that will contrast with the one-striker formation employed by UConn and Dartmouth. Riley also stated that Syracuse will be much quicker in getting the ball into its attacking half, something for which the Irish will have to adjust. Although the Irish have not yet started preparation for the game against Indiana — waiting until the game against Syracuse is over to do that — Riley is certain his players are excited to play a top-10 team. Nevertheless, the Syracuse game is the ACC regular-season opener for both the Irish and the Orange and Riley is not taking his chances. “I think we will be [excited to play a top-10 team]. One of the biggest things for us — there’s a lot of great games on the schedule — but, this [game against Syracuse] is our first chance to make a positive step towards winning the ACC regular season,” he said. “We’ll be focused on [the Syracuse] game until it’s over and then we’ll start thinking about Indiana, but I’m sure that [the players] know what’s coming up, they must be really excited of playing Indiana
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at home.” Last weekend, the Irish played both games on a neutral field in Indianapolis, making this next matchup against Syracuse their first true away game. Riley commented on the importance of staying disciplined throughout their travels. “You have to try to control all the things that you can control: make sure the guys eat well, get good rest,” Riley said. “I think — knowing this group a little bit — they like playing on the road too. There was no home field advantage for either team this past weekend but we’ll get familiar with Syracuse. It’s also about making sure you don’t get too excited too early before the game.” While there have been many bright spots on the team already, graduate student and captain Patrick Berneski received praise from his head coach for his performance and leadership thus far. “There’s been a lot of great performances so far but, I think our captain Patrick Berneski has done a great job of being a vocal leader as well as being a leader by example,” Riley said. “He’s also gotten to be dangerous on set pieces, he’s scored a couple of goals, really done a great job. There’s a number of other great performers — too many to single out — but Patrick has done a great job in these could of weeks of the regular season,” Notre Dame’s ACC opener against Syracuse will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday at Syracuse University Soccer Stadium. Contact Charlie OrtegaGuifarro at cortegag@nd.edu
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Irish sophomore midfielder Aiden McFadden contests the ball in Notre Dame’s 1-1 draw with Mexico. The Irish begin ACC play this weekend.
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The observer | Friday, september 7, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd men’s soccer
football
Kelly discusses team leadership By CONNOR MULVENA Associate Sports Edior
Coming off the high of Notre Dame’s 24-17 victory over Michigan this past Saturday, and in the midst of preparing for Ball State this weekend, Irish head coach Brian Kelly commended the maturity of his squad and expressed confidence that this team is not taking the Cardinals lightly during his weekly Thursday press conference. “I think that this group is mature enough and there’s enough leadership that they know that Ball State has got enough weapons that they can put some points on the board,” Kelly said. “And why not go in and play and have fun and enjoy it. And you’ve worked so hard to get to this point. … If they go at this game the way they’ve worked out for me … and everybody, then we’ll play well.” Kelly also addressed the
ND to open ACC play against Syracuse
squad’s pass rush depth, and the Irish head coach ensured that any defensive end who could make a difference would have the chance to play. “My philosophy has always been that a corner and a pass rusher has never been off the board, even if the numbers aren’t there,” Kelly said. “If we felt that there was a guy that sooner or later could make a difference for us, I don’t think I’ve ever said no to one of those. Now, we don’t want to take a player at that position if we’re reaching, but if there’s a guy on the board that we think can get us off the field, especially at [defensive end], we’ll definitely take an extra player.” Notre Dame’s offensive tackles faced a tough challenge last week in Michigan’s Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary on defense, but Kelly said his tacklers feel better see FOOTBALL PAGE 12
By CHALIE ORTEGAGUIFARRO Sports Writer
KATELYN VALLEY | The Observer
Former Irish forward Jeff Farina defends the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-1 victory over Michigan on Oct. 10 at Alumni Stadium.
Notre Dame looks to bounce back in road trip By MEAGAN BENS
Irish set to tee off year By JOE EVERETT and RYAN KOLAKOWSKI
Sports Writer
see VOLLEYBALL PAGE 14
see M SOCCER PAGE 15
ND men’s golf
nd volleyball
The Irish will face Western Kentucky, Miami (OH) and Chattanooga in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this weekend as their first extended stretch of matches away from home commences. Last Sunday, Notre Dame (4-1) lost to Purdue 3-1 on the road, ending its winning streak and resulting in its first loss of the season, but head coach Mike Johnson said the loss still serves as an opportunity to improve itself. “There were a lot of things we could of done better,” Johnson said. “W hen you don’t win, it’s healthier to not think so much about opponent, but more about what we didn’t do. We addressed things like serving, attacking and playing clean. We addressed defensive situations and we got better in all of those things at practice
No. 12 Notre Dame will visit Syracuse on Friday to open up ACC play ahead of its upcoming marquee matchup against No. 4 Indiana at home Tuesday. The Irish (2-0-1, 0-0 ACC) are coming off a twowin weekend in which they beat UConn and Dartmouth and hope to carry that momentum forward on the road against the Orange and beyond. Despite Syracuse (2-1-0, 0-0 ACC) going winless in ACC play last season, Irish head coach Chad Riley was cautious about counting out the Orange as an easy win, noting that the Irish still have to refine their play. “A lot of it during this time [of the season] is sharpening up what you can do with the ball and getting exposed
Sports Editor and Sports Writer
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish freshman setter Zoe Nunez makes a set during Notre Dame’s 3-0 victory over Oakland on Aug. 31 at Purcell Pavilion.
Notre Dame will tee off its fall season this Sunday when the squad travels to Madison, Wisconsin, to hit the links at the Badger Invitational. Irish head coach John Handrigan said his team is ready to begin its competitive season and explained that the golfers are motivated to build on their success from last year. “They’ve got expectations and they have goals that they want to fulfill individually and as a team,” Handrigan said. Last season, the Irish garnered a fourth-place finish at the Badger Invitational with a team score of 14-under-par, which tied for the second best 54-hole team score in program history. Texas A&M led the field a year ago at 25 strokes under par. “We played well at this event last year on that golf course, so we envision doing
the same thing again this year,” Handrigan said. The Badger Invitational, which is hosted by the University of Wisconsin at University Ridge Golf Course, will feature 12 programs from across the nation. Participating schools include Rutgers, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Marquette and Kansas. Of returning schools, only Marquette and Kansas placed higher than Notre Dame a year ago, shooting 17-under-par and 19-under-par, respectively. Notre Dame usually travels with five of its 10 golfers, but the program will take eight athletes to Madison this weekend. “We had a great qualifier,” Handrigan said. “A lot of guys played really well, so we definitely have high hopes.” Thursday was the final day of qualifying at Notre Dame, the practice rounds that determine which golfers will see M GOLF PAGE 12